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

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Page: of 117

plenty more where this came fron.
Then the rush was on -Stories soon
found to be true.
Many even did not stop in their rush.
It costed $40.00 via boat from San Francisco to Sacramento, end to Marysville, then a
cost to get to the diggings. Steamers to
Sutter's Fort took six days and seven hours,
at a fabulous price, yet the distance little
over one hundred miles. The gold diggers
could walk that distance quicker and cheaper, but the gold diggers were in a big rush.
They needed boots, guns, food, picks,
shovels, and gold pans at Ten Dollars, with
a few snorts on the way.
Last day of October 1850, no less then
451 ships, barques, brigs, schooners, and
steemers lay ashore in the cove. Officers,
crews, and passengers got the gold bug,
leaving ships and cargo alike, to rot.
Pope and Talbot brig, which was an Orfental ship, arrived in San Francisco, March
3rd, 1850, under command of Captain William
C. Talbot. Its cargo was lumber and passengers for the gold mines. The decks were
piled high with personal belongings, and all
kinds of gadgets for mining.
Companies of the Steamer Falcon, Linn,
Moore, Bodfish and Tedder, were among those
for a trip up the river. Four hundred land.ed from the Falcon, in a filthy pestilential
place, wretched little huts, yellow fever,
bargains for a trip up river, confusion,
thieving, crooked deals, pistols drawn,
rough going. Thurston joined the party. Got
on ten miles from the charges was reached.
Many experiences here, and trouble galore.
They went through a forest at Gorcona and
had trouble here. After loosing a court
trail, was forced by the Alcade to treat the
crowd. (Alcade owned the saloon.) For Thirty Dollars, mules were hired to carry their
baggage to Panama. This place was crowded
with gold seekers. On the way they passed
Hatteras, to take aboard mail and a few passengers. That evening they were at the mouth
of the Savannah River, and the next morning
they were abreast of St. Augustine, in Florida. That evening they were past the lighthouse on Cape Florida. The following noon
they were on the coast of Cuba, and entered
through a narrow passage. At Havana, they
transferred the mail, but the passengers
were not allowed to land. Captain Hartstein
pointed out the interesting objects. The
run across the Carribean Sea was pleasant.
After the third day, leaving Havana Peak,
they came outside of the mouth of Charges .
River. They arrived at Panama, after passing
scores of pack trains. After dickering, the
steamer arrived from around the Horn, which
would leave a day before the Oregon. To determine which passengers were to go, they
drew by numbers.
The Island of Taboga, a coaling station
for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, took
on coal for the 2,500 mile run up the Pacific Coast. Loaded, the great wheels started
to move. There was one stop at San Blas,
Mexico, one at Monterey, the Capitol of California, then to the joy of all, “San Francisco.”
The Steamer, Winfield Scott, sank Decemper 2, 1853. The mail was recovered December 13th; stamp soaked off from laying on,
the bottom of the ocean. The cancellation
post-mark, November 26th, "Rough and Ready,
California." The letter was addressed to
Mr. Herman H. Rogers, Seatuck, Long Islend,
Google
New York.
The Panama route was the most expensive,
put also the quickest. A sailing vessel around the Horn takes too long. Side wheelers, carrying passengers, crowded to more
then capacity with pistol, bowle knives, red
shirts, slouch hats, and men with beardsthose were the men.
There were charges to cross the Isthnus
and a scramble to beat the other fellow.
Stealing began, and the steelers would pick
up anything laying around loose, and walked
off with it. Take a boat to Cruses at $15.
then before starting, making a demand of
$20.00 a piece, for four. They were potpeliied, stark naked natives, living in cant
huts. They cooked on two stones. Hotel
Cresent was crowded, also crowded with flea:
After paying for a boat and loading on your
goods, as soon as you turned your back, youl
goods was dumped out on the Beach, and othe)
put in at an advanced price. The next stop
was at Gatum, if you happened to get going,
they had to spend the night in bamboo huts,
and they were terrified; lots of fleas too.
The next stop was at Gargona. The Hotel
Francaise was crowded here too. Riding animals were $10,00 per day, and baggage was
36.00 per hundred weight. They drew lots
who was to take a steamer.
Gold made men lawless and selfish; they
carried and slept with a flintlock rifle.
Not all ras rosy on arrival at shore.
Small potatoes were sixty cents a pound,
eggs were $2.00 per dozen, and even One Dol:
lar each. Cabbage was One Doller a head,
voard per week, Twenty-one Dollars, Rooms
$2.00 per night (not good), sometimes you
were put on the floor. Apple pie, seventyfive cents per slice, even apple cores sold
at a fancy price.
New York, on January 26th, 1849, the
tide of emigrants to California gold rush t
gold fields, a summary of ship departures
today show ninety-nine vessels have sailed
the Atlantic Ports, with 5619 gold seekers.
Kost of them have gone around the Horn, wit
eighty ships, taking 3475 passengers. Seve:
ships on the Cape Horn run cost @600.00 for
passage and high insurance.
A returning California miner had just
reached the ship with a box containing #22,
000.00 in gold dust, and a four pound lump
of gold in one hand. This added to the excitement of the passengers.
On October 29th, 1850, at the conclusio
of Public ceremonies, celebration admission
of California, the side-wheeler Sagamore,
left Central wharf at the end of Commercial
Street, with eighty-five excursionists and
erew members aboard. She hardly cleared th
pier when a roar from her exploding boiler
blew up. Forty-five men were instantly
killed, along with women and children. The
remaining forty were injured, some seriousl
At the shipping lene, San Francisco,
ship crews rushed to the unknown goid field
helpless commanders frequently joined the
flight. Sacramento was likewise full of
ships.
rie Steamer, postmarked cancellation,
"Rough and Ready" California, October 8th,
1856. It was addressed Ketchum Corners »
Saratoga, New York. It went regular mail
via Panama, Noisy Carriers, Long Wharf, San
Francisco.
N. H. Rogers
Kitchums Corners,
Veirratago Count
' New" Oke 7