New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-10-20
Stories From the Mines.

MANY stories are told of the manner
IN which the first discoveries of gold in
California were turned to account by
ingenious regulators, and among them
are the following: In one district the
gold-dust was mixed with large quanti-
ties Of fine black sand, which the
miners-most Of whom were raw hands
blew off from the gold in their anx-
iety to arrive at the orc itself. A keen
old man turned their impatienee to ae-
count by shamming lameness, and pre-
tending that in his weakly state he was
not equal to the toll of mining, and was
thus compelled to resort to the poor
and proftless branch of gathering the
black sand, which he sold as substi-
tute for emery. He used to 20 about
on an evening with large bag and a
tin tray, requesting the miners to blow
their black sand upon it, and returning
with it to his hut. BY the aid of quick
silver he was able to extract the gold,
double in quantity to that which was
obtained by the Understanding miner
at the washings.
Tricks of every kind were played
upon newcomers in search of the gold
en- treasures. One story is told of some
American associates who had been
working at an improbable spot, put
ting up notice that their valuable
site'' was for sale, as they were going
elsewhere. A few Germans who had
just arrived offered themselves as pur-
chasers. The price asked was exorbi-
tant, as the proprietors stated that the
''diggings'' returned large amount Of
gold, and the following day was ap-
pointed for the Germans to come and
see what could be produced in the
course of a few honrs' working. The
sellers went during the night and secret
ed the gold-dust il the banks, so that it
would come to light, as natural de-
post, when the earth was turned up.
The following morning the poor Ger
mans were so delighted with the appar.
ent richness of the place that they gave
large sum of money and two valuable
gold watches for the property. The
Germans were laughed at; but they
went to work, and actually succeeded
in raising large amount of gold be-
meath the spot where the others had
left off. The Americans were thus out
witted in turn, and endeavored to get
repossession of the place by force; but
another company of Germans arriving,
they were obliged to decamp.
An old miner relates this story:
"While working on Rock Creek, the
weather being very hot, we always had
near us a can of water, and close to it
we put q teacup to hold the particles of.
gold as we collected them. One morn.
ing as we were at work a thirsty digger
came. by, who asked permission to take
a draught of water, which being grant
ed, he filed up the cup, and quaffed of
tho costly drink, without either drink
ing our healths or leaving the least sed-
iment at the bottom. suspected at
first that some trick had been played
upon US, and he had secreted the gold;
but from the evident distress of the
man, and the earnest manner in which
he promised to repay us when he got
work, L firmly believe that he had swal-
lowed the gold, not having noticed it in
the cup"
Scarcely twenty three years have
elapsed since the gold yield in Califor-
MIA became an undoubted fact, and
within that period many mill
ions of dollars worth of gold-dust
has been added to the wealth of the
world. But even these results have
been eclpsed by the wonderful discov-
cries of gold in Australia. So extern
sively are the gold deposits distributed
throughout that great country, that
Melbourne, the capital, has been said
to be paved with the rich metal, the
broken quartz rocks which have been
used to make the streets being found to
contain gold.--Harper's Young People.