The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1898-07-07
NUGGETS LUCK.


to know, but most of them
were extremely anxious TO ascertain.
Seldom it was that any one went to the
town. Apparently there was no particu-
lar reason why any one should. The
surrounding scenery was grand, it is
true but the town could make no claim
to being an essential part Of the gran.
deur. It's one street struggled up the
mountainside for short distance and
lost its way in the forest. A long, ram
shacl1le "hotel," several respondent
looking stores and "a number of saloons
made up what it was pleased to call the
business portion of the town. On all
sides and as far as the eye could see,
however, were the imperishable evi-
dences of what this little town once had
been-the center of natural wealth al
most inconceivable. Vast areas of white
and yellow and reddish clay mountains
scanned and gashed and cut in twain,
miles of rusty and disjointed gigantic
iron pipes, told Of the days when the
miners with hydraulic guns "held up"
nature and forced it to deliver its treas
ure.
But all that was long ago and is only
pleasant memory with the little town
now, and TO the strangers not unnatu
raj inquiry as to how the people support
ed themselves came the cheerful and
cannibalistic reply that they ''lived on
one another"
The stranger sat on box outside one
of the stores beside one Of the citizens
and soon found himself listening to a
monologue offered for his entertain
ment. 1t would have been a dialogue be-
tween them, but the entertainer would
not have it that way. An old man, with
grizzled beard and weather beaten face,
was he. The stranger noticed, with
some surprise, that, although stained
and rusty, his long frock coat and the
trousers stuck into his boots were OF
good broadcloth. A very conspicuous
watch chain, huge diamond pin in q
setting of tobacco stained shirt front
and the entire absence Of collar made
up a somewhat incongruous appearance.
eyes, you re right" began the enter
tainer, starting the monologue with
considerable energy, "this town AIM
worth whoop in hell today, but yor
oughter seen it onct. Amt forty -ninel
myself, and you got to make q good dea,
of allowance for what some O. these ole
has beens tell you, but they all do say
it was a hummer before they stopped
hydrauleekin.
"You oughter get old Nuggets to tel
you somethin about it. Amt you me
Nuggets yet? Well, you should, for he
about the only sight we got in town.
only thing the town brags about anC
p'ints out to istrangers. Nuggets wa
here--or som'ers about here-befor
they ever did any ydrauleekin-whel
everything was placer and sluice minin
He'll tell you his story. He'll tell i
without bein asst. I've heard it so oftel
that know it myself. He likes to hea
himself talk
she was one O. the first to com
acrost the plains-leastway that 8 wha
he says-and when he got here he jus
nacherally staid. He KEN around by tn
old emigrant trail back O. Lake Taho
and into Hangtown.
"Hangtown-you know, that's wha
they called Placerville in them days
was great place then. Meals was $3
and so was beds; whisky was four bit
and two bits drink, accordin as hov
you wanted it, and -four was $40 for
small sack. Course, you know, most al
supplies KEN around the Horn to Frisco
was boated up to Sacramento and team
ed out to the mines from there.
Business was good in California il
them days. Most every one had money
and it wasn't no trick to get it. Tn
cricks and river bottoms was full @
gold, and any one could take shovel
pick and rocker and wash out as mucl
as he liked. Course that sort o. thin
spoilt the Argonauts, as they call 'em
or a good many of 'em anyhow-woul
a-spoilt most any one.
"Kinder seemed to them that tn
supply would last forever, and the
didn't worry much and wasn't particu
Ter about saviu it. They was all abou
alike, and after a fellow had worke
purity hard for awhile and cleaned up
little pile he'd get to thinkin he needle
relaxation, and down he'd go to Frisc
and blow in his pile.
"Then he'd strike the trail for tn
goldhelds for another stack o. blu
chips.
"Course every one had partner il
them days, and this here Nuggets ha
one by the name o. Wilkins. One da
they kem into this town with nugge
that was a corker. Was as big as you
hatred cinnabar, with chunks of pur
gold stickin out of it all around.
"The jeweler offered 'em 81, 800 70
it, but they wouldn't sell it, Mug
gets said there was more o. it where
KEN from, but no one believed him.
Everybody thought that Nugget
and Wilkins had found small pocket
and that was all there was to it, bu
some o. these pockets are good enougl
for pore man anyhow.
"That night there was an awfu
windstorm, and two days afterwar
Nuggets was found comm out o. Rattle
snake canyon over there plum crazv
fhoy brought him into town, ana IA
they could get out o. him was strinl
o. the d-----dest, foolishest words yol
ever heard of. He didn't say much els
for O good many years afterward-
youster sit around the town here ant
get it OFF to himself. Went somethil
like this;
Changed all the trees In the Rat
tlesnake--moved 'em and mixed 'em al
mp. Might "a been dream, but l don
think SO. Ask Bill--he knows. Put
shot in her Seen rock in my time, bu