Pa., or from the Department of Agriculture, Washington,
D.C. At any rate, both will be glad to give him information where he can
get them.

RICH TIMES.

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
hardships endured by the pioneer settlers were something which no amount
of gold could compensate for.

The largest mass 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 mass 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