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Golden Balls (Of Gold.)
Here is a little story that you might find of interest. Especially if you live in Inyo County California.
It was the summer of 1955, shortly before my 4 year enlistment in the U.S. Navy. I was at my brother-in-laws auto repair shop in Bishop. We were just kicked back talking, when this old Dodge Bros pick-up pulled up to the door and an old man got out. (Hey, I was only 18, anyone over 25 was old to me.)
My brother-in-law introduced him to me as one of his favorite customers. The old man sat down in one of the chairs and joined into the conversation.
My bro. in law, Sarge asked him what brought him to town and the old man answered, “Wall, I got me a lil gold I thought I’d sell so I can buy some more food stock”. “Looks likely to be a long winter and I’d surely hate to run out right in the middle of it”.
The old guy had come in with a small bag that looked like it had been made from an old gunny sack. He sat the bag on his lap and untied the draw cord on the top, reached in and pulled out a ball, about the size of a softball and handed it to Sarge. After my brother-in-law had turned it and studied it for a bit, he handed it to me and said; “Now here’s what gold looks like”.
Wow, I knew from reading and conversations that gold was heavy, but no way was I prepared for the weight of that ball. Thankfully I didn’t drop it. If that thing had landed on my foot, I’m afraid there would have been some serious damage done.
I asked why it looked like a bunch of different size wires pressed into a ball. The old man laughed and said; “That’s cause it’s wire gold”. “I have a little mine up in the foot-hills where I get this stuff”. “It formed in little hollow veins that was in the quartz when it formed, that’s why it looks like wire”.
I asked him if he had to blast it out of the quartz. He replied; “Naw, the quartz is so rotten, I just pry it out with this here old hunting knife”, patting the case knife on his hip.
He visited a few more minutes then stood up and said; “Well, I better get down to the assayers office if I’m going to get paid for this today”. He told Sarge that he’d be back before the first snow to get his truck “winterized”, then started it up and drove off towards the government assay office.
I went into the U.S.Navy shortly after that, and never saw the old man again.
I had been in about three of my four year enlistment when I received a letter from Sarge and my sister, telling me that the old man passed away, but before he did, he told Sarge where his mine was and told Sarge that he should file a claim on it as soon as possible. They said they had done so, but wanted to wait for my discharge before they went looking for it. As you can imagine, that last year passed more slowly than all of the previous three years combined. But,…………….the day finally arrived that I was back in Bishop.
But, I’ll tell you about that in a day or two. (lol)
![:-\](https://www.treasurenet.com/smilies/undecided.gif "Undecided :-\")
I'm using a loaner/laptop right now, so I have to do "one finger pecking" as the keyboard is somewhat different. And it's a royal pain in the whoosis. 
