The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1915-05-07
A Valuable
Nugget
Story of an Olden Time In
Colorado.
By EUNICE BLAKE

alkall plains, stretching 10 the base oil
the Rocky mountains. But how chang
ed from 1.-The plains at a time when
they were traversed by the prairie
schooner of the gold seeker who was
making his way across the continent!
The chooner-doubtless named from
its white cover. which on the level sur
face resembled the sails Of ship al
sea-gave place TO the stagecoach. and
the stagecoach gave place to the rail-
road.
During the stagecoach period, when
Colorado was becoming prominent as
u gold region. Joel Simonson, young
Ohioan, went out there to seek his for
tune. In those days the mountains
were full Of men dignified by the name
of prospectors, who went about in
flannel shirts, trousers tucked In their
boots, picks and shovels on their Shout
ders, stopping here and there to dig a
hole for gold, one in thousands finding
it in paying quantities, the rest con-
tinuing their wanderings till starved
into other work.
On hearing of the great gold find
in Colorado Joel Simonson had left a
sweetheart in the east to go to seek a
fortune to enable him to marry. for
both he and Mabel HARDWOOD lacked
enough money between them to fur
nish cottage. What they had they
put together. and Joel used it to help
him to Colorado. He spent a year
there digging holes and finding moth
ing Of value, during which his story is
one Of privation and suffering. for even
a prospector must eat and have cloth
ing. By the end of this time he was
so discouraged that he sat down to
think over what he should do.
The last article Of value-except worn
clothes, hat and boots-was pipe
full of tobacco. 1t was evening and
darkness was closing in on him, though
sitting on a mountain side looking to
the west he caught the last glow of
the twilight. He had one pipe Of
sufficient for good long
smoke. which was fortunate. for, hav-
ing no supper. the weed must serve in
stead.
Joel had sat down to deliberate upon
4 matter on which his mind was bal.
lnced A girl had been waiting for
him In the east for twelve months,
and now he was no nearer condition
10 marry her than the day he came
away. He was ragged and hungry. A
desire came over him to end the mat
ter. And yet It occurred TO him that
The sensible thing to do would lie to
make his way back to Ohio and the
-wo work out the problem together.
He smoked till night came. Every
line he pulled on his pipe the fire with
II cast slight illumination about him.
Presently he noticed that n lump of
quartz near him reflected this light
rom his pipe. The harder he pulled
he more intense the light and more
marked the reflection. Joel got up and
With his pick detached the Illuminated
imp from its surroundings. Then
With the starry heavens for a canopy
lie stretched himself on the ground
md went to sleep.
In the morning he examined his
imp. but c5uld make nothing of it.
There was gold in it. but there was
,old in everything I'm Colorado; the
rouble was to find 1t SO plentiful in
my one spot that its extraction would
,e worth the trouble. Joel threw the
ump down. but. noticing minute re.
lection Of the morning sun upon its
many small surfaces. picked 1t up
lgaln.
His delibera tons OF the night had
nded In a draw between working his
way back to Ohio and suicide. Under
he freshening influence of morning he
urned from both OF these and decided
o put in his pick once more. SO he
aid about him. gathering bits of earth
md quartz. which he tied up in his
and set out for camp
n the valley below.
There he found an assayer whom he
persuaded to make test of his collec.
ions without the hope of early re-
nuneration. What was Joels surprise
o find that his lump Of quartz was
learly pure gold and likely worth from
g. 900 to $4,000. The earth and chips
4 quartz did not assay satisfactorily
kept to indicate that gold in paying
Quantities might lie near the poin.
rom whence they were taken.
Joel resolved to go down to Denver
aIsc some money on his nugget and
make arrangements for prosecuting his
ind further. That night he slept on
he floor Of a deserted miners cabin
n the morning his nugget was gone.
Joel was disheartened. Doubtless
ome one had come into the cabin dur
ng the night and relieved him Of his
ind. The assayer had advanced him
lis stage fare to Denver. and he con.
'luded to go there and make a final
lecision as to what he would do.
One Of the principal parts Of Colo
ado society in those days was the
oad agent. He infested the stage
outcs and looked about for any
,ooty. from a gold ring to the treas.
ire box Of an express company. Trav.
ers knew that they were liable to
,e relieved of their belongings and
escorted to all sorts Of devices to hide |