Show A Gold Mine in France EW people realize that there Is an on FEW Important gold mine In Fran Franco France It Is a n property seldom heard of ot and probably nn on unimportant one h by comparison comparison comparison com com- parison with some of 01 time the great grent mines of the American West est of ot South Africa Africa Africa Af Af- Af- Af rica and Australia yet et It Is a real factor In the economics of ot France e. e During the period of ot time the Roman occupation occupation occupation oc oc- oc- oc of Gaul some sonic hearing gold quartz veins Ins were discovered In what Is now La Ln Vendee and Ud were worked by the time Romans Homans to a depth of about feet teet When the Romans withdrew withdrew withdrew with with- drew work ceased censed and the tho pits became became became be be- came covered with wIthe e vegetation These mines mimes eventually e became the property of ot a n retired French om who lived lI In a ml chateau within a il astone's astone's stones stone's throw of ot the outcrop of the vein eln and who doubtless walled walked wall etl In his big park around the tho borders of ot the an an- ancient cleat clent working without realizing tho limo true nature of ot the place About twenty five years ago n a friend frInd o. o I this official who had mach mado studies of time thc ancient tin Un workings In um En England visited him hies at nt atthe the tho chateau and ond was ns struck by time the similarity between this place one ants those he had seen soen en He ne saw the tree tree- co covered trenches and became convinced convinced con con- vinced that the they must have hn been n namine mine amine In times s of antiquity Presently n a shaft short was sous sunk and ond although some somo years passed before commercial operation op Oil began hcan a company compan was seas finally formed and anel the tics de deIn dela dela la In became an un established fact act Within ten years jears the was making n a profit of almost a n million mil nih lion linn francs n a year ar Exploratory work has huc done In III Inthe n th the vicinity of or this lucky find with the hope hOlle of coining cumin on other veins or ancient diggings l but as yet et nothing of ot the sort has materialized One of or orthe time the drawbacks to t. t exploration and discovery dis covery ory has been the tho lack In Franco of or ormen men trained trailed to that typo t p of or work worl l Trance France rance hn has many expert export metallurgists Itts nand and miners but she larks men of ot tho time t type pe of th the tho old OI who truck struck oft off on his own u and mul took tonk tho the chances In Irl n a game ame battle buttle between between- possible wealth un and probable starve starve- tion Besides the mine nine at ut La there pro aro several other rather small gold mines miner In France but none nono that thatIs Is 11 so BO successful or that has a history I as romantic as ns this one Q 1927 1921 U t rn r I |