California Finds Gold
by: Mere
GOLD!!
The news of gold spreads rapidly and quick. Soon many men found themselves looking for this money making rock. Many found gold in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Colonel R. B. Mason estimated the region had enough gold to “pay the cost of the present war with Mexico a hundred times over”. Now, thousands set out to make their fortunes. However, if you were from the East, this would be a difficult and hard journey. Seasickness, tropical diseases, and hardships all claimed the lives of millions seeking gold. Because of this, most were young men full of energy and health. Women were also scarcely seen in this region.