80 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF ALABAMA 



In the most westerly of the cuts, on the east bank of a 

 small branch or creek running south through the prop- 

 erty, the pegmatite exposed carried a bone quartz con- 

 taining red oxide of iron, with occasional particles of 

 free gold, resulting from oxidation of sulphurets, the 

 branch gravel below the vein affording very fair gold 

 values in the pan. 



Douglas Smith Mine. The Douglas Smith mica mine is 

 located in the S. E. 14 of the S. E. 1/4 of Section 22, and 

 in the N. W. % of the N. E. % of Section 27, Township 

 19 S., Range 10 E., being about i/ mile E. of Coosa river 

 and 3 miles N. of its junction with the Little Tallapoosa. 

 It is the property of the Randolph Mica Company, of 

 Wedowee, Alabama. 



The mine location is about midway of the slope of the 

 ridge bordering Coosa river along its east bank, at an ap- 

 proximate elevation of 700 feet above sea level, and is in 

 the S. E. % of the S. E. 14 of Section 22. Some develop- 

 ments have also been made in the N. E. 14 of S. 27, but 

 the mine proper as so far developed, is in Section 22. 



A body of pegmatite presenting a bold and clearly 

 marked outcrop, has been driven into by means of an 

 open cut in the side of the hill. The character of the peg- 

 matite is a coarse aggregate containing quartz in consid- 

 erable amounts and of large size, in and around which the 

 mica has been mainly carried. 



Mining conditions are therefore unusually favorable, 

 and at the time of the commencement of the late war it 

 was in active operation under the direction of Col. Dallas 

 Smith of Wetumpka, the experienced superintendent be- 

 ing Mr. W. J. Bean. Col. Smith being called to the col- 

 ors, operations were temporarily suspended and have 

 never since been resumed. 



During the last period of operation the mine was 

 equipped with power drills, and all necessary facilities 

 for economic operation, including a small shop provided 

 with a complete outfit of punches, dies, trimmers, etc., 

 in which the output was worked up, graded and sold. 



The character of the mica won was exceptionally good, 

 being a clear flat sheet muscovite in fair sizes, containing 

 comparatively few imperfections in the form of folds, or 



