DESCRIPTIONS OF GOLD MINES. 107 
is not done. The ore from the bottom, nevertheless, is considerably oxidized. Work at 
this place was stopped in the autumn of 1904. 
Love mine. — About 1 mile southeast of Kings Creek station and just east of the railway 
some work has been done on a quartz vein in schist. The vein is probably 3 feet wide on 
the average, strikes about N. 35° E. and dips about 70° NW. Several inclined shafts rang- 
ing from 30 to 50 feet deep prove the horizontal extent of the vein for a distance of 1 ,000 
feet or more. Toward the northeast especially the vein is rather heavily impregnated 
with partially decomposed pyrite, which in some cases occurred as cubical crystals as much 
as an inch across. Several tons of the ore are now on the surface and it is said that a num- 
ber of carloads have been shipped. The ore has a promising appearance, but it is of course 
impossible to judge of the value of such ore without assay. Reports as to value are not 
wholly concordant, some being to the effect that a part of the ore shipped gave returns of 
$80 per ton. while others declare that the ore is of low grade. If the value is good the 
extent and regularity of the deposit would seem to warrant further exploration. No work 
is being done at present. 
Wilson mines. — About 6 miles northeast of Yorkville, in York County, S. C, near the 
road leading to Nannies Mountain, are situated the Big Wilson and Little Wilson mines. 
They are under the control of Mr. W. C. Latimer, of Yorkville, who furnished the greater 
part of the information which follows. In the forties oxidized ore from the Big Wilson is 
said to have been worked in an old mill of the arrastre type, in which oxen supplied the 
power. Later, when sulphide ore was struck, the ore was "burned" or roasted in kilns a 
and then treated after the same fashion as the oxidized ore. The water level was only a 
few feet below the surface, and although a Cornish pump was used water put an end to 
work at a depth of 65 feet. In the early part of 1885 work was resumed and a 10-stamp 
mill erected. It is stated that $18,000 had been recovered by the end of the year simply 
from sinking the shaft to the 92-foot point, and in the first six months of 1886 $6,000 was 
taken out. Work was again suspended till 1896, when a Mr. Clark is said to have extracted 
$12,700 from a six months' run and saved 40 tons of concentrates. No work of conse- 
quence has been done since that time. There are three shafts, each about 90 feet deep, of 
which two are now out of commission, while the most recent one, though nearly full of 
water, appears very well timbered and is said to be in good condition. These shafts are 
all connected at the bottom by a drift 120 feet long. There are a few other short drifts 
and crosscuts. A number of veins are said to be present on the property, but only one 
has been developed. This vein, inclosed in amphibolite, strikes N. 40° E. and dips approx- 
imately 75° SE. The writer was told that this vein has been opened at five different places 
in a distance of seven-eighths of a mile. It is about 4 feet wide at the surface, but is said 
to widen decidedly with depth. Pyrite is plentiful and is said to assay $30 to $40 per ton, 
while the average ore runs about $12. Along the foot wall of the vein chalcopyrite is said 
to be present in sufficient amount to make the ore important as a source of copper. Some 
specimens of free copper were seen, said to have been taken from narrow kaolin seams at 
the side of the chalcopyrite vein. 
About a mile southwest of the Big Wilson is the Little Wilson property. It adjoins on 
the southwest the Mary mine, which was once exploited for the copper contained in quartz 
veins carrying chalcopyrite, as mentioned on page 112. 
The Little Wilson vein is a big quartz body striking about northeast and dipping about 
70° SE. Two inclines about 35 feet deep appear to be on the foot wall and hanging wall, 
respectively, and thus indicate a width of 20 feet in one place, but it may be that they are 
on separate veins of less width. A shaft 90 feet deep gets into quartz carrying finely gran- 
ular pyrite arranged in rude bands parallel to the walls, but possessing few others of the 
features significant of crustification. It is said that some chalcopyrite was found near the 
bottom of this shaft. High assays are said to have been obtained from picked specimens, 
but the average run of the vein was not learned. 
aCf. Lieber, op. cit., vol. 1, p. 47. 
