| It was here, in this sleepy valley, that the American | | | | another matter entirely. |
| Dream was re-defined. An accidental discovery near | | | | By mid 1849, the easy gold was gone--but the 49ers |
| the obscure American River would forever change a | | | | kept coming. There was still gold in the riverbeds, but it |
| young nation. The simple life would no longer be | | | | was getting harder and harder to find. A typical miner |
| enough. In its place would come a new kind of lifestyle: | | | | spent 10 hours a day knee-deep in ice cold water, |
| entrepreneurial, wide-open, free. The new American | | | | digging, sifting, washing. It was backbreaking labor that |
| dream: to get rich; to make a fortune--quickly. | | | | yielded less and less. |
| Instant wealth was here for the taking. All across | | | | As panning became less effective, the miners moved |
| America, young men made the decision to go to | | | | to more advanced techniques for extracting the |
| California. Every city, every hamlet would send its | | | | precious metal. But it was a losing battle as the gold |
| brightest, its strongest, to California--and eagerly await | | | | reserves were declining and the number of miners |
| their triumphant return home. They came from Europe, | | | | was increasing dramatically. The atmosphere of |
| Asia, and South America in search of instant riches. | | | | friendly camaraderie so prevalent a year or two |
| It was one of the greatest adventures the world had | | | | earlier, was all but gone by 1850. Forty-niners who |
| ever seen. | | | | expected to make their fortune in a few days found |
| In the early 1840s, California was a distant outpost that | | | | themselves digging for month after month--year after |
| only a handful of Americans had seen. The sleepy | | | | year--with little to show for the effort. Frustration and |
| port that would become San Francisco had just a few | | | | depression was rampant. |
| hundred residents. | | | | Out of despair, many 49ers turned to poker and other |
| One of the wealthiest people in the region was John | | | | forms of gambling in hopes of snatching the quick |
| Sutter--an affable Swiss immigrant who came to | | | | fortunes that had eluded them in the rivers. When that |
| California in 1839, intent on building his own private | | | | didn't work, many turned to crime. Jails, unnecessary a |
| empire. Sutter soon built a fort, amassed 12,000 head | | | | few years earlier, were soon filled. Hangings became |
| of cattle, and took on hundreds of workers. His most | | | | common--almost matter of fact. |
| prolific crop was debt. He owed money to creditors as | | | | 49er John Bucroft |
| far away as Russia. But Sutter was a man with a | | | | "I take this opportunity of writing these few lines to you |
| dream; a dream of a vast agricultural domain that he | | | | hoping to find you in good health. Me and Charley is |
| would control. | | | | sentenced to be hung at five o'clock for a robbery. |
| By the mid 1840s, more and more Americans were | | | | Give my best to Frank and Sam." |
| trickling into California by wagon and ship. Sutter | | | | Many gave up the dream and went home to the east. |
| welcomed the newcomers--he saw them as subjects | | | | Others stayed on--just one more year they hoped. |
| for his self-styled kingdom. But Sutter had no idea that | | | | One more year and they'd strike it rich. And there |
| the trickle would become a flood--a deluge of | | | | were the occasional lucky strikes well into the |
| humanity that would destroy his dream. Sutter's | | | | 1850s--just enough good news to encourage the |
| undoing began 50 miles northeast of his fort on the | | | | masses to continue digging. Most failed every day, but |
| American River. In late 1847, James Marshall and about | | | | they kept on--year after year. Dejected, disappointed, |
| 20 men were sent to the river by Sutter to build a | | | | many would never return home to loved ones back |
| sawmill--to provide lumber for Sutter's growing ranch. | | | | east--they would die in California, broken by a dream |
| The sawmill was nearly complete when a glint of | | | | that never came true. |
| something caught Marshall's eye. It was January 24th, | | | | Although the gold in the California hills eventually ran |
| 1848. | | | | out--the impact of the gold rush era lives on. California |
| James Marshall | | | | was shaped by the adventurers who stayed--to form |
| "I reached my hand down and picked it up; it made my | | | | the idea that is California today: a place that accepts |
| heart thump, for I was certain it was gold. The piece | | | | and nurtures risk takers. |
| was about half the size and shape of a pea. Then I | | | | John Sutter never saw the opportunity of gold. He |
| saw another." | | | | couldn't alter his vision--and left the state. But as Sutter |
| After making the greatest find in the history of the | | | | and those like him departed, the new Californians |
| West, Marshall and the other workers went back to | | | | came and kept coming. People who could adapt to |
| work. But they kept stumbling upon more gold. Still in | | | | constant changes; people who saw opportunity at |
| disbelief, Marshall took samples back to Sutter's Fort. | | | | every corner; people who longed for a more exciting |
| Sutter and Marshall tested the shiny metal as best | | | | life, and weren't afraid to grab it. |
| they could--a tattered encyclopedia gave them clues. It | | | | It was a dream that precious few ever actually |
| was gold, they concluded--but neither man was happy | | | | realized--but it's a dream that lives on. |
| about it. | | | | The Internet and her Marketing Capabilities |
| Sutter was building an agricultural fiefdom--he didn't | | | | On April 30, 1995, the government and the |
| want the competition that gold-seekers might bring. | | | | organizations that built this system from |
| And Marshall had a sawmill to build--gold hunters would | | | | scratch,released it and Internet traffic was handed |
| just get in his way. So they made a pact to keep the | | | | over to commercial networks. While the NSF is still |
| discovery a secret. | | | | funding research and setting guidelines for network |
| But it wasn't long before stories of gold filtered into the | | | | providers, new infrastructure will be built and maintained |
| surrounding countryside. Yet there was no race to the | | | | by offsprings of telephone companies and other |
| American River. The news of Marshall's gold was just | | | | organizations. Scientist developing networking |
| another fantastic tale--too unlikely to be believed. | | | | technology in the 1960's knew that what they were |
| The gold rush needed a booster, and Sam Brannan | | | | building would be far bigger than themselves; nobody, |
| was the man. A San Francisco merchant, Brannan | | | | however , could have predicted the explosion in |
| was a skilled craftsman of hype. Eventually, the gold | | | | Internet access and interest in the past several years. |
| rush would make him the richest person in | | | | The original designers didn't even think email would be |
| California--but Sam Brannan never mined for gold. He | | | | something people would want. Commercial networks, |
| had a different scheme--a plan he set into motion by | | | | students, and even Internet cafes are scrambling |
| running through the streets of San Francisco shouting | | | | tosign up and be part of a technological revolution. It is |
| about Marshall's discovery. As proof, Brannan held up | | | | important for us to remember that the real revolution |
| a bottle of gold dust. It was a masterstroke that would | | | | took place two decades ago --- today'stechnology |
| spark the rush for gold--and make Brannan rich. | | | | just rides on the wave of yesteryear. |
| Brannan keenly understood the laws of supply and | | | | The Marketing Capabilities of the Internet compares to |
| demand. His wild run through San Francisco came just | | | | the California Gold Rush. |
| after he had purchased every pick axe, pan and | | | | Who was the REAL entrepreneur of the California |
| shovel in the region. A metal pan that sold for twenty | | | | Gold Rush? |
| cents a few days earlier, was now available from | | | | The answer is Sam Brannan. |
| Brannan for fifteen dollars. In just nine weeks he made | | | | "The gold rush needed a booster, and Sam Brannan |
| thirty-six thousand dollars. | | | | was the man. A San Francisco merchant, Brannan |
| By the winter of 1848, whispers of a gold strike had | | | | was a skilled craftsman of hype. Eventually, the gold |
| drifted eastward across the country--but few | | | | rushwould make him the richest person in |
| easterners believed. It was an age when rumors were | | | | California--but Sam Brannan never mined for gold. |
| discounted--and government officials were revered. | | | | He had a different scheme--a plan he set into motion |
| The gold discovery needed validation, and President | | | | by running through the streets of San Francisco |
| James Polk delivered just that in early December, 1848: | | | | shouting about Marshall's discovery. As proof, |
| President James Polk: | | | | Brannanheld up a bottle of gold dust. It was a |
| "The accounts of the abundance of gold in that | | | | masterstroke that would spark the rush for gold--and |
| territory are of such extraordinary character as would | | | | make Brannan rich. |
| scarcely command belief were they not corroborated | | | | Brannan keenly understood the laws of supply and |
| by authentic reports of officers in the public service." | | | | demand. His wild run through San Francisco came just |
| Polk's confirmation reached deep into the soul of | | | | after he had purchased every pick axe, pan and |
| millions. His simple words were a powerful call to | | | | shovel in the region. A metal pan that sold for twenty |
| action. Farmers left their fields; merchants closed their | | | | cents a few days earlier, was now available from |
| shops; soldiers left their posts--and made plans for | | | | Brannan for fifteen dollars. In just nine weeks he made |
| California. Newspapers fanned the fires. | | | | thirty-six thousand dollars." |
| Horace Greeley the of New York Tribune: | | | | Who was the REAL entrepreneur of Internet |
| "Fortune lies upon the surface of the earth as plentiful | | | | Marketing? |
| as the mud in our streets. We look for an addition | | | | The answer is Bill Gates and Microsoft. |
| within the next four years equal to at least One | | | | Bill Gates did not choose to produce personal |
| Thousand Million of Dollars to the gold in circulation." | | | | computers(the Gold in the Gold Rush). He chose to |
| By early 1849, gold fever was an epidemic. | | | | produce the best and most used software to make |
| Discussions of gold could be heard at nearly every | | | | the personalcomputers operate (the same as |
| kitchen table in the nation. Young men explained to | | | | Brannans pick axes and pan and shovels). |
| their wives that a year apart would be worth the | | | | And that is where the Internet Gold Rush stands today |
| hardship. | | | | --Professional Software to assist in finding gold in the |
| Miner Melvin Paden: | | | | Internet Marketing. |
| "Jane, I left you and them boys to procure a little | | | | So, the geniuses in the California Gold Rush and the |
| property by the sweat of my brow so that we could | | | | Internet Marketing Gold Rush were Sam Brannan and |
| have a place of our own-that I might not be a dog for | | | | Bill Gates. |
| otherpeople any longer." | | | | We, at the Software R Us Club are convinced that a |
| They said their goodbyes and streamed west in | | | | vein of gold lies in providing professional software to |
| unison--thousands of young adventurers with a | | | | allow everyone the opportunity to stake their claim in |
| collective dream--a year of pain in return for a lifetime | | | | the Internet Marketing Gold Rush. |
| of riches. They were dubbed "forty-niners" because | | | | And, just remember... Sam Brannan and Bill Gates |
| they left home in 1849. When they would return, was | | | | were right. |