I have been reading with enjoyment the Gold Rush diary of Dr. Israel Shipman Pelton Lord (his parents didn’t stint on the names for their son). For sharp observations and colorful descriptions he can’t be beat.

Born in Connecticut in 1805, Dr. Lord lived to the ripe old age of 91. He was a homeopathic doctor with decided views on health and diet, and a strongly judgemental attitude toward the behavior of his fellow men. He came overland to California in 1849 and mined for gold along the Feather River.

He kept a journal, sometimes just a brief note about the weather, but more often an extended description of day-to-day life in the “diggins.” Here he is, writing in the summer of 1850 about the heat. Keep in mind that he is not in the valley, but in the foothills, somewhere further up than Bidwell Bar on the South Fork of the Feather River.

Monday, June 24: Not a cloud. Still it is not as hot as in Illinois in June.

Tuesday, June 25: The days are getting hotter, and the nights decidedly warmer, though I have never yet, since I left Illinois, endured a regular sultry night . . . No, we can sleep here, for all the heat, or the musquitoes; too cold for them. But the ants are everywhere, regular engineers.

“Musquitoes” is Lord’s spelling. Not only are the ants a nuisance, but “the flies — the flies!!”

Alas! there is no escape. Even while I write, any number of ants (I can’t stop to count) have been ranging undisturbed over my paper and not less than a score of flies, oftener fifty, are on each of my hands.

My flesh creeps to think of it — I don’t like flies. The weather, although usually cool at night, gets hotter during the day.

Tuesday, July 9. I have been informed by several persons, that, at Long’s the thermometer stood in the shade at 116 degrees for several days. It was 107 at Stringtown. It is a fact that the fish do not come up Feather River, at least this year. [Does he mean the salmon run?] So much for another California humbug. I shall be disappointed if we can keep the count of all [the humbugs] we discover betwixt now and fall. I propose to call the State Humbugnia and that Fremont be appointed Governor “in perpetuo.”

“Humbug,” meaning a fraud, a hoax, or a deception of some kind, was a popular word in the 19th century. It was readily applied by Dr. Lord to everything from fake cures to rumors about Gold Lake.

Wednesday, July 17th. The air seems like a furnace and is entirely destitute of moisture. There is no dew.

Thursday, July 18. Hundreds are, as usual, passing up and down, the up-ites for the most part clean, and tolerably decent; the down-ites as dirty as earth and grease can make them. Some will remain in the mountains for four to six weeks, and no change of clothing. Worst of all, they get very little gold.

I would have like to have seen the Gold Rush, but I wouldn’t want to smell it! What a life!