, 1881-09-11

| H. ]: Waracr writes as follows to the san
| Although :ho truth has, believe been re-
pcatey ptst4ishcsl respecting, the lrsI commerce
i'll anu discovery vi gold in Caforaa, Yet, us the
truth III this matter is, like tho farms In lht,
sacramento Wiley. being continuously coserud
ever by the cnnsta.: ttos!nE Streain VI ROMANTIC
sliek.ls, presume to give yuu tor publication
what know, well what believe tt t: tbt,
fact-, respecting the first rr1nittAnceS Ut guild
irusn and u its krst discovery i'll California.
exported from md llcftlre its disc0tety in Cali
lotna. tn;,y aec.siut fur souc ef tho historical
blunt!tr, wllvh have occllrr'"l-
~ In lE. Itttcr pnr! VI iSss;, ur the beginning
Of is:;i. j. +. t. Leese c:lne I" Los Angeles trum
Taos, y. ", bringing with him cunsidcr.b blt:
4uantl1y Vi grain :'"sd. the pru'tsics OF the New
Mexican gold pse.r>. tAh.nIt the sn1ae tiins u
Spantr1 iIy the t,ne nt F.tael0s arrived tn Los
| .au:-.:ics f-on Guayinas. State ct suor,s- who
also br<,.'..,. wiki him considerable amount ut
bullion which in large bars or bricks IF
silver. and i'll grain sou trs,ul the gost sie!'ls
vi Sonora. THESE two lnts OF srHi11 gold.
amounting to ni,out SlUttD in value went iE1o
tl1t. h1l1d> nt few merchants aud were mostly
exported from the country prior 10 the tist'ov-
cry Of any gold i'll California. y considerable
portion, and Probably the larger part Of IT. WIS
tu.n hence by the Sais trHunt, on this coast
fru1u Boston Tnis will ncCou1t for the tcstl-
u.os,y Ut lioston merchants in this mntter. Some
intn various articles Of use unt1 orfln1ncnt In
Los Angeles and some other pfuccs by silver
s,iiitlls and other urtisnns- Snue Ut 1t WAS also
wn-ttsl in. 1ht. manufacture OF counterfeit to-
lunhIu tttItiulutlfl5.
n record. truu4t1Dn, 0F even ifTCnu VI 1Qk9
prumuH:ttlou by any person of the belief Or 3tis-
p:cio1l that any purt vi Alta California WAS OF III
aurterous character prior to 1stl. can, III the
carlv part II that year Dun Andres Castiliercs !.
native. Ut Nexlcu man y! education unu VI con-
siderable scientific atttininents anu 1nincr.llox-
ic.tl k,auwieuge travelling ilptn Los Angeles r''
S;.nt;t b:trttrt, saw alt gathered up near the
rancho o: Las Eirgencs some mls'sral spcci.
mr!,a, which Ut. exhibited i'll SANTA HArbiar aiiu
said that generally, Ii not tnvasiubly> placer
guild existed wherever this cllss Of pebbles wAs
found.
theflsnen) of u ut tghbnriug ranch, while E!'tius
over the lands ns The ru,,e Ut Franclscultv.
.l.snouuteA from their horses By the SIDE Of II
ing bed III wild uainns they engaged tn xathsr-
in:: Some Of thetu. White SO toit: t'1le Or thes1i,
who had becn present amt snW the pebble which
c:l$tsIercs h, said WAS All indication Of gold
piacers. noticed une at these ptbbles ana satd
tu his comraniun: Look At this: there ss Y"'d
here, fur heard Don :AntreS tustilaeres say that
tuelt wAs gold to Ut found wherever these litto
stones exist; und Immediately scuopin* up a
hnnufu! at tho sand and gravel which had been
l,uSr:icu b.; pulling Vi, The DnsnnS he rubbed it
with his other ,l.,d, and sure enough. he found
i'll bis handful IF sund =. ='.::- IT Eo',i.
lon thc.r return to Santa -;Hri'lra they took
with rhe,n Il few dollars ur:h Ut guild which
they had obtained from the gru:iHd. The na~S
Ut the discovery of gold SOON ,preaa trofn 5anta
1sr!,ur,. an! people fruni Sun Dex" to San
Luis t)bispn hurried to the discovered placer5-
Although lew ur none Of the native tal,torniann
had ans practical knowledge Ct the gold:w'st'-
coyery. tu,e :. number of natives Ut Sonora and
other ptFts Of N"xtcn scattered over Cnlifarnia-
and especially in tho southern part Of who had
seen and worked in plncers. y lhr9e part Of tAe
extensive country drained by the santa tlnra
River Ventura C,unty} was prospcctcd. and gold
ci,tniueI in uuny places During the 1rst Two
r.Ily scas',ns following the discovery soue hum
drcsls Ut pcopIt: were protttably enSuged In min
ing. and xulI WIS brought into Los Angeles by
nitEcrs amt snld there every year from ISL 10
the discovery Of the rich and broader 8nd- telHs
ot Central California in 1919. which caused the
abandonment Of tho less productive p!acer5 OF
this part Of the country.
- Tit late Ahei Stcnrns. then a resident nler-
chant of this placr, boNght good denl Of this
knhi. lte sent sns,tl! part OF it ~ the Mint ae
Phii.llelphin. The original receipt or ccrtiacato
u lis deposit sumo years ago dunateH to Il
believe, the California Pionecrs Suf:ic1y~ at
whose rooms prcs,.me IL cnn be aceu-
1'urify the blood, c!cnnse the stomach. and
sweeten the breath With Hop Htters.