The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-04-26

Sierra ls Justly famed for its valu-
able masses OF gold, found both pure
and mixed with quartz. George II.
Norman and Frank Aman found, near
Gibsonville, in 1867, a nugget that
weighed over 100 ounces and was worth
sl,700 In 1851, at French ravine,
lump Of quartz and gold together was
discovered from which $1,000 in gold
was taken. In 1865, in the same ravine,
o still more valuable nugget Of gold |
was found, and from It $4,000 was OBJ
tained. At Minnesota, in the same |
county, a nugget that weighed 266 |
ounces was found. This was valued |
at $1,000 At French ravine in 1850 a |
mass of gold and quartz was picked up
that weighed 263 ounces and was worth
$4,S93. In 1870 a splendid nugget OF
gold was discovered in the Rainbow
mine at Allegheny, which was imme"
diately shipped to London, and was
there sold for $4,000. In 1860 a chunk
of gold that weighed 95 pounds and 6
ounces was discovered in the same
county.
In Placer county, in 1860, Edward
Gilbert, in his drift mine near Butcher
ranch. twelve miles from Auburn,
found nugget Of gold and quartz that
weighed twenty pounds. Eight pounds
of this he sold at SIG an ounce, or N,5SS
while the remaining twelve pounds
were sold for S12 an ounce, or $l,12S,
making S3246 for the nugget. The
same man, many years later, discoV-
cred in the same mine another very
valuable nugget. 1t was ten inches
long, from three to seventeen Inches
wide and over an inch thick. The gold
| was embedded in a mass of crystallized
quartz, with clear-cut corners, the sides
| Of which shone with great brilltancy
When thoroughly cleaned 1t weighed
| 147 ounces, and was sent to the san
| Francisco mint, where it brought $2,S52.
| In 1864, near Michigan Bluff, a nugget
| of pure gold Weighing 226 ounces and
valued at $4,204 was found In July,
| 1876, j. B. Colgrove, of Dutch Flat,
| found a white quartz bowlder in the
| Polar Star mine which contained $1,000
| worth of gold.
| ROMANCE OF PURE GOLD.
Among the exhibits in the mining de-
| partment at the Worlds fair three
| years ago was a nugget of pure gold
| that was found in Alpine county by a
| young woman. The history of the dis
| covery of this chunk is unique in min
|
| in the gold-mining regions in Califor-
MIA. Harry Il. ellis and his wife came
| to this state in 1874 from Philadelphia
| because of the formers serious lung
| trouble. They Went to live UP in the
| mountains of Alpine county, remote
| from civilization and several miles
| from any neighbor. The couple got
| their livelihood by hunting and cult
| waiting a few acres Of land about their
lonely cabin. Grizzled old gold miners
| with their jackasses laden with grlmy
camp outfit and blankets came by the
| Ellis camp frequently One of the men
| lay i'll there for several weeks, while
he was nursei to health and vigor by
| Mr.. and Mrs Ellis. The miner reward
| ed them for their kindness by stating
how they might find recreation and
| profit in hunting through the canyons
and foothills in that region for pay
| dirt" He showed them where he be-
lievcd there were indications of gold
bearing gravel, that he himself would
| work but that he had better prospects a
hundred miles farther up the coast. For
days at a time the young husband and
| wife tramped up and down the gulches
in Alpine county looking for specks in
gold, but ell without avail They aban-
dored seeking riches in the placers, and
confined their attention to their little
ranch.
One afternoon as Mr.. Ellis was driv-
ing home the family COW she was seek
ing stones to throw for the amusement
of the dog. She saw in the coarse
gravel a dark, dull, yellow stone and
picked it up. 81 knew from that mo-
ment I picked it up," says she, that
had found gold, because it was SO heavy
but as / mad never seen a real nugget
was afraid my husband would laugh
at me-" The nugget has Eever been
utilized in gold working, and is still
kept for exhibition purposes. 1t is
phenomenally clear. The chunk was
the size of a croquet ball but very rough
and battered by rolling and tumblins
in water for ages. Mrs. Ellis got 81, ,25C
for that find. She and her husband
lost no time in looking for more mineral
treasure in Alpine county, but such
luck comes but once to SO people out
| of 100.