The Coming of the Argonauts

Argonauts - from Greek mythology for those after the Golden Fleece - was a name given to the gold seekers in American history, those first prospectors who had half a chance of making a decent living.  The dry beds and waters of the American River were rich in gold, the foothills of the Sierras, although less accessible, had much more.  Many of these early Argonauts made thousands of dollars in just a few months.  Even the moderately lucky averaged $20 a day - a healthy pay for common workers back in those times. 

Much of what the Argonauts earned, however, went for necessities, from people like Sam Brannan (see previous post) at exorbitant prices. In August of 1849 one miner wrote home, "Salt Pork here in San Francisco sell for $.75 a pound, at the mines it is $200 a barrel.  Flour $2 a pound, potatoes $30 a bushel.  A ship load of potatoes would bring two hundred thousand dollars!"  It was far easier to make a living servicing those panning for gold than it was to join them.  Collis Huntington, railroad magnate, started his first million by buying iron bars at $20 a ton and selling them to miners at $1 a pound.

In 1849 California's population rose from 20,000 to more than 100,000.  By 1852, less than 3 years later, it was more than double to 225.000 and California became a state.  Almost all of those were male, and almost all of those were Argonauts. 

Most migrants came by sea from the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts on a 17,000 mile journey around Cape Horn in 6 months.  If they preferred to sail to Panama, they could travel overland to the Pacific Coast, board another ship bound for San Francisco in 6 weeks. The problem was most of those never made it via Panama where the overland jungle route struck down most with malaria, yellow fever and cholera.  Cape Horn was safer but became more expensive as demand rose. 

Those who could not afford  to go by ship chose another avenue, which we will see next time...

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Today in Pioneer History:  "On July 6, 1862, writing under the name of Mark Twain, Samuel Clemens begins publishing news stories in the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise.