The district is said to be the richest ever known. Though it is questionable whether the gold obtaind by Solomon was not found equally abundant, since among so great a number of citizens as Jerusalem furnishd, the abundance of gold in that place had reducd the value of silver to almost nothing.
When the news of gold in California reachd Oregon, the wheat harvest was not yet ended, and so great was the delirium when the news arrivd, that many of the farmers left their fields unfinishd, giving them up gratuitously to any one who might be disposd to harvest them, or let them waste upon the ground.
As late as the 10th of March, 1849, the fever continud with unabated fury, increasing in its sanguinary features as the warm season approachd, preying upon the heart and vitals of every human being in Oregon.
From the 13th of Sept. last, which was the time I arrivd at Oregon city, to the 10th of March following, not one day passd, Sundays not excepted, without the mention by some one in my presence, of the gold speculation.
During the remainder of my stay in Oregon city, tools of various kinds were invented and being made at that place, ready for departure to the mines, so soon as they might be profitably worked, on the opening of the warm season.
The following description of the Gold Mania is taken from the Oregon Spectator, as quoted from the Californian—
In our paper of August 16, we devoted considerable space to the subject of the gold mines, stating some facts in regard to their discovery, and the manner in which the ore was collected. So well was the article receivd by the public—then on the _qui vive_ for information about the mines—and consequently so great the demand for our paper, that in a few hours after publication the entire edition was disposd of. Since then we have receivd many and urgent demands for that number of the Californian, and this week, at the solicitation of a number of our patrons, we repeat the substance of our former article, with some additional particulars.
It appears that in the first part of February last, Messrs. Marshall and Bennett were engagd with a party in erecting a saw-mill for Capt. J. A. Sutter, on the American fork of the Sacramento river, about 40 miles above its mouth. In excavating the tail-race, they removd the rock during the day, and let in the water during the night, in order to wash out the loose dirt and sand. On the morning of the 10th, after shutting off the water, Mr. Marshall discoverd the first gold, lying upon decomposd granite, in the bottom of the race.