A Nugget from History on Horseback
History research is surprisingly similar to prospecting. Rather than digging in the dirt, it involves digging into history. Just as a prospector’s adrenaline must have flowed when he caught sight of a few flecks of gold, I grew more excited with each horse story I discovered. Although I didn’t get my hands dirty working with pans of dirt, I certainly sifted through tons of information in search of a few “gold nuggets.”
What’s a History on Horseback “gold nugget?”
Prunes is one example. Of all the thousands of burros used by gold prospectors, Prunes is one of the few whose story remains. He was the partner and constant companion of Rupert M. Sherwood, a Colorado gold prospector.
The trusty burro cheerfully carried Rupert’s gold pan, shovel, frying pan, coffee pot, pick, rope, blankets, flour, bacon, sugar, and oats. When Sherwood was too busy to make the trip into town, the miner pinned a shopping list to Prunes’ pack, and the burro headed off on his own. When he arrived in town, the shopkeeper filled the order and sent Prunes back up the trail to Sherwood’s mining camp.
Read History on Horseback to discover more gold nuggets!
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