Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-08-15
PIONEER BAYS AT coI0xa.
"Reminiscences OF Early Times at the
Place Where Gold Wns Discovered,


Piaos Where Gold Was discovered.
EDS. RECORD UNION: In the early par.
of the season of 1s48 General Suffer fitted
out an expedition ut Suffers Fort, at Sac
ramento, for the purpose of selecting a site
on which to build q sawmill 20 supply his
valley ranch with lumber. In that expedi-
ton there were, among others, J. w. Mar
shall, Peter Weimer, wife and family,
Weimer going as laborer and his wife as
cook for the hands who were to put up tho
saYmill.
It is well known that they found what
they considered n suitable location at Co.
Iona, on the South Fork of the American
river. The site selected was approved by
General Suffer. and there, on the GOLD
bearing sands of that beautiful stream, J.
w. Marshall electrified the world by the
discovery of gold. To General Suffer is
due the honor of building the first sawmiu
and cutting the first lumber by water
power on the west side of the Sierra Ne
vada. 1t is said that the name Coloma is
OF Indian derivation, and the discovery of
gold at that place has made the name i'm
mortal in all historical "reminiscences of the
early pioneers.
My first acquaintance and settlement at
Cooma was in the early part of the fall OF
1850. We had first located upon the road
to Sacramento between Single and Mud
Springs. While l was in Sacramento to
obtain supplies we we're sent for-my wife
and self-to take charge Of the Rogers Ho-
tel. in Coloma. Upon my return we imme-
distsly removed to Coloma aud took the
hot l.
month. Board was then SOS per week,
payable IN advance. Coloma was q small
village, but Q place of considerable i'm
portance, being the county seat of El Do
RADIO
Society was in q chaotic state. There
were no social privileges, and Judge Lynch
still sat upon the bench, with the halter in
bis hands, ready to string up the next Of
fender against law. The Sabbath day was
forgotten gold was God, and crowds Of
gamblers and miners filled our streets
PTotane oaths were the common vocabu-
ulary, and upon our sidewalks various
gambling games in every part OF the town
were continually going on. No sound of
the church-gong bells called our minds
back 10 the Sabbath days Of our childhood
home in the Pilgrim land of our fat hers,
where our heavenly Father is revered and
worshiped as the guiding star of earthly
life, crowned with bright visions of &
celestial paradise beyond the grave.
At that time we had in ColCma ali classes
in society, and drawn from nearly every
quarter Of the globe; many Of them in
tent only upon the acquisition of gold. I
can truthfuliy say thatlt vas rough crowd
but among them were gems of the pure
mettle Of manhood, which cannot be found
outside the ranks CT our carly pioneers.
There were in the fall Of 1890, the Winters
Hotel, kept by George Orummey. noted
Chicago gambler; the Marshall Hotel,
kept by Vinal Daniels. and the Rogers
Hotel, kept by myself and wife. 1t was
my wife who ran the hotel; Was merely
/? guest. The principal merchants were
the firm Of Searls. Mounts & Mcdonnell,
s. e. Brooks, Wetherby & Rsnney. Mounts
was killed when the steamer Pearl blew
up in front Of your city; 9. 6. Brooks,
Ranney and Wetherby left Coioma in
1851.
There was also bakery kept by Philip
Scheld, now Of the Sacramento Brewery,
where our townspeople were furnished
and bread, pies and cakes were gold to the
haIt-iamishei immigrants. Our physicians
were Doctors Belyil.e and SimnniOn. Late
III the fall Of so or spring OF 81 three Ger
man gentlemen built the Crescent CITY
Hotel. One of them, DGsenbsrg, is now n
leading merchant Of San francisco, and
was for many years German Consul at the
Bay. John 7. Little for the many past
years real estate broker on Montgomery
street, Sgn Francisco, then kept 0 store
and hotel on the north side of the river,
and vas partner with Rowan in the
bridge carried away ii the freshet of 81.
George Searls went back to Ohio in 81
William Mcdonnell IS now q resident Of
YreEa. S. S. Brooks was the first Post
master, and George Dudeu Justice Of the
Peace. Jack Moore was Deputy Sheriff,
and Fassett, father-in-law Of Mr. Rogers,
was lailer. In 81 Sylvester and Augustus
Tryon, now Of your city, kept store on
Piety Hill, so-ca.led, near the Courthouse
In carly pioneer days Ei Dorado county
was very prolific in gold, Miners would
quit claims that did not pay one ounce per
day; they would pack their tools and look
for better diggings. The firm Of Searl1, Nc
Connell & Mounts took out Of the Middle
Fork OF the American river in the summer
OF 1880, with rocker, in o-e day, the sum
Of s., 600.
In the summer Of 1851 Thomas Springer,
afterwards State Printer, commenced OF
tIolOma the publication of the first news
paper, which WAC called, think, The RiG1er
A-rlS. Winters, the proprietor Of Winters
Hotel, died about seventeen years ago near
Ophtr, Placer county. There were very few
OF our early pioneers who ever desired 70
be candidates for official position. We had
no political party Conventions. Party lines
were not drawn. Wing or Democrat. It
was all the same with the voters; but it
was Of the greatest Importance to sue
cesgful canvass that q candidate carried
well-dlled bag Of gold-dust. No questions
were ever asked as to moral character,
ability or qualifications, but the candidates
who scattered the most golden sands gener-
ally won the race and captured tho ohces
Z. 8. HALL
Plymouth, August II, 1885. j..