Year: 1861




The discovery ii 1928, of quite large lump of gold
in NacOochee, woFti 5000 caused the greatest excite
ment throughout the country People from all sections
were seen Hooking to this El Dorado. Those who
possessed few hundred of land dreamed of for
tune many OF which were realised. Even the
great Calhoun did escape the prevailing gold fe
yer, and notwithstanding the warnings given him by
my father, he cheated by the ''specuators out of
a large sum of money. Testing and Sailing" were
then the order of the day Those who had lots of land
sell would dig pits various points and then pam
If unfortunately they did not succeed in finding
gold so unscrupulous to have conceal
ed about their persons which by Slight of hands was
transferred to the pan of the person that was testing


This what l.hey called salting and there were a
great many victims to this sort OF sWindliug | was
then small boy and knew every by-path through the
mountains, and to was assigned the honor of pilot
ing the great Carplina statesman through the mines
Yonah and otheri places of amusement. 1t was the
year after the celebrated tariff bill was passed


shall never forget how much Mr.. Calhoun was ex-
cited on account Of some political news he received at
Nacoochee He would walk the floor for hours as if in
the deepest meditation and occasionally press his hand
to his forehead if in great pain This wonderfulmap
then reasing the trouble through which are Just
passing; his penetrating mind could see full thirty
years in advance Of the majority OF his cotemporarie


If our country lad needed his counsel and warnings
we should not now he engaged in bloody and destruc-
tive civil war; the slave States could have dictated their
own terms OF separation. But the immense revenue





thirty years has made the north rich powerful and in
solent. Unfortunately for us they know too well that
the loss of the rich 9rade of the south would be their
ruin, and they arg willing to hazard bloody and
immense treasure to win back. Fools they are! The
people of the Confederate States will never again sub
NIT to the rule OF the hated abotonists Never! new
erl If they have perish they will like the persecu
ted Sampson in the death struggle pull down the house
the heads Of their enemies But you see am wan
derng away from the gold diggings to the prolific sub
.F oil lG- ,,I A.,
tty of gold found in the Nacoochee settlement it per-
haps would amount 10 many millions Of dollars | am
doubtful whether the country has been benefited by
the discovery of ihiS precious meta-whe few have
amassed fortunes many have grown poor in search of
the precious TREASURE


The mines here are being worked to much better ad
vantage and profit than they before the discovery
of gold in California. All the late Improvements in
machinery have Been introduced. 4 few days ago
visited the Nacoorhee hydraulic mining company and
surprised to the vast preparations they have
made for obtaining gold A canal nine miles long ca
pabIe of conveying water enough to wash the Yonah
mountain level wsth the valley has been completed at
cost of $4,000 The Georgia commissioners will no
doubt learn that tls capital furnished by the Bos.
ton stockholders in this company. The canal has its
in the blue ridge and is conveyed on the side of
the mountain With the branch canals that are now
making millions Of acres Of land be irrigated and
washed Deposits Nnd veins of gold extend the en-
tire length of the canal The Nacoochee company own





which the canal passes There more gold here in ten
miles square than in all the banks of South Carolina
and is about as hard to draw. How much it will cost
to remove it frout its deposits remains to be SEEN


1t is estimated shat the expense of mining with the
Of the canal greatly reduced 1t is said that one
man do the work Of ten under the old system
Of mining; if this be true, see no reason why i'm
mense fortune may not be realised by this company as
they have secured the richest mining region in Georgia
If had not seen it with my eyes, could not be-
I,, +l,0t, I11,rr IL, IL
if allowed to flow down the oftiest mountain in Geor-
gia if unobstruced by rocks, would level it with the
valley friend OF Ihine who had charge of one of the
acqueducts in the side of the mountain came very
losing his life by &n unexpected mountain slide An
old tunnel which had been dug many years ago bv the
miners was penetrated by the water from the canal
which had been Undermining the mountain for several
days-ny friend hearl unusual roaring, and the
forest trees near him begin to shake then followed
large chasm. Nj friend had just left the spot which
had dis appeared forever.


| have very Fe doubt that the subterranean village
which discovered by the miners here in 1884 was
buried by mountain slide. 1t must however have
been at an early date, this JuberraRean village was
covered when the wh5cs first settled the country with
heavy growth OF timber denoting the great antiquity
of the buildings.


Anumber Of curious specimens of Workmanship have
been found there, in situations which preclude the pos
sbility of their having, been removed for thousand
:
visited this county early the tenth century, seek
ing gold and mace progress in civilization but
finally destroyed by the Indians. The remains of
strong torhcatio4 which extend the Nacoochee
valley, from mountain to mountain, yet to be seen
At one time Nacoechee was the largest town in the Che
rokee nation


Tradition tells as that Nacoochee, the Evening Star,
was the daughter of anoed chief This lovely maid Of
the valley wotd bya brave young warrior Of race
hated by her father One evening Nacochee disappear
ed from her vinecIai! cottage The cid chief summon
ed his warriors to go l pursuit of her She and hes
lover were captured the banks of the Chatahooche


An arrow was aimed at the foe who had dared to rob
the chief Of his tkyore daughter Nacooehee sprang
before her lover and received the shaft in her pure
heart. In moment the young chiettain's blood min
gled with hers They were buried in one grave and
mound was raised to mark the spot.


Your correspondent has peculiar attachment for
this mound, it was there that he made the first bush
el of indian that lie could claim as his own The
mound the property ef the eldest Of the late
major Williams. 1t has been planted in vines, fruit
trees and blue grass The solitary pine on its summit
that marks the g>aye Of Nacoochee still stands; from
its lofty top the secession flag thrown the breeze
before the State of Georgia seeded. Long may it
over the grave of NacoOchee and the home of the
free Charleston Courier