Movie Makers (Jan-Dec 1952)

146 No visit to California, says this native son, is complete without following The footsteps of the Forty Niners LEO CALOIA ON the western slope of the lofty Sierra Nevada Mountains in central California lies the golden Mother Lode country, setting of the frenzied gold rush of 1849. Regarded as among the largest human migrations in history, the gold rush to California shaped the course for the speedy development of California and other sparsely settled lands west of the Rockies. For the miners came by the thousands, closely followed by adventurers, gamblers, show people and outlaws. They came to a new land where law and order were unknown. Towns mushroomed overnight; gold and liquor flowed together and outlaw bands roamed the gold country, leaving violence and tragedy in their wake. LORE IN LITERATURE Today, these towns lie silent in the mellow California sun. They are ghost towns, haunted only by the memories of their past glories. But, for the touring movie maker, no trip to California would be complete without filming these towns with such an illustrious and romantic past. The movie, however, to be interesting should relate to some of the lore and legend of the region. Two of the most colorful chroniclers of that era were Mark Twain and Bret Harte. Mark Twain's stories, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County and Roughing It, are sagas of the gold adventurer and historically portray the lives, feeling and humor of the inhabitants of the Mother Lode country. The Luck of Roaring Camp, Tennessee's Partner, How Santa Claus Came to Simpson s Bar and other stories by Bret Harte are human documents written by an observer who truly followed the trail of the Forty Niners — and recorded their life as he saw it. LOCATION OF MOTHER LODE Roughly, the Mother Lode country of California is a narrow strip about 150 miles long, starting with the town of Mariposa at the southern end and ending with Coloma in the north — where gold was first discovered. It is bounded on the north by US Highway 50, on the west by US 50 and 99, with State Highway 49 (appropriately numbered ! ) running its length from north to south. In the north, where State 49 crosses US 50, stands Placerville and, a few miles beyond it, the sleepy old town of Coloma. Here, on January 24, 1848, James W. Marshall picked up a few gold nuggets in Sutter's millrace beside the American River, to launch the whole, wild saga of the Gold Rush. Marshall's cabin still stands, awaiting your camera, and above it. on a hill overlooking Coloma, is a huge bronze statue of the gold discoverer. NAMES ARE UNIQUE As one travels through these decaying skeletons of once prosperous communities, the visitor cannot help but notice the oddity of the town names — Whiskey Slide, Poverty Flat, Red Dog, Squabbletown, Poker Flat — all reflecting the hectic and carefree nature of the Forty Niners. More amusing was the manner in which these towns received their names. A wagon carrying a load of whiskey broke down, causing the whiskey barrels to slide down a ravine. From that incident the spot became known as Whiskey Slide. At another location, the diggings did not yield what was thought enough in gold dust and nuggets, so the place was called Poverty Flat. Here also lived the Lily of Poverty Flat, the beautiful daughter of oldman Follinsbee, who are the main characters in Bret Harte's Iliad of Sandy Bar. At Red Dog, old timers say, one of the town's citizens was followed into a saloon by a black and white dog. After drinking quite heavily of the hard liquor served, he noticed the black and white dog and ran it out of the saloon, shouting, "Get that red dog out of here!" Right then a name was born for the place. Not only was the town called Red Dog, but the liquor as well. Byrne's Ferry was known as Poker Flat, where supposedly lived the characters of Bret Harte's Outcasts of Poker Flat. As one gazes in silence at the group of ruined buildings huddled below Table Mountain, it is easy to AT SECOND GARROTTE, on the Big Oak Flat Road, stands the cabin of Bret Harte, famed for his tender stories of Mother Lode life. NEAR TUTTLETOWN is the cabin of Mark Twain, author of famous Jumping Frog story, now marked with fetes at nearby Angel's Camp.