Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-01-03
CALIFORNIA; GOLD.

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shallsstteP stosv % II Diseovssy.
An oflicial report made to the Dirse.
Tor Of the Mint brands - fiction IL
pleasing stories in the school histories
that gold was first discovered in Cali
1oFnia at Suffers MIL James Mar.
shall. 60 the fable ran. was walking By
the mill-tail looking at the water. who's
The glistening Of nugget in the
sands caught his eyes: He stopped
down. picked it up. and then rode u
full speed to the fort, which stood %
the present site Of Sacramento. II
subsequent years Marshall has had -
divide the honor attached to :he discov.
cry Of gold in California with Peter l.
Weimer. . poor man. who was with
him when the nugget was foun1
Weimer claimed that he first saw ths
gold. and called his companions ~
tention to IL, but Marshall had the
horse and carried the unknown metal
10 the fort 30 that hs got the credit foe
the find"
The lapse Of time has served b -
crease the heat Of tho controversy 0v0
this credit for discovery. and In ~
search for truth facts have been col
lated which greatly diminish the i'm
portance history has attained 70 the
Incident at Suffers Mill Mr.. Wales
A. Skidmo~e. who makes the report d
the Director. says that the ex6teaea
a gold in California was we'll knows
nearly hundred years ego.
General n. G. Vallejo. who reaches
California In 1910. and who b N %.
thoFity on the earlier annals a IL
coast, states that in 1894 WhiIe %
military expedition TO the region which
\ now Kern and San Bernardino CoaAp
ties, he found Russian living betWooa
the Kings and Kern Rivers who wao aaA
had been for some time mining geaA
This miner was fully equipped viv
Ill the then known appliances for seP
arating the metal. About tbat tine
and for years later. General Valleie
used to remit gold dust, in The scaled
quills of the vulturs. to the authoritio
q the City of Mexico.
Captain Walter Comstoek, WhaleR
Who was in the employ Of the GrinnellA
Of New York. has asserted that he tooA
gold from California in 1924. and nearly
every vessel which put into the harb0
Of Yerba Buena, now San Francisco. b
those times, carried away gold.
Professor Hanks. the Calif0rnia min
eeologist, has evidence that . plaosl
was discovered near the Colorado Rivsc
in San Diego County, in IT'S Fos
twenty years before 1848, the date a
the discovery at Suffers Mill. god dig
Sinss were operated on the upper watsrs
of the Santa Clara River. Gold-dust q
the value Of 900. 600 was taken out
But for tho last two centuries be1ore
these records Of actual mining. Cab.
fornia had the rather mythical roputA,
Won Of p, ssessing gold in abundanes.
An old work. published in EuruPe h
the sixteenth century, contained thi1:
The soldiers Of Vasquirus CornAtu1
having found no gold in vsvola. in q.
Der not to return to Mexico withoai
gold. resolved tocome to QuiverA Cal.
Tor they had heard much Of the Goad
mines. and that Tatarraxea. the powes.
fal King Of that country. wss amply
provided with richeA"
Sir Francis Drake. IN 1879, visited ~
coast Of California and entered the boy
which bears his name. On his rst1rl
TO England he gave such . powerful -
count Of the country that Hakluyk 9
historian Of that Day. n writing a Cak
lpenia. said thsre was 70 paRs a -
soil which did not contain . Tsasoaah1l
quantity Of gold oe silver. This sas3y
knowledge. kowsvsf, was not altoGsthsl
psliabIa No precioas mstals hav0 svel
bssn found in the diet1.et aguu1d
Draks's Bsy.-Cor. s. Lesis 0tses
DsssersL