Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/250



238' EL  DORADO.

claimed 1,000  feet  along  the  ledge,  being  125  feet  to each  man. For nine  months  they  remained  in  peacea- ble possession, working  their  mine  continuously. The richness of  the  vein  drew  to  the  hill  many  miners, who at  length  began  to  question  the  right  of  Morgan and his  men  to  hold  so  much  ground ;  and  the  ques- tion of title  once  raised,  soon  the  whole  claim  was covered with  squatters. Morgan appealed  to  the courts and  was  declared  the  rightful  possessor;  but when the  sheriff  attempted  to  place  him  in  possession the squatters  declared  they  would  die  before  yieldihg their claims. Further than  this,  being  greatly  supe- rior in numbers,  they  held  a  meeting  and  passed  reso- lutions that Morgan  and  his  company  should  leave the camp  within  an  hour,  or  be  driven  thence. The property in  their  cabin,  said  their  resolutions,  was  to be  "held  sacred." The resolutions  of  200  armed  men against eight  usually  prevailed  in  the  mines,  so next  day  all  that  was  left  of  the  Morgan  company  on Carson  hill  was  the  cabin  with  its  sacred  utensils — hallowed pots  and  kettles  and  holy  woolen  shirts.

Thus ejected  from  a  ledge  of  his  own  discovering,  of which  the  courts  had  declared  him  the  rightful  owner, Morgan heralded  his  wrongs  in  every  direction,  and called upon  the  neighboring  camps  to  sustain  him  in his  rights. The opposite  party  likewise  sent  forth messengers asking  a  suspension  of  public  opinion, threatenino; at  the  same  time  to  raise  five  hundred men for  a  fiixht. Meanwhile Morgan  went  to  Sonora, where he  found  fifty  men  to  join  his  standard. With these he  set  out  on  his  return  to  Carson  hill ;  but  on the  way  nearly  half  his  force  deserted,  thinking  it hardly  the  mark  of  wisdom  to  risk  their  necks  in  other men's quarrels. Arriving after  night,  Morgan  en- camped with about  thirty  men  in  a  canon  under  the hill, intending  next  day  to  open  a  fight  for  the  prem- ises. A gun  accidentally  discharged  made  known their presence  to  the  opposite  party,  who,  supposing their number  ten  times  greater  than  it  was,  abandoned