USA > California > Amador County > History of Amador County, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 13
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" As to the future hopes of California, her course is onward, with a rapidity that will astonish the world. Her unparalleled gold mines, silver mines, iron ore, and lead, with the best climate in the world, and the richest soil, will make it the garden-spot of creation.'
The Californian, of September 23, 1848, gives the following graphic account of the grand rush to the gold mines :-
" It would seem that but little doubt was enter- tained ofits being the Simon-pure stuff; for operations immediately ceased at the mill, and all hands com- menced searching for gold. It was soon found that gold abounded all along the American fork, for a distance of thirty miles. But little credit however was given the report, though occasionally a solitary gold-hunter might be seen stealing down to the launch, with a pick and shovel, more that half- ashamed of his credulity. Sometime during the month of May a number of credible persons arrived in town from the scene of operations, bringing spec- imens of the ore, and stating that those engaged in collecting the precious metal were making from three to ten dollars per day. Then commenced the grand rush. The inhabitants throughout the Territory were in a commotion. Large companies of men, women, and children could be seen on every road
leading to the mines; their wagons loaded down with tools for digging, provisions, etc. Launch after launch left the wharves of our city (San Francisco) crowded with passengers and freight, for the Sacra- mento. Mechanical operations of every kind ceased. Whole streets, that were but a week before alive with a busy population, were entirely deserted, and the place wore the appearance of a city that had been suddenly visited by a devastating plague. To cap the climax, the newspapers were obliged to stop printing, for want of readers.
" Meantime, our mercantile friends were doing an unwonted stroke of business. Every arrival from the mining district brought more or less gold-dust, the major part of which immediately passed into the hands of the merchants, for goods. Immense quan- tities of merchandise were conveyed to the mines, until it became a matter of astonishment where so much could be disposed of. During the first eight weeks of the golden times, the receipts at this place (San Francisco) in gold-dust amounted to two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. For the eight weeks ending at this date (Sept. 23, 1848), they were six hundred thousand dollars. The number of persons now engaged in gold-hunting will probably exceed six thousand, including Indians, and one ounce per day is the lowest average we can put for each person, while many collect their hundreds of dollars for a number of days in succession, and instances have been known where one individual has collected from fifteen hundred to eighteen hundred dollars worth of pure gold in one day. Explorations have been progressing, and it is now fully ascertained that gold exists on both sides of the Sierra Nevada, from latitude forty-one degrees north, as far south as the head-waters of the San Joaquin river, a dis- tance of four hundred miles in length and one hundred in breadth. Farther than this has not been explored; but from the nature of the country beyond the sources of the San Joaquin, we doubt not gold will also be found there in equal abundance. The gold region already known is sufficiently extensive to give profitable employment to one hundred thousand persons for generations to come. The ore is in a virgin state, disseminated in small doses, and is found in three distinct deposits-in sand and gravel beds, in decomposed granite, and intermingled with a kind of slate."
In April, 1848, Mr. Jonas Spect, an enterprising pioneer, gave the following interesting account of gold discoveries :-
" Up to this time there had been little excite- ment about the gold diggings; but at Knight's Landing we were overtaken by Spaniards, who were on their way to Sutter's mill to dig gold, and they reported stories of fabulously rich diggings. After discussing the matter, we changed our course to the gold mines and hurried on, arriving at the mill on the thirtieth day of April. It was true that several rich strikes had been made, but the miners then at work did not average two and a half dollars per day. Marshall and Sutter claimed the land and rented the mines. Every one supposed gold was confined to that particular locality. We did not engage in mining, and concluded to resume our journey across the plains. On our return trip we learned that gold had been found on Mormon Island. But we took no further notice of gold, and on the 12th of May arrived at Johnson's ranch. We found one man there waiting our arrival, but we expected many others in a short time. We waited
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HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
until about the 25th, when we learned that there was another rush to the mines, and then vanished all prospect of any company crossing the mountains that Summer. My partner left for the American river, and I proposed to Johnson that we should prospect for gold on Bear river. We went some distance up the stream and spent three days in the search without any satisfactory result. I then suggested to Jolinson that he should send his Indian with me, and I would prospect the Yuba river, as that stream was about the size of the South Fork of the American river. We prepared the outfit, and on the 1st of June, we struck the Yuba near Long Bar. After a good deal of prospecting, I succeeded in raising ' color.' That night I camped in Timbuc- too ravine, a little above where we first found the gold. The next day, June 2d, I continued pros- pecting up the stream, finding a little gold, but not enough to pay. The Indian was well acquainted. and he piloted me up to the location of Rose's Bar, where we met a large number of Indians, all entirely nude and cating clover. I prospected on the bar, and found some gold, but not sufficient to be remu- nerative. Greatly discouraged, I started on my return home. When I arrived at a point on the Yuba river, a little above Timbuctoo ravine, I washed some of the dirt and found three lumps of gold worth about seven dollars. I pitched my tent here on the night of June 2d, and sent the Indian home for supplies. In about a week I moved down on the creek, and remained there until November 20th, when I left the mines forever. June 3d, the next day after the location of my camp, Michael C. Nye and William Foster came up the creck prospecting for gold."
The discovery of gold on the American river led Mr. Nye and party to start out on a prospecting trip. In the Summer-the exact date is not known- they found paying diggings on Dry creek, near its junction with the Yuba, and commenced working on an extensive scale. The discoveries by Mr. Spect and Mr. Nye's company were nearly contempora- neous, and as the parties started from different local- ities, and without any knowledge of the acts of the other, due credit should be given to each.
GENERAL SUTTER'S ACCOUNT OF THE GOLD DISCOVERY.
The following extracts are from an article com- municated, in his own handwriting, by General Sutter to Hutchings' California Magazine for Novem- ber, 1857. As a part of the history of the great event referred to, and as the personal narrative of one of the chief actors in the golden drama, it is one of the most interesting records of the time. General Sutter says :-
" It was in the first of January, 1848, when the gold was discovered at Coloma, where I was build- ing a saw-mill. The contractor and builder of this mill was James W. Marshall, from New Jersey. In the Fall of 1847, after the mill-site had been located. I sent up to this place Mr. P. L. Wimmer, with his family, and a number of laborers from the disbanded Mormon Battalion; and a little later I engaged Mr. Bennett, from Oregon, to assist Mr. Marshall in the mechanical labors of the mill: Mr. Wimmer had the team in charge, assisted by his young sons to do the teaming, and Mrs. Wimmer did the cooking for all hands.
"I was very much in need of a saw-mill to get Inmber to finish my flouring-mill, of four run of stones, at Brighton, which was commenced at the same time, and was rapidly progressing; likewise, for other buildings, fences, etc., for the small village of Yerba Buena, now San Francisco. In the City Ilotel (the only one) this enterprise was unkindly called 'another folly of Sutter's;' as my first settle- ment at the old fort, near Sacramento City, was called by a good many 'a folly of his,' and they were about right in that, because I had the best chances to get some of the finest locations near the settlements; and even well-stocked ranches had been offered me on the most reasonable conditions. But I refused all these good offers, and preferred to explore the wilderness, and select a territory on the banks of the Sacramento.
"It was a rainy afternoon when Mr. Marshall arrived at my office, in the fort, very wet. I was somewhat surprised to see him, as he was down a few days previous, when I sent up to Coloma a num- ber of teams with provisions, mill irons, etc. He told me then that he had some important and inter- esting news which he wished to communicate secretly to me, and wished me to go with him to a place where we should not be disturbed, and where no listeners could come and hear what we had to say. I went with him to my private rooms; he requested me to lock the door; I complied, but told him at the same time that nobody was in the house except the clerk, who was in his office in a different part of the house.
" After requesting of me something which he wanted, which my servants brought and then left the room, I forgot to lock the door, and it happened that the door was opened by the clerk just at the moment when Marshall took a rag from his pocket, showing me the yellow metal. He had about two ounces of it; but how quick Mr. Marshall put the yellow metal in his pocket again, can hardly be described. The clerk came to see me on business, and excused himself for interrupting me; and as soon as he had left, I was told, ' Now, lock the door. Didn't I tell you that we might have listeners ?' I told him he need fear nothing about that, as it was not the habit of this gentleman; but I could hardly convince him that he need not be suspicious.
" Then Mr. Marshall began to show me this metal, which consisted of small pieces and specimens, some of them worth a few dollars. He told me that he had expressed his opinion to the laborers at the mill that this might be gold; but some of them laughed at him and called him a crazy man, and could not believe such a thing.
" After having proved the metal with aqua fortis, which I found in my apothecary shop, likewise with other experiments, and read the long article ' Gold,' in the Encyclopedia Americana, I declared this to be gold of the finest quality, of at least twenty-three carats. After this Mr. Marshall had no more rest or patience, and wanted me to start with him imme- diately for Coloma; but I told him I could not leave, as it was late in the evening, and nearly supper-time, and that it would be better for him to remain with me till the next morning, and I would then travel with him. But this would not do; he asked me only, ' Will you come to-morrow ?' I told him yes, and off he started for Coloma, in the heaviest rain, although already very wet, taking nothing to cat. I took this news very easy, like all other occurrences, good or bad, but thought a great deal during the night about the consequences
EERE
RANCH AND RESIDENCE OF JOHN SANDERSON, 2. MILES W. FROM SUTTER CREEK, AMADOR CO CAL.
RESIDENCE , RANCH AND TOLL GATE, OF JOHN HOSLEY, AMADOR WAGON ROAD, AMADOR DO GAL.
AITH. BRITTON RAET.
RESIDENCE OF MRS MARY H. LUDGATE, IONE CITY, AMADOR COUNTY, CAL.
RESIDENCE OF W. M. PENRY, JACKSON, · AMADOR COUNTY, CAL.
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THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD.
which might follow such a discovery. I gave all
the necessary orders to my numerous laborers, and left the next morning at seven o'clock, accompanied by an Indian soldier and a vaquero, in a heavy rain, for Coloma. About half-way on the road, I saw at a distance a human being crawling out from the brushwood. I asked the Indian who it was. He told me, 'the same man who was with you last evening.' When I came nearer I found it was Mar- shall, very wet. I told him he would have done better to remain with me at the fort, than to pass such an ugly night here; but he told me that he went to Coloma, fifty-four miles, took his other horse and came half-way to meet me. Then we rode up to the new El Dorado.
" In the afternoon, the weather was clearing up, and we made a prospecting promenade. The next morning, we went to the tail-race of the mill, through which the water was running during the night, to clear out the gravel which had been made loose for the purpose of widening the race; and after the water was out of the race, we went in to search for gold. This was done every morning. Small pieces of gold could be seen remaining on the surface of the clean-washed bed-rock. I went into the race and picked up several pieces of this gold; several of the laborers gave me some which they had picked up, and from Marshall I received a part. I told them I would get a ring made of this gold as soon as it could be done in California; and I have had a heavy ring made, with my family's coat-of-arms engraved on the outside, and on the inside of the ring is engraved: 'the first gold discovered in January, 1848.' Now if Mrs. Wimmer possesses a piece which had been found earlier than mine, Mr. Marshall can tell, as it was probably received from him. I think Mr. Marshall could have hardly known himself which was exactly the first little piece, among the whole.
"The next day I went with Mr. Marshall on a prospecting tour in the vicinity of Coloma, and the following morning I left for Sacramento. Before my . departure, I had a conversation with all hands; I told them I would consider it a great favor if they would keep this discovery secret only for six weeks, so that I could finish my large flour-mill at Brighton, which had cost me already about twenty-four or twenty-five thousand dollars. The people up there promised to keep it secret so long. On my way home, instead of feeling happy and contented, I was very unhappy, and could not see that it would benefit me much; and I was perfectly right in thinking so, as it came just precisely as I expected. I thought, at the same time that it could hardly be kept secret for six weeks; and in that I was not mistaken, for, about two weeks later, after my return, I sent up several teams, in charge of a white man, as the teamsters were Indian boys. This man was acquainted with all hands up there, and Mrs. Wimmer told him the whole secret ; likewise the young sons of Mrs. Wimmer told him that they had gold, and that they would let him have some, too; and so he obtained a few dollars' worth of it, as a present. As soon as this man arrived at the fort, he went to a small store in one of my outside buildings, kept by Mr. Smith, a partner of Samuel Brannan, and asked for a bottle of brandy, for which he would pay the cash. After having the bottle he paid with these small pieces of gold. Smith was astonished, and asked if he meant to insult him. The teamster told him to go and ask me about it. Smith came in, in great haste to see me, and I told him at once the truth-what could I do ? I had to tell him 8
all about it. He reported it to Mr. S. Brannan, who came up immediately to get all possible information, when he returned and sent up large supplies of goods, leased a larger house from me, and commenced a very large and profitable business. Soon he opened a branch house at Mormon Island.
"So soon as the secret was out, my laborers began to leave me, in small parties at first, but then all left, from the clerk to the cook, and I was in great dis- tress. Only a few mechanics remained to finish some necessary work which they had commenced, and about eight invalids, who continued slowly to work a few teams, to scrape out the mill-race at Brighton. The Mormons did not like to leave my mill unfin- ished; but they got the gold-fever, like everybody else. After they had made their piles they left for the Great Salt Lake. So long as these people have been employed by me, they have behaved very well and were industrious and faithful laborers; and when settling their accounts, there was not one of them who was not contented and satisfied.
" Then the people commenced rushing up from San Francisco and other parts of California, in May, 1848. In the former village (San Francisco,) only five men were left to take care of the women and children. The single men locked their doors and left for 'Sut- ter's Fort,' and from thenee to the El Dorado. For some time the people in Monterey and further south, would not believe the news of the gold discovery, and said it was only a 'ruse de guerre of Sutter's, be- cause he wanted to have neighbors in his wilderness.' From this time on I got only too many neighbors, and some very bad ones among them.
" What a great misfortune was this sudden gold discovery to me ! It has just broken up and ruined my hard, industrious, and restless labors, connected with many dangers of life, as I had many narrow escapes before I became properly established. From my mill buildings I reaped no benefit whatever; the mill-stones, even, have been stolen from me. My tannery, which was then in a flourishing condition, and was carried on very profitably, was deserted; a large quantity of leather was left unfinished in the vats, and a great quantity of rawhides became val- ueless, as they could not be sold. Nobody wanted to be bothered with such trash, as it was called. So it was in all the other mechanical trades which I had carried on; all was abandoned, and work com- menced, or nearly finished, was left, at an immense loss to me. Even the Indians had no more patience to work alone, in harvesting and threshing my large wheat crop; as the whites had all left, and other Indians had been engaged by some white men to work for them, and they commenced to have some gold, for which they were buying all kinds of articles at enormous prices in the stores, which, when my Indians saw this, they wished very much to go to the mount- ains and dig gold. At last I consented, got a num- ber of wagons ready, loaded them with provisions and goods of all kinds, employed a clerk, and left with about one hundred Indians and about fifty . Sandwich Islanders, which had joined those which I brought with me from the Islands. The first camp was about ten miles from Mormon Island, on the South fork of the American river. In a few weeks we became crowded, and it would no more pay, as my people made too many acquaintances. I broke up the camp and started on the march further south, and located my next camp on Sutter creek, now in Amador county, and thought that I should there be alone. The work was going on well for awhile, un- til three or four traveling grog-shops surrounded me,
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HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
at from one-half to ten miles distance from the camp. Then, of course, the gold was taken to these places, for drinking, gambling, etc., and then the following day they were sick and unable to work, and be- came deeper and more indebted to me, particularly the Kanakas. I found it was high time to quit this kind of business, and lose no more time and money. 1 therefore broke up the camp and returned to the fort, where I disbanded nearly all the people who had worked for me in the mountains digging gold. This whole expedition proved to be a heavy loss to me.
" At the same time, I was engaged in a mercantile firm at Coloma, which I left in January, 1849, like- wise with many sacrifices. After this, I would have nothing more to do with the gold affairs. At this time the fort was the great trading-place, where nearly all the business was transacted. I had no pleasure to remain there, and moved up to Hock farm, with all my Indians, who had been with me from the time they were children. The place was then in charge of a major-domo.
" It was very singular that the Indians never found a piece of gold and brought it to me, as they very often did other specimens found in the mountains. I requested them continually to bring me some curi- osities from the mountains, for which I always recom- penscd them. I have received animals, birds, plants, young trees, wild fruits, pipe-clay, red ochre, ete., but never a piece of gold. Mr. Dana, of the Wilkes' Exploring Expedition, told me that he had the strong- est proof and signs of gold in the vicinity of Shasta mountain, and further south. A short time after- wards Dr. Sandels, a very seientific traveler, visited me, explored a part of the country in a great hurry, as time would not permit him to make a longer stay. He told me likewise that he found some signs of gold, and was very sorry that he could not explore the Sierra Nevada. He did not encourage me to attempt to work and open mines, as it was uncertain how it would pay, and would probably be only profitable for a Government. So I thought it more prudent to stick to the plow, notwithstanding I did know the country was rieh in gold and other minerals. An old, at- tached Mexican servant, who had followed me from the United States as soon as he knew that I was here, and who understood a great deal about work- ing in plaeers, told me he found sure signs of gold in the mountains on Bear creek, and that we would go right to work after returning from our campaign in 1845; but he became a victim to his patriotism, and fell into the hands of the enemy near my encamp- ment, with dispatches for me from General Michelto- rena, and he was hung as a spy, for which I was very sorry. J. A. SUTTER."
CHAPTER XV. EARLY CONDITION OF THIS REGION.
Mountains Unexplored by the Spaniards-The Trappers-Fre- mont's Passage of the Mountains in 1844-Battles with the Snow-The Indian's Warning-A Glimpse of the Valley- Subsisting on Horse Flesh-Arrival at Sutter's Fort-Early Settlements-An Immigrant Party of 1844-Captain Truckee -Truckee River-Alone on the Summit-Death of Captain Truckee-Immigrants in 1846-Discovery of Gold on the Yuba.
THE native Californians never penetrated into the heart of the mountains that skirt the Sacramento valley on the east; gazing from a distance upon their snow-clad crests, they had named them Sierra Nevada, the " snowy mountains," but beyond this
they remained terra incognita to them. The bold and adventurous trappers of the American Fur Com- pany, and the Hudson Bay Company, passed over them several times on their way to and from the choice trapping grounds in the valley. The cele- brated trapper, Stephen II. Meck, claims to have been the first white man who gazed upon the Truckee river, on which stream he set his traps in 1833. The river did not recive its name, however, until eleven years later, as will appear further on. The Yuba and Bear rivers, having been explored by the Spaniards in 1822, in the valley, had been named at that time, the one Rio de las Uva (Grape river) and the other Rio de los Osos (Bear river), but as to their source and direction in the mountains nothing whatever was known. To them were unknown lakes Donner, Tahoe, and the scores of lesser lakes that are the pride of the mountains. A few misera- able Digger Indians lived in huts, and subsisted on acorns, grass, rabbits, etc., and were sovereign lords of the beautiful Sierras.
The valleys of California were, during the early part of this century, occupied and traversed by bands of trappers in the employ of the many Ameri- can and foreign fur companies. The stories of their wanderings and experiences are mostly related in the form of sensational novels, whose authenticity and accuracy must be taken with a great degree of allow- anee. Few records concerning these fur-hunters remain which are within the reach of the historian, and the information given has been gleaned in part from personal interviews with those whose knowl- edge of the subject was gained by actual experience, or by a personal acquaintance with those who belonged to the parties. In many cases their stories ·differ widely in regard to faets and names.
As early as 1820, the Tulare, San Joaquin, and Sac- ramento valleys were occupied by trappers, who had wandered there while searching for the Colum- bia river. Captain Sutter, in 1834, while in New Mexico, heard from these California trappers of the Sacramento valley, which afterwards became so reputed as his home. The disputes arising in regard to the occupation of the northern part of the Pacific coast trapping region, in Oregon, led the American hunters to occupy the territory in and about the Rocky Mountains. In 1815, Congress, at the earnest request of the people of the West, passed an Act driving ont British traders from the American terri- tory east of the Rocky Mountains. Immediately the employes of the old North American Fur Com- pany, still under charge of John Jacob Astor, began to trap and hunt in the region of the head-waters of the Mississippi and Upper Missouri. In 1823, Mr. W. H. Ashley, of St. Louis, an old merchant in the fur trade, at the head of a party, explored the Sweetwater, the Platte, the South Pass, and the head-waters of the Colorado, returning in the Sum- mer. In 1824 he extended his explorations to Great Salt Lake, near which, on a smaller lake named
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