The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-11-02
the DEVILS GOLD.
The Story Of the Biggest Nugget Ever
Found in America,

L
single lump of native gold ever
found in America was found? In
California? No. In Colorado? No.
In the Black Hills, Ceur d'Alene,
Nevada, New Mexico? No. In old
Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, in Potosi, the
Caliao of Venezuela? No. Where
then? In North Carolina. And its
story is as weird and fateful as the
Rhinegold's.
A poor and ignorant Irishman,
living in the mountains solitary and
lonely, propped open the door of
his cabin with a lump Of metal.
He had found it sticking out from
water-washed gully and carried it
home as a curiosity. Though no
larger than a small cymling, it was
weighty lug for a mile. It was a
dull yellow, irregular in shape,
and pieces of stone were imbedded
in it. For over two years fortune
lay upon the floor Of his hovel
while he toiled early and late, max
ing a little whisky and digging GIN
seng root to earn a scanty living.
A companion mountaineer, who had
known more of the outside world,
thought this strange stone might be
sold at Asheville as a curiosity for
a lot of money-$1O 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 consultation. Ten dol
lars was lot of money. The third
man had been a traveller, a regular
globe-trotter. He went to Asheville
four times year, and he had been
clear to Washington.
Walking around the lump he
gazed at it from every side, touched
it with his toe, spat on it and
breathed heavily.
"Hit air wuth nuthin', er hit air
wuth a pile" said he. "Hit air
nothin' but brass, er hit air."
He looked around on the other two
with a queer expression-"goold." +"
Eff hit air BRASS" he drew clasp
knife and scraped the dull met al
till a new surface glittered-"vine-
gar'll rust it. Eff hit air goold 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 it intently.
Five, ten, fifteen minutes passed
and still the metal shone clear and
untarnished.
Hits goold!"
"And I've heard goold was wuth
more'n 5000 a pound" said the
second.
"What a fool I've been,"
groaned the owner Of the cabin.
For two years I've worked, an
wealth I never dreamed of kickin'
under my feet"
II claims third" broke in the
assayer. "Ye'd never a-knowed
what it was but for me-"
SAN third for me-" said the
other.
The owner of the gold gave sui
len assent. They obtained a pair
of steelyards and weighed the gold.
1t turned the scales at over one
hundred pounds ovoirdupois, and
they roughly estimated it to be
worth $25, ,OOO--over $4,000 apiece.
That night all three sat up and
watched the treasure, unable to sleep
from excitement and thoroughly
suspicious of each other. The next
day they rolled it securely in a
cloth and started for Asheville afoet,
with the gold slung to pole and
carried between two.
1t was the DEVILS gold. At the
first halting place the lrishman and
the second mountaineer conspired
to kill the third, and he was shot
dead from behind. Hastily throw
ing his body into a clump of bushes,
the murders faced each other in the
road. Suspicion reused in each
breast saw treachery in each others
glance.
"Here," said one, forcing an un-
easy glance, "there's only one way
to settle this. Let's divide the gold
and each go his way"
agreed" said the other.
The lump was laid in the road
way and chopped in two with
hatchet.
"Take your CHOICE" said one. AS
the other bent to lift his half his
companion split the head of the
STOPPING man with his hatchet. The
gold. was his. With blind fatuity
he dragged the second victim to the
side of the road, lifted the blood
stained treasure and went on. At
Asheville he took it to the bank
and had it shipped to the United
States Mint. In less than a week,
and before any return could be made
from the mint, the bodies of the
murdered men had been discovered
and the crime traced directly home.
The miserable wretch was placed
in Jail and there he died within
wear. The witch gold fortune never
crossed his hands. remaining, | be-