Kathy...(rest will come later, too much for one message) MOTHER LODE The Story of Californias Gold Rush by Louis J. Stellman written 1934. Camptonville & Francis Hotel "At Camptonville, twenty-two miles from Downieville, stands a friendly little hotel, approached by as villainous a stretch of road as ever chewed up a tire or broke a spring. But under its roof one finds repayment in sincere hospitality and the best home-cooked meals. This unique hostelry boasts even more unusual attractions, for within its walls for many a month labored an intinerant artist named George Taylor. The proprietor, deceased, & his wife, who still runs the hotel bought expensive frames for all his paintings. Taylor painted until all the walls were filled with pictures, then painted directly on the wainscot. He covered the rooms with murals, mostly floral decorations. This accomplished he transferred his talents to the ceilings. While the Francis Hotel of Camptonville stands, a permanent museum of his work will remain for all to view and marvel at while passing through the mining country of California. Charles Bassetts "R.C. Ham had self appointed himself as judge in Sonora. He had sentenced a man to hang in the morning. Now it appears that this unfortunate and perhaps guilty person had a good friend and shipmate in Sonora. His name was Charels Bassett, and he was a man of energy and force. That evening, while Alcalde Ham was roistering, Bassett rounded up his campmates and put over an election. By a practically unanimous vote he removed Mr. Ham from office and substituted James Frazier, storekeeper at Sonorita Gulch. He was said to be a man of culture and attainments. During the latter part of 1850 several sorties occurred between Americans and Latins-mostly Mexicans and Chilenos. Great excitement was aroused in Sonora by a report that Charles Bassett, then the sole remaining resident of Columbia, had been murdured. A force of citizens was hastily assembled from the ragtag and bobtail of Sonora's almost vanished populace and rushed to the scene of the crime, where Bassett was found cooking his dinner in unmolested peace and plenty. He could do no less than invite his "rescuers" to share the meal, and they responded with great gusto. Afterward, his larder being stripped, Bassett returned with them to Sonora, leaving Columbia, for the time, untenanted. Gold Lake All the familiar bunco games were played in the mining camps. From electric heart-discs to diving bells, every absurd scheme that man could invent for finding gold was manufactured and sold. There were many feather-brained quests for treasure, most of them innocent enough, including the stampede to Gold Lake, where the stampeders were with difficulty dissuaded from hanging the man who had led them on a wild-goose chase. Murderer's Bar Murderer's Bar got its name through the vengeance of a band of Indians upon a party of Oregonians who came to the American River hunting gold in 1849. The Oregonians encountered the Indians, who were friendly enough until one of the whites took undue liberties with a young and rather good looking squaw. In the ensuing quarrel several Indians were shot and killed. The Oregonians moved on to a sandbar, where some of the party camped while others went farther on to hunt for game. When the hunting party returned they found the five companions they had left behind tomahawked and scalped. The Indians had followed and avenged the death of their comrades. It was this incident which precipitated the El Dorado Indian war and made the region unsafe for the "paleface" until it was finally adjusted." Jackie in California [email protected]