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The Discovery Of Gold In California by John
Sutter |
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From my mill buildings I reaped no benefit whatever, the mill stones even
have been stolen and sold.
My tannery, which was then in a flourishing condition, and was carried on
very profitably, was deserted, a large quantity of leather was left
unfinished in the vats; and a great quantity of raw hides became valueless
as they could not be sold; nobody wanted to be bothered with such trash,
as it was called. So it was in all the other mechanical trades which I had
carried on; all was abandoned, and work commenced or nearly finished was
all left, to an immense loss for me.
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Sutter's Mill Buildings.
This image available for
photographic prints
and downloads
HERE! |
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Even the
Indians
had no more patience to work alone, in harvesting and threshing my
large wheat crop out; as the whites had all left, and other
Indians
had been engaged by some white men to work for them, and they
commenced to have some gold for which they were buying all kinds of
articles at enormous prices in the stores; which, when my
Indians
saw this, they wished very much to go to the mountains and dig gold.
At last I consented, got a number of wagons ready, loaded them with
provisions and goods of all kinds, employed a clerk, and left with
about one hundred
Indians,
and about fifty Sandwich Islanders (Kanakas) which had joined those
which I brought with me from the Islands. The first camp was about ten
miles above Mormon Island, on the south fork of the American River.
In a few weeks we became crowded, and it would no more pay, as my people
made too many acquaintances. I broke up the camp and started on the march
further south, and located my next camp on Sutter creek (now in Amador
county), and thought that I should there be alone. The work was going on
well for a while, until three or four traveling grog-shops surrounded me,
at from one and 8, half to two miles distance from the camp; then, of
course, the gold was taken to these places, for drinking, gambling, etc.,
and then the following day they were sick and unable to work, and became
deeper and more indebted to me, and particularly the Kanakas. I found that
it was high time to quit this kind of business, and lose no more time and
money. I therefore broke up the camp and returned to the Fort, where I
disbanded nearly all the people who had worked for me in the mountains
digging gold. This whole expedition proved to be a heavy loss to me.
At the same time I was engaged in a mercantile firm in
Coloma, which I
left in January, 1849 – likewise with many sacrifices. After this I would
have nothing more to do with the gold affairs. At this time, the Fort was
the great trading place where nearly all the business was transacted. I
had no pleasure to remain there, and moved up to Hock Farm, with all my
Indians, and who had been with me from the time they were children. The
place was then in charge of a Major Domo.
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Johann Augustus Sutter (1803-1880), by Stephen
William Shaw.
This image available for
photographic prints
and downloads
HERE!
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It is very singular that the
Indians never found a piece of gold and
brought it to me, as they very often did other specimens found in the
ravines. I requested them continually to bring me some curiosities from
the mountains, for which I always recompensed them. I have received
animals, birds, plants, young trees, wild fruits, pipe clay, stones, red
ochre, etc., etc., but never a piece of gold. Mr. Dana of the scientific
corps of the expedition under Commander Wilkes’ Exploring Squadron, told me
that he had the strongest proof and signs of gold in the vicinity of
Shasta Mountain, and furthers south. A short time afterwards, Doctor Sandels, a very scientific traveler, visited me, and explored a part of
the country in a great hurry, as time would not permit him to make a
longer stay.
He
told me likewise that he found sure signs of gold, and was very sorry that
be could not explore the Sierra Nevada. He did not encourage me to attempt
to work and open mines, as it was uncertain how it would pay and would
probably be only for a government.
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So I thought it more prudent to
stick to the plow, not withstanding I did know that the country was rich
in gold, and other minerals. An old attached Mexican servant who followed
me here from the United States, as soon as he knew that I was here, and
who understood a great deal about working in placers, told me he found
sure signs of gold in the mountains on Bear Creek, and that we would go
right to work after returning from our campaign in 1845, but he became a
victim to his patriotism and fell into the hands of the enemy near my
encampment, with dispatches for me from General Micheltorena, and he was hung
as a spy, for which I was very sorry.
By this sudden discovery of the gold, all my great plans were destroyed.
Had I succeeded for a few years before the gold was discovered, I would
have been the richest citizen on the Pacific shore; but it had to be
different. Instead of being rich, I am ruined, and the cause of it is the
long delay of the United States Land Commission of the United States
Courts, through the great influence of the squatter lawyers. Before my
case will be decided in Washington, another year may elapse, but I hope
that justice will be done me by the last tribunal — the Supreme Court of
the United States. By the Land Commission and the District Court it has
been decided in my favor. The Common Council of the city of
Sacramento,
composed partly of squatters, paid Adelpheus Felch, (one of the late Land
Commissioners, who was engaged by the squatters during his office),
$5,000, from the fund of the city, against the will of the tax-payers, for
which amount he has to try to defeat my just and old claim from the
Mexican government, before the Supreme Court of the United States in
Washington.
Added June,
2008
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About the Author: The
undisputed founder of
California,
pioneer Johann Augustus Sutter, owned the land where gold was first
discovered beginning the famous California Gold
Rush. When news of the gold find leaked out, his property was over run
by nearly 100,000 prospectors and in the end he lost everything. This
article, written by Sutter, first appeared in Hutchings’ California Magazine
in November, 1857.
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