USA > California > Amador County > History of Amador County, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 12
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On the second day after leaving "Starved Camp," Mr. Reed and the three companions were overtaken by Cady and Stone, and on the night of the third day, reached Woodworth's camp, at Bear valley, in safety. The horrors of "Starved Camp " beggar all description, indeed, require none. The third relief party, composed of John Stark, Howard Oakley, and Charles Stone, were nearing the rescue, while W. H. Foster and W. H. Eddy (rescued by a former party) were bent on the same mission. These, with Hiram Miller, set out from Woodworth's camp on the following morning after Reed's arrival. The eleven were duly reached, but were in a starving condition, and nine of the cleven were unable to walk. By the noble resolution and herculean efforts of John Stark, a part of the number were borne and urged onward to their destination, while the other portion was compelled to remain and await another relief party. When the third relief
party, under Foster and Eddy, arrived at Donner lake, the sole survivors of Alder creek were George Donner, the captain of the company, and his heroic and faithful wife, whose devotion to her dying husband caused her own death during the last and fearful days of waiting for the fourth relief. George Donner knew he was dying, and urged his wife to save her life and go with her little ones, with the third relief, but she refused. Nothing was more heart-rending than her sad parting with her beloved little ones, who wound their childish arms lovingly around her neck and besought her with mingled tears and kisses to join them. But duty prevailed over affection, and she retraced the weary distance to die with him whom she had promised to love and honor to the end. Such scenes of anguish are seldom witnessed on this sorrowing earth, and such acts of triumphant devotion are among her most golden deeds. The snowy cerements of Donner lake enshrouded in its stilly whiteness no purer life, no nobler heart than Mrs. George Donner's. The terrible recitals that close this awful tragedy we willingly omit.
The third relief party rescued four of the last five survivors; the fourth and last relief party rescued the last survivor, Lewis Keseberg, on the 7th of April, 1847. Ninety names are given as members of the Donner party. Of these forty-two perished, six did not live to reach the mountains, and forty-eight survived. Twenty-six, and possibly twenty-eight, out of the forty-eight survivors are living to-day- several residing in San Jose, Calistoga, Los Gatos, Marysville, and in Oregon.
Thus ends this narrative of horrors, without a parallel in the annals of American history, of appall- ing disasters, fearful sufferings, heroic fortitude, self- denial and heroism.
CHAPTER XIV. THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD.
Early Reports and Discoveries-Marshall's Great Discovery at Sutter's Mill-His Account of the Event-Views of the Newspapers of that Time - Political and Social Revolu- tion-Great Rush to the Mines-Results-General Sutter's Account of the Gold Discovery-Building of Saw-Mill.
FROM the first discovery of California by the Span- iards the impression prevailed that the country was rich in silver, gold, and precious stones. When set- ting out on his northern expedition, the object of Cortez was to find another country like Mexico, in- habited by a semi-civilized people, whose rich treas- ures he might appropriate; and afterwards there existed among the inhabitants of New Spain a strong belief in the great riches of the new province, both in gold and precious stones. The first published report of gold in California is found in Hakluyt's account of Sir Francis Drake's expedition to this coast in 1579. The historian of the voyage says: "There is no part of the earth here to be taken up wherein there is not a reasonable quantity of gold or silver."
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HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
It is not related that any of Drake's men penetrated into the interior of the country or made any search for these metals; and, since neither gold nor silver is found in the neighborhood of Drake's or San Fran- cisco bay, it is to be inferred that this statement was a falsehood, uttered for the purpose of giving importance to Drake's supposed discovery.
There is no further account of gold or silver dis- coverics for two hundred and twenty-three years, until 1802, when it is said that silver was found at Alizal, in Monterey county, but the mine never pro- duced anything of consequence. Manfras says that gold was found in San Diego county in 1828; but as the discovery had not been heard of by Alexander Forbes, the historian of California, in 1835, it could not have been of any importance. On the contrary, Forbes, in his book of that date, says: "No min- erals of particular importance have yet been found in Upper California, nor any ores of metals.". In another place, referring to Hijar's migration to Cali- fornia in 1833, he says: " There were goldsmiths in the party proceeding to a country where no gold existed." Mr. Forbes was then the British Vice- Consul at Monterey, and was doing all in his power to interest the English Government in the country; it is therefore certain that up to that time-1835- no mineral discoveries of any consequence had been made in the province.
The first mine to produce any noticeable amount of precious metal was the gold placers in the cañon of the San Francisquito creek, forty-five miles north- west of Los Angeles. It was discovered about the year 1838, and was worked continuously for ten years, when it was deserted for the richer diseov- eries in the Sacramento basin. Its total yield was probably not over sixty thousand dollars or about six thousand dollars a year.
In 1842, James D. Dana, the geologist and miner- alogist with Wilkes' Exploring Expedition, traveled from the northern frontier through the Sacramento basin to the Bay of San Francisco, and afterwards published a work in which he said: " The gold rocks and veins of quartz were observed by the author in 1842, near the Umpqua river, in southern Oregon, and pebbles from similar rocks were met with along the shores of the Sacramento, in California, and the resemblance to other gold districts was remarked; but there was no opportunity of exploring the country at the time." Mr. Dana's professional knowledge enabled him to perceive certain indica- tions of gold, but no practical discoveries were madc.
On the 4th of May, 1846, Thomas O. Larkin, then United States Consul at Monterey, wrote to the Sec- retary of State as follows: "There is said to be black lead in the country at San Fernando, near San Pedro. By washing the sand in a plate, any person can obtain from one to five dollars per day of gold that brings seventeen dollars per ounce in Boston. The gold has been gathered for two or three years, though but few persons have the patience to look for
it. On the south-west end of the Island of Catalina there is a silver mine from which silver has been extracted. There is no doubt that gold, silver, quicksilver, copper, lead, sulphur and coal mines arc to be found all over California, and it is equally doubtful whether, under their present owners, they will ever be worked." Till May, 1846, no productive mines were in operation, except the one on San Francisquito creek, in what is now Los Angeles county.
It was reserved for James W. Marshall to make the great discovery, on the 19th of January, 1848, at Sutter's mill, on the South Fork of the American river, near the present town of Coloma, in El Dorado county.
No account of the memorable event can be so interesting as that of Mr. Marshall himself, who in a letter of January 28, 1856, says :----
"Towards the end of August, 1847, Captain Sut- ter and I formed a copartnership to build and run a saw-mill upon a site selected by myself (since known as Coloma). We employed P. L. Weimer and fam- ily, to remove from the fort (Sutter's Fort) to the mill-site to cook and labor for us. Nearly the first work done was the building of a double log cabin, about half a mile from the mill-site. We commenced the mill about Christmas. Some of the mill hands wanted a cabin near the mill. This was built, and I went to the fort to superintend the construction of the mill irons, leaving orders to cut a narrow diteh where the race was to be made. Upon my return, in January, 1848, I found the ditch cut as directed, and those who were working on the same were doing so at a great disadvantage, expending their labor upon the head of the race instead of the foot.
"I immediately changed the course of things, and upon the 19th of the same month, January, dis- covered the gold near the lower end of the race, about two hundred yards below the mill. William Scott was the second man to see the metal. He was at work at a carpenter's. bench near the mill. I showed the gold to him. Alexander Stephens, James Brown, Henry Bigler, and William Johnston, were likewise working in front of the mill, framing the upper story. They were called up next, and, of course, saw the precious metal. P. L. Weimer and Charles Bennett were at the old double log cabin (where Hastings & Co. afterwards kept a store), and, in my opinion, at least half a mile distant.
"In the meantime we put in some wheat and peas, nearly five acres, across the river. In February, the Captain (Captain Sutter) came to the mountains for the first time. Then we consummated a treaty with the Indians, which had been previously nego- tiated. The tenor of this was that we were to pay them two hundred dollars yearly in goods. at Yerba Buena prices, for the joint possession and occupation of the land with them; they agreeing not to kill our stoek, viz .: horses, cattle, hogs or sheep, nor burn the grass within the limits fixed by the treaty. At the same time, Captain Sutter, myself, and Isaac Humphrey, entered into a eopartnership to dig gold. A short time afterwards, P. L. Weimer moved away from the mill, and was away two or three months, when he returned. With all the events that sub- sequently occurred, you and the public are well in- formed."
UTH BRITTON & REY, S. E
& J. Fautenrose
TOMPSON & WEST PUB OAKLAND, CAL.
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THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD.
The following additional particulars of the dis- covery appeared in the Coloma Argus in the latter part of the year 1855, and were evidently derived from Weimer himself :-
"That James W. Marshall picked up the first piece of gold, is beyond doubt. Peter L. Wimmer (Weimer), who resides in this place, states positively that Mr. Marshall picked up the gold in his presence; they both saw it, and each spoke at the same time, ' What's that yellow stuff?' Marshall being a step in advance picked it up. This first piece of gold is now in the possession of Mrs. Wimmer, and weighs six penny-weights, cleven grains. The piece was given to her by Marshall himself. * * * The dam was finished early in January, the frame for the mill also erected, and the flume and bulk-head completed. It was at this time that Marshall and Wimmer adopted the plan of raising the gate during the night to wash out sand from the mill-race, clos- ing it during the day, when work would be con- tinued with shovels, etc. Early in February-the exact day is not remembered-in the morning, after shutting off the water, Marshall and Wimmer walked down the race together to see what the water had accomplished during the night. Having gone about twenty yards below the mill, they both saw the piece of gold mentioned, and Marshall picked it up. After an examination, the gold was taken to the cabin of Wimmer, and Mrs. Wimmer instructed to boil it in saleratus water; but, she being engaged in making soap, pitched the piece in the soap-kettle, where it was boiled all day and all night. The fol- lowing morning the strange piece of stuff was fished out of the soap, all the brighter for the boiling it had received. Discussion now commenced, and all expressed the opinion that perhaps the yellow sub- stance might be gold. Little was said on the sub- ject; but every one each morning searched in the race for more, and every day found several small scales. The Indians also picked up many small thin pieces, and carried them always to Mrs. Wimmer.
" About three weeks after the first picce was ob- tained, Marshall took the fine gold, amounting to between two and three ounces, and went below to have the strange metal tested. On his return, he informed Wimmer that the stuff was gold. All hands now began to search for the 'root of all evil.' Shortly after Captain Sutter came to Coloma, when he and Marshall assembled the Indians, and bought of them a large tract of country about Coloma, in exchange for a lot of beads and a few cotton hand- kerchiefs. They, under color of this Indian title, required one-third of all the gold dug on their domain, and collected at this rate until the Fall of 1848, when a mining party from Oregon declined paying 'tithes,' as they called it.
" During February, 1848, Marshall and Wimmer went down the river to Mormon Island, and there found scales of gold on the rocks. Some weeks later they sent a Mr. Henderson, Sydney Willis, and Mr. Fifield, Mormons, down there to dig, telling them that that place was better than Coloma. These were the first miners at Mormon Island."
In a little work entitled " Mining in the Pacific States," published by H. H. Bancroft & Co., in 1861, Mr. John S. Hittell presents the following interest- ing facts concerning the great discovery :-
" Marshall was a man of an active, enthusiastic mind, and he at once attached great importance to
his discovery. His ideas, however, were vague; he knew nothing about gold-mining; he did not know how to take advantage of what he had found. Only an experienced gold-miner could understand the importance of the discovery, and make it of practical value to all the world. That gold-miner, fortu- nately, was near at hand; his name was Isaac Hum- phrey. He was residing in the town of San Fran- cisco, in the month of February, when a Mr. Bennett, one of the party employed at Marshall's mill, went down to that place with some of the dust to have it tested; for it was still a matter of doubt whether this yellow metal really was gold. Bennett told his errand to a friend whom he met in San Francisco, and this friend introduced him to Humphrey, who had been a gold-miner in Georgia, and was therefore competent to pass an opinion upon the stuff. Hum- phrey looked at the dust, pronounced it gold, at the first glance, and expressed a belief that the diggings must be rich. He made inquiries about the place where the gold was found, and subsequent inquiries about the trustworthiness of Mr. Bennett, and on the 7th of March he was at the mill. He tried to induce several of his friends in San Francisco to go with him; they all thought his expedition a fool- ish one, and he had to go alone. He found that there was some talk about the gold, and persons would occasionally go about looking for pieces of it; but no one was engaged in mining, and the work of the mill was going on as usual. On the 8th he went out prospecting with a pan, and satisfied him- self that the country in that vicinity was rich in gold. He then made a rocker and commenced the business of washing gold; and thus began the busi- ness of mining in California. Others saw how he did it, followed his example, found that the work was profitable, and abandoned all other occupations. The news of their success spread, people flocked to the place, learned how to use the rocker, discovered new diggings, and, in the course of a few months, the country had been overturned by a social and industrial revolution.
"Mr. Humphrey had not been at work more than three or four days before a Frenchman, called Bap- tiste, who had been a gold-miner in Mexico for many years, came to the mill, and he agreed with Hum- phrey that California was very rich in gold. He, too, went to work, and being an excellent prospector, he was of great service in teaching the new-comers the principles of prospecting and mining for gold, principles not abstruse, yet not likely to suggest themselves, at first thought, to men entirely igno- rant of the business. Baptiste had been employed by Captain Sutter to saw timber with a whip-saw, and had been at work for two years at a place, since called Weber, about ten miles eastward from Coloma. When he saw the diggings at the latter place, he at once said there were rich mines where he had been sawing, and he expressed surprise that it had never occurred to him before, so experienced in gold-min- ing as he was; but afterwards he said it had been so ordered by Providence, that the gold might not be discovered until California should be in the hands of the Americans.
"About the middle of March, P. B. Reading, an - American, now a prominent and wealthy citizen of the State, then the owner of a large ranch on the western bank of the Sacramento river, near where it issues from the mountains, came to Coloma, and after looking about at the diggings, said that if simi- larity in the appearance of the country could be taken as a guide, there must be gold in the hills
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HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
near his ranch; and he went off, declaring his in- tention to go back and make an examination of them. John Bidwell, another American, now a wealthy and influential citizen, then residing on his ranch on the bank of Feather river, came to Coloma about a week later, and he said there must be gold near his ranch, and he went off with expressions similar to those used by Reading. In a few weeks news came that Reading bad found diggings near Clear creek, at the head of the Sacramento valley, and was at work there with his Indians; and not long after, it was reported that Bidwell was at work with his Indians on a rich bar of Feather river, since called Bidwell's Bar."
Although there were two newspapers, the Cali- fornian and Star, published in San Francisco, they do not seem to have been either very credulous or very enterprising. They did not hear of the dis- covery till some weeks after the great event; or, if they did hear of it, they did not credit the report. The first published notice of the gold discovery ap- peared in the Californian on the fifteenth of March, nearly two months after the event, and was as fol- lows :-
"GOLD MINE FOUND .- In the newly-made race- way of the saw-mill recently erected by Captain Sutter, on the American fork, gold has been found in considerable quantities. One person brought thirty dollars' worth to New Helvetia, gathered there in a short time. California, no doubt, is rich in mineral wealth; great chances here for scientific capitalists. Gold has been found in almost every part of the country."
Three days afterwards the Star made the follow- ing brief allusion to the subject :-
" We were informed a few days since that a very valuable silver mine was situated in the vicinity of this place, and again, that its locality was known. Mines of quicksilver are being found all over the country. Gold has been discovered in the northern Sacramento district, about forty miles above Sutter's Fort. Rich mines of copper are said to exist north of these bays."
The Star of March 25th says: "So great is the quantity of gold taken from the new mines recently found at New Helvetia, that it has become an article of traffic in that vicinity."
It was three months after Marshall's discovery, before the San Francisco papers announced that gold-mining had become a regular and profitable business. The Californian of April 26th says :---
" GOLD MINES OF THE SACRAMENTO .- From a gen- tleman just from the gold region, we learn that many new discoveries have very recently been made, and it is fully ascertained that a large extent of country abounds with that precious mineral. Seven men, with picks and spades, gathered nine thousand six hun- dred dollars within fifteen days. Many persons are settling on the lands with the view of bolding pre- emptions, but as yet every person takes the right to gather all he can, without any regard to claims. The largest piece yet found is worth six dollars."
The Star of April 1, 1848, contained an elaborate article on the resources of California, giving due credence and importance to the great event which
was so soon to vitalize the sluggish province, in which the writer said :-
" It would be utterly impossible at present to make a correct estimate of the mineral wealth of Cali- fornia. Popular attention has been but lately directed to it. But the discoveries that have already been made will warrant us in the assertion that California is one of the richest mineral countries in the world. Gold, silver, quicksilver, iron, copper, lead, sulphur, saltpetre, and other mines of great value have already been found. We saw, a few days ago, a beautiful specimen of gold from the mine newly discovered on the American fork. From all accounts the mine is immensely rich, and already we learn the gold from it, collected at random and without any trouble, has become an article of trade at the upper settlements. This precious metal abounds in this country. We have heard of several other newly-discovered inines of gold, but as these reports are not yet authenticated we shall pass over them. However, it is well known that there is a placer of gold a few miles from the ciudad de Los Angeles, and another on the San Joaquin."
The Californian of August 14, 1848, contained an article descriptive of the process and implements of gold-mining at that time, and having related the particulars of the discovery at Sutter's mill, the writer continues :-
"It soon began to attract attention, and some persons discovered gold in the river below, and for some distance above the mill, in large quantities; so much so that persons who only gave credit to one-third of what was said about it left their homes and went to work in the mines, It was the work of but a few weeks to bring almost the entire popu- lation of the Territory together, to pick up the precious metal. The. result has been that in less than four months, a total revolution has been effected in the prospects and fate of Alta California. Then, the capital was in the hands of a few individuals engaged in trade and speculation; now, labor has got the upper hand of capital, and the laboring men hold the great mass of the wealth of the country -- the gold.
"There are now about four thousand white per- sons, besides a number of Indians, engaged in the mines; and from the fact that no capital is required, they are working in companies, on equal shares, or alone, with their baskets. In one part of the mine, called the dry-diggings, no other implement is nec- essary than an ordinary sheath-knife, to pick the gold from the rocks. In other parts, where the gold is washed out, the machinery is very simple, being an ordinary trough made of plank, round on the bottom, about ten feet long, and two feet wide at the top, with a riddle, or sieve, at one end, to catch the larger gravel, and three or four small bars across the bottom, about half an inch high, to keep the gold from going out with the dirt and water at the lower end. This machine is set upon rockers, which give a half-rotary motion to the water and dirt inside. But far the largest number use nothing but a large tin-pan, or an Indian basket, into which they place the dirt, and shake it about until the gold gets to the bottom, and the dirt is carried over the side in the shape of muddy water. It is necessary, in some cases, to have a crowbar, pick, or shovel; but a great deal is taken up with large horns, shaped spoon-fashion at the large end.
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THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD.
"From the fact that no capital is necessary, a fair competition in labor, without the influence of capital, men who were only able to procure one month's provisions have now thousands of dollars of the precious metal. The laboring class have now become the capitalists of the country.
" As to the richness of the mnincs, werc we to set down half the truth, it would be looked upon in other countries as a Sinbad story, or the history of Aladdin's lamp. Many persons have collected in one day, of the finest grade of gold, from three to eight hundred dollars, and for many days together averaged from seventy-five to one hundred and fifty dollars. Although this is not universal, yet the- general average is so well settled, that when a man with his pan or basket does not easily gather from thir- ty to forty dollars in a day, he moves to another place; so that taking the general average, including the time spent in moving from place to place and in looking for better diggings, we are of the opinion that we may safely set down an ounce of pure gold, or sixteen dollars per day, to the man. Suppose there are four thousand persons at work, they will add to the aggregate wealth of the Territory about four thousand ounces, or sixty-four thousand dollars a day.
" Four months ago, flour was sold in this market (San Francisco) for four dollars per hundred; now it is sixteen. Beef cattle were then six; now they are thirty. Ready-made clothing, groceries, and other goods, have not risen in the same proportion, but are at least double their former cost. If we make bread and meat the standard by which to determine the value of gold, then it is worth only one-fourth of what it is elsewhere. But if gold and silver be the standard, then the bread and meat is worth four times what it was. But, the relative value of the grain-gold, compared with gold and silver coin, can only be changed by the action of Government; for, however abundant the gold may be, it must produce its relative value in coin; and, while a five-dollar gold-piece will be received at the Treasury as five dollars, so long must an ounce of gold be worth sixteen dollars.
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