Trove Tuesday - California [Private Information]

I came across this article on Trove from The Goulburn Herald dated 16th February, 1850 while researching my 4th Great Grand Aunt Mary Beaver (nee Rhall) who with her husband Charles Beaver went to California on board the ship Louisa in 1849. Although according to this article they were doing well in California, they soon returned to Australia due to the death of Charles father William who had an undertakers business in Sydney.

Source: [No heading]. (1850, February 16). The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser (NSW : 1848 - 1859), p. 1. Retrieved May 21, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-page9477401

 The article contains a wealth of information for researchers but it is the story of the misfortune of Byrnes and Frazer that for me appealed the most.

' It is worthy of remark that at the Capital, notwithstanding the superfluity of wealth there were many persons in the most abject poverty, ashamed to beg, and unable to stand the fatigue of labour which requires the exercise of physical strength; men who had received an education fitting them to fill superior offices but whose services cannot be required in California for years to come.-Our inform ant had met several of these unfortunate persons of this class, who went from New South Wales and Van Diemen's land, and who could meet with no engagement by which they could earn a livelihood, and who found much difficulty in getting even their daily bread. Two men named Byrnes, a brick-maker, and Frazer, both from Sydney by some of the first fleet of vessels, had accumulated at the diggings, where they had laboured hard, about seventeen and a-half pounds of gold dust, with which they took their departure on their way to San Francisco, where they purpose taking ship for this colony to see their friends and again return to California. Rumours that robberies were common on the road induced them to pack their metal into a leather bag which they placed in an apparent careless manner in a dirty handkerchief, which was suffered to dangle at the back of the dray in order to allay suspicion, should they meet with rough customers on the road. They met with no molestation on their journey, but when approaching their destination, they discovered that their precious bag had sprung a leak, and with the jolting motion of the carriage the dust had escaped through the covering, and had scarcely as much remaining as would meet the expenses of their expedition. They were seen in San Francisco very much depressed by their disastrous misfortune. Frazer looked on the matter with an affected air of indifference, which was so badly acted, as to become almost as ludicrous as Byrne's extravagant exhibition of sorrow; but a few days residence in the city gave them fresh courage, and bundling their knapsacks on their backs, they started for the diggings, where they were again successfully located when our informant last heard of them.'

Full article

Source: CALIFORNIA. (1850, February 16). The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser (NSW : 1848 - 1859), p. 1. Retrieved May 22, 2013, from http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article101730886

Transcript:

CALIFORNIA

[PRIVATE INFORMATION]

THE Union, lately arrived in Sydney from the Gold Country has brought back several of the Sydney emigrants.  The following information was gathered from them by the conducter of the People's Advocate.

One of our informants left Sydney in January, 1849, by the brig Louisa, and arrived in San Francisco in May last, and at once proceeded to Sacramento City by water, en route to the mines, in company with Mr. Henry Wright and Mr. Cruikshank, both of Sydney; the former of whom, it will be recollected, arrived here by the Deborah, and left again by the brig Sabine, for California, on a second expedition ; the latter was at San Francisco, in the Custom House department, when the Union left.  On landing at Sacramento City, our informant's party proceeded overland to Colomo, a distance of 45 miles, which they preformed on foot, without much fatigue, their baggage and provisions being conveyed by waggons, at the charge of 25 dollars per cwt.  Thence they walked to Kelsey's dry diggings, six miles inland from Colomo, where the party remained, working hard, for six weeks, but with indifferent success, not so much on account of bad ground, as from a bad supply of water, both for culinary purposes and dust washing.  Wright and Cruikshank started thence to another quarter, and our informant to the northward, accompanied by two others, one named Edwards, also from Sydney, when they set to work again at the diggings, on the North Fork, where their average gatherings far exceeded the product of the dry diggings; none were collecting less than six dollar's worth daily, while many had procured as much as six ounces; the average, however, of each man's labour was estimated at one ounce per day, or sixteen dollars' worth, at San Francisco prices.

The North Fork is represented as one of the healthiest digging localities, the banks of the river being generally high, and the ague being only prevalent on the low and swampy country nearer the sea.  The diggers are generally banded together in companies or messes, consisting of parties of from three to twenty-five.

The provisions during the week are generally salt pork and biscuits, with quantities of broad beans, which are a favorite article of food and could be procured for 25 cents. per lb. and were used in every form, boiled, roasted, and baked.  The diet was occasionally varied by venison, the country being well stocked with deer and a large species of elk.  There is abundance of quail, hares,rabbits and squirrels; these formed changes, but were only looked after on Sundays, which the diggers observed by abstaining from the ordinary pursuit of gold hunting.  The first dawn of daylight finds every man with his pick and shovel in his hand, and the work continues without intermission till breakfast, and is then resumed till eleven o'clock or mid-day, the interval two to three o'clock p.m., being occupied in separating that portion of grit, or emery, or iron particles from the gold dust, which cannot be removed by the washing process of rocking the cradle.  A magnet is applied to the residue after washing, and the iron ore is separated by attraction, while the fine dust emery is spread into small hollow pieces of tin, and being carefully shaken in the hand parrellel to the operator's mouth the grit is blown away and the pure metal remains.  This is then weighed, bagged, and stowed away, and thus each day's reckoning is ascertained, and progress marked.  Digging is again continued from three o'clock till dark, and the evening till bed time is generally occupied by cooking and preparing the next day's dinner.  At San Francisco labourers were in demand and found ready engagement at six dollars a day, and carpenters' wages continuing to be very high- no fixed quotation being named.  Houses were springing up with great rapidity, and every facility of construction known amongst the Americans was being gradually introduced; a saw mill being established at Colomo and working day and night in cutting up pine for boards; while a shingle splitting machine moved by water power has been erected at Weaver's Creek, and was performing miracles in that department.  It is worthy of remark that at the Capital, notwithstanding the superfluity of wealth there were many persons in the most abject poverty, ashamed to beg, and unable to stand the fatigue of labour which requires the exercise of physical strength; men who had received an education fitting them to fill superior offices but whose services cannot be required in California for years to come.-Our informant had met several of these unfortunate persons of this class, who went from New South Wales and Van Diemen's land, and who could meet with no engagement by which they could earn a livelihood, and who found much difficulty in getting even their daily bread.  Two men named Byrnes, a brick-maker, and Frazer, both of Sydney by some of the first fleet of vessels, had accumulated at the diggings, where they had laboured hard, about seventeen and a half pounds of gold dust, with which they took their departure on their way to San Francisco, where they purpose taking ship for this colony to see their friends and again return to California.  Rumours that robberies were common on the road induced them to pack their metal into a leather bag which they place in an apparent careless manner in a dirty handkerchief, which was suffered to dangle at the back of the dray in order to ally suspicion, should they meet with rough customers on the road.  They met with no molestation on their journey, but when approaching their destination, they discovered that their precious bag had sprung a leak, and with the jolting motion of the carriage the dust had escaped through the covering, and had scarcely as much remaining as would meet the expenses of their expedition.  They were seen in San Francisco very much depressed by their disastrous misfortune.  Frazer looked on the matter with an affected air of indifference, which was so badly acted, as to become almost as ludicrous as Byrne's extravagant exhibition of sorrow ; but a few days residence in the city gave them fresh courage, and bundling their knapsacks on their backs, they started for the diggings, where they were again successfully located when our informant last heard of them.  Mr. and Mrs. Hogan, formerly of Parramatta-st., died at San Francisco of fever, it is said.  Mr. Richard Crampton was seen all well at San Francisco, where he had entered into an action at law before the Court of the Alcade, against the master of the Star of China.  Mr. R. Crockston was keeping a board and lodging and public-house, and doing well.  Mr. G. Crawford, late of Sydney, had a good situation in the Customs department and doing well; Mr Caldwell was keeping an Inn, as were also Messrs. W. Young and Boyd, and doing well; Mr. James Brooker, boot-maker, was at the Port in bad health ; Mr. Joseph Miller and Mr. Charles Beaver, carpenters, were in good health and thriving ;  Mr. Turner, late of Bligh-street and King-street, was also at the Port and doing well ; Mr. Thomas O'Neil was at the Macalemy, and Byrne's at the Stanislaus diggings doing well ; Mr. Robert McEachern was erecting a brewery at the Port, and his brother James was getting up a description of the country and a chart of the harbour for publication at San Francisco, which it was expected would be a remunerative undertaking ; Mr. H.S. Murray was doing well there ; Mr. Benjamin Cohen was in bad health and intended coming on to Sydney via Hobart Town ; Mr John Slater was at the dry diggings at Weavers Creek ; and Miss Nutt (now Mrs. Captain Reedy of the Ann schooner) was in San Francisco while her husband was gone to the diggings, who was also doing well and in good health.  A Mr. Harding, who came from the Sydney neighbourhood, or the interior, was spoken at the mines, all well, and a Mr. Smith late of King-street was at San Francisco, profitably employed and in good health.  The party who has furnished this information is about to return, but he desires us to say that it is not his wish or intention to advise others to go who have not ample means to maintain themselves at San Francisco or pay for their conveyance to the mines.  Money though plentiful there, is as highly respected as in Sydney, and he saw many people at the Port who had recently arrived among the thousands pouring in from all quarters, who were entirely dependent upon the gratuitous assistance of strangers for their daily bread.  Parties who have been in California and are returning, of course know the consequences, and are prepared accordingly ;  but this is not in our friend's opinion, sufficient to warrant strangers to throw bread on the waters, unless they have with them the means of recovering it again.