When ships came into
port the sailors heard the news, and they deserted wholesale, and
the ships were left to rock at anchor without a soul on board.
Prisoners broke prison and fled to the gold fields. Warders followed,
not to take them but to remain and dig. Newspapers could not be
issued, because the printers had all run off; every industry was
neglected except the making of spades and picks. And the price of
these rose and rose till they could not be had for less than ten
dollars apiece, and it is said that even fifty dollars was offered
for one.
But in some places upon the gold fields picks and shovels were not
needed, for all the men had to do was to pick at the seams with
their pocket knives to get enough gold to make them rich.
At first it was only from California, Oregon and the Western
settlements that men rushed to the gold fields. For although
the telegraph had been discovered a short time before this there
were neither telegraphs nor railroads in the West. But soon, in
a wonderfully short time too, the news spread. It spread to the
Eastern States, then to Europe, and from all over the world the
rush came.
Every ship that would float put to sea. Many instead of going
their usual routes sailed for California, the whale fisheries were
neglected and the whalers took to mining. The fleets of all the
world seemed to make for the shores of America.
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