THE THINGS WE OVERLOOK
It really rather saddens me,The things we overlook.
The beauty of a mountain stream,
The babble of a brook.
A sunset in the western sky,
Above the Golden Gate.
The California Lone Bear Flag,
Republic old but great.
It brings to mind those living here,
Before it was a state.
The men of 1846,
The molders of our fate.
They came here not for gold to find,
Nor running from the law.
But here a nation for to build,
With hammer, and with saw.
The Russians, Spaniards, Mexicans,
The Poles, The black man too.
The Germans and the Irish,
Some were Christian, some were Jew.
And certainly the Chinaman,
A Californian true.
As slave he spilt his blood,
And built this land for me and you.
And then there were Italians,
And the Swiss of mountain lands
Who brought respect for all mankind,
And guided us with plans.
But let us not forget the Basques,
And French with grapes in hand.
They, fighting weather hot and cold,
Brought wine to this great land.
The language became English,
Which the Britons gave to us.
Then taught us law and enterprise,
And seasoned it with trust.
Alas there was the Indian,
The first man here to live.
Ten thousand years of culture,
Which he tried so hard to give.
An herb, a dance, a totem-pole,
A way of life that's free.
All these he offered up to us,
Oh yes, he charged no fee.
But we in this now day and age,
While rushing to and fro,
Have little time for memories,
Or beauty as we go.
And so we take our heritage,
And bind it in a book.
It really rather saddens me,
"The Things We Overlook."
Copyright 1980 Luis J. Orozco, II
The
tale begins in September of 1848. Newspapers in the east began publishing
letters from the recently discovered goldfields that told of the ease of
collecting nuggets. During the next few months news spread across the thirty
states. Even President Polk's message to Congress stated "the accounts
of the abundance of gold in that territory so recently acquired (February
1848) by the treaty ending the war with Mexico" were, indeed, factual.
So sets the scene for the first Sesquicentennial, celebrating the Discovery
of Gold in California in 1848.
By early in 1849 tens of thousands had set out for to seek their fortune. There were so many people rushing to California from all over America, Mexico, Europe, Australia, and China that, though an estimated 30,000 returned to their homes each year, the population totaled more than 250,000 by 1852. Before the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill (January 24, 1848) there had been less than 14,000 non-Indians. So sets the scene for the second Sesquicentennial, commemorating California's Gold Rush in 1849.
Under any other circumstances, California would have evolved slowly. It would have probably competed with the Oregon territory for a few thousand immigrants annually. But the State's economy boomed. Industry and agriculture grew as it was stimulated by the huge consumer markets of San Francisco and Sacramento and by the demand for food, supplies, lumber, and luxuries. So sets the scene for the third Sesquicentennial, the anniversary of California's Statehood in 1850.
Check out the Calaveras 150 page for some links to websites gearing up for these special events!
