Diary of H. W. Rigler in 1847 and 1848, With Notes [pp. 233-245]

1887.] Diary of IL W. Big1erin~8~7 and 1848. 241
adobes. Provisions were scarce and the cupied by Peter L. Weimer, whose wife, the
Saints were living on half-rations. Today only white woman here, does' the cooking
some of our party while hunting found a for the mill hands. The work to be done
shanty with the remains of several human consists in getting out mill timbers, erecting
bodies with ribs sawn off, skulls sawn open, the building, making a dam, and digging a
and legs cut off, showing cannibalism.' a race.
Sept. 8th. About thirty of our party, in- ~Vov. 6th. - I rested from my work today
cluding myself, following the advice of the and went out with my gun to look for my
epistle from the heads of the Church, gave horse, found him and also found a large
our hands and parting blessings to the others black-tailed deer within reach of my bullet.
who went forward, while we returned to An Indian with me carried it to the camp.
California. Nov. ijt/?. I have spent much of my
Sept. ijth.-Passed the grave of "Ann time in hunting, for which Marshall pays
West, aged 62 years." the same wages as for work at the mill, and
Sept. I4th.-Reachedouroldcampground he sends an Indian with me to carry home
near Sutter's Fort about noon. Three of my deer. Sutter had neglected to send
our party went to see Captain Sutter, who provisions and we should have been on
said he would employ all of us on the flour short allowance but for my game.
mill which he wanted to build. Jan. 1st, 1848. - All hands worked on
Sept. 15th. - We made a bargain with the mill dam, which is built of brush.
Capt. Sutter. He is to pay our wages in Sunday, Jan. 2jrd. - We have had much
money, furnish us with provisions (we to do rain of late, and last week we built a cabin
our own cooking), and take charge of our near the mill. Today four of us moved inanimals. This afternoon we moved to the to it.
mill site, six miles above the Fort. Jan. 24th. - This day some kind of metal
Sept. 17th. - This morning all except that looks like gold was found in the tail
our cooks were at work on the race with race.
plows, scrapers, shovels and spades, and ox Sunday, Jan. 30th. - Clear and has been
teams. Our bargain was that we should all the week. Our metal has been tried and
receive 12/12 cents a yard, and we found in proved to be gold. It is thought to be rich.
the evening that each man had earned $i.50. We have picked up more than a hundred
Sept. 27th. - While we were at dinner dollars' worth last week.
James W. Marshall came to our house and Sunday, Feb. 6th. - Today Barger and I
said that he was a partner with Sutter in visited the creek opposite to the mill to look
building a sawmill up in the mountains on for gold. I found $6 worth.
the South Fork of the Amencan River, and Feb. ~~th.-Thisafternoon I did not work,
he wanted four of us to go up there with being tired and not very well. I took my
him. Israel Evans, Azariah Smith, William pan and went down the creek pretending to
John~on, and I, of our battalion, and Charles hunt for ducks, but in reality to look for
Bennett lately from Oregon, went with him, gold. About half a mile down the creek I
traveling with an ox team. discovered some rock on the opposite side
Sept. 29th. - We arrived at his mill site, that indicatect gold. I took off my shirt
where we found seyeral members of our an4 pants, crossed over and soon picked up
battalion who had been working for Sutter $2 1.50 worth lying in the seams of the rock.
since August. The only house was a What is worst of it all is that it is on Sutter
double log cabin one end of which was oc- and Marshall's claim, for after the gold was
`Another remnaiit of the Donner tragedy. -J. ~ 11. found in the mill tail, they leased a large
VoL. X.-16.