fJCLD eEPCSl 'l' S CF' <;E( 1\ 0 L\ F ROKTI S PlECE - PLATE t l\l i LL AND CHLORI~ATIO N PLANT, CREI GHTON GoLD ~1INE, CHEROKEE Cou _ TY, GEORGI A GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF GEORGIA S. W. McCALLIE, State Geologist BULLETIN No. 19 SECOND REPORT ON THE GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA BY S. P. JONES Assistant State Geologist ATLANTA, GA. CHAS. P. BYRD, State Printer 1909. THE ADVISORY BOARD OF THE Geological Survey of Georgia in the Year 1909 (Ex-Officio) His ExcELLENCY, HOKE SMITH, Governor of Georgia PRESIDENT oF THE BoARD RoN. PHILIP COOK___________________ Secretary of State RoN. J. P. BROWN----------------~-----State Treasurer HoN. W. A. WRIGHT __._-;-:-'--.~-------Comptroller-General HoN. JOHN C. HART ___________________Attorney-General RoN. T. G. HUDSON_________ Commissioner of Agriculture RoN. J. M. POUND________ Commissioner of Public Schools LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL GEoLOGICAL SuRVEY OF GEoRGIA, ATLANTA, June 15, 1909. To His Excellency, HoKE SMITH, Governor and Presid'ent of the Advisory Board of the Geological Survey of Georgia. SIR: I have the honor to transmit herewith for publication the report of Mr. S. P. Jones, Assistant State Geologist, on the Gold Deposits of Georgia. This report is the second report published by the State Geological Survey on this subject. The first report, which was issued in 1896, covered only a part of the gold deposits of the State, whereas this report Hall County Belt ----------------------------------------112-121; Fullon County ~------------------------------------------ 112 Milton County _____________ ---- ______ -~-- _---- ___________ 112-113 Forsyth County ------~~------------~----~---------------- 113 Gwinnett County __________ ~~- --~- ____________ ~-- _________ 114-110 1Iall County ---------------------------~-----------------119-125 Habersham County ______________________________________ .125-126 Rabun County _________ --- _____ --- _----- _________________ 12712R Th<> Carroll County Belt ------------------------------~-------128-140 Carroll County _------- _________ --- __ -~- _________________128-134 Douglas County ___________ --~- ------------ ______ -- _______ 134-136 Paulding CountY------------------------------~---------- 136 Cobb County _------------- --~- -- __ --~- ------ ________ -- __ .137-140 The Dahlonega BPlt ________ -~ _- -~-- -~- --- __________ ----------140-235 Haralson County ~~- ______________________________________ 140-141 Paulding County -----------------------~---~-------------141-145 Bartow County __________________________________________ 145-146 CherokPI.' County -~ __________________ --~- ___ ~- ____________ 146-166 Forsyth County ~~~~- -~~- -- __ -~~- -~-- -~~- -~-- ________ ----.166-167 Dawson County -~- _________ ~~ _____ ---- ________ --- ________ 167-173 Lumpkin County ~---------------~~-------~-----~---------173-205 ~ White County --~~- -~~- -------- ___ -------- __ -- ___________ 205-229 Habersham County ____ ~-- __ -~- ____________________________ 229-230 Rabun County ___ - ~-- ------------------ __ -- ----- __ --- ____ 230-235 The Hightower Creek Belt ------------------------------------235-237 Towns County ----~~- -,-- _---- --- __ -~- ______________ -~ ____ 235-237 TABLE OF CONTENTS 11 Page The Coosa Creek Bett -----------------------------------------237-242 lJnion County --------------------------------------------237-241 Towns County ------------------------------------------ 242 The Gum Log Belt -------------------------------- _____________242-248 lJnion County --------------------------------------------242-244 Towns County ------------------------------------ ___ -----244-248 Isolated Localities -------------- _--------------- ______________ 248-278 Lincoln County ------------- _____________________________ 248-256. VVilkes County -------------------------------------------256-257 Meriwether County ----------------- _____________________ -257-259 Coweta County -------------------------------------------259-260 Henry'County -------------------------------------------- 261 Newton County ------------------------------------------ 261 Campbell County ------------------------------------ _____ 261-262 Douglas County -- ------'=-------- ____ -- ----- ____ __ ____ __ __ _ 262 VValton County -------------------------------------------262-263 Taliaferro County ---------------------------------------- 263 Greene County -------------------------------------------264-265 Hart County ---------------------------------------------265-266 Forsyth County -------- _-------------------- _____________ 266-269 Cherokee County ----------------------------------------- 269 Habersham County ------------------------------------ ___ 269 Gilmer County _____ --------------- ______________________ -269-272 Hall County ---------------------------------------------273-275 Murray County ----------------------- ___ -- ______ ---- ____ 276-277 Fannin County -------------------------- ____ --------- ___ 277-278 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PLA'I'E:S OPPOSITE PAGE I Mill and Chlorination Plant, Creighton Gold Mine, Cherokee County, Georgia_________________ Frontispiece II Fig. 1-Gold Crystals Associated with Quartz Crystals, Loud Gold Mine, White County, Georgia___ 48 Fig. 2-Gold Ore from the Creighton Gold Mine, Cherokee County, Georgia, Showing Banded Structure _ ------------------------------ 48 III Fig. 1-View of a Portion of the West, or Upper, Cut, Findley Gold Mine, Dahlonega, Georgia.:.___ 80 Fig. 2-Auriferous Quartz Stringers in Partially Decomposed Rock, East, or Lower, Cut, Findley Gold Mine, Dahlonega, Georgia________ 80 IV Fig. 1-View of a Portion of the Large Cut of the Barlow Gold Mine, Dahlonega, Georgia________ 112 Fig. 2-View of a Portion of the Main Cut of the Crown Mountain Gold Mine, Dahlonega, Georgia__ 112 V Placer Mining at the Coosa Creek Gold Mine, near Blairsville, Union County, Georgia________________ 144 VI Fig. 1-Milling Plant, Parks Gold Mine, McDuffie County, Georgia ------------------------- 176 Fig. 2-Interior View of Stamp Mill Showing Battery and Amalgamating Plates, Parks Gold Mine, McDuffie County, Georgia ---------------- 176 VII Fig. 1-Mining Plant, Seminole Gold and Copper Mine, Lincoln County, Georgia ----------------- 208 Fig. 2-Milling Plant, Columbia Gold Mine, McDuffie County, Georgia ------------------------- 208 VIII Fig. 1-Blast Furnace, Seminole Gold and Copper Mine, Lincoln County, Georgia_____________ 240 Fig. 2-View of a Portion of Roasting and Smelting Furnace, Seminole Gold and Copper Mine, Lincoln County, Georgia ----------------- 240 MAPS 1 Map Showing Distribution of the Gold Deposits of Georgia 36 '2 Preliminary Map of Dahlonega District, Geergia_________ 276 Gold Deposits of Georgia CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY GENERAL CoNSIDERATIONS This report is offered as a contribution to the economicgeology of Georgia with the aim of furnishing to interested parties comprehensive and, as far as possible, definite ideas. of the State's gold deposits and their mining possibilities. Owing to the number of mines at present inoperative, some misapprehension exists regarding this branch of Georgia's. mineral industry. It may therefore be well to outline certain past and present conditions. Prior to the discovery of gold in California, the Southern Appalachian gold fields, of which the Georgia deposits form an important portion, received almost exclusively the attention of the gold miners of the United States. With the rush . to California, and the subsequent discovery of gold in other western states, the Georgia mines were in large part abandoned by professional miners and lay idle for years, or were worked to a limited extent by local owners. The war between the States and the subsequent demoralized condition of business in the southern states for a number of years afterwards retarded further development for a considerable period. Later, with the revival of business. in the South, companies were formed and mines on all the more important belts were 14 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA ()perated. In a number of cases the ore bodies were worked below water level, and the refractory ores treated by the cyanide or chlorination method. At some plants the ore was milled, the free gold secured by amalgamation, and the sulphides concentrated for smelting. At many localities the veins, especially where occurring as more or less parallel stringers forming an ore-bearing zone, were sluiced with hydraulic giants through large open cuts into mills situated .at lower levels. The depth to which the deposits could be worked in this manner varied with the amount of th~ decomposition of the country rock. With some modifications, these methods of mining, considering veins only, are in practice at the present time. Unfortunately in many cases the parties controlling and directing the operations were eastern or southern business men who had had little or no experience in gold mining and -errors of judgment were frequent in equipping plants. locating shafts, etc. Particularly regrettable was the erection, in many instances, of mining plants, when neither the quality uor the probable quantity of ore had received other than ihe most meager tests. Another case of poor judgment was in the use at a number of mines of Huntington mills where the variety of ore mined could have been more satisfactorily and economically treated with stamp mills of the ordinary type. Failure under these conditions, after a longer or shorter period of operation, followed and work ceased. Another cause for many abandoned shafts and small mines .along all the gold belts is to be found in over-enthusiasm on the part of small land owners on whose properties prospects were located. Being farmers in most cases of limited means, they were tempted to work, or to have worked, small stringers ()I' lean ore bodies that had much better been left undeveloped. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 15 Also, in various localities veins were worked by the early -miners to a depth where the sulphides were unoxidized and the ore ceased to be free milling. Unacquainted usually with any method other than amalgamation for extracting the gold, they were forced to cease operations and renew work at another locality. Numbers of this cl~ss of mines have been reworked under modern methods, but many are to be found as old caved-in and almost obliterated works. It is not intended by the foregoing to convey the impression that some reasoi:t other than the absence of paying values accounts for all the idle mines in the several gold belts of Georgia. Taking an average of localities the world over where gold deposits have been worked, especially where underground work has been prosecuted, failures will bear a certain ratio, whatever that may be, to successful operations. The above facts in regard to mines not in operation have been stated at some length, in order that undue weight may not be attached to a present condition of the industry that will appear fully in that portion of the report describing individual properties. It is also desired to impress upon property owners that the e;xploiting of trifling, and evidently unprofitable deposits, will result in injury to the future prospects of gold mining in the State. Mining engineers familiar with the Georgia fields concur in the opinion that if deposits of a similar character existed in any of the more important gold producing states of the West they would have been much more extensively exploited. This is doubtless true; and a detailed survey of the territory confirms the belief that the Georgia deposits, especially in recent years, have not received the attention and tests they merjt as judged by operations in many other gold yielding regions. The conditions for mining the Georgia deposits are very favorable. Water and, in many cases, water power are abun- 16 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA dant. Timber for construction purposes is plentiful, and can also be obtained cheaply for fuel if desired. The price paid for labor in the mining districts is reasonable. Transportation facilities are good; railways in a number of localities passing through or closely paralleling the gold belts, and being in no case farther than twenty-five miles distant. There are no extremes of climate to contend with, and the proximity of manufacturing cities like Atlanta, Chattanooga, Tenn., and Charlotte, N. C., renders the obtaining of supplies easy. Loose and running ground is very rarely encountered. The veins occur in crystalline schists and gneisses, and while these are often found decayed to a depth of fifty feet or more,. the residual material, though in some places mantled with a comparatively thin covering of foreign matter,,is in place and firm enough to permit of easy working. Very unusual exceptions to these conditions may be encountered in certain cases. where a pegmatite dike crosses a gold bearing vein at a small angle or runs for some distance by the side of it. The large amount of feldspar that these dikes frequently contain may become highly kaolinized to considerable depths, and under these conditions cause some inconvenience about water leveL HISTORY AND STATISTICS It is thought by some that gold was mined to a limited extent in Georgia by Spanish explorers when De Soto 's expedition passed through the State. Several traditions also credit the aboriginal tribes with having discovered and secured placer gold especially in the Dahlonega district of Lumpkin county. It is probable that the Indians found nuggets in this region, and prizing them, doubtless learned to search for them at favorable localities. But the suggestion by some writers that they washed gold out of the stream beds seems unlikely HISTORY AND STATISTICS 17 when the difficulty of getting down to the bed rock of the average Appalachian stream carrying its large load of sand and rock boulders is considered. In 1829 gold was discovered nearly simultaneously in the Nacoochee Valley region of White county and near Dahlonega in Lumpkin county.1 Many of the placer deposits of these two regions, occurring along small branches and creeks, were exceedingly rich and easily worked, and active mining followed the discovery. From these two centers mining operations gradually spread to other localities. By 1838 the production of gold in Georgia and North Carolina had become of sufficient magnitude to warrant the establishment by the United States government of a branch mint in that section. This mint was located at Dahlonega in Lumpkin county, and operated from the date just mentioned until the year 1861, the time of the secession of Georgia from the United States. The report of the United States Treasury Department shows a total coinage at Dahlonega during that period of $6,115,569.00. From statistics from the Director of the mint and other sources it is estimated that the entire production of gold in Georgia from early discoveries to 1909 has amounted to about $17,500,000.00. The yield has fluctuated greatly in different years, the largest output per annum having occurred prior to the Civil war before the more important placers were exhausted. Before the war between the States, while the major portion of the production was derived from placer deposit.s, vein mining was not neglected. The operations, however, were limited to the mining of free milling ore, and when the level of ground water was reached the mines were often abandoned. 1. It is elaimed that gold was discovered prior to this date in McDuffie county in the vicinity of the Columbia mine. Fluker, W. H., Trans. Am. Inst. Mining Engineers 1903, Vol. XXXIII, pp. 119-125. 18 GOLD DE.POSITS OF GEORGIA Stamp mills of small capacity, not infrequently manufactured by the miners themselves out of oak timbers with iron shod shoes and dies, were used for crushing the ore and in some cases arrastres were employed. During the period of the war above mentioned and for several subsequent years, mining was practically at a standstill. With the resumption of business in the South, gold mining was renewed and with the gradual introduction of modern methods deep mining and the treatment of refractory ores became a permanent industry. CHAPTER II A CONSIDERATION OF THE DIF:WERENT TYPES 011, DEPOSITS INTRODUCTION The three principal types of gold deposits recognized in Georgia are: (1) vein deposits; (2) placer deposits-consisting of beds of auriferous stream gravel, both ancient and modern, which include as a sub-class, gulch and hillside deposits consisting of soil and decomposed rock brought from higher levels by rain-wash and the action of gravity and having usually a more or less irregularily occurring sub-stratum of angular or slightly sub-angular gravel ;1 (3) auriferous saprolites or decomposed rock in place. Partially disintegrated quartz veins and n11merous tiny stringers of quartz are usually present, and in many of these saprolite deposits there are found distinct zones of more or less parallel veins or stringers of gold bearing quartz intercalated with the rotten rock which at depth in undecomposed material would be classed and mined as a vein deposits. vEIN DEPOSITS Several varieties of veins are to be noted. The predominant types are fissure veins (the term fissure vein is not here restricted, as is frequently the usage with gold miners, to 1. A similar class of deposits has been termed ''Colluvial deposits'' by some writers. 20 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA veins cutting the trend of the inclosing rocks at an angle), conforming in the main to the trend of the inclosing s.Qbists and gneissw; which is usually northeast and southwest. Thin stringers running out from the main vein for short distances into the wall rock are common and not an unusual feature in sinking on a solid quartz vein is to find it breaking up into a number of thin parallel bands with intercalated wall rock making up in some instances 50 per cent. of the vein. In such cases, however, the outlines of the vein as a whole are usually preserved and the intercalated rock is frequently mineralized and generally carries a percentage of the values. Extreme cases of this chf!racter are sometimes exposed to observation in prospect pits where a seam, in some instances several feet wide, will be noticed in the decomposed rock, differing slightly in character from the balance and having fairly definitely defined walls, but showing apparently no vein quartz. Close observation, however, will usually detect some thin laminre of that material. The veins conforming to the schistosity of. the enclosing rocks pinch and swell both horizontally and vertically causing one of the greatest difficulties attendant on mining this class of deposits. Bodies of ore .fifteen or twenty feet in thickness may occur at some points while a short distance away on the same level a small stringer or seam of quartz may be all that represents the vein. This necessitates not infrequently the driving of a drift at much expense through the country rock along a quartz stringer until a workable portion of the vein is again encountered. These conditions also render it difficult for the mine superintendent to calculate the amount of ore available and to utilize at all times the full capacity of his plant. At some mines, however, it has been noted that the pinches and swells occur with a fair degree of regularity, as at the Franklin, or Creighton, mine in Cherokee county, where A CONSIDERATION OF THE DIFFERENT T.YPES OF DEPOSITS 21 the ore bodies are said to average sixty or seventy feet in linear extent. It has been emphasized by one of the prominent mine managers that it is advisable in working such deposits to have the levels as far apart as practical in order to minimize the expense of driving through tough schists and gneisses. In connection with the veins, conforming as a class with the schistosity of the country rocks, a type of deposits is to be described that may be designated as gold bearing zones. These consist, as the name implies, of auriferous zones having in most cases the trend of the formations in which they occur and containing many more or less conformable quartz stringers or lenses of quartz with country rock. They vary from a foot or two to several yards in thickness. Frequently, several more or less parallel zones, ranging from a few to twenty or thirty feet in thickness, occur closely associated, the distribution as a whole forming a major zone in some cases several hundred feet in width the strike of which may, in certain instances, be followed for miles. In these large zones the paying values, as would be expected, are limited to bands and restricted areas. A good example of one of these gold bearing zones is to be seen at the Jones mine, or Lot 10, in Nacoochee Valley, White county. It is along the outcrop of these gold bearing zones that the saprolite deposits previously mentioned frequently occur. And, as massive bodies of auriferous quartz are sometimes found along with the stringers, the zone deposits grade on the one hand into saprolite deposits and on the other into ordinary vein deposits, the upper decomposed portion being worked by hydraulicking as a saprolite deposit while the bunches of quartz are mined from shafts sunk in the cuts formed by the sluicing operations. The gold bearing zon.es are frequently designated locally as gold belts. As the major portion of the Georgia 22 .GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA deposits, considered as a whole, occur in definite geographical belts, it would seem preferable to restrict that term to these larger divisions. In addition to interfoliated veins, others cutting the schist- osity of the enclosing rocks at various angles are not uncommon. It is generally believed that these are more uniform and persistent than the other class. Swells and pinches and other irregularities of structure, however, are frequently met with. These non-interfoliated veins are quite common in the McDuffie belt and a number of them have been good producers.1 Some of the auriferous veins of the Georgia deposits may be replacement veins. Owing to the limited number of acceBsible underground works that had penetrated deep enough to permit of observation in rocks not partially decayed, studies in regard to this proved rather unsatisfactory. At the Seminole Gold and Copper mine in Lincoln county, it is thought that the ore bodies owe their origin, in part at least, to re.placement of the country rock along lines of intense shearing. A discussion of this particular occurrence will be found in the chapter on the description of individual properties. In size, the veins in Georgia, as in other sections of the Southern Appalachian gold fields, vary from a few inches to over twenty feet in thickness. The outcrop of many of the large veins is very noticeable and shows them in some cases holding their width quite uniformly for a number of rods. Unfortunately, the most of the largest veins that have been tested show too small value to admit of working. They have not been sufficiently exploited, however, to establish this as a rule. 1. Fluker, W~ H., Trans. Am. Inst. Mining Eng., Vol. XXXIII 1903 pp. 119-125. ' ' A CONSIDERATION OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEPOSITS 23 . It may be of interest to note in this connection that numbers of very small veins only a few inches in thickness have been mined at various localities that contained astonishingly large amounts of gold. One would feel a hesitancy in stating the yield from some of these little stringers, but reliable data are obtainable in many cases. Veins in Georgia large enough, however, to warrant the erection of a mining plant with the prospect of long continued operations should not be expected to yield what would be ordinarily considered very high values. An average in such cases of from $6.00 to $15.00 per ton may be considered good. The principal gangue mineral of the veins is quartz. The most frequently occurring metallic sulphide is iron pyrite. Chalcopyrite and galena come next. The former is probably more widespread in occurrence than the latter. Sphalerite has been noted at only a few mines. It is fairly abundant at the Seminole mine in Lincoln county and occurs in small amounts in a vein on the Currahee property in Hall county. Arsenopyrite has been observed at only one or two localities. For an extensive list of the various minerals found in the gold bearing veins of the Southern Appalachian region, reference may be made to Dr. Geo. F. Becker's valuable paper on the Gold Fields of the Southern Appalachians.1 Both the gold and other constituents of the veins are found at many localities impregnating the wall rocks, and in some cases enough of the walling carries sufficient values to materially increase the supply of millable ore. In some instances deposits have been exploited that should probably be classed as zones of impregnated country rock rather than as true veins. 1. Becker, G. F., Gold Fields of the Southern Appalachians: Sixteenth Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. Surv., Part 3, 1895, pp. 272281. GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA In connection with the subject of vein minerals, it is of interest to note that, while the presence of one or more metallic sulphides, or mineralization of the veins, to use the miner's term, is generally highly favorable to good values, yet a number of small veins or stringers containing apparently little or no metallic sulphides have been found to be quite rich in gold. It is also curious to note that, at certain localities, within a mile or so of gold mines, distinct veins occur carrying so high a percentage of iron pyrite that they are worked as pyrite deposits, yet they contain very little, if any, gold. In regard to the occurrence of the gold in the veins it may be stated that, as in most auriferous quartz veins, the gold is largely associated with iron pyrite. The extent of the association, however, seems to vary in different localities and in individual veins. In some cases a considerable percentage of the gold, below the zone of decomposition of the sulphides, is found free in the quartz and can be secured by amalgamation. In other cases, an assay of the milky white vein quartz from which the sulphuretted portions have been culled will show only a very small percentage of the total value. The distribution of the gold in the veins is rarely uniform, but varies both laterally and vertically, and the values are frequently found in ore chutes, generally pitching along the strike of the veins at a rather steep angle. There seems to be no ground for the frequently expressed belief that the veins will grow richer in depth. While in some exploited deposits the values have increased with depth in others they have decreased. Indeed, in the upper altered portions of the veins, a considerable part of the metallic sulphides has been carried away in solution leaving the vein quartz more or less porous. Tests based on a given weight of this ore, as is the usual practice, should show higher values than on similar portions of the vein lower down where less A CONSIDERATION OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEPOSITS 25 bulk of the ore would weigh the same. This assumes that very little gold from the upper decomposed portion of the vein has been carried in solution and redeposited lower down. Owing to the well established facts in regard to the secondary enrichment of copper veins, and it being recognized that gold is slightly soluble in circulating waters holding certain compounds in solution, many mine operators have hoped to find much better values below the level of ground water than above. It is probable, however, in the Appalachian region that removal of the upper portions of the veins by erosion has been too rapid to permit of much solution of the gold by circulating waters with subsequent deposition partly in the oxidized zone and also in the region of the unaltered sulphides. As the original outcrops of many of the more continuous veins were doubtless several thousand feet above the present level, if much solution with redeposition had taken place the results of concentration would have been cumulative, as the level of the zone of decomposition was gradually lowered. Movements in the earth's crust causing a more rapid rate of erosion than. the average might have partially or entirely removed such accumulations, but the fact that at exploited deposits no prevailing marked increase in values near water level has been noted, argues against secondary enrichment. In concluding a description of the character of the vein deposits it should be added, that though at a few 'localities silver and copper have been obtained in commercial quantities with the gold, profits may generally be expected only from the yield of the gold. PLACER DEPOSITS The placer deposits bear a close relation to the vein deposits, that is, in sections where the veins are most numerous and carry good values the placers have been found to be pro- 26 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA portionately important. A few apparent exceptions should be made to this general statement. In the McDuffie belt no placer deposits of any importance have been located. This belt is only about twenty miles north of the upper edge of the Coastal Plain in a portion of the Piedmont Plateau that approaches much nearer to a condition of base level than any other of the gold bearing sections. The physiographic conditions of steep slopes with narrow gulches and V-shaped stream gorges favoring the rapid concentration of gold in placers are absent. Also, the conditions for prospecting for whatever accumulations of gold that may be along the stream courses are more difficult than in sections where steeper grade has caused the small creeks and branches to cut through and expose gravel beds along their banks. In Gilmer county, the White Path mine is a rather noted placer deposit seemingly isolated from any well defined gold belt. A large amount of gold has been obtained for a distance of about a mile along a small stream and in bordering gulches. According to reports the largest nuggets that have been found in the State were secured years ago at this locality, two having been mined that weighed about eight hundred pennyweights apiece. No returns have ever been reported from veins. Whether the gold of the placer was derived from numerous small stringers in the country rocks that have escaped observation, or whether its source was from veins that pinched out at the present level of the land, is a matter of conjecture. As stated at the beginning of this chapter the auriferous gravel deposits may be classed as both ancient and modern. It is difficult, however, to draw a line between the two classes at many localities. The valleys of the larger streams, where they run with or across the gold belts, are frequently underlain with quite heavy beds of thoroughly water-worn gravel overtopped with .d CONSIDERATION 01!' THE DII!'I!'ERENT TYPES 01!' DEPOSITS 27 sand and clay. In some cases tenaceous blue clay is mixed with the gravels and forms a layer several feet in thickness immediately above the gravel beds. In the lowest parts of the valleys the gravels are usually near the present level of the streams and are to be found thinning out at varying heights along the slopes of the valleys. The different auriferous gravel deposits so far located are associated with present drainage systems and while placer gold can be obtained at some localities as high as thirty or forty feet above the streams, yet the bulk of the gold that has been mined has come from lower levels. A good type of these deposits is to be seen in the broad valleys of the streams in Nacoochee Valley in White county. These broad deposits owe their origin to a flooded condition of the streams during a period of subsidence. The changes of level are probably to be referred to the Lafayette or the Columbian periods. Many of the richest placer deposits have been found along the small streams feeding into the larger valleys and in some cases very rich finds have been made in gulches or dry hollows, as they are termed, near the smaller streams. These latter deposits grade into the modern deposits previously mentioned as formed by rain-wash and gravitative action. The beds of some of the streams of the Dahlonega belt, notably that of the Chestatee River, have been found to yield sufficient gold to warrant dredging operations. These stream-bed deposits should, of course, be classed as recent deposits, the gold no doubt having been derived largely from the old gravel deposits through which these streams and their smaller tributaries have cut their way. Regarding the future of the true placer deposits, it should be stated that the great majority of them have been located and a large percentage extensively worked under old methods, many having been re-worked a number of times. Some of 28 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA the old placers, where they can be re-worked cheaply and thoroughly, may yet yield moderate profits. In some localities also, where the streams run through large flood plains and the overburden of the gravel is heavy with the grade of the streams very slight, considerable areas are to be found that have never been worked, or the worked portion is limited to small strips along the stream margins. There is the possibility of such areas yielding considerable quantities of gold. Dredging would seem to be the most feasible method of working these broad flood plain deposits. The deposits of gold in the beds of streams, in and for some distance below auriferous belts, have been worked with dredge boats at a number- of localities. Where these boats were operated by parties experienced in dredging work they generally yielded good profits. It is rather difficult to estimate what portion of this class of deposits has been worked out, but that there is a considerable field for continued operations seems fairly certain. BLACK SAND In recent years some investigations have been undertaken, especially in the Dahlonega district, to ascertain t.he probable value of the gold contents of the black sands of the streams flowing through auriferous areas. Dredging operations in the Chestatee River near Dahlonega have demonstrated the presence of considerable amounts of these sands in the bed of that stream. At the time of visit a dredge was in process of equipment for securing black sand. As this had not commenced operations, samples of the sand for study could not be obtained from the bed of the stream., Several samples, however, were secured from sand bars on this stream and from other streams and from placer mines in the Dahlonega A CONSIDERATION OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEPOSITS 29 region. A sample of black sand was also taken from the Loud mine in White county. The samples were secured by panning and tested without further concentration. A small percentage of ordinary siliceous sand was therefore included in each sample. Since field work was completed, Prof. L. M. Richard, of the North Georgia Agricultural College, at Dahlonega, kindly collected- and furnished a sample of black sand from the bed of the Chestatee River. This sample showed a slightly higher degree of concentration than the others. In most of the samples examined free gold in the form of small water-worn particles was present in varying amounts. The two most abundant constituents of the sand from all the localities were seen to be magnetite and ilmenite. By far the larger proportion of the dark colored grains was found when tested to be one or the other of these two minerals. In some samples magnetite was in excess and in others ilmenite. Small crystals and fragments of garnets were found to be present, but in considerably smaller amounts than either of the minerals previously mentioned. In some of the black sands small particles of either cyanite or sillimanite are present in noticeable amounts. In testing the sands collected by the Survey for their auriferous contents a sample from each locality was pulverized sufficiently fine to admit of passage through an eighty mesh sieve and ground thoroughly for several hours with mercury. The mercury and sand were then separated and each assayed. In the case of the sample furnished by Prof. L. M. Richard, a preliminary assay was made from a portion as if testing an ordinary gold ore. A portion was also pulverized and amalgamated in the same manner as in the case of the other samples and the gold extracted by the mercury assayed. In addition, an assay was made of a part of the material separated from the balance by means of a magnet. 30 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA The results of these tests are giv~m below: Black Sandls from Sand Bar in the Chestatee River near the Briar Patch Mine Assay of gold extracted by mercury_$9.00 per ton Assay of sand after amalgamation__ 0.00 per ton Black Sand, Ritchie Placer Mine, near the Chestatee River Assay of gold extracted by mercury $35.96 per ton Assay of sand after amalgamation_ 0.00 per ton Black Sand from Bed of Chestatee River at Briar Patch Mine (Collected by Prof. L. M. Richard). Preliminary assay ______________$112.27 per ton Assay of gold extracted by mercury 67.18 per ton Assay of material separated by magnet ----------------------- 0.00 per ton Black Sand, Loud Mine, White County Assay of gold extracted by mercury--------$3.31 Assay of sand after amalgamation_________ 0.00 The results obtained from the tests of all the samples except the one from the bed of the Chestatee River, would tend to show that the entire auriferous contents of the sands are in the form of free gold. That, in portion at least, in the samples assayed, it was in the form of water-worn grains was shown by preliminary panning tests. It has been suggested by some investigators of black sands in other regions that gold occurs as a coating on the grains of iron oxide. SAPROLITE DEPOSITS The saprolite deposits of the Southern Appalachian region form a rather unique class of American gold deposits. The rocks of this section are deeply decayed at many localities. The decayed product is found in place, there having been no invasion of the region by glaciers during the period when A CONSIDERATION OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEPOSITS 31 removal of decomposed rock material by ice erosion was taking place in more northern localities. As previously stated, in these auriferous bodies of decomposed rock more or less disintegrated quartz veins and many small stringers of quartz are usually present. The gold, generally freed from sulphides, is found both in the quartz and in the rotten rock. In some cases the veins of quartz may be very small, occurring as numerous tiny stringers and seams, and in other cases some individual veins may be of sufficient size to form workable ore bodies. In the latter case, as before mentioned, these larger veins are sometimes mined independently as ordinary vein deposits, as the surrounding saprolite material grades into undecomposed rock below and can no longer be worked by hydraulicking. Plate III, Fig. 2, gives a view of numerous quartz stringers in partially decomposed rock in the east cut of the Findley mine at Dahlonega. The saprolite deposits have been extensively worked by sluicing the material through flumes to mills located at some point below the level of the cuts thus formed. A portion of the gold is generally saved by amalgamation in the sluice boxes and the fine portion of the sluiced material is conducted to ore bins behind the batteries of the mills in which it is to be treated. The larger pieces of quartz and partially decomposed rock are removed by grizzlies or some similar contrivanc~ before the current reaches the ore bins, and this material is frequently crushed at the more extensive plants in a separate mill. Immense cuts have been made in the hills about Dahlonega in working these saprolite deposits. Plate IV, Fig. 1, shows a view of a portion of the cut of the Barlow mine which is over half o a mile in length. At this great cut there was formerly a mill at either end, the material being sluiced both ways. 32 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA Although these deposits are largely worked by washing, and have been described under the heading of placers by several writers, they are not to be confounded with true placer deposits in which the gold has been concentrated by the transporting power of water. In saprolite deposits a certain amount of concentration of gold has taken place in two ways: (1) by the removal of some portions of the rock ingredients in solution while the insoluble, or only slightly soluble gold, is left behind, a given amount by weight of the saprolite would contain a greater amount of gold than the same quantity of the original unaltered rock; (2) also, gold freed by surface weathering from the quartz stringers or from the rock on account of its high specific gravity would tend to settle into cracks and crevices and work its way downward for a short distance into the more or less porous mass of the upper part of the rotten rock. while probably the greater portion of the gold that was in the denuded part of the saprolite has gone into alluvial placer deposits or been widely distributed by the larger streams, yet a certain amount of concentration in the upper part of the deposit has doubtless taken place as above pointed out. Where weathering has been long continued on gentle slopes the amount of gold left would be in excess of that at localities where the decaying surface was removed more rapidly. Owing to the very limited number of localities where any work was in progress on the saprolite deposits during the preparation of this report, little opportunity was offered to ascertain what percentage of the gold has been saved and what lost under the method of mining employed. Different observers seem to have arrived at different conclusions in regard to this. Dr. Becker/ in a paper previously referred 1. Becker, G. F., Gold Fields of the Southern Appalachians: Sixteenth Ann. Rept. U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 3, 1895, p. 301. A CONSIDERATION OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEPOSITS 33 to, in discussing economic considerations, says: ''The present method of working the saprolites is very wasteful and yields insignificant returns. If means can be found to save the rusty gold much money may be made." In a rather detailed description of the mines about Dahlonega in Lumpkin county, Ga., in Bulletin No. 10 of the North Carolina .Geological Survey, by Messrs. Henry B. C. Nitze and H. A. J. Wilkens.1 the following is noted: ''Despite many inquiries amongst local millmen and others, we could hear no reports of losses in amalgamation resulting from so-called rusty gold. A loss of this nature was in a few cases ascribed to the finely divided or flaky condition of the gold.'' In numerous panning tests of saprolites made at different localities the wri~er rarely encountered any gold that under a hand lens appeared other than clean and bright. At one or two localities in the Dahlonega region a small percentage of the- gold thus obtained was seen to be partially or entirely covered with some black substance. Small particles of gold coated with metallic oxides or sulphides might, however, readily escape observation in panning. In panning oxidized ore several cases were noted where auriferous pyrite had passed over into compact iron oxide without the included particles of gold being set free. The values of material of this class in a saprolite or placer deposit would, of course, not be saved by amalgamation unless the ore was finely pulverized before treatment. It is also stated by some mine managers that, at certain deposits, gold appearing clean and bright does not readily amalgamate. The fineness of the Georgia gold is high at nearly all localities where it has been mined. The Loud mine in White county is an exception to the general rule. The gold there 1. Gold Mining in North Carolina and Adjaeent Appalaehian Regions: .Bull. No. 10, N. C. Geologieal Survey, 18971 p. 114. 34 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA has been reported as 0.800 and even lower. At the placers along Coosa Creek in Union county it is claimed that the gold has a fineness of 0.980. Dr. Becker, in the paper recently quoted from, places the average at something like 0.950. CHAPTER III GEOGRAPHICAL AND GEOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE DEPOSITS The gold deposits of Georgia are found in a portion of a broad zone of country stretching from near the centre of .Alabama northeastward into Maryland, and lying principally southeast of the Blue Ridge mountains. In Georgia, this zone -takes in the greater portion of the Piedmont Plateau and a part of the physiographic provinces of the Appalachian moun-tains. Auriferous areas in which are found gold bearing quartz veins and other forms of deposits occur throughout this region, generally as more or less parallel belts of rela-tively narrow lateral dimensions, but they are found at some localities as small isolated areas or patches. In Georgia, the larger portion, by far, of the auriferous :areas occur in narrow well defined belts, and show, as will be seen by reference to the map accompanying, as bands of varying width running nearly parallel in a northeast and southwest direction. In addition to the belts a few isolated areas .are found in the same section in which the belts occur. It will be seen from the map that all the deposits are north of -the Fall Line, a line formed by the junction of the Piedmont region and the Coastal Plain. In Georgia, this line passes ap-proximately through the cities of Columbus, Macon and .Augusta. The belts parallel in a general way the axis of the 13lue Ridge mountains and the larger portion of them lie south-east of this axis. These individual belts are here described. 36 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA THE DAHLONEGA BELT.-The Dahlonega belt enters Georgia from Alabama and passes through Haralson and Paulding counties, the northwest corner of Cobb and the southeast corner of Bartow counties, traverses Cherokee county and the extreme northwest corner of Forsyth ~ounty and from thence passes through Dawson, Lumpkin, White, Habersham and Rabun counties into Macon county, North Carolina. The Dahlonega belt has a length in Georgia of about one hundred and fifty miles and varies in width at different localities from two to six miles. THE HALL CouNTY BELT.-The Hall county belt commences in the northern part of Fulton county, runs northeast through Milton county, the extreme southeast corner of Forsyth, the northwestern part of Gwinnett, and from thence through Hall, Habersham and Rabun counties into North Carolina. The length of this belt in Georgia is about a hundred miles. THE McDuFFIE CouNTY BELT.-The McDuffie county belt commences in the northeast corner of Warren county, runs northeast through the northern portion of McDuffie county, the extreme southeast corner of Wilkes county, and from thence through Lincoln county to the Savannah River. Its continuation is probably found in South Carolina in the North Carolina belt. The McDuffie belt is nearer the Coastal Plain than any other known belt, its distance from the Fall Line being about twenty miles. The length of this belt in Georgia is about thirty miles with an average width of about two miles. THE CARROLL CouNTY BELT.-The Carroll county belt commences in the western part of Carroll county and, running northeast, passes through a corner of Douglas and thence traversing a portion of Paulding and Cobb counties joins the Dahlonega belt at the northern edge of t.hA last named county. GEOGRAPHICAL AND GEOLOGICAL DISTRIBUTION 37 As thus outlined, its length is about fifty miles and its greatest width does not probably exceed two miles. THE OGLETHORPE CouNTY BELT.-The Oglethorpe county belt runs northeast through the eastern part of Oglethorpe county. Its length is something like twenty-five miles and its width is about the same as that of the Carroll county belt. THE MADISON CouNTY BELT.-The Madison county belt occurs in Madison and Elbert counties, and extends from a point a few miles northeast of Comer in Madison county to a point about three miles northeast of Bowman in Elbert county. Its total length, as far as it has been traced, is only about ten miles. All of the belts, the locations of which have thus far been described, lie, excepting a small portion of the Dahlonega belt in Rabun county, south, or southeast, of the crest of the Blue Ridge mountains, the most eastern range of the Southern Appalachians. Several belts of minor dimensions are found north of the crest line of the Blue Ridge. THE GuMLOG BELT.-The Gumlog belt runs from a point a little south of the Gumlog mine in the northern part of Union ()Ounty northeast through the northwest corner of Towns ()Ounty to the Warne mine immediately beyond the State line in North Carolina. Its length in Georgia, as far as it is known, is about eight miles. THE CoosA CREEK BELT.-The Coosa Creek belt runs from near the headwaters of Coosa Creek in Union county northeast to a point in the neighborhood of the town of Young Harris in Towns county. Its length is about fifteen miles. THE HraHTOW~R CREEK BELT.-The Hightower Creek belt runs from near Mountain Scene on the headwaters of Hiawassee River in Towns county northeast to within a few 38 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA miles of the Georgia-North Carolina line. Its length is about ten miles. IsoLATED AREAs.-In addition to the different well defined belts above mentioned, a number of localities are to be noted where gold has been found in isolated areas. The relations, however, of some of these deposits indicate that future prospecting will probably connect a portion of them at least into belts with the usual northeast-southwest trend. The counties. in which are to be found the more important deposits of the class just described are: :B,annin, Gilmer, Lincoln, Hall~ Cherokee, Meriwether, Forsyth, Wilkes and Murray. A little gold has also been mined in Hart, Walton, Coweta, Campbell and Newton counties. It has also been found in very small amounts in Henry, Clarke, and one or two other counties. Reference to any geological map of the State will show that all the gold deposits of Georgia, geologically considered, occur in the large area designated as "Igneous and Metamorphic.'' This area is also commonly spoken of as the Crystalline area, and is composed of rocks that have, for the most part, been profoundly altered by dynamo-metamorphism and converted. in many cases from originally simpler types. to gneisses and schists of varying complexity of structure. The geology of this region, together with the character of the rocks and the relation of the auriferous veins to them, is discussed in the chapter immediately following. CHAPTER IV GEOLOGY AND GENESIS OF THE DEPOSITS GEOLOGY The geological formations in which the gold bearing veins occur are the most ancient in the State, and among the oldest of all the formations of the North American continent. In Georgia, the rocks of these formations have been tentatively classed as pre-Cambrian, though at the present time work is in progress in portions of the Crystalline area by the United States Geological Survey to differentiate and assign. them to the various sub-divisions of time. A map by Mr. Arthur Keith of the Federal Survey accQmpanying this report 'shows the results of work of this character in the Dahlonega district. In the northwestern part of the region, among these ancient rocks highly altered original sedimentaries are: to be found that are usually referred to the Cambrian period. Unaltered, or only slightly altered, intrusive diabases of a. later age than Cambrian occur at numerous localities, but their total area is insignificant compared with that of the entire region. A very casual study of the rocks of the Crystalline area will show that the majority of them have been subjected to great shearing stress. Occasionally bodies of granite, probably younger than the neighboring formations, can be found that appear to have been subjected to only a limited amount of pressure, but the major portion of the rocks are gneisses and schists often showing a highly contorted as well as sheared 40 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA structure. While widespread regional metamorphism is characteristic of the area as a whole, yet at some points, lines are found along which shearing forces appear to hav,e been especially concentrated. The ore bodies of the Seminole mine in Lincoln county are located on one of these lines of intense shearing. The auriferous veins were probably formed during the closing period of the last earth crust movement that produced important changes of structure in the rocks. The evidence that their age does not exceed this is found in the fact that the majority of them do not show any large amount of faulting or crushing. All of the veins may not be of the same age and if more definite evidence in regard to age relations was obtainable it might be found that several series of veins are represented in the area. Most geologists who have written on the Southern Appalachian fields arrived at the conclusion that the greater part, at least, of gold deposition antedated Cambrian times. Becker, in discussing this question, says: ''The greater part of the gold I believe to have been deposited at the close of the great volcanic era, or during the Algonkian. In the Carolina belt, this conclusion seems inevitable. and I know of no good ground for supposing the ore and the granitic dikes of the South Mountain area and of Northern Georgia to be younger. Gold deposition was seemingly renewed with diminished activity after the Ocoee and Monroe beds were laid down.' 11 Mr. L. C. Graton, in a paper on a portion of the gold deposits of the Carolinas, in concluding a short discussion as to the probable age of the deposits, says: ''All available evi- 1. Becker, U. F., Gold Fields of the Southern Appalachians: Sixteenth Ann. Rept., U. S. Geol. Survey, pt. 3, 1895, p. 261. GEOLOGY AND GENESIS OF THE DEPOSITS 41 dence points to pre-Cambrian as the probable age of the deposits. m A period of volcanic disturbanc~, extending over certain areas in the Appalachian region, may be referred to Algonkian times and was probably accompanied by :fissuring and the formaton of quartz veins. Also, while the Paleozoic may have been a comparatively quiet period over the greater part of the Atlantic slope, yet there are certain considerations in regard to the auriferous quartz veins in northern Georgia that render it difficult to class the larger portion of them as pre-Cambrian. Reference to the map accompanying this report will show that, at the corners of Paulding, Bartow and Cherokee counties. the Dahlonega gold belt is within about three miles of the Paleozoic area of Northwest Georgia and for :fifteen miles, or more, both northeast and southwest from this locality, it is very close to Paleozoic rocks. The Gumlog belt in Union county is also in close proximity to rocks in North Carolina that have been mapped by Keith as Cambrian. In both of these gold belts, at the localities mentioned, numerous quartz veins can be found consisting of solid, massive, milky quartz showing little evidence of shearing or crushing. Taking into consideration the shearing forces that must have been operative in producing the slates, schists and other metamorphosed rocks found in the eastern and southern edges of the Paleozoic area in Georgia, it is difficult to understand how pre-existing quartz veins a few miles distant could have escaped marked metamorphism. Some of the gold deposits of Georgia that occur as isolated areas are found in rocks that from their position can not reasonably be referred to older formations than the Cambrian. The principal vein of the Cohutta gold mine on Cohutta Mountain in Murray county occurs in a metamorphosed sediment, probably belonging to 1. Bull. U. S. Geol. Survey No. 293, p. 74. 42 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA the Ocoee. A fine grained, bluish schist .or slate is to be seen a few yards from this auriferous quartz vein, but an open cut from which the vein has been mined is in a sheared arkosic sandstone or conglomerate. In North Carolina, ancient volcanics have been found in the region of the gold deposits and referred to Algonkian times, but in studying the rocks associated with the Georgia deposits, nothing indicating an original surface flow has been observed. It will be noticed that one of the rocks described in this chapter shows in the ground mass a fairly well defined coarsely spherulic structure, but the specimen is readily classed with acid porphyritic dike rocks. The only direct evidence in regard to age relations is the presence, at some localities, of certain diabase dikes (usually assigned to Jura-Triassic time), intersecting the veins as younger formations. One of these dikes is to be seen cutting the Franklin vein in shaft No. 31;2 of the Creighton mine in Cherokee county. GENESIS OF THE DEPOSITS Conclusions concerning the genesis of the veins and the source from which the gold and other constituents were derived, must be based, in the region under consideration, principally on theoretic considerations and for that reason can not be very satisfactory. In preparing this report the advisability of testing the rocks of the various auriferous areas by assaying a large number of specimens for gold was considered. It was seen, however, owing to certain conditions, that the results of work of this character would have a very slight value. In the majority of cases, should gold have been detected, it would have been impossible to have determined whether it was original in the rocks or had been deposited there contemporaneously with the vein deposits. In some of the schists and gneisses of the re- GEOLOGY AND GENESIS OF THE DEPOSITS 43 gion, it is difficult, even microscopically, to discriminate between original and secondary silica, and numerous tiny veinlets of quartz are of common occurrence. The chances also of selecting specimens from an area slightly impregnated with gold, due either to the :presence of a regularly impregnated deposit, or resulting from the close proximity of an undetected auriferous vein, would be great in a region where hot silicated waters have played an important role. There are certain features of the gold veins in Georgia that point to the deposition of the ores from heated waters coming from great depths. The veins, if of Paleozoic or pre-Paleozoic age, had their roots deep seated when formed. At the Creighton mine in Cherokee county: underground works have shown the continuity of the vein along a steep incline for nearly a thousand feet below the present surface. The Piedmont Plateau, within whose area this and the majority of the deposits are found, has twice been reduced to a condition of base-level subsequent to Paleozoic times-once during the Cretaceous and once during the Tertiary period. Prof. Wm. Davis, speaking of the Piedmont Plateau in Virginia, says ''The height to which the rock masses once rose above the present surface is reasonably estimated as at least one mile; it may have been two or three.m The extensive formations of sands and clays whose material was derived from the rocks of the Piedmont region that are found south of the Fall Line in Georgia add their testimony to the great erosion of the plateau in past ages. There are also minerals in some of the veins associated with the gold and gangue material that suggest an origin from hot, very deeply circulating waters if n0t from the waters of cooling rock magmas. 1. Physical Geography, Davis, p. 189. 44 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA Several students of ore deposits have been inclined in re-cent years to refer the origin of gold in quartz veins at anumber of localities to the agency of heated waters passing off from consolidating and cooling granite and grano-diorite magIDas. Mr. A. C. Spencer, at the Washington meeting of the ~American Institute of Mining Engineers in May, 1905, called attention to the fact that these escaping solutions would carry with thema large part of the highly soluble constituents of the original magma, such as chlorides, fluorides, carbonates, sul- phates, etc., some of which if present would increase the dis:solving power of the water with respect to silica, the metallic sulphides and gold. Mr. L. C. Graton, in a paper entitled "Reconnaisance of Some of. the Goold and Tin1Deposits of the Southern Appala'-Chians" published as bulletin 293 of the U. S. Geological Survey, in the case of a portion of the gold deposits of the Carolinas, is incliRed to refer the source of the solutions carrying the gold to granitic magmas. Mr. Graton thinks that the veins in that area were not formed in pre-existing open spaces, but -that the pressure which the solutions were under enabled them to force the rocks apart along planes of weakness. Dr. Becker, in his studies of the Southern Appalachian deposits arrived at the conclusion that the fissure veins, as a rule, were formed in interstitial spaces opened by normal faulting. At the Creighton mine in Cherokee county, the occurrence of much of the ore in beautifully alternating bands of quartz and iron pyrite would seem to argue in favor of the deposition from solution' of that deposit in a pre-existing cavjty. It has been recognized that a banded structure may, in .some cases, be present in replacement deposits, but there seem to be no features at this locality that specially point to a replacement deposit. Plate II, Fig. 2, gives a view of some specimens of this banded ore. GEOLOGY AND GENESIS OF THE DEPOSITS 45- Dr. Becker, in the paper that has been several times referred to, does not go into an extended discussion as to the probable source from which the gold in the veins was derived. Granites, or granite-gneisses, are of common occurrence in the neighborhood of many of the Georgia deposits. This fact, together with the reasons given above for believing that the solutions came from great depths, might well make a theory referring the source of the gold to the magma of these rocks a tenable one. Unfortunately, in the present stage of knowledge concerning the deposition of ore deposits from a deep seated source, little can be done beyond suggesting this origin as a possible one. In this connection, it is of interest to note the occurrence, at certain localities, of small stringers or lenses of quartz in gneiss or gneissic mica schist that grade into bodies that seem to represent either interfoliated pegmatite dikes or segregated portions of an originally igneous rock. An unsuccessf_ul effort was made to secure a photograph of some pieces of ore of this character from Forsyth county showing a mottled appearance due to the intimate mixture of quartz and feldspar. Free gold in fairly coarse particles was present in this material. While the specimens obtained were too much altered to admit of microscopic examination in regard to whether the quartz or feldspar is of secondary origin the general appearance of the material suggests original constituents. Another interesting association of minerals was noticed at the Standard (formerly Singleton) mine at Dahlonega. Specimens of quartz were obtained showing gold in thin leaves embedded in mica crystals in such a manner as to leave no doubt as to the contemporaneous deposition of the gold and mica. At the Loud mine in White county, many beautiful specimens of crystallized gold have been obtained that would seem 46 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA to indicate some differences at that locality in the conditions that normally prevailed at the time of vein deposition. Plate II, Fig. 1, gives a photographic reproduction of a. cluster of these crystals as~ociated with crystals of quartz. That this specimen must have formed under conditions of little pressure and in an open space seems certain. On an adjoining property to the Loud, and along the strike of the auriferous belt, considerable masses of vein quartz were noticed in a pr.ospect pit that showed a marked tendency to crystalization and suggested a comb structure. In the gold producing region of the State, it is very difficult at many localities among the highly metamorphosed schists and gneisses, to discriminate between rocks of originally igneous and others of possibly sedimentary origin and to refer altered igneous rocks to their parent magmas. This uncertainty regarding the origin of the rocks increases the difficulty of arriving at definite conclusions concerning the so~rce of the gold. A number of specimens of rocks were collected in the course of the field work of this report from different auriferous areas. The more typical ones were very fully analyzed by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey. The results of these analyses, together with a brief description of the microscopic characteristics are to be found at the close of this chapter. Very detailed work, involving probably the study of hundreds of specimens, would be necessary in order to make a;nything like thorough petrographic investigations in the area. Such a work would be beyond the scope of the present publication, but it is hoped that at a later date more may be done along this line. In the Dahlonega belt the association of two classes of rocks, one decidedly more basic than the other, is very noticeable. That this association has, in some way, been a factor in GEOLOGY AND GENESIS OF THE DEPOSITS 47 the formation of the gold deposits, seems extremely probable, .as many of the most productive mines are found either near -or at the contact of these two classes of rocks. The more basic of the two types is represented by rocks -containing large amounts of hornblende and they are traceable along the gold belt all the way from Burnt Hickory Ridge in Paulding county into Macon county, North Carolina.1 At some localities between the points mentioned these rocks are very narrow in lateral extent, but it is doubtful if they are ~ver entirely wanting. They are present in considerable bodies at Dahlonega, a good exposure occurring in the public square of that town. They all possess gneissoid or schistose structure in varying degrees, at some localities being very fine .grained schists showing on fresh fracture to the unaided eye only silky aggregates of hornblende. Owing to the fact that their weathered product is of a deep brownish yellow color .and, at some localities, is frequently found in prismatic blocks, it has been universally termed "brickbat" by the miners. Microscopic study of a number of specimens of these basic -rocks shows that they are of igneous origin and certain features common to all of them suggest a close relationship. The ratio to each other, however, of hornblende and quartz (the two most characteristic minerals) varies considerably. The origin of these hornblende schists and gneisses is obscure. I 'Some of them may represent ancient, sheared and altered diorites. The results, however, of chemical analysis of several specimens from different localities (description of rocks at close of this chapter) indicate more basic rocks than a diorite of .average composition. 1. The unsheared diabases occuring in well defined dikes throughout the . <::rystalline area are not included in the basic types he.re referred to. 48 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA In a special map of the geology of the Dahlonega district, by Mr. Arthur Keith of the United States Geological Survey, which is reproduced in this report, these basic rocks occur in the areas designated as the Roan gneiss. By reference to this map it will be seen 'how many of the mines about Dahlone-ga, that are there indicated, occur along the contact of the Roan gneiss and the Carolina gneiss in which latter formation are to be found the acid rocks previously mentioned. This map also shows that a few of the mines are at, or near, the contact of granite masses and one or the other of the two formations just mentioned. The acid rocks of the Dahlonega belt show greater variations both in appeara:nce and mineral composition at different localities than do the rocks of the basic series. Mica schist, quartz-feldspar mica schists and gneisses are the prevailing types. Some of these were doubtless derived from the metamorphism of granites and granite porphyries. Others may represent altered sediments. No positive proof of original sedimentary origin was obtained in any of the specimens studied from the Dahlonega belt. In the Bast cut at Dahlonega a highly siliceous rock is spoken of in the notes on that mine as having a probable sedimentary origin. In a region, , however, that has been subjected to repeated orogenic movements and profound dynamic disturbances, allowances must be made for changes in chemical composition. Cases have been observed by the writer in the Crystalline area of Georgia where very siliceous rocks can be seen from :field evidence to have been derived from rocks of more normal type, by alteration ap.d silicification alon a shear zone. Several analyses. given at the end of this chapter, of mica schists from different points along the Dahlonega belt fail to throw much light on the question of their probable origin. In the particular cases given, excepting the schist of the Bast and Findley cuts at Dahlonega, r:CI.D DEPOSITS CF CiWRGI A PLA1'E II FIG . 1 . -GO LD CR>STALS A SSOCI ATED vVJ' rH Q UARTZ C rt YST.U.s, LO UD GOLD ~iiNE, vVHITE COUNTY, GEOIWLI Ji'IG. ~. - CiC I. D ORE }'HOM 'I'HE CREWHTO !\ GOLD :Vhl\1,, CHElWKEE CO UK'l'Y, GEORG IA, SHOWI NG B.Hf assay samples at many localities where it would have been desirable to have made assay tests. This deficiency has been partially supplied by quoting the results of assays contained in a former report on a part of the gold deposits of the State 80 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA published as Bulletin 4-A of the Geological Survey of Georgia. All assays given, with the exception of those quoted from the publication just mentioned, unless otherwise noted, were made by Dr. Edgar Everhart, Chemist of the Geological Survey of Georgia, in the laboratory of the Survey. THE McDUFFIE BELT WARREN COUNTY The southwest end of the McDuffie belt, as defined at present, is found in the northeastern part of Warren county. The portion of the belt lying in this county has not, so far, proved very important from a commercial standpoint. Mining operations have been confined to a limited area immediately west of the McDuffie county line in the vicinity of Cadley. Regul~,r mining has only been conducted at one point, namely, the Warren mine. Gold has been found at several other localities, but no mining operations, other than prospect work nave been carried on. WARREN MrNE.-This mine is located in the northeastern part of the county in the neighborhood of Caf the material mined, but the deposit is said to consist of a 170 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA zone about two feet in thickness composed of schist and stringers of quartz. Where this zone was worked, near a small branch, it dips under a hill, and in addition to a small excavation in the hillside, an incline shaft was sunk on the dip of the zone for about fifty feet. A limited amount of drifting was also done from this shaft. The company erected a small stamp mill near the shaft; the building is still standing, but the mill has been removed. OTHER PROPERTIES IN THE VICINITY OF ELLSWORTH AND MAGIC MINEs.-Lots 60, 61, 62, 63 and 547, 13th district, and lots 53, 646, 647, 648 and 714 in the 4th district, are included in a property known as the Amicalola Mine upon which a small amount of work has been done. The same may be said of the Missing Link Mine on lots 373, 427, 430, 431, 483, 484, 489 and 490, 13th district (north half). LoTs 366 AND 376.-In the northeast corner of lot 376, 15th district (north half) a quartz vein averaging several feet in thickness has been stripped for a distance of about fifty feet. The quartz appeared rather promising looking, but a sample taken along the exposure and assayed in the laboratory of the Survey yielded no gold. On a ridge on lot 366 in the 13th district (north half) a large quartz vein outcrops rather strongly, and a few shallow test pits have been sunk at one or two points along its strike. This vein is supposed to be the continuation of a large vein exposed on the Church lot and the Shelton property. A small excavation has recently been made on a vein on lot 366 which may possibly be the large vein just mentioned, but the appearance of the ore would indicate a different vein. From this cut it is said that about eighty pennyweights of gold was secured. The deposit at this locality is known as the Cooper prospect. DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 171 CHURCH LoT.-This lot is about four miles northeast of Dawsonville in the 13th district (north half). A large quartz vein :five feet or more in thickness has been exposed in a small pit a short distance back of a church building. A sample for assay was taken from a section across this vein, but the assay showed no gold. SHELTON PRoPERTY.-On lot 241 of Mr. J. F. Shelton's property, not far from the last described locality, a large quartz vein is exposed in the channel of a branch. A little work on it has also increased the extent of the natural exposure. This vein, like the one on the Church lot, is of large dimensions, and it is quite probable that it is a continuation of that vein. Some portions of the vein where it is exposed show large amounts of iron pyrite. A sample for assay was taken from a section across the vein, but it yielded no gold. The results of an assay from a sample from the same exposure of this vein, published in Bulletin No. 4-A, of the Geological Survey of Georgia, shows a value of $1.00 per ton. P ALMOUR PROPERTY.-Some work was done several years ago on an auriferous vein on lot 361, 13th district (north half) which yielded some quite rich ore. An open cut was made on the vein and a small stamp mill was erected with which a limited amount of the ore was milled. As no work has been done at the locality for some years and little could be seen of the deposit, a description of the veins published in Bulletin No. 4-A, of the Geological Survey of Georgia, in 1896, is quoted below. "In the cut, and well separated from each other, are a series of quartz stringers averaging from one to six inches in width. On the right side of the cut one of these stringers has been discovered to be exceedingly rich in gold. This lies close to the right hand wall, and has varied from a thin ribbon 172 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA to a vein one foot in width. It is this vein which has furnished the major portion of the gold found by all workers here, and it is this vein for which the excavation was made. ''The vein is quite typical in appearance and may be readily distinguished from the others as far as it has been operated. It is made up of a dark, finely granular quartz arranged in thin parallel bands of about one qu-arter of an inch in thickness. This laminated structure of the vein material causes it, when picked out by the miners, to break into rectangular pieces; and on this account it is referred to as "The Palmour Brickbat Vein." Portions of the vein run extremely high in free gold, the gold occurring not only in the quartz matrix, as I found by powdering and pounding a considerable quantity, but especially along the lines of lamination. In the work conducted under the Survey management, a large number of pieces were split open, and almost invariably flaky particles of gold were apparent to the naked eye. Several pieces have been found incrusted with such flakes. The rotten schhist walling was also pounded freely, and from each small panful of earth the color obtained was surprising.'' Considerable placer working has been done near- by on Proctor's Creek. These placer deposits are reported to have yielded good returns. The property is owned by Messrs. D. M. McKee and N. D. Black. LoTs 264 AND 297.-Some hydraulic work on a placer deposit at the mouth of Long Branch on lot 297, 13th district (north half); had recently been in progress when the region was visited. This work was done by the Etowah Gold Mining and Ditch Company, but it could not be ascertained how successful their operations were. The same company had also been recently carrying on some hydraulic mining on a deposit in a dry hollow or gulch and on the adjacent hill slopes, on lot 264 in the same district. Some work was also done on DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 173 lot 235 in the 13th district. Water for these operations was brought from Lumpkin county by a ditch of considerable length. LUMPKIN COUNTY The Dahlonega belt passes diagonally through the southern half of Lumpkin county and has an average width of about six miles. Dahlonega, the county seat of Lumpkin county and the town from which the belt takes its name, is situated in the midst of extensively exploited properties. More capital has been invested and operations of a more extended character carried on in mining for gold in Lumpkin than in any other county in the State. The working of saprolite deposits and gold-bearing zones by hydraulic methods, as described on page 31, to a depth at which the country rock is too resistant to yield to the cutting power of water has been a favorite form of mining in this region. The particular variety of mining operations just mentioned, so much in vogue in this county, became known years ago throughout the Appalachian gold :fields as the "Dahlonega Method." Hundreds of thousands of cubic yards of decomposed rock have been removed at a number of localities in the vicinity of Dahlonega in the course of these hydraulic operations. Plate IV, Fig. 1, gives a view of a portion of one of the huge cuts to be seen in this section. The large cuts that have been made at a number of points in the vicinity of Dahlonega afford unusual opportunities for studying the geology of the deposits. Unfortunately, the structural re!ations of the rocks at this locality are very complicated and difficult to interpret. The occurrence of the basic hornblende series of rocks, previously mentioned, in connection with more acidic rocks, is very noticeable in the Dahlonega district. The presence also at Dahlonega, within the bounda- 174 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA ries of the gold belt, of a considerable body of granite and of several sheared granite dikes probably connected with it, , is a matter of interest. This granite body, while more or less sheared, is not as schistose as the majority of the rocks of the region and is probably of more recent age than the others. EToWAH MrNE.-This mine is located on lots 117, 118, 119, 120, 141 and 178, 15th district. The property is along the Etowah River and the Dawson-Lumpkin county line. Considerable work has been done in the past on placer deposits along the Etowah River, and excavations of some magnitude have also been made in the saprolites with hydraulic giants. No work was in progress when the property was visited and nothing definite can be stated concerning the deposits. PARKER LoT.-This property adjoins the Etowah property. Some excavations were made on the summit of a ridge at this locality by hydraulic work many years ago. Recently a tunnel was driven into the hill from near its base for the purpose of cutting the veins. As no work was going on when the property was inspected nothing could be learned as to what success had attended these operations. GoLD HrLL MrNE.-This property is only a short distance from the two properties previously described. Considerable work was done on a hill at this locality years ago. Hydraulic work was carried on at several points, and open cuts were made and some tunnels driven into the hill. Recently the Etowah Gold Mining and Ditch Company made an excavation of considerable magnitude by hydraulic work on one side of the hill. What gold was obtained in these later operations could not be ascertained. .JosEPHINE MrNE.-This mine is located on lots 526, 595 and 1,215, 12th district, and lots 17, 18, 48, 49 and 82, 13th PRELIMINARY MAP OF DAHLONEGA DISTRICT, GEORGIA BY ARTHUR KEITH. a!ss 34~ as' 84'03' Top.ographic base by U.S.Geological Survey SCALe~ Lea.os=r:jL3::Esa::::ir:==:====:==:==::==3::=====:::jjMILEs D Carolina gneiss (mi.ca.-qn.eiss, m.oa.-,ga.rnet-. ottrelt'te;a.n.d. bLa.ck .sla.t-ll schtetel 1909. ~ Ro.an gneiss (horn.bten.d.e-gneiss an.d schi.st., di.ori.te; and m.ett)-']O.bbro) Granite (m.a.sstve a.rul, schi:atose 9ran.it-e) WopenCut IJI'i' . DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 175 I district (north half). Placer deposits here along the Etowah River and McCluskey Branch have been extensively worked in former years. The placer deposits along McClusky Branch are reported as having been unusually productive. In addition to placer mining considerable work was done some years ago on a hillside. These operations consisted of excavations in the saprolites with some tunneling and sinking of shafts. A mill house with phrt of a stamping outfit is still on the property, but no mining operations have been ii,l progress for a number of years and nothing definite can be stated concerning the character of the deposits. BATTLE BRANCH MrNE.-This mine is on lots 457 and 524, 12th district, on the west side of the Etowah River. The mine is located on a small branch known as Battle Branch, and has been worked at intervals by different parties since 1831. When the property was visited, work, which had been going on for several years under the direction of the present management, had lately been suspended. The mine is reported as being controlled by the Battle Branch Gold Mining- Com:. pany, A. E. Rodgers, of Boston, Mass., being president. In addition to placer work along the branch some large cuts have been made in the saprolites and shafts sunk. The shafts could not be entered when the property was visited, but it is stated by reliable parties that some extremely rich pockets have been worked during the development of this mine and agreat deal of gold secured. BETZ MrNE.-The Betz mine is located on lot 388, 12th district a short distance from the Etowah River. It is, as are also the two previously described properties, in the vicinity of Auraria. This mine was formerly known as the Wing Mine. It is now being operated by the Piedmont Mining and Milling Company, Mr. Charles P. Tasker, of Philadelphia. being general manager. 176 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA In the course of the different mining operations that have been carried on, a large excavation has been made in partially decomposed mica and quartzose mica schist, and several incline shafts have been sunk from the bottom of the excavation along the incline of auriferous zones or strata of schist containing stringers of quartz. Considerable drifting and stoping have also been carried on from the shafts. At the time the property was visited the old workihgs had been only partially cleaned out by the present management, and little could be seen of the ore material in the drifts. It is stated, however, that there are large bodies of auriferous schist exposed in the open cut that will pay to mill. This material which i~ partially decomposed, is broken up in an ore beater and carried by a flume line to the mill. The following assay results are quoted from Bulletin No. 4-A, of the Geological Survey of Georgia, published in 1896. The assays were made from samples taken at that time by the Survey from four auriferous belts or strata at 'this mine. These belts are described in that publication as follows: "Vein No. 1 is four feet thick; vein No. 2, eight feet thick; vein No. 3, twentyeight feet thick; and vein No. 4, thirty-four feet thick." The assays as given are : Vein No. 1______ Vein No. 2______ Vein No. 3______ Vein No. 4______ 0.105 oz. ($2.17) of gold per ton. 0.150 .oz. ($3~10) of gold per ton. 0.070 oz. ($1.45) of gold J?er ton. OJ,80 oz. ($1.65) of gold per ton. The milling plant of the Betz mine is situated a short distance below the mouth of the open cut, the ore, as previously stated, being conveyed to the mill by a flume line. At the time the property was visited the milling equipment consisted of two Huntington mills with double ~;tmalgamating plates; a stamp mill of ten stamps and two Wilfley concentrating tables. GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA PLATE Yl FIG. I .-MILLI N G PLA NT, PARKS GoLD i\II NE, M c DuFFIE COU!\TY, GEORGIA FIG. 2.-IX TERIOR VIEW OF STA.\oJ: P ~fiLL SHOWI N G BATTERY AN D .A M:A LGA)BTING PLATE S, PARKS GOLD MINE, McDUFFIE CoUN'rY, GEORGIA DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 177 The portion of the ore adapted to the Huntington mills is conveyed from the flume line into a bin from which it is fed to these mills. The coarser and more resistant portions of the ore are treated in the stamp mill. The machinery is in excellent condition and is operated by electrical power brought from a power plant situated a short distance from the mine on the Etowah River. It will be noted that the average of the four assays quoted above is, in round numbers, $2.00 per ton. The combined thickness of the four auriferous zones from which .they were taken is seventy-four feet. These tests are entirely too meagre to draw satisfactory conclusions concerning the value of such a large body of material. Yet, taken in connection with the history of the mine and the statements made concerning it, they point encouragingly to the prospect of a large body of low grade ore. If the auriferous zones continue along their strike further than they have been exposed in the present cut, there will be a large amount of material that can be mined very cheaply, owing to surface decomposition. Future developments at this mine will be looked forward to with interest, as extensive, and economically conducted work on large bodies of low grade ore offer better prospects for permanent success than any other class of mining operations afforded by the Georgia gold fields. MciNTOSH LoT.-The Mcintosh lot, 386, 12th district, has had some prospect work done on it. It adjoins the Betz lot on the south and it is claimed that the auriferous belt at the Betz mine passes throug~ this property. LIBERTY BELL MINING CoMPANY's PRoPERTY.-Since field work was completed in the preparation of this report, it has been learned that the Liberty Bell Mining Company is making rather extensive preparations for hydraulic mining at a 178 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA locality about a mile from Auraria between the forks of the Gainesville and Dawsonville roads. NoRRELL MINE.-This mine is on lot 736, 12th district, about a mile southeast of Auraria. Some mining operations on veins and saprolite deposits were carried on here years ago. In the eighties, Mr. John Norrell, the original owner of the property, sunk some shafts and did a limited amount.of work on the auriferous veins. About 1893 Messrs. Stewart and Woodward carried on some mining operations at the locality for a year and a half, making an open cut something like seventy feet in length. A gold-bearing zone about a hundred and fifty feet wide is said to traverse the lot. HEDWIG MINE.-This mine, formerly known as the Chicago and Georgia Mine, is located about one-fourth of a mile north of Auraria and a little to the west of the public road between Auraria and Dahlonega. In addition to early placer workings along several small branches, some large excavations were made in the saprolites eighteen or twenty years ago. A company, known as the Chicago and Georgia Company, made by hydraulic work a large excavation, designated as the Chicago and Georgia cut, in the side of a hill on lot 663, 12th district. Two auriferous zones, reported as being thirty and fifty feet thick, consisting of schists, carrying numerous quartz stringers, are said to have constituted the ore bodies. This company also erected a twenty stamp mill for the treatment of the ore. Later, under the ownership of Mr. Christian Wahl, another cut was made on the same lot to the east of the Chicago and Georgia cut known as the Hedwig cut. Other work' was also done on the Chicago and Georgia cuts. In addition to the mining operations already described, some work has been done on lot 662, adjoining lot 663. The mine is owned by the Wahl estate. DESCRIP.TIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 179 WHIM HILL MINE.-This mine is situated on lot 670, 12th district, a short distance north of the Hedwig mine. Considerable work was done here on the crest of Whim Hill, immediately west of the road from Auraria to Dahlonega. Several shafts were sunk and some tunnels driven. The work was done many years ago and nothing can be stated concerning the character of the veins. In the early workings, a whim was used in sinking one of the shafts and from this circumstance the mine and the hill received their names. Mr. Elisha Castlebury worked the mine in the forties and his grandson, Mr. J. F. Castlebury, of Dahlonega, and other parties familiar with the mining history of the region, state that some ore chutes were encountered that were exceedingly rich in free gold. The lot on which the mine is located forms a part of the Wahl estate. BRIAR PATCH AND CALHOUN MIN'Es.-These two mines are now part of an extensive property controlled by The Dahlonega Gold Mining and Milling Company, Mr. B. L. Payne, of Lincoln, Nebraska, president, and Mr. P. P. Carmichael, local manager. What was originally known as the Calhoun mine is on the east side of the Chestatee River on lots 164 and 165 in the 11th district, and the Briar Patch mine, embraced a number of forty acre lots on the opposite side of the river. The lots now included in the property are: Nos. 164, 165, 169, 170 and part of 168 on the east side of the Chestatee River, and Nos. 1191, 1192, 1193, 1194, 740, 800, 801, 802, 803, 808, 809, 871, 872, 873, 878, 879 and 880, all smaller forty acre lots, on the west side of the river. The Calhoun mine is rather widely known as being the locality where gold was first discovered in the Dahlonega :region, and several very rich ore chutes have been worked here in the past down to water level. Some open cuts were made and shallow shafts sunk years ago on several small veins or chutes near together on lot 164. John C. Calhoun, the noted 180 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA South Carolina statesman, acquired possession of the property soon after the presence of gold had been discovered. During his ownership, the mine was worked under a lease for thirty days by two parties, W. G. Lawrence and Charles Sisson, and it is stated on reliable authority, that they secured in that short period $24,000 worth of gold. None of the old workings probably extended much below water level. At the time the property was visited, Mr. Carmichael was cleaning out an old inclined shaft on what was supposed to be one of the richest of the ore chutes. A small quartz vein, averaging less than a foot in thickness, where exposed, and dipping at a low angle, could be followed for several yards in this shaft. At, or a little below, water level, some ore very rich in free gold was noticed. At one point on the vein free gold was quite abundant in a narrow band or layer of exceedingly rich quartz traversing the vein diagonally. In addition to the work just mentioned, Captain Fry, of Dahlonega, was driving a tunnel into the hillside to strike the Loggin chute, another ore chute on lot 164 that is reported as having yielded rich returns from former workings. A short distance from the ore chutes above mentioned, an auriferous quartz vein occurs known as the Peachtree vein.. This vein has been worked to a limited extent at a number of points along its strike, and its continuity for some distance has been pretty well established. Owing to the limited extent of exposures when the property was visited no samples for assay were taken from this vein. In addition to the work that has been done on veins at the Calhoun mine, considerable work on placer deposits in the Chestatee River bottoms has been carried on. According to the best information obtainable, the placer mining here was quite profitable. On the west side of the Chestatee River there is a large DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 181 body of alluvial land traversed by two or three small streams flowing into the Chestatee. Placer deposits occurring here have been known for many years as the Briar Patch Mine. Placer mining was carried on at this locality quite vigorously in the early mining days. It is frequently difficult_ at some of the placers that have been extensively worked to determine what areas have been mined and what are still virgin ground. It is claimed, however, that, owing to heavy overburden and slight drainage fall, a considerable portion of the river bottoms at this locality has never been worked. Mr. Carmichael is of the opinion that there are large areas here of alluvial deposits that have never been mined. On lot 803, a short distance west of the river, a hill known as Gold Hill, has been the scene of some recent interesting prospect work. A number of small veins or stringers have been located on the top of this hill and exposed in shallow pits. Until some sluicing work is done, or larger, more continuous excavations made, nothing very definite can be learned concerning these deposits, but the number and location of the small veins that can be examined suggest the presence here of a gold-bearing zone of considerable dimensions. Pannings were made from several of these s~all veins or stringers. These stringers of quartz break up into small pieces when dug out of the saprolites and a portion of the decomposed walling was included in the panning tests. The fragments of quartz were saved in the first pannings and subsequently mortared and panned. In both tests the results were very gratifying, considerable amounts of fairly coarse gold being obtained. A water ditch a number of miles long has just been completed for bringing water to the Dahlonega Gold Mining & Milling Company's property. This ditch is designated on maps of the region as the Briar Patch ditch. A forty-stamp mill and a large hydraulic pump for sluicing 182 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA operations are located on the Chestatee River at the corners of lots 164 and 168. A dam across the river, developing eight hundred horse-power, gives water power for operating this plant. The company also owns a dredge boat on the Chestatee River, which was anchored, at the time the property was visited, near the Briar Patch bridge. TuRKEY HILL MINE.-This mine, situated on lot 163, 11th district, adjoins the Calhoun mine on the south. Near the crest of a high ridge an open cut was made for a distance of about two hundred feet a number of years ago. Within this cut some shafts have also been sunk. No work has been done at the locality for a number of years and the shafts could not be entered. The following description of veins occurring here is quoted from Bulletin No. 4-A, of the Geological Survey of Georgia, published in 1896, at which time the mine could be examined to much better advantage: ''This cut exposed five veins, which are about fifteen or twenty feet apart, varying from one to six inches in thickness. These veins are very rich and show considerable free gold in a porous, saccharoidal quartz very slightly stained throughout to a dirty cream color by iron sesqui-oxide.'' There are at present in the collections of the State Museum in the State Capitol, some very handsome specimens of rich gold quartz from this mine that were donated by the owners a number of years ago. The property is controlled by Mr. F. S. Packard. McAFEE-LYNN MINE.-This mine lies a short distance to the northwest of the Briar Patch mine. It was originally worked for placer deposits along Ralston Branch and was called the Rutherford mine after one of its former owners, the late Prof. William Rutherford, of the University of Georgia. Subsequently the property came into the possession of DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 183 Messrs. McAfee and Lynn and is now more generally known as the McAfee-Lynn mine. About 1904 some rather extensive mining operations were carried on at this locality. A large cut was made in the saprolites known as the McAfee-Lynn cut. No work was going on when the region was visited and here, asat other large cuts in the Dahlonega region where no mining was in progress, an examination was very unsatisfactory. A stamp mill is located on the property. BARLOW MINE.-The Barlow mine is about three miles southwest of the Dahlonega public square and between a quarter and a half of a mile to the east of the public road from Auraria to Dahlonega. Very extensive hydraulic mining operations were formerly carried on at this locality. Several, originally, separate properties, the Ralston mine, the Pigeon Roost Mine, and others, have now been consolidated into one mine, the different cuts having merged into each other or become closely connected. Lots 746 and 747 in the 12th district have been the center of some of the most important operations, but a number of different land lots are included in the property. The principal mining here has consisted of hydraulic operations, anda very large amount of saprolite material has been removed in the course of the work. Plate IV, Fig. 1, gives a view of a portion of the immense Barlow cut, which is a half mile, or more, in length. Separated from this cut by a thin partition and branching off toward the northwest is another cut. Near the end of this, farthest from the Barlow cut, an I old shaft has in recent years been cleaned out and deepened and some underground work done on a vein known as the Ogle vein. The cut to the northwest is a part of the old Pigeon Roost mine. The first vein mining done at this locality was conducted by a company known as the Georgia Company, which, in 1866, 184 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA erected a forty-stamp mill. Pretty continuous. mmmg w~~s carried on during the seventies and eighties. At one time a sixty-stamp mill was in operation near one end of the extensive system of cuts and a twenty-stamp mill was erected at the opposite end. Water was brought by a branch-ditch from the large Hand ditch near Dahlonega. A forty-stamp mill now occupies the site of the old sixty-stamp one. With the cuts in their present condition, little can be ascertained concerning the veins. Judging, however, from the character of the operations that were carried on and from general reports the deposits are probably in the nature of zones or belts of schists carrying auriferous quartz stringers. The association of the hornblende series of rocks, several times previously referred to, with an acidic schist representing, at this point, probably a highly sheared granite porphyry is noticeable in the large cut. About 1906 the Water Power and Mining Company of Georgia cleaned out and deepened a shaft on the Ogle vein near the mouth of the northwest cut. Some drifting was done from this shaft, but the underground works were inaccessible at the time the property was visited and nothing can be stated n Yahoola Creek. The rocks at the Standard mine present no features unusual to those described at neighboring localities. In the large Singleton cut, a light colored rock occurs that probably represents a sheared granite dike. The Standard mine is controlled by the Standard Mining Company, Mr. George H. Breymann, president. JoNES MrNE.-This mine, on lot 512, 15th district near the Chestatee River, is about four miles southeast of Dahlonega. Years ago, some work was done here on a vein that is reported to have yielded a large amount of gold. No mining has been in progress at the locality for many years and nothing can be seen of the vein. At the time this property was visited, Mr. McAfee, of Dahlonega, was carrying on some prospect work on lot 512, :not far from the old mine. DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 201 CAVENDER's CREEK MINING PROPERTY.-This property, ~m bracing several land lots in the 15th district, is on Cavender's Creek about five miles northeast of Dahlonega. In addition to some placer working in the past, a limited amount of underground work has been done on auriferous veins on two or three of the lots. About five y~ars ago the owners of the property constructed a ditch a number of miles in length to bring water from Spencer's Creek and other streams, but for some reason little or no mining has been carried on in recent years. A small stamp mill is located on the property on Cavender's Creek. In Bulletin No. 4-A, of the Geological Survey of Georgia published in 1896, the results of assays of seven ore samples taken from this property are recorded. These assays are given below, together with the localities as there stated: No. 1____ 0.23 oz. ($ 5.17) of gold per ton. No. 2____ 0.99 oz. ($20.46) of gold per ton. No. 3____0.20 oz. ($ 4.13) of gold per ton. No. 4____ 1.27 oz. ($26.25) of gold per ton. No. 5____0.92 oz. ($19.02) of gold per ton. No. 6____0.80 oz. ($16.54) of gold per ton. No. 7____ 1.07 oz. ($22.12) of gold per ton. 1\lo. 1 was from veins in a tunnel on the west side of lot 390; No. 2, from a second vein on the same lot; No.4, from a vein near the southwest corner of lot 373 ; No. 5, from two veins at the top of the hill on lot 389; No. 6, from a forty-foot stringer lead at the bottom of the same hill on lot 390; No. 7, from a four-foot vein near the northeast corner of the last mentioned lot. The property is owned at present by the Cavender's Creek Gold Mining Company of Dahlonega. JuMBO MINE.-The Jumbo mine, on lot 374, 15th district, 202 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA is about six miles northeast of Dahlonega. Several auriferous quartz veins have been prospected at this locality sufficiently to give some idea of their values. In addition to the veins on which work has been done, it is claimed that there occurs here a broad zone of saprolites that carries values. Two double compartment shafts, about seventy feet apart, have been sunk and connected by a drift at thirty feet from the surface. These shafts could not be entered at the time the property was visited on account of water, and nothing can be stated concerning the character of the vein. At the northeasternmost of these shafts a sample for assay was taken from an ore pile of several tons. This sample yielded on assay $6.89 per ton. On the top of a hill in the vicinity of these shafts a large quartz vein has been exposed by a tunnel for several ~ods. A sample for assay was taken from sectiQns across this vein at three points. This sample on assay yielded $2.06 per ton. This vein, where sampled, showed an average width of seven or eight feet. On a hill about two hundred yards northeast of this locality two small auriferous stringers have been located, designated by the owners of the property as Mistletoe vein No. 1 and Mistletoe vein No. 2. These had not been sufficiently exploited up to the ti:n;te of examination to warrant a definite description. A ten-stamp mill has recently been installed at the mine. The property is owned by the Jumbo Gold Mining Company, Mr. J. F. Moore, president, and Mr. Joseph Clements, assistant general manager. The mining operations carried on here, so far, have been conducted economically and on a small scale with the aim of exposing the deposits. Work of this class cannot be too strongly commended for its beneficial influence on the future of the gold industry as compared with some extravagant expenditures that have been made in the Dahlonega belt. DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 203 GARNET MINE.-This mine, in the 15th district, is a short distance northeast of the Jumbo mine and about seven miles from Dahlonega. Placer work was carried on along branches on the property years ago. The first vein mining of importance was commenced in the eighties by the Garnet Water Power and Mining Company. Considerable hydraulicking was carried on in auriferous saprolites containing quartz stringers. A twenty-stamp mill was erected and operated by water power from a dam across the Chestatee River. Recently some hydraulic mining has been done on the property about a fourth of a mile southwest of the old cuts. A considerable excavation has been made in the saprolites and a mill of ten stamps, taken from the old mill has been erected several hundred yards from the cut on a small branch. The ore is flooded from the cut to the mill through a flume line. No work was in progress when the mine was visited and nothing can be stated concerning the character of the deposits. OTHER PRoPERTIEs IN LuMPKIN CouNTY.-In addition to the properties already described, a number of localities are to be noted where either regular mining has been carried on to a limited extent or prospecting done. Some mining has been done on an auriferous vein on lot 955 and vicinity, 12th district, a short distance north of Dahlonega. A ten-stamp mill was erected on Yahoola Creek when the work was in progress. THE RIDER MINE is on lot 1,058, 12th district, northeast of Dahlonega. Vein mining on a small scale was carried on here years ago. Mr. E. E. Crisson was conducting some hydraulic operations in saprolite material a short distance northeast of Dahlonega at the time the region was visited. The work was being prosecuted near a vein known as the Hamilton vein, 204 GOLD DEPOSIT OF GEOEGIA on which some shafts had been sunk and tunnels run yean; ago. Mr. Crisson was milling the ore sluiced from the cut in a small stamp mill of home manufacture. THE CoRA LEE PROPERTY is on lot 433, 15th district, near the Cavender's Creek property. Some prospect work on veins has been done here in the past by Mr. Joseph Clements, of Dahlonega, and others. THE BLUFFINGTON MINE is near the Jones mine, southeast of Dahlonega. Work was carried on here many years ago that is reported to have been profitable. THE OLD CoLUMBiA MINE is south of the Findley mine. Work was done here years ago by a comRany known as the Columbia Mining Company. THE W oonwARD LoT lies to the southwest of the McAfeeLynn mine. A limited amount of hydraulic work has been done here in the saprolites in the past. A small stamp mill is still on the property. THE KEYSTONE MINE is on Cane Creek below the Barlow mine mill. Some auriferous veins have been worked here years ago. THE STEGALL PLACER, the Belle mine, the Saltonstall mine and the Woods mine are all located near Auraria. They were operated for a short time some years ago. THE WELLs MINE, on lot 1,213, 12th district, is about a mile and a half southwest of Auraria. An auriferous vein was worked here and a small stamp mill erected. THE HIGHTOWER MINE is situated near the Wells mine. It was operated for a short time in the eighties. Mining operations have also been carried on to a limited extent on lots 891, 930 and 725 in the 12th district. DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 205 DREDGEs.-Several dredges have been operated at different times on the Chestatee River. Some of these are said to have paid very well. The boats of Messrs. Birch Brothers, of Kan~as City, and Mr. H. D. Jaquish, now of Gainesville, Ga., are reported to have been very successfully operated. At the time the region was visited, a dredge was in process of equipment for the purpose of securing auriferous black sands from the bed of the Chestatee River. WHITE COUNTY In White county, the Dahlonega belt has about the same average width as in Lumpkin, except at the extreme eastern edge where it narrows before entering Habersham county. The most extensive mining operations have been carried on in the region about Nacoochee Valley in the eastern side of the county. White county gained notoriety years ago when placer mining was being actively prosecuted by reason of the number of large nuggets that were obtained from the Nacoochee Valley region, some of them weighing as high as five hundred pennyweights. Numerous nuggets of considerable size have also been found at the Loud mine in the western part of th~ county. While considerable vein mining has been done, and some large excavations made at several localities in mining saprolite deposits, yet, near many of the more important placer deposits, prospecting for veins does not appear to have been carried on very vigorously. This county offers an interesting field for future vein prospecting. Loun MINE1.-This mine, on lots 39 and 40, 1st district, is about four miles southwest of Cleveland, the county seat of White county. An area of a number of acres of alluvial 1. Speeial thanks are due Mr. R. K. Reaves, Jr., manager, and his foreman, Mr. Gabriel Furgerson, for courtesies extended during field work at this mine and neighboring properties. 206 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA deposits with underlying auriferous gravels occurs here in a stretch of land traversed by a small branch and having very slight drainage fall. The area forms a prong of the extensive lowlands along Town Creek and extends back from where these occur on the eastern side of lot 39 to near a low divide on lot 40 known as Hog Back Ridge. A great deal of placer gold has been obtained in the course of different placer mining operations at this locality. Some nuggets have been found weighing as high as three hundred pennyweights or more. Although this mine has been worked at different times through a period of many years, yet, owing to slight drainage fall, the deposit h;:ts never been systematically worked as a whole. Mining operations have been carried on by working the gravel deposits in pits at different points with small hydraulic lifts. As the overburden is rather heavy at some localities, probably as much as twenty feet in thickness, this method of mining has proved very unsatisfactory, owing to the inconvenience arising from the accumulation of the tailings. Much of the area has been worked over; some of it several times. In the case of fiat lying placer deposits, that have been worked as this one has been at different times through a long period of years, it is difficult to reach satisfactory conclusions as to what amount of gold still remains for future mining operations. Owing to the richness of this deposit and the difficulties attendant on mining it thoroughly, as above stated, it is probable that a considerable amount of gold could yet be obtained if good drainage was secured and the deposit was worked systematically and exhaustively. With this end in view, several companies have, at different times, prosecuted work in an effort to drain the area from its upper end, but their plans were only partially carried out. As the inauguration of these efforts, the Hand Mining Company, a number of years ago, made a large cut on lot 66 to DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 207 the southwest of the mine near the Tesnatee River. The plan was to establish a water way from the Tesnatee River to the Loud mine, reversing the natural drainage of the lowland in which the deposits occur. Advantage was to be taken of stream valleys as far as possible from the river to Hog Back Ridge, the divide previously mentioned as occurring near the head of the Loud Valley. At this locality a tunnel through the ridge into the Loud Valley was contemplated. The Canadian-American Loud Gold Mining Company, who recently controlled the property for a short period, extended the drain above referred to to the southeastern corner of lot 65. In addition to the placer deposits at the Loud mine, a very interesting auriferous vein occurrence merits description. A number of years ago the outcrop of a small vein was located in the placer deposit. A shaft that had been sunk on this vein years ago was deepened about five years back and drifts run northeast and southwest for approximately thirty feet by Mr. R. K. Reaves, of Athens, Ga., the present owner of the mine. Some wonderfully rich chutes or pockets were struck in this vein and magnificent specimens of crystallized and wire gold obtained. Inability to cope with the water is stated as the reason for only a limited amount of work having been done on the vein. The operations carried on were not sufficiently extensive to furnish definite data as to the pitch of the ore chutes and the probable frequency or regularity of their occurrence. Some very coarse gold obtained in panning a little of the old debris about the mouth of this shaft gave testimony to the richness of some of the ore that had been taken out. Something like two hundred yards from the shaft above mentioned, two other shafts near each other were sunk in the eighties to a depth of about seventy feet. It is reported by Mr. Gabriel Furgerson, foreman of the 208 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA mine, that about a thousand dollars worth of gold was secured here. ~s the different shafts are in line with the general strike of the formation, it is probable that they are on closely associated veins, if not on the same vein. Judging from the fact that much of the gold that has been found in the placer presented features similar to the gold in the vein or veins above described, and also from the failure of prospectors to locate any notable deposits in the neighboring slopes, it seems certain that a portion, at least, of the placer gold has been derived from veins occurring in the rocks beneath the alluvial deposits. This supposition is further strengthened by the outcrop of a body of hornblendic rock along the southaest side of the Loud Valley associated with more acidic schists and gneisses. The occurrence, as frequently mentioned in previous pages, of many of the most important gold deposits, that have been so far located in the Dahlonega belt,at or near the contact of hornblende schists with more acidic rocks is too significant to overlook in considering the probable location of auriferous veins. Plate II, Fig. 1, shows a photograph of a specimen of gold crystals, associated with quartz crystals, from the Loud mine. In addition to the vein deposits already described at the Loud mine, an open cut about fifty yards in length was made several years ago on an auriferous vein or zone at the base of the slope on the southeast side of the Loud Valley. The ore was milled at a ten-stamp mill which is still on the property in the lowland near the cut. Some hurried panning tests in this cut gave unsatisfactory results, but as no work had been in progress for several years the deposit was not very fully exposed. Southwest of the Loud Valley, considerable placer areas are found on lot 56 along two or three small streams. These are known as the Asbury placers, ha~ing been rather extensively worked in former years by a gentleman of that name. GO LD DEPOS I TS OF GE ORGIA P L ATE VU F ro . 1 . -M r NING P LA N T, SEML'iO J.E GoLD AN D C OP PER ?-liNE, LJSCO LN CouNTY, GEORG fA Fw . 2 .-i\IILLI NG P LAXT, CoLUMBI A GOLD :\lr"E, M c D u P F JE C o uN T Y, GECJW IA DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 209 At the time the property was visited, some placer work was in progress on this lot under the direction of Mr. R. K. Reaves, Jr. These operations, on portions of the Asbury placers that had never been mined were being carried on with a hydraulic lift. West of the locality just mentioned along a ridge on lots 65 and 57, a line of old workings are to be found where mining operations were conducted on an auriferous vein many years ago. The ore bodies were not exposed, but some panning made from the material of a dump at the mouth of one of the old shafts yielded a fair amount of gold. Old works of a similar character to the ones at this particular locality are to be found throughout the entire length of the Dahlonega belt. As in the early mining period, veins carrying good values were sometimes abandoned after they had been mined down to water level, either from the ore ceasing to be free milling or from inability to cope with water, these abandoned mines offer a good field for future tests. CouRTNEY PLACER.-On lot 33, southeast of the Loud mines, placer deposits of considerable extent have been worked by Mr. Courtney, of Cleveland, Ga. A large cut was made in the course of this work extending from a point on a small branch at the edge of the extensive lowlands of Town Creek and the Tesnatee River westward past the old Courtney homestead almost to the house of Mr. Gabriel Furgerson. Fringes of unworked auriferous gravel are to be found at several localities along the edge of the worked area. ],rom some of these unworked gravels considerable rather coarse gold was obtained in panning tests. Mr. Courtney states that near the Courtney homestead, at a point where a small storehouse now stands, unusually coarse gold was found and a tunnel was driven along the gravel deposit to one side of the open cut in mining for it. 210 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA Owing to heavy overburdens, only a limited amount of placer mining has been done in the large lowlands of Town Creek and the Tesnatee River. At a point on the former stream, known as Town Ford, a small area was worked years ago, and from there up to the Loud mine more or less mining is said to have been carried on along the borders of Town Creek. On the west side of the Tesnatee River, immediately above the public bridge a few acres of the main lowlands have also been mined. Town Creek and Tesnatee River unite on lot 33 and the lowlands of these two streams on this lot and on the Henderson lo~ adjoining it on the north, together with the lowland along the first named stream on the Loud mine lot, united, form an extensive body of valley land, the larger portion of which has never been mined. This area as a whole may be a good field for future dredging operations. Systematic prelimin~;try testing as to the amount of gold and the character of the bed-rock would involve considerable labor, owing to the thickness of the overburden. HENDERSON PROPERTY.-The Henderson property, on lot 34, lies to the north of the Courtney lot and east of the Loud mine. Both vein and placer deposits have been located on this property, but very little development work has been undertaken so far. Extensive lowlands occur here along Town Creek and the Tesnatee River. These valley lands have just been spoken of in connection with the lowlands of the Courtney property as being a possible field for future dredging operations. Near some old placer workings on a small branch that flows through the extensive Tesnatee River lowlands several panning tests were made in an unworked portion of a gravel deposit on the slope of a hill adjacent to the valley lands just mentioned. A small pit was sunk to bed-rock a few yards from a tenement house at the locality and very satis- DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDU.AL PROPERTIES 211 factory results obtained, the gold secured being quite coarse. It is not probable that there is any extensive area of gravels at this point. The tests, however, of gravels near small streams, both on this property and on the Courtney lot, are of interest as giving some indications of the probable amount of gold in the extensive lowlands of the two principal streams previously mentioned. In addition to the placer deposits on the Henderson property, several prospect shafts and pits have been sunk on auriferous veins occurring in a ridge in the northeast part of the lot. No work had been done at the locality for some years and very little could be seen of the veins. Mr. Albert Henderson, of Cleveland, Ga., the owner of the property, states that in one of the shafts a small stringer or aurifeous band was exposed that yielded very rich pannings. Near a spring branch on the northeast side of the ridge the ore of a pile of vein quartz, taken out in the course of some prospect work, showed more or less crystal form. Both here and at the Loud mine a distinct tendency to crystal form in the vein quartz seems to be of common occurrence. ETRIES PRoPERTY.-On lot 62, 1st district, placer deposits occur along a branch that flows through the property. Lack of exposures prevented any very satisfactory tests being made at this locality. A little to the south, along a smaller tributary stream, old placer works were examined and some of the worked gravels yielded considerable gold when panned. On lot 59, adjoining lot 62, a little hydraulic work was carried on in saprolite material some years ago on a vein deposit. Several quartz veins outcrop on this lot. A small vein, or auriferous band, a few inches thick is exposed in several old shafts or pits in saprolite material. The vein material from one of these shafts yielded considerable quantities of gold when panned. On the lot line between lots 58 and 59 a quartz 212 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA vein about :five feet thick is exposed in a shallow pit. A sample for assay was taken from a section across this vein as exposed in the pit. The ore looked rather promising, but no gold was obtained in the assay. MATTHEws LoT.-On this lot, No. 49, 4th district, old placer works are to be found along a stream traversing the lot. Some underground work was also carried on years ago on vein deposits in a hillside near the placer. Some panning tests were made in the gravels along the stream above mentioned, but the results were not very satisfactory. LoT 48.-0n lot 48, 4th district, some placer work has been done in the past on this lot along a small stream known as Gold Branch. A little prospect work has also been carried on on veins. LoTs 37 AND 38.-A limited amount of vein mining was done on lots 37 and 38 a number of years ago by Mr. R. K. Reaves, of Athens, Ga. On the former lot a tunnel was run for a short distance into a hillside along the strike of a quartz vein. The ore obtained in these mining operations was milled at a small stamp mill that was located on Jennings Creek some little distance from the locality where the minjng was carried on. McAFEE PRoPERTY.-On lot 36, to the east of lot 37, a number of old shafts are to be found that were sunk years ago on what is supposed to be the continuation of the same vein that was worked on lot 37. Some placer deposits along small streams flowing through the lot have also been worked in the past. Some additional mining operations have been carried on on lot 25, 4th district. SPRAGUE, oR BLAKE, MINE.-This mine, on lot 26, 4th district, is a few miles northwest of Cleveland, the county seat. DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 213 Considerable work was done here years ago on an auriferous quartz vein known as the Sprague vein. At the time the property was visited little, if anything, could be seen of the vein, as no work had been in progress for many years. In Bulletin No. 4-A, of the Geological Survey of Georgia, published in 1896, it is stated that the vein, exposed at that time in two shafts on lot 26, showed a thickness of four feet and contained large amounts of pyrites. According to local reports some very rich ore has been obtained from portions of this vein. The remnants of an old stamp mill are still to be seen by a creek that flows through the property. Judging from the amount of work that has once been done at the locality together with the favorable reports of the character of the vein, this mine would seem to merit more attention than it has received in recent years. The property is in the charge of Mr. J. W. H. Underwood, of Cleveland, Ga. LoNGSTREET MrNE.-This mine is situated a few miles north of Cleveland, the county seat of White county. The principal mining operations have been conducted on lot 162 in the 3rd district. One or two adjoining lots on which placer deposits have been located are also included in the property. On lot 162 an auriferous quartz vein has been exposed by open cut work and a tunnel. The open cut is over two hundred feet long and at its northeast end a tunnel, reported to extend for approximately three hundred feet, has been driven into the hillside on the strike of the vein. The underground workings were inaccessible at the time the property was visited. The vein is exposed in the open cut southwestward from the mouth of the tunnel for about two hundred feet. As seen here it shows an average width of something like six feet and is composed of quartz with interlaminated bands of gneiss, or mica schist. The strike of the vein is 214 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA about N. 45 E. with a nearly vertical dip. A few yards to the south, yellowish brown saprolite, most probably derived from a hornblende schist, shows in the flume-cut leading to the mill. Three samples for assay were taken from sections across the vein in the bottom of the open cut. No. 1 was taken at a point about midway between the mouth of the tunnel and the southwest end of the open cut; No. 2, at a point about seventy-five feet northeast of No. 1; and No. 3, from a point about :fifty feet northeast of No. 2. These samples yielded on assay the following results: No. L___________ $2.06 per ton. No. 2____________ 0.62 per ton. No. 3____________ 0.41 per ton. In the llght of the work that has been carried on here, together with the amount of gold that was obtained in panning tests at various points on the vein and statements made concerning this mine, these assay results are disappointing. It should be borne in mind, however, that only tentative conclusions concerning the average value of a large body of ore should be drawn from such a limited number of assays. A short distance northwest of the above described vein some open cut work has been done in saprolite material. In this cut a small vein or auriferous band yielded some very good panning results. From the open cut on the main vein a flume line leads to the mill situated about twelve hundred feet to the southwest. The milling plant is equipped with a Huntington mill and a Wilfley concentrating table. In addition to the vein deposits, placer deposits occur along Turner's Creek on this property and also on some smaller tributary streams. Portions of these placer deposits have been worked by various parties at different times. At a point on the above mentioned stream on lot 162 where some '. DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 215 unworked gravel was exposed in a sharp curve, some very satisfactory panning tests were made, the gold obtained bemg rather coarse. At the time the property was visited Mr. W. A. Danforth, general manager, was carrying on some placer mining in deposits in a small hollow or gulch on lot 162. Attention was called at this locality to a zone about two and a half feet wide of saprolite material that yielded a moderate amount of :fine gold when crushed and panned. A small quartz stringer occurring in this zone yielded no gold from panning tests. The deep yellowish brown color of the saprolite admitted of little doubt that its derivation was from one of the hornblende rocks characteristic of the Dahlonega belt. This occurrence of gold is of interest, as several writers on the deposits of the Dahlonega region have reported that tests of the saprolites of that locality showed the portion of the gold which apparently was not in quartz occurred principally in acidic schists and gneisses. LEwis MINE.-This mine is situated about seven miles from Nacoochee Valley near the northwest edge of the Dahlonega belt. Some vein mining was done here years ago. Old shafts and open cuts are still to be seen near the crest of a small ridge. No mining operations have been carried on for many years and nothing definite can be stated concerning the character of the deposit. BELL PROPERTY.-Placer deposits occur on _lot 132, 3rd district. A considerable tract of valley land is on this property and old placer workings are to be seen on either side of a creek flowing through it. This mining done in the lf these old works the vein seems to have been pretty completely stoped out to the surface. At one point an exposure was noticed, but it was inaccessible for sampling. At this exposure the vein has a thickness of about four feet and shows a rather strikingly banded appearance due to the interlamination of country rock with the vein quartz. In Bulletin No. 4-A, of the Geological Survey of Georgia, published in 1896, the following statement is noted in regard to the value of the ore at this mine: ''The average ore is low grade, probably varying from fifty cents (the assay made by the survey of this sample) to $5.00 per ton. * * * * The picked ore runs high.'' In addition to the principal vein, a smaller vein has been exposed in a tunnel driven into the hill on its southwest side. Until further developments are prosecuted little can be stated concerning the character of this vein. A milling plant is located on a small creek on the property. This is equipped with a ten-stamp mill, engine, boiler, etc., housed in a substantial building. The property is controlled by Mr. Herman Dye, of Detroit, Mich. REYNOLDS AND HAMBY EsTATE MoRTGAGE CoMPANY's PRoPERTY.-This company controls a number of land lots in the 3rd district near Nacoochee Valley on which gold mining has been prosecuted at different times. The more important mining operations have been confined to the region about Duke's Creek and the Chattahoochee River. Much of this property was formerly known as the Martin property, having 218 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA been previously owned and worked by Mr. John Martin, now of Clarkesville, Ga. Both vein and placer mining have been carried on at several different localities on the property. Some very productive placer deposits were worked along branches emptying into Dukes Creek. Near the line between lots 70 and 71, on a prong of Black Branch, a nugget weighing about five hundred pennyweights was obtained in these work- ings. . On lot 70, at a point a short distance north of Dukes Creek, both hydraulic and underground mining was carried on a number of years ago on an auriferous vein known as the Reynolds vein. The first mining conducted here was of a hydraulic nature and a large cut or rather two cuts, which were later united, were made along the strike of the vein, which has a southwest-northeast trend. The most important mining carried on was done during tlie period from 1896 to 1902, the greater portion of the work being conducted by Mr. John Martin. In addition to some hydraulic operations, in the course of which the two cuts above mentioned were united forming the present cut which is about two hundred yards long, a shaft was sunk on the vein in the bottom of the cut to a depth of about a hundred and forty feet and considerable drifting done. The principal drifting was at the sixty-foot level. The longest drift was to the southwest and, combined with a tunnel, which had been driven on the vein from near Dukes Creek, had an approximate length of four hundred and fifty feet. To the northeast a drift was run for about one hundred and fifty feet. The ore was milled at a twenty- stamp mill erecte9 nea;r by. This mill was later reduced to one of ten stamps and at the time the property was visited it was badly in need of repairs. Mr. Martin estimates that during the period above mentioned between forty and fifty thousand dollars worth of gold was obtained. No work has DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 219 been done at the locality for a number of years and the underground works were not accessible at time of visit. The vein is said to average several feet in thickness and to consist of quartz with more or less interlaminated wall rock. On a portion of lot 60, northwest of the Reynolds vein, considerable mining was carried on a number of years ago. In addition to placer work, several shafts were sunk and other prospect work done on a vein at a point a short distance from the site of a building that was erected at the time as an office and laboratory. Nothing very definite can be stated concerning the character of the deposit here. At the time of visit, Mr. J. A. Bramlet was conducting some sluicing operations near by on the headwaters of Hamby Branch. A small stamp mill erected about four years ago is located on the above mentioned branch at this locality. A short distance northeast of the Reynolds and Hamby mines and immediately west of the Chattahoochee River, another portion of the tract, formerly known as the St. George property, merits notice. In addition to considerable placer mining on deposits along the England, the Old House and the Gaten branches, a large excavation, known as the Dean cut, was made by hydraulic mining on an auriferous vein or zone on lot 38. No regular mining operations have been carried on here for a number of years and nothing definite can be stated concerning the character of the deposits. At the time of visit some sluicing operations of a limited character were being conducted along one of the branches above mentioned. YoNAH LAND AND MINING CoMPANY's PROPERTY, oR CALHOUN MINE.-This property embraces a number of land lots in the 3rd district contiguous to the property of the Reynolds and Hamby Estate Mortgage Company. Very productive placer deposits have been mined in the past along branches 220 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA on this property emptying into Dukes Creek. Some vein mining has also been carried on. One of the most noted placer deposits of the Nacoochee Valley region was worked a number of years ago along Richardson Branch on this tract at a point a few hun4_red yards from Dukes Creek and close to the old Lumsden residence. The gold obtained was unusually coarse, much of it occurring as nuggets of several pennyweights and larger. As the drainage area of this branch is rather restricted, an inviting field is afforded at this locality for vein prospecting. ' Considerable placer mining has also been carried on in the valley lands along Dukes Creek below the mouth of Richardson Branch. At the time of visit a dredge boat that had been operating on the Chattahoochee River and Dukes Creek a year or so back was located in these lowlands. Northwest of the Reynolds mine on lot 68, more or less vein mining has been carried on in the past. In Bulletin No. 4-A, of the Geological Survey of Georgia, published in 1896, the results of two assays are given of ore from a vein on this lot designated as vein No. 2. The vein was about a foot in thickness at the point where the samples were taken. These two assays showed values of $9.40 and $13.00 per ton respectively. At the time of visit a limited amount of vein mining had recently been in progress near the mouth of Mercer Branch. CoNLEY MINE.-A number of years ago a cut was made by hydraulic mining on lot 39, 3rd district. A little very fine gold was panned from granular quartzose material occurring at this locality, but with the cut in its present condition little can be stated concerning the deposit. RoBERT's PROPERTY.-Several land lots in the 3rd district are embraced in this property. Considerable mining operations, principally on placer deposits along small branches, was DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 221 carried on at this property a number of years ago by Mr. Charles Roberts, the former owner. In addition to placer mining a small cut was made by hydraulic work on lot 26 on a rich pocket occurring in saprolite material. It is reported that after a limited amount of work this pocket was exhausted and no further remunerative returns could be obtained at the locality. HARDEMAN PROPERTY.-An extensive body of lowland along the Chattahoochee River is embraced in this property which is in Nacoochee Valley near Nacoochee post office. Owing to heavy overburden, little or no mining has ever been carried on in the placer deposits here, though it is reported that nuggets of considerable size have been secured from the bed of the Chattahoochee River at this locality. As these valley lands lie near the southwest edge of what has, so far, proved the most important part of the Dahlonega belt in White county and as numerous tributary stream valleys a short distance above have afforded remunerative placer deposits, there is the possibility of there being here a good field for dredging operations. PLATTSBURG MINE.-This mine on lot 40, 3rd district, lies just east of the Chattahoochee River in the Nacoochee Valley region. The mine is situated on a ridge rising abruptly from the river bank. Vein mining has been conducted here on an auriferous zone said to be from six to eight feet in thickness and composed of quartz stringers and intercalated wall rock. Several tunnels have been driven into the hill and some shafts sunk and open cuts made. No mining operations have beeL in progress for a number of years and with the mine in its present condition nothing additional can be added to the statement already made concerning the character of the deposits. From some mill tests of the ore, made shortly before Bulletin 222 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA No. 4-A, of the Geological Survey of Georgia was published in 1896, the conclusions drawn and stated in that report are that the ore is low grade, probably not exceeding three dollars per ton. A ten-stamp mill with two Frue vanner concentrators is located contiguous to the mine on the bank of the river. Messrs. Joseph Gruber and Wm. Voigt, Jr., are the principal owners of the property. FRANKLIN AND GLENN LoT.-This lot, No. 41, 3rd district, lies northeast of the Plattsburg property. Some prospect work has been done here, principally near the crest of a high hill, on an auriferous zone consisting of country rock with interlaminated quartz stringers. The exposures seen at time of visit were hardly sufficient to permit satisfactory conclusions to be drawn as to the width of the zone and the probable presence of other parallel zones. In a shallow 'pit near the crest of the hill, the ore body showed an approximate thickness of eighteen feet. A sample for assay was taken from a section across this pit. This sample yielded on assay $0.82. A single assay test at one point only is very unsatisfactory from which to draw conclusions, yet, as the decomposition of the country rock at the locality doubtless extends to considerable depths, should future prospecting prove thP. l)resence here of a goldbearing zone of considerable dimensions, profits might be made with hydraulic mining although the average values might be no greater than the figures given above. The greatest drawback to future operations on the crest of the hill where the zone is exposed is the absence of water, the altitude of this particular point being considerably above any water in the neighborhood. On the side of the hill in the vicinity of the exposure above mentioned two tunnels a hundred feet or more in length have been driven into the hillside, but the DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 22:l results of this work seem to have thrown very little light on the nature and extent of the deposits. In an open cut by a branch at the base of a hill an auriferous vein has been exposed on this lot. Owing to its position in a depression considerable material has accumulated in this cut. From some ore at its edge, and from what exposure is visible, it is judged that a vein several feet in thickness, composed of quartz with interlaminated mica schist, occurs here. Panning tests of some of the ore showed the presence of considerable gold. The property is owned jointly by Mrs. C. L. Franklin and Mr. James Glenn. CHILDS MINE.-This mine lies a short distance to the northeast of the Franklin-Glenn lot. Several land lots are embraced in the property, but the most important mining operations have been conducted on lot 23, 3d district. A large cut has been made here in the saprolites by hydraulic work in the course of different mining operations. Underground mining has also been done from the bottom of the cut. The material from the cut was flooded through a long sluice line to a stamp mill situated on Bean Creek near the Jones mine. A very large amount of material was treated in this manner. No work has been done here for a number of years and with the cut in its present condition little can be stated concerning the character of the deposits. There are good reasons to suppose, however, that the auriferous deposit here is the southwest continuation of a gold-bearing zone of considerable width that has been mined rather extensively a short distance to the northeast at the Jones Mine, on lot 10. Mica schist is the prevailing rock at the Childs mine, (Chapter IV, description of rocks) but some bodies of saprolite that would seem from their color to have been derived from hornblende schist were noticed. In addition to the main cut above mentioned, prospect work has been done on auriferous veins, or gold-bearing I 224 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA zones, at a number of points on the property. On lot 24, near the line of lot 41 and southwest from the principal cut, an auriferous quartz vein about two feet in thickness has been exposed for a short distance in an open cut. Panning tests of some of the ore yielded rather unsatisfactory results. Several other veins have also been exposed to a limited extent at different localities on the property, but nothing very definite can be stated as to their probable value. Placer deposits along small streams flowing through the property have also been mined in the past. The milling plant is situated, as stated above, on Bean Creek near the Jones mine, a considerable distance to the northeast of the large cut. The mill is equipped with forty-five stamps, and is operated by water power; water from a water ditch on a neighboring hill that supplies the mine with water for general mining purposes, being utilized. It is regretted that complete statistics of the gold secured here in the course of different mining operations were not available, as it is generally reported that a large amount of gold has been obtained at this locality. At the time of visit, the property was owned jointly by Chancelor D. C. Barrow, of the University of Georgia, and the heirs of Otis and A. K. Childs. JoNES MrNE, OR LoT 10.-This mine lies immediately to the northeast of the Childs mine. A gold-bearing zone has been mined for a number of years, more or less continually, at this locality. The greater part of the work has been done by hydraulic mining in saprolite material on the side of a hill~ and several large excavations have been made. The goldbearing zone is several hundred feet in width, the best values being restricted to more or less parallel bands within the zone limits. The prevailing country rock is mica schist, in which occur at some points thin bands of hornblende schist. Many DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 225 stringers and lenses of quartz are found within the gold-bearing zone. There are, however, within this zone more or less parallel bands in which the quartz stringers are unusually numerous and rather regularly distributed. One of these bands, known as the Reynolds, or King vein, is probably near the center of the zone. Two other auriferous bands, or zones, have been located to the southeast of the King vein, the nearer one designated as the Queen vein and the other as the Bell vein. In a cut close to the mill house another auriferous band occurs which probably lies to the southwest of the King vein. The general strike of the zone is about N. 30 E. The large excavations made in former hydraulic work are in .the side of the hill contiguous to the mill house which is located on the public road near Bean Creek. The most westerly and smallest cut is close to the mill-house. A vein or zone several feet in thickness of quartz stringers intermixed with country rock was exposed at the end of this cut farthest from the building just mentioned. Owing to the J?resence of water in the cut no attempt was made to secure a sample for assay. To the east of the cut just mentioned two very much larger, connected cuts have been made. The westernmost of these two cuts is connected by a ditch or drain with a smaller cut higher up the hill to the northeast, which is known as the Craig cut. In Bulletin No. 4-A, of the Geological Survey of Georgia published in 1896, the results of five assays of ore samples from this gold-bearing zone are recorded. These samples were probably taken from the large cut described above as being connected by a ditch, or drain, with the Craig cut. These assays are here quoted: 226 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA Sample No. 1_ ___ 0.175 oz. $3.50 gold per ton. Sample No. 2____0.050 oz. 1.00 gold per ton. Sample No. 3____ 0.125 oz. 2.50 gold per ton. Sample No. 4____0.130 oz. 2.60 gold per ton. Sample No. 5____0.125 oz. 2.50 gold per ton. At the time the property was visited, some prospect work was in progress on the zone near the summit of the hill to the northeast of the cuts above described. A pit, or open cut, a few yards in length had been sunk on the Reynolds or King vein. Work had not progressed far enough to establish the average thickness and probable value of the auriferous band, or zone, at this particular point. Two samples for assay were taken, however, in this pit from a section between three and four feet in thickness composed of vein quartz with interlaminated mica schist. In No. 1, the quartz portion only of the vein was taken and in No. 2 both quartz and schist were included without discrimination. These samples on assay yielded the following results: Sample No. L _____$2.06 gold per ton. Sample No. 2______ 2.89 gold per ton. The results of these two assays are interesting for two reasons. They show that the rejection of the interlaminated schist reduced slightly the values obtained. The fact is also brought out that the average of these assays ($2.47) is nearly identical with the average of the five assays, ($2.42) previously given, taken from the gold-bearing zone several hundred yards to the southwest. In addition to the cut, or pit, just mentioned on the King vein, a tunnel had been driven into the hill lower down on the southeast side across the strike of the zone for about a hundred feet. This tunnel cuts the Bell and Queen auriferous bands, or zones, and it ends at a point near where it was DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 227 thought it would intersect the King vein. Panning tests showing the presence of gold were made on the Bell and Queen veins as exposed in this tunnel, but no samples were taken for assay. Along a branch on lot 10, a considerable area of placer deposits is to be noted. The greater portion of these deposits has been mined, at some localities, more than once. While narrow strips occur, here and there, in the lowlands that, for some reason, have never been worked, and while fringes of unworked gravels occur at different points about the edges of the area, it is doubtful if sufficient virgin ground remains to warrant other than very limited mining operations. Panning tests at several points in the unworked fringes of gravels just mentioned gave very satisfactory results, the gold obtained being usually rather coarse. The milling plant at the Jones mine is situated on the public road near Bean Creek and contiguous to the large excavations in the saprolites previously described. It is equipped with a fifteen-stamp mill and a Wilfley concentrating table. The machinery is operated by water power. At the time the property was visited, development work was being carried on by Mr. A. G. Rice, of Atlanta, under an option. LoT 11.-This lot adjoins Lot 10 on the east. The property attained some notoriety a number of years ago by reason of a placer deposit which was discovered and mined along a small branch, a tributary of the creek traversing the adjacent extensive Monroe lowlands. According to local reports this placer deposit was unusually rich for a region in which remunerative placers were not uncommon. STOVALL PROPERTY.-This property embraces a considerable portion of the extensive lowlands lying 'along the lower course of Bean Creek. This creek has its headwaters on the 228 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA properties of the Childs and Jones mines and empties into Sautee Creek a few miles to the southeast. Much of the placer deposits along its course has been mined; but, owing to heavy overburden and slight drainage fall, considerable unworked areas are to be found towards its lower end. If several properties at this locality could be united there may be here, as in the case of the Hardeman lowlands on the Chattahoochee River, a possible field for future dredging operations. With the aid of Mr. W. I. Stovall, together with the kind assistance of Mr. A. G. Rice of the Jones mine, a test pit was sunk at a locality selected at random near a small branch emptying into Bean Creek on lot 21, 3d district. The overburden at the point selected was from five to six feet thick in addition to a gravel stratum of from two to three feet in thickness. An area of about three square yards of this gravel stratum, together with skimming from the bed rock, was washed in a small sluice box. Owing to poor facilities for constructing the sluice box and an insufficient supply of water for washing, a portion of the gold was not saved. A little less than a pennyweight was secured as a result of the test. LuMSDEN PRoPERTY.-This property, embracing a part of lot 44, 3d district, includes a portion of the lowland along Bean Creek lying immediately below the property last described. It is owned by Mr. J. R. Lumsden, of Sautee, Ga. MoNROE LowLANDs.-Other extensive lowlands occur on lots 27 and 28, 6th district, traversed by a small creek. Considerable placer mining has been done in the past in deposits on lot 27 towards the lower end of this tract of valley land. Near a shoal in the creek a channel was blasted out in the bed rock for a number of yards for the purpose of securing steeper grade for draining and mining the auriferous deposits above on a more extensive scale than they had ever been DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 229 worked previously. For some reason, these plans were never !3arried out. Towards the upper end of the valley, on lot 28, as far as could be judged from appearances, little mining has been carried on. Rather heavy overburden prevented the tests made at this locality from being sufficiently reliable to draw any conclusions as to the probable value of the deposits. This property is owned by Mr. W. I. Stovall, of Sautee, Ga. HABERSHAM COUNTY The Dahlonega belt traverses a narrow portion of the northern part of Habersham county lying between White and Towns counties on the west and Rabun county on the east. The belt is narrower in Habersham county than in White and for a distance of :five or six miles northeastward along its course from the most easternly situated mines in the latter county no gold mining at all has been prosecuted. It is to be noted, however, that mica schist and gneisses, associated with hornblendic rocks, characteristic of other portions of the Dahlonega belt, occur here, and quartz veins are not wanting. The lack of mining developments on this particular portion of the belt may be due as much to chance, and the fact that the area is rather distant from any mining centres, as to the absence of valuable deposits. Pr.ACER DEPOSITS ALONG THE SoQUE RIVER.-A very limited amount of work has been done on placer deposits at two or three places along the Soque River and smaller tributary streams within the. area of the Dahlonega belt. A little placer mining has been done in the past on the property of Mr. J.P. Woods. About seven years ago, Mr. Thomas Wilson worked out a pit about thirty feet square in the gravel deposits along ~he Soque River on lot 28, 11th district. He reported that very good yalues were obtained. Some placer mining of a 230 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA more extended character was carried on a number of years ago on the property of Mrs. Lindy Wilson, lot 20, 11th district, a little to the northeast of the last mentioned locality. HooD MrNE.-This mine, on lot 22, 13th district, is situated on the crest of a high ridge at the headwaters of the Soque River. A limited amount of prospect work was done here on an auriferous quartz vein some years ago. Several small open cuts, or pits, were made and a tunnel driven into the side of the hill. Panning tests made at one or two of the test pits indicated ore of a very good quality, but until further development work is prosecuted no very satisfactory surmises can be made as to the probable size of the vein. As seen in most of the excavations it did not give very encouraging prospects for large quantities of ore. A small" placer deposit occurs along a branch a short distance below the vein. Placer mining was carried on here many years ago. From gravels that had never been worked some very satisfactory panning tests were made at this locality. While some good returns might be secured here from washing on a small scale, it is not probable that there is any field for extensive placer operations. RABUN COUNTY The Dahlonega belt traverses the northwest portion of Rabun county passing into Macon county, N. C., at a point where the Tallulah Falls Railway intersects the State line. In Rabun, as in Habersham county, its width is much less than in White and Lumpkin counties. Mining developments along the belt in this county have been very limited. This is due in part, no doubt, to natural conditions, the topography of the region being moUll~ainous which makes this district more difficult of access than any other section of the Dahlonega belt. The sa.me association of rocks rich in hornblende with DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 231 more acidic schists and gneisses is noticeable here as along the belt in the counties to the southwest. About two hundred yards north of the Georgia-North Carolina line, in a cut on the Tallulah Falls Railway, in Macon county, N. C., a good exposure of the former class of rocks is to be seen. REAVEs PROPERTY.-Some vein mining was conducted on this property, southwest side of lot 105, 5th district, before the Civil war, by Dr. M. F. Stephenson, an enthusiastic student, at that time, of Georgia's mineral resources and the author of a small book on the geology and mineralogy of the State. The mining was conducted on an auriferous quartz vein occurring in a hill about a fourth of a mile from Wildcat Creek. Several tunnels were driven and shafts sunk in the course of these early operations. About ten years ago Mr. R. K. Reaves, of Athens, Ga., the owner of the mine, sunk a shaft to a depth of about fifty-seven feet and drifted a short distance to the vein. According to Mr. McGalbus, who resides on the. property, the vein as exposed was well defined and something less than two feet in thickness. As none of the underground works were accessible at the time of visit the vein could not be inspected. RocKY BoTTOM SMITH PLACER.-Near the Reaves property some mining operations have been carried on in the past on placer deposits on a tract of valley land traversed by Moccasin Creek. These operations were of a limited character and it could not be ascertained what gold was secured. STONESYPHER MINE.-This mine, in the northeastern part of lot 105, 5th district, is located near the Stonesypher residence on the east side of Moccasin Creek. In addition to some placer mining in the lowlands along the creek, prospect work has been done in the past on several quartz veins occurring in a ridge back of the Stonesypher dwelling. A 232 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA stamp mill was erected at the locality and operated for a short time. No work has been done here for about ten years and little can be stated concerning the character of the deposits. It is reported that some of the ore obtained in the former workings was of very good grade. SMITH MrNE.-This mine, on lots 103 and 104, is a short distance to the northeast of the Stonespyher mine and about a mile and a half west of Burton post office. Both vein and placer mining have been carried on here, and at the time of visit some prospecting on veins was in progress, under an option by Mr. J. H. Derrick, of Clayton, Ga. Considerable placer mining was done at one time along Dick's Creek and some small branches on the property. A portion of the deposits along the creek, where the overburden is rather heavy, appears never to have been mined. Opportunity was not afforded at the time the property was visited to make any tests as to the probable value of these deposits. The most of the vein mining has been conducted on a vein at the base of a hill toward the upper end of the old placer. An open cut was made for a distance of about a hundred yards and some shafts sunk. No exposure of the vein is to be seen at the locality, but it is reported that some very rich ore was obtained. A stamp mill was located on the property at one time. Several attempts have been made in recent years to expose the vein in these old works, but up to the time of visit none of these efforts had proven very successful. About a half a mile northeast of these old works on lot 103, Mr. J. H. Derrick, of Clayton, Ga., was doing some prospect work on a quartz vein at the time of visit. A shaft had been sunk on the vein to an approximate depth of thirty feet and a tunnel was being driven into the hillside with the aim of intersecting the vein. The vein had not been exposed in this tunnel and DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 233 no attempt was made to obtain an assay sample from the shaft. BLALOCK PROPERTY.-The Blalock property lies a few miles to the northeast of the Smith mine. A limited amount of mining has been carried on here in the past in a placer deposit along the Tallulah River. No work has been done at the locality for a number of years. MooRE GIRL MrNE.-This mine, located on lots 58 and 59, 1st district, is near Persimmon Creek and about six miles from Clayton, the county seat of Rabun county. Some years ago some open cuts, or pits, were made on a large quartz vein close to the public road and a few hundred yards from the Moore residence. A small stamp mill, some remnants of which are still in place, was erected on the opposite side of the road on a small branch. As exposed in the principal cut, the vein shows an ore body of solid quartz twenty feet or more in thickness. The outcrop of the vein is also prominent in the neighborhood of the cut. In the main cut, owing to limited exposure, it is difficult to determine the exact strike of the vein. A sample for assay, however, was taken from a section judged to be approximately across its trend. This sample yielded on assay $2.89 per ton. Taking into consideration the size of this vein, and the fact that these large veins are found in some cases to carry seams, or bands, that afford a much higher grade ore than the average of the whole quartz body, it would seem that this one might repay careful testing. BARCLAY MrNE.-This mine is situated near Persimmon Creek a mile or so from the Moore Girl mine and about eight miles from Clayton. Prospect work on an auriferous vein was carried on at the locality a number of years ago, and quite recently a company was formed, and it was stated, at the 234 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA time of visit, that regular mining operations were soon to be inaugurated. The mining operations above mentioned consisted principally of a tunnel driven for some distance into the side of a hill and cutting an auriferous quartz vein having a northeastsouthwest trend. From this tunnel a drift was driven southwest on the strike of the vein for about thirty feet. A drift was also made for a few feet along the vein in a northeast direction, at which point a pinch occurred. Timbering prevented the vein from being inspected in the southwest drift, except at the breast. As here exposed, the vein showed a thickness of between two and three feet. Owing to the fact that a few feet of the drift at its end had not been timbered, and caving having occurred in the thoroughly decomposed wall rock, no attempt was made to secure a sample for assay. From an ore pile of a number of tons at the mouth of the tunnel representing ore taken out in driving the southwest drift above described an assay sample was taken. This yielded $129.19 per ton. Several old shafts a few yards southeast of the vein just described indicated the existence of a parall~,l vein, but no exposures were noticed. The tunnel previously mentioned was extended beyond the more northwestward vein with the aim of cutting the last mentioned ore body, but for some reason work was suspended before it was reached. At the time of visit, work had commenced on the erection of a mining plant and regular mining operations were contemplated in the near future. The work to be carried on here will be regarded with much interest, as the operations if successful, will do much to encourage future mining developments on a portion of the Dahlonega belt that has received a very limited amount of attention in the past. The mine is controlled by the Barclay Mining Company, of Clayton, Ga. LoTs 190 AND 191.-Some placer mining has been conducted DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 235 in the past along a small stream near the line between these two lots in the 2nd district on the properties of Mr. J. M. Dillard and Mr. B. C. Garland. The locality is in the Tennessee Valley about a fourth of a mile from the GeorgiaNorth Carolina line, and is of interest as being the most northeastward point at which gold has been mined on the Dahlonega belt in Georgia. 'with the kind assistance of Mr. Dillard, bed rock was exposed at two or three localities and panning tests made of the auriferous gravels. A fair amount of rather' coarse gold was obtained in these tests. It is not probable, however, that there is sufficient area here of unworked gravels to warrant other than very limited mining operations. THE HIGHTOWER CREEK BELT TOWNS COUNTY This belt, as known at present, is a small gold belt in the northeastern part of Towns county. Commencing in the vicinity of Visage it extends northeastward to near the Georgia-North Carolina line. Mining operations have been confined to a small section of the belt in a region near Hightower Creek. BROWN PROPERTY.-Gold is reported as having been obtained in limited quantities on the original Brown homestead situated near the headwaters of Hiawassee River. From here northeastward for several miles no prospecting seems to have been done until the Hightower Creek region is reached. PRoPERTIES NEAR HIGHTOWER CREEK.-The Newton mine, the Chastain Branch mine, the Smith mine mid the Willis Creek mine are all placer deposits in the Hightower Creek region of the belt near its northeast end. The Newton and Smith mines, on lot 131, 18th district, are placer deposits along a small tributary of Hightower Creek. Some active 236 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA placer mining was carried on here a number of years ago. The width of the deposit, where worked, was quite limited, the stream flowing in a narrow valley. Several different parties have worked here at different times, water for washing having been brought by ditches from Chastain Branch, a small stream in the vicinity of the mine. It is reported that a good deal of the gold obtained was quite coarse, nuggets having been found weighing as high as fifteen and twenty pennyweights. The deposit, while limited in extent, seems to have yielded good returns, it being reported that between five and ten thousand pennyweights of gold was secured. Along the lower portion of the branch in the main lowlands of Hightower Creek slight drainage fall and heavy overburden have deterred mining operations. Mr. E. E. Eller, who resides on the property and is familiar with the history of the mine, is of the opinion that considerable gold remains in this unworked area. On a hill on the west side of Hightower Creek valley and a short distance from the Eller residence, some prospect work has been done in recent years on quartz veins. Two or three exposures seen here in shallow excavations did not look encouraging, the vein quartz showing very little sulphides. The Chastain Branch mine is on lot 136, 18th district, immediately south of the Newton mine. Placer deposits occur here along a small branch and it is reported that a considerable amount of gold has been secured in the course of the mining that has been carried on. The Willis Creek mine is on lot 102, 18th district. The deposit is located near the head of a narrow hollow and the portion that has been worked with profit extends over a very limited area. It is reported that some portions of the deposits where mined were quite rich. On lot 94, 18th district, a limited amount of placer mining DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 237 has been done along a small stream emptying into Hightower Creek from the west. COOSA CREEK BELT UNION COUNTY The Coosa Creek gold belt extends from near the headwaters of Coosa Creek in the western part of Union county, northeastward into Towns county. It passes in its course through Blairsville, the county seat, and close to Track Rock in the eastern part of the county. While a limited amount of vein mining has been carried on at several points on the belt the principal yield of gold has, so far, been derived from placer deposits along Coosa Creek. Recent prospecting has located several auriferous veins a mile or so to the northwest of the belt in the vicinity of Blairsville, and, as the topography of the country is very rugged, it has not yet been thoroughly prospected. Future developments may show that the dimensions of the Coosa Creek belt are considerably greater than as mapped in the text. The placers along Coosa Creek have yielded large amounts of gold and the mountain slopes of that region deserve careful prospecting. PLACER DEPOSITS oF CoosA CREEK.-Placer deposits along Coosa Creek have been mined at different intervals for a long period of years. As this creek flows through a very mountainous section the extent and character of the deposits varies considerably at different points. At some localities, where the grade of the stream is not very steep, comparatively broad valley lands occur, while at other points, especially near its head, the stream course is in V-shaped defiles and the auriferous deposits are confined to very narrow alluvial strips or to the bed of the creek only. The most extensive mining 238 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA operations have been conducted on lots 85, 86 and 87, 9th district, but the deposits have been mined from near the headwaters of the stream high up on a mountain side, for a distance of several miles to a point on a lower part of the stream where the deposits, apparently, ceased to be remunerative. Some of the broader alluvial borders have not been entirely worked over and at time of visit rewashing of the deposits on a small scale was being carried on at one or two localities. Whether portions of the deposit that have already been mined, together with the unworked areas, would repay hydraulic mining on an extensive scale is problematic. In Bulletin No. 4-A, of the Geological Survey of Georgia published in 1896, it is stated that at two or three points at this locality where the deposits had never been mined, test pits three feet square were sunk by the Survey and the gravels panned. Each pit yielded from ten to twenty-five cents worth of gold. The entire output of the Coosa Creek placers has been variously estimated at from a half to a million pennyweights of gold. The gold of this placer deposit seems to be unusually fine. It is stated by those who have worked in the mines that its purity is as great as .980. Close to the headwaters of the creek, on "\Vellborn Mountain, prospecting has been done at different times in endeavors to locate vein deposits. About twelve years ago on lot 123, lOth district, a tunnel was run into the hillside near the top of Wellborn Mountain. Some small stringers, or seams, of quartz exposed in this tunnel are reported to be auriferous. Several hundred yards southwest of the locality just mentioned a shallow cut known as the Lunsford cut is to be seen which was made some years ago in the course of prospecting. Limited operations had recently been in progress in this vicinity at time of visit, but until the work has progressed further nothing definite can be stated concerning the results. DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 239 Work of a similar character has also been done on a hill above Owl Town Gap. PLACER DEPOSITS NEAR CRUMLEY CREEK.-A few miles northeast of Owl Town Gap some placer deposits occur on a branch flowing into Crumley Creek. A limited amount of placer mining was carried on here a number of years ago. LEGAL TENDER MrNE.-This mine, on lot 304, 9th district, is situated near the corporate limits of the town of Blairsville. Regular mining operations were carried on at this locality ight or nine years ago by the Legal Tender Gold Mining Company. Several shafts were sunk on an auriferous quartz vein and some drifting and stoping done. A milling plant was rected near the mine and a reservoir constructed to which water was brought from a creek about a fourth of a mile distant. At the time of visit work had been suspended for some years and no opportunity was afforded to inspect the ore body. It is stated that the vein was drifted on for about seventy-five feet during the course of mining operations and that it had an average thickness, where exploited, of about three feet. The vein is said to be composed of quartz with more or less interlaminated mica schist. According to reports, the values obtained from the ore milled did not meet expectations, but it is stated by parties familiar with the mine that the values in the vein, as shown by assay, were much higher than those secured in milling. The mine is equipped with a substantial mill house, containing a Huntington mill and several Frue vanners. The property is controlled by Mr. JohnS. Martin, of Chattanooga, 'Tenn. BuTT PROSPECT.-On lot 272, 9th district, about a mile to the northeast of the Legal Tender mine, some prospect work was done on an auriferous quartz vein several years ago by 240 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA the late Mr. James Butt, of Blairsville. A shaft was sunk on the vein a few yards from a small branch flowing through the property. At time of visit, owing to caving and filling inr the vein was not accessible in this shaft, but according to Mr. C. E. Butt, of Blairsville, it is a well defined one. A sample for assay was taken from an ore pile at the mouth of the shaft. This sample yielded on assay $7.85 per ton. Several other shafts, or pits, have been sunk on this lot, but the prospect described is considered the most promising. Mrs. Butt has in her possession a small button made from gold secured during her husbands' lifetime from mortaring and panning some of the ore from this property. The prospect is favorably regarded by those familiar with the auriferous deposits of the Coosa Creek belt. RoGERS AND STEPHENS PROPERTIEs.-About a couple of miles. northeast of the last described property, some prospect work has been done on quartz veins on the property of Mr. Cicero Rogers and also on the adjoining property of Mr. Thomas. Stephens. The work at both localities was done several years ago and nothing very satisfactory can be stated as to the character of the veins. Some panning tests of ore picked up at the old works gave unsatisfactory results, but, owing to the lack of a guide, these tests were made at random without information concerning the deposits. KILLIAN PROPERTY.-On the property of Mr~ W. M. Killianr lot 214, 17th district, some prospect work has been done at different times on several quartz veins. Insufficient exposure~ however, at the time of visit prevented any definite conclusions, being reached concerning the probable value of these veins. Ross PROPERTY.-On the summit of a high ridge on theopposite side of the public road from the Killian residence a shaft was sunk in 1904 by Mr. W. M. Killian on a large GOLD DEPOSI TS OF GEORGI A PLATE VIII FtG. 1 .-BL.~ST F UR N ACE, SEMI NOLE G OLD AN D COPPER M I NE, LI N CO L N C OU N'l' Y, GEORGI A F IG. 2 .- V IEW OF A POR'l' IO K OF R OASTI~G AC.:D S~iELTIXG F UR N ACE, S E MI N OLE GOLD AND COPPER MIKE, L I N COLK C OUNTY, G EORGI A DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 241 quartz vein outcropping strongly along the crest of the ridge. Several panning tests made from the ore yielded unsatisfactory results. LoT 213.-Several years ago some prospect work was done by Messrs. W. M. Killian and S. C. Rhodes on a small quartz vein, occurring on lot 213, 17th district, about two miles to the northeast of the Ross property. No opportunity was afforded to inspect the vein in place and very little could be ascertained concerning the character of the deposit. LoT 184.-0n the side of a high ridge a half or threefourths of a mile from the residence of J. P. Bowling, on lot 184, 17th district, an auriferous quartz vein occurs that was prospected about 1904 by Mr. W. M. Killian. This vein has a northeast-southwest strike and dips into the ridge at a steep angle. A shaft was sunk on the incline of the vein to a depth of about seventy feet. This shaft, at the time of visit, could only be explored for a short distance. The vein had a thickness at the mouth of the shaft of two and a half or three feet, but was thinner lower down. Some specimens of ore from the vein near the surface were mortared and panned. A small amount of rather fine gold was secured. WELLBORN-ROBINSON PROPERTY.-About two miles northeast of Blairsville, and approximately the same distance northwest of the regular trend of the Coosa Creek belt, Messrs. E. C. Wellborn and Fletch Robinson had recently conducted some prospect work on an auriferous quartz vein. The vein, as exposed in either side of a tunnel that had been driven across its strike, was rather ill defined and showed an average thickness of eight or ten inches. An assay sample taken from this exposure yielded $2.06 per ton. 242 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA TOWNS COUNTY The Coosa Creek gold belt has an extent in Towns county of only a few miles in the portion adjoining Union county. MALDEN PROSPECT.-On lot 99, 17th district, about a mile west of the town of Young Harris, some prospect work was done on an auriferous quartz vein several years ago. The results of an assay of a sample from this vein are given in Bulletin No. 4-A, of the Geological Survey of Georgia, published in 1896. It is stated that where sampled the vein had an average thickness of about six inches. The assay showed a value of $2.50 per ton. THE GUM LOG BELT UNION COUNTY The southwestern end of the Gum Log gold belt occupies a small extent of territory in the northeastern corner of Union county. As in the case of the Coosa Creek belt, the topography of the region traversed is extremely rugged and it has never been thoroughly prospected. Sufficient work has been done, however, at one or two localities to demonstrate the occurrence of some ore of a good grade. GuM LoG MINE.-The Gum Log mine is situated at the end of a low ridge on lot 59, 9th district. The location is about nine miles northeast of Blairsville. Mining on a small scale has been carried on .here at intervals for half a century. Several veins occur in the ridge but, owing to very limited exposures, no definite conclusions could be reached concerning their probable size and character. As seen on the end of the ridge where old surface work gave some exposure, the ore bodies appeared to be in the nature of thin interlaminated veins or stringers affording larger bunches of quartz at some points. It is stated, however, that, in some of the old works, DESCRIPTIQNS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 243 veins several feet in thickness were mined. A number of old shafts and cuts are to be seen on the ridge and along a branch at the base of the ridge a small area of placer deposit has been mined. Some pieces of float ore picked up about the works on the ridge and mortared and panned yielded good results. At the time of visit, Mes'srs. E. C. Wellborn and Fletch Robinson were installing a stamp mill and preparing to clean out several of the old shafts. Some ore from the bottom of one of the shafts, furnished by these gentlemen, when mortared and panned, yielded extremely satisfactory results. Much of the vein quartz at this locality is laminated and of a granular texture and easily crushed, its appearance suggesting that the veins had been subjected to considerable shearing stress at, or subsequent to, the time of their formation. The deposit here is an interesting one and well deserves careful and thorough investigation. BRowN MINE.-This mine, on lot 19, 9th district, is northeast of the Gum Log mine. Considerable prospect work, consisting of shafts and tunnels, was done here a number of years ago. Au examination was made of the old works, but no satisfactory conclusions were reached as to the character and probable value of the deposits. HuNT, oR PRINCETON, MINE.-This mine, on lot 55, 9th district, is a short distance to the northeast of the Brown mine and close to the Union-Towns county line. Underground mining on a limited scale has been carried on here at different times. About 1900 the Princeton Mining Company sank a shaft to a depth of about eighty-five feet on an auriferous quartz vein occurring at this locality. A short distance to the west of this shaft an open cut has been made and from the bottom of this a shaft was sunk in 1906 to a depth of forty feet. 244 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA As exposed in the open cut the vein shows a thickness of about three feet and is composed of quartz with interlaminated wall rock. The general strike of the vein is nearly east and west. Neither of the two shafts were accessible at the time of visit. Mr. Frazier Gillman, who conducted the last mining done at the locality, exhibited some specimens of ore showing free gold that he stated had been taken from the bottom of the forty-foot shaft. A small test stamp mill, boiler and hoisting engine are located near the shaft sunk by the Princeton Mining Company. WELLBORN HILL MINE.-This mine, on lot 18, 9th district, is a short distance from the last described property and close to Gum Log Creek. Considerable underground mining was carried on here in the eighties. The principal work was done near the summit of a low ridge. A shaft was sunk to a depth of over a hundred feet and it is stated that several hundred feet of drifting was done. According to reports, portions of the vein yielded a high grade ore. At the base of the hill, several hundred yards northeast of the main shaft ,a tunnel was driven into the hill on the vein for a distance of over a hundred feet. No mining operations of any importance have been carried on at the locality for a number of years. In Bulletin No. 4-A, of the Geological Survey of Georgia, published in 1896, it is stated that the vein, examined by the Survey in a shaft seventy-five feet west of the main shaft, showed a thickness of from eighteen to twenty-four inches and consisted of light colored, somewhat granular quartz with numerous iron stained cavities. TOWNS COUNTY The Gum Log gold belt has an extent of a few miles in Towns county in the extreme northwest corner. The deposits DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPER1'IES 245 are similar in character to those of the Union county portion of the belt. LoT 54.-Some prospect work was done on lot 54, 19th district, close to the Towns-Union county line, several years ago by the Blue Ridge Gold Mining Company. A tunnel was driven into the side of a hill for about a hundred feet and a quartz vein exploited. The property was examined, but, as no work had been in progress for some time, nothing definite could be ascertained concerning the character of the vein. GREATER PITTSBURG MrNE.-This mine, on lot 38, is close to the last described property. The Greater Pittsburg Gold Mining Company conducted mining operations a few years ago on a quartz vein at this .locality. A shaft was sunk and some mining machinery installed. No work was in progress at time of visit and nothing definite was ascertained concerning the character of the deposit. NANCY BRowN MmE.-The Nancy Brown mine is on lot 34, 17th district, a short distance northeast of the Greater Pittsburg mine. Different parties have conducted underground mining here at intervals since 1874. Mr. Frazier Gillman, the present owner of the mine, has in late years carried on some test work, but no extensive mining operations have been in progress for some time. An auriferous quartz vein has been exploited at a number of points along its strike, but at time of visit the underground works were inaccessible and few surface exposures were noticed. The main, or Gillman, shaft is about a hundred and twenty-five feet deep and is a two compartment shaft, one compartment being equipped with steps for the safety of the miners. At the time of publication of Bulletin No. 4-A, of the Geological Survey of Georgia, published in 1896, the vein was exposed to observation in a number of shafts and pits. The following description of the 246 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA ore body, by State Geologist S. W. McCallie, is therefore quoted from that publication: ''There appears here a more or less continuous goldbearing vein extending diagonally across the northwest corner of the lot, parallel with the strike of the mica schist. It varies greatly in size and in the character of the ore at the various exposures. At the opening furthest north, near the small stream which flows from the east across the lot, the vein is from three to :five feet wide and is made up of numerous thin layers of quartz interlaminated with mica schist, while at the opening furthest to the south, it consists of a compact, milkcolored quartz from eighteen to twenty inches in thickness. The dip of the ore body corresponds to the country rock, but at some of the exposures there occurs an unconformity between the overhanging and foot walls that is evidently due to local faulting. "Williams and Pruett began mining operations on this property in 1874 and worked the mine, though not continuously, for about four years. During this time several tons of ore were taken out and hauled two miles to a stamp mill which had been erected by Perry Ellis near Welsh. This ore is said to have milled, on an average, $18.00 per ton and was taken from the north exposure of the vein where a tunnel, several yards in length, was driven into the hill along the vein at water level. Below this level, the vein is. said to continue at its usual width and richness, but, owing to inadequate drainage and the falling in of the tunnel walls, it was found impracticable with the means then at hand to prosecute the work further.'' Six samples were taken by Prof. McCallie from pit~? on the Nancy Brown vein and assayed in the Survey laboratory with the following results: DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 247 1. Ore sample, pit No. 1, .10 oz. ($2.00) of gold per ton. 2. Ore sample, pit No. 5, trace of gold 3. Ore sample, pit No. 7, .05 oz. ($1.00) of gold per ton. 4. Ore sample, pit No. 7, .125 oz. ($2.50) of gold per ton. 5. 6; Ore Ore sample, sample, pp1.itt No. No. 7, .125 8, ' .075 oz. oz. ($2.50) ($1.50) of of gold gold per per ton. ton. OLD FIELD MINE.-On lot 3, immediately to the north of the Nancy Brown mine, considerable prospect work has been done at different times at a locality known locally as the Old Field. Gold was discovered here many years ago in float ore and in residual surface material. A number of shafts and pits have been sunk and also some tunnels driven in efforts to locate ore bodies that could be worked with profit. It is stated that a vein was found, but the prospects that were located seem never to have warranted permanent operations. At the time of visit, owing to caving and filling in, no exposures were noticed in the old works. LoTs 1 AND 2.-0n both of these lots, in the 17th district, a little mining for gold has been carried on in the past. In the southeastern portion of lot 1 some prospect shafts, or pits, were sunk on a vein d,esignated as the Horse vein. As the work was done years ago, nothing definite can be stated concerning the character of the deposit. On lot 2, in addition to some vein prof?pecting, a placer deposit occurring along a small stream was mined before the Civil war. MuRDOCK VEIN.-The Murdock vein is located on lots 32 and 42, 17th district. Gold was discovered here shortly before the Civil war and mining operations inaugurated soon afterwards. Work was suspended during the period of the war just mentioned, but was renewed at a later period. During the early operations an arrastre was used for milling the ore. This was subsequently replaced by a ten-stamp mill. In 1884 L 248 GOLD DEPOSITS OF GEORGIA the property came into the hands of the Hiawassee Gold Mining Company, who are reported as the present owners. No work has been done at the locality for a number of years and an examination of the property afforded little data from which to draw conclusions concerning the character of the ore body. Old open cut works are' to be seen along the strike of the vein for a hundred yards or more and it is stated that some ore of a high grade was secured during the course of mining operations. In Bulletin No. 4-A, of the Geological Survey of Georgia, published in 1896, the following description of this vein is given: "The Murdock vein is what is known as a true fissure vein; it cuts the mica schist, or country rock, at nearly right angles. The stirke is almost due northwest while it dips at a high angle to the northeast. The vein varies in thickness from six inches to /two feet, and it may be traced with a considerable degree of certainty for a quarter of a mile. In places it is much fissured and broken, as if it had been subjected to great crushing force. The quartz is more or less iron stained and it frequently contains cavities in which free gold may be seen.'' LoT 67.-Some mining operations have been conducted on an auriferous quartz vein on lot 67, 17th district, about a mile from Welsh. A tunnel was driven into a hill for a distance of about a hundred feet and some shafts sunk. This work was done a number of years ago and nothing very definite can be stated concerning the character of the vein. ISOLATED LOCALITIES LINCOLN COUNTY SEMINOLE MrNE.-The Seminole mine is situated m the western part of the county immediately contiguous to the DESCRIPTIONS OF INDIVIDUAL PROPERTIES 249 Wilkes county line and about two and a half miles east of Metasville in the last named county. A series of auriferous,