The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-07-21
'COLD IS THERE
IN RICH QUALITY
Mr.. Bruner on the Recent
Fine Strikes
BUT CAPITAL IS NttDtU
| The Great trouble About Mining Operations IN
North Carolina in the Past Has
Been X rav5gance and
Speculation.
BUT CAPITAL IS NEEDED

Speculation.
Yesterday a News and Observer report
er Was talking with Secretary T. X Brln-
er. Of the state Department of agriculture
about the recent interest that has been
aroused shout gold mining IN North Car
DINA.
The great trouble about mining opcT-
ations in North Carolina IN the past, SAID
Mr.. Bruner. who j. one IF the best II
formed men in the State on tins sub1tcf
has been tie extravaganza IN manage
ment ana the speculation. These have
been the true causes. in my judgment
that have prevented the legitimate de
veIopment Of these resources
Then Mr.. Bruner went on AZ follows:
within a radius Of fifty miles from tie
town of Salisbury, which Will include
j Charlotte on the south, Greensboro on the
north, Troy, Montgomery county, on the
east. there are more than 400 and per
hais as many as coo known localities
where gold. silver ana copper bearIn1
ores are beng found and identified. The
truth of the matter is that but very Scant
intelligent research has been made III
this enormous region of metallIfefouS
wealth. For twenty-five years stories have
been floating in the press of the \. Il.
and c, who has found 1t rich at such a
place. Most of these have been insight
hcant IN Importance, while a few others
have resulted IN the production of very
considerable quantities OF precious metal.
Prom 1880 to 1886 | spent much time
IN visiting all Of the localities reported
to be gold bearing in the region described.
was impressed then, and believe now
that enormous quantities Of rich ore
- - 80 r..Ir1.I Do la1,l1
Davidson, Rowan, Montgomery, Stanly,
Cabarrus, Union, Mecklenburg, Arson and
Moore counties.
a geological survey of this region
would simply mean an identification OF the
rocks exposed on the surface, and a de-
scription of the mining already done IN
the seams and assures of the mother rock.
That much is already pretty we'll known.
What we want to know now Is where
these assures, seams and VEINS occur IN
the country rock. They are the gold
bearers. The farmer with his plough and
hoe is just as apt to turn up the precious
metal az the prospector with pick and
shovel.
1T IS there and in rich quantity. cor
the finder. Some systematic investigation
with money enough behind it to expose
and locate these ASSURES seems to me the
only pIdcJ1CdI way 10 solve l1lS plODlIlI-
However, the rich finds recently reported
may bring a score of miners with pick
and pan to delve among the rocks to find
natures store house of precious metals
THE State is credited with the produC-
ton Of twenty-five or tWenty-slX million
dollars worth OF gold since its discovery,
about 1925. This is a very limited amount
of production compared with the richness
of the field, as | believe it to be, and |
expect to see the day when many mil
hons more will be taken from the sol
: of those counties.
why, in the township of FL Dorado,
, in Montgomery county said he, there
: IS not ten feet Of road that Will not show
: the color of gold if carefully PANIED.
: Once | went over one two hundred
{ feet wide and a half mile long right
= through the woods, and took samples
e every ten feet. I had those samples as
$ sayed, ana the average was $500 to the
ton
Some of the recent sold stories appear
4 to be entirely authentic, and are of the
utmost interest:
Tests have been made in Moore county
! which have been perfectly satisfactory
and col. p. H.. Laufman. president of the
5 p. H. Laufman Gold Mining Company. o.
Moore county, is now in the North to or
I game and properly finance the company
Work Will begin anew very soon. Another
t new Eldorado for the South and which j,
Y situated IN the famous Cold Hill district
: of North Carolina, is owned by the Whit
e ney Company, Of Pittsburg. Six month.
ago George |. Whitney obtained an option
on the entire holdings of the Barringei
Mining Company, which was organized Ii
:, 1883, and on May 18th options We're close
transferring its ownership of 81. 900. 90,
: capital to the Whitneys interests. TIL,
Whitney Company, late in March. sent
sample from this new mine to Whitney <
Stephenson, at Pittsburg, which it j
claimed showed the enormous value o
$50, 794 to the ton. The owners frs
thought that this might be som poke.
find and proceeded at once to make
further Investigations and found specimens
of ore which assayed 10000. Still furth.
e or the work was pushed ahead and takin.
Y INTO consideration the poorest samples TIL,
t average per ton amounted to $500. Tn,
5 Barrlnger mine, so far as explored, is four
and one-half feet wide, % long. The worl
now beng done by the Whitney Con-
q pany IS probably the most extensive il
II the South. The original mines, known a.
e the McMackin. are located within one mil,
of Gold Hill, with shafts 700 feet and fou
/, miles Of underground work; 1900, 900 ton
have been assayed, showing q value Z
from s. to SO. The company now own!
= more than $1,000 acres of land in StaniS
5 and Montgomery counties, and the ripar
e ian rights for twelve or fifteen mile
II along the Yadkin.
" An Exchange says:
within the past few days. a forum,
has been take out of the Barringer mine
near Mlsenhelmer Springs, in Stanh
county. Six tons of ore containing ii
average Of $4,000 a ton in gold have bee1
| taken out. The ore contains masses .
7 almost pure gold as large as a mans fist.
Mr.. E. NJ. Armfield, Of High Point. ant
g Af. NJ. /. Jones. OF Montgomery county
q took out Of the lola gold mines in Mont
gonefy county seventy-two pounds o
crude, gold, worth s13,260, within sever
n weeks.
: The lola mine has been in operation 70
only two years, but is one of the bes