The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-04-15
TO GOLDEN WEST
Adventurous Spirits of the World
Turned in 40.
Lives and Souls Counted for Little m
the Frantic Rush for the Yellow
Metal Thousands Died
en- Route.

On Dec. 8, 1S4s. the first deposit Of
California gold was made in the
United States mint by David Carter.
What a date! Gold had been dis
covered in California, and the earth
trembled under the march westward.
Around the days Of '49 In the
Golden state on the blue Pacific, says
the Kansas City Journal, an American
playwright constructed a drama Of
telling power, ."The Girl of the Golden
West" It is a picture of the rough
and terrible days Of that frantic epoch,
where men lost their souls and their
lives in the pursuit of the yellow
metal. California was admitted as a
state into the Union in 1850. In '49,
10000 immigrants arrived in California
overland and by way Of the isthmus Of
Panama.
It was in a little pioneer fort Of
Capt. Suffers, formerly an officer of the
4wiss Guard of Charles < Of France,
that the announcement was made that
shook the world in 1S48, and produced
scenes of unparalleled excitement.
From every part Of the globe came the
gold seekers, from Chile, Peru, from
ancient Cathay, from the Sandwich
islands, from England, France and
Russia. Says Capt. Sutter Of that
memorable morning in 1S4S: Il was
sitting in my tiny fort when Mr.. Mar
shall, who was digging mill race at
COloma, on the American river, burst
into my presence. he was white as
ashes and greatly excited. I glanced
at my rifle to see If it was in its place,
for In those days we lived in perpetual
expectation Of attack from Indians.
No! Marshall flung on the table
handful of scales of pure virgin gold.
I was thunderstruck. BE explained
how he had found it along the left
bank of the stream"
A pioneer tells the story Of the fear
full gold-dust fever. 'Two years after
the discovery of gold on the American
river by Marshall, I, like thousands OF
others, got the gold fever and I got 1t
bad. To this land Of gold promise
came the bravest and best men of the
older states. They were the daring
spirits of the old home, who, ill-content
to yegetate amid the scenes Of their
birth, took heart of hope, and through
weeks and months Of peril and IA
tigue toiled across the waterless and
savage peopled wastes to the land afar.
They lit their campfres of buffalo
chips and sagebrush and tossed in un-
easy dreams at night with their guns
for pillows. The reveille that woke
them was often the crack Of rifles in
the hands Of the savages. For days,
weeks and months they thirsted and
hungered amid the alkali deserts and
the rocky canyons, and when they
reached the land Of promise there was
little left them but their splendid
manhood, brains and Drawn.
'sThe prairie schooners from Mis-
souri, and Arkansas, drawn principally
By oxen or mules, formed continuous
line of march by every route leading to
the south pass Of the Rocky noun
tains.
'.The late DR.. Stillman, who con-
Quoted a hospital at Sacramento In
40 and 80, estimated that, in seeking
the golden fleece in less than one
year 10000 young men who had start
ed with cheers and song were sleeping
beneath tie wild flowers"
During the year 1s48 $10,O00,OOO In
gold was extracted from the mines'
principally from the Yuba, Feather
and the American rivers, and from the
eulches connected herewith; the rock
er. the shovel, the prospecting pan and
the crevice knife being the only ma
chinery employed. Over $4O,OOOOo
was obtained in 40. From 1S4S to
1870 81 ,O0O, ,OOO 900 was the gold output
Of the state Of California. Through
out the first three years OF the min
ing excitement every article OF trade
had to be imported. =.
aSi compre orc aqui" (gold dust
bought here) should be the legend OF
California.