Howdy, Continuing to spot read my 49er' diaries/journals, I ran into some bits about the town of Stockton in 1849, which some of you folks might like. After relating his early 1849 "tedious and painful voyage of eight days" voyage from SF to Stockton, 49er William PERKINS writes in his journal: "Stockton is one hundred and sixty miles from San Francisco, and situated on a deep slough a few hundred yards from the river, on a plain, level as far as the eye can reach. It was by far the busiest place I had yet seen in California. "Here we were brought in rapport with the gold mines. We began to smell the precious ore. Here were even real live miners:-); men who had actually dug out the shining metal, and who had it in huge buckskin pouches in the pockets of their pantaloons. Men who spoke jestingly, lightly of chunk of gold weighing one, five or ten pounds! Of pockets where a quarter of a bushel of gold-dust had been washed from! These men were awful objects of our curiosity. They were the demi-gods of the dominion of Plutus. Their long rough boots, red shirts, Mexican hats; their huge uncombed beards, covering half the face; the Colt's revolver attached to its belt behind, the CUCHILLO stuck into the leg of the boot - all these things were attributes belonging to another race of men than ourselves; and we looked upon them with a certain degree of respect, and with a determination soon be ourselves as little human-like in appearance as they were." ADDENDUM: The Perkins editors note that Stockton, which was founded by Charles M. Weber in 1847 as Tuleburg, flourished only after gold was discovered. Eveidently, the town was laid out in the spring of 1849, resurveyed by Major R.P. HAMMOND, and named for Commodore R.F.STOCKTON. In the Appendix to his "Map of the Mining District of California," William A. JACKSON states that as of December, 1849: "Stockton is situated on a slough of the same name, three miles from San Joaquin River, and 70 miles from New York of the Pacific. The slough is navigable for steamers and barges of 400 tons. The location is excellent, embracing the peninsula between the two principal sloughs, and extends south to Mormon Slough. Population about 3,000. It contains some good buildings, and presents the appearance of considerable business activity. It is the great depot for the southern mining region, and is destined to be a place of much importance."(From "Three Years in California - William PERKINS' Journal of Life at Sonora, 1849 - 1852," editors Dale Morgan & James Scobie(Berkeley:UCPress,1964). NOTE: For those interested in some more Stockton stuff, may I suggest a book that Ruthie<[email protected]> sent me. It is "The American Adventure of Captain Charles M. WEBER" by James SHEBL,(Lodi,CA: San Joaquin Hist. Soc. 1993). Sorta fun looking at beginnings:-), Bob Norris in Dallas <BNorris166aol.com>