THIS MONTH'S REPORT IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORIES OF BROTHERS LOST;

FRANKIE "REJECTO" CONTREREZ, SCOTT "ANIMAL" RAWLINSON,

ROBERT "NICK" NICOLETTI... GONE TO THE GOLDEN HILLS

AND "SCOTMAN" WHOSE LUCK FINALLY RAN OUT WHEN A JUDGE SAID, "STRIKE THREE"

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK "SOURDOUGH SCOTT" FOR GIVING ME THIS BOOK AS IT PROVED INVALUABLE IN THE WRITING OF THIS REPORT THAT I CALL...

THE IMPACT

SOME MIGHT THINK THAT THE RUSH OF '49 WAS AN INCIDENT THAT HAD LITTLE EFFECT ON THE REST OF THE COUNTRY LET ALONE THE WORLD . NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH

THE LURE OF CALIFORNIA'S GOLD BROUGHT THOUSANDS OF "RUSHERS" FROM ALL POINTS OF THE GLOBE. THESE PEOPLE WERE THE CREAM OF CIVILIZATION, POOR BUT INDUSTRIOUS. DOWN ON THEIR LUCK, BUT NOT IN SPIRIT. WHY ELSE WOULD A PERSON BRAVE THE UNCERTAINTIES OF NINETEENTH CENTURY TRAVEL; IT WAS BETTER TO DIE FREE THAN TO ROT IN DEBTORS PRISON. IT WAS BETTER TO GAMBLE IT ALL ON AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE THAN TO REMAIN AT HOME AND FACE CERTAIN STARVATION.

THE MERE CHANCE OF BEING ABLE TO RISE ABOVE ONES LOW STATION IN LIFE WAS WORTH ANY RISK. THE CAUSES WERE MANY BUT THE REASONS WERE ALL THE SAME;

THE POTATO FAMINE IN IRELAND KILLED UNTOLD THOUSANDS DURING WHAT WAS KNOWN AS THE "THE BLACK FORTIES"

IN FRANCE NAPOLEON'S ILL-FATED ATTEMPTS TO BECOME EMPEROR OF EUROPE HAD BANKRUPTED A POPULACE FORCED TO PAY "REPARATIONS" TO THE BANK OF ENGLAND

OUR OWN COUNTRY WAS IN THE MIDST OF A SEVERE ECONOMIC DEPRESSION. THIS DEPRESSION WAS PERPETRATED BY WHAT WE NOW CALL THE FEDERAL RESERVE. IN THE 1830'S IT WAS KNOWN AS THE NATIONAL BANK. BY TIGHTENING UP THE MONEY MARKET THEY WERE ABLE TO HOLD THE NATIONS ECONOMY HOSTAGE IN RETALIATION FOR PRESIDENT ANDREW JACKSON'S REVOKING THEIR CHARTER AS THE NATIONAL TREASURY ON JULY 10, 1832.

SETTLERS HAD ALREADY BEEN ARRIVING FROM THE "STATES", EAGER TO TILL THE TAX FREE SOIL TO BE FOUND IN OREGON AND THE NORTHERNMOST REGION OF MEXICO KNOWN AS ALTA (OR UPPER) CALIFORNIA.

WHEN "THE SHOUT WENT UP", THIS TRICKLE BECAME A FLOOD. THEIR NUMBERS BOLSTERED BY THE OPPORTUNISTS SEEKING TO GET RICH QUICK, THE POPULATION OF CALIFORNIA WAS QUICKLY AMERICANIZED.

THE MENTION OF THE WORD "FORTY-NINERS" TODAY BRINGS TO MIND A FOOTBALL TEAM... IN THE ENSUING MELEE THAT WAS THE GOLD RUSH, TO BE LABELED A

" FORTY NINER" WAS AN INSULT. IT MEANT AN OPPORTUNIST OF THE WORST SORT USUALLY A FUGITIVE FROM JUSTICE OR A DESERTER FROM THE ARMY. YEARS LATER IT WOULD BECOME A BADGE OF HONOR, THE DESIGNATION OF A MAN OF EXPERIENCE, OF WISDOM ACQUIRED THROUGH HARDSHIP, HARD WORK AND BETTER THAN AVERAGE LUCK. MORE IMPORTANTLY THE WORD FORTYNINER CAME TO BE SYNONYMOUS WITH SURVIVOR. MOST OF THE ORIGINAL FORTY NINERS HAD EITHER WENT HOME PENNILESS OR DIED FROM CHOLERA, PNEUMONIA, TYPHUS OR MALNUTRITION THE LIFE EXPECTANCY OF A "RUSHER" WAS QUITE SHORT INDEED. BAD FOOD BAD WEATHER BAD LUCK AND BAD PRICES FOR EVERYTHING. EVEN IF YOU DID STRIKE IT RICH YOU BECAME THE TARGET OF CLAIM JUMPERS AND BANDITS.

FROM THE YEAR 1848 TO 1900 THE BILLIONS IN GOLD THAT WAS MINED FROM THE MOTHERLODE ROCKETED THE UNITED STATES TO THE STATUS OF WORLD POWER. WE WERE BEHOLDEN TO NONE. WITHOUT THIS STATE'S MINERAL WEALTH THIS COUNTRY WOULDN'T BE IN ANY BETTER SHAPE THAN MEXICO IS IN TODAY.

BEFORE THE RUSH THIS COUNTRY WAS A MONETARY FLEDGLING, STRUGGLING WITH THE INTERNATIONAL BANKING EMPIRES. AFTER THE RUSH THE PRICE OF PRECIOUS METALS ON THE WORLD MARKET WAS SET BY US AND THAT WAS SPELLED U. S.

ONCE THE RUSH HAD PLAYED OUT THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TURNED TO AGRICULTURE

THE VAST FLOOD PLAIN THAT WAS THE SACRAMENTO AND SAN JOAQUIN VALLEYS BECAME WHAT THEY ARE TODAY... THE MOST PRODUCTIVE FARMLAND IN THE HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION!

MAKE NO MISTAKE THE DAYS OF '49 CHANGED THE COURSE OF HISTORY THE FACE OF THE WORLD AND THE STRENGTH OF A NATION!