The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1894-06-23
THE FINDING OF GOLD.
How the Precious Metal Was Dis
covered In California.

~ 49, - 1900 ~ <AA<<s
Volumes have been written about the
discovery of gold in California and
stories without number anent how and
when it happened. As matter of fact,
the existence of the precious metal
seems to have been known to the In
dams and the pious Spanish padres
long before the Americans conquered
the land; but even granting that Mar
shalls was the first find that was her
aided TO the world at large, and that
the date thereof was January a. 184S,
even then the accounts of that discov-
cry have been jumbled and twisted in
such innumerable ways that it would
seem that all chroniclers of the inter
esting event were beguiled by its daz-
cling splendors into the romantic realms
of fiction.
The men who worked for Suffer on
the old Coloma mill have nearly all
found uncontested claims, and are rest
ing therein forever; but up at the 40
mining camp at the Midwinter fair is
an elderly one-legged Mormon, named
James S. Brown. who is the only living
man who was present when Marshall I
washed the yellow grains in the camp
dough pan; and he is the man who first
tested those faky scales with fire, and,
going forth from the shanty to where
the men were at work on the mill race
was the first TO cry: boys, here's |
goldl'
James Brown is sixty five years old
now. In 1s4S he was lusty youth of
not yet twenty summers. He had two
legs then. 1t was only quarter of
century ago that he lost the other at
bear hunt.
81 am the Oldest miner alive in Cali
fornia TODAY" said he. II don't mean
that | am the Oldest in years, because
l am only sixty-fve, and there are
many men here to-day who have
worked in the early days and are now
much older than me. But l was the
first miner. | was with Marshall when
he first discovered gold in January,
lS4S, and was the first man to know
about it The story is an old one 1t
was at Capt Suffers mill ON the
American river, which we were build
ng. Marshall, who was wheelwright
by trade, was in charge of the work
lie was a particular friend of mine,
out there were nearly one hundred of
IS working on the millrace at the
ime. He had been reading books
bout gold and mines and things, and
remember very wei his coming to NE t
me day and talking about quartz and a
'edrock and similar matters, and telling
le that he thought there was gold in l.
he country. 6
you see, we had come upon the /
ock when we were digging the race
nd were afraid that it would interfere q
nth our making an even channel for t.
ne water. Then it was that Marshall il
anne to me and told me about the
ooks he had been reading, and on the
fternoon of the sd of January, 1S4S,
e determined to do a little prospect h
g. He asked me to bring him the q
IN. 1t was a common, ordinary pan q
lat we baked bread in and the like u
e spent all the afternoon with that ':
In trying to find gold, but he hadn't "
Ut anything by supper L
The next morning early he started re
it with the pan again. We boys were CT
in the ditch when he came e
lTOJu llOlG WucTC nc was Work
G and told US he had found some min IN
al He had it in his hat; whole lot IN
little fake-like scales They were al
l small bits, and all scaly, and he
ISN'T sure what they were He hand
the hat to me, and l took one of the
lSes and bit it. l could tell by biting III
that it was gold, but, of course, Pr
ISN'T sure. So took it int to the cab pa
where log fire was burning, and 1 I'D
ted it in the fire to see if it would re-
1t But it wouldn't melt, and then OF
new it was gold, sure. Then came pc
with it to where the men were IN
rking, and, Boys said l, it is ."
dr. the
That was the first announcement of ue'
discovery of gold in California, and Inc
as the first man to test the metal SGT
the fist man to proclaim it "
is needless to say that neither