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

In 1853, a wagon train in charge of Captain James Hewitt, fifty-five wagons drawn py oxen for California bound. His son, James, attended Rough and Ready School, paying fifty cents every Monday morrning for tuition, the school being at Odd Fellows Hall. He remembers fabulous riches that were taken out of the mines, Sugar Loaf Hill, Black Sough, Enger, and Rough and Ready mines. He fought in the Union at the age of fifteen; worked as a miner at the Enpire Mine, also Moore’s Flat. Julius Martin Nevin left St. Joseph, Mo., Merch 8th, 1849, for California Gold, by oxen team, traveling six, ten, sixteen and twenty miles a day, some days laid up. Lost oxen and wagons, only three left September 20th; lost every oxen but Old Brin. August 22nd, joined up with James Smith and Sem Balis' wagon train. Sickness and trouble. August llth, landed at Rose Bar and mined. Dr. Charles Snyth, father of James Winter Smyth, took the gold fever, and with a party reached his destination; the rest had died en route of Panama fever. Mr. Smyth arrived in San Francisco on September 9th, 1850, mined at Horseshoe Bar. In 1855,opened up a store on the Auburn and Folsom Road, and was there during the notorious Tom Bell raids. Bell visited his store. He married Saran Capson; she came with her mother to California, February 12th, 1852, leaving New Orleans, taking Steamer Empire City, 750 passengers aboard. At Panama they found some 8000 miners waiting for passage to the California Gold fields. During the eighteen days wait, a terrible riot between Americans and Natives, in which several hundred were killed. When they started on the crowded ship, fever broke out and shortage of food, thirty-eight men buried at sea. It was 102 days before the vessel docked at San Francisco, June 1852. From San Francisco, took river steamer Wilda, to Sacramento, saw a gruesome sight. Large Oak tree from a limb dangled six ropes that had been used by vigilance committee, left to warn criminals. : Stopped at the Franklin House on Auburn Road, then kept by John Wixon. Snyth had to use shanks mare on to Hor~ sehoe Bar. Celebration being prepared for a Fourth of July, one hundred foot flag pole erected. Miss Capson, sixteen year old girl, made a hugh flag with 13 stars. Gold dust in canvas bags entrusted to the sixteen year old girl for safe-keeping, several hundred thousand dollars. James French, at the age of thirteen years, was bound out by his parents to H. Morris, to remain until reaching 21 years. Morris got the gold fever and composed a wagon train of twenty-two prairie schooners and 125 head of oxen, mules and cows, with Morris as Captain. At Missouri, they were joined by a oompany of twenty three, called the Sacker Bros. news months of hazardous journey, Indian trouCw Jemes French hauled freight; Morris and Bellefield built a hotel and store at Long Bar and Springtown. In 1856, French raised garden truck, and with two horses and a buggy, selling vegetables to Grass Valley and Nevada City; revenue 3100.00 per load. Google By the way of the Panama, he returned east, leaving Nick Hack in charge of his ranch. He married Ellen Tiffany (of the famous Tiffany family, Van Wert,) and he sailed on boat vie Nicaragua Route. French helped miners and Colonel Jefferson hang an Indian at McCourtney's crossing. He and another Indian killed two Chinamen. He sold watermelons at $5.00 a piece, and received an enormous price for tomatoes and corn $1.00 per dozen. In 1852, French hauled logs to build a saw mill near McCourtney’s Crossing. Stottard and McDonald changed the saw mill into a flour mill. French became a pardner of Mark Hopkins’. In 1851, French hauled supplies from Springtown to Marysville, with two yoke of oxen and a span of mules. Indian walked around the wagons and French chased him away. (At the time he was asleep.) In 1856, an Indian with a gun was near the door of his cabin, and after a fight, the Indian fled. French had a pet mule taken away, and he went to a lot of trouble trying to get it back. Rush built a wire suspension bridge across Bear River which collapsed when a band of sheep were crossing. A boy by the name of Underwood was in a wagon party that had to circle the train against Indian attack. Sperry Flour had an early flour mill near McCourtney's Crossing. S. Chase at Dry Jones Bar in 1849, and started a hotel in Nevada City. Joseph Everett crossed the plains in the fifties in company with John Ball and the Waggoner femily of Penn Valley. Alex Bonaparte crossed the plains in 1849 to Salt Lake; Truckee arriving at Grass Valley and did mining and teaming. "Uncle Billy" Chollar in 1851, located the Butler Mine at Grass Valley. Was one of the first to rush to Comstock in pardnership with George King, Thomas Other, George Roberts, Charles Wells, He paid up at Grass Valley, several thousand dollars of out-lawed debts. From Whiskey diggings, shipped copper, ore, to Swansea, Boston. JOHN BALL OF ROUGH AND READY Mr. John Augustus Ball was born at Asbury, New Jersey, August 6th, 1881. In 1849 he came to California via the Isthmus of Panama. Prospected and worked out gold in the amount of between $1,000.00 and $1,800.00; took it back to Illinois and put it into his father's farm, which he helped to cultivate. Previous to his father's death, while away from home, his step-mother somehow managed to get possession of the farm, and all in such a way that when he came to look after his father's estate, there was nothing he could get hold of. It had passed from her, i her relatives, soon after which she too died. In the summer of 1862, he and his wife orossed the plains and settled in Nevada County. At first searching for work and afterwards on business trips. He traveled considerably in the great valleys of California, and became impressed with the importance of a general system of irrigation. He hed seen what irrigation had done for the poor deserts of the Mormons, and now saw in the soil,climate, and water supply of Calirornia, much more favorable conditions of ir-

In 1853, a wagon train in charge of Captain James Hewitt, fifty-five wagons drawn py oxen for California bound. His son, James, attended Rough and Ready School, paying fifty cents every Monday morrning for tuition, the school being at Odd Fellows Hall. He remembers fabulous riches that were taken out of the mines, Sugar Loaf Hill, Black Sough, Enger, and Rough and Ready mines. He fought in the Union at the age of fifteen; worked as a miner at the Enpire Mine, also Moore’s Flat. Julius Martin Nevin left St. Joseph, Mo., Merch 8th, 1849, for California Gold, by oxen team, traveling six, ten, sixteen and twenty miles a day, some days laid up. Lost oxen and wagons, only three left September 20th; lost every oxen but Old Brin. August 22nd, joined up with James Smith and Sem Balis' wagon train. Sickness and trouble. August llth, landed at Rose Bar and mined. Dr. Charles Snyth, father of James Winter Smyth, took the gold fever, and with a party reached his destination; the rest had died en route of Panama fever. Mr. Smyth arrived in San Francisco on September 9th, 1850, mined at Horseshoe Bar. In 1855,opened up a store on the Auburn and Folsom Road, and was there during the notorious Tom Bell raids. Bell visited his store. He married Saran Capson; she came with her mother to California, February 12th, 1852, leaving New Orleans, taking Steamer Empire City, 750 passengers aboard. At Panama they found some 8000 miners waiting for passage to the California Gold fields. During the eighteen days wait, a terrible riot between Americans and Natives, in which several hundred were killed. When they started on the crowded ship, fever broke out and shortage of food, thirty-eight men buried at sea. It was 102 days before the vessel docked at San Francisco, June 1852. From San Francisco, took river steamer Wilda, to Sacramento, saw a gruesome sight. Large Oak tree from a limb dangled six ropes that had been used by vigilance committee, left to warn criminals. : Stopped at the Franklin House on Auburn Road, then kept by John Wixon. Snyth had to use shanks mare on to Hor~ sehoe Bar. Celebration being prepared for a Fourth of July, one hundred foot flag pole erected. Miss Capson, sixteen year old girl, made a hugh flag with 13 stars. Gold dust in canvas bags entrusted to the sixteen year old girl for safe-keeping, several hundred thousand dollars. James French, at the age of thirteen years, was bound out by his parents to H. Morris, to remain until reaching 21 years. Morris got the gold fever and composed a wagon train of twenty-two prairie schooners and 125 head of oxen, mules and cows, with Morris as Captain. At Missouri, they were joined by a oompany of twenty three, called the Sacker Bros. news months of hazardous journey, Indian trouCw Jemes French hauled freight; Morris and Bellefield built a hotel and store at Long Bar and Springtown. In 1856, French raised garden truck, and with two horses and a buggy, selling vegetables to Grass Valley and Nevada City; revenue 3100.00 per load. Google By the way of the Panama, he returned east, leaving Nick Hack in charge of his ranch. He married Ellen Tiffany (of the famous Tiffany family, Van Wert,) and he sailed on boat vie Nicaragua Route.

French helped miners and Colonel Jefferson hang an Indian at McCourtney's crossing. He and another Indian killed two Chinamen. He sold watermelons at $5.00 a piece, and received an enormous price for tomatoes and corn $1.00 per dozen. In 1852, French hauled logs to build a saw mill near McCourtney’s Crossing. Stottard and McDonald changed the saw mill into a flour mill. French became a pardner of Mark Hopkins’. In 1851, French hauled supplies from Springtown to Marysville, with two yoke of oxen and a span of mules. Indian walked around the wagons and French chased him away. (At the time he was asleep.) In 1856, an Indian with a gun was near the door of his cabin, and after a fight, the Indian fled. French had a pet mule taken away, and he went to a lot of trouble trying to get it back. Rush built a wire suspension bridge across Bear River which collapsed when a band of sheep were crossing. A boy by the name of Underwood was in a wagon party that had to circle the train against Indian attack. Sperry Flour had an early flour mill near McCourtney's Crossing. S. Chase at Dry Jones Bar in 1849, and started a hotel in Nevada City. Joseph Everett crossed the plains in the fifties in company with John Ball and the Waggoner femily of Penn Valley. Alex Bonaparte crossed the plains in 1849 to Salt Lake; Truckee arriving at Grass Valley and did mining and teaming. "Uncle Billy" Chollar in 1851, located the Butler Mine at Grass Valley. Was one of the first to rush to Comstock in pardnership with George King, Thomas Other, George Roberts, Charles Wells, He paid up at Grass Valley, several thousand dollars of out-lawed debts. From Whiskey diggings, shipped copper, ore, to Swansea, Boston. JOHN BALL OF ROUGH AND READY Mr. John Augustus Ball was born at Asbury, New Jersey, August 6th, 1881. In 1849 he came to California via the Isthmus of Panama. Prospected and worked out gold in the amount of between $1,000.00 and $1,800.00; took it back to Illinois and put it into his father's farm, which he helped to cultivate. Previous to his father's death, while away from home, his step-mother somehow managed to get possession of the farm, and all in such a way that when he came to look after his father's estate, there was nothing he could get hold of. It had passed from her, i her relatives, soon after which she too died. In the summer of 1862, he and his wife orossed the plains and settled in Nevada County. At first searching for work and afterwards on business trips. He traveled considerably in the great valleys of California, and became impressed with the importance of a general system of irrigation. He hed seen what irrigation had done for the poor deserts of the Mormons, and now saw in the soil,climate, and water supply of Calirornia, much more favorable conditions of ir-