SICKNESS IN THE MINES--EARTHQUAKES--THE STEAMBOAT MEN--A MINERS’
MEETING--LUCKY BILL--KIT CARSON--THE FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE
MINERS--AUSTRALIAN MIKE AND HIS TIN CAN--PORTUGUESE JO--THE
DIVINING-ROD.
Much sickness prevailed among the mining classes, caused, as was
generally believed, by the very unhealthy climate; but which, in
fact, can be better attributed to their habits, mode of life, and
intemperance in eating as well as in drinking. Typhoid and bilious
fevers were the usual complaints, from which many died. One fact
was remarkable in relation to those who suffered from the various
diseases at this time, which was that those among whom the sickness
and mortality were greatest were, as a general rule, the most robust
and able-bodied men. The explanation doubtless is that the healthy,
strong and able-bodied men were more careless in their habits and mode
of life; placed less restraint upon their appetites, and therefore
suffered the consequences. Those, on the other hand, of a weaker
physique were more careful of their habits, took better care of
themselves, and therefore suffered but little from disease, proving the
possibility that even the invalid, under proper conditions and in the
use of his reasoning faculties, may be long-lived.
At this period, also, great numbers returned to their Eastern homes,
believing this to be the most unhealthy climate of any portion of
the continent, and one where no Northern or Eastern man could dwell
in safety, in consequence of the duration of the long, dry seasons
which in some years continued for a space of eight and ten months (as
we were informed), when not a cloud obscured the sun or not a drop
of rain fell. It was also feared that the necessaries of life could
not be raised from the soil. For this reason it was thought that any
interference with the communication by water between this and the East
or other portions of the earth would cause great inconvenience and
suffering among the residents of the mining regions. But one of the
greatest dangers which, as we were informed, we would be compelled to
encounter in this new and unsettled country, and from which there was
no possible escape, was the destructive earthquake. The Indians told us
that they were so frequent some years that the hills and mountains were
in almost constant motion. The squaws, they asserted, took advantage
of the fact by suspending their papooses from stakes driven into the
ground, and the gentle swaying of the hills during the continuance of
the earthquakes would rock the latter to sleep.
[Illustration: THE PAPOOSE LULLABY.]
That diseases should prevail at this time seems paradoxical, for great
additions had been made during the past few months to the medical
fraternity, in this portion of the mining regions, at least, by the
arrival of Drs. Ruddock, Chamberlain, Baker, Smith, Harvey, Cook,
Keane, Burnham, Hall, Van Vleck, Marshal, Titus, Childs, Foster,
Shober, and a few others whose names I have forgotten. These, in
conjunction with those of an earlier date of arrival, constituted a
formidable array of medical talent that was competent to battle with
and to resist the destructive effects of all diseases. They failed in
many cases, however; but whether owing to the very unhealthy nature
of the climate, or want of skill in the fraternity, would be perhaps
difficult to decide.
A story is told in relation to one of these physicians, and is worth
relating, from the fact that one of the principal actors is, at the
present time, a resident of San Francisco, and can be seen occasionally
around the wharves, or on board of one of the various steamers,
although his occupation is gone and the Colonel has outlived his
usefulness.
Dr. Ruddock had built a house upon Stony Point, and was about getting
ready to move into it, when he found one evening, to his astonishment,
that a company of emigrants, which had just arrived from St. Louis,
had jumped his premises and refused to give up possession. They were
five in number and were steamboat runners from St. Louis. Complaint was
made to Mr. Wallace, the Justice, and Alex. Hunter, the Constable was
ordered to eject them. Returning to the office again in a few minutes
he reported that the parties who had jumped the Doctor’s house didn’t
eject “worth a cuss.” He was then authorized to raise a posse for the
purpose, which he did, but only to be laughed at by the house jumpers,
and he was forced under the circumstances to make a similar report
to headquarters, and furthermore that they positively declared that
“there wasn’t Yanks enough in Hangtown to drive them out, either.” But
it happened just at this crisis that Col. Rogers, our recently elected
sheriff, rode into town, and was made acquainted with the trouble, and
requested by the Judge to raise a posse and drive the intruders out.
The Sheriff remarked that he would attend to the little affair at once,
but that he considered himself posse enough for the business. Upon his
arrival at the house he found the door fastened, and upon demanding
admission he was ordered off, and he went off--about four feet--when he
returned again with full force against the door which gave way with a
crash, and he followed it into the room.
As he entered he saw standing near the door a number of rifles.
Seizing one of these, he cocked it, and aiming it at the nearest man
he demanded an instant evacuation of the premises, which followed
immediately in the easiest and quickest manner possible, without regard
to order, method or manner of going, their chief desire being
[Illustration: THE STEAMBOAT RUNNERS.]
to get out. The windows in the rear being more convenient and easy
of exit, the five steamboat runners, with the valiant Colonel in the
rear, tumbled out in the quickest manner possible, under a full head of
steam, with a velocity of about two miles per minute, and were not able
to pull up until they had reached the next landing, a few miles below
town.
I have before mentioned that there were very many hard characters who
came into the mines at this season. Among them were the famous and
notorious Pike County Missourians, many of whom, however, were men of
good character. A greater portion of them, it is true, were just the
reverse, a reputation which they enjoyed for many years; so that to
charge a man with being from Pike County was an insult to be resented.
Many of this class engaged in mining if they could by any means get
possession of a good-paying claim without the necessity of hunting for
it. The consequence was that a goodly number of them were occasionally
injured through their taking possession of claims which they had no
right to, and miners’ meetings were frequently called to drive these
claim jumpers from misappropriated ground.
Two young men discovered a rich lead upon a low divide near the head
of Big Cañon, a few miles from town, and upon going out to work
one morning they found that four of these claim jumpers had taken
possession of their ground and had removed their stakes, placing
their own instead. The young men called a miners’ meeting, and the
day following about fifty miners answered the call, and organized
by electing a chairman. After due investigation it was decided that
these young men owned the ground in dispute, and that the jumpers
must pull up their stakes and vacate. The jumpers, however, made no
defense, remarking only after the decision was rendered against them,
that they would like to see the man who would pull up their stakes,
at the same time drawing their weapons. There was a young man present
as a spectator who had not taken any part in the meeting, although
interested in the proceedings. This young man drew his gun, and
stepping out from the crowd said to the jumpers:
“You would like to see the man who will pull up your stakes? Well, you
can,” at the same time pulling them up and throwing them to one side,
and placing the young men in possession of their claim.
This young man was Dave Buell, who was afterwards elected as the County
Sheriff.
[Illustration: A MINER’S MEETING.]
The Autumn rains commenced about the first of November, raining,
however, but slightly during the fall and winter of ’50 and ’51, and
being the most remarkable winter ever experienced either before or
after, in that section. The only rain of any consequence fell in the
month of April following. Miners, who had thrown up piles of dirt, were
badly disappointed in not being able to wash it, and gold mining was
voted a fraud. Nothing occurred during the winter to break the monotony
of events, and Hangtown and vicinity were again nearly deserted. News
from the North and South of the discovery of rich river mining, as well
as new placer mining, continued to be received, showing that the mining
region was gradually being extended to nearly the whole length of the
State, although but a few miles in breadth. One other fact, also, was
being well demonstrated, and that was that although millions of dollars
were being washed from the river bars and dry diggings in the mining
regions, yet the greater portion of it, through regular as well as
irregular business channels, was being concentrated in the hands of the
business men in San Francisco; the miners, as a class, retaining but a
small proportion of their earnings, and in many cases barely sufficient
to sustain life.
The gambling fraternity became now in the fall and winter of ’50 more
numerous, and were in full blast in our heretofore rather quiet and
orderly town.
Fighting was a pastime, and shooting, upon the slightest provocation,
was one of the chief amusements.
The miners lost large amounts of gold dust at the gambling tables,
and in the endeavor to get even still continued to lose. The noted
thimble-rigger, “Lucky Bill,” and the three-card monte sharpers of St.
Louis were on the top round of glory, robbing the honest miners who
from curiosity put up their money to know how the thing was done, and
they always found out.
This man, “Lucky Bill,” alias Wm. Thornton, was a gambler by
profession, born and raised in the city of St. Louis. Although a man
of very bad character, yet there is placed to his credit on the great
register certain acts of a charitable nature that could hardly be
expected from such an individual. He was always ready to assist the
needy, and when money was required for the unfortunate had been known
to contribute hundreds of dollars at a single time. He was hung by
a vigilance committee in Carson Valley a few years later for being
implicated in a murder and cattle stealing scrape.
In his address to the spectators around the place of his execution,
he stated that he could blame no one for the course they had taken
in condemning him to suffer death, for he well knew that he really
deserved it, but, continued he:
“How could anything else be expected of a man who was raised and
brought up by his parents among the criminal class found in the slums
and back alleys of all large cities, or more particularly in St. Louis,
where I was born. If I had been raised in a different manner I should,
no doubt, have been a far better man.”
In conclusion, he advised his son, who was present, to avoid bad
company, to keep away from saloons, and to live an honest and
industrious life.
His address illustrates very aptly the force of habits acquired by
association in early life, as well as such inherited conditions which
are natural to the individual; they form a part of him, and, under
ordinary circumstances, cannot be avoided or overcome.
Sunday was a general holiday for the miners, and early upon this day
they could be seen, dressed in store clothes, when fortunate enough to
have any, coming from the various gulches and ravines towards the town
to see the sights and amusements to be found in the saloons and in the
street.
The amusements upon the street consisted principally of horse racing,
running, jumping, wrestling, an occasional fight, as well as shooting
at targets with rifle and pistol. One of the best shots with the rifle
was a descendant of Daniel Boone, of Kentucky, who was remarkably
expert. Kit Carson, who also had recently arrived, would display his
dexterity with the pistol in shooting through the hub of a wagon wheel
as it was being rolled across the street, a piece of paper having been
pasted over the hub previously. Gambling was, of course, indulged in to
a great extent by many miners, some of them losing the result of their
whole week’s work, in some cases amounting to hundreds of dollars. The
man who dealt the three-card French monte game was a great attraction,
for his simple game looked or seemed “so innocent and aisy to bate,
does yez see now,” said an Irish miner; but this was only apparent,
as all those who attempted to beat the game became convinced, for it
was soon found that the game was a regular swindling operation, being
afterwards abolished entirely by the miners, and the dealer driven from
town.
A miner on Sunday, for amusement bet on a certain card, throwing down
his purse of gold, which contained about $800. Singularly enough
he won; the dealer, however, discovering the mistake he had made,
attempted to change the card. Failing to do so without detection, he
flatly refused to pay the bet. A short consultation among the miners
decided as to how he should be served. A rope was thrown around his
neck, and fifteen minutes allowed him in which to “pungle down the
dust.” He called upon his brother gamblers to come to his assistance,
which they were inclined to do, but they were very politely informed
by the miners, that after settling with the monte dealer, it was the
intention to hang a few of them also, if they did not leave town within
two hours. The monte dealer concluded that he had struck a hard crowd,
paid the bet and vanished. A few of the other gamblers departed also,
but returned again, however, in a few days.
It is proper and but just that I should mention here the vast
improvement in the make-up and general appearance of the great majority
of the mining class since the arrival of the fall emigration of ’50.
Sunday would find them dressed in their “biled shirts” and “store
clothes,” with hair and whiskers well trimmed and faces shaved, and
occasionally a stove-pipe hat would make its appearance. The appearance
of the tile was seldom repeated, however, for the trouble of forcing
it up over the face again where it had been jammed down by some vile
scoundrel, “just for fun you know,” and of again putting it into proper
shape, took away all pleasure in wearing it. The fact is, the miners
who had been living for the past year away from those conditions which
civilized society creates, had not as yet arrived at that point again,
or to that advanced condition where the style of a plug hat would be
appreciated; consequently, the man who was ignorant of this fact, and
had the audacity to appear in the streets with such an absurd head
gear, had to suffer the consequences.
It may at this point in the history of mining be of some interest to
know the financial condition of those who had been engaged in the
business for the past year. As before stated, many returned to their
Eastern homes in the spring, a few of them with a considerable amount
of gold dust, and some having as much as $10,000 and even $15,000, but
in very many cases with barely sufficient to pay their way. A few,
again, who had succeeded in securing a fair amount, would engage in
business in some one of the mining camps, or in Sacramento City or San
Francisco, whilst others would buy land in some portion of the State
and engage in the stock business. But those miners who remained in this
portion of the mining region were, as a general rule, those who had not
acquired a sufficient amount to satisfy them, and therefore determined
to remain until they did. Others again, desired very much to return to
their families, but not having the means were compelled to remain.
There were a few persons here who had accumulated a large amount of
dust, and one man by the name of Harper, who never was known to wear a
hat, a Scotchman by birth, is said to have accumulated about $75,000.
Another one from Australia, but an Irishman by birth, who arrived in
the mines early in the spring of
[Illustration: ONLY TWO DAYS IN THE MINES.]
’49, is said to have been a very lucky miner, as the saying goes, and
had about $60,000 which he had put into empty oyster cans and hidden
around in various places, to which fact hangs a tale.
Several instances had occurred where persons had come into the mines
and by a streak of good fortune been successful, or in other words had
“struck it rich,” and returned home again in a very short time. Among
this number of very lucky ones, were two young men who had just arrived
from their homes in the East. On the second day of their arrival in
Hangtown, they were directed by an aquaintance to the big cañon a
short distance north of town as being a good place to commence their
operations, they dug a ditch down the side hill from the main ditch,
in order to run the water into their sluices; and while at work a tin
can was found in their sluices, which had been washed out from the
loose soil above near the roots of an old oak tree, and had by the
force of the water rolled down into the sluice. Upon examination, they
found it full of gold dust and their work was done in California. They
had found what they had come for, and the next morning were aboard
the stage bound for San Francisco, with $15,000 worth of gold dust to
divide between them. Australian Mike lived very near the spot, and
the next day discovered his loss. An officer in pursuit of the young
chaps arrived in San Francisco about two hours only, which however was
enough, after the steamer had left the wharf for Panama, on which they
had taken passage. Old Mike did’nt seem to care much for the loss, and
all he said was: “Be jabers, thin, I hev a plinty more handy, do ye
moind?”
People at the East often asked the question, and wondered why it was
that so many returned again to their homes without having succeeded in
making but very little in the gold mines, while others returned with
fortunes. This seemed strange, and was often attributed to bad habits,
intemperance or laziness, which, of course, was true in many cases but
not in all, by any means. It is very true that the industrious man
who worked early and late would, from the nature of things, be more
successful than those who did the reverse or worked but seldom; and
although this rule will apply to all human affairs in general, yet
the mining industry in early days was, to some extent, at least, an
exception to the accepted rule, for, as observation shows us, it was
not the hardest-working man, or the most industrious, who succeeded
best in striking the richest placers,
[Illustration: WHO ARE THE SUCCESSFUL PROSPECTORS.]
but in very many instances fortune favored those who did the least
work. In the ordinary affairs of life those only will prosper or
succeed in the business in which they are engaged, who are well
qualified, and who possess the qualities and habits necessary for
its success--that is to say, possessing a reasonable amount of
intelligence, economy, industry, and proper caution; but in mining,
these qualities are, so far as the finding and extraction of the gold
is concerned, of very little value, as was often illustrated in early
mining days.
I do not include, however, in this class those who were too lazy to
make an effort to find a paying mine, for the country was full of this
class of men, and they could be seen tramping about among the numerous
hills and gulches with their tools, hunting for some pleasant spot to
work, and they would generally find it under the shade of a tree. It
was this class of men who depended upon their more industrious friends
for a living, and who were always ready to maintain that mining in
early days was a mere question of luck.
Very often the most ignorant, idle and shiftless lout, would stumble
by accident upon a very rich gold deposit. The colored individual, and
the sailor too, who had run away from his ship, as well as many others
of like ilk, had just as good an opportunity, and were as competent
to find a valuable gold deposit, as the most highly educated college
student or scientific geologist. In mining, but little judgment was
required, and a little experience, which was soon acquired, brought all
upon an equal footing. If gold had been scattered equally and uniformly
throughout the land, then only those would be the most successful who
were the most industrious; but this was not the case, however, for
’twas scattered all over only in spots, and it was the dropping upon
these spots by accident that determined the success of the individual.
It was often the case that persons were hard at work realizing daily
but a few dollars, whilst a few feet away others were making perhaps
hundreds of dollars per diem, and many again who to my knowledge were
quite industrious barely made a living. That a few made large sums,
whilst others again made but little, must therefore be attributed to
their good fortune, or to their having, from chance conditions, located
their claim and worked upon the right spot. In my opinion no other
explanation can be given, or why a few were enabled to make large sums
while others, equally industrious, realized but little.
[Illustration: THE LUCKY STAR.]
For instance a sailor, who had just arrived from San Francisco, having
deserted from his ship, strolled along up the creek one day where two
miners were hard at work, and he stood silently watching them for a
few minutes. Then transferring his cud of tobacco across from port to
starboard, he remarked, in a coarse salt-water, tone of voice:
“Well shipmates, what’s the show for a fellow here, anyhow?”
They pointed out a vacant spot of ground a short distance above (near
what is now called Cedar Ravine) and borrowing the necessary tools,
Jack was soon at hard work.
Towards evening he returned again, and said that he didn’t know
anything about the blasted bed rock, gold, or anything else, and wanted
the shipmates to go and take a look at the blasted thing. They went to
his claim and found it about five feet long and about three feet in
width and four feet in depth. Near the center it was about six inches
deeper, and in this depression, which was very rich, they washed out
with their cradles for Jack in two hours about $3,500. He was only
two days in the mines, for of course he returned to San Francisco
immediately to enjoy himself.
Quite a number of similar instances might be given in elucidation of
the fact as I have explained it, and if you wish for good luck in
mining, always put in your time right where gold is, and nowhere else.
Another instance in illustration of the fact that Dame Fortune is
impartial in the distribution of her favors was that of Portuguese
Joe, a sailor who came up into the mines from San Francisco early in
the spring of ’50. After working around for a few weeks in various
localities with but poor success, he concluded to do a little
prospecting in some less frequented locality. Purchasing a diminutive
donkey, he packed the animal with all necessary tools and supplies
and wandered forth. It was not long, however, before he returned to
purchase further supplies, and it was surmised from the size and weight
of his sack that he had struck it rich. But where? Not a word could
be gotten from him, however. He was followed a number of times, but,
suspecting it, would go miles out of his way upon his return to deceive
them. But Yankee ingenuity could not be foiled by a Portuguese sailor;
and one dark night, when he had started to his camp upon the donkey,
two old miners followed his trail. The donkey and its rider suspected
this, and consequently traveled nearly all night around among the
hills, through rocky ravines and dark cañons, but only to find to their
great astonishment, when, as they slid down the side of a steep hill
near the dawn of day and landed upon a small bar upon the South Fork of
the American River, that closely following them and sliding down the
deep descent in their rear, were the two old miners.
[Illustration: ON HIS TRAIL.]
Well, Joe was a good-natured fellow, and was rather glad of their
company, for the bar was very rich and large enough for all. They
found, on investigation, upon the richest part of the bar the sand and
gravel was only from six inches to a foot in depth, and that the gold
was coarse and easily found in the crevices of the slate bed rock,
and from this time forward it was called “Portuguese Joe’s Bar.” How
much this Portuguese sailor took from his bar was never exactly known,
although it was estimated to be about $60,000; nor of his ultimate
end, for, alas, his was a sad ending, and of the incidents, being an
eye-witness, I have at this late day a very vivid recollection.
During one of his frequent visits into Hangtown, astride of his
diminutive donkey with his feet dangling upon the ground, for he was
a very tall man, upon passing along through the noisy street, for it
was Sunday, the affectionate animal, either from accident or fun, very
suddenly elevated that portion of his anatomy abaft the saddle, and
the rider was thrown forward upon the cold ground. Assisting him again
to his feet, a bystander, in a very careless although innocent manner
without the least design to injure or desire to harm anyone, remarked
that Joe reminded him very much of Cæsar, since both had been placed
under similar circumstances. Upon being asked why, in the hearing of
Joe, he answered that they both fell by a brute ass (Brutus). Joe gazed
sadly upon the thoughtless miscreant to see if he was in dead earnest
or only intended it as a joke, and being satisfied that it was no joke,
he strode sadly astride of his beast which he sat down upon, turned his
head toward the setting sun and departed never to return again.
This vile attempt to destroy the peace and happiness of a fellow-being
in the eyes of the miners was equivalent to manslaughter, and a jury
being immediately formed the culprit was arraigned before the bar (in
the nearest saloon), received his sentence, the fine being very heavy,
as the jury was numerous and very dry.
But what became of Portuguese Joe was never known. It is said that
away off in Europe, amidst the dense forest in the German Empire was
occasionally seen by the superstitious peasants the phantom of a
donkey, and riding on his back a tall, dark and sad-eyed rider, going
in the direction of Rome; and they positively assert that after he
had passed they could distinctly hear the gentle breeze, as it moved
slightly among the trees, sadly murmur. Oh, Cæsar! Oh, Cæsar! This
in all probability was Portuguese Joe from Hangtown, Eldorado County,
California, who, not having previously heard of Cæsar’s accident, was
doubtless on his way to see if the latter was much hurt by his fall.
The location of the right spot to dig is the great problem to solve
in mining, and many devices were, adopted for the purpose, among
them being the divining-rod, frequently used by our associates from
the Faderland. One German had established an office, and in his
prospectus agreed to furnish, for a consideration, the exact location
where gold deposits could be found; but upon trial, to his vexation
and astonishment, found that it was useless. A newcomer engaged his
services, and the spot was located near the banks of a ravine near by.
The bed rock was slate and very hard, but the German fakir stated that
down under the rock was a great deposit of gold, and he only charged
the verdant youth the sum of $25 for the valuable information. After
spending much time and money, as well as a great deal of hard work, in
penetrating the slate bed to the distance of about thirty feet, the
project was abandoned, and the German, with his rod of divination, also
abandoned the mines in disgust. These fabulous instruments, usually
made of sticks cut from a witch-hazel bush in our own country, in
Germany are made of whalebone, and to one which I saw was fastened a
small vial containing quicksilver, in which was found a piece of paper
upon which was written in some foreign language certain mythical words
and signs, evidently from the Bible, meaning, I suppose, “excavate and
ye shall find,” or an extract from Job, “Watch the pot and it will
never bile,” or something similar.