The Argonauts of California: being the reminiscenses of scenes and incidents that occurred in California in the early mining days

BEING THE REMINISCENCES OF SCENES AND INCIDENTS THAT OCCURRED IN CALIFORNIA IN EARLY MINING DAYS BY A PIONEER
And believing that it will be of some historical value as well as of interest generally to know the names of those who were the first to venture forth in the search of gold, and by whose energy and labor the foundations of a great state were laid, and also a general prosperity created throughout the entire country, I have therefore prefixed to the work the names of those that I have been able to obtain, numbering about 35,000, and including among them the names of several thousand who are now living in the various States of the Union.
TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS DRAWN FROM LIFE BY C. W. HASKINS. PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR, BY FORDS, HOWARD & HULBERT NEW YORK 1890 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1889, by C. W. HASKINS, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C. R. Pierce & Co., Printers, 53 Lafayette Place, N. Y. TO THE SURVIVING MEMBERS OF THE ADVANCE GUARD OF GOLD HUNTERS, THE CALIFORNIA PIONEERS AND THEIR DESCENDANTS, WHO ARE NOW LIVING THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, THIS BOOK IS MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR.
While residing in the village of Kingston, located upon the Cœur D’Alene River in the silver mining regions of northern Idaho during the winter of ’87-’88, and being compelled to remain within doors during the winter in consequence of the great depth of snow and intense cold, in order to pass away the time I amused myself by writing an account of scenes and incidents that occurred in California in early days in the mining regions, and which came under my observation. These events are written entirely from memory, but I have endeavored to give as near as possible the correct date of the events and incidents mentioned, as well as their location and names with all of which I was familiar. As to the the correct description of scenes and events, I ask the remnant of that band of sturdy Argonauts who laid the foundation of a great State to bear me witness.