Free Jim Mine, Dahlonega, Lumpkin County, Georgia, USAi

Regional Level Types
Free Jim Mine	Mine
Dahlonega	Town
Lumpkin County	County
Georgia	State
USA	Country

This mine lies in the northern half of lot 998, 12th district, in the town of Dahlonega, just east of that part, which has been built up. The principal work done on it has been the sinking of several inclines, to a depth of from 50 to 70 feet, and an open cut, of considerable size; also, a small amount of placer work in the auriferous gravels.

The vein, worked by James Boisclair, is believed to be the same vein, that has been worked, in recent years, through an incline-shaft. It is said, that Boisclair sunk three inclines on the vein, west of the Hand ditch, which now runs through the lot; but, that, on neither, did he go down lower than 20 feet. Others are said to have resumed the work, where he left off, sinking the shafts deeper, and to have had good results therefrom. Their names, I was not able to learn. The old inclines, however, have long since been filled. East of the Hand ditch, probably 200 yards, G. W. Jenkins and J. Roberts sunk an incline, on what is supposed to be Boisclair's vein, on top of a knoll, about the year 1881. They worked this shaft down below water-level, a distance of about seventy feet along the incline, where the iron-stained, cellular quartz began to be replaced by pyritiferous quartz. The vein, at the bottom of this shaft, I am reliably informed, is five feet thick. The ore is said to have averaged $4.00 per ton. This vein lies within ten feet of the north margin of the large dike, before described, and has the same trend. At the time of my visit to the property, no work had been done on the veins, for some time; and the shaft was not in such condition, that I could get a sample for assay; but ore, lying on the dump, consisted of saccharoidal quartz, quite cellular and friable, and considerably stained by iron sesqui-oxide. Much of it shows bright, unaltered pyrite. About two hundred yards west of this shaft, and parallel with the vein, is an open cut, only a short distance from the south margin of the smaller dike described. This is known as The Barker Cut. It was worked, about 1855, by Mr. Joseph J. Singleton, Jr., son of Dr. Singleton, and Judge J. R. Lawhorn. It was probably started by them. Their results, it is said, were very satisfactory. Beginning about 1867, The Yahoola River and Cane Creek Hydraulic Hose Mining Co. worked, with a hydraulic giant, the mouth of this cut and other neighboring deposits, as gravel-placer, their work continuing, for about three years. No further work was done in the cut, until about 1893, when Mr. Martin Barker, supposing he was working on lot 999, adjoining, on which he held a lease from The Hand and Barlow United Gold Mines and Hydraulic Works of Georgia, did considerable work, sluicing the mica-schist saprolite, in which there were a number of small rich veins. Mr. Barker worked for about eight months, and was doing well, when Judge Murray, owner of an undivided half of lot 998, had a survey made, by a competent engineer, who ascertained, that the cut was entirely on lot 998. Judge Murray at once stopped the mining, in the cut.