, 1890-09-11
A LAND OF GOLD.
Fabulous Wealth Found in
an Okanogan Mine.
THE RICH BUNKER HILL LODE
How the Hidden Treasure Was
Discovered-Ore Assaying UP
Into the Thousands.

Loungers about the Pacific ave.
nue. passenger depot of the North
ern Pacific railroad last Friday
morning, says the Tacoma Globe,
mighted have noted as traveller
who alighted from tho overland
train that rolled into the depot at
about IL o'clock, a short. stockily
built, hardy and venturesome man,
slightly this side OF what is ac-
cepted as the middle age in life.
Clad in neat yet plain clothing,
his headgear the broad sombrero of
the plains, and his general makeup
indicative of that of u man accus-
toned to an outdoor life, this pas
scnger just arrived seemed out of
place among the well.dressed throng
that filed out from palace sleeping
coaches, reclining chair cars and day
coaches of the first class that went
to comprise the big cross-country
flyer.
The new arrival glanced about
him. Then he strobe hastily to the
express car up near the head of the
train. He spoke moment with
the express messenger and stepped
aside. St-nlghtway the general run
of cargo such car carries began to
stream from its interior. 1t was
loaded upon huge trucks and carted
away.
Now, then, SIR" observed the
messenger to the stranger. He
seemed to understand. He climbed
into the car and soon appeared at
the door, holding up one end of n
canvass bug about two and half
feet long. At the other end was
the messenger. The contents of the
sack must have been heavy, for the
men bent beneath their burden. It
was gently deposited upon truck
standing alongside the car. Sack
after sack was thus carried out until
seven well filed canvas sacks were
on the truck. Then the stranger
signed an express company's re-
ceipt and directed the man who took
the truck to trundlc IL to an express
wagon standing near. Into this the
heavy canvas bags were loaded, the
stranger took seat beside the driver
on the wagon and 1t was rapidly
hauled up In front of the big Wash
ington block on Pacific avenue.
There the sacks were unloaded, car
ried one by one into the elevator,
and with their guardian. the stran-
ger, carried away up on the sixth
floor of the big building. People
standing on the sidewalk wondered
what and who both might be. 1t
fell to the lot of Globe reporter yes
terday to ascertain.
BILLY NELSON'S JOURNEY.
The stranger was Billy Nelson,
one of the oldest gold hunters and
few remaining types of the hardy
prospector Of the years agone. For
years has Billy Nelson delved In
and out of the mountain recesses,
the valleys and dells Of the great
Pacific Northwest, In search of the
precious yellow metal. He has
found II often, rs often grown rich
Off its discovery; and as often waxed
poor again in the many times vain
and tedious research for greater
wealth than Dame Fortune has each
time he has ''struck n lead" deigned
to bestow upon him. What Billy
Nelson carried enclosed I'm those
curious bags away up on the top
floor of the Washington building,
was ore; quartz which, in miners
rude parlance was literally "lousy
with gold" There of course was a
story of Nelson's advent in Tacoma
with this golden rock. Here it is:
For two years past Billy Nelson
and his "pard" have been prospect
ing Northeastern Washington, away
up In the Kootenai and Okanogan
countries. From the start they had
only tolerable luck. Time and time
again they fell upon that mythical
'true fissure" that old prospectors
have all thought they struck,
worked necessarily upon, dreamed
over and starved over, then only to
find 1t "pocket," worthless, once
it's comparatively meager treasure
trove was lifted from Its recesses.
From the Kootenai they prospected
clear into the Okanogan. They had
about made up their minds to quit
the country and strike out for that
far off land that is ever golden to the
miner, anywhere but where he finds
himself to be, the farther away from
his location always the better.
Bound north into British Columbia,
the prospectors bided a time in
Wannicut lake district, then little
over a year ago just opened up,
but attracting but little attention.
They hurrledly prospected along un-
I'll they found themselves on what
Is known Us Palmer mountain, up
in the northeastern part of Okano-
gan county. Nelson noted the pc
culiar geological formation. He
called his Rard's" (Ryan's) atten-
ful In their Investigations. OF a
sudden, the third day of their prog
ress Nelson and Ryan fell upon a
well defined series of groupings Of
gold-bearlng quartz. They traced
the tale-telling sign Of wealth hidden
beneath, far up the mountain side.
They noted Its centering spot
ana with cxclamations of delight
noted, too that there was the dip Of
the groupings. They In a moment
decided to stay. Erecting u rude
lean to" of logs, they set to work
developing the find. The very pam
nings Of the surface rock told
tnem of untold riches below, and
lent renewed vigor and confidence
and md hope to their work.
Quietly, yet INCREASINGLY, the gold