The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1877-07-14
A POOR MANS BIG BONANZA.
THE EXTRAORDINARY GOOD FORTUNE OF !
POVERTY STRICKEN MINER.

THE EXTRAORDINARY GOOD FORTUNE OF
POVERTY STRICKEN MINER.
The following gold discovery took place
in California within the last eight weeks.
1t is specimen of the unrecorded "strk-
ers" occurring from time to time in
country sometimes supposed to be g worked
out" Had the incident happened in the
Black Hills it would by this time have been
in ten thousand papers. This story, rela-
ting how torture was made in three days
near Auburn, Placer county, is from the
Placer Herald:
"The richest strike made in this country
for many years, and as rich perhaps as was
ever made, we have the pleasure of re-
cording. A. O.. Bell, commonly called
Pike Bell, who, with his family, had re-
sided for many years on Bald Hill, few
miles north of Auburn, as many know, is
dauntless prospector. Though OCCASION
ally making strike of some considerable
Importance i'll the past, lie has managed,
like most modern prospectors, to keep poor.
Last Winter in particular he was in very
strightened circumstances, and having no
money and the merchants refusing to credit
him, he offered his only horse, worth about
$50 for $40, that he might buy bread for
his children, and failing in his efforts to
sacrifice his horse, he pawned the ring off
his wife's finger to obtain the necessalies
of life. Day by day he continued his
searches for the glttering treasure, and
whether the passing day had revealed
color or not his spirits were always jubilant,
apparently kept up by the hope that seemed
never to desert him of doing better on the
morrow. At last the lucky day came. 1t
was about three weeks ago, when hunting
around over the hills he struck his pick into
a little mound which resembled somewhat
in appearance an ant hill, and to his de-
light he unearthed some pieces of decom-
posed quartz, attached to which were some
colors of gold. Encouraged at this pros
pect he began to sink on his new lead and
was rewarded by finding more or less gold
at every stage Of descent. Last Saturday
he had reached the depth of about thirty
feet, and had taken ont in sinking that far
rock estimated to be worth about $1,000.
The rock being extremely rotton, or what
is called by quartz miners decomposed, he
had with little effort pounded out in a
mortar enough to pay expenses as he pro-
crossed. He had hired men to assist him
in working the mine, and on last Monday
morning they went to work as usual The
gouge, as we would call it, as it is too rot
tan to be properly called ledge, was dis
covered by noon to have become suddenly
richer. In the afternoon chunks of almost
pure gold were taken out, and the decom-
posed stuff that filled the interstices be-
ween the rocks was SO rich in gold that
Pike began to wash it out with pan. From
three pans full washed on Monday after
noon he obtained gold estimated to be worth
between $4,000 and $1,000. That evening
he came into town, and giving US a hint of
what he had got, invited us to go out and
see it. On Tuesday afternoon, in company
with Sheriff Mccormick, we visited the
mine. We found Bell with pan of gold
in his hands worth from one thousand to
fifteen hundred dollars, which he assured
us all came from one pan of dirt. "But.'
said he, " if you don't believe it, l will
wash another pan and show you," We
told him to wash. The pan was sent down
in the shaft and soon returned filled with
mass of muddy rocky stuff that sparkled
all over with pieces of. gold. This was
washed out and found to contain fully as
much of the precious metal, if not more,
than the one he had just finished panninp
when we arrived. 1t was really the greatest
sight we ever saw, and Mccormick, WHO
had mined i'll California in it's palmiest
days, says it knocked the spots off anything
he ever saw, except on one particular oc.
casion. Bell having convinced us of the
richness of his mine, took us to his house
to show us the proceeds of the previous
days banning, that we might be convinced
of what he had told us. The sight was
one more easily imagined than realized.
AS we looked upon the pans of gold before
us VIC thought of Aladdin and his magic
lamp, and wondered whether the story had
not been suggested by some such reality as
was before us. On Wednesday evening
MIR. bell lit is Mr. now since he has lots
of gold-it was Pike before) was in town
again. and he informed us that what we
saw was nothing; that he had taken out
$4,000 in three pans that day; that he
had taken out, all told, up to that time,
between 100000 and $1,000, and that be
had an offer and was about to sell for 500
600. When asked his notion for selling,
he said he wonld get away with about $50,
O0O, and that was money enough for him.
To be sure it is a good stake, and when we
consider that it was made in three days, it
must be confessed that the chances for