Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-05-18

Hsv Her First P,.s. Or GELD VIZ
Dog Oas Wish . Batshsr.Knifs.
S. 2. Aha. Alax II.

Hew HsP First Piece or GELD Va
Dog Oat Wish . Basshsr.Ksiss.
s. p. Aaa, Nay II.
An interesting correspondence hai
lately passed between Eliot Lord. Of the
United States Geologic Survey, and Johr
Orr. the first d~iscoverer Of gold In the
State OF Nevada. Under the supervision
Of the Director Of the Geologic Survey.
. history Of
TIE ooMsrocx prsooyrnY
And mining Developments on the sasi
slope OF Nevada, ID being prepared. Mr..
On. at present residing at Duncan's
Mills, Sonoma county. has In his posses.
sion the first gold nugget known 10 have
been found In Nevada, and the inquiries
OF Mi. Lord have been In relation to the
circumstances Of Ito discovery, and the
possibility Of securing Il from Mr.. Orr,
BY donation or purchase. for the oolleo.
ton Of minerals in the National Museum
ct Washington. In conversation with
Mr.. Orr . day or two ago, he stated the
facts relating to the discovery. BE
started with q large train 10 come across
the plains In 1849. Unusually severe
weather was encountered. the roads were
bad and they were compelled to spend
the winter at Salt Lake. he left for
California ON the FIRST wagon train from
Salt Lake In the spring Of 1850, but the
desert was not crossed until the last OF
May. because OF high waters, and the
fact that their road had to be cot through
the snow until the Humboldt was
reached. Orr had . partner named Nick
Kelly, after whom Kslly's Ravins is
named, and In the company was also
one William Prouss, now living In Nurb
City. about forty miles southeast OF
Salt Lake. Prouss had worked In mines
In this State before gold was discovered
In Coloma, and was Q good prospector.
One early day Of May, 1850, the train
stopped on the edge Of what Ia now
known - Gold Canyon, near the Carson
river, to let the animals feed ON some
bunch grass found growing amongst the
sage brush. Prouse ct noontime took q
milk pan. and going down to the guloh,
began washing dirt, In
FEW MINUTES oErTMo COLOR
To the value Of . few cents. Orr then
named tho place Gold Canyon, still TO-
tanned. Orr was keeping q rude chart
Of the country travelled over, taking
bearings only north and south, and esti.
mating the distances travelled every day.
Gold Canyon was marked on the chart,
which was lost BY Mr.. Orr In 1856,
while returning East to bs married. The
train soon alter resumed travel, going
TO the head OF the Carson Valley. There
vas met . party Of seven. who had left
the train at the Sink OF the Humboldt,
intending 10 60 in advance to Californis
and select good locations for the remain
der Of the party. They had been unable
to cross the country, and had been lost
In the snow In the mountains four or
Ave days, unable TO And the divide TO
Hanstown, and seeking Carson to reoup-
crate. A stay In Carson for three weeks
followed, whom Orr, Kelly and several
others returned to Gold Canyon and
resumed prospecting. Kelly and Orr
went up the canyon until . little fork
wa reached, when work wa begun.
The party had few tools, and
ORE HAD NOTHING BUT A pUTcHKR.KNIYr.
While Kelly was working Orr noticed
q very narrow place at the fork, where
the water barely covered Q slab Of slate
rock. Idly he examined II, and noticing
. small orsvioe near the edge. drove the
~butohsr.knife into II, breaking out q
pieoe. The water running over Il
washed away the underlying dirt, and In
Q few seconds Orr discovered O golden
nugget where the rock had covered II.
Il was quickly removed. and aftsrward
found to weigh IS IS. This was ON
the LIST Of June. 1850. nearly thirty years
ago. Prospecting was continued, and
though gold dust was found In several
places throughout the canyon. Orr's was
the only nugget found. Tho party
lacked tools and provisions, and being
bent on reaching California, abandoned
the canyon and arrived Ut Leek Springs
July 4th, 1850. Orr offered the nugget
to Kelly. who refused to accept 10, and
as II was the first piece OF gold hs ever
dug, Orr for o few years kept Il y q
souvenir On that account. OF late years
inquiry u to the
FIRST DIscovxsY OF GOLD IN NEVADA,
And the settlement OF the discovery
upon Mr.. Orr and his nugget, have
induced him to state that the nugget IL
not for sale, nor will It be donated 70 any
museum. He has four grown sons. and
will keep II for them, to b passed down
a. an heirloom. Mr.. Lord writes that
the survey in their contemplated work
will acknowledge the first discovery Al
stated above.