Gold Rush
The discovery of gold nuggets in the Sacramento Valley in early 1848 sparked the Gold Rush, arguably one of the most significant events to shape American history during the first half of the 19th century. This story goes back to the gold rush days in a boom-town way out west. There was a man named Slim Bandy he was the sheriff. He wore a star upon his chest and he stood for law and order in this un-rulily town. Slim was a good man he was deceit fair and kind but slung low he wore his peacemaker. His quick draw was said to be among the very best. And I suppose you could just ask all those old outlaws Slim had laid to rest. As news spread of the discovery, thousands of prospective gold miners traveled by sea or over land to San Francisco and the surrounding area. By the end of 1849 the non-native population of the California territory was some 100,000 (compared with the pre-1848 figure of less than 1,000). And the boom-towns sprung up hard and fast. And although justice was fleeting, law and order in these towns was in most cases immediate. Slim Bandy walked out on to the main street and off the wooden sidewalk to meet the stranger who was just itching for a fight. There would be a showdown on this fateful night. Out on Main Street the two men would meet both glaring and staring each other eye to eye from beneath their wide brimmed hats. Ten feet from each other they both slapped their leather and our poor hero Slim Bandy was sadly surprised. His marker is up there in the graveyard up on the hill, and his tombstone is standing there still Now they say he haunts this old Boom-town and forever will. A total of $2 billion worth of precious metal was extracted from the area during the Gold Rush which peaked in 1852. Here lies Sheriff Slim Bandy Twenty-One times God gave him Grace on his twenty second try the whole town said good-bye When he came in second place RIP