Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1849-04-04
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES SELECTIONS.


We have spoken OF Or. }. Iyrwhltt
Rrooks' volume, recently reprinted from
,he English edition by the Appletons. en-
titled :Four Months among the Gold
Finders in California" and giving per-
.onal narrative Of the diggings. and wash
;nos and adventures anon, miners and
robbers. by the author and the gold-dig-
c;no company Of which he was q member.
n this light, and as being the first au.
,h.n,ic history Of mining speculation in
California, in the land OF gold to which
40 many new spectators are now rush
ing. it is exceedingly interesting and in
sfruc,ive,-so much so, that besides re-
commenting the book. which is short
and cheap one, to attention, we think il
not amiss TO lay a summary ofthe authors
experience at the gold mines. during his
four months effort, before our readers.
Dr.. Brooks had the good luck to be in
california when the discovery Of the pla
GERS was first made. He is young En-
.Qlish physician, who, failing in some fem
I!rra,ion scheme" to which he alludes. in
tune in California. where he hoped to get
some medical appointment among the U
S. Volunteers lie landed at San Fran
cisco at the close Of April. only TO find
the war over and no hope Of employment
among the troops; went to Monterey on
the 18th Of May, where he heard the frs:
Yumors Of the gold discovery from Col.
Mason, who 'bclieved there was no truth
in the matter:'' and on the 9th. returned
TO San Francisco, where the first visitor
from the mines made his appearance with
twenty-ihree ounces Of good substantial
gold-dust, collected in eight days. and
where, during the next sixteen days. the
gold fever was fairly established and cx-
cited to the highest pitch Of delirium by
fresh arrivals from the Sacramento, with
more gold and rumors Of gold. Our
Young doctor shared the excitement; and
as early as the 24th Of May. set out for
the mines, one Of a party Of seven, which
ultimately swelled to ten persons. 1t con-
sisted Of DIR. b himself. with two Scotch
men, Malcolm and McPhail, friends who
came with him from Oregon; on Ameri-
can settler in California. named Bradley;
Don Luis Palo. a Spanish gentlemen;
Biggs. "shipping agent" from San Fran
cisco; Lacosse, a French Canadian: with
Jose, an Indian. servant OF the Span.
lard, and Horny. "big lad" runaway
ship boy. who was hired as a laborer.
Proceeding on horseback. with ordina-
~ baggage. camp equipage, picks. spades
buckets. tools. &c. the party reached the
lower. or Mormon digginyn on tho RIO lie
los Amcricanos. on SATURDAY. the Sd Of
June. where they found kind Of settle
ment-ten,s, and huts Of branches. scat
tered up the hill sides. and busy multi
tude of men. some washing out gold in
the rivers, some digging. some sitting
earth, some building "cradlcs" Of rough
boards, and others working such ma
chimes. in sets of four mcn. one digging
asccond carrying the earth. third rock
ing the cradle, and fourth supplying il
with water.
~ can hardly describe the effect this
sigh, produced upon our party says the
author. ut seemed rs if the tabled
treasure Of the Arabian Nights had been
suddenly realized before us. We all
shook hands. and sworc to preserve good
faith with each other. and to work hard fo'
the common good. The gold finders told
us that some Of them frequently got as
much as fifty dollars day. As we rode
from camp to camp. and saw the boards
Of gold-some Of it in flakes. but the
greater part in a coarse sort Of dust
which these people had amassed during
the last few weeks. we felt in a perfect
fustcr Of excitement at the sight Of the
wealth around US One man showed us
four hundred ounces Of pure gold dust
which he had washed from the dirt in a
tin pan. and which he valued at Sl4 an
ounce. As may be imagined. the whole
scene was well calculated to take strong
hold upon the imaUinat
And such in fact. was the exCitemen,
into which it threw the party. that. al
though il was nearly shutdown when they
arrived. within half an hour the doctor
and his companions were hard nj work
irving their luck in the bed Of half dried
riyulet, in which. after halfhours' work
they found themselves 1.-the possessors o
n few pinches Of gold" Great was the
rejoicing accordingly: and Jose. the In.
dian. says DR.. Il. "was devout in his ex-
,2ressions Of thank sgiving to the Virgin
Mary and the Great Spirit. whom he would
3nsis, upon classifying together, in a most
remarkable and not quite orthodox man
NcE.''
The next day-Sunday though il wa.
they all. except the Spaniard. worked
hart. till midday; when they gave out sub
dued, not by conscience. but by the hare
work. which was every severe" and th'
pain Of their hands, excoriated by con
slant imme rson in the water. by Mon
day evening. it was. found that each maj
had collected about or somewhat less tina,
two ounces Of gold dust. On Tuesda,
they felllto work TO construct two cradles
which were finished in as many DAYS
and yielded. for the first DAYS work. eacI
about six ounces Of gold dust They at
forwards Welded together nearly sixteeI
ounces day.
The party remained at the Mormon dig
gings until the lst Of July: when fndin,
the washings less productive and the mi
ner. growing too numerous. they sol
their two rude cradles. the product Of tw
days labor. for 1915. and proceeded +
the Upper-Diggings. first at the Saw Mills
where the gold was first discovered. an,
soon afterwards to Weber's Fork; whenc
on the goth Of July. they moved thei
4 IL