Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1895-03-22

drink OF fresh butter milk, and then
the party stopped and waited until
the churning was doue for the fluid.
A well-known metallurglst OF the
city happened TO be in the party, and
while waiting about the kitchen door
way, he discovered the bali lying on
the tioor. Begging permission to ex-
anime Il, he asked the woman If she
would set n price on It, but she said it
belonged to the children, and, while it
was worth nothing, she thought they
would not want to part with it. The
metallurglst advised her to have 1t
taken to Denver and have it testcdcat
an assay office, as he thought it looked
like fne gold specimen which had
been rounded and polished by some
one; but, coming from the source it
did, it was not what he thoughtit was.
After the party left the old man
got to thinking the matter over, and
began to study the matter up@ He
condded to no one but his wife.
1.-THE stream passing through his
ranch is called Clear Creek, but the
water is almost slushy with the refuse
from the stamp mills located up the
stream at Central, Black Hawk and
Idaho Springs. In those mills gold
ore Of free milling nature is put
through a process OF being ground M
der hammers or stamps while water is
passing over the crushed matter carry
ing away the rock while the gold con-
tents were secured at the mill. The
rock waste, which is powdered fine,
passes into the stream and is carried
down into jefferson county and passes
out into the irrigating bitches and
canals. Farmers have complained
about it good deal as the sediment is
deposited on their lands and their
stock is forced to drink the milky fluid
in the absence Of clear water.
1.-The old man began to reason why
it would not be reasonable thing for
some of the gold to pass from the mills
with the waste and the fine PARTICLES
to be drawn into the stomachs of ami
mails and there form combination of
gold and sediment into ball by the
constant action Of the stomach, He
diyulged his thoughts to his wife, and
she knowing me back in Missouri, ad-
yised him to bring IL 10 me, which he
did, with the results 1 have stated.
"Itis the strangest thing / have
ever - 'ya In my life, but would not
tell that Old mans secret for anything.
He is making a regular business OF
watching FOR dead stock along the
creek, aud there is not fat COW or
steer driven to Denver to be butchered
but that old man watches all the pro-
ceedings aud carts OF the stomach
which he is always allowed to do. He
is looked upon at the slaughter houses
as harmless demeuted fellow, though
all the time they are not aware what
they are losing by the enterprise Of the
old ranchman Whenever he can he
buys a COW or a calf aud is trying to
get money enough ahead to buy all the
cattle on the creek, when he expects
to open up an independent fortune.
1t IS a curious thing that none of
these balls are found in the stomach
Of horses. This ranchman tell me he
has overhauled the stomachs Of sever
al horses that have died or been killed
on the race track, but that he has
never found one and yet be rarely ever
fails to find one in the stomach of the
cow. l have asked him what he
thought was the reason, and he said
he thought it was because horses and
colts run So much that the sediment
is not allowed to settle and passes
away through natural channels. If
you have ever seen a piece of trlpe you
will see that the stomach of COW or
steer is not unlike rifles made by
placer miners to secure gold. Cattle
move about slowly and the sediment
settles In the rifles and gradually for
muIates into a hard sediment ball like
this one. When you come to under
stand il the problem is not dinicult
one, though one of the most curious
things yet seen in the world. 1t in
terests me very much, and I presume
if it should get tout there wouldn't be
a COW, steer or calf left on Clear Creek
in week, everybody would be hunt
ing for gold .balls.'
AS the general finished his story he
turned to prepare dish for the treat
ment Of the odd specimen, aud the re-
porter walked away, wondering if he
had heard a fairy tale.
Las Vegas has set the good example
of inaugurating street tree planting
on a large scale. 1t is time and money
well invested.
When Others Fail
Hoods Sarsaparilla builds up the shat