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 town 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 race, 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 whole Pacific coast in
so short a space of time.
Across the river could also be seen at this time, the name of 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 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 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.”
[Illustration: HE DONE IT WEEL.]
“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 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 circumstance,
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 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 at 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
[Illustration: HANGTOWN IN ’49.]
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-team, 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 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.
[Illustration: “DIS AM A FREE KENTRY, MASSA.”]
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 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 that when they had
forwarded to him the sum of twenty-three 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 rains, 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’ 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 of
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
[Illustration: SMOKED OUT.]
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 mines 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. 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 condition 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 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 portion 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 sich 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 it was from this
fact that the mining camp derived its name, 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 this 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.
[Illustration: LAW AND ORDER TRIUMPHANT.]
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 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 was 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 sanguine 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.