Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1888-11-01
IMMENSE GOLD FINDS.
Interesting Accounts of Some of
the Larger Nuggets.


Great Masses OF the Yellow Metal
Rich Discoveries where Least
Expected.
There was recently on exhibition In
the city Of London the largest mug
net" o., 10 use phrase that win per-
haps be more readily understood by
the majority Of non-colonial readers,
lump Of gold, that has been found of
recent years in the Australian colonies.
Its weight was 617 ounces, and its value
in current coin e. 400. But. though
this Lady Loeb nugget (for so it was
named, after the wife OF Sir Henry
Brougham Loeb. the present Niceroy
of tha colony OF Victoria, In which Il
was found) attracted large amount
of attention at the antipodes, and was
also an object Of considerable curios-
ity In London. Il would have been
thought little OF some twenty or thirty
years ago, when monster nuggets we're
no novelties in the colonial gold-fields.
But these large masses Of gold we're
mostly found on or near the surface,
and ever since the era Of deep-sinking
began they have been but rarely met
with. As most people are aware, gold
mining in Australia is now chiefly car
ried on by the systematic crushing Of
the auriferous quartz, which is brought
10 the surface from depths exceeding
two thousand feet in some instances.
In the early digging days the work
ings were almost entirely OF super
fetal character. and IL was in the allu-
vial soil thus opened up that most OF
the monster nuggets were discovered
from time to time
II is a noteworthy fact that one col
ony-Victoria-has not only produced
the largest nugget the world has ever
seen, but has outdistanced all compet-
itors in the quantity and variety Of its
lesser golden glories. The famous
nugget answering TO the above de-
scription is known TO history as the
"Welcome Stranger" 1t was dis
covered under singular circumstances
in the Dunolly District OF Victoria,
which is one hundred and ten miles
northwest Of the capital. Melbourne,
by two Cornish miners named Deeson
and Oates. Their career Is remark
able as showing how fortune, after
frowning for years, will suddenly
smile on the objects OF her apparent
aversion. These two Cornishmen emil
grated from England TO Australia by
the same vessel in 1854. They betook
themselves 10 the far-famed Sand
hurst goldfeld in Victoria; they
worked together industriously for
years, and yet only contrived 10 make
bare livelihood by their exertions.
Thinking that change Of place might
possibly mean change OF luck, they
moved TO the Dunolly goldfeid and
their spirits were considerably raised
by the discovery OF some small mug
gets. But this was only momentary
CLEAN OF sunshine, for their former
ill-lucK pursued them again and pur-
sued them even more relentlessly than
before.
The time at last came, on the morn
ing Of Friday, February 8. 1860, when
the storekeeper with whom they were
accustomed to deal refused to supply
them any longer with the necessities
ot life until they liquidated the debt
they had already incurred For the
first time In their lives they went
hungry TO work, and the spect acle of
these two brave fellows fighting on
AN empty stomach against continued
ill-luck must have moved the tickle
goddess to pity and repentance.
Gloomy and depressed rs they nat
urally were, they piled their picks
with indomitable perseverance,, and
while Deeson was breaking up the
earth around the roots OF tree his
pick suddenly and sharply rabounded
by reason OF its having struck some
very hard substance Come and see
what this is" he called out 10 his
mate. To their astonishment ..this"
turned out TO be the WELCOME
Stranger" nugget and thus two
poverty-strleken Cornish miners be-
came In a moment the possessors of
the largest mass OF gold that mortal
eyes ever saw or are likely TO see again.
Such a revolution OF fortune Is prob
ably unique In the annals Of the human
race. Almost bewildered by the unex-
pected treasure they had found at their
feet, Deeson aud Oates removed the
superintendent clay, and there re-
roaled to their wondering eyes lump
Of gold foot long and q foot broad.
and so heavy that their joint strength
could scarcely move IL A dray hay
ing been procured. the monster mug
get was escorted by an admiring pro-
cession into the town Of DunOlly, and
carried into the local branch OF the
London Chartered Bank, where Il was
weighed and found 10 contain 2,26SJ
ounces Of gold. The bank purchased
the nugget for f9.5Sl, which the erst-
while 20 unlucky (but now 50 fortu-
nate) pair OF Cornish miners divided
equally between them. Whether the
storekeeper who refused them the ma
ierials for a break 'ast that morning
apologized for his harsh behavior his
tory relates not, but the probability
y that he was paid the precise
amount Of his debt and no more;
whereas, had he acted Ia more gen-
orous spirit toward the two brothers
IN distress, he might have come IN for
handsome present out Of the pro-
eaels OF tho Welcome stranger
Tho WELCOME nugget, found at
Bakery Hill, Ballarat IA Victoria, on
juno IS 1858, was ncatly as large as
Tie ole just described is weight be-
ive = a punces, ~ penuywolghts, Il