California, 1849-1913 | Page 4

entered the Six Mile Canon,
the roughest piece of road that we found between Missouri and
California. There were great boulders from the size of a barrel to that of
a stage coach, promiscuously piled in the bed of this tributary to the
Carson, and over which we were obliged to haul our wagons. It took us
two days to make the six miles.

Arrival In California.
Now we see Silver Lake, at the base of the Sierra Nevadas on the east
side; our advance to the summit was not as difficult as we anticipated.
Having arrived at this point we are at the source of the south fork of the
American River and at the summit of the Sierra Nevadas. We now
commenced the descent on a tributary of this river.
After a day or two of travel we arrived at a place called Weaverville, on
the tenth day of September, 1849. This place consisted of one log cabin
with numerous tents on either side. Here was my first mining, but being
weary and worn out, I was unable to wield the pick and shovel, and so I
left in a few days for Sacramento where I undertook to make a little
money by painting, but it was a failure, both as to workmanship and as
to financial gain. However, by this time I had gained some strength and
left for Beal's Bar at the junction of the north and south forks of the
American River. Here I mined through the winter with some success.

In the spring of 1850 thirty of us formed a company for the purpose of
turning the south fork through a canal into the north fork, thereby
draining about a thousand yards of the river bed. Just as we had
completed the dam and turned the water into the canal, the river rose
and away went our dam and our summer's work with it.
Winter coming on now nothing could be done until spring, so I left for
San Francisco where I had heard of the death of a friend at Burns' old
diggings on the Merced River, about seventy-five miles from Stockton,
and knowing that his life was insured in favor of his wife I went there
and secured the necessary proof of his death so that his widow got the
insurance. There was considerable hardship in this little trip of about
one week. On my return, and when within about thirty miles of
Stockton, I camped for the night at Knight's Ferry, picketed my pony
out, obtained the privilege of spreading my blankets on the ground in a
tent and was soon in a sound sleep, out of which I was awakened at
about two o'clock in the morning by feeling things considerably damp
around me (for it had been raining). I put out my hand and found I was
lying in about three inches of water. I was not long getting out of it,
rolled up my blankets, saddled my pony and left for Stockton. Here I
arrived at about nine o'clock, sold the pony, and was ready to leave at
four o'clock for San Francisco. While waiting here (Stockton) I became
acquainted with a Kentucky hunter who told me the story of his
experiences of the day previous. He said:
"I came to the place where you stayed last night, yesterday morning,
and was told that there were a number of bears in the neighborhood,
and that no one dared to hunt them. I remarked that that was my
business, and I would take a hand at it; I strapped on my revolvers and
knife, shouldered my Kentucky rifle and started out. I had not gone
more than half a mile, when I discovered one of the animals I was in
search of, and away my bullet sped striking him in the hip. I made for a
tree and he made for me! I won the race by stopping on the topmost
branch, while he howled at the base; while reloading my rifle I heard an
answer to his wailing for me or for his companion - it didn't matter
which. Very soon a second cry came from another direction, and still
one more from the third point of the compass. By this time one had

reached the tree and I fired killing him. Hastily reloading, I was just in
time to fire as the second one responded to the first one's howl; he fell
dead; then the third arrived and shared the same fate. Having allowed
the first one to live as a decoy, his turn came last; then I descended and
looked over my work - four full-grown bears lay dead at my feet."
To corroborate this statement I will say that I saw one of them on the