St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-04-20
GOLD NUGGETS.
History of the Most Important
Found in California.

Virginia CNev) Chronicle.
The first nugget of any great impOr-
lance, and which played prominent
part in the early history of California,
was found by "a young soldier of Steven
sons regiment in the Mokelumne river,
while drinking from that stream He
FASTENED to San Francisco and placed
his prize in the hands OF Col.
Mason for safety, after which it found
its way to New York. where it famed
the. smoldering flame and caused the
nations to realize the Importance of
California. This nugget weighed be.
tween twenty and twenty-five pounds.
In November. 1854, a mass of gold was
/ found at Carson Hill, Calaveras county,
(which weighed 1876 pounds troy. This
is the largest piece of gold ever found
in the state. Several other nuggets,
weighing from six to seven pounds.
were found in the same locality.
On the 18th of August, 1860, large
piece of gold was taken from the ,Monu-
mental quartz mine, Sierra county,
which weighed 1886 ounces troy. The
nugget was purchased OF the owner by
X. B. Woodward, of San Francisco, and
|. exhibited at Woodward's gardens. Mir.
Woodward paid S21,636.52 for it. and
| Sl7,654 81 from it.
A Mr.. Strain found large slab-shaped
gold quartz nugget near Knapp ranch,
half mile east of Columbia. Tuolumne
county. which weighed fifty pounds
avOirdupois. After crushing and melt
| ing, the gold was valued at $500.
+ Ins1S49 a nugget was found at Sulli-
/ vans Creek, Tuolumne county, that
| weighed tWenty-eight pounds avoirdu-
pois.
In 1856, at French Ravine, Sierra
county, a nugget was found which con-
| tanned considerable quartz, but yielded
| $4,000, while another was found at all
earlier date in 1851, the gold from which
was valued at $4,000.
In the year 1867, at Pilot Hill, Ell
Dorado county, boulder of gold quartz
was found, which yielded in gold $1,000.
Several other boulderS of smaller size
were found in the same claim. The
boulders were found in what is known
| as the Boulder gravel claim. lmmedl-
ately west the Pilot Hill postof1ice.
A Mr.. Virgin and others found mug
| get on Gold hill, Tuolumne county,
| which weighed $50 ounces and was val
| ued at about $1,000.
| In 1854 mass of wood weighing $50
ounces. and valued at $685. was found
at Columbus. Tuolumne county.
1t has been reported that nugget
weighing 266 ounces. and valued at
| $1,000 was found at Minnesota, Sierra
county.
In lS5O a piece of gold-quartz was
| found in French Ravine, Sierra county,
| which contained 263 ounces of gold
worth $4,s95.
It has been reported that a French
| man found nugget of gold in Spring
| Gulch, Columbia, TOulumne county,
which was nearly pure gold, being
worth more than $1,000. The finder be-
came insane the next day and was sent
| to Stockton. The French consul re-
| covered the nugget, realized its value,
and sent the money to the finders fam
lily in France.
On the 4th day of August, 1858, Ira A.
| Willard found on the west branch of
| Feather river nugget weighing fifty
four pounds avordupois before and
| fOrty-nine and one-half pounds after
| melting.
A gold nugget was found, date not
| given. near Kelsey, Ell Dorado county.
which sold for s4,7OO.
In 1876 j. D. Colgrove, of Dutch Flat.
| Placer county, found white quartz
| boulder in the Polar Star hydraulic
| mine which contained $3.50 worth OF
| gold.
1t has been reported that nugget of
| pure gold was found in the middle fork
| of the American river, two miles from
Michigan Bluff, in the year 1864, which
| weighed 22S ounces, and was sold for
| $4.204. Another account OF this nugget
| states that the weight was 1877 ounces.