The Red Cloud chief., 1889-06-07

DUvolL.s LUCKY STRIKE.
- 2oAs = L009 . Am1aa Do11nD WITH
4Rx Aeokha
Sonora. Tuolumne County. Cal. vas
1t IN time the iveliest and richest
mining camp in the Golden State
Gold was found in the very streets and
tie supply seemed inexhaustible. For
the past few years, however. Sonora
has been On the down grade A few
mines are worked in the vicinity. but
the town itself Is about q dead - .
door nail
One of the best known Character Of
the town. and Who may be seen any
day leaning up against some post and
gazing into space "a il he had no
farther use for the scenes about him.
Is a Frenchman by the name Of DuvolL
Duvou is about ffty-six years old
and is a very fair specimen Of the
busted miner" type s. prevalent
among the mining districts Of the
Pacific slope. No one would suppose
By looking at him that only a few
years since he counted his gold by the
hundreds O: thousands. yet such is
really the case
Duvou sprang into wealth aud
prominence in the fall and winter Of
lSs4-5 He made in those few months
something like $l.S50.0o0. To-day he
has not a cent TO his name /: hap
pered this way:
About four miles from Sonora some
nen were sinking a prospect shaft
when they struck a rich pocket
yielding some $4,000 Or more in gold.
They ''crittedT about after that in the
hope Of finding no-e. bu. concluded
finally that there was no more in it
Duvoll had been prospecting around
and working il Che mines. and had
saved abou: $i10. He had heard Of
this pocket. and thinking it a good
spec" offered the men his $40O for
their claim. which offer they jumped
at thinking Duvoll crazy to want to
work the claim any further.
This didn't seem TO phase" Duvoll
any. for he went % work steadily. and
day after day tor about a month he
welded his pick and shovel at the
bottom Of The shaft, until (the ground
he vas working IN was \ soft. decou-
posed Guar;z) he found q narrow
thread Of quartz showing a consider
able quantity OF free gold.
That nigh: DuvoIl procured some
heavy tnbe-s and some lumber and
built a cabin over the shaft A nephew
OF his was called 10 his assistance. and
one o, them was always at the cabin
after that for a period of six months
That narrow streak Of quartz soon
began to widen and the gold became
more plentiful. until an ore chamber
was reached. containing perhaps the
greatest amount OF gold in a given
space that eve vas discovered
The gold was taken out in the
buckesSulS At every strike Of the
pick great chunks of quartz that we-e
Amos: solid masses Of gold would be
loosened. and this vas KEEP: up until
they had taken on. altogether some
coo pounds. which yielded upward
O: $I.Go.O0l
This sor. Of thing. Of course. could
noc last always. and so when the
find petered OFT Duvo.l and his
nephew went down TO San Francisco
to invest their money and enjoy them
selves The nephew had. I believe. a
tenth in'eres. in the pocket
A million dollars wasn't enough for
Duvoll. and in order to increase his
pile he took a ''fier" At stock specu-
lation He took several ''aiers." in
fact. and & did the nephew. In about
sixty days the nephew was busted"
and Duvoll's pile" had been dimin-
ished to about $500. 000.
Duvou-s next step was 70 invest
about $4,000 in dwelling property
on HAight street. San Francisco.
He then returned to Sonora After
several disastrous mining specula-
tons. he was induced 70 60 into q big
scheme which almost broke
him and compelled him to mortgage
his San Francisco property.
After a number Of other ventures
the Haigh. street property rent, BY
the board. and Duvoil. without even
his original &iGo. found himself skir-
mishing about Sonora for a job a. s. .
" e Ho-ol6