mill-yard, and heartily and respectfully greeted their
employer, who invited them to join the party in a
walk down the race. While on the way one of
Weimer's little boys ran on in advance of them, and
seeing the shining substance so temptingly displayed,
the pest picked up nearly every particle of it, and came
running back aimostout of breath, and crying, " Father !
Father! See what I have found!" Marshall and his
men each to heaven breathed a silent curse on that
innocent head for having spoiled their fun. Sutter,
seeing it, struck his cane into the ground and ex-
claimed, *' B}^ Jo ! its rich." The boy had left un-
rifled the seams, and crevices, and gravel deposits,
and the men after all had an exciting time of it gold-
picking, Sutter among the rest.
There is little wonder the statements are conflicting when no one saw it all, and each was able to describe correctly only those parts of which he "was an eye wit- ness. And after innumerable repetitions and disput- inirs, confusion arose. Some even denied that Marshall was the first discoverer at Coloma, but this assertion is not worthy of consideration. Then there was a controversy over the first piece found, and what be- came of it, more senseless than the rest. Sutter, at Litiz, showed me a ring upon which was engraved on the outside his coat of arms, and on the inside. " The first gold discovered in January 1848." And yet it was not, speaking with exactness, the first gold dis- covered ; for Sutter says in his statement that some of it he picked up himself, and some was given him by the men then present. The ring weighed an ounce and a half. Then Mrs Weimer claimed to have had in her possession for many years the very first piece picked up, and which Marshall gave her. This cannot be true, as accordino; to Marshall's testi- niony the first piece weighed fifty cents, whereas Mrs Weimer's piece was equal to five dollars and twelve cents. It is safe to conclude that the destiny of this first piece is lost to history.
