Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-04-26
GOLD In CALIFORNIA.
THE PRIESTS OF VERY EARLY TIMES
WE'RE AWARE OF IT.

iHN NlHlNNfAe VI tDlA III NhAAANANi
has recently called forth good deal Of
discussion, and also an especially inter
osting story from Captain W. il. Thomcs,
president Of the Society Of California
Pioneers.
Captain Thomas, before no took mp his
ssrmanont residence In Boston. spent
many years in California and is very
much interested in tho carly history OF
the gold discoveries.
Ho says; III nm perfectly satisfied that
the presence Of gold in that region was
known to the priests in the very earliest
times. The priests, who were tho first
pioneers, wcro pastoral people. AS
missionaries thoy gained wonderful in
fluonoo over the native Indians and
gradually flooded the country with great
herds Of sheep and cattle that roamcd
over ranges thousands of acres IN extent
These lords the Indians tended, aud It
was therefore the policy of the priests
to keep the Indians In subsection.
"Tho priests brought with them from
Spain grapevines and orange trees, and
they sought 70 bring peace and plenty to
tho now land. Thoy were wiac. long
headed men and must have known Of
the existence Of gold. but they also know
the avnriciouness Of the Spanish people.
They reasoned that II the presence Of the
yellow metal should become known in
Spain hordos Of greedy Adventures
would rush in. robbing, killing and raw
ishihg. Their peaceful relations with
the InLians would be broken off. the
great herds would be scattered, and the
supremacy Of tho priests themselves
would DO lost.
"Ths supremacy was at Its highest In
1905, when from the missions nt san
Diego n chain Of % missions was OK.
priest president Of all the missions In
California and was an intelligent, per-
scvcring. entotprising man. He was not
only instrumental in founding mission
aftor mission. but ho added TO the herds
thousands Of sheep and cattle.
al have been six times 90 California
and have talked with priests Of all ma
tionalities, Mexican, Spanish, Irish and
American, and am confident from what
they say that Juniporo Sera knew about
the gold, but he was q singular charac-
ter and ruled with hand Of steel. so
that gold was n word that no ono dared
10 utter. He had tho history Of Peru
and other countries III his mind, and no
know that an influx Of gold hunters
meant terror and destruction and tho
failure OF all his great plans
at Is claimed that the first Discoveries
were in 1913, when the whole world was
turned topsy turvy with tho astonishing
news. myself was in California In
1913 and staid there for three years,
and l can positively say that gold was
known there then. for have seen It in
Monterey. On Sundays tho Indians
would come into town, naked except for
q cloth around their middles, and OK.
change little pinch OF gold for drink
OF aguardiento or native rum. No ono
knew where they got the gold. but some
times they would have several dollars
worth OF the precious dust. This was IN
old custom, for ut Mission Carmel in
terviewod, through an interpreter, an
aged Indian, who said that when ho was
u boy gold was found in tho mountains
and rivers round about, and tho natives
would wash ont n painful in order to get
cod drunk on Sunday. which Chris
tian Indians were forbidden to do. lie
thought that there was still gold in the
mountains. but no was 30 old that he
had forgotten where Il was.
'ln 1871 Andres Castillero, the same
person who afterward discovered tho
New Alameda quicksilver mine in Santa
Clara county, while travelling from Los
Angeles 10 Monterey found near tho
Santa Clara river II great number Of
wator worn pebbles which he gathered
up and carried with him TO Santa Bar
bara. He there exhibited them, said
they were u peculiar species of iron py-
rites, and declared that according TO
Mexican miners wherever they were
found there was n likelihood Of gold
being also found. A ranchero named
Francisco Lopez, who was living ON the
Piru creek, branch of tho Santa Clara
river, but who happened at tho time 10
be at Santa Barbara, heard Castilloro's
statement aud examined his specimens.
"Some months alterward, having TO.
turned home, no went out TO search for
strayed cattle, At noon, whom he dis
mounted from his horse for the purpose
OF resting, ho observed q few wild onions
growing near where he lay. He pulled
them mp, and In 30 doing noticed the
same kind Of pebbles as those TO which
Castillero had called his attention. Re
Wondering what Castillero had said
about them, no took up n mindful OF
earth, and upon carefully examining 1t
discovered gold. The nows Of tho dis.
coycry, at the place which was called
San Francisquito, about 80 miles north.
east Of Los Angeles, soon spread. Ina
few weeks great many persons were
engaged IN washing and winnowing the
sands and earth in search Of gold
"The Quriferous fields were found TO
extend from point ON the Santa Clara
river about 10 or 20 miles from tsmouth
oyor all the country drained by its up.
per waters, and thence eastorly to Mount
San Bernardino
"On May II, 1918, Alyarado wrote TO
the project Of the district ieproving him
for not giving official notice Of tho die.
oovory and directing him 10 gather and
forward nm account of al circumstances
OF interest relating TO the gold for trans.
mission TO the supreme government.
From that time 10 tho present day
There has been more or less working Of
these mines, but no places Of very great
Richness have been found, aud none TO
compare with those aitcrward discovered
on the tributaries OF the Sacramento and
.InunnfH -