Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-06-13
SAW THE FIRST GOLD FOUND.
But One Survivor OF the Men Who
Were with Marshall.

Were with Marshall.
Pomona (Cal) correspondence New
York sun: There is alive today but
one of the men who worked tor Suffer
in the mine at Coloma. where, on Jan.
n, 1913, James w. Marshall discoy-
cred gold. That survivor is James
Brown. He is nearly 40 years Of age,
and makes his home with a grand
child in Pomona valley. He is the
only man living who was present when
Marshall washed the yellow grains in
the camp doughpan; and he is the
man who first tested the taky scales
with fire, and going forth from the
shanty to where the men were at work
ON the millrace cried: Boys, here's
gold"
Il am the oldest miner alive in Cali
fornia today" said he the other day.
II don't mean the oldest in years, but
was the first miner. There We're
about hundred of us building Cap
tain Suffers mill on the American
river. We had come upon the rock
when we We're digging the race, and
were afraid that ii would interfere
with our making channel for the
water. Then it was that Marshall
came to Inc and tod me about the
books about gold and mines he had
been reading and on the afternoon of
Jan %. 1878, he determined to do a
little prospecting. He asked me to
bring him the pan. 1t was common,
ordinary pan that we baked bread in
and the like. lie spent all the after.
noon with that pan trying 10 find gold,
but he had not got anything by supper.
THE next morning early he started
out with the pan again. We boys We're
eXeavating in the ditch when he came
mp from the mole where he was work
Ing and told us ne mad found some
mineral, lie lad it in his hat; a whole
lot Of little flake-like scales. They
We're all small BITS and all scaly, and
he wasn't sure what they We're. He
handed the hat to me, and | took one
of the scales ana bit IT, | could tell
by biting that it was gold, bur | wasn't
sure. So ! took it into tine cabin where
log fire was burning, and tested in
the fire ia sec II It would melt. But ii
wouldn't melt, and then | knew ii was
gold sure. Then / came out with it.
where the men We're working, and
Boys, said /, ii is gold"
"That was lle first announcement Of
the discovery of gold in California, and
/ "a ft4..t q ~. al
and the first man to proclaim IT,
Neither Brown nor Marshall nor any
Of the other mill builders went to Co
Iona to look for gold They were
working with the yaguest hoFe of re-
ceiyng pay for their labor. As the DID
pioneer put III "Old Captain Suffer
owes me 500 cold cash yet for tile
work | put in ON shat millrace, and l.
know III never Get i. seeing As he is
dead
But we made no kick, he went on.
We had agreed to accept cattle,
horses, and grub u part payment for
our work Moreover. we picked up
enough gold before we left the place
10 square CIR accounts with the cap
tains Coloma enterprise. We had
come With bigger mission than that
Of seeking gold We We're MormonS,
Many Of u were soldiers. ! had been
serving With my battalion, and after
our disarmament was marching with
the rest of our people t' Utah Att
Goloma SIC found that We had not
enough provisions ana stock for the
rest Of the journey over the wilderness,
50 we decided to send the older people
ana men 81 family ahead with supplies
III carry them thre ngh. while over TOO
E Us decided 10 wait over anotherl
year AMI work for old Captain suffer
in Che meantime.
.Moue was scarce iii those days. !
and though Captain Suffer was very
we'll fixed be had bui very little ready i
casn Ne ouly wanted stock ana pro-
visions. and these We agreed to accept
Id lfeu af ready payment for any ser
vsces We nigh render. at that time
fhp ald captain NaS anxious ~ build 4 !
arl>t mill aud lumber mill on thel
American river. Labar WIS scarce. |
Therefore our arrival vas very timelyl
uita him. We had wheelnrights. |
smifhs. carpenters AMI masters of /
every other trade II oHu company, and
III was ahle rs seizure our services