"Gold-rush California was a tumultuous
place. Mark Twain aptly called it "a wild, free, disorderly,
grotesque society!"
In their relentless pursuit of wealth, the Argonauts
used a variety of mining methods. Some of their methods, such as
hydraulicking, left ugly scars upon the land.
To introduce law and
order into this chaotic society, Californians formed mining districts
and drafted mining codes. In the cities,
they formed vigilance committees. One enterprising Argonaut published
a fanciful set of rules, The Miner's Ten Commandments.
Many of the most successful gold-rush Californians
were merchants who sold supplies to the miners. Mining the miners
often proved to be a more lucrative enterprise than simply mining
the gold. Sadly, many of the miners themselves failed to realize
their dreams of wealth. Gold-rush songs such as "The Lousy Miner" are
poignant reminders of the miners' loneliness and disappointment.
One of the finest eye witness accounts of the gold
rush is a set of letters written by Dame Shirley, the pen name of
Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe. Dame Shirley realistically portrayed
the hardships of life in the diggings, conditions that often were
forgotten by those in later years who engaged in remembering the
gold rush.
