The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-10-03
FOUND IN CHUNKS
THE STORY OF A YOUNG WOMAN'S
LUCK IN OLD MEXICO.

6OSh TN OIO M6AlCO.
While Out sketching . Bit Of Rough Coun-
Nu@sets-Dificulties Overcon,s In Con-
vertinx the ssBits" Into Cash.
Miss Doria Kemp is one Of the luckiest
young women in the world. She went out
to sketch in the hills of old Mexico, and
while looking for brook fell into bed Of
gold nuggets. She jumped from poverty
TO comparative riches in the twinkling of
an eye Her find netted her 50, ZOO She
was in Charharipari, a little settlement at
the mountains foot, six days hard rid
ing from any railroad She says:
There was some magnificent scenery
near this quiet little place of 500 souls and
passed many pleasant day sketching.
In this fashion n month passed, and it be-
came very monotonOus, and l began to
think Of going somewhere where i might
be among white folks. The only English
speaking persons there were Miller, land
lord of the little hotel, and a little quaint
Italian who was a handy man for the
more pretentious shops. One afternoon
started out from the town with my sketch
book under my arm and after brief
walk came TO a rolling, rather steep hill.
Curious TO see what was beyond went on
up and over its brow. Before me lay one
of the widest scenes have ever seen be-
fore or since.
The tall orchard trees stood close to-
gether, slanting down the hill, the top OF
the last ones fading into the misty blue
that filled the basin of the canyon. The
IL
twisting mass of underground, from which
grew all sorts of rare and beautifully col
ored flowers while on the sides of the two
hills to the left, standing out in menac-
ing splendor, were rocks of gigantic size.
The sound of stream came up to me from
the depths of blue below. 1t sounded
tempting and I started for it. As 1 went
on down the sides tore my skirts in the
jagged underground, but kept on, mark
ing my way by breaking low limbs.
Il soon came in sight of the stream and
was turning to make my way TO the left
to find a slant that would take me to the
bank of it, when 1 found myself sinking
down and down. I reached out for some
thing to clutch, but something always
gave way, and / finally landed on a sandy
bit of beach in little cove that the hori-
ZODtdl wall OI tuS Ddsc luduo
at the edge of the stream. I was not hurt.
My fall had been gradual. / had fallen
through a growth that covered the side of
the hill above me fully 30 feet. ! scanned
the sides of the rock that made the cove.
There was no retreat that way. / looked
down the stream. There was waterfall
not 10 feet away, whose distance / could
not measure, but it seemed as if it was a
great deal. Up the stream it seemed as
bad
Il secured from the hillside a sinuous
vine and made a rope, fastened it to sol
id point of the rock, and then, as it was
early / sat down to sketch the canyon as
it stretched away in the blue depths. L
could see down over the waterfall L re-
clined on the sand with my back TO the
hillside. While contemplating the view l
absently picked up pebbles and threw them
into the water One of them happened
to notice as held it in my hand 1t was
of odd shape and peculiar color where the
dried earth didn't cover it. washed it off
in the stream. 1t looked suspiciously like
gold / looked where 1 had been sitting,
and there, in an oblong rift Of the rocks,
was hatful of just such clods as L held in
my hand. 1 had seen nuggets of gold, but
had never heard of them in such quaint
ties as met my gaze. Hoping it was gold,
but not sure, placed those that were loose
IN niche as high up the bank as 1 could
reach and made my way around the point
of rock to find a way back home, with the
nugget securely fastened in my dress. The
water was up TO my shoulders, but / sue
ceeded in getting around. Then, marking
the way carefully with bits of paper,
made up the hill again and gained the
house, much the worse for wear. put on
a dry dress, and, seeking Miller, showed
him my find.
Its purity good gold. Where'd you
get it?'
Il rather stammered that I had found
it in the creek 5 bed a short distance from
the house Thoughts of the treasure, if it
were one being filched from me caused
this little deception.
How much is it WORTH 1 asked.
"'Oh, about SIS, think
Il thanked him and went to my room.
To get the rest of the bits, as he called
them, from where they were, and take
them safely to place where could dis
pose of them, gave me much to think OF.
/ did not care TO trust any one with my Sc
cret, and wanted to know the extent of
my find. The next day l resolved TO try
the Italian, who had taken some fancy TO
me, l thought, for having given him sew
eral castotf garments for his wife. | found
him, secured his services for the next day,
making a tryst where he was TO meet me
with a pick, shovel, bags and rope, and on
the way told him of what l was about 20
do and offered him $50 TO assist me to the
railroad with what we might secure. He
swore by the Virgin he would never be-
tray me. We made our way down TO the
rock, and, fixing the rope firmly, went
around, took the tools from him, and then
he came. l asked him what he knew
about placer mining. He knew consider
able
1T was hard work But after eight or
nine hours of picking i came TO the con-
clusion that had got all there was out OF
the rough gutter of the rock where the
stream trickled through We had in all,
at a rough estimation, about so pounds OF
the mess of dirt and gold. including the
loose bits l had concealed in the niche. l
could not see signs of any more We made
two packages of the dirt, and with much
effort helped the Italian carry them up
the hill We left the tools. That night
/ went TO his house, guarding my treas
ure. l sent a note by him 10 Miller tell
ing him 1 would not be at home saying
the Italian wife was i'll and that would
stay with her that night. had the italian
secure me cart and donkeys, and the
next morning. with my fortune concealed
under the seat, / started with il for the
nearest station after settling with Miller
for my months board.
We reached the station after six days
q II
Of the most solid OF the stuff l had the
Ok ~, he,