Without hesitation, miners abandoned good paying claims to join the rush to Dry Diggings in the hopes of striking it even richer. As the winter of 1848 approached and water became more available, the camp grew even more prosperous. By the middle of December, a traveler passing through the camp reported that about fifty log cabins had been erected. An estimated one to two thousand inhabitants called Dry Diggings home in 1849. The gulches, ravines, and hillsides for miles around were dotted with tents, brush lean-tos, and log cabins, while along the camp s main street dozens of buildings housed stores, saloons, boarding rooms, restaurants, and gambling halls.
Several versions exist concerning the aforementioned grisly events.
One such is this. One night in January of 1849, five men entered a gambler s room with nefarious intentions. When the gambler awoke, one of the intruders put a gun to his head while the others rifled his belongings in search of gold. Somehow an alarm was raised and several citizens rushed into the room and apprehended the robbers. The next day the five men were tried by a miners court, found guilty, and sentenced to receive thirty-nine lashes.