The sun., 1889-03-31
THE GOLD FEVER OF '<e
Local Nevs OF ssu rr.ncireo In the Ttne'
OF the Forty-niners.


The present excitement and rush for the
gold mines In southern California bring
vvidly to mind the somewhat similar events In
California in lS49. A copy OF the dad Cali
fornia, published on Aug. 81, 1s49. shows ex-
actly what was going on at that time. The
paper was Issued at San Francisco. Upper Call
fornia, by Edward Gilbert and Edward U.
Kemble Slngls copies were Is cents and ad-
vertislng was 81 an inch.
The total arrivals at San Francisco for the
month ending Aug. 20 had been 3.sO6 males
and 81 females, OF whom only six were married.
The list Of vessels In the harbor filed over a
column. The report!of prices current showed
tina -four was ten dollars a barrel pork twenty
dollars barrel. whiskey eighty-flve cents n
bottle. hats three dollars each, musical boxes
sixty dollars. and accordions sixteen dollars
W. A. Buffum. manager. advertised for sub
scrlptions for building the San Francisco
Theatre. From the iottings we learn that Col;
j. q. Fremont was In the city and that no had
received the appointment OF United States
esn terr,ory acSuired 20 during the late war
The leading editorial was on the ConStitu-
tional Con yention which was TO meet at Mon,
William, ~ h avin. kodman Nj. Price, and ii.
liz ns sh Mennon esps SnT aSTdSH IsS had
rHi 8noHer hT editorial ls headed, 1.-THE Progress
Of San Franclsco.. II says, ,
Never In the history OF the world has the
try. enterprise. business excii ement and prog.
ress as tho city OF San francisco exhibits at
Rs ton ff Vii" have % pcen so long swelling and ae
cumnlatng seem at last to have rolled upon
the Pacific strand in one mighty biliow. -
Gold. the most insidous OF charmers. has
swept the chords that sway mons minds as
they were never touched before.
are covered with thousands of people; ihe
magnificent bay OF San Francisco is whitenei y, enc
cna ss s fa Of
hurrying. restless mortals AM tons upon tons
OF valuable merchandise: great inland cities
ass stdFndd1s Sod .ns mshy no
porlum OF all this hustle. business. and wealth
Is rising like magic into the first city Of the
:, Under Placer Intelligence" we read that
the month Of August has multiplied the num-
q or the h sis Sierra TS Sevad% New Washnss have
been disc9ve cd and old ones abandoned, At
scientific mining. They had a new machine.
which used quicksilver and averaged about
Ma; or :. B, Reading just from an exploration
aurlterous sandsin abundance.
COMPOSED m e OF POI thirty geT Eardsortins hd men. had
taken put sl5. O09 ip three days.
ana "ne E2yn h
A correspondent writing from Woods Creek
said that the mon were averaging about $l2
day. and that the work was very hard. Thou
sands are encamped on the banks OF the Tuo-
lumne waiting the falling OF the waters. and
the storeIeepers were giving credit for supplies
to the miners till the good time" came.
At the Merced diggings very large quantities
OF gold had been found, and there had been
soma trouble with the Indians.
At Wool's Creek many men were at work
along the banks and bed Of the rayine. but the
population was very f1uctuating. one day here
and another there. just as some flying report
OF rare luck came In.
There are many people at the mines who
are altogether untitled for the work and hard
ships they have to endure. and It Is not to be
wondered at that the first disappointment diffl-
culties, or III luck should crush their energies
and eXtnguish the spirit OF enterprise,
along with the brilliant and vision
ary. hopes which allured them hither
Such men ought never TO have come
to the mines. and the sooner they return from
whence they came the better, for they seldom
do any good for themselves or others. There
Is great deal OF chance work in this great lot
terry. but II the means be perseveringiy used
md discretion be observed, thore are very
handsome prizes for all. and some very large
ones for a few"
Pretty much everything In the papers was
about gold mining and the balance was clip
pings Of European news from Eastern papers.