Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1925-09-05
"Nugget" Dams
Mixture
BY BERNARD LONG

0gage, right otfn this yere gold
placer, to let that big over-growet!
comp'ny operate its dredge?"
Nugget" Dams wrinkled features
registered mounting wrath as the law
yer and Big Charlie, manager of the
Sierra Gold Dredging company.
snapped assent almost in unison.
Right Of eminent domain-we can
20 through your ground-night as
well be reasonable and SELL" the law
yer enlightened
Nugget Dan spat slowly and turned
keen gray eyes on Big Charlie.
"Yo'r comp'ny has millions to my
pennies, / reckon" he draWled. And
got moughty slim chance in the
courts"
you are behind the times" grinned
Big Charlie. Cur dredge will take
out thousands while you tinker with
your pan for few dollars a day."
Nugget Dan gnawed off fresh bite
Of plug. What you offerin' me?" he
queried
Five hundred dollars" from Big
Charlie.
give hundred dollars!" calculated
Nugget Dan, wiggling his tongue over
broken teeth. "Why, this yere ground
is with full $4,000 If she's with a
cent. She's with more. Don't believe
I'll sell fer cent less"
"Then," announced the attorney,
briskly, speaking for the company,
well make a counter offer-five hun
dred dollars, and fight it out in the
courts!" Big Charlie nodded assent.
Nugget Dan rolled a cigarette and
strolled down the gravel working,
plunged in deep thought, then he
strolled back to the two dredging
officials
"You offer me $500, and she's with
$4,000. Yo'r dredge will 60 through
here, Hftin' sand and gravel in them
big buckets, and take out $4,000 off'n
this 20 acres-if it takes out a cent.
I reckon I'll hold to the claim" he
announced and strolled down the slope
to his cabin.
But the old placer miner did not in
tend to let it rest there and face a
battle in the courts. That same day
he went to see Taylor Whitney, lawyer
of the old school, friend Of his early
mining days.
"All I asst said Nugget, sis that
you git through a injunction or some
other breed of court order from Jedge
Graham fixin' the appraisal Of them
experts as the lawful price O. my
): ground"
leave that to me-" said his old
friend. That's only fair, seeing that
the company has it's own expert ap-
praisers, and am sure Judge Graham
will accede."
A week later Nugget Dan received
notice from Taylor Whitney, the
lawyer, that the court had granted the
order desired. The company had been
served with like notice.
Next morning early Nugget came
out of his cabin with shovel and pan
to 60 to work as usual in his gravel,
washing the ''pay dirt" in the creek
until the yellow color was separated
from the coarser material. AS he bent
; at the creek he heard voices and
recognized the figure of Big Charlie,
with three strangers.
"Hello. Nugget. Ready to get down
to business. Here are our appraisers
ready to sample the ground"
The old miner rose slowly and ex-
tended a bony hand to each of the
young men. IF you 'uns don't mind,
I'll pan fer yuh," volunteered the old
timer.
'That's what we expected to ask
If you don't mind" one of them as
serted, smiling.
i Nugget had guessed aright-that
} these "newfangled" appraisers, fresh
/ from the school of mines, expert as
they were in the technique of mining,
would make sorry spectacle at the
) old trick Of panning. Nugget set to
work. smoking innumerable cigarettes,
and PANIED the gravel at spots indi-
Gated by the appraisers, until samples
were taken at so spots on the 20 acres.
Finally the sampling was completed,
and Nugget Dan went with the ap-
praisers to their little assay Office at
the dredging camp.
} samples show this ground is very
rich in gold-that 20 acres ought to be
) worth $2OOOO," announced the experts.
Big Charlie was surprised, but sat-
isfed. He wrote out a check for $1O,-
600 and handed it to Nugget Dan.
That afternoon Nugget drifted in to
see Attorney Taylor Whitney.
"How did you do it?" demanded the
, attorney, eyes twinkling.
"Them cigarettes" drawled Nugget,
as he rolled another, them cigarettes
was loaded with special Nugget Dan
mixture, part terbaccy, part gold dust.
smoked one fer every PAN"
"You old son-of-a-gun
wouldn't done it," declared Mug
get Dan, earnestly. IF I wasn't sure
them hell-diggers would git their
money back from that air claim. But
they won't make hull lot of profit"
Volcanoes Dying Out