Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1878-06-01
ANOTHER BONANZA MINE.
VERY RICH VEIN DISCOVERED IN MON
TANA-THE LARGEST GOLD BRICK
IN THE WORLD.

tana. In the summer OF 1876 gold
bearing rock was first discovered at
Penobscot, about sixteen miles distant
from that city. The character OF the
quartz taken out was not such as 10
warrant the belief that the district was
very rich in precious metals and the
mines created no excitement whatever.
In the fall of 1876 Mr. Nathan 5. Yes
tai, an experienced miner discovered
indications ofrich ore aud quietly bought
out the original locators of the Penoo-
scot. His means were limited, and he
had to borrow the few hundred dollars
which he needed in order TO put up
small quartz mill.
1t is fact ne had hard work to raise
the money, and it was only by appeal
ing to an old personal friend, Mr.. John
Whitehead, it was finally obtained. A
FIVE stamp mill owned by Mr. Court
wright was hired and set to work. 1t
was an old rattle trap of an affair which
had been lying idle for years near
Helena, and the plates and stamps were
very imperfect, experienced miners say
ing it did not save over forty per cent.
of the gold in the rock milled. MIR.
Vestal found himself $1,000 in debt on
the day when he set his mill to work.
For fourteen days he pounded away,
and on tho l4th of February, his birth
day, appeared III Helena, paid every
dollar of debt he owed and deposited
$4,000 to his credit in bank.
STRIKING A BONANZA.
A short time after Mr.. Vestal sent to
Helena 646 ounces in gold, worth $lO,-
900, and il was deposited to his credit
in bank. Early in March Mr.. Nestal
appeared in Helena with $4,000, in
gold and deposited it in bank. This
was too much for even mining town
TO stand, and the widest excitement
ensued. the Penobscot was i'll every
body's mouth, at the hotels, saloons and
even in families nothing else was talked
about and people tlocked to the mine
by thousands The length of Mr.
VestaIs claim is about 900 feet and the
shaft is on the east end. 1t goes down
almost perpendicularly, and is fifteen
feet in length and fourteen in width
The depth reached is fitty-tive feet, and
the mine has produced over $4,000 OF
more than $1,000 to the foot. The
vein is rs broad as the hole is wide, but
the ore is not solid body. The seams
Of ore are divided by layers of perpen
dicular strata of rotten shale rock. The
widest vein of ore is perhaps four feet
and this is very rich. The smaller o1
fanking veins are not so rich as the
centre one, but the ore is Of good quail
ty. Outside the veins is wall OF rock
which goes straight down, holding the
ore like wedge between its granite
sides.
The ore is yellow and very soft. Rut
it in the hands and it will crumble tC
pieces. 1t is fall of free gold and
sparkles when held TO the light. a
piece as large as a walnut will contain q
million minute particles ofgold. In the
mine lghtened candle is reflected by
millions Of sparkling gems in the sides
of the mines, many of them 10 larger
than a pins point. The bes! Of the ore
when crushed yields $500 10 $1,000 per
ton, and the poorer seams $40 to $50
per ton.
Vestal some time since accepted an
offer of 100000 for the mine from
Messrs. Chalmers S Frazier, of Chicago
but afterwards paid $4,000 forfeit soon
er than give it up. VIM. B. True, Of
Detroit, has offered 100000 for it,
after paying the forfeit of $4,000 tc
Chalmers and Frazier.
Mr. Vestal cleaned up all the gold in
the mills and cast brick twenty inches
long, seven inches wide, and three and
a half inches thick. 1t is the largest
gold brick in the world, weighs 1889,
90 cunces, and is worth S54,262, 62.
In his rambles about Helena, Vestal
met, and think, for time boarded
with, widow lady. She was an excel
lent woman, and the widow and VestaI
formed strong attachment for each
other. They were engaged to be married
more than a year before the Penobscot
was discovered and only poverty pre-
vented Nathan from taking the widow
to wife. He dug away in the hills, aud
she quietly kept her boarding house,
waiting patiently for her lover to "make
a strike"
1t is said she often encouraged him
to persevere in bis discoveries, and
once, when discouraged and about to
give up in despair, she gave him s400,
all her little savings. This $4OO, "the
widows mite" as Vestal calls it, actual
ly took $4,000 in gold out Of the
Penobscot.
lie WOULD GET MARRIED.
When Nathan Vestal one morning
woke up and found himself a rich man
he insisted on being married at
once. The widow, with true woman
modesty, demurred, and advised him TO
think well on what he was doing. She
said everybody would say she married
him for his money, and she did not wish
people TO think So of her. Nathan re-
piled, in plain Anglo-Saxon, he did not
care damn what people thought; he
was going TO Nave her and right off
He kept his word, and they were mar
ried at Helena two days later. Mrs.
Vestal is large, fine looking lady about
tbirty.six years of age, and possessed of