Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-09-26
ONE OF THE '49ERS.
Old Fellow Tells of the Gold Seekers
Trials.

James A. Wainwright, Of Oakland,
Cal, one of the original forty-niners.
who fought their way to California
during the. great gold rush. was In
st. Louis for a short time last week.
Mr.. Wainwright, who Is nearly 80
phia, where he had been visiting a
grandson. He was met here by a
nephew, Frank Blair, Of Chicago, and
the two dined at the Planters and
later departed together for Oakland.
Mr.. Wainwright is active and able
to travel alone. He made the trip
from Oakland to Philadelphia alone
and returned as far as st. Louis.
where his nephew met him. The
two will finish the journey together.
Mr.. Wainwright grew reminiscent
last night when he was seen In the
lobby Of the Planters.
81 can tell you." he said, 'ft Is far
different travelling these days than 1t
was fifty-six years ago. That Is
long time ago and I am probably
one of the few original forty-niners
who has not crossed the great divide.
I was living In Ohio when the gold
rush came. on. I was working on
my fathers farm and all the neigh
bors' boys had caught the fever and
I suppose 1 caught 1t from them.
was only 2l years old, but boys In
those days seem to me to have been
much older and larger than their
years.
There were no railroads and the
trip would have to be made by wag-
on. A large number Of outfits were
starting from st. Louis, and four of
US boys came here. 1t was far
different city In those days, ] eau tell
you, from what 1t Is now.
Outfits were starting for the west
every day and I Joined one Of them.
1t was q strenuous trip and we had
many an experience. The Indians
were cutting up high jinks and we
almost had to fight our way across.
In one of the Indian fights one Of
my companions, who had started on
the trip with me. was injured and
died a few days later. We buried
him on the plains. poor fellow. and
searching for his grave now would
be like looking for a needle In a
haystack.
California was reached after
months Of hard work. and then the
search for gold began. We were
partly successful, but after a few
months Of prospecting and hard work
made up my mind that I could
make my fortune sooner by going
into business. I had made some
money and with It I started supply
store near one Of the big camps. A
few. weeks convinced me that I had
adopted the better course.
Justice in those days was rapid
and such a thing as a small techni-
cality bringing about stay and q
new trial was not to be thought of.
AS is always the case. bad element
was attracted to the gold fields and
this element lived by robbing the
more industrious workers. Robbery
was punishable by death, and the
guilty man was generally discovered
and paid the penalty.
"I remember one incident that was
somewhat amusing and yet rather
gruesome. A worthless chap by the
name of Billings located near our
camp. He had a pretty wife and two
children, but he was a brute pure
and simple. He never did a bit OF
work and yet he seemed to nave
money enough to buy whisky, and
then after getting drunk he would
beat his wife. A committee Of the
reliable citizens of the camp took his
case In hand one night and decided
that It would be better II Billings
was out of the way. He had been
suspected Of several jobs and was
soon brought before the committee
charged with the crime. His trial
was short and he was sentenced to
be hanged.
Just before the sentence was to
be carried into effect one Of the COM
mittee spoke about the wife and
asked how she was to get along
without some support. Another man
said that the only thing to be done
was to get her another husband.
Well Billings was hanged and the
camp was rid Of bad man. Two
days later Mrs. Billings was married
to a thrifty miner who had always
had liking for her, and everything
was as good as could be.
"Those things all happened many
years ago." said Mr.. Wainwright, In
conclusion, but they do not seem to
be so far back to me. st. Louis
Republic.
he WANTED TO SUE.