They were called 49ers. Not because they played football in San Francisco, but because the year was 1849, and a fever was crossing America called the “Gold Rush of ‘49”. Covered wagons and ships descended upon California in search of easy gold.
But the easy gold was nowhere to be found. Oh, there was a little gold in the riverbeds, but the amount most found was barely enough to buy supplies and food to keep on looking. A typical miner spent 10 hours a day knee-deep in ice cold water, digging, sifting, and washing. It was backbreaking labor which yielded less and less.
But this was the gold rush.
Camaraderie was all but gone by 1850, as 49ers who expected to find their fortune in a few days found themselves digging and digging for month after month, year after year, with nothing to show for it.
But this was the gold rush.
Out of despair, many 49ers turned to poker and other forms of gambling in hopes of snagging a quick fortune that had evaded them during the gold rush. When this didn’t work, many turned to crime. Many just gave up their dream and went home back east.
For most everyone, the gold rush was nothing but despair, dejection and disappointment. And so the gold rush came to an end.
Thursday is supposed to be a gold rush. That is what the West Virginia Mountaineers are calling for. They want the game with Auburn to be a “gold rush” game…with all their faithful wearing yellow. They have a fevered pitch about them. Kind of like the mining 49ers.
If Auburn plays defense as they are capable….if they run the ball with conviction….if they don’t make mistakes….history might just repeat itself. Their gold rush might just end in despair, dejection and disappointment for the home mountaineers.
Let’s send them “back east” where they belong.
War Eagle!!
WJLaneSR
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