The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-11-14
Original Discovery of Gold in California.
Theodore H. Hit,ell, in overland.I

AnSouoEc n. kaltteti, ID overland. It was in Alvarado's time, and abou, March, I842. that gold was first discov. cred in Alta California. It is true that among the various reports of Drake's voyage, there is one which, in speaking of his landing at New Albion in Is78, says that there is no part of earth to be here taken up, wherein th re is not a reasonable quantity of gold or silver. ' But it seems probable that this statement was an interpolation. Whether so or not it is very certain that Drake saw neither gold nor silver on the coast There is DO pretense that he did in a very minute and clrcumstantial narrative, entitled "World EncomPassed," by his chaplain, Francis Fletcher, who would hardly have omitted matter of so much importance, if known nor is there any reference to gold or silver in any of the narratives of the sailors appended to and published with the " World Eacompassed." For these reasons, and on account also of the very general, definite. and inteuectional char acter ot the statement itself, 1t must be rejected as q fabrication. It IS further true, ih at there were reports that Captain Jedediah 5. smith, the first American who arrived m California overland, found gold Tn the Sierra Nevada mountains about the year 1926 but his discovery, if 1t were true, took place on the eastern side of the Sierra, and not within what is now known as California. Bat in I84I, Andres Cas- tillero, the same person wao af.erward discovered tue New Almaden quicksilver mine Tn Santa Clara county, while travel ing from Los Angeles to Monterey, found near the Slnt. Clara river a number of water-worn pebbles, which he gathered up and carried with him to Santa Barbara He there exhibited them, said they were a peculiar species of iron pyri,es, aud de- ciared that, according to Mexican miners, wherever they were found, there was likelihood of gold being also found. A ranchero. named Francisco Lopez, who was living on Piru creek, branch of the santa Clara river, but happened at the time to be at Santa Blrbara, heard Cas- tlllero IS statement and examined his spec. linens. Some months afterwards, having returred home, he went on search for strayed cattle. Al noon, when he dis mounted from his horse for the purpose of resting he observed a few wild onions growing near where he lay. He pulled them up, and in doing so noticed the same kind of pebbles as those to which Castillero had called his attention. Re- memoering what Castillero had sald about them, he took up a handful of earth, and, upon carefully examining it, discovered gold.
 The news of the discovery, the exact location of which was place called $ sn tranclsquito, about thirty-6ve miles nor .heast Of Los Angeles, soon spread and Tn few weeks great many persons were engaged in washing and winnowing the sands and earth in search of gold The auriferous fields were found to ex tend fron point on the Santa Clara river, about fifteen or twenty miles above its mouth, over all the country drained by its upper waters, and thence easterly to Mount San Bernardino. On May I4. lS42, Alvarado wrote to thu prefect of tue district, reproving him for not having given official notice of the discovery, and directing him to gather and forward an account of all circumstances of interest relating to the gold for transmission to the supreme government. From that time to this day, there has been more or less working of these mines but no places of very great richness have been found, and none to compare with those after wards discovered on the tributaries of the Sacramento and San Joaquin. Taking the whole country together, however, from the Santa Clara river to Mount San Bsrnardino. very considerable quantity of gold has been extracted. During the first year, though the methods of working were exceedingly rude, it is said that Lo- peg and partner, named Charles Barec, with a company of Sonorians, took out about eight thousand dollars. In Mo- vember, IS42, package ot about eigh. teen ounces of the gold was sent by Abel S.earns to the United States mint at Phil adelphia, and upon ass ay, it was found to be worth little over three hundred and forty-tour dollars.