DESCRIPTIONS OF GOLD MINES. 105 
Nott mine. — This mine is located in Union County, S. C, about 2 miles north of the 
Thompson mine. It must have been worked during about the earliest days of gold mining 
in the South and was one of the prominent mines of the time. a Portions of the deposit 
were very rich, $3,000 having been taken from something like half a ton found in one 
pocket. & The country rock is amphibolite, some of it evenly fine grained, some coarser 
and banded. The vein, which is said to have had a strike of about N. 75° E., was about 8 
feet wide on the surface and 5 feet at the bottom of the workings (110 feet), but reached a 
maximum width of 14 feet at 30 feet from the surface, c It is said that the vein split toward 
the east, that portion which continued along the strike being barren, while the branch which 
bore off more to the northeast carried the values. d Since this statement was not based on 
the personal observation of Doctor Lieber, its authenticity may be questioned, inasmuch 
as such splitting is not known elsewhere in the region. 
The quartz vein carries considerable pyrite, which doubtless contains most of the gold. 
It was a bunch of decomposed pyrite that gave the $3,000 mentioned above. The pyrite is 
also cupriferous, as shown by iridescent films on the slightly weathered sulphides and green- 
ish stains where more oxidation has gone on. It is said that thin scales of metallic copper 
were found near the water level, probably indicating that some secondary enrichment has 
taken place. 
Magnolia mine, c — This mine, located in western York County, S. C, about 3 miles south- 
west of Hickory Grove, is the property of the Magnolia Mines Company, of Memphis, Tenn. 
It was worked before the war, under the name of the Louise mine, to a depth of 30 to 40 
feet, or as deep as complete oxidation extended, and is said to have been profitable, but no 
idea of the total production could be had. The oxidized ore was treated in a stamp mill in 
which the mortar and stems were of wood, and the iron shoes struck upon cast-iron bottom 
plates instead of dies. The present mill, erected a few years ago, is the fourth mill which has 
been built on the property. It has three stamps of 1,250 pounds each, and discharges on all 
four sides. Screens of 80 mesh were first used, but were exchanged for 20 mesh. One 
Wilfley and one Standard table are installed. No work is being done at present in mine or 
mill. 
The country rock is amphibolite, much decomposed at the surface. Numerous quartz 
veins, parallel to the foliation of this rock, strike N. 35° to 40° E. and dip about 75° NW. 
There are two groups of these veins; one situated near the mill, close to Guionmoore Creek, 
may be called the Magnolia group, and consists of the Magnolia, Gertie, Spring, Sea Crest, 
and at least two other veins; of the other group, about a mile northwest of the mill, only the 
Dorothy vein has been worked, although other veins are present. This Dorothy group is 
the northeastern continuation of the veins of the adjoining Schlegelmilch property. The 
Dorothy vein is probably the same as one which was worked in the early days just to the 
northwest of the present Schlegelmilch shaft. Of the Magnolia group, the Magnolia and 
Gertie veins are most important, although some good ore was taken from shallow workings 
on a vein a little to the southeast of these. A shaft 110 feet on the Gertie vein and an adit 
striking the shaft at 75 feet are now caved. This adit, called the Rock drift, is said to be about 
1,100 feet long, but left the vein soon after passing northeast of the shaft and became in 
reality a crosscut tunnel. Several veins are said to have been encountered, but were not 
i worked. The Magnolia vein, a short distance to the southeast, is opened by a 150-foot adit 
tunnel, which gains only 30 or 40 feet of depth in that distance. This tunnel is partly caved, 
but allows a view of the vein, which is 2 to 2\ feet wide, contains considerable partially 
oxidized pyrite, and has the appearance of good ore. Stoping has been carried to the sur- 
face for nearly the full length of the tunnel. A shaft about 40 feet deep close to the Mag- 
nolia vein is said to cut both it and the Gertie vein by a northwest crosscut from the bottom. 
The partially oxidized ore which is here encountered in the Magnolia vein is said to assay 
a Lieber, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 64. 
f'Tuomey, M., Geology of South Carolina, 1848, p. 92. 
c Lieber, op. cit., vol. 2, p. 66. 
d Idem, p. 65. 
« Perhaps the Smith mines of Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 46. 
