The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-12
OLD TINES IN CALIFORNIA.
yry UHO moran TIL EMsELVEs
OUNERS or VAST RICHES.


Ebc Great Copper Dt-Rortnncs for
EvrrvbaJy- Book CanvRs-rrs who Turned
tcoiopist--A Citv that was Never PoDu-
tnted- Where Churches are Tor sale Cheap.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 3.-There was a
ere excitement concerning copper In Cali
fornia IN 1850 and 1851 A knot of miners
gathered ono rainy day In a Columbia gro
Gerry, aud one, who had worked in the Lake
Superior copper mines, said there was
tract OF country about twenty miles west of
Columbia which to him looked "copperous."
There was a certain dun red and yellow, rotten,
porous rock scattered ABOUT the surface, tinged
here ana there with blue aud green stains This
was "gossoh' or indication rock ledge, from
which tie mineral la the form Of suluhurot had
decomp sed leaving oniv the earthly matter thus
colored. The miners who heard the Lake SUI
pcnor man we're versed only IN gold hunting
and gold digging. Stll they developed "A languid
sort Of excitement regarding this affair OF cop
per, made w purse aud sent the man of to
"prospect." He went down to Salt Spring Vat
ley, called from certain salt and bitter springs,
whose waters ON evaporatine left the rocks COW
cred with white aud yellow powder 1t Is just
on the edge Of the Sierre Nevada foot hills,
where they commence gradually to merge away
IN lower ana lower undulition into the great
plain OF the San Joaquin Valley. In the summer
afternoons the sea breeze from the Pacific blows
strongly, its chill tempered by ths passage over
one hundred and 1fty miles Of heated land. 1t
A. as the atmosphere Of comfortably heated
parlor. 1t tempts one to strip and bitho in 1t.
Exclusive OF boots, $40 will keep a man In
clothes there the whole year round.
The Lake Superior copper prospector dug
few feet in 'he red, rotten porous ledge OF Salt
b. ring Valley. aud came upon a great he'd OF
copper ore. There were green carbonates, red
oxides, and lltte lower down tons on tons OF
The glittering, brassy sulphuret. So originated
the discovery Of the great Union Vein.
Over 1t they built a town aud called 1t Copper
THE TRANSIENT REIGN or COPPER.
The excitement spread to all parts Of the
state; lne whole tax was OF COPPER " carbon,
"gancue rock" Rough. unleafned miners rolled
these. and score Of other metallurscll and
geological phrases from their tongues IA gliuly
ms born professors. the chink OF mortar and
pestlc was heard in the stll summer fternoons
In evetv miners cabin IA he pounded w indica-
ZION rock preparatory 10 testing II by acid. lnis
chinkng resounded from lAsktyou, 80 miles
south to Diego. Gold was Temporarily
thrown INTO the shade. Get "A copper mine
ana die millionaire" said ev ryDody "They
are everywhere under your feet" Every man
carried n re loei-ts n INNER Tor cnipping ON
specimens mis- unger end- were yellOweJ and
his clothes were burned from the careless use
OF sulphuric acid. green stain uf vsrdigrts On
the rocks when found was supposed to he tho
certain indication OF 4 vast copper deposit un-
derneath, and II would set the whole neighonr-
hood crazy with excitement. Men led cut,
fought. swore, AID shot nj each other killing in
nocsnt, uninterested uystanuers for tue Dos
session Of these imaginary leads Of wealth.
Shooting WAS dangerous ~ outsiders In those
cloth-and- clapno QUILT mining camps.
Old DR.. smell Of sonora. near ninety years OF
age, yet able 20 outwalS and outtaik most men
oil forty, mad nrst-cidss reputation in the
county AS seologist aud mineraoglst by rea-
son Of vast collection OF dusty bones and
stones which lie uad gathered. He was reckless
IN the use of scientific jargon which he dis
charged al every one 50 LONG as they would hear
him. He preached copper. lie gave out that
nent0-
forth devote himself TO the search aud subse-
gent working Of tue NV Rad copper veins, which
undoubtedly lay hidden In every surrounding
SnoiI's advice They bored Ike moles in the
earth. They kept themselves S Sidarn G from tie
Hight OF day, week after week, ro.th after
month. lney lived on bread. oAcon, potatoes
THE WILD HUNT FOR ORE.
They expended their small and hard-earncd
capital ia the purchase OF powder, drills, and
mintIs machinery. ~ denied themsslyes
almost every pie astire, liylng la remote si!chea
aud c.hons. heir suoteFransan abors bent
their backs, bumped thor shoulders, stifened
their joints, ana Drought ON premature old ace.
some Iell down their own sh IT'S AMI broke their
nechs. Others, 10y prematurely ex ioding uidsts.
were blown up their shafts with hNe result.
The survivors thus devOiing themselves TO the
search for copper one, two, aud sometimes
three years. came out OF their holes ut last
ragged, pale, worn, poNd.r-oiacAened, some
times with obe eve, sometimes with none, aud
looked UUon tue result Il AL tni- labor advised
by Old DIR. Snel-a prOhtless hole Ia tue ground.
But DIR. smell WAS sun talking anna his dusty
stones and bones. He was enth 1slastic over a
plImbaeo discovery. EyeIbody now who would
might be n plumbago millionaire. But Will. the
fever was raging, iarne miner, merchant, and
Doctor took II alike. the aim If all other busi-
mes was simply for making money To I as assess
mems ON copper claims. Ihls was CdfUruid's
fashion.
Consequent upon this copper ,1citement there
came among the people strange u0n from
abroad. Their intellects were wholly cupnfer-
GUS. They talked only copper, thought cOpuer,
knew nothing out copper. Ia the matter Of
copper they had all graduated in the me
school First they visited the great Union VEN
IgnTa IL lnaar luaI.a F.i.aL.s "a
up some fragments ~ indication rock and a
few specimens Of the ore aud pocseted them.
hammer, aud vial Of acd. they travelled
away III every direction north. south, east, anu
copper veins. These were always pronounced
20 DE extensions OF the Union Ven a. Copper
opOls. iheY traced this system OF leads radia-
ting from the unlou like the spokes VI wheel
Tor three hundred miles.
TIRE LEARNED PROFESSIONS.
During the fever we never doubted these men,
Their ltdsment Ss TO- COPPER was s Tor u; Law
paid their motel bills, gave them admring au-
dlences every evening In the camp barroo,ns, as
well As more or less OF our choicest copper
stock, fOr We desired that they should report
fayoraby concerning our vein at san Francisco.
San Francisco was the "Dode OF the capt. list
VINO might Ofus BUY shares, aud We always had
shores To sell. II shares should run OuI,we could
hnd another copper miue and MAKE more IL
was really liAe making money out Of nothing.
II WAS not until two or three Years after the ex-
element was all over, aud the mere word COPPER
made the honest miner angry, that We discovered
who ana what these men were and how they
originated They mad previously been bar
tenders. book agents, singing masters. When
the copper fever came tnsy took IL prudenty.
They saw how the lead could be pTontaDy
worked. They saw that we simple people living
in the mines and bred TO the mines demanded
authority on copper nining-scicntnc, mineral
ogical, metallurgcal, aud geological authority
They were the persona exactly ntted TO conStl-
tute themselves uuthorities-on any SUBJECT.
We were anxious to buy scientific cupriierous
knowledge. They had 1t to sell, They sold II
TO US. Likewise they sold us. At the dime we
laDUV al q "A
hope, promise, and antci alton OF wealth are Tor
season almost equal to wealth Itself he
most successful men In this FIELD were old aud
experienced book agents.
Tue copper fever travelled to Indian Bar. ana
thence three miles along the river to Red
Mountain. Vast mines Of copper were discoV
cred there by an expert. his one was former
singing master. 1t was Indian Is rs thnd and
last sensation. There had ueen two brilliant
gold discoveries Hotl worked out. But
the singing masters copper protector came lie
found "gosson." lie pounded II In his mortar.
dissolved II in acid plunged ma Steel knife blade
Into the solution. Jt was coated with copper. 1t
was evident that great cOpper mine underii i'd
Indian Bar. Claims were taken up IN every di-