The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-03-11
Discovery OF Gold in California.

In looking over my notebook the
other day l came across something. re-
lating to the discovery of gold in Cali
fornir which / thought might interest
your readers, and therefore send it for
your consideration. - I was upon the
ground shortly after the discovery, and
was acquainted with the principal ac-
tors. The discovery took place exactly
| thirty-tvo years before the date of this
paper, and occurred in the following
manner: Capt. Suter was building q
Lsaw-mil, and had employed two or three
white men as well as number of Indi-
ans. They had dug race to the river
and built the framework of the MILL In
the evening they had turned the water
into the race so as to sluicesOut the tail
race In the, morning one of the white
men by the name Of Jim Marshall went
down into the tail-race in order to find
out how much dirt had been washed
out. His attention was attracted to
1 some shining Jumps. Not knowing
what they were he gathered up several
of them and took them to his fellow
wOrkmen for their inspection. One of
these men had some knowledge of met
Eals, and at once proceeded to test the
nuggets. He procured some aqua
FORTS, and after applying it pro-
j nounced it gold and no mistake.
1t was agreed to keep the discovery
d secret, but Marshall was to inform
Captain Suter, who was then at his fort,
some twenty miles distant Marshall
took several of the nuggets in a bag and
started on foot to the fort. OF the
interview Captain Suter gives the
following account: % Marshall reached
my place about three O'Clock in the
: afternoon. p He seemed greatly agitated
He asked me to 60 into a private room,
as ne had Something to Communicate
After we were in the room he asked me
to lock the door. I felt uneasy, for the
man looked wild. After | had locked
the door he desired me to place some
thing over the keyhOle. Now, Cap
tain,' says he, edo you think any one
can hear uspa He then pulled out hi:
bag of precious metal, and, emptying j
upon the table, desired me to examine
it, which did, and pronounced it gold
Marshall Immediately prepared to re
turn, l told him to remain all night
and tllat i would 60 up with him. !
: could not persuade hiFntO remain. Thi
next morning l started on horseback
and several miles on my way / me
Marshall coming out of the bushes, al
| wet, it having rained hard in the night
we travelled along together unt1 W.
reached the saw-mill, where we founC
all hands had quit work and gone t,
old-hunting.n L-ttE ...-r
1t is a singular fact that the SAM
man who DISCOVERED gold in Californii
| was the cause of its being found in Aus
! tralia, in which country it was discov
! cred by James Hargrave. England, TO
the benefit derived therefrOm, by act o
Parliament gave to Hargrave the sun
+ of $4,000, while Marshall has never re
, eeived a cent from the United States
!, not even a pension, showing the differ
: ence between the two Governments
Hargrave and Marshall were old &C
, quaintances, and Hargrave had just re
, turned. from Australia when Marshal
met him and induced him to return f.
Australia and seek for gold. This h
did, and the result was the finding O
, richer deposits than in California;
bert N. Hatch, IN Philadelphia Times.