The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1895-09-27
A SILVER NUGGET.
The Largest Ever Found in the
Western Country



From Peach Springs comes the
story Of the finding 81 nugget, or
howlder, rather, Of pure silver, such,
saysthe San Francisco Examiner,
as there has been norecord u In the
history Of mining IA the west, The
bowlder weighed about hall ton,
and is value Is anywhere from eight
70 ten thousand dollars. Ii was
found by William Tucker and John
DOYLE, both old prospectors, and
they have kept the facts 10 them
selves heretofore because 81 the
chance that there was more silver
where this lump came from, aud
they desired to get the best location
for themselves before letting the,
restof the world into the secret.
The find was made on the 18th Of
June. Tie men had been prospect
ing Ia the Death valley mining
region and had started across the
country 10 the Grandcanyon Of the
Colorado TO get into a little pleas,
anter region for theirsummer work.
They were camped on the Beach
emigrant road, just where the cutoff
comes down over thelow rolling hills
to the railroad track, about four
milesfrom Peach Springs. and the
nugget was living within three hun.
dred feetof the railroad truck and
moi more than one hundred feet from
themain.wagon road. II projected
from the hillsidcin plain view of the
road, andstood In suehaposition that
more than one man had probably sat
upon II % gaze up and down the
railroad track Being exactly SINH
lar In appearance 10 hundreds Of
other loose rocks IN that region, 1t
had escaped particular notice until
Mi Tucker came along and rested
his hand uponit.
Both Doyle aud Tucker are old
miners, and Tucker especially was
struck with the peculiar feel OF
this bowlder BE Is familiar with
the formof silver known as "black
meta, found in the doIomite lime
stone in the Mescal mine in Caliior-
MIA, and almost intuitively It
struck him that here was q piece Of
the same black metal.
Hehnd gone to bring his horses
Into camp when the rock attracted
his attention. and, trying to break
off a fragment, he discovered that
the rock was solid metal. He tried
to liftit, but could NOT, and then he
went aud brought Doyle out to help
him A little digging disclosed .
bowlder Ia the shape Of an oblong
oval, something like the back Of d
turtle, about two and ahalf feet long,
81 the same widthandone foot thick.
The top was smooth and lustrous,
and the under surface was coated
with scales OF blnek metal.
Mr.. Tucker SAYS the nugget has all
the appearance Of having been
thrown up from Q great vein and
smelted by the dow Of lava which
abounds in that region, cooling In
the form IN which II was found; and
this theory Is borne out by the And
Of at least d dozen similar pieces,
though smaller, 10 the same vicinity.
These pieces OF pure silver weighed
from five 10 fifty pounds each.
/ Tucker and Doyle have located
miningclaim where the bowlder was
found and intend to sink a shaft and
drift in searchof the main vein.
Mr. Tucker said that in 1883 a
piece u slnelted silver weighing four
pounds was found BY William Hook
Fer two miles west OF Peach Springs,
8but attracted no attention, the sup
spositionneing thatit had been stolen
from Mexican smelter and subse-
queptly lost by the thief.