Evening star., 1949-09-04
Washington Went Gold Crazy
By John CIoqett Proctor

By John CIoeett Proctor
There were many interesting
buildings and sites in the area
intended for the Washington Mu-
nicipal Center as we'll as some
close by. At the southwest corner
of Third street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue was a landmark
known as Mades Hotel. which, in
cidentally, was for many years the
only frame building on the Avenue
between the Capitol and Twenty
first street, going west. 1t was
conducted by Charles Mades. and
it was here on June 18. 1880. that
Gen. John Augustus Sutter died.
He was one Of the earliest and
foremost California pioneers and
it was in his millrace, in 1848, that
gold was discovered by one of his
employees, John w. Marshall.
1t led to the great scramble for
wealth, particularly in 1849. and
also contributed greatly in en-
couraging emigration to California
and the Far West. ultimately re-
sulting in the admission Of that
State to the Union on September
9. 1850.
At this time Washington went
gold crazy along with the rest of
the country, and the glowing re-
ports published in the National
Intelligencer resulted in the for
nation of a party for the purpose
of going to the gold fields. 1t
was agreed at the meeting, held in
a hall on E street, that the party
should organize on the principle
of a military corps. fully uni
formed and equipped, and drilled
as light infantry. The armament
of each was rifle. pair of pis-
tolls, bowie knife and belt hatchet,
a bag of stockings and a pair of
blankets. Each member paid in
$500. and with a stock cash capital
Of about $25 900, the expedition
was most completely fitted out.
Those who formed the party
were u. Goldsborough Bruff,
president and captain: Gideon
Brooke. vice president; Benjamin
B. Edmonston, treasurer; A. H.
Parish, secretary; Henry Austin,
surgeon; Alexander Garret, en-
sign; James Foy. blacksmith;
William H. Dietz, George A.
Young, John Camerer of George
town, William Jewell, jr., of
Georgetown and Edward D. Slye,
Board of Directors: Thomas Will
liams, John M. Farron, H. J.
Queen. George Byngton, j. R.
Soumbe. John T. Dom, Wash
ington Lewis. w. N. Barker, David
Fowble. j. M. Marden, Stephen
Culverwell. Joseph Murphy, Will
liam H. Lloyd, Robert Slight,
Thomas J. Grif11ths, Oscar B.
Queen. Richard j. Culverwell, l..
A. Iardella. Henry Vermillion. Co.
lumbus Mcleod. Thomas P.
Kingsbury, Charles G. Morley,
Laurel, Prince Georges County,
Md; John Bates, Stephen J. Cas-
sin, Georgetown; William Tru-
man, James A. Ennis, William
Pope, Richard Washington, West
moreland County. Va: ]. H.
Barker, C. G. Alexander, King
George County. Va; H. Carter
Dorsey and F. P Windsor. Alex
andria; w. P. Hilleary. Charles
Bishop, F. N. Magruder, John v.
Ennis. ]. I. Ennis, James Shaw.
Josiah B. Hills, Thomas B. Scott,
Isaac E. Owen, D. R. Wall,
Georgetown: Augustus S. Capron,
Laurel. Prince Georges County,
Md; William Franklin. Charles
Reed, Josiah c. Willis, B. F.
Burche. Joseph c. Reilly and Mat
thew M. Tapprell. privates."
Left in April
An old account says: The COM
pany left here Monday afternoon,
April 2, 1849, and were escA'ted
to the railroad depot by the
Washington Light Infantry, their
departure being witnessed by a.
multitude Of friends"
The National Intelligencer pub
lished an account of their de-
parturs the day following, saying:
THE scene was in a high degree
affecting. The pioneers proceeded
to Pittsburgh, where wagons. tents,
ETC., were procured and steamer
was chartered to take them to st.
Louis, the cargo having been in
sured. An odometer was pur-
chased at st. Louis and attached
to the wheel of a wagon. by which
the travelled distances were meas
ured. A diary Of events. meteoro-
logical observations, ETC., was kept
by the commander Numerous
Indians were encountered on the
route, among them the Pawnees,
Sioux, Cheyennes, Crows, Sho-
shoneS or Snakes, and the Piutes,