Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 July 1891 — Bread Better Than Gold. [ARTICLE]

Bread Better Than Gold.

July Century. During the closing days of December, 1846, gold was found in mymother’s cabin at Donner Lake by John Denton. I remember the night well. The storm fiends were shrieking in their wild mirth, we were sitting about the fire in our little dark home, busy with our thoughts. Denton with his cane kept knocking pieces off the large rocks used as fireirons on which to place the wood. Something bright attracted his attention, and picking up pieces of the pock he examined them closely; then turning to my mother he said: “Mrs. Reed, this is gold.” My mother replied that she wished it were bread. £)enton knocked more‘chips from the rocks, and he hunted in tne ashes for the shining particles until he had gathered about a teaspoonfui. This lie tied in a small piece of buckskin and placed in his pocket, saying: “If we ever get away from here I am coming back for more.” Denton started out with the first relief party hut perished on the way, and no one thought of the gold in his pocket. Denton was about thirty years of age; he was born in Sheffield. England, and was a gunsmith and goldbeater by trade. Gold has never been found on the shore of the lake, but a few miles from there in the jnountain canons, from which this rock possibly came, rich mines have peen discovered.