Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/30

20 summer of 1848 the "Honolulu" entered the little harbor at Portland. She loaded with picks and pans and other utensils useful to a mining population. When leaving, the crew mentioned the discovery of gold on American Creek by James Marshall, an Oregon man in the employ of Sutter at his famous mill in California. The discovery was confirmed and soon the male population of the colony was off for the gold fields. Travelers of that day tell us that the towns were inhabited mainly by old men, women and children. Crops were left standing in the fields, though the time of harvest was near. Indian troubles were forgotten, though a war was in progress on the frontier of the settlement. The Oregon Spectator was unable to get out its regular issues because of the lack of hands to do the work. The Provisional government was unable to get a quorum for the meeting of the legislature though there were important matters needing attention. Men even left their children to the care of benevolent women, who looked after the "orphans of 1848."

It was evident that a change had taken place. A new impulse had entered the community like a strong tonic. Men who had gone to the mines began to return. Many of them had been successful and brought back enough to discharge obligations that had been resting over them for years. Others returned with added facility for extending their business. A market was established for the surplus products. Flour- and sawmills were kept running day and night. Vessels now took no heed of the dangerous entrance to the Columbia, but waited in line for their turn to load. Those who remained at home gained as much as those who went and were surer of getting it. Prices ranged high. Discouragement was