Yahoola Mine, Dahlonega, Lumpkin County, Georgia, USAi

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

The Yahoola Mine is located on lot 1,052, 12th district, along the west bank of Yahoola creek. The entire property consists of this lot, and 1,031 and 1,053 adjoining, which were formerly known as the Benning lots.

In the fall of 1858, Dr. M. H. Van Dyke, of New York, came to Dahlonega, to look into the mining prospects, and see, if mining investments could be profitably made. After spending some time in his preliminary examination, he organized The Yahoola River and Cane Creek Hydraulic Hose Mining Co., of northern capitalists, and began the construction of the large mining ditch, now known as "The Hand Ditch," but, for many years, as "The Yahoola Ditch."

In 1860, Dr. Van Dyke bought, for the company he represented, lot 1,052, and leased 1,032, lying diagonally adjacent on the southwest; and the Yahoola ditch was brought to the latter. But little work was done on either, before the war.

In the days of "the intrusion," 1829-'31, lot 1,032 was looked upon, as one of the best gold lots in the county; and it is said, that large quantities of rich ore were taken from the part of this lot, east of Yahoola creek, by trespassers from the white colony, encamped near Murrayville in Hall county. Strange it is, that, since the lot has been systematically worked for gold, all the work has been confined to the west side of the creek. Very little work was done on this lot, until some time after the close of the civil war, most of the operations having been confined to I,032, which had been leased from Judge William Ezzard, of Atlanta. In 1870, the present mill house was erected by Mr. F. W. Hall, under the management of Mr. N. H. Hand; but no mill, or other machinery, was introduced, until 1886, when Mr. Hand put in the present 20-stamp mill.

The work done on the lot covers two or three acres along the hillside, sloping to the creek, the highest point being about 150 feet above the creek. At the time of Mr. McCallie's examination, the property was not in good condition for such work, no regular mining having been carried on, for some time, with the exception of a small amount of work, which had recently been done, by Mr. Marion Chester. Nevertheless, it was evident, that the property could be put in good shape, for a comparatively small amount of money. The work consisted of several large cuts, varying in depth from twenty to seventy feet; also, a number of prospect shafts. The material, worked, was principally the schistose saprolite and its quartz content. These had been worked with the hydraulic giant. The vein matter consists of quartz and gneiss, forming belts (called "blankets," by the miners) and lenticular ore-bodies, in the mica-schists, which themselves are more or less auriferous, especially near the ore-bodies. The latter are quite cellular, especially the quartz. But, as greater depth is attained, the cavities give place to pyrite and chalcopyrite. Black tourmaline also occurs.

The veins and ore-bodies all dip with the schists, at an angle of about 30°, and, usually, in a direction N. 70° E. The country-rock is mica schist with belts of gneiss and hornblende-schist. The mica-schist contains much biotite, and it is, consequently, of a dark color. It is much contorted and faulted. The mica-schists often contain garnet and pyrite, the latter being usually auriferous. The gneiss lies, in sheets or walls, in the mica-schist. It is of light color, and, usually, very fine grained; but, occasionally, it passes into porphyry. Chlorite and large scales of mica are frequently found between the mica-schist and the gneiss, but more commonly along the veins or the joints. Both the schists and gneiss are cut, by two or more systems of joints, dividing the rock masses into huge blocks, many feet across. These aid the miner in getting out his ore.