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

by Charles Warren Haskins

Much has been said and written in relation to the arrival of the first young ladies in the mines; but the very first young ladies who made their appearance in the mining regions of California arrived at this time. They were the daughters of Mrs. Stuart, from the State of Illinois. Their father died during the journey across the plains. They arrived in Hangtown about the middle of September, returning again to their Eastern homes sometime during the summer or autumn of ’50.

There were many women and children in the emigration of this season, and in consequence of the scarcity of feed for the teams, many of them were compelled to trudge along through the sandy desert and over the steep and rough mountain roads, for hundreds of miles.

One family to arrive at this time was that of Dr. Kunkler, with his wife and son, who was about six years of age, and an incident in relation to them is worthy of record. An accident happened to the doctor through which he was unable to travel on foot, and was consequently obliged to ride in the wagon. They were traveling with an ox-team, and for this reason, the accident to him was very unfortunate, since it was absolutely necessary for one of the party to walk alongside of the team for a part of the time, especially when traveling among the hills. Mrs. Kunkler was a French lady, and born in the city of Paris. She was of slight build, delicate in appearance, and unaccustomed to such hardships; but it was now absolutely necessary that she should take charge of the ox team, for a time at least. All emigrants who cross the plains are well aware that this is a very difficult duty to perform, even for a man. To attend to and hunt the cattle, cook and wait upon the sick and the children also, and to make ready for a start again—all of this the delicate French lady attended to in good style, and walked alongside of her team (for over 800 miles) which she managed like a veteran, arriving in Hangtown in August, ’49, in the best of health and spirits.

The doctor and his wife have both crossed to the other side; but the son, having inherited the profession of the father, practiced in San Francisco until a short time ago, when he also joined the great majority.

Quite a number of slaves from Tennessee and Kentucky were brought across the plains during this year, and were taken into the mines by their masters. This kind of mining by slave labor did not, however, prove a success, and was soon abandoned. One man from Tennessee, brought his slaves, three in number, into Hangtown and located in a small gulch near Spanish Ravine. The claim which they worked was rich, and the master was happy, although his happiness was of short duration, for he was very much astonished at the close of one very pleasant day, when, as he went to take possession of the gold dust which had been washed out during the day, he was politely informed by his rebellious subjects to “Jess take his hands off from dat ar gold dust, as it belonged to dem.”

He was further informed that “Dey was now in a free country and slaves no mor’; but if Massa was willin’ to come in and work with em on sheers he could do so.”

He endeavored to reason with the boys, but in vain. He told them that he would appeal to the law, which he finally did; but with no better success, and he returned in disgust to Tennessee leaving his slaves masters of the field, as well as of themselves.

Two slaves worked in the Spring of ’50 in Log Cabin Ravine, now Bedford ave. They were from the city of Louisville, Ky., and owned by a very prominent physician at that place. The doctor had furnished his two slaves with a good team and all necessary supplies, and had sent them forth to earn their freedom, the agreement being that when they had forwarded to him the sum of twenty-three hundred dollars in gold, the master in return would send them their “freedom papers.” They were informed that they were free men, and it was unnecessary to send money to purchase their freedom; but they were firm in their purpose to do just as they had agreed with their master, and since he had trusted in their word they should not disappoint him, and they did not. The money was sent to their master through Adams & Co.’s Express, and in due time they received their papers. In a few months afterwards they forwarded to their late master the sum of eight hundred dollars also, as the price of their sister’s freedom, and in the fall of ’50 she met her brothers in Hangtown with her papers of deliverance in her pocket.

There were no cradles or toms at this time in the mines, for the reason that there was no water; but with the first rains, cradles made their appearance, and towards Spring long toms were used, but regular sluices did not come into use until a year later. The first hole that we dug after having measured off and staked our claims, fifteen feet square to each man, in accordance with the miners’ law, gave us the gold very fine, and by the advice of a few veteran miners who had followed the business off and on for nearly eight days, we moved to other vacant spots nearer to the center of the ravine (Oregon Ravine), where we found the gold much coarser and easier to save. It was the custom for miners to get out to work as early in the morning as possible, usually about eight o’clock, and we quit work about four P.M. This gave us sufficient time to finish our evening meal, and to dress up, ready for a long evening, lounging through the various gambling houses and seeing the sights in town, which, however, at this early day were not to be compared in number or in gorgeousness with those of a year later. The chief pleasure, however, among us was in visiting the cabins of each other, and listening to the old yarns from the seafaring men, or in tasting of some of their favorite dishes, which they had learned to manufacture out on the ocean; such for instance as “dundefunk,” “lobsconce,” and a variety of others; to hear the various opinions expressed upon the subject of cooking. It gave us the impression that cooking was one of the fine arts, and that the only object in life or the chief aim in existence was to eat. Of course we, the novices in the art, soon became quite expert in the chemical combination necessary for dundefunk, lobsconce, hard and soft tack, etc., and in a short time were able to boast of our dexterity, also, in whirling a flapjack up through the chimney and catching it again in our frying pan, right side up, by holding the latter out doors on the other side of the house.