The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-01-21
FIFTY YEARS OF GOLD.

Yellow Metal First Discovered In Califor-
nia--Just Half a Century Ago Reminds
cences Of Nathan starkweather Of Hart
Slope Then Belonged to Mexico.
| Last Tuesday was the fiftieth anniversary
| of the discovery Of gold in California: Ac-
cording to record kept by Nathan Stark
weather, our well-known townsman, says
| the Hartford Post, gold was discovered in
what was then the Territory Of California,
| belonging to Mexico, January 10, 1848. In
the record stands thus: Gold discovered
IN California January IS, 1S4s, by James
| Marshall"
The Encyclopaedia Brittania says that
| s'the existence Of gold has long been known
in California and washings had been carried
on in the southern part OF the country, near
the San Fernando mission for several years
having commenced there as early as 1911
No discovery had been made, however
which attracted much attention or caused
any excitement previous to the occupation
Of the country by the Americans In Janu-
airy, 1913, a piece of native gold was picked
up up In an excavation made fora mill race a on
the south fork Of the American river, at a
place now called Coloma." 1t is interesting
to note that in 1852 the Hydraulic process"
was devised by q. Il. Matteson, a native of
| Connecticut.
At the time Of the discovery of gold Cali
fornia belonged to Mexico. BY treaty signed
| at Guadalupe Hidalgo, February 2, 1S4S,
at the close Of the Mexican war, 1T became
a part of the United States.
In conversation with Post" reporter,
Mr., Starkweather said: Il have a copy Of
Smith and published in Hartford by Daniel
! Burgess & Co., and sold by Spalding &;
Storrs. This was Just before the discovery
Of gold in California. In this atlas there is
no state west of the Mississippi but Arkan-
sas. Wisconsin Is a huge territory. So is n
\ large part OF Missouri, that part known rs
the Missouri territory. There was state of
| Missouri admitted in 1921 Oregon was Il
big territory, too, the northern boundary of
which had not been defined. The cry was
still 81 $40 or fight. Mexico owned the whole
of California and this stretched far into the
interior. Texas was still the Lone Star
state-although we soon after annexed it.
That great expanse of land from out of
which have been carved some of our richest
states was known as the American desert.
1t was almost totally UNEMPLOYED.
II have been interested in calling to mind
| from entries in my diary the dates at which
some of the earlier states were admitted
into the Union of the original thirteen The
names and dates are as follows: Vermont,
1871: Kentucky, 1892; Tennessee, 1896
Ohio. 1902; Louisiana, 1911; Indiana, 1876
1915; Maine, 1921; Missouri, 1921; Arkansas
1896; Florida, 1876; Texas. 1885, Iowa. 1876
Wisconsin, 1913; California 1850; Minnesota
1858; Orgon 1850.
''The growth of the country has simply
been wonderful, IF the anti-jiiigoes of those
early days had had their way the United
States would have been strangled by The
| BGoWtu VI lUFelRu POWERS hfOHHu DeF--MeSl
co, France and Spain. Our territory before
the acquisition of foreign lands was about
half or less CT what 1t became afterwards.
There are many 49ers in Connecticut who
will look backward with interest as these
memories of Mr.. Starkweather are unfoldet
to them. What will the tiftieth anniversary
lthe year 194O, of the discovery of gold il
the Yukon valley of Alaska and Canads
bring TO the mind of the reminiscent of that
day?
The Norwalk Sentinel, speaking Of the
days of the 49ers, says:
Captain Isaac Seleck of Norwalk is ar
old forty miner" and prospected for golt
through California during the craze wher
that state was the Mecca of thousands seek
ing wealth, just as the Klondike is to-day.
He recalls many instances where men lef
good positions in order to acquire suddeI
wealth in the gold fields, and he knows thai
where one made a lucky strike there wer,
hundreds that did not that where one MAJ
was lucky enough to pan out five hundred
dollars week, others did not pan out fifty
dollars.