191Jf] Cektaix Mineral Eesources 3 



There is a large area in the South Atlantic States throughout 

 which gold has been found in more or less quantity. The greatest 

 width of this area as a whole is attained in North Carolina, 

 South Carolina and Georgia, where it is from 100 to 150 miles, 

 narrowing down in Virginia and Maryland on the northeast and 

 in Alabama on the southwest. This area includes a large por- 

 tion of the mou.ntain and piedmont regions and their crystalline 

 rocks consisting of gneisses, argillaceous, hydromicaceous, chlo- 

 ritic, siliceous and other schists and slates ; limestone, granite, 

 diorite, diabase, and other eruptives as well as certain volcanic 

 porphyries. This area extends practically to the coastal plain 

 region and is bordered on the west by the Paleozoic rocks. 



The gold deposits that are distributed throughout this area 

 can readily be divided into three general classes according to 

 their occurrence: 



1. Placer deposits. 



2. Quartz veins, either true fissure or replacements, carry- 

 ing either free gold or gold-bearing sulphurets. 



3. Impregnations of free gold or finely divided sulphurets 

 in the country schists and slates, or replacement portions of 

 these. 



The gold found in the placer deposits is free gold and has 

 been derived by the alteration and erosion of the other two 

 types of ore deposits. These placer deposits represent a natural 

 concentration of the gold that was formerly in the vein or 

 country rock and, therefore, these deposits are relatively richer 

 or of higher value than the veins or ore deposits from which they 

 have been derived. There are but very few streams flowing 

 through this area but the gravels of these would pan from one 

 or two to several colors of gold. In many instances, by following 

 up the placer deposits the veins have been encountered and, 

 where these carried free gold, they have been extensively work- 

 ed. Often it has been found that the veins themselves were too 

 low grade to be worked profitably, although the placer deposits 

 were remunerative. 



The richer portions of the first type of ore deposits have been 

 pretty thoroughly worked out, but there are still areas of gravel 



