Hello. I also have an article (1 Oct 1889) about the golden wedding anniversary party of Dr. and Mrs. Gunn. It is quite interesting to me and I thought I would share some of it with you. It describes how Mrs. Gunn and the children sailed for six months around Cape Horn to join Dr. Gunn in Sonora in the summer of 1851, and how Mrs. Gunn would knit "(for this busy woman could not sit with idle hands), listening to the able discussion of social and political problems carried on by men, some of whom afterward became famous in the annals of the state." "But few of the present residents of California are aware that a struggle was maintained for years to preserve it as a free state. The First Constitution contained a provision for calling a convention to form a new Constitution whenever the Legislature might pass a bill to that effect but it did not require the work of such a convention to be submitted to the people for ratification. The propagandists saw their opportunity and immediately began plotting to have a convention called and by a secret circular the friends of slavery all over the state were instructed to secure the nomination and election of only such legislators as would favor the measure. The pretext for calling a convention was to be the anti-banking clause in the Constitution; but the new Constitution was to be silent on the subject of slavery simply dropping the free State clause. If their scheme had succeeded there would have been nothing to prevent the introduction of slavery, and there was to be a vigorous colonization of masters and slaves. Failing in this, an effort was to be made to divide the state, and have all the southern portion revert to a territorial condition, into which slavery could be introduced and made perpetual. Dr. Gunn became early advised of these movements and determined to make a vigorous opposition. Becoming possessed of the _Sonora Herald_ in the fall of 1850, he fearlessly expressed his convictions at a time when party feeling was so great that it was at the peril of his life to take so bold a stand. The _Herald_ became a power and wielded an influence that was felt over the whole state. For several years, the fight was maintained and the final defeat of the pet measures, both in the Legislature and the State political conventions, was due to the vote of Tuolumne County. Only those who were behind the scenes knew how much was due to the untiring efforts and secret influence of Dr. Gunn." Wouldn't you love to read those editorials!!! I enjoyed this snippet of mid-1800s CA history and hope you did, too. Stephanie in Denver