Category: Biographies
Late in the autumn of 1848 some reports began to be received from the new Territory of California, which had then lately been acquired by the United States from Mexico, that large deposits of gold had been discovered there, and that the small resident population had almost for...
Late in the autumn of 1848 some reports began to be received from the new Territory of California, which had then lately been acquired by the United States from Mexico, that lar...
2. CHAPTER II.After shaking hands and bidding such of our friends as had gathered at the station a good-bye, we seated ourselves in the cars, and as they began to move, the spectators that ha...
3. CHAPTER III.At 4 P.M. we had our tents pitched and, as we believed, were perfectly well prepared for the first night in camp, and partaking of a little supper--the first of our own cooking-...
4. CHAPTER IV.The question arose, which of the two roads shall we pursue--follow the old road--the advantages and disadvantages of which we are pretty well informed; or shall we risk the new...
5. CHAPTER V.The following pages are from the original manuscript written by Kimball Webster, which relates a few of the many experiences in California from October, 1849, to June, 1851, and...
6. CHAPTER VI.We started down the river on the 22nd of December. Our crew consisted of Thomas D. Bonner, captain, Austin W. Pinney and myself. We carried down two or three passengers. The riv...
7. CHAPTER VII.Such notes as I took subsequent to the 9th of January, 1850, while I remained in California, and later while I was in Oregon, were not so copious and full, and what I may hereaf...
8. CHAPTER VIII.Many of the miners lost a whole season’s labor, and had no more than they had the fall previous. In the early part of the season there was quite an excitement at Marysville, and...
9. CHAPTER IX.Some time after we had cut the hay I met Mr. Damon, my partner, when he said that he had concluded to go to his home in the East for a short stay, and he would return probably a...
10. CHAPTER X.I had occasionally met Mr. Elder, and about this time he informed me that a surveyor general had been appointed for the territory of Oregon; that he was a man from Illinois, wit...
11. CHAPTER XI.I was satisfied that I could make the work pay me some profit, but it was not a very desirable contract. Still, if I refused to accept this offer from Colonel Gardiner, I could...