The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1885-08-19
New York Daily Tribune, dug. IL.

JAMES W. MARSHALL.
A dispatch yesterday from Placerville,
California, stated that "James w. Mar
shall, who claimed to be the discoverer
of gold in California, died yesterday at
his home in Kelsey He was seventy
four years old, and died poverty strick-
en-, disappointed man. 1t is singular
that this dispatch, sent from the neigh
borhood of the old pioneers home, should
throw doubt upon his discovery, but Cali
fJrnia has not done her duty by Marshall
at any time. There is no doubt that he
was the discoverer of gold in California.
1t was in the early part of 1S4S that he,
being then in partnership with Suffer in
a saw-mll the erection of which he was
experimenting at Coloma, saw something
glitter in the channel of the mill-race,
into which water was then being turned
for the first time, stopped and picked up
what proved to be the first nugget or CHS
pa found by white men in California.
Marshall applied such crude tests as oc-
Cured to him on the spur of the moment,
and then, having gathered several other
specimens, he jumped on a horse and
galloped down to Suffers camp. Arriv-
ing there much excited he called Suffer
aside and showed him what he had found
The Swete at first ridiculed the story,
but the application of nitric acid to the
metal convinced him.
Meanwhile the news flew as such news
does. The saw-mill at Coloma was aban-
doned. The land all about it was jumped.
Marshall's proprietary rights were coolly
ignored, and the great discovery proved
his ruin. All his little property was swept
away in the rush. Tho hungry miners
killed and ate his cattle, seized the tim
Der of his buildings for their own use,
and even grudged him claim of his own.
And a strange fate thenceforth pursued
him. He was never lucky for himself,
bat the fact that he was the discoverer of
gold bred curious superstition concern
ing him. The miners believed that he
had some occult power of finding gold,
and so believing they logged him like
sleuth hounds. Again and again he tried
to evade them taking as he thought
every precaution, he would wander forth
in search of some gulch as yet unexplor-
ed. Finding such solitary location, he
would stake off claim and go to work
only to find, after few hours, stream
of men pouring in and taking up the
ground above and below him, and some-
times even driving him from his claim.
He never made second discovery, and
never secured anything considerable by
his mining. He was plain, rough man,
with the failings of the California pic.
neers, and the persecution to which he
was subjected seems to have taken the
heart out of him. He had been in Cali
fornia since 1916, having taken an active
part in the famous Bear Flag War and
! been also a member of several expeditions
against the Indians He was wagon
maker by trade, and followed it for some
time in Suffers employ at New-Helvetia
before tue discovery of gold. After that
he drifted about, like thousands of others,
until despite the annoyances he suffered
the mining fever had taken full posses
sion of him. For many years he owned a
small tunnel at Kelsey's Creek, and drew
from it a scant pittance. There can be no
question that the discovery of gold was a
misfortune for Marshall. 1t literally
wrecked his life, and was the cause Of his
dying embittered and disappointed. But
the State of California cannot be acquitted
of blame for her neglect of the Discoverer.
| Several years ago his case was represen-
ted to the State Legislature, and so press
ed by those who felt that lie deserved
substantial recognition that bill was
passed appropriating 5000 month for
him. This appropriation, however, only
lasted two years. Then there was another
struggle, and the poor pension was after
all cut down. When the next Legisla-
ture met it refused to do anything for the
old man, and he was left to starve on to
the end upon the miserable proceeds of
his little claim.
There is something melancholy about
the story. The great wealthy State of
California owed it to herself to protect
James w. Marshall from want at least,
and to testify In some way her recogni.
| ton of the service he had done the Com
monwealth and the world; while the
fact that this service resulted in his own
ruin ought to have quickened the State
sense of justice and liberalty. But the
same Indifference which has left every
trace of the old mill-race at Coloma to
perish, and has grudg ed monument to
record the source of the golden stream
which has flowed so long and splendidly,
refused assistance to the declining years
of the Discoverer, and so he has passed
away sadly enough. 1t is strange story.
Old Marshall was no hero. Many of his
misfortunes were due to his own defects.
But with all his faults he deserved to be
taken some care of by the people whom
he showed the way to affiuence, and they
should have seen to it that his life did
not end in utter disappointment.