Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-08-06
BY Nj. M. Quaife, Supt. of the Wis.
consin State Historical Society,

! It. Seldom has the news of a discov.
cry been attended by more dramatic
consequences. 1t threw the civilized
world into a fever OF anticipation II
| started throngs of fortune seekers
cutthroats, gamblers, laborers, ply.
slclans, farmers, preachers on a
mad race for California. 1t precipi-
| tated the great section al crisis OF
1850, the most serious in our his
tory between 1887 and 1861. and it
compelled the government to admit
California to statehood before ever
she had been a territory.
An old diary, now in the posses
sion Of the Wisconsin Historical So
ciety, portrays WILDLY the expert
ences OF one Wisconsin band of Ar
gonauts who crossed the continent
in the summer of 1S49 in search
OF the golden fleece. The fortune
seekers, five in number, were all
residents of Madison, the capital of
Madison, the capital of the youthful
state. Their first step was to organ
Ize company, equipped with appro-
PIRATE officers and laws and reguIa-
TONS. The company, to which all
contributed equally, then purchased
the equipment for the long journey.
the principal items being heavy COY
cred wagon and a six-mule team.
One interesting bylaw provided that
IN addition to the company prop erty
each member must equip himself
with "a good rifle, pistol, and knife -
From early March until August,
the toilsome journey lasted. The
route Led over rugged mountain ran
ges, and through burning deserts,
where men and horses alike were
in danger Of perishing from thirst.
At one place ten men and ten mules
were barely sufficient to manage an
empty wagon This place our diar-
ist,With grim humor decides to name
the Devils Stairs" Another time
band of Grow Indians, bent on
stampedingi the mules of the party,
raided the camp by night But the
affray passed off without loss to eth
er party Except the powder and
lead, which was wasted profusely by
BOTH
More successful thieves We're the
coyotes, who stole the last pound of
pork from the party when we were
awake and had a good watch dog on
guard, and the pork lying within four
feet of our heads"
No less than forty thousand gold
seekers crossed thep lains this sum-
mer of 1849, and as many more
reached California by water, either
crossing the Isthmus of Panama or
rounding Cape Horn. Hardship and
priVation awaited them all, dazzling
fortunes the few, and poverty, dis
ease and death the many. Our party
OF Argonauts was more fortunate
than most, but listen to this picture.
which is only one of many observ-
ed by the diarist: "a lone woman
riding on a skeleton of a horse, and
driving two COWS that were but the
shadow of what they once had been,
when grazing quietly on the prair-
les of Illinois. The wonnan's dress
consisted of what might once have
been a decent covering, but at this
time it was of a truth the evidence
OF things not seen. The woman hail
ed from Illinois, and she with her
decrepit live stock was all that re-
manned of a husband, wife, and three
children, fifteen or twenty head of
cattle, wagon, and eight hundred
dollars in money. Even SO she was
not disheartened, and begged only
for advice ais to what she should do
This was freely rendered by every
one; no two of the advisors agree
ing, however, the only result was the
heightening of the poor woman's be-
Wllderment, until at length our prac-
teal minded diarist suggested that
they pass the hat, which was prompt
ly done. The writer concludes the
incident by recording that he re-
turned home zone ounce lighter of
pocket, but none the poorer at
heart. x
The California gold-rush was a
gamble in which few won, but the
stakes were high, and men willing
ly took terrible chances. AT the end
Of August, the diary before us re-
cords, hundreds of destitute emfg--
rants were strolling up and down the
river bank in quest of gold, knowing
as little about prospecting for it
'as they do about happiness or the |
comforts of life" On the |
other hand the writer's party leR
than four weeks later took out s842 |
worth of gold in a single day. The |
next day the forenoon was spent in |
repairing the dam; the afternoon
yielded about $3.50 in gold. This the |
treasurer carried to camp in a COM |
mon washing pan, and setting it on
the roof TO dry, proceeded to forget
about it. Someone else was more
thoughtful, however, for in the morn
ing when inquiry vas made for the
gold the pan and It's contents had
vanished.
Amid such scenes as these, less
han two generations ago, were laid
he foundation Of the Golden State