Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/70



the building  of  the  saw-mill,  it  was  with  difficulty men could  be  made  to  believe  the  fact  even  after  it was  ascertained  beyond  a  doubt.

I will  inflict  upon  the  reader  but  one  more  of  these pure inventions  whose  sole  merit  is  their  extravagance. A stranger  giving  his  name  as  Bennett  entered Brown's hotel,  San  Francisco,  in  the  summer  of  1847. After inviting  the  landlord  to  drink,  he  asked  him whether he  knew  of  any  one  having  a  thousand  dol- lars to invest  in  something  which  would  yield  enor- mous returns, and  being  thereupon  introduced  to  one George McDougall,  said  that  he  wanted  a  thousand dollars to  invest  in  blankets  for  traffic  with  the  In- dians, offering as  security  two  small  bags  containing what he  declared  to  be  gold. The men  of  San  Fran- cisco looked at  the  backwoodsman  as  if  they  thought him demented. Meanwhile McDougall's  wrath  was rising, and  finally  he  broke  out. " Do  you  think I  am  a  fool ! "  Bennett  walked  off,  muttering " Yes,  I  think  you  are  ;  and  you  will  find  it  out  one of  these  days." In the  autumn  of  the  following year he  again  visited  San  Francisco  and  showed Brown three  hundred  pounds  of  gold-dust,  stating that after  his  interview  with  McDoucjall  he  went  to Monterey  to  obtain  either  the  money  or  the  blankets from Thomas  O.  Larkin,  "  but  as  soon  as  he  laid  eyes on  him  he  concluded  not  to  ask."

In 1847  three  noted  characters  of  the  day. Moun- tain Jim, Dutch  Fred,  and  Three-fingered  Jack sported silver  buttons  in  Monterey,  the  metal  where- for, they  said,  had  been  taken  from  the  old  Indian claim on  the  south  branch,  or  Carmelo  creek. Some soldiers traded  government  rations  for  the  buttons, and the  army  paymaster  finally  had  them  assayed  at Washington  where  they  stood  the  test. It was  com- mon enough in  1847  and  1848  to  see  silver  in  the hands of  the  natives  at  the  Carmelo  ;  but  little  was thought of  it  at  the  time,  for  during  the  war  many mission   flagons,   censors,    chalices,    and    candlesticks