Harper's Round Table, July 23, 1895 Part 13

California was a rich spot for one to live in back in the fifties, or before then. The following account of nuggets of gold found in California in the old days, recently given by an authority, almost makes one wish that one had been living there at that time, although the hards.h.i.+ps endured by the pioneer settlers were something which no amount of gold could compensate for.

The largest ma.s.s of gold ever found in California was that dug out at Carson Hill, Calaveras County, in 1854. It weighed 195 pounds. Other lumps weighing several pounds were found at the same place. August 18, 1860, W. A. Farish and Harry Warner took from the Monumental Quartz Mines, Sierra County, a ma.s.s of gold and quartz weighing 133 pounds. It was sold to R. B. Woodward, of San Francisco, for $21,636.52. It was exhibited at Woodward's Gardens for some time, then was melted down. It yielded gold to the value of $17,654.94.

August 4, 1858, Ira A. Willard found on the west branch of the Feather River a nugget which weighed 54 pounds avoirdupois before and 49-1/2 pounds after melting. A nugget dug at Kelsey, El Dorado County, was sold for $4700. In 1864 a nugget was found in the Middle Fork of the American River, two miles from Michigan Bluff, that weighed 18 pounds 10 ounces, and was sold for $4204 for the finder. In 1850 at Corona, Tuolumne County, was found a gold-quartz nugget weighing 151 pounds 6 ounces.

Half a mile east of Columbia, Tuolumne County, near the Knapp Ranch, a Mr. Strain found a nugget which weighed 50 pounds avoirdupois. It yielded $8500 when melted. In 1849 was found in Sullivan's Creek, Tuolumne County, a nugget that weighed 28 pounds avoirdupois. In 1871 a nugget was found in Kanaka Creek, Sierra County, that weighed 96 pounds.

At Rattlesnake Creek the same year a nugget weighing 106 pounds 2 ounces was found. A quartz bowlder found in French Gulch, Sierra County, 1851, yielded $8000 in gold. In 1867 a bowlder of gold quartz was found in what is known as the "Bowlder Gravel" claim, from which many smaller gold-quartz nuggets have been taken at various times.

Outside of California few nuggets of note have been found in any of the Pacific coast States and Territories. The largest nugget ever found in Nevada was one taken out of the Osceola Placer Mine about twenty years ago. It weighed 24 pounds, and is supposed to have contained nearly $4000 in gold. A hired man found and stole it, but repenting, gave up to the owners in a month or two over $2000 in small bars--all he had left of the big chunk. In the same mine, about a year ago, a nugget worth $2190 was found. Montana's largest nugget was one found by Ed. Rising at Snow-Shoe Gulch, on the Little Blackfoot River. It was worth $3356. It lay twelve feet below the surface, and about a foot above the bedrock.

Colorado's biggest nugget was found at Breckinridge. It weighed 1 pounds, but was mixed with lead, carbonate, and quartz.

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