The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-02-02
GOLD AND SILVER.
Some Lively Stories Of
Finds Of tho Precious Metals.

Some Lively Stories Of Academia
Finds OF the Precious Metals.
A correspondent, writing from Omaha,
says: That rich mines are often discov-
cred by accident, history, both ancient
and modern, verifes. Numerous in
stances have come under my obser-
walton. This is said to be luck,
but it matters not whether it is luck or
science, so long as the find Ms a good
one. In such cases it would seem that
it is even better to be born lucky than
industrious. Only last spring q pros
pector, not twenty miles from here,
after hunting many days for q quartz
ledge, tired in the search and threw
down his pick and shovel in disgust
took up his rifle aud sauntered forth TOR
game. Fortune favored him; his luck
came suddenly to him, as it were. He
shot q deer, which, i'll its death struggle,
fell over the rocks and rolled down the
mountain-side When the hunter
reached his game he found it lying on
the outcrop of an immense galena ledge,
which he soon after sold tor q good
round sum--fgures not stated.
In the early days of California, q poor
prospector, sadly out of luck, was
returning 10 his camp after night,
when he was assailed by a vicious dog:
Having no weapon with which to stand
off his enemy, he felt around in the dark
and laid hold of the first thing be could
catch, which was a hefty rock. The dog
had sloped. of course, and the man kept
the stone in his hand until he was safe in
his own cabin. In the morning he saw
something bright on the missile of war,
and on. closer examination he found that
the rock wss full of gold. He returned
and found the ledge from which the
quartz boulder hac 1oated, SOLD 1t for a
large amount OF money, returned TO Inc
States, bought a firm, marrled ana
raised O large family Of children.
About four years ago q poor but IN,
dustrious prospector in this county nad
the misfol tune (or good t%ortune) to lose
his horse. It was an old bay horse, and,
like his master. was a wandering pros
pector, only that he p%rospected tor
grass, while the master p%rospected TOR
quartz. This particular day the old bay
wandered further than be was wont to
do, PROBABLY because the bunch grass
was few and far between. At any rate,
the prospector desired to move camp,
but could not do so without the assist
ance of his bay companion. He must
needs find him. He was at last success
full, and while returning with the truant
he noticed the head of q mountain ram
sticking in the rocks. Stopping to ex-
anime it, he saw rich-looking quartz
scattered about, and, following it up, he
hit upon what is now he noted Rams
horn minc-the longest and richest silver
ledge that we know of. The district was
named Bay Horse, IS it should have
been, and is the richest silver dlstrlct.lr
the Salmon river country.
knew o Il. IN once who folio wed
mining and prospecting for q period Of
forty years. He had been all through
California, Colorado and Montana, and
had prospected twenty-five years IN
Georgia before coming West. lie was
not mucl On digging deep holes, but he
would 60 round hunting for shallow
diggings as long as the boys would
stake" him. He was getting worn
out prospecting out Of luz k, and when,
on the twenty-fourth day OF July, 1854,
he camped on a tributary Of Prickly
Pear creek, in Northern Montana, he
said to his three companions: Lets
sink q hole on this bar; it's the last
chance; if we can't find it here l don't
know where next to prospect" The
Younger members OF the party put the
hole to bedrock, the diggings were
named Last Chance, and two years
later the old mar threw away his tools
and went home to Georgia with a JOYFUL
heart and $780, 600 in clean gold dust.
but not until after he had seen the city
of tielena-the metropolis Of Montana-
spring up about him.
Only last summer q prospector IN tle
Lower Wood river country met with an
u]nexpected streak of luck that aston
ished him. While on his way across
from Bellvue to Croy Canon the pack on
the horse he was leading became loose,
and in order to adjust it he dismountod.
While ~rearranging it he saw something
at his feet that resembled rich silver
"foat." He traced it up to the ledge,
which was only II short distance away,
and found that he had one OF the best
"prospects" in Wood liver. He 10.
Gated the original and two extensions,
and the best ore in the vein assays up
into the thousands. Recently he sold
out for a snug little fortune.
On a mountain trail in California
there used to be a big boulder which
furnished q iavorite resting-place Ter
tired footmen. Thousands of men had
sal on that stone and rested their weary
limbs. In fact it was ofso peculiar shape
that it seemed to fit every Il who tried
it. With long usage it had worn as
smooth as ivory, and was greasy with
frequent contact with miners clothing.
One day an old prospector squatted him.
self upon this favorite resting-stone, and
while getting his wind be carelessly and
unconsciously pecked away at the
boulder with his pick. A piece of the
rock flew off and revealed to him the
surprising truth that he was sitting on a
rich chunk of quartz. He at once
proceeded up the hill and found the
ledge, and it was full OF gold and
brought him much wealth.
The man who first found gold in Cali
fornia was working in mill race at tue
time at very small wages, and didn't
expect any pay until the mill got to
saving.