treated with a familiarity hitherto unknown in these
parts to such worshipful wealth. Among the comers
was Samuel Brannan, the Mormon leader, who, hold-
ing up a bottle of dust in one hand, and swinging his
hat with the other, passed along the street shouting,
" Gold ! Gold 1 Gold from the American River I"»
This took place in the early part of May. The conversion of San Francisco was complete. Those who had hitherto denied a lurking faith now unblush- ingly proclaimed it; and others, who had refused to believe even in specimens exhibited before their eyes, hesitated no longer in accepting any reports, however exaggerated, and in speeding them onward duly mag- nified.® Many were thrown into a fever of excitement,^ and all yielded more or less to the subtle influence of
^ 'He took his hat off and swung it, shouting aloud in the streets.' Bigler^9 Diary, MS. , 79. Evans in the Oregon Bulletin makes the date * about the 12th of May.* See also FindUCa Stat., MS., 4-6; Roim' Stat,, MS., 12; N, Helv. Difiry, passim, (rillespie, Vig, Com., MS., 4, refers to three samples seen by him, the third 'was a wnole quinine-bottle full, which set all the people wild.'
®By the 10th of June the sapient sceptic, Kemble, turned completely around in expressing his opinion, denying that he had ever discouraged, not to say denounced, 'the employment in wnich over two thirds of the white population of this country are engaged.' But it was too late to save either his reputation or his journal. There were not wanting others still to denounce in vain an<l loudly all mines and miners. 'I doubt, sir,' one exclaims, in the Cali/ornian, 'if ever the sun shone upon such a farce as is now being enacted in California, though I fear it may prove a tragedy before the curtain drops. I considtT it your duty, Mr Editor, as a conservator of the pnblic morals and welfare, to raise your voice against the thing. It is to be hoped that Greneral Mascm will despatch the volunteers to the scene of action, and send these unfortunate people to their homes, and prevent others from going thither.' This man quickly enough belied a wisdom which led him unwit- tingly to perform the part of heavy simpleton in the drama. Dunbar, Romance of the Age, 102, with his usual accuracy, places this communication in the Alta California, May 24, 1848 — impossible, from the fact that on that day no paper was issued in California, and the Alta never saw the light until the fol- lowing January.
^ Carson, Uer.^ 4, who for a long time had rejected all reports, was finally convinced by a returning digger, who opened his well-filled bag before him.
- I looked on for a moment; he writes, *a frenzy seized my soul; unbidden
my Icga performed some entirely new movements of polka steps — I took several— houses were too small for me to stay in; I was soon in the street in search of neocjjsary outfits; piles of ^old rose up before mo at every step; castles of nuirblc, dazzling the eye with tlieic rich appliances; thousands of slaves bowing to my beck and call; myriads of fair virgins contending with each other for my love— were among the fancies of my fevered imagination. The Rothschilds, Oirards, and Astors appeared to me but poor people; in short, I had a very violent attack of the gold fever.' For further partical&rs» see Larkin'a Doc., MS., iv. passim.
