SAI'I'illliK IN UNrrKI) STA'I'KS. 99 
vein Mild fiiulin*^" the (•oruiKluin in sufficient (juantity for connncrciaf 
l)uri)()-('^. Work in tliis direction was soon al)and()ned, and for a 
nunil)cr of years tliere were onfy prospecting and a fittle mining for 
tlie red corundum for gem purposes. 
Systematic search, liowever, finalfy reveafed tfie fact tliat ruby 
corundum was to l)e found in tfie gravefs of Cafer Fort^: Vafley for a 
distance of 3 mifes. In 1895 tfie American Prospecting and Mining 
Company, of New Yorf^, bougfit out tfie ofd cfaims and f)egan work 
on a systematic basis. Tfie property owned by tfie company is a farge 
tract on f^otti sides of Cafer Fork of Cowee Creefi and nearfy alf tfie 
fand in tfie nortfiern part of tfie watersfied of Mason Brancfi, a totaf 
area of aljout 5,000 acres. 
Tfie gravefs in Avfiicii most of tiie rul)ies fiave f)een found are cov- 
ered f)y soil averaging about 2 feet in deptfi, f)ut varying from 1 to 5, 
jind tfiey are about 8 feet fiigfier tfian tfie present affuviaf gravef of 
tfie stream. Pf. IV, .1, is a view of one of tfie gravef beds tfiat is 
being worf^ed for rubies, just west of tfie company's office. Tfie 
gravef in tfiis part of tfie vaffe}^ wfiicfi is overfain witfi 3 to 5 feet of 
soif, is composed of waterworn masses of quartz and smaff pef)f:)fes of 
gneiss and qilartz, and is mucfi cfeaner in appearance tfian tfie gravefs 
a mife fartfier up tfie creefv, at In Situ Iliff, wfiere most of tfie mining 
was carried on during 1898. Fifty feet above the fevef of this gravel 
another bed was discovered at In Situ Hiff wfiicfi carried ruliy 
corundum. 
In wasfiing tfiese gravefs for tfie rutiies, fiydraufic processes fiave 
l^een used very similar to tfiose used in tfie West in washing gofd- 
bearing gravefs. Aff tfie soif, as weff as tfie gravef, is wasfied into a 
short fine of sfuice boxes {a of Pf. IV, B) wfiicfi lead into a farge sieve 
box {h of Pf. IV, B). where the farge pieces of rock and l)owfders are 
removed and most of tfie dirt and fine gravef is wasfied out. Tfiey 
are tfien sfiovefed into a rocf^er {<• of Pf. IV, B), where they are 
furtfier cfeaned and concentrated, the finaf concentration of tiie 
rubies lieing done liy fiand. 
No basic magnesian rocks or serpentine derived from them, in 
w^hich most of tfie corundum of North Carofina occurs, have been 
found in this vaffey. Corundum Hiff and tlie Effijay corundum 
regions are, liowever, fess tfian 10 mifes to tfie soutfi. 
Afthough in many respects tfie occurrence of tfie rubies and their 
associated minerals in the Cowee Valley is similar to the occurrenc" of 
the rul)y in Burma, no limestone fias fieen found near the alluvial 
deposits, the nearest point at which limestone has been found being 
at Cuffowee Gap, aliout 8 miles to the southeast. 
Tfie comitry rock of the (fistrict is a gneiss, of a gray line-grained 
variety, wfiicfi has a great many siiiafl garnets disseminated through 
