The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-12-20
WEALTH IS STORED
 AWAY IN CLEBURN Gold Awaits Development in This Promising County FUTURE IS VERY BRIGHT New Method of Mining Is Destined to RevoIutionize Work, and Advent of
 Railroad Opens Up Tim
 Der Resources.
FUTURE IS VERY BRIGHT

Edwardsville, December 19.-(Special.)- A new era of prosperity is dawning for Cleburn county and her loyal people are looking forward to the day when the attention of the entire state, and perhaps the south, will be directed tow ard the resources of this favored sec ton. Since Indian days it has been known that gold in paying quantities could be found in the soil and streams but for some inexplioable reason devel- opment has been slow. The invaluable minerals that could be had for the trou- ble of digging were allowed to rest un- disturbed and the county has been per mitted to build up :. reputation as the home of moonshiners. of wildcat whisky and the ubiquitous "hill billies.'
 But now a change has come about. Modern methods are beginning to make their influence felt and all that is now necessary is concerted action on the part of the people to attract capital
 Placer Mining Profitable.
 Since 1S4S it has been known that gold could be found in Cieburn dirt in paying quantities but most people have been looking for rich veins instead of con- tentng themselves with the more la borious methods of the placer miner. About year ago Frank F. Taylor came here from Montana and after prospect ing for several months advised his com pany, which was composed largely of Chicago capitalists, that it would be a good investment to build a plant to do placer mining.
 A ditch six miles in length was dug across the hills in order to obtain a water supply and the plant is now in full operation. The company is getting out an average of $S worth of gold a day for each man employed, while $125 will cover the expenses of each empoye.
 This company owns about 300 acres of land in Cleburn and will work all of it in time. There are also many other sections of the county equally rich in the yellow metail that are merely waiting for de- velopment Mr. Taylor is thorough miner and q visit to his plant cannot but prove instructive.
 New Railroad Built.
 A new railroad, constructed by the Van derbilt Timber, Mining and Southwestern Railway company, is now in process of completion. The line runs from Talla- poosa, Ga, to Montgomery, Ala. and the cars are now running through Cleburn. About three hundred men are employed in construction and a large number of teams are being used in carrying on the work.
 The company owns 30,000 acres of long leaf yellow pine in the southern part of Cleburn county and has about twenty-five saw mills in operation. converting the timber into lumber. The output of these mills is being shipped east and not a foot is offered for sale south of Philadelphia.
 When completed the new railroad will run near the famous Wood copper mines and the Pinetucky gold mines. The com pletion of the road is a certainty and the development of the county is equally as sured The value of the district traver- sed by the railroad will be rapidly en- hanced and everything now points to a reign of prosperity in Cleburn.