The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-09-04

The Klondike gold fever has taken a
pretty firm hold on the people of this
country, but the excitement is nothing
when compared to the frenzy that
spread over the whole world when the
discovery of gold in Suffer Creek Cal
ifornia, was announced.
James w Marshall was the true dis
coverer of gold in California, the find
being accidental while he was running
a sawmill on the creek in 1885, almost
at the identical SPOT where Hal ".
Brown and J. A Brent of this city and
their associates are nov engaged il
quartz mining.
For long time Mr. Marshall and his
associates did not believe that the metal
was gold, and even after tests were
made and the proof conclusive, he could
hardly realize the truth
He realized the Importance of the dis
covery however, but he knew nothing
of mining, and was so little acquainted
With the business that he did not even
pan for the yellow metal.
A miner from Georgia was secured
later on who demonstrated that there
was gold there in paying quantities. He
constructed q rocker and went to work,
bodied man in that section had aban-
doned his usual pursuits and began
mining for the precious metal
News Of the discovery then began to
spread, and while the means of COM
munication with the outside world at
that time was primitive and limited, in
cue time the reports of the wonderful
find We're in circulation throughout the
entire United States.
Bancroft, in his account of the dis
coVery and the subsequent excitement
says that in September of 1913 the first
rumors of the gold discovery began to
reach New York; in October they at
tracted attention; in November people
looked with interest for new reports;
in December the news gained general
| credence, and a great excitement arose.
Prepare lions we're then made for q
migration to California by somebody
in nearly every town in the United
States. The great body of emigrants
| went either across the plains with OK
! or mule teams, or around Cape Horn in
sailing vessels.
a few took passage by steamer by
the way of Panama. Not less than 100,-
! 600 men, representing in their nativity
every state in the Union. went to Cal
ifornia that year. OF these 90 00G
| crossed the continent by way of the
South pass, and nearly all of them
started from the Missouri river between
Independence and st. Joseph in the
month of May.
They formed an army. In day time
| their trains filed up the road for miles
and at night their camp fires gathered
in every direction about the places
! blessed with grass and water.
The excitement continued during the
years 1856, 1851. 1852 and 1853. and emf
grants continued to come by land and
sea from Europe and America, and in
! the last named year from China also.
| In 1854 the migration fell off. and
| since that time California has received
! the chief accessions to her population
! by the Panama steamers.
The above account Of the Suttei
Creek gold finds and the excitement
! that ensued was written in 1861 but
! since that time the east and west have
been bound together by bands OF stee
and thousands upon thousands have
crossed the continent in the wild quest
! for gold on carriages drawn by steam
| horses, and the scattering that has re
suited has led to the discovery of aurif-
! erouS gravel and gold bearing quartz
! in nearly all of the Pacific states ant
! this great intermountain country
| KIondike today has the call on golC
! mining excitement but it pales int
! insignificance when compared TO the
! CntraT (-raaly nTro M in Co1iforuio