Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-03-31
JOe'S Nugget.
~ONNNONNNNN

HAD been about three months at
Tear-Shirt Camp when the thing
happened which l am going to tell
you Of
All of us had had only middling
luck. None of the party had made a
big strike in the way Of finding mug
gets. Still we had nothing to complain
Of We were making fair wages, and
that, in the long run, Is better than
making a big haul at one time, and
then laying off and running through
the whole of it in less than a months
time, as l have known plenty Of fell
lows to do.
One day the camp was all astir like
a hive Of bees which somebody had
thrown q rock into. One of our chaps,
a fellow by the name Of Joe Garland,
had made a ten-strike He had hit
upon the biggest nugget of gold that
had ever been found in the region of
TearShirt. 1t was a good one worth
couple of thousand at least, and the
boys all gathered about it with greedy
eyes. They envied Joe his good luck;
still they were all glad that he had
got it. A more delighted fellow than
he was you never saw. He Rugged
the chunk and petted #, and it seemed
that he would never tire of feasting
his eyes upon it.
After the first excitement was over
Joe was left to his treasure, and the
boys turned to digging again, each one
hoping that he might soon be as fortu-
nate as Joe had been.
Joe had half mind to set off for
Frisco with his treasure at once The
express only ran once week, and it
lacked three days Of the time of going
again. He was afraid that in some
way he might lose the nugget before
1T was got to place Of safety. Still,
/ don't think that there was in the
camp person of whom he was sus-
picious, 1t would have been hard to
have picked out a fellow who was not
called all right.
Joe carried his nugget to the camp,
but he would not stow it away with
the rest of the treasure. He would
hide it for himself. If the rest was
stolen while he was away at work, he
was going to save his,
Two or three times a day Joe would
leave his work and go and see that
the nugget was safe. We used to tease
him about 1t, and tell him he was los
Ing flesh at the rate of ten pounds a
day, and that If the treasure was not
sent away soon, there would be moth
ing left of him but skin and bones.
The third day after the finding Of
the treasure, about the middle of the
forenoon, Joe made one of these Wis
It's to the camp. He was gone but a
little time, and when he came back a
more frightened and woe-begone look
Ing countenance than his you never
saw in your life.
What is it," we all cried, in chorus,
as he came dashing in among us.
IT'S gone"' was all the poor fellow
could manage to say.
What is gone?' we repeated
though on the mind of each flashed the
thought of the treasure.
"'rhe nugget he gasped.
We dropped spade and pick, anG
started for the camp. All of us were
interested. If the nugget was stolen
most likely all the dust we had gath
cred had gone with It,
We piled into the camp, and wen
for the spot where the general treas
ure was kept. Each drew breatl
of relief when we found that it haC
not been tampered with. The robber
whoever he was, had contented him
self with Joe's nugget.
After we had satisfied ourselves
with a look in the place where 10,
had kept it. and thus convinced our
selves that it was really gone, we al
turned to, to try and find clew t,
the robber.
But, try as we would, not the slight
est clew could we find. Not tract
could we discover about the camp ex
cept those which we felt sure on
own feet had made.
The fellow who did the cooking wa
the only one who had been about tn
camp since we had left in the morn
ing and nobody, much less Joe, sus
pected him, for he was .Toe's brother
1t had been his custom to do III
the work in the morning, and spen,
the rest of the forenoon with us unit
1t was time for dinner.
He had not been at the digging
more than an hour before Joe ha,
made the discovery Of his loss, so tha
the robbery could have just take
place.