The state herald., 1889-12-20
ALUMP OF GOLD.
Tho Findsr Paid for tho Discovery With
His Life.

but 1ssponsibls for Two Nurd ers-A
Thrilling Tale.
1t Is III that man should mine the
jawbones OF the earth to get metal for
the teeth OF man, and this he does, and
thus does the gold he gets find its way
back to mother earth. More gold is
buried with the dead than was lost in
sea and earth since the argosies oil
Castillo were sunk in Biscay.
A strange thing ia this gold. Gold
In the hands OF man is most unjustly
and unequally distributed. In the
earth Its distribution is even moro
lacking In law and balance. The geol-
ogist is yet to come who will trace,
like placer miner, its outcroppings
and signs, through alluvial deposits,
stream washings, ledge and vein. to
the grnndest pocket OF the earth. What
find 1t will be! But somewhere there
must be gold in plenty. Did 1t in the
earth's first whirl from chaos sink like
plummet to the center? Are tho out
groupings OF tho hills and mountains
but flakes and wires whirled and spun
upward frcm the golden ball thou
sands OF miles below the surface? Pos
sibly
How many know wherc the largest
single lump OF native gold ever seen
In America was found? In California?
No. Where, thenp In North Carolina.
And Its story is us W eitd and fateful MS
the Rhinegold's.
A poor and ignorant Irlshman, liv.
Ing in the mountains, solitary and
lonely, proppod opep the door OF his
cabin with u lump Of metal. He had
found 1t sticking out from water
washed gulley and carried 1t home as
n curiosity. Though no larger than n
small cymbling. it was weighty lug
for mile. 1t was dull yellow,
irregular in shape and pieces OF stone
were imbcdded in 1t. For over two
years fortune lay upon the floor OF
his hovel, while he toiled, early and
late making Il little whisky and dig
cling ginseng root to earn n scanty
living.4 A companion mountaineer,
who had known more OF tho outside
world, thought this strange stone
might be sold at Ashevillc as n
for n lot OF money-sl0 per-
haps. This was In the flush days be-
fore the war. He had seen quartz
crystals from Roam Mountain bring
that much. A third mountaineer was
called in consultation. Ten dollars
was lot Of money. The third man
had been n traveller. u regular globe
trotter. He went TO Ashcvillc four
times Il year and had been clear TO
Wilmington.
Walking around the lump he gazed
ut II from every side, touched 1t with
his toe, spat on it and brcathed
heavily.
Hit air wuth nuthin'. er hit air n
pile said he. ''Hit air nothin' but
brass, or hit mir" he looked around
on the other Two with queer cx-
preston" "goold."
'.Ef hit air brnss"--he drew n clasp
knife and scraped the dull metal till u
new surface glittercd-"vincgar'll rust
hit III hit air goold. hit won't"
lie poured some vinegar from jug
which was brought to him upon the
fresh facing OF the lump. The three
men hung over 1t intently. Five, ten.
fifteen minutes passed and still the
metal shone clear and untarnished.
s"hits goold.
''And I've hcerd goold was wuth
morc'n 500 n pound.'' said the second.
"What n id fool 1 have becn!'
groaned the owner OF the cabin. For
two years Two worked an wealth /
never dreamed OF kickin' under my
fcet."
II claims third" broke In tho as
saycr. "Ye'd nevcr'd knowed what
hit war but fer me-"
"An' third for me-" said the other.
The owner Of the gold gave sullcn
assent They obtained pair Of steel
yards and weighed the gold. 1t turn.
cd the scales at over n hundred pounds
avoirdupois. and thoy roughly cstimat-
cd II worth s25. 900 over *. coo apiece.
That night all three sat up and atch.
cd tho treasure, unable 10 sleep from
excitement ana thoroughly suspicious
OF each other. The next day they
rolled II securely in II cloth and started
for Ashovillc afoot with the gold slung
to pole and carried between two.
1t was tho DEVILS gold. Al the first
halting place he Irishman and the
second mountain eer conspired TO kill
the third. and ho was shot dead from
behind. Hastily throwing his body
into n clump of bushes, the murder
ers faced each other In the road.
Suspicion reused In each guilty
breast saw trcnchery in the others
glance.
Here" said one, forcing an uneasy
laugh. There's only one way to
settle this. Let's divide tho gold and
each go his way"
Agreed" said the other
Tho lump WINS ibid In tho roadway
md chopped In two with n hatchct
Take your choice" snid one. A,
the other bent To lift his half his com
panlon split the head Of the STOPPING
man with his hntchct Tho gold wa,
his. With blind fntuity he dragged
tho second victim TO the side Of the road
lifted the blood stained treasure nnt
went on. Al Ashcvillc he took II :,
tho bank and had II shipped TO The
United satcs mint In less than I
week aud before my return could be
bad from tho mint tho bodies OF III,
two murdered men hnd been discover.
cd md tho crimo traced directly homo.
Tho miserable wretch was thrust Into
juil md thcro he diod within n year
n =.