Smyrna times., 1925-07-29
Nugget" Dams
Mixture
By BERNARD LONG

" gage right Off'n this yere gold
placer to let that big Over-growed
cOmp'ny operate its dredgeY
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 |
go through your ground-might as
well be reasonable and SELL" the law
yer enlightened.
Nugget Dan spat slowly and turned |
keen gray eyes on Big Charlie.
"YOr comp'ny has millions to my
pennies, l reckon" he drawled. "And
got a mOughty slim chance in the
courts"
you are behind the times" grinned
Big Charlie. "Our 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' meT" he
Queried.
Five hundred dollars" from Big
Charlie.
Five hundred dollars" calculated
Nugget Dan, wiggling his tongue over
| broken teeth. why, this yere ground
is wuth full $4,000 I; she's wuth a
cent. She's wuth more. Don't believe
| I'll sell fer a cent less"
"Then," announced the attorney,
briskly, speaking for the company,
well make 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 wuth
$4,000. YO'r dredge will 60 through
here, liftin' sand and gravel In them
big buckets, and take out $4,000 Off'n
this 20 acres-if it takes out a cent.
l 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 1t rest there and face q
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 1 asst" said Nugget, SIS that
you git through a injunction or some
other breed of court order from Jedge
Graham fxin 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 its own expert ap-
praiSers, and l am sure Judge Graham
will accede."
: A week later Nugget Dan received
a 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 go 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
l 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-
D tended a bony hand to each Of the
T young men. "If you 'uns don't mind,
n I'll pan fer yuh," volunteered the old
d timer.
+ That's what we expected to ask
d If you don't mind" one of them as
i serted, smiling.
n Nugget had guessed anght-that
|, these "newfangled" appraisers, fresh
= from the school of mines, expert a,
e they were In the technique Of mining
d would make q sorry spectacle at the
r old trick Of panning. Nugget set t
A work, smoking innumerable cigarettes
/ and panned the gravel at spots indi
J. Gated by the appraisers, until samples
3 were taken at 80 spots on the 20 acres
= Finally the sampling was completed
and Nugget Dan went with the ap
praisers to their little assay office a
the dredging camp.
Samples show this ground Is yer!
F." rich in gold-that 90 acres ought to b,
It worth S20,000," announced the experts
# Big Charlie was surprised, but sat
n isfed. He wrote out a check for $40,
e 600 and handed it to Nugget Dan
v That afternoon Nugget drifted in t
z see Attorney Taylor Whitney.
It "How did you do it?' demanded tn
e attorney, eyes twinkling
n "Them cigarettes" drawled Nugget
y as he rolled another, them cigarette
u was loaded with special Nugget Da
h. mixture, part terbacc5, pare gold dust
Dt l smoked one fer every pam"
IN 'You old sOn-of-a-guH! :"
lg wouldn't done it," declared Nul
e. get Dan, earnestly. IF 1 wasn't sur
them hell-diggers would git thei
money back from that air claim Bu