A Hundred Years of Rip and Roarin Rough and Ready By Andy Rogers (1952)(Hathitrust) (117 pages)

state of affairs when the Randolph Company appeared and located on some ground claimed by others. This proceeding threatened to result in difficulty between the two companies, but a compromise was effected, and the two divided the ravine between them. One of these companies o”*Randolph diggings in two years took out 40,000.00 Clear on ground sluicing before hydraulic pipe came in use. One of thg Rough and Ready men, Slim Judson, went-dutto kill some game, grizzly bear and ded were plentiful. He came to a ravine below Randolph Flat, being thirsty he stopped to slake his thirst from a clear stream of water at his feet, and in doing so discovered that he had kicked a piece of gold in the naked rock loose valued at $1,200.00. The company mined gold nearby for some weeks successfully. They prospected here at this new find, and finding rich ground moved in. Captain Townsend first built a cabin eighteen feet by thirty-six, which served for a time as a Court House, Saloon, and gambling parlor. Two of the company men struck out in a pee line through the woods to Sacramento to procure provisions and they made the first wagon tracks on what afterwards became mown as the “Telegraph Road." So successful were the two companies that Captain Townsend and Vinetre returned hastily by steamer, route to Wisconsin, arriving safe with fifteen thousand dollars in gold dust and nuggets in their belta. They went to procure a large number of working men, on shares, whom they brought back with them at their own expense, each of the men having contracted in writing to work for his employer one year in consideration of which the employer paid for the cost of the journey, was to pay State wages and support them during that time. They left the latter part of February, 1650, and arrived Atlantic Coast, April 26th, 1850. : HOWEVER A “LOST CAUSE" Upon their return with this new party in September, Townsend was both surprised and disappointed to find four or five hundred people in town composed of clapboard houses, shacks, tents, cabins, shanties and leantoos, where only a few months ago had stood only two oabins of the Companies. Every foot of mining ground for miles around was taken up and there was scarcely ground left for him to pitch his tents. He had left an unbroken wilderness six months before. The Captain was obliged to hire his men to newcomers who now owned the ground and buy an interest in a claim for himseif for reasons that he had forty men to feed and flour at fifty cents per pound, and not @ place to put his men to work. Marysville, then known as Nyes' Landing where steamers travelled in early days, was the County Seat that is now Nevada County. Rough and Ready considered the location out of reach of the mountain people and they revolted, going so far for justice and for simple matters, which they considered out of reach and so far from their affairs. James S. Dunleavy, Emanuel Smith and H.L.Roberts assumed the reins of government as vigilance and safety committee. This seemed to prove satisfactory. Rough and Ready citizens were sore at not being honored with a representative at the meeting held at Montery, in drafting an constitution for the State of California. Google FS ry This oversight helped cause the United: States Union losing citizenship of Rough and Ready, on the seceding movement, April 7th, 1850. VARIOUS ACCOUNTS OF THE LOST CAUSE On an April 5th day of the abounding year of 1850, one Uncle Joe Sweigert, described as a member of the Wisconsin party, opened work on a nearby claim at Rough and Ready. Like an apparition it seems, appeared a stranger, described as a member of the Massachusetts party from Boston Ravine, dubiously regarding in the best of Rough and Ready circles as a "Slicker." . Whether it was that Joe Sweigert was adverse to hard labor, or whether his wits were for a moment absent, it does appear that the claim holder lent a willing ear to a curious proposition made by the arrival from the Bay State. The stranger appeared on the scene and watched "Joe Dig" in bargaining for his claim. Joe offered the hole to the stranger for $3,000.00, pointing out that the claims on each side were worth more, however, the stranger (The Yankee) offered Joe what he termed a sporting offer, in effect, Mr. Slicker, offered to dig the Sweigert claim for one day. If he recovered more than $200.00, he would give it to Joe, if he took out less, he was to keep it. Uncle Joe, thinking the ground rich and trusting the Yank,--Joe, apparently had never heard of the gently art of maligering and he was convinced that his claim was rich with gold so he accepted the offer, and insisted upon a contract to be drawn up and signatured, and insisted upon a friend to be hired to watch. Whereupon, the Massachusetts man bent to his task, starting early in the morning, but before the noon hour, Sweigert found him loafing on the job. Joe remonstrated. The Yenk had taken out $180.00 of gold. He nonchalantly put it in his poke and walked off saying, he only agreed to work one day. To Joe's protest that it was not sundown, the Yank pointed out that no hours of labor were mentioned in the contract. The slicker from Cape Cod told Joe: “My father, a Deacon, taught me never to tell a lie and pay my debts, there's your clain.* In such circumstances, what could virtuous Joe do? But to roar in wrath and arrange a4 mass meeting. The court ruled it not right, but that a contract was a contract. (Later Joe took out much gold from this hole.) The citizens told the slicker to leave town, but he stood on his rights as an American citizen and refused to go. The proponent of sharp practices, as is usual in such cases, had a certain amount of law and customs on his side, thus the offender was able to give cause to the proceedings by declaring that he was an American oitizen and knew his rights, and old bluff to be sure, but it had its effect as the disconsolate Joe ruefully noted. BUL WAIT, AN EMERGENCY AROSE About this time, the miners were vexed over the government placing a miners tax. Joe called a mass meeting of the leading citizens. E.E.Bundage presided, and unanimous opinion was that the Massachusetts man should be run out of town. One of the roof-sharing orators of the plains and camps of the period took the floor, and proposed flatly that since the camp was hog-tied by the laws of the United States, that the said camp and all its in-

state of affairs when the Randolph Company appeared and located on some ground claimed by others. This proceeding threatened to result in difficulty between the two companies, but a compromise was effected, and the two divided the ravine between them. One of these companies o”*Randolph diggings in two years took out 40,000.00 Clear on ground sluicing before hydraulic pipe came in use. One of thg Rough and Ready men, Slim Judson, went-dutto kill some game, grizzly bear and ded were plentiful. He came to a ravine below Randolph Flat, being thirsty he stopped to slake his thirst from a clear stream of water at his feet, and in doing so discovered that he had kicked a piece of gold in the naked rock loose valued at $1,200.00. The company mined gold nearby for some weeks successfully. They prospected here at this new find, and finding rich ground moved in. Captain Townsend first built a cabin eighteen feet by thirty-six, which served for a time as a Court House, Saloon, and gambling parlor. Two of the company men struck out in a pee line through the woods to Sacramento to procure provisions and they made the first wagon tracks on what afterwards became mown as the “Telegraph Road." So successful were the two companies that Captain Townsend and Vinetre returned hastily by steamer, route to Wisconsin, arriving safe with fifteen thousand dollars in gold dust and nuggets in their belta. They went to procure a large number of working men, on shares, whom they brought back with them at their own expense, each of the men having contracted in writing to work for his employer one year in consideration of which the employer paid for the cost of the journey, was to pay State wages and support them during that time. They left the latter part of February, 1650, and arrived Atlantic Coast, April 26th, 1850. : HOWEVER A “LOST CAUSE" Upon their return with this new party in September, Townsend was both surprised and disappointed to find four or five hundred people in town composed of clapboard houses, shacks, tents, cabins, shanties and leantoos, where only a few months ago had stood only two oabins of the Companies. Every foot of mining ground for miles around was taken up and there was scarcely ground left for him to pitch his tents. He had left an unbroken wilderness six months before. The Captain was obliged to hire his men to newcomers who now owned the ground and buy an interest in a claim for himseif for reasons that he had forty men to feed and flour at fifty cents per pound, and not @ place to put his men to work. Marysville, then known as Nyes' Landing where steamers travelled in early days, was the County Seat that is now Nevada County. Rough and Ready considered the location out of reach of the mountain people and they revolted, going so far for justice and for simple matters, which they considered out of reach and so far from their affairs. James S. Dunleavy, Emanuel Smith and H.L.Roberts assumed the reins of government as vigilance and safety committee. This seemed to prove satisfactory. Rough and Ready citizens were sore at not being honored with a representative at the meeting held at Montery, in drafting an constitution for the State of California.

Google FS ry This oversight helped cause the United: States Union losing citizenship of Rough and Ready, on the seceding movement, April 7th, 1850. VARIOUS ACCOUNTS OF THE LOST CAUSE On an April 5th day of the abounding year of 1850, one Uncle Joe Sweigert, described as a member of the Wisconsin party, opened work on a nearby claim at Rough and Ready. Like an apparition it seems, appeared a stranger, described as a member of the Massachusetts party from Boston Ravine, dubiously regarding in the best of Rough and Ready circles as a "Slicker." . Whether it was that Joe Sweigert was adverse to hard labor, or whether his wits were for a moment absent, it does appear that the claim holder lent a willing ear to a curious proposition made by the arrival from the Bay State. The stranger appeared on the scene and watched "Joe Dig" in bargaining for his claim. Joe offered the hole to the stranger for $3,000.00, pointing out that the claims on each side were worth more, however, the stranger (The Yankee) offered Joe what he termed a sporting offer, in effect, Mr. Slicker, offered to dig the Sweigert claim for one day. If he recovered more than $200.00, he would give it to Joe, if he took out less, he was to keep it. Uncle Joe, thinking the ground rich and trusting the Yank,--Joe, apparently had never heard of the gently art of maligering and he was convinced that his claim was rich with gold so he accepted the offer, and insisted upon a contract to be drawn up and signatured, and insisted upon a friend to be hired to watch. Whereupon, the Massachusetts man bent to his task, starting early in the morning, but before the noon hour, Sweigert found him loafing on the job. Joe remonstrated. The Yenk had taken out $180.00 of gold. He nonchalantly put it in his poke and walked off saying, he only agreed to work one day. To Joe's protest that it was not sundown, the Yank pointed out that no hours of labor were mentioned in the contract. The slicker from Cape Cod told Joe: “My father, a Deacon, taught me never to tell a lie and pay my debts, there's your clain.* In such circumstances, what could virtuous Joe do? But to roar in wrath and arrange a4 mass meeting. The court ruled it not right, but that a contract was a contract. (Later Joe took out much gold from this hole.) The citizens told the slicker to leave town, but he stood on his rights as an American citizen and refused to go. The proponent of sharp practices, as is usual in such cases, had a certain amount of law and customs on his side, thus the offender was able to give cause to the proceedings by declaring that he was an American oitizen and knew his rights, and old bluff to be sure, but it had its effect as the disconsolate Joe ruefully noted. BUL WAIT, AN EMERGENCY AROSE About this time, the miners were vexed over the government placing a miners tax. Joe called a mass meeting of the leading citizens. E.E.Bundage presided, and unanimous opinion was that the Massachusetts man should be run out of town. One of the roof-sharing orators of the plains and camps of the period took the floor, and proposed flatly that since the camp was hog-tied by the laws of the United States, that the said camp and all its in-