Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/81



mill-yard, and  heartily  and  respectfully  greeted  their employer, who  invited  them  to  join  the  party  in  a walk  down  the  race. While on  the  way  one  of Weimer's  little  boys  ran  on  in  advance  of  them,  and seeing the  shining  substance  so  temptingly  displayed, the pest  picked  up  nearly  every  particle  of  it,  and  came running back  aimostout  of  breath,  and  crying,  "  Father ! Father!  See  what  I  have  found!" Marshall and  his men each  to  heaven  breathed  a  silent  curse  on  that innocent head  for  having  spoiled  their  fun. Sutter, seeing it,  struck  his  cane  into  the  ground  and  ex- claimed, *' B}^  Jo ! its rich."  The  boy  had  left  un- rifled  the  seams,  and  crevices,  and  gravel  deposits, and  the  men  after  all  had  an  exciting  time  of  it  gold- picking,  Sutter  among  the  rest.

There is  little  wonder  the  statements  are  conflicting when no  one  saw  it  all,  and  each  was  able  to  describe correctly only  those  parts  of  which  he  "was  an  eye  wit- ness. And  after  innumerable  repetitions  and  disput- inirs,  confusion  arose.  Some  even  denied  that  Marshall was  the  first  discoverer  at  Coloma,  but  this  assertion is  not  worthy  of  consideration.  Then  there  was  a controversy  over  the  first  piece  found,  and  what  be- came of  it,  more  senseless  than  the  rest.  Sutter,  at Litiz,  showed  me  a  ring  upon  which  was  engraved  on the  outside  his  coat  of  arms,  and  on  the  inside.  "  The first gold  discovered  in  January  1848."  And  yet  it was  not,  speaking  with  exactness,  the  first  gold  dis- covered ;  for  Sutter  says  in  his  statement  that  some of  it  he  picked  up  himself,  and  some  was  given  him by  the  men  then  present.  The  ring  weighed  an ounce  and  a  half.  Then  Mrs  Weimer  claimed  to have  had  in  her  possession  for  many  years  the  very first  piece  picked  up,  and  which  Marshall  gave  her. This  cannot  be  true,  as  accordino;  to  Marshall's  testi- niony  the  first  piece  weighed  fifty  cents,  whereas  Mrs Weimer's  piece  was  equal  to  five  dollars  and  twelve cents.  It  is  safe  to  conclude  that  the  destiny  of  this first  piece  is  lost  to  history.