Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-06-10
THE GOLDEN NUGGET.
A Miners Narrow Escape from @
Terrible Fate

At one of the hotels in this city Is q
man who has been hunter, trapper,
miner and what not, always on the out
skirts of civilization, and has no doubt
passed through more startling scenes
than almost any man in the country
He still lives in a quiet nook among the
mountains not many miles from
Denver, and has settled 1t with his own
mind that he will wander no more.
His shyness and modesty make it diff
cult to win any of his stories from him,
but it chanced that the other evening
several of his old friends who knew
him back in Virginia before he became
r wanderer met him here and spent the
evening with him. He unbent to
them, and the reporter, CHANGING to be
present, caught this story among
others:
"Oh yes, I've lived mostly to myself.
You know, Dick, used to be fond
enough of company; but hadn't been
out on the border long before ! was
more solitary than ever. Something
happened the first year that cured me
of whatever longing might have had
for companionship, and if you don't
mind I'll tell you about it. | have
never told it to anybody else. People
who tell queer stories about their own
experiences are rarely credited, and
this is queer story. was out among
the mines, but all of us were having
desperate bad luck. 1t just seemed that
everything was dead against the gang
of us that went out there Right where
other men had taken out any quantity
of pay dirt our men couldn't find
enough, week after week, to pay ex-
penses.
"One day couple of shrewd Yankees
came in there and prospected around a
little, and offered to buy a couple of
claims. They were snapped up too
quick by two of our fellows, who were
glad of money to get back home with;
but the strangers hadn't dug down six
inches before they began to turn out
gold, and I'll give you my word they
took two good-sized fortunes out of
those two holes. Meanwhile our bad
luck went straight ahead. The rich
find of the two strangers had put the
others into better spirits, but it took
the heart right out of me. | determined
not to strike another lick there. When
the men saw that | was determined to
go furtherHp into the mountains, they
traded me n packmule for my claim,
and loaded up and started off. | had
h~,,t I thtnly x.-ba,,
was overtal1en by Jasper Mills, young
man belonging to the gang. He had
another pacl-mule, and was in every
way as well fixed as myself. We'll,
Deane,' he shouted, cheerily, when he
came within hailing distance, Il just
concluded I'd go with you. That camps
hoodooed, if ever camp was. Seems
to me we'll have better luck up the
gulch.'
81 couldn't tell, just at the first min
ute, whether | was glad or sorry.
never had been quite certain whether
liked Jasper or hated him. But he was
a good-natured kind of fellow, and
after little decided that ! was glad
he had come. So we logged along very
socially until we reached point away
up among the mountains where the in.
dications were promising, and there we
decided to make trial II was
at least fifty miles from the camp we
country no mortal ever saw. believe
with all my heart that we were the first
white men that had ever seen that
country. We found kind of shelf or
the mountain side, though, and made 9
ruCl@ hut of poles and leaves, using oul
tent for roof, and having finished that
we went to work, determined never tC
give up until we had explored all that
country.
"Well, from the first had good luck
never saw things turn out better
Every day my little sack of dust go
fuller and rounder And, strange tC
say, right while was having such sue
cess Jasper was finding almost moth
ing. He seemed to work hard, too
never could understand it. He begaI
to grow moody and silent; though ht
need not have done it, told him owe
and over again that it was share anC
share alike between us, but he indig
nantly refused any part of my earn
ings.
zone day | was digging away at ;
side hill, just above the little noisl
mountain torrent, when uttered a or!
of 10Y and fell on my knees, digging
the treasure out with my hands. haC
come upon pocket and there wer,
three good-sized nuggets, besides tn,
auentity of shining dust IT contained
As held up the nuggets Jasper turne'
away, scewling fiercely.
"'Wcn. what of it?' he cried. There
s9 need Of growing over it, is there"
''Chc bitterness If his manner mad