Ephraim Morse - Ship Charter To San Francisco

Ship Charter To San Francisco

He decided to form a company to charter a ship and gather materials for a voyage to the gold fields. He later stated that "this company was intended to be, and was, a select company. No one could join without presenting satisfactory recommendations from the selectmen of the town, the mayor of their city, or some prominent preacher." It was indeed a stringent organization, in which each member had to give their time and interests to the company rather than themselves, nor could they assume pecuniary liabilities without company approval, or drink or gamble, all under penalty of a fine. Labor on the Sabbath was also prohibited unless of urgent necessity. However, members would be cared for in sickness, and in case of death buried at the company's expense. The members mainly consisted of Morse's friends, relatives, and associates. By early 1849 they managed to charter a ship, the Leonora, and on February 4, 1849, they set sail for San Francisco, arriving on July 5. The members then dispersed to the mines on the Yuba River north of Sacramento. However, Morse and his partner, Levi Slack, could not cope with the California summer heat. Then they heard about the small town of San Diego, far to the south near the U.S.-Mexico border.