The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-05-28
THE GOLD EXCITEMENT Oe '4o.
How Barnun,, the Shoman, Proposed to
Use 1t to His Advantage.

Use 1t to His Advantage.
General j. f. B. Marshall contrib
utes to the department of California;
in The Century Magazine the following
incident which occurred to the Hon.
G ID. Gilman, now Il member of the
General Court of Massachusetts,.
With the news of the discovery of
gold in California in 1913 United States
army officers stationed there sent speci-
mems home to their friends and to the
War Department as curioSities. But, to
the best of Mr.. Gilman's knowledge,
the first California gold exhibited and
sold in Wall street was taken there by
himself on the first day of March, 1S49.
Mr.. Gilman was the first passenger to
reach New York from San Francisco
after the discovery, and brought with
him n quantity of the ore, finding it
more profitable remittance than the
coin which he mad brought from Hon.
olulu, and for which the miners gladly
exchanged their dust at liberal dis
count. Mr. Gilman tells the follow
ing story of his first day in New York.
II reached New York very early in
the morning, and, being an entire
stranger, accepted the friendly offices
of the purser of the steamer, who took
me to the Clinton Hotel, then kept by
Simeon Leland, afterward of the Me-
tropolitan Hotel. &.
After breakfast Mr.. Leland kindly
took me in charge, to assist me in pro-
curing IA costume more befitting an APP
pearance in New York than my Cali
fornia outfit. Among the places visit
ed in this tour of reconstruction was
Lovejoy's hairdressing rooms at the
corner of Beekman street and Park
Row. Here, as everywhere, the talk
was of the wonderful news from Cali
fornia.
while still under the hands of the
barber and slcepilv listening to his
freely given views upon the exciting
topic of the day, | saw Mr.. Leland
approaching me, accompanied bv
fine looking. frank. open-faced man,
who advanced buttoning on his collar,
with his gingham neckte hanging over
his arm, us if he had no time to lose
Mr.. Leland introduced him to me bv
name which at first had no significance
for me, though its fame had already
reached the islands of the sea as that
of the great Moral Snowman. Said
he courteously:
81 hear that you are just from Cali
fornia, the first passenger TO arrive
from the land of gold This is very
interesting. You can tell us all about
it. May | ask if you have had any
conversation with any one on the sub
ject since your arrivals? | replied that
I had only just landed and had had
no opportunity to talk about the mat
ter; All. very good. very goodr said
he. Then please don't, let me beg of
You, till You have seen me again. Mr..
Leland has kindly promised to call
with you at my Office. If you will
write "Calfornia' Oh your card, the
door-keeper will admit You ut once
He bowed and took his leave.
'EngroSsed by my own interesting
concerns, | did not think TO ask any
questions of Mr.. Leland about my in
terrOgator, and learned nothing more
of him till we found ourselves at the
door of Barnum's Museum. We were
conducted 10 the private Office of the
redonhtab!e proprietor, who, politely
seating us, proceeded ut once TO busi-
ness.
We'll, sir. you know we ali want to
know the way to California nowadays.
BY what route did You GOMEZ?
Across the IsthmuS.'
"Ah, very good! Then YOU can tell
us all about mule travelling. A very
Interesting route. Cuts the journey
short. Some danger, Of course. Did
YOU 90 by the same route?'
IL went out around the Horn. sir?
'"Ah. that's gool' Many of our
people will want TO 90 that way.
Cheaper route. OF course YOU know
about mining?'
self, replied
'"Oh, ALI Well, YOU understand the
process, no doubt and know all about
the life there. You've Leard it talked
about?
Il replied that I had not heard
much else talked about for tue last six
months.
II thought so! | thought so! You
are just the man we want sir, just
the very man. Now heres my. plan.
sir. I've got IA plan, sir which cannot
fail of success. and will prove highly
10 both of us, sir. This
'tv is wild with excitement as you
now; jnst crazy with the idea of gold
in California. Thousands are seeking
for information about how o get there.
what to do, where to find the gold.
Now for my plan. I've had Il speci-
men lump of gold prepared. weighing
twenty-five pounds. No sham. sir
rea! gold. You can depend upon ii;
can bring You all the certificates YOU
want TO convince YOU of the fact
Bat. l interrupted. twenty-five
pounds! / never heard of so large 4
piece being found.
MIR. Barnum seemed slightly taken
aback at this. and asked what was the
largest piece had heard of. replied.
Seven ounces; but it had not reached
San Francisco when | left
"-Seven ounceSn exclaimed he.
Why, that is too small. Every man
who is going out expects TO pick up
rocks of il. Seven ounces! Well.
wellr
He looked confoun,led for no.
meut; then throwing back his shoul-
ders as if 10 shake of his disappoint-