Charlevoix county herald., 1913-03-22

&T cry of the great lodes of
gold and silver bearing ore.
The accidental finding of a small mug
get in the crop of chicken was mo-
mentous. 1t was the beginning of a
series of explorations that unlocked a
chain of treasure vaults in the Rocky
Mountains. The remark of hunter,
the subsequent sinking of well and
the accidental meeting of four men,
constituted chain of events that re-
yealed the greatest single deposit of
ore ever known. The kick of donkey
uncovered a ledge from which millions
have been taken.
The man who seeks wealth in the
mines, knowing what he is hunting
for, stumbles across it at the most
unexpected moment. If he recognizes
what he is looking for he is in fair
way to become rich.
SawmilI That Opened Up the West.
In January, 1S4S, near Sacramento,
California, James Marshall of New
Jersey constructed for James Suffer
most famous sawmill in history. 1t
quickened the pulse Of the world. 1t
revived the sluggish streams OF COM
merce. 1t made men fighting mad. 1t
resulted in wiping the buffalo and the
Indian from the great plains. 1t filled
The Pacific ocean with ships where
previously but few sails had been
seen. 1t caused the building Of rail
roads, and laid the way for future
milliouaires.
The mill was built of logs Marshall
carefully selected point for the tail
race, and because he decided that
time could be saved in completing the
mill by permitting a flow Of water to
clear the mtll-race of the soft dirt.
his name became linked with the adj
vance of the western states. The wa
ter was turned in and, after running
Cor several days, the head-gate was
closed. to complete other necessary
work. Then Marshall noticed a few
shining specks in the banks of the
race. He took a step forward, gasped,
halted, flushed and laughed at himself
uncertainty. The next morning, jan
lary 10, 184S, he stepped into the tail
race and picked up a few pieces OF
brassy-colored metal. He showed
them to the men at the mill. They all
laughed. He pounded one piece un-
der a hammer. He placed them in his
pocket.
Throw them away. Marshall" said
one of the men, land let's get the
mill turning"
The next day Marshall rode into
Sacramento and refining his foam
hecked horse in front OF Suffers
store. Suffer to a rear room, the door
Of which he locked.
do you know gold when you see
TT"
mo. Why?"
Then Marshall produced the brassy
bits. They hammered out a piece
the size of half-dollar, and weighed
it in scales against q silver 50-cent
piece. 1t was heavier. They tested it
with acids They decided 1t was gold
Together they returned to the mill
and before night had gathered a pan
full of coarse gold nuggets.
When they did that they tapped the
ton of the treasure-vautt of the West
ern States. The news of that find
populated tho Pacific Coast A flame
90 ev"itement ron up and down the
Sacramento Valley. IL reached the
corners of the earth. People
came from everywhere. Those few
specks of gold found in the mill-race
at Columa, IN Eldorado county. were
the first OF production of s1.750000.-
ooo that California was to yield! Then
followed the hordes that travelled to
the new gold coast by sea, around the
Horn and across the plains. fighting
Indians and wild beast, and uncover
ing other mining camps that made the
western states famous Between 1848
and 1869 California produced more
gold than had been gained in all of
North and South America in the pre-
vious two centuries.
Finding OF the Comstock Lode.
The chance remark OF a hunter, fol-
lowed by the accidental meeting Of
four men, Is responsible for the un-
covering Of the most sensational body
of ore in the history of mining. Pros
nectors swarmed all over the state of
Nevada in 1859. They were men who
had failed to find wealth in California.
reinforced by immigrants who lacked
the money to go farther. hunter.
whose name Is not known, told Pat
Mclaughlin that there were mineral
indications on Gold Hill. They found
the pace-and an outcrop. but no
mineral. The ground had been pros
pected before and deserted.
It was discouraglng They worked
without result. They decided to sink
a well in depression At a depth of
four feet they ran across some black
looking stuff that puzzled them. They
| washed some OF Il in rocker" and
we're amazed b. 1pd the bottom Of the
cocker alive with gold. In few
.he men were making fifty
In the midst Of this