I told father that we had better move as there was danger. But he
thought it safe to remain where we were. But I insisted that we move,
and finally he listened to my pleadings and we each took an end of the
bed and lifted it over to the other side of the tree, away from the
dead limb. We had hardly gotten settled into the bed before the limb
came down with a crash, immediately across the spot from where we took
the bed. Had we remained, nothing could have saved us from instant
death. The next day we left Knight's Ferry without a dollar and
reached the mines that afternoon about 4 o'clock. One of the miners
gave me a claim. The next morning I started my first gold mining.
Father was obliged to rest after all this dreadful experience of nine
or ten months. I bought myself a rocker and began to work my claim.
The first day I had washed out $9.50. In eight days I had gotten out
$650. After getting the gold father went to Stockton and bought a
supply of groceries and started a grocery store at Scorpion Gulch. I
took up another claim and in ten days' time I had taken out a
collection of nuggets and small gold to the amount of $1,600."
This was sent home to the family in the East with the message for us
to come to California as soon as we could get ready.
After father started for California we were obliged to vacate the
parsonage for the family of his successor. So the church was raised
and a fine story made under the church for our use while we remained
there.
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