Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-10-11
THE DEVILS GOLD.


Washington Post. a
How many know where the largest ain
gle lump. OF native gold ever seen In
America was found2 In California? No,
In Coioradoi No. In the Black Hills.
SGur a. Alene, Nevada, New Mexico?
NO. In old Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, IN
Potosi, the Caliao of Venezuslsi No.
Where theni In North Carolina. And
its story Is ss weird and fateiul a. the
Rhinegold's.
A poor and ignorant Irlshman, living
In the mountains solitary and lonely.
propped open the door of his cabin with
lump OF metal. He had found II stick
ing cut from q water washed gully and
carried IL home as curiosity. Though
no larger than "a small cyinling, 1t was
weighty lug for mile. 1t was 4 dull
yellow, Irregular In shape, and pieces Of
stone were imbedded In It. For over two
years fortune lay upon the floor of his
novel while he toiled early and late, max.
Ing little whisky and digging gins eng
root TO earn scanty living. A companion
mountaineer, who had known more OF
the outside world. thought this strange
stone might be sold at Ashville as q curl.
osity Tor lot OF money-S10 perhaps.
This was in the flush days before the war.
He had seen quartz crystal from Roam
Mountain bring that much, A third
mountaineer was called into consulta-
tlon. Ten dollars was a lot of money
The third man had been a traveller. a
regular globe trotter. He went TO Ash.
vile Tour times year, and he had been
clear 10 Wash ngton.
walking around the lump he gazed al
1t from every side, touched it with hie
Toe spat on It and breathed heavily.
"Hit air wuth nuthin', or hit air with a
pile" said he. "Hit air nothin' but brass
er hit air" He looked around on
the other two with queer expression
"goold."
"Ef hit air brass" he drew a clasp
knife and scraped the dull metal TIL q
new euriace glittered-''vinegar'll rust
It. Et hit air eoold hit won't"
He poured some vinegar from a Jug
which was brought him upon the fresh
facing OF the lump. The three men hung |
over 1t lntently. Fivs, ten, fifteen min |
utes passed, and still the metal shone |
clear and untarnished.
Hits Qooldv'
"And I've heered goold was with
more n $500 pound" said the second,
"What = fool I've been, groened
the owner Of the cabin. "For two years
I've worked, an wealth never dreamed
Of kickin' under my feet"
81 claims third" broke In the assay
err. Eyed never a knowcd what IL was
but for me
AN third for me-" said the other.
The owner of the gold gave sullen as
tent. They obtained a pair of steely ards
md weighed the gold. It turned the
'cale at over 100 pounds avoirdupois, and
hey roughly estimated it to be worth
", 0O0-over SS, 900 apiece. That night
III three sat w and watched the trels-
Ire, unable to sleep from excitement and
thoroughly suspicious Of each other. Tho
lext day they rolled 1t securely In C 10th
md started for Asheville afoot, with the
'old sluUg 70 pole, and carried between
wo.
1t was the DEVILS gold. At the first
Ialting place tho Irishman and the Sec
nd mountaineer conspired to kill the
bird, and he was shot dead from behind.
LASTLY throwing his body into q clump
# bushes the murderers faced each other
n the road. Suspicion reused in each
reast saw treachery In each other's
lance.
Here" said one, forcing an uneasy
iugh, there's only Que way. to sell ,
e this. Let's divide the gold and each
o his way"
agreed" said the other. 6
The lump was laid in the roadway and
bopped it two with Ratchet. ,
Take your choice" said one. As the
Their bent to lit his half his companion 8
plit the head OF the stopping man with q
is Ratchet. The gold was his. With
lind fatuity he dragged the second VIC
I'm to the side of the road, lifted the
lood-stained treasure, and went on. At
Ishevllle he took 1t to the bank and had #
shipped to the lIuited States mint. In "
,ss than week, and before any return b
ou.d be made from the mint, the bodies e
{ the murdered men had been discovered
nd the crime traced directly home. The
Miserable wretch was placed In Jail, and
iere he died within a year. The witch n
old fortune never crossed bis hands, re- n
aiming, l believe, In the federal treas
ry for lack Of ownership. "
The region where the lump was found =
10 been secured foot by foot but not n
nother lump like that has ever been dis. d
'vered In that or any other section of d
merica. IL 10 said that a few weeks nj
70 an English company, which is wo k +.
z the Nacoochee mine In Georgia, took II
1t a nugget Weighing 1890 penny. n
eights, yet the North Carolina lump n
al I |