Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-08-24
A Valuable
Nugget
Story of an 0lden Time In
Colorado.
BY OUNCE BLAKE

West OF the MISSOURI river are Ine
alkah plains, stretching to the base OF
the Rocky mountains. But how chang
ed from "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 schooner-doubtless named from
Its white cover, which on the level sur
face resembled the sails Of ship at
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
gold region, Joel SimonsOn. Il young
Ohioan, went out there to seek his for
tune. In those days the mountains
were full of men dignitied by the name
of prospectors, who went about In
flannel shirts, trousers tucked in their
boots, picks and shovels OH their Shout
iers, stopping here and there to dig a
hole for gold, one in thousands finding
1t 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
sweetheart in the east to go to seek
fortune to enable him to marry, for
both he and Mabel Harwood lacked
enough money between them to fur
nish a 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
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 q pipe
full of tobacco. 1t was evening and
darkness was closing in on him, though
sitting on q mountain side looking to
the west he caught the last glow OF
the twilight. He had one pipe OF
tobacco, sufficient for n good long
smoke, which was fortunate, for, hay
ing no supper. the weed must serve In
stead.
Joel had sat down to deliberate upon
n matter Oh which his mind was bal
anced. A girl had been waiting for
him In the east for twelve months,
and now he was no nearer condition
to merry 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 be to
make his way back to Ohio and the
two work out the problem together.
He smoked till night came. Every
time lie pulled on his pipe the fire with
In cast a slight illumination about him.
Presently he noticed that lump OF
quartz near him reelected this light
from his pipe. The harder he pulled
the more intense the light and more
marked the reflection. Joel got up and
with his pick detached the Illuminated
lump from its surroundings. Then
with the starry heavens for canopy
he stretched himself OH the ground
and went to sleep.
In the morning he examined his
lump, but could make nothing OF 1t.
There was gold in it. but there was
gold In everything IN Colorado; the
trouble was to find it so plentiful In
any one spot that It's extraction would
be worth the trouble. Joel threw the
lump down. but. noticing minute re-
lection of the morning sun upon Its
many small surfaces, picked 1t up
again.
His deliberations Of the night had
ended In a draw between working his
way back to Ohio and suicide. Under
the freshening influence Of morning he
turned from both of these ana decided
to put In his pick once more. So he
laid about him, gathering bits OF earth
and quartz, which he tied up in his
handkerchief and set out for camp
In the valley below.
There he found an assayer whom he
persuaded " make test Of his collec-
lions without the hope Of early re-
Enumeration. What was Joel's surprise
to find that his lump of quartz was
nearly pure gold and likely worth from
$4,000 to $4,000. The earth and chips
Of quartz did not assay satisfactorily
except to indicate that gold In paying
quantities might lie near the point
from whence they were taken
Joel resolved to 60 down to Denver,
ralse some money Oh his nugget and
make arrangements for prosecuting his
find further That night he slept on
The floor of a deserted miners cabin.
In the morning his nugget was gone.
Joel was disheartened. Doubtless
some one had come into the cabin dur
Ing the night and relieved him Of his
find. The assayer had advanced him
his stage fare to Denver, and he con-
cluded to 60 there and make final
decision as to what he would do.
One Of the principal parts OF Colo
vado society in those days was the
road agent. He infested the stage
routes and looked about for any
booty, from gold ring to the treas
are box Of an express company. TRAY
elers knew that they were liable to
be relieved of their belongings and
resorted to all sorts Of devices to hide
them. Joel found In the coach on the
way to Denver two women and three
men. The women expressed fears Of
being robbed, for the coach had been
stopped by the agents at least one day
In the week for q month. One Of the
women expressed wonder why the
authorities did not do something to
clear the roads Of the robbers. At this
quiet looking little man in q corner
seat said that to eradicate them would
be impossible. He hoped that he would
reach Denver In safety. and II he did
he would never ride In a coach again.
Suddenly the coach stopped. The
little man trembled from head to foot.
When 1t was learned that the pause
was to enable the driver to fix some
part Of the harness the other passen
gers jeered the little man for his timid-
lily, whereupon he wrapped himself
up in his greatcoat and settled back