An Oregon man spent 55 years of his life wandering and collecting gold dust. In 1913, after he finally gathered $10,000 worth of dust, he tried to sell it to a rich man who blatantly turned him down.
Human Gold Mine Had Box of Dust
For 55 years N. Jerry of Medford, Oregon, wandered through the Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains with pick and shovel digging gold. He promised himself that when he collected $10,000 worth he would settle down.
This morning he walked into the St. Francis hotel carrying a square canvas box. He looked like the original gold man. There were 14 gold teeth in his mouth, a two ounce nugget on his massive watch chain and a three ounce nugget in his button-hole. He wore as many rings as a sultan of Sulu.
“I have $10,000 worth of gold dust in that box, and I want to see Mr. Jackling, the copper king,” he told the clerk. The clerk thought that anybody with $10,000 in real money was worth notice.
Millionaire Jackling was not in, however, so they sent for his secretary, H.B. Tooker.
“Can you buy $10,000 worth of pure gold?” Asked Jerry, who seemed to resent the curious glances cast his way.
“Not today,” responded Mr. Tooker. “We have a case full of fine specimens. Good day.”
“I’m 78 years old, but I can lick any young fellow that wears a white collar,” said Mr. Jerry, as he left the hotel.
Source: The San Francisco call. (San Francisco, Calif.), 01 Dec. 1913.
