PLACER DEPOSITS ON PARKER BRANCH.
The Magazine or Parker branch is a tributary of South Muddy creek. Its source is at the foot of Pilot Knob, and from the latter several gravel channels run towards it, sometimes entirely covered with soil, so as to make their location unrecognizable at the surface. One of these, the Magazine channel, has been extensively worked, first by open hydraulic work, and afterwards at the upper end, where the over-burden grew too heavy, by a tunnel, subsequently connected with the shaft. The former had a total length of 600 feet, and the latter a depth of 50 feet. The creek bed has also been worked, mainly with rockers. It was proposed to work this bottom, besides any side-hill channels that might be found, by giant, sufficient fall being available to carry off the tailings in a continuous sluice-box below. Water for this work was brought a distance of 5 miles to a large reservoir on the divide between South Muddy and Silver creeks, and from here in 2 miles of ditch and flume, along the foot of Pilot Knob, to a reservoir situated 100 feet above the creek bottom. This reservoir was designed to hold the water contained in the ditch after the gate at the large reservoir had been closed in the evening; and this was to be the first water to be used in the morning before that from the large reservoir had time to reach this point. The placer deposit in the creek bed has a total width of 400 feet. The old gravel banks, etc., were to be broken down and the material run into sluices similar to those described above, the tailings being carried down the branch to South Muddy creek.
These operations were, however, never undertaken, owing to the liquidation of the company before that point was reached.
THE CHESTATEE COMPANY, LUMPKIN COUNTY, GA.
The work pursued here, and its ultimate object, present special features of interest, and might warrant a greater application in the Southern gold-fields. The plant and property of this company are situated 1\ miles from Pahlonega, on the Chestatee river, about -| mile above the entrance of Yahoola creek. The property comprises about 250 acres of placer ground on the banks of the river, together with about 1 mile of the stream bed. The main object in view was to turn the river into a new channel and to work the stream-gravel, as well as that in the adjacent bottoms.
At the lower end of the property a dam was thrown across the river and a substantial and well-constructed powrer station erected, supplying the power, by means of two 66-inch Leffel wheels, for a Blake duplex 12-inch by 21-inch pump and a 50 horse-power dynamo. The Leffel wheels were originally installed to furnish motor-power to a centrifugal
