Top Ten Things Not to Do During the 1849 California Gold Rush

~ John W. Howell
Image by PIX1861 from Pixabay

 

This edition continues the historical background on the Top Ten feature. I hope you like it. This post ran on September 1, 2018

Top Ten Things Not to Do During the 1849 California Gold Rush

10 If you are near the gold rush, do not sell everything to go mine for gold. If you do, at best, you will break even. At worst, you’ll find that you have blown your life savings chasing a dream. (Seems you could have found a better way to blow your money, Farquharson. You could try self-publishing.)

9 If you are near the gold rush, do not move that stake at the corner of Tiny the WWF champ’s claim. If you do, at best, Tiny will let you put it back. At worst, Tiny figures you are jumping his claim. (No use even putting up a fight, Farrin. I would just lie there. Tiny is bound to lose interest sooner or later.)

8 If you are near the gold rush, do not hide your gold under the straw mattress on your cot. If you do, at best, the lump will keep you awake. At worst, sadly, that’s the first place a thief will look. (Well, now you need to start over, Farrs. With any luck, you get that gold dust back in another six months of panning.)

7 If you are near the gold rush, do not describe someone to his face as a sourdough. If you do, at best, the person is too new to know that a sourdough is someone from Canada who has come to California in search of Gold. At worst, the person might take exception to being called dough. (Might as well take it back, Farson. Looks like he is mighty angry.)

6 If you are near the gold rush, do not wear your Amiri jeans to work. If you do, at best, you will attract many stares. At worst, the Levi-Strauss salesperson might decide a gunfight is in order. (I guess you didn’t realize that Levi’s are the official jeans of the gold rush, huh, Favian. No worries, just buy a pair and all will be forgotten.)

5 If you are near the gold rush, do not announce any discoveries of gold. If you do, at best, you’ll have more friends. At worst, the mob scene that will transpire is more than you can handle. (Your claim needs to be defended, Fedyenka. But do you really want to shoot someone?)

4 If you are near the gold rush, do not complain about the cost of food. If you do, at best, you’ll be told to go elsewhere. At worst, the cook may decide that serving you requires a higher reimbursement and raise his prices again. (Funny, Felix, but you are the only one paying more for everything.)

3 If you are near the gold rush, do not think you can set up a get-rich-quick wagon and tool rental business. If you do, at best, all your tools will be rented out, and you’ll need to get more. At worst, none of the devices will be brought back, and the rentals do not cover the cost. (This was not how it was supposed to work, Fergus.)

2 If you are near the gold rush, do not drink whatever is in that bottle in the saloon. If you do, at best, you won’t go blind. At worst, you might lose track of time and wake up three weeks from now broke and homeless. (Imagine if you’d had enough money to buy two bottles, Fiacre. You might not be with us right now.)

1 If you are near the gold rush, do not pan for gold. If you do, at best, you won’t find any. At worst, you might pull a couple of specks out of the sand, which will cause an extreme attack of gold fever. (Well, that does it, Fidelis. You are hooked. See you in a couple of years when your money runs out.)

63 thoughts on “Top Ten Things Not to Do During the 1849 California Gold Rush”

  13. I had to laugh at number 10: “….that you have blown your life savings chasing a dream”….”Seems you could have found a better way to blow your money….. You could try self-publishing.”

    I remember watching the Swedish TV series Nybyggarna (The New Land) about Swedish immigrants to the United States. Two of the immigrants, two young guys, decided they wanted to be part of the California Gold Rush. They ended up with gold (its a long story) but when they sold it at the bank they were give counterfeit dollar bills, so they ended up with nothing, and one of them died in the desert.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  14. Good list, as always, John. When I taught 4th grade, we studied the Gold Rush. One of the concluding parts of the unit was to go to a nearby river to pan for gold. My teaching partner and I spraypainted a lot of rocks gold in advance so that the kids could find some “gold.”

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  15. Colorado has more than it’s fair share of gold (and silver) rush stories. And they are pitifully heartbreaking. Tough times those rushes were but they seemed to capture a lot of folks attention. As the west was being settled, you were either a miner or a farmer. And both jobs were tough.

    Great list of Top 10 Things Not to Do, John. I always enjoy these posts.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Seems I remember the Klondike was where sourdough starter came from. Eventually, all miners were called sourdoughs. When I originally did this post, I had a reference that was probably obscure and could have been inaccurate, who knows? Anyway, I can’t find it today.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  21. ” … do not announce any discoveries of gold.”

    Sutter’s Mill:

    On January 24, 1848, while inspecting the mill’s tailrace (the ditch that returns water to the river), James Marshall spotted shining flakes of metal in the water. He gathered the flakes and took them to John Sutter. Despite their attempts to keep the discovery a secret, word quickly leaked out. By 1849, the news had triggered one of the largest mass migrations in history.

    Ironically, the discovery ruined both men financially. Workers abandoned their jobs at the sawmill to pan for gold, and thousands of prospectors overran Sutter’s land, destroying his crops and livestock. John Sutter lost his fortune and died virtually penniless. James Marshall faced a similar fate; unable to capitalize on the discovery, he died destitute and is buried in Coloma, California, where a monument points down to the discovery site.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Put your favorite fiction or non-fiction in writing. I would love to hear from you