The Sierra citizen. [volume] (Downieville, Calif.) 1854-185?, 1854-07-08

said they were going thirty miles up and
down the river, to drive off all foreigners.
He was an Irishman-there were Irish
men, marching that day to drive off the
Kanakas, who had assisted Capt. Suffer
when he YVES in difficulty with the Cali
fornians- and they themselves had never
been in the United States; and there were
Dutchmen who couldn't speak word OF
English for yaw-yawing, together with q
few New Workers, who were going to look
after good claim already opened-all
going to drive off the foreigners. / don't
know whether they made their pile by the
operation. We kept working all along
through the months of August and Sep
TENDER. Then there was some talk of GO
ing out of the mountains Provision was
scarce and very high, and got the scurvy.
| tried wing-daming but couldn't dry the
claims 80 as to find out whether there
was anything in the bed of the stream
or not.
There was one man belonging to COM
pany from Waterloo, in York State, who
used to go prospecting for new diggings
and after his return from an expedition
of eight or ten days, I used to call at his
camp to hear the news, as lie had been
very friendly when I first came on the
bur, and sold me rocker for twelve and
half ounces, merely to oblige me; but l
never could learn any thing from him. 1
knew there was such place as Wambo s
Bar, that Mr., Van was out prospecting
with him, that the gold got finer above
Wambo's Bar, and finally run out alto
gether. That was a damper for me; IN
fact Mr.. G., who kept camp for the com
pany, limited as much that / should not
ask anything about where he had been,
as it was the law among prospectors to
keep everything profound secret, and
when they found any very good diggings,
to come some dark night and carry off
their camp. There was mystery about
prospecting that / could not unravel.
About this time l got MY finger jambcd
with a rock, and paid half an ounce for
IA small dressing of salve at Fosters Bar.
My partner and myself divided the bag
OF dust, and | went to bookkeeping. One
morning two men came to the store with
two Or three mules; they had intended to
90 to Fosters Bar but had lost the trail
l sold them some goods, and they paid me
in lunipy gold. That decided the question
which ! had been revolving in my mind
for some time-that they were washing
gold higher up on the river and that
was going to have some of it myself ]
accordingly went up to Fosters Bar
bought horse and mule, brought them
down and tied them alongside of my tent
Next morning the horse was gone, and
the poor old mule did not look as though
he could cross the river; however, / sci
about preparing to start, and went up t,
Fosters Bar to see if I could find any
one to go with me. One or two promised
to go, but backed out. About this time
Fosters Bar was crowded with men. Il
one went up to the camps the fumes OIL
pork and slap.jacks arising from a hun
dred frying pans, could be compared to
nothing that I know OF, except all the
soap-factories in Ohio frying out at full
blast. No wonder there was sickness in
almost every tent. Here and there a
squallid looking creature might be seen
crawling on his hands and feet to his ten,
door through dust and smoke, to devour a
halfcooked slap.jack, for it is well known
fact that in l849 sick people had as good
appetites as those who were well and able
to work.
Having determined to breathe the
mountain air, | set about getting ready
to go; bought me United States rife and
one of Aliens pepper-boxes, and persua-
ded an Englishman to gowithme. After
we we're all ready to start, the Englishman
backed ont. Having determined to give
up the expedition that fall returned to
Billiards. Bar, where / still had sonne
goods stored; also some 1imejuice, CAPT
tai antidote for the scurvy, and what was
far more priced then-some brandy.
There were some colored men at work
on the river below the bar; they came nF
70 my camp, and after taking q drink be
lgan talking about the diggings up The
river. They finally agreed to- go with me
So We made wind up Of the business ii
the store. in true California style, packed