The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1894-05-04
EBENSBURG. PA. FRIDAY. MAY 4. Is9

send t.iI older people, men OF family,
etc, ahead with supplies enough to
carry tn through. while over a
hundred of rs decided To wait over an
other year and work for old Capt. SUI
ter in the meantime.
Money was scarce in those days,
and, though Capt Sutter was very well
fixed, lac had but little ready cash.
We only wanted stock ard provisions,
and these we agreed to accept in lieu
Of ready cash payments for any erv-
ICES we might render. AT that time
the old captain was anxious to build u
grist mill and lumber mill on the
American river. Labor was scarce
skilled labor nonresident Therefore
our arrival was very timely for him
We had wheelwrights, smiths, car
penters and skilled masters of every
other trade in our company, an he
was able To secure our services without
the expenditure of a cent of ready
money.
When the discovery had once been
made we tried for awhile to keep 1T
quiet. and Sutter, who was anxious to
See his mills completed, was particu-
larly anxious to keep the secret close,
but though the news spread round
less completed both the prist and the
lumber mill and did not desert their
posts on the work they had originally
contracted to do to seek the yellow
metal
Though / had tested the first grains
of gold in the fire and with my teeth,
nevertheless, to be sure about matters
we had to send them back to Sacra-
mpntn a certain of
were They tested them there with
aquafortis. we used to call itin those
days, though believe you call it nitric
acId now They also weighed the
grains in water with silver. and finally
decided that they really were gold.
Then they sent on the news to San
Fran, lsco by messenger. where the an
nounreInent was pubiished for the first
time by man named Sam Brannan.
who had brought lot OF type aud
press and everything around the II prn-
Did stay long at Coloma after the
completion of the mills. you ask? No,
sir; only few of Us did; myself and
most of our people only remained long
enough To- dig up enough gold to equip
ourselves for marching back over the
plains to meet those Others of our peo-
pie who were coming out to Join us
And was not the promise of an
easily-made fortune great enough an
incentive to keep you at Coloma?' was
again asked he old pioneer.
''Iiow could it be? Had we not our
friends on the piaius, aud had we not
to go forth to meet them?'
And about how much did you all
malle?"
'Ohi it was all according to luck
some made more, some made less
some made six hundred or eight
hundred dollars, some made four thou
sand or five thousand dollars
guess had something like fifteen hun
dred dollars in dust. Marshall, who
found it first, had none at all Mar
shall was not lucky anyhow. He was
one of the original bear flag men
one of the flibusters who thought they
owned the country, and would certain
ly have defeated the MeXicans and
Spaniards Of their own accord had not
the Cover sent out kearny and
the rest to conquer the country official
ly. They had selected the bear flag us
their banner because bears were SO
abundant out here in those days The
first bear flag was nothing but an old
strip of canvas. on which the men
daubed a picture of bear with tar,
their only paintbrush being thei- own
fingers San Francisco Examiner