The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-22
A GOLD NuooeT WORTH So. SOC
IL the second Largest Ever Found In
This Country.

From the Philadelphia Times
For nearly 100 years North Carolina has
not been so stirred on April at Il
| O'Clock. when the second largest nugget
ever found in the United States was dis
covered at the Reed mine. at Cabarrus
\ Stranger still, ii was picked up within 20t
/ yards of the spot where the largest slug
| in this country was discovered 80 years
ago.
To Jake Shinn belongs the honor of dis
| covering the largest nugget of modern
| times. With three comrades he was loos-
ening the bottom of an old roadbed that
runs across the creek at Dry Hollow.
Suddenly Mr.. Shinn's pick struck some
thing that he supposed to be a piece of
! fiinty stone. and as he stopped to fling IL
| aside. he was startled by its extraordi-
| nary weight. A closer examination re-
vealed to his experienced eye that Ii was
large chupk of gold He clasped the
precious rock in his arms, exclaiming dra-
| matically:
Boys. have found it.''
Accustomed to such ebullitions, his
companions placidly continued their work
while he hurried to wash his treasure in
the creek.
But there was no more work for them
nor any one else when he triumphantly
returned with lump of gold IL inches
long, Is inches in circumference and
weighing 23S4 pounds. 1t is estimated that
there is less than five pounds of quartz
I'm the nugget, and 1t is worth $500.
The mine is owned by DIR. j. d. Isle,
Hon. o. S. and o. w. Kelley of SPRING
field, Ohio DIR. ]. ID. Jerome. Messrs.
Jesse d. Cox and Jake d. Shinn work the
mine for one-half of the profits. DR.. Isle
is distinguished chemist. and was for
merly a prominent physician of Spring.
field, Ohio. 1t is not recorded how he
looked or what he said, but his friends af-
firm that he did not catch his breath for
several hours. Nor was there much sleep
for his household until the valuable big
nugget was safe in the bank at Charlotte,
n. c.
The next day it's specific gravity was
taken, and the assay is now being made
at the mint by Assayer Hanna, there be-
ing no necessity for milling. the gold be-
ing so great as not to require 1t. Miners
are awaiting the results of Professor
Hanna's assay with the keenest anxiety.
About century ago John Reed, Hes
sian soldier, deserted the British army,
and with his wife. Sarah. fled to Cabarrus
county, where they made their home on
the banks of the Meadow creek.
One day while crossing the stream in
1903 he noticed a number of cleaning
craggy rocks shining in the water. He
carried the largest home. where for many
summer day it kept the cabin door
open. After serving its purpose his wife
induced him to take the curious old rock
to Fayetteville, where he had the good
fortune to exchange it for calico dress
and few pounds of coffee. And this
rock, with its humble history, is the IA
nous % pound nugget of gold. the largest
as well as the first gold ever found in the
United States.
For SO years this section has been the
Eldorado of the country, for the mines
are fabulously rich and the present find
proves their inexhaustibilty Their record
is phenomenal In 1903 they yielded the
2S-pound nugget. In 1904 nuggets ranging
from l lie to pounds were picked up.
In 1896 nuggets weighing 9 and 16 pounds
were found. In 1885 it was no uncommon
circumstance to find slugs weighing from
i to 1874 pounds. Since the latest discov-
cry Mr.. Monroe FUR has picked up half
a bushel of rich specimens from several
hundred bushels of ore taken out about
40 years ago. This gold is high grade,
being worth about 93c per pennyweight.
Two hundred and sixty pounds of gold
have been gathered by the surface
miners. About $4,000 has been expended
in developing the Reed mine. The cost
has been enormous, and not until the in
PRODUCTION of the Hozzle process of sur
face washing have they been a paying in
vestment This mine also contains a vein
with so feet face. containing gold. copper,
lead and arsenic, and the ore is valued
at $3.50 per ton.
- The new nugget has already COM
manded several thousand dollars more
than its real value. people all over
the United States, reading the meager
telegraphic accounts. have wired DIR.
L.isle. offering extravagant sums for even
a small piece of the famous nugget. 1t
has also attracted the attention of mu-
seums' representatives. who are willing
to pay a fabulous price to possess ii.