The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1917-02-02
THE Lure OF COLD
How 1t Drew the Half Crazed East
to California In 184o.
WAS A WILD RACE FOR RICHES
The Excitement Caused by the Dis
covery of the Precious Metal, the
Fury With Which the "YeIlow Fever"
Ragged and the Rush to the Coast.

Fury With Which the "YeIlow Fever"
Ragged and the Rush to the Coast.
One of the most exciting periods In
the United States Of commercial
character was the wild rush Of people
from the eastern part Of the country
to California in 1S4S and 1S49, follow
ing the announcement of the extensive
discovery OF gold. 1t looked as if the
faces of all eastern people were turned
west through the exaggerated stories
that were published Of the vast quan
titles of the yellow metal that were
everywhere in evidence.
The height Of the excitement was
reached when on Dec. 5, 1S48, Presi
dent Taylor announced the discovery
In his message. The abundance of gold
was such, he said. as could hardly be
believed were 1t not for the reports Of
officers on the public service who had
seen the mines.
The first question that entered the
mind Of the eastern prospector was
how to reach the diggings Til spring
came the overland route was closed
But the way by sea was open and to
dwellers on the seaboard was far the
better.
Then began a series of most unusual
advertisements in the newspapers.
Manufacturers of rubber goods adver-
tised tents beds, goId bags and camp
outfits One publisher got out book
containing fifty-four engravings of inn
plements used In washing gold from
sand. A manufactures advised all go
ing to the gold country TO take along
one of his gold washing machines.
Such advertisements as AN oyster
house will be sold low proprietor is
going to California" and For sale,
for a hundred dollars, half a light,
easy business that pays a handsome
profit, as the advertiser Is going to Cal
ifornia," became common.
Every ship brig, schooner or sloop
that was half lit to 20 to sea was
scraped, painted. hued with bunks or
cabins and advertised as an Al, fair
sailing, copper bottomed, copper nailed
vessel, bound for san Francisco direct
or via Chagrcs. Before the middle of
December four ships loaded with ad-
yenturers left New York, and six 9th
ers were to Sau IN few days
A New Yolk paper found fifteen YES
sells loaded for California and reported
many more ready 10 20 10 hat country
from Boston Salem, Philadelphia, Bal
| timore and New Orleans.
Many went ouf as individuals, while
thousands TONED companies or associa-
tions which chartered or bought ships
Many associations chartered ships and
sent them around the Horn, while they
| journeyed overland Many of these as
sociations had odd titles-as, for In
stance, "the New York Yellow Fever
company
By the end of January. 1S49, eighty
vessels had set sail Il San Francisco
via Cape Horn, foui for Chagres
and two for Vera CIuz, carrying, al
told, over 500 passengers.
! The newspapers spread broadcast al
gorts OF exciting rumorS, and with the
arrival of each batch OF letters the
! gold fever ragged more f1ercely than
ever. A letter from a gentleman In
California stated that Jumps of gold
pound in weight had frequently beer
found and that good sized pieces coult
] he dug from the crevices In the rocks
/ Every ship that sailed was so crowded
that temporary houses were built OF
its deck, and by the middle of Marcl
more than 1900 gold hunters had lef
for California
Much trouble followed those who
passed through Mexico, on account Of
the bitter feeling chat had been en-
gendered by the recent war with tha
country and all along the route
through Mexico were said TO be strewI
the bones OF those who had been mur
dered
Early in March the great emigration
overland began. and scores of compa
MES and thousands Of men attached
to no company sci off for the golC
fields In less than three weeks, it i
said, $3.50 wagons crossed the Missis
sippi at St Joseph and 800 at Sayan
nah Landing and Council Bluffs Tn
country, it was said, for miles AM
miles represented a great tented field
Toward autumn the first of the over
land emigrants came streaming acros
the mountains. In less than two year
after the discovery of gold close t
100000 emigrants found their way t
California in search of the yellow met
al.-Philadelphia Press.