The morning times., 1896-11-29
ISLAND MADE OF PURE GOLD
Maine Man on His Death-bed Tells His Son of
Such Spot in the South.
NEAR PANAMA AND GUARDED BY SNAKES
After Twenty Years Six Expeditions Are Form
ing to Go to Look for It.

The biggest gold yarn ever told is being
whispered around; and strange TO say, 1t
has found so many believers that no less
than six expeditions are being fitted out
The gold warn is about an island of old in
the South Pacific ocean. 1t lies i'll the
belt of gold islands, west of Panama, But
this one is ST. much larger Than the others,
so much richer and 50 much more easily
worked. that il is the magnet that is draw
Ing all the gold parties toward it.
When Cecil Rhodes said lie was going TO
corner the diamond market of the world
by getting possession of the entire South
African mines, spectators laughed at him,
and investors wanted to imprison him and
Rarnato and Belt Is crazy natives who Were
trying TO get rid of the money intrustcd to
them.
but Belt, Barnato and Rhodes knew where
the corner was located, and they found
Il.
The hunters for the new gold field are
talking about corners They say that
gold lies so plentifully in this new region
that to own it practically corners the gold
of the world. From nowhere else cani il be
mined so cheapiy or plentifully, and that
fact alone insures corner.
The gold field toward which the six
winter expeditions are pointing is in the
warmest part of the Pacific. II consists of
aniSland. with sandy beach and Two noun
tainS. which rise like horns at the oppo-
site ends of the island. Th" beach is rich
with. ore, even the pebbles bearing that
dark. rusty look that means gold. But the
richest layers are in the mountains, where
there is Il whole ledge of soft rock that is
more than half gold The ledge reaches
aloug one end Of the island, which is IL
quarter of a mile in width, and rises in
great height, rich in gold.
The discovery Of this island .lates back
twenty years. and for that length Of time
expeditions have been getting ready to
Sail for 1t. But al have met with some
calamity before starting. Meanwhile the
secret has been kept.
The story is something like this: Twenty
years ago Maine carpenter started by
ship from California back home, going
by way of Panama. When nearly in port
the ship stopped at an island for repairs,
and the carpenter took day to enjoy him
self. At the public house the island
was small settlement-he met two sail
ors who had with them bag of ore. Heir
ing he had been Il miner. they asked him
to test the metal. He did so, finding it
nearly pure gold. The sailors said tn,y
had obtained 1T from an island one days
sailing north.
The sailors proposed that all go back to
the island and get a ships load of gold.
They would start in vessel purchased with
the carpenters money. The carpenter
agreed and back they went. Near the island
q severe storm came up, wrccking them
The carpenter and one sailor were cast
ashore but the crew pcrished.
Next day they-the carpenter and the
saior-explored the island and were de-
lighted 10 find it rich in gold They gath
cred such of the mineral as they could, Il nd
that day were providentially picked up by
a vessel happening along. They hailed cr
and were taken aboard.
A YARN OF GOLD.
Returning to his home in Maine he mar
ried, intending next year to return to his
island Of gold. HIS wife oh jected, how e yer,
10 the voyage, and so the years passed
bed he told his son how he and the sailor
had shovelled up pebbles that were more
than half gold.
But the son was less adventurous than
his father. Like his mother, he was in
credulous and told the story to friends as
an evening tale. The first friend who heard
IL after the old mans death spranc 10 his
1eet, If your father told that story said
he, lit Is true, and / am going to tit out
an expedition to look up that island.''
a party was speedily formed and in
Jew days ii VIII sail from Maine to look for
the gold island in the Southern Pacific.
Meanwhile however, thcnew ssprcad, ana
parties in Boston took il up and began fit
ting out q ship of their own.
The location of the island is Such-for the
bearings We're found in the effects Of the
old carpenter-that it might easily exist