The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1889-10-17
THE DEVILS GOLD.
The Largest Nugget Ever Found on
this Continent.
Discovered In North Carolina and
worth 09S, ,OOO-.-Eate Of Its
Three POssessOFs.

he gets find its way back TO mother earth.
More gold is buried with the dead than
was lost in the sea and earth since the
argosies Of CASTLE were sunk in Biscay
and the caravels Of Solomon the Jew
were lost among the Moluccan reefs and
shoals of the Malay peninsula which
was called Ophir.
A strange thing is gold. Gold in the
hands Of man is most unjustly and un-
equally distributed. In the earth its dis
tribution is even more lacking in law
and balance. The geologist is yet to
come who will trace, like placer miner,
its outcroppings and signs, through allu-
vial deposits, stream washings, ledge and
vein, to the grandest pocket on earth.
What find 1t WILDE. The philosophers
stone alone could rival 1t. But some
where there must be gold in plenty. Did
II in the earth's first whirl from chaos
sink like plummet to the center? Are
the outcroppings Of the hills and noun
tains but fakes and wires whirled and
spun upward from the golden ball thou
sands Of miles below the surface? Pos
sibly.
How many know where the largest sin
gle lump Of native gold ever seen in
America was found2 In California; No.
In Colorado? No. In the Black HillsH
No. In Ceur d'Alene, Nevada, New
Mexico2 No. In old Mexico, Peru, Bo-
livia, in Potosi, in the Caliao Of Venezu-
ella? No. Where then? In North Car
olina. 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
lump Of metal. He had found II stick
ing out from a water-washed gully and
carried II home as 4 curiosity. Though
no larger than small cymling It was a
weighty lug for a mile. Itwas a dull yell
low, irregular in shape, and pieces Of
stone were imbedded in 1t. For over two
years q fortune lay upon the floor Of his
hovel, while he toiled early and late,
making little whisky and digging GIN
seng ro0t to earn a scanty living. A COM
panion mountaineer, who had known
more Of the outside world, thought this
strange stone might be sold at Asheville
as a curiosity for lot Of money-$lO per-
haps. 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 in con-
sultation. Ten dollars was lot Of money.
The third man had been q traveller, q
regular globe trotter. He went to Ashe-
vile four times q year, and he had been
clear to Washington.
Walking around the lump he gazed at
Il from every side, touched it with his toe,
spat on II, and breathed heavily.
"IIit air wurth nuthin', er hit air wuth
a pile" he said. "Hit air nuthin' but
brass, or hit air." He looked around on
the other two with q queer expression
"goold."
"Ef hit air brass"-he drew clasp
knife and scraped the dull metal till q
new surface vinegar'll rust
hit. Ef hit air goold, hit WON'T"
He poured some vinegar from Q jug
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.
"Hit's gooldp
"And I've heerd goold was wurth more
than $500 pound, )" said the second.
"Whata id fool I've been," groan-
ed the owner Of the cabin. "For two
years I've worked, and wealth / never
dreamed Of kickin' under my feet"
81 claims third" broke in the assay
or. eyed never q knowed what II was
but fer me-"
"An' third for me-" said the other.
The owner Of the gold gave sullen as
sent. They obtained q pair Of steelyards
and weighed the gold. It turned the
scales at over 100 pounds avoirdupois,
and they roughly estimated IL to be
worth 25,OOO--over $1,000 apiece. That
night all three sat up and watched the
treasure, unable to sleep from excitement
and thoroughly sncpicious Of each other.
The next day they rolled Il securely in q
cloth and started for Asheville afoot with
the gold slung to q pole and carried be-
tween two.
It was the devils gold. At the first
halting place the Irishman and the second
mountaineer conspired to kill the third,
and he was shot dead from behind. Has
tily throwing his body into a clump Of
brush the murderers faced each other in
the road. Suspicion reused in each guilty
breast saw treachery In the others
glance.
Here" said one forcing an uneasy
laugh, there's only one way TO settle
this. Let's divide the gold and each go
his way"
"Ageed," !" said the other.
The lump was laid in the roadway 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