The Indianapolis journal., 1885-07-05
A DRUMMER'S RICH FIND.
Boxes Bought at Express Sale Prove
Bonanza in Disguise.
Louisville Courier-JournaI


Louisville Courier journal.
A rather romantic story, and one which largely
interests a Louisville gentleman came to the
ears of reporter yesterday. The gentleman,
VINO desires TO be nameless. is a well-known
jewelry drummer, Of Israel, and al one
time representative on the road of a Fourth
avenue jewelry establishment The story, which
credits him with suddenly coming into posses
sion Of handsome fortune. Is briefly this
About two years ago, while on trip to the
West. he had occasion to go TO st. Louis, where
he stopped for several days on business. While
passing along the street one afternoon he found
himself before an auction house where a large
amount of unclaimed merchandise, commonly
known as ''od horse" was being sold to the
highest bidder by an express company. At
tracted more by curiosity than desire to make
any investment, he entered the store, and after
standing idly by during the disposal of
several packages, suddenly took notion to
try his luck. Two substantial pine boxes, each
about eighteen inches square and foot
deep, and addressed to Henry G. Townsend,
st. Louis, Mo, were the block. They bore
the card of the express company, on which it
stated that they had been sent from Gun
nison, Col, by George ?. Somervile, and that
they contained quartz. The commercial evan
gellst, hearing bid of 81 for both the bo&s,
raised it % cents. His opponent went him Il
quarter better, and so the game see-sawed until
finally the Louisville man captured the boxes
for 81 75. He had them removed to his
that they were full of gold and silver-hearing
quartz, but of what richness he could not tell.
Before ne left St Louis he shipped the boxes to
this city, ana after his return had his father,
who is something of a scientist and considerable
of a mineralogiSt crush the quartz, and put it
through the proper process to test its bearing
qualities. 1t was found that the quartz was eX
tremely rich in both gold and silver, and who
ever owned the property from which, it came had
a bonanza
he Lotto fo,p nd n i'm
self again in St Louis, and he made some in
quiries concerning Townsend, to whom the boxes
had been consigned. He found him to be a
worthless sort Of fellow, who cared for nothing
but enough to eat and drink from day to day.
He owned part of the claim from which the
quartz had come, and was willing to sell it for
mere song 1t had never been worked he said,
and he didn't suppose it amounted to
much. Somerville dead and Town
send had never had the means to go
out and look up the property The drummer
went then to Colorado, found the claim as de-
scribed in the West Elk mountains. northwest
of GunnisOn, and finally purchased the property
in conjunction with a friend who was located at
Gunnson. They had but little money with
which to begin operations, the claim was hard 10
reach, and for year more they did but little
in developing the lead. Recently, however they
have made better progress, and a letter
received on last Wednesday by the drummer
from his partner announced that their claim
was of inest Unable value and enough ore had
already been taken out to make them both rich
men. The fortunate commercial tourist is
fdent that he will soon be CrOeSus, and that it.
will not be lon until he can cast the grpsack
aside forever AS he is clever, soci able fellow,
and the pOssessor of host of frierds it will not
be long until his good fortune will be generally
known and his name made public. While very
confident that he has the golden bird we'll in
hand, he prefers TO see few eggs heaped in his
lap before making any great splurge over the
matter.