Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-05-29
A GREAT STRIKE.

From tho st. Louis Globe Democrat.
SPOKANE, May 2.--Last Monday
Martin Nelly was returning to Rose
land, British Columbia, after an un-
successful prospecting trip into the
Salmon River district. He reached
the Columbia river at a point about
six miles north Of Trail Landing, b.
G., at noon on that day, and selecting
spot on the bank Of the stream at
the foot Of Lookout mountain he sat
down'to eat his dinner. AS he did so
he noticed huge boulder half buried
in the sand in a dry portion Of the
river rot far from where he sat.
When he was through with his re-
past he shouldered his pick and saun-
tered over toward the huge boulder.
He examined it at frst In a casual
way, and then his experienced eve told
him that it was promising looking
quartz rock. He struck his pick into
it several times and dislodged piece
of the decemposed rock. Great vas
his surprise when upon picking up the
fragment he saw traces OF gold and
cooper. He walked around the bould
er and Knocked of piece after piece,
and as he did so his excitement in
creased with each succeeding disclos-
urc. In speaking of the circumstances
to the correspondent he said:
"It was some time before 1 fully
realized what fortune l had discoy-
cred, but when it dawned on me that
at last was a rich man l am afraid !
made such demonstrations as would
justify any one who might have seen
me in believing that / had lost my
senses. For several years have been
'grubstaked' in prospecting these
mountains without success, and many
is the time 1 have gone hungry for
the want of the price of something to
eat, and can you blame me for going
nearly crazy when l realized that l
was no longer poor?"
When Nelly had demonstrated to
his satisfaction that the huge noun
tain of rock before him was full Of
rich metal, he proceeded to locate his
discovery by posting the usual notices
taking in the ground upon which the
boulder rested. He then selected a
number of the specimens of rock that
he had Clipped off, and putting them
in his pocket, he started for Roseland,
arriving there late in the afternoon.
He went TO several assayers and left
some Of the rock to be assayed
The next morning one assayer's re-
port showed that the ore contained
S53 in gold TO the ton, besides being
rich in copper. The other two assays
showed s47 and s5s in gold and also
copper.
From the position OF the boulder
lying as it does on the dry bed of the
river all by itself aud at the foot Of
Lookout mountain, which rears its
crest several Thousand feet up in the
air, it is evident that at some period
this huge body of rock has become dis
| lodged from the mountain and rolled
down with fearful momentum to the
point where it now rests.
The boulder, as near as can be es-
timatcd, contains in the neighbor-
hood of 20, COO tons of rock. As yet
Reilly is undecided what he will do
with his boulder. He says he may
conclude to have it mined and shipped
to the Trail smelter for reduction, or
he may decide to dispose of il to some
syndicate er capitalist for a good round
figure. He has set no price on it, and
says he will not until he has had time
TO think the matter over.
1t is an old saving that 1.-THE proof
OF the Dudding is ia the eating Of it,"