Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-10-09

[kIkS4T, not more than fifty
b nbIk XW3sn, feet square; and in
II &N8EnS, it she had placed
8l gold in quantities
>MR that few men ever
see and fewer still
mll.colored yellow. 1t hardly
I'd the thing for which men barter
0r and women fall. 1t was just
nature, the great alchemist, had
1e it. No alloys had corrupted it,
had the swcaty, clinging clasp of
Frer dehled it. For centuries it
lain and glistened in she burning
Furnished only by the sand
teping over it in windy rcvels. 1t
never known the darkness of long
rs of boarding in strong-boxes, nor
il ever chung like the kisses of
sionate men to the throat and
rs and breast Of women beautiful
day. No mans blood had been
ID for it, no woman or child
en- bread in sadness and tears be-
se of it. Yet it was gold.
Amid the sand and in the crevices
the rocky lodges that made the
ex of the mountain a novice might
We passed it by unheedingly. But
ben Jack Swilling and his comrades
Is it they knew that they were rich,
st in the gold that lay before them
new life wherein that gold
uld buy them the smiles and
Fesses Of women, the homage and
Servience of mem life of music,
teasting, and of song.
1t was for this that they had toiled
years and had risked everything
at men hold dear. And now it had
me to them unexpectedly and by
eident. Attracted by the discovery
rich gold diggings at Weaver at the
len organized territory of Arizona
Ne little party had left Tucson and
aveled northward until they had ar
we'd at the placers. On their ar
val at the mines they found that al
lady good many thousands of dol
N had been taken out, principally
Mexicans, and they had no diff
lty in locating ground that paid
hem we'll. For nearly month they
ad continued mining, meeting with
smore than usual success, until one
ttheir party, while hunting, had
sended one of the surrounding
fountains. On reaching the sum-
bit he had paused for an instant to
Et his eye sweep the mesas and
fountains that stretched away for
piles on either side, and while doing
phe had discovered that the little
BASIN in which he stood was almost
paved with gold. Picking up a few
b the larger pieces he returned to
Ehe camp and informed his comrades
y his discovery. The story he told
ps companions was one so incredible
slat, had it not been for the nuggets
n gold which he had brought with
alm, it would not have been believed,
Early the next morning the entire
party assembled the mountain, ant
shat they saw proved that thu
achness of the find had not been ex
sRgerated, but that its true value ha(
0een, if anything, underestimate.
Abandoning their old location, thu
party encamped on their newly dis
uvered treasure-ground and began tt
gather its riches. At first ever.
oose nugget was carefully picked VI
and stored away; after that the sand
winch was found to be heavy will
ane gold, was gathered together pre-
!MIratory to ''waslling" it out will
le waters of the stream below. Thl
s S.e, they began with their bowl
aalves to ''cut and gouge" out OF tn
asvices and cracks of the rocks tn
s so,d that they contained. Neve
sla men work SO hard. The feverisl
" hunger and thirst for gold was upol
l ,a AS long as the light OF da
,asted they continued to work. Eacl
ulay saw the pile of virgin gold gro'
Sdlser, until it became impossible t
conceal it.
me MeXicans who had been thei
uelghbors in the old diggings woul
eolne into their camp and look wit
sieeoy eyes at the Americans atwork
A. A. aist they sought everywhere t
discover another such pocket. but i
a 'sln' Outside Of The little piece {
Si ts \, where the party had ''struc
the mOuntain-side was as barre
" so:d as a nacadamizcd road. The
th lucy ceased to prospect and spen
t in time sullenly watching the tai
.as out OF the riches in which the
wv, ~ TO nave no share.
Il. ~ Them the spot was like the vo
ina ina VI the lnielstrom. Every morl
x9 ia Vhey were there, standing on tn
,b' H." H the claim, and durln
" long bot i.o,rs Of the day the