The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1896-11-14
BIG GOLD NUGGETS.
HOW MANY CALIFORNIA MlNEES
ACQUIRED SUDDEN WEALTH.
The Largest Nugget Ever Found in
California Was Worth Moro
Than 2O,OOO-One Min
ec'S Double Find.
WYE revival in gold mining
I ) throughout the world has
~ caused interest in the larce

J throughout the world has
! caused interest in the large
{ gold nuggets found in Cali
fornia and curious circumstances con-
! nected with them. The subject is full
OF romantic interest. The large for
tunes that have been made through
lucky chancs form q perennial source
Of discussion in the West The recent
meeting OF the Miners Association in
San Francisco has recalled the finding
OF many large gold nuggets that have
brought fortunes to their discoveries.
Fortune has seldom visited gold
miner twice. Colonel David Bailey,
of Pomona Valley, one Of Californias
Oldest ami experienced prospectors
and gold miners, says he knows Of but
one man VINO found two valuable mug
gets. He was Daniel Hill, who died a
miserable pauper III Los Angeles sew
eral years aso.
Hill WIGS washing GOLD in the dig
gings in Plumas County, under the
shadow OF Mount Shasta, when be
found buried in the gravel lump Of
gold and rea-stained, water marked
quartz IS large as horses hoof. Ho
started next day for Sacramento,
where he sold the lump at the D. 0.
Mills Bank for 81, 900. In less than
p year Hill had spent every dollar of
this sum. He squanderea over $4,000
in one week in the gambling and
drinking saloons IN San Francisco.
When his money was squanaered
Hill went to work again and made
only q few dollars q day in the next
four or or five years. But one day in
the fell Of 1871, while ne and his COM
| panions were camping in lonely
canon, near Dutch FLATS, Nevada
County, he found another very large
! nugget. He was looking over small
discarded placer mine, and was run
ming the COARSE gravel through bis
hand to find ii il contained gold. Ee
stopped to wash MS hands, when be
saw IN the water q nugget OF gold and
white quarts, in size and shape like
baby's head. Hi! sold his fad for
$500, and again abandoned himself
TO q career OF debauchcry and reclz-
2essness. His fortunate find was soon
dissipatel and he became c drnnkacd.
He never found another nugget, al
though he searched for years.
The largest nugget found in Cali
fornia was the SOLVER Martin chunk"
which weighed Isl pounds ounces.
The gold was mixed with white quartz,
end was sold as bullion for $20,27O.
Hundreds @: pictures have been made
OF the golden mass, and schoolboys in
the State are expected to know its
weight, size and value, while bronze
fac SMILES Of it are found in many
mineral collections in Europe and
America. The nugget was found near
Camp Corona, Tuolumne County, in
Central California, November IS, 1854.
Oliver Martin, a poverty-stricken
miner, and q companion named John
Flower were tramping to new dig.
gings. They camped one night in
mountain canon, when a sudden and
heavy rainstorm made the mountain
stream into flood. They attempted
to climb the hill, but were carried
away. Flower was drowned, but Mar
tin escaped with severe injuries. Weak
as he was, Martin attempted to bury
his companions body BY tie roots Of
all upturned tree. While digging he
discovered the rich nugget. Martin
was too weak to move it. lie attempted
to reach some neishboring miners,
but tainted from exhaustion and was
found on tie trail by the miners.
Some weeks later Martin and the
miners secured the nugget.
The largest gold nugget ever found
IN Shasta County was discovered in
the spring of 1870. Ono day three
.frenchnen, two Of whom were named
Oliver Longchamp and Frederick
hochpn, drove into the old town of
Shasta. They had some dealings with
A. Coleman, dealer in hardware end
notions, and they asked him where
they could find a good place TO mine.
tie carelessly pointed in no-tnerly
direction and said: eco over to
Spring Creek
The French,nen acted on the advice.
located claim Oh the creek, and few
days later ono of them picked up a
nugget Of gold valued at $4,000. Ten
years later a miner named Dent Young
found nugget on Fiat Creek, in the
immediate vicinity, valued at $500.
A nugget Of pure gold chat weighed
lAo ounces was found in January, 1891,
in, q drift Of coarse gravel in the Goler
District, north Of the Mojayo Desert
Next day another nugget Of pure gold,
about the size OF goose's egg, was
found. Both we're sold TO manufac.
turing jeweler in Pomona. The former
brought $2l20, and the latter 1915.
Several months ago nugget that
sold for about $l400 Yves brought into
San Diego by poor consumptive from