Where to find precious metal? What to take with you? How to take care of your health? The author of The Guide to the Land of Gold claimed to know the answers to every question. And although he did not make a fortune himself, his book became an oracle for thousands of amateurs who traveled to California in the mid-nineteenth century.
Feliks Paweł Wierzbicki came to California by accident. This philosopher and medic, who emigrated from Poland after the November Uprising, enlisted as a volunteer for the American armed forces. Together with them, in 1847 he traveled to Santa Barbara. There, however, it turned out that there was no suitable place for him in the ranks of the army.
So he finally dropped his uniform and put on a white smock. As a surgeon, he treated wounded soldiers while he watched the gold rush sweep the country. It is possible that he participated in it himself, looking for a precious metal near the city of Mokelumne Hill .
He did not make a fortune, but in 1849 he summarized his experiences and observations in the book "California as it is, and as it may be; or, A guide to the gold region ”, meaning“ California as it is and as it may be; or, The Guide to the Land of Gold. ”
"There is no harder work than digging and washing gold"
Interestingly, Wierzbicki - perhaps disappointed with his own failure in this field - did not promise readers an easy success. On the contrary. "This kind of work requires the strongest muscles, used to fatigue," he warned. In this way, he wanted to counter the hurray-optimistic rumors spreading at home and abroad. He argued:"We can freely admit that there is no harder work than digging and washing gold."
The first edition of Wierzbicki's book was published in 1849.
In addition to this warning, its small volume, the publication - initially a little over 60 pages, and from the second edition expanded to less than 80 - nevertheless contained a number of valuable tips. As reported by Mateusz Będkowski, author of the book "Polish gold diggers" , Wierzbicki enumerated, among other things, the equipment needed for the expedition:
The Pole included good, warm clothes, shoes (preferably waterproof), blankets (for sleeping, preferably two), a pickaxe, a shovel, a crowbar, a bowl among the necessary items for every seeker for rinsing gold (...), a knife and a trowel. Both the pickaxe and the crowbar for comfortable work should not be too big (...). Any daredevil leaving town should also be armed with firearms - such as a rifle and / or revolver - for protection against Indians, criminals and grizzly bears.
The author advised against taking too much luggage on a journey. He argued that the gold prospector moved around frequently, so the fewer things he had, the faster and cheaper he would arrange the move. He also recommended buying your own horse and mule as a less expensive option than paying for transport.
Beware of the price tag!
In addition to detailed instructions on the use of gold mining equipment (it was said that it took about a week to master the so-called "cradle"!), The Pole also included a number of dietary and health tips in the guide. As Będkowski writes in "Polish gold diggers" :
Wierzbicki included:meat - both fresh and dried (pork, beef, lamb, venison), flour, sugar, tea, coffee, chocolate , beans, rice and also dried apples (...). Fever, diarrhea, dysentery and scurvy are among the most common ailments among gold miners, caused by a bad diet, for example.
The curiosity is based on the book by Mateusz Będkowski "Polish gold prospectors" (Poznań Publishing House 2019).
Wierzbicki also warned against… overpaying. He gave approximate prices of basic products in San Francisco and noted that "in the field" they will be three or four times more expensive . This was not only about food:for a gold pan, which cost $ 3-4 in the city, twice as much was asked at the mine site.
With so many specific tips, it is hardly surprising that The Guide to the Land of Gold turned out to be a real bestseller. Selling for $ 5 the book - probably the first English-language publication to be published in California - has brought publishers up to $ 10,000 in income . This is probably more than any of its readers earned…
Source:
Trivia is the essence of our website. Short materials devoted to interesting anecdotes, surprising details from the past, strange news from the old press. Reading that will take you no more than 3 minutes, based on single sources. This particular material is based on the book:
- Mateusz Będkowski, Polish gold diggers , 2019 Poznań Publishing House.
Read more about Poles who took part in the golden rush:
