The Placer herald., 1861-05-25
Historical Sketch Discovery of Callfor'
MIA Gold.

James w. Marshall, IN American citizen,
and native Of New Jersey, on the 10th
of January, ls4s Gold had previous to
that time been found, but in places where
the mines were not extensive; their produc-
ton was scarcely known to commerce, and
their working after long years, led to
no important results. Marshal's discovery
speedily and directly exercised an influence
throughout the world, and gave new life to
trade and industry in Europe and America.
BRAKES REPORT.
2. Tie first published report of gold in
California is in IIakluyt's account of Sr
Francis brakes visit to this coast in 1879.
Thst voyager entered bay, about altitude
thirty eight degrees, supposed to be the one
now called brakes Bay, twenty miles north.
westward from the mouth of San Francisco
Bay. If not the former it certainy was
the latter bay The historian of the voyage
says: There is no part of the earth here
to be taken up wherein there is not a reas
enable quantity Of gold or silver" There
is no statement that any of brakes men
penetrated into the interior, or made any
search for 'hese metals, or obtained any spe
cimens of them; and since neither gold nor
silver is found in the loose earth at either
brakes Bay or San Francisco Bay, we are
justified in presuming the statement to be
an impudent lie, written for the purposes Of
making the voyage appear Important giving
interest to tn narrative, and imposing on the
ignorant an! creduous.
SPANISH REPORTS.
3. The Spaniards and Mexicans who Wis
tied the coast at various times, by land and
sea, and who were familiar with the indica-
tions of the precious metals and knew how
to search for them. undoubtedly found gold
at various places, particularly near the Colo
RADIO river; but they found no places rich
enough to pay for the labor Of working
The impression went abroad, however, that
the country had great mineral wealth, and
continued to prevail until the American con
quest. 1t was only vague rumor, and was
published in several books, but it could not
command the confidence of severe criticism
FORBES AND MAUFRAs.
4. 1t is reported that silver was discovered
at Aliza, in Monterey county, as early as
1902, and gold was found at San Isidro, in
San Diego county, in 1928 (Maufraus, vol |,
p. 1859 but the former never yielded any
silver worthy of note, and the latter had
not been heard Of in 1885, 10y Alexander
Forbes, the historian of California, who
wrote: No minerals Of particular import
ance have yet been found in Upper Califor-
MIA nor any ores of metals. In another
place, referring to Hijar's migration to Ca
tornia in 1888, he says: There was gold
smiths in the party proceeding to coun
try where no gold existed" The first mine
to produce any noteworthy amount of PIE
cous metal was the gold placer in the Can
on Of San Francisquio, on the ranch of the
same name, forty five miles north westward
from Los Angeles. This placer was discov-
cred about the year 1898, and in 1912 the
chief miner there was "A Frenchman named
Barec. This placer WAS wrought continu
ously from 1888 to lS4S, when it was de
serted for the richer dig ings in the Sacra
mento basin. The total yield in ten years
was probably not over 100000, a yearly av-
erage of $4,000.
5. In 1912, the geo'ogist and mineralo-
eist OF Wilkes exploring expedition, visited
California, and Travelled from the northern
boundary through the Sacramento basin to
the bay of San Francisco, and soon after
his return to the Eastern States in 1912 or
lS43, he published work on mineralogy,
in which he asserted the existence of gold
in California have not been able TO
find copy of the first addition of his book,
but newspaper which has fallen into my
hands gives the follo"ing quotations, pre-
sum d to be correct. Speaking of places
where gold has been found, he mentioned
"Cafonia, between the Sierra Nevada and
Sacramento and San joaquin rivers'-On
page 252 lie says: The gold ro"ks and veins
of quartz were observed by the author in
1912, near the Umpqua river in Southern
Oregon and pebbles from similar rocks were
met with along the shores Of the Sacra
mento, in California, and the resemblance
to other gold districts was remarked, but
there was no opportunity of exploring the
country at the time" Mr.. Dana unques
tionably discovered the existence of gold in
California either by direct vision or by in
ference, but it was mere nominal dsrov-
cry, creditabe in a scientific point OF view,
but of no practical use. He did not find
diggins that would pay, nor did his announce
ment set anybody to work to hunt for such
diggings. His merit in so far AS California
is concerned, NAV be compared to that Of
Murhsons similar discovery Of auriterous
rocks, or rock Indicating anriferons wealth
in Australia. 1t did no good, and nobody
paid any attention to it, until the paying
diggings were found by IIargraves, many
wears later. As Hargraves is the hero OF the
Australian, so is Marshall Of the Caiforni-
an gold discovery.
9. Before giving the account of bis dis
covery, however, Will quote the following