Ohio History Journal

FOUR BUCKEYE ARGONAUTS IN CALIFORNIA

 

by SCHUYLER C. MARSHALL

President Polk's message to congress in December 1848 set of

the gold mania in the East. The following year thousands of young

men left their farms to follow one of the overland trails or perhap??

go "round the Horn" or across the isthmus of Panama to "the dig??

gings." While we often speak of those who went to California a

"Forty-Niners," the Gold Rush was by no means limited to tha

year. Early in 1850 many "companies of Californians," as they

sometimes called themselves, were formed to seek their fortunes in

the gold fields.

One such company organized in eastern Ohio chose a route which

had been little used in the first year of the Gold Rush-across Cen

tral America through Nicaragua rather than Panama. One member

of this company, John Armstrong, began a "Journal" on March 6

1850, the day he left Jefferson County, and faithfully made an entry

every day for the next ten months.1 Little is known of him. The

diary indicates that he was young, probably in his teens, and that his

schooling had been limited.

On March 6, 1850, Armstrong left Warrentown, Ohio, aboard

the Silas Wright, which arrived in New Orleans ten days later. The

company sailed for Nicaragua on the 26th on the brig Zenobia and

landed at San Juan del Norte (Greytown) on April 13. Across

Nicaragua the route went up the San Juan River, across Lake

Nicaragua to Granda, and thence overland to Realjo (Corinto).²

The "Californians" sailed from Corinto on July 1 and arrived in San

Francisco on August 17, after "48 days on the briney deep & trying

to live on the awfals of the earth."

Armstrong and three fellow gold seekers from Ohio, Joseph

Shelman, Ewing Turner, and Joseph Wilson, had decided to work

 

1 The "Journal" is in the possession of Mr. David Armstrong, R. D. 1, Evans City,

Pennsylvania, who has generously granted me permission to publish excerpts.

2 For Armstrong's comments on certain aspects of the journey across Nicaragua, see

Schuyler C. Marshall, "An Ohio Argonaut's Observations on the Church in Nicaragua,"

The Americas: A Quarterly Review of Inter-American Cultural History, IX (1952-53),

29-36.

368

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Four Buckeye Argonauts in California            369

together in the "diggings." In San Francisco they met a Mr. Lyons

from their home state, who joined them. They went by steamboat to

Stockton, and there engaged a wagon to haul their supplies to

Woods Creek, some seventy-five miles farther west.³ They arrived

at Woods Creek on August 26 and found it "all tore up & dug

over," and decided "there was rather a poor chance to make a

fortune here."

The next day Turner and Lyons went to Sonora, some five miles

up the creek, while Wilson, Shelman, and Armstrong stayed behind

to pan for gold.

we worked hard all day & we onley made about 3 dollars. the gold was

very fine and scarce. sum panfulls of dirt we wood not find aney gold in &

others we would find several pieces in.

This was a rather discouraging introduction to the gold fields, and

upon the return of Turner and Lyons from Sonora, the five pros-

pectors decided to waste no more time there: "at night we all con-

cluded to leave woodses creek & try our luck on the stanislaus

river."

The next morning they moved their supplies six miles

 

over sum very rough mountains. it was 1 oclock when we got to the river.

shelman & wilson & I took a shovil & a pick & a pan & went up the river

a prospecting. we hunted around but cood not find aney good places. there

was a great maney men at work macking dams & diging races to drean the

river but I think that they will not succeed in getting it dun. there is a good

deal water in this river, we came back to the camp ground with as much

gold dust as one cood put in their eye.

The following morning, August 29, Lyons informed his com-

panions

that he was gowing to puckashee for san Francisco for there was no chance

for a white man to make a living here. it might doo for sum god damd

indian or spaniard or mexican that was used to gowing naked & living like

a dog.... the rest of us went to work & at dinnertime we had about 2

3 The steamboat fare for deck passage was fifteen dollars for each passenger; they

paid six cents a pound for hauling their supplies from Stockton to Woods Creek.

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370    Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly

 

dollars. we took our pan & went a prospecting again but the prospect was

still bad.

The next day they bought a rocker and tried their luck in nearby

Mormon Creek. Although they "worked tolerable hard all day,"

they made only three dollars and "began to think it was rather hard

times."

On the 31st Turner went to Sonora while the others moved back

to the river and went to work at the mouth of Mormon Creek, where

they "pulled out on it all day & at night we had about an ounce.

things began to loock better & we were in better spirits." They

needed some encouragement, for their first week in the gold fields

had brought them only $6 each. Turner returned from Sonora the

next day with a mule to move their things to that town, where he

had been advised they should pick out a place for the winter.

However, it was decided to work Monday morning before moving

their things to town. When the morning's work yielded an esti-

mated six ounces, they decided to remain at their claim. That after-

noon Turner and Wilson returned to Sonora with the borrowed

mule, while Shelman and Armstrong added another ounce to the

day's production.

 

we were very well satisfied with our days work. the gold was tolerable

fine & very handsom. it was generally found on the rocks & in the pockets

or crecks. we had to throw about 2 feet of dirt of[f] & the ballence we

put through the rocker.

The next day they did almost as well.

September 3rd Tuesday. the morning was clear & pleasant. we got

breackfas & went as usual. we felt in a little [better] spirits & we went

into it about right. we found very little gold till we came to the rocks &

there it was more plentier, but it was very fine. we used a spoon a good

deal to scrape it out of the crecks & small holes. at night we had a prety

good pile. it was not weighed but we guessed it to be between 5 & 6 ounces.

. . in the evening turner & wilson came back . . . [with] several others

from senora. the digings up there did not prove to be as good as the⁴

4 Throughout the diary "they" is frequently written as "the"; peculiarly, the con-

verse will occasionally be noticed. Periods have been supplied at the end of sentences

where necessary; other necessary emendations are indicated by brackets.

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Four Buckeye Argonauts in California          371

 

expected so the thought that the wood cum down to the stanislaws river &

see what they could doo.

The next two days were not as profitable, but on Friday they "came

to a ledge of rocks & it payed us very well." On Sunday they had

their gold weighed and found they had each earned $72 the previous

week. Armstrong used the traditional day of rest to fix their rocker

and wash a shirt. He noted disapprovingly "that there is a great

deal of whiskey drank here & more espacily on Sunday. I discover

a good maney drunk men loafing around & still the are complaining

that they cant make aney thing."

The next week, ending Saturday, September 14, the miners prob-

ably made $65 each.⁵ Since they computed their food costs at $1 a

day, they felt they had "dun tolerable well." The following week

was even more productive, with the four earning about $106 each.

However, the next week, ending September 28, their claim was far

less productive. The weekly earnings dropped to about $33 for each.

Turner worked only one day this week before leaving for San

Francisco with $1,100 "to by provisions to doo us over the winter."

During this week many of their fellow miners saw most of their

summer's work swept away when the water rose about four feet in

two hours and washed out the dams that had been built to divert

the water, along with "pans shovils cradles & maney other things.

. . there has been thousands of dollars expended in macking dams

& diging races & all gone in one night."

After the discouraging drop in earnings Joseph Wilson set out

for Woods Creek on Sunday, September 29, "to see if he cood find

a place to stop over winter." When he returned with a pack mule

the next evening, he found Armstrong had sold the claim for $50.

The rest of the week was spent in prospecting. On Tuesday the

three miners went to Woods Creek. The next day they

 

went along the foot of the table mountain. there was very rich digings

along there but the have been all dug up & tore over by Mexicans &

5 Armstrong does not give the figures for September 9 and 13. On the 9th he said

they made very little, but on the 13th they secured "a very nice pile." The same words

were used for the 12th when they earned $72. If we use the same figure for the 13th,

their week's total was $260, plus whatever little they made on the 9th.

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372    Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly

 

spaniards. we came past brush town & then past george town & next we

came to Jamestown & still the digings did not apear to be aney better. we

washed out a few panfuls of dirt & then came down to soap town. we had

about 2 dollars in the prospecting scrape. all these towns that we passed

through was principaly all mexicans & spaniards & chinees & a few indians.

the are almost naked. the are a hard loocking set of people.

 

On Thursday they

 

crossed woodses creek. then we steered for sulvins. we passed over several

revens. the all appeared to be dug over. we came to sulvins digings & there

was a poor sight there. then we crossed over to curtises creek & it was

no better.

 

The following day they decided to go to Sonora but could not

get a mule to carry their supplies until Saturday. After arriving at

Sonora Armstrong and Wilson went about a mile and a quarter up

the creek to prospect. When they saw a "pan full of dirt that was

washed & there was 8 dollars in it," they laid out four claims near-

by. The sale of their old claim plus the few dollars from prospect-

ing gave them about $14 each for the week.

On Sunday they carried their supplies up the creek to their claims

and "made a brush tent out of pine limbs." The next day, October

7, they started to dig at the new location. On Tuesday Turner ar-

rived from San Francisco with their supplies. The whole week was

spent in throwing off top dirt. On Sunday, October 13, the miners

 

went over to shaws flats to see what kind of a prospect there wood be for

winter digings but we thought it was rather a poor prospect. we washed 3

panfuls of dirt & there was scarcely aney thing in it. we returned back to

the tent again. there was one curiosity that I saw & that was a house that

was built up in the forks of a tree. it was about 15 feet from the grown.

it was plat around with vines & fixed off with brush.

 

The succeeding week Turner and Shelman began building a house

in Sonora for winter quarters. Wilson and Armstrong worked the

claim, although the latter was too ill on Friday and Saturday to

work. The ten "man-days" of work brought in over $31 for each of

the partners. During the week beginning Monday, October 21, the

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Four Buckeye Argonauts in California      373

same work arrangement continued, with income declining to only

$21 for each.

With the weather getting colder more time was spent on the

house the following week. This plus the fact that Wilson was sick

for several days and spent two more prospecting, meant only two

and one-half man-days of labor on the claim. On Sunday, Novem-

ber 3, the calculations showed they had earned only $4.50 apiece

for the week.

The house was finally finished on the following Sunday. The

partners had "payed out 76 dollars & 64 cts for lumber & nails &

hauling & other little notions. we have not the largest house in

town but we have the neatest & it draws the atention of maney that

is gowing past."

The first three days of the next week Wilson and Armstrong

worked the claim, while Turner and Shelman chopped wood for the

winter. On Thursday Shelman joined his partners at the claim and

Turner "went to make a water wheel for a saw mill for Mr Maning

& companey. he is to get 16 dollars a day & his board." Including

Turner's wages for three days, the gold hunters earned almost $43

each for the week.

Turner worked three and one-half days at the mill the week

following. His wages and the gold dug gave each of the men over

$50 for the week. The miners found their claim was about exhausted

of pay dirt, and during the last week of November they began to

sink two new holes. Turner and Shelman started one in Sonora,

while Armstrong and Wilson began another up the creek. Produc-

tion for the week amounted to only a little over $16 for each.

The first week in December both holes were down to pay dirt and

it was by far the most profitable week the gold seekers had ex-

perienced. They earned about $243 apiece, if Armstrong's estimate

of the amount of gold in two quartz rocks was accurate. They se-

cured $343 plus two rocks which were judged to hold forty ounces

of gold.

Armstrong and Shelman's claim was worked out by the end of the

week, and the following week all hands worked in town on the claim

there. Production decreased to $48 apiece and the men began to

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374    Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly

look for new arrangements. Shelman worked the first four days of

the succeeding week with two Irishmen for an equal share of the

proceeds. On Thursday Wilson went up the creek to lay out a new

claim and Turner went to work at a saw mill owned by a Mr.

Shapernell for $16 a day and meals. The proceeds from the claim,

Shelman's share from the Irishmen's claim, and Turner's wages gave

each of the partners a little less than $44 for the week. On Friday,

December 20, Armstrong reported--with no hint of irony--that

Indians had come to town to seek a passport to cross their native

land:

the said there was an other tribe of Indians had stole their horses &

mules & they were gowing after them & they alowed to give they other

indians a good whiping. sum of them was rowled up in fox skins & sum

in ciotas skins. their arows was very nice & they had glass points on them.

sum of they boys was bare footed & bare headed & the rest had owld hats that

sumbodey had throwed a way & they had large feathers stuck in them &

their hair was as long as ther was aney call for. they got their pasport &

went off rejoiceing.

There was more entertainment on Sunday when

 

they circus men came around with a band of music. they were all mexicans.

one of them was dressed in womens close & had a false face on & was

carying a padey on his back. the owld clown had his face painted & was

walking in front of the crowd yelping like a Jay bird.

 

The next week Turner worked at the saw mill, Wilson began to

sink a new hole, and Shelman and Armstrong worked the old one.

Total income amounted to about $55 for each, with Christmas off

for the miners (but not for Turner), and a large pile of dirt ready

to be washed. On Christmas

 

the circus men came around with a band of music & it was realey amusing

to see the clown gowing through sum of his monkey shines. the day was

quite warm & pleasant. there was a good maney drunk as usual but I saw

no fights. in the evening I went down street to see the fashions. I was in

two or three of the gambling houses & the were gowing it the best licks.

I saw sum mexican women setting at the montey table beating [betting]

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Four Buckeye Argonauts in California           375

 

their pile. they had a tolerable hard cheek when the cood go in among a

set of rough gamblers.

 

Because Turner worked at the saw mill on Christmas and also the

following Sunday, the others "thought that we wood not be odd, so

we went to mining" on Sunday. The long week and the help of a

man who was hired to perform the laborious task of carrying dirt

from the claim to the run for washing increased their income to

about $80 apiece. This figure included Turner's wages for five days

and the gold production after deducting the laborer's wages of $4

a day for three days. There apparently was no particular celebra-

tion of the New Year, although Turner engaged in one of his fre-

quent brawls on New Year's day. After his day's work at the mill,

he went to a restaurant, or possibly a boarding house, for his eve-

ning meal.

 

turner called for sumthin & the [waiter] did not bring such things as

he called for. then turner took a handfull of small potatoes & throwed them

in his face. then the waiter picked up a knife & run at turner, then turner

struck him with a chair & then they went into holts & rasseld around a

while. then the waiter sung out a nough. the both loocked tolerable bloody.

 

The first full week of the new year was a very profitable one.

Turner's work at the saw mill was terminated and he worked full

time at the claim. The dirt carrier, who was given a raise to $5 a day,

also worked the full week. Income for each after paying the

laborer's wages was almost $215.

It may be that they talked around town about their good fortune

or that it could not be concealed. At any rate prosperity was fol-

lowed by disaster. Armstrong described the fateful day with a sur-

prising lack of emotion.

 

January 14th Tuesday. the morning was clear & warm. wilson, shelman

& I went to diging & turner went to washing the dirt. the man that we

had hired was carying the dirt to turner. in the fore noon wilson found a

lump of gold that was mixed with quarts rock. the lump was worth two

hundred dollars. in the after noon the robers broke in to our house while

we were all at work & the broke our trunks open & helped themselves. the

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376    Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly

 

onley left me 12 dollars & 50 cts. turner had 85 dollars that the did not

get. shelman had five hundred & sixty six that they did not find. wilson

had one hundred and seventy five dollars in the bottom of my chest that

they did not get. they stole about three thousand dollars from us altogether.

I lost eight hundred. shelman lost two hundred & fifty. turner & wilson

lost one thousand a piece. & that was the way our money went. the day

was quite warm. in the evening we washed out what gold we got to day

& I weighed it & we got 55 dollars & 25 cts. after supper turner, wilson &

shelman went down street to see if the cood make aney discoverys.

The next day "turner & wilson went down street & got a warant

to take these robers where ever the cood be found & the sherif

alows to search the stage to morrow." On Thursday "turner got a

mule & went to green springs to have the stage searched," but he

returned the next evening with nothing to report. The loss of time

spent in an effort to track down the thieves and the fact that

Shelman "has the blues the worst kind" and did not work any after

the robbery, dropped their individual incomes to about $78 for the

week.

The following week their earnings dropped again--to $43 each.

Their claim was worked out and most of the week was spent in

prospecting and sinking a new hole. But the new claim did not pay

well and the last week in January their earnings dropped to only

$12 each. Although Armstrong's diary gives no details, there may

have been friction among the four gold seekers. During the last

week in January Shelman and Turner had worked up the run with

two other miners and at the end of the week had purchased a claim

in partnership. Armstrong and Wilson had worked together and on

Saturday, February 1, "got our things packed up & readey to go a

prospecting in the morning" on the Stanislaus River. It may be,

however, that this split was meant to be only temporary.

With this entry the diary ends. Whether Armstrong grew weary

of the daily recordings of his experiences or whether the remainder

of the diary has been lost is not known. In view of his past faith-

fulness the latter appears more likely.

Although the theft left the four gold seekers with little capital,

their venture had probably been of about average success for the

twenty-three weeks from August 26, 1850, to February 1, 1851.

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Four Buckeye Argonauts in California             377

Their income for the period may be summarized as follows:

Gold     m ined ............................$4,936

Turner'swages..........................         312

Sale      of                                             claim  ........... ...............         50

 

$5,298

Less  wages  paid ...... ..................   81

 

$5,217

Average weekly for each..........         $   56

While this average is considerably below the traditional one of

an ounce a day, that tradition is questionable if the time spent in

prospecting, hunting for fresh meat, building winter quarters, and

traveling to San Francisco for supplies is included. These activities

and delays because of bad weather, sickness, and an occasional

holiday were probably typical of most Californians. That it was

possible to hire a laborer to carry dirt for $5 a day throws further

doubt on the $16 daily average. On the whole, the four miners

had "dun tolerable well" in finding gold, if not in guarding it.

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