The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-07-22
NeTaid's First Nugget---Dug Out With
Butcher-Knife.

NeTaid's First Nugget---Dug Out With
Butcher-Knife.
The San Francisco Alta California
/ says: An interesting correspondence
has lately passed between Elliott Lord,
of the United States Geographical Sur
vey, and John Orr, the first discoverer
of gold in Nevada. Under the super
vision of the Director of the Geological
Survey history of the Comstock dis
covery and mining developments on the
east slope of Nevada is being prepared.
Mr.. Orr, at present residing at Duncan s
Mills, SOnOma County, has in his pos
session the first gold nugget known to
have been found in Nevada, and the
inquiries of Mr.. Lord have been in re-
lation to the circumstances CT its dis
cOvery and the possibility of securing it
from Mr.. Orr, by donation or purchase,
for the collection of minerals in the Ma
tiOnal Museum as Washington.
In conversation with Mr.. Orr day
or two ago he stated the facts relating
to the discovery. He started with a
large train to come across the plains in
1919. Unusually severe weather was
encountered, the roads were bad and
they were compelled to spend the win
ter 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 cut through the snow
,,,,t,1 h., II,,,D,L,1l4
had partner named Nick Kelly, after
whom Kelly's Ravine is named, and in
the company was one William Prouse,
now living in Nurb City, about forty
miles southeast of Salt Lake. Prouse
had worked in mines in this State be-
fore gold was discovered in Coloma and
was good prospector.
One early day of May, 1850 the train
stopped on the edge of what is now
known as Gold Canyon, near the Car
son river. to let the animals feed on
some bunch grass found growing among
the sage brush. PrOuse at nOOntime
took a milk-pan and going down to the
gulch began washing dirt, in a few
minutes getting color to the value of a
few cents. Orr then named the place
Gold Canyon, still retained. Orr was
keeping rude chart of the country tray
eled over, taking bearings only north
and south and estimating the distances
travelled every day. Gold Canyon was
marked on the chart, which. was lost by
Orr in 1850, while returning East to be
married. The train soon after resumed
travel, going to the head of the Carson
Nnll 3
seven, who had left the train at the
sink of the Humboldt, intending to 90
in advance to California and select
good locations for the remainder of the
party. They had been unable to cross
the country and had been lost in the
snow in the mountains four or five DAYS
unable to find the divide to HangtOwn,
and seeking Carson to recuperate. A
stay in Carson for three weeks followed
when Orr, Kelly and several others re-
turned to Gold Canyon and resumed
prospecting. Kelly and Orr went up
the canyon until little fork was
reached, when work was begun. The
party had but few tools and Orr had
nothing but a butcher-knife.
While Kelly was working Orr noticed
a very narrow place at the fork, where
the water barely covered slab of slate
rock. Idly he examined it, and MOTTO
ing a small crevice near the edge, drove
the butcher-knife into it, breaking out
a piece. The water running over it
washed away the underlying dirt, and
in few seconds Orr discovered a golden
nugget where the rock had covered.
1t was quickly removed and afterward
found to weigh So %. This was on the
first of June, 1850 and thirty years ago.
Prospecting was continued and though
gold dust was found in several places
the canyon, Orr's was the
only nugget found. The party lacked
tools and provisions and being bent on
reaching California, abandoned the can
yon and arrived at Leek Springs, July
4. 1850. Orr offered the nugget to
Kelly, who refused it and as it was the
first piece of gold he ever dug, Orrfo a
few years kept it as a souvenir on that
account.
Of late years the inquiry as to the
first discovery of gold in Nevada, and
the settlement of the discovery upon
Mr.. Orr and his nugget, have induced /
him to state that the nugget is not for
sale. nor will it be donated to any
museum. He has four grown sons and /.
will keep it for them, to be passed /.
down as an heirloom. Mr. Lord writes /
that the survey in their contemplated /
work will acknowledge the first discov-
cry as stated above.