Legend has it that during the Carolina Gold Rush in the early 1800s, a property in Cabarrus County, owned by Skinflint Mcintosh, would become the meeting point where greed met the paranormal. McIntosh had reportedly become known for cutting corners with safety measures and was known to be tightfisted, paying subpar wages to the miners to dig for gold. That word traveled, and eventually, no one wanted to work in the Skinflint mine for the miserable old man.
A local man named Joe McGee was known as one of the best workers and miners around. Mcintosh repeatedly sought McGee out to come work for him, but McGee knew that working for old “Skinflint” Mcintosh meant life or death.
Finally, McGee caved under the repeated requests and told McIntosh that if I get killed in your mine, “would you pay my darling, Jennie, $1,000? Skinflint Mcintosh smiled, extended his hand out, and said, “Joe!” I will pay her much better than a thousand bucks. “I’d pay her $2,000.”
McGee went on his way and quit his other job. A few weeks after working in the Skinflint mine, on a cold, rainy night, Joe failed to return home after his shift. Jennie became concerned and asked a few other men if they would kindly go out in the weather to find Joe. The men searched the deep hole, but found nothing. It was almost like Joe McGee had disappeared.
After some time, Jennie went to Mcintosh to ask for the money he promised if something happened to Joe. Old Skinflint wasn’t about to let go of his money, so he devised a plan to tell Jennie so he wouldn’t have to pay her. Mcintosh said to her that he would not pay because Joe was alive and “just gone off somewhere.”
A little later, on another cold night, a knock was heard at Shaun’s door. Shaun was a friend of Joe, who had helped the others search for him after he went missing. When Shaun opened the door, a ghostly white specter greeted the man. The specter spoke with the same voice as Joe and told Shaun to visit the mine that night. It told Shaun to dig where the green timbers had buckled, which caused the mine shaft to cave. Lastly, it asked Shaun if Skinflint had paid the money to Jennie for his death. Shaun replied, No, and the ghost lashed out, “I will haunt that mine forever!” And the ghostly specter disappeared.
Joe McGee’s body was found, where the specter had said. Skinflint Mcintosh paid Jennie the wages after he was threatened by Joe’s friends.
Ironically, when gold was discovered in 1799, also known as the “Carolina Gold Rush,” it helped play a significant role in Charlotte, North Carolina’s early growth and development. Skinflints Mine is a part of the Reed Gold Mine historic site, approximately 26 miles from downtown Charlotte. Reed Gold Mine is the site of the first documented gold find in the United States.
Written By: John G. Clark Jr.
Image Credit: Wikipedia (Carolina Gold Belt, showing, south to north, the Haile, Brewer, Howie, Stuart, Moore, Long, Means, Pioneer Mills, Reed, Ferris, Rocky River, Buffalo, Phoenix, San Cristian, Concord, Moratock, Eisenhauer, Mt. Mackin, Russel, Gold Hill, Reimer, Dunns Mt., Salisbury, Silver Hill, Emmons, Silver Valley, Hoover Hill, and Jones mines. Gold-quartz veins are found in the)
