The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-08


standard work on the resources of the
Golden State, informs his readers that the
first gold known to have been found in the
State was obtained in 1888 in the valley OF
Santa Clara, Los Angeles County. His
torlcally and geographically Cronise Is
years and miles distant from the truth.
Powell, in his Mineral Resources of the
Golden State" another standard work,
evidently has never heard of the discovery
of gold in Southern California. He gives
the story of MarshalPs find with a few
sensational Accomplishments not given by
others. In the dialogue between Suffer
and Marshall, Suffer remarks: James.
you are lying; and James, with none of
the spirit of the old-time Californian,
neither shoots the top of Suffers head off
nor offers to bet his pile that Suffer cannot
prove him liar, but coldly pulls his sack
of gold dust instead of his revolver, and
Suffer goes into ecstasies instead of eter-
nifty.
From this mass of contradictory data it
is impossible to evolve the correct one.
Nor is it probable that the exact date will
ever be known. The strongest evidence
seems to incline toward March, 1912.
1t is said that republics are ungrateful
Whether this be true or not, it is true that
they are often unjust in the bestowal of
their favors Lopez, the real discoverer of
gold in California, lived in obscurity, Gied
in poverty and sleeps his last sleep in a
nameless grave. Marshall, the reputed
first discoverer, obtained celebrity world
wide-in his latter years drew pension
of $1,000 year from the State, and after
his death the grateful republic erected a
statue of bronze to his memory. Very lit
tie merit attaches to the discovery in either
case; in both cases it was purely acct
dental; but whatever does, belongs to
Lopez, not to Marshall.
Both Suffer and Marshall, in all proba-
bility, had heard of the gold discoveries in
the south. The incredulity with which
Suffer tells us he received MarshalPs
story was probably an afterthought to give
dramatic effect to his narrative.
He had been in Southern California with
Micheltorena in 1845, and was present at
the bloodless battle of Cahuenga when the
Governor was forced to abdicate. Marshall
was member of Fremont's battalion. He
was one of Captain Gillespies garrison,
and claims to have unspiked the cannon
with which Gillespie repulsed the assault
OF the Californians during the siege of Los
Angeles by Flores in September, 1916. He
spoke the Spanish language, and no doubt
heard of the discovery of gold in the noun
tains near San Fernando. From the pub
ished "reminiscences of pioneers, / should
judge that every intelligent resident of
California in the early '40's had heard of
the discovery.
As to the yield of the San Feliciano dig
gings, it is impossible to obtain any def
mite information. Don Abel Stearns puts
it at from $4,000 to $4,000 year, up to the
American occupation in 1847. William
Heath Davis gives the amount at $50, 600 to
500, for the first two years after the
discovery. He states that Mellus at one
time shipped $4,000 worth of dust to Boston
on the ship Alert. Bancroft states that
- 4
(worth about $38 .000) had been taken from
the San Fernando mines, the greater por-
ton of which was shipped to the United
States" There was great scarcity OF
water in the mines. The processes used in
extracting the gold from the earth were
crude and wasteful. Panning, washing
out with bateas, or close-woven Indian
baskets, was one of the methods used. To
pay over So day with such process the
mines must have been quite rich. In 1854
it was stated that Francisco Garcia took
out of the San Feliciano placers in one
season $65. 900 in gold. One nugget worth
$500 was found in this gold belt.
Los Angeles is not classed among the
mineral counties of the State, yet the yield
OF her placers has amounted to consider
able sum.
The San Gabriel placers were very rich.
As late as 1876 two companies were work
ing them. One company reported yield
OF $l365 for run of twenty-six days, work
ing five men, an average of $40 90 to the
man. In all the mountain creeks tributary
to the Santa Clara and San Gabriel rivers
prospects can be found. In 1854 the Santa
Anita diggings paid SIS day to the man.
The great drawback to successful mining
in Los Angeles County is the scarcity of
water. Ben Truman, in his "Semi-Tropic
California" a book written in 1874 says:
During the past eighteen years Messrs.
Ducommun & Jones, merchants of Los
Angeles, have purchased in one way and
another over 81, 00O, 900 worth of gold dust,
taken from placer claims of the San Gabriel
River, while it is fair to presume that
among other merchants and to parties in
San Francisco has been distributed at least
a like amount. The statistics of the San
Francisco Mint show that in one year
nearly SAC, 900 worth of gold was sent from
Los Angeles County for coinage purposes"
There are few specimens of gold taken
from the San Feliciano placers in 1912 still
preserved lin iewelry and ornaments) by
some of the natives Californians of Los
Angeles. The State should procure a
specimen to put with the famous Marshall
nugget in the State Neurological Museum.
lCopyright 1895 by R. Garner Curran.l