Collection: Books and Periodicals

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Title: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Publisher: Lewis Publishing Company Published: 1891 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Source(s): Google Books # of Pages: 713 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-22 00:25:09 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:11:29 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 06:30:36

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 713  

64 HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. 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 raw hides became valueless, 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 . had carried on; all was abandoned, and work commenced, or nearly finished, was left, at an immense loss to me. Even the Indians had no more patience to work alone, in har. vesting and threshing my large wheat crop; as the whites had all Jeft, 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 at the stores. When my Indians saw this they wished very much to go to the mountains and dig gold. At last I consented, got a number of wagons ready, loaded them with provisions and goods of all kinds, employed a clerk and left with about 100 Indians and about fifty Sandwich Islanders, which bad joined those which I brought from the Islands. The first camp was about ten miles irom Mormon Island, un tbe south fork of the American river. In afew weeks we became crowded, and it would no more pay, as my people made too many acquaintances. I broke up the camp apd started on the march further south, and located my pext camp on Sutter Creek, now in Amador County, and thought that I should there be alone. The work was going on wel) tora while, until three or four traveling grog shops surrounded me, at from one-half to ten miles distance trom 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 became deeper and more indebted tome, particularly the Kanakas (Sandwich Islanders). I found it was high time to quit this kind of business and lose no more time and money. I therefore broke up my 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, likewise 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 curiosities fiom the mountains, for which I always recompensed them. I have received animals, birds, plants, young trees, wild fruits, pipe-clay, red ochre, etc., but never a piece of gold. Mr. Dana, of the Wilkes Exploring Expedition, told me that he had the strongest proof and signs of gold in the vicinity of Shasta Mountain and further south. <A short time afterward, Dr. Sanderson, a very scientific traveler, visited me and explored a part of the country in a great hurry, as time would pot permit bim to make a longer stay. He told me likewise that he found some signs of gold, and was very sorry that be could not explore the Sierra Nevada. He did not encourage me to attempt to work and open mines, as it was uncertain bow 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 rich in gold aud other minerals. Anold attached Mexican servant, who had followed me from the United States, as soon as he knew that I was there, and who understood a great dea] about working in placers, 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 patrioti: m and fell into the hands of the enemy near my encamp ment, with dispatches for me from General Micheltor. ena, and he was hung as a spy, for which I was very sorry. EARLY MINING. As would naturally be expected, the first devices adopted for washing and collecting gold would, in a great measure, be imperfect and unsatisfactory, and improvements would be constantly made. The first eager rush for the shining treasure hurried the seeker on in so great haste that he could hardly take time tu invent apparatus or machinery. Therefore numbers of experiments were introduced by thoughtful immigrants, but nearly all devised without practical knowledge. Many excellent ideas were, however, obtained from men conversant with the methods of other countries, and these suggestions assisted in unfolding one method after another. In 1850 the “long tom” began to supplant the cradle, of which it formed practically an extension, with a capacity five-fold and upward greater. This apparatus was an inclined, stationary, wooden trough or box from ten to thirty feet in length, a foot and a half wide at the upper end and widening at the lower end, where perforated sheets of iron were let into the bottom, under which was placed a shallow, flat rithe-box four or five feet long, with crossbars to catch the running gold. Such bars were sometimes nailed also across the bottom of the upper box to assist in catching the gold. Upon the mass of dirt shoveled into this trough a