Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-04-21
OLD JIM SAVAGE.



His Gold Mines and Twenty-S' ren >q"aw
Wives.
\ very interesting account of Jim
Savage and his connection with the
numerous Indian tribes in the early
days of California, is told by DR.. a. +.
Goodrll No. II West one Hundred
and Thirty-third street. New York. an
old forty-niner, in manuscript which
he has prepared on California from
40 to -. Jim Savage Went from Ohio
to California before gold WaS diScov-
cred. and, with partner named Eos
Ter. began business as an Indian trad
cr. He settled ut Pleasant Valley. ON
the MERGED River. Foster was muir
dcrcd by Il Mexican employee In the
early days of the gold excitement while
on Il trip to San Francisco to purchaS"
supplies for the miners, who began to
swarm in that section at that time.
Jim Savage made Il friend of chief
of one of the largest of the Tuolumnc
tribes and married the chiefs dauGh.
ter. thereby becoming Il member of
that tribe. He armed them. taught
them the use of firearms. and set out
to conquer all other ncighboring tribes.
As fast rs he could gather i'll Il tribe
under his influence he would demand
the chiefs daughter for Il wife and il
necessary he used force He kept this
up until he had twcntyscven wives.
the daughters of chiefs of twcnty-scvcn
different tribes.
When the mines were opened he en-.
ployrd these Indians to dig for gold.
and paid them two Mexican dollars.
he taking from two and onc-halt
ounces to six ounces of gold dust per
day from each. With those Indians
who did not work for him by the day
he exchanged Il thimbleful of powder
for Il thimblcful of gold dust thin
blcful of gold dust was worth about
SIS. TO those to whom he paid So per
day he would sell Il bandanna hand
kcrchcf for 50. thus always keeping
The cash where it would do the most
good.
once IN Indian took Il great notion
to an old silk hat that jim used To
keep his gold dust in. and Savage sold
it to him by weight the Indian agreed
that Savage could hold his hand ON
the scales with the hat till Il SatiSfac-
tory amount of dust was poured on
the other side of the scale. The pow
der purchased by the thimbleful was
Immediately set off by the purchaser,
to the great delight of the other In
dianS. and incidentally to Jim Savage
himself.
All of the Indians We're afraid of him.
His wives would occasionally leave
him. when he would Immediately start
in pursuit with two horses, but would
never allow any one to go with him.
When he camped for the night he
would tie the lariatS of the horses To
his feet for safety. One night the In
dianS crcpt up and cut them loose, but
never harmed him. He followed on
foot until he came to the camp of the
tribe and secured his squaw.
He was appointed Il United States
Government Indian Agent along in
the tiftcS as James ID. Savage. and
WAS finally killed by Il Major of the
United States army i'll '54 He WAS
of great help to the old forty-nincrs,
naSmuch us he kept the Indians from
Interfering with them. DR.. Gooirll
and Benjamin Mead. his partner, We're
once taken by him to Il tribe powwow
in large cave followed ont in the
centre of Il hill or mine, where the
chiefs and braves 100 in number. were
considering the advisability of warning
ON the whites. The tradition was that
this council chamber was over two
centuries Old.
1t is said that Savage died very
wealthy. and none of the old forty
miners who traded with him and knew
his ways would ever dispute it. How
he disposed of his property among his
twcnty-scvcn wives and their progeny
| never kncw.-New York Sun.