Popular Culture Review Vol. 1, December 1989 | Page 74

but Silverado was there right next to it, and the Silver Kings who
profited some three hundred million dollars from the precious
metal, built San Francisco into one o f the most cosmopolitan yet
wild west towns in the world. The nouveau riche were having a
field day, while wildness was turning inexorably toward civilized
ways.
Prospectors now made new discoveries not only in gold and
silver, but, equally important, in copper. The age o f electricity was
being born and copper would hurry it along. Gold and silver were
found then in U tah and in Arizona. In the latter, a prospector named
Ed Schieffelen, searched what appeared to be the barren desert and
was told by others that the only thing he would find would be his
tombstone. In a way, he proved them right, for he struck it rich there
and the town of Tombstone came into being, as a testimonial to his
persistence. Eventually, the area would give up eighty million
dollars in silver.
Gold had been discovered and exploited in the far West, but
few thought that rich finds would be found elsewhere. However,
as early as 1849, the year of Sutter’s find in California, some
Cherokee Indians who were heading toward California, panned for
and discovered some gold in the Platte river. The area was not far
from where the river split into two forks, the north one moving
toward Ft. Laramie, the south one toward the Colorado Rockies and
in the direction of Pike’s Peak. Not much was made o f this, but, in
subsequent years, Colorado would share its gloiy in gold with the
rest o f the world. Sporadically, gold was discovered on Cherry
Creek, a tributary o f the South Platte River, and then at Auraria.
Although Pike’s Peak was some sixty-five miles south, its name
was used to indicate the rush and the rallying call was for “Pike’s
Peak or Bust.” An economically depressed East heeded the mes
sage and gathered up a full head of steam, some 50,000 men and
their families heading w est Most were disappointed and quickly

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