Arizona republican., 1898-04-16
GOLD NUGGET COLLECTIONS.
It is Becoming a Fad With Men Who
 Have Means.

Collecting gold nuggets is fad that the Klondyke craze is answerable for. So many miners are now going around in the state exhibiting gold with the unconcern of those who are familiar with it as ordinary people are with common pebbles that a new fad has developed in consequence. Each man wants to be able to show a finer col lection than his neighbor This com petition has resulted in some espec- ially fine collections of gold in the rough being gathered into the posses sion of single individuals but none ever seen can surpasS or equal the col lection, says the Seattle Post-Intelli- gencer, in the possession of two broth CTS named Conrad, who are business men in that city.
 The Conrad nuggets have been taken from various mines, and all are worth high prices. The largest nugget in the collection is valued at S9S5, and no larger has ever been taken from a mine in America, according to the best records on the subject. It was said that one was taken out of Nelson gulch one that was valued at S2,300, but if it ever existed it found its way to the melting pot so rapidly that no one today is able to swear positively that he ever saw it. Another story tells of s1,700 nugget, but this one is not to be found. The big nugget in the Conrad collection came from the Snowshoe diggings, having origi- nally been bought from a miner named Price.
 The nugget next in value is worth S4OO, and is one of the purest speci- mems of gold in existence It came from Uncle Ben's gulch and found its way into the Conrad brothers collec- ton after many years stay in the strong box of a Montxesa banker. One nugget, worth s25O, came from Scratch from the Nevada creek p1acers, a rich mining property owned by w. E. Raleigh.
 One of the biggest nuggets has an interesting history. It was so big that it was overlooked altogether. The sight of so rich a find all at once. threw it out of the boxes with the forkings, but it refused to be treated so ignominiously, and continued to at tract attention by it's gleaming light, until found and joyfully added to the days profits by the miners.
 The weight of each nugget in the collection is as follows:
 One nugget, 49 ounces; 1 nugget, 47a4 ounces; nugget, 453s ounces; 1 nugget, 25A ounces; 38 nuggets, 36 17-20 ounces; 1 nugget, 1914 ounces; l nugget, 13 3-16 ounces; 1 nugget, 101s ounces; 1 nugget, 9T ounces; 1 nugget, ounces; 1 nugget, ounces; 40 nuggets, 1920 ounces; 1 nugget. 4A ounces; 1 nugget, 1-16 ounces; 1 nugget, 3A ounces; 1 nugget, 35a ounces; 1 nugget, SA ounces; 1 mug get, 23s ounces; 1 nugget 25s ounces; 1 nugget, 2A ounces; 113 nuggets, 21k ounces. Total, 209 nuggets, "A pounds, 8 ounces, 1 pennyweight; also one bot tie pure dust, 5 ounces, 15 penny weights, and one box of sapphires.
 The nuggets, when not under 'inspec- tion, are kept in the strong room of 8 bank, but the owners of the collec- tion are SO proud at beating the en- tire country in fad that is growing and cannot be indulged in by every one, for obvious reasons, that they are at all times willing to produce the col lection for exhibition purposes.
 It has been suggested that the mug gets be sent to the Paris exposition in order to give the world an opportun-
 
 the precious metals. The idea is a pleasing one to the Conrad brothers, and if the Paris exposition managers show a desire to indorse it, the mug gets will be sent to the exposition with other Montana products The matter will probably be brought before the legislature, and official action taken in due time. If the decision is favor able, the nuggets will form a hand some addition to the American exhibi- tiOn at the exposition.
 The Conrad brothers are by no means satisfied with the collection as it stands. They are on the lookout for Jumps of gold at all times to add to their already remarkable collection, and if any miner in the Klondyke is lucky enough to strike an unusually