The San Francisco call., 1909-02-28
Gold In California In 1842

a day. their enthusiasm was short lived
However. by the end of the following
year several thousand ounces Of gold
hae been taken out of the San Fer
nando mines But the vein was soon
worked out to return of 25 cents a
day
Governor AIvaradO boasted that thu
rings that he used at his wedding in
August, 1899. We're Of California gold
and that his daughter owned one fash
toned in 1910 at Monterey from San
Fernando gold. And in his HistOria ds
California Alvarado thinks it imperti-
nence on the part of Marshall and Sut-
Ter 10 claim the discovery Of gold. and
asserts; Que el pueblo Americana 90
esenc1almente egOista cuandO trata de
hacer aparecer al SenOr Marshall como
primer descubridOr del GRO en- Califor-
ma que en- buena hOra Ia legislature de
premiOs y pensiOnes a quienes Sc 70
Antoje 70 no me mezelo en- esos asuntoa
desde que mi vOz seria demasiado debl
para eEectuar refOrmas que la mayOria
De los legisladOres no desean yer i'm
piantadaS; perO exijo quo no Sc Gina
con laureles que &c justicia pertenecen a
mis- compatriotas, la frente de Sutter,
NlarshaH' demas aventureros que la
cada Dlenio Sc presentan ante la leeis-
latura del Esrado reclamandO recon-
penSas por servfcios que han estado
muy le1os de prestar, y pOr descubrf-
mlentos que habian aldo hechos mas de
ounce amos antes que los tituladoa
descubridores del orc Viniesen a Calf
fornia.'
We do not question the fact thar
some gold dust was brought into calf
Iornia from the outside. and as it fa1
INTO the hands OF traders was shfpDed
70 eastern ports. thus giving the er-
roneous impression of its having been
mined here; but this was a small GUAM
uty- We have the record of a man
named PalaciOs. who came to CaIifor-
ma IN 1884 as agent for Guaynas
merchant. who brought gold dust to be
used as money. Others. no doubt ala
the same This would sooner or later
raiI into the hands of the agents for
eastern firms and be sent home on the
outgoing vessels. 1t was possibly OF
such an occurrence as this that Rich
ard Henry Dana in his Two Years
BEFORE the Mast speaks Referring to
the cargo of the snip. he speaks a.
quantity of gold dust brought
from the interior by Indians or
MeXlcans. And yet as lie goes
on he says: "RumOrs OF gold
discoveries are current. but attract
little attention"
In The Emigrants' Guide to Oregon
ard California" by =. w. Hastings
printed in Cincinnati in 1S45. he who
runs may read 1T is reported in the
CITY OF Mexico that some Mexicans
nave recently discovered a section OF
country in the extreme interior OF
California which affords ample evil
dence of the existence of both gold
and silver ore
Again in May. 1916. Thomas o. Lar
kin, United States consul al Monterey.
makes the following statement. eat
San Fernando. near San Pedro. BY
washing the sand in a plate any per-
son can obtain from 81 to So a day In
gold that brings SIT per ounce in Bos-
ton. The gold has been gathered for two
or three years. though but few have
the patience to look for il. There Is
no doubt in my mind that gold silver.
copper. quicksilver. lead sulphur and
coal mines are to be found all over
California. But 1 am very certain
that they will under their present own
ers continue as they are. The Indians
have always said there were mines
but would not show their location. and
the Californians do not choose to look
for them. Later. in the same month
and year. Mr.. Larkin sent the follow
ing report to the secretary of state at
Washington: BY the laws and GUS
toms of Mexico respecting mining
every person or company. foreign or
native, can present themselves to the
nearest authorities and denOunca a.pv
then, after the proper formalitfes put
the denouncer in possession of a GER
tain part of it or ALL which is. I be-
lieve, according to its extent The nos
SCISSOR must hereafter occupy and work
his mine. or some other person NAV
denounce against him. In all cases
the government claims certain por-
tion of the product"
In his message 10 congress in 1919
President Polk stated that at the time
of the acquisition of California the
existence. was known Of precious met
ais to a considerable extent.
notwithstanding all of which. the
figure of John Marshall. backed bv
Captain Suffers millrace. stands as a
synonym for the discovery Of gold In
California, just as the figures OF Rom
ufus and Remus. with their wolf is
inseparable from your concept OF the
founding of Rome.
There may have been a ROmulus
and Remus and there may not: we
do not question there having been q
wolf. At any rate. the fact that Rome
was founded is the main point. And
by the same token it was the dlscov-
cry. not the discoverer. Of gold that
has made for the development and
prosperity of California. and whether
it dates from 1872 or 1913. the fact that
1t was discovered is the main point
(For the data the writer is indebted
to early records. disregarded histories
and the works on California ouofeAl