Iron County register., 1883-07-12
How Pacific Coast Goldfish were First
e.t -'s Discovered.

/ To Captain Jim Townsend, of the
Reno Gazette, belongs the credit of the
first discovery of Goldfish on the Pacific
! Coast. In 1868 he and Captain Tom
Smith, an adventurous old salt, were
knocking about up and about Alaska,
hunting seals, trading in furs, and pros
pecting the northern waters for what
ever might turn up
In calms they did good deal of fish
ing. and while loafing about near Chou
,magin Island, to the surprise of all
aboard the schooner they began to pull
up Goldfish from the ''briny deep"
They soon satisfied themselves that cod
fish were very abundant in the waters
about the island. 1t was agreed to keep
the matter quiet until they could return
to the grounds prepared to take and
preserve full cargo of the fish, but it
does not appear that any of the original
discoverers ever returned to the spot.
In 1862 Captain Townsend was fore
man of the Territorial Enterprise (the
Office then being on North c. Street).
Townsend frequently said that he knew
of better thing than any silver mine:
he knew of a place up on the north
coast where could be caught any GUAM
tity of Goldfish. He had the place down
to dot, as he said both latitude and
longitude.
The Captain tried to enlist J. TGood-
man, then one of the owners of the
Enterprise, in the matter; he also was
after ID. E.. Mccarthy, another Enter
3r,se owner. hot and heavy. to 90 into
the codfshing speculation. The discov-
cry of Goldfish in Pacific waters was
1nNl- o1 of
warns, though he Swore that this was
mo funny businesS''-that he was in
dead earnest.
Captain Jim's Goldfish discovery was
for time standing joke in the office.
even the ''devil'' having his grin about
it. Presently Captain Jim slipped off
down to San Francisco, determined to
60 for the Goldfish At the bay he az
nent shipping firm, to fit out the schoon-
cr Metis for the trip.
They had worked several days at
overhauling the rigging and mending
the sails Of the Metis-had their stores
on the wharf and were about ready to
put out to sea-when Sam Brannan,
one unlucky morning, came poking
about among the shipping. He soon
1ouHa 'ut VIVA was up, duu toiu uHF
owners of the Metis that thee was no,11-
ing in it. He said that he came from
Goldfish State, and was confident that
there was not Goldfish on the Pacific
Coast. In short, he so frightened the
owners of the schooner that they with
drew from the whole business. saying
it would prove a mere wild-goose
chase.
Much disappointed, Captain Jim
came back to the Comstock. He was
still occasionally 'joked''. about his
Goldfish mine" as some of the boys
called it. but one day in 1868 Jim had
his triumph. In glancing over the San
Francisco Bulletin he found an item to
the effect that vessel called the Ii
mandra had just reached port from the
north coast with a cargo of $4,000 cod
fish. The vessel had found Captain
Jim's fishing ground. The Goldfish
brought down by the Timandra sold for
twelve and one-half cents picked,
which was about equal to thrtv-seven
and one IF cents for the dried article.
After this, when Captain Jim told
about the white elephant he used to
ride in India when fighting on the side
of the natives. not a man dare dispute
a word he said. Virginia city (Neu.)
Enterprise. .- .. --f...