The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-03-14
A LUMP OF GOLD.

LUMP OF GOLD.
Tho Finder Paid for the Discovery With
His Liis.
1hs History Of the Bisssst Nugget Ever
unsarthsd in Ansriea-witheut an Owner,
but Responsible for Two Nurd srs-A
Thrilling Tale.
1t is fit 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 OF
CASTLE were sunk In Biscay.
A strange thing is this gold. Gold
in the hands Of man is most unjustly
and unequally distributed. In the
earth its distribution is even more
lacking In law and balance. The geol-
ogtst is yet to come who will trace,
like placer miner. its outcroppings
and signs. through alluvial deposits,
stream washings, ledge and vein. to
the grandest pocket Of the earth. What
a find it will be! But somewhere there
must be gold in plenty. Did it in the
sarth's first whirl from chaos sink like
plummet to the center? Are the out
groupings Of the hills and mountains
but flakes and wires whiA led and spun
upward from the goldelS ball thou
sibly.
How many know where Fae largest
single lump of native goldi ever seen
In America was found? In California;
No. Where, thenp In North Carolina.
And its story b US weird and fateful as
the Rhinegold's.
A poor and ignorant Irishman, liv.
ing in the mountains. solitary and
lonely. propped open the door of his
cabin with lump of metal. He had
found 1t sticking out from a water
washed gulley and carried it home as
curiosity. Though no larger than a
small cymbling, it was a weighty lug
for q mile. It was a dull yellow,
irregular in shape and pieces OF stone
were imbedded in it. For over two
years fortune lay upon the floor OF
his hovel. while he toiled, early aud
late making u little whisky and dig
ging ginseng root to earn scanty
living. A companion mountaineer,
who had known more of the outside
world, thought this strange stone
might be sold ut Asheville as n
curiosity for lot Of moncy-$lO per-
haps. This was in tho flush days be-
fore the war. He had seen quartz
crystals from Roam Mountain bring
that much. A third mountlineer was
called in consultation. Ten dollars
was q lot of money. The third man
had been traveller. q regular globe
trotter. He went to Asheville four
times year and had been clear to
Wilmington.
Walking around the lump he gazed
at 1t from every side. touched it with
his toe. spat on it and breathed
heavily.
"Hit air wuth nuthin', er hit air q
pile" said he. "Hit air nothin' but
brass, er hit air" he looked around
on the other two with u queer ex-
pression-"goold."
"Ef hit air brass'-he drew a clasp
knife and scraped the dull metal till u
now surface glittered-"vinegar'll rust
hit. Ef hit mir goold, hit won't"
He poured some vinegar from a Jug
which was brought to him upon the
fresh facing of tho lump. The three
men hung over it intently. Five. ten.
fifteen minutes passed and still the
metal shone clear and untarnished.
"Hits goold!'
"And I've heerd goold was wuth
more IL $500 u pound!" said the second.
"What id fool have been!"
groaned the owner OF the cabin. "For
two years I've worked an wealth I
never dreamed of kickin' under nv
feet"
Il claims n third" broke In the as
sayer. "Ye'd never'd knowed what
hit war but fer me-"
can third for me-" said the other.
The owner Of the gold gave a sullcn
assent. They obtained pair of steel
yards and weighed the gold. 1t turn.
cd the scales atover a hundred pounds
avoirdupois, and they roughly estimate
ed it worth s25, 900 over 5000 apiece.
That night all three sat up and W atch-
cd the treasure, unable 10 sleep from
excitement and thoroughly suspicious
of each other. Tho next day they
rolled it securely in cloth and started
for Ashevillc afoot with the gold slung
to u pole and carried between two.
1t was the DEVILS gold. At the first
halting place he Irishman and the
second mountaineer conspired to kill
the third. and he was shot dead from
behind. Hastily throwing his body
into clump OF bushes, the murder
ers 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"
agreed" said the other.
The lump was laid In the roadway
and chopped in two with a hatchet.
''Take your choice" said one. As
the other bent to lift his half his COM
panion split the head Of the STOPPING
man with his hatchet, The gold was
his. With blind faulty he dragged
the second victim to the side of the road,
lifted the blood stained treasure and
went on. At Asheville he took it to
the bank and had it shipped to tho
United States mint In less than a
week and before any return could be