The record-union., 1893-11-07
From the San Francisco Bunetin.l ]

The very interesting and instructive
letter descriptive of the Worlds Fair at
Chicago, and the comments of the writer
upon the withdrawal of the original gold
nugget picked up by James W. Marshall
an the tail-race Of Suffers sawmill, pub
ished in a recent number of the Bulletin,
recalls to mind the accounts given to the
writer of this by John A. Sutter and Mrs.
Weimar, the parties after Marshall most
directly concerned and cognizant of all
the surrounding circumstances.
The writer first became acquainted
with Captain Sutter at the Mantle Hotel
in this city early in 1852, and from him
had a very full and graphic account Of
the gold discovery at Coloma, going into
all the details connected with this I'M
portant event.
Without repeating what is familiar to
most readers regarding this discovery,
about which so much has been written
and published, the writer viii confine
himself to the old pioneers account of
MarshalPs visit with the gold specimens
picked up at the mill, and the tests ap-
piled to determine their genuine char
acter. Marshall came to the fort at Sac
ramento early one morning in the latter
pal Va OdLlld4 lCtO, ISlh lIlS IluuGl b1G
greater part of the night before from Co
Iona, and with an air of mystery re-
quested conference at Suffers private
Office. Upon entering ne locked the door,
TO exclude outsiders, Of whom there was
at that time large number. Taking from
his pocket pouch which he opened, dis
playing quite number OF shining par
ticles OF yellow metal, to quote Suffers
exact language, he asked in an excited
manner: ''Ish not tish gold?' The mar
rator added that the only test available
was nitric acid, and all the authority at
hand bearing upon the matter was a copy
OF the Encyclopedia Britannica.
Upon applying the acid the true char
acter of the metal was established beyond
doRbt. Sutter then requested Marshall
to keep the matter secret until the mill
was completed. AS there were caves
drOppers, attracted by MarshalPs mys-
teriOus manner, who had heard the con-
Versatlon, this was an utter impOssi bility.
The news spread like wildtire, and the
frame Of the old mill stood for years
monument of this startling event. The
ground once occupied by this relic, with
the twin pine trees standing near by, has
long since been moved over and over
again, and not vestige Of the original
structure remains.
The next party from whom the writer
had an account of this discovery. de-
AdiltO q lew IllOuLLS 1dLGI. WAS GI6 Wll6 OF
Eeter Welmar, who was employed in
building the mill, and with whom Mar
Shall and others engaged in the work
boarded at the time. Weimar, according
to an account published in the Bulletin at
the time, died, aged 81 years. at the resi-
dence Of a brother-in-law in San Luis
Obispo County, on the 10th day Of August,
1892, the death of his wife occurring a few
years previously.
According to her account. Marshall,
having gone to the mill early in the
morning to shut off the water left run
ming through the tail-race the night pre-
viOus in order to wash out the sand and
save excavation, discovered the nugget
IL question shining through the water in
the crevice of a rock, and, exhibiting it,
expressed the opinion that it was the
precious metal. The Weimars, who were
from the gold region in Georgia, con-
Cured in this opinion, but in order to
test the matter more fully, Mrs. Weimar
stated that as she was making soap at the
time, she threw the nugget into the boil
ing alkah and with it ring she had pur-
chased for gold some years previous.
The soap being sufficiently cooked"
the lady having had the proverbial
Luck" which attaches to this important
chemical compound, the kettle was set
aside for the article to harden. 4 short
time after Marshall. according to the
lady's account, made the inquiry:
Jenny, what's become of our gold?''
ThereupOn she proceeded to cut out the
customary squares, and then with barred
arm picked out from the caustic alkali
sediment the nugget and the ring. While
the former was frightened by the pro-
cess, the latter was corroded and almost
eaten up by the caustic liquid. Then it
was that Marshall, gathering up a number
of particles OF the metal, set out post-haste
for Suffers Fort.
Some accounts have stated that Mrs.
Weimar claimed that her husband first
made the discovery, but she did not assert
such claim at the time she gave this ac-
count to the writer. This lady stated in
this connection that Barnum had offered
$500 for this specimen, which weighed a
fraction less than s.. Both the writer Of
this and the party by whom he was intro
duced advised the acceptance of this offer
of the world-renOwned Snowman. The
lady on this OCCASION mentioned that she
had often bartered with the Indians, who
were numerous at that time, a handful of
hard bread for handful Of gold, and the
same rates were willingly paid for yard
OF calico.
The account given the writer few
years later of his discovery, by Marshall,
did not differ materially from that of Sut-
ter and Mrs. Weimar. There seems to
be doubt as TO the exact date of the find
ing OF tulS nugget. Members OF the So
ciety of California Pioneers Of this city
have been in correspondence with their
Sacramento brethren in relation to this
matter, in order that some definite day
may be fixed upon to celebrate the event.
The writer's impression is that Marshall
stated that the find occurred on tie 18th
of January, 1915. Or. w. w. Light, a
member of the Sacramento Pioneers
Association, who was intimate with
Marshall, corresponding with him up to
the time Of his death, and who was shown
by him the precise spot from which the
nugget was taken, entertains the same
opinion.
The writer of this, two weeks since. in
company with the gentleman named,
visited Suffers Fort, which has, with the
surrounding walls. been rebuilt con-
structed of adobes manufactured on the
ground, and surmounted with tiles from
an adjacent pottery. Many relics OF the
gold-inder and the old commandant are
displayed in the main building, but it is
extremely doubtful whether. if either
were permitted to revisit the glimpses
OF the moon." they would recognize the
old fort IN its new dress. L. II. G.
CITY BOARD OF HEALTH