Today is Talk Like A Grizzled Prospector Day! On Jan. 24, 1848, James Marshall discovered gold while building a saw mill for John Sutter in Coloma. These few nuggets ultimately led to the Gold Rush. . To honor this historic event, Im proposing Talk Like A Grizzled Prospector Day, to be celebrated on Jan. 24th of each year. All you have to do to join in is to talk like a grizzled prospector. . This idea obviously has roots in the popular International Talk Like A Pirate Day. But it was also inspired by the Prospectors Day event that Knotts Berry Farm once held each Jan. 24th. Finally, the event was also partially inspired by a brief exchange in a episode of The Simpsons: Bart: That aint been popular since aught-six, dagnabbit. Homer: Bart, what did I tell you? Bart: No talking like a grizzled 1890s prospector, consarn it. You might be wondering how, exactly, one talks like a grizzled prospector. Opinions vary, but for my money, Dallas McKennons narration for Disneylands Mine Train Through Natures Wonderland, and Big Thunder Mountain is just about perfect. . However, theres also much to be said for the voices of Gabby Hayes (either drunk or sober), Gabby Johnson (from Blazing Saddles), or even Will Farrell as the Old Prospector on Saturday Night Live. Or watch and learn from countless grizzled prospector characters in your own favorite Western TV shows and movies. . Of course, if you really want to get into the spirit of things, you also do the Walter Huston Dance from Treasure of the Sierra Madre. . Here in Orange County, the ranchos benefited dramatically from the Gold Rush, as miners provided a huge market for beef. Previously, only the hides and tallow from the cattle were particulary marketable. This prosperous period is still enshrined in California lore as the romantic era of the ranchos. . Also, some of Orange Countys early gringo pioneers and luminaries first came to California as 49ers. One of these was J.E. Pleasants, who was (among many other things) among the founding members of the Orange County Historical Society. . Anyway, mark Jan. 24th on your calendar, spread the word among your friends, and be ready to talk like a grizzled prospector, dadgummit!
Posted on: Sat, 24 Jan 2015 13:51:01 +0000
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