Statewide County CA Archives History - Books .....Habits Of The Miners 1891
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Book Title: Memorial And Biographical History Of Northern California

HABITS OF THE MINERS.

  When the lucky prospector had found a paying claim, the next thing was to set
up his household. From two to four was the usual number of the mess, and though
their humble collection of goods was somewhat exposed they were tolerably secure
from depredation. A stray horse or ox would sometimes get into the flour sack or
bread sack, upset the sugar or make a mess of the table ware; wandering Indians
would pilfer small things or take away clothing, but these were the principal
depredations. The houses, often the initial points of towns, were generally
located near some spring, if practicable. Bottle Spring (Jackson), Double
Springs, Mud Springs, Diamond Spring and Cold Springs at once suggest their
origin. Logs were generally at hand, with which to build. The ground served for
a floor. The sleeping places were as various as the minds of men; but generally
bunks were made by putting a second log in the cabin at a proper elevation and
distance from the sides and nailing potato or gunny sacks across. A second bunk
over this was sometimes made in a like manner. Some ferm leaves or coarse hay on
the sacks, with blankets, made a comfortable bed. A good fire place was also
provided; and a vigorous fire was often required, as most of the mining had to
be done in water, which wet the clothes. Some of these fireplaces would be six
feet across, and built of granite or slate rocks, as each abounded. Very little
hewing was done to make them fit. Four or five feet up an oak log was laid
across for a mantel-piece and as the base for one side of the chimney. A couple
of rocks served as andirons.

A shelf or two of shakes, or sometimes an open box in which something had been
shipped around the Horn, would serve for a cupboard, and in this the stock of
table ware would be kept, consisting of a few tin plates and cups and two or
three cans containing salt, pepper and soda. A table of moderate size was also
made of shakes, sometimes movable but oftener nailed fast to the side of the
house. Sometimes the tail gate of a wagon was used for a table. A frying-pan,
coffee-pot, Dutch oven and water bucket completed the list of kitchen utensils.
Cooking was sometimes done "turn about" for a week, and sometimes it seemed to
fall to the lot of the best-natured one in the crowd, the others bringing wood
and water by way of offset. Dish-washing was generally omitted altogether. The
cooking of course was of the simplest kind, and very often of the poorest,
especially in respect, to bread; and therefore for the latter the famous
flap-jack was generally relied upon. Two frying-pans would often be used to make
these, for convenience of turning the cake, which as done by turning one over
the other.

  Game sometimes entered into the miner's bill of fare. Quails, rabbits, coons,
squirrels and hawks were all converted into food, as well as deer and hare. Some
Frenchmen in 1852, during a time of scarcity, killed and ate a coyote, but their
account of his good qualities was not such as to induce others to try the
experiment. In 1851, some miners, getting out of both money and meat, shot a
young and fine-looking hawk, cooked him and ate him, declaring that "he was
better nor a chicken!" Some neighbors tried the same experiment, but
unfortunately killed the old fellow that was preserved from drowning a great
many years ago through the kindness of one of our forefathers. His flesh was
about the color and consistency of sole-leather; and after boiling him for three
days in the vain attempt to reduce his body to an eatable condition he was cast
away. Even the rice with which he was boiled acquired no hawk flavor, which
induced one of the miners to remark, "They's much difference'n hawks as'n
women." A second trial resulted in a splendid dish, and after that hawks learned
to avoid that settlement. But, with all the simplicity and supposed monotony of
the miner's bill of fare, it was almost a constant series of comicalities as
well as nuisances.

  The washing of clothes was scarcely ever attended to, with such results as may
better be imagined than described. The vermin which were consequently so
abundant were after some years vanquished; but whether by the neater habits of
miners or the sanguinary flea is still an open question. The fleas were
sometimes caught in large numbers in dishes of soap suds set around lighted
candles at night. Later the bed-bug drove out to some extent the flea. Rats also
became numerous.

  Rattlesnakes sometimes crawled in between the logs, and first made their
presence known by the sharp rattle of their chain or the deadly thrust of their
poisonous fangs into the sleeper's limbs. As the miners got to building their
cabins of sawed lumber and elevating them above the ground, snakes, rats, mice
and skunks became less frequent visitors; when dogs and cats were called in as
friends and protectors the people could sleep without fear or disturbance.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from

Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California.

Illustrated, Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast
from the Earliest Period of its Occupancy to the Present Time, together with
Glimpses of its Prospective Future; Full-Page Steel Portraits of its most
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers and also of
Prominent Citizens of To-day.

"A people that takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendents." – Macauley.

CHICAGO
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1891.


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