The Russellville Democrat., 1880-12-02
THE GOLDEN ABE.

THE GOLDEN ABE.
 Story of the Discovery of Gold in California.
 IL was in the month oi January, 1S4S, in a small shanty in the rather squalid little hamlet of Yerba Buena, on the Bay of San Francisco, that two young men from the States, having just printed on handpress the 150 copies oi their weekly paper, sat down upon stools, weary faint and discouraged, to talk over the prospects of the country and bemoan the fate that had cast them where society and money were so scarce. They were Americans, but tlfe land of their birth was as remote to them then as St. Peters burg to q peasant of the Amoor valley They longed to return, but never expect ed to be rich enough. The Mexican war was just ended few months before The treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gave California to the United States. The California so ceded included the present State of that name. Nevada, and most of Utah. It was an empire larger than France and England. Divided by a range of mountains almost as lofty as the Alps and longer than the Carpa- thians, running from north to south, the eastern half was terra incognita of bar. ren desert buttes and mountain spurs, containing throughout it's whole extent, but one feeble settlement of whites, known as Mormons. Unknown savages of the lowest aboriginal type dominated all the rest. The westen half, as it then appeared, was one great valley covered with bright flowers, rank verdure, clumps ot majestic oaks, wooded hills, sloping from the coast range on the west and the Sierras on the east, hills, plains and valleys alive with herds of deer, elk, antelope, and cattle and horses as wild as the game; the charming panorama enlivened and perfected by sparkling rivers, whose waters were as clear as the eloudless sky above them, their banks hanked with a dense growth of ash, mdple, alder, willow, hazel, cottonwood, sycamore, wild grape-vines, and, toward their confluence with the bays, waving tule of the darkest green, resembling at first sight the great cornfields on the lowlands of the Ohio. In all thIs vast valley region there was but one white settlement. It was known as Sutter's Fort s.s-
 It twas located near the confluence of the Rio de los Americanos with the Sajramento. To the far south, beyond tha. soureasof the San Joaquin river, not fa10 lS.n me Pacific ocean, stood the "CPdf de los Angeles" Mexican in it's cortst htion and population. A Catho- lie 1sion at Santa Barbara and another at h Luis Obispo Saint Louis, the Bi4Le b); another at Monterey, on the ba3 tCf that name; another at Santa Cld "a. in the lovely valley of that name; and her called Mission San Jose, not far fro{oI the latter, and another at the viii laghd of Yerba Buona, which has since urduh into the city of Sal Francisco. ItIl V then a collection of adoDes, built ardj A the public square we now call 'tlb FPlaza." The waters of the bay ex- tenkir as far as Montgomery street, whd 1.-the Bank Exchange now stands, anh few whalers and small coasting schb lis ers lay at anchor 300 yards from shdarh about where the postoflice now sarhx on Battery street. There were asoI American settlements at Sonoma and pa, composed of farmers who em- ierakor from the Western States a few yeahe fore, and here and there arose alorfsf Inc borders of the tule the smoke foI Ehe hut of the lonely trapper of beavf r. These, with the ranches of the od n nps. their corrals and the inevita. blea Sbe dwellings, surrounded by innu- merl |e cattle and horses, made up the mm Ewhat there was of civilized and sm;I Filized life in California at the tine ft he two young printers of Yerba Rneh kere discussing their situation. Now then vessel put into the bay d Mt terey, or San Francisco, or San Der7 o load with hides, or whaler for s)n Hrs, dropping few Mexican dol hn doubloons, which were the cur rneI If the country. It was, to an ac. uve ambitious mind, dull and list lev but to the majority, who loved easp healthy climate and beautifully diver lied scenery.
 A, Ring land of drowsy head it was,
 Teams that Ait before the hali-shut eye,
 AZ gay castles in the clouds that pass,
 P yer hashing through summer sky
 Il. t the same hour that the two Ye,I. 1uena printers were depl0ring ihss ate of isolation from the busy xo,lal a scene was enacting that was to lsr. greater effect upon the material m,, of modern society than any sssa Ence the discovery Of America. It " EJan. 10, lS4S, on the south fork If a American river, 54 miles east of Sa. Fort. Early in the morning of iks, Iy, James w. Marshall, who was lmi.H mill for himself ard Sutter, irab{ bich they expected to supply the ns1 t and settlements with pine lum- he, kked up from the DcurockS or tue seak the mill small piece of yellow me.I t weighed about 17 grains. It M loable, heauer than silver, and hsa poets resembled gold. About 4 S eeIs.' n the evening Marshall exhibit edhs ,d to circle composing the mill emss laborers. Their names were Jsmf NJ. Marshall, P. L. Winner, Nr nmer, James Bargcr, Ira Willis, Syds,e AYillis, Alexander Stephens, JSms. rown, EzlSiah Persons, Henry R,Iss &rael Smith, William Johnson, Gt.'', Evans, Charles Bennett and MlSsE scait. The conference resulted Ma%]u action of the idea that it was nM !, Wimmer tested it by boil M Hn9 I've. Marshall aft, rward tgss fwith nitriet acid. It was gold \ SN igh and the discoverer found iMNY a all tho surrounding gulchct AT he dug for it. The secret M @ be long kept. It was known N Buena three months after the