[meteorite-list] Rock-Picking Farmer Finds $1 Million Meteorite In Missouri

From: Ron Baalke <baalke_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:23:43 2004
Message-ID: <200303031713.JAA17776_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov>

http://www.startribune.com/stories/1451/3730208.html

Rock-picking farmer finds $1 million meteorite
Associated Press
March 3, 2003

FAIRFAX, Mo. -- Farmer Gary Wennihan may have made a meteoric rise to
wealth.

Wennihan, 60, was tossing aside rocks in his soybean field to prevent
damage to his combine when he picked up a strange-looking rock in the
fall of 2000.

It turned out to be a rare meteorite scientists say could be worth as
much as $1 million.

Ben Rogers, a Northwest Missouri State University student who attends
Wennihan's church, offered to take it to his geology professor.

After polishing away the layers of rust, Rogers and assistant geology
professor Richard Felton found a shiny metallic surface.

``It was beautiful, almost like chrome, it was so shiny,'' Rogers said.

Felton's colleague, Renee Rohs, took the rock to a University of Kansas
professor who taught her about meteors. Half of it was sent to the
Institute of Meteoritics at the University of New Mexico for more
analysis.

A leading meteorite expert at UCLA concluded that nothing similar had
ever been found.

Rohs said other meteorites have brought $500 a gram. After small samples
were donated to three universities, there still were 1,800 grams - or 4
pounds - left of Wennihan's rock.

Wennihan is enjoying his treasure - whether it makes him a millionaire
or not.

``I'm holding onto it until I get a good offer, and it may never come,''
he said last week. ``I'm certainly not holding my breath. And in the
meantime, I'm just having fun with it.
Received on Mon 03 Mar 2003 12:13:31 PM PST