The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1897-05-01
GEORGlA'S GOLD CLEANER.
An Old Woman Who Hunts for
the Precious Metal
Report Says She Has IA Rich Hoard
as The Result of sfany Years
OF Hard work and
Frugal Living.


Mary Odom, gold hunter, lives in lit
lie cabin on the mountain side, about
Lille from Aulara, the ancient mining
own OF north Georgia, whose bostdays
.ere those prior TO the discovery OF
old in California in 1919. The cabin
,.as butt by miner named OdcIA, and
Wncn tine excitement in CalnoI'nla be-
,.an he babe his wife and daughter Mary,
,hcn gal II years old, farewell, and
started west His family never heard
from him again.
Ills wife managed to support herself
and, having some knowledge Of gold
mining, taught Mary how to wash the
golden grains from the sand in the beds
of the mountain streams. The two were
quite successful and gathered a great
deal OF gold DUST When Mary was 16
years old her mother died. Thatwas in
1852, and the United States mint was
still in operation at Dahlonega. Mary
soon grew expert in finding gold, and
many pennyweight did She carry to
the mint. Having disposed of it, she
secreted, invariably, half her profits in
Che cabin at the mouth of the gulch
above Auraria.
The war came on and the mint was
broken mp and for four years Mary
Odom had a hard time of it. The con-
federate government needed all the
money it could get and the 1.-THE gather
ers made frequent visits to her cabin
in search of gold; but she was able to
keep her hoard hidden. After the war
matters settled down a little, and when
She was assured of the protection of the
civil authorities she went about her
work boldly and devoted all the time
that she could spare from the cultiva-
ton of her little patch of cleared land
to the business of gold hunting. The
richest deposits had been worked over
so much that they were not so profit
able as they had been when she first be-
gan to wash gold in the mountain
streams. She lived very frugally and
raised her own crops of corn, cabbage
and potatoes, and spun and wove her own
clothing. She has always kept up the
habit of putting aside half her findings,
whether they were large or small,
Sometimes her washings would not
amount to much during the week, but
If she secured only so cents she would
put aside a quarter and spend the rest
piecing out her wants by going into
debt. She is now in her siXty-ilrst year
and she has boarded away a sock filled
with gold dust, which she has shown t.
some of her most trusted friends, anC
is worth several thousand dollars. Still
she keeps at work, and on any fair day
when not busy about her cabin, sh'
may be seen tramping over the hills il
search of gold. She will tuck up he
homespun skirt and stand llnee-deel
in the chill waters of the mountain
streams all day long washing the san'
and gathering up the shining particles
ut amt so easy as it wer' 40 yea
ago" she said, as she smoothed bac
her ironrgray locks from her forehead
"but l kin make purity good livir
out'n it yit. I've seed the day when
could wash out f'om four to five penny
weights a week, but I hardly ever strik
: SIGH a streak as that nowadays. | 'spect
ed pap to come home old an po' flu
years alter he lef' fur California, but
done gin up all hopes now seed S
many o them po' OF fcllcrs come bac
broke down 'thout noth'n TO live on {
thought I'd save up part Of all l foul
SOS to hep i'm out Wen he come bacl
an that's how I come to save up IN
little pile. The Lord knows hits lit
'nough, in spite O. what folks says bot
my bein' a rich oman an all SIGH &
!. that."-N. Y. Sun.