The record-union., 1891-08-08
THE SPRING OF '5O.#
A Memorable Year in the Experience
of Old Pioneers.
The Hardships Which Men Underwent
in the Search for Gold-A Miners
Life In the Diggings.


lowing letter sent to the Placerville DEM
ocrdt by Charles p. Jackson of Chicago.
1t was written by him to his wife shortly
after his arrival in the gold region, and
gives a fair idea of what nearly every
miner of those days experienced in his
search for gold among the hills and can
yons of California. The letter was sent
from Georgetown, Ell Dorado County,
April %, 1850, and bears the Sacramento
postmark, May Sd. The writer's wife
had to pay forty cents postage. A feature
of the envelope is that it was sealed with
a wafer, mucilage being of later date. The
letter recounts the incidents of the voyage
from Panama to San Francisco on an old
whaleship, for $160, and occupying fifty
| five days. 1t ran as follows:
Suffice it to say we all reached San
| Francisco safely, increased in our corpo-
real proportion, notwithstanding the
| questionable diet of two-year-old "salt
horse' and wormy biscuit. San Fran
cisco we found to be a great oYergrown
| baby of q place-much like the boy who
has outgrown his breeches. A majority
of the buildings are tents, of every vari-
| ETY. of style and situated in all shapes
extending from the shore of the bay to
| llS tOp VI tIiS I'LL OI IllG ClIJ. III Iall
! the appearance of business, but at the time
we were there the miners had mostly left
| for the different mines, and the greater
| part of the business done seemed to be
confined to the gambling houses, OF
which there are more than in any other
city in the world, perhaps, of its size. In
fact one can not go amiss of them, and,
! judging from the immense piles on their
| tables, one would infer there is really
| piles Of the stuff here, and that it can be
| picked up by the hatful. We took the
| steamer for Sacramento, on the Sacra-
mentO River, some hundred miles up
| fare SIS and 81 for meals. This rather
! got u.s." but as we were in for seeing
! the real elephant we did not demur
! Sacramento is a beautiful city, or rather
beautiful place for one, and but for lis
! overf1owing, would be the great mart for
| California, as large vessels can run up
| here the greater part of the year, and it is
! so much nearer the mines. Gold has been
| found here, but IN small quantities, and
very fine. 1t is place Of business, and
L know OF no place in the country offer
ing the same advantages this does.
Suffers Fort Immediately adjoins
town, and the plain just back is his big
wheat field. The buildings in Sacra-
nento are mostly cloth, and they are now
| putting up some very pretty wooden
! blocks. We stopped here but few DAYS
| dilu lucu DIOh0 lOC the lIl1lCS-nalLlug al
the first diggings. We bought two rock
ers at S35 each, and commenced opera
! tions. Four of US worked five days and
| made 500. This gave US some experience
and encouragement, though with but
little pay. We accordingly sold our rock
| ers, left our tent and contents standing,
! took what we could pack on our backs
and started for better diggings. We had
our blankets and an extra shirt of course.
then our pans, picks and shovels, and as
much grub as we supposed would do US
until it was gone-about sixty pounds
| for each man to pack. Add to this the
increase to our loads from rain-now if
we didn't see little of the elephant,
| there's none here.
| We Went TO Hangtown, but here found
| everything dug up that had any appear
ance of pay, so we started out jackass
trains for this place, where, if you will
! take the trouble to look, You win find
your humble servant and Mr. Murgotten
| domiciled in an Sxl0 cabin, with all the
proclivities of old miners scattered in
glorious profusion all about US Il have
| some beans cooking-eXcuse me while /
| see TO them).
we are now in rich mining country,
| probably as much so as anyin California.
| but, unfortunately for US, the good sites
are all claimed, and the only chance for
us is to work over what has been once
! worked or passed by as not fit to work
| We went to work on our arrival, sunk
| holes in the bed of a ravine or canyon.
and worked here two days, all hands -four
| OF u.s., and got-nothing, while above and
| below men were doing tolerably we'll.
| We then divided off, two and two, and
| tried again, with rather better success.
| Messrs. Anthony and Rozell took an old
! claim, baled the water from the hole, and
| took out S2I the first day. Henry and |
sank hole six feet alongside and took
S3S. This was the first work that paid
| in fact, the first real mining that we had
done. This satisfied US that gold was
! here, If we could only find it and Were
willing to lay out the requisite amount OF
! labor. We sunk another hole some larger
than the first, and took from it Sl03, and
| were seven days In doing it, two of us.
! The past week Henry and l took out
| Sl33. This is better than we have before
| done and rather better than the average.
though short distance before us, in the
same canyon, man took out S25S yes
! terday. lie found one piece worth S220.
and the balance was fine gold. This was
one of the lucky strikes such as we used
! to read of IN the States. Such tales are
! the ones industriously circulated in the
papers throughout the States, inducing
many poor fellow to leave q good busi-
ness, family and home and try his fortune
| IN this country, many Of whom will curse
the name of gold and the country whence
it came to the last day of their lives.
| That there is gold here, and sufficient to
! enrich great many men, there is no
question, but the cost of getting it is much
! greater than any one would suppose who
| has not tried it.
In order 10 illustrate, suppose you take
supper with US. This beef cost 40 cents
! per pound; here is bread, good enough TO
grace any table, if the flour didn't cost
! h1f "a apnTG 11OllT11. if1Gf 1xyb col
eratus, that cost S2 per pound, to make ii
| light; then we had TO put in little vine
| gar that cost s. 90 per gallon to make il
raise, and just enough salt to make il
taste right, which cost 80 cents per pound.
! This molasses was made from sugar
which cost 65 cents per pound. VIII you
/ try some OF the fruit (drIed appleS)? /
| paid 10 cents per pound, and got the beans
| for the same price. l paid - rs for that
water bucket, just such as was sold at
home for 25 cents. If you should want
onions, you can get them for 81 so per
! pound, and potatoes for 40 cents.
We offer no apology for our supper;
| hand up your tin and we will fill it with
coffee, which cost 55 cents per pound.
| Our supper will speak for itself, and
/ though not of the best, so far as variety is
| concerned, yet the cost is there, and a
good appetite makes it relish. You can
now form some idea of the cost OF living
mere. COuld we I1Ve as cneaply as IN In
! diana we could lay by money, but as it is
| eight to ten dollars day is small pay.
There is gold here, and in abundance,
scattered over 8 vast extent of country,
| but when everything is taken into con-
| sideration-the exposure and hardships
| one is bound to undergo, the risk OF
! health-al combined, induces me to say
| that if a man has a good business in the
States, stay there. Ii he cannot support
/ a family he Ouyht not To haVe ono Nv
| impression is that not one half who are
| here now would have come had they
known all. But it is only the bright side
| of the picture that is shown II is n lot