The San Francisco call., 1895-12-01


faction that they had stopped at Sacra-
mento long enough to take carriage and
drive out to Suffers Fort and see where he
discovered gold in California; 1t is three
hours by rail from the capital, and then
one hour-doubling back down the track
to the old Indian camp Culloomah, now
spelled Coloma the round trip from San
Francisco costing $40, and about eight
hours each way.
Let US see what it cost to get there in the
old days and ways. Haskins in his
"Argonauts" tells that he and others
brought boat around the Horn and put
it together here.
Upon this, when complete, we placed
our effects, says Haskins. "and with fair
wind and tide in our favor started on our
Journey toward Sacramento City, at which
place we arriv ed upon the fourth day out
from San Francisco. At this place after
making proper division of our provisions,
tools and instruments, we dissolved CO.
partnership as a company, each and every
one going to such a mining district as best
suited his inclination, or at which place,
IN his opinion, were to be found the richest
mines. We learned here that rich gold
places besides Coloma, the point of origi-
nal discovery by Marshall. Among them
was Hangtown. After selling off all stock,
utensils, scow, tent and other things be-
longing to the company. which could not
be DIVIDED, we made division of proceeds
and then every man was for himself.
Two others and myself formed a COM
pany, and after deciding upon the mining
camp which We should visit we employed
a Pike County bullwhacker, who agreed to
deliver US and our effects in Hangtown for
certain consideration, payment invaria-
bly, in advance. We accepted the offer,
and in a few hours were on our way to
Hangtown."
1t cost these men eight days and quite
as many hundred dollars to "see where
gold was first discovered in California"
This sturdy Yankee is still mining not far
from Coloma, and when you are told that
he is still poor man after forty-seven
years of patient, steady and sober toll,
you will begin to see that ''all was not
gold that glittered even in the days of
DID," I know it is the fashion to lay the
fault at the doors of men Who failed in
those days. But 1 have known Haskins
of any sort l ever knew him to be guilty
of was the writing of little poetry and
large and entirely truthful book I know
other men in the mines who never even
indulge in the intemperance of poetry and
are still poor, after nearly half century
of persistent toll.
There is a disposition to discrown Sutter
and Marshall of the glory of discovery by
pointing out that gold had been mined
near Los Angeles and discovered at Ump-
qua, Or, long before they sat down in the
Culloomah basin to build mill in Aug
ust, 1847. But if it took eight days to get
there from San Francisco you can see that
Los Angeles was farther away from the
sawmiIl than London is now. And as for
Umpqua it was as if in Africa. Still it is
of interest to set down some of these earli-
est official reports:
In 1842 James Dana visited the coast
with the Wilkes exploring expedition
and wrote as follows: "Gold rocks and
veins of quartz were observed in 1872, near
the Umpqua River, in Southern Oregon,
and pebbles from similar rock were met
with along the shores of the Sacramento
in California and the resemblance to other
gold districts was remarked. but there was
no opportunity of exploring the country
at the time"
a learned Swede visited Sutter in 1843 in
the interest of his King, and reported as
follows: 1.-THE CALIFORNIA; are rich in min
erals; gold, silver, lead, oxide of iron,
manganese and copper ore are met with
throughout the country, the precious
metals being the most abundant"
A Mr.. Greenhow, writing in 1874, said: |
THE only mine as yet discovered in Up |
per California is one OF gold, situated at |
the foot of the great westernmost range of |
the mountains, on the west, at a distance |
Of twenty-five miles from Los Angeles, the |
largest town in the country. 1t is said to |
be OF extraordinary richness"
James W. Marshall was an Oregonian. |
He lett that land for this in 1849. He |
served with Fremont in the war of con- |
quest and then returning to Suffers Fort |
ne went tar up the south fork OF the |
American River into the beautiful Coloma |
BASIN, and being attracted by the beauty |
ana statellness of the sugar-pipe trees
located a millsite. Sutter had already a |
uourmhl not far from his old fort; and |
'he Two joined forces in the contemplated
up ana down" sawmill and began to dig |
the mlllrace by the help of Mormons and
few Indians. And here one falls to won
derlng how long it would have been before
the discovery if steam had then been in
such general use as nowI
To my mind the most direct and pranbic
account of these early and tumultuous
days is found in the Memoirs of General t
W. 1. Sherman. Let US quote the blunt
old soldier literally. He was stationed at
Monterey, after the treaty with Mexico.
under Colonel Mason, ex-officio acting