Great discoveries stand more or less connected with
accident; that is to say, accidents which are sure to
happen. Newton was not seeking the law of gravi-
tation, nor Colunibus a new continent, nor Marshall
gold, when these things were thrust upon them. And
had it not been one of these, it would have been
some one else to make the discovery. Gold fevers
have had their periodic run since time immemorial,
when Scythians mined the Ural, and the desert of
Gobi lured the dwellers on the Indus; or when Ophir,
the goal of Phoenician traders, paled before the splen-
dor of Apulia. The opening of America caused a re-
vival which the disclosures by Cortds and Pizarro
turned into a virulent epidemic, raging for centuries,
the diaoovery of gold in California would be of no practical benefit to any one. Next in importance, but throwing no additional light upon the subject, are thoae inAU'i CtU., June 26, 1853, May 5, 1872, June 26, 1873, and Aug. 18 and 19, 1874; Hayf$* CoL Mining Cat, A. 1; S. F, Bulletin, Feb. 4, 1871, Jan. 12, 1872, Oct. 21, 1879, May 12, 1880; Scieniijic Prem^ May 1 1, 1872; Broume's BetOftrcrH^ 14-15; Balch*« Mines and Minern, 78; FanihanCs Col., 354-6; London Quarterlg Review, xcL 507-8; California Past and Present, 73-10r>; Weih, Cai. wie es ist, 29^-51; Brooks* Hist., 534; Mason^s Official Kept; Lar- kin's LeUem to Secy State; Robinson's Gold Region, 33-46; Foster's Gold Regions, 17-22; Shinn's Mining Camps, 105-22; Wiggins* Rem., MS., 17-18; Frost's Hisi. Col., 39-55; Jenkins* U, 8, Expl. Ex., 431-2; Oakland Times, Mar. 6, 1880; Revere*s Tour of Duty, 228-52; SchlagitUuyU, Cat., 216; Wfst Shore Gaz,, 15; San Josi Pioneer, Jan, 19, 1878; ^eiffer. Second Journey, 290, who in as accurate as excdrsionists generally are; Frignel, Hist. Cal., 79-80; Mfited People, June 18, 1872; Mining Rev. and Slock Ledger, 1878, 126; Barntow's Stat., MS., 3; B%fum*s Six Months, 67-8; Tretistery of Travel, 92-4; Le ivUfs Scrap-Book; Nevada Gazette, Jan. 22, 1868; Holinski, La Cat., 144; (TrvfM Valley union, April 19, 1870; Sacramento TUust.,T; Scucon'sFive Tears within the Golden Gate; Auger, Voyage en Cal^fomie, 149-56; Annals of S. F., 130-2; CaL Assoc, Pioneer, Ftrst Annual, 42; Capron*s CctHfornia, 184-5; Bennetts Rec, MS., iL 10-13. I have hardly thought it worth while to notice the stories circulated at various times questioning MarshalVs claim as discoverer; as, for example, that Wimmer, or his boy, as before mentioned, was the first to pick up gold; or that a native, called Indian Jim, observed the shining metal, a piece as larse as a brass button, which he gave to one of the workmen. Sailor Ike, who showed it to Marshall. Even men away from the spot at the time do not decline the honor. Gregson writes in his Stfite- ment, MS., 9, 'we, the discoverers of gold,' and in his History qf Stockton, 73, Tinkbam says: <To those two pioneers of 1839 and 1841, Captain John A. Sutter and l>aptain Charles M. Weber, belong the honor of aiscoverins tlie first gold^^elds of California, and to them the state owes its wonderful growth ai#d prosperity.* These men were neither of them the discoverers of flold in any sense, nor were they the builders of this commonwealth. Some have claimed that the Mormons discovered the gold at Mormon Island, before Marshall found it at Coloma. Bidwell says that Brigbam Young in 1864 assured him that this was the case. Cal. I84I-S, MS., 214. Such man- ifest errors and misstatements are unworthy of serious consideratiou, Tbti^ is not the »\ightett doabt tbMt MsuishaU was the discoverer.
