The post. [volume] (Middleburg, Snyder County, Pa.) 1864-1883, 1877-08-02
TIE Poor Mans BONANZA.
Ho,c he Sum Of $4,000 ,cos Net
ted m Three Days.


ted m Three Days.
Tho following gold discovery took
place ip California, within the past
four weeks. 1t is a specimen OF the
nnrecorded "s,ril;ers' occurring from
time to time iu corntry supposed
to be worked out" had the inci-
deut happened 10 the Black Hills, i,
would by this time have been told
in zen thousand papers. This story.
relating how u fortune was made in
three days near Anburn. Placer coun-
ty, il from the Placer HERALD.
The richest strike made in this
country for many years, aud as rich
pcrhars as was ever made, we here
have the pleasure OF recording A.
20. Bell. commonly called Piko Ball,
who with his family has resided here
FOR many years on Bald iill,a few miles
north Of Auburn, as many know, is
danntless, prospector. Tho ugh
occasionally making O strike Of some
considerable importance in the past,
he has managed. like most modern
prospcctors, to keep poor. Last win.
ter, in particular. he was in very
straig htencd circumstances and hav-
ing no money, and the merchants re-
fusipg 10 credit him, he offered his
only horse, worth about $50, for $40,
that he might buy broad for his chill
dren, and. failing in his efforts 10
sacrifice his horse he pawned the
ring of his wife's finger to obtain the
uecessaries Of life. Day by day he
continued his searches for tho gilt
,criug treasure, and whether the pass.
ing day had revealed color or not,
his spirits were always jubilant, ap-
parently kept up by the hopo that
seemed never to desert him OF doing
better on the morrow.
AT last the lucky day came. II
was about three weeks ago, when
hunting around over the hills he
stuck bis pick into a little mound
which rcsembled somewhat In ap
pcara nee 40 ant hill and to his de-
light he unear,hcd some pieces Of
decompcsed quartz, attached to
which we're some colors Of gold. En-
couragcd at this prospect he began
to sink on his new lead, and was res
warded by finding more or less gold
at evcry stage ei descent. Last Sun
day q week he had reached q depth
Of about thirty feet and had taken
out 10 sinking that far rock es,ima>
ted to be worth about $1,000. The
rock being extremely rotten, or what
is called by quartz miners decompos.
ed, he had with little effort pou uded
out in martar enough to pay ex.
penses as he progressed. Ho hnd
hired men to assist him in working
the mine.
The gougc, a. we would call il. as
IL is too rotten to bo properly called
ledge, was discovered by noon a few
days ago, to have become suddenly
richer. In the afternoon chunks O..
almost pure gold were taken out. and
the dccomposcd stuff that filled the
inters ices between the rocks was so
rich in gold tbut pike began to wash
il out with a pan. From three pan-
fuls washed he obtained gold cstlIna-
tod 10 be worth between $1,000 aud
$4,000. That evening he came to
town, and, giving US hint Of what
no hal got, invited us to go and see
il. 10 company with Sheriff L'Cor.
mic, we visited the mine. We found
Bell with a pan OF gold in his hand
worth from 81 900 to 81 800, whict
he assured us al came from one pan
Of dirt. bat" said he ''if you don't
believe it. will wash another pan
and show You" We told him to
wash. Tho pan was sent down into
the shaft and soon returned filled
with mass OF muddy, rocky s,uii
that sparklrd all over with pieces OF
gold This WAS washed and found to
contain fully as much Of the precious
metal, il not more, than the one he
had just finished pauning when We
arrived.
|. was really the greatest sight
we ever saw, and Mccormick, who
had mined in California 10 its palmi-
est days, says i. knocks spots of
anything hc ever saw except on one
particular occasion. Bell having con
viuced US of the richness of his mine,
took us TO his house to show us the
proceeds Of the previous days pam
ming, that we might DO convinced of
what he had told us. The sight was
one more easily imagined than realiz-
ed. Az we looked upon tho pans of
gold before us we thought Of Alad-
din and his magic lamp, and wonders
ell whether tho story had not been
suggested by some such really as
was before us. On Wednesday even
ing Mr. Bell Git is 'Mr.' now, since
he has lots of gold-it was Pike bea
fore) was in town again, and he in
formed us that what we say was
nothing that he had'taken out $40,
600 in three pans that day that
he had taken ont all told up to that
time, between $50, 900 and $35, 900,
and that he had an offer aud was
about to sell for $4,000. When
asked his notion for selling, he said
he would go away with about $50,
300, and that was money enough
Tor him. To be sure. it is n good
stake, and when we consider that
L was made in three days, it must
De confessed that the chances for
sudden fortune in Califor-
MIA are not all gone.-Ciscinnati
Enquirer.