Brooms, shovels and all kinds of im
plements for collecting a pile of the
valuable dirt were pressed into serv
ice. Tom Frye and several others ran
to the fire house and brought out the
fire hose. When this was turned on to
sluice the street a number of the slow
er miners got a bath. Frye obtained a
bottleful of the "gold" mixed with the
black sand and boasted that it con
tained at least $500 worth.
By 2 o'clock the street had been
swept as clean as a billiard table, the
first time it has been washed clean
since it was laid, it was said.
The metal was pronounced to be
pyrites of iron, or "fool's gold." by
Streeter Beall of Puyallup after micro
scopic and heated nitric acid tests. It
was admitted by all. however, that it
looked to be real gold, and being found
in black sand was an added indication
in its favor. The sand that fell on the
streets was from gravel and sand wag
ons hauling it from a gravel bank near
the Stuck river.
Mayor Wants Municipal Church.
San Bernardino. Cal.Mayor J. W.
Catick issued a statement advocating
the abolishment of all churches in the
city and the building hi their stead, by
a bond issue, of a tabernacle seating
more than 2.500 and the appointment
of a municipal minister,-who would
administer the spiritual needs of San
Bernardino. He also proposed the ap
pointment of a municipal minister, who
must perform all marriages and offici
ate at all funerals free: the prohibition
by law of the soliciting of funds from
congregations the entire city to be
members of the church, which would
be maintained by municipal taxation.
