Excitement in Oregon, relative to the discovery of Gold in California.
The discovery of the Gold District in California, has producd the
greatest excitement of any thing of a similar nature in modern days.
The first commencement of the excitement in Oregon was about the middle
of August, 1848, and within one month’s time, nearly 2000 persons left
Oregon for that place.
The district is said to be the richest ever known. Though it is
questionable whether the gold obtaind by Solomon was not found equally
abundant, since among so great a number of citizens as Jerusalem
furnishd, the abundance of gold in that place had reducd the value of
silver to almost nothing.
When the news of gold in California reachd Oregon, the wheat harvest was
not yet ended, and so great was the delirium when the news arrivd, that
many of the farmers left their fields unfinishd, giving them up
gratuitously to any one who might be disposd to harvest them, or let
them waste upon the ground.
As late as the 10th of March, 1849, the fever continud with unabated
fury, increasing in its sanguinary features as the warm season
approachd, preying upon the heart and vitals of every human being in
Oregon.
From the 13th of Sept. last, which was the time I arrivd at Oregon city,
to the 10th of March following, not one day passd, Sundays not excepted,
without the mention by some one in my presence, of the gold speculation.
During the remainder of my stay in Oregon city, tools of various kinds
were invented and being made at that place, ready for departure to the
mines, so soon as they might be profitably worked, on the opening of the
warm season.
The following description of the Gold Mania is taken from the Oregon
Spectator, as quoted from the Californian—
GOLD MINES OF CALIFORNIA.
In our paper of August 16, we devoted considerable space to the subject
of the gold mines, stating some facts in regard to their discovery, and
the manner in which the ore was collected. So well was the article
receivd by the public—then on the _qui vive_ for information about the
mines—and consequently so great the demand for our paper, that in a few
hours after publication the entire edition was disposd of. Since then we
have receivd many and urgent demands for that number of the Californian,
and this week, at the solicitation of a number of our patrons, we repeat
the substance of our former article, with some additional particulars.
It appears that in the first part of February last, Messrs. Marshall and
Bennett were engagd with a party in erecting a saw-mill for Capt. J. A.
Sutter, on the American fork of the Sacramento river, about 40 miles
above its mouth. In excavating the tail-race, they removd the rock
during the day, and let in the water during the night, in order to wash
out the loose dirt and sand. On the morning of the 10th, after shutting
off the water, Mr. Marshall discoverd the first gold, lying upon
decomposd granite, in the bottom of the race.
It would seem that but little doubt was entertaind of its being the real
_simon pure_, for operations immediately ceasd on the mill, and all
hands commencd searching for gold. It was soon found that gold abounded
along the American fork for a distance of 30 miles. For a time the
discoverers were the only ones aware of the fact, but the news finally
spread through the settlements. But little credit however was gaind by
the report, though occasionally a solitary “gold hunter” might be seen
stealing down to a launch with a pick and shovel, more than half ashamd
of his credulity.
Some time during the month of May, a number of credible persons arrivd
in town from the scene of operations, bringing specimens of the ore, and
stating that those engagd in collecting the precious metal were making
from $3 to $10 per day.
Then commencd the grand rush!
The inhabitants throughout the territory were in commotion. Large
companies of men, women and children could be seen on every road leading
to the mines, their wagons loaded down with tools for digging,
provisions, &c. Launch after launch left the wharves of our city,
crowded with passengers and freight for the Sacramento.
Mechanical operations of every kind ceasd—whole streets, that were but a
week before alive with a busy population, were entirely deserted, and
the place wore the appearance of a city that had been suddenly visited
by a devastating plague. To cap the climax, newspapers were obligd to
stop printing for want of readers.
Meantime our mercantile friends were doing an unusual “stroke” of
business. Every arrival from the mining district brought more or less
gold dust, the major part of which immediately passd into the hands of
the merchants for goods, &c. Immense quantities of merchandize were
conveyd to the mines, until it became a matter of astonishment where so
much could be disposd of. During the first eight weeks of the “golden
times” the receipts at this place in gold dust amounted to $250,000. For
the eight weeks ending at this date, they were $600,000.
The number of persons now engagd in gold hunting, will probably exceed
6000, including Indians, and one ounce per day, is the lowest average we
can put for each person, while many collect their hundreds of dollars,
for a number of days in succession, and instances have been known where
one individual has collected from $1500, to $1800 worth of pure gold in
a day.
Explorations have been progressing, and it is now fully ascertaind that
gold exists on both sides of the Sierra Nevada from lat. 41 North, to as
far South, as the head waters of the San Joaquin river, a distance of
400 miles in length, and 100 in breadth. Farther than this has not been
explord, but from the nature of the country beyond the sources of the
San Joaquin, we doubt not gold will also be found there in equal
abundance. The gold region already known, is however sufficiently
extensive to give profitable employment to 100,000 persons for
generations to come. The ore is in a virgin state, disseminated in small
doses, and is found in three distinct deposits,—sand and graveld beds,
on decomposd granite, and intermixd with a kind of slate.
For a long time subsequent to the discovery of the mines,—the only
implements usd in washing the gold, were large tin pans, or Indian
baskets. Latterly, ‘machines were usd—at first, a rough log hollowd out
(in some, instances,) by burning and scraping with a butcher
knife—afterwards, more finishd ones made their appearance, built of red
wood boards, in the shape of an ordinary trough, about ten feet long,
and two feet wide at the top, with a riddle or sive at one end to catch
the larger gravel, and three or four small bars at the bottom, about ½
an inch high, to keep the gold from going out with the dirt and water at
the lower end. This machine is set upon rockers,—which gives a half
rotary motion to the dirt and water inside.’—Four men are requisite to
work one of these machines properly.
Within the past month, many sick persons from the mines have arrivd at
this place, and scarcely a launch comes down the Sacramento, without
more or less sick persons on board,—while some die on the river. The
very natural inference drawn from this, by those who have never been at
the mines, is, that they lie in a sickly section of the country, and
those at work there, are in daily expectation of being sick. In our
opinion,—however, nothing can be farther from the truth. As far as our
experience goes, it is on the large rivers only, where disease prevails,
and in passing up and down upon them, the person not in perfect health
is almost invariably the one to become sick.—We have observd but few,
very few cases of sickness in the immediate neighborhood of the mines,
but such as we believe would have occurd under similar circumstances in
any other climate. Let the miner pass the Sacramento safely, (and we
would almost insure any person’s doing so that was perfectly regular and
temperate in all his habits,)—let him not, when he arrives at the mines,
work as though he was privilegd to operate for a limited time only, but
poco poco, resting at proper intervals,—let him abstain from the free
use of intoxicating drinks, living upon wholesome food,—avoiding, for
instance, half baked bread—let him sleep under the shelter of a tent,
with warm bedding,—and if, after following our advice in all these
particulars, the gold hunter becomes sick, why—we do not know anything
about the matter.
CALIFORNIA GOLD MINES DESCRIBED.
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