Trappers in general as a rule were ignorant of minerals and not very curious about them either. Even if they found golf or silver, the cost of carrying it to settlements over miles of primitive trails wasn't worth it. Not until the California gold rush of 1849 and the improvement of transport did prospecting and mining become profitable enterprises in the West.
In the trapper season of 1837-38 a man named Jack Ralston was with Captain Joesph Walker on the
trail. Only one interesting story remains about this man in the 1860s near the Colorado River with Captain Walker once again. Back on the original expedition with Walker in 1838, Ralston found a few large lumpy pieces of yellow metallic looking substance sticking out of the rocks. He showed the rest of the men who didn't really know what it was either so they stuffed pieces in their pockets as novelty items and they became worn pieces of dust...gold dust.
Some 20 years later when Ralston saw samples of gold, he realized what it was he had found and attempted to go back alone to find it. When that failed he asked if Captain Joe was interested in leading a party to the site again - Captain Joe agreed.
Next time...Apache!
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This Day in History: On December 28, 1890, in the tragic final chapter of America's long war against the Plains Indians, the U.S. Cavalry kills 146 Sioux Indians at Wounded Knee, South Dakota.
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