, 1890-06-19
GREAT NUGGET.
w onderful Discovery by a Pros
pector Near the City Of
Post Falls.
The Mystery OF bag OF Bacon
That Was Lost Over
board.
written for the REvIEw.l

|
rich In mineral.
From Post Falls up the Spokane
river, and along the lake, nearly
every old settler will take his visit
ors behind the kitchen door, aud
show in secrecy specimens OF ore
brought from the rccesses Of the
reservation.
Scores of men along the river and
lake are earning now scanty and
prearious livelihood by fishing or
wood-chopping, to pass tho time
until the forbidden territory IL
thrown open, when they hope to
win swift fortune. Some of these
are under surveillance from Fort
Sherman, and are well known as
persistent intruders ON the Indian
domain. The absence Of half dozen
Of these watchers, from their usual
haunts, Is n signal that calls on the
cavalry to scour the reservation and
drive them out.
II is also claimed that an organiza-
tlon exists, under the name Of the
One Hundred, consisting of resolute
prospectors who have discovered
valuable leads and are banded to-
gether to give one another armed
support IN the maintenance of their
several claims when the reservation
Is opened. y considerable area has
been Systematically explored and
apportioned.
Startling disclosures will at once
be made public when this ell dorado
IL legally made available. IL con-
tains an extension of the developed
silver belts, wherein the great finds
Of the past will he repeated. The re-
cent episode at Post Falls Is but one
of thousand similar hints which
have become familiar to dwellers
along that frontier.
Some ten days ago "A grizzled pros
pectOr rode into Post t'nlls--the
usual figure i'm overalls, smoking u
cob pipe, bestriding IA sleepy cayuse
aud leading u pack horse loaded
with flour, pick, pan, shovel and
rifle. IL was late In the afternoon,
and he left the beaten road leading
to the distant camps, and turned
down, almost unnoticed, to the
river. Here, ut a point where the
bank descends In q long slope, he
drove down TO the waters edge, un-
glrthed and hobbled his horses and
turned them loose, and stopped for
IA nights rest.
Early the next morning two
young men, coming down to fish,
passed his smoking fire, and saw
the prospector landing from skif
on the opposite bank, where he
shouldercd his light pick and
plunged into the forest.
Returning down the shore at noon
with their strings of trout, our fish
ermen were puzzled to find the pros
pector returned also, and maneuver-
ing mysterlously In the river. His
skIf lay on the water some two rods
from the shoie and the miner was
thrusting his oar into the swift cur
rent and circling above soine object
on the bottom. vainly trying TO hold
the boat In position with the other
oar. He looked up with relief when
the two spUrismon came by and
made an earnest gesture.
SAY, lend me one of them poles
and git i'll here a minute, one of ye.
I've lost "A bag Of bacon owe, board,
and can't poke It out alone"
He came ashore. One man
stepped into the boat and the miner,
grlsplng the fishing rod, surren-
dered his place nt the oars aud
directed their course until the skitf
lay over the lost bag. 1t was com
mon flour sack, aud the helper saw
Ut once from the contour of the
object within that 1t did not contain
bacon nor any other very large
object, but that It's contents must oe
heavy, for IL lay on the smooth bot
tom unmoved by the rapid current.
Very carefully the miner inserted
the end of the pole into the mouth
Of the bog and pushed IL over
toward the shore. But with all his
pains the waters foiied his efforts;
when near the briuk the bag floated
away leaving bright nugget
glistening on the sandy bottom.
The prospector vouchsafed no eX-
PLANTATION, but waded in and brought
his trophy ashore. 1t wus a lump
OF ore nearly six inches in diameter,
extremely heavy, nearly free of rock
or iron, and of that soft gray hue
which bespeaks u cheering per cent.
of pure silver.
iWhcre did you get this-bacon?"
inquired his assistant.
II had tile bag on the seat by me,
and knocked it of with the handle
of the oar"
"Came from up yonder?" aud the
inquirer pointed to the southeastern
hills.
The prospector nodded, frowned,
muttered his thanks, took his speci-
men and moved away toward his
campfire.
The fisherman returned to town
aud told their story. About night
fall two or three interested citizens,
who had themselves occasionally
made stealthy researches In the res
crvation went down To the river to
Interview the prospector
He was gone, but his black fry
ing-pan swung on bough, his
blacker coliee-pot stood on the
enibers, blankets, picks and accou-
trenients piled against n tree, and
his provisions were safely hung in
the boughs above.
Underneath n saddle, wrapped In
flannel, was found the nugget. 1t
was weighed, whitfield, examined
with microscope, and excitedly
pronounced high grade ore.
While they still discussed II, the
borrowed skltf grated on the shore,
aud the pro-pector came into camp
bearing his spade.
He was congratulated. Inquiries
were poured in upon him. Had he
dug the ledge free? Was the vein
wide? Had he knocked oil any
more pleces? Was this merely fi,mt,
or hau he iou nd the mother lode?
The prospector looked from one to
anol her In silence. He took the
nnnnnf and mid iI nMnN nun Ia nm dor