The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1895-02-12
Lors WORTH MORE THAN $4,000

~That story about the finding Of q
gold nugget in the mining regions of
Patagonia worth $5,0O0," said Col. T.
r .sP. Brooks, who has been a gold
miner In California and Arizona for
forty-fve years. 10 Los Angelica cor
Inyespondent of the New York Sun,
5aseems to have made great commo-
ton among those miners down In
South America, but that was only q
boy of q nugget by the side of many
that have been taken out of the earth
and rock in California. Daniel Hill,
who died of delirium tremens in q
1il ia Los Angeles several years ago,
was the luckiest man ever knew or
heard of in getting suddenly rich
Twice. He dug two chunks of solid
gold out CT the gravel as simply and
as easy as man rolls stone out Of
the hillside The first nugget was
found in June, 1866. in the Ruby
Relic claim. north of Plumas. II was
as large AS mans head and was
combined with water-stained quartz.
G. p. Huntingion's brother in Sacra-
mento bought it for $4,000 cash
down. In the fall OF 1871, Hill was
placer mining on his own accord in
Dutch Flats, and, by bunkey, he wash
ed out another nugget of gold and
quar,z about the size and shape of a
horses boot. He quit work and went
right down to FRISCO, where he got
$l4, 200 for his lucky find. He had
spent the last dime Of his little fortune
in SIX months, and went back to hard
work in the mountains again. But
that ended his streak Of luck, and he
never made over $40 in any one day
after that; more often two or three
dollars a day, aud sometimes not a
dime"
The, Miners Association of Cali
fornia has among its great mass OF
literature connected with the gold in
dustry and the development of mining
operations in this State, many interest.
ing facts concerning big nuggets Of
gold. The largest nugget ever found
in this State was that known as the
Oliver Martin Chunk. 1t weighed
15l pounds and six ounces. The prec-
ious ore was mixed with white quartz
and it was sold. after having been
converted into bullion, for $36, 270.
Hundreds of pictures have been made
of the golden mass. aud all the school,
boys in California are expected to
know The weight, size and value of
the famous nugget. There are bronze
fgc-simles of the chunk in many min
eral collections in museums in Europe
and America. The nugget was found
near Camp Corona, in Tuolumne
county, in Central California. The
date of the finding was November Is,
1854 Martin, poor miner, who had
not even the proverbial dollar to his
name, and companion named John
Flower, were tramping on their way
up country to new diggings. They
canped one. night in mountain can
on, when sudden and terrific rain
storm came up in the darkness. The
water i'm the canon stream suddenly
nose. The miners attempted to climb
Me hill, but the flood overlook them,
Mud both were carried down the
stream. Flower was drowned, but
Martin, though severely injured, es-
capped. While trying to bury the
body of hislcompanion by the roots of
an up-turned tree, Martin discovered
the rich nugget that bears his name.
He was too weak to move 1t. He at
tempted 10 reach some neighbOring
miners, but tainted from exhaustion.
and was found upon the trail by them.
When able TO walk, some weeks later,
Martin took them 10 the spot and the
nugget was removed. Martin mad.
tho nugget the basis of large