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Related Museum Links Discovery of Gold in California, by Gen. John Sutter

Military Governor Mason's Report on the Discovery of Gold

Dramatic Impact of the Gold Discovery, by Theo. H. Hittell

The Discovery – as Viewed in New York and London

The Miner's Ten Commandments - 1853

The Wife's Commandments

1. Thou shalt have no other wife but me.

2. Thou shalt not take into thy house any beautiful brazen image of a servant girl, to bow down to her, to serve her, for I am a jealous wife, visiting, &c.

3. Thou shalt not take the name of thy wife in vain.

4. Remember thy wife to keep her respectably.

5. Honor thy wife's father and mother.

6. Thou shalt not fret.

7. Thou shalt not find fault with thy dinner.

8. Thou shalt not chew tobacco.

9. Thou shalt not be behind thy neighbor.

10. Thou shalt not visit the rum tavern; thou shall not covet the tavern keeper's rum, nor his brandy, nor his gin, nor his whisky, nor his wine, nor any thing that's behind the bar of the rum-seller.

11. Thou shalt not visit billiard saloons neither for worshipping on the dance, nor the heaps of money that lie on the tables.

And the twelfth commandment is, thou shalt not stay out later than nine o'clock at night.


Cleveland Plain Dealer
March 27, 1849

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