Perils of the Gold Rush

By Arthur Harris

The story is written as a diary by a young woman, Dorothy, at the age of twenty-one, recounting her adventures from seventeen, of living in Baltimore just before gold was discovered in California.

She recounts the sudden death of her mother. Her father, a professional gambler, sinks into despair but arouses from it to win a Coach House and Inn along with other property, which he gives to her. A slave, Meg, part of the winnings, is freed and stays on to work for them.

They operate the property, and when the gold strike of 1848 sweeps the country, they become quite wealthy operating the Coach House and Inn.

She meets and is attracted to a young gold seeker, Theodore, to whom she has let a room at the inn while waiting for the ship to take him to California, and after a whirlwind courtship, they marry and then leave for California.

Another young man, Eli, has arrived, and though bound for the gold fields, he plans to open a general store supplying the prospectors and accepts Theodore as a partner in the venture, and they quickly become friends.

The ship arrives, and the trio finally set out for California.

Both she and her new husband develop malaria while on board, and Theodore dies at sea. With no one else to care for her, Eli nurses her through it, saving her life

Arriving in San Francisco, Eli heads for the gold fields, where he sets up a store in a new frontier boom town. Dorothy remains in San Francisco, acting as agent but, tiring of this, joins Eli in the new store.

A disgruntled worker stabs Eli. She shoots the worker, thereby saving Eliss life.

Now its her turn to nurse him, and they confess their love, and he proposes.

The colorful era is the background to a love story and the adventures of a courageous young woman who is forced to face challenges and succeeds.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Nov 14, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499052589

Arthur Harris

Born in time to grow up during the “Great Depression” plus joining the “Greatest Generation” I’ve had time to try my hand at lot of things. I’ve been a soldier, sailor, salesman, artist, interior, industrial, scenic and window designer engineer, inventor, rehabilitator and landlord, Court appointed guardian, receiver, advertising account executive and even punched cattle (briefly). I’ve survived typhoons,, hurricanes, Nor’easters and even a plague of locusts. My wife Dorothy passed away, leaving one son, an active Army Officer, a wonderful Daughter in law and two beautiful, granddaughters. Writing for various publications plus several books, finally publishing two.

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

October 12, 1852

Placerville, California

I have retaken pen in hand, whilst seated at my writing desk on this warm and sunny day and begin again to record in my new journal. Today is my birthday and among my many presents is this beautiful diary of blank pages, for me to fill.

Much had transpired since my last writings. When I left off last, I had just turned 17. Now, almost 7 years have passed and so I will write of those intervening years so that sense can be made of my entries.

Firstly, I am in California. It is the largest undertaking and furthest distance that I have ever traveled and the responsibilities I have undertaken are almost beyond belief. And, I am married and expecting our second child in February. My first is a fine 3 year old boy named Daniel after his grandfather.

I ceased writing when my journal when Mama died. It was so sudden, one day she was with us hale and hearty and the next she was gone. The doctor said it was a stroke.

My father, Daniel, now underwent a change that I almost could not fathom. Father had always been a genial man but he was also a successful gambler, earning a good living on riverboats and other places where men gamble.

He would leave us, returning every few weeks, bounding into the house and emptying his pockets of money which he scattered up into the air. Mother and I would grab at the bills fluttering down, laughing and hugging as we did so. It was a merry gathering, as though Christmas came many times a year.

I was not aware that the style in which we lived was as grand as it was since all of our neighbors and friends lived similar manner. While we had a cook, a maid and a serving girl, they were always freed slaves or indentured servants.

We did not own any slaves as did most of our neighbors. Father hailed from Massachusetts and a family that that were staunch abolitionists and disapproved of slavery and so he hired only freedmen or indentured people and paid them wages.

Father did not openly proclaim his opposition to slavery so as not to antagonize our friends and neighbors, but he simply would not discuss it.

Our house was large and filled with friends and whenever father was home we entertained often.

Life was very merry with lots of parties, balls and outings with a vast number of friends and neighbors calling to exchange invitations to the social life that we were a part of.

All of this changed with mother’s sudden death. One moment she was laughing and full of life, then suddenly, clutching at her head, fell down and was with us no longer. Father and I, looked on, devastated and helpless.

Father’s family lived up north although his father and two brothers, Lewis, the eldest, and Raymond, the baby brother, who stood 6 foot 3 inches tall, would visit with us whenever they passed through on their way to buy cotton for the mills they owned.

Mother had only one sister, Alice, who disapproved of almost everything, especially father’s way of making a living and of his family, who she suspected of abolitionist tendencies.

Though she lived near us, she never visited nor did she invite us to her house. Her family consisted of twin girls, Ruth and Margret, 14 years of age and her husband Victor. Victor seemed much put upon by his wife and on the few occasions we met, scarcely said two words.

Mother’s family is from Baltimore. My grandparents died when I was 9. Mother has an older sister, my aunt Alice.

CHAPTER 2

The doctor, who rushed in, examined her, shook his head sadly. A great quietness settled throughout the house and our lives now seemed wrapped in funeral black. Father now no longer went out and spent hours sitting and staring at the coffin in the parlor, while awaiting his family to arrive. Our neighbors and friends came