The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-12-01
BIG GOLD NUGGETS.
now MANY CALIFORNIA MINERS
ACQUIRED SUDDEN WEALTH.
The Largest Nugget Ever Found In
California Was Worth Moro
Than $40, OOO-One Min
cr's Double Find.
revival in GOLD mini

iOIuld anu curious CIRCUMSTANCES con-
nected with them. The subject is full
of romantic interest. The large for
tunes that have been mado through
lucky chance form r 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 n gold
miner twice. Colonel David Bailey,
of Pomona Valley, one OF CALIFORNIA;
Oldest ami experienced prospectors
and gold miners, says he knows OF but
one man who found two valuable mug
gets. He was Daniel Hill, who died a
miserable pauper i'll Los Angeles sew
eral years ago.
Hill was washing gold in the dig
gings in Piumas County, under the
shadow OF Mount Shasta, when he
found buried in the gravel n lump OF
gold and redstained, water marked
quartz as large rs horses boof. he
started next day for Sacramento,
where he sold the lump at the D. O..
Mills Bank for $ll, 900. In less than
n year Hill had spent every dollar OF
this sum. He slunnderei over 5000
In one week III the gambling and
drinking saloons III San Francisco.
When his money was squandered
Hill went to work again and made
only few dollars n day in the next
four or or five years. But one day in
the fall Of 1871, while ne and his com
panions were camping in a lonely
canon, near Dutch Flats, Nevada
County, be found another very large
nugget. He was looking over small
discarde placer mine, and was run
ming the coarse gravel through his
hand to find II 1t contained gold. He
stopped to wash his hands, when he
saw IN the water n nugget Of gold aud
white quarts, in size and shape like Il
baby's head. Hill sold his find for
$500, and again abandoned himself
to career OF debauchery and reck-
Iessness. His fortunate find was soon
dlssipated and he became q drunkard
He never found anc ther nugget, al
though he searched for years.
The largest nugget found in Cali
fornia was the "Oliver Martin chunk, -
which weighed 151 pounds 6 ounces.
The gold was mixed with white quartz,
and was sold rs bullion for $50, 270.
hundreds of pictures have been ma le
OF the golden mass, and schoolboys in
the State ere expected to know its
weight, size aud value, while bronze
fac SMILES OF it are found in many
mineral collections in Europe and
america. The nugget was found near
! fHs1D
Central California, November Is, 1854.
OilYer Martin, 4 poverty-stricken
miner, and companion named John
Flower were tramping to new dig
gIngs They clmped one might in a
mountain canon, when sudden and
heavy rainstorm made the mountain
stream into a flood. THY attempted
to climb the hill, but were carried
away. Flower was drowned, but Mar
tin escaped with severe injuries. Weak
rs he was, Martin attempted 10 bury
his companions body by the roots Of
an upturned tree. While digging he
discovered the rich nugget. Martin
was too weak to move it. II c attempted
to reach some neighboring miners,
but tainted from exhaustion and was
found on the trail By the miners.
Some weeks later Martin AMI the
miners secured the nugget.
The largest gold nugget ever found
in Shasta County was discovered in
the spring OF 1870. One day three
Frenchmen, two OF whom were named
Oliver Longchamp and Frederick
Bochon, drove into the old town Of
Shasta. They had como dealings with
a. Coleman, a dealer in hardware and
notions, and they asked him where
they could find good place to mine.
lie carelessly pointed in northerlv
direction and said: $50 over to
Spring Creek"
The Frenchmen acted on the advice.
located claim on the creek, AMI n few
days later one OF them picked NJ r.
nugget Of gold valued at $4,000. Ten
years later miner named Dent Youn-
found nugget on Fiat Creek, in the
immediate vicinity, valued at $500.
4 nugget OF pure gold that weighed
llo ounces was found IN January, 1891,
in q DRIFT OF coarse gravel in the Goler
District north OF the Mojovc Desert.
Next day another nugget OF pure Qo!d,
about the size OF goose's egp. was
found. Both were sold to aanufec-
turing ieweler IN Pomona. The former
brought s2l2D, and the latter S97j.
Several months ago nugget that
sold for about 5llOJ was brought into
San Diego by Door consumptivs from
New 1or.ey, who had been in the
mountains with sheep rauc1men. IN
bis long walks for exercise no amused
himself by looking for Indian relics in
@ canon. Ie found tue nugget among
lot of rocks, after a heavy rainstorm
had washed down imueuss masses OF
gravel and earth from the sides OF the
canon. lie was astoni-hol at the value
placed upon bis treasure when he off.
cred it for sale. Experienced gold
miners visited tho locality where tho
nugget was found, but nons OF them
has yet found another sign OF COLA
there. This illustrates tho pcrplexi.
ties and nggravati1ns OF Euating for
new gold feldg
The largest nugget found IN North
Carolina weighed. quartz AID silver.
eighty pounds. The LARGEST found i'm
Siberia weighed nine;y-six pounds and
four ounces. The largest gold nugget
found in Colorado weighed thirteen