The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1867-07-19
PRAYER.
SrlcftcA Selistellanp,
The Discovery of Gold In California
a Vivid and Authentic Narrative Full
of Intensely Interesting Particulars.
from The Romance Of the Age or thc Discover
Of Gold in CALIFORNIA;.

"A vivid and Authentic Narrative Eull
of Intensely Interesting Particulars.
From The Romance of the Age : or the Discovery
Of Gold in California.
LOCATION OF TUE sAw.MuI.
Lumber was in great demand among the
settlers of the oacremento Valley, THEN
numbers having been considerably aux.
mrntcd by the arrival of Mormons and
others from over the mountains. Marshall
being good Judge of the article, and other
wise competent TO manage the enterprise,
he was dispatched by Captain Suffer,
with all Indian guide and Interpreter, May,
1871, to the mountains to select the site for
saw.mill. Marshall returncGv and re-
ported that he had found good location
on tie south fork of the American River
forty miles east Of the fort and at point
called by the Indians Cul loo,ma, now called
Ooloma. The waer-power was good, pine
trees were plenty, and MeXi6ln cart
could pass without difficulty between the
fort and the proposed site Of the saw mill
Some delay occurred, and it was not until
August, lS47. that Captain Sutter finally ar
ranged with Marshall to superintend the
erection and running Of the saw-mil.
DISCOVERY OF THE GOLD. -t
The saw.mll was completed in January
ls48, and they had just commenced saving
lumber when, on the night of February 2
l84S. Marshall appeared at Suffers Fort
his horse in a foam, and himself presenting
a singular .-bespattered with
mud, and laboriug under an extraordinary
degree of excitement. He Immediately re-
quested Captain Suffer to go with him into
room where they could be alone. This
request was granted, and after the door
was closed, Marshall asked Captain Sutter
if he was sure they would not be disturbed
and desired that the door might be locked.
Captain Sntter did not know what to make
ot his actions, aud lie began to think it haz.
ardous to lock himself in tue room with
Marshall, who appeared SO uncommonly
strange.
Marshall being satisfied at last that they
would not be interrupted, took from his
pocket pouch from which he poured upon
the table about an ounce of yellow grains
OF metal, which he thought would prove to
be gold. Captain Sutter inquired where he
got it. Marshall stated that in the morn
ing, the water being shut off from the saw.
mill race, as was customary, he discovered
in passing through the race, shining parti-
cles here and there on the bottom. On ex
animation he found them to be of metallic
substance, and the thought flashed over
him that they might bo gold. How big
with events was this point of time
Marshall stated that the laborers-whtes
and lndiaus-had picked up some of the
particles, and~he thought large quantity
could be collected.
Captain Sutter was at Grst quite ineredu-
lous as to the particles being gold, but hap
penng TO have bottle of nitric acid
among his stores, he applied tile test. and
true enough, the yellow grains proved TO
be gold. The great discovery was made.
View these men as they sit at the hour
OF midnight in the dimly lighted room of
that adoue fort located far up the Sacra-
mento, the other side of the worlc to every
body bnt themselves, isolated, all unknow-
ing and unknown; one am educated; pol
ished gentleman from Europe the other a
plain, honest mechanic from tho United
States. Regard them as they examine
those little yellow grains and learn that
they are gold. The action OF no king, on
his throne, no warrior at the head OF his
army, no statesman or legislative body that
ever existed, WAS more conducive to the
events of the highest import to the human
race, than was that OF these two hum BILE
private individuals, when they sat at the
midnight hour, secluded and lonely, in that
remote country, and discovered that they
we're handling gold, .va~t
What a subject for the dramatsl What
scene for the painter This was Tho de-
noueHsht OF the plot in the drama omnip.
otence was enaeting in California. sr..r
IL must not be forgotten that this drama
was being enacted in the Mexican capital
On the very day, perhaps the very moment
that Marshall discovered the grains Of gold
in sntier'a mill race. the treaty that closed
the Mexican War aud gave us California,
MAS signed in the City Of Bfekisof