The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1890-08-22
miscellaneous.
The DiscOverer of Gold i'm California.

James Wilson Marshall was born in
Hope township, Hunterdown county, N. J =,
in 1880. His father was q coach and wagon
builder, and he was brought up in the same
trade. His eyes were always set Westward,
however, and when he became man he fol-
lowed them and struggled out farther and
farther towards the setting sun, until in June,
1916, he reached California, coming into the
Sacramento Valley by way of SHASTA and
camping on Cache creek, about forty miles
from the present site of the city of Sacrament
to.
Marshall, being a handy man, was soon
heard of by Sutter and engaged by that pio-
neer in stocking plows, making spinning
wheels. mending wagons and doing such
general carpentering work as was required.
A quiet life was not of Marshall's kind, how
ever, and when the bare flag was raised he at
once Joined the insurgents, marched with
them on Sonoma, spiked the old Spanish
guns at Fort Point, sailed to San Diego with
Stockton, marched up to Los Angeles with
Fremont, saw General Flores retreat to So
nora, and there in March, 1S47, was dis
charged, but not paid off. Working his way
back to Suffers Fort, Marshall induced the
General to go into the numbering business
with him and as first move started out TO
explore the foot hills for a suitable place for
a saw mill Marshall set out on his quest
and followed up the bank of the American
river for several days, examining the coun-
try all around, but not findings suitable site.
Presently he branched off over the South
Fork and at length reached place called
Culloonah by the Indians, and which was
afterward known as Coloma. The river took
several bends here and on the south side OF
a point of land formed by one of these curves
the mill site was selected. On Marshall
report to Suffer a partnership was entered
into between the two, August 10, 1847, SUIT
ter to furnish the capital and Marshall to give
his services The formal articles of partner
ship were drawn up by General John Bid
well, who was then acting as clerk in Suit
ters store, and, these arrangements complet-
ed, Marshall started back to Coloma with six
or seven mill hands, with a train of wagons
with provisions, ETC.
On the morning of that memorable day
Marshall went out as usual to superintend
the men, and, after closing the forebay gate,
and thus shutting off the water, walked down
the tail-race TO see what sand and gravel had
been removed during the night. This had
been customary with him for some time, for
he had previously entertained the idea that
there might be minerals in the mountains,
and had expressed it to Suffer, who, how
ever, only laughed at him. On this occasion,
having strolled to the lower eud of the race,
he stood examining the mass OF debris which
had been washed down. At this Juncture his
eye caught the glitter of something that lay
lodged in a crevice some six inches under
the water. His first act was to stoop and
pick up the substance. 1t was heavy, of a
peculiar color, unlike anything he had seen
in the stream before. For few minutes he
stood with it in his hand, rejecting and en-
deavoring to recall all that he had heard or
read concerning the various minerals. After
a close examination he became satisfied that
what he held in his hand must be one of three
substances-mica, sulphuret of copper, OF
gold.
The weight assured him that it was not
mica. Could 1t be sulphuret of copper? He
remembered that that metal is brittle and
that gold is malleable, and as this though,
passed through his mind he turned about
placed the specimen upon flat stone and
proceeded 10 test it by striking it with an.
other. The substance did not crack or flake
off; it simply bent under the blows. This
then, was gold, and in this manner was the
first gold found in California.
Marshall neither turned pale nor cried out
exactly, probably because he was thoroughly
unaware OF the Importance of the discovery
He showed the nugget to his men, INDUCED
in few copJectures concerning the probable
extent of the gold fields and went on with
his work. He, however, watched the stream
| closely, and in the course of few days hao
| collected several ounces of the precious
metal. Putting these in bis pocket, he one
day mounted his horse and rode down to the
fort to show the specimens to Suffer and in
quire about some delayed stores. The latter
| matter having been Strengthened out, ht
asked for few minutes private converse
ton with Suffer, and the two entered the lit
tie room at the back of the store. There
Marshall showed him the gold, but Suttel
would not believe it was anything so pre-
cious until it had been weighed and tested.
The news soon spread, and as itspread thu
excitement grew. The resident white popu
lation of California threw itself into the golC
quest with ardor and energy, and then CAM
the great gold fever which revolutionized tn
country Philadelphia Times.