ALABAMA MICA DEPOSITS 39 



Pinetucky in Randolph County, where in the early "sev- 

 enties" a number of shafts and tunnels were opened up 

 on this property, and considerable amounts of mica of 

 large sizes were recovered and sold. It was however 

 discovered by the operators that the quartz of the peg- 

 matites was frequently rich in gold, and the mica recov- 

 ery became secondary to gold mining, later on being alto- 

 gether abandoned in favor of mine and mill recovery of 

 the gold values carried in this mica mine. 



During the subsequent period of such operation by the 

 Alabama Gold Belt Mining Company, the Pinetucky mine 

 was in 1897 examined by Mr. W. M. Brewer, then Assis- 

 tant Geologist of the Alabama Geological Survey, who re- 

 ported very rich free gold occurrences on the fifty-five 

 foot level. Assays of gold-bearing quartz from the Pine- 

 tucky mine are stated by Mr. Brewer to have frequently 

 run in free gold, irrespective of the sulphurets, from 

 $150.CO lo $200.00 per ton. In this immediate district, 

 which is now receiving extensive mica development, it is 

 stated by Mr. Sam Wallace, the present owner of the 

 Pinetucky mine and mill, that the quartz of the mica peg- 

 matites very generally carries free milling gold values, 

 which may to some extent be economically recoverable as 

 the district develops, the formation of a natural water 

 power closely adjacent for the operation of stamp mills 

 being among the possible development factors. A more 

 detailed description of the Pinetucky Mica Mine will be 

 found under the heading of individual mine operations. 



An occurrence of tin in the form of cassiterite has also 

 been noted by occasional float ore at various points along 

 the Mica Belt. No systematic attempts have, however, 

 been as yet made to trace this ore to origin, and it is 

 hardly likely to occur in commercially recoverable amount. 

 Water worn float of white cassiterite, of the highest 

 grade, has been also occasionally found and noted in 

 close proximity to the mica bearing pegmatites. 



DISTRIBUTION OF DEPOSITS. 



The occurrences of mica of possible commercial im- 

 portance in Alabama are comprised altogether within 



