The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-06

Hecently there has been great reviya in the development of the gold fields oi Alabama and tLe prospect of getting out the yellow metal in paying quantities is attractive to capitalists. For manl years it has been known that gold exist: In Eastern Alabama counties and tht fields have been worked in a desultor, manner. New equipment and up-to-datt methods have enlarged the opportunities of making money out of the Alabams gold mines.
 Having in view the ascertainment ol the prospects for profitable gold mining in Alabama, G. W. Mitcham. B. M. ant C. E.. was commissioned by The Adver tiser to explore the gold fields and gtvs the results of an investigation by ( scientist and expert. Mar. Mitcham hal just been elected to a chair in Auburn Formerly he was in the employ of thu Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railway Com pany, and his knowledge of metallurgy mineralogy and geology is broad. Tht result of his explorations and investiga. tions follow:
 Alexander City, July 1, 1905. Montgomery Advertiser:
 AS per instructions I arrived in Alex ander City Monday, June 2, and have spent one week in an investigation of the gold mining industry in this section.
 The properties 1 visited are situated in Tallapoosa County, about six miles from Alexander City, the nearest railroad sta- tion, and are in what Is known as the "Goldville and Hog Mountain Gold Belt" This forms part. and is near the south west terminus of what is termed by Dr. Becker of the United States Geological Survey. ''The Georgia Belt of the South ern Appalachian Gold Fields"
 Right here 1t is interesting to note that the area of the gold region of Alabama is about 4.425 square miles. including parts of Cleburne, Clay, Talladega, Coosa, Chiffon, Fillmore, Tallapoosa, Macon, Lee. Chambers and Randolph Counties. These figures are from reports of Dr. Smith, State Geologist.
 Beginning at Hillabee Greek. six miles northeast of Alexander City, the Gold vile belt extends northeast through the counties of Tallapoosa, Clay and Ran dolph. I will only describe the part in Tallapoosa County, all of which I was unfortunately not able to get over.
 The country rock, as shown by expos ures on the surface, includes talcon and mica slates, schists and gneiss graduating, insensibly, into granite. The surface rock is slate and Is underlaid by granite and gneiss, which in many places are ex- posed by erosion. The general strike of the rocks in this formation is northeast and southwest and dip to the east or southeast. This Is the general structure of the Appalachian Range, of which this formation may be nsidered the south west extremity. This general structure, however, varies slightly in detail as will be noted further on.
 History.
 Gold was discovered in Alabama in 1890, and some mining was done in this district a few years afterward; but authentic his- tory dates from 1s42 in which year a mine called Log pit' was in operation, and was located near there a mining camp was soon established and called Goldville. From lis camp the district took it's name. The early geological sur vey of Alabama (Toumey, 1s50, states that $So,OOO in gold was extracted from Log Pit" by the crude methods then employed. which saved only the coarse gold. It is stated by people in this dis trict that the $SO, ,OOo.o mentioned In Pro- lessor Toumey's report, was taken from the old dump or tailings. and that in re- aiity several hundred thousand dollars were taken from the old workings at Goldville.
 The operations of these early miners were confined to the plaeers and free mill ing ore, or the ore at, or near the out crop of the veins. When the depth be- low which the ore was oxidized was reached, sulphides were encountered, and mining on that vein ceased, as they had no means of extracting the gold from the refractory ore, or sulphurates. At this and other mines near Goldville, which were worked at that time. the refractory ore was encountered at depths of twenty to seventy-hve feet. and sometimes they could go as deep as 100 feet.
 During the working of Log Pit" the Blrdsong. Ely, Mahan, Ulrich and other smaller properties were found to carry gold. The most notable and profitable of these was the Ulrich property, now a part of the Cameron property.
 The work at Goldville was carried on very successfully until the great discov- cries of gold in California in 1S4S and 1S49. when moved by the marvellous re- ports of the rich placers, nearly the en- tire population gathered their tools and joined in the exodus to the New Eldorado.
 A Dr. Ulrich at that time lived on the east side of Hillabee Creek, and owned parts of sections 4. s. 8 and g. and the place was called the Ulrich, or Dutch Bend Place. The Doctor cultivated a large plantation and vineyard and pro- duced wine in considerable quantities. In excavating a cellar in the hillside for storing wines he cut two veins which he supposed to carry copper. (they do carry a little chalcocite) and shipped by wagons 15 or % tons. and was informed by con signee that 1t was auriferous. He after wards opened on several veins near by, and thus employed his slaves when not at work in the vineyard or cotton fields. He erected a very crude three-stamp mill, the stamps being made of wood and shod with iron. an iron plate serv- ing as disc This mill was operated by water power. He afterwards increased the number of stamps to five. and work ing with this primitive machinery. he mined the ores and extracted only a small percentage of the values from them. His work was, of course. confined to the free-milling ores and he worked them by open cuts and by tunnels high up the hills, near the outcrop of the veins. He also sunk one shaft 100 feet deep near the mill, but this struck the granite and he