This is a picture of John B. Colton, reproduced from a daguerotype 

 taken by an artist at Long Wharf, San Francisco, in 1850. 



The artist retained the negative of this picture and represented it to be 

 a girl miner in boy's clothing, explaining that she had crossed the plains In 

 1849. Her parents both died on the trail but a woman in the train took 

 charge of her and brought her safely through to the mines. Finding a rich 

 placer mine she adopted boy's clothing and successfully worked her claim 

 and scon made her pile. She started for the States, and while in San Fran- 

 cisco had this picture taken before changing to woman's attire. 



By telling this story the artist sold hundreds of copies of the photo at 

 five dollars each to the miners, many of whom had not seen a woman for 

 years, and would pay any price fcr a picture of one just to carry around in 

 their pocket to remind them of home and home life. 



The peculiar incident of this story is that Colton, the original of the 

 picture upon returning from the mines, saw the crowd about the artist's 

 shack and proceeded to investigate, and recognized the picture at once. 

 Stepping inside he asked the artist when there would be a dividend. "What 

 do you mean," asked the artist. "Why," replied Colton, "that's my picture 

 you are selling to these miners, and I want you to divide profits, as you 

 have evidently made a pretty good clean up from the enterprise." After 

 joshing the artist to his satisfaction, Colton left and no more was heard of 

 the matter. 



