DISTRIBUTION OF GOLD MINES IN THE SOUTH APPALACHIAN REGION. 75 JUNES IN FLUVANNA AND GOOCHLAND COUNTIES.1
The same narrow belts traverse the boundary of Goochland and Fluvanna counties, crossing the James river at Bremo Bluffs into Buckingham county. Xo work but petty placer-mining and more or less active prospecting is carried on in these counties at present, although from 1830 to 1860 this region was the field of extensive operations.
Among the well known properties are the Tellurium, the Bowles, the Payne, the Page, the Hughes, the Moss, the Fisher, the Busby, the Tagus, the Gilmore, the Collins, Marks, Eades, Big Bird and the Belzora.
The Tellurium mine, embracing a property of 614 acres, lies partly in Fluvanna and partly in Goochland county, 6 miles from Columbia, and is at present owned by the Columbia Gold Mining Company. It was discovered in 1834 by George Fisher, and is reported to have yielded $1,000,000 during its various periods of activity. It was last operated in 1886. Three principal parallel veins, the "Sandstone," "Middle" and " Little," traverse the property in a southwesterly direction for a distance of about half a mile. Xone of the workings have extended below a depth of 60 feet.
The Bowles mine adjoins the Tellurium, and the Payne mine is in the same vicinity.
Lying partly in Fluvanna and partly in Goochland county, and within i mile of the Tellurium and Bowles mines are the Fisher, the Moss and the Busby mines, all on the same lode.
The Fisher mine was opened in 1860 by James Fisher. The main developments consist of a 40-foot shaft with 175 feet of levels. The vein is narrow, from 3 to 15 inches, and the ore is stated to carry from $25 to $300 per ton.
The Moss mine is one mile northeast of the Fisher. It was discovered in 1835 by John Moss. It has been worked to a depth of 65 feet, and the vein, which is 2 feet wide in places, carries reported values of $15 to $65 per ton.
The Busby mine is one-half mile northeast of the Moss. Prof. Silliman, in an early report, gives ore values of $160 per ton from here. The work has been altogether of a superficial nature.
The Page mine is situated \ mile west of Wilmington on Long Island creek in Fluvanna county. Work was begun on the quartz-veins in 1856, when an 8-stamp mill was erected. Considerable prospecting work has been carried on lately.
The Hughes mine is 5 miles from Bremo Bluffs in Fluvanna county.
1 We be<r to acknowledge our indebtedness to Messrs. Wm. Bugbee and Scott Thurston of Palmyra, Va., for information concerning the mines of these counties.
