The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1878-01-26

4 TRIP TO THE GoLD REGIoN.-The
with its columns burdened with a glowing
description of the newly discovered gold
mine, mile or two west of Newark, Del,
and near the edge of Maryland.
We were led to think there might have
been something found there that had the
appearance of gold, and in order to verify
the truth of the story in the Ledger, We
chartered horse and wagon, last Monday
morning, and, in company with a friend,
drove out to the scene of the excitement.
1t was cold raw day, and the atmosphere
was so full of humidity that we wished for
a pair of gills, believing if we had them
we could breathe much easier than with our
lungs. Just before we came to the new
mine, we called at the house of a friend,
who kindly invited us to dine with him,
and gave us all the information in his pos
session respecting the newly discovered
" digeings.' After repleni>hing the inner
man we started for the place of our destina-
ton. 1t was in rather an obscure part of
creation. and we hailed a boy and inquired
the way. $50 on said he, It'll you
come to the next left hand road and turn
there to the left and go on till you meet a
school house and then turn to the right. y
We waited to hear no more, but urged our
friend to proceed directly forward, not
caring to travel on roads where we were
likely to meet school houses, because the
road was too narrow for a school house and
carriage to pass each other and then there
was danger that travelling school house
might frighten our horse. A short distance
further on we came to the house of MIR.
Smith. the ubiquitous Mr.. Smith I'VE beg
his pardon, and mean no otfensel, but go
where we will we meet with Mr.. Smith. and
!. we have been told Ivy much greater travellers
than ourselves that his face is to be seen
in every county, and that his name is found
in every language OF the earth.
However, we obtained more definite in
formation from Mr.. S., who volunteered to
go with us aud show us the way, but we
thanked him and, starting on, soon after
wards arrived at the "diggings," which
are on the farm of Mr.. William McAlister,
in the Fourth district, probably two miles
southeast of Cowantown and on the north
western bank of depression in the earth,
which marks the place where the road from
the old iron works to Newark was formerly
located. Here we found Mr.. McAllister, a
venerable old man of probably three score
and ten years OF age, and a hand or two
busily at work sinking pits, or, as miner
would say, prospecting Two or three
of his neighbors were encouraging him
by their presence and appreciation, and
with his coat and hat both off and pick in
hand, he gave evidence of his determine
ton to find gold if hard work and energy
can unearth the precious metal. We in
quired of the venerable proprietor how he
was first induced to begin his search for
the gittering gold, for, to our Impractical
eye, no signs of it were visible. Said he
"Some years ago when was setting that
post there '-pointing to a post in fence
my attention was attracted to the subject
by the peculiar appearance of the earth, and
about seven weeks ago had a very vivid
dream, in which dreamed that my neigh
Dor I've forget his name" was digging
with pick right there, and after making
a stroke or two with it, to the great sur
prise and joy of both he and |, he struck
it through massive piece of the precious
metal, which g!ittered and spsrkled in the
sunshine when he raised the pick to which
it still adhered"
And so the venerable old man went on
to tell us how, when he got his Fall work
done, he commenced to dig and sunk five
shafts or pits, some of them probably ten
feet deep, and very kindly showed us speci-
mems Of the mica" (isinglass) that he
had obtained as his reward for seven weary
days of anxiety and toll. We could not
find the courage to enable US to tell him
the glttering stuff was mica, and thus to
be the means of damping the ardor with
which he pursued the phantom that his
Imagination had created, and indeed we
are sure he would not have believed us
if we had, and SO wishing him success, we
babe him good bye and left him digging
away and enjoying the dreams with which
his Imagination is filled.
Since writing the above, we have been
Informed by our correspondent Rambler"
NJ a.
tile roots in search Of clay, there being some
indications that Kaoltn may be found upon
his farm.