Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-05-27
The Hidden Gold.

"When the Grizzly Knob gold nelo was
first opened up," said the oldprospector,
"my partner, Henry Thorndike, and 1
were among the first in the region, and
we made a first-rate thing out OF if while
the vein lasted.
at was wild country at that time, the
claims were long way apart, and it was
twenty miles TO postoffice or a store.
Most of our ore we got out in little streaks
of dust and nuggets. We used to hide ii
round our log hut, and occasionally three
or four claim owners would club together
and send shipment to town under guard.
"There were plenty OF bad men in that
country, and sometimes they would catch
a>miner in his cabin and clean him out,
and perhaps leave him dead on the thresh-
old. They came to us at an unlucky time,
for we had two thousand dollars worth
of nuggets and dust in the cabin.
"They came at night, and woke us up
by banging on the door. They tried TO
play the lost-traveler game, but l called
out that we were armed and then bull
LET crashed through the door.
"'We're in for it, Henry, says |. III
they don't break in, they can sit down
and starve us out. The stage won't be
here for ten days yet
"Just then voice came through the
door:
"'We've got you, and we know it. II
you don't open the door before daylight,
we'll fire your hut
at seemed that we must either give in
or take our poor chances in fight. II it
hadn't been for Henry, we might have
lost our gold and our lives both. But
Henry had his brains with him.
"'BiH Needles left that box over in the
corner last week. What's in it?" said
Henry.
"'Three bottles OF nitric acid,' told
him.
"Nitric acid 7 exclaimed Henry, jump
ing 10 his feet Have we got any hy-
drochloric left p
"'Yes,' said |. Have you gone craZy?'
{. No, said he, coolly. "A mixture OF
those two acids makes aqua regia. That
will dissolve gold. Afterwards we can
precipitate if with copperas. Quick
Two parts 10 one, and heat it We need
every second! !
1--WE made the mixture in big glass
carboy. We heated it and poured the
dust in little by little. Sometimes the
gold would disappear in amiuute or two,
and then again there would be piece as
big as your thumb nail that would take
ten or twelve minutes to dissolve. We
had 10 keep the acid hot and moving go
that the metal would dissolve more quick
| ly. Meanwhile the rascals outside pound
ed on the door and threatened us.
"When daylight began TO peep in
through the cracks we had perhaps fifty
dollars worth left undiSsolved.
Hurry says |.
No, you lunatic.' Henry said, leave
enough to%bait EN-
"He put the cork into the carboy, wrote
Kerosene on piece Of paper, and struck
the paper on the glass. Then we opened
the door.
"There were four OF the raScals, with
red handkerchiefs tied over their faces,
and besides their horses, they even had
pack mule. They took our guns away,
and made us stand with our faces 10 the
fireplace. II wasn't long before they
found the fifty dollars worth Of dust we
had hidden in Henry's bunk. That's all
they got, though, and il made them a little
peevish. Then one OF them saw the car
boy, and called out, Hello Here's some
kerosene in bottle
"'Fill the lantern, then; it's nearly emp
ty,' said another. IT'S out on the mule.
"WelI, would you believe it? They
did if. and never noticed that anything
was wrong, although guess they found
il out later.
"Finally they made up their minds that
we had no more gold, and they made us
90 out and sit down on the tail while
they separated and rode away in three
different directions.
"That was the time that Henry's educa-
ton had money value OF about five dol
lars minute"
| Water Ry The Ton