The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-06-02
Highest of all Leavening Power-aet u S. Govt Report
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ABSOLUTELY PURE

while over one hundred of US decided
to wait over another year, and work for
OLD Captain Suffer in the meantime.
Money was scarce in those days,
and, though Captain Suffer was very
we'll fixed, he had but little ready cash.
We only wanted stock and provisions,
and those we agreed to accept IN lieu
of ready cash payments for any services
we may render. At that time the old
captain was anxious to build grist
mill on the American River. Labor
was scarce, skilled labor non-existent.
Therefore, our arrival was very timely
tor him. We had wheelwrights, smiths,
carpenters and skilled masters of every
other trade in our company, and he
was able to secure our services without
the expenditure Of cent of ready
money.
When the discovery had once been
made, we tried for while to keep it
quiet, and Suffer, who was anxious to
see his mills completed, was particu-
larly anxious to keep the secret close,
but though the news spread round
among all the workmen, they neverthe-
less, completed both the grlst 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 l had tested the first grains
of gold IN the fire, and with my teeth,
nevertheless to be sure about matter,
we had to send them back to Sacra-
mento, to make certain of what they
were. They tested them there with
aquatortis, as we used to call it in those
days, though l 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
Francisco by messenger, where the
announcement was published for the
first time by man named Sam Bran
nan, who had brought lot of type and
press and everything around the
Horn.
Did stay long at Coloma after the
completion of the mills you ask7 No,
sir only few of US did; myself and
most OF our people only rem lined long
enough to dig up enough gold to equip
ourselves for marching back over the
plains to meet those others of our
people 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 Coloma7 was
again asked the old pioneer.
How could it be? Had we not our
friends on the plans and had we not
to 60 forth to meet them7
And about how much did you all
maker
Oh! 1t was all according to luck
some made more, some made less
some made 5000 or $500, some made
So, ooo or $4,000. l guess had
something like sI,5oo in dust. Mar
shall, who found it first, and none at
all. Marshall was not lucky anyhow.
He was one of the original Bear Flag
men-one of the fiibusters who thought
they owned the country, and would
certaily have defeated the Mexicans
and Spaniards of their own accord had
not the government sent out Kearney
and the rest to conquer the country
officially. They had selected the bear
flag as 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 their own
fiupers.'