The Gum San Miners

A work of historical fiction written by a 4th grader and a 6th grader in collaboration with ChatGPT and illustrated in collaboration with Dall-E

22 min readJun 5, 2023

Hello everybody. My name is Peter Paccone, and I’m a San Marino high school social studies teacher with more than thirty years of teaching experience. I’m also a Special Projects Tutor who, three months ago, was hired by the fathers of Allfa C. (a 4th grader) and Eric G. (a 6th grader) to not only teach the two boys about the history of the California Gold Rush but also to teach them about the history of the Chinese who came to California during the Gold Rush.

Eric and Allfa’s fathers also hired me to provide the boys with an opportunity to take what they had learned and then:

Produce a work of historical fiction in collaboration with CHatGPT that relates to the Chinese in America during the California Gold Rush.
Illustrate that work with art produced in collaboration with Dall-E.

The boys entitled their work of historical fiction The Gum San Miners.

A Summary of The Gum San Miners

This book tells the story of four 20-year-old Chinese young adults who head to California during the Gold Rush, they are Ah Sam, Chao Shang, John John, and Wong Ming Chung. They’re on a wild adventure, facing tough challenges, other miners trying to rip them off, and all the crazy things that happened in that gold rush era. Will they hit the jackpot and find the gold they’re looking for? Or will their journey lead them to something else? Get ready to dive into this very appealing story that’s all about friendship, staying strong when things get tough and hard, and chasing your dreams in a time full of excitement and changes

Chapter 1 — Their Arrival in San Francisco

Once upon a time, there were four Chinese twenty-year-olds who sailed to San Francisco with a plan to find gold in the Auburn Ravine. Their names were Ah Sam, Wong Ming Chung, John John, and Chao Shang.

Auburn Ravine is located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, almost 150 miles east of San Francisco and only 30 miles from where gold was first discovered in 1848. With this discovery, the Gold Rush began.

The four arrived in San Francisco in 1853, with San Francisco, at the time, being a ‘happening’ place.

As the boat pulled into the dock, one of them said, “Whoa! This is crazy! So many ships and so many people! Are they all going to the Gum San?”

Gum San means Gold Mountain in Chinese and is pronounced Gum Shan. These four people had traveled all the way across the Pacific Ocean because they had heard tales about Gum San, where you could get rich just by panning near a stream!

And so begins the story of Ah Sam, Chao Shang, John John, and Wong Ming Chung, and their search for gold.

Chapter 2: One Year Later and Little to Show

It’s 1854, one year after the boys first arrived in San Francisco, and they haven’t found much gold yet. Bummer!

Sitting in a circle outside their tent at the end of another super unsuccessful day, the four talked about how hard it is to be a Gum San miner, especially when you’re not finding much of the shiny stuff.

They were worn out, extremely tired, and wishing for their soft, comfy beds back home in China.

They also talked about the white miners! Jeez! They were meaner than a hungry grizzly bear. Always acting bossy, and treating the four like they were second-class miners or something. Totally not cool!

“Yeah, those guys, total jerks!” John John complained, poking the campfire with a stick.

“True,” Chao Shang sighed. “We’ve got as much right to the gold as they do.”

Wong Ming Chung, rubbing his tired shoulders, nodded. “But we gotta keep going. Can’t let ’em get us down.”

The night carried on, with the dudes sharing their thoughts, their hopes and dreams, just like old times. But there was one big difference — the sparkle of hope was like a flashlight running out of battery slowly.

Finally, it was Ah Sam’s turn to talk. He took a deep breath, and said, “Guys, we’ve been at it for a full year, given it our best shot, but if we don’t hit the jackpot soon, we’ll have to pack up. And that means going home empty-handed. We’ll be…losers.”

And just like that, the air around the campfire felt a bit colder and lonelier. But no one said a word, ’cause they all knew he was speaking the cold, motionless truth.

Chapter 3: John John and Wong Ming Chon Call It Quits

Now it’s now 1855, two years after the boys first arrived in San Francisco, and John John has had enough of the gold diggin’ life now.

“I’m done with the dirt and the digging and the hoping! It’s laundry time for me!”

And sure enough, the next day, John John swapped his pan and trusted donkey for a washboard and went into the Chinese hand-washing laundry business.

Meanwhile, Wong Ming Chung was also done, but he did not follow John John’s lead. Instead, he packed up his stuff and sent it back to San Francisco, where he got himself a job rolling cigars by hand.

Chapter 4: Ah Sam and Chao Shang Strike It Rich

So it’s now 1856, three years after the boys first arrived, and the Gold Rush has come to an end. However, Ah Sam and Chao Shang are still at it. Panning, Digging, and Hoping.

Then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, Ah Sam has an idea. “Hey Chao Shang,” he says, “I hear Wyatt Nugget Nelson and Lucky Strike Jones are leaving and headed for Sacramento. What do you say we buy their cabin? I bet we can find gold under their cabin floor.

The next thing you know, Ah Sam and Chao Shang are standing in front of Wyatt Nugget Nelson and Lucky Strike Jones’s shaky old cabin, with Ah Sam counting out 25 bucks and handing the dough to Nelson.

Then Ah Sam, holding the keys to the cabin tight in his hand, started to walk straight into the cabin.

As he did, he caught a peek of Nelson and Jones’ uncertain faces. They probably thought Ah Sam and Chao Shang were crazy for buying a cabin when the gold rush had already ended for quite some time.

Ah Sam and Chao Shang, however, didn’t let these two people get to them. They had a plan, and they were sticking to it.

Before buying the cabin, Ah Sam had heard stories about miners finding gold dust on their clothes and brushing it off by the fireplace. What if, over the years, as Ah Sam guessed, some of that gold dust had fallen in between the floorboards?

It was worth a look. So once inside the cabin, Ah Sam and Chao Shang grabbed their tools and got to work, spying up the wood floor to reveal the dirt underneath.

Fingers crossed and hearts pumping, they strain through the soil, feeling like they were on a treasure hunt. Then all of a sudden, glittering gold dust started to show up in the sunlight. Ah Sam and Chao Shang had hit the jackpot, right under their own cabin!

You should’ve seen their faces — pure joy and disbelief! They’d uncovered more than 3,000 bucks worth of shiny golden treasure in less than an hour. Ah Sam and Chao Shang were beyond stoked! They had struck it rich!!

Chapter 5: John John Strikes It Rich

Right now, it’s 1857, four years after the boys first arrived, and on a beautiful day, a fancy steamboat named the Delta Queen is going along the Sacramento River.

And guess who was on board, dressed well, playing cards, and looking like he was living high off the hog? That’s right. It was John John!

You see, John John, ever since he stopped being a Gum San miner, had spent his days washing Wyatt Nugget Nelson and Lucky Strike Jones’ clothes. But one day, fate had a surprise in store for John John. As he was washing Wyatt and Lucky’s clothes, gold poured out of their pant hems. And just like that, John John had also struck it rich.

The next thing he did was go out and buy some of the finest clothes. Then he moved to the glamorous city of Sacramento, and once he settled in, he started to party hearty on the Delta Queen.

Then one day, as he tried his luck at the card tables in the Delta Queen Casino, a couple of familiar faces appeared in the crowd. It was none other than, Wyatt and Lucky. Wyatt’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw John John sitting there, looking far different from the humble washerman he remembered.

Curiosity got the best of Wyatt, so he couldn’t help but approach John John. He asked in disbelief and confusion, “Is that really you, John John?”

John John grinned mischievously and replied, “Yep, it’s me, Wyatt! Turns out all that washing of your clothes paid off.”

Can you imagine the shock on Wyatt and Lucky’s faces? They never thought someone like John John would strike it rich.

But instead of congratulating John John, they got annoyed and called over the casino manager, demanding that John John be kicked out!

Rude, right? But guess what? The manager surprised everyone with his response. “Gentlemen,” he said, “John John is here to enjoy the good life just like anyone else and has the money to do it, so if you have a problem with that, then you need to leave.” And with that, Wyatt and Lucky were “escorted” off the Delta Queen.

Chapter 6: Wong Ming Chong Goes Home

Alright, we’re now in the year 1885, thirty-five years after the boys first arrived in San Francisco, and Wong Ming Chung is in a skewer situation. He’s gotta choose — does he keep sticking around in America, or hop on a ship back to China?

You see, Wong Ming Chung’s been rolling cigars since he left the gold fields, but let’s just say the dough wasn’t exactly rolling in. He made peanuts, barely enough for a ticket back home. He also didn’t feel good in America any longer.

“So what am I gonna do,” he kept asking himself. Then one day, he decided. “I need to go back to China,” he said. “I need to see my family, buy a small piece of land, marry, and start a family. It’s not too late. I’m only fifty-five years old.”

And with that, Wong Ming Chung packed up his meager belongings and headed for the boat docks.

But before getting to the boat, his mind wandered back to his mining buddies — John John, Ah Sam, and Chao Shan.

“Man,” he said to himself, “am I ever going to miss those dudes.”

And at that point, Wong Ming Chung decided it was time for a proper send-off, so he invited them all to meet by the boat dock.

Wong Ming Chung was sad as he looked at his old friends. It’s a good time — yet another bummer.

After a bunch of heartfelt goodbyes, Wong Ming Chung boarded the same boat he, John John, and Ah Sam had come to San Francisco on so many years before, but this time, not to come to California but to return to China. No, he didn’t strike it rich over the years, but on the other hand, he also wasn’t returning home a loser.

Chapter 7: Close Out

Ok, so there you have it, the stories of the four Gum San miners.

You might have learned something from this story, and we hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading this article! Bye!

Bibliography

Chinese Immigrants and the Gold Rush.” American Experience, PBS, 4 Feb. 2003. www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/goldrush/peopleevents/p_chinese.html.
Fahlman, Betsy. “The Gold Rush.” World Book Kids, World Book, www.worldbookonline.com/kids/home#article/ar830600.
Hill, Elizabeth Starr. “The Gold Rush.” Britannica Kids, Encyclopaedia Britannica, kids.britannica.com/students/article/Gold-Rush/274697.
“The Gold Rush of 1849.” History for Kids, Ducksters, www.ducksters.com/history/westward_expansion/california_gold_rush.php.
Lee, Loretta. “Chinese Immigrants in the West.” National Geographic Kids, National Geographic Society, kids.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/westward-expansion-chinese-immigrants.
“Gold Rush — The Chinese.” YouTube, uploaded by California State Parks, 13 May 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcZVS6jj9M0
California Gold Rush for Kids | History Video Lesson!” YouTube, uploaded by Clarendon Learning, 18 Dec. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTv4zQZVrM8.
“Getting the last laugh (and gold) — Chinese in the gold rush” Website: SeeCalifornia URL: http://www.seecalifornia.com/history/goldrush-chinese-miners.html
National Park Service. “History of Chinese Americans in California.” 5 Views of Chinese Americans in California. https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/5views/5views3c.htm

Sidenote #1

Aside from helping the boys to produce a work of historical fiction, Allfa and Eric’s fathers also wanted me to assess the boys’ content knowledge; this I did via a number of Multiple Choice Questions, True/False Questions, and Short Answer Questions.

Sidenote #2 — Some of the MCQs

Below are some of the multiple-choice questions the boys were able to answer correctly after having completed work on this project.

Q1. When did the California Gold Rush start? A. 1838 B. 1848 C. 1858 D. 1868

Answer: B. 1848

Q2. When did the California Gold Rush end? A. 1855 B. 1865 C. 1875 D. 1885

Answer: A. 1855

Q3. How did most Chinese get to California during the Gold Rush? A. By train B. By sailboat C. By horse D. By foot

Answer: B. By sailboat

Q4. Where was gold first discovered that initiated the California Gold Rush? A. Sutter’s Mill in Coloma B. Sacramento Valley C. San Francisco Bay Area D. Los Angeles Basin

Answer: A. Sutter’s Mill in Coloma

Q5. In terms of travel during the Gold Rush era, approximately how far was San Francisco from where gold was first discovered? A. 1 day’s journey by horse B. 1 week’s journey by horse C. 2 week’s journey by horse D. 1 month’s journey by horse

Answer: B. 1 week’s journey by horse

Q6. In terms of travel during the Gold Rush era, approximately how far was Auburn Ravine from where gold was first discovered? A. 1 day’s journey by horse B. 1 week’s journey by horse C. 2 week’s journey by horse D. 1 month’s journey by horse

Answer: A. 1 day’s journey by horse

Q7. What significant law was enacted in 1852 regarding Chinese immigrants in California? A. The Foreign Miners’ Tax B. The Chinese Exclusion Act C. The Geary Act D. The Naturalization Act

Answer: A. The Foreign Miners’ Tax

Q8. How many Chinese immigrants are estimated to have arrived in California during the Gold Rush? A. Fewer than 5,000 B. Between 20,000 and 25,000 C. Between 50,000 and 55,000 D. More than 100,000

Answer: B. Between 20,000 and 25,000

Q9. What was a significant challenge faced by Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush? A. Language barrier B. Racial discrimination C. Harsh working conditions D. All of the above

Answer: D. All of the above

Q10. How did the Foreign Miners’ Tax impact Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush? A. It granted them exclusive mining rights. B. It imposed a heavy monthly tax burden on them. C. It provided them with free mining tools. D. It exempted them from paying taxes.

Answer: B. It imposed a heavy monthly tax burden on them.

Q11. What was the Chinese Exclusion Act? A. An act that prevented Chinese immigrants from mining. B. An act that prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers. C. An act that excluded Chinese immigrants from tax obligations. D. An act that limited the number of Chinese restaurants.

Answer: B. An act that prohibited all immigration of Chinese laborers.

Q12. Approximately how many years after the end of the Gold Rush was the Chinese Exclusion Act enacted? A. 3 years B. 10 years C. 30 years D. 60 years

Answer: C. 30 years

Q13. How many years after the end of the Gold Rush did work begin on the Transcontinental Railroad? A. 4 years B. 9 years C. 14 years D. 19 years

Answer: B. 9 years (The Gold Rush ended around 1855 and work began on the Transcontinental Railroad in 1863)

Q14. Approximately how many Chinese immigrants worked on the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad? A. About 2,000 B. About 6,000 C. About 12,000 D. About 20,000

Answer: D. 20,000

Q15. What did the Chinese do between the end of the Gold Rush and the start of the Transcontinental Railroad? A. Worked as cheap labor B. Opened small businesses C. They went back to China D. All of the above

Answer: D. All of the above

Sidenote #3: Some of the True/False Questions

Below are some of the true/false questions the boys were able to answer correctly after having completed work on this project.

True / False: The California Gold Rush began in 1848.
True / False: The discovery of gold in California was kept a secret and did not attract a large number of people.
True / False: The Chinese were one of the largest groups of immigrants who came to California to search for gold. Tens of thousands of Chinese immigrants came to California during this time, and many worked as miners, merchants, or laborers.
True / False: Chinese immigrants were not allowed to mine for gold during the Gold Rush.
True / False: Chinese immigrants faced discrimination and racism in California during the Gold Rush.
True / False: False: Most miners during the Gold Rush found large amounts of gold.
True / False: The Gold Rush had a significant impact on California’s economy and society.
True / False: Women were not allowed to mine for gold during the Gold Rush.
True / False: The use of mercury to extract gold from ore during the Gold Rush had no negative impact on the environment.
True / False: The California Gold Rush lasted for more than a decade.
True / False: Many Chinese immigrants who came to California during the Gold Rush worked as merchants and tradespeople.
True / False: The discovery of gold in California had no impact on the rest of the United States or the world.
True / False: The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 restricted Chinese immigration to the United States
True / False: The California Gold Rush led to the development of new technologies and inventions that helped to extract gold more efficiently.
True / False: San Francisco’s Chinatown was established during the Gold Rush.

Sidenote #4 — Some of the SAQs

Below are some of the short answer questions the boys were able to answer correctly after having completed work on this project.

From what part of China did the Gum San miners come from? Answer: During the Gold Rush, most of the Chinese immigrants who came to California were from the southern provinces of Guangdong (also known as Canton) and Fujian. Many of these immigrants were from rural areas and had little formal education or specialized skills, which made them willing to take on hard and dangerous work in order to support themselves and their families.
What is one technique that the Gum San miners used to extract gold during the Gold Rush? Answer: One technique that Gum San (Chinese) miners used during the California Gold Rush was called placer mining. This involved using pans or other tools to wash dirt and gravel from riverbeds or streams, looking for gold deposits. Sometimes the miners would use mercury to extract the gold from the sediment. This was dangerous as it exposed the miners to toxic chemicals. Hydraulic mining was also used, but not until much later.
What pushed so many Gum San miners out of China? Answer: There were a few reasons why so many miners left China. One reason was that there was a lot of poverty in China at the time, and people were looking for ways to make a better life for themselves and their families. Another reason was that there were conflicts and wars happening in China, which made life there difficult and dangerous.
What were some of the challenges that Gum San miners faced in California during the Gold Rush? Answer: One of the biggest challenges they faced was the Foreign Miners Tax. This was a special tax that only Chinese miners had to pay, and it was very expensive. This made it harder for Chinese miners to make a living and caused a lot of financial stress for them and their families. Chinese miners also faced discrimination from other miners who didn’t like them because they were from a different country. They were often treated unfairly and were given the most dangerous jobs in the mines. They also had to work longer hours for less pay than other miners.
Describe the living conditions of the Chinse miners. Answer: Chinese miners had to deal with difficult living conditions. They often lived in small shacks or tents, and they had to cook and clean for themselves. They also had to deal with the harsh weather and the dangers of living in a mining town, such as disease and violence.
What was the role of Chinese merchants and traders during the Gold Rush? Answer: They supplied the Chinese miners with goods and services that they needed to survive and work in the mines. They provided food, clothing, tools, and other supplies that were necessary for mining. They also provided banking services, such as loans and money exchange, which helped to facilitate commerce and trade. They also established businesses in mining towns, such as restaurants, laundries, and hotels, which catered to the needs of the Chinese miners. Sometimes they even operated stagecoach lines and provided mail delivery services
When and why did the Gold Rush end? Answer: The Gold Rush in California officially ended in 1855, but the peak of the rush was between 1848 and 1852. However, there were still people mining for gold in California well into the 1860s and beyond.
Briefly describe ONE effect the California Gold Rush had on the Chinese living in China in the 1850s. Answer: The California Gold Rush inspire many Chinese to come to America. This led to many Americans wanting to limit the number of Chinese entering the country.
Briefly describe ONE reason the Chinese were pushed out of China in the 1850s. Answer: One reason the Chinese were pushed out of China during the 1850s was the Opium Wars. These wars pushed many Chinese out of China and to the US in search of a better and less violent life.
Briefly describe ONE cause of Chinese immigration during the Gold Rush. Answer: One cause of Chinese immigration during the Gold Rush was the desire to leave China at a time of hardship and travel to America in search of fortune.
Briefly describe ONE result of the Foreign Miners’ Tax on the Chinese miners. Answer: One result of the Foreign Miners’ Tax was a decrease in the amount of money the Chinese miners could make. The tax made it harder for them to strike it rich.
Briefly describe ONE reason why Chinese immigrants worked on the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. Answer: One reason why Chinese immigrants worked on the Transcontinental Railroad was due to the decline of the Gold Rush. As gold became scarcer and mining more difficult, many Chinese immigrants sought other ways to make money, and the railroad offered them that.
Briefly describe ONE outcome of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Answer: One outcome of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was fewer Chinese coming to America.

If I were to do this again, I would also ask the students to answer at least a few of the following:

To what extent if any did you fact-check and ensure the accuracy and credibility of the sources you’ve included in your bibliography?
How did you go about verifying the accuracy and credibility of the sources you included in your bibliography?
Did you cross-reference information from multiple sources to ensure consistency and reliability?
Can you explain the process you followed to determine the credibility of each source? Did you consider factors such as the author’s credentials, publication reputation, or peer-reviewed research?
Were there any sources that you found particularly challenging to validate? If so, what steps did you take to address this challenge?
Did you encounter any conflicting information or sources with different viewpoints? If so, how did you navigate those discrepancies to arrive at a well-rounded perspective?
Did you consult with your peers, teacher, or other experts in the field to discuss and evaluate the credibility of any of your sources?
In hindsight, is there anything you would have done differently in terms of fact-checking and evaluating the sources for your article?

Sidenote #5: Some Words, Terms, and Phrases the Boys Learned

Below are some of the short answer questions the boys were able to answer correctly after having completed work on this project.

Gum San: A Chinese term meaning “Gold Mountain”, which was how the Chinese referred to California during the Gold Rush.
Qing Dynasty: The ruling dynasty of China during the Gold Rush era faced many challenges including poverty and conflicts with other nations.
Gold Rush: A period of time in the mid-1800s when thousands of people came to California to search for gold.
49ers: The name given to people who came to California in 1849 to search for gold.
Placer mining: A method of mining that involves using pans or other tools to extract gold from the sand or gravel of riverbeds and streams.
Hydraulic mining: A method of mining that involves using high-pressure water jets to blast away hillsides and expose gold deposits.
Chinatown: A neighborhood in San Francisco and other cities where many Chinese immigrants lived and worked during the Gold Rush.
Cantonese: A dialect of Chinese that was spoken by many Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush.
San Francisco: A city in California that played a major role in the Gold Rush, serving as a hub for transportation and commerce.
Sacramento: A city in California that was also an important center for the Gold Rush, located near the Sacramento River.
Sacramento River: A river in California that was a major transportation route for people and goods during the Gold Rush.
Sutter’s Mill: A sawmill owned by John Sutter where gold was discovered in 1848, sparking the Gold Rush.
Foreign Miners’ Tax: A special tax that only Chinese miners had to pay, which was one of many discriminatory laws passed during the Gold Rush era.
Gold Mountain Blues: A song about the struggles faced by Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush.
Gold Fever: A term used to describe the intense desire to find gold during the Gold Rush.
Goldfields: Areas where gold deposits were found and mined during the Gold Rush.
Gold Panning: A method of mining that involves using a pan to sift through sand and gravel in search of gold.
Gold Dust: Small particles of gold that were found in the rivers and streams of California during the Gold Rush.
Gold Nuggets: Larger pieces of gold that were found in the hills and mountains of California during the Gold Rush.
Gold Rush Towns: Communities that were established during the Gold Rush to support the mining industry and provide services to miners.
Gam Saan Haak: A Chinese phrase meaning “going to Gold Mountain”, which was how many Chinese referred to the journey to California during the Gold Rush.
Hand-Rolling Cigar Business: After the gold rush era, many hand-rolling cigar businesses sprang up in San Francisco, with many Chinese immigrants establishing and operating these businesses to meet the demand for cigars in the city.
Hand-Washing Laundry Business: Following the gold rush era, a significant number of Chinese immigrants established and operated hand-washing laundry businesses in San Francisco. These laundries played a crucial role in meeting the growing demand for laundry services in the city.
Traditional Medicine: The practice of using herbs and other natural remedies to treat illnesses, which was common among Chinese immigrants during the Gold Rush era.
Levee Construction: The process of building man-made embankments along rivers to prevent flooding and protect land, such as the Central Valley in California, from the water flowing out of nearby mountains like the Sierra Nevada. After the gold ran out, many Chinese immigrants actively participated in levee construction.
Steamboats During the Gold Rush: During the Gold Rush era, steamboats played a vital role in transportation and commerce on the Sacramento River in California. These steamboats, such as the New World, Senator, and Antelope, were used to transport people, supplies, and goods between Sacramento and various mining towns along the river, facilitating trade and travel during that time. The Delta Queen did not operate on the Sacramento River during the time of the Gold Rush. The Delta Queen operated on the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. The boys, however, liked the name so much, they decided to bring her, in their story, to California.
Chinese Exclusion Act: a law made in 1882 that prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers to America. It remained in effect until its repeal in 1943.

Sidenote #6 — Inspiration for this Work

The boys found much inspiration for their work in an article entitled California Gold Rush Chinese Miners Get Last Laugh. There, it says that:

In 1856, (a Chinese Gum San miner named) Ah Sam purchased an Auburn Ravine cabin for $25 from six departing miners. He and his men promptly removed four inches of the cabin’s ground floor, reworking the soil to recover more than $3,000 in gold. Ah Sam knew miners cleaned their gold dust at night before the fireplace and some always fell to the floor.
Then there was a most unusual Chinese gold-finder, known as “John John.” He worked in different camps washing miners’ clothes for “free!” After a year of this, one of his former customers found him enjoying the good life in Sacramento. “John John” told him he had washed enough gold dust out of pants cuffs and shirttails to live “high off the hog.”

This story is corroborated in another post the boys found online, this post entitled: Gold Rush: the story of the Chinese man who got rich washing free the clothes of the Seekers.

A popular folk tale from the Gold Rush era has it that a Chinese laundryman got rich not from searching for gold in the American River but from washing. He was the laughingstock of all the gold diggers who were staying in Weaverville, when California had become the new Eldorado: he was a little Chinese boy named John John (moniker reserved for all the Chinese immigrants during the gold rush) who for months washed miners’ clothing, never earning a penny for his labors.
Obviously, the cunning seekers took advantage of it abundantly, feeling however much more clever than the stupid Chinese. But John John was not so naive, and made his fortune without too much effort and without risk.

The story of Wong Ming Chong was inspired by what the boys learned from the article History of Chinese Americans in California.

Chinese immigrant labor was first employed on a large scale in the cigar industry in 1859. Soon, some Chinese Americans set up their own cigar factories. As early as 1866, half of the cigar factories were owned by Chinese Americans, and by 1870, more than 90 percent of the total labor force in the cigar industry was Chinese American. A vigorous anti-Chinese campaign in the early 1880s eliminated Chinese American labor in cigar-making factories. The industry declined rapidly thereafter.

Two videos the boys found particularly interesting and that related to the content they worked into their story of Wong Ming Chong can be viewed below.

38:06–39:00, in particular