Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-12-22
TOLD BY A CALIFORNIA PAPER
Relation Of the Mormons 10 Caifornia's Gold
Discovery.


that led up to the discovery Of gold IN
California were the arrival, on July 81
1876, at San Francisco, then Yerpa
Buena, of the ship Brooklyn from New
York. bringing over 200 Mormon col
onists, and the organization nt about
the same time of the Mormon battalion
for service during the Mexican war
Driven by popular persecution from
New York to Ohio. thence to Missouri,
and finally to Illinois, where the nos
tillty to them eliminated In the Vlolent
death of the Prophet. the Mormons
realized that their only hope of build
ing up Zion lay in a removal 10 I'M
occupied lands in some remote region
west OF the Rocky Mountains In 1873
word was sent by the heads OF the
church to the Saints throughout the
country to prepare for an immediate
migration. Their place of destination
was kept a secret as far as possible,
many of the Mormons themselves not
knowing the plans of their leaders or
where the colony was to be planted.
Those who had not the means TO go
overland were to go by sea TO the fn-
cific coast in vessel to be chartered
for that purpose by their agents at
New York Elder Samuel Brannan was
given charge of this expedition. and
under his leadership the ship Brooklyn
smiled from New York on February 4,
1916, carrying 23S passengers, mostly
Mormons.
~ =
part of Mexico, but during the six
Months voyage of the Brooklyn the
Mexican war had begun, and one OF the
first acts OF the war had been the seiz-
ure OF California by the United States
ON July sth, three weeks before the
arrival of the Brooklyn. the American
flag was raised at Yerba Buena.
Although the Stars and stripes noat-
ing in triumphant assertion from the
low red-tied buildir~ on Portsmouth
H. Afs..aW aNatrNf Ian IL
or of the Brooklyn expedition the
change of ownership that had taken
place in the territory where he had
hoped to establish his colany. no pre-
monitlons of its future greatness had
as yet stirred the sleepy little Mexican
town into busy life. Before the curious
eyes of the Brooklyn passengers lay
sandy beach. strewu with the skeletons
of cattle slaughtered for their hides; n
succession of wlnd-swept hills bearing
tangled growths of scrub oak and
chapparal, the home of the coyote and
rabbit, and few adobe and frame
houses, an adobe barracks, and tenn
porary hide buildings scattered along
the shore. A half-dozen donkeys car
rying large bundles of wood, and few
llstless loungers lazily observing the
motions of the newcomers Afforded the
element Of life to the novel scene.
Upon coming ashore the emigrants
Installed themselves in tents and wher-
ever they could find shelter. Indus
trous and thrifty, they soon found
work some of their number going to the
San joaquin valley. where they formed
n settlement and planted crops for the
use of the Mormons who were expected
overland.
Meanwhile the main body Of Nor
mons had taken up their line of march
overland to the West. and had formed
n temporary settlement near Council
Bluffs, Ia Compelled 20 leave the
most OF their property behind them IN
their enforced flight, they found them
selves poorly prepared for long, I'M
certain journey,an applied to the gov
eminent at Washington Tor assistance
in their migration. The result was the
organization of the Mormon Battalion.
The pay these soldiers would draw from
the government was to be used in TAX
ing care OF their families and trans
porting them to California, where the
members of the battalion were TO be
discharged.
Elder Brannan had been directed to
go overland and meet the Church au-
thorities as soon as his own colony had
found place to settle. Carrying out
his instructions, Brannan left SanFran.
cisco the spring after his arrival, AND
met Brigham Young and his hrst com
pany of Utah Pioneers on June 30, 1891
Just as they made camp near Greer
River. Wyo At this meeting Brannar
tried to induce Brigham Young TO 20
on to California and settle, Instead o.
turning off at Salt Lake. But Califor
mia now belonged to the United States
while Utah was still part OF Mexico
and the isolation of Salt Lake valley
shut In by high mountains and ap
preached only by lonely, tedious Jour
ney through region inhabited by In
dians and wild beasts, more than uitse
to Brigham Young's mind the brillian
Inducements offered by Brannan IN Ia
vor of California.
Brannan went into Salt Lake vale,
with the Mormon Pioneers, and befor
he left there to return to san Franclsc
information came that the battalion
men, having received their discharg
at Los Angeles, Cal, were on their wa,
East to Join their families. The Churc,
authorities instructed Brannan TO tel
these men when he met them on hi
way back to California, that only thos
who had sufficient provisions to las
them until the next years harvest wa
gathered should come on to Salt LAKE
Brannan met the men on the SEER
Nevada mountains and delivered M
message. A consultation was held, tn
supnlies were put together and onl
those whose necessities could be pro
yided for went on to Salt Lake IN
rest of the company returned 10 can
fornia and scattered about IN the re
gion around san Francisco bay seekln
employment.
some of the men went to Sutter
Fort, General SuttCr ut TINS Time WI
building Touring MILL and, with ore
Von lumber at $500 thousand feet, wa
putting up n sawmill in the foothills an
getting out his own lumber. But he hn
no money, nor could he obtain lahorei
suitable for the work. Neither did Il
know the best place to build the mil
James Marshall a practical mechanic
had come to the fort after an unsu'
cessful venture at farming, ana wa
ready to undertake finding locatio
and building the mill for share in IN
business II suffer would find the mean
It was at this juncture that the bat
TALON men appeared and supplied
Suffer and Marshall the necessary lin
that had been lacking TO carry out the
project These men were not only goo
mechanics, but We're willing to wait u
their wages until the mill was inishe
and then take their pay in -four jerke
meat and ponies. Work was begun d
the mill. in due time the millrOce WI
dug, and the result has made possib
CalifOrnia's golden jubilee.
No painters brush has yet taken Il
It's subject the decisive moment whe
Suffer, Marshall and these nine batta
ion mechanics signed the contra,
which resulted In the discovery Of Cal
fornlus gold mines. Yet the splend,
OF that event has been felt thruugho,
the world. Mighty states have arise
on this Pacific coast, transContlnent
railroads have been built, counties
steamers and merchant vessels sa
through the once solitary passway
the Golden Gate, hundreds of million