Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-08

camped in this neighborhood during
the war some of them discovered gold
on one OF the farms and promised to
return when the war was over and
develop IL. but il is supposed that
those who made the promise did not
ried out"
Mr.. Emmons told the institute that
ten or twelve years before. which
would make the date about 1888, a
mine was started In the region OF
stream that empties into the Potomac
from the north just below Great Falls.
IT was known as the Montgomery mine.
On the grounds there then stood un-
covered and in a deplorable state of
ruin a Fraser and Chalmers ten-stamp
mill hosting engine, boilers to EACH
two pans and settlers. a reverbaratory
furnance and a shaft with consider
able dump pile. part of which had
fallen into the shaft. all bearing silent
testimony to an untimely demise OF
that he had no definite information as
to the cause of its death. but that
there was some reason to assume that
patent processes" a disease common
to newly opened mining districts had
something to do with 1t.
Mr.. Emmons told the institute that
recently new organization called the
Potomac Mining Company had been
formed and that some new shafts had
been sunk on the vein, but that no
work was then being done, pending a
series of experiments to determine
what form of crushing machinery was
desirable to put up, the owners having
prejudice against stamps
Mr.. Emmons said: "A b. Russ. the
president of the present company. in
forms me that he holds mint receipts
Tor nearly $4,000 worth of gold taken
out by the old company mainly from
the bed OF the stream which runs
through the property, and / have seen
thrns nne nuggets. weighing up to
tnree or four ounces, which are said
recently" Hu'e
Mr. Emmons said that there was
not seen, which was called the Mary
land mine, said to have been opened
as early as 1867 and situated north
or the Conduit road about half way
oetween Great Falls and the Harrison
farm. 'o'i
In the spring of 1883 the Georgia
miner. Kirk, struck gold on the Harri-
son farm about a mile south NJ ,ha
Montgomery line, and after prosnectine
tne ground and the adjoining streams
with the gold pan secured an option
on the farm and proceeded to prove
tne veins by a series of open pits. This
ed into the hands of Dr. w. Kempster
ana associates, by whom it was slow
~ ana Systematically developed, A
three-stamp mill was put up in which
the quartz from the various veins that
ran through the ground was practically
tested and proved to run from Sl2 to
soo per ton, the veins being taken from
wall TO wall. A great deal of quartz
showing free gold was also obtained
from the veins. but this was discarded
from the working tests, which were di-
rected to obtaining the average yield
OF ore showing no free gold Sluicing
was also attempted in the bottomland
or Rock run. but although after strip
ping the soil good paying gravel was
FOUND on the bedrock, the slope of the
valley was found to be insufficient for
doned.
In July. 1889, a ten-stamp mill from
an abandoned gold mine on the Vir-
ginia side of the Potomac. was set up
smart was sunk and systematic UNDER
ground development was carried on.
About this time the gold fever was
claiming as victims most Of the people
in the Great Falls region. Several
small reduction plants were built, and
shafts and prospect holes were dug in
a great number of places. It is not of
record that any Great Falls million
ing to assays. was found in many
places. On the Allerton-Ream prop
erty. in several places on the Harrison
farm, on the Lynch farm and on the
middleton farm gold-bearing rock was
found in large quantities. and most Of
IT, the Rambler believes, is still there.
Mr.. Emmons of the geological sur
vey. in telling the institute of mining
engineers about the Conduit road, said:
The Conduit road is one built by the
government along the north bank Of
the Potomac on the aqueduct which
was constructed just before the war to
bring the water of the river from Great
Falls to the city Of Washington. 1t is
largely macadamized with gold quartz
from the adjoining farms. some Of
which is said to assay as high as $40
per ton"
1t is interesting to walk through the
rough woods around Great Falls and
lolter by the mines" where mems
hearts beat high with hopes as every
spadeful of earth was thrown out or
every blast set Off