THE
ARGONAUTS OF CALIFORNIA.
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CHAPTER
VIII.
CLIMATIC CHANGES--APPEARANCE OF FAMILIAR
HERBS—RATS--THE TRUE THEORY--FALL EMIGRATION--THE JOHNSON CUT OFF--THE
TARGET--THE FIRST YOUNG LADY--A SPARTAN MOTHER--THE BOYS UP A TREE.
It was often maintained by older heads, even at this time as well as subsequently, that climatic changes followed emigration to any or all parts of the world, and that various plants also would follow in their trail; but why was this? Whatever the theory may be, we found the fact one of verity in our experience in California. Can we ever forget the old-fashioned herb bag of our boyhood days suspended from the rafters in the garret, which we used to take delight in pelting with corn cobs and other convenient missiles, and which contained the precious herbs and medical plants that our grandmothers had carefully collected, dried and stowed away for future use? We surely can never forget our unpleasant familiarity with a portion of the contents of these same bags, when suffering from those same complaints with which "grandma" so assiduously and successfully coped! Now, had the grandmothers who crossed the plains to make their homes upon this side of the continent brought with them the ancient herb bag? More than likely was it, that from this bag, suspended from the hoops that formed the covering of the wagons, the seeds were scattered along the highways and byways; for here in this far-distant land where never before were they seen or known, could the familiar plants be discerned, sprouting into life among the ravines and gulleys. For instance, here was the horehound, the motherwort, the spearmint and the entire family of mints, including of course the mint julep, and following later, the U. S. Mint. The wild parsnip, the wild turnip and the catnip (including also in the list a great variety of other nips found at the bar), were additional evidences of the influence of civilization, upon the Fauna, Flora and Herbaceous productions of new settlements.
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The old fashioned mullein stalk, with which we were all familiar in our boyhood days, delayed its appearance in California, at least in the mining regions, until about the year '58, at which late date it came in the following authentic manner:
A Mrs. Coates, a resident of Reservoir Hill, Eldorado County, requested a friend in the State of Wisconsin to send her a package of the cherry tomato seeds. The friend complied, and the seeds were received in due time and planted. They thrived exceedingly, attaining immense proportions far above the diminutive turnip and radish plants around them; but it was found, alas, as they raised their heads above the garden fence that the cherry tomato was only a mullein stalk. They were allowed to mature from curiosity, and the seeds being blown into a water ditch near at hand the plants became profusely scattered throughout this portion of the mining regions. In referring again to the appearance of the plants before mentioned seeming to follow upon the trail of emigration, it is proper to mention here a mysterious phenomenon which was observed afterwards in the appearance of new varieties and species of plants, found in the mining regions wherever the surface soil had been disturbed, or where the dirt and gravel from below had been thrown upon the surface and exposed to the action of the sun and atmosphere. On these piles of dirt, sand or gravel, new species of plants would be often found that had not previously been seen in the locality. This phenomenon has for many years been reasoned upon, by not only the mining class, but by many able scientific men as well, in relation to the new species or plants, that spring forth from the soil and gravel that have been drawn up from great depths below the earth's surface. Many theories have been advanced in explanation of the phenomena, and by many scientific men it is maintained that the seeds of such plants have been lying in a dormant state for centuries, perhaps, below the surface; but could not germinate until exposed to the sun or atmosphere. We find upon visiting again the mining regions where we worked in early days, that the hills and ravines in many places where originally there stood here and there an oak, are now covered by a thrifty growth of pine trees, many of them now nearly 40 years of age and of great size. The question, therefore, arises as to what caused these young pines to start from the ground after the miner had commenced his labor of extracting the gold.
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Why had they not started previous to the discovery of gold; if mining among the ravines and hills changed the conditions which were necessary to make the coming of the young pine possible, what then were the conditions, and what was the nature and cause of the change? In the investigation of this phenomenon, I found one fact well demonstrated, and that is that these young pines spring into life from the ground only in those localities where oak trees had been standing, and which had been cut and removed from the ground. It was upon this now vacant ground that the young pines came forth in such numbers, and so thickly, as though the pine nuts had been sown in the same manner as grain would have been. From this fact, it is evident that the removing of the oak is the condition or the change required to bring them forth; but yet the question still remains unanswered. I found many localities now covered with this thick growth of pines that formerly but a few only of the oaks had occupied (and in some cases they were at least 150 feet apart), so it could not have been, as has been maintained, that it was owing to their shading the ground that the young pines had not before sprung up. Some scientists who have written upon this subject maintain that the seeds of the pine are scattered just beneath the surface of the ground; but, owing to the shade of the oak, they cannot germinate, and lie there dormant for hundreds of years, perhaps, until the conditions become favorable for their growth. My interpretation of this phenomenon is, that this soil is natural to the pine, or in other words the proper elements which bring into existence this species of vegetation, as the pine tree, are indigenous to the soil, for the reason, no doubt that all of these barren places were in some pre-historic age, covered with pines; but in consequence of unusual dry season or by fire had become destroyed. Then again the question arises, that since the oaks are not natural to the soil in these locations, how then came they there? This can be explained by the fact that the natives who inhabit these regions subsist upon the acorns to some extent; and by them are scattered among the hills throughout the country; they become imbedded in a short time beneath the surface, germinate, and grow into great oaks. An accidental production, therefore, not natural to the soil, but which extract from it certain important elements necessary for the growth of the pine, and the latter, as a consequence, cannot spring into life until the
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former are removed. In other words, it may be stated that since the existence of any form of life, whether vegetable or animal, can only be possible when the conditions are favorable for such an existence, it is therefore very evident that the growth of the oak tree upon this soil changes, in some peculiar manner, those conditions which are necessary for the growth of the pine; consequently, the latter cannot have an existence until the conditions are rendered favorable by the removal of the former. That such is the true theory has been well demonstrated, in my opinion, in a few instances here in California in the case of the wild oats, when a field of wheat has been transformed or changed into the former. Wild oats being indigenous to the soil, or, in other words, the proper elements being contained within the soil necessary to produce this variety of cereal will under certain conditions, for instance, such as plowing, cultivation, or in stirring of the loose soil, spring forth spontaneously without the necessity of previously sowing the seed, and thus preventing the germination of the wheat. This singular phenomenon has occurred upon three separate occasions here to my knowledge, and is, as far as my knowledge extends, a phenomenon that has never been known to occur in any other country except upon a much smaller scale.
But the question might very properly be asked, Since these pines are indigenous to the soil, and await the time when all proper conditions are favorable for their growth, why do they not come forth and cover the ground previous to the growth of the oak, as well as after the latter has been removed?
The only explanation of this is in my opinion, so far as it is possible to understand the phenomenon, that the presence of the oak growing upon the heretofore barren soil, makes the conditions in some peculiar manner favorable for the germination of the pine, by transferring such elements from the atmosphere to the soil as are favorable for it, or otherwise extracting from the soil certain elements which are obnoxious to its growth, and for such reasons, therefore, upon the removal of the oak the young pines make their appearance; at any rate the phenomenon exists, whether the above explanation is the true one or not.
There also was soon seen the old faithful family house-dog, who had followed patiently and wearily through sandy deserts and over mountains the train of his master to find a new and a more pleasant
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home upon the Pacific slope; but up to the spring of '50 not a single cat, or "Kitty," was seen in this part of the mining regions. Many started with the trains but died before reaching here. In the fall of '50 many were occasionally seen, having been brought from Oregon and the lower part of California. Domestic animals will, like the herb, and for similar reasons (if any one can explain what they are), follow in the trail of advancing civilization, for here now, at this early day, when we have only scarcely arrived, and have
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hardly had time to get squared around and get located, or to look about us, we find among us the familiar plants, the faithful housedog, the occupant of the hearth corner--the cat, and now but one thing, or but one more animal, is wanting to complete the complement needed to give all the appearance of an Eastern home which we have deserted, perhaps forever, and that is the affectionate and docile rat. Oh, where is the rat! why has he so long delayed! "He is here! here he is! hello, boys, boys, quick! he has come at last!
A rush and a commotion in the street outside gave evidence of some tragic event which had occurred, or was about to take place. Men were running from all directions; some with guns, pistols and weapons of various descriptions and calibre, (sic) from a bean blower to a mountain howitzer, and all appeared to be concentrating their forces towards a certain grocery store, in front of which were a number of men who were hopping, stamping, and jumping around upon a pile of straw. All were evidently in the last stages of "jimjams," for they all swore that they had seen a big rat, while others again, who seemed more quiet and composed, maintained that, although they hadn't seen him, yet they were positive that they smelled him. Yes, it was true, for soon its body was found in the straw, horribly mangled, so much so that its countenance was unrecognizable, but its tail was, and that told the tale of its species. It had spongled its way up from San Francisco in the straw of a crockery crate, and thus ended the career of the first rat that arrived in Hangtown, on or about March 1, 1850.
The arrival of every ship into San Francisco brought its full complement of rats from various parts of the world. The consequence was that, by the fall of '50, the chief towns near and convenient to San Francisco were overrun with this species of animal. During a walk through the principal street in Sacramento in the evening, after the business of the day was over, they could be seen in swarms, and in some localities it was even difficult to walk along without stepping upon the innocent creatures. On one sidewalk in particular, in J street, I think, upon which were piled sacks of grain and produce of various kinds, could be seen rats by the thousands, of all sizes and nationalities, crawling in among, through, and over these sacks in every direction; through tunnels, down shafts and drifts, in true miner's style, and from their sleek, healthy
Page 103 Illustration.
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appearance they had evidently struck it. They were different in nationality, which was evident from their choice in the selection of food; for instance, in among a pile of sacks containing cabbages, were the Dutch species of rats, brought over in some ship from Holland. There was no mistaking their birthplace, for scraps of Bologna sausage were scattered about, and the scent of Limberger cheese was perceptible. Upon a pile of sacks containing corn, was seen a number of very healthy corpulent chaps who appeared to be engaged in debating some important question. They were probably of English stock, and were holding a debate upon the corn laws. Upon a pile of sacks which were filled with wheat, was seen a large number of rats of all sizes and descriptions; some with long tails, some with short, and some with no tails at all. They appeared to be engaged in a fierce warfare over some very important question, and were scratching, biting, pulling and hauling each other around in a most vicious manner. A closer observation evidenced the fact that these were the true American species, and were wheat brokers "on change." There was no mistaking the nationality of those rats prospecting among the stack of potato sacks beyond, for standing erect upon the top of it, in a very striking attitude, with its paws up in Yankee Sullivan style, was a huge rat, its long tail carelessly thrown over an immense potato in front of it, and in imagination we heard it remark to its companions around it; "Now, me lads, bring on the b'ys who'd be afther jest treading on me foine tail, thin!"
A pile of mats containing rice was honored by the presence of a lot of Chinese rats. The style of eating, and the manner of handling the chop-sticks was an evidence of this fact.
The time was now near at hand when the semi-civilized conditions under which the earlier emigrants had been living, were to be changed; for there was quite a large emigration on its way from Missouri, Texas and other States west of the Mississippi, and among them were some of the most desperate characters of the frontier. The first arrivals of the emigrants created no little degree of excitement among the younger portion of the community, especially from the fact that it was learned that a number of young ladies were on their way to the mining regions, and would probably pass through the town. About this time, which I think was in August, '50, quite a large number of miners were at work in and near the creek, along
Page 105 Illustration.
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the margin of which was the regular emigrant road, following the course of the creek for nearly two miles.
It was late in the afternoon of one pleasant day that the news was passed along down the creek, from the miners above to others below, that a train was coming in which a very pretty young lady was the chief attraction. A dust cloud was soon seen away above, showing that the train was near at hand, and the miners left their work and arranged themselves near the road. As the train approached, the young lady was seen in advance riding the old family gray mare, and apparently unconscious of the sensation which she was the innocent cause of producing among that crowd of unwashed, uncombed and unshaven miners.
She was, as all would swear to, a very pretty girl from the State of Kentucky; the daughter of a colonel who was a veteran of the Mexican war. Of course, it would never answer for ladies who had been traveling over the mountains and sandy deserts for three or four months, to appear again in a civilized community in traveling costume, so a halt had been made previous to their entry, a few miles above, and toilets properly arranged. The young lady was dressed plainly but neatly in a common blue calico dress, with a yoke attachment at the top, heavy flounces around the bottom cut bias style, but no paniers to speak of. She wore a broad-brimmed Leghorn, milk-maid style of a straw hat, and a broad, black velvet ribbon around her neck.
The other members of the family had not been so particular and looked just like all other emigrants. The wagon contained, of course, the aged-parents, with the usual complement of tow-heads found among all emigrant trains.
The remark made by the various miners as the young lady passed along upon the old gray mare were very amusing. One youth remarked that, "Them eyes of her'n are jest exactly like my Mary Jane's," and another one says, "Now that nose and chin and her hair, too, is exactly like my Marthy's down in Kennebunk." "But ain't she lovely, though?" asked another, and so on, each one remarking how much she resembled and reminded him of some one often thought of away across the continent.
One young man had the audacity to remark, in the hearing of them all, that "That young Kentucky gal were't half so good looking as his Matilda Jane down in Jersey," and they gave the youth
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to understand that they would have a settlement with him for expressing such an opinion. But the next morning, on coming out to work, they found two stakes driven upon this young man's claim, and on one was an old sun-bonnet, while on the other was fastened a young lady's slipper. He had evidently purloined these from the wagon during the silent watches of the night, knowing them to be the property of the young lady from Kentucky. Under such circumstances it was evident that he had repented of his rashness, and he was freely forgiven upon the condition that he would make a division of the plunder, which he did.
The train went into camp near town, and after the day's work was done, many of the younger boys lounged around in the vicinity of the strangers' camp to get a sight of the pretty Kentucky girl.
While she was engaged in frying pancakes for the evening meal, a young, sandy-haired miner proposed to purchase one of them from her. She said that they were not for sale, but that she would give him one with pleasure, which she did by dropping it hot from the pan into his hand, and he returned the compliment by dropping into her hand a very pretty gold specimen, which she refused to accept. Upon a little persuasion from the modest youth she changed her mind, however, and slipped it into her pocket.
The emigrants continued straggling in, some on foot and alone, and others in trains drawn by horses, mules or oxen. The variety of vehicles was legion, as some had two wheels and others four; while one man, a tall, sandy-haired Scotchman, rolled along over the dusty road, over mountains, through rocky canons and across the barren desert from St. Jo, in a carriage with but one wheel, to wit, only a common wheel-barrow.
The emigrants of this year suffered terribly in consequence of the scarcity of grass for animals, for which reason many cattle died, and the emigrants were compelled to finish their journey for hundreds of miles on foot. There were numerous deaths from exhaustion, starvation and disease. After their arrival in town, however, many died from over-eating, and in some cases it was necessary to restrain them by main force from gorging themselves while at the dinner table.
Four young men in town procured horses, and, loading them with provisions cooked ready for use, started out to feed the starving emigrants. A few miles from town they encountered an ox team
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which was standing in the road. The driver, a large, powerful man, was seated in the road in the dirt and dust in front of them gnawing, or rather sucking, a small piece of pork rind, and in the covered wagon was found the wife and mother, with two or three children, engaged in a similar occupation. It was the last of their supplies, and upon which they had subsisted for the previous two days. The young men, therefore, furnished them with the necessary supplies at once.
A few miles further on they saw ahead of them, in the road, a man covered with dust and dirt and hatless, running at full speed towards them. They discovered that he was an emigrant, and that starvation had, doubtless, made him partially insane. He was pursued and caught, and after being fed he recovered sufficiently to be able to give his name. He stated that a few miles back upon the
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road he had passed a woman, with her husband, who was sick in the wagon, and with three or four young children.
"The woman," he said, "was frying over the fire a few little cakes, and I asked if she would give me one as I was starving. She said that she would to save my life, but that those four little cakes were the last that she had to divide among six of them. I told her that if that was the case I would not rob her."
And from that time he stated that he seemed to lose all consciousness.
By the afternoon of the second day out upon their charitable mission the young men had distributed their supplies among the suffering, and camped for the night at a spring near the road. Towards evening, as they were sitting by their camp fire, they observed away across on the opposite side of a steep cañon, an animal of some kind, but owing to the distance could not tell whether it was a horse, cow or bear. They fired several shots with their rifles in that direction, but without effect.
It was about daylight the next morning when they were aroused from a sound sleep by a terrible noise and stampede among their horses. Upon investigation was discovered, at a short distance through the darkness, the form of some animal which had very much the appearance of a huge bear, as they had often seen portrayed
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in their picture books when boys. They concluded not to investigate any further at present, but vied with each other to see who could climb up a tree the quickest. The grizzly, for such it proved to be, was the strange animal seen upon the flat across the cañon, and which they had been using for a target. Instigated by a similar feeling, presumably, and with an intense desire to see who the, to it, strange animals were upon the hill, it had traveled up around the head of the cañon, a distance of about twelve miles, to satisfy its curiosity and to see what was up, which it soon found, on looking up among the limbs of a big pine tree.
After devouring everything in sight that was eatable, as well, also, as many things which were not so much so, the grizzly cast its eyes up towards the boys, and with a knowing wink hoped they would come that way often to practice target shooting, and departed.
The third night out, and on their way home, they camped at what was then called "Leek Springs," on the regular emigrant road. They picketed their horses as usual before retiring for the night, but found, to their astonishment in the morning, that the trusty steeds had been stolen. After tracking the animals for a few miles, they saw among the tall grass a large band of horses, well guarded by mounted Mexicans, which had been stolen from the emigrants for the two previous years.
Upon arriving in town the facts were reported and an expedition started immediately to capture the thieves, but too late, as the marauders were on their way to Lower California, led by the noted bandit Joaquin, it was supposed.
A two-wheeled, covered cart, drawn by a very diminutive yoke of oxen, which passed through the town at this time created much amusement. It was under the management of a stately Pike County dame. She was about fifty years of age, with long ringlets dangling from the sides of her head, and was dressed in the latest and most approved style of bloomer costume. As this stately dame marched with a dignified and majestic tread alongside of her team, carrying upon her shoulder the usual regulation Missouri ox gad, she presented a fine appearance, and as old Mike (a venerable Greek) remarked:
"Be jabers, thin, she reminds me of a Spartan mither with her chariot, do yez see, searching upon the faild of battle for the bodies of her brave b'ys!"
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It was, however, a fair illustration of what it is even possible for a woman to accomplish when she takes a notion.
The road across the Sierra Nevada range of mountains, over which the emigrants were obliged to travel, in order to pass through Hangtown, was called the old Tremont trail, and was a very rough road; crossing deep cañons and rocky points, but a man by the name of Jack Johnson who was accustomed to mountain travel and famous for opening new trails and "cut offs," succeeded in the fall of '49, or spring of '50 rather, in finding a much better, as well as a shorter trail, which the emigration of following years took advantage of. It was used for many years, and universally known as the "Johnson Cut off," and, by the way, it was supposed to save about thirty miles of travel.
Some eighteen or twenty years subsequent to the finding of
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this trail, Mr. Johnson had occasion to stop over night in Placerville, at the Cary House, and occupied a room in the second story. He was tired and restless, and awakening in the night, not knowing where he was, and seeing before him what he supposed was an open door, which was in fact a French window opening to the floor, he walked out of this window, falling to the ground below, and breaking an arm in the fall. An old timer who was present, the next day with a piece of chalk wrote upon a board, placing the latter against the building beneath the window:
THE JOHNSON CUT OFF.
But the old timer was many years behind the time for such a joke to be understood and appreciated; for nearly twenty years had passed, and the history of "Johnson's Cut off" had long since been forgotten, or remembered only as a tradition; and all of those who saw the sign, with a couple of exceptions, asked what it meant. Becoming conscious at length that even here, too, time was putting in its work, with a sad heart he removed the board from its position, remarking to another old timer near him:
:Dan! the time alas, is drawing near when the boy will inquire of his father:
"Pa, what is an old forty-niner, anyhow? The school-teacher gave the conundrum to-day, for us to guess."
"The father referring to Mark Twain; 'Phœnix,' the Argonauts of California, and numerous other ancient records will answer, that many long years ago, a few adventurers from the Eastern States hearing that here upon the Western Slope the discovery of the ancient site of Paradise had been made, and that remnants of the richly paved streets of the New Jerusalem had also been found scattered over the country, ventured forth in quest of this earthly Eden. They brought with them in their ships all the various tools, implements, and devices for collecting together the scattered remnants of the holy pavement, and tradition states also, as well as from the fact that amidst the debris and ruins of an old edifice of some description in San Francisco was found many years since a huge bear carved in stone, confirming the tradition that this was the site of an edifice erected by this race of people (the Forty-niners) and used as a place of resort for social gatherings, and as a means of keeping in remembrance those early days and perpetuating the
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names of the most prominent of those who took a part. And the inquisitive boy would probably ask:
"Are the names of any of these yet remembered, Pa?”
"Yes, but only one that I now remember of,' the father would answer; for it was the tradition that at that early period of time, a mule was often seen wandering among the hills and cañons, going in various directions, but without any apparent desire on the part of the frank and energetic looking Argonaut upon its back to go anywhere in particular, only so he got there on time. 'Tradition, my son, further tells us that this rider's name was Pixley, and that he was probably hunting for some office."
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" 'Well,' the boy asks, 'did he find it, Pa?
" 'Tradition tells us that he did later - a printing office.'
" 'Well, Pa,' the boy will again ask; 'the name of the man who first found the gold was known, wasn't it?'
" 'Yes, so it was supposed for many long years, and they even erected a monument in Colomo (sic) to perpetuate his memory; but alas for the uncertainty of all human knowledge, an eccentric and ingenious individual who made cyphers and oughts his study, made the discovery by a peculiar combination of them, that the first person who discovered gold here in California was not a man, but a woman, who was engaged as chief cook for one of the Indian chiefs, and that she found it in the dinner pot. While cooking for her royal master a Shanghai chicken, the old chef noticed that it had a very yellow, sickly appearance, and remarked;
" 'Not muchee bellie good, alle same sick.'
" 'And the cook, in searching for the cause, found a small fragment
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of pavement imbedded in its gizzard. Holding it aloft with a triumphant grin, she exclaimed to her royal lord and master:
" 'Oh ! go way wid ye now, ye ould hathen. Do yez moind this now? For shure, and 'tis mesilf that's the first one to place me oi squarely upon the likes of this; a bit of the howly pavement and pure vargin gould. It is now, do yez moind?"
" 'And this simple incident, my son, was the first foundation in the structure of this great and glorious empire, California, where it was your good fortune to first see the light of day.'
" 'Well, it was funny, wasn't it, Pa? for the books tell us that one empire in the olden times was saved by a goose, and here is another one founded by a Shanghai rooster.'
"Daniel, let us enter in yonder open doorway, lean upon the bar, and weep."
They immediately did forthwith enter therein; and leaning sadly upon the bar, did - smile.
Transcribed
by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Proofread by Betty Vickroy.
© 2008 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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