War!
When Highlands fought
uitli Mo<*<*asin.
However il may be today, at one
time Highlands citizens were so sober
that they defended their temperance
by force of arms.
It happened during the Moccasin
War, a little-heralded armed conflict of
our border. Moccasin Township in
Rabun County, Georgia, joined the
Macon line and considerable moonshin-
ing was carried on there. Some of this
whiskey was peddled to the young men
of Highlands, and efforts to halt the
traffic was unsuccessful.
A Moccasin man by the name of
Henson was arrested and jailed in
Highlands, and a friend who tried to
rescue him also was jailed.
This led Moccasin. Georgia, to send
a written declaration of war against
Highlands, followed by the march of
an army, eighteen strong, upon the
Macon town.
Highlanders barricaded themselves
behind the Smith Hotel and for three
days the battle raged, ending when l orn
Ford climbed to the roof and shot and
killed a Georgian named Raney. The
Moccasin army withdrew, leaving a let¬
ter vowing vengeance.
Reinforcements rushed in to help
Highlands and the Moccasin warriors
were scared off. Instead, they sent a
letter announcing a blockade across the
road to Walhalla, Highland's main sup¬
ply route.
This ominous note alarmed the High¬
lands people. At first no one would
attempt to run the blockade. Finally
an old man named Joe I.. Lovin, a
Confederate veteran, who had moved
from Highlands to Graham County and
was a professional teamster, hitched up
his team and started.
When Lovin reached the vicinity of
the Billingsly family, leaders in the
Moccasin faction, he encountered the
four Billingsly brothers, heavily armed,
in the road.
However. Lovin holding his rifle
with one hand and the reins with the
other, drove straight ahead and passed
the blockade, thus ending the blockade
and the warfare.
14
Rub» hunter* in Mocon.— t Photo by J. P. Brody. I
The Rubies oi Cowee
Famous old mines now attract armies
of rockliounds.
Rockhound paradise — that’s Macon
County — and the famous Ruby Mines
of Cowcc Valley are the chief attrac¬
tion.
They once were operated commer¬
cially. and Tiffany took about half a
pint of gems weekly from the Mason
Branch mine.
Now at least three of the mines arc
open to the public on a fee basis, keep
what you find. Several valuable stones
have been reported, and one ruby ring
is on sale at Franklin for $2.000.
This dollar at the gate mining has
proven profitable. An amethyst mine
has been opened at Tcsscntce, which
is just off 441 south of Franklin. Rho¬
dolite is sometimes found at the Mason
Creek Mine.
Others undoubtedly will be opened
and will delight amateur gem hunters,
for Macon is rich in minerals, which
some day may bring a revival of the
mining boom. As early as 1872 rock-
hunters were combing the hills of Ma¬
con. and an article in Scribners in 1875
described an army of prospectors look¬
ing for minerals. They found them. too.
In 1882 Macon ranked next to Mitchell
in value of mica production. The
Brooks Mine at the head of Cowee
Creek was the first opened and was
profitably worked for several years.
The Bowers Mine on Burningtow-n
Creek in 1882 was in the third genera¬
tion of its operation.
Coming down U.S. 64 from High¬
lands the traveler passes near a road
turning off to Corundum Hill, about
7 miles southeast of Franklin. This was
a profitable corundum mine until dis¬
covery of carborundum made the min¬
eral obsolete. Among the valuable
minerals which have been worked are
granite, mica, olivine, clay, vcrmicu-
lite, feldspar, sand and gravel, talc,
limestone, gems and asbestos and co¬
rundum. Also present in some degree
arc chromite, copper, emory. graphite,
schist, kaolin, kyanitc.
At present only mica and vermiculite
arc being produced, and these on a
minor scale, but the county is rich in
potential for mineral development.
Franklin has seven gem and mineral
shops, offering various services to gem
fans.
Highlands is one of the rockhound
capitals of the state. It has an active
mineral club which twice a month
sponsors a gem-hunting trip to some
likely spot. Often the members stay all
day, taking picnic lunch along. It also
has meetings with lectures. In town is
Jellen’s Gem Shop, where stones are
cut and mounted and specimens sold.
THE STATE. SEPTEMBER 5. 1959
