GOLD DISCOVERIES IN SAXONY.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 1885, 11 May 1878, Page 5 (Supplement)

GOLD DISCOVERIES IN SAXONY.

A correspondent writes from Dresdren, Fob, 1 1 :—": — " During the pant six yoars several goldsmiths in tho Saxon town of Zwickau have been repeatedly offered by differont persons small pieces of gold for purchase. Tho gold was found in quaitz atone in quantities varying in bulk from that of a pea to about twice that size, and was in every instance stated to havo been discovered on the high road botweon Chemnitz and Zwickau, principally in the neighborhood of iWulsen — that is, actually on tho road itself, and not in the quarries besido it. This oxcited tho attention of a goldsmith, who entered into communication on tho subject with tho proper Government oflicials. The S.txon Government has in consequence appointed a commission of inquiry into this affair. Tho fiist task of this commission is to investigate the quarries and sandpits from which the materials for the road were taken. Nobody will bo surprised if these investigations should be without important result, «\s tho workers in the quarries and tho atonobreakors for tho road had never met with gold. On the other hand, it is a well-known fact that for a very long timo gold has been occasionally found in different parts of Saxony. I count in a little pamphlet "On Gold Mining in Saxony, a contribution to the history of Saxon Mining Industry," in 1 805, no less than 14 different places in Saxony where gold mining has been carried on. At Hohenstin some gold has been from time to time obtained out of auriferous arsonical pyrites. Tho value of the gold obtained from silver ovo is very insignificant, not amounting to more than 50,000 marks (L 7000) per annum. On the whole, we are inclined to think the Saxon people havo much more reason to prido themselves on woalth of another kind which their native land yields in enormous quantities to tho industrious miner — namely, coal, of which tho supply appe.vs to be exhaustive.