 American trail is blood, depended in blood. Chapter 9, The California Gold Rush I'll be in San Francisco and then I'll look around And when I see the gold dumps there, I'll pick them off the ground I'll scrape the mountains clean, my boys, I'll drain the river's dry A pocket full of rocks bring home, so brothers don't you cry Oh California, that's the land for me I'm a goin' to Sacramento with a wash tub on my knee Pretty good, dad, pretty good Hi folks, this is Lenny Crosby, guess you know my dad We'll move over a bit there, won't you son? I'll give the old man a little room, huh? Why, you bet Say dad, I kind of went along with that song Boy, that was number one, did you know that? Number one on the hit parade back in 1849 And days of the gold rush? Yeah Long about the time California was ready to latch on to the U.S. Ah, they were the real rugged days I'm not sure they were, but California's come a long, long way since then Yeah, all our big cities, farmlands, industries More to it than that, too, boy I like to fool around with the idea that California's sort of a digest of American history I guess it is, dad So much happened in such a short time Well, look here, by the time California was ready to spring along with the rest of the U.S. It had a lot of catch it up to do Sure caught up, though All right, then, that's what I mean Now look, you know what I like to do here? I got a yarn about a young fellow your age Who was around during the gold rush days You want me to unwrap the story, boy? Go ahead As I recall, his name was Barney Barney, yeah, Barney Brook This is how he told his story I'll never forget it That day we dropped anchor in San Francisco Bay It was so foggy we couldn't even see the land Then sailor started deserting the ship The captain up on the poop deck yelling at him as they riled away Come back, you swabs! Come and find your mutinous dogs! I love every man, Jack! I'm that face, the high dog in your way! They never came back They were after gold Just about a year before that Gold was discovered in the Sacramento Valley On Captain Sutter's land My dad and I heard about it back in Boston Everybody was wild Everybody wanted to rush right out to California And get rich One night, my dad said Barney O'Fallon, we're going out west We'll get enough gold to buy some land and some cattle A couple of days later he left Went over land I came out by way of Panama with some other people One of them was a young school teacher Miss Taylor, Virginia Taylor A friend of mine It seemed years before we got to San Francisco But at last the far cleared Miss Taylor and I stood on deck looking at the coast And waiting for my dad to come for us A barric looking country It's wild, all right Those mountains Look at them They must be the Sierra Nevada Where Captain Freemont explored My dad came aboard He looked grand Mexican sombrero red shirt Big strong sunburn Stunning valuable time here Waiting for this boat I thought we'd never get here, Tom So did I Dad, did you find any gold? Have you been to the gold field? Yes Give me the bags Let's get ashore Never seen my dad like that before So jumpy We went ashore What a place Crowds Every language in the world Hundreds of tents Fitched all over the hills No real seats Just mud pads Shack Huts A few regular houses One was called the Parker House Next door to a gaming place The El Dorado Dad had found his room At the Freemont Family Hotel I was unpacking in his room When he came in with Miss Taylor There's a fella here Brannon Sam Brannon You ought to see him Virginia He's got pull in the tongue Will he help me with the... He'll be glad to see you Sam's civic minded You tell him you want to build a school out here And he won't be able to do enough for you Then I'll certainly see him Oh here I want to show you something Barney Quit what you're doing What is it dad? In this floor Now wait a minute Here Catch Barney Oh Dad it's gold Open it Have a look Here's another bag That's gold More than $40,000 And I'm going back for more Oh boy Going back for more Tom I thought you... You said Thought what? You were going to buy land and cattle I want my share of the gold Virginia Dad I'm going with you to the goldfield No son I'm sorry Oh please dad Please let me I said no How many more times I'm sorry son I didn't mean to shout That's alright dad Next morning Miss Taylor wants to see Sam Brannon He was a newspaper publisher She took me with her Mr. Brannon was sure a fiery character Ma'am they sure go on haywire in this town They all think they're going to get rich Maybe a few will And the rest will have their hearts broken I've seen men destroying themselves Up in the gold fields I suppose so Now this town was built for 800 people ma'am In six months we've seen 10,000 people pour into it We've got a criminal population here Thugs, hooligans, scum of the earth We used to be expected But not condoned And I'm for hanging or shooting every known criminal When a man gets to be a minister Decent people get rid of my say Kill them like a mad dog If the law prescribes it The law Isn't there any? There will be We're organizing the vigilance committee Now ma'am for better or for worse California is soon going to be a state With all this gold here It's going to be mighty important country But the decent folk here Have got to make it a fit place to live in I want to do my share Mr. Brannon I want to help establish a school system Proud of you ma'am Good and proud of you Proud to see a decent American girl Come out here Only it's no place for you yet I'm here now You got any folks out here? No, not in the east I have no one but myself Proud of you Little lady will build your school Will build a church But first the scum's got to be cleaned out Now ma'am, I hate criminals I hate hooligans I hate them worse than poison Don't you, Sonny? Yes, sir Tom Brooks is boy, huh? You know my dad? I know him He fought Indians in the Black Hawk water I know he did, son He'd be good for your vigilance committee Yes, well, we could sure use a man like him When we got back to the Fremont Hotel Dad was just about going out He had a strange look I had a feeling something had happened I was out They knew I was out And they came here Ooh, what is it, Tom? Bandits Big Jack Fisher's gang Came here in broad daylight Took everything in sight They got my gold The gold? You stay here till I come back, son Dad, go to Mr. Brannon and the vigilance committee Tom, Tom, please, wait This is the gold coast, Virginia Every man makes his own rules Every man's his own judge and jury It's not true, it's not true Dad went out At first I couldn't think It was the look on Dad's face Mr. Taylor, he's got a look for those men Yes, I'm going to Sam Brannon for help You stay here, Bonnie What's come over your father? He mustn't take the law into his own hands Bonnie, Bonnie, stay there I stood there for a minute Then I ran out I kept running and running until I saw my dad And caught up with him Go back, son Sam, I'm scared Go back, I told you Please, Dad, please I said go back The first time Dad ever hit me I just stood there I saw him going to the El Dorado I started running again And some other men But I kept running until I got to the El Dorado When I first got to the door Men and women were gambling And the place was in an awful uproar Then suddenly everybody was awful still All you could hear was a lot of breathing And my dad, walking slowly towards another man He stood near a table It was like watching a tiger Dad didn't even draw his gun And the bandit seemed like he was frozen I come for my gold They sure I said I'd come for my gold They sure I'm counting three I don't know why I did it I saw the bandit's hand move towards his gun I didn't want my dad to get shot and I ran between them This is a bandit's fire Bonnie! I heard the shots I felt a hot pain in one shoulder Then there was another voice Don't move anybody I'm Sam Brannon This is the vigilance committee We're getting some law and order around this town Bonnie, Bonnie Speak to me Get it, Doctor, quick Next thing I remember I was in my bed Miss Taylor was standing there with my dad and Sam Brannon He's all right, Tom Son Did you go back, Dad? I don't want it, Bonnie I don't want to see it I just want you to get well I'm all right All the things I ever taught you All the things that matter I was turning my back on them Respect for law and order Bonnie, your dad's ashamed Dad, are you going to join Mr. Brannon's vigilance committee? He already has, Bonnie He was grand watching San Francisco grow into a big city And my dad helping Hundreds of ships sailing in from all over the world More and more settlers coming Building homes, schools, churches California getting to be a city And me feeling California was just as much as my home as Boston had been Because it was all part of the United States now This is Crosby again That was quite a story, Dan All right, Lindsay, but don't go thinking it's all wrapped up No, no, I guess it isn't It's your story now, boy Yeah, I guess it is It's yours and all the other kids across the country You're the ones who'll be carrying the ball pretty soon This law and order deal You know a few people in this country and around the world Are trying to break it up Don't you guys let them do it It'll be up to you to see that these United States Keep moving along in the good old American way Don't worry, Dad It's important stuff, my fine young friend I know it, Dad We all know it, all of us Now you're on the ball, boy Our thanks to Bing Crosby and his son, Lindsay This has been the ninth chapter in the story of the American nation Brought to you by the ladies' auxiliary To the veterans of foreign wars Make you proud of this great country of ours As we follow The American Trail