Volume 035-2 - April 1981 (8 pages)

Nevada City, which we thought would be nearer and more easily reached. So I started south with the donkeys, up the mountain toward the ridge which lies between the middle and south Yuba Rivers, and when I A®esot well on the ridge I found a trail used by some wagons, which I followed till Icame to --a place where the ridge was only wide enough for a wagon, and at the west end a faint trail turned off south into the rolling hills. I thought this went about the course I wanted to go, so I followed it, and after twoor three miles came to the south Yuba River. This seemed to be an Indian trail, no other signs on it. I climbed the mountain here, and when I reached the top I found a large tent made of blue drilling, and here I found Iwas four or five miles from Nevada City with a good trail to follow. The rolling hills I then passed through are now called North Bloomfield and at one time were known as “Humbug”. I started along the trail and soon reached the city where I drove my donkeys up toa store which had out the sign “Davis & Co.”. This was the store of Davis and Hurd. Hamlet Davis was one of the earliest settlers of Nevada City and a quite prominent man. I entered and inquiring the prices of various sorts of provisions such as flour, bacon, beans, butter etc. soon had selected enough for two donkey loads. They assisted me in putting them ina pack, and when Iwas ready I asked the amount of my bill, which was one hundred and fifty dollars. This I paid at once, and they gave me some crackers and dried beef for lunch on the way. Davis said: “That is the quickest sale I ever pormnade, and here is the man ready to go. Idefy ‘ny one to beat it”. Before sun down I was éwo or three miles on my way back when I found some grass and camped for the night, picketed the animals, ate some of Mr. Davis’ grub for supper, and arranged a bed of saddle blankets. I arrived at camp the next day about sun down. Next day I wenton up the divide and found a house on the trail leading farther east, where two men lived, but they seemed to be doing nothingThere were no mines and miners near there, and there seemed to be very little travel on the trail. The fellows looked rough, and I suspected they might be bad characters. The stream they lived on was afterward called Bloody Run, and there were stories current that blood had been shed there. Here was a selection of comparatively level land, for the mountain divide, and a fine spring of good cold water, all surrounded by several hundred acres of the most magnificent sugar pines California ever raised, very large and straight as a candle, and one hundred feet or more to the lowest limbs. This place was afterward called Snow Tent, and S.W. Churchill built a saw mill at the spring, and had this fine timber at the mercy of his ax and saw, without anyone to dispute his right. He furnished lumber to the miners at fifty dollars or more per thousand feet. Bloody Run no doubt well deserves its aa for there was much talk of killing done there. yam, I, however, went up and talked to the men and told them I wished to hirea cross cut saw for a few days to get out stuff fora cabin, and agreed to pay two dollars a day for the use of it till it came back. We cut down a large sugar pine, cut off four six feet cuts, one twelve feet and one sixteen feet cut, and from these we split a lot of boards which we used to make a V-shaped flume which we placed in our ditch, and thus got the water through. We split the longer cuts into two inch plank for sluice boxes,and made a small reservoir, so that we succeeded in working the ground. We paid wages to the two men who worked, and two other men who were with us went and built a cabin. I now went and got another load of provisions, and as the snow could be seen on the high mountains to the east, Ithought the deer must be crowded down toour country, so I went out hunting and killed a big fat buck, and the next day three more, so fresh meat was plenty. About this time a man came down the mountain with his oxen and wagon, wife and three or four children, the eldest a young lady of fifteen years. The man’s name was H.M. Moore. We had posted notices according to custom, to make mining laws, and had quite a discussion about a name for the place. Some of the fellows wanted to name it after the young lady, “Minda’s Flat”, but we finally chose “Moore’s Flat” instead, which I believe is the name it still goes by. Our laws were soon completed, and a recorder chosen to record claims. We gave Mr. Moore the honor of having a prospecting town named after him because he was the first man to be on hand with a wife. I became satisfied after a little that this place would be a very snowy place, and that from all appearances it would fall from two to four feet deep, and not a very pleasant place to winter in. An honest acquaintance of mine came along, Samuel Tyler and to him I let my claim to work on shares and made McCloud my agent, verbally, while Itook my blankets and started for the valley. The first town I passed through was a newly discovered mining town called French Corral. Here Ifound an old Wisconsin friend, Wm. Sublet, the foster father of the accomplished wife of Mayor S.W. Boring of San Jose. The reader may have noticed that Manly was somewhat of a drifter. Again he could not control his wanderlust and started on a long trip. He found Marysville completely inundated (this was before hydraulic mining was started), and proceeded to Sacramento where he was, as he claims, instrumental in the defeat of an act, specifying uniform mining laws instead of the local laws, observed in those days. He next went to Stockton (also inundated) and San Francisco. He did not like the city. He next boarded a ship for San Pedro and explored Monterey, where the ship had stopped. Arrived in San Pedro, he had to walk to Los Angeles and from there, went to the farm of W.M. Stockton with whom he had mined in Georgetown, three years earlier. Here he stayed for several months, helping out on the farm and buying cattle. In the spring of 1854 he went to the Mormon settlement in San Bernardino to buy more cattle. Subsequently, he sold his herd and contracted to help driving it north at $100 per month. Disposing most of my money with Palmer, Cook & Co., I went to see my mine at Moore’s Flat. There were two boats leaving at about the same time, one for Stockton, and one for Sacramento, the latter of which I took, and Rogers the other. Both landed at Benecia, and when we swung away from that wharf Rogers and I saluted each other with raised and swinging hats, shouted a good bye, andI have never seen him since. At Moore’s Flat I found my mine welland . profitably worked by Mr. Tyler and as his lease was not out I returned to San Jose, as I had learned from Rogers that Mr. A. Bennett was at Watsonville, and Mr. Arcane at Santa Cruz, and I desired to visit them. I rode back across the country and found Mr, Bennett and family at the point where the Salinas river enters Monterey Bay. They were all well, and were glad to see me for they did not know I was in California. Mrs. Bennett was greatly affected at our meeting and shed tears of joy as she shook hands. He spent some time in the area, going from place to place, visiting old friends from the Death Valley days and finally ended up in Santa Cruz. From Santa Cruz I crossed the mountain on a lonely and romantic trail to San Jose again, finding very few houses on the road. Here I went to work for R.G. Moody building a gristmill on the banks of the Coyote Creek, to be run by water from artesian wells. After finishing work on the mill Idrew my money from the bank in San Francisco and started for the mines on horseback. At Sacramento I deposited my money with Page, Bacon & Co., a branch of the St. Louis firm of the same name, considered the safest bank in the United States. Their bills were taken in payment of Government land. Some rascals had some counterfeit bills on their bank, and traded them off for gold with the Missourians who were going home, and the poor fellows found themselves poor on arrival, Arriving at my mine, where I left only a cabin or two, I found quite a village with two hotels and a post office. News soon came that the banks had closed their door, and Page and Bacon also, so I concluded that I was broke. The “Pikers” said Page and Bacon could not, nor would not fail, but news was against them. Page, Bacon & Co. indeed failed on February 17, 1855. The boys now tried to persuade me to go to Sacramento, and try to get my money and if I succeeded, to bring up a good stock of goods and they would buy of me in preference to any one else. On this showing I went down, and finding my old friend Lyman Ross (well known in San Jose) who was keeping a fruit store. I told him my business and he took me to L.A. Booth, Carrol & Co., and I stated to him the facts about my money in the bank and the doors closed. I told him if he would assist me I would buy $2000 worth of his goods, and send them to Moore’s Flat. I endorsed the certificate over to him, and in half an hour he came back with the coin. How he got it Inever knew, but he did mea 15

Nevada City, which we thought would be nearer and more easily reached. So I started south with the donkeys, up the mountain toward the ridge which lies between the middle and south Yuba Rivers, and when I A®esot well on the ridge I found a trail used by some wagons, which I followed till Icame to --a place where the ridge was only wide enough for a wagon, and at the west end a faint trail turned off south into the rolling hills. I thought this went about the course I wanted to go, so I followed it, and after twoor three miles came to the south Yuba River. This seemed to be an Indian trail, no other signs on it. I climbed the mountain here, and when I reached the top I found a large tent made of blue drilling, and here I found Iwas four or five miles from Nevada City with a good trail to follow. The rolling hills I then passed through are now called North Bloomfield and at one time were known as “Humbug”. I started along the trail and soon reached the city where I drove my donkeys up toa store which had out the sign “Davis & Co.”. This was the store of Davis and Hurd. Hamlet Davis was one of the earliest settlers of Nevada City and a quite prominent man. I entered and inquiring the prices of various sorts of provisions such as flour, bacon, beans, butter etc. soon had selected enough for two donkey loads. They assisted me in putting them ina pack, and when Iwas ready I asked the amount of my bill, which was one hundred and fifty dollars. This I paid at once, and they gave me some crackers and dried beef for lunch on the way. Davis said: “That is the quickest sale I ever pormnade, and here is the man ready to go. Idefy ‘ny one to beat it”. Before sun down I was éwo or three miles on my way back when I found some grass and camped for the night, picketed the animals, ate some of Mr. Davis’ grub for supper, and arranged a bed of saddle blankets. I arrived at camp the next day about sun down. Next day I wenton up the divide and found a house on the trail leading farther east, where two men lived, but they seemed to be doing nothingThere were no mines and miners near there, and there seemed to be very little travel on the trail. The fellows looked rough, and I suspected they might be bad characters. The stream they lived on was afterward called Bloody Run, and there were stories current that blood had been shed there. Here was a selection of comparatively level land, for the mountain divide, and a fine spring of good cold water, all surrounded by several hundred acres of the most magnificent sugar pines California ever raised, very large and straight as a candle, and one hundred feet or more to the lowest limbs. This place was afterward called Snow Tent, and S.W. Churchill built a saw mill at the spring, and had this fine timber at the mercy of his ax and saw, without anyone to dispute his right. He furnished lumber to the miners at fifty dollars or more per thousand feet. Bloody Run no doubt well deserves its aa for there was much talk of killing done there. yam, I, however, went up and talked to the men and told them I wished to hirea cross cut saw for a few days to get out stuff fora cabin, and agreed to pay two dollars a day for the use of it till it came back. We cut down a large sugar pine, cut off four six feet cuts, one twelve feet and one sixteen feet cut, and from these we split a lot of boards which we used to make a V-shaped flume which we placed in our ditch, and thus got the water through. We split the longer cuts into two inch plank for sluice boxes,and made a small reservoir, so that we succeeded in working the ground. We paid wages to the two men who worked, and two other men who were with us went and built a cabin. I now went and got another load of provisions, and as the snow could be seen on the high mountains to the east, Ithought the deer must be crowded down toour country, so I went out hunting and killed a big fat buck, and the next day three more, so fresh meat was plenty. About this time a man came down the mountain with his oxen and wagon, wife and three or four children, the eldest a young lady of fifteen years. The man’s name was H.M. Moore. We had posted notices according to custom, to make mining laws, and had quite a discussion about a name for the place. Some of the fellows wanted to name it after the young lady, “Minda’s Flat”, but we finally chose “Moore’s Flat” instead, which I believe is the name it still goes by. Our laws were soon completed, and a recorder chosen to record claims. We gave Mr. Moore the honor of having a prospecting town named after him because he was the first man to be on hand with a wife. I became satisfied after a little that this place would be a very snowy place, and that from all appearances it would fall from two

to four feet deep, and not a very pleasant place to winter in. An honest acquaintance of mine came along, Samuel Tyler and to him I let my claim to work on shares and made McCloud my agent, verbally, while Itook my blankets and started for the valley. The first town I passed through was a newly discovered mining town called French Corral. Here Ifound an old Wisconsin friend, Wm. Sublet, the foster father of the accomplished wife of Mayor S.W. Boring of San Jose. The reader may have noticed that Manly was somewhat of a drifter. Again he could not control his wanderlust and started on a long trip. He found Marysville completely inundated (this was before hydraulic mining was started), and proceeded to Sacramento where he was, as he claims, instrumental in the defeat of an act, specifying uniform mining laws instead of the local laws, observed in those days. He next went to Stockton (also inundated) and San Francisco. He did not like the city. He next boarded a ship for San Pedro and explored Monterey, where the ship had stopped. Arrived in San Pedro, he had to walk to Los Angeles and from there, went to the farm of W.M. Stockton with whom he had mined in Georgetown, three years earlier. Here he stayed for several months, helping out on the farm and buying cattle. In the spring of 1854 he went to the Mormon settlement in San Bernardino to buy more cattle. Subsequently, he sold his herd and contracted to help driving it north at $100 per month. Disposing most of my money with Palmer, Cook & Co., I went to see my mine at Moore’s Flat. There were two boats leaving at about the same time, one for Stockton, and one for Sacramento, the latter of which I took, and Rogers the other. Both landed at Benecia, and when we swung away from that wharf Rogers and I saluted each other with raised and swinging hats, shouted a good bye, andI have never seen him since. At Moore’s Flat I found my mine welland . profitably worked by Mr. Tyler and as his lease was not out I returned to San Jose, as I had learned from Rogers that Mr. A. Bennett was at Watsonville, and Mr. Arcane at Santa Cruz, and I desired to visit them. I rode back across the country and found Mr, Bennett and family at the point where the Salinas river enters Monterey Bay. They were all well, and were glad to see me for they did not know I was in California. Mrs. Bennett was greatly affected at our meeting and shed tears of joy as she shook hands. He spent some time in the area, going from place to place, visiting old friends from the Death Valley days and finally ended up in Santa Cruz. From Santa Cruz I crossed the mountain on a lonely and romantic trail to San Jose again, finding very few houses on the road. Here I went to work for R.G. Moody building a gristmill on the banks of the Coyote Creek, to be run by water from artesian wells. After finishing work on the mill Idrew my money from the bank in San Francisco and started for the mines on horseback. At Sacramento I deposited my money with Page, Bacon & Co., a branch of the St. Louis firm of the same name, considered the safest bank in the United States. Their bills were taken in payment of Government land. Some rascals had some counterfeit bills on their bank, and traded them off for gold with the Missourians who were going home, and the poor fellows found themselves poor on arrival, Arriving at my mine, where I left only a cabin or two, I found quite a village with two hotels and a post office. News soon came that the banks had closed their door, and Page and Bacon also, so I concluded that I was broke. The “Pikers” said Page and Bacon could not, nor would not fail, but news was against them. Page, Bacon & Co. indeed failed on February 17, 1855. The boys now tried to persuade me to go to Sacramento, and try to get my money and if I succeeded, to bring up a good stock of goods and they would buy of me in preference to any one else. On this showing I went down, and finding my old friend Lyman Ross (well known in San Jose) who was keeping a fruit store. I told him my business and he took me to L.A. Booth, Carrol & Co., and I stated to him the facts about my money in the bank and the doors closed. I told him if he would assist me I would buy $2000 worth of his goods, and send them to Moore’s Flat. I endorsed the certificate over to him, and in half an hour he came back with the coin. How he got it Inever knew, but he did mea 15