New-York tribune., 1900-12-09
LANTRY HAS MIDAS TOUCH.
BI.ACKWELL'S ISLAND QUARRY
CONTAINS GOLD.

Commissioner Lantry is the guardian OF three
! chunks Of quartz which he fondly believes is
richly ribbed with gold The rocks were hewn
! out OF the quarry on BlackweIrs Island, and IL
! the dreams OF the Commissioner are finally real
Ted this city will find itself possessed of a gold
mine which may relegate TO obscurity the fame
/ OF the Klondike Cripple Creek. AS the Com
missioner expressed II yesterday there will be
no more taxes in the city. but. on the contrary
every citizen will be paid for living here"
The mine will also work favorably. the Com
/ missioner believes. in the Police Department
The members OF the force would receive such
high wages from the profits Of the mine that 1t
would be beneath a polieeman's dignity to ac-
cept such pittances as $50 or 500 from crooks
and blacklegs.
7. Commissioner Lantry first discovered his mug
get last Wednesday. He was standing on
Rizers Island watching workhouse gang un-
loading mass OF rock which had been brought
over from the Blackwells Island quarry. The
rock was to be used in building a roadbe1. AS
the sun happened TO strike one OF the tumbhng
rocks at a certain angle, the Commissioner saw
a yellow glitter. STOPPING down, he caught up
the stone and found IL thickly scanned with yell
low ore The Commissioner filled his pock-
cts with several more Jumps ard carried them
10 his Office. For fear some thief might carry
q
For fear that some one might steal them there
while he was away he started 10 carry them 20
a bank Because this might provoke discussion
he finally decided 10 carry them around In MS
pockets.
He kept the secret until yesterday. when ne
took Deputy Tanning into his confidence 1t
was then decided that the rocks had better be
subjected TO the skill essayist- According
" a messenger boy was summoned and dis
patched with an exhibit to the Assay ONCE in
waIl-st The boy reached the Office too late
for the specimen 10 be examined. that the
Commissioner must wait until tomorrow before
he learns the result of his find. The rock. he
says. was hewn in the quarry in BlackwelIs
Island, where rock is now being cut out not
only material 10 be used in the reconstruc-
tion of the Administration Building, Black
wells Island, but also for the rubble USED in
making roads on Riker's and other islands be-
longing 10 the city The quarry is worked by
Workhouse. The Commissioner has not found
the ledge in tFe quarry which corresponds with
his Jumps. and so cannot tell the extent OF the
yellow streak
When he was asked bv q Tribune reporter
yesterday what commission he expected should
the mine prove Of great wealth, he answered:
II It's gold. why, the city gets it, that's all.
All want is TO keep my job"
Inc commissioner then took one Of the Jumps
out OF his pocket and showed IL 10 the reporter.
The lump was innocent looking piece of
quartz, with sever1' veins Of a dark yellow
color. BY the use cf a knife the reporter was
able 10 split of several flakes Of the yellow
material
DO you see those hakes?" the Commissioner
was asked.
Yes; they're gold leaves, I guess But I'm
not going 10 do much talking about II until I
hear from the Assay Office"