The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-03-28
GOLD FIRST DISCOVERED
IN WESTERN CAROLINA
BY NEW ENGLAND MAN

Doubtless, there is not stran-
ger of more romantic tale con-
nected with the story Of gold than
that which concerns the initial dis
covery of this precious metal in
North Carolina.
Once, well over a century ago,
says William A. Allhands, writing
from Cliffside to the Ashcville
Citizen-Times, an adventurer from
Connecticut worked his way to
Central America on merchant
ship in quest of gold. Concerning
just how long he stayed in that
country or what experiences and
adventures he encountered there
is little known, but according to
legend, this man, Sam Martin, was
very successful in his search for
the priced "yellow dust" lie
found a considerable amount of
gold in the territory in the east
ern part of Nicaragua. about 70
miles from the coast. With small
fortune tucked neatly away on his
person, the Connecticut adventur-
er set sail once more, bound for
the New England coast, but be-
cause Of a storm or some other
mishaps the ship was forced ashore
on the coast of South Carolina.
Here, Martin was either robbed
of his fortune or he squandered
it, for he started toward North
Carolina on foot and almost pen
nilcss. Working for short periods
of time at various odd jobs at
farms and villages along the route,
he reached North Carolina some
time during the year 1928. ...
REACHES N. c. IN 1928 ........
Trudging YEARLY along a road
one afternoon, perhaps lamenting
the loss of the fruits of his labori-
Gus years of prospecting, Martin
came to a log cabin in Burke
county, in front of which was a
crude sign proclaiming to the
world that the man of the house
was a shoemaker and craftsman in
leather. The vagabond adventurer
paused in front of the cabin and
inspected his shoes, which were
practically without bottoms after
his long and tiresome journey
from the South Carolina coast. He
knocked on the door of the cabin
and a grizzly bearded individual
stuck out his head. After a
lengthy conversation, the cobbler
bargained with Martin to give him
a nights lodging and repair his
shoes for the last few pennies the
traveller had. ... .....
While the cobbler was busy at
the task of mending the shoes,
Martin walked about in front of
the cabin in his socks in an effort
to pass off the time. Lost in
thought, he heard a buzzing sound
around his head and the next mo-
ment a Tar Heel yellow jacket
struck him on the back of his
neck. He emitted grOan Tor per-
haps it was something more than
a groan) and struck the back of
his neck vigorously with his hand.
As he swung his arm around to
strike at the insect. his hand rub
bed against the side of the cab
in. After he had recovered suffi-
GENTLY from the shock of the yell
low Jackets sting, he glanced at
his hand which had struck the mud
"chinking" and received shock
even greater than he had received
a few moments before. Little shin
ing specks of gold were clinging to
his hand. Thus by this singular
incident gold was first discovered
in North Carolina.
Martin inspected closely the
mud between the logs of the cabin
and found more particles of gold.
He remained in the yard, lost in
visions of gold and fabulous riches
until the old shoemaker again
stuck his head out of the cabin
door to inform him that his shoes
were finished.
Martin, after putting on his
shoes, sat down to the supper ia
BILE with the cobbler's family, but
he had no appetite. His mind was
on+;roly occuniod with thOuphtS of