San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-08-15
GOLD-GRABBERS.
STORY OF TIE RUSH TO 0ALIFOR-
MA IN '49.
Was Something Like the Present Klondike
Affair and Was Highly Mislead-
ing to the Prospectors.

The discovery of gold in the Klon-
dixie region in Alaska has excited the
whole country and as everyone knows
through the telegraphic reports, there
is hardly city in the country of any
importance where organization for
visiting the new Ell Dorado have not
already formed or are being formed
to go shortly.
San Antonio. of course, has expert
enced the excitement, but it is sup
pressed and there is hardy any out
spoken sentiment regarding this new
land of gold. However, one man has
already gone. He is Curley Martin, a
former Southern Pacific switchman,
who has seen all parts of the world
There are also several rumored expe-
ditions being organized, but as already
mentioned, nothing definite has as yet
been decided on.
The journey to this northern field of
ice and gold is very lengthy and te-
dious and there are not many who
care to undertake the perils for the
sake of a possible few hundred dol
lars worth of gold dust or nugget in
return.
This journey, however, is as nothing
compared to that made by the fortune
seekers of 40, who rushed to Califor.
mia, Drawing the dangers and over.
| coming all difficulties for the sake of
the precious yellow stuff.
All these, of course, were not sue
cessful, as in all other enterprises, and
many a man returned empty handed
and even in worse nix than before
going to the tabled gold fields.
There are numbers of citizens in this
city. we'll advanced in years, of course,
who bear vivid recollectiOns of those
stirring times. One old gentleman up
in his seventies, speaking to Light
reporter the other day about the Klon.
dixie rush, said that it brought 10 his
mind the stories of those early days
OF gold in California.
when the gold fever broke out, y
said he, Il was young man residing
in my New Jersey home. Being of an
adventurous nature the fever soon
had tenacious grip on me and moth.
ing would do me, but that i must en-
bark on one of the many expeditions
for the new country of the Gods,
as it was then termed, and l prepared
to start.
''At that time it will be remembered
there was comparatively few settle.
ments west of the Mississippi, St
Louis being considered one of the out.
posts of civilization, all the country
west of 1t, being infested by hostile,
or at least unfriendly Indians and was
known to eastern folks as the Great
| American desert and was more dread.
ed than any place on earth, a journey
across it being considered the most
perilous undertaking. one could I'M
dertake.
''These reports, too, were somewhat
exaggerated at the instigation of the
transportation companies, who imme'
diately began to profit by it by hauling
the fortune hunters either TO the 18th
mus of Panama where they crossed by
land. or around the horn taking
them up to San Francisco.
The steamship companies did q
large business and could scarcely ac
cOmmodate the hordes of pioneers who
fiocked TO the Golden state and it was
not long after the first spread of the
gold news until CALIFORNIA; population
had increased at least 100000, the mel
in the most part being law abiding
honest citizens, but as in all large
crowds there were murderers, thieves
ex-convicts and all classes of low indi.
viduals, but these were soon given tC
understand that they would not be
tolerated and law and order ruled.
But, returning to the journey. BY
the shortest sea route, that of the 18TH
mus, the distance was about 1000
miles and by the lengthiest, around
the cape, it was about $4,000 miles
OF course the greater number, desir,
ing to reach the fortune fields as soon
as possible, chose the isthmus route
t first, but the journey across was so
weariome and beset with such innum-
cradle dangers, in the way of reptiles,
| poisonous insects, ETC., that the pros
pective millionaires all soon chose the
longest route and went around the