The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-08-29
"Ir's ooLpt IT'S ooLp,"

Henry ( Gardner wTttes to the Nes York ,SsR under date of August i3, as follcw ] see a notice of the deAlh al James W. Marshall, who discovered gold m California. became acquainted with Marshall at Coloma. Cal. Enew him in. timA,eiy, and vas associated with hun in business a. tNa, place. which Is on the south fork of the American river. Mar shall was a native of NeE Jersey. Gold was discovered in Februry, lS4S, by Mar shall and another man named WelmeT, II have forgotten Weimer's first name. Marshall and Weimer built for Colonel SatteT saw mill at colomA, and had hn- shed it in February, IS1S, lam stock holder in a company which now owns that saw mill. The mill had been erected al the head of the bar where the river bends around II in the form ofthe letter U. The mlll-tace had been cut through the bar, and when the mil was started IL was found that the race vas too Shallos, and for this reason the wheel of the mtll was partially under water. The water was shut oil. and Marshall and Weimer went down the race to ascertain where i, was to be dug deeper. A poini about :;tsy yards below the m'ii, they concluded. was the place which ohssructcd the How oi water. Here Marshall said to We,mer What is tha, which shines just al the toe ot your bootp' Weimer then picked up the shining piece, aud they both thought it piece ef brass. They began to conjecture how It was possible for a piece ct brass to get into the race, From the fact that no brass had been used in tAe construction of the mill, and that the piece found had been worn smooth, they concluded that it was not brass, and might be gold. On that day Mrs. Wet mer was making soap, and fW this pur. pose had made lye by teaching ashes, To test the metal found Mrs, WeimeT boiled Il several hours in this lye, and when she removed II from the lye it was a> black as ink These fLcls were stated to me by Marshall, Wclmer and Mrs. Weimer. went with Marshall to Wei. mer'i house to sec the titst piece of gold fbund in California, and then and there the whole history of the discovery was talked over by all three of the persons who participated tn the discovery. Mrs Weimer then showed the p,eoe of gold It's weight was $7. or. ihe value oi the ounce being Sl6 Tn other words, eigh, and quarter pennywelgh,s. The form of the piece was that of lang, irregular pumpkin seed. Ii vas still black as when taken out of the lye, except a, one end where the incfusiation formed by the lyc had been removed.
 This discovery was made in February, ISaS The day do not remember. AS soon as this lye tcs, had been made Mar. shall and Werner went into the m,ii.tacc and with wooden bowls washed ou, some two CT three ounces ot gold, and Marshall carried it 10 Monterey to acertain if |, were gold. This was the nearest place ~herc the means to make the test could be had.
 Colonel Su,ter resided a, his fort, near what IS now the city of Sacramento. He was Swiss and classmate of N ,poleon III. One evening when going down the Sacramento river in a steamboat, Colonel Sutter told me the story of Marshall ! re. turn from Monterey. Colonel Suuer said l"i was in bed and IL was abou, twu o'clock al night. heard some one ride up to the fort, the horse running at the top of his speed. Then banging at the gate then ] heard the olsnk Of the spurs on the brick floors Of the fort; then a pounding at the door Of my room, and when l opened the door in rushed Mar. shall. shouting; It's gold h's gold Al the time Marshall and Weimer bull, the mil a, Coloma the labor used was Indian labor. There were no other white men besides Marshall and Weimer Marshall was unmarried, and had DO ~k ,nL hat .l not distinctly remember.
 When Marshall returned from Monte rey 10 Coloma he hrough. ~ilh him about goo Indians and took them ,o Webber creek, distant about SIX miles from Colo. ma. There, with his Indians, he washed out large amoun. of gold Hs part vas sufficient to buy from Sut,ef the saw mill al Coloma. In iS4g Marshall aNd
 ohn Winter owned the mili together, and they also owned Winters hotel They sold the lumber at $So a thousand. and the demand was greater than the mil could supply. pad at he hotel fioo a week board, without room. MaTah all was then worth more than Sfoo GOO but his ge- erosIiy WAS without limit He gave to all who asked Q! him. He had no business quAlIGc ations, and when sharp busncss men came in and built up the little town pf Coloma, Marsh all was sooD traded ouJ of all his property. His money he had lent where II would never be returned or had been given away.
 Then Marshall became pVospcctor for gold mines. Several times 1 fitted Eim out with mules. men and provisions to go prospecting. He knew the country bet ter than any other man al tha time. and led the way 10 many rich placer mines {; bu, he never found any that were rich enough for him. Often he has left mines wberc be could take out SIX O. seven ounces per day to seek ao Fl Dorado where hundreds of thousands could be made in a week.
 Stnoe IS5z have known nothing of Marshall, bat concur in the opinion that it is a disgTs-e to ;he .s.e cical.iofnia that she has suffered Marshall to die in want. To Suiter first and Marshall next Is California most indebted.