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THE ARGONAUTS OF CALIFORNIA

 

BEING THE REMINISCENCES

 

OF SCENES AND INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED IN CALIFORNIA IN EARLY MINING DAYS.

 

BY

 

A PIONEER

 

And believing that it will be of some historic value as well as of interest generally to know the names of those who were the first to venture forth in the search of gold, and by whose energy and labor the foundations of a great state were laid, and also a general prosperity created throughout the entire country. I have therefore prefixed to the work the names of those that I have been able to obtain, numbering about 35,000, and including among them the names of several thousand who are now living in the various States of the Union.

 

TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS DRAWN FROM LIFE

 

BY C. W. HASKINS.

 

PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY FORDS,  HOWARD & HULBERT

NEW YORK

1890

 

 

 

 

Page 2.

 

TO THE SURVIVING MEMBERS OF THE

 

ADVANCE GUARD

 

OF GOLD HUNTERS,

 

THE CALIFORNIA PIONEERS

 

AND THEIR DESCENDANTS,

 

WHO ARE NOW LIVING THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES,

 

THIS BOOK IS MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED

 

BY THE

 

.AUTHOR.

 

 

 

 

 

Page 3.

 

PREFACE.

 

      While residing in the village of Kingston, located upon the Coeur D'Alene River in the silver mining regions of northen Idaho during the winter of '87-'88, and being compelled to remain within doors during the winter in consequence of the great depth of snow and intense cold, in order to pass away the time I amused myself by writing an account of scenes and incidents that occurred in California in early days in the mining regions, and which came under my observation. These events are written entirely from memory, but I have endeavored to give as near as possible the correct date of the events and incidents mentioned, as well as their location and names with all of which I was familiar. As to the correct description of scenes and events, I ask the remnant of that band of sturdy Argonauts who laid foundation of a great State to bear me witness.

 

C. W. HASKINS.

 

 

 

Page 4.

 

Index to the Names of the Forty-niners.

 

Members of the various Pioneer Associations in the U. S. who are now living, Page 360

 

Forty-niners residing in various parts of the Union who do not belong to any Association, Page 385.

 

Survivors of Col. Stevenson's Regiment, Page 394.

 

Forty-niners now living in the Atlantic States, Page 395.

 

Forty-niners who went over-land to California, Page 395.

 

Forty-niners who sailed from City of N. Y., Page 414.

 

Forty-niners who sailed from the States of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, Page 453.

 

Forty-niners who sailed from New Orleans, Philadelphia, Baltimore and other Southern ports, Page 476.

 

From various Eastern ports, Page 495.

 

 

 

Page 5.

 

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Frontispiece. "Hello, Bill!" The Start for California. Brazilian Music. The Swell at Cape Horn. An Able Seaman. Forty-niners at the Hotel in Lima. The Operatic Shark. The Prolific Topmast. The Calm. Neptune's Orchestra. The Bullwhacker. "Ye Done it Weel." The Dandy Miners. Smoked Out. The Frisky Flapjack. Hangtown in '49. "None in Mine." The Industrious Prospectors. "I Shust Nose It." ? Bulling the Mine. "Ther, Ther, T,other One." The Ducks Take Water. Dutch Charley. Dan Boone and the Bear. The First Rat in Hangtown. Rats in Sacrameto City. The First Young Lady in the Mines. The Spartan Mother. The Boys Aloft. Emigration of  '50. The Howly Fragment. The Argonaut and His Mule. The Steamboat Runners. The Miners' Meeting. On His Trail. "I'v Shtruck it, Thin." The Sailor Boy. The Chap Who insulted a Lady. The Claim Jumper. The Art of Self-defense. Didn't Believe in Compromise. The Disgusted Speculator. "Write Often, Boys." The Jack Tars on the Hill. The Geological Lecture. Old Nick's Grand Entr'ee. A California Cyclone. Only Two Days in the Mines. A Simile. Female Influence Illustrated. Not Ready to Go. The Voice of Old Dick. Big George and the Road Agent. "There She Comes, Boys!" Miners' Comfort. "Dis Am a Free Kentry, Massa." Coasting in Idaho. Law and Order Triumph's.

Charley, the Female Stage Driver. Hank Monk in Time for Lunch. The Picket Guard. The Gambler's Charity. The Road Agent Outwitted. From Fry-pan to the Fire. A Newcomer. Force of Habit. The Deserted Camp. Syd's Last Prospect. Skunked. Ruined Castles. Meeting of the Old-timers. An Unexpected Festival. The Gold-saving Machine. Tex Gives Satisfaction. Not Raising Mutiny, but Sugar. It'l Be Our Turn Next. Bob the Fiddler. The Power of Music. Old-timers in the Hall. Phantoms of the Old timers. Sam Plunket and the Indians. The Bear in a Quandary. The Power of Beauty. The Bean-pot Comet. Dick Arnold to the Rescue. The Brave Policeman. A New Motor. The Plum-duff. Donkey Instinct. Tex and the Alcalde. '49 Mosquitoes. The Bear and the Prospector. Sharpshooters. Discovery of the Old River Beds. Lost in the Mountains. Nature's Lullaby. Discovery of Red Hill Gold. Bob Lost a Fortune. The Surprise. Curiosity Satisfied. Mining Ground Transformed. "Is it Me Agint?" "No More Frontier in Ourn!" Not that Kind of Bird. The Tarantula in the Boot. The Boston Boy and His Bugle. Found His Brother. Kanakas at Work. The Flight of Time. The Miller Taking Toll. Yank Revisiting Old Scenes. Coasting in Idaho. Town of Wallace. A Flush Hand. The Mississippians. The Return East. "Good Morning, William."

 

 

 

 

THE ARGONAUTS OF CALIFORNIA.

 

CHAPTER 1.

 

THE NEWS - LOOKING FORWARD - THE START.

 

      In the winter of '48 I resided in New Bedford, Mass. I had a chum. What boy has not? My chum's name was Bill. He had been absent from New Bedford for a few months, and on meeting him, a few days after his return, I greeted him with: "Hello, Bill! Have you heard the news?"

      "No; what is it?"

      "Well; while you were away, the news came that a man in California, named Marshall, has made the discovery that there's lots of Gold out there. He found a big chunk of it where he was at work."

      "You don't say so! What's he going to do with it; did he say?"

      "That has nothing to do with the case. There's the greatest excitement here, you ever heard of. Not only here, but all over the country, on account of the discovery. Thousands of men are getting ready to go out there. A lot of ships down at the wharves are being fitted out for the voyage, and they are going to take passengers cheap. Now what do you say to going along?"

      Bill did not seem to enthuse nearly as much as the occasion would warrant, for said he,

      "Well, now; I don't see what reasons you can give for supposing that there's more gold there, simply because this man found a chunk of it."

      "But, Bill," said I, with undampened ardor; "don't you understand the scientific nature of it? Isn't it likely that there must be lots more of it scattered about? Besides, the volcanic character of the country is very favorable for that kind of a product, you know."

      Bill smiled skeptically, and gave me the benefit of his geological knowledge as follows:

      "Oh, yes, I know. The gold is thrown out from the bowels of the earth, where it's manufactured, by the volcanos and scattered about on the tops of the mountains. Then along came the earthquakes and shake it down among the grass roots and bushes in the valleys, where you expect to scrape it up by the bushel."

      "Oh, well, it may prove to be, as you say, a wild goose chase, after all; but there's a ship, now at the wharf, right from San Francisco, and one of the sailors, who seems to be a real honest chap, told me that the country was chock full of gold. He said that after they had hoisted up the anchor to start home he scraped the mud off the anchor and washed more than five pounds out of it —"

      "Of what — mud?"

      "No, of Gold; REAL GOLD!"

      “Oh, pshaw! Do you believe that yarn."

      "Why, of course I do! Sailors are noted for their veracity."

      "Nothing of the kind. They have the reputation of being the biggest liars on earth; especially when out on the water and the wind blows hard."

      Still true to my colors, I protested,

      "That's impossible."

 

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      "No, 'tis not, for if you were sailing a ship out at sea and the wind blew real hard, you'd lie too."

      Bill's levity fell upon unappreciative soil. I was too much in earnest, and resumed:

      "I'm bound to go out there, Bill, if I don't pick more than a hatful of gold in a day. There's nothing like trying, you know. But what's the use of going after gold, you say? Well, now, isn't that what we are all after, and nearly crazy to get? And, isn't it easier to go to a country where you can scrape it up from the ground or pick it out from among the grass by the bucketful, than it is to toil and sweat and worry through a long life here?"

      I cannot now remember whether Bill was just a little cynical, or simply echoed the opinions of some of the wiseacres of that day when he parried my query with,

      "There's plenty of money in the country now, and more is unnecessary. What are you going to do with it all?"

      "That's a singular idea," I answered. "Do you suppose it's possible to have too much money in the country? Such old, puritanical notions about money are ridiculous. You and I haven't too much and we could use a few millions to good advantage, if we had them. And if it should prove true that lots of gold can be found in California, you'll live to see this country step to the front among nations in wealth, prosperity and enterprise."

      In my ardor I had risen to unwonted heights of eloquence.

      Bill thought that there was enough enterprise in the country, already.

      I assured him that when we began to send gold back from California in ton lots, the various enterprises would bloom to an extent never before witnessed in the world.

      Bill had, however, taken the negative side of the issue and fired another broadside at me:

      "Yes, but Jo, aren't you going it a little too fast in anticipating such big things? For my part, I don't believe that there's enough gold in all of California to do all that. 'Twould take bushels of it, you know."

      Upon confirmation of the news of the discovery of gold in California, all was commotion in the various seaports of the Atlantic coast. Vessels of all sizes and descriptions, from the small, 50 ton

 

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fishing smack, that would be compelled to crawl along near the shore, up to the noble clipper ship, that was able to contend with the elements in mid-ocean, were fitted up with conveniences for passengers in greatest haste. Many vessels sailed early in the year of '49 for the Eldorado. It was not, however, until the spring that the grand stampede commenced. By April 1, in '49, 50,000 good, able-bodied men, and a few women, all desirous of bettering their condition and acquiring wealth in a much easier and quicker method than by the old-fashioned, slow and plodding methods of their ancestors, were upon their way to the other side of the continent, willing to encounter the danger from Indians or starvation, whilst an equal number preferred to risk the dangers of a journey by sea to the land of gold. In company with about one hundred others, we took passage in the clipper ship "America," Capt. C. P. Seabury, from the port of New Bedford, Mass. On the morning of the 1st of April, the fact was announced that all must be on board at 10 a. m. The anchor was raised from its muddy bed below; the sails were unfurled to the breeze; the bow of our boat swung round a bit and pointed out toward the billows in the big ocean beyond. We bade farewell to friends who accompanied us out to the light-house; and, with hearty wishes from them that we might meet with the greatest success in our venturesome undertaking, sailed out upon the broad ocean in the direction of Cape Horn. We watched the green hills, with which we had been familiar from early childhood, as they vanished from sight below the horizon, and wondered than it 'twas so ordained by the powers above, that we would soon be enabled to return again to these familiar scenes of our boyhood days with our pockets lined with tin (and some of us still continue in the same business, at the old stand, of wondering).

      Our passengers, being unaccustomed to the situation, soon felt very peculiar sensations produced by the motions of the vessel. We sought the entrance to the basement, into which we managed to make our way in an oblique kind of a style, and retired to our sleeping apartments, there to remain until we deemed it safe to again climb out upon the roof of the vessel.

      We were satisfied in a few days that we were very fortunate in our selection of a vessel for the voyage, for we found that she was a strong, staunch one; a fast goer, with a good crew and commanded by an expert seaman, who understood his business. Fortunately for

 

Page 13 Illustration

 

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us, perhaps, we had as passengers a number of old veteran (retired) sea captains, who were always very ready and willing, without remuneration, to give our captain all necessary advice, at such times when, in their opinion, he needed it. When, in their opinion, there was danger of the ship sailing too fast, they would advise him to take down some of the big sails; or, again, when the wind was too high, they would become aware at once of the danger of the ship running under, front end foremost, and at such times they would advise the captain to stop her. Under such conditions, where there were many men of experience keeping their weather eyes open for emergencies, it is evident that we, the passengers, felt perfectly secure from danger, and could sleep without fear.

      During the voyage we amused ourselves, no doubt, in the same manner as passengers of vessels usually do, by various games. There were an assortment of musical instruments, and card playing was an amusement much in vogue; but a few of the younger passengers of a sporting tendency, would bet upon the speed of the ship and the number of miles we would sail upon the succeeding day. Some of the older ones, however, of a more elevated character, who were above such petty amusements, would practice at leap-frog upon deck during pleasant weather. When the weather was otherwise they would pass their time below, in betting with each other upon the number of plums they would be able to find in their respective rations of duff, and many were enabled to enjoy double rations at the table in consequence. In the opinion of many of the older passengers, one very important fact had been overlooked in our great haste to start for the golden shores of California, and that was, the failure to make suitable provision for the storage of gold dust. This was, indeed, an oversight, for nothing had been provided suitable for the purpose. It therefore taxed the ingenuity of the older ones, and many were the devices proposed. One very ingenious and sanguine individual commenced the manufacture of leather pouches from old boot-legs or from pieces of canvas, maintaining that these would be found the most convenient. Another insisted that good, strong, stone ale bottles were far superior for stowing the finer grades of dust, and such was his faith in them that he had actually brought two or three dozen with him. But where is the limit to genius or the faculty of adaptation to conditions, for if no other person had appeared upon the stage with a superior device

 

Page 15.

 

for the purpose, the inventors of the boot-leg pouch and of the ale bottle devices would have divided the honors between them for their ingenuity. The possession of an older head with greater experience, however, suggested that although leather pouches and beer bottles might answer very well, they would probably be found very inconvenient to handle on account of the great specific gravity of gold. He therefore suggested that the best way to pack gold dust, and the best means of handling it, would be to put it into empty pork barrels, for these could be rolled with ease and of course would be more convenient for shipping. The greater portion of the passengers saw at once the superior advantages of the pork-barrel idea, and resolved to adopt that method.

      One old gentleman spent his time in the construction of a dredging machine for raising the sand from the river beds, and for extracting the big nuggets from among the rocks at the bottom; whilst another one busied himself in making sheet-iron scoops, to which long poles were to be attached. His idea was to take his station under the shade of a tree, upon the river bank, scoop up the rich golden sands and extract the gold from it upon dry land, without the danger of being sun struck or wetting his feet. Many of the more intelligent ones among our passengers kept a daily record of scenes and incidents during our voyage; but so much of this class of literature has been heretofore brought before the public that a report from any of them would not be of much interest at this time.

 

 

Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor

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