The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-07-07
ARKANSAS GOLD STRIKE FADS,'
Assays Range from Cents to 50 Cents
Ton.

Prospecting for the precious metals
has been intermittenly carried on for
many years in Yell county and else
where in Arkansas, and last March re-
ports were received by the United States
geological survey that several rich pros
poets had been located. G.. S. Rogers, a
geologist of the survey, was immediate
ly detailed to investigate these reports
and by taking reliable samples for as
say to determine the probable impor-
lance of the strike" His report in
dicates that none OF the prospects are
of economic Importance and that While
small pockets of ore may possibly be
found in this region there is little chance
OF developing mine.
Prospecting is most active in the dis
trict south of Button and Gravelly, two
small towns on Fourche river about 80
miles from the Rock Island railroad.
Several hundred claims have been staked
in this district, although on only about
a dozen has any development work been
attempted. These prospects were vlsl-
ted by Mr.. Rogers and according TO his
report most OF them show no signs OF
minera lization, other than little crys-
talline quartz and pyrite fools gold.l
Several of the prospects, however, are
located on true veins that fill old flssures
or faults by which the strata are cut
and along which gold bearing solutions,
if there were any, might have risen. 1t
was claimed that assays made OF select
ed specimens of the ore from these pros
poets showed from 50 to Sl52 a ton in
gold. Seven Of the most promising pros
poets were therefore sampled, great care
being taken TO gather reliable aver
age sample of what the prospector him
self considered his best ore. Despite OF
the high returns claimed, the gold shown
bv ASSAY of these official samples in
no case exceeds 50 cents ton, and IN
most of the samples it is cents or less.
No more than trace of silver was
found in any OF the samples. The ma
terial as shown by these assays is far
from being ore, although it probably
represents fairly well the average run of
the veins,
The rocks in this district are of the
stratified or sedimentary class, being
chiefly sandstone and shade OF CarbonH-
erous age, and are about 20 miles dis
tant from any known outcrop if igneous
rock. 1t is we'll recognized by gelogists
that important deposits of gold, silver,
or copper are very uncommon in strait
fed rocks except where the rocks have
been directly affected by igneous activi-
ty. and therefore it is not be expected
that ore in important quantity will be
found anywhere in this region. At the
same time there are geologic indications
that dikes of igneous rock may under
lie the surface at no very great depth
and that solutions carrying small
amounts of gold may have emanated
from these bikes and have assembled
through the old fault assures, deposit
ing small pockets of ore at certain ia
vorable points. Thus there is very
well substantiated claim that small
amount of the ore from one Of the pros
poets ran as high as S5l ton in gold,
although the official sample, taken en-
tirely across the vein at somewhat
greater depth. showed only cents to
the ton. That il is vain to expect any
important deposits as a result of the IN
trusion of such deep-seated dikes, even
il their existence is granted, is shown
bv the fact that even where the lgheous
rocks reach tine surface, some 20 miles
TO the south, there are no gold deposits
of value.
Copper Prospects at Steve.
In addition to the gold excitement
near Blufton. considerable prospecting
for eopper has been carried on near the
village of Steve. about Is miles 20 the
east Several shallow shafts have been
sunk on supposed copper leads and
one drift has been driven to depth OF
lle feet. -Four samples Of the so-called
ore were tested for copper in the survey
laboratory but showed only the faint
est traces. less than a cent to the ton.
Prospects Near Mens.
Prospectors have also been at work in
pom county during the last 25 years,
and many manganese claims and few
gold claims have been fled. shafts or
prospect pits for gold have been sunk
AZ several points near Mena, along the
out crop 81 q stratum known az the
Little Ruth vein and also IN shsle
belt about = taile 70 the south. Samples
we're collected from two Of the most
---.....s.s--. ,--.s~..ass k5ss sNn asaaWs Of