THE
ARGONAUTS OF CALIFORNIA.
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CHAPTER
VI.
BUSINESS IN THE MINES--THE VARIOUS
MINING CAMPS--PHYSICIANS IN CAMP--DR. RANKIN—COLOMA--PROCESS OF MINING--THE '49
EMIGRATION—SAUERKRAUT--FEMALE INFLUENCE ILLUSTRATED.
We found on arriving in Hangtown quite a number of business houses, stocked with a very good assortment of provisions and nearly all other articles for miner's use. The merchants, as well as I can remember, were Thomas & Young; W. T. Coleman; Sayward & Thorndike; Judge Russel; Mr. Job; Judge Daniells; C. Williams, while a short distance above upon the bank of the creek were the stores of Frost, Brewster & Price, and just below town was the store of the Governor.
There were three hotels in town; one large log-cabin, used for a hotel, was called the Eldorado, and owned by Mr. Eltsner; another one was kept by J. Adams, and the third by Col. Backus. The most numerous business houses in were, however, the saloons and gambling houses.
At Cold Springs, a few miles below Hangtown, was located a mining camp, at this time consisting of a cluster of tents used for saloons and for gambling houses, and one provision store, owned by Burgess & Hill.
On the road towards Coloma, at the mining camp called Kelsy, named after the man who discovered the placer mines here, were also two stores with the usual complement of saloons. At Coloma, which is situated upon the South Fork of the American River, we found a number of stores and saloons, whilst just below this camp were the old saw mill and tail rate, where Marshall found the nugget of gold which has been the means of revolutionizing society and changing social conditions among us, as well as settling up the whose Pacific coast in so short a space of time.
Across the river could also be seen at
this time, the name of
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John T. Little in large letters, on the side of an extensive warehouse. This, with other various signs, informed the mining community that here could be found all kinds of mining supplies, and that the highest price was paid for gold dust. Following the road past Mr. Little's store, up over the mountain towards the middle fork of the American River, we found several camps where rich mines had been discovered. At Coloma down towards the old mill was the store of Shannon & Cady, and near to this were the stores of Perkins & Co., Tailor & Co., and also the gun and ammunition store of F. Beckhart. Of the business men, there are now living Thomas & Young; W. T. Coleman, Mr. Darlington, who is at the present time in business at Placerville; Mr. Thorndike; Judge Russell; Mr. Caples; Mr. Price, and I think, Mr. Brewster, all of Hangtown. Mr. J. T. Little and Mr. Beckhart are both residing at the present time also in San Francisco, and no doubt many of the early business men are yet living in the East, or in some remote corner of the earth.
Of the physicians who were residing in the mining regions at this early day, a number of them are yet living; and as far as I know these are Dr. Bacon of Coloma; Dr. Clark, who is now residing at Stockton; Dr. Worthen, and I was informed that Dr. Ober is at the present time living east of the Rockies. We found also in the town five or six physicians, among the most prominent of whom were Dr. Wakefield, Dr. Kunkler, Dr. Ober, and Dr. Worthen, who is at the present time engaged in his profession and residing in the same old locality. There were Dr. Rankin, also, who had an extensive practice, and Dr. Clark.
In connection with Dr. Rankin, an amusing incident which occurred in the fall of '49 may not be out of place here. The doctor was a Southerner by birth, and one of the old school, as his style of dress, which consisted of a white fur plug hat, blue coat with brass buttons, a buff-colored vest with trowsers (sic) to match, indicated. Upon certain occasions he sported a frill shirt front as well. Dressed in this style, he went one day astride his favorite Bucephalus, to visit a patient a few miles from town. It had been raining recently, and the road upon which he was travelling was house deep with soft yellow mud. He passed on his way a tall, large, raw-boned Scotchman, carrying upon his shoulder a sack of flour, and as he passed the pedestrian the doctor remarked that wallowing
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through the deep mud with a load like that must be tough work.
"Well," retorted the Scotchman, "and that's me ain business; and hed I ye doon here, me mon, I wad wallow ye in the mud, too."
"You would, would you, says the doctor, at the same time leaping from his horse, and landing knee-deep in the mud alongside of the Scotchman.
The latter laid down his burden upon a log, and seizing the doctor by the nape of the neck and seat of his pants, he raised him up and dropped him in the deepest part of a mud-hole. The doctor wasn't long in getting out, and mounting his horse was soon
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on his way home, remarking to the valiant Scot as he turned to leave:
"Well, now, Scotty, you done that weel."
"It was about sixteen years afterwards that the doctor was sitting in the bar-room of the What Cheer House, in Sacramento City, and in company with a few others, talking of old times. During the conversation he related how the tall Scotchman had rolled him in the yellow mud, and how he looked as though he had been run through a miner's ground sluice. Sitting tipped back in a chair at the side of the room was an old farmer, half asleep, but listening very attentively to the reminiscences of old times. When the doctor commenced relating the incident as above, the old farmer raised upon his feet, and at the conclusion stepped up, and placing his hand upon the Doctor's shoulder, remarked:
"Yas, doc', and ye told me, ye remember, that I doon it weel, too."
Of course the doctor was somewhat astonished, as well as pleased also, to meet his old antagonist, and again acknowledge once more that he doon it weel at any rate.
Handshaking and the usual refreshments followed, as a matter of course.
The town, or village, of Coloma, is situated upon the south branch of the American River; it was here that gold was first found by Marshall; the old mill where he worked is still standing. Mr. Marshall resided here during his life, living in a small cabin upon the side hill, a portion of which he had planted with vines and fruit trees. The first mining, of course, was done here, and this location constituted the germ or nucleus from which radiated all other mining localities, for it was from this point that the prospectors started out in various directions in the search for other mines. Some of the prospectors took a southerly course and found the rich deposits among the ravines of what is now called Hangtown creek. Others found Kelsey's, Spanish dry diggings, and further north they ran afoul of Georgetown and Greenwood, each locality deriving its name, when found, from some circumstances, event, or from the name of the finder. By the time of the arrival of the first gold seekers, who came via Cape Horn, hundreds of new locations had been made and named around the immediate vicinity of Coloma, and by the 1st of December, '49 the country had been traveled over.
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and prospected, from Coloma to the Slanislau River on the south, and up to the Yuba River on the north, and valuable mines found for over a hundred miles in both directions.
Before commencing the business of mining, our little company concluded first to build a residence, which we constructed of logs in the regulation style, with chimney in the rear, the front door opposite, and after stowing away pots, pans and kettles in their proper places, putting up bunks with all the necessary arrangements of curtains, out-riggers, etc., a few more blows with the hammer here and there made us master of the situation, or of the castle, at least.
After finishing our residence, we started in to the business of mining, for which we had traveled nearly half way around the globe. In a large ravine near at hand, called Oregon Ravine, as it was first found by a man from that State, we determined to make our first effort. There were at work in the same locality about two hundred others. The method of mining was of the most primitive character. The dirt would be dug down to the bed-rock and thrown to one side, as the dirt and gravel in immediate contact with the bed-rock, including the surface of the latter also, was all that was considered of any value. This was put into sacks and packed upon our backs down to the creek, where the gold was separated from it by panning. Many, however, would spread their pay dirt upon the ground, and when it was thoroughly dry would winnow it out by pouring it from the pan to the ground, the wind, when strong enough, answering a very good purpose. This was the style of mining as practiced by the Mexicans and also the Chileans, but it was a very slow process, and would only pay when no water could be found.
From the hill above, it was a strange sight to see men of all classes and from every State in the Union thus clustered together upon one spot in common, and all inspired with the one desire, i. e., to dig gold. All hard work in the mud and water, with pick and shovel, each one determined to do his level best to get all he could in the shortest time possible.
Over in that ravine yonder is a crowd of Yankees from Maine and Vermont, with a leavening of a few Missourians and Kentuckians. In that large ravine to the right are three or four hundred hard-working, earnest, gold seekers from Massachusetts and New
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York, and from Connecticut and Ohio, as well as a few from Georgia, Arkansas and Old Virginia. Upon that extensive flat below, the great crowd at work is of a more cosmopolitan character, being composed of men from all States in nearly equal proportions. But few are noticed at present hailing from the Southern States, except those of a sporting character, who will be found among the saloons and gambling houses. Among these, a few of the old style Southern politicians, who are dressed in regulation blue dress-coat, with its great brass buttons, and a white plug hat, can be seen daily promenading around from place to place, with the crooked cane hanging upon the arm. The emigration across the plains in the fall of 1849 was estimated to be about 25,000. But a small proportion of them, however, remained in the mining regions. The greater number of them being farmers, passed through to make their homes in the valleys below.
Much has been said and written in relation to the arrival of the first young ladies in the mines; but the very first young ladies who made their appearance in the mining regions of California arrived at this time. They were the daughters of Mrs. Stuart, from the State of Illinois. Their father died during the journey across the plains. They arrived in Hangtown about the middle of September, returning again to their Eastern homes sometime during the summer or autumn of '50.
There were many women and children in the emigration of this season, and in consequence of the scarcity of feed for the teams, many of them were compelled to trudge along through the sandy desert and over the steep and rough mountain roads, for hundreds of miles.
One family to arrive at this time was that of Dr. Kunkler, with his wife and son, who was about six years of age, and an incident in relation to them is worthy of record. An accident happened to the doctor through which he was unable to travel on foot, and was consequently obliged to ride in the wagon. They were traveling with an ox-teem, and for this reason, the accident to him was very unfortunate, since it was absolutely necessary for one of the party to walk alongside of the team for a part of the time, especially when traveling among the hills. Mrs. Kunkler was a French lady, and born in the city of Paris. She was of slight build, delicate in appearance, and unaccustomed to such hardships; but it was now absolutely
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necessary that she should take charge of the ox team, for a time at least. All emigrants who cross the plains are well aware that this is a very difficult duty to perform, even for a man. To attend to and hunt the cattle, cook and wait upon the sick and the children also, and to make ready for a start again--all of this the delicate French lady attended to in good style, and walked alongside of her team (for over 800 miles) which she managed like a veteran, arriving in Hangtown in August, '49, in the best of health and spirits.
The doctor and his wife have both crossed to the other side; but the son, having inherited the profession of the father, practiced in San Francisco until a short time ago, when he also joined the great majority.
Quite a number of slaves from Tennessee and Kentucky were brought across the plains during this year, and were taken into the mines by their masters. This kind of mining by slave labor did not, however, prove a success, and was soon abandoned. One man
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from Tennessee, brought his slaves, three in number, into Hangtown and located in a small gulch near Spanish Ravine. The claim which they worked was rich, and the master was happy, although his happiness was of short duration, for he was very much astonished at the close of one very pleasant day, when, as he went to take possession of the gold dust which had been washed out during the day, he was politely informed by his rebellious subjects to "Jess take his hands off from dat ar gold dust, as it belonged to dem."
He was further informed that "Dey was now in a free country and slaves no mor'; but if Massa was willin' to come in and work with'em on sheers, he could do so."
He endeavored to reason with the boys, but in vain. He told them that he would appeal to the law, which he finally did; but with no better success, and he returned in disgust to Tennessee leaving his slaves masters of the field, as well as of themselves.
Two slaves worked in the Spring of '50 in Log Cabin Ravine, now Bedford ave. They were from the city of Louisville, Ky., and owned by a very prominent physician at that place. The doctor had furnished his two slaves with a good team and all necessary supplies, and had sent them forth to earn their freedom, the agreement being when they had forwarded to him the sum of twenty-tree hundred dollars in gold, the master in return would send them their "freedom papers." They were informed that they were free men, and it was unnecessary to send money to purchase their freedom; but they were firm in their purpose to do just as they had agreed with their master, and since he had trusted in their word they should not disappoint him, and they did not. The money was sent to their master through Adams & Co.'s Express, and in due time they received their papers. In a few months afterwards they forwarded to their late master the sum of eight hundred dollars also, as the price of their sister's freedom, and in the fall of '50 she met her brothers in Hangtown with her papers of deliverance in her pocket.
There were no cradles or toms at this time in the mines, for the reason that there was no water; but with the first rain, cradles made their appearance, and towards Spring long toms were used, but regular sluices did not come into use until a year later. The first hole that we dug after having measured off and staked our claims, fifteen feet square to each man, in accordance with the miners'
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law, gave us the gold very fine, and by the advice of a few veteran miners who had followed the business off and on for nearly eight days, we moved to other vacant spots nearer to the center of the ravine (Oregon Ravine), where we found the gold much coarser and easier to save. It was the custom for miners to get out to work as early in the morning as possible, usually about eight o'clock, and we quit work about four p.m. This gave us sufficient time to finish our evening meal, and to dress up, ready for a long evening, lounging through the various gambling houses and seeing the sights in town, which, however, at this early day were not to be compared in number or in gorgeousness with those a year later. The chief pleasure, however, among us was in visiting the cabins of each other, and listening to the old yarns from the seafaring men, or in tasting of some of their favorite dishes, which they had learned to manufacture out on the ocean; such for instance as "dundefunk," "lobsconce," and a variety of others; to hear the various opinions expressed upon the subject of cooking. It gave us the impression that cooking was one of the fine arts, and that the only object in life or the chief aim in existence was to eat. Of course we, the novices in the art, soon became quite expert in the chemical combination necessary for dundefunk, lobsconce, hard and soft tack, etc., and in a short time were able to boast of our dexterity, also, in whirling a flapjack up through the chimney and catching it again in our frying pan, right side up, by holding the latter out doors on the other side of the house.
It was customary, also, among many of the miners to play all kinds of practical jokes upon each other, and one amusement, in particular, was to place a flat stone, or board, upon the top of a chimney, and then to be near at hand in the morning when the victims were trying to cook their breakfast amidst the smoke, occasionally coming to the door with the tears streaming down their cheeks, swearing until all nature around looked blue. They would assert that some "infernal sea cook" had come in the night and stolen the draught, or had turned the chimney "tother end up." It didn't take long, however, to discover the cause, and then the remark was "that Nantucket sea cook of a Tom Ferney done it," they knew.
It is necessary to explain here, as it may be the means of giving a wrong impression in relation to the habits of the old-timers, to elucidate what is meant by the boys dressing up after the day's work
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was done. In all civilized societies the expression "to dress up" signifies to change, or to alter one's general appearance by the donning of "a biled shirt," store clothes and a plug hat, perhaps.
There was no necessity, however, in the miners for being very particular about the style. It is true that at this time there would be found occasionally one who would shave or trim up his whiskers and even don a fancy necktie, but he was looked upon with suspicion.
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His ancestors were sporting men, probably, and he had inherited the tendency. There was not, in the opinion of these old-timers, any necessity or use in dressing up in "store clothes" or "biled shirts". The "dress up," therefore, to which I had reference, consisted of washing the face and hands, taking a fresh cud of fine cut (Mrs. Miller's brand), or donning a clay pipe, well stocked.
All of my readers, perhaps, have during their lives many times read of or heard discussed the old worn-out subject of "female influence," but it is but very seldom that any of us are enabled to see the effect of the absence of woman so practically illustrated as it was in the mines. For the first two years, or up to the arrival of the emigration from across the plains in the fall of '50, the conditions of the mining population, especially their carelessness in regard to appearances, mode of life, and habits in general, showed conclusively that man, when alone, and deprived of that influence which the presence of woman only can produce, would in a short time degenerate into a savage and barbarous state.
At this time, also, there was but little necessity for law, except to restrain the vicious element among the few Mexican horse-thieves, who had found their way into the mining regions, but this class, Judge Lynch dealt with in a very summary style, and they soon became scarce. No standing army or armed force of policemen were required to protect the rights of the forty-niners, for they were, as a general rule, a class who respected law and order, as well as the rights of others, and illustrated the fact that among a class of men who are disposed to do what is right, with no desire to injure or trespass upon the rights of others, no law for their government or control is really necessary. It is very true, however, that in the cases of many who had occupied high positions in church organizations in the East, upon finding themselves thus placed, afar from all restraint and church influences, did reveal their true nature by falling from grace and practicing habits that were strictly prohibited by ecclesiastical law. Yet these were the exceptions only; not the rule. We were, of course, under the jurisdiction of the U. S. Government; but no laws could be put into force or executed as no officers had been appointed for the purpose. We elected, however, an Alcalde, according to the Mexican custom, who decided all cases occurring in relation to the disputes among miners. All cases of a criminal nature were decided by a committee of the whole, a jury
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for the purpose being chosen from the mining community, and all criminals being granted a fair and impartial trial.
But a change soon took place in our political affairs, for upon November 13th, 1849, the constitution of the Territory was adopted, and Peter H. Burnett was elected our first Governor.
The election to vote upon the adoption of the constitution and for Governor in this position of the mining region was held in the hotel of Col. Bachus, Hangtown, and the border element was very strongly opposed to the whole business, claiming that we did not require law and order, constitution or Governor either; that we were getting along well enough without them; if the Yanks undertook to play any sick nonsense they would be sorry for it; they made some show of resistance, but when they saw that the Yanks were in dead earnest, and had come to the place of voting well armed and prepared to maintain law and order, they very reluctantly departed in disgust and the constitution was adopted unanimously.
The first persons hung in California subsequent to the gold discovery, were two Mexicans and an American. They were hung for horse stealing and robbery during the fall of '48, in Hangtown, and although the camp has enjoyed the unenviable reputation of being the place where many murderers and horse-thieves have been kindly laid to rest by the citizens, in committees of the whole, yet only one other individual was ever hung by the citizens of the place, and that was Irish Dick, a young gambler, who was executed in the fall of '50 for murder. A jury, composed of miners, was chosen; he was granted a fair trial, declared guilty, and sentenced to be hung from the old oak tree which stood upon the side of the hill across the creek, at 2 p.m. of the same day. He requested permission to leap from the limb of the tree, head foremost; but his favor, of course, could not be granted since it did not conform to the law, and would be a very barbarous proceeding, as well as a bad precedent to establish, for in some parts of the country the trees were very small.
The first rainstorm in the fall of '49 occurred October 13th. It was a shower lasting but a few hours, and continuing in this manner throughout the winter months with light showers, but enough, however, for the working of cradles; and now was inaugurated the process of mining in a more business-like and profitable manner.
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Claims, which by the panning process yielded daily but an ounce or so, now gave down, by the use of the cradle, from one to ten ounces, and in some cases even double the last amount. The richest part of any ravine or gulch, was, of course, near the center, or
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where the water course had deposited the greatest quantity, consequently the first miners would confine their work chiefly to such portions of a ravine, and those who came after would work nearer the banks, where the gold was usually finer and much lighter. By the use of this machine very high wages could be made from gravel, which would not pay to pan.
As winter approached, emigrants who had come by steamer and across the Isthmus of Panama, as well as "around the Horn," now commenced to arrive in great numbers, and not being satisfied with the prospects of the camp scattered about in various directions over the country in the search for new mines. Soon other towns and camps were started; some very rich and valuable placer mines being discovered in the vicinity of Hangtown. Great excitement prevailed, and at this period of its history Hangtown contained almost as large a population as the chief city of the country, San Francisco, and a year later Eldorado was called the banner county. The winter following passed without the occurrence of any events in this portion of the country worth relating. The rains were light, with but little snow, and the weather warm. Towards spring news received that rich mines had been found farther north. From this fact it was concluded that all the gold had originally been washed down from the north by floods or brought down by glacial action; consequently, the mines would be richer as you advanced toward the North Pole. This belief was almost universal among the mining classes, and some were so sanquine that such would prove to be the case, that one miner offered to bet, "that if yer'd only go fur enough to the north yer'd find ther gold all coined and sacked up, ready for shipping." Great preparations were therefore made for leaving the old worked-out mining regions in the central portions of the State, and towards the spring of '50 the stampede commenced for the Yuba, Bear River, and other rich mining camps at the north.
Transcribed
by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Proofread by Betty Vickroy.
©
2008 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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