Stockton Herald, South Durham and Cleveland Advertiser. — 1890-06-28 (Stockton-on-Tees, Cleveland, England)

THE DISCOVERER OF THE CALIFORNIAN GOLD FIELD.  Marshall, the discoverer of the Californian gold field, died alone in his lonely cabin on May 10,1885. A statue has recently been erected to his memory, the unveiling of which was attended by 3,000 people. The spot in the Coloma Valley where he picked up the first precious nugget is marked by a sandbar covered with cobblestones. How he found the gold is thus related. He had led a wandering life, and eventually got into the Colon's. Valley, where he was superintending some eight or ten Indians, engaging in excavating for a mill site. This was the work that was going on at the mill, 19th January, 1848. On the morning of that memorable day Marshall went out as usual to superintend the men, and after closing the fore-bey gate, and thus shutting of the water, walked down the tailrace to see what sand and gravel had been removed during the night. This had been customary with him for some time, for he had previously entertained the idea that there might be minerals in the mountains, and had expressed it to Sutter, who, however, only laughed at him. On this occasion, having strolled to the lower end of the rate, he stood for a moment examining the mass of debris which had been washed down. At this juncture hie eye caught the glitter of something that lay lodged in a crevice on a riffle of soft granite some six inches under the water. His first act was to stoop and pick up the substance. It was  [(HAVE, OP A PECULIAR COLOUR, and unlike anything he had seen in the stream before. For a few minutes he stood with it in his hand, reflecting sad endeavouring to recall all that he had heard or read concerning the various minerals. After a close examination he became satisfied that what he held in his hand must be one of three substances—mica, sulphurets of copper, or gold. The weight sacured him that it was not mica. Could it be sulphnrets of copper? He remembered that that metal is brittle and that gold is malleable, and as this thought p.aaed through his mind he turned about, placed the specimen I upon a flat stone, and proceeded to test it by I striking it with another. The substance did not crack or flake off; it simply bent under the I blows. This, then, was gold, and in this manner was the first gold found in California. Marshall neither turned pale nor cried out exactly, probably 1 because he was thoroughly unaware of the importance of the discovery. He  SHOWED THZ NUGGET TO HIS MEN, indulged in a few conjectures concerning the probable extent of the goldfields, and went on with his work. He watched the stream closely, and in the course of a few days had collected several ounces of the precious metal. Putting these into his pocket he one day mounted his horse and rode down to the fort to show the specimens to Sutter and enquire about some delayed stores. The latter matter haring been straightened out, he asked for a few minutes' private conversation with Satter, and the two entered the little room at the back of the store. There Marshall showed him the gold, but Sutter would not believe it was anything so precious until it had been weighed and tested. The news soon spread, and as it spread the excitement grew. The resident white population of California threw itself into the gold quest with ardour and energy, and then came the great gold fever which revolutionised the eountr!.  On Friday week an inquest was held touching the death of Esther Knox (16), who drowned herself in the Barnsley Canal on the Wednesday previous, after quarrelling with her sweetheart. The evidence showed that owing to a quarrel she thew a basin at her sweetheart, scratched his face, and then went straight to the canal. She walked slowly along the towing path, stooped down, felt at the water, and then pulling a shawl over her head deliberately walked in, and disappeared. A verdict of "Suicide whilst temporarily nsane "was returned.