1862 Original Gold Rush Account First Edition ~ TWELVE YEARS IN THE MINES OF CALIFORNIA Embracing A General View Of The Gold Region, With Practical Observations On Hill, Placer, and Quartz Diggings; And Notes On The Origin Of Gold Deposits. By Lawson B. Patterson.

Printed by Miles and Dillingham, Cambridge, MA, 1862. First Edition. Hardbound in Publisher's original blindstamped brown cloth with embossed gilt title on front cover, 108 pages, appendix. GOOD Condition: covers corners and edges are worn through, spine covering perished, but the gilt remains bright, internally, front hinge starting and rear hinge tender but holding, period penned "No. 25 - " at the top of the front pastedown and half title, small Los Angeles bookseller label on rear pastedown, and a touch of of age toning, otherwise the inner pages are excellent, tight, bright, clean and unmarked.

This uncommon first hand account provides a wonderful narrative of gold mining in El Dorado County by an original Forty-Niner who prospected in the gold country for twelve years. In addition to Patterson's own experiences, much of this book is devoted to the discovery of gold, the gold region, its geology, advice to new miners, and the weather in 1853. Wheat declares the account "observations of permanent import, the value of which is belatedly becoming recognized." Wheat Books 154.

Patterson left Boston for California via New York on February 5, 1849. He took the schooner Col. Fanning to Brazos Santiago, Mexico. From there, the Argonaut crossed Mexico to Mazatlán arriving on April 17, and then shipped to San Francisco via San Diego. In his introduction, Patterson furnished the following from the San Francisco Alta California: "He arrived in this city on the 20th of July, 1849; started for the mines six days later; went to Mormon Island, and after a short stay, to the vicinity of Georgetown, El Dorado County, where he remained twelve years, never abandoning mining in all that time. He is one of the few Forty-niners who have remained faithful to the business of mining."

(Howes P121; Kurutz 484; Rocq 15995; Sabin 59140; Streeter 2876. Kurutz, The California Gold Rush 481)