268 



GOLD NUGGETS. 



In 1861 California's second largest nugget was 

 found (05 pounds). A half-breed Indian discov- 

 ered it in Nevada County, lying in the bed of a 

 stream in which he was washing his overalls. The 

 mine owners sold it for $17,400, and presented $100 

 to each of their employees, with $300 extra to the 

 tinder. In 1804, near Michigan Bluff, Placer Coun- 

 ty, a lump of pure gold of 220 ounces was found, of 

 the value of $4,204. 



In 18(37, near Gibsonville, Calaveras County, a 

 nugget of over 100 ounces, worth $1,700, was found. 



In 1808, on Table mountain, Tuolumne County, 

 on his way to prospect a certain place, a colored 

 man saw the corner of a nugget. He dug it up 

 and buried it in another spot, which he marked. 

 Then he proceeded to his destination, where he 

 found such good diggings that he remained several 

 weeks. When he returned for his nugget he found 

 a company of Italians at work but 10 feet away 

 from it. lie explained the situation, and was per- 

 mitted to take away his treasure, which weighed 

 ,Sf> pounds and brought him $7,000. 



In 1809, in Sierra County, a nugget was found 

 in the Monumental claim, and was widely exhib- 

 ited. It weighed 132 pounds, and realized $9,800. 



In 1870, in Shasta County, a Frenchman picked 

 up a nugget worth $6,200. 



In 1874, in Alpine County, a solid lump of gold 

 was discovered. Henry E. Ellis went there to live 

 in the mountains. Mrs. Ellis was driving home 

 their cow, and picked up a stone to throw for the 

 amusement of her dog. It was heavy, and she sold 

 her find for $2,250. It was exhibited at the 

 World's Fair in Chicago. 



In 1876, in Placer County, a white quartz bowl- 

 der yielding $5,700 worth of gold was found. 



lii 1880, on Flat Creek, Shasta County, a nugget 

 worth $520 was found. 



Other California nuggets recorded, but without 

 a date, are: From Calaveras County, one of 266 

 ounces, worth $2,800; at Elizabethtown, one worth 

 *2.000; at Mohawk valley, one of 420 ounces, 

 worth $0,700; and at Ruby Belle camp, one worth 

 $9,000. From Nevada County, near Dutch Flats, 

 a nugget worth $12,300. From Eldorado County, 

 at Gold Hill, one of 380 ounces, worth $0,500; near 

 Knapp Ranch, one of 50 pounds, worth $8,500. At 

 Spring Gulch an almost pure gold nugget was 

 found by a Frenchman,\vhose lucky find made him 

 insane the following day. The value of the nug- 

 get ($5,000) was sent across the ocean to his 

 family. 



Colorado's largest nugget, " Tom's Baby," was 

 found in the Gold Flake mine, Summit County, 

 July 23, 1877. It weighed 13 pounds. The only 

 other nugget recorded was found in the crop of a 



1 urkey in Denver, in January, 1900, and was worth 

 about a dollar. 



North Carolina boasts the mining claim that has 

 produced more nuggets than any other single claim 

 in the world the Reed mine, Cabarrus County. 

 The weights of these are 28 pounds, 22 pounds, 

 17 pounds, 10 pounds, 13J pounds, 9i pounds, two 

 9 pounds, two 8 pounds, 5 pounds, 3* pounds, two 



2 pounds, and 1J pound ($00,000 worth in all), 

 and a peck of golden beans and peas. A slave 

 made the first discovery on this claim, and a slave 

 also found the 17-pound and the 16-pound nuggets. 

 A claim near Albemarle, Stanley County, is the 

 next richest; nuggets of 10 J pounds, 8J pounds, 5$ 

 pounds, 3 pounds, a dozen of 1 pound, and 2 quarts 

 of smaller pieces are among the finds. A 4-pound 

 and a 2-pound nugget were found at the Sam Chris- 

 tian mine, Montgomery County. A 10-pound nug- 

 get was found at the Crawford mine. Stanley 

 County, in 1895, and also in the same year at the 

 same mine one of 8 pounds 5 ounces. 



Nevada has not been very rich in large nug- 

 gets ; the largest was taken from the Osceola mine 

 about 1880. Its weight was 24 pounds, its value 

 $4,000. It was stolen, but the thief repented and 

 two months later returned $2,000 all that was left. 

 The same mine in 1899 yielded a nugget worth 

 .$2,190. 



Montana sent to the Paris Exposition a collec- 

 tion of nuggets worth $12,000; the largest weighs 

 5 pounds, and is worth $1,050. Nearly 100 speci- 

 mens were exhibited, including a beautiful one of 

 48 ounces, worth $1,000, and 3 from 45 ounces 

 to 20 ounces, several more above 10 ounces, a dozen 

 above 2 ounces, and 38 of 1 ounce. Montana's 

 largest nugget came from Snowshoe Gulch, Little 

 Blackfoot river. It was found at a depth of 12 

 feet, and realized $3,350. Confederate Gulch, near 

 Diamond, in 1890 was yielding nuggets worth $15 

 an ounce, and one of these was worth $29. 



Arizona has produced but few nuggets. In 1899 

 Papago Indians found one worth $900 in Horse- 

 shoe Basin, Quijoroa mountains, 50 miles south of 

 Tucson, and many smaller nuggets have been 

 found. 



New Mexico produced, several years ago, a nug- 

 get worth $1,300, and the old Spanish prospectors 

 found large nuggets. 



Mexico has been exhibiting in New York city 

 the largest nugget of pure gold found in the past 

 fifteen years. It was discovered in the San Mateo 

 mountains of Chihuahua, weighs 408 ounces, and 

 is worth $8,430. A poor peon found it on a mining 

 company's property, and received $1,000 as a re- 

 ward. A singular nugget, bought from an Indian, 

 was presumably from Mexico. It was 1J inch 

 long by inch wide, 19 carats fine, of a beautiful 

 color, and in shape a perfect miniature corn husk. 



Though South America has undoubtedly pro- 

 duced a great quantity of nuggets in the past three 

 hundred years, reliable information about them is 

 not to be had, except in a single instance. A nug- 

 get of GO pounds was found at La Paz, Peru, in 

 1730. 



The Klondike has produced no large nugget; 

 the most important weighed but 34 ounces. This 

 was found on Eldorado Creek, and was worth $583. 

 The Yukon's largest nugget was found in 1889 on 

 Eldorado Creek, and weighed 72 ounces; its value 

 was $1,158. 



The important British America nuggets are: 

 One of 84 ounces, found on Spruce Creek in July, 

 1899, value $1,000; one of 52 ounces, found on Gil- 

 bert river, Quebec, in 1800; also on the same river 

 one of 45 ounces; one of 29 ounces 12 pennyweights 

 17 grains, worth $000; and a nugget found at l)ex- 

 tt.' Creek, worth $01. The 52-ounce nugget found 

 on Gilbert river was discovered by a little girl, 

 Clotilde Gilbert. Her father sent her to the field 

 for a horse one Sunday morning to go to mass, and 

 when she was crossing the ford in the stream she 

 saw this nugget in the sand. 



Of 'the South African nuggets we have the fol- 

 lowing record: At Pilgrim's Rest were found sev- 

 eral 4-pound nuggets, and one of more than 7 

 pounds, which was an exact model of the human 

 band. It was exhibited at the Philadelphia Cen- 

 tennial Exposition. On Frazier's Hill nuggets 

 from 2 to 3 pounds were found. Upper Pilgrim's 

 Creek yielded nuggets from 4 to 5 pounds, which 

 brought $19.50 an ounce. 



Siberia's largest nugget was the " Ural," found 

 in the mountains of that name, worth $24.000. 

 Three convicts found a still more valuable one 

 ($30,000), and the Czar gave them their liberty, 

 though he kept all the gold for himself. The 

 'Tzar" was found in 1882 in the Tzar Alexander 

 mine. Its value was $11,000. And it is recorded 



