This reminds me of the story about "Twelve foot" Davis.

Henry Fuller "12 Foot" Davis - History

Born in the hills of Vermont (U.S.A.) in 1820, H.F. (Henry Fuller) Davis came to be a legend in the Peace River Country. During his long and colourful career as a prospector and trader in western Canada, the illiterate Yankee established a reputation for shrewd, but honest dealings with Indians and white men alike.

One of the original "Forty Niners" of the California gold rush, he soon moved on to the Cariboo area of east central British Columbia. The new rush there had attracted so many gold seekers that by the time Davis arrived, all the prime claim areas had been staked out. Two miners were doing particularly well at two adjacent claims. Though he was unable to read and write, Davis discovered that there was a 12-foot (3.4 metres) gap between them. He quickly filed on this narrow strip and within a short period of time, had extracted $12,000 dollars worth of gold from it. This was the origin of the nickname he bore for the rest of his life ‘Twelve Foot’ Davis.