The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-10

near Kelsey.sin the same county, which
sold for $500. In 1867 at Pilot Hill a
bowlder of gold quartz was oupd which
yielded $4,000. This, with several small
er nuggets. was taken from the Bowlder
Gravel claim near tie Pilot Hill post
office Several large and valuable gold
nuggets were discovered in Tuoiumne
county In 1853 a mass of gold weigh
ing $50 ounces was found at Columbus.
This was valued at $5,625. At Gold Hill,
In the same county, a Mr. Virgin found
one weighing $50 ounces and valued at
$500 A Frenchman in Spring gulch,
near Columbia, in the same county.
found one of almost pure gold which
was worth $1,000. The rich mass OF
gold rendered the miner insane on the
following day, and he was sent to the
Stockton asylum. The nugget was sold
and the money for 1t was sent to his
family in France.
Near the Knapp ranch, half a mile
east of Columbia, a Mr.. Strain discov-
cred a large gold quartz nugget which
weighed fifty pounds. After the quartz
was crushed and the gold melted the
amount obtained was $500. On Sulli-
vans creek, in the same county,, in
1S49 a twenty-eight-pound ugg was
picked up by one OF the pioneers. II
Near Magalia, in Butte county, on
Aug. IA. 1859. Ira A. Willard found on
the west branch of the Feather a mug
get that weighed fiftv-four pounds
a~voirdupois and was worth $1O,690. On
finding this the miners quit work for
the day and celebrated the event by a
grand jollification.
In the last decade several nuggets
have been found in the mining regions
of California that have brought over
5000 each. In October 1889, two men
who were tramping up the coast were
put off a Southern Pacific freight train
at the little station of Caliente and
started off to walk to Bakersfield. Two
1x-@ 1ofor 4I@xr Lo41- -
with a lump of gold and crystallized
quartz. They were suspected of having
robbed a mining camp, and even OF
having murdered a miner to get their
gold. They, however, proved that while
going about in the dry bed of an ancient
stream of water two miles from the
Bealeville placer mining camp for fagots
for a fire they had stumbled upon their
lucky find. They had offered the gold
for sale to a railroad man at Caliente
for SO, but he, susDecting fraud, would
not bargain with the strangers. Suisse
quently the nugget was sold in Los
Angeles for 81, $50. 1t weighed PIG ounces.
In less than a week after the find there
were over one hundred men from all
parts of southern California hunting
daily up and down that old river bed
for gold nuggets. but beyond a few
three or four-dollar finds there was
nothing worthy the search.
In January, 1891, a nugget of pure
gold that weighed 140 ounces was found
in a drift of coarse gravel in the Goler
district north of the Mojave desert The
very next day another nugget of pure
gold about the size of a goose's egg
was found. Both were bought by a
manufacturing jeweler in Pomona. The
former brought $2,120 and the latter
1915. Several months ago a nugget that
sold for about $1.400 was brought into
San Diego by a poor, weak consumptive
from New Jersey, who had been rough
ing it in the mountains with some sheep
ranchmen. In his long dairy walks for
health and exercise he amused himself
in looking for Indian relics in a canyon.
He found the nugget among a lot of
rocks one day after a heavy rainstorm
had washed down immense masses Of
gravel and earth from the side OF the
canyon. There was nc one more aston
ished than he at the value placed upon
his find when he offered it for sale in
San Diego. Experienced gold miners
visited the locality where the chunk was
picked up, but not one of them has yet
found another sign of gold there. 1t is
one Of the perplexities and aggravations
of hunting for new gold fields.
North Carolina weighed eighty pounds.
The largest ever found in Siberia
weighed n~inety-six pounds am four
ounces. The largest piece Of god ever
found in Colorado weighed thirteen
pounds, and this was by no means pure
gold. The largest ever found in the
world was discovered in Australia in
1852. and was known as the King of the
Water Moon nugget. 1t weighed 223
pounds and 4 ounces and was worth
about $55, 900.