Fraternal Herald/Volume 31/Number 7/The Story of Jos. Francl

THE STORY OF JOS. FRANCL.

Translated by Fred Francl.
V.

Francl’s notes end with the preceding sentence and all that remains to tell of his California days is found in the following letters, from which is taken only that portion that pertains to his life there:

“Placerville, February 3, 1855. Dear Johann! We are fifty miles from Sacramento City and for two weeks now there is opposition between the two stage lines. The fare is only one dollar, so Merrman and I hope that one of us can go there and give a note, each for half. That would help for, a while and I hope that by the end of April I will have $200. Of course, if one thought to find gold here easily, that was a mistake, for although there are opportunities here to gain great wealth, it depends on luck and chance. Furthermore, if a person works and saves, he may make something. Anyone can make two dollars a day in digging; for the ground is not dug over much here. But there are many here who run about hither and thither and spend their last cent in dissipation. As far as Mr. Merrman and I are concerned, we lodge together with two others and so far I can say that we have gotten along all right, for when we arrived in Placerville October 17, 1854, we were in tatters, with no money. What to do? We did not know what the miners’ law was, nor where to dig for gold, we had no tools, that is picks, shovels, pans, etc., for tools for two people cost $40.00. Clothing, shelter and food, where to get it? The answer is simple—go in debt. We would have gladly worked for someone, but in summer there is no work to be had, for on account of scarcity of water everyone is able to take care of his work himself. Well, every beginning is hard. We took courage and went into the first saloon we saw and were lucky right away, for the owner said he would give us credit for one week’s boarding. That is, food and lodging for one person, $10 per week. But one week was not enough, we stayed three weeks and owed $50. In the meantime we became acquainted and saw how the work was done. But where to get tools? Across from the saloon is a store, let us go there to see if the owner will give us credit. And surely, he did, $45 more debt. Now where to begin work? We met two miners who said they had a claim for sale. We were terribly green and bought it on credit and began to try our luck. We dug and washed dirt for a whole week and found only $8.00 worth of gold, when the proprietors of the claim appeared, took our gold and left. That was a bitter moment. What now? We cannot stay in the saloon, the owner speaks of pay. So we moved to our claim and sat on a bank, much worried and mediated. See, about 1,000 steps away we beheld a cabin and went to inspect it, if it is inhabited and experienced our first luck and happiness, for the cabin had been abandoned by a Chinaman. Good, we have a home, but where can we get food and cooking utensils, for about thirty miles the other side of Placerville we had thrown away our pots and pans. We must try our luck elsewhere and make debt again. So we went to another storekeeper who gave us credit for two weeks, $16 more debt. Now we felt a trifle more content, for we had the main thing. As far as clothing goes, we must be patient and wait until we earn something, for we cannot get more credit. We made little until about the end of December, for we had no luck in digging for gold. I was glad that at least we got enough for food. In January conditions improved somewhat, the first week we made $70, the second $80; the third $100 and the fourth $120. That is, three people, $120 per person. What to do with the money first? Debtors, pay, for creditors run after you continually. We paid all our debts and I had left in cash $17. At present our claim pays on an average $4.50 per person, food for one costs $3 to $4 weekly. But we must be satisfied, for the weather is cold, that is, dry. If it were rainy, we could make more, for this way we have to pay 50 cents per inch for water and we must have 10 to 12 inches a day, in order to wash the diggings. If it will not rain, there will be much poverty, for there is no water in places, where a little can be earned. We have a so-called dry claim, there is no water on it, so we are waiting for rain, that we could make more. We hope each to make half an ounce of gold a day, that means $7.50. So far there is opportunity to make a little, but a person must strive and work hard. The place we are working now has been visited by many hundreds of people, but no one of them cared to work here, for we have to dig 12 feet deep, down to the rock, and then in the crevices of the rock we find a fragment of gold in value from 2 to 50 cents, and from 50 cents to $1.00. Sometimes we have to blast rock two feet in depth and still do not find gold. We have found a piece worth $14 and several worth $6 and $7. Gold is mined in various ways, pardon me, if I do not describe them here. It is ten o’clock at night, I am going to bed. That green blanket is very comfortable.”—

“Georgetown, November 24, 1855. Dear Johann! In June Merrman and I parted company on the Feather River and I went south. I hunted here and there and at last found good work, for I entered the services of a certain man for $75 and board, monthly. But I only got $20 the first month and nothing at all the next, for my master’s place burned down and he could not spare any money. If I did not want to lose the $130 due me, I was obliged to accept a part of his claim. My future now lies with the claim and if that disappoints me, then I shall obey your good counsel, for which, my dear Johann, I thank you very much. So if my new claim pays well (there are only five shares) and I would have a chance to work two years, what do you think I have in mind? To have Tony and the child come here next spring and then, in two years set up a business. Merchants here make great profits, for goods at wholesale is not expensive and I will try to sell at twice the cost price. And besides, you write as also does Tony, that her health is not the best. I think that here is the healthfullest climate in the world. There is no cold weather, no agues, cholera or other diseases. As far as summer heat is concerned, that is not as bad as many summer days in Wisconsin. I think her health would improve here.”

Georgetown, April 12, 1857. My dearest friend! The preceding winter here was quite severe, during two weeks three inches of snow lay on the ground. Then from January to the end of February it rained continually. March was beautiful and now in May the weather is very hot.—I certainly never thought that I would be absent from my dear wife so long. Although so far I have not gained wealth, I have laid my hopes aside and some day in the summer I will surprise you with my coming. When, I cannot say for sure, but I will surely come and will thank God that He has delivered me from this beautiful but unfortunate country. I think Mr. Merrman told you how hard it is to save anything in California.”—

EPILOGUE.

Francl returned to Watertown, from California, and taught piano and singing. He was the director of the Mendelssohn Singing Society in Watertown. For a number of terms he served as county clerk and clerk of the district court of Manitowoc Country, in the eighteen-sixties, during the Civil War. Quite a number of Bohemians from that county moved to Saline County and many of those had naturalization papers made out by Francl in his official capacity. In 1869 he left for Nebraska, going afoot from St. Joseph, Mo., to Nebraska City, and probably again afoot from Nebraska City to Saline County. In the fall of that year with his family he settled on his homestead south of Crete, near the old Indian ford. In August 1870 he built a store on 12th and Main streets in Crete, the first Bohemian store there. He had a well dug there and his place was a stopping-point for emigrants, who supplied themselves with provisions and water.

Money was scarce in those days. Francl used to take in trade dried buffalo meat, which festooned the interior. Eggs sold for 6 cents a dozen, butter 8 cents a pound, spring chickens 15 cents apiece.
GRAVE OF JOSEPH FRANCL. Employment was scarce and the highest wages per day were 75 cents to $1.00. In those days there were no travelling salesmen from wholesale houses. Francl used to buy light goods and notions from peddlers who came with their wagons at stated intervals. There were no bridges in Crete, just two fords. When the water rose, all who wanted to get across with a load had to wait until the river fell. Corn sold for 11c a bushel, and was used for fuel. Kerosene 60 cents a gallon, sugar 6 lbs. for $1.00, coffee 15 cents per lb., potatoes 15 cents per bushel. Prairie chickens were hunted for eastern markets and inasmuch as the railroad went no further than to Lincoln, they were packed in barrels, taken to Lincoln by wagon and there expressed. Quail sold for 75 cents a dozen. Wild duck and quail hung in the store several days before they were sold. Francl also used to exchange goods for beaver and mink pelts. Beaver brought 75 cents apiece, muskrat 10 cents. Near the fords in the Big Blue River lived many beavers, who felled many treets. There was a great abundance of fish also.

In those pioneer days when no one had anything, everybody was beginning and grasshoppers destroyed the scanty crops, business conditions were miserable and Francl still dreamed of wealth in California. So in 1874 he set out again. At that time his son Fred, then a young man, was living in Oregon. The elder Francl departed for his old haunts, Placerville. Indeed, he lived in his old cabin, in which, during the interim, trees had grown. But again luck was against him, so in March 1875 he set out afoot to meet his son. He made 650 miles between March 5th and April 3rd, reaching Portland on the latter date. Then he walked ten miles more to the Blue Mountains, near Walla Walla, where Fred with a companion named Theodore Daum was engaged in cutting wood. In November (1875) all three set out for California, on horses, for conditions in Washington were worse than in California. However, within a few days Fred returned, having decided to go by boat, and his father and Daum proceeded. On December 7th Daum came to the Klamath Indian Agency, in an exhausted state. He said that he had had nothing to eat for six days, except the flesh of a dead horse he had found on his way. He related that when he and Joseph Francl were in camp on December 5th near a large spring, the source of the Williamson River, he, Daum, had walked on a ways to see where the road led. He returned in half an hour, but his companion had vanished. Daum spent the rest of that day and all of the next searching for him, without avail. On the third day he got to an Indian village, where he was directed to the Agency. A number of whites and Indians set out from the Agency to hunt for Francl and found him on the other side of the stream, dead. He lay with his face to the ground, his horse was tied to a nearby tree. Apparently he had an easy death. Daum related that Francl had not been well, for eleven days he had not eaten anything and had been delirious several days. When they reached deep snow, they proceeded on their way with great difficulty, and at last Francl perished. His body was brought to the Agency and buried in a little cemetery in Fort Klamath, December 10, 1875.

In 1915 Francl’s sons Ernest and Joseph searched for his grave but they did not find it. After the lapse of so many years, with nearly everyone who knew anything about the burial gone, it was impossible to find the right grave. Joseph Francl left the following children: Fred J. and Ernest, living in Crete, Nebraska, Joseph in San Francisco, George in Los Angeles, Mrs. Clara Segelke in Beatrice, Nebraska and Mrs. Helen Jeništa in Rock Island, Illinois.

Thus closed the career of the first Bohemian, as far as is known, who travelled over the western plains in the days now historic, when thousands gave their lives in pledge for independence and wealth, which they hoped to find in the Far West. It is comparatively rare to find adventuresome people among Bohemians. But when Nature gives any one of her children a love for high adventure and pioneering, it always lures him on. And so too is was with Joseph Francl. To the end he could not resist her charm,—the call to the gold fields of California, that proved an ignis fatuus for so many.R. R.