The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-11-05
GOLD GOLD! GOLD
Messrs. Dickson d Hay are purchasers of
Sacramento gold. A liberal price given.

A5ouCu d OH Il SldIllS lldb IT'D 1uIbllSi pun
LEGATION, for the present, would cease,
because nearly all Its patrons had gone
to the mines. A month later there
dren-left in Yerba Buena. The first
rush was for Suffers Mill, since chris
tened Coloma, or Culluma, after tribe
of indians who lived in that region.
From there they scattered in all direc-
tons. A large stream of them went
over to Weber creek, which empties into
the American some ten or twelve miles
below Coloma. Others went up or
down the river. Some, more adyentur-
GUS, crossed the ridge over to the north
and middle forks Of the American. BY
the close Of June the discoveries had
extended to all the forks Of the Ameri-
can, Weber creek, Hangtown creek, the
Costumes (known then as the Mako
sume), the Mokelttmna, Tuolumne, the
Yuba from twas, or yuvas-grape),
called in 1848 the "Yuba, 2 or "Ajuba,
and Feather river. On July Is the edi-
tor Of the Cdlifor7ai01a returned and is
sued the first number of his paper after
it's suspension. 1t contained descrip-
ton of the mines from personal obserya-
ton. He said
{" The country from the Ajuba (Yuba)
to the San Joaquin, distance Of about
12O miles, and from the base toward the
summit of the mountains, as far as Snow
hill (meaning Nevada), about seventy
miles, has been explored and gold found
on every part. There are now probably
5000 people, including Indians, engaged
in collecting gold. The amount collect
I'd by each man ranges from $40 to $3.50
per day. The publisher OF this paper
collected with the aid of ashovel, pick and
atinpan, from $44 to 1928 per day--aver-
aging 800. The gross amount collected
may exceed 5000, 900, Of which amount
our merchants have received $3.50, 900, all
for goods, and in eight weeks. The larg-
est piece known to be found weighs
! eight pounds.
| On the 14th Of August the number of
| white miners was estimated at 1000.
Many of them were of Stephenson's regi-
ment and the disbanded Mormon battal-
ion. The Californian remarked on that
day that 'when man with his pan or
basket does not average $50 to $40 per
day, he moves to another place. Four
Thousand ounces day was the estimated
production of the mines five months
after the secret leaked out. In April the
price of -four here was 81 per hundred
IN August it had risen to SIG. All other
subsistence supplies rose in the same
proportion. Here is part of letter from
Sonoma, to the Caitforniaa, Aug. IA:
g have heard from one of our citizens
who has been at the placers only few
weeks and collected 81, 800, still averag-
ing SlOO day. Another, who shut up
his hotel here some five or six weeks
since, has returned with So, 200, collected
with spade, pick and Indian basket. A
man and his wife and boy collected $500
in one day."
Sam Brannan laid exclusive claim to
Mormon island, in the American, about
twenty-eight miles above its mouth, and
levied royalty of 80 per cent. on
all the gold taken there by the Nor
mons, who paid it for while but re-
fused after they came to better under
standing of the rules of the mines. By
September the news had spread to Ore
gon and the southern coast and on the
I'd Of that month the Californian notes
that l25 persons had arrived in town sby
ship" since Aug 26. In the "Dry Dig
gings"-near Auburn-during the month
OF August, one man got $4,000 out of
five carloads of dirt. In the same dig
gings good many were collecting from
$500 to 800 day. In the fall of
1848, John Murphy, now of San Jose.
discovered Murphy's Camp Diggings, in
Calaveras, and some soldiers of Ste
phenson's regiment discovered Rich
gulch, at Mokelumne hill. That winter
one miner at Murphy's realized $50, 1000.
| 1t was common report that John Muir
ply, who mined number of Indians on
wages, had collected over 81 500, 900 in
gold-dust before the close of the wet
3ason of 1848. A Frenchman fishing
in prospect hole for frogs for his break
fast, at Mokelumne hill, in November,
1913, discovered speck of gold on the
side of the excavation, which he dug out
with his pocket-knife and sold for So. $50.
Three sailors who had deserted took out
| $4,000 in five days ON Weber creek.
Such strokes OF good fortune turned all
classes into miners, including the law
yers, doctors and preachers. The ex-
ports of gold dust In exchange for pro-
duce and merchandise amounted to
$500, 900 by the 25th of September. The
ruling price of gold dust was SIS per
ounce, though it's intrinsic value was
from $40 to 800. A meeting of citizens,
presided over by T. NJ. Lea yenworth,
and addressed by Samuel Brannan,
passed resolutions in September not to
patronlze merchants who refused to take
gold dust at SIG per ounce. A memoir
al was also sent from San Francisco to
Congress in that month for branch
mint here. 1t stated, among other
things, the opinion that by July l, 1849,
$4,000 worth of dust, at SIG per
ounce, would be taken out OF the mines.
The figures were millions too low. Real
estate in San Francisco took a sudden
rise. A lot on Montgomery street, near
Washington, sold in July for SIC,
and it was resold in November with
shanty on it for $27, 1000. Lots in Sac
ramento, or New Helvetia, also came up
to fabulous prices that winter. By the
| month of October the rush from Oregon
caused the Oregon papers to stop publ
cation. In December the Kanakas and
Sonorians came in swarms. A Honolulu
letter, Nov. IL, said:
"Such another excitement as the
news from California created here the
world never saw. l think not less than
500 persons will leave before Jan. 1, and
if the news continues good the whole
foreign population, except missionaries,
will go.
The news did continue good, and they
came, some missionaries Included. Soon
there came mp from the mines COM
plants of outrage and lawIessness, most
" against Kanakas and other foreigners.
How we'll they were founded, to what
they led, and how they were suddenly
and sunmarily silenced, is story that
covers very interesting part of the
history of California, and the progress Of
civilization in America.
SAMUEL SEABoUGH.
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