Interestingly my interpretation of Marshall's adventures really I admit matches neither what Marshall used to say in his many lectures, nor what Sutter himself said exactly. It is based upon a more detailed account gleaned by someone amongst the workers who observed Marshall and talked to him while he was building the mill. Also that observer had also taken in the actual events and previous happenings with a high degree of accuracy. Where he differs from Marshall's account is that the determination of gold was done prior to going to see Sutter about it, and that Marshall told the crew about the likelihood of finding gold before he set up the tail race and was careful to set the sluicing of gravel up so that the whole thing could be examined. These preparations according to our confidant went on for the better part of one week, the idea of inspecting the gravel in a tail race was not that usual and modifications to the work had to be done.
Why would Marshall have held out that it was purely fortuitous to the public when it was widely said that gold potential existed, and indeed the Mexicans had mined gold in California for many years as well as taken out placer claims in the area 16 years before? The geologists who had been through there had made no secret of the potential for gold, as they had heard themeselves from prospectors of the huge amount of white quartz in the hills around there.
It is plain that Marshall knew an uncommon amount about the potential of his discovery when he saw the gold. It was no great amount. Many who saw a placer's paltry take after much effort, perhaps a few dollars in gold might not have made so much of it. But Marshall was thunderstruck. This is not the act of a man who is ignorant of his findings. And why inspect the tail race gravel so closely? It seems to me that Marshall, who never made a dime on the discovery, wanted to hide his role in purposely finding it from one man, Sutter. Sutter was out to start a farming empire, and as Marshall's employer and a friend of people in Congress, and power in Calfornia, was nobody to tweak. Sutter, from the start as Marshall knew, did not want gold to be exploited in that area at all as he would lose all. Marshall did not want to be seen as the architect of his destruction as he very nearly was. As well, I find it to be an odd trait of prospectors, that after seeking for many years and using every predictive device, rather than blow their own horn at a find, they will blame lady luck and say they just tripped over it. Rarely is that the case.
It seems to me that as one has said, Marshall inspected that tail race gravel to see if there was gold there or not. That is from one account. He predicted it to his men, and bid them build the sluicing mechanism. In the following day he came back with samples. At this point he took the samples away, to an authority and thence went to see Sutter. I don't think many people would know there was a discovery if they saw a few grains of gold as was the case. What follows is this. After finding the nugget of gold, they proceeded to sluice further and pan the head of the gravel. Now if they were ignorant of panning, sluicing and the like, how would they have known to sluice and in what manner, and to pan where? Ignorant of the affair, they might have combed all the gravels with their hands never thinking to pan the heads. So they followed a path that tells me that there actions were concerted and purposeful and guided by someone's experience. But how to explain their activities to the world, such that it did not appear that they were loafing of goofing off if they did not profit by this? Well they told and story, and for years Marshall stuck to it. You don't take a nugget to your boss and tell him, "well I figured there was gold there so I modified your mill and spent one week sluicing, we found one nugget. There will be a delay this season in getting out lumber. I know you are going broke. Do suppose this might make a difference to your business?" Ergo the accidental story. It sold better.
Marshall knew how to evaluate placers from someone. In Mexican territory, the word placer is as common as grass. It was the official word for a mining claim with the then Spanish government. A placer. It derives from the Spanish word for beach, plasa, where gold may be mined in this manner. Marshall residing there, must have known this. His boss Sutter, was on very friendly terms with local Spanish governor. Sutter and Marshall conspired to get the mining lands by political means, even trying to get a lease from the Indians validated by the US government. Marshall knew he was on to something of possible regional significance so he must have had very good mining advice from someone. In all his speeches given subsequently he never mentioned his partners out there, Bennet and Wimmer. I wonder. When players or athletes win a medal, it is rare to see them say "well me and my coach did it."
I tend to believe the other accounts and not Marshall's as they were more detailed and observational of conditions and events that make sense to the times and less of an anecdote for consumption of an audience.
EC<:-} |
