Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-08-02
4 Lucky Gold Miner.

Placer ,tCal) Herald: The richest
strike made in this country for many
years, and as rich, perhaps, as was ever
made, We here have the pleasure of re-
cording A. O. Bell, commonly called
Pike" Bell, who, with MS family. has
lived for many years on Bald Hill, few
miles north of Auborn, is a darntless
prospeetor. Though occasionally max
ing a strike of some considerable impor-
lance in the past, he has managed. like
most modern prospectors, to keep poor.
Last winter, in particular, he was in
very Strengthened circumstances. and
having no money, and the merchants
refusing to credit him, he offered his
only horse, worth about so, for $40.
that he might buy bread for his children,
and, failing in his efforts to sacrifice his
horse, he pawned Il ring from his wife's
finger to obtain the necessaries of life.
Day by day he continued his searches
for the glittering treasure, and whether
the passing day had revealed Il color or
not, his spirits were always iubilant. ap-
parently 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 hill, he struck
his pick into a little mound, which re-
sembled somewhat in appearance an
ant hill, and too his delight he unearthed
some pieces of decOmposed quartz, at
tached to which were some colors of
gold. Encouraged at this prospect, he
began to sink his new lead, and was re-
warded by finding more or less gold at
every stage of descent Last Saturday
he had reached depth of about thirty
feet, and had taken out in sinking that
far, rock estimated to be worth about
81, 800. The rock being extremely rotten
or what Is called by quartz miners de-
composed, he had with little effort
pounded out III Il mortar enough to paw
expenses as he progressed. 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 should call it, as it is too rotten
to be properly called a ledge, was dis
covered by noon to have become sud
denly richer. In the afternoon chunks
of almost pure gold were taken out, and
the decOmpOsed stuff that filled the in
terstices between the rocks was so rich
in gold that Pike began to wash it out
with a pan. From three panfuls washed
Monday afternoon he obtained gold esti-
mated 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, in
vited us to go and see it. On Tuesday
afternoon, in company with Sheriff
McCormic, we visited the mine. We
found Bell with pan of gold in his
hand worth from 81 900 to 81 800 which
he assured us all came from one pan of
dirt. But" said he, =" if you don't be-
lieye it, | will wash another pan and
show you" We told him to wash. The
pan was sent down into the shaft and
soon returned filled with a mass of
muddy, rocky stuff that sparIlled 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 panning
when we arrived. On Wednesday eve
ming Mr.. Bell lit is Mr." now-it was
Pike before) informed us that he had
taken out $4,000 in three pans that
day that he had taken out, all told, up
to that time, between $50 1000 and $35,-
600, and that he had an offer and was
about to sell for $4,000. When asked
his notion for selling, he said he would
get away with about $4,000, and that
was money enough for him.