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 AMADQR COUNTY! 
 
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 CALIFORNIA, 
 
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 Illustrations and Biographical Sketches 
 
 OF ITS 
 
 PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS. 
 
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 OAKLAND, CAL. 
 THOMPSON & WEST. 
 
 1851. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1881, by 
 
 THOMPSON & WEST, 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C. 
 
 PACIFIC PRESS PUBLISHING HOUSE, 
 
 PRINTERS, 
 
 STEREOTYPERS AND BINDERS, 
 OAKLAND, CAL. 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS, 
 
 INTRODUCTION 9 10 
 
 CHAPTEE 1. 
 
 Scanty Knowledge of the Pacific Coast Fifty Years Since Story 
 of "Sergas," by Esplandin Titles to Immense Regions 
 Conferred by the Pope Expeditions for Discovery and 
 Settlement Sir Francis Drake's Operations Expeditions 
 Overland Marvelous Stories of a Big Canon Expedition 
 of Father Escalante 1112 
 
 CHAPTEE II. 
 
 BIG CANON OF THE COLORADO. 
 
 Lieutenant Whipple's Expedition Lieutenant Ives' Expedi 
 tion First Attempt to Explore the Canon Land Party 
 Organized One Sight of the River First Exploration 
 Unwilling Venture Consider the Situation Death of One 
 of the Parties Three Months in the Canon Arrival at 
 Fort Colville Exploration Made Under the Direction of 
 the Smithsonian Institute Indescribable Character of the 
 Stream Loss of Boats and Provisions Death of a Portion 
 of the Party Emergence of the Survivors Geology and 
 Climate 1217 
 
 CHAPTEE III. 
 
 The Exiles of Loreto Father Tierra's Methods of Conversion 
 Death of Father Tierra Arrest of the Jesuits Midnight 
 Parting Permanent Occupation of California Missions in 
 Charge of Francisco Friars Character of Father Junipero 
 Exploring Expeditions Origin of the name of the Bay 
 Mission Dolores Death of Father Junipero 17 20 
 
 CHAPTEE IV. 
 THE MISSIONS OF ST. FRANCIS. 
 
 Their Moral and Political Aspect Domestic Economy The Es 
 tablishments Described Secular and Religious Occupations 
 of the Neophytes Wealth and Productions Liberation and 
 Dispersion of the Indians Final Decay 20 23 
 
 CHAPTEE V. 
 
 DOWNFALL OF THE OLD MISSIONS. 
 
 Results of Mexican Rule Confiscation of the Pious Fund 
 
 Revolution Begun Events of the Colonial Rebellion The 
 
 Americans Appear and Settle Things Annexation at Last. 
 
 2324 
 
 CHAPTEE VI. 
 
 PRIMITIVE AGRICULTURE. 
 
 Extent of the Mission Lands Varieties of Product Agricul 
 tural Implements and means of Working A Primitive Mill 
 Immense Herds and Value of Cattle The First Native 
 Shop 2426 
 
 CHAPTEE VII. 
 
 Sir Francis Drake's Discoveries The Fabulous Straits of 
 Anian Arctic Weather in June Russian Invasion 
 Native Animals Various facts and Events 26 29 
 
 CHAPTEE VII I. 
 
 THE AMERICAN CONQUEST. 
 
 Fremont and the Bear Flag Rise and Progress of the Revolu 
 tion Commodores Sloat, Stockton, and Shubrick Castro 
 and Flores Driven out Treaty of Peace Stockton and 
 Kearney Quarrel Fremont Arrested, etc 29 31 
 
 CHAPTEE IX. 
 
 SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY FROM THE TIME CAPT. C. 
 
 M. WEBER FIRST SAW IT IN NOVEMBER, 
 
 1841, UNTIL THE CLOSE OF 1847. 
 
 Captain C. M. Weber Expedition to California, 1841 Names 
 of the Party Sutter's Fort Hoza Ha-soos San Jose 
 French Camp or Weber Grant Revolutionary Designs of the 
 Foreigners Treaty between Weber and Ha-soos How it 
 was observed by Ha-soos Fremont's Expedition, 1844 
 David Kelsey Thomas Lindsay Policy of the Foreigners 
 Weber and Micheltorena at San Jose John A. Sutter aids 
 Micheltorena A Revolutionary Document The "Bear 
 Flag " Attempt to Settle the Grant, 1846 Isbel Brothers 
 and Other Early Settlers Twins, Second Children born in 
 County, 1847 End of Stanislaus City First Marriage, 1847 
 Village of "Tuleburg" William Gann, First Child born 
 in 1847 Wild Horse Scheme Resume 3139 
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 BIOGRAPHIC SKETCH OF GENERAL SUTTER. 
 
 His Nativity Migration to the American West Arrival in Cal 
 ifornia Foundation of Sutter's Fort Prosperity and 
 Wealth of the Colony Decline and Ultimate Ruin Retire 
 ment to Hock Farm Extract from Sutter's Diary . . 39 46 
 
 CHAPTEE XI. 
 THE KING'S ORPHAN. 
 
 His Observations in the Sacramento Valley in 1843 Indications 
 of Gold Life at Sutter's Fort Indian Gourmands Won 
 derful Fertility of the Land 4647 
 
 CHAPTEE XII. 
 SUTTER'S FORT IN 1846. 
 
 Aspect of Sacramento Valley Sinclair's Ranch A Lady Pioin 
 eer Captain Sutter at Home The Fort Described Condi 
 tion and Occupation of the Indians Farm Products and 
 Prices Dinner with the Pioneer New Helvetia . . . .47 49 
 
 CHAPTEE XIII. 
 THE HISTORY OF THE DONNER PARTY. 
 
 Scene of the Tragedy Organization and Composition of the 
 Party Election of George Donner as Captain Hastings' 
 Cut-off Ascent of the Mountains Arrival at Donner Lake 
 Snow-storms Construction of Cabins "Forlorn Hope 
 Party " Captain Reasin P. Tucker's Relief Party James 
 F. Reed's Relief Party " Starved Camp "Third Relief 
 Party Heroism and Devotion of Mrs. George Donner 
 Fourth Relief Party The Survivors 4951 
 
IV 
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTEE XIV. 
 
 THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD. 
 
 Early Reports and Discoveries Marshall's Great Discovery at 
 Sutter's Mill His Account of the Event Views of the 
 Newspapers of that Time Political and Social Revolu 
 tion Great Rush to the Mines Results General Sutter's 
 Aoxrantof theGold Discovery Building of Saw-Mill. 51 5S 
 
 CHAPTEE XV. 
 
 EARLY CONDITION OF THIS REGION. 
 
 Mountains Unexplored by the Spaniards The Trappers Fre 
 mont's Passage of the Mountains in 1844 Battles with the 
 Snow The Indian's Warning A Glimpse of the Valley 
 Subsisting on Horse Flesh Arrival at Sutter's Fort Early 
 Settlements An Immigrant Party of 1844 Captain Truckee 
 Truckee River Alone on the Summit Death of Captain 
 Truckee Immigrants in 1846 Discovery of Gold on the 
 Yuba 58135 
 
 CHAPTEE XVI. 
 
 AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 Early History Origin of the Name of Carson Pass River and 
 Valley First White Men in the Territory Sutter's Whip- 
 saw-mill Discovery of Gold Organization of Calaveras 
 County Removal of County-Seat from Double Springs to 
 Jackson Second Removal to Mokeluinne Hill First Set of 
 County Officers Second Set of County Officers Members 
 of the Legislature Miscellaneous Matters in Calaveras Joa- 
 quin's Career Chased by Indians Mokelumne Hill in Early 
 Days Green and Vogan's Line of Stages Stories of Griz 
 zliesBull and Bear Fight (5571 
 
 CHAPTEE XV 11. 
 
 DOMESTIC HABITS OF THE MINERS. 
 
 Exaggerated Accounts of Bret Harte and Joaquiu Miller Cook 
 ing and Washing Hawks, Squirrels, Quails, and' Other 
 Game for Food Getting Supper Under Difficulties 
 Laundry Affairs Prevalence of Vermin The Sanguinary 
 Flea Miners' Flea Trap Fleas versus Bed-bugs Rats and 
 Other Animals Visits of Snakes A Romantic Affair 
 Spoiled by a Skunk 7276 
 
 CHAPTEE XVIII. 
 ORGANIZATION OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 Election for or Against Division, June 17, 1854 Proceedings 
 of the Board of Commissioners Strife for the Possession of 
 the County Seat The Owl Sketches of the First Candi 
 dates Courts Established Efforts to Suppress Disorderly 
 Houses Amusing Procession Election in 1854 Condition 
 of Society 7683 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 RANCHERIA MURDERS. 
 
 Ill-feeling between the Americans and Mexicans Frequency of 
 Murders The Band First Seen at Hacalitas Up Dry Creek 
 At Rancheria To Drytown A Second Time to Rancheria 
 Slaughter Departure of the Robbers Excitement the 
 Next Day Immense Gathering Trial and Hanging of the 
 Mexicans Death of Roberts Borquitas Presence of County 
 Officers Pursuit of the Murderers Hunt Around Bear 
 Mountain The Murderers Overtaken Death of Phoenix 
 Expulsion and Disarming of Mexican Population Outrages 
 at Drytown Burning of the Church Mass Meeting at 
 Jackson Review After a Lapse of a Quarter of a Century. 
 8388 
 
 CHAPTEE XX. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1855. 
 
 Success of the American Party List of Officers Elected 
 Rivalry Between Towns Financial Matters Efforts to 
 Suppress Gambling Political Parties in 1856 Names of 
 Officers Elected Calaveras Indebtedness Tax Levy in 1857 
 Disbursements for 1857 Table of Receipts for all Moneys 
 up to 1857 Political Parties in 1857 Officers Elected in 
 
 1857 Officers Elected 1858 Tax Levy 1858 Condition of 
 Treasury Financial Matters in 1859 Condition of Polit 
 ical Parties 8892 
 
 CHAPTEE XXI. 
 
 AMADOR COUNTY AT THE BEGINNING OF 1860. 
 
 County Officers Financial Situation Political Parties First 
 Appearance of R. Burnell First Appearance of Tom Fitch 
 Officers Elected in 1860 Amador Wagon Road Voted 
 On Names of Amador Mountaineers Financial Affairs in 
 1861 Calaveras Indebtedness Denied Enormous Profits 
 of Officers Political Parties in 1861 The Amador Wagon 
 Project Renewed Vote on the Project, May 10, 1862 
 Rates of Toll Impeachment of James H. Hardy Political 
 Parties in 1862 Great Fire in Jackson Petition of M. W. 
 Gordon Supervisors Order the Building of a Court House 
 Political Parties in 1863 French Bar Affair Officers 
 Elected in 1863 General Vote Political Parties in 1864 
 Vote of 1864 Financial Matters Political Parties in 1865 
 Arrest of Hall and Penry Election Returns by Precincts, 
 1865 Seaton's Defection Counting the Votes Clinton 
 Vote List of Officers Elected in "l 865 Death of G. W. 
 Seaton, and Election of A. H. Rose, his Successor Finan 
 cial Matters in 1865 .. 92107 
 
 CHAPTEE XXII. 
 
 END OF THE SECOND DECADE. 
 
 Politics in 1866 Financial Matters Rabolt Declared Ineligible 
 to the Office of Treasurer, and Otto Walther Appointed 
 Political Parties in 1867 New Registry Law Election 
 Returns Showing the New Precincts Judiciary Election 
 Financial Matters Financial Matters in 1868 Contest for 
 Supervisor in the First District Ingalls Declared Unseated 
 Carroll Installed Act of the Legislature in Reference 
 Thereto Wealth and Population Political Parties in 1 868, 
 Election Returns by Precincts Politics in 1869 Election 
 Returns by Precincts 107 1 10 
 
 CHAPTEE XXI 11. 
 
 CONDITION OF THE COUNTY AT THE BEGINNING 
 OF THE THIRD DECADE- 1870. 
 
 Condition of the County at the Beginning of the Third Decade 
 Statistics of the Wealth and Indebtedness Politics in 1870 
 Financial Condition Redemption Fund Condition of 
 Other Counties The Miners' League Death of McMenemy 
 and Hatch Political Parties in 1872 Election Returns by 
 Precincts, 1871 Persons Elected in 1871 Financial .Mat 
 ters 1872 Political Parties in 1872 Election Returns for 
 1872 Comparison of Vote with Previous Years Financial 
 Matters, 1873 Political Parties in 1873 John Eagon's Posi 
 tion Judge Gordon's Stand J. T. Farley's Position Elec 
 tion Returns by Precincts Officers Elected in 1873 Alpine 
 county Left out in the Election Financial Matters in 1874 
 The Funding Project Political Parties in 1874 Financial 
 Matters in 1875 Robbery of the Treasury May 9, 1875 
 Conclusion of Buttertield Matter in 1877 Political Matters 
 in 1875 Officers elected in 1875 110119 
 
 CHAPTEE XXIV.. 
 
 FINANCIAL MATTERS IN 1876. 
 
 Political Parties in 1876 Election Returns by Precincts Finan 
 ces in 1877 Political Parties in 1877 Returns by Precincts 
 Death of the Honorable Robert Ludgate Financial Mat 
 ters in 1878 Political Parties in 1878 Vote on the Adop 
 tion of the New Constitution Financial Matters in 1879 
 Political Matters in 1879 Officers Elected Effect of the 
 New Constitution on the Judicial System Financial Mat 
 ters in 1860 Political Parties in 1880 Amador County 
 Election Returns Nov. 2, 1880 Review from 1870 to 1880. 
 
 .. 119124 
 
 CHAPTEE XXV. 
 GEOLOGY OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 Strata in Buena Vista Mountain Carboniferous Clays Granitic 
 Sandstone Glacial Epoch Supposed Section of the Mount 
 ains Former Course of the Rivers Account of the Blue 
 Lead Stratified Rocks Serpentine Range Chromate of 
 Iron.. 125136 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTEE XXVI. 
 
 GEOLOGY OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 BY GEORGE MADEIRA. 
 
 Extensive Character of the Subject Mother Lode Methods 
 of Vein Deposits Character of the Veins East of the 
 Mother Lode Minerals in the Tertiary Rocks Nature of 
 the Limestones Gravel Deposits Nature of the Supposed 
 Photographic Rock Evidences of Glaciers Moving Large 
 Rocks Volcanoes Origin of the Trap Rock Origin of the 
 Smaller Quartz Veins Butte Mountain Copper Iron 
 Gypsum Asbestos Marble Kaolin Manganese Agate 
 Chalcedony Skeletons of the Megatherium Other Fos 
 sils Rhinoceros Hippopotamus Horse Destruction of the 
 Arcadian Land Botany 1 36 141 
 
 CHAPTEE XX VII. 
 ORIGIN OF MINERAL VEINS. 
 
 Plutonic Theory Ocean Floors Other Theories Considered 
 Function of Wall Rock and Gouge Surface Veins 
 Probable Depth of Veins Methods of Deposit Jurassic 
 Gravel Course of the Blue Lead 141 145 
 
 CHAPTEE XXVIII. 
 QUARTZ MINING. 
 
 (Quartz Mining, Commencement of Quartz Miners' Convention 
 Account of the Mother Lode Sketch of Different Mines 
 Gwin Mines Casco Murphy's Ridge Huffaker Moore 
 Zeile Description of a Model Mill Plainer Process of 
 Reducing Sulphurets Hiukley Mine Monterichard 
 Kennedy Tubbs Oneida Summit Hay ward Character 
 of the Same Railroad Wildmaii Mahoney Union or 
 Lincoln Accident in the Lincoln Mechanics Herbertville 
 Spring Hill Keystone Consolidation of Granite State 
 and Walnut Hill Discovery of the Bonanza Statistics of 
 Same Big Grab, and Failure to Hold it Account of the 
 Suit Original Amador Bunker Hill Pennsylvania Gover 
 Black Hills Seaton Potosi Quartz Mountain Ply 
 mouth Group Enterprise Nashville 145 161 
 
 CHAPTEE XXIX. 
 
 QUARTZ MINING EAST OF THE MOTHER LODE. 
 
 Downs Mine Marklee Tellurium Thayer Clinton Mines 
 Mace Range of Mines Pioneer and Golden Gate Mines 
 Quartz Veins West of the Mother Lode Kirkendall Soap- 
 Stone or Steatite Mine Quartz Mining in the Future 
 Put Money in Thy Purse School Cabinets Copper Min 
 ing General Craze Country Formed into Districts Funny 
 Notices New Towns Result of the General Search 
 Chrome Iron Failure of Meader Remarkable Discovery 
 Present Condition of Copper Mining Newton Mine. 161-167 
 
 CHAPTEE XXX. 
 
 JACKSON. 
 
 Capture of the County Seat Killing of Colonel Collyer Loss of 
 the County Seat Bull Fight and Election Mines First 
 School Improvements in 1854 Hanging Tree Griswold 
 Murder Great Freshet 1861 Great Fire 1862 Flood and 
 Loss of Life 1 878 Big Frolic Celebration of Admission Day 
 Mokelumne River Murphy's Gulch Hunt's Gulch 
 Tunnel Hill Butte Basin Butte Mountain Butte City 
 Marriage in High Life The Gate Ohio Hill Slab City- 
 Clinton Spaulding's Invention 167 181 
 
 CHAPTEE XXXI. 
 
 IONE VALLEY AND VICINITY. 
 
 First White Men in lone Valley First House First Ranches 
 Judge Lynch Starkey's Case First Mill Fun with Griz 
 zlies Origin of Name lone First School First Flour Mill 
 First Brick Store Methodist Church Centennial Pres 
 ident's Address Extracts from Poem Extracts from Ora 
 tion lone in 1876 Railroad Stockton Narrow-Guage 
 Gait Road Overflows Fires Buena Vista First Settle 
 ment Mining Arroyo Seco Grant Dispossession of Settlers 
 Present Appearance Buckeye Valley Irish Hill Quincy 
 Muletown Miners' Court The Funny Man Faithful 
 Wife.. ..182194 
 
 CHAPTEE XXXII. 
 
 LANCHA PLANA AND VICINITY. 
 
 Its Early Settlers Cholera and Diarrhea Judge Palmer's 
 Bridge Fires First School Notable Homicide Bluff 
 Mining Open Sea Chaparral Hill Growth of the Town 
 Bonita Affair Indian War Butler Claim Decline of 
 the Town Put's Bar and the Fruit Interest Overflows 
 Townerville Camp Opera French Camp Copper Centre. 
 194202 
 
 CHAPTEE XXXII 1. 
 
 VOLCANO AND VICINITY. 
 
 As it Looked in '49 Georgia Claim Sharp Mining Broker 
 Rod. Stowell Agriculture Society A Philosopher 
 Hydraulic Mining Nature of the Gravel Deposits China 
 Gulch Volcano Tunnel Former Project of Lowering the 
 Outlet Fires Largest Fire Fire of 1865 Year of Fires^ 
 Burning of Hanford's Store Miners' Joke Nocturnal 
 Visitor Murder of Beck man Lynch Law Stage Robber 
 ies Miners' Library Association Dramatic Societies 
 Russel's Hill Fort John Upper Rancheria Aqueduct 
 City Contreras Ashland Grizzly Hill Wheeler Dig 
 gings Plattsburg How Named Hunt's Gulch Spanish 
 Gulch Whisky Slide Large Crystal Caves 202218 
 
 CHAPTEE XXXIV. 
 NORTH-WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 Sutter Creek First Foundry Knight's Foundry and Machine 
 Shop Planing Mill Society at Sutter Creek Schools and 
 ' Sohool-Houses Shipment of Gold Fires Incorporation 
 Future Prospects Amador M inisters Placer Mines 
 Gold of Lower Rancheria Oleta Execution by Lynch Law 
 Killing of Carter by Doctor Unkles Home Rule Fatal 
 Explosion Bad Case of Erysipelas Lynch Law Vetoed 
 The Famous Safe Robbery First School Churches Pres 
 ent Mining Prospects Sewell's Addition Cosumnes River 
 Amusing account of Mining Machinery Famous Lynch 
 ing Affair at Jamison's Ranch 218 229 
 
 CHAPTEE XXXV. 
 
 NORTH-WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 Drytown Details of Settlement First Justice of the Peace 
 Arrival of Families Scurvy Great Fire Farming Dry 
 Creek Rattlesnake Gulch Mile Gulch Murderers' 
 Gulch Forest Home Arkansas Creek Yankee Hill Big 
 Nugget Willow Springs Central House Plymouth 
 Puckerville Mineral Springs Fires Enterprise Yeomet. 
 .............................................. 229234 
 
 CHAPTEE XXXVI. 
 
 EASTERN PART OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 Elevation Above Tide-waterlone, Jackson, Volcano Pine 
 Grove Dentzler's Flume House Claiborne Foster's Ante 
 lope Springs Hipkius & Wiley's Station Ham's Station- 
 Mud Springs Stevens' Lumber Yard Emigrant's Pass 
 Amount of Timber Remaining Climatic Effect of the Loss 
 of Timber Summer Pasture As a Summer Resort Prac 
 tical Jokes Salt Springs Mammoth Quartz Vein Trout 
 Fishing Silver Mines Sunset from the Sierras Climate 
 Drouths Freshets Rain Table for Amador County, as Com 
 piled by Frank Howard Rain Table for Sacramento, cor 
 rected for Sutter Creek ......................... 234242 
 
 CHAPTEE XXXVII. 
 
 ARROYO SECO GRANT. 
 
 Claim Rejected Claim Confirmed on Appeal Character of 
 Grant Matters of Record Letter from T. A. Hendricks, 
 Attorney General Final Survey During Hancock Agency- 
 Proposed Settlement Sale to J. Mora Moss & Co. Memo 
 rial to President Lincoln Dispossession Settlers' League 
 Shooting of Herman Wohler Last Effort Memorial to 
 Congress ...................................... 242250 
 

HISTORY 
 
 -OF- 
 
 AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA 
 
 BY J. D. MASON. 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 CICERO says that, " it is the first law of history 
 that the writer should neither dare to advance what 
 is false nor suppress what is true; that he should 
 relate the facts with strict impartiality, free from ill- 
 will or favor; that his narrative should distinguish 
 the order of time, and, when necessary, the descrip 
 tion of places; that he should unfold the motives of 
 men, and. in his account of the transactions, or the 
 events, interpose his own judgment; should relate 
 what was done, how it was done, and what share 
 rashness, prudence, or judgment had in the issue; 
 that he should give the character of the leading men, 
 their weight and influence, their passions, principles, 
 and conduct through life." 
 
 A good history is a growth; the first attempts to 
 collate the facts bearing on the settlement and develop 
 ment of a country are necessarily imperfect. Many 
 things will creep in which were better left out, and 
 others of importance are omitted. Some matters 
 will receive undue importance, and few will be accu 
 rately related. Not until edition after edition has 
 been brought before the public will the prominent 
 events receive due notice, or the doubtful ones have 
 justice done them. A thousand eyes will be sharp 
 ened to criticise the narrative. A thousand new 
 witnesses will arise to contradict, affirm, or correct. 
 The publishers hope that the public will make due 
 allowance for errors unavoidable in the first attempt 
 to collect the facts pertaining to the early history of 
 the county. In many instances the testimony, even 
 of eye-witnesses, is very conflicting. This is true of 
 the aifairs of August, 1855. Hardly any two agree 
 in their narratives of the circumstances. In this, as 
 in other matters, the most probable statements are 
 recorded. Nothing has been set down in malice, and 
 some things have been left out as being too much 
 like tales told out of school; as far as possible con 
 signing them to oblivion. 
 
 Having resided over a quarter of a century in the 
 county, and acted a part, though a humble one, in 
 
 many of the circumstances narrated, the writer has 
 drawn largely on his own memory for many of the 
 incidents. 
 
 The chapters on geology and mining, will, it is 
 hoped, furnish interesting and profitable reading to 
 all, especially those engaged in mining. The facts 
 and theories are the result of years of observation, 
 and many miles of travel, and are not retailed at 
 second hand from Whitney or other scientists. The 
 observations on mining have been compiled from 
 the statements, opinions and experiences, of hun 
 dreds of intelligent miners. Thanks are due to all 
 the superintendents, especially to those of the Ama- 
 dor Consolidated, the Keystone, the Oneida, the 
 Empire, the Downs and the Zeile mines for valuable 
 information on gold mining, and to Edward Johnson 
 of the Newton mine, for statistics and methods of 
 copper mining. 
 
 The habits of the early miners will be read with 
 interest. The writer hopes that some of the false 
 impressions, produced by Bret Hart, Joaquin Miller, 
 and other writers, regarding early Californians, will 
 be dissipated by a true description thereof. The stories 
 of the "YubaDam," "Tuolumne Debating Society" 
 and others of that kind, have truth enough for a 
 hint to a lively imagination arid no more; and those 
 who, in after years, judge California by those things, 
 will be wide of the mark. The writer, having been 
 a resident of the State since 1850, has an interest 
 in the good reputation of the pioneers, and is glad 
 to enter his protest to such absurdities being re 
 corded as history. With him, the work has been 
 one of love, and a design to do justice to our coun 
 trymen, with no desire to hold them up to derision. 
 
 The publishers intended to give statistics of the 
 growth of the mining and agricultural industries, 
 but found the published returns entirely worthless. 
 In some instances, the estimations were utterly ab 
 surd. In 1877, the yield of wheat in Amador county 
 was estimated at 236 bushels to the acre, this esti- 
 
10 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 mate being copied without remark into all the works 
 on statistics. In 1866, the number of grape-vines 
 was estimated at 557,773; in 1867, at 1,140,000; 1868, 
 at 683,623. The estimates in many instances were 
 mere guess work. The values of real and personal 
 property as a basis for taxation, are the only esti 
 mates that approximate the truth. These have 
 been given from year to year, in the continuous 
 histoiy of the county. 
 
 The history of the Arroyo Seco Grant has been ex 
 haustively treated. The facts in regard to this, the 
 most important event in the history of the county, 
 were fast sinking into obscurity, and it was 
 deemed best to collect and preserve them, that our 
 children might know the great wrong that was 
 perpetrated under cover of the law. Valuable 
 assistance in this was rendered by J. A. Forbes (now 
 deceased), who was familiar with the whole history 
 of the grant system. 
 
 The chapter on the Colorado Canon will be found 
 interesting, and worthy of being preserved with the 
 other facts bearing on the discovery and settlement 
 of California. 
 
 The article on the Dead Rivers of California, cop 
 ied from the Overland Monthly, is well worth preser 
 vation in connection with the geology of the county, 
 and will be welcomed by all who are interested in 
 the ancient river system. 
 
 In making up this work, many authorities have 
 been consulted; Forbes' History of California, writ 
 ten in 1835; Farnham's History of the Period of 
 the Arroyo Seco Grant; Annals of San Francisco 
 and California, by Frank Soule; Tuthill's His 
 tory of California; History of the Pacific School 
 System, by John Swett; Cronise's Natural "Wealth 
 of California; Hittel's Resources of California; Bay 
 ard Taylor's El Dorado; Scenes in El Dorado in 
 1849-'50, by S. C. Upham; Raymond's work on 
 the Mines of the Pacific Coast, and others too numer 
 ous to mention. The Odd Fellows' libraries of Oak 
 land and San Francisco, the school library of 
 Alameda county, and mercantile library of San 
 Francisco, as well as private collections, have 
 been frequently visited. The files of the Alta Cal 
 ifornia; Spirit of the Times (M. D. Boruck's paper), 
 and other city papers have often been consulted, as 
 well as files of' the county papers, the Ledger, Sentinel, 
 News and Dispatch. To the proprietor of the Dis 
 patch especially, are many thanks due. The county 
 papers published previous to August 23, 1862, were 
 mostly destroyed in the great fire. The loss is irrep 
 arable, though it is said the hermit at the Gate, J. G. 
 Farrar, has complete files of all the papers ever pub 
 lished in the county, but the author was unable to 
 get access to them. 
 
 To point out all the sources of information, or to 
 name all the persons giving us valuable assistance 
 would be impossible. It had to bo gathered from 
 a thousand sources, and thousands of notes com 
 pared. Valuable assistance was rendered by Hon. 
 
 H. A. Carter in matters of the Arroyo Seco Grant, 
 Robert Reed, James Bagley, D. Stewart, H. F. Hall, 
 Hon. R. B. Swift, Hon. L. Brusie, J. M. F. Johnson, 
 Mrs. J. T. Henley, J. W. Surface, W. H. Fox, J. P. 
 Martin, P. Scully, William Cook, John Fitzsimmons, 
 Hon. I. B. Gregory, A. Thompson, Hon. J. W. D. 
 Palmer, Isaac Waddell, Hon. William Waddell, Will 
 iam Maroon, J. C. Fithian, R. W. Palmer, George W. 
 Porter, James M. Porter, Thomas Love, Louis Tel- 
 lier, Ellis Evans, A. Askey, Mrs. Ellis Evans, J. D. 
 Davis, James Meehan, George Durham, Hon. M. W. 
 Gordon, Hon. John A. Eagon, Hon. A. C. IJrown, J. 
 C. Shipman, Thomas Jones, William Lowry, John 
 Vogan, H. Goldner, J. A. Butterfield, C. J. Nickerson, 
 C. A. Purinton, P. N. Peck, Wilmer Palmer, William 
 Pitt, E. R. Yates, J. E. Reaves, R. Robinson, J. T. 
 Wheeler, A. P. Clough, Jacob Cook, J. C. Ham, Ed 
 mund Wise, S. Loree, James Henry, L. Ludikens, L. 
 McLaine, D. S. Boydston, A. Petty, F. M. Whitmore, 
 F. Mace, James Hall, J. A. Foster, W. Q. Mason, A. 
 Jerome, S. Petty, R, Fry, Isaac E. Eastman (who was 
 here in 1848), James Hall, E. Genochio, L. J. Fonten- 
 rose, County Clerk, C. H. Turner, A. Cammetti, Dis 
 trict Attorney, B. Ross, Hon. J. T. Farley, Thomas 
 Frakes, C. Gossum, T. B. Greenhalgh, J. F. Gould, C.J. 
 Garland, C. B. Goodrich, W. H. Harmon, W. E. Huey, 
 Henry Kutchenthall, James Livermore, S. S. Man- 
 non, James McCauley, I. G. Nute, I. N. Randolph, 
 W. T. Wildman, William Jennings, J. C. Williams, 
 Frank Henderson, S. B. Boardman, H. H. Towns, 
 Superintendent of Amador Canal, James Morgan, 
 J. O. Bartlett, R. T. Bisbee, Wm. O. Clark, M. B. 
 Church, T. A. Chicizola, A. K. Dudley, Jacob Em- 
 minger, Dan. Worley, John Marchant, Wm. Moon, 
 T. J. Phelps, A. S. Putnam, B. S. Sanborn, E. A. 
 Smith, W.Southerland, Silas Tubbs, J. Northup, Leroy 
 Worden,Hon. Chapman Warkins, and many others. 
 
 Many old residents have been interviewed in San 
 Francisco and Oakland, and valuable information 
 gained: John Hanson first Sheriff of Calaveras, John 
 Burke, Dr. Henry M. Fisk, Dr. W. Ayer, J. W. 
 Paugh, J. G. Severance, J. A. Robinson, N. W. Spaul- 
 ding, Dr. Louis Sober, Hon. E. D. Sawyer, A. J. 
 Houghtaling, W. C. Pratt, (the last three being mem 
 bers of the Legislature at the time of the Act pro 
 viding for the organization of the county), Hon. W. W. 
 Cope, Hon. Wm. Higby, Hon. Wm. B. Ludlow, B. S. 
 E. Williams, Hon. J. W. Bicknell, Alvinza Hayward, 
 A. AV. Richardson, Hon. J. D. Stevenson (commander 
 of the famous Stevenson regiment), J. Alexander 
 Forbes, James Foley, who established Post-offices in 
 Amador, and others names not recalled. 
 
 The author may be permitted to say in conclusion 
 that the labor has been a source of constant pleasure; 
 that the memories of the many reunions with the 
 pioneers will remain pleasant as long as life lasts. 
 He hopes the patrons of the work will manifest the 
 same good spirit in reading the work, passing lightly 
 over the unavoidable imperfections, and remember 
 ing only that which is good. 
 
EARLY HISTORY OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 11 
 
 CHAPTER 1. 
 
 Scanty Knowledge of the Pacific Coast Fifty Years Since Story 
 of "Sergas," by Esplaiidin Titles to Immense .Regions 
 Conferred by the Pope Expeditions for Discovery and 
 Settlement Sir Francis Drake's Operations Expeditions 
 Overland Marvelous Stories of a Big Canon Expedition 
 of Father Escalante. 
 
 THOSE who studied geography forty or fifty years 
 since, recollect how little was known of the "Great 
 West." "Lewis and Clarke's Expedition to the 
 Rocky Mountains and Oregon," contained about all 
 that was known of the Pacific coast; and hundreds 
 of persons now living, remember that that portion 
 of the map now marked California and Arizona, 
 was occupied with a table of distances from Wash 
 ington to our larger cities. The Rocky Mountains 
 were represented as a single range, running from 
 the Isthmus of Darien to the North Pole. More 
 facts concerning the Pacific slope were learned in 
 the first fifty years after the discovery of the New 
 World, than in the following two hundred. The 
 deserts of Arizona and the " Great Canon," shut 
 off exploration and settlement from this direction, 
 though rumors of a country rich in gold, had circu 
 lation among the hordes that overrun Mexico soon 
 after its conquest by Cortez and his followers. On 
 such rumors, was founded the story of "Sergas" by 
 Esplandin, the son of Amadis of Gaul, which con 
 tained " the story of a country called California, 
 very near to the terrestrial paradise, which was 
 peopled by black women without any men among 
 them, because they were accustomed to live after 
 the manner of the Amazons. They were of strong 
 and hardened bodies, of ardent courage, and ^great 
 force. The island was the strongest in the world, 
 from its steep and rocky cliffs. Their arms were all 
 of gold, and so were the caparisons of the wild 
 horses they rode." 
 
 At that time, the world was filled with rumors of 
 wonderful discoveries, by land and by sea. Some, 
 like De Soto, set off in quest of the " spring of eter 
 nal youth," which it was confidently asserted was 
 just on the other side of a certain range of mount 
 ains. It was easier to believe in a land of gold, 
 than in a spring of eternal youth. This exciting 
 book, written to satisfy the literary market of that 
 age, was universally read in Spain; and, it is highly 
 probable, was partly the cause for the expedition 
 which afterwards, under the charge of Hernando 
 Grijalva, actually discovered " California very near 
 to the Terrestrial Paradise;" so that it is probable 
 that a dreamy old romancer in Seville, Spain, sug 
 gested the name of the country that was to upheave 
 new continents in the commercial world. 
 
 IMMENSE REGIONS GRANTED BY THE POPE. 
 
 Cortez had achieved the conquest of Mexico with 
 but a handful of men, in 1519; and nine years after 
 returned to Spain, laden with the spoils of an empire 
 larger and richer, and, perhaps, more civilized than 
 
 Spain herself; also with accounts of countries still 
 richer and larger, to the north-west of Mexico. He 
 was received with distinguished honors by Charles 
 Y., and rewarded by many royal concessions, among 
 which were the right to one-twelfth of all the 
 precious metals he could find, and a perpetual vice- 
 royalty for himself and heirs, over all the countries 
 he should discover. It must be remembered that 
 the Pope, in consideration of the dissemination of 
 the " True Faith," had granted to the Emperor of 
 Spain all lands that his subjects might discover; so 
 the title seemed to \>Q/ee simple in Cortez, who, from 
 being a piratical, roving vagabond, bounded into 
 royal honors. 
 
 EXPEDITIONS OF DISCOVERY AND SETTLEMENT. 
 
 Returning to Mexico, he immediately set about 
 the expedition; but, delayed by the difficulty of 
 building and fitting out ships on the western coast, 
 he did not get off until 1535. Having landed on the 
 lower peninsula of California, he found the country 
 so barren and uninviting, that he abandoned the 
 expedition, and returned to Mexico in 1537. On his 
 return, he heard of the De Soto expedition, which, 
 like all the other expeditions, had nearly, but not 
 quite, reached the land where arms, as well as trap 
 pings for horses, were made of pure gold. This led 
 to the fitting out of another expedition in 1542, 
 under Jose R. Cabrillo, who sailed northward as far 
 as Cape Mendocino, which ho named Cape Mendoza, 
 in honor of his friend, the Viceroy of Mexico. Keep 
 ing within sight of the coast the greater part of the 
 way, he discovered the Farallone Islands, also some 
 of the more southern groups; but, like his predeces 
 sor, failed to see the future Golden Gate. In an 
 English work printed in 1839, Mr. James Alexander 
 Forbes states that two out of the three vessels, com 
 posing this expedition, with some twenty men, were 
 lost in the Gulf of California, in consequence of a 
 mutiny and a difficulty with the natives, near La 
 Paz. 
 
 These expeditions were so unsatisfactory, that 
 Cortez resolved upon exploring the coast himself. 
 Three vessels were fitted out at Tehuantepec, he 
 marching overland with a large body of soldiers, 
 slaves, settlers, and priests. Cortez explored the 
 Gulf of California, proved that California was not 
 an island, but part of the main land. For some 
 time the Gulf of California was known as the Sea of 
 Cortez. It was also called The Red Sea (El Mar 
 Rojo), from having a reddish color from the wash 
 of the Colorado river, which empties into the gulf 
 at the head; Cortez returned to Acapulco, but con 
 tinued to employ others in the explorations, which 
 were confined mostly to lands in the vicinity of the 
 gulf. Several attempts were made to settle the 
 land, but, as it was very barren and poor, the col 
 onies made little progress. The natives were desti 
 tute of means and character, both sexes going nearly 
 or quite naked. 
 
12 
 
 HISTORY OF AM.ADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 SIR FRANCIS DRAKE S OPERATIONS. 
 
 Sir Francis Drake reached the Pacific ocean in 
 1578, through the Straits of Magellan, thirty-six 
 years after Cabrillo named the Cape of Mendocino, 
 and, not having heard of the former expeditions, 
 took possession of the whole country in the name of 
 Queen Elizabeth. It has been claimed for him that 
 he entered the Bay of San Francisco; but the lati 
 tude in which he located it (37 59 5"), proves it to 
 have been some miles north, at a place now called 
 Drake's bay, though most of the old geographies 
 give the present sea-port as " The Bay of Sir Francis 
 Drake." It is strange that, having much inter 
 course with the natives, he should have failed to 
 discover the great harbor which was in sight from, 
 some of the surrounding hills. The real discovery 
 of the Bay of San Francisco, was made by Portala, 
 in an overland expedition. What a vision, when he 
 stood on the top of some of the low ranges of mount 
 ains surrounding, and saw the rich valleys reposing 
 in a perpetual Indian Summer, stretching to the 
 northward sixty miles. Little did the Spaniard, or 
 those who came after him, suppose that the rivers 
 flowing into the bay ran over golden sands, or that 
 the hills near the outlet would be covered by a city 
 larger than any of the cities of magnificent Spain. 
 
 It is now time to turn to the attempts to explore 
 the country in other ways. 
 
 EXPEDITION OVERLAND MARVELOUS STORIES. 
 
 The ill success attending the expeditions up the 
 coast, induced explorations by land, especially ass 
 marvelous reports of rich walled cities in the far 
 north, occasionally reached the capital of Mexico. 
 In less than fifty years from the discovery of Amer 
 ica, soldiers and priests had explored the Colorado 
 river for a considerable distance above its mouth. 
 The stories of a gigantic people, walled towns, and 
 impassable canons a mile or more in depth, were con 
 signed to the same fate as the stories of mermaids 
 and other sea monsters. Cervantes in Spain, and 
 Dean Swift in England, had poured unsparing ridi 
 cule on the fabulous stories and achievements of the 
 age succeeding the discovery of America. Since the 
 exploring expedition sent out by the United States, 
 the accounts of the great Colorado river have been 
 overhauled and read with avidity, and what was 
 then deemed a pleasant after-dinner fiction of some 
 bibulous priest, has proved to be substantially cor 
 rect, though the Mojaves, who, doubtless, are the 
 persons described as giants, do not quite come up to 
 their ancestors of three hundred and fifty years ago. 
 
 As early as 1540 the Viceroy of New Spain, inter 
 ested in the stories of a San Franciscan monk who 
 had seen some of the territory, sent out an expedi 
 tion under the command of Vasquez da Coronado. 
 When they struck the river, a party of twenty -five 
 was detached and sent to the westward. They 
 explored the river to the mouth, and from this point 
 was sent the expedition which eventually succeeded 
 
 in discovering the bay. Another of Coronado's 
 captains, named Cardinas, reached *the pueblos of 
 the Moquis, and from these towns made a visit, 
 under Indian guides, to a portion of the river some 
 hundreds of miles above the explorations of pre 
 vious parties. The history states that after a march 
 over a desert of twenty days, they came to a river, 
 the banks of which were so high that they seemed 
 to be three or four leagues in the air. The most 
 active of the party attempted to descend, but came 
 back in the evening, saying they had met with dif 
 ficulties which prevented them from reaching the 
 bottom; that they had accomplished one-third of the 
 descent, and from that point the river looked very 
 large. They averred that some rocks, which ap 
 peared from above to be the height of a man, were 
 higher than the tower of the cathedral of Seville. 
 This is the earliest notice in any work of the cele 
 brated canon of the Colorado, the most astonishing 
 of all mountain gorges, and which may, without 
 doubt, be reckoned the greatest wonder of the world. 
 
 EXPEDITION OP FATHER ESCALANTE. 
 
 About one hundred years ago, Father Escalante 
 visited the region north of New Mexico, keeping 
 along the head-waters of the Colorado to Salt Lake, 
 thence south-west to the Colorado river at a point 
 nearly opposite that reached by one of Coronado's 
 captains over two hundred years before. This mea 
 ger account of the great canon is about all that is 
 on record previous to the acquisition of Arizona by 
 tho United States, though trappers and hunters 
 sometimes related incredible stories of a country 
 where great rivers ran in canons so deep that day- 
 light-nevcr reached the bottom. As this river forms 
 a part of the boundary of California, and was, to a 
 great extent, from its unapproachable character, a 
 barrier to the early settlement of this coast, thus 
 perhaps preserving it for its present occupants, and 
 as it has recently become a center of interest on 
 account of the mines in its vicinity, a somewhat 
 extended account of this remarkable, and, even now, 
 little known wonder may be justifiable, and will be 
 incorporated into tho work in a separate chapter. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 BIG CANON OF THE COLORADO. 
 
 Lieutenant Whipple's Expedition Lieutenant Ives' Expedi 
 tion First Attempt to Explore the Canon Land Party 
 Organized One Sight of the Eiver First Exploration 
 Unwilling Venture Consider the Situation Death of One 
 of the Parties Three Mouths in the Canon Arrival at 
 Fort Colville Exploration Made Under the Direction of 
 the Smithsonian Institute Indescribable Character of the 
 Stream Loss of Boats and Provisions Death of a Portion 
 of the Party Emergence of the Survivors Geology and 
 Climate. 
 
 LIEUTENANT WHIPPLE'S EXPEDITION. 
 
 JN the Spring of 1854 Lieutenant Whipple in com 
 mand of an expedition for the exploration and sur 
 vey of a railroad route near the 35th parallel, reached 
 the Colorado at the mouth of Bill Williams' Fork, and 
 
BIG CANON OF THE COLORADO. 
 
 13 
 
 ascended the river from that point aboutfifty miles and 
 reported the country as mostly impassable. From 
 an elevated point a view of an apparent valley or 
 course of a river could be seen, which seemed to be a 
 net- work of impassable canons. This partial explo 
 ration still further intensified the interest in this 
 region. That any portion of the United States was 
 unapproachable was too absurd to credit. 
 
 LIEUTENANT IVES' EXPEDITION. 
 
 It was not until 1857 that an appropriation became 
 available for further exploration. A small steamer 
 was constructed for the purpose of ascending the river 
 and shipped to San Francisco in parts, and thence re- 
 shipped to Fort Yuma, where it was put together. 
 When loaded it drew somewhat less than two feet of 
 water, and the river was ascended four hundred and 
 fifty miles above Fort Yuma. Sometimes the little 
 craft was nearly overwhelmed in the treacherous cur 
 rents and sometimes the men were obliged to tow the 
 steamer over shoals where it would touch bottom 
 continually. Bands of natives would follow the 
 boat, hugely amused with the puffing, snorting canoe 
 that was, apparently, so helpless and good for noth 
 ing. At length the party came in sight of the 
 much talked of canon, of which so little was known 
 and so much conjectured. The enormous, perpendicu 
 lar walls of rocks, hundreds of feet high, which had 
 formed the banks of the rivers in many places, had 
 prepared them for wonders, but they did not ex 
 pect to see a large river come out of a gate-way two 
 thousand feet high and only a few feet across. If 
 the ancients had known of this place they would have 
 added new horrors to their infernal regions. 
 
 FIRST ATTEMPT TO EXPLORE THE CANON. 
 
 The attempt to navigate the canon with the steamer 
 without a previous reconnoissanco was thought too 
 hazardous, and a boat expedition was organized. 
 Lieutenant Ives with three or four men entered the 
 dark gateway. With much labor they worked their 
 way, sometimes rowing and sometimes dragging the 
 boat over rapids. Night coming on, the party took 
 advantage of a small shingle beach for acampingplacc. 
 Some drift-wood lodged in a cleft of rocks furnished 
 material for a camp fire. There was no need of 
 sentinels. Eternal silence reigned ; not even the 
 chirping of an insect broke the low murmer of the 
 waters as they wound their tortuous way through 
 the dark depths. We quote freely from his report 
 to the Secretary of War : 
 
 " March 10, 1858. * * * Darkness supervened 
 with surprising suddenness. Pall after pall of shade 
 fell, as it were in clouds, upon the deep recesses 
 about us. The line of light through the opening 
 above at last became blurred and indistinct, and, 
 save the dull red glare of the camp fire, all was 
 enveloped in a murky gloom. Soon the narrow 
 belt again brightened as the rays of the moon 
 reached the summits of the mountains. Gazing far 
 upwards upon the edges of the overhanging walls 
 we witnessed the gradual illumination. A few iso 
 lated turrets and pinnacles first appeared in strong 
 
 relief upon the blue band of the heavens. As the 
 silvery light descended and fell upon the opposite 
 crest of the abyss, strange and uncouth shapes seem 
 to start out, all sparkling and blinking in the light, 
 and to be peering over at us as we lay watching 
 them from the bottom of the profound chasm. The 
 contrast between the vivid glow above and the black 
 obscurity beneath, formed one of the most striking 
 points in the singular picture. This morning as soon 
 as the light, permitted, we were again on the way. 
 * The canon continued to in 
 
 crease in size and magnificence. No description can 
 convey an idea of the peerless and majestic grandeur 
 of this water-way. Wherever the river makes a turn 
 the entire panorama changes, and one startling nov 
 elty after another appears and disappears with be 
 wildering rapidity. Stately /fc?es,august cathedrals, 
 amphitheatres, rotundas, castellated walls and rows 
 of time-stained ruins surmounted by every form of 
 tower, minaret, dome and spire have been moulded 
 from the cyclopean masses of rock that form the 
 mighty defile. The solitude, the stillness, the sub 
 dued light and the vastness of every surrounding 
 object, produced an impression of awe that ultimately 
 became almost painful. As hour after hour passed, 
 we began to look anxiously for some kind of an out 
 let from the range, but the declining day only 
 brought fresh piles of mountains, higher apparently 
 than any before seen. Wo had made up our minds 
 to pass another night in the canon and were search 
 ing for a spot large enough for a resting place, when 
 we came into a narrow passage between two mam 
 moth peaks that seemed to be nodding across the 
 stream, and unexpectedly found at the upper end the 
 termination of the ' Black Canon,' and we came 
 into rather of an extensive valley, without a trace of 
 vegetation however; but the hills and mountains 
 around were in parti-colors and prevented the scene 
 from being monotonous. The length of the Black 
 Canon is about twenty-five miles. It was evident 
 that the river could be navigated no farther. Climb 
 ing a mountain nothing but a confused mass of vol 
 canic rocks piled in confusion upon each other came 
 to view. * * * Farther to the east could be 
 seen the course of the river where it formed the 
 Big Canon." 
 
 LAND PARTY ORGANIZED. 
 
 The exploring party returned to the steamboat 
 and organized an expedition to explore the river on 
 the south side towards the Rocky Mountains, and the 
 boat was sent back to Fort Yuma. In a few days 
 they struck the lofty plateau, through which the 
 j Colorado river with its numerous tributaries, or com- 
 i pan ion rivers, carry the waters formed from the 
 I melting snows of the Rocky Mountains. Scarcely 
 any rain falls on this elevated plain, and the banks of 
 the rivers remain as sharp as they were millions of 
 years ago when the channels were first eroded. Cen 
 tury after century the work of deepening the channel 
 goes on. Before the children of Israel went down in 
 to Egypt; before the building of the Pyramids; before 
 the rude ancestors of the Egyptians found the Nile 
 valley ; even before the Nile valley itself was formed 
 the Colorado rivers had done the most of their work. 
 It was out of the question to explore the river. 
 They could only approach it at one point. Only the 
 bird that could wing its way for hundreds of miles, 
 
14 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 could make its way over these cavernous depths that 
 marked the course of the river and all its branches. 
 From elevated points they could see table-land, 
 rising, base on base, height on height, with impassa 
 ble canons between. As the limits of this work will 
 permit only an abbreviated description of the inter 
 esting exploration, an account of one attempt to reach 
 the river, giving nearly the author's own words, 
 which cannot be condensed without doing injustice 
 to the subject, will close the story of this expedition. 
 
 ONE SIGHT OF THE RIVER. 
 
 "Our altitude is very great. During the last 
 march the ascent was continuous, and the barome 
 ter shows an elevation of nearly seven thousand 
 feet. The Colorado is not far distant, and wo must 
 be opposite to the most stupendous part of the 
 ' Big Canon.' The bluffs are in view, but the inter 
 vening country is cut up by side canon* and cross 
 ravines, and no place has yet been found that pre 
 sents a favorable approach to the gigantic chasm. * 
 * * The snow-storm (this was in the "Winter) had 
 extended over but little area, and the road, at first 
 heavy, in a mile or two became dry and good. The 
 pines disappeared and the cedars gradually dimin 
 ished. * * Each slope surmounted disclosed a 
 new summit similar to that just passed, till the end 
 of ten miles, when the highest part of the plateau 
 was attained, and a sublime spectacle lay spread 
 before us. 
 
 " Toward the north was the field of plateaus and 
 cafions already mentioned, and shooting out from 
 these a line of magnificent bluffs, extending eastward 
 an enormous distance, marked the course of the 
 canon of the Little Colorado. Farther south, eighty 
 miles distant, towered the vast pile of the San Fran 
 cisco mountain, its conical summit covered with 
 snow and sharply defined against the sky. Several 
 other peaks were visible a little to the right, and 
 halfway between us and this cluster of mighty and 
 venerable volcanos was the ' Red Buttc,' described 
 by Lieutenant Whipple (1853), standing in isolated 
 prominence upon the level plain. * * * 
 
 " The sun was oppressively warm, and every place 
 whose appearance gave promise of water was 
 searched, but without success. Ten miles conducted 
 us to the head of a ravine, down which there was a 
 well-beaten Indian trail. There was every prospect 
 therefore that we were approaching a settlement, 
 similar to that of the Hualpais, on Diamond river. 
 The descent was more rapid than the former had 
 been, and in the course of a few miles we had gone 
 down into the plateau one or two thousand feet, 
 and the bluffs on either side had assumed stupendous 
 proportions. Still no signs of habitations were vis 
 ible. The worn-out and thirsty beasts had begun 
 to flag when we were brought to a stand-still by a 
 fall one hundred feet deep in the bottom of the canon. 
 At the brink of the precipice was an overhanging 
 ledge of rock, from which we could look down, as if 
 into a well, upon the continuation of the gorge far 
 below. The break reached completely across the 
 ravine, and the side walls were nearly perpendicular. 
 There was no egress in that direction, and it seemed 
 a marvel that a trail should lead to a place where 
 there was nothing to do but return. A closer inspec 
 tion showed that the trail still continued along the 
 cafion, traversing horizontally the face of the right- 
 hand bluff. A short distance of it seemed as though 
 a mountain goat could scarcely keep its footing upon 
 
 the slight indentation that appeared like a thread 
 attached to the rocky wall, but a trial proved that 
 the path, though narrow and dizzy, had been cut 
 with some care into the surface of the cliff, and afforded 
 a foot-hold, level and broad enough both for men and 
 animals. 1 rode upon it first, and the rest of the 
 party and the train followed one by one looking 
 very much like a row of insects crawling upon the 
 side of a building. We proceeded for nearly a mile 
 along this singular pathway, which preserved its 
 horizontal direction. The bottom of the canon 
 meanwhile had been rapidly descending, and there 
 were two or three falls where it dropped a hundred 
 feet at a time, thus greatly increasing the depth of 
 the chasm. The change had taken place so gradu 
 ally that I was not sensible of it, till, glancing down 
 the side of my mule, I found that he was walking 
 within three inches of the edge of the brink of a 
 sheer gulf a thousand feet deep; on the other side, 
 nearly touching my knee, was an almost vertical 
 wall rising to an enormous altitude. The sight made 
 my head swim, and I dismounted and got ahead of 
 the mule, a difficult and delicate operation, which I 
 was thankful to have safely performed. A part of 
 the men became so giddy that they were obliged to 
 creep upon their hands and knees, being unable to 
 walk or stand. In some places there was barely 
 room to walk, and a slight deviation in a step would 
 have precipitated one into the frightful abyss. 1 was 
 a good deal alarmed lest some obstacle should be 
 encountered that would make it impossible to go 
 ahead, for it was certainly impracticable to return. 
 After an interval of uncomfortable suspense, the face 
 of the rock made an angle, and just beyond the 
 angle was a projection from the main wall with a 
 surface fifteen or twenty yards square that would 
 afford afoot-hold. The continuation of the wall was 
 perfectly vertical, so that the trail could no longer 
 lollow it, and we found that the path descended the 
 steep face of the cliff to the bottom of the canon. It 
 was a desperate road to traverse, but located with a 
 good deal of skill, zigzaging down the precipice, and 
 taking advantage of every crevice and fissure that 
 could afford a foot-hold. It did not take long to 
 discover that no mule could accomplish this descent, 
 and nothing remained but to turn back. We were 
 glad to have even this privilege in our power. The 
 jaded brutes were collected upon the little summit, 
 where they could be turned around, and then com 
 menced to return from the hazardous journey. The 
 sun shone directly into the canon, and the glare 
 reflected from the walls made the heat intolerable. 
 The disappointed beasts, now two days without 
 water, with glassy eyes and protruding tongues, plod 
 ded slowly along, uttei'ing the most melancholy 
 cries; The rxearest water, of which we had any 
 knowledge, was almost thirty miles distant. There 
 was but one chance of saving the train, and after 
 reaching an open portion of the ravine the packs 
 and saddles were removed, and two or three Mexi 
 cans started for the lagoons, mounted upon the least 
 exhausted animals and driving the others loose be 
 fore them. It was somewhat dangerous to detach 
 them thus from the main part}' but there was no help 
 for it. Some of the mules will give out before the 
 night march is over, but the knowedge that they 
 are on the road to water will enable the most of 
 them to reach it in spite of their weariness and the 
 length of the way. 
 
 " It was estimated that, at this point which was 
 within a few miles of the main canon, about one-half 
 of the original plain had been cutaway by the action 
 of the river and its branches. 
 
BIG CANON OF THE COLORADO. 
 
 15 
 
 "A party was made up to explore the canon. The 
 distance to the precipice where the mules were turned 
 back was about five miles. The precipice was de 
 scended without difficulty, though in one or two places 
 the path traversed smooth, inclined plains that 
 made the footing insecure and the crossing danger 
 ous. The bottom of the canon which from the sum 
 mit looked smooth, was found to be covei-ed with 
 small hills thirty or forty feet high. Along the mid 
 dle of the canon started another one with low walls 
 at the starting point, which became lofty precipices 
 as the base of the new ravine sunk deeper and deeper 
 into the earth. Along the bottom of this gorge we 
 followed the trail, distinctly seen when the surface 
 was not composed of rocks. Every few minutes low 
 falls and ledges were met with, which wo had to 
 jump or slide down, till a formidable number 
 of obstacles were to be met in returning. Like 
 other canons this was circuitous, and at each turn we 
 expected to find something new and startling. We 
 were deeper in the bowels of the earth than we had 
 ever been before, and surrounded by walls and tow 
 ers of such imposing dimensions that it would be 
 useless to attempt describing them; but the effects of 
 magnitude had begun to pall, and the walk from the 
 foot of the precipice was monotonously dull; no sign 
 of life could be discerned above or below. At the end 
 of thirteen miles from the precipice an obstacle pre 
 sented itself that there seemed to be no possibility of 
 overcoming. A stone slab, reaching from one side 
 of the canon to the other, terminated the plain 
 which we were descending. Looking over the 
 edge it appeared that the next level was forty 
 feet below. This time there was no trail along 
 the side of the bluffs, for these were smooth and 
 perpendicular. A spring of water rose from the 
 canon above and trickled over the precipice, 
 forming a beautiful cascade. It was supposed 
 that the Indians must have come to this point merely 
 to procure water; but this theory was not satisfac 
 tory and we sat down to consider the situation. 
 
 "Mr. Egloffstein lay down by the side of the creek, 
 and projecting his head over the ledge to watch the 
 cascade discovered a solution to the mystery. Below 
 the shelving rock, and hidden by it and the fall, stood 
 a crazy-looking ladder, made of rough sticks bound 
 together with thongs of bark. It was almost per 
 pendicular and rested upon a bed of angular stones. 
 The rounds had become rotten from the incessant flow 
 of the water. Mr. Egloffstein, anxious to have the 
 first view of what was below, scrambled over the 
 rock and got his feet upon the first round. Being a 
 solid weight, he was too much for the insecure fabric, 
 which commenced giving away. One side fortunately 
 stood firm, and holding on to this with a tight grip 
 he made a precipitate descent. The other side and 
 all the rounds broke loose and accompanied him to 
 the bottom in a general crash, effectually cutting off 
 the communication. Leaving us to devise means of 
 getting him back he ran to the bend to explore. The 
 bottom of the canon had been reached. He found 
 that he was at the edge of a stream ten or fifteen 
 yards wide fringed with cottonwoods and willows. 
 The walls of the canon spread out for a short distance 
 leaving room for a narrow belt of bottom-land on 
 which were fields of corn and a few scattered huts. 
 It was impossible to follow the stream to its union' 
 with the main river, Avhich was not far off. Nor could 
 a situation be found where a complete view of the 
 great canon might be obtained; at one spot the top 
 could be seen, at another the bottom. Measurements 
 were taken which showed the walls of the canon to 
 be over six thousand feet in height." 
 
 Notwithstanding all the efforts backed by money 
 and government the great canon was not entered, 
 at least from the side. The parties safely made their 
 way out of the chasm, and resumed their journey 
 towards Fort Defiance, finding on their way the 
 towns of stone houses which the early Spanish ex 
 plorers saw and which had since remained unknown 
 and mostly forgotten. 
 
 FIRST EXPLORATION UNWILLING VENTURE. 
 
 Some of my readers may inquire whether this 
 canon has never been explored? Twice only of 
 which" any record has been found. Some time in the 
 sixties, three men, prospecting on the head-waters of 
 the river in the Colorado Territory, fell into a diffi 
 culty with the Indians. Two succeeded in reaching 
 their boats, and escaped by rowing swiftly down the 
 stream, the swift current and bold banks facilitating 
 their flight. When they had gone so far as to feel 
 secure from pursuit, and took time to consider the 
 situation, they found themselves floating in a 
 stream, so swift as to prevent their return, even if 
 they desired it, and with banks so precipitous as to 
 make escape in that direction impossible. The stream 
 became swifter and the banks or walls of the canon 
 higher every hour. 
 
 THEY CONSIDER THE SITUATION. 
 
 A council of war was held, and all evidence at 
 tainable was considered. The questions put forth in 
 one of Addison's essays a hundred and fifty years 
 ago, " Where am I ? What sort of place do I in 
 habit?" seemed particularly applicable to the situa 
 tion. As to the first question, they could only say, 
 we are in "Uncle Sam's" dominion, and as to the 
 last, it is a " hell of a place." One of them remem 
 bered of hearing some old trappers, while sitting 
 around a camp fire near Salt Lake, tell a story of a 
 great river that was lost in a range of mountains 
 and flowed hundreds of miles under ground. An 
 other said that it did not flow under ground, but in a 
 narrow channel thousands of feet in depth, so deep 
 that daylight never reached the bottom. None of 
 them, however, had ever seen the river under these 
 circumstances. The Indians believed, some of them 
 at least, that the deep gorge led to Heaven, and 
 others thought it led to Hell ! It was certain that 
 the route to the blessed regions would not go through 
 any such country as they were passing ; and* as to 
 the latter place, had not Beecher knocked the bottom 
 out of it? So they concluded to go on ; in fact, there 
 was no other alternative. About the third day they 
 heard a great roaring of falling water, and before 
 they had time to consider were plunged over a cat 
 aract, that proved not a very high one, for though 
 the boat was smashed, they saved their lives by 
 swimming to an island at the foot of the falls, 
 and were able to save most of their provisions. 
 They now constructed a raft of dry, cotton -wood 
 logs, which they found lodged high up on the island, 
 and continued their voyage. 
 
16 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 DEATH OP ONE OP THE PARTIES. 
 
 Falls and rapids being now frequent, and the 
 plunges often throwing them off their craft, they 
 imprudently lashed themselves to it. Passing the 
 next cataract the raft was upset, and one of the two 
 was lost. The survivor found himself on the raft, 
 now bottom side up, though entirely ignorant as to 
 how he succeeded in disengaging himself while under 
 the water. 
 
 Day after day, week after week, until the weeks 
 became months, he floated down the river, encoun 
 tering many obstacles but escaping with his life. 
 The river was destitute of fish or animals, but in 
 places he found the mesquitc bean which would sus 
 tain life. Months afterward a soldier at Fort Col- 
 ville saw a log floating in the river appearing to have 
 como out of the canon. The unusual circumstance 
 caused him to turn a telescope upon it. " My God !" 
 said he, " there is a man on that log ! !" A boat 
 was dispatched, and the man was brought ashore, 
 nearly famished, speechless, naked, and his body cov 
 ered with sores. After some nourish ment had been 
 taken, he was able to say that ho had come through 
 the great canon. The man recovered, and for many 
 years afterward drove a stage in Arizona. 
 
 EXPLORATION UNDER THE DIRECTION OP THE SMITHSO 
 NIAN INSTITUTE. 
 
 The Government of the United States during these 
 years had enough business on hand without attending 
 to expeditions in the cause of science, for, so far, the 
 river had no value. But the Smithsonian Institute 
 undertook the exploration of the river. Lieutenant 
 Powell, an eminent scientist and explorer, was sent 
 out to gather all the information about it that was 
 possible. The transcontinental railroad now made 
 the matter easier. He interviewed the trappers and 
 hunters at Salt Lake and Fort Bridger ; visited 
 Arizona, and heard all that the stage-driver could re 
 member, and went East to make preparations for the 
 descent of the river. The scientific public were now 
 aroused, and many were anxious to accompany the 
 expedition. Several boats were made in water-tight 
 compartments, so contrived as to float though they 
 might be stove. Provisions, instruments and all nec 
 essary articles were inclosed in water-tight, rubber 
 bags. On the 24th of May, 1869, he left the line of 
 the Union Pacific Railroad at the Green River Sta 
 tion. Those who love to read of the grand, the pictur 
 esque, the terrible, will find their satisfaction in reading 
 " Powell's Explorations of the Colorado Canon." The 
 limits of this book will only permit a short account 
 of the trip which was full of dangers as well as 
 pleasure. They passed safely down the upper waters. 
 Some hundred miles below the starting-point, the 
 labor commenced. Sometimes the river would zig 
 zag between metamorphic slates and granite spurs, 
 making a channel like a line of saw teeth ; then it 
 would leave the granite and cut a vast amphitheatre 
 in the sandstone, miles across and thousands of feet 
 
 high. Towers, domes, castles, minarets, and all the 
 forms of ancient and modern architecture seemed 
 anticipated. Even sculpture was not forgotten, for 
 in many places gigantic figures seemed to be guard 
 ing the great canon, and threatening to overwhelm 
 all who should dare to invade the ancient solitude. 
 For months the party continued their voyage. Not 
 withstanding their ample preparations, it was nearly 
 a failure. They lost their boats and most of their 
 provisions, as well as their scientific instruments. 
 They were uncertain whether the canon was three, 
 four, or five hundred miles long. When nearly 
 through it was proposed to leave the river and try 
 to ascend its banks. It Avas urged that more rapids 
 on the junction of the granite and slate would end 
 the expedition. Part of the men determined to try 
 to scale the walls. They were given a part of the 
 scant provisions, and also a copy of the records of 
 the trip. Both parties bid each other " good 
 bye," with the firm belief that the other was 
 destined to certain destruction. Powell remained 
 with the party to continue down the river, hoping 
 that if he perished some record of their trip would 
 be picked up on the lower river or the Gulf of Cal 
 ifornia. His judgment proved the best. August 30th 
 he emerged from the canon, in somewhat better 
 plight than the stage-driver did, having witnessed 
 undoubtedly the greatest wonder of the world. 
 Nothing was heard of the other party for years. A 
 prospector brought the news that they scaled the 
 walls of the canon, but were soon afterwards killed by 
 the Indians, being mistaken for a party of white men 
 who had committed an outrage on an Indian woman 
 
 GEOLOGY AND CLIMATE. 
 
 The Colorado river drains a territory of three 
 hundred thousand square miles. A portion of this, 
 eight hundred miles in extent, resting on the Rocky 
 Mountains, is fed by snows, and has numerous rivers 
 which, with all their branches, form cafions one 
 leading into another and all finally merging into the 
 grand gorge, six thousand feet deep and three hund 
 red miles long. The lower part of the Colorado for 
 one thousand miles runs through an almost rainless 
 country. There is no wearing away of the banks into 
 the rounded, graceful forms so usual in the vicinities of 
 rivers. The channels of the rivers being so deep 
 the country is thoroughly drained of water, and 
 very few springs emerge from the surface. The soil 
 is consequently destitute of vegetation. There are 
 evidences, however, of an extensive alluvial deposit, 
 of a time when the river meandered through fertile 
 plains like the Mississippi. The elephant, the mas 
 todon, and their contemporaries wandered in herds 
 over suitable pastures where now desolation reigns. 
 
 It is difficult to estimate the influence which this 
 strange system of rivers has exerted over California. 
 Had not the early explorers when in search of gold 
 met this obstruction, our mines would have been 
 discovered and worked, and California would have 
 
PERMANENT OCCUPATION OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 17 
 
 been cursed with the blight that has covered all the 
 Spanish possessions. It was reserved for a more 
 vigorous race to develop. 
 
 The climatic influence is also great. It is now be 
 lieved that our dry, desicating north winds find 
 their way from the Arizona deserts, and that the 
 particles of red dust with which our summer atmos 
 phere is loaded, is finely-pulverized Arizona soil. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 The Exiles of Loreto Father Tierra's Methods of Conversion 
 Death of Father Tierra Arrest of the Jesuits Midnight 
 Parting Permanent Occupation of California Missions in 
 Charge of Francisco Friars Character of Father Junipero 
 Exploring Expeditions Origin of the name of the Bay 
 Mission Dolores Death of Father Junipero. 
 
 IT was the custom of the Spanish Government to 
 send out a certain number of Christian missionaries 
 with each expedition, whether for discovery or con- 
 finest. When the conquerors took possession of a 
 new territory, in the name of the King of Spain, the 
 accompanying Fathers also claimed it for the spirit 
 ual empire of the Holy Church, and in this manner 
 California became, at once, the possession of both 
 Church and State, by right of discovery and con 
 quest. 
 
 As before stated, California was discovered in 
 1534, by an expedition which Cortez had caused to 
 be fitted out in the inland seas of Tehuantepec. 
 From that time, during a period of one hundred and 
 fifty years, some twenty maritime expeditions sailed 
 successively from the shores of New Spain to the 
 coast of California, with the object of perfecting 
 its conquest; but none of them obtained any satis 
 factory result, beyond an imperfect knowledge of the 
 geographical situation of the country. The barren 
 aspect of the coast, and the nakedness and poverty 
 of the savages, who lived in grottoes, caves, and holes 
 in the ground, clearly indicated that they had scarcely 
 advanced beyond the primitive condition of man, 
 and discouraged the adventurers, who were in search 
 of another country like Mexico, abounding in natural 
 wealth, and the appliances of a rude civilization. 
 After the expenditure of immense sums of both pub 
 lic and private wealth, the permanent settlement of 
 California was despaired of. The Spanish Govern 
 ment would advance no more money, private enter 
 prise was turned in another direction, and it was 
 decided to give over the, so far, fruitless experiment 
 to the Fathers of the church. Many attempts had 
 been made to Christianize the natives of the Pacific 
 coast. Cortez is said to have had several ecclesias 
 tics in his train, though there is no account of their 
 having attempted to convert the natives, or even of 
 landing among them. The first recorded attempt 
 was made about the beginning of the year 1596 by 
 four San Francisco friars, who came with Vis- 
 caino's expedition. During their stay of two months 
 at La Paz, they visited many of the Indians, who 
 thought them children of the sun, and treated them 
 3 
 
 very kindly. Three Carmelite friars also came with 
 Viscaino's third expedition in 1602, two Jesuit mis 
 sionaries in 1648, two Franciscans in 1688, and three 
 Jesuits in 1683, the latter with the expedition of 
 Admiral Otondo. The celebrated Father Kiihno 
 was one who came with the latter expedition. Once, 
 when attempting to explain the doctrine of the res 
 urrection to the savages, he was at loss for a word to 
 express his meaning. He put some flies under the 
 water until they appeared to be dead, and then 
 exposed them to the rays of the sun, when 
 they revived. The Indians cried out in astonish 
 ment, "I bimuhueite ! I bimuhueite !" which the 
 Fathers understood as "they have come to life," the 
 expression he wanted, and applied it to the resurrec 
 tion of the Redeemer. 
 
 No substantial success was, however, achieved 
 until about 1675. Then appeared the heroic apostle 
 of California civilization, Father John Salva Tierra, 
 of the Society of Jesus, commonly called Jesuits. 
 
 Father Tierra, the founder, and afterwards visita- 
 dore of the missions of California, was a native of 
 Milan, born of noble parentage and Spanish ances 
 try, in 1644. Having completed his education at 
 Parma, he joined the order of Jesuits, and went as a 
 missionary to Mexico in 1675. He was robust in 
 health, exceedingly handsome in person, resolute of 
 will, highly talented, and full of religious zeal. For 
 several years he conducted the missions of Sonora 
 successfully, when he was recalled to Mexico in con 
 sequence of his great ability and singular virtues, 
 and was employed in the chief offices of the provin 
 ces. After ten years of ineffectual solicitation, he 
 obtained permission of the Viceroy to go to Cali 
 fornia, for the purpose of converting the inhabitants, 
 on condition that the possession of land should be 
 taken in the name of the King of Spain, without his 
 being called on to contribute anything towards the 
 expenses of the expedition. Tierra associated with 
 himself the Jesuit Father, Juan Ugarte, a native of 
 Honduras. On the 10th of October, 1697, they 
 sailed from the port of Yaqui, in Sonora, for Lower 
 California, and, after encountering a disastrous 
 storm, and suffering partial shipwreck on the gulf, 
 landed, on the 19th of that month, at San Bruno, 
 at Saint Dennis bay. Not finding that place suitable 
 for their purpose, the Fathers removed to St. Dyon- 
 issius, afterwards named Loreto, and there setup the 
 sign of civilization and Christianity on its lonely 
 shore. Thus Loreto, on the east side of the penin 
 sula, in latitude 25 35' north of the equator, may be 
 considered the Plymouth Rock of the Pacific coast. 
 This historic and memorable expedition consisted of 
 only two ships and nine men, being a corporal, five 
 private soldiers, three Indians, the captain of the 
 vessel, and the two Fathers. 
 
 On the 19th of October, 1697, the little party of 
 adventurers went ashore at Loreto, and were kindly 
 received by about fifty natives, who were induced to 
 kneel down and kiss the crucifix. 
 
18 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 METHODS OF CONVERSION. 
 
 It is said of Father Ugarte that he was a man of 
 powerful frame. When he first celebrated the cere 
 monials of the church before the natives they were 
 inclined to jeer and laugh over solemnities. On one 
 ision a huge Indian was causing considerable dis 
 turbance, and was demoralizing the other Indians 
 with his mimicry and childish fun. Father Ugarte 
 caught him by his long hair, swung him around a 
 few times, threw him in a heap on the floor, and 
 proceeded with the rites. This argument had a 
 converting effect, as he never rebelled again. As 
 the conversion of the natives was the main object of 
 the settlement, and 11 mutter of the greatest impor 
 tance, to the natives at least, no means were spared to 
 effect it. When the natives around the mission had 
 been Christianized, expeditions inland were under 
 taken to capture more material for converts. Some- 
 tiiiu-s many lives were taken, b'ut they generally suc 
 ceeded in gathering in from fifty to a hundred women 
 and children, the men afterwards following. Two 
 or three days' exhortation (confinement and starva 
 tion) was generally sufficient to effect a change of 
 heart, after which the convert was clothed, fed, and 
 put to work. Father Ugarte worked with them, 
 teaching them to plant, sow, reap, and thresh, and 
 they were soon good Christians. 
 
 The imposing ceremonies and visible symbols of 
 the Catholic church are well calculated to strike the 
 ignorant savage with awe. Striking results were 
 often attained with pictures. When moving from 
 one mission to another, and especially when meeting 
 strange Indians, the priests exhibited a picture of 
 the Virgin Mary on one side of a canvas, and Satan 
 roasting in flames on the other side. They were 
 offered a choice, to become subjects of the Holy 
 Mother, or roast in the flames with Satan, and gen 
 erally accepted the former, especially as it was accom 
 panied with food. 
 
 DEATH OF TIERRA. 
 
 After twenty years of earnest labor, privation, 
 danger, and spiritual success, Father Tierra was 
 recalled to Mexico by the new Viceroy, for consul 
 tation. Ho was then seventy years old; and, not 
 withstanding his ago and infirmities, he set out on 
 horseback from San Bias for Tepic; but, having 
 tainted by the way, he was carried on a litter by the 
 Indians tQ Guadalajara, where ho died July 17, 1717, 
 and was buried with appropriate ceremonies behind 
 the altar in the chapel of our Lady of Loreto. 
 
 The historic village of Loreto, the ancient capital 
 of California, is situated on the margin of the gulf, 
 in the center of St. Dyonissius' Cove. The church, 
 built in 1742, is still in tolerable preservation, and, 
 among the vestiges of its former richness, has eighty- 
 six oil paintings; some of them by Murillo, and other 
 celebrated masters, which, though more than a hun 
 dred years old, are still in a good condition; also 
 
 some fine silver work, valued at six thousand dol 
 lars. A great storm in 1827 destroyed many of the 
 buildings of the mission. Those remaining, are in 
 a state of decay. It was the former custom of the 
 pearl-divers to dedicate the products of certain days 
 to Our Lady of Loreto; and, on one occasion, there 
 fell to the lot of the Virgin a magnificent pearl, as 
 large as a pigeon's egg, of wonderful purity and 
 brilliancy. The Fathers thought proper to change 
 its destination, and presented it to the Queen of 
 Spain, who gratefully and piously sent Our Lady of 
 Loreto a magnificent new gown. Some people were 
 unkind enough to think the queen had the better of 
 the transaction. 
 
 ARREST OF THE JESUITS. 
 
 The Jesuits continued their missionary work in 
 Lower California for seventy years. On the second 
 day of April, 1797, all of the Order throughout the 
 Spanish dominions, at home and abroad, were ar 
 rested by order of Charles III., and thrown into 
 prison, on the charge of conspiring against the State 
 and the life of the king. Nearly six thousand were 
 subjected to that decree, which also directed their 
 expulsion from California, as well as all other colo 
 nial dependencies of Spain. The execution of the 
 despotic order was intrusted to Don Gaspar Portala, 
 the Governor of the province. Having assembled 
 the Fathers of Loreto on the eve of the nativity, 
 December 24th, he acquainted them with the heart 
 breaking news. Whatever may have been the 
 faults of the Jesuits in Europe, they certainly had 
 been models of devoted Christians in the new world. 
 They braved the dangers of hostile savages, ex 
 posed themselves to the malarious fevers incident 
 to new countries, and had taken up their residences 
 far from the centers of civilization and thought, so 
 dear to men of cultivated minds, to devote them 
 selves, soul and body, to the salvation of the natives, 
 that all civilized nations seemed bent on extermin 
 ating. It is probable that the simple-minded son 
 of the forest understood little of the mysteries of 
 theology; and his change of heart was more a 
 change of habit, than the adoption of any saving 
 religious dogma. They abandoned many of their 
 filthy habits, and learned to respect the family ties. 
 They were taught to cultivate the soil, to build com 
 fortable houses, and to cover their nakedness with 
 garments. They had learned to love and revere 
 the Fathers, who were ever kind to them. 
 
 MIDNIGHT PARTING. 
 
 After seventy years of devoted attention to the 
 savages; after building pleasant homes in the wilder 
 ness, and surrounding themselves with loving and 
 devoted friends, they received the order to depart. 
 They took their leave on the night of February 3, 
 1768, amidst the outcries and lamentations of the 
 people, who, in spite of the soldiers, who could not 
 keep them back, rushed upon the departing Fathers, 
 
PERMANENT OCCUPATION OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 19 
 
 kissing their hands, and clinging convulsively to 
 ihem. The leave-taking was brief, but aft'ecting: 
 " Adieu, my dear children! Adieu, land of our adop 
 tion! Adieu, California! It is the will of God!" 
 And then, amid the sobs and lamentations, heard all 
 along the shore, they turned away, reciting the 
 litany of the Blessed Mother of God, and were seen 
 no more. 
 
 For one hundred and sixty years after the dis 
 covery of California, it remained comparatively un 
 known. It is true that many expeditions were; 
 fitted out to explore it for gold and precious stones. 
 The first was fast locked in mountains of the Sierras, 
 which were occupied by bands of hostile and war 
 like Indians; and the last have not yet been found. 
 The circumstances attending the discovery of the 
 great bjjy, will always be of interest, and deserve a 
 place in every record; for up to 1769, no navigator 
 ever turned the prow of his vessel into the narrow 
 entrance of the Golden Gate. 
 
 On the expulsion of the Jesuits from Lower Cali 
 fornia, the property of the missions, consisting oi 
 extensive houses, flocks, pasture lands, cultivated 
 fields, orchards, and vineyards, was intrusted to the 
 College of San Francisco in Mexico, for the benefit 
 of the Order of St. Francis. The zealous scholar, 
 Father Junipero Serra, was appointed to the charge 
 of all the missions of Lower California. 
 
 FATHER JUNIPERO, as he was called, was born of 
 humble parents in the island of Majorca, on the 24th 
 of November, 1713. Like the prophet Samuel, he 
 was dedicated to the priesthood from his infancy, 
 and having completed his studies in the Convent of 
 San Bernardino, he conceived the idea of devoting 
 himself to the immediate service of God; and went 
 from thence to Palma, the capital of the province, 
 to acquire the higher learning necessary for the 
 priesthood. At his earnest request, he was received 
 into the Order of St. Francis, at the age of sixteen; 
 and, at the end of one year's probation, made his 
 religious profession, September 15, 1731. Having 
 finished his studies in philosophy and theology, he 
 soon acquired a high reputation as a writer and 
 orator, and his services were sought for in every 
 direction; but, while enjoying these distinctions at 
 home, his heart was set on his long projected mission 
 to the heathen of the New World. He sailed from 
 Cadiz for America, August 28, 1749, and landed at 
 Vera Cruz, whence he went to the City of Mexico, 
 joined the College of San Fernando, and was made 
 President of the missions of Sierra Gorda and San 
 Saba. On his appointment to the missions of Cali 
 fornia, he immediately entered upon active duties, 
 and proceeded to carry out his grand design of the 
 civilization of the Pacific coast. Acting under the 
 instructions of the Viceroy of Mexico, two expedi 
 tions were fitted out to explore and colonize U pper 
 or Northern California, of which little or nothing 
 was known, one of which was to proceed by sea, 
 and the other by land; one to carry the heavy sup 
 
 plies, the other to drive the flocks and herds. The 
 first ship, the San Carlos, left Cape St. Lucas, in 
 Lower California, January 9, 1769, and was followed 
 by the San Antonio on the 15th of the same month. 
 A third vessel, the San Jose, was dispatched from 
 Loreto on the 16th of June. After much suffering, 
 these real pioneers of California civilization, reached 
 San Diego; the San Carlos, on the 1st of May; the 
 Sun Antonio, on the llth of April, 1769, the crews 
 having been well nigh exhausted by scurvy, thirst, 
 and starvation. After leaving Loreto, the San Jose 
 was never heard of more. 
 
 EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 
 
 The overland expedition was divided into two 
 divisions; one under command of Don Gaspar de 
 Portala, the appointed Military Governor of the New 
 Territory; the other, under Capt. Rivera Y. Moncado. 
 Rivera and his company, consisting of Father Crespi, 
 twenty-five soldiers, six muleteers, and a party of 
 Lower Calitornia Indians, started from Villaceta on 
 the 24th of March, and reached San Diego on the 
 14th of May, 1769. Up to that time, no white man 
 had ever lived in Upper California; and then began 
 to rise the morning star of our civilization. 
 
 The second division, accompanied by Father 
 Junipero, organized the first mission in Upper 
 California on the 16th of July, 1769; and there the 
 first native Calif'ornian was baptized on the 26th of 
 December, of that year. These are memorable 
 points in the ecclesiastical history of this coast. 
 
 On the 14th of July, 1769, Governor Portala 
 started out in search of Monterey, as described 
 by previous navigators. He was accompanied by 
 Fathers Juan Crespi and Francisco Gomez ; the 
 party consisting of fifty-six white persons, including 
 a sergeant, an engineer, and thirty-three soldiers, 
 and a company ol emigrants from Sonora, together 
 with a company of Indians from Lower California. 
 They missed their course, and could not find the 
 Bay of Monterey, but continued on northward, and, 
 on the 25th day of October, 17G9, came upon the 
 great Bay of San Francisco, which they named in 
 honor of the titular saint of the friar missionaries. 
 
 ORIGIN OF THE NAME OP THE BAY. 
 
 It is said that, while on this expedition, a regret 
 was expressed that no mission was as yet named 
 after the patron of the Order. Says Portala, "Let 
 the saint guide us to a good harbor, and we will 
 name a mission for him." When they came in sight 
 of the bay, Father Gomez cried, " There is the har 
 bor of San Francisco," and thus it received its name. 
 
 FatLer Junipero Serra was not of this illustrious 
 company of explorers, and did not visit the Bay of 
 San Francisco for nearly six years after its dis 
 covery. The honor belongs to Fathers Crespi and 
 Gomez, Governor Portala, and their humbler com 
 panions. The party then returned to San Diego, 
 which they reached on the 24th of January, 1770, 
 
20 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 niter an absence of six months and ten days. Six 
 years thereafter, on the 9th of October, 1776, the 
 Mission of San Francisco de los Dolores, was founded 
 on the western shore of the great bay, the old church 
 remaining in tolerable preservation to the present 
 time, the most interesting landmark of our present 
 civilization. 
 
 MISSION DOLORES. 
 
 One may retire from the noise and bustle of the 
 city, and spend a pleasant hour among the quaint 
 surroundings of the old church. The adobe walls, 
 the columns of doubtful order of architecture, the 
 bells hung with rawhide which called the dusky 
 converts to worship, all were doubtless objects of 
 wonder and mystery to the simple-minded natives. 
 From 1776 to 1881, what changes on either side of 
 the continent. A hundred years is much in the life 
 of men, little, except in effect, in the life of a nation. 
 
 Father Junipero, who founded these missions, and 
 under whose fostering care they reached such unex 
 ampled prosperity, reposes in the old church-yard at 
 Monterey. His life reads like a romance. 
 
 CHURCH HISTORY. It is related of him as illustrat 
 ing his fiery zeal, that, while on his way to found 
 the mission of San Antonio de Padua, he caused the 
 mules to be unpacked at a suitable place, and the 
 bells hung on a tree. Seizing the rope he began to 
 ring with all his might, regardless of the remonstra- 
 tions of the other priests, shouting at the top of his 
 voice, " Hear! hear, O ye Gentiles ! Come to the 
 Holy Church! Come to the faith of Christ!" Such 
 enthusiasm will win its way even among savages. 
 
 FATHER JUNIPERO'S DEATH. 
 
 At length having founded and successfully estab 
 lished six missions, and gathered into his fold over 
 seven thousand wild people of the mountains and 
 plains, the heroic Junipero began to feel that his 
 end was drawing near. He was then seventy years 
 old; fifty-three of these years he had spent in the 
 active service of his master in the New World. Hav 
 ing fought the good fight and finished his illustrious 
 course, the broken old man retired to the Mission 
 of San Carlos at Monterey, gave the few remain 
 ing days of his life to a closer communion with 
 God, received the last rites of the religion which he 
 had advocated and illustrated so well, and on the 
 Hh of August, 1784, gently passed away. Tradi 
 tions of the "boy priest" still linger among the rem 
 nants of the tribes which were gathered under his 
 care. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. * 
 
 THE MISSIONS OF ST. FRANCIS. 
 
 Their Moral and Political Aspect Domestic Economy The Es 
 tablishments Described Secular and Religious Occupations 
 of the Neophytes Wealth and Productions Liberation and 
 Dispersion of the Indians Final Decay. 
 
 CERTAIN writers upon the early history of Califor 
 nia, have taken an unfavorable view of the system 
 under which the missionary friars achieved their 
 wonderful success in reducing the wild tribes to a 
 condition of semi-civilization. The venerable Fathers 
 are accused of selfishness, avarice and tyranny, in 
 compelling the Indians to submission, and forcibly 
 restraining them from their natural liberty, and 
 keeping them in a condition of servitude. Nothing 
 could be more unjust and absurd. It were as well to 
 say that it is cruel, despotic, and inhuman 4o tame 
 and domesticate the wild cattle that roam the great 
 plains of the continent. The system of the Fathers 
 was only our modern reservation policy humanized 
 and Christianized ; inasmuch as they not only fed and 
 clothed the bodies of the improvident natives, but 
 likewise cared for their imperishable souls. The cure 
 of Indian souls was the primary object of the friar 
 enthusiasts ; the work required of the Indians was 
 of but few hours' duration, with long intervals of 
 rest, and was only incidental to the one great and 
 hoty purpose of spiritual conversion and salvation. 
 Surely, " No greater love hath any man than that 
 he lay down his life for his friend;" and it is a. cruel 
 stretch of sectarian uncharity to charge selfishness 
 and avarice to the account of self-devoting men who 
 voluntarily, went forth from the refinements, pleas 
 ures, and honors of European civilization, to traverse 
 the American wilderness in sandals, and with only 
 one poor garment a year, in order to uplift the de 
 graded and savage tribes of Paganism from the 
 regions of spiritual darkness, and lead them to the 
 heights of salvation; nay, even to starve and die on 
 the "coral strand" of California in helpless and 
 deserted age. In 1838, the Rev. Father Sarria act 
 ually starved to death at the Mission of Soledad, 
 after having labored there for thirty years. After 
 the mission had been plundered through the perfidy 
 of the Mexican Government, the old man, broken by 
 age and faint with hunger, lingered in his little 
 church with the few converts that remained, and one 
 Sunday morning fell down and died of starvation 
 before the altar of his life-long devotion. O, let not 
 the Christian historian of California, who is yet to 
 write for all time to come, stain and distort his 
 pages by such cruel and unworthy charges against 
 the barefooted paladins of the Cross. 
 
 To entirely comprehend the system and proceed 
 ings of the friars, it will be essential to know the 
 
 *This and Chapters V, VI, VII, VIII, X, XI, XII, XIII, 
 XIV and XV are taken from the History of Sacramento County, 
 and Chapter IX from the History of San Joaquin County, these 
 works being among those published by Thompson & West. 
 
w 
 
THE MISSION OF ST. FRANCIS. 
 
 21 
 
 meaning of certain descriptive terms of their insti 
 tutions of settlement. These were . - 
 
 1st. Presidios. 
 
 2d. Castillos. 
 
 3d. Pueblos. 
 
 4th. Missions. 
 
 The presidios were the military garrisons, estab 
 lished along the coast for the defense of the country 
 and the protection of the missionaries. Being the 
 head-quarters of the military, they became the seats 
 of local government for the different presidencies 
 into which the country was divided. There were 
 four of these presidios in Upper California at San 
 Diego, Santa Barbara, Monterey, and San Francisco. 
 They were uniform in structure, consisting of adobe 
 walls twelve or fourteen feet high, inclosing a square 
 of three hundred feet on each side, defended at the 
 angles by small bastions mounting eight twelve- 
 pounder, bronze cannon. Within were the barracks, 
 store-house, a church for the soldiers, and the com 
 mandant's residence. On the outside they were 
 defended by a trench, twelve feet wide and six feet 
 deep, and were entered by two gates, open during 
 the day, and closed at night. The number of sol 
 diers assigned to each presidio was limited to two 
 hundred and fifty ; but rarely were there so many 
 at any one station. In addition to the duty of 
 guarding the coast, small details of four and five 
 men, under a sergeant, accompanied the Fathers 
 when they went abroad to establish missions, or on 
 other business. A certain number of troops were 
 also assigned to each mission, to keep order and 
 defend the place against the attacks of hostile na 
 tives. They dressed in buckskin uniform, which 
 was supposed to be impervious to arrows, and the 
 horses, too, were encased in leather armor, like those 
 of the knights of old. 
 
 The castillo was a covered battery, near the pre 
 sidio, which it was intended to guard. It was manned 
 and mounted with a few guns, and though but a 
 slight defense against a powerful enemy, it served to 
 intimidate and keep off the feeble and timorous 
 Gentiles. 
 
 The pueblo was a town, inhabited originally by 
 discharged soldiers who had served out their time at 
 the presidios. It was separate from the presidio and 
 mission, the lands having been granted by the Fa 
 thers. After a while other persons settled there, and 
 sometimes the inhabitants of the pueblo, or independ 
 ent town, outnumbered those of the neighboring 
 mission. There were only three of those pueblos in 
 Upper California Los Angeles, San Jose, and Bran- 
 ciforte, the latter near Santa Cruz. San Francisco 
 was not a pueblo. There were three classes of these 
 settlements in later times the pueblo proper, the 
 presidiol, and the mission pueblo. The rancherias were 
 King's lands, set apart for the use of the troops, to 
 pasture their cattle and horses. 
 
 The mission was the parent institution of the 
 whole. There the natives resided, under religious 
 
 treatment, and others were not allowed to inhabit 
 the place except for a very brief time. This was to 
 prevent the mingling of whites and natives, for it 
 was thought that the former would contaminate and 
 create discontent and disorder among the natives. 
 The missions were all constructed on the same gen 
 eral plan. They were quadrangular, adobe struct 
 ures, two stories high, inclosing a court-yard orna 
 mented with fountains and trees ; the whole consist 
 ing of a church, Father's apartments, store-houses, 
 barracks, etc. The four sides of the building were 
 each about six hundred feet in length, one of which 
 was partly occupied by the church. Within the 
 quadrangle or court, a gallery or porch ran round 
 the second story, opening upon the workshops, store 
 rooms, and other apartments. 
 
 The entire management of each mission was under 
 the care of the friars ; the elder attended to the 
 interior, and the other the out-doors administration. 
 One large apartment, called the monastery, was oc 
 cupied exclusively by Indian girls, under the watch 
 ful care of the matron, where they were instructed 
 in such branches as were deemed necessary for their 
 future condition in life. They were not permitted to 
 leave the monastery till old enough to be married. 
 In the schools, such children as manifested adequate 
 capacity, were taught vocal and instrumental music, 
 the latter consisting of the flute, horn, and violin. In 
 the various mechanical departments, the most in 
 genious and skillful were promoted to the foreman - 
 ship. 
 
 The daily routine of the establishment was usually 
 as follows : At sunrise they all arose and repaired 
 to the church, where after morning prayers, they 
 assisted at the mass. The morning religious exer 
 cises occupied about an hour. Thence they went 
 to breakfast, and afterwards to their respective em 
 ployments. At noon they returned to the mission, 
 and spent two hours at dinner and in rest ; thence to 
 work again, continuing until the evening angelus, 
 about an hour before sundown. Then, all betook 
 themselves to church, for evening devotions, which 
 consisted usually in ordinary family^prayers and 
 rosary, but on special occasions other devotional ex 
 ercises were added. After supper, they amused 
 themselves in various games, sports, and dances till 
 bedtime, when the unmarried sexes were locked up 
 in separate apartments till morning. Their diet con 
 sisted of good beef and mutton, with vegetables, 
 wheaten cakes, puddings, and porridges, which they 
 called atole and pinole. The men dressed in linen 
 shirts, pants, and a blanket, the last serving for an 
 overcoat ; the women had each two undergarments, 
 a new gown, and a blanket every year. When the 
 missions had grown rich, and in times of plenty, 
 the Fathers distributed money and trinkets among 
 the more exemplary, as rewards for good conduct. 
 
 The Indians lived in small huts grouped around, 
 a couple of hundred yards away from the main 
 building ; some of these dwellings were made of 
 
2-2 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 adobes, and others were of rough poles, conical in 
 shape, and thatched with grass, such as the people 
 had been ai-.-uMomed to in their wild state. Here 
 the married Indians resided with their families. A 
 tract of land, about fifteen miles square, was appor 
 tioned to each mission, for cultivation and pasturage. 
 There is a wide distinction between the signification 
 of the terms Mis ion " and "Mission lands ;" the 
 former referred to the houses, vineyards, and or 
 chards, in the immediate vicinity of the churches, 
 and also included the cattle belonging to the es 
 tablishment; while mission lands, assigned for graz 
 ing and agriculture, were held only in fief, and were 
 afterwards claimed by the Government against the 
 loud remonstrance of the Fathers, however. The 
 missions were originally intended to be only tempo 
 rary in duration. It was contemplated that in ten 
 years from the time of their foundation they should 
 cease, as it was then supposed that within that 
 period the Indians would be sufficiently prepared to 
 assume the position and character of citizens, and 
 that the mission settlements would become pueblos, 
 and the mission churches parish institutions, as in 
 older civilizations; but having been neglected and 
 undisturbed by the Spanish Government, they kept 
 on in the old way for sixty years, the comfortable 
 Fathers being in no hurry to insist on a change. 
 
 From the foregoing, derived chiefly from Gleeson's 
 valuable work, " History of the Catholic Church in 
 California," it will be inferred that the good Fathers 
 trained up their young neophytes in the way in 
 which they should go. Alexander Forbes, and other 
 historians, say that during church-time a sort of 
 beadle went around with a long stick, and when he 
 perceived a native inattentive to the devotions or 
 inclined to misbehave, gave him or her an admonitory 
 prod, or a rap over the cabesa I But all authorities, 
 both Catholic and Protestant agree concerning the 
 gentleness and humanity of the Fathers, who were 
 absolute in authority and unlimited in the monarchy 
 of their little kingdoms. Not that there was never 
 any application of severe and necessary discipline; 
 there were among the Indians, as well as in civilized 
 society, certain vicious and turbulent ones, incapable 
 of affection and without reveience for authority, 
 and these were soundly whipped, as they no- doubt 
 deserved, as such crooked disciples now are at 
 San Quentin. Occasionally some discontented ones 
 ran away to the hills, and these were pursued and 
 brought back by the mission cavalry. They gen 
 erally returned without much trouble, as they had 
 an idea that, having been baptized, something dread 
 ful would happen to them if they stayed away. 
 
 While modern sentimentalists may lament that 
 these poor people were thus deprived of their nat 
 ural liberty and kept in a condition of servitude, it 
 must be admitted that their moral and physical 
 situation was even better than the average poor in 
 the European States at that time. Their yoke was 
 easy, and their burdens were light; and if, in the 
 
 Christian view of things, their spiritual welfare be 
 taken into account, the Fathers, instead of being 
 regarded as despots and task-masters, must be 
 viewed as the substantial benefactors of the swarthy 
 
 race. 
 
 The wealth created by some of the missions was 
 enormous. At its era of greatest prosperity, the 
 Mission of San Gabriel, founded in 1771, numbered 
 three thousand Indians, one hundred and five thou 
 sand cattle, twenty thousand horses, forty thousand 
 sheep; produced, annually, twenty thousand bushels 
 of grain, and five hundred barrels of wine and 
 brandy. Attached to this mission were seventeen 
 extensive ranches, farmed by the Indians, and pos 
 sessing two hundred yoke of oxen. Some of the old 
 fig and olive trees are still bearing fruit, and one old 
 Indian woman still survives, who is said to have 
 reached the incredible age of one hundred and forty 
 years. In 1836, the number of Indians at the 
 Mission of Upper California was upwards of thirty 
 thousand. The number of live-stock was nearly a 
 million, including four hundred thousand cattle, 
 sixty thousand horses, and three hundred thousand 
 sheep, goats, and swine. One hundred thousand 
 cattle were slaughtered annually, their hides and 
 tallow producing a revenue of nearly a million of 
 dollars, a revenue of equal magnitude being derived 
 from other articles of export. There were rich 
 and extensive gardens and orchards attached 
 to the missions, ornamented and enriched with a 
 variety of European and tropical fruit trees, includ 
 ing bananas, oranges, olives, and figs, to which were 
 added productive and highly cultivated vineyards, 
 rivaling the richest grape-fields of Europe. When 
 the missions were secularized and ruined by the 
 Mexican Government, there were above a hundred 
 thousand piasters in the treasury of San Gabriel. 
 
 But, evil times were coming. In 1826, the Mexi 
 can Congress passed an Act for the liberation of the 
 mission Indians, and the demoralization and dis 
 persion of the people soon ensued. Eight years 
 thereafter, the number of Christian Indians had 
 diminished from thirty thousand six hundred and 
 fifty, to four thousand four hundred. Of the eight 
 hundred thousand head of live-stock, only sixty- 
 three thousand remained. Everything went to rack 
 and ruin, and what had been a land of abounding 
 life and generous plenty, reverted to silence and 
 desolation. At the Mission of St. John Capistrano, 
 of the two thousand Christian population, only one 
 hundred remained; of the seventy thousand cattle, 
 but five hundred were left; of the two thousand 
 horses, only one hundred survived, and of the ten 
 thousand sheep, not one remained. 
 
 And then, after sixty years of cheerful and suc 
 cessful labor, and from happy abundance in which 
 they had hoped to die at last, went forth the down 
 cast Fathers, one after another; some in sorrow to 
 the grave, some to other and rougher fields of mis 
 sionary labor, and others to be dispersed" among the 
 
DOWNFALL OF THE OLD MISSIONS. 
 
 23 
 
 widespread retreats of the Brothers of St. Francis. 
 And the swarthy neophytes the dark-eyed maidens 
 of San Gabriel, whither went they? Back to the 
 savage defiles of the mountains, down to the depths 
 of barbarism, to wander in the lonely desert, to 
 shiver in the pitiless storm, and to perish at last 
 under the ponderous march of a careless and unfeel 
 ing civilization. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 DOWNFALL OF THE OLD MISSIONS. 
 
 Results of Mexican Rule Confiscation of the Pious Fund 
 Revolution Begun Events of the Colonial Rebellion The 
 Americans Appear and Settle Things Annexation at Last. 
 
 IN 1822, Mexico declared independence of Spain, 
 and immediately the old missions began to decline. 
 Four years afterwards the Christian Indians were 
 removed from under the control of the Fathers, 
 their manumission having been ordered by the 
 Mexican Government. They were to receive cer 
 tain portions of land, and to be entirely independent 
 of the friars. The annual salaries of the Fathers, 
 which had been derived from interest on the Pious 
 Fund, were withheld and appropriated by the Gov 
 ernment, and soon after the fund itself was confis 
 cated by the Mexican Congress, and used for the 
 purposes of state. The Pious Fund was the aggre 
 gated donations of the Catholic world for the main 
 tenance of missions in Lower and Upper California, 
 the interest being about fifty thousand dollars annu 
 ally, which went for the support of the Fathers. 
 This large sum, principal and interest, amounting in 
 1817 to one million two hundred and seventy-three 
 thousand dollars, the beggarly Mexican Government 
 meant to steal. Professor Gleeson, writing in 
 defense of the Fathers, makes out a fearful bill of 
 damages against the perfidious Government, amount 
 ing to no less than twelve millions two hundred 
 thousand dollars, which will probably never be paid 
 by that rather shaky republic. The missions were 
 thus practically ruined. Following the rapacious 
 example set by Government, the white settlers laid 
 violent hands on the stock and lands belonging to 
 the missions, and, having returned to their mountain 
 fastnesses, the Indians instituted a predatory war 
 fare against the settlers, carrying off their goods, 
 cattle, and sometimes their wives and children. 
 The whites retaliating in kind, villages were de 
 stroyed, and the whole country, highlands and low 
 lands, was kept in a state of apprehension, rapine, 
 and spoliation, resembling the condition of Scotland 
 in the times of the Jacobites. 
 
 In the meantime in 1836, a revolt against the Mex 
 ican Government was projected by the white settlers 
 who seized upon Monterey, the capital, and declared 
 the country independent. Thirty American rifle 
 men, under Isaac Graham from Tennessee, and sixty 
 mounted Californians, under General Castro, com 
 posed the entire insurgent army, Alvarado being the 
 
 generalissimo. They advanced on and took the 
 territorial capital in November, Governor Gutierrez 
 and his seventy men having valiantly shut them 
 selves up in the fort, where they ignominiously sur 
 rendered at the very first gun. Gutierrez with his 
 officials was deported to Lower California, and Alva 
 rado had himself appointed Governor in his stead. 
 Don M. G. Vallejo was appointed military Command 
 ant-General, and Don Jose Castro was created Pre 
 fect of Police. The country was then formally de 
 clared a free and independent State, providing that 
 in the case the then existing Central Government of 
 Mexico should be overthrown and a federal constitu 
 tion adopted in its stead, California should enter the 
 federation with the other States. The people of Los 
 Angeles and Santa Barbara refused to acknowledge 
 the new territorial administration, but Alvarado 
 marched upon Los Angeles, where he was met by 
 Castello, and instead of a bloody battle, it was agreed 
 that Alvarado should recognize the existing Central 
 Government of Mexico, and be proclaimed political 
 chief of California, pro tern., while Castello was to 
 proceed to Mexico as deputy to Congress, with a sal 
 ary of three thousand piasters a year. The Govern 
 ment of Mexico declined to confirm the arrangement, 
 and appointed Don Carlos Carillo Governor of the 
 Territory. Alvarado again went to war, and with a 
 small company of Americans, and Californians, 
 marched against Carillo, the new Governor at Santa 
 Barbara. The valiant Carillo, having a wholesome 
 dread of the American sharp-shooters, retired from 
 the field without a battle, leaving Alvarado master 
 of the situation. The pusillanimous character of the 
 then existing Mexican Government is illustrated by 
 the fact that Alvarado was confirmed as Constitu 
 tional Governor of California, notwithstanding he 
 had been the leader of the rebellion. 
 
 Then ensued a succession of spoliations which 
 destroyed the laborious enterprise of sixty years, and 
 left the old missions in melancholy ruins. 
 
 Alvarado bestowed upon his English and Ameri 
 can followers large grants of land, money and stock 
 confiscated from the missions. Graham, the captain 
 of the band, obtained a great landed estate and two 
 hundred mules. To the commandant, General Val 
 lejo, fell the goods and chattels of the missions of 
 San Rafael and Solano; Castro, the Prefect of Mont 
 erey, received the property of the San Juan Bau- 
 tista, while Governor Alvarado himself appropriated 
 the rich spoil of the missions of Carmelo and Soledad.* 
 
 In the meantime a conspiracy against Alvarado 
 
 * Authorities differ on this matter. Some well-informed per 
 sons say that Alvarado had promised Bates, and others, large 
 tracts of land, if they would assist him in establishing himself as 
 ruler ; that after succeeding in his ambitious desires, he turned 
 traitor to his friends, and undertook to destroy them on the pre 
 tence of a contemplated insurrection. There was no fair fi^ht. 
 Alvarado captured the men, over a hundred in number, by send 
 ing armed parties to their homes in the night, or by luring 
 them to Monterey on pretence of important business, and put" 
 ting chains on them as fast as they came into his presence, 
 
 otherwise they would have made short work of deposing him. 
 
 [EDITOR. 
 
HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 was set on foot by certain of his English and Amer 
 ican compatriots, the object being the admission of 
 California to the American Union. The conspirators 
 were forty-six in number, twenty-five English and 
 twenty-one Americans, under command of Graham. 
 Alvarado soon heard of the design, and sent a party 
 of soldiers, under Castro, to Monterey, surprised the 
 revolutionists in their hut, and poured in a volley of 
 musketry disabling many of them; the balance were 
 taken prisoners, and afterwards deported to San Bias 
 and thence to Tepic, where they were treated as con 
 victs. The Americans and English in California ap 
 pealed to the Mexican Government, and President 
 Bustamente became alarmed at the danger of war 
 with England and the United States, and ordered 
 the exiled prisoners to be sent back to California, 
 and that they should be indemnified for their loss of 
 time at the rate of three piasters a day. The re 
 turned prisoners, immediately on their arrival, re 
 sumed their design with greater energy than before, 
 having determined to be revenged on Castro and 
 Alvarado for the outrages they hud inflicted. 
 
 In 1841 other Americans arrived, and the revolu 
 tionary party was considerably increased. Alvarado 
 demanded reinforcements from Mexico, but the only 
 assistance he received was tbat of three hundred 
 convicts from the Mexican prisons. At this juncture, 
 Santa Ana, the new President, removed Governor 
 Alvarado from oflice, appointing Micheltorena in his 
 stead, and when the latter arrived, Monterey, the 
 capital, had previously fallen into the hands of the 
 American Commodore Jones, although then in the 
 possession oftke Mexicans. Commodore Catesby 
 Jones, having heard that war had been declared be 
 tween the United States and Mexico, hastened to 
 Monterey, took possession of the city, and hoisted 
 the American colors; but learning his serious mistake 
 on the following day, he lowered his flag and made 
 a becoming apology. This extraordinary incident 
 occurred on the 20th of October, 1842, and it was 
 then obvious that the distracted country must soon 
 Call into the hands of the United States, or some 
 other foreign nation. 
 
 One of the first acts of the new Governor, Mich 
 eltorena, was the restoration of the missions to the 
 friars, after a turbulent interregnum of six years. 
 But this act of policy and justice came too late; the 
 missions were ruined beyond the possibility .of resus 
 citation. The Indians had been dispersed, many of 
 them living by brigandage, and others had become 
 wandering vagabonds. After two years' exertion by 
 the Fathers things began to improve; some of the 
 Indians had returned, and the lands were being re- 
 cultivated, when the Government again interfered, 
 and ordered Governor Pio Pico, in 1845, to dispose 
 of the missions either 1 by sale or rental, to the white 
 settlers. Thus, at length, the last of the property 
 which the Fathers had created by sixty years of 
 patient labor, passed into the possession of private 
 individuals; many of the Fathers were reduced to 
 
 extreme poverty, humiliation, and distress, and the 
 missions went down, never to rise again. The de 
 struction of the missions was almost immediately 
 succeeded by the war between the United States 
 and Mexico, and the long vexed territory passed to 
 llic American Union. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 PRIMITIVE AGRICULTURE. 
 
 Extent of the Mission Lands Varieties of Product Agricul 
 tural Implements and means of Working A Primitive Mill 
 Immense Herds and Value of Cattle The First Native 
 Shop. 
 
 UP to the time of the American conquest the pro 
 ductive lands of California were chiefly in the hands 
 of the missionaries. Each of the missions included 
 about fifteen miles square, and the boundaries were 
 generally equi-distant. As the science of agriculture 
 was then in a very primitive condition in Spain, the 
 monks of California could not be expected to know 
 much about scientific farming. They knew nothing 
 about the utility of fallows, or the alternation of 
 crops, and their only mode of renovating exhausted 
 soil, was to let it lie idle and under the dominion of 
 native weeds, until it was thought capable of bear 
 ing crops again. Land being so abundant, there 
 was no occasion for laborious or expensive processes 
 of recuperation. 
 
 The grains mostly cultivated were Indian corn, 
 wheat, barley, and a small bean called frijol, which 
 was in general use throughout Spanish America. 
 The beans, when ripe, were fried in lard, and much 
 esteemed by all ranks of people. Indian corn was 
 the bread-staple, and was cultivated in rows or 
 drills. The plow used was a very primitive affair. 
 It was composed of two pieces of wood; the main 
 piece, formed from a crooked limb of a tree of the 
 proper shape, constituting both sole and handle. It 
 had no mould-board, or other means for turning a 
 furrow, and was only capable of scratching the sur 
 face of the ground. A small share, fitted to the 
 point of the sole, was the only iron about the im 
 plement. The other piece was a long beam, like 
 the tongue of a wagon, reaching to the yoke of the 
 cattle by which the plow was drawn. It consisted 
 of a rough sapling, with the bark taken off, fixed 
 into the main piece, and connected by a small up 
 right on which it was to slide up or down, and was 
 fixed in position by two wedges. When the plow 
 man desired to plow deep, the forward end of the 
 tongue was lowered, and in this manner the depth 
 of the furrow was regulated. This beam passed 
 between the two oxen, a pin was put through the 
 end projecting from the yoke, and then the agri 
 cultural machine was ready to run. The plowman 
 walked on one side, holding the one handle, or stilt, 
 with his right hand, and managing the oxen with 
 the other. The yoke was placed on the top of the 
 cattle's heads close behind the horns, tied firmly to 
 
PRIMITIVE AGRICULTURE. 
 
 25 
 
 the roots and to the forehead by thongs, so that, 
 instead of drawing by the shoulders and neck, the 
 oxen dragged the plow by their horns and fore 
 heads. When so harnessed the poor beasts were in 
 a very deplorable condition; they could not move 
 their heads up, down, or sidewise, went with their 
 noses turned up, and every jolt of the plow knocked 
 them about, and seemed to give them great pain. 
 Only an ancient Spaniard could devise such a 
 contrivance for animal torture. When Alexander 
 Forbes suggested to an old Spaniard that perhaps 
 it might be better to 3 r oke the oxen by the neck and 
 shoulders, " What!" said the old man, "can you sup 
 pose that Spain, which has always been known as 
 the mother of the sciences, can be mistaken on 
 thtd point?" 
 
 The oxen were yoked to the carts in the same 
 manner, having to bear the weight of the load 
 on the top of their heads, the most disadvantageous 
 mechanical point of the whole body. The ox-cart 
 was composed of a bottom frame of clumsy con 
 struction, with a few upright bars connected by 
 smaller ones at the top. When used for carry 
 ing grain, it was lined with canes or bulrushes. The 
 pole was large, and tied to the yoke in the same 
 manner as with the plow, so that every jerk of the 
 cart was torture to the oxen. The wheels had no 
 spokes, and were composed of three pieces of timber, 
 the middle piece hewn out of a log, of sufficient size 
 to form the nave and middle of the wheel, all in 
 one; the middle piece was of a length equal to the 
 diameter of the wheel, and rounded at the ends to 
 arcs of the circumference. The other two pieces 
 were of timber naturally bent, and joined to the 
 sides of the middle piece by keys of wood grooved 
 into the ends of the pieces which formed the wheel. 
 The whole was then made circular, and did not 
 contain a particle of iron, not even so much as a nail. 
 
 From the rude construction of the plow, which 
 was incapable of turning a furrow, the ground was 
 imperfectly broken by scratching over, crossing, and 
 re-crossing several times; and although four or five 
 crossings were sometimes given to a field, it was 
 found impossible to eradicate the weeds. "It was 
 no uncommon thing," says Forbes in 1835, "to see, 
 on some of the large maize estates in Mexico, as 
 many as two hundred plows at work together. As 
 the plows are equal on both sides, the plowmen 
 have only to begin at one side of the field and follow 
 one another up and down, as many as can be em 
 ployed together without interfering in turning round 
 at the end, which they do in succession, like ships 
 tacking in a line of battle, and so proceed down the 
 same side as they come up." 
 
 Harrows were unknown, the wheat and barley 
 being brushed in by a branch of a tree. Sometimes 
 a heavy log was drawn over the field, on the plan 
 of a roller, save that it did not roll, but was dragged 
 so as to carry a part of the soil over the seeds. 
 Indian corn was planted in furrows or ruts drawn 
 
 about five feet apart, the seed being deposited by 
 hand, from three to five grains in a place, which 
 were slightly covered by the foot, no hoes being 
 used. The sowing of maize, as well as all other 
 grains in Upper California, commenced in Novem 
 ber, as near as possible to the beginning of the rainy 
 season. The harvest was in July and August. 
 Wheat was sown broadcast, and in 1835 it was 
 considered equal in quality to that produced at the 
 Cape of Good Hope, and had begun to attract at 
 tention in Europe. All kinds of grain were threshed 
 at harvest time, without stacking. In 1831, the 
 whole amount of grain raised in Upper California, 
 according to the mission records, was 46,202 fanegas 
 the fanega being equal to 2 English bushels. 
 Wheat and barley were then worth two dollars the 
 fanega; maize, a dollar and a half; the crop of that 
 year at the several missions being worth some eighty- 
 six thousand dollars. 
 
 The mills for grinding grain consisted of an up 
 right axle, to the lower end of which was fixed a 
 horizontal water-wheel under the building, and to 
 the upper end a millstone. As there was no inter 
 mediate machinery to increase the velocity of the 
 stone it could make only the same number of revo 
 lutions as the water-wheel, so that the work of 
 grinding a grist was necessarily a process of time. 
 The water-wheel was fearfully and wonderfully 
 made. Forbes described it as a set of cucharas, or 
 gigantic spoons, set around its periphery in place of 
 floats. They were made of strong pieces of timber, 
 in the shape of spoons, with the handles inserted in 
 mortises in the outer surface of the wheel, the bowl 
 of the spoons toward the water, which impinged 
 upon them with nearly its whole velocity. Rude as 
 the contrivance was, it was exceedingly powerful 
 a sort of primitive turbine. There were only three 
 of these improved mills in the country in 1835, and 
 the possession of such a rare piece of machinery was 
 no small boast for the simple-hearted Fathers, so 
 far away from the progressive mechanical world. 
 It was not a primitive California invention, how 
 ever, as Sir Walter Scott, in his romance of " The 
 Pirate," describes a similar apparatus formerly in 
 use in the Shetland Islands.* 
 
 Before the advent of foreigners, neither potatoes 
 nor green vegetables were cultivated as articles of 
 food. Hemp was raised to some extent, and flax 
 grew well, but its culture was discontinued for want 
 of machinery for manufacture. Pasturage was the 
 principal pursuit in all Spanish colonies in America. 
 The immense tracts of wild land afforded unlimited 
 ranges, but few men and little labor were required, 
 and the pastoral state was the most congenial to 
 the people. The herds were very large; in the 
 four jurisdictions of San Francisco, Monterey, Santa 
 
 *This form of water-wheel was common in the Eastern States 
 during the earlier part of this century, and was known as the 
 tub or spur wheel. Even the mounting of the mill-stones was 
 in the manner described. [EDITOR. 
 
26 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Barbara, and San Diego, there were in 1836 three 
 hundred thousand black cattle, thirty-two thousand 
 horses, twenty -eight thousand mules, and one hun 
 dred and fifty-three thousand sheep. Great num 
 bers of horses ran wild, and these were hunted and 
 killed to prevent their eating the grass. There was 
 hardly such a thing as butter or cheese in use, but 
 ter being, in general, an abomination to a Spaniard. 
 In the earlier times immense droves of young bulls 
 were sent to Mexico for beef. The cattle being half- 
 wild, it was necessary to catch them with the lasso. 
 a process which need not be here described. The 
 process of milking the cows was peculiar. They first 
 let the calf suck for a while, when the dairyman 
 stole up on the other side, and, while the calf 
 was still sucking, procured a little of the milk. 
 They had an idea that the cow would not " give 
 down " milk if the calf was taken away from her. 
 The sheep were of a bad breed, with coarse wool; and 
 swine received little attention. The amount of the 
 annual exports in the first feAv years after the open 
 ing of the ports to foreign vessels, was- estimated at 
 thirty thousand hides and seven thousand quintals 
 of tallow; with small cargoes of Avheat, wine, raisins, 
 olives, etc., sent to the Russian settlements and San 
 Bias. Hides were worth two dollars each, and tallow 
 eight dollars per quintal. Afterwards the exporta 
 tion ofhides and tallow was greatly increased, and 
 it is said that after the Fathers had become con 
 vinced that they would have to give up the mission 
 lands to the Government, they caused (he slaughter 
 of one hundred thousand cattle in a single year, for 
 their hides and tallow alone. And who could blame 
 them? The cattle were theirs. Notwithstanding 
 
 O 
 
 all this immense revenue these enthusiasts gave it 
 all to the church, and themselves went away in 
 penury, and, as has been related heretofore, one of 
 them actually starved to death. 
 
 In 1836 the value of a fat ox or bull in Upper Cali 
 fornia was five dollars; a cow, five; a saddle-horse, 
 ten ; a mare, five ; a sheep, two ; and a mule ten 
 dollars. 
 
 The first ship ever constructed on the eastern shores 
 of the Pacific was built by the Jesuit Father, Ugarte. 
 at Loivto, in 1719. Being in want of a vessel to sur 
 vey the coast of the peninsula, and there being none 
 available nearer than New Spain or the Philippine 
 Islands, the enterprising friar determined to build 
 one. After traveling two hundred miles through the 
 mountains suitable timber was at last found, in a 
 marshy - im.try; but how to get it to the coast was 
 the great question; this was considered impossible bv 
 all but the stubborn old friar. When the 'party 
 returned to Loreto, Father Ugarte's ship in the 
 mountains became a ghostly joke among his brother 
 friars. But, not to bo beaten and laughed down, 
 Ugarte made the necessary preparations, returned 
 to the mountains, felled the timber, dragged it two 
 hundred miles to the coast, and built a handsome 
 ship, which he appropriately named The Triumph of 
 
 the Cross. The first voyage of this historic ves 
 sel was to La Paz, two hundred miles south of Loreto, 
 where a mission was to be founded. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Sir Francis Drake's Discoveries The Fabulous Straits of 
 Aniau Arctic Weather iu June Russian Invasion 
 Native Animals Various facts and Events. 
 
 FOR many years it was supposed and maintained 
 in England that Sir Francis Drake was the original 
 discoverer of San Francisco bay; but it is now con 
 sidered certain that he never found the entrance to 
 that inland sea. Drake was a buccaneer, and, in 
 1579, was in the South Seas looking for Spanish 
 ships to plunder, under the pretext of existing war 
 between England and Spain. He had two other pur 
 poses to subserve in behalf of the English Govern 
 ment; to discover a new route from Europe to the 
 Indies, and to find a new territory northward 
 that would rival the Spanish-American possessions 
 in natural wealth. A rich trade had sprung up 
 between the Philippine Islands and Spain; every 
 year a Spanish galleon from the Malayan Archipel 
 ago crossed the Pacific to Acapulco, freighted with 
 the richest merchandise, and this, Captain Drake 
 was on the watch for, and did eventually capture. 
 
 At that time navigators universally believed that 
 the American and Asiatic continents were separated 
 only by the Straits of Anian, which were sup 
 posed to lead eastward to the Atlantic, somewhere 
 about Newfoundland. This long-sought northwest 
 ern passage Drake was in search of. In the autumn 
 of 1578 Drake brought his little fleet of three ves 
 sels through the Straits of Magellan, and found the 
 Pacific ocean in a stormy rage, and, having been 
 drifted about Cape Horn a couple of months, he con 
 cluded that the continent was there at an end; that 
 the Atlantic and Pacific oceans there united their 
 waters; and he very naturally came to the conclu 
 sion that a similar juncture of seas would be found 
 at the north. Having captured the great Spanish 
 galleon, and finding himself overburdened with rich 
 treasure, Drake wanted to return to England. He 
 did not care to encounter the stormy waters of 
 Cape Horn, and expecting to find a hostile Spanish 
 fleet awaiting him at the Straits of Magellan, he 
 determined to make his way home by a new and 
 hitherto unknown route, the north-eastern passage. 
 On the 17th of June, 1579, he entered what the his 
 torian of the expedition called a " faire, good bay 
 within thirty-eight degrees of latitude of the line.' 1 ' 
 That exactly corresponds with what is now known 
 as Drake's Bay, behind Point Reyes. There,. 
 although it was in the month of June, his men u com 
 plained grievously of the nipping cold." Drake 
 having given up the perilous north-eastern passage 
 by way of the fabulous Straits of Anian, sailed away 
 for England by way of the Philippine Islands and 
 
MISCELLANEOUS FACTS AND EVENTS. 
 
 27 
 
 the Cape of Good Hope. It is probable that while 
 off the north-west coast, Drake saw the snowy 
 crest of Mount Shasta and some of the Oregon 
 peaks, and concluded that he had got near enough 
 to the North Pole. At any rate, it is clear enough 
 that he never passed through the Golden Gate, or 
 rested on the magnificent waters of San Francisco 
 bay. 
 
 The Keverend Fletcher, chaplain of Drake's expe 
 dition, must have been a terrible old story-teller. He 
 says that when off the coast of Oregon, in the 
 month of June, " The rigging of the ship was frozen 
 stiff, and the meat froze as it was taken off the 
 fire." Moreover, saith the same veracious parson, 
 "There is no part of earth here to be taken up, 
 wherein there is not a reasonable quantity of gold 
 and silver." These arctic regions and golden treas 
 ures were found along the ocean shore between San- 
 Francisco and Portland. 
 
 Another English buccaneer, Thomas Cavendish, 
 appeared on the Pacific coast in 1586, and plundered 
 the Philippine galleon of 122,000 pesos in gold, 
 besides a valuable cargo of merchandise. The pirate 
 ran the vessel into the nearest port, set her on fire, 
 liberated the crew and made his escape to England. 
 
 It is supposed that one of the extensive Smith 
 family was the first white man who crossed the 
 Sierra Nevada from the States, but this fact is not 
 altogether certain. In the Summer of 1825 Jedediah 
 S. Smith, the head of the American Fur Company, 
 led a party of trappers and Indians from their camp, 
 on. Green river, across the Sierra Nevada and into 
 the Tulare valley, which they reached in July. The 
 party trapped for beaver from the Tulare to the 
 American river, and had their camp near the pres 
 ent site of Folsom. On a second trip Smith led his 
 company further south, into the Mojave country, on 
 the Colorado, where all except himself and two com 
 panions were killed by the Indians. These three 
 made their way to the Mission of San Gabriel, near 
 Los Angeles, which they reached in December, 1826. 
 In the following year Smith and his party left the 
 Sacramento valley for the settlements on the Colum 
 bia river, but at the mouth of the Umpqua they 
 were attacked by Indians, and all killed except 
 Smith and two Irishmen, who, after much suffering, 
 reached Fort Vancouver. Smith returned to St. 
 Louis in 1840, and the following year was killed by 
 Indians, while leading an expedition to Santa Fe. 
 His history is no less adventurous and romantic 
 than that of the famous Captain John Smith, of 
 Virginia. 
 
 In 1807 the Russians first appeared on the coast of 
 California. The Czar's ambassador to Japan came 
 down from Sitka, ostensibly for supplies, and 
 attempted to establish communication between the 
 llussian and Spanish settlements. The better to 
 effect his purpose he became engaged in marriage 
 with the Commandante's daughter, at San Francisco, 
 but on his way back to obtain the sanction of his 
 
 Government he was thrown from his horse and 
 killed. The lady assumed the habit of a nun, and 
 mourned for her lover until death; In 1812 a hun 
 dred Eussians and as many Kodiac Indians came 
 down from their northern settlements and squatted 
 at Bodega, where they built a fort and maintained 
 themselves by force of arms until 1841, when they 
 sold the establishment to Captain Sutter and disap 
 peared. 
 
 In 1822 Mexico declared her independence ot 
 Spain, and established a separate empire. When the 
 Indians at San Diego heard of it they held a great 
 feast, and commenced the ceremonies by burning 
 their chief alive. When the missionaries remon 
 strated, the logical savages said: "Have you not 
 done the same in Mexico ? You say your King 
 was not good, and you killed him; well, our cap 
 tain was not good, and we burned him. If the new 
 one is bad we will burn him too." 
 
 The State of California was originally divided 
 into twenty-seven counties. The derivation of the 
 several terms adopted is given by General Vallejo: 
 
 San Diego (Saint James) takes its name from the 
 old town, three miles from the harbor, discovered by 
 Viscaino, in 1602. 
 
 Los Angeles county was named from the city 
 (Ciudad de Los Angeles) founded by order of the 
 Viceroy of New Spain, in 1780. 
 
 Santa Barbara was named after the town estab 
 lished in 1780 to protect the five adjacent missions. 
 
 San Luis Obispo, after its principal town, the site 
 of a misson founded in 1772 by Junipero Serra and 
 Jose Cavalier. 
 
 Monterey, after the chief town, which was so 
 named by Viscaino in honor of his friend and patron, 
 the Viceroy, Count of Monterey. 
 
 Santa Cruz (the Holy Cross) was named from the 
 mission on the north side of the bay. 
 
 San Francisco, named in honor of the friars' 
 patron saint. 
 
 Santa Clara, named from the mission established 
 there in 1777. 
 
 Contra Costa (the opposite coast) is the natural 
 designation of the country across the bay from San 
 Francisco. 
 
 Marin county, named after a troublesome chief 
 whom an exploring expedition encountered in 1815. 
 Marin died at the San Eafael Mission in 1834. 
 
 Sonoma, named after a noted Indian, who also 
 gave name to his tribe. The word means " Valley 
 of the Moon." 
 
 Solano, the name of a chief, who borrowed it from 
 his missionary friend, Father Solano. 
 
 Yolo, a corruption of an Indian word yoloy, sig 
 nifying a place thick with rushes; also, the name of 
 a tribe of Indians on Cache creek. 
 
 Napa, named after a numerous tribe in that re 
 gion, which was nearly exterminated by small-pox 
 in 1838. 
 
L>S 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Mendocino, named by the discoverer after Men- 
 doza, Viceroy of New Spain. 
 
 Sacramento (the Sacrament). Moraga gave the 
 main river the name of Jesus Maria, and the prin 
 cipal branch he called Sacramento. Afterwards, 
 the great river came to be known as the Sacra 
 mento, and the branch. Feather river. 
 
 El Dorado, the appropriate name of the district 
 where gold was discovered in 1848. 
 
 Sutter county, named in honor of the world- 
 renowned pioneer, John A. Sutter. 
 
 Vuba, a corruption of Uva, a name given a branch 
 of Feather river in 1824 by an exploring party, on 
 account of the great quantities of wild grape virues 
 growing on its banks. 
 
 Butte, the common French term for a mound, in 
 allusion to three symmetrical hills in that county; 
 so named by a party of the Hudson Bay Company 
 hunters. 
 
 Colusa, from Coluses, the name of a numerous 
 tribe on the west side of the Sacramento. Meaning 
 of the word is unknown. 
 
 Shasta, the name of a tribe who lived at the base 
 of the lofty peak of same name. 
 
 Calaveras, so named by Captain Moraga, on ac 
 count of an immense number of skulls in the vicinity 
 of a stream, which he called "Calaveras, or the 
 River of Skulls." This is the reputed site of a terri 
 ble battle between the mountain and valley Indians, 
 over the fishing question. 
 
 San Joaquin, after the river, so named by Captain 
 Moraga, in honor of the legendary father of the 
 Virgin. 
 
 Tuolumne, a corruption of an Indian word, signi 
 fying a cluster of stone wigwams. 
 
 Mariposa signifies butterfly. So called by a party 
 of hunters, who camped on the river in 1807, and 
 observed the trees gorgeous with butterflies. 
 
 Trinity, called after the bay of that name, which 
 was discovered on the anniversary of Trinity Fes 
 tival. 
 
 When first visited by the Spaniards, California 
 abounded in wild animals, some of which are now 
 extinct. One of these was called Berendo by the 
 Spaniards, and by the natives, Taye. It is," says 
 Father Venegas, "about the bigness of a calf a 
 year and a half old, resembling it in figure, except 
 the head, which is like that of a deer, and the 
 horns very thick, like those of a ram. Its hoof 
 largo, round, and cloven, and its tail short." 
 This was the Argali, a species intermediate between 
 the goat and the sheep, living in large herds along 
 the bases of the mountains; supposed to be a variety 
 of the Asiatic argali, so plentiful in Northern and 
 Central Asia. In his journey from Monterey to San 
 Francisco, Father Serra met with herds of immense 
 deer, which the men mistook for European cattle 
 and wondered how they got there. Several deer 
 were shot, whose horns -measured eleven feet from 
 tip to tip. Another large animal, which the natives 
 
 called cibolo, the bison, inhabited the great plains, 
 but was eventually driven off by the vast herds of 
 domestic cattle. When Langsdorff s ship was lying 
 in the Bay of San Francisco in 1804, sea-otter were 
 swimming about so plentifully as to be nearly un 
 heeded. The Indians caught them in snares, or 
 killed them with sticks. Perouse estimated that 
 the Presidency of Monterey alone could supply 
 ten thousand otter skins annually. They were worth 
 twenty dollars and upwards apiece. Beechey found 
 birds in astonishing numbers and variety, but their 
 plumage was dingy looking, and very few of them 
 could sing respectably. 
 
 The name California was first given to the Lower 
 Peninsula in 1536, and was afterwards applied to 
 the coast territory as far north as Cape Mendocino. 
 There has been much learned speculation concerning 
 the probable derivation of the word, but no satis 
 factory conclusion has been reached. The word is 
 arbitrary, derived from some expression of the In 
 dians. 
 
 The province, as it formerly existed under the 
 Viceroys, was divided into two parts; Peninsular, 
 or Lower and Old California, and Continental, or 
 Upper and New, the line of separation running near 
 the 32d parallel of latitude, from the northern ex 
 tremity of the Gulf of California, to the Pacific ocean. 
 The Gulf of California called also the Sea of Cor- 
 tez, and the Vermilion Sea is a great arm of the 
 Pacific, which joins that ocean under the 23d par 
 allel of latitude, and thence extends north-westward 
 inland about seven hundred miles, where it receives 
 the waters of the Colorado and Gila rivers. It is 
 a hundred miles wide at the mouth, widens further 
 north, and still further on contracts in width, till its 
 shores become the banks of the Colorado. The 
 Peninsular, or California side of the Gulf, was for 
 merly celebrated for the size and beauty of its 
 pearls, which were found in oysters. They were 
 obtained with great difficulty, from the crevices at 
 the bottom, by Indian divers, who had to go down 
 twenty or thirty feet, and frequently were drowned, 
 or devoured by sharks. In 1825, eight vessels en 
 gaged in the fishing, obtained, altogether, five 
 pounds of pearls, which were worth about ten thou 
 sand dollars. Sometimes, however, a single mag 
 nificent pearl was found, which compensated for 
 years of labor and disappointment. Some of the 
 richest in the royal regalia of Spain, were found on 
 the California gulf. 
 
 Peninsular, or Lower California, lying between 
 the gulf and the ocean, is about 130 miles in breadth 
 where it joins the continent at the north, under the 
 32d parallel, and nearly in the same latitude as 
 Savannah in Georgia. Thence it runs south-east 
 ward, diminishing in breadth and terminating in 
 two points, the one at Cape San Lucas, in nearly the 
 same latitude as Havana, the other at Cape Palmo, 
 < miles north-east, at the entrance of the gulf. 
 Continental California extends along the Pacific 
 
 
HIRAM C. MEEK 
 
 (AT93Y'? or AGE.) 
 
THE AMERICAN CONQUEST. 
 
 29 
 
 from the 32d parallel, where it joins the peninsula, 
 about seven hundred miles, to the Oregon line, 
 nearly in the latitude of Boston. The Mexican 
 Government considered the 42d parallel of latitude 
 as the northern line of California, according to a 
 treaty with the United States in 1828. 
 
 Greenhow, writing in 1844, says: "The only mine 
 as yet discovered in Upper California is one of 
 gold, situated at the foot of the great westernmost 
 
 O / * * 
 
 range of mountains, on the west, at the distance 
 of twenty-five miles from Angeles, the largest 
 town in the country. It is said to be of extra 
 ordinary richness." 
 
 The animals originally found in California were 
 buffalo, deer, elk, bear, wild hogs, wild sheep, 
 ocelots, pumas, beavers, foxes, and many others, 
 generally of a species different from those on the 
 Atlantic side. Cattle and horses were introduced 
 from Mexico, and soon overrun the country, and 
 drove out the buffalo and other of the large animals. 
 One of the worst scourges of the country was the 
 chapid, a kind of grasshopper, which appeared in 
 clouds after a mild winter, and ate up every green 
 thing. 
 
 Little or no rain fell during the years 1840 and 
 1841, in which time the inhabitants were reduced to 
 the verge of starvation. 
 
 It is a remarkable fact, that the Golden Gate is 
 nearly in the same latitude as the entrance of Chesa 
 peake bay and the Straits of Gibraltar. 
 
 In 1844, the town of Monterey, the capital of 
 Upper California, was a wretched collection of mud, 
 or adobe houses, containing about two hundred in 
 habitants. The castle and fort consisted of mud 
 walls, behind which were a few worthless guns, good 
 for nothing but to scare the Indians. 
 
 In 1838, the Russian settlements at Ross and 
 Bodega contained eight or nine hundred inhab 
 itants, stockaded forts, mills, shops, and stables, and 
 the farms produced great abundance of grain, vege 
 tables, butter, and cheese, which were shipped to 
 Sitka. The lazy Spaniards were bitterly hostile to 
 the industrious Muscovites, but durst not meddle 
 with them. At last, having maintained their in 
 dependent colony thirty-one years, they sold out to 
 Captain Sutter, and quietly moved away. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE AMERICAN CONQUEST. 
 
 Fremont and the Bear Flag Rise and Progress of the Revolu 
 tion Commodores Sloat, Stockton, and Shubrick Castro 
 and Flores Driven out Treaty of Peace Stockton and 
 Kearney Quarrel Fremont Arrested, etc. 
 
 IN the Spring of 1845, John C. Fremont, then a 
 brevet-captain in the corps of United States Topo 
 graphical Engineers, was dispatched on a third 
 tour of exploration across the continent, and was 
 charged to find a better route from the Rocky 
 Mountains to the mouth of the Columbia river. 
 
 This was his ostensible business, but there is reason 
 to believe that he had other and private instructions 
 from the Government concerning the acquisition 
 of California, in view of the pending war with 
 Mexico. Fremont reached the frontiers of Cali 
 fornia in March, 184G, halted his company a hun 
 dred miles from Monterey, and proceeded alone to 
 have an interview with General Castro, the Mexican 
 Commandante. He wanted permission to take his 
 company of sixty-two men to San Joaquin valley, 
 to recruit their energies before setting out for 
 Oregon. To this Castro assented, and told him to go 
 where he pleased. Immediately thereafter the per 
 fidious Castro, pretending to have received fresh 
 instructions from his Government, raised a com 
 pany of three hundred native Californians, and sent 
 word to Fremont to quit the country forthwith, else 
 he would fall upon and annihilate him and his little 
 band of adventurers. Fremont sent word back that 
 he should go when he got ready, and then took posi 
 tion on Hawk's Peak, overlooking Monterey, and 
 raised the American flag. At this time neither party 
 had heard of any declaration of war between the 
 United States and Mexico. 
 
 Fremont's party consisted of sixty-two rough 
 American borderers, including Kit Carson and six 
 Delaware Indians, each armed with a rifle, two pis 
 tols, a bowie-knife, and tomahawk. Castro maneu 
 vered round for three days with his cavalry, infantry 
 and field pieces, but, with true Mexican discretion, 
 kept well out of rifle shot; and, on the fourth day 
 Fremont, perceiving that there was no fight in the 
 gascon, struck his camp and moved at his leisure 
 toward Oregon. 
 
 At Klamath lake, Lieutenant Gillespie, of the 
 United States army, overtook Fremont's party, with 
 verbal dispatches, and a letter from the American 
 Secretary of State, commending the bearer to Fre 
 mont's good offices. That was all; what the verbal 
 dispatches were is still unknown. Fremont returned 
 to the Sacramento valley, and encamped near the 
 Marysville Buttes. He found the American settlers 
 greatly alarmed by Castro's war-like proclamations, 
 and had no difficulty in raising a considerable com 
 pany of volunteers, a party of whom marched on 
 the post of Sonoma, captured nine brass cannon, two 
 hundred and fifty stand of small arms, and made 
 prisoners of General Vallejo and two other persons 
 of importance. Eighteen men were left to garrison 
 the place, under William B. Ide. Castro fulminated 
 another proclamation from his head-quarters at Santa 
 Clara, calling on the native Californians to " rise for 
 their religion, liberty, and independence," and Ide 
 issued another at Sonoma, appealing to the Ameri 
 cans and other foreigners to rise and defend their 
 rights of settlement, as they were about to be mas 
 sacred or driven out of the country. The settlers 
 responded numerously and with alacrity; and, after 
 one or two skirmishes, repaired to Sonoma, declared 
 an independent State, and raised the now celebrated 
 
HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Bear Flag. That historic standard consisted of a 
 piece of cotton cloth, with a tolerable likeness of a 
 LTi-i/xly bear, done with a blacking brush and berry - 
 juice, and now belongs to the California Society of 
 Pioneers. 
 
 In the meantime Fremont was organizing a bat 
 talion at Slitter's Fort, and having heard that Castro 
 was moving in force on Sonoma, he made a forced 
 march to that point with ninety riflemen. Thence 
 Fremont, Kit Carson, Lieutenant Gillespie, and a 
 tew others, crossed to the old fort at San Francisco, 
 made prisoner the Commandante, spiked all the 
 guns, and returned to Sonoma. There, on the 5th of 
 July, is-li;. he called his whole force of revolution 
 ists together, and recommended an immediate 
 declaration of independence. This was unanimously 
 uted to, and the bear party was merged into the 
 battalion, which now numbered one hundred and 
 sixty mounted riflemen. Next day it was deter 
 mined to go in pursuit of the proclaiming Castro, 
 who was said to be entrenched at Santa Clara with 
 four hundred men; but when the battalion had 
 crossed the Sacramento at Slitter's Fort, they 
 learned that Castro had evacuated the Santa Clara 
 country and fled to Los Angeles, whither they 
 resolved to follow him, five hundred miles away. At 
 this point news was received that the American flag 
 had been raised at Monterey, and that the American 
 naval forces would co-operate with the mounted 
 riflemen in the effort to capture Castro. Then the 
 Bear Flag was hauled down, giving place to the 
 -tars and stripes, and Fremont and his men set out 
 overland for Los Angeles, after the declamatory but 
 fugacious Castro, who will live in history as the " Cap 
 tain Bobadil " of that brief but stirring revolution. 
 Up to this time nothing had been heard of a declara 
 tion of war between Mexico and the United States. 
 
 On the 2d of July, 1846, Commodore Sloat had 
 arrived at Monterey in the United States frigate, 
 Sni-niDKih, his whole fleet consisting of one frigate 
 and five smaller vessels. He had no intelligence 
 of a declaration of war between the United States 
 and Mexico, but was aware that hostilities were 
 impending, and was in doubt what to do. The 
 British Rear-Admiral, Sir George Seymour's flag 
 ship, was lying in the harbor of San Bias while Sloat 
 was at Mazatlan, and eight other British ships were 
 on the coast watching the American movements, and 
 ready to take possession of California. When Sloat 
 sailed from Mazatlan Seymour put out from San Bias, 
 each ship spreading every sail in a race for Monterey, 
 but the American Commodore out-sailed the British 
 Admiral, and, when the latter rounded the Point of 
 Pines at Monterey, ho found the Americans in full pos- 
 ion. On the 7th of July Commodore Sloat sent 
 Captain Mervinc, with two hundred and fifty ma 
 rines and seamen, on shore, hoisted the American flag 
 over Monterey, the capital of Upper California, and 
 issued a proclamation declaring the province hence 
 forth a portion of the United States. He had pre 
 
 viously dispatched a messenger to San Francisco to 
 Commander Montgomery, and on the 8th of that 
 month the stars and stripes waved over Yerba 
 Buena. On the 10th Montgomery sent an American 
 flag to Sonoma, which the revolutionists received 
 with great joy, pulled down their Bear Flag, and 
 hoisted the Union standard in its stead, and thus 
 ended the dominion of the revolutionary Bear Flag 
 in California, having played a conspicuous and 
 important part in the conquest. 
 
 Sloat then organized a company of volunteer dra 
 goons to take possession of certain arms and storee 
 at San Juan; but, when they arrived, Fremont and 
 his battalion had been there from Slitter's Fort, and 
 captured nine pieces of cannon, two hundred mus 
 kets, twenty kegs of powder, and sixty thousand 
 pounds of cannon shot. 
 
 When Fremont reported himself upon Sloat's 
 order, at Monterey, a misunderstanding occurred 
 between the Commodore and the Pathfinder, and 
 the former refused to co-operate with the latter in 
 the further prosecution of the war, and while the 
 dispute was pending Commodore Stockton arrived to 
 supersede Sloat, who had been too slow and hesitating 
 to suit the authorities at Washington. 
 
 Sloat having retired, Stockton and Fremont worked 
 harmoniously. The former assumed command of the 
 land forces, and invited Fremont and Gillespie to 
 take service under him with their battalion. Ojithc 
 23d, Stockton dispatched Commodore Dupont with 
 the Cyane, to convey Fremont and his battalion to 
 San Diego, and soon afterwards himself sailed for 
 San Pedro, the sea-port of Los Angeles. At Santa 
 Barbara he went ashore and took possession unre- 
 sisted. There he learned that Castro and Pico were 
 at Los Angeles with fifteen hundred men, and also 
 that Fremont had reached San Diego. After drilling 
 his seamen in the land service, Stockton, with his 
 three hundred men, took up his march for Los 
 Angeles, but, on his arrival, Castro had decamped 
 and fled to Sonora. Stockton at once took posses 
 sion of the place, and was soon after joined by Fre 
 mont, and, having received official notice of existing- 
 war between the United States and Mexico, he pro 
 claimed California a territory of the United States, 
 organized a temporary government, and invited the 
 people to meet on the 15th of September and elect 
 officers of their own. He then returned to Yerba 
 Buena, or San Francisco, where the people of the 
 neighboring country gave him a public reception. 
 
 After Stockton had left Los Angeles, General Flores 
 re-organized the scattered forces of the Mexicans, 
 retook the place, and proclaimed expulsion or death 
 to the Americans; so the conquest had to be made 
 again. Stockton returned to San Diego, and, after 
 various events which cannot be here related in 
 detail, was joined by General Kearney, who had 
 marched across the country from Santa Fe, and, on 
 the 20th of December, commenced his march of one 
 hundred and thirty miles to Los Angeles. He found 
 
31 
 
 the enemy, a thousand or twelve hundred strong, 
 drawn up in battle array on the bank of the San 
 Gabriel river; a battle ensued, in which the Mexi 
 cans were defeated by Stockton and Kearney, and 
 fled towards Los Angeles, and, after three ineffect 
 ual attempts to make a stand, they scattered in con 
 fusion. On the 10th of January Stockton re-entered 
 Los Angeles, and restored the American flag to the 
 eminence which it still maintains. Flores, after hav 
 ing made a much better fight than Castro, fled to 
 Sonora. The treaty of Couenga ensued, restoring 
 peace to the country and completing the American 
 conquest. 
 
 Immediately after the conquest a dispute arose be 
 tween Commodore Stockton and General Kearney as 
 to precedence in the territorial Government. Kearney 
 was authorized to etablish a civil Government in Cal 
 ifornia, provided he should conquer it, as he did New 
 Mexico; Stockton and Fremont maintained that the 
 conquest was accomplished before he arrived. Fre 
 mont decided to report officially to Commodore 
 Stockton, who thereupon commissioned him as Gov 
 ernor of the Territory. Thus Fremont obtained the 
 ill-will of General Kearney, who, combining with 
 Commodore Shubrick, in the absence of Stockton, 
 abrogated the^treaty of Couenga, and proceeded to 
 oust Fremont from the Governorship, in the mean 
 time Colonel Stephenson arrived with his regiment 
 of New York volunteers, and sided with Kearney. 
 Mason was installed as Governor, and Fremont was 
 ordered to report at Monterey within twelve days; 
 this he failed to do, and Kearney refused him per 
 mission to join his regiment, sold his horses, and 
 ordered him to repair to Monterey, where he com 
 pelled him to turn over his exploring outfit to 
 another person. When Kearney was ready to go 
 East he compelled Fremont to accompany him, and 
 at Fort Leaven worth Fremont was arrested for 
 insubordination, conveyed to Fortress Monroe, tried 
 by Court-martial, found guilty of mutiny, disobedi 
 ence, and disorderly conduct, deprived of his com 
 mission, but recommended to the clemency of the 
 President. Having suffered these outrageous indig 
 nities solely in consequence of a quarrel between 
 Commodore Stockton and General Kearney, Fre 
 mont declined to avail himself of executive clemency, 
 and quit the service. 
 
 The people of the country generally considered 
 that Fremont had been ungenerously used by the 
 Government, and, a few years after, his popularity 
 having been greatly enhanced through the influence 
 of his magnificent wife, the daughter of Senator 
 Thomas II. Benton, he was nominated for the Pres 
 idency by the Republican party. 
 
 CHAPTER IX* 
 
 SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY FROM THE TIME CAPT. C. 
 
 M. WEBER FIRST SAW IT IN NOVEMBER, 
 
 1841, UNTIL THE CLOSE OF 1847. 
 
 Captain C. M. Weber Expedition to California, 1841 Names 
 
 of the Party Sutter's Fort Hoza Ha-soos San Jose 
 
 French Camp or Weber Grant Revolutionary Designs of the 
 Foreigners Treaty between Weber and Ha-soos How it 
 was observed by Ha-soos Fremont's Expedition, 1844 
 David Kelsey Thomas Lindsay Policy of the Foreigners 
 Weber and Micheltorena at San Jose John A. Sutter aids 
 Micheltorena A Revolutionary Document The "Bear 
 Flag "Attempt to Settle the Grant, 1846 Isbel Brothers 
 and Other Early Settlers Twins, Second Children born in 
 County, 1847 End of Stanislaus City First Marriage, 1847 
 Village of "Tuleburg" William Gann, First Child born 
 in 1847 Wild Horse Scheme Resume. 
 
 CAPT. C. M. WEBER was born at Hombourg, Depart 
 ment of Mont Tonnerre, under the Emperor Napo 
 leon I., on the 16th day of February, 1814. His 
 parents were German. This province, about a year 
 later, became a part of the Kingdom of Bavaria. 
 His father was a minister, and held the position 
 which in America would be called County School 
 Superintendent. The Captain received an academic 
 education but not relishing an outlook that pre 
 sented the ministry in the future, his education was 
 cut short at the threshold of the classic, and a mer 
 cantile horoscope was cast for the years " that were 
 not yet." 
 
 Being of an adventurous disposition, theland where 
 Washington had fought and DeKalb had fallen held 
 to his youthful imagination an irresistible attraction; 
 and at the age of twenty-two he crossed the ocean' 
 landed at New Orleans in the latter part of 1836 
 and for five years was a resident of Louisiana and 
 Texas, when in the Spring of 1841, under medical 
 advice, he visited St. Louis. In the meantime he had 
 read in the newspapers the glowing descriptions of 
 California given by Dr. John Marshe, a resident of 
 the San J oaquin valley, and which were attracting 
 ing considerable attention in the States. The Cap 
 tainknowing that a trip across the plains, over the 
 mountains of the west, and down into the California 
 valleys would benefit his healt*, and, at the same time 
 give him an opportunity to see this comparatively un 
 known country decided to join an expedition then 
 fitting out in that city for a trip to the Pacific slope, 
 intending in the following Spring to continue his 
 journey to Mexico, through that country, and ulti 
 mately, in that Avay, reach Louisiana, his final desti 
 nation, having no intention of stopping in California 
 longer, at the farthest, than through the ensuing 
 Winter. But "the best laid schemes o' mice and men 
 gang aft agley." 
 
 The party to which the Captain attached himself was' 
 a combination of emigrants for three different points: 
 One party was destined for Oregon; another was a 
 company of Jesuit priests going to the western wilds 
 
 *The portion of the history of San Joaquin is intimately con 
 nected with that of Amador, forming the connecting link between 
 the Spanish and American settlement. 
 
32 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 on a mission to the Indians, hoping to Christianize 
 the tribes of < >regon and Idaho; their immediate 
 destination was the missions of Coeur d' Alene and 
 Pen d' Oreille; Father P. J. DeSmet, S. J., was the 
 leading spirit, and his efforts in that field have been 
 written, a brief page in history, and the red man 
 still scalps his foes. The third was the California 
 wing of the little emigrant army, and numbered 
 among its party men whose subsequent acts helped 
 materially to shape the destinies of the State which 
 has since become a golden star in the galaxy of the 
 Republic. 
 
 There were thirty-six in that party. One only 
 was a woman the first American lady, probably, 
 who ever entered California certainly the first to 
 reach it from over the plains. Her name was Mrs. 
 Nancy A. Kelsey. She was the wife of Benjamin 
 Kelsey, and they had a little daughter named Ann. 
 This family commenced their march then, and, like 
 the wandering Jew, have never since found a place 
 to stop and rest. The beauties of California could 
 not keep them, they moved away to the forests of 
 Oregon, and then returned again to the El Dorado 
 ofthe coast; but no sooner had they settled there than 
 the spirit of unrest came whispering "move on," and 
 over the plains again they started ; they were attacked 
 by the Camanches in Texas, lost everything, and 
 their little girl was scalped by the savages. Stopping 
 for a time, they once more started for California 
 and now are possibly moving to some new scene. 
 
 The men ofthe party were: 
 
 CAPT. J. B. BARTELSON; Captain of the party; re 
 turned to Missouri; is now dead. 
 JOHN BIDWELL; lives at Chico. 
 JOSEPH B. GUILDS; still alive. 
 
 JOSIAH BELDEN; lives at San Jose and San Francisco. 
 ( 'HARLES M. WEBER; died in Stockton, May 4, 1881. 
 CiiAiti.E.s HOPPER; lives in Napa county. 
 HENRY HUREK; lives in San Francisco. 
 MITCHELL NYE; had a ranch at Marysville; probably 
 
 now alive. 
 
 GREEN MM. \IION; lives in Solano county. 
 NELSON McMAHON; died in New York. 
 TALBOT H. GREENE; returned East. 
 AMBROSE WALTON; returned East. 
 JOHN McDoNEL; returned East. 
 GEORGE HENSHAW; returned East. 
 H'.KKKT UVCKMAN; returned East. 
 WM. BETTY or BELTY; returned East by way of 
 
 Santa IV. 
 
 CIIAIU.KS FI.KGGE; returned East. 
 GWIN PATTON; returned East; died in Missouri. 
 BEN.JIMAN KKI.SKV; was within a few years in" Santa 
 Barbara county, or at Clear Lake, Lake county. 
 ANDREW KELSEY; killed by Indians at Clear Lake. 
 JAMKS JOHN or LITTLEJOHN; went to Oregon. 
 HENRY BROLASKY; went to Callao. 
 JAMES I><>\\SON; drowned in Columbia river. 
 M \.i. WALTON, drowned in Sacramento river. 
 <;KORGE SIIORTWELL; accidentally shot on the wav 
 out. J 
 
 JOHN SWARTZ; died in California. 
 GROVE COOK; died in California. 
 D. W. CHANDLER; went to Sandwich Islands. 
 JS ICHOLAS DAWSON ; dead. 
 THOMAS JONES; dead. 
 
 ROBERT H. THOMES; died in Tehama county, Cali 
 fornia, March 26, 1878. 
 ELIAS BARNET. 
 JAMES P. SPRINGER. 
 JOHN ROWLAND. 
 
 They left Indpendence, Missouri, May 8, 1841 and 
 all traveled together as far as Fort Hall, near Salt 
 Lake, where Capt. J. B. Bartelson's party, as named 
 above, separated from the rest and started for Cali 
 fornia, without a guide, by the way of Mary's (now 
 Humboldt) river, they went to Carson river, and 
 from the latter, to the main channel of -Walker's 
 river, up which they went to near its source, from 
 which point they commenced their passage of the 
 Sierra Nevada, descending its western slope between 
 the Stanislaus and Tuolumne rivers, reaching the 
 San Joaquin valley and passing down along the 
 Stanislaus, crossed the San Joaquin river and 
 arrived at the Dr. Marshe ranch, near the east 
 ern base of Mount Diablo; on the 4th of November, 
 1841, having been six months, lacking four days, on 
 the way. Here the company rested for a number of 
 days, and then disbanded, each going to the point 
 in the country which his interests demanded. The 
 Captain and a friend started for Sutter's Fort, having 
 letters of introduction to Captain Sutter. They passed 
 through the country now known as San Joaquin 
 county, and beheld for the first time the land that 
 the result of his own labors was to people within his 
 life-time with thirty thousand souls. 
 
 The Winter of 1841-2 was spent by the Captain at 
 Sutter's Fort, occupying his time by acting as over 
 seer and assistant for Captain Sutter. While at 
 the fort he found a quantity of seeds which had 
 been laid away and apparently forgotten. They had 
 been sent to Sutter by Wm. G. Ray, of the Hudson 
 Bay Company, as a friendly expression of good will. 
 The Captain, desiring to try an experiment, had the 
 land around the fort prepared by Indians, and 
 planted the seeds. Among them were three kinds of 
 tobacco, a number of varieties of flowers, and some 
 vegetables. The experiment proved u grand success, 
 and in the Spring Sutter's Fort seemed like an en 
 chanted fortress built in the midst of perennial 
 gardens. 
 
 During the winter of 1841-2 Jose Jesus (pro 
 nounced llo-xa Ha-soos), the celebrated chief of the 
 Si-yak- um-na tribe, visited the fort, at which time 
 the Captain first met him. In after years there sprang 
 up a warm friendship between these two men, that 
 had much to do with the peaceable manner in which 
 the country was afterwards settled by the whites. 
 The Captain learned, in his intercourse with foreign 
 ers in the country, that there was germinatinga prin 
 ciple- or feeling which was in some localities freely 
 

 - 
 
 - 
 
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY FROM 1841 TO 1847. 
 
 talked of, to eventually Americanize California; 
 and, concluded with that prospect to look forward 
 to, that he was fully warranted in casting his des 
 tinies with the other venturesome spirits who had 
 decided to make Alta California their future home. 
 
 In the Spring he visited San Jose, and concluded 
 to make that the point of his future business oper 
 ations, until the time should come, if ever, when it 
 would become necessary to wrest from Mexico a 
 portion of the country, over which to hoist a flag with 
 the "lone star." 
 
 We do not wish to be misunderstood in this 
 matter. The intention of the leading pioneers of Cali 
 fornia, those who came here previous to June, 1846, 
 with the intention of making this their home, with 
 out regard to their nationality, was to work a polit 
 ical change in the country, "peaceably if they could, 
 foi-cibly if they must;" and this was to be done not 
 because of any desire to injure the native Califor- 
 nians, nor in a spirit of conquest, but because it was 
 evident to those clear-headed Argonauts that to make 
 the coTmtry a prosperous one, (one that would war 
 rant occupation by a people of progressive civiliza 
 tion), necessitated a radical change in the manner of 
 administering the affairs of State. 
 
 This change they proposed to effect in connection 
 with the native inhabitants, if they could; and if this 
 could not be done, to eventually, when they became 
 strong enough, Avrest a portion of the territory from 
 Mexico, and form a government of their own. 
 
 Captain Weber formed a copartnership with 
 Guillermo Gulnac, and soon established a credit which 
 enabled the firm to do a very large business. They 
 were the first parties in that portion of the State to 
 build a flouring mill and manufacture flour, combin 
 ing with the business the manufacture of sea-biscuit 
 or crackers, this mill having been erected and flour 
 made in 1842. They also entered quite largely into 
 the manufacture of soap and American shoes, being 
 the first manufacturers of the latter in California. 
 
 In 1843. July 14th, Guillermo Gulnac petitioned 
 Manuel Micheltorena, the Governor of California, for 
 a grant of eleven square leagues, or forty-eight thou 
 sand acres of land, to be located in the vicinity of 
 French Camp, in the San Joaquin valley. Captain 
 Weber was the real party, the power behind the 
 throne; Mr. Gulnac's name being used because he 
 was a Mexican citizen, as only such could obtain 
 grants. About this time the commercial partnership 
 was dissolved, the Captain becoming the successor to 
 the business, and Mr. Gulnac, his eldest son, Jose, 
 and Peter Laesen, with several vaqueros, took the 
 cattle belonging to them and Captain Weber, and 
 proceeded to take possession of the appiied-for grant, 
 at first making their head-quarters where Stockton 
 now is; but owing to the fact that the Hudson Bay 
 trappers had left for the summer, they became 
 alarmed for their personal safety among the Indians 
 and moved their camp up to the Cosumnes river, so 
 as to be in reach of Slitter's Fort for protection. Mr. 
 
 Gulnac visited Captain Sutter, and was presented by 
 that officer with a swivel gun such as the navy used 
 in those days when attacking an enemy in small 
 boats, mounting the swivel in the bow. This "young 
 cannon"was to be used by Mr. Gulnac as a warning to 
 the Indians to " flee from the wrath to come." It 
 would make a " heap big noise" when fired, and was 
 respected accordingly by the aborigines. 
 
 A statement will probably come in no place more 
 opportune than here, of the reason which caused 
 Captain Weber to desire the location of his proposed 
 grant on tho "up country side of the San Joaquin 
 river." We have already given the political intentions 
 of those pioneers which in 1843 had assumed so 
 definite a form as to have caused the question 
 to be discussed among them of where the division 
 line was to be drawn between the Mexican prov 
 inces and the territory to be taken from them, 
 in case it should result in that extreme measure ; 
 and the conclusion had been tacitly arrived at 
 that the San Joaquin river and the bays of San 
 Francisco, San Pablo and Suisun were to form the 
 line of division. It will therefore be seen that a 
 strong reason for choosing a locality north of the 
 San Joaquin was to secure land where he could 
 gradually concentrate his property within the limits 
 of the country to be acquired. Another reason, for 
 selecting this special locality, was the facilities it 
 would give him for dealing with the Hudson Bay 
 trappers, who made their head-quarters every winter 
 at French Camp, from whom, in exchange for fur, he 
 obtained ammunition, blankets, clothing, etc., of a 
 better quality and at lower figures than could be 
 obtained elsewhere at that time. 
 
 The attempt to settle the expected grant had failed 
 because of the fears of Gulnac, and the Captain ob 
 tained a passport from the Alcalde of San Jose, and 
 proceeded to visit Slitter's Fort, with a view of see 
 ing the Indian chief, Ha-soos, and making a treaty 
 of peace with him, if possible. After arriving in the 
 country, an Indian runner was sent to find the chief, 
 and ask him to meet the Captain at a given time 
 and place. A meeting was arranged, and at the 
 appointed time the two men, representatives of their 
 races in the country, met. Captain Weber ex 
 plained his plans to the Indian, stating that he was 
 desirous of settling on land in the San Joaquin valley; 
 that the Americans were desirous of being his allies 
 and friends; that they were not coming to injure nor 
 rob, but as friends to aid and benefit his tribe; that 
 he wished to settle here to be beyond the reach of 
 the Spaniards, in case of trouble between the Ameri 
 cans and native Californians, against whom this cele 
 brated chief was waging an endless war. The result 
 was a friendly alliance that remained unbroken to the 
 end. The chief advised the building of the American 
 village at the point where it was located, the present 
 site of Stockton, and agreed to provide all the help 
 necessary in the tilling of the soil, and to furnish a 
 war party when called upon to defend the settlers' 
 
34 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 property against either Indians or Mexicans. The 
 Captain was generous in his presents, and a friend 
 ship was started at the interview that lasted during 
 the life of Ha-soos, and the Captain now remembers 
 the Si-yak-um-na chief as one of his most reliable 
 and valued friends of early days. 
 
 The inhabitants of to-day can little appreciate the 
 importance at the time, and the immediate advantage 
 accruing to the foreign population of the country 
 resulting from that treaty. One may pass through 
 the County of San Joaquin and ask the old settlers 
 what they know of Ha-soos and his connection with 
 this country in early days, and may find five persons 
 in his travels that will remember the chief, and that 
 he was friendly to the Americans; but they, with one 
 exception, that of Capt. C. M. Weber, will give him 
 no credit for being so, supposing that it was forced 
 or indolent friendship. It has become popular with 
 the historian, as well as the men of 1849 and later, to 
 place the California Indians, in the scale of creation, 
 but one step above the African gorilla. Whatever 
 may have been the general rule, there certainly was 
 an exception in favor of the aborigines occupying 
 the territory between the Tuolumne and Mokelumne 
 rivers. These Indians were divided up into ranche- 
 rias or villages, each village having its chief and 
 name. Consequently there was a number of petty 
 chiefs, but all acknowledge an indefinite but undis 
 puted supremacy and authority in the chief of the 
 Si-yak-um-nas, Ho-za Ha-soos, who had made him 
 self a terror to the Spanish inhabitants of North 
 California. His name was to the native population 
 what Osceola's was to the Floridians, except that 
 the former chief was less brutal than the latter. He 
 did not scalp his victims, like the Scminole, nor seek 
 the midnight massacre of isolated persons. 
 
 He believed that he and his people had been 
 wronged by the Spanish, and he would never smoke 
 the pipe of peace with them. He would swoop down 
 upon the plains and carry off their stock, taking it 
 to his stronghold in the foot-hills of the Sierras; and 
 if the missions or settlers of those valleys saw fit to 
 attempt a rescue, he fought them, and was univers 
 ally victorious. The San Joaquin river divided his ter 
 ritory from the Californians, and when cast of that 
 stream he was upon his native heath; and it was 
 rare indeed that the pursuers followed him into his 
 own country. They had learned better in their 
 battle on the banks of the Stanislaus in 1829, when 
 " Bstanisloa," the former chief of the Si-yak-um-nas, 
 defeated their combined San Jose and Yerba Buena 
 forces. 
 
 It will bo seen that Ho-za Ha-soos was so circum 
 stanced as to receive favorable advances from a peo 
 ple who gave as one of their reasons for desiring his 
 friendship the probable hostility that might in the 
 future exist between them and the Spanish people of 
 the country. He believed that he was strengthening 
 himself against his old foe. It will also be observed 
 that the line beyond which the native Californians, 
 
 even in armed parties, found it dangerous to pass, 
 was the San Joaquin river. Beyond this it was con 
 sidered and understood by them to be savage and 
 inhospitable wilds. Ha-soos had made them respect 
 that river as the practical north boundary line of their 
 territory. Hence the propriety or policy of the 
 foreign population in selecting this river as the south 
 boundary of the country they proposed, under cer 
 tain circumstances, to make into an independent 
 state, along the borders of which they would have 
 a picket line of Indian allies. 
 
 In this connection we will mention two instances 
 in which Ha-soos demonstrated his good will to the 
 Americans, carrying out, on his part, the spirit of 
 the alliance he had made with Captain Weber ; and 
 we mention these with some hesitancy, not because 
 of any doubt of the facts, but because it is hitherto 
 unwritten history that may be questioned. The 
 incidents referred to were related to us by Captain 
 Weber, who says that when Captain S utter passed 
 through the country, in the Winter of 1844, to join 
 and aid Manuel Micheltorena against the revolution 
 ary General, Jose Castro, Ha-soos joined him with a 
 number of warriors. And later, when Gen. J. C. 
 Fremont passed through the San Joaquin valley 
 south, to help take this country from Mexico, that 
 this chief was again on hand, and accompanied him 
 to San Jose, to fight his old foes, in the interest of 
 his friends, the Americans. Whether he actually 
 performed any military act of hostility to the enemy 
 on either occasion does not appear, but that he was 
 ready so to do was demonstrated by his presence 
 with his warriors. 
 
 On the 13th of January, 1844, the Governor of 
 California complied with the petition of Mr. Gulnac, 
 and issued to him the grant of land known as " El 
 Rancho del Campo de los Franceses," which in Eng 
 lish means " The French Camp Ranch." After the 
 issuing of the grant, the next event worthy of note 
 in the county was the passage through it of Capt. 
 J. C. Fremont, who, on the 25th of March of that 
 year, camped over night at the place since known 
 as the village of Liberty, on the south side of Dry 
 creek. It was in his memorable first expedition to 
 the Pacific coast. He had been at Sutter's Fort re 
 cruiting and had started south on his way through 
 the San Joaquin valley en route for the States. The 
 following taken from the published history of his 
 expedition, will have peculiar interest to the residents 
 of this county: 
 
 "March 25th We traveled for twenty-eight miles 
 over the same delightful country as yesterday, and 
 halted in a beautiful bottom at the ford of the Rio de 
 los Afukelemnes, receiving its name from another 
 Indian tribe living on the river. The bottoms on the 
 stream are broad, rich, and extremely fertile ; and 
 the uplands are shaded with oak groves. A showy 
 lupinus of extraordinary beauty, growing four or 
 five feet in height, and covered with spikes in bloom, 
 adorned the banks of the river, and filled the air 
 with a light and grateful perfume. 
 
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY FROM 1841 TO 1847. 
 
 35 
 
 "On the 2.6th we halted at the Arroyo deists Calaveras 
 (Skull creek), a tributary to the San Joaquin the pre 
 vious two streams entering the bay between the San 
 Joaquin and Sacramento rivers. This place is beau 
 tiful, with open groves of oak. and a grassy sward be 
 neath, with many plants in bloom; some varieties of 
 which seem to love the shade of the trees, and grow 
 there in close, small fields. Near the river, and re 
 placing the grass, are great quantities ofammole (soap 
 plant), the leaves of which are used in California for 
 making, among other things, mats for saddle cloths. 
 A vine with a small white flower (melothria) called 
 here la yerba buena, and which from its abundance, 
 gives name to an island and town in the bay, was 
 to-day very frequent on our road sometimes running 
 on the ground or climbing the trees. 
 
 "March 27th To-day we traveled steadily and 
 rapidly up the valley ; for with our wild animals 
 any other gait was impossible, and making about 
 four miles an hour. During the earlier part of the 
 day, our ride had been over a very level part of 
 prairie, separated by lines and groves of oak timber, 
 growing along dry gullies, which are filled with 
 water in seasons of rain ; and, perhaps, also by the 
 melting snows. Over much of this extent, the vege 
 tation was sparse; the surface showing plainly the 
 action of water, which, in the season of flood, the 
 Joaquin spreads over the valley. At one o'clock we 
 came again among innumerable flowers ; and a few 
 miles further, fields of the beautiful blue flowering 
 lupine, which seems to love the neighborhood of 
 water, indicated that we were approaching a stream. 
 We have found this beautiful shrub in thickets, some 
 of them being twelve feet in height. Occasionally 
 three or four plants were clustered together, forming 
 a grand bouquet, about ninety feet in circumference, 
 and ten feet high ; the whole summit covered with 
 spikes of flowers, the perfume of which is very sweet 
 and grateful. A lover of natural beauty can imagine 
 with what pleasure we rode among these flowering 
 groves, which filled the air with a light and delicate 
 fragrance. We continued our road for about half a 
 mile, interspersed through an open grove of live- 
 oaks, which, in form, were the most symmetrical and 
 beautiful we had yet seen in the country. The ends 
 of their branches rested on the ground forming*some- 
 what more than a half sphere of very full and regu 
 lar figure, with leaves apparently smaller than usual. 
 The Californian poppy, of a rich orange color, was 
 numerous. To-day, elk and several bauds of ante 
 lope made their appearance. 
 
 "Our road was now one continued enjoyment; and 
 it was pleasant, riding among this assemblage of 
 green pastures with varied flowers and scattered 
 groves, and out of the warm, green Spring, to look at 
 the rocky and snowy peaks, where lately we had 
 suffered so much. Emerging from the timber we 
 came suddenly upon the Stanislaus river, where we 
 hoped to find a ford, but the stream was flowing by, 
 dark and deep, swollen by the mountain snows ; its 
 general breadth was about fifty yards. 
 
 " We traveled about five miles up the river, and 
 encampyd without being able to find a ford. Here 
 we made a largo corral, in order to be able to catch a 
 sufficient number of our wild animals to relieve 
 those previously packed. 
 
 " Under the shade of the oaks, along the river, I 
 noticed erodium cicutarium in bloom, eight or ten 
 inches high. This is the plant which we had seen 
 the squaws gathering on the .Rio de los Americanos. 
 By the inhabitants of the valley, it is highly esteemed 
 lor fattening cattle, which appear to be very fond of 
 
 it. Here, where the soil begins to be sandy, it 
 supplies to a considerable extent the want of grass. 
 
 " Desirous, as far as possible, without delay, to 
 include in our examination the Joaquin river, I 
 returned this morning down the Stanislaus, for 
 seventeen miles, and again encamped without having 
 found a fording-place. After following it for eight 
 miles further the next morning, and finding ourselves 
 in the vicinity of the San Joaquin, encamped in a 
 handsome oak grove, and, several cattle being killed, 
 we ferried over our baggage in their skins. Here our 
 Indian boy, who probably had not much idea of 
 where he was going, and began to be alarmed at the 
 many streams we were putting between him and the 
 village, deserted. 
 
 " Thirteen head of cattle took a sudden fright, 
 while we were driving them across the river, and 
 galloped off. I remained a day in the endeavor to 
 recover them; but finding they had taken the trail 
 back to the fort, let them go without further effort. 
 Here we had several days of warm and pleasant rain, 
 which doubtless saved the crops below." 
 
 In August, 18-14, David Keisey, with his wife and 
 two children, a boy and a girl, settled at French 
 Camp, and built a tule- house. Mr. Gulnac, who was 
 stopping at the Cosumnes river, had offered to give 
 Mr. Keisey a mile square of land if he would stop at 
 that place, and live one year; he turned over to him 
 the "swivel" that Sutler had given him. Every 
 night Mr Keisey threw this piece of ordnance " into 
 battery," and fired an evening gun; which he did to 
 frighten the Indians, on the same principle that a boy 
 sometimes whistles as he is going through the woods 
 after dark. At that time there was only one other 
 house in the county, also constructed of tule, occu 
 pied by Thomas Lindsay, at Stockton. 
 
 Mr. Keisey remained for several months at that 
 place, and after his family had been obliged to live 
 for two months on boiled wheat, meat, milk, and 
 mint tea, gathered along the banks of the creek, he 
 buried the swivel and removed temporarily to San 
 Jose, where he first saw Captain Weber. While at 
 that place he unfortunately went to see a sick Indian 
 who had the small-pox, just before returning to 
 French Camp. After returning he was immediately 
 taken sick, and Mrs. Keisey desired to take him to 
 Sutter's Fort, where he could have medical assist 
 ance, not knowing that he had the small-pox. When 
 they reached Stockton, Mr. Lindsay induced them 
 to stay over night, and while there a man by the name 
 of James Williams gave him some medicine that 
 caused the disease to break out. Lindsay immedi 
 ately vacated the premises, giving, as he left, advice 
 that has a twang of barbarism in it; he told them if 
 the old man died to leave his body where the coyotes 
 would devour it. In about six days the father died, 
 the mother and boy were prostrated with the same 
 disease, and little America, a girl eleven years of age, 
 was left alone with her sick mother and brother, to 
 administer to their wants, while her dead father lay 
 unburied in the hut; a sad introduction to the first 
 American girl who ever saw the place where Stock 
 ton now stands, and a sadder one to the first white 
 
36 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 woman that visited the place; for the mother became 
 blind from the effects of the disease, beholding that 
 delirious, weird scene of pestilence and death as the 
 last, to haunt the memory through the coming years 
 of darkness; a hideous phantom, a scene of desola 
 tion, was that last look of the mother upon the sur 
 roundings of that little child nurse. 
 
 Some herders chanced to come that way, who, 
 after considerable hesitation, assisted little America 
 in burying her father. One of them, Geo. F. Wyman, 
 afterwards became the husband of America. The 
 reason why they hesitated in coming to her assist 
 ance was a double one, they feared the contagion 
 and Captain Sutter, who had said he would have any 
 man shot who brought small-pox to the fort, or went 
 among the Indians who had it. The father was bur 
 ied near where Col. Thos. R. Moseley's house now 
 stands, and in a few days the little nurse was stricken 
 down with the dread disease, but recovered so as to 
 be able to leave for Monterey in about six weeks, 
 in about two weeks after they left, Thomas Lindsay 
 returned to his house on Lindsay's Point, in Stock 
 ton, and was killed by the Luck-lum-na Indians, 
 from lone valley, in Amador county, who fired the 
 tule-house with their victim's body in it, and drove 
 off all the stock. A party of whites, Mexicans and 
 friendly Indians, went in pursuit of the band who 
 had committed the depredations, and overtook them 
 at the place called the " Island," near the foot-hills, 
 where a conflict occurred, resulting in the burning 
 of the Indian rancheria, with what provisions and 
 property they had, the killing of a few of the war 
 riors of the hostile tribe, and the capture of one 
 Indian boy by William Daylor, of Daylor's ranch; one 
 Mexican by the name of Vaca, a member of the Vaca 
 family, formerly of Solano county, was killed by the 
 Indians in the fight. After this defeat they retreated 
 into the mountains, where they were followed, but 
 not overtaken.* 
 
 'Since the foregoing was written in 1 879, some further facts 
 have come to our knowledge, which not only puts this matter in 
 a different light but also demonstrates the difficulty of making 
 the first attempt at writing history succsssful. 
 
 D. T. Bird, who, at one time, was an officer in the California 
 battalion under Fremont, during the hostilities that succeeded 
 the Bear Flag war, says that he was one of the parties that pur 
 sued the Indians who murdered Lindsay at Stockton, and he 
 takes the poetry all out of the conclusion given to that expedi 
 tion. Instead of the Luck-lum-na Indians of lone valley being 
 chastised, they whipped the pursuing party (about thirty, strong, 
 half whites and half friendly Indians), who were under the com 
 mand of Captain Merrit, of Bear Flag fame. Captain Sutter 
 organized the pursuing party, and among the white men accom 
 panying it, were Captain Merrit, D. T. Bird, Charles Heath, 
 Vaca (a Spaniard), Hicks and Gillespie. The fight was a short 
 one resulting in Vaca's receiving a mortal wound from an arrow 
 
 The small-pox and the breaking out of the Mich- 
 eltorena war, combined, had depopulated the county. 
 There had been, in the latter part of 1844, and 
 Spring of 1845, a serious departure by the foreign 
 population of the country from their understood pol 
 icy, in their intercourse with the natives of Cali 
 fornia; which was a policy of non-intervention 
 between opposing factions of the country, that had 
 been decided upon and agreed to between the lead 
 ing men, as being the best calculated to produce the 
 final result at which they were aiming. Let the 
 Spanish population quarrel to their hearts' content, 
 let civil war sweep over the country, and arniy the 
 opposing factions against each other on the battle 
 field; it helped to prepare the people of all classes, 
 foreign and native, for a change; but in every emer 
 gency the American, the German, the Englishman, 
 the immigrant, whatever his native land was to hold 
 himself aloof, reserving his strength to be used as 
 one man for the general good of all, when the proper 
 time should come to act. All over California, from 
 Los Angeles to Monterey, and from Monterey to 
 Sutter's Fort, the foreign population were few in 
 numbers, one and two, sometimes a half-dozen in a 
 place, so scattered and so isolated that a false move 
 on the part of a few might prove fatal to many; H 
 consequently was important at that time that the 
 policy of non-interference should be pursued. Yet. 
 as we have previously mentioned, a serious depart 
 ure from that policy was inaugurated in the Michel- 
 torena war, without, apparently, any general con 
 sultation or plan on the part of immigrants, those of 
 each section or country marking out their own line 
 of action, regardless of the probable consequent 
 injury that might result to those of a different 
 locality. 
 
 The first instance was that forced upon Capt. C. 
 M. Weber, consequent from the loss of control, by 
 Micheltorena, over the outlaws called soldiers, whom 
 he commanded in 1844. The Captain was in busi 
 ness at the Pueblo of San Jose when the war broke 
 out, and was acquainted with and personally friendly 
 to both Micheltorena and Castro. He had a very 
 large stock of goods in the place, and was anxious 
 on account of it. He knew that the soldiers under 
 Micheltorena were mostly convicts, turned loose 
 from the prisons in Mexico, and were dependent 
 upon the meager revenue derived from forced 
 loans and plunder for their pay. His goods 
 
 that entered his side. In attempting to draw it from his body, 
 the arrow-head was broken from the shaft, and in an hour the 
 unfortunate man was dead. Up to the time of his death they 
 managed to hold their position, when, finding the enemy too 
 strong for them, the body of the dead Spaniard was laid upon a 
 pile of brush and burned, to prevent its falling into the hands of 
 the savages; after which they stole away in the darkness, and 
 reached Sutter's Fort without unnecessary delay. 
 
SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY FROM 1841 TO 1847. 
 
 37 
 
 would be a rich prize, and if they once entered San 
 Jose, they would be sure to help themselves to 
 what he had; consequently all his interests were 
 opposed to the occupation of the town by such a 
 body of men. As Micheltorena advanced, Jose Gas 
 tro became alarmed, and, leaving San Jose to its fate, 
 retreated up the valley towards Oakland with his 
 forces; whereupon Captain Weber addressed a com 
 munication to the commander of the advancing 
 forces, stating that Castro had left San Jose, and 
 asked him if he would not pass to one side of the 
 pueblo, and not enter it with his troops. Michelto 
 rena replied that he found it necessary to pass 
 through San Jose in his pursuit of Castro. In the 
 meantime the Captain received prompt information 
 to the effect that the Governor had lost control of 
 his soldiery, who insisted on entering the village for 
 plunder; whereupon the Captain caused the tocsin 
 of war to be sounded through the streets. The 
 people assembled, and the Captain presented the 
 position of affairs, and told them that he believed, 
 with a force composed of the citizens and foreigners 
 in the place, the advancing army could be checked, 
 and forced to take a different route in their line of 
 march after Castro. A company was immediately 
 formed, placed under his command, and moved out 
 to meet the enemy, a handful against a host. Send 
 ing a courier in advance to meet Micheltorena, advis 
 ing him of what he was doing, and that it was 
 done, not in a spirit of opposition to him personally, 
 or the cause which he represented, but with a deter 
 mination to protect their homes from plunder. The 
 forces met some twelve miles out from the village, 
 and for several days the entire army, numbering 
 several hundred, was held in check by this little band 
 of brave men under Captain Weber. Castro, hear 
 ing of the fact, became ashamed of himself, turned 
 back from his retreat, joined the Captain with his 
 forces, took command of the army, and forced 
 Micheltorena to surrender, and, finally, to agree to 
 leave California and return to Mexico. For the time 
 this ended the war. It was again revived by Mich 
 eltorena, who failed to comply with his agreement 
 when he learned that Capt. John A. Sutter could be 
 relied upon for assistance. Sutter, wishing to retain 
 the old regime until his land titles were perfected, 
 in December, 1844, marched to the lower country 
 with his deluded followers, being met on the way, 
 at the residence of Dr. John Marshe, by J. Alex. 
 Forbes, of the Hudson Bay Company, who tried to 
 dissuade him from proceeding further with the 
 enterprise, but without avail, telling the Captain at 
 the same time that in General Castro's army was a 
 large number of Americans, and that his act was ar 
 raying the foreign-born population against each other. 
 Slitter's reply to all was that he had gone too far to 
 withdraw without discredit to himself. He pushed 
 on towards the south, and his men, suspecting some 
 thing wrong, began to desert until but few remained. 
 Finally, when the hostile armies stood face to face, a 
 
 parley was insisted upon, and it was found that the 
 foreigners were fighting in the ranks of both armies; 
 after which, Sutter had, practically, no followers, 
 and fell, finally, into the hands of Castro, who, but 
 for the strong intervention of friends, would have 
 had him shot. 
 
 This unfortunate proceeding was the second breach 
 in the policy of non-intervention; and it came so 
 near becoming disastrous, that it called forth an ex 
 pression of disapprobation for the course pursued; 
 such a policy continued would Mexicanize the Amer 
 icans, not A.mericanize the Mexicans. The result 
 was that the narrow escape demonstrated the neces 
 sity of an organized plan of action, so that in future 
 they might be well advised of all contemplated 
 movements, and act together as a body and thus 
 make themselves felt, instead of expending their 
 force against each other. With a view of accom 
 plishing this object, and thus pave the way for the 
 future segregation of California from Mexico, a call 
 was written, subscribed and circulated. * * * * 
 
 For various causes there was not as formidable a 
 gathering as was desired at the time designated,* and 
 the meeting only included those within easy reach 
 of San Jose; there was consequently nothing of 
 importance accomplished, and there was a failure to 
 obtain a general organization; but the purposes of 
 the foreign population remained unchanged, and 
 culminated, finally, in the hoisting of the " Bear 
 Flag," which, but for the United States taking the 
 struggle off their hands, would have proved to be 
 what it was in fact, a premature move. It was 
 entered upon without general consultation or ma 
 tured plan, and but for the occupation of the coun 
 try by the United States, which occurred a little 
 later, would have proved disastrous to many for 
 eigners living farther south, who were wholly 
 unadvised in regard to the movement. Had the 
 organization been made as was contemplated by the 
 signers of the instrument, the Bear Flag would never 
 have been raised, but without the intervention of the 
 United States it would have resulted in taking the 
 country from Mexico, making San Joaquin one of the 
 frontier counties of the State. 
 
 It is not the purpose of this work to give a State 
 history, therefore we return to the march of events 
 in San Joaquin, having followed those occurrences 
 outside only which had a direct bearing upon the 
 history of this county. 
 
 On the third day of April, 1845, C. M. Weber 
 purchased of Mr. Gulnac the remaining interest in 
 the French Camp Grant, Mr. Weber becoming its 
 sole owner; but no further attempt was made at 
 settlement until 1846, when he induced a number of 
 settlers, under the leadership of Napoleon Schmidt, 
 to locate. They had no sooner become settled in 
 their new homes than the war-cloud burst, which 
 had been hanging over the country, and the settlers 
 
 * July 4, 1845. 
 
38 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 again scattered to locations where they would be 
 less isolated in case of an attack by the Mexicans. 
 
 In November, 1846, the Isbel brothers took up 
 land on the Calaveras, that stream dividing their 
 ranches or claims; Dr. I. C. Isbel occupying the 
 north, and his brother James the south side of 
 the " river of skulls," where Fremont had crossed 
 it in 1844. The doctor erected a log cabin near the 
 river, which. is still standing. It is the oldest house 
 in the county, in fact the oldest in the San Joaquiu 
 valley, and should be preserved as a relic of the 
 past. The same month and year, Turner Eider 
 erected a cabin on Dry creek, where the village of 
 Liberty was afterwards laid out. Mr. Elder was a 
 married man, and had brought his wife and three 
 little children with him to this country. On the 
 opposite, or north side of the creek, and a little 
 further down, his father-in-law, Thomas Rhodes, 
 located. Thomas Pyle settled at what is now 
 known as Staples' Ferry, in the ame year and 
 month, with his family a wife and two children. It 
 was during the month of November, 1846, that 
 Samuel Brannan established his colony on the Stan 
 islaus, about one and one-half miles above its mouth, 
 calling the place " Stanislaus City. 
 
 It will be observed that during this year, two .dis 
 tinct colonies were established, and four ranches 
 taken up in San Joaquin county, at the points where 
 the old Spanish trail, between Suttei % 's Fort and San 
 Jose, crossed the several streams in the county. 
 This was a strong demonstration toward settlement. 
 Weber's party had loft at the first notes of alarm ; 
 Samuel Brannan's colony remained until the follow 
 ing Spring, and then all left, except Buckland leav 
 ing only the ranchers on the Spanish trail and 
 Buckland, as the inhabitants to dispute possession 
 of the county with the Indians. The five settlers 
 remaining were Dr. 1. C. Isbel, and his brother, 
 James, on the Calaveras; Thomas Pyle, on the 
 Mokclumne; Turner Elder, on Dry creek; and 
 Buckland, on the Stanislaus. 
 
 *Dr. Isbel retained his claim until 1848, when he 
 sold to the Hutchinson brothers, and they in turn 
 to Mr. Dodge. 
 
 Thomas Pyle abandoned his place in 1848, and 
 moved to Coyote creek, near San Jose, where he 
 was shot through the head and killed, about 1855, 
 by a young Spaniard. A man by the name of Smith 
 took up the place, claiming a grant, and sold to John 
 F., the brother of Thomas Pyle, and John W. Laird, 
 who had married one of his sisters. These parties 
 sold to Staples, Nichols & Co., in February, and 
 moved from there in April, 1850. Mr. Laird died 
 near Grayson, in May, 1878; and J. F. Pyle is still 
 living on his ranch, near Wclden, on Kerri river, 
 California. 
 
 Turner Elder lived at Dry creek about one 
 
 * Dr. Isbel is mentioned in another part of the history in con- 
 ion witha mob affair in the western part of tl -* 
 
 (Amador). He resided in Volcano, in 1855. 
 
 year, and then moved on to the north bank of the 
 Mokelumne river, at the place afterwards known as 
 the "Benedict Ranch," and, while there, on the 
 fifth day of November, 1847, his wife presented him 
 with a pair of twins, a boy and girl, who were named 
 John and Nancy. These were the second children 
 born of white parents in the county. Soon after the 
 birth of these children, on account of the unpro 
 tected position, Mr. Elder abandoned his place and 
 joined his brother-in-law Daylor, of the Daylor 
 ranch, in Sacramento county. He afterwards made 
 money in placer mining, and returned to Ray county, 
 Missouri, in 1849, where he now lives. The children 
 are both living; the girl in Ray county, as the wife 
 of a Dr. Reese; and the boy, now married, at Emi 
 grant's Ditch, in Fresno county, California his post- 
 office address being "Kingsbury Switch." 
 
 Mr. Buckland, of Stanislaus City, moved from 
 there to Stockton, in the fall of 1847. Assisted by 
 William Fairchilds, he afterwards built the Buck- 
 land House, in San Francisco. Of the Stanislaus 
 City settlers, the only ones known to be living now 
 are Samuel Brannan, of San Francisco, John M. 
 
 Horner, near San Jose, and Nichols, of San 
 
 Leandro. 
 
 When, in the Fall of 1847, Turner Elder left his log- 
 house and claim at Dry creek, Mrs. Christina Pat 
 terson, his aunt, moved into it her husband having 
 died of mountain fever while crossing the mountains 
 in 1846. She was soon after married to Ned Robin 
 son. This was the first marriage ceremony performed 
 in the county. Mr. Robinson, in turn, abandoned the 
 place when gold was discovered, in January, 1848, 
 and in 1878 they were stopping at French Camp, for 
 the Winter, on their way to the northern country. 
 
 Captain Weber, in the meantime, had been living 
 at San Jose from 1842 to 1847, following his business 
 of merchandizing, and not giving personal attention 
 to the settlement of his grant. During the year 
 1847 he sold his stock of goods, and in August of 
 that year, with a number of men, two hundred 
 horses and four thousand cattle, moved to the San 
 Joaquin, and founded a settlement which became 
 permanent; Stockton being the point and result of 
 his efforts. In the Fall, the grant was surveyed and 
 sectionized by Jasper O'Farrell, through his deputy, 
 Walter Herron; a village site being at the same time 
 laid out for settlers' homes, which received the name 
 of "Tulcburg." Coming events had not yet "cast 
 their shadows before." The village plat of Tule- 
 burg, and the name, both passed out of existence at 
 the same time, when, in 1848, after the gold discov 
 ery, the place was re-surveyed and laid out for com 
 mercial purposes by Captain Weber, who gave it the 
 name of Stockton, after Com. Robert Stockton, of the 
 United States navy. 
 
 In October, 1847, a company of overland immi 
 grants arrived at the place, on their way to the lower 
 country. Mr. "Weber pursuaded them to stop for a 
 time and look over the valley, to see if they would 
 
BIOGRAPHIC SKETCH OF GENERAL SUTTER. 
 
 39 
 
 not consider it to their advantage to remain. W. H. 
 Fairchilds, County Supervisor in 1878, was of this 
 party, as well as Nicholas Gann and his wife, Ruth, 
 who, while they were camping on the point where 
 Weber's house now stands, in October, gave birth to 
 a son, to whom they gave the name of William. 
 This was the first child born of white parents in the 
 county. With the exception of Mr. Fairchilds, the 
 parties all decided to move farther south. Mr. 
 Nicholas Gann now lives not far from Gilroy, in 
 Santa Clara county, California. 
 
 It was during that year that Capt. Charles 
 Imus undertook to carry out a " wild horse scheme." 
 He selected a point on the San Joaquin river, where 
 San Joaquin City now stands, which he considered 
 favorable, and then went to the mountains west of 
 the valley and commenced cutting timber, to build a 
 corral, into which he proposed driving wild horses, 
 and there to capture them; when Pico, on whose 
 grant he was cutting the timber, put a stop to his 
 visions of corraling the " untamed steeds of the 
 desert;" by singing to him the pathetic song of 
 " Woodman, Spare that Tree," and the Captain, not 
 caring to verify the old saw of " a nod is na sa good 
 as a kick for a blind horse," folded up his tent like 
 the Arab, and departed into the lower country. 
 Captain Imus was the leader of the party that 
 crossed the plains in 1846, of which the Pyles, Isbcls, 
 Elders, and Rhodes were members. 
 
 The history of San Joaquin county, up to the close 
 of 1847, has been given in the preceding pages as 
 completely as it is possible to get it from the memory 
 of the participants who still survive. The only 
 occupants of this section of country, up to that time, 
 had first been the Indians, then the American 
 trappers, followed by the Hudson Bay Company, 
 who were succeeded in turn by the Americans, who 
 came from the States, with a view of making for 
 themselves and families permanent homes. 
 
 But a change, absolute and radical, lay hid in 
 the near future. On the line that separated the 
 year 1847, and what had preceded it, from " the 
 future that was not yet," stands a mile-post that 
 "Time," set by the wayside, which marks the 
 beginning of a year, in which was wrought a 
 change as absolute, in the march of human events, 
 and the destinies of this coast, as would ordinarily 
 have occurred in the passing of a century. 
 
 CHAPTERS. 
 
 BIOGRAPHIC SKETCH OF GENERAL SUTTER. 
 
 His Nativity Migration to the American West Arrival in Cal 
 ifornia Foundation of Sutter's Fort Prosperity and 
 Wealth of the Colony Decline and Ultimate Ruin Retire 
 ment to Hock Farm Extract from Sutter's Diary. 
 
 THE following sketch of the life and adventures of 
 General John A. Sutter is from Oscar T. Shuck's 
 "Representative Men of the Pacific." The facts 
 were derived directly from the famous old pioneer, 
 and are, perhaps, the most complete and accurate 
 that have ever been published. Mr. Shuck says: 
 
 " General John A. Sutter was born March 1, 1803, 
 in the Grand Duchy of Baden, where his early boy 
 hood was passed. His father, who was a clergyman 
 of the Lutheran church, afterwards removed to 
 Switzerland, and settled there with his family. He 
 purchased for himself and heirs the rights and immu 
 nities of Swiss citizenship, and there the subject of 
 our sketch received a good education, both civil and 
 military. 
 
 " Early in life he married a Bernese lady, and was 
 blessed with several children. At the age of thirty- 
 one he determined to gratify a desire he had long 
 cherished to immigrate to the United States. Not 
 knowing whether or not he should settle perma 
 nently in the Great Republic, he concluded to leave 
 his family behind him, and arrived at New York in 
 July, 1834. After visiting several of the Western 
 States he settled in Missouri, and there resided for 
 several years. During his residence in Missouri he 
 made a short visit to New Mexico, where he met 
 with many trappers and hunters who had returned 
 from Upper California, and their glowing descrip 
 tions confirmed his previous impressions, and ex 
 cited an ardent desire to behold and wander over 
 the rich lands and beautiful valleys of that then 
 almost unknown region. Upon returning to Mis 
 souri he determined to reach the Pacific coast by 
 joining some one of the trapping expeditions of the 
 American or English Fur Companies. But great 
 obstacles were to be surmounted, and long years 
 were to intervene before his feet would rest upon 
 the virgin soil of California. On the 1st of April, 
 1838, he was enabled, for the first time, to connect 
 himself with a trapping expedition. On that day 
 ,he left Missouri with Captain Tripp, of the American 
 Fur Company, and traveled with his party to their 
 rendezvous in the Rocky Mountains. There he 
 parted with the expedition, and with six horsemen 
 crossed the mountains, and, after encountering the 
 usual dangers and hardships, arrived at Fort Van 
 couver, on the Columbia river. 
 
 "Having learned that there was no land communica 
 tion with California from the valleys of the Columbia 
 or Willamette in Winter, and there being then a ves 
 sel of the Hudson Bay Company ready to sail for 
 the Sandwich Islands, General Sutter took passage, 
 hoping to find at the islands some means of convey 
 ance to California. Only one of the men who had 
 remained with him thus far consented to accompany 
 him to the strange land. On reaching the islands 
 he found no prospect of conveyance, and, after 
 remaining five months, as the only means of accom 
 plishing his purpose, he shipped as supercargo, with 
 out pay, on an English vessel bound for Sitka. 
 
 "After discharging her cargo at Sitka, and, with 
 the authority of the owners, he directed the vessel 
 southward, and sailed down the coast, encountering 
 
HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 heavy gales. He was driven into the Bay of San 
 Krancisco in distress, and, on the second day of July, 
 1839, anchored his little craft opposite Yerba Buemi, 
 now San Francisco. 
 
 " He was immediately waited upon by a Mexican 
 official with an armed force, and ordered to leave 
 without delay, the officer informing him that Mon 
 tr ivy \va> the port of entry. He succeeded, however, 
 in obtaining permission to remain forty- eight hours 
 to get supplies. 
 
 " A few days later, upon arriving at Monterey, 
 General Sutter waited upon Governor Alvarado, and 
 communicated to him his desire to settle in Upper Cal 
 ifornia, on the Sacramento. Governor Alvarado 
 expressed much satisfaction upon learning his visit 
 or's wish, particularly when he understood his desire 
 to settle on the Sacramento; saying that the Indians 
 in that quarter were very hostile, and would not 
 permit any whites to settle there; that they robbed 
 the inhabitants of San Jose and the lower settle 
 ments of horses and cattle. He readily gave Sutter 
 a passport, with authority to settle on any territory 
 he should deem suitable for his colony, and requested 
 him to return to Monterey one year from that time, 
 when his Mexican citizenship would be acknowl 
 edged, and he would receive a grant for the land he 
 might solicit. Thereupon, he returned to Yerba 
 Buena and chartered a schooner, with some small 
 boats, and started upon an exploring expedition on 
 the Sacramento river. 
 
 " Upon inquiry he could not find any one at Yerba 
 Buena who had ever seen the Sacramento river, or 
 who could describe to him where he should find its 
 mouth. The people of that place only -professed to 
 know that some large river emptied into one of the 
 connected bays lying northerly from their town, 
 (ieneral Sutter consumed eight days in the effort to 
 rind the mouth of the Sacramento river. 
 
 " After ascending the river to a point about ten 
 miles below where Sacramento City now stands, he 
 encountered the first large party of Indians, who 
 exhibited every sign of ^hostility save an actual 
 attack. There were about two hundred of them, 
 armed and painted for war. Fortunately there were 
 among them two who understood Spanish, and with 
 whom the General engaged in conversation. He 
 quieted them by the assurance that there were no 
 Spaniards in his party, and that he wished to settle 
 in their country and trade with them. He'showed 
 them his agricultural implements and commodities 
 of trade, winch he had provided for the purpose, 
 and proposed to make a treaty with them. Pleased 
 with these assurances, the Indians became recon 
 ciled; the crowd dispersed, and the two who spoke 
 the Spanish language accompanied Sutter and his 
 ] >arty as far as the mouth of Feather river, to 
 show him the country. All other parties of Indians 
 seen fled at the sight of the vessel and boats. 
 
 1'arting with his two Indian interpreters and 
 guides at the mouth of Feather river, ho ascended 
 the latter stream to a considerable distance, when a 
 few of his white men became alarmed at the sur 
 rounding dangers and insisted upon returning, -which 
 he was constrained to do. 
 
 " On his descent he entered the mouth of the 
 American river, and on the 15th day of August, 
 1839, landed at the point on the south bank of that 
 stream, where he afterwards established his tannery, 
 within the present limits of Sacramento. On the 
 following morning, after landing all his effects, he 
 informed the discontented whites that all who 
 wished to return to Yerba Buena could do so; 
 
 that the Kanakas were willing to remain, and that 
 he had resolved to do so, if alone. Three of the 
 whites determined to leave, and he put them in pos 
 session of the schooner, with instructions to deliver 
 the vessel to her owners. They set sail for Yerba 
 Buena the same day. 
 
 "Three weeks thereafter General Sutter removed 
 to the spot upon which he afterwards erected FORT 
 SUTTER. In the early days of the settlement he 
 encountered many troubles with the Indians, who 
 organized secret expeditions, as he afterwards 
 learned, to destroy him and his party, but he con 
 trived to defeat and frustrate all their machinations, 
 and those of the Indians who were at first his great 
 est enemies, came to be his best and most steadfast 
 friends. He now devoted himself energetically to 
 agriculture, and became very wealthy and pros 
 perous. 
 
 " In the Fall of the year 1839, he purchased of 
 Senor Martinez three hundred head of cattle, thirty 
 horses, and thirty mares. During the Fall eight 
 more white men joined his colony. When he com 
 menced the improvements that resulted in the erec 
 tion of Sutter's Fort and his establishment there, he 
 had much trouble in procuring suitable lumber and 
 timber. He floated some down the American river 
 from the mountains, and was compelled to send to 
 Bodega, on the sea-coast, a distance of several hun 
 dred miles. 
 
 " In August, 1840, Sutter was joined by the five 
 men who had crossed the Rocky Mountains with him, 
 and whom he had left in Oregon. His colony now 
 numbered twenty-five men, seventeen whites and 
 eight Kanakas. During the Fall of that year the 
 Mokelumne Indians became troublesome, by stealing 
 the live-stock of the settlers, and compelled General 
 Sutter, by their acts and menaces, to make open war 
 against them. He marched with his forces thirty 
 miles, in the night time, to the camp of the Indians, 
 whore they were concentrating large forces for a 
 movement against him, some two hundred warriors, 
 and attacked them with such great effect that they 
 retreated, and being hotly pursued, they sued for 
 peace, which was readily granted, and over after 
 wards mutually maintained. 
 
 " Shortly after this encounter, Sutter purchased 
 one thousand more head of cattle, and seventy-five 
 horses and mules. His colony continued to increase 
 fast, by the addition of every foreigner who came 
 into the country; they sought his place as one of 
 security. The trappers he furnished with supplies, 
 and purchased their furs; the mechanics and laborers 
 he either employed or procured them work. 
 
 " In June, 1841, he visited Monterey, the capital, 
 where he was declared a Mexican citizen, and 
 received from Governor Alvarado a grant for his 
 land, under the name of Now Helvetia, a survey of 
 which he had caused to be made before that time. 
 Thereupon he was honored with a commission as 
 ' represendente del Govierno en las fronter as del 
 norte y encargado de la justicia.' 
 
 "Soon after his return to his settlement he was 
 visited by Captain Ringgold, of the United States 
 Exploring Expedition under Commodore Wilkes, and 
 about the same time by Alexander Rotcheff, Gov 
 ernor of the Russian Possessions, Ross and Bodega, 
 who offered to sell to General Sutter the Russian 
 Possessions, settlements, and ranches at those places. 
 
 " The terms were such as induced him to make the 
 purchase, forthirty thousand dollars. The live-stock 
 consisted of two thousand cattle, over one thousand 
 horses, fifty mules, and two thousand sheep, the 
 
BIOGRAPHIC SKETCH OF GENERAL SUTTER. 
 
 41 
 
 greater part of which were driven to New Helvetia. 
 This increase of resources, together with the natural 
 increase of his stock, enabled him the more rapidly 
 
 o advance his settlement and improvements. 
 " In the year 1844 he petitioned Governor Michel- 
 
 orena for the grant or purchase of the sobrante, or 
 surplus, over the first eleven leagues of the land 
 within the bounds of the survey accompanying 
 IheAlvarado grant, which the Governor agreed to 
 let him have; but, for causes growing out of existing 
 political troubles, t!ie grant was not finally executed 
 until the 5th of February, 1845; during which time 
 he had rendered valuable military services and ad 
 vanced to the Government large amounts of property 
 
 nd outlays, exceeding eight thousand dollars, to 
 enable it to suppress the Castro rebellion; in consid 
 eration of all which he acquired by purchase and 
 personal services the lands called the Sobrante, or 
 surplus. 
 
 " At that time he also secured from Governor 
 Micheltorena the commission of ' Commandante mili- 
 tar de las fronteras del norte y encargado do la 
 justicia.' After this time the war between the 
 United States and Mexico came on, and although 
 General Sutter was an officer under the Mexican 
 Government, and bound to it by his allegiance, yet, 
 upon all occasions, such was his respect towards the 
 citizens and institutions of the United States, that 
 whenever any party of American citizens, civil or 
 military service, visited him, his unbounded hospitali 
 ties were uniformly and cordially extended to them; 
 and when the country surrendered to the American 
 forces, the General, who had been for some time con 
 vinced of the instability of the Mexican Government, 
 upon request, did, on the llth of July, 1846, hoist 
 the American flag with a good heart, accompanied 
 with a salute of artillery from the guns at the fort. 
 Soon after this Lieutenant Missoon, of the United 
 States Navy, came up and organized a garrison for 
 Sutler's Fort, principally out of his former forces of 
 whites and Indians, and gave to General Sutter the 
 command, which he maintained until peace returned. 
 Ho was then appointed by Commodore Stockton 
 Alcalde of the district, and by General Kearney 
 Indian Agent, with a salary of seven hundred and 
 fifty dollars a year; but a single trip in discharge of 
 his duty as Indian Agent cost him one thousand six 
 hundred dollars, and he resigned the office. 
 
 'General Sutter was now in the full tide of pros 
 perity. His settlement continued to grow and his 
 property to accumulate, until the latter part of 
 January, 1848. He had then completed his estab 
 lishment at the fort ; had performed all the condi 
 tions of his grants of land; had,at an expense of at least 
 twenty-five thousand dollars, cut a race of three 
 miles in length, and nearly completed a flouring-mill 
 near the present town of Brighton ; had expended 
 towards the erection of a saw-mill, near the town of 
 Coloma, about ten thousand dollars; had sown over a 
 thousand acres of land in wheat which promised a yield 
 of forty thousand bushels, and had made preparations 
 for other crops; was then the owner of eight thou 
 sand head of cattle, over two thousand horses and 
 mules, over two thousand sheep, and ono thousand 
 head of hogs, and was in the undisturbed, undisputed 
 and quiet possession of the extensive lands granted 
 by the Mexican Government. But a sad change was 
 about to take place in the affairs of the old pioneer ; 
 a grand event was about to transpire, which, while it 
 would delight and electrify the world at large, was 
 destined to check the gi*owth of the settlement at 
 Suiter's Fort. General Sutter's mills were soon to 
 6 
 
 cease operations; his laborers and mechanics were soon 
 to desert him ; his possessions, his riches, his hopes 
 were soon to be scattered and destroyed before the 
 impetuous charge of the gold-hunters. The immedi 
 ate effect was that Sutter was deserted by all his 
 mechanics and laborers, white, Kanaka and Indian. 
 The mills thus deserted became a dead loss; he could 
 not hire labor to further plant or mature his crops, 
 or reap but a small part after the grain had ripened. 
 Few hands were willing to work for even an ounce a 
 day, as the industrious could make more than that 
 in the mines. Consequent of the gold discovery 
 there was an immense immigration, composed of all 
 classes of men, many of whom seemed to have no idea 
 of the rights of property. The treaty between the 
 United States and Mexico guaranteed to the Mexican 
 who should remain in the country a protection of his 
 property, and Sutter regarded himself as doubly 
 entitled to that protection, either as a Mexican or a 
 citizen of the United States, and that he held a 
 strong claim upon his country's justice. His property 
 was respected for a season ; but when the great flood 
 of immigration, which poured into the country in 
 1849-'50, found that money could be made by other 
 means than mining, many of the new-comers forcibly 
 entered upon his land, and commenced cutting his 
 wood, under the plea that it was vacant and unappro 
 priated land of the United States. Up -to the first of 
 January, 1852, the settlers had occupied all his lands 
 capable of settlement or appropriation, and the other 
 class had stolen all his horses, mules, cattle, sheep 
 and hogs, save a small portion used and sold by him 
 self. One party of five men, during the high waters 
 of 1849-'50, when his cattle were partly surrounded 
 by water near the Sacramento river, killed and sold 
 enough to amount to sixty thousand dollars. 
 
 "Having seen his power decline and his riches 
 take wings, General Sutter removed to the west bank 
 of Feather river, and took up his residence at Hock 
 farm. Here, in the midst of his family, who had 
 recently arrived from Europe, he led the quiet life of 
 a farmer in the county that bears his name." 
 
 The following verbatim copy of notes in General 
 Sutters own handwriting, we insert, notwithstanding 
 there are some repetitions of facts given in the former 
 part of this chapter: 
 
 [The following rough notes of narrative, in the 
 handwriting of the venerable General Sutter, the 
 discoverer of gold in California, were found amongst 
 the papers of an eminent citizen of this State, re 
 cently deceased, through the kindly courtesy of whoso 
 widow we are enabled to give them to the public. As 
 a relation of incidents in the life of a man held in 
 respect by every Californian, these hasty and imper 
 fect memoranda will, it is believed, have a double in 
 terest and a lasting value. We have thought it best 
 to preserve as nearly as was practicable, the quaint 
 phraseology, erroneous orthography, and imperfect 
 punctuation of the manuscript; giving, in our judg 
 ment, an added charm to the narrative. San Fran- 
 c-isco Argonaut.'] 
 
 "Left the State of Missouri (where 1 has resided 
 for a many years) on the 1th a April, 1838, and 
 travelled with the party of Men under CaptTripps, of 
 the Amer. fur Compy, to their Rendezvous in the 
 Rocky Mountains (Wind River Valley) from there I 
 travelled with 6 brave Men to Oregon, as 1 consid 
 ered myself not strong enough to cross the Sierra 
 Nevada and go direct to California (which was my 
 intention from my first Start on having got some 
 
HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 informations from a Gent'n in New Mexico, who has 
 been in California. 
 
 "Under a good Many Dangers and other troubles 1 
 have passed the Different forts or trading posts of 
 the Hudsons Bay Compy. and arrived at the Mission 
 at the Dalls on Columbia Eiver. From this place I 
 crossed right strait through thick & thin, and 
 arrived to the great astonishment of the inhabitants. 
 I arrived in 7 days in the Valley of the Willamette, 
 while others with good guides arrived only in 17 days 
 previous my Crossing. At fort Vancouver I has been 
 very hospitably received and invited to pass the 
 Winter with the Gentlemen of the Company, but as 
 a Vessel of the Compy was ready to sail for the 
 Sandwich Islands,! took a passage in her, in hopes to 
 get Soon a Passage from there to California, but 5 
 long Months I had to wait to find an Opportunity to 
 leave, but not direct to California, except far out of 
 my Way to the Russian American Colonies on the 
 North West Cost, to Sitka the Residence of the 
 Gov'r. (Lat. 57) I remained one Month there and 
 delivered the Cargo of the Brig Clementine, as 1 had 
 Charge of the Vessel, and then sailed down the Coast 
 in heavy Gales, and entered in Distress in the Port of 
 San Francisco, on the 2d of July, 1839. An Officer 
 and 15 Soldiers came on board and ordered me out, 
 saying that Monterey is the Port of entry, & at last 
 1 could obtain 48 hours to get provisions (as we 
 were starving) and some repairings done on the Brig. 
 "In Monterey I arranged my affairs with the Cos- 
 turn House, and presented myself to the Govr Alva- 
 rado, and told him my intention to Settle hero in this 
 Country, and that I have brought with me 5 White 
 Men 8 Kanacas (two of them married) 3 of the 
 Whitemen were Mechanics, he was very glad to hear 
 that, and particularly when I told him, that I intend 
 to Settle in the interior, on banks of the the river 
 Sacramento, because the Indians then at this time 
 would not allow white M^n and particularly of the 
 Spanish Origin to come near them, and was very 
 hostile, and stole the horses from the inhabitants 
 near San Jose. I got a General passport for my small 
 Colony and permission to select a Territory where 
 ever I would find it convenient, and to come in one 
 Years time again in Monterey to get my Citizenship 
 and the title of the Land, which I have done so, and 
 not only this, 1 received a high civil Office. 
 
 "When I left Yerbabuena (now San Francisco) after 
 
 having leaved the Brig and dispatched her back to 
 
 theS. 1. 1 bought several small Boats (Launches) and 
 
 Chartered the Schooner '"Isabella" for my Exploring 
 
 Journey to the inland Rivers and particularly to find 
 
 the Mouth of the River Sacramento, as I could find 
 
 Nobody who could give me information, only that 
 
 they Knew some very large Rivers are in the interior. 
 
 " It took me eight days before I could find the 
 
 entrance of the Sacramento, as it is very deceiving 
 
 and very easy to pass by, how it happened to several 
 
 Officers of the Navy afterwards which refused to 
 
 take a pilot. About 10 miles below Sacramento 
 
 City I fell in with the first Indians which was all 
 
 armed & painted & looked very hostile, they was 
 
 about 200 Men, as some of them understood a little 
 
 Spanish I could make a Kind of treaty with them, 
 
 and the two which understood Spanish came with 
 
 me, and made me a little better acquainted with the 
 
 Country, all other Indians on the up River hided 
 
 themselves in the Bushes, and on the Mouth of 
 
 Feather River they runned all away so soon they 
 
 discovered us. I was examining the Country a little 
 
 further up with a Boat, while the larger Crafts let 
 
 go their Ankers, on my return, all the white Men 
 
 came to me and asked me, how much longer I in 
 tended to travell with them in such a Wilderness. 
 " The following Morning I gave Orders to return, 
 and entered in the American River, landed at the 
 farmer Tannery on the 12th, Augt. 1839. Gave 
 Orders to get every thing on Shore, pitch the tents 
 and mount the 3 Cannons, called the white Men, and 
 told them that all those which are not contented could 
 leave on board the Isabella, next Morning, and that I 
 would settle with them imediately, and remain 
 alone with the Canaca's, of 6 Men 3 remained, and 3 
 of them I gave passage to Yerbabuena. 
 
 " The Indians was first troublesome, and came fre 
 quently and would it not have been for the Cannons 
 they would have Killed us for the sake of my prop 
 erty, which they liked very much, and this intention 
 they had very often, how they confessed to me after 
 wards, when on good terms. I had a largo Bull Dog 
 which saved my life 3 times, when they came slyly 
 near the house in the Night, he got hold of them 
 and marked most severely, in a short time removed 
 my Camps on the very spot where now the Ruins 
 of Sutters fort stands, made acquaintance with a 
 few Indians which came to work for a short time 
 making Adobes, and the Canacas was building 3 
 grass houses, like it is customary on the Sandwich 
 Islands. Before I came up here, 1 purchassed Cattle 
 & Horses on the Rancho of Sofior Martinez, and had 
 great difficulties & trouble to get them up, and re 
 ceived thorn at least on the 22d October 1839. Not 
 less than 8 Men, wanted to be in the party, as they 
 was afraid of the Indians, and had good reasons to 
 be so. 
 
 " Before I got the Cattle we was hunting Deer & 
 Elk etc and so afterwards to safe the Cattle as I had 
 then only about 500 head, 50 horses & a manada of 
 25 mares. One Year that is in the fall 1840, I bought 
 1000 head of Cattle of Don Antonio Sufiol and many 
 horses more of Don Joaquin Gomez and others. In 
 the fall 1839 I have built an Adobe house covered 
 with Tule and two other small buildings which in the 
 middle of the fort, they was afterwards destroyed 
 by fire. At the same time wo cut a Road through 
 the Woods where the City of Sacramento stand. then 
 we made the New^Embarcadcro, where the old Zink- 
 houso stands now. After this it was time to make a 
 Garden, and to sow some Wheat &c we broke up the 
 soil with poor California ploughs, I had a few Califor- 
 nians employed as Baqueros, and 2 of them making 
 Cal. Carts & stocking the plougs etc. 
 
 ''In the Spring 1840, the Indians began to be 
 troublesome all around me, Killing and Wounding 
 Cattle stealing horses, and threatening to attack us 
 on Mass, I was obliged to make Capaigns against 
 them and punish them severely, a little later about 2 
 a 300 was aproching and got United on Cosumno 
 River, but I was not waiting for them, left a small 
 Garrison at home, Canons & other Arms loaded, and 
 left with 6 brave men & 2 Baquero's in the night and 
 took them by surprise at Day light, the fighting was 
 a little hard, but after having lost about 30 men, 
 they was willing to make a treaty with me, and 
 after this lecon they behalved very well, and became 
 my best friends and Soldiers, with which I has been 
 assisted to conquer the whole Sacramento and a part 
 of the San Joaquin Valley. 
 
 "At the time the Communication with the Bay was 
 very long and dangerous, particularly in open Boats, 
 it is a great Wonder that we got not swamped a 
 many times, all time with an Indian Crew and a 
 Canaca at the helm. Once it took me (in December 
 1839.) 16 days to go down to Yerba buena and to 
 
BIOGRAPHIC SKETCH OF GENERAL SUITER. 
 
 return, 1 went down again on the 22d Xber 39. to 
 Yerba buena and on account of the inclemency of 
 the Weather and the strong current in the River I 
 need a whole month (17 days coming up) and noarh T 
 all the provisions spoiled. 
 
 "On the 23d Augt, 1841. Capt. Ringold of Coma- 
 dore Wilksc Exploring Squadron, arrived on the 
 Embarcadero, piloted by one of the Launches 
 Indian crew, without this they would not have 
 found so easy the entrance of the Sacramento. They 
 had 6 Whaleboats & 1 Launch 7 Officers and about 
 50 men in all, I was very glad indeed to see them, 
 sent immediately saddled horses for the Officers, and 
 my Clerk with an invitation to come and sec me, at 
 their arrival I fired a salut, and furnished them 
 what they needed, they was right surprised to find 
 me up here in this Wilderness, it made a very good 
 impression upon the Indians to see so many whites 
 are coming to see me, they surveyed the River so far 
 as the Bates. 
 
 "September 4th 1841. Arrived the Russian Govr 
 Mr. Alexander Rottiheff on board the Schooner Sac 
 ramento, and offered me their whole Establishment 
 at Bodega & Ross for sale, and invited me to come 
 right off with him, as there is a Russian Vessel at 
 Bodega, and some Officers withplein power, to trans 
 act this business with me, and particularly they 
 would give me the preference, as they became all 
 acquainted with me, during a months stay at Sitka. 
 I left and went with him down to the Bay in Com 
 pany with Capt. Ringold's Expedition, what for a 
 fleet we thought then, is on the River. Arriving at 
 Bodega, we came very soon to terms, from there we 
 went to fort Ross where they showed me everything 
 and returned to Bodega again, and before the Vessel 
 sailed we dined on board the Helena, and closed the 
 bargain for f 30, 000, which has been paid. And other 
 property, was a separate account which has been 
 first paid. 
 
 "On the 28th of September I dispatched a number of 
 men and my Clerk by Land to Bodega, to receive 
 the Cattle, Horses, Mules & Sheep, to bring them up 
 to Sutler's fort, called then New Helvetia, by crossing 
 the Sacramento they lost me from about 2000 head 
 about 100, which drowned in the River, but of most 
 of them we could safe the hides, our Cal. Banknotes 
 at the time. 
 
 "March 6, 1842. Captain Fremont arrived at the 
 port with Kit Carson, told me that ho was an 
 officer of the U. S. and left a party behind in Dis 
 tress and on foot, the few surviving Mules was 
 packed only with the most necessary, 1 received him 
 politely and his Company likewise as an old acquaint 
 ance, the next Morning I furnished them with 
 fresh horses, & a Vaquero with a pack Mule loaded 
 with Necessary Supplies for his Men. Capt. Fre 
 mont found in my Establishment every thing what 
 he needed, that he could travell without Delay, he 
 could have not found it so by a Spaniard, perhaps 
 by a great Many and with loosing a great deal of 
 time. I sold him about 60 Mules & about 25 horses, 
 and fat young Steers or Beef Cattle, all the Mules & 
 horses got Shoed, on the 23d March, all was ready 
 and on the 24th he left with his party for the U. 
 States. 
 
 "As an officer of the Govt. it was my duty to 
 report to the Govt. that Capt. Fremont arrived, 
 Genl. Micheltorena dispatched Lieut. Col. Telles 
 (afterwards Gov. of Sinalo) with Capt., Lieut., and 
 25 Dragoons, to inquire what Captain Fremonts 
 business was here; but he was en route as the arrive 
 only on the 27th, from this time on Exploring, 
 
 Hunting & Trapping parties has been started, at 
 the same time Agricultural & Mechanical business 
 was progressing from Year to year, and more No 
 tice has been taken, of my establishment, it became 
 even a fame, and some early Distinguished Travellers 
 like Doctor Sandells, Wasnosensky & others, Cap 
 tains of Trading Vessels & Super Cargos, & even 
 Californians (after the Indians was subdued) came 
 and paid me a visit, and was astonished to see 
 what for Work of all kinds has been done. Small 
 Emigrant parties arrived, and brought me some very 
 valuable Men, with one of those was Major Bidwell 
 (he was about 4 Years in my employ). Major Reading 
 & Major Hensley with 11 other brave men arrived 
 alone, both of these Gentlemen has been 2 Years in 
 my employ, with these parties excellent Mechanics 
 arrived which was all employed by me, likewise 
 good farmers, we made i mediately Amer. ploughs 
 was made in my Shops and all kind of work done, 
 every year the Russians was bound to furnish me 
 with good iron & Steel & files, Articles which could 
 not be got here likewise Indian Beeds and the most 
 important of all was 100 Ib of fine Rifle & 100 Ib of 
 Canon powder and several 100 Ib of Lead (every 
 year) with these I was careful like with Gold. 
 
 "June 3d 1846. I left in company of Major Read 
 ing, and most all of the Men in my employ, for a 
 Campaign with the Mukelemney Indians, which has 
 been engaged by Castro and his Officers to revolu 
 tionize all the Indians against me, to Kill all the 
 foreigners, burn their houses, and Wheat fields etc. 
 These Mukelemney Indians had great promessess 
 and some of them were finely dressed and equiped, 
 and those came apparently on a friendly visit to the 
 fort and Vicinity and long Conversations with the 
 influential Men of the Indians, and one Night a 
 Number of them entered in my Potrero (a kind of 
 closed pasture) and was Ketching horses to drive 
 the whole Cavallada away with them, the Sentinel 
 at the fort heard the distant Noise of these Horses, 
 and gave due notice, & imediately I left with about 
 6 well armed Men and attacked them, but they 
 could make their escape in the Woods (where Sac. 
 City stands now) and so I left a guard with the 
 horses. As we had to cross the Mukelemney River 
 on rafts, one of these rafts capsized with 10 Rifles, 
 and 6 prs of Pistols, a good supply of Amunition, 
 and the clothing of about 24 Men, and Major 
 Reading & another Man nearly drowned. 
 
 "June 16th 1846. Merritt & Kit Carson arrived 
 with News of Sonoma beeing occupied by the Amer 
 icans, and the same evening arrived as prissoners 
 Genl. Vallejo, Don Salvador Vallejo, Lt. Col. Prudon 
 & M. Loese, and given under my charge and Care, I 
 have treated them with kindness and so good as I 
 could, which was reported to Fremont, and he then 
 told me, that prissoners ought not to be treated so, 
 then 1 told him, if it is not right how I treat them, 
 to give them in charge of somebody else. 
 
 "Capt. Montgomery did send an Amer. flag by 
 Lieut. Revere than in Command of Sonoma, and 
 some dispatches to Fremont, 1 received the Order to 
 hiss the flag by Sunrise from Lt. Revere, long time 
 before daybreak, I got ready with loading the 
 Canons and when it was day the roaring of the 
 Canons got the people all stirring. Some them made 
 long faces, as they thought if the Bear flag would 
 remain there would be a better chance to rob and 
 plunder. Capt. Fremont received Orders to proceed 
 to Monterey with his forces, Capt. Montgomery 
 provided for the upper Country, established Garri 
 sons in all important places, Yerba buena, Sonoma, 
 
HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 San Jose, and fort Sacramento. Lieut. Missroon 
 camo to organize our Garrison better and more 
 Numbers of white Men and Indians of my former 
 Soldiers, and gave mo the Command of this Fort. 
 The Indians have not yet received their pay yet for 
 their services, only each one a shirt and a pre. of 
 pants, & abt. 12 men got Coats. So went the War on : 
 in California. Capt. Fremont was nearly all time 
 engaged in the lower Country and made himself 
 Governor, until Genl. Kearney arrived, when an 
 other Revolution took place. And Fremont^ for : 
 disobeying Orders was made prissoner by Genl. 
 Kearney, who took him afterwards with him to the 
 U. States by Land across the Mountains. After the 
 War I was anxious that Business should go on like 
 before, and on the 28lh May, 1847 ; Marshall & 
 Gingery, two Millwrights, I employed to survey the 
 large Millraise for the Flour Mill at Brighton. 
 
 "May 13th, 1847. Mr. Marshall commenced the 
 great work of the large Millraise. with ploughs and 
 scrapers. 
 
 " July 20th, 1847. Got all the necessary timber 
 and frame of the millbuilding. 
 
 " Augt. 25th. Capt Hart of the Mormon Battaillon 
 arrived, with a good many of his Men on their 
 Way to great Salt Lake, they had Orders for Govt. 
 Horses, which I delivered to them, (War Horses) 
 not paid for yet. They bought provisions and 
 got Blacksmith work done. I employed about 
 Eighty Men of them, some as Mechanics, some as 
 laborers, on the Mill and Millraise at Brighton, some 
 as laborers at the Sawmill at Columa. 
 
 "Augt. 28th. 1847. Marshall moved, with P. 
 Wisners family and the working hands to Columa. 
 and began to work briskly on the sawmill. 
 
 " Septr. 10th. Mr. Sam'l Brannan returned from 
 the great Salt Lake, and announced a largo Emigra 
 tion by land. On tho 19th the Garrison was 
 removed, Liout't Per Lee took her down to San 
 fran cisco. 
 
 " Novr. 1th. Getting with a great deal of trouble 
 and with breaking wagons the four Runs of Mill 
 stones, to tho Mill Sit (Brighton) from the Mountains. 
 
 "Decembr. 22. Received about 2000 fruit trees 
 with great expenses from Fort Ross, Napa Valley 
 and other places, which was given in Care of men 
 who called themselves Gardeners, and nearly all of 
 the trees was neglected by them and died. 
 
 "January 28th, 1848. Marshall arrived in the eve 
 ning, it was raining very heavy, but he told me that 
 he came on important business, after wo was alone 
 in a private Room he showed me tho first Specimens 
 of Gold, that is he was not certain if it was Gold or 
 not, but ho thought it might be; immediately I made 
 the proof and found that it was Gold, I told him 
 even that most of all is 23 Carat Gold; he wished 
 that I should come up with him immediately, but L 
 told him that I have to give first my orders to the 
 people in all my factories and shops. 
 
 "February 1th. Left for the Sawmill attended by 
 a Baquero- (Olimpio) was absent 2d, 3d, 4th, & 5th, 
 I examined myself everything and picked up a few 
 Specimens of Gold myself in the tail race of tho 
 Sawmill, this Gold and others which Marshall and 
 some of the other laborers gave to me (it was found 
 while in my employ and Wages) I told them that I 
 would arinirgotmade-of it so soon as the Goldsmith 
 would be here. 1 had a talk with my employed 
 people all at the Sawmill, 1 told them that as they 
 do know now that this Metal is Gold, I wished that 
 they would do me the great favor and keep it secret 
 only 6 weeks, because my large Flour Mill at Brighton 
 
 would have been in Operation in such a time, which 
 undertaking would have been a fortune to me. and 
 unfortunately the people would not keep it secret, 
 and so I lost on this Mill at the lowest calculation 
 about 25,000. 
 
 " March 7th. The first party of Mormons, em 
 ployed by me left for washing and digging Gold and 
 very soon all followed, and left mo only the sick and 
 the lame behind. And at this time 1 could say that 
 every body left me from the Clerk to tho Cook. What 
 for great Damages I had to suffer in my tannery which 
 was just doing a profitable and extensive business, 
 and the Vatts was left filled and a quantity of half 
 finished leather was spoiled likewise a large quantity 
 of raw hides collected by the farmers and of my own 
 killing. The same thing was in every branch of 
 business which I carried on at the time. I began to 
 harvest my wheat, while others was digging and 
 washing Gold, but even the Indians could not be 
 kceped longer at Work, they was impatient to run 
 to the mines, and other Indians had informed them 
 of the Gold and its value; and so I had to leave 
 more as of my harvest in the fields. 
 
 " April 18th, 1848, more curious people arrived. 
 bound for tho Mountains. I left for Columa, in 
 Company with Major P. B. Reading and Mr. Kembel 
 (Editor of the Alta-C alifornid) we wore absent 4 
 Days, wo was prospecting and found Silver and 
 iron or in abundance. 
 
 " April 28th. A great many people more went up 
 to tho Mountains. This day the Saw mill was in 
 Opei-ation and the first Lumber has been sawed in 
 the whole upper Country. 
 
 " May 1th. Saml Brannan was building a store at 
 Natoma, Mormon Islands., and have done a very 
 large and heavy business. 
 
 " May 15th. Paid of all the Mormons which has 
 been employed by me, in building these Mills and 
 other Mechanical trades, all of them made their pile, 
 and some of them became rich & wealthy, but all of 
 them was bound to the great Salt Lake, and spent 
 there their fortunes to tho honor and Glory of tho 
 Lord ! 
 
 " May 19th. Tho great Rush from San Francisco 
 arrived at tho fort, all my friends and acquaintances 
 filled up tho houses and the whole fort, I had only a 
 little Indian boy, to make them roasted Ripps, etc. 
 as my Cooks left me like every body else, the Mer 
 chants, Doctors, Lawyers, Sea Captains, Merchants, 
 etc. all came up and did not know what to do, all 
 was in a Confusion, all left thoir wives and families 
 in San Francisco, and those which had none locked 
 their Doors, abandoned their houses, offered them 
 for sale cheap, a few hundred Dollars House & Lot 
 (Lots which arc worth now $100,000 and more) 
 some of these men were just like greazy. Some of 
 the Merchants has been the most prudentost of the 
 whole, visited tho Minos and returned immediately 
 and began to do a very profitable business, and soon 
 Vessels came from every where with all Kind of 
 Merchandize, the whole old thrash which was laying 
 for Years unsold, on the Coasts of South & Central 
 America, Mexico, Sandwich Islands etc. all found a 
 good market here. 
 
 "Mr. Brannan was erecting a very large Wai'ehouse, 
 and have done an immense business, connected with 
 Howard & Green; S. Francisco. - 
 
 " May 21th. Saml Kyburg errected or established 
 the first Hotel in the fort in the larger building, and 
 made a great deal of Money. A great Many traders 
 deposited a great deal of goods in my Store (an 
 Indian was the Key Keeper and performed very 
 
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BIOGRAPHIC SKETCH OF GENERAL SUTTER. 
 
 45 
 
 well) afterwards every little Shanty became a Ware 
 house and Store, the fort was then a veritable 
 Bazaar. As white people would not be employed at 
 the Time I had a few good Indians attending to the 
 Ferry boat, and every night came up, and delivered 
 the received Money for ferryage to me, after deduc 
 tion for a lew bottles of brandy, for the whole of 
 them, perhaps some white people at the time would 
 not have acted so honestly. 
 
 ' May 25th. The travelling to the Mines was 
 increasing from day to day, and no more Notice was 
 taken, as the people arrived from South America. 
 Mexico, Sandwich Islands, Oregon etc. All the Ships 
 Crews, and Soldiers deserted. In the beginning of 
 July, Col. Mason our Military Governor, with Capt 
 Sherman (Secretary of State) Capt. Folsom Quar 
 trmstr, and an Escort of which some deserted, and 
 some other Gentlemen, travelled in Company with 
 the Governor. 
 
 " As we wanted to celebrate the 4th of July we 
 invited the Governor and his suite to remain with 
 us, and he accepted. Kyburg gave us a good Diner 
 every thing was pretty well arranged. Pinkett was 
 the Orator. It was well done enough for such a new 
 Country and in such an excitement and Confusion. 
 And from this time on you know how every thing- 
 was going on here. One thing is certain that the 
 people looked on my property as their own, and in 
 the Winter of 1849 to 1850. A great Number of 
 horses has been stolen from me, whole Manadas of 
 MM res driven away and taken to Oregon etc. Nearly 
 my whole Stock of Cattle has been Killed, several 
 thousands and left me only a very small Quantity. 
 The same has been done with my large stock of 
 Hogs, which was running like ever under nobodies 
 care and so it was easy to steal them, I had not an 
 Idea that people could be so mean, and that they 
 would do a Wholesale business in Stealing. 
 
 "On the Upper Sacramento, that is, from the Buttcs 
 downward to the point or mputh of feather Eiver. 
 there was most all of my Stock running and during 
 the Overflow the Cattle was in a many bands on 
 high spots like Islands, there was a fine chance to 
 approach them in small Boats and shoot them, this 
 business has been very successfully done by one 
 party of 5 Men (partners) which had besides hired 
 people, and Boats Crew's which transported the bed' 
 to the Market at Sacramento City and furnished 
 that City with my own beef, and because these Men 
 was nearly alone, on account of the Overflow, and 
 Monopolized the Market. 
 
 " In the Spring of 1850, these 5 men divided their 
 Spoil of $60,000 clear profits made of Cattle, all of 
 them left for the Atlantic State; one of them 
 returned again in the Winter from 1850 to 51, hired 
 a new band of Robers to follow the same business 
 and kill of the balance of the few that was left. My 
 Baqueros found out this Nest of thiefs in ther Camp 
 butchering just some head of my Cattle, on their 
 return they informed, me what they have seen, in 
 the neighborhood of the same Camp they saw some 
 more cows shot dead, which the Rascal then butch 
 ered. Immediately I did send to Nicolaus for the 
 Sheriff (Jas Hopkins) as then at the time we had 
 laws in force?!? after all was stolen and destroyed 
 the Sheriff arrived at Hock farm I furnished him a 
 Posse of my employed Men. they proceeded over 
 on the Sacramento to where the thiefs were en 
 camped, as the Sheriff wanted to arrest them they 
 just jumped in their Boats and off they went, the 
 Sheriff threatened them to fire at them, but they 
 was all, and laughing they went at large. 
 
 "One day my Son was riding after Stock a few miles 
 below Hock farm, he found a Man (his name was 
 Owens) butchering one of our finest milch Cows (of 
 Durham stock of Chile, which cost $300.) He told 
 the Man that he could not take the Meat, that he 
 would go home and get people, and so he has done, 
 and he got people and a Wagon and returned to the 
 Spot, but Owens found it good to clear out. Two 
 brothers of this Man, was respectable Merchants in 
 Lexington,. Mo. and afterwards in Westport well 
 acquainted with me, he came one day in my house 
 and brought me their compliments, I received him 
 well, and afterwards turned out to be a thief. How 
 many of this kind came to California which loosed 
 their little honor by crossing the Istmus or the plains. 
 I had nothing at all to do with speculations, but 
 stuck by the plough, but by paying such high Wages, 
 and particularly under Kyburg' management, I have 
 done this business with a heavy loss as the produce 
 had no more the Value like before, and from the time 
 on Kyburg left I curtailed my business considerable, 
 and so far that I do all at present with my family 
 and a few Indian Servants. I did not speculate, only 
 occupied my land, in the hope that it would be before 
 long decided and in my favor by the U. S. Land Com 
 mission; but now already 3 years & two months have 
 elapsed, and I am waiting now very anxiously for 
 the Decision, which will revive or bring me to the 
 untimely grave. 
 
 " All the other Circumstances you know all your 
 self, perhaps I have repeated many things which I 
 wrote in the 3 first sheets, because I had them not 
 to see what I wrote, and as it is now s.everal months 
 I must have forgotten, well it is only a kind of mem 
 orandum, and not a History at all, Only to remember 
 you on the different periods when such and such 
 things happened. 
 
 " I need not mention again, that all the Visitors has 
 all ways been hospitably received and treated. That 
 all the sick and wounded found always Medical As 
 sistance, Gratis, as I had nearly all the time a Physi 
 cian in my employ. The Assistance to the Emi 
 grants that is all well known. I dont need to write 
 anything about this. 
 
 " I think now from all this you can form some facts, 
 and that you can mention how thousands and thou 
 sands made their fortunes from this Gold Discovery 
 produced through my industry and energy, (some 
 wise merchants and others in San francisco called 
 the building of this Sawmill, another of Sutler's 
 folly) and this folly saved not only the Mercantile 
 World from bankruptcy, but even our General Govt. 
 but for me it has turned out a folly, then without 
 having discovered the Gold, I would have become the 
 richest wealthiest man on the Pacific Shore. 
 
 J. A. SUTTER." 
 
 James C. Ward, who visited Gen. Sutter in 1848, 
 says of him : 
 
 " A Swiss by birth, he held during the reign of 
 Charles X. the rank of captain in the French army. 
 He purchased the buildings at Ross, just north of 
 Bodega, of the Russians, and as he proposed to set 
 tle the wilderness to the north of the Bay of San 
 Francisco with European immigrants, the Mexican 
 Government made him a grant of eleven leagues of 
 land on the Sacramento river. After landing he 
 camped, surrounded by hostile savages, in the open 
 plain where the fort was afterward built, and the 
 next morning, after dressing in full uniform, he went, 
 accompanied by his Indian servant, both well armed, 
 to the Indian village in the woods near by. The 
 
46 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 savages were informed through the interpreter that 
 he came to them as a friend, and if they would help 
 him a little with their labor, he would make them 
 
 presents. 
 
 "The Indians were set to work to make adobes, 
 of which the fort was built. It is a parallelogram 
 in form, with two bastions. In the middle of the 
 square is a building two stories high, containing four 
 rooms, and a counting-room upstairs. A black 
 smith shop, mill for grinding corn, scrape manufac 
 tory and dwelling are around it, built against the 
 walls of the fort. At one time he had a well-drilled 
 force of thirty Indians within its walls, with guards 
 posted night and day for its defense. No one reached 
 it without being fed and lodged. 
 
 " 1 passed the evening of my arrival, after supper, 
 in bis company. His manners arc polished, and the 
 impression he makes on every one is very favorable. 
 In figure he is of medium height, rather stout, but 
 well made. His head is round, features regular, with 
 smiling and agreeable expression; complexion 
 healthy and roseate. He wears his hair cut close, 
 and his moustache trimmed short, a la militaire. He 
 dressed very neatly in frock coat, pantaloons and cap 
 of blue, and with his gold-headed malacca in hand, 
 you would rather suppose him prepared for a saunter 
 on the Boulevards than a consultation with Simplon, 
 his Indian alcalde, about hands required for the day's 
 work, or ox-teams to be dispatched here and there." 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 THE KING'S ORPHAN. 
 
 His Observations in the Sacramento Valley in 1843 Indications 
 of Gold Life at Sutler's Fort Indian Gourmands Won 
 derful Fertility of the Land. 
 
 IN 1843 a young Swedish scholar visited Sutter's 
 Fort, and made observations which are now highly 
 interesting. He had been educated at a Government 
 institution, and, on that account, was known as one 
 of the " King's Orphans." One of the requirements 
 of the school was that the pupil, after receiving a 
 gratuitous education, should travel in foreign lands, 
 write out his observations and discoveries, and de 
 posit them in the library of the institution. In pur 
 suance of that duty, the young Swede found his way 
 to California, made drawings of the Golden Gate, 
 the town of Yerba Buena, and the old Presidio, vis 
 ited and described Sutter's Fort, and, on his way 
 home, died at New Orleans. His papers fell into the 
 hands of Col. T. B. Thorpe, who reported them to 
 the Associated Pioneers of the Territorial Days of 
 California. While examining the country surround 
 ing Sutler's Fort, in 1843, the " Orphan " wrote : 
 
 "The Californias arc rich in minerals. Gold, sil 
 ver, lead, oxide of iron, manganese, and copper ore 
 are met with throughout the country, the precious 
 metals being the most abundant." 
 
 Describing Sutter's establishment, the Swedish 
 traveler said : 
 
 " It has more the appearance of a fort than a farm 
 ing establishment. It is protected by a wall ten feet 
 high, made of adobes, or sun-dried brick, having a 
 turret with embrasures and loop-holes for fire-arms. 
 Twenty-four pieces of cannon, of different sizes, can 
 be brought to defend the walls. Against the walls 
 
 on the inside are erected the store-houses oi the es 
 tablishment ; also, a distillery to make spirits from 
 the wheat and grapes, together with shops for coop 
 ers, blacksmiths, saddlers, gi'anaiie, and huts for the 
 laborers. At the gate- way is always stationed a ser 
 vant, armed as a sentinel. 1 arrived at the estab 
 lishment in the morning, just as the people were be 
 ing assembled for labor by the discordant notes of a 
 Mexican drum. I found Captain Sutter busily em 
 ployed in distributing orders for the day. He re 
 ceived me with great hospitality, and made me feel 
 on the instant, perfectly at home under his roof. The 
 magical sound of the drum had gathered together 
 several hundred Indians, who flocked to their morn 
 ing meal preparatory to the labors of the day, reap 
 ing wheat. The morning meal over, they filed off to 
 the field in a kind of military order, armed with a 
 sickle and hook. 
 
 " Breakfast was by this time announced for the 
 family, which was served up in an out-house adjoin 
 ing the kitchen. It consisted of wholesome corn- 
 bread, eggs, ham, an excellent piece of venison, and 
 coffee. In the rear of the fort is a large pond, the 
 borders of which are planted with willows and other 
 trees. This pond furnishes water for domestic use, 
 and for irrigating the garden. The want of rain is 
 the greatest evil that befalls the country. In the 
 front of the fort there are inclosures for horses and 
 cattle, and places to deposit corn and wheat. The 
 manner of threshing was conducted on a most patri 
 archal plan, the grain being strewn upon the floor 
 and then trodden out by horses or cattle, which causes 
 it to bo much broken and mixed with the earth, and 
 almost impossible to clean. 
 
 "The raising of wheat, corn, horses, and cattle, 
 constitutes the principal business of Captain Sutter ; 
 but he has realized considerable income from the sal 
 mon fisheries of the rivers, the fish being uncqualed 
 in flavor, and found in the greatest abundance. He 
 also organized extensive hunting and trapping expe 
 ditions for the skins of the beaver, otter, elk, deer, 
 and antelope, but in this he was greatly interfered 
 with by the Hudson Bay Company, who sent their 
 hunters upon his grounds. Ho complained to the 
 proper authorities, but they paid no attention to the 
 matter. His enemies, not content with thus injur 
 ing him, informed the suspicious Mexican Govern 
 ment that Captain Sutter was concocting revolu 
 tionary plans, and that he encouraged deserters and 
 other disorderly persons to live at his settlement. 
 Captain Sutter replied to these charges by stating 
 that he had received the grant of his lands on condi 
 tion that he should obtain settlers, the principal por 
 tion of whom he expected from Europe. To make 
 amends, he had encouraged all the stragglers in the 
 country to flock to his central position, and they be 
 ing chiefly unmarried men, and some rather lalwess 
 spirits from the mountains, they soon formed a very 
 independent set of men, and were quite competent 
 to defend themselves. 
 
 " The Government at Monterey was not satisfied 
 with this explanation, and urged on by envious neigh 
 bors, it was prompted to send to Captain Sutter a 
 committee of investigation. The Captain was so en 
 raged at the indignity that he treated the committee 
 with great contempt, and said he could defend him 
 self against any force that might be employed against 
 him. Whereupon the Government at Monterey 
 threatened to send a military force, but thought bet 
 ter of the matter when they learned the character 
 of the men Sutter had about him, and the Russian 
 armament he had mounted on the walls of the fort; 
 
BUTTER'S FORT IN 1846. 
 
 47 
 
 but they annoyed him with lawsuits, and, after a 
 great deal of difficulty, he was acquitted of any 
 treasonable designs against the Government. 
 
 " The Hudson Bay Company having destroyed his 
 trade in i'urs, he retaliated upon them by erecting a 
 large distillery, with the product of which ho se 
 cretly purchased from the hunters of the Company 
 the greater part of their furs, and managed to make 
 more by the operation than if he had kept up a large 
 hunting establishment of his own. 
 
 ' ; Mr. Sinclair, a partner with Captain Sutter in 
 farming pursuits, and a Mr. Grimes, have large and 
 productive farms on the American Fork. Mr. Sin 
 clair is from Scotland, is a very interesting gentle 
 man in conversation, and possesses great enterprise 
 in business. He was a hunter for many years among 
 the Rocky Mountains, acting as a clerk to one of the 
 Hudson Bay Company's expeditions. Ho treated me 
 to a rural breakfast, and, in accordance with his old 
 habits, broiled his meat on a ramrod stuck up be 
 fore the fire. The limpid and beautiful river near 
 which his home is situated, is made doubly attractive 
 when compared with the sultry .plains in the vicinity, 
 upon which good water is not always to be ob 
 tained." . 
 
 The " Orphan " explains the process of Indian sig 
 nal-fires: 
 
 " A hole is dug in the ground much wider at the 
 bottom than at the top; this hole is filled with com 
 bustibles and set on fire; once well ignited the hole 
 is nearly closed at the opening. By this means the 
 smoke rises to a considerable height in a column, and 
 thus information is conveyed to different tribes of the 
 approach of an enemy or friend, and whether they 
 are coming in largo or small bodies." 
 
 The gluttonous habits of the Indians are described: 
 
 " The Indians that constituted the crew of the 
 schooner, having been rather stinted of food for a 
 day or two, determined on a feast as a recompense 
 for their previous fasting. They presented on that 
 occasion a spectacle I had never before witnessed of 
 disgusting sensual indulgence, the effect of which on 
 their conduct, struck me as being exceedingly 
 strange. The moat of the heifer, most rudely cooked, 
 was oaten in a voracious manner. After gorging 
 themselves they would lie down and sleep for a while, 
 and get up and eat again. They repeated this glut 
 tony until they actually lost their senses, and pre 
 sented in their conduct all the phenomena peculiar 
 to an over-indulgence in spirituous liquors. They 
 cried and laughed by turns, rolled upon the ground, 
 dozed, and then sprang up in a state of delirium. 
 The following morning they were all wretchedly 
 sick, and had the expression peculiar to drunken 
 men recovering their reason after a debauch." 
 
 The great fertility of the soil in parts of the Sac 
 ramento valley is referred to as follows : 
 
 " Vegetables of all kinds can be raised in the great 
 est abundance, frequently two or three crops a year. 
 Wormwood and wild mustard abound as weeds. Oats 
 grow wild, and the cultivated grow to an enormous 
 height. Wheat crops sown in the Fall, early the fol 
 lowing year have yielded one hundred and fourteen 
 bushels to the acre. At the Mission of St. Joseph it 
 was ascertained that the yield was one hundred and 
 twenty bushels to the acre, and the spontaneous crop 
 the following year was sixty bushels to the acre. 
 The wheat of Taos has six distinct heads. Clover 
 and the grasses are extraordinarily fine and pro 
 ductive. Indian flax grows wild all over the coun 
 try. Horses, cattle, sheep, and hogs thrive well, and 
 
 are possessed in greater or less numbers by all the 
 inhabitants, and are tended by herdsmen." 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 BUTTER'S FORT IN 1846. 
 
 Aspect of Sacramento Valley Sinclair's Ranch A Lady Pion 
 eer Captain Sutter at Home The Fort Described Condi 
 tion and Occupation of the Indians Farm Products and 
 Prices Dinner with the Pioneer New Helvetia. 
 
 THE following interesting and accurate description 
 of Sutler's Fort, before the gold discovery, is from 
 Edwin Bryant's work, " What I Saw in Calfforuia," 
 published in 1849. Mr. Bryant, with a party of nine 
 persons, left Independence, Missouri, on the 1st of 
 May, 1846, and reached Sutter's Fort about midsum 
 mer, when he took the following observations : 
 
 " Sept. 1, 1846. A clear, pleasant morning. We 
 took a south course down the valley, and at 4 o'clock 
 p. M. reached the residence of John Sinclair, Esq., 
 on the Rio de los Americanos, about two miles east 
 of Sutter's Fort. The valley of the Sacramento, as far 
 as we have traveled down it, is from thirty to forty 
 miles in width, from the foot of the low benches of 
 the Sierra Nevada to the elevated range of hills on 
 the western side. The composition of the soil ap 
 pears to be such as to render it highly productive, 
 with proper cultivation, of the small grains. The 
 ground is trodden up by immense herds of cattle 
 and horses, which grazed here early in the Spring, 
 when it was wet and apparently miry. We passed 
 through large evergreen oak groves, some of them 
 miles in width. Game is very abundant. We fre 
 quently saw deer feeding quietly one or two hundred 
 yards from us, and large flocks of antelopes. 
 
 "Mr. Sinclair, with a number of horses and In 
 dians, was engaged in threshing wheat. His crop 
 this year, he informed me, would be about three 
 thousand bushels. The soil of his rancho, situated 
 in the bottom of the Rio de los Americanos, just 
 above its junction with the Sacramento, is highly 
 fertile. His wheat-fields are secured against the 
 numerous herds of cattle and horses, which consti 
 tute the largest item in the husbandry of this coun 
 ty by ditches about five feet in depth, and four or 
 five feet over at the surface. The dwelling-house 
 and outhouses of Mr. Sinclair are all constructed 
 after American models, and present a most com 
 fortable and neat appearance. It was a pleasant 
 scene, after having traveled many months in the 
 wilderness, to survey this abode of apparent thrift 
 and enjoyment, resembling so nearly those we had 
 left in the far-off country behind us. 
 
 "In searching for the ford over the Rio de los 
 Americanos, in order to proceed on to Sutter's Fort, 
 I saw a lady of a graceful, though fragile figure, 
 dressed in the costume of our own countrywomen. 
 She was giving some directions to her female ser 
 vants, and did not discover me until I spoke to her, 
 and inquired the position of the ford. Her pale and 
 delicate, but handsome and expressive countenance, 
 indicated much surprise, produced by my sudden 
 and unexpected salutation. But, collecting herself, 
 she replied to my inquiry in vernacular English, and 
 the sounds of her voice, speaking our own lano-uao-e 
 and her civilized appearance, were highly pleasino-. 
 This lady, 1 presume, was Mrs. Sinclair; but I never 
 saw her afterwards. 
 
 " Crossing the Rio do los Americanos, the waters 
 
HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 of which, at this season, are quite shallow at the 
 ford, we proceeded over a well- beaten road to Sut 
 ler's Fort, arriving there when the sun was about 
 an hour and a half high. Riding up to the front 
 gate, I saw two Indian sentinels pacing to and fro 
 before it, and several Americans, or foreigners (as all 
 who are not Californians by birth are here called), 
 sitting in the gateway, dressed in buckskin panta 
 loons and blue sailor shirts, with white stars worked 
 on the collars. I inquired if Captain Sutter was in 
 the fort. A very small man, with a peculiarly sharp 
 red face and a most voluble tongue, gave the re 
 sponse. He was probably a corporal. He said, in 
 Mibstanco* that perhaps I was not aware of the 
 great changes which had recently taken place in 
 California; that the fort belonged to the United 
 States, and that Captain Sutter, although he was in 
 the fort, had no control over it. He was going into 
 a minute history of the complicated circumstances 
 and events which had produced this result, Avhen I 
 reminded him that we were too much fatigued to 
 listen to a long discourse, but if Captain Sutter was 
 inside the walls, and could conveniently step to the 
 gate a moment, I would be glad to see him. A lazy- 
 iooking Indian with a ruminating countenance, after 
 some time spent in parleying, was dispatched with 
 my message to Captain Sutter. 
 
 "Captain S. soon came to the gate, and saluted us 
 with much gentlemanly courtesy and friendly cordi 
 ality. He said that events had transpired in the 
 country, which, to his deep regret, had so far de 
 prived him of the control of his own property, that ! 
 lie did not feel authorized to invite us inside of the J 
 walls to remain. The fort, he said, was occupied i 
 by soldiers under the pay of the United States, and 
 commanded by Mr. Kern. I replied to him that, ! 
 although it would be something of a novelty to sleep ' 
 under a roof, after our late nomadic life, it was a 
 matter of small consideration. If he would supply 
 us with some meat, a little salt, and such vegetables 
 as he might have, we neither asked nor desired more 
 from his hospitality, which we all knew was liberal, 
 to the highest degree of generosity. 
 
 "A servant was immediately dispatched with 
 orders to furnish us with a supply of beef, salt, mel 
 ons, onions, and tomatoes, for which no compensa 
 tion would be received. We proceeded immediately 
 to a grove of live-oak timber, about two miles west 
 of the fort, and encamped within a half a mile of the 
 Sacramento river. * 
 
 " He [Captain Sutter], planted himself on the spot 
 where his fort now stands, then a savage wilderness, | 
 and in the midst of numerous and hostile tribes of 
 Indians. With the small party of men which he ! 
 originally brought with him, he succeeded in defend 
 ing himself against the Indians, until he constructed 
 his first defensive building. He told me that, sev 
 eral times being hemmed in by his assailants, he 
 had subsisted for many days upon grass alone. 
 There is a grass in this valley which the Indians 
 cat. that is pleasant to the taste, and nutritious. 
 He succeeded by degrees in reducing the Indians to 
 obedience, and by means of their labor erected the 
 spacious fortification which now belongs to him. 
 
 ''The fort is a parallelogram, about -five hundred 
 feet in length, and one hundred and fifty in breadth. 
 The walls are constructed of adobes or sun-dried 
 bricks. The main building, or residence, stands near 
 the center of the area, or court, inclosed by the 
 walls. A row of shops, store-rooms, and barracks, 
 :>re inclosed within, and lino the walls on every side. 
 Bastions project from the angles, and ordnance, 
 
 mounted in which, sweep the walls. The principal 
 gates on the east and the south are also defended 
 by heavy artillery, through port-holes pierced in the 
 walls. At this time the fort is manned by about 
 fifty well-disciplined Indians, and ten or twelve 
 white men, all under the pay of the United States. 
 These Indians are well clothed and fed. The gar 
 rison is under the command of Mr. Kern, the artist 
 of Captain Fremont's exploring expedition. 
 
 " The number of laboring Indians employed by 
 Captain Sutter during the seasons of sowing and 
 harvest, is from two to three hundred. Some of 
 these are clothed in shirts and blankets, but a lai'ge 
 portion of them are entirely naked. They are paid 
 so much per day for their labor, in such articles of 
 merchandise as they may select from the store. 
 Cotton cloth and handkerchiefs are what they most 
 freely purchase. Common brown cotton cloth sells 
 at one dollar per yard. A tin coin issued by Captain 
 Sutter circulates among them, upon which is stamped 
 the number of days that the holder has labored. 
 These stamps indicate the value in merchandise to 
 which the laborer or holder is entitled. 
 
 "They are inveterate gamblers, and those who 
 have been so fcfrtunate as to obtain clothing, fre 
 quently stake and part with every rag upon their 
 backs. The game which they most generally play 
 is carried on as follows: Any number which may be 
 concerned in it seat themselves cross-legged on the 
 ground, in a circle. They are then divided into two 
 parties, each of which has two champions or players. 
 A ball, or some small article, is placed in the hands 
 of the players on one side, which they transfer from 
 hand to hand with such sleight and dexterity that 
 it is nearly impossible to detect the changes. When 
 the players holding the balls make a particular 
 motion with their hands, the antagonist players 
 guess in which hand the balls arc at the time. If 
 the guess is wrong, ib counts one in favor of the 
 playing party. If the guess is right, then it counts 
 one in favor of the guessing party, and the balls are 
 transferred to them. The count of the game is 
 kept with sticks. During the progress of the game, 
 all concerned keep up a continual monotonous grunt 
 ing, with a movement of their bodies to keep time 
 with their grunts. The articles which are staked 
 on the game are placed in the center of the ring. 
 
 " The laboring or field Indians about the fort arc 
 fed upon the offal of slaughtered animals, and upon 
 the bran sifted from the ground wheat. This is 
 boiled in large iron kettles. It is then placed i/\ 
 wooden troughs standing in the court, around which 
 the several messes seat themselves, and scoop out 
 with their hands this poor fodder. Bad as it is, 
 they eat it with an apparent high relish; and no 
 doubt it is more palatable- and more healthy than 
 the acorn mush, or afole, which constitutes the prin 
 cipal food of these Indians in their wild state. 
 
 " The wheat crop of Captain Sutter, the present 
 year [1846], is about eight thousand bushels. The 
 season has not been a favorable one. The average 
 yield to the acre, Captain S. estimated at twenty- 
 five bushels. In favorable seasons this yield is 
 doubled; and if we can believe the statements often 
 made upon respectable authority, it is sometimes 
 ([uadrupled. ***** The wheat-fields of 
 < 'aptain S. are secured against the cattle and horses 
 by ditches. Agriculture, among the native Califor 
 nians, is in a very primitive state, and although Cap 
 tain S. has introduced some American implements, 
 st ill his ground is but imperfectly cultivated. * * ' 
 
 " Wheat is selling at the fort at two dollars and 
 
THE HISTORY OF THE DONNER PARTY. 
 
 49 
 
 fifty cents per fanegu, rather more than two bushels 
 English measure. It brings the same price when 
 delivered i*t San Francisco, near the mouth of the 
 Bay of San Francisco. It is transported from the 
 Sacramento valley to a market in launches of about 
 fifty tons burden. Unbolted flour sells at eight dol 
 lars per one hundred pounds. The reason of this 
 high price is the scarcity of flouring-mills in the 
 country. The mills which are now going up in 
 various places will reduce the price of flour, and 
 probably they will soon be able to grind all the 
 wheat raised in the country. The streams of Cali 
 fornia afford excellent water-power, but the flour 
 consumed by Captain Sutter is ground by a very 
 ordinary horse-mill. 
 
 "I saw near the fort a small patch of hemp, which 
 had been sown as an experiment, in the spring, and 
 had not been irrigated. I never saw a ranker 
 growth of hemp in Kentucky. Yegctables of several 
 kinds appeared to be abundant, and in perfection. 
 ********* 
 
 "Captain Slitter's dining-room and his table fur 
 niture do not present a very luxurious appearance. 
 The room is unfurnished, with the exception of a 
 common deal table standing in the center, and some 
 benches, which are substitutes for chairs. The 
 table, when spread, presented a correspondingly 
 primitive simplicity of aspect and of viands. The 
 first course consisted of good soup, served to each 
 guest, in a china bowl, with silver spoons. The 
 bowls, after they had been used for this purpose, 
 were taken away and cleaned by the Indian servant, 
 and were afterwards used as tumblers or goblets, 
 from which we drank our water. The next course 
 consisted of two dishes of meat, one roasted and one 
 fried, and both highly seasoned with onions. Bread, 
 cheese, butter, and melons, constituted the dessert. 
 ********* 
 
 "Such has been the extortion of the Government 
 in the way of import duties, that few supplies which 
 arc included even among the most ordinary elegan 
 cies of life, have ever reached the inhabitants, and 
 for these they have been compelled to pay prices 
 that would be astonishing to a citizen of the United 
 States or of Europe, and such as have impoverished 
 the population. As a general fact, they cannot be 
 obtained at any price, and hence those who have 
 the ability to purchase are compelled to forego their 
 use from necessity. 
 
 "The site of the town of Nueva Helvetia, which 
 has been laid out by Captain Sutter, is about a mile 
 and a half from the Sacramento. It is on an eleva 
 tion of the plain, and not subject to overflow when 
 the waters of the river are at their highest known 
 point. There are now but three or four small houses 
 in this town, but I have little doubt that it will soon 
 become a place of importance. 
 
 "Near the Embai-cadero of New Helvetia is a large 
 Indian 'sweat-house,' or temescal, an appendage of 
 most of the rancherias." 
 
 ess f-' 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE HISTORY OF THE DONNER PARTY. 
 
 Scene of the Tragedy Organization and Composition of the 
 Party Election of George Donner as Captain Hastings' 
 Cut-off Ascent of the Mountains Arrival at Donner Lake 
 Snow-storms Construction of Cabins "Forlorn Hope 
 Party " Captain Reasin P. Tucker's Relief Party James 
 F. Reed's Relief Party "Starved Camp "Third Relief 
 Party Heroism and Devotion of Mrs. George Donner 
 Fourth Relief Party The Survivors. 
 
 THREE miles from Truckee, and resting in the 
 green lap of the Sierras, lies one of the loveliest 
 sheets of water on the Pacific coast. Tall mountain 
 peaks are reflected in its clear waters, revealing a 
 picture of extreme loveliness and quiet peace. Yet 
 this peaceful scene was the amphitheatre of the most 
 tragic event in the annals of early California. " The 
 Donner Party" was organized in Sangamon county, 
 Illinois, by George and Jacob Donner and James F. 
 Reed, in the Spring of 1846. In April, 1846, the 
 party set out from Springfield, Illinois, and by the 
 first week in May had reached Independence, Mis 
 souri, where the party was increased until the train 
 numbered about two or three hundred wagons, the 
 Donner family numbering sixteen; the Reed family, 
 seven; the Graves family, twelve; the Murphy family, 
 thirteen; these were the principal families of the 
 Donner party proper. At Independence, provisions 
 were laid in for the trip, and the line of journey taken 
 up. In the occasional glimpses we have of the party, 
 features of but little interest present themselves, 
 beyond the ordinary experience of pioneer life. A 
 letter from Mrs. George Donner, written near the 
 junction of the North and South Platte, dated June 
 16, 1846, reports a favorable journey of four hundred 
 and fifty miles from Independence, Missouri, with 
 no forebodings of the terrible disasters so soon to 
 burst upon them. At Fort Laramie a portion of the 
 party celebrated the Fourth of July. Thereafter 
 the train passed, unmolested, upon its journey. 
 George Donner was elected captain of the train at 
 the Little Sandy river, on the 20th of July, 1846, 
 from which act it took the name of "The Donner 
 Party." 
 
 At Fort Bridger, then a mere trading post, the 
 fatal choice was made of the route that led to such 
 fearful disasters and tragic death. A new route, via 
 Salt Lake, known as Hastings' Cut-off, was recom 
 mended to the party as shortening the distance by 
 three hundred miles. After due deliberation, the 
 Donner party, of eighty-seven souls (three having 
 died) were induced to separate from the larger por 
 tion of the train (which afterwards arrived in Cali 
 fornia in safety) and commenced their journey by 
 way of Hastings' Cut-off. They reached Weber 
 river, near the head of the canon, in safety. From 
 this point, in their journey, to Salt Lake, almost 
 insurmountable difficulties were encountered, and 
 instead of reaching Salt Lake in one week, as antici 
 pated, over thirty days of perilous travel were con 
 sumed in making the trip most precious time in 
 
50 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 view of the dangers imminent in the rapidly ap 
 proaching storms of Winter. The story of their 
 trials and sufferings, in their journey to the fatal 
 camp at Donner lake, is terrible; nature and stern 
 necessity seemed arrayed against them. On the 
 19th of October, near the present site of Wadsworth, 
 Nevada, the destitute company were happily repro- 
 visioned by C. T. Stan ton; furnished with food and 
 mules, together with two Indian vaqueros, by Cap 
 tain Sutter, without compensation. 
 
 At the present site of Eeno it was concluded to 
 rest. Three or four days' time was lost. This was 
 the fatal act. The storm-clouds were already brew 
 ing upon the mountains, only a few miles distant. 
 The ascent was ominous. Thick and thicker grew 
 the clouds, outstripping in threatening battalions 
 the now eager feet of the alarmed emigrants, until, 
 at Prosser creek, three miles below Truckee, October 
 28, 1846, a month earlier than usual, the storm set 
 in, and they found themselves in six inches of newly- 
 fallen snow. On the summit it was already from two 
 to five feet deep. The party, in much confusion, 
 finally reached Donner lake in disordered fragments. 
 Frequent and desperate attempts were made to cross 
 the mountain tops, but at last, baffled and despairing, 
 they returned to camp at the lake. The storm now 
 descended in all its pitiless fury upon the ill-fated 
 emigrants. Its dreadful import was well understood, 
 as laden with omens of suffering and death. With 
 slight interruptions, the storm continued for several 
 days. The animals were literally buried alive and 
 frozen in the drifts. Meat was hastily prepared from 
 their frozen carcasses, and cabins rudely built. One, 
 the Schallenberger cabin, erected November, 1844, 
 was already standing, about a quarter of a mile be 
 low the lake. This the Breen family appropriated. 
 The Murphys erected one three hundred yards from 
 the lake, marked by a large stone twelve feet high. 
 The Graves family built theirs near Donner creek, 
 three-quarters of a mile further down the stream, 
 the three forming the apexes of a triangle; the 
 Breen and Murphy cabins were distant from each 
 other about one hundred and fifty yards. The Don 
 ner brothers, with their families, hastily constructed 
 a brush shed in Alder Creek valley, six or seven 
 miles from the lake. Their provisions were speedily 
 consumed, and stai-vation, with all its grim attend 
 ant horrors, stared the poor emigrants in the face. 
 Day by day, with aching hearts and paralyzed ener 
 gies, they awaited, amid the beating storms of the 
 Sierras, the dread revelation of the morrow, "hoping 
 against hope " for some welcome sign. 
 
 On the sixteenth day of December, 1846, a party 
 of seventeen were enrolled to attempt the hazardous 
 journey over the mountains, to press into the valley 
 beyond for relief. Two returned, and the remaining 
 fifteen pressed on, including Mary Graves and her 
 sister; Mrs. Sarah Fosdick, and several other women, 
 the heroic C. T. Stanton and the noble F. W. Graves 
 (who left his wife and seven children at the lakes 
 
 to await in vain his return) being the leaders. This 
 was the " Forlorn Hope Party," over whose dreadful 
 sufferings and disaster we must throw a veil. A de 
 tailed account of this party is given from the graphic 
 pen of C. F. McGlashan, and lately published in book 
 form from the press of Crowley & McGlashan, pro 
 prietors of the Truckee Republican, to which we take 
 pleasure in referring the reader. Death in its most 
 awful form reduced the wretched company to seven 
 t\\o men and five women when suddenly tracks 
 were discovered imprinted in the snow. " Can any 
 one imagine," says Mary Graves in her recital, " the 
 joy these foot-prints gave us ? We ran as fast as Our 
 strength would carry us." Turning a sharp point 
 they suddenly came upon an Indian rancheria. The 
 acorn-bread offered them by the kind and awe- 
 stricken savages was eagerly devoured. But on they 
 pressed with their Indian guides, only to repeat their 
 dreadful sufferings, until at last, one evening about 
 the last of January, Mr. Eddy, with his Indian guide, 
 preceding the party fifteen miles, reached Johnson's 
 ranch, on Bear river, the first settlement on the 
 western slope of the Sierras, when relief was sent 
 back as soon as possible and the remaining six sur 
 vivors were brought in next day. It had been thir 
 ty-two days since they left Donner lake. . No tongue 
 can tell, no pen portray, the awful suffering, the ter 
 rible and appalling straits, as well as the noble deeds 
 of heroism that characterized this march of death. 
 The eternal mountains, whose granite faces bore wit 
 ness to their sufferings, are fit monuments to mark 
 the last resting-place of Charles T. Stanton, that cul 
 tured, heroic soul, who groped his way through the 
 blinding snow of the Sierras to immortality. The 
 divinest encomium " He gave his life as a ransom 
 for many" is his epitaph, foreshadowed in his own 
 noble words, " I will bring aid to these famishing 
 people or lay down my life.' 1 ' 1 
 
 Nothing could be done, in the meantime, for the 
 relief of the sufferers at Donner lake, without 
 securing help from Fort Sutter, which was speedily 
 accomplished by John Ehodes. In a week, six men, 
 fully provisioned, with Captain Reasin P. Tucker at 
 their head, reached Johnson's ranch, and in ten or 
 twelve days' time, with provisions, mules, etc., the 
 first relief party started for the scene at Donner lake. 
 It was a fearful undertaking, but on the morning of 
 the 19th of February, 1847, the above party began 
 the descent of the gorge leading to Donner lake. 
 
 We have purposely thrown a veil over the dread 
 ful sufferings of the stricken band left in their 
 wretched hovels at Donner lake. Reduced to the 
 verge of starvation, many died (including numerous 
 children, seven of whom were nursing babes) who, 
 in this dreadful state of necessity, were summarily 
 disposed of. Rawhides, moccasins, strings, etc., 
 were eaten. But relief was now close at hand for 
 the poor, stricken sufferers. On the evening of the 
 19th of February, 1847, the stillness of death that 
 had settled upon the scene was broken by pro- 
 
THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD. 
 
 51 
 
 longed shouts. In an instant the painfully sensitive 
 ears of the despairing watchers caught the welcome 
 sound. Captain Tucker, with his relief party, had 
 at last arrived upon the scene. Every face was 
 bathed in tears, and the strongest men of the relief 
 party melted at the appalling sight, sat down, and 
 wept with the rest. But time was precious, as storms 
 were imminent. The return party was quickly gath 
 ered. Twenty-three members started, among them 
 several women and children. Of this number two were 
 compelled to return, and three perished on the jour 
 ney. Many hardships and privations were expe 
 rienced, and their provisions were soon entirely 
 exhausted. Death once more stared them in the 
 face, and despair settled upon them. But assistance 
 was near at hand. James F. Reed, who had pre 
 ceded the Donner party by some months, suddenly 
 appeared with the second relief party, on the 
 25th of February, 1847. The joy of the meeting 
 was indescribable, especially between the family and 
 the long-absent father. Re-provisioned, the party 
 pressed on, and gained their destination after severe 
 suffering, with eighteen members, only three having 
 perished. Reed continued his journey to the cabins 
 at Donner lake. There the scene was simply inde 
 scribable; starvation and disease were fast claiming 
 their victims. March 1st (according to Breen's 
 diary) Reed and his party arrived at the camp. 
 Proceeding directly to his cabin, he was espied by 
 his little daughter (who, with her sister, was carried 
 back by the previous party) and immediately recog 
 nized with a cry of joy. Provisions were carefully 
 dealt out to the famishing people, and immediate 
 steps were taken for the return. Seventeen com 
 prised this party. Half-starved and completely 
 exhausted, they were compelled to camp in the 
 midst of a furious storm, in which Mr. Reed barely 
 escaped with his life. This was " Starved Camp," 
 and from this point Mr. Reed, with his two little 
 children and another person, struggled ahead to 
 obtain hasty relief, if possible. . 
 
 On the second day after leaving " Starved 
 Camp," Mr. Reed and the three companions w.ere 
 overtaken by Cady and Stone, and on the night of 
 the third day, reached Woodworth's camp, at Bear 
 valley, in safety. The horrors of " Starved Camp " 
 beggar all description, indeed, require none. The 
 third relief party, composed of John Stark, Howard 
 Oakley, and Charles Stone, were nearing the rescue, 
 while W. H. Foster and W. H. Eddy (rescued by a 
 former party) were bent on the same mission. 
 These, with Hiram Miller, set out from Woodworth's 
 camp on the following morning after Reed's arrival. 
 The eleven were duly reached, but were in a starving 
 condition, and nine of the eleven were unable to 
 walk. By the noble resolution and herculean 
 efforts of John Stark, a part of the number were 
 borne and urged onward to their destination, while 
 the other portion was compelled to remain and 
 await another relief party. When the third relief 
 
 party, under Foster and Eddy, arrived at Donner 
 lake, the sole survivors of Alder creek were George 
 Donner, the captain of the company, and his heroic 
 and faithful wife, whose devotion to her dying 
 husband caused her own death during the last and 
 fearful days of waiting for the fourth relief. George 
 Donner knew he was dying, and urged his wife to 
 save her life, and go with her little ones, with the 
 third relief, but she refused. Nothing was more 
 heart-rending than her sad parting with her beloved 
 little ones, who wound their childish arms lovingly 
 around her neck and besought her with mingled 
 tears and kisses to join them. But duty prevailed 
 over affection, and she retraced the weary distance 
 to die with him whom she had promised to love and 
 honor to the end. Such scenes of anguish are seldom 
 witnessed on this sorrowing earth, and such acts of 
 triumphant devotion are among her most golden 
 deeds. The snowy cerements of Donner lake 
 enshrouded in its stilly whiteness no purer life, no 
 nobler heart than Mrs. George Donner's. The 
 terrible recitals that close this awful tragedy we 
 willingly omit. 
 
 The third relief party rescued four of the last five 
 survivors; the fourth and last relief party rescued 
 the last survivor, Lewis Keseberg, on the 7th of 
 April, 1847. Ninety names are given as members of 
 the Donner party. Of these forty-two perished, six 
 did not live to reach the mountains, and forty-eight 
 survived. Twenty-six, and possibly tAventy-eight, 
 out of the forty-eight survivors are living to-day 
 several residing in San Jose, Calistoga, Los Gatos, 
 Marysville, and in Oregon. 
 
 Thus ends this narrative of horrors, without a 
 parallel in the annals of American history, of appall 
 ing disasters, fearful sufferings, heroic fortitude, self- 
 denial and heroism. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD. 
 
 Early Reports and Discoveries Marshall's Great Discovery at 
 Gutter's Mill His Account of the Event Views of the 
 Newspapers of that Time Political and Social Revolu 
 tion Great Rush to the Mines Results General Suiter's 
 Account of the Gold Discovery Building of Saw-Mill. 
 
 FROM the first discovery of California by the Span 
 iards the impression prevailed that the country was 
 rich in silver, gold, and precious stones. When set 
 ting out on his northern expedition, the object of 
 Cortez was to find another country like M.exico, in 
 habited by a semi-civilized people, whose rich treas 
 ures he might appropriate; and afterwards there 
 existed among the inhabitants of New Spain a strong 
 belief in the great riches of the new province, both 
 in gold and precious stones. The first published 
 report of gold in California is found in Hakluyt's 
 account of Sir Francis Drake's expedition to this coast 
 in 1579. The historian of the voyage says: "There 
 is no part of the earth here to be taken up wherein 
 there is not a reasonable quantity of gold or silver." 
 
52 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 It is not related that any of Drake's men penetrated 
 into the interior of the country or made any search 
 for these metals; and, since neither gold nor silver 
 is found in the neighborhood of Drake's or San Fran 
 cisco bay, it is to be inferred that this statement 
 was a falsehood, uttered for the purpose of giving 
 importance to Drake's supposed discovery. 
 
 There is no further account of gold or silver dis 
 coveries for two hundred and twenty-three years, 
 until 1802, when it is said that silver was found at 
 Alizal, in Monterey county, but the mine never pro 
 duced anything of consequence. Manfras says that 
 gold was found in San Diego county in 1828; but as 
 the discovery had not been heard of by Alexander 
 Forbes, the historian of California, in 1835, it could 
 not have been of any importance. On the contrary, 
 Forbes, in his book of that date, says: "No min 
 erals of particular importance have yet been found 
 in Upper California, nor any ores of metals." In 
 another place, referring to Hijar's migration to Cali 
 fornia in 1833, he says: " There were goldsmiths in 
 the party proceeding to a country where no gold 
 existed." Mr. Forbes was then the British Vice- 
 Consul at Monterey, and was doing all in his power 
 to interest the English Government in the country; 
 it is therefore certain that up to that time 1835 
 no mineral discoveries of any consequence had been 
 made in the province. 
 
 The first mine to produce any noticeable amount 
 of precious metal was the gold placers in the canon 
 of the San Francisquito creek, forty-five miles north 
 west of Los Angeles. It was discovered about the 
 year 1838, and was worked continuously for ten 
 years, when it was deserted for the richer discov 
 eries in the Sacramento basin. Its total yield was 
 probably not over sixty thousand dollars or about 
 six thousand dollars a year. 
 
 In 1842, James D. Dana, the geologist and miner 
 alogist with Wilkes' Exploring Expedition, traveled 
 from the northern frontier through the Sacramento 
 luisin to the Bay of San Francisco, and afterwards 
 published a work in which he said: " The gold rocks 
 and veins of quartz were observed by the author in 
 1842, near the Umpqua river, in southern Oregon, 
 and pebbles from similar rocks were met with along 
 the shores of the Sacramento, in California, and the 
 resemblance to other gold districts was remarked; 
 but there was no opportunity of exploring the 
 country at the time." Mr. Dana's professional 
 knowledge enabled him to perceive certain indica 
 tions of gold, but no practical discoveries were made. 
 
 On the 4th of May, 184IJ, Thomas O. Larkin, then 
 United States Consul at Monterey, wrote to the Sec 
 retary of State as follows: "There is said to be 
 black lead in the country at San Fernando, near 
 San Pedro. By washing the sand in a plate, any 
 person can obtain from one to five dollars per day of 
 gold that brings seventeen dollars per ounce in Boston. 
 The gold has been gathered for two or three years, 
 though but few persons have the patience to look for 
 
 it. On the south-west end of the Island of Catalina 
 there is a silver mine from which silver has been 
 extracted. There is no doubt that gold, silver, 
 quicksilver, copper, lead, sulphur and coal mines 
 are to be found all over California, and it is equally 
 doubtful whether, under their present owners, they 
 will ever be worked." Till May, 1846, no productive 
 mines were in operation, except the one on San 
 Francisquito creek, in what is now Los Angeles 
 county. 
 
 It was reserved for James W. Marshall to make 
 the great discovery, on the 19th of January, 1848, 
 at Suttev's mill, on the South Fork of the American 
 river, near the present town of Coloma, in El Dorado 
 county. 
 
 No account of the memorable event can be so 
 interesting as that of Mr. Marshall himself, who in 
 a letter of January 28, 1856, says: 
 
 "Towards the end of August, 1847, Captain Sut- 
 ter and I formed a copartnership to build and run a 
 saw-mill upon a site selected by myself (since known 
 as Coloma). We employed P. L. Weimer and fam 
 ily, to remove from the fort (Suiter's Fort) to the 
 mill-site to cook and labor for us. Nearly the first 
 work done was the building of a double log cabin, 
 about half a mile from the mill-site. We commenced 
 the mill about Christmas. Some of the mill hands 
 wanted a cabin near the mill. This was built, and 
 I went to the fort to superintend the construction of 
 the mill irons, leaving orders to cut a narrow ditch 
 where the race was to be made. Upon my return, 
 in January, 1848, I found the ditch cut as directed, 
 and those who were working on the same were 
 doing so at a great disadvantage, expending their 
 labor upon the head of the race instead of the foot. 
 
 "I immediately changed the course of things, and 
 upon the 19th of the same month, January, dis 
 covered the gold near the lower end of the race, 
 about two hundred yards below the mill. William 
 Scott was the second man to see the metal. He was 
 at work at a carpenter's bench near the mill. I 
 showed the gold to him. Alexander Stephens. 
 James Brown, Henry Biglcr, and William Johnston, 
 were likewise working in front of the mill, framing 
 the upper story. They were called up next, and, of 
 course, saw the precious metal. P. L. Weimer and 
 Charles Bennett were at the old double log cabin 
 (where Hastings & Co. afterwards kept a store), 
 and, in my opinion, at least half a mile distant. 
 
 "In the meantime we put in some wheat and peas, 
 nearly five acres, across the river. In February, the 
 Captain (Captain Sutter) came to the mountains for 
 the first time. Then we consummated a treaty 
 with the Indians, which had been previously nego 
 tiated. The tenor of this was that we were to pay 
 them two hundred dollars yearly in .goods, at Yerba 
 Buena prices, for the joint possession and occupation 
 of the land with them; they agreeing not to kill our 
 stock, viz.: horses, cattle, hogs or sheep, nor burn 
 the grass within the limits fixed by the treaty. At 
 the same time, Captain Sutter, myself, and Isaac 
 Humphrey, entered into a copartnership to dig gold. 
 A short time afterwards, P. L. Weimer moved away 
 from the mill, and was away two or three months, 
 when he returned. With all the events that sub 
 sequently occurred, you and the public are well in 
 formed." 
 
TOMPSON 4. YVf-sr PUB 
 
THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD. 
 
 53 
 
 The following additional particulars of the dis 
 covery appeared in the Coloma Argus in the latter 
 part of the year 1855, and were evidently derived 
 from Weimer himself: 
 
 "That James W. Marshall picked up the first 
 piece of gold, is beyond doubt. Peter L. Wimmer 
 (Weimer), who resides in this place, states positively 
 that Mr. Marshall picked up the gold in his presence; 
 they both saw it, and each spoke at the same time, 
 'What's that yellow stuff?' Marshall being a step 
 in advance picked it up. This first piece of gold 
 is now in the possession of Mrs. Wimmer, and weighs 
 six penny-weights, eleven grains. The piece was 
 given to her by Marshall himself. * * * The 
 dam was finished early in January, the frame for 
 the mill also erected, and the flume and bulk-head 
 completed. It was at this time that Marshall and 
 Wimmer adopted the plan of raising the gate during 
 the night to wash out sand from the mill-race, clos 
 ing it during the day, when work would be con 
 tinued wilh shovels, etc. Early in February the 
 exact clay is not remembered in the morning, after 
 shutting off the water, Marshall and Wimmer walked 
 down the race together to see what the water had 
 accomplished during the night. Having gone about 
 twenty yards below the mill, they both saw the 
 piece of gold mentioned, and Marshall picked it up. 
 After an examination, the gold was taken to the 
 cabin of Wimmer, and Mrs. Wimmer instructed to 
 boil it in saleratus water; but, she being engaged in 
 making soap, pitched the piece in the soap-kettle, 
 where it was boiled all day and all night. The fol 
 lowing morning the strange piece of stuff was fished 
 out of the soap, all the brighter for the boiling it 
 had received. Discussion now commenced, and all 
 expressed the opinion that perhaps the yellow sub 
 stance might be gold. Little was said on the sub 
 ject; but every one each morning searched in the 
 race for more, and every day found several small 
 scales. The Indians also picked up many small 
 thin pieces, and carried them always to Mrs. Wimmer. 
 
 "About three weeks after the first piece was ob 
 tained, Marshall took the fine gold, amounting to 
 between two and three ounces, and went below to 
 have the strange metal tested. On his return, he 
 informed Wimmer that the stuff was gold. All 
 hands now began to search for the 'root of all evil.' 
 Shortly after Captain Sutter came to Coloma, when 
 he and Marshall assembled the Indians, and bought 
 of them a large tract of country about Coloma, in 
 exchange for a lot of beads and a few cotton hand 
 kerchiefs. They, under color of this Indian title, 
 required one-third of all the gold dug on their 
 domain, and collected at this rate until the Fall of 
 1848, when a mining party from Oregon declined 
 paying 'tithes,' as they called it. 
 
 "During February, 1848, Marshall and Wimmor 
 Avcnt down the river to Mormon Island, and there 
 found scales of gold on the rocks. Some weeks later 
 they sent a Mr. Henderson, Sydney Willis, and Mr. 
 Fifield, Mormons, down there to dig, telling them 
 that that place was better than Coloma. These 
 were the first miners at Mormon Island." 
 
 In a little work entitled " Mining in the Pacific 
 States," published by H. II. Bancroft & Co., in 1861, 
 Mr. John S. Hittell presents the following interest 
 ing facts concerning the great discovery: 
 
 "Marshall was a man of an active, enthusiastic 
 mind, and he at once attached great importance to 
 
 his discovery. His ideas, however, were vague; he 
 knew nothing about gold-mining; he did not know 
 how to take advantage of what he had found. Only 
 an experienced gold-miner could understand the 
 importance of the discovery, and make it of practical 
 value to all the world. That gold-miner, fortu 
 nately, was near at hand; his name was Isaac Hum 
 phrey. He was residing in the town of San Fran 
 cisco, in the month of February, when a Mr. Bennett, 
 one of the party employed at Marshall's mill, went 
 down to that place with some of the dust to have it 
 tested; for it was still a matter of doubt whether 
 this yellow metal really was gold. Bennett told his 
 errand to a friend whom he met in San Francisco, 
 and this friend introduced him to Humphrey, who 
 had been a gold-miner in Georgia, and was therefore 
 competent to pass an opinion upon the stuff. Hum 
 phrey looked at the dust, pronounced it gold, at the 
 first glance, and expressed a belief that the diggings 
 must be rich. He made inquiries about the place 
 where the gold was found, and subsequent inquiries 
 about the trustworthiness of Mr. Bennett, and on 
 the 7th of March he was at the mill. He tried 
 to induce several of his friends in San Francisco to 
 go with him; they all thought his expedition a fool 
 ish one, and he had to go alone. He found that 
 there was some talk about the gold, and persons 
 would occasionally go about looking for pieces of it; 
 but no one was engaged in mining, and the work of 
 the mill was going on as usual. On the 8th he 
 went out prospecting with a pan, and satisfied him 
 self that the country in that vicinity was rich in 
 gold. He then made a rocker and commenced the 
 business of washing gold; and thus began the busi 
 ness of mining in California. Others saw how he 
 did it, followed his example, found that the work 
 was profitable, and abandoned all other occupations. 
 The news of their success spread, people flocked to 
 the place, learned how to use the rocker, discovered 
 new diggings, and, in the course of a few months, 
 the country had been overturned by a social and 
 industrial revolution. 
 
 "Mr. Humphrey had not been at work more than 
 three or four days before a Frenchman, called Bap- 
 tiste, who had been a gold-miner in Mexico for many 
 years, came to the mill, and he agreed with Hum 
 phrey that California was very rich in gold. He, 
 too, went to work, and being an excellent prospector, 
 he was of great service in teaching the new-comers 
 the principles of prospecting and mining for gold, 
 principles not abstruse, yet not likely to suggest 
 themselves, at first thought, to men entirely igno 
 rant of the business. Baptiste had been employed 
 by Captain Sutter to saw timber with a whip-saw, 
 and had been at work for two years at a place, since 
 called Weber, about ten miles eastward from Coloma. 
 When he saw the diggings at the latter place, he at 
 once said there were rich mines where he had been 
 sawing, and he expressed surprise that it had never 
 occurred to him before, so experienced in gold-min 
 ing as he was; but afterwards he said it had been 
 so ordered by Providence, that the gold might not 
 be discovered until California should be in the hands 
 of the Americans. 
 
 "About the middle of March, P. B. Reading, an 
 American, now a prominent and wealthy citizen of 
 the State, then the owner of a large ranch on the 
 western bank of the Sacramento river, near where 
 it issues from the mountains, came to Coloma, and 
 after looking about at the diggings, said that if simi 
 larity in the appearance of the country could be 
 taken as a guide, there must be gold in the hills 
 
HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 near his ranch; and he went off, declaring his in 
 tention to go back and make an examination of 
 them. John Bid well, another American, now a 
 wealthy and influential citizen, then residing on his 
 ranch on the bank of Feather river, came to Coloma 
 about a week later, and he said there must be gold 
 near his ranch, and he went off with expressions 
 similar to those used by Reading. In a few weeks 
 news came that Reading had found diggings near 
 Clear creek, at the head of the Sacramento valley, 
 and was at work there with his Indians; and not 
 long after, it was reported that Bidvvell was at work 
 with his Indians on a rich bar of Feather river, 
 since called Bidwell's Bar." 
 
 Although there were two newspapers, the Cali 
 fornian and Star, published in San Francisco, the} 7 
 do not seem to have been either very credulous or 
 very enterprising. They did not hear of the dis 
 covery till some weeks after the great event; or, if 
 they did hear of it, they did not credit the report. 
 The first published notice of the gold discovery ap 
 peared in the California* on the fifteenth of March, 
 nearly two months after the event, and was as fol 
 lows: 
 
 "GOLD MINE FOUND. In the newly-made race- 
 way of the saw-mill recently erected by Captain 
 Sutter, on the American fork, gold has been found 
 in considerable quantities. One person brought 
 thirty dollars' worth to New Helvetia, gathered 
 there in a short time. California, no doubt, is rich 
 in mineral wealth; great chances here for scientific 
 capitalists. Gold has been found in almost every 
 part of the country." 
 
 Three days afterwards the Star made the follow 
 ing brief allusion to the subject: 
 
 "We were informed a few days since that a very 
 valuable silver mine was situated in the vicinity of 
 this place, and again, that its locality was known. 
 Mines of quicksilver are being found all over the 
 country. Gold has been discovered in the northern 
 Sacramento district, about forty miles above Sutter's 
 Fort. Rich mines of copper are said to exist north 
 of these bays." 
 
 The Star of March 25th says: "So great is the 
 quantity of gold taken from the new mines recently 
 found at New Helvetia, that it has become an article 
 of traffic in that vicinity." 
 
 It was three months after Marshall's discovery, 
 before the San Francisco papers announced that 
 gold-mining had become a regular and profitable 
 business. The Californian of April 26th says: 
 
 "GOLD MINKS OF THE SACRAMENTO. From a gen 
 tleman just from the gold region, we learn that many 
 new discoveries have very recently been made, and 
 it is fully ascertained that a large extent of country 
 abounds with that precious mineral. Seven men, with 
 picks and spades, gathered nine thousand six' hun 
 dred dollars within fifteen days. Many persons are 
 settling on the lands with the view of holding pre 
 emptions, but as yet every person takes the right to 
 gather all he can, without any regard to claims. 
 Ihe largest piece yet found is worth six dollars." 
 
 The Star of April 1, 1848, contained an elaborate 
 article on the resources of California, giving due 
 credence and importance to the great event which 
 
 was so soon to vitalize the sluggish province, in 
 which the writer said: 
 
 "It would be utterly impossible at present to make 
 a correct estimate of the mineral wealth of Cali 
 fornia. Popular attention has been but lately 
 directed to it. But the discoveries that have already 
 been made will warrant us in the assertion that 
 California is one of the richest mineral countries in 
 the world. Gold, silver, quicksilver, iron, copper, 
 lead, sulphur, saltpetre, and other mines of great 
 value have already been found. We saw, a few daya 
 ago, a beautiful specimen of gold from the mine 
 newly discovered on the American fork. From all 
 accounts the mine is immensely rich, and already 
 we learn the gold from it, collected at random and 
 without any trouble, has become an article of 
 trade at the upper settlements. This precious metal 
 abounds in this country. We have heard of several 
 other newly-discovered mines of gold, but as these 
 reports are not yet authenticated we shall pass over 
 them. However, it is well known that there is a 
 placer of gold a few miles from the ciudad de Los 
 Angeles, and another on the San Joaquin." 
 
 The Californian of August 14, 1848, contained an 
 article descriptive of the process and implements of 
 gold-mining at that time, and having related the 
 particulars of the discovery at Sutter's mill, the 
 writer continues: 
 
 "It soon began to attract attention, and some 
 persons discovered gold in the river below, and for 
 some distance above the mill, in large quantities; 
 so much so that persons who only gave credit to 
 one-third of what was said about it left their homes 
 and went to work in the mines. It was the work 
 of but a few weeks to bring almost the entire popu 
 lation of the Territory together, to pick up the 
 precious metal. The result has been that in less 
 than four months, a total revolution has been effected 
 in the prospects and fate of Alta California. Then, 
 the capital was in the hands of a few individuals 
 engaged in trade and speculation; now, labor has 
 got the upper hand of capital, and the laboring men 
 hold the great mass of the wealth of the country 
 the gold. 
 
 " There are now about four thousand white per 
 sons, besides a number of Indians, engaged in the 
 mines; and from the fact that no capital is required, 
 they are working in companies, on equal shares, or 
 alone, with their baskets. In one part of the mine, 
 called the dry-diggings, no other implement is nec 
 essary than an ordinary sheath-knife, to pick the 
 gold from the rocks. In other parts, where the 
 gold is washed out, the machinery is very simple, 
 being an ordinary trough made of plank, round on 
 the bottom, about ten feet long, and two feet wide 
 at the top, with a riddle, or sieve, at one end, to 
 catch the larger gravel, and three or four small burs 
 across the bottom, about half an inch high, to keep 
 the gold from going out with the dirt and water at 
 the lower end. This machine is set upon rockers, 
 which give a half-rotary motion to the water and 
 dirt inside. But far the largest number use nothing 
 but a large tin-pan, or an Indian basket, into which 
 they place the dirt, and shake it about until the gold 
 gets to the bottom, and the dirt is carried over the 
 side in the shape of muddy water. It is necessary, 
 in some cases, to have a crowbar, pick, or shovel; 
 but a great deal is taken up with large horns, shaped 
 spoon -fashion at the large end. 
 
THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD. 
 
 55 
 
 "From the fact that no capital is necessary, a fair 
 competition in labor, without the influence of capital, 
 men who were only able to procure one month's 
 provisions have now thousands of dollars of the 
 precious metal. The laboring class have now become 
 the capitalists of the country. 
 
 " As to the richness of the mines, were we to set 
 down half the truth, it would be looked upon in 
 other countries as a Sinbad story, or the history of 
 Aladdin's lamp. Many persons have collected in 
 one day, of the finest grade of gold, from three to 
 eight hundred dollars, and for many days together 
 averaged from seventy-five to one hundred and fifty 
 dollars. Although this is not universal, yet the 
 general average is so well settled, that when a man 
 with his pan or basket does not easily gather from thir 
 ty to forty dollars in a day, he moves to another place; 
 so that taking the general average, including the 
 time spent in moving from place to place and in 
 looking for better diggings, we are of the opinion 
 that we may safely set down an ounce of pure gold, 
 or sixteen dollars per day, to the man. Suppose 
 there are four thousand persons at work, they will 
 add to the aggregate wealth of the Territory about 
 four thousand ounces, or sixty-four thousand dollars 
 a day. 
 
 Four months ago, flour was sold in this market 
 (San Francisco) for four dollars per hundred; now it 
 is sixteen. Beef cattle were then six; now they are 
 thirty. Ready-made clothing, groceries, and other 
 goods, have not risen in the same proportion, but are 
 at least double their former cost. If we make bread 
 and meat the standard by which to determine the 
 value of gold, then it is worth only one-fourth of 
 what it is elsewhere. But if gold and silver be the 
 standard, then the bread and meat is worth four 
 times what it was. But, the relative value of the 
 grain-gold, compared with gold and silver coin, can 
 only be changed by the action of Government; for, 
 however abundant the gold may be, it must produce 
 its relative value in coin; and, while a five-dollar 
 gold-piece will be received at the Treasury as five 
 dollars, so long must an ounce of gold be worth 
 sixteen dollars. 
 
 " As to the future hopes of California, her course 
 is onward, with a Vapidity that will astonish the 
 world. Her unparalleled gold mines, silver mines, iron 
 ore, and lead, with the best climate in the world, 
 and the richest soil, will make it the garden-spot of 
 creation.' 
 
 The Californian, of September 23, 1848, gives the 
 following graphic account of the grand rush to the 
 gold mines: 
 
 " It would seem that but little doubt was enter 
 tained of its being the Simon-pure stuff; for operations 
 immediately ceased at the mill, and all hands com 
 menced searching for gold. It was soon found that 
 gold abounded all along the American fork, for a 
 distance of thirty miles. But little credit however 
 was given the report, though occasionally a solitary 
 gold-hunter might be seen stealing down to the 
 launch, with a pick and shovel, more that half- 
 ashamed of his credulity. Sometime during the 
 month of May a number of credible persons arrived 
 in town from the scene of operations, bringing spec 
 imens of the ore, and stating that those engaged in 
 collecting the precious metal were making from three 
 to ten dollars per day. Then commenced the grand 
 rush. The inhabitants throughout the Territory 
 were in a commotion. Large companies of men, 
 women, and children could be seen on every road 
 
 leading to the mines; their wagons loaded down 
 with tools for digging, provisions, etc. Launch after 
 launch left the wharves of our city (San Francisco) 
 crowded with passengers and freight, for the Sacra 
 mento. Mechanical operations of every kind ceased. 
 Whole streets, that were but a week before alive 
 with a busy population, were entirely deserted, and 
 the place wore the appearance of a city that had 
 been suddenly visited by a devastating plague. To 
 cap the climax, the newspapers were obliged to stop 
 printing, for want of readers. 
 
 " Meantime, our mercantile friends were doing an 
 unwonted stroke of business. Every arrival from 
 the mining district brought more or less gold-dust, 
 the major part of which immediately passed into the 
 hands of the merchants, for goods. Immense quan 
 tities of merchandise were conveyed to the mines, 
 until it became a matter of astonishment where so 
 much could be disposed of. During the first eight 
 weeks of the golden times, the receipts at this place 
 (San Francisco) in gold-dust amounted to two 
 hundred and fifty thousand dollars. For the eight 
 weeks ending at this date (Sept. 23, 1848), they 
 were six hundred thousand dollars. The number of 
 persons now engaged in gold -hunting will probably 
 exceed six thousand, including Indians, and one 
 ounce per day is the lowest average we can put for 
 each person, while many collect their hundreds of 
 dollars for a number of days in succession, and 
 instances have been known where one individual has 
 collected from fifteen hundred to eighteen hundred 
 dollars worth of pure gold in one day. Explorations 
 have been progressing, and it is now fully ascertained 
 that gold exists on both sides of the Sierra JSevada, 
 from latitude forty-one degrees north, as far south 
 as the head-waters of the San Joaquin river, a dis 
 tance of four hundred miles in length and one 
 hundred in breadth. Farther than this has not been 
 explored; but from the nature of the country beyond 
 the sources of the San Joaquin, we doubt not gold 
 will also be found therein equal abundance. The gold 
 region already known is sufficiently extensive to 
 give profitable employment to one hundred thousand 
 persons for generations to come. The ore is in a 
 virgin state, disseminated in small doses, and is 
 found in three distinct deposits in sand and gravel 
 beds, in decomposed granite, and intermingled with 
 a kind of slate." 
 
 In April, 1848, Mr. Jonas Spect, an enterprising 
 pioneer, gave the following interesting account of 
 gold discoveries: 
 
 " Up to this time there had been little excite 
 ment about the gold diggings; but at Knight's 
 Landing we were overtaken by Spaniards, who were 
 on their way to Sutter's mill to dig gold, and they 
 reported stories of fabulously rich diggings. After 
 discussing the matter, we changed our course to the 
 gold mines and hurried on, arriving at the mill on 
 the thirtieth day of April. It was true that several 
 rich strikes had been made, but the miners then at 
 work did not average two and a half dollars per 
 day. Marshall and Sutter claimed the land and 
 rented the mines. Every one supposed gold was 
 confined to that particular locality. We did not 
 engage in mining, and concluded to resume our 
 journey across the plains. On our return trip we 
 learned that gold had been found on Mormon Island. 
 But we took no further notice of gold, and on the 
 12th of May arrived at Johnson's ranch. We 
 found one man there waiting our arrival, but we 
 expected many others in a short time. We waited 
 
56 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 until about the 2.">th, when we learned that 
 there was another rush to the mines, and then 
 vanished all prospect of any company crossing the 
 mountains that Summer. My partner left for the 
 American river, and I proposed to Johnson that we 
 should prospect for gold on Bear river. We went 
 some distance up the stream and spent three days in 
 the search without any satisfactory result, 1 then 
 suggested to Johnson that he should send his Indian 
 with me, -and I would prospect the Yuba river, as 
 that stream was about the size of the South Fork of 
 the American river. We prepared the outfit, and 
 on the 1st of June, we struck the Yuba near Long 
 Bar. After a good deal of prospecting. I succeeded 
 in raising ' color.' That night I camped in Timbuc- 
 too ravine, a little above where we first found the 
 gold. The next day, June 2d, I continued pros 
 pecting up the stream, finding a little gold, but 
 not enough to pay. The Indian was well acquainted. 
 and he piloted me up to the location of Rose's Bar. 
 where we met a large number of Indians, all entirely 
 nude and eating clover. I prospected on the bar, 
 and found some gold, but not sufficient to be remu 
 nerative. Greatly -discouraged, I started on my 
 return home. When I arrived at a point on the 
 Vuba river, a little above Timbuctoo ravine, I washed 
 some of the dirt and found three lumps of gold 
 worth about seven dollars. I pitched my tent here 
 on the night of June 2d, and sent the Indian home 
 for supplies. In about a week I moved down on the 
 creek, and remained there until November 20th, 
 when I left the mines forever. June 3d, the next day 
 after the location of my camp, Michael C. Nye and 
 William Foster came up the creek prospecting for 
 gold." 
 
 The discovery of gold on the American river led 
 Mr. Nye and party to start out on a prospecting 
 trip. In the Summer the exact date is not known 
 they found paying diggings on Dry creek, near its 
 junction with the Yuba, and commenced working on 
 an extensive scale. The discoveries by Mr. Spect 
 and Mr. Nye's company were nearly contqmpora- 
 neous, and as the parties started from different local 
 ities, and without any knowledge of the acts of the 
 other. -due credit should be given to each. 
 
 JKNERAL BUTTER'S ACCOUNT OF THE GOLD DISCOVERY. 
 
 The following extracts are from an article com 
 municated, in his own handwriting, by General 
 Sutter to Hutchinys 1 California Magazine for Novem 
 ber, 1857. As a part of the history of the great 
 event referred to, and as the personal narrative of 
 one of the chief actors in the golden drama, it is one 
 of the most interesting records of the time. General- 
 Suiter says: 
 
 " It was in the first of January, 1848, when the 
 gold was discovered at Coloma, where I was build 
 ing a saw-mill. The contractor and builder of this 
 mill was James W: Marshall, from New Jersey. In 
 the Fall of 1847, after the mill-site had been located. 
 1 sent up to this place Mr. P. L. Wimmcr, with his 
 family, and a number of laborers from the disbanded 
 Mormon Battalion; and a little later I engaged Mr. 
 Bennett, from Oregon, to assist Mr. Marshall in the 
 mechanical labors of the mill. Mr. Wimmer had 
 the team in charge, aseisted by his young sons to do 
 the teaming, and Mrs. Wimmer did the cooking for 
 all hands. 
 
 "I was.. very much in need of a saw-mill to iret 
 lumber to finish my flooring-mill, of four run of 
 stones, at Brighton, which was commenced at the 
 same time, and was rapidly progressing; likewise, 
 for other buildings, fences, etc., for the small village 
 of Yerba Buena, now San Francisco. In the City 
 Hotel (the only one) this enterprise \vas unkindly 
 called 'another folly of Sutler's;' as my first settle 
 ment at the old fort, near Sacramento City, was 
 called by a good many 'a folly of his,' and they 
 Avcre about right in that, because 1 had the best 
 chances to get some of the finest locations near the 
 settlements; and even well-stocked ranches had 
 been offered me on the most reasonable conditions. 
 But I refused all these good offers, and preferred to 
 explore the wilderness, and select a territory on the 
 banks of the Sacramento. 
 
 " It was a rainy afternoon when Mr. Marshall 
 arrived at rny office, in the fort, very wet. I was 
 somewhat surprised to see him, as ne was down a 
 few days previous, when I sent up to Coloma a num 
 ber .of teams with provisions, mill irons, etc. He 
 told me then that he had some important and inter 
 esting news which he wished to communicate secretly 
 to me, and wished me to go with him to a place 
 where we should not be disturbed, and where no 
 listeners could come and hear what we had to say. 
 I went with him to my private rooms; he requested 
 me to lock the door; I complied, but told him at the 
 same time that nobody was in the house except the 
 clerk, who was in his office in a different part of the 
 house. 
 
 " After requesting of me something which he 
 wanted, which my servants brought and then left 
 the room, 1 forgot to lock the door, and it happened 
 that the door was opened b}^ the clerk just at the 
 moment when Marshall took a rag from his pocket, 
 showing me the yellow metal. He had about two 
 ounces of it; but how quick .Mr. Marshall put the 
 yellow metal in his pocket again, can hardly be 
 described. The clerk came to see me on business, 
 and excused himself for interrupting me; and as 
 soon as he had left, 1 was told, ' Now, lock the door. 
 Didn't I tell you that we might have listeners?' I 
 told him he need fear nothing about that, as it was 
 not the habit of this gentleman'; but I could hardly 
 convince him that he need not be suspicious. 
 
 " Then Mr. Marshall began to show me this metal, 
 which consisted of small pieces and specimens, some 
 of them worth a few dollars. He told me that he 
 had expressed his opinion to the laborers at the mill 
 that this might be gold; but some of them laughed 
 at him and called him a crazy man, and could not 
 believe such a thing. 
 
 "After having proved the metal with aqua forth 
 which I found in my apothecary shop, likewise witt 
 other experiments, and read the long article 'Gold,' 
 in the Encyclopedia Americana, I declared this to be 
 gold of the finest quality, of at least twenty-thrc 
 carats. After this Mr. Marshall had no more rest 01 
 patience, and wanted me to start with him imm( 
 diately for Coloma; but 1 told him I could not 
 leave, as it was late in the evening, and nearly 
 supper-time, and that it would be better for him tc 
 remain with me till the next morning, and I woulc 
 then travel with him. But this would not do; h< 
 asked me only, ' Will you come to-morrow ?' 
 told him yes, and off ho started for Coloma, in th< 
 heaviest rain, although already very wet, taking 
 nothing to eat. I took this news, very easy, like 
 all other occurrences, good or bad, but thought 
 great deal during the night about the consequence 
 

THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD. 
 
 57 
 
 which might follow such u discovery. 1 gave all 
 the necessary orders to my numerous laborers, and 
 left the next morning at seven o'clock, accompanied 
 bv an Indian soldier and a vaquero, in a heavy rain, 
 for Coloma. About half-way on the road, I saw at 
 a distance a human being crawling out from the 
 brushwood. 1 asked the Indian who it was. He 
 told me, ' the same man who was with you last 
 evening.' When I came nearer I found it was Mar 
 shall, very wet. I told him he would have done 
 better to remain with me at the fort, than to pass 
 such an ugly night here; but he told me that he went 
 to Coloma, fifty-four miles, took his other horse and 
 came half-way to meet me. Then we rode #p to the 
 new El Dorado. 
 
 "In the afternoon, the weather was clearing up, 
 and we made a prospecting promenade. The next 
 morning, we went to the tail-race of the mill, 
 through which the water was running during the 
 night, to clear out the gravel which had been made 
 loose for the purpose of widening the race; and 
 after the water was out of the race, we went in to 
 search for gold. This was done every morning. Small 
 pieces of gold could be seen remaining on the surface 
 of the clean-washed bed-rock. 1 went into the race and 
 picked up several pieces of this gold; several of the 
 laborers gave me some which they had picked up, 
 and from Marshall I received a part. I told them I 
 would get a ring made of this gold as soon as it 
 could be done in California; and I have had a Heavy 
 ring made, with my family's coat-of-arms engraved 
 on the outside, and on the inside of the ring is 
 engraved: ' the first gold discovered in January, 
 1848.' Now if Mrs. AVimmer possesses a piece which 
 had been found earlier than mine, Mr. Marshall can 
 tell, as it was probably received from him. I think 
 Mr. Marshall could have hardly known himself which 
 was exactly the first little piece, among the whole. 
 
 'The next day 1 went with Mr. Marshall on a 
 prospecting tour in the vicinity of Coloma, and the 
 following morning I left for Sacramento. Before my 
 departure, I had a conversation with all hands; I 
 told them I would consider it a great favor if they 
 would keep this discovery secret only for six weeks, 
 so that I could finish my large flour-mill at Brighton, 
 which had cost me already about twenty-four or 
 twenty-five thousand dollars. The people up there 
 promised to keep it secret so long. On my way 
 home, instead of feeling happy and contented, 1 
 was very unhappy, and could not see that it 
 would benefit me much; and I was perfectly right 
 in thinking so, as it came just precisely as I 
 expected. I thought, at the same time that it 
 could hardly be kept secret for six weeks; and 
 in that 1 was not mistaken, for, about two weeks 
 later, after my return, 1 sent up several teams, in 
 charge of a white man, as the teamsters were Indian 
 boj's. This man Avas acquainted with all hands up 
 there, and Mrs. Wimmer told him the whole secret ; 
 likewise the young sons of Mrs. Wimmer told him 
 that they had gold, and that they would let him have 
 some, too; and so ho obtained a few dollars' worth of 
 it, as a present. As soon as this. man arrived at the 
 fort, he went to a small store in one of my outside 
 buildings, kept by Mr. Smith, a partner of Samuel 
 Brannan, and asked for a bottle of brandy, for which 
 he would pay the cash. After having the bottle he 
 paid with these small pieces of gold. Smith was 
 astonished, and asked if he meant to insult him. The 
 teamster told him to go and ask me about it. Smith 
 came in, in great haste to see me, and I told him at 
 once the truth what could I do? I had to tell him 
 8 
 
 all about it. He reported it to Mr. S. Brannan, who 
 came up immediately to get all possible information, 
 when he returned and sent up large supplies of goods, 
 leased a larger house from me, and commenced a 
 very large and profitable business. Soon he opened 
 a branch house at Mormon Island. 
 
 " So soon as the secret was out, my laborers began 
 to leave me, in small parties at first, but then all left, 
 from the clerk to the cook, and I was in great dis 
 tress. Only a few mechanics remained to finish some 
 necessary work which they had commenced, and 
 about eight invalids, who continued slowly to work 
 a few teams, to scrape out the mill-race at Brighton. 
 The Mormons did not like to leave my mill unfin 
 ished; but they got the gold-fever, like everybody 
 else. After they had made their piles they left for 
 the Great Salt Lake. So long as these people have 
 been employed by me, they have behaved very well 
 and were industrious and faithful laborers; and when 
 settling their accounts, there was not one of them 
 w r ho was not contented and satisfied. 
 
 "Then the people commenced rushing up from San 
 Francisco and other parts of California, in May, 1848. 
 In the former village (San Francisco,) only five men 
 were left to take care of the women and children. 
 The single men locked their doors and left for ' Sut- 
 ter's Fort,' and from thence to the El Dorado. For 
 some time the people in Monterey and further south, 
 would not believe the news of the gold discovery, 
 and said it was only a 'ruse de guerre of Sutter's, be 
 cause he wanted to have neighbors in his wilderness.' 
 From this time on I got only too many neighbors, 
 and some very bad ones among them. . 
 
 " What a great misfortune was this sudden gold 
 discovery to me ! It has just broken up and ruined 
 my hard, industrious, and restless labors, connected 
 with many dangers of life, as 1 had many narrow 
 escapes before 1 became properly established. From 
 my mill buildings I reaped no benefit whatever; the 
 mill-stones, even, have been stolen from me. My 
 tannery, which was then in a flourishing condition, 
 and was carried on very profitably, was deserted; a 
 large quantity of leather was left xinfinished in the 
 vats, and a great quantity of rawhides became val 
 ueless, as they could not be sold. Nobody wanted to 
 be bothered with such trash, as it was called. So it 
 was in all the other mechanical trades which I had 
 carried on ; all was abandoned, and work com 
 menced, or nearly finished, was left, at an immense, 
 loss to me. Even the Indians had no more patience 
 to work alone, in harvesting and threshing my large 
 wheat crop; as the whites had all left, and other- 
 Indians had been engaged by some white men to work 
 for them, and they commenced to have some gold, for 
 which they were buying all kinds of articles at 
 enormous prices in the stores, which, when my Indians 
 saw this, they wished very much to go to the mount 
 ains and dig gold. At last I consented, got a num 
 ber of wagons ready, loaded them with provisions 
 and goods of all kinds, employed a clerk, and left 
 Avith about one hundred Indians and about fifty 
 Sandwich Islanders, which had joined those which I 
 brought with me from the Islands. The first camp 
 was about ten miles from Mormon Island, on the 
 South fork of the American river. In a lew weeks 
 we became crowded, and it would no more pay, as 
 my people made too many acquaintances. I broke 
 up the camp and started on the march further south, 
 and located rny next camp on Sutter creek, now in 
 Amador county, and thought that I should there be 
 alone. The work was going on well for awhile, un 
 til three or four traveling grog-shops surrounded me, 
 
58 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 at from one-half to ten miles distance from the camp. 
 Then, of course, the gold was taken to these places, 
 for drinking, gambling, etc., and then the following 
 day they were sick "and unable to work, and be 
 came deeper and more indebted to me, particularly 
 the Kanakas. I found it was high time to quit this 
 kind of business, and lose no more time and money. I 
 therefore broke up the camp and returned to the fort, 
 where I disbanded nearly all the people who had 
 worked for me in the mountains digging gold. This 
 whole expedition proved to be a heavy loss to me. 
 
 " At the same time, I was engaged in a mercantile 
 firm at Coloma, which I left in January, 1849, like 
 wise with many sacrifices. After this, I would have 
 nothing more to do with the gold affairs. At this 
 time the fort was the great trading-place, where 
 nearly all the business was transacted. I had no 
 pleasure to remain there, and moved up to Hock 
 farm, with all my Indians, who had been with me 
 from the time they were children. The placQ was 
 then in charge of a major-domo. 
 
 " It was very singular that the Indians never found 
 a piece of gold and brought it to me, as they very 
 ol'ten did other specimens found in the mountains. 
 I requested them continually to bring me some curi 
 osities from the mountains, for which I always recom 
 pensed them. 1 have received animals, birds, plants, 
 young trees, wild fruits, pipe-clay, red ochre, etc., 
 but never a piece of gold. Mr. Dana, of the Wilkes' 
 Exploring Expedition, told me that he had the strong 
 est proof and signs of gold in the vicinity of Shasta 
 mountain, and further south. A short time after 
 wards Dr. Sandels, a very scientific traveler, visited 
 me, explored a part of the country in a great hurry, 
 as time would not permit him to make a longer stay. 
 He told me likewise that he found some signs of gold, 
 and was very sorry that he could not explore the 
 Sierra Nevada. He did not encourage me to attempt 
 to work and open mines, as it was uncertain bow it 
 would paj-, and would probably be only profitable for 
 a Government. So I thought it more prudent to stick 
 to the plow, notwithstanding I did know the country 
 \\:is rich in gold and other minerals. An old, at 
 tached Mexican sei-vant, who had followed me from 
 the "United States as soon as he knew that I was 
 here, and who understood a great deal about work 
 ing in placers, told me be found sure sijrns of gold in 
 the mountains on Bear creek, and that we would go 
 right to work after returning from our campaign in 
 1845; but he became a victim to his patriotism, and 
 fell into the hands of the enemy near my encamp 
 ment, with dispatches for me from General Michelto- 
 rena, and he was hung as a spy, for which I was 
 very sorry. J. A. SUITER." 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 EARLY CONDITION OF THIS REGION. 
 
 Mountains. Unexplored by the Spaniards The Trappers Fre 
 mont's Passage of the Mountains in 1844 Battles with the 
 Snow The Indian's Warning A Glimpse of the Valley 
 Subsisting on Horse Flesh Arrival at Sutter's Fort Early 
 Settlements An Immigrant Party of 1844 Captain Truckee 
 Truckee Kiver Alone on the Summit Death of Captain 
 Truckee Immigrants in 1846 Discovery of Gold on the 
 Yuba. 
 
 THE native Californians never penetrated into the 
 heart of the mountains that skirt the Sacramento 
 valley on the east; gazing from a distance upon their 
 snow-clad crests, they had named them Sierra 
 Nevada, the " snowy mountains," but beyond this 
 
 they remained terra incognita to them. The bold 
 and adventurous trappers of the American Fur Com 
 pany, and the Hudson Bay Company, passed over 
 them several times on their way to and from the 
 choice trapping grounds in the valley. The cele 
 brated trapper, Stephen H. Meek, claims to have 
 been the first white man who gazed upon the 
 Truckeo river, on which stream he set his traps in 
 1833. The river did not rceive its name, however, 
 until eleven years later, as will appear further on. 
 The Yuba and Bear rivers, having been explored by 
 the Spaniards in 1822, in the valley, had been named 
 at that time, the one Rio de las Uva (Grape river) 
 and the other Rio de los Osos (Bear river), but as to 
 their source and direction in the mountains nothing 
 whatever was known. To them were unknown 
 lakes Donncr, Tahoe, and the scores of lesser lakes 
 that are the pride of the mountains. A few misera- 
 able Digger Indians lived in huts, and subsisted on 
 acorns, grass, rabbits, etc., and were sovereign lords 
 of the beautiful Sierras. 
 
 The valleys of California were, during the early 
 part of this century, occupied and traversed by 
 bands of trappers in the employ of the many Ameri 
 can and foreign fur companies. The stories of their 
 wanderings and experiences are mostly related in the 
 form of sensational novels, whoso authenticity and 
 accuracy must be taken with a great degree of allow 
 ance. Few records concerning these fur-hunters 
 remain which are within the reach of the historian, 
 and the information given has been gleaned in part 
 from personal interviews with those whose knowl 
 edge of the subject was gained by actual experience, 
 or by a personal acquaintance with those who 
 belonged to the parties. In many cases their stories 
 differ widely in regard to facts and names. 
 
 As early as 1820, the Tulare, San Joaquin, and Sac 
 ramento valleys were occupied by trappers, who 
 had wandered there while searching for the Colum 
 bia river. Captain Sutter, in 1834, while in New 
 Mexico, heard from these California trappers of the 
 Sacramento valley, which afterwards became so 
 reputed as his home. The disputes arising in regard 
 to the occupation of the northern part of the Pacific 
 coast trapping region, in Oregon, led the American 
 hunters to occupy the territory in and about the 
 Rocky Mountains. In 1815, Congress, at the earnest 
 request of the people of the West, passed an Act 
 driving out British traders from the American terri 
 tory east of the Rocky Mountains. Immediately 
 the employes of the old North American Fur Com 
 pany, still under charge of John Jacob Astor, began 
 to trap and hunt in the region of the head-waters of 
 the Mississippi and Upper Missouri. In 1823, Mr. 
 W. H. Ashley, of St. Louis, an old merchant in the 
 fur trade, at the head of a party, explored the 
 Sweetwater, the Platte, the South Pass, and the 
 head-waters of the Colorado, returning in the Sum 
 mer. In 1824 he extended his explorations to Great 
 Salt Lake, near which, on a smaller lake named 
 
EARLY CONDITION OF THIS REGION. 
 
 Lake Ashley, he built a fort and trading post, which 
 was occupied for three years by his men. In 1826 
 (or 1827) Mr. Ashley disposed of his business, 
 including the fort, to the Rocky Mountain Fur Com 
 pany, under the leadership of Jedediah Smith, 
 David Jackson and William Sublette. 
 
 During the Spring of 1825, Smith, with a party of 
 forty trappers and Indians, started from the head 
 quarters on Green river, traveling westward, crossed 
 the Sierra Nevada mountains, and in July entered 
 the Tulare valley. The country from the Tulare to 
 the American fork of the Sacramento river was 
 traversed in trapping for beaver. They found at the 
 fork another party of American trappers encamped, 
 and located their own rendezvous near the present 
 town of Folsom. In October, Smith, leaving the 
 remainder of the party at the camp, returned to the 
 company's head-quarters on Green river. In May, 
 1826, Smith again set out for the new trapping 
 region, taking a route further south than on the first 
 trip, but when in the Mohave settlements, on the 
 Colorado, all the party except Smith, Galbraith, and 
 Turner, were killed by Indians. These three escaped 
 to San Gabriel Mission, and December 26, 1826, were 
 arrested as spies or filibusters. They were taken to 
 the presidio at San Diego, where they were detained 
 until the following certificate from Americans then 
 in San Francisco was presented: 
 
 "We, the undersigned, having been requested by 
 Capt. Jedediah S. Smith to state our opinion regarding 
 his entering the Province of California, do not hesi 
 tate to say that we have no doubt but that he was com 
 pelled to, for want of provisions and water, having 
 entered so far into the barren country that lies 
 between the latitudes of forty-two and forty-three 
 west, that he found it impossible to return by the 
 route he came, as his horses had most of them per 
 ished for want of food and water ; he was therefore 
 under the necessity of pushing forward to California, 
 it being the nearest place where he could procure 
 supplies to enable him to return. 
 
 " We further state as our opinion, that the 
 account given by him is circumstantially correct, 
 and that his sole object was the hunting and trap 
 ping of beaver and other furs. 
 
 " We have also examined the passports produced 
 by him from the Superintendent of Indian affairs 
 for the Government of the United States of Amer 
 ica, and do not hesitate to say we believe them per 
 fectly correct. 
 
 " We also state that, in our opinion, his motives 
 for wishing to pass by a different route to the Co 
 lumbia river, on his return, is solely because he feels 
 convinced that he and his companions run great risk 
 of perishing if they return by the route they came. 
 
 " In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our 
 hand and seal, this 20th day of December, 1826. 
 
 WILLIAM G. DANA, Captain of schooner Waverly. 
 
 WILLIAM H. CUNNINGHAM, Captain of ship Courier. 
 
 WILLIAM HENDERSON, Captain of brig Olive Branch. 
 
 JAMES SCOTT. 
 
 THOMAS M. ROBBINS, Mate of schooner Waverly. 
 
 THOMAS SHAW, Supercargo of ship Courier." 
 
 Smith was liberated, and during the Summer of 1827, 
 with his party, left the Sacramento valley, journeying 
 
 toward the Columbia river. While encamped at the 
 mouth of the Umpqua river, near Cape Arago, the 
 Indians attacked them, and, with the exception of 
 Smith, Richard Laughlin, and Daniel Prior, killed 
 the entire party. These three escaped to Fort Van 
 couver, where they received a cordial reception and 
 kind treatment. Some writers state that Smith then 
 went directly to St. Louis, while others claim that, 
 with a party of the Hudson Bay Company's men, he 
 returned to the scene of his last battle, and meeting 
 no opposition, journeyed on and down the Sacra 
 mento valley until he reached the junction of the 
 Sacramento and Feather rivers, near which a camp 
 was located. This party, under command of a 
 Scotchman named McLeod, was the first of the 
 Hudson Bay Company to occupy California. If the 
 latter version is correct, then Smith soon after left 
 the party and returned to the trapping grounds of 
 his own company. 
 
 In the Spring of 1832, Capt. B. L. E. Bonne- 
 ville, an officer in the United States Army, on fur 
 lough, at the head of a company of one hundred 
 men, with wagons, horses, mules, and merchandise, 
 crossed the Rocky Mountains, leading parties of men 
 into the Colorado, Humboldt and Sacramento valleys. 
 
 Ewing Young, who had trapped with parties on 
 the upper part of the Del Norte, the eastern part of 
 the Grand and the Colorado rivers, pursuing the 
 route formerly traversed by Smith, in the Winter of 
 1829-30, entered the San Joaquin valley, and 
 hunted on Tulare lake and the adjacent streams. 
 During the last part of 1832, or early in 1833, Young, 
 having again entered the San Joaquin valley and 
 trapped on the streams, finally arrived at the Sacra 
 mento river, about ten miles below the mouth of the 
 American. He followed up the Sacramento to the 
 Feather river, and from there crossed over to the 
 coast. The coast-line was traveled till they 
 reached the mouth of the Umpqua, where they 
 crossed the mountains to the inland. Entering the 
 upper portion of the Sacramento valley, they pro 
 ceeded southerly till they reached the American 
 river. Then they followed down the San Joaquin 
 valley, and passed out through the Tejon pass, in 
 the Winter of 1833-4. Besides these parties and 
 leaders mentioned, during this period there were 
 several trappers or " lone traders," who explored 
 and hunted through the valleys. 
 
 The attention of the officers of the wealthy and 
 powerful Hudson Bay Company was first 'specially 
 called to the extent and importance of the fur trade 
 in California by Jedediah Smith, in 1827 or 1828. 
 The first expedition sent out by them was that 
 under the command of McLeod. A short time after 
 the departure of this company, a second one was 
 sent out under the leadership of Mr. Ogden, which 
 followed up the Columbia and Lewis rivers, thence 
 southerly over Western Utah, Nevada, and into the 
 San Joaquin valley. On their return they trapped 
 on the streams in Sacramento valley, and went out 
 
60 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY. CALIFORNIA. 
 
 at the northern limit in 1830. About the middle of 
 1832 another band of trappers, under Michael Lafram- 
 boise, came into the Sacramento valley from the 
 north, and until the next Spring spent the time in trap 
 ping on the streams flowing through the great val 
 ley. The Hudson Bay Company continued sending 
 out its employes into this region until about the year 
 1845. Their trappers in California belonged to the 
 "Southern Trapping Party of the Hudson Bay Com 
 pany," and were divided into smaller parties composed 
 of Canadians and Indians, with their wives. The 
 trapping was carried on during the Winter, in 
 order to secure a good class of furs. The free trap 
 pers were paid ten shillings sterling for a prime 
 beaver skin, while the Indians received a moderate 
 compensation for their services. The outfits and 
 portions of their food were purchased from the com 
 pany. The Hudson Bay Company employed about 
 ninety or one hundred men in this State. The 
 greater part of the Indians were fugitives from the 
 Missions, and were honest and peaceably inclined, 
 from the fact that it was mainly to their interest to 
 be 'so. From 1832 the chief rendezvous was at 
 French Camp, about five miles south of Stockton. 
 About 1841 the company bought of Jacob P. Leese 
 the building he had erected for a store in San Fran 
 cisco, and made that their business center for this 
 territory. The agents were J. Alex. Forbes, and 
 William G. Ray, both of whom were intelligent, dig 
 nified, and courteous gentlemen. Mr. Ray, who was 
 very sensitive, and given slightly to dissipation, 
 when some complaint of a trivial character was made 
 in reference to his acts, committed suicide in 
 1845. His death, and the scarcity of beaver and 
 otter, caused the company to Avind up their agency 
 and business in the territory. Mr. Forbes was, for 
 a long series of years, the British Consul at San 
 Francisco, and by his genial manners, superior cul 
 ture, and finished education, made a good record, 
 which places him among the noted men of the State. 
 This gentleman now resides in Oakland, and 
 although seventy-five years of age, his faculties are 
 as strong as ever. His memory is wonderful, and 
 this power of intention, with the vast fund of knowl 
 edge possessed, has been of great service to the his- . 
 torian. He has the. honor of being the first English 
 historian of California, his " California," published in 
 London in 1839, being written in Mexico four years 
 previous to the date of its publication.* 
 
 During.the months of January and February, 1844, 
 John C. Fremont, then Brevet Captain of Topo 
 graphical Engineers, on his return from his first 
 exploring expedition to Oregon, passed down the 
 east side of the Sierras, and crossed the snow-cov 
 ered summit of New Helvetia (Sacramento), suffer 
 ing many privations arid hardships. His experiences 
 are so clearly related in his report to the Chief of 
 Engineers, that the portion relating to this stage of 
 his journey is here given to show the character of 
 
 *Mr. Forbes died recently of heart disease. 
 
 the mountains, the nature of the inhabitants, and the 
 scarcity of knowledge of the Sierras, although the 
 passage was made in El Dorado county. Passing by 
 the account of his journey southward from the Dalles 
 wo take up his narrative on the evening of Jan 
 uary 31, 1844, upon reaching the Upper Truckee 
 river, south of Lake Tahoe. 
 
 "In the course of the afternoon, one of the men 
 had his foot frost-bitten; and about dark we had the 
 satisfaction of reaching the bottom of a stream tim 
 bered with large trees, among which we found a 
 sheltered camp, with an abundance of such grass as 
 the season afforded, for the animals. We saw before 
 us, in descending from the pass, a great, continuous 
 range, along which stretched the valley of the river: 
 the lower parts steep, and dark with pines, Avhilc 
 above it was hidden in clouds of snow. This we felt 
 satisfied was the central ridge of the Sierra Nevada, 
 the great California mountain, which now only inter 
 vened between us and the waters of the bay. We 
 had made a forced march of twenty-six miles, and 
 three mules had given out on the road. Up to this 
 point, with the exception of two stolen by Indians, 
 wo had lost none of the horses which had been 
 brought from the Columbia river, and a number of 
 these were still strong, and in tolerably good order. 
 We had now sixty-seven animals in the band. (The 
 party consisted of twenty-five persons.) 
 
 * * * -\y c gathered together a few of the more 
 intelligent of the Indians, and held this evening an 
 interesting council. I explained to them my inten 
 tions. I told them that we had come from a very 
 far country, having been traveling now nearly a year, 
 and that we Avere desirous simply to go across the 
 mountain into the country of the other whiles. 
 There were two who appeared particularly intelli 
 gent one, a somewhat old man. He told me that, 
 before the snows fell, it was six sleeps to the place 
 where the whites lived, but that now it was impossi 
 ble to cross the inountain on account of the deep 
 snow; and showing us, as the others had done, that 
 it was over our heads, he urged us strongly to fol 
 low the course of the river, which, he said, would 
 conduct us to a lake (Tahoe), in which there were 
 many large fish. There, he said, were many people; 
 there was no snow on the ground, and we might 
 remain there until the Spring. From their descrip 
 tions, we were enabled to judge that we were en 
 camped on the upper water of the Salmon Trout 
 river. It is hardly necessary to say that our com 
 munication was only by signs, as we understood 
 nothing of their language; but they spoke, notwith 
 standing, rapidly and vehemently, explaining what 
 they considered the folly of our intentions, and urg 
 ing us to go down to the lake. Tah-vc, a word 
 signifying snow, we very soon learned to know, from 
 its frequent repetition. I told him that the men and 
 horses were strong, and that we would break a road 
 through the snow; and spreading before him our bales 
 of scarlet cloth and trinkets, showed him what we 
 would give for a guide. It was necessary to obtain 
 one, if possible, for I had determined hereto attempt 
 the passage of the mountain. Pulling a bunch of 
 grass from the ground, after a short discussion 
 among themselves, the old man made us comprehend 
 that if we could break through the snow, at the 
 end of three days we would come down upon grass, 
 which he showed us would be about six inches hi-h. 
 and where the ground would be entirely free. So tar. 
 he said, he had been in hunting for elk; but beyond 
 
EARLY CONDITION OF THIS REGION. 
 
 61 
 
 that (and ho closed his eyes) he had seen nothing; 
 but there was one among them who had been to the 
 whites, and, going out of the lodge, he returned with 
 a young man of very intelligent appearance. Here, 
 said he, is a young man who has seen the whites with 
 his own eyes; and he swore, first by the sky, and 
 then by the ground, that what ho said was true, i 
 With a large present of goods, wo prevailed upon this | 
 young man to bo our guide, and he acquired among j 
 us the name Melo a word signifying friend, which j 
 they used very frequently. He Avas thinly clad and J 
 nearly bare-footed, his moccasins being about worn 
 out. We gave him skins to make a new pair, to enable 
 him to perform his undertaking to us. The Indians re 
 mained in the camp during the night, and we kept 
 the guide and two 6thers to sleep in the lodge with 
 usCarson (Kit Carson) lying across the door, ! 
 having made them acquainted with the use of our \ 
 tire-arms. The snow, which had intermitted in the 
 evening, commenced falling again in the course of j 
 the night, and it snowed steadily all day. In 
 the morning I acquainted the men with my decision, 
 and explained to them that necessity required us to 
 make a great effort to clear the mountains. I 
 reminded them of the beautiful valley of the Sacra 
 mento, with which they were familiar from the 
 descriptions of Carson, who had been there some fif 
 teen years ago, and who, in our late privations, had 
 delighted us in speaking of its rich pastures and 
 abounding game, and drew a vivid contrast between 
 the Summer climate, less than a hundred miles dis 
 tant, and tho falling snow around us. I informed 
 them (and long experience had given them confi 
 dence in my observations and good instruments) 
 that almost directly west, and only about seventy 
 miles distant, was the great farming establishment 
 of Captain Sutter a gentleman who had formerly 
 lived in Missouri, and, emigrating to this country, 
 had become the possessor of a principality. I assured 
 them that from the heights of the mountain before 
 us, we should doubtless see the valley of the Sacra 
 mento river, and with one effort place ourselves 
 again in the midst of plenty. The people received 
 this decision with the cheerful obedience which had 
 always characterized them, and the day was imme 
 diately devoted to the preparations necessary to 
 enable us to carry it into effect. Leggins, mocca 
 sins, clothings-all were put into the best state to 
 resist tho cold. Our guide was not neglected. Ex 
 tremity of suffering might make him desert; wo 
 therefore did the best we could for him. Leggins, 
 moccasins, some articles of clothing, and a large 
 green blanket, in addition to the blue and scarlet 
 cloth, were lavished upon him, and to his great and 
 evident contentment. He arrayed himself in all his 
 colors, and, clad in green, blue and scarlet, he made 
 a gay looking Indian; and, with his various pres 
 ents, was probably richer and better clothed than 
 any of his tribe had over been before. 
 
 " * * * The river was forty to seventy foot wide, 
 and now entirely frozen over. It was wooded with 
 large cottonwood, willow and grain de bveuf. By 
 observation, the latitude of this encampment was 
 38 37' 18". 
 
 " February 2d. It had ceased snowing, and this 
 morning the lower air was clear and frosty; and six 
 or seven thousand feet above, the peaks of the Sierra 
 now and then appeared among the rolling clouds 
 which were rapidly disappearing before tho sun. 
 Our Indum shook his head as ho pointed to tho icy 
 pinnacles, shooting high up into the sky, and seem 
 ing almost immediately above us. Crossing the river 
 
 on the ice, and leaving it immediately, we com 
 menced the ascent of the mountain along the valley 
 of a tributary stream. The people were unusually 
 silent, for every man knew that our enterprise was 
 hazardous, and the issue doubtful. The snow deep 
 ened rapidly, and it soon became necessary to 
 break a road. For this service a party of ten was 
 formed, mounted on the strongest horses, each man 
 in succession opening the road on foot, or on horse 
 back, until himself and his hor.se became fatigued, 
 when he stepped aside, and, the remaining number 
 passing ahead, he took his station in the rear. Leav 
 ing this stream, and pursuing a very direct course, 
 we passed over an intervening ridge to tho river we 
 had left. On the way we passed two huts, en 
 tirely covered with snow, which might very easily 
 have escaped observation. A family was living in 
 each, and the only trail I saw in the neighborhood 
 was from tho door-hole to a nut-pine near, which 
 supplied them with food and fuel. We found two 
 similar huts on the creek where we next arrived, 
 and traveling a little higher up, encamped on its 
 banks, in about four feet of snow. To-day we had 
 traveled sixteen miles, and our elevation above the 
 sea was six thousand seven hundred and sixty feet. 
 
 'February 3d. Turning our faces directly towards 
 the main chain, we ascended an open hollow along a 
 small tributary to the river, which, according to the 
 Indians, issues from a mountain to the south. The 
 snow was so deep in tho hollow that we were obliged 
 to travel along the steep hill-sides, and over spurs, 
 where wind and sun had lessened the snow, and 
 where the grass, which appeared to be in good qual 
 ity along the sides of the mountain, was exposed. 
 We opened our road in the same way as yesterday, 
 but only made seven miles, and encamped by some 
 springs at the foot of a high and steep hill, by which 
 the hollow ascended to another basin in the mount 
 ain. The little stream below was entirely buried in 
 snow. * * * "We occupied the remainder of the day 
 in beating down a road to the foot of the hill, a mile 
 or two distant; the snow being beaten down when 
 moist, in the warm part of the day, and then hard 
 frozen at night, made a foundation that w r ould bear 
 the weight of the animals the next morning. Dur 
 ing the day several Indians joined us on snow-shoes. 
 These were made of a circular hoop, about a foot in 
 diameter, the interior space being filled with an open 
 not-work of bark. 
 
 "February 4th. I went ahead early with two or 
 three men, each with a led horse, to break the road. 
 We were obliged to abandon the hollow entirely, and 
 work along the mountain side, which was very steep, 
 and the snow covered with an icy crust. * * * To 
 wards a pass which the guide indicated, we at 
 tempted in the afternoon to force a road; but after a 
 laborious plunging through two or three hundred 
 yards, our best horse gave out, entirely refusing to 
 make any further effort; and, for a time, wo were 
 brought to a stand. The guide informed us that wo 
 were entering the deep snow, and here began the 
 difficulties of the mountain; and to him, and almost 
 to all, our enterprise seemed hopeless. 1 returned a 
 short distance back, to the break in the hollow, where 
 I met Mr. Fitzpatrick. The camp had been all the day 
 occupied in endeavoring to ascend the hill, but only 
 the best horses had succeeded, not having sufficient 
 strength to bring themselves up without the packs; 
 and all the line of road between this and the springs 
 was strewed with camp stores and equipage, and 
 horses floundering in snow. I therefore immediately 
 encamped on the ground with my own mess, which 
 
62 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 was in advance, and directed Mr. Fitzpatrick to en 
 camp at the springs, and send all the animals, in 
 charge of Taban, with a strong guard, back to the 
 place where they had been pastured the night before. 
 * * * Two Indians joined our party here; and one 
 of them, an old man, immediately began to ha 
 rangue us, saying that ourselves and animals would 
 polish in the snow; and that if we would go back, he 
 would show us another and a better way across the 
 mountain. He spoke in a very loud voice, and there 
 was a singular repetition of phrases and arrange 
 ment of words, which rendered his speech striking, 
 and not unmusical. We had now begun to under 
 stand some words, and, with the aid of signs, easily 
 comprehended the old man's simple ideas. 'Rock 
 upon rock rock upon rock snow upon snow 
 snow upon snow,' said he; 'even if you get over the 
 snow you will not be able to get down from the 
 mountains. He made us the sign of precipices, and 
 showed us how the feet of the horses would slip, and 
 throw them oif from the narrow trails that led along 
 their sides. Our Chinook, who comprehended even 
 more readily than ourselves, and believed our situa 
 tion hopeless, covered his head with his blanket and 
 began to weep and lament. ' I wanted to see the 
 whites,' said he; ' I come away from my own people 
 to see the whites, and 1 wouldn't care to die among 
 them, but here,' and he looked around into the cold 
 night and the gloomy forest, and, drawing his blanket 
 over his head, began again to lament. Seated around 
 the tree, the fire illuminating the rocks and the tall 
 bolls of the pines around about, and the old Indian 
 haranguing, we presented a group of very serious 
 faces. 
 
 " February 5th. The night had been too cold to 
 sleep, and we were up very early. Our guide was 
 standing by the fire with all his finery on; and see 
 ing him shiver in the cold, I threw on his shoulders 
 one of my blankets. We missed him a few minutes 
 afterwards, and never saw him again. He had de 
 serted. His bad faith and treachery were in per 
 fect keeping with the estimate of Indian character, 
 which a long intercourse with this people had grad 
 ually forced upon my mind. While a portion of the 
 camp \vere occupied in bringing up the baggage to 
 this point, the remainder were busy in making sledges 
 and snow-shoes, 1 had determined to explore the 
 mountain ahead, and the sledges were to be used in 
 transporting the baggage. * * * 
 
 "February 6th. Accompanied by Mr. Fitzpatrick, I 
 set out to-day with a reconnoitering party, on snow- 
 shoes. We marched all in single tile, trampling the 
 snow as heavily as we could. Grossing the open 
 basin, in a march of about ten miles we reached the 
 to]) of one of the peaks, to the left of the pass indi 
 cated by our guide. Far below us, dimmed by the 
 distance was a large snowless valley, bounded on the 
 western side, at the distance of about a hundred 
 miles, by a low range of mountains, which Carson 
 recognized with delight as the mountains bordering 
 the coast. ' ' There,' said he, ' is the little mountain 
 (Mt. Diablo) it is fifteen years ago since I saw it; 
 but I am just as sure as if 1 .had seen it yesterday.' 
 Between us, then, and this low coast range, was the 
 valley of the Sacramento; and no one who had not 
 accompanied us through the incidents of our life for 
 the last few months could realize the delight with 
 which we at last looked down upon it. At the dis 
 tance of apparently thirty miles beyond us were dis 
 tinguished spots of prairie; and a dark line, winch 
 could be traced with the glass, was imagined to be 
 the course of the river; but we were evidently at a 
 
 great height above the valley, and between us and 
 the plains extended miles of snowy fields and broken 
 ridges of pine-covered mountains. * * * All our en 
 ergies were now directed to getting our animals 
 across the snow; and it was supposed that, after all 
 the baggage had been drawn with the sleighs over 
 the trail we had made, it would be sufficiently hard 
 to bear our animals. * * * With one party drawing 
 sleighs loaded with baggage, I advanced to-day 
 about four miles along the trail, and encamped at the 
 first grassy spot, where we intended to bring our 
 horses. Mr. Fitzpatrick, with another party, re 
 mained behind, to form an intermediate station be 
 tween us and the animals. * * * 
 
 "February 8th. * * * Scenery and weather, com 
 bined, must render these mountains beautiful in Sum 
 mer; the purity and deep-blue color of the sky 
 are singularly beautiful; the days are sunny and 
 bright, and even warm in the noon hours; and if we 
 could be free from the many anxieties that oppress 
 us, even now we would be delighted here; but our 
 provisions are getting fearfully scant. Sleighs ar 
 rived with baggage about ten o'clock; and leaving a 
 portion of it here, we continued on for a mile and a 
 half, and encamped at the foot of a long hill on this 
 side of the open bottom. * * * 
 
 " February 9th. During the night the weather 
 changed, the wind rising to a gale, and commencing 
 to snow before daylight; before morning the trail was 
 covered. We remained quiet in camp all day, in the 
 course of which the weather improved. Four sleighs 
 arrived toward evening, with the bedding of the 
 men. We suffer much from want of salt, and all 
 the men are becoming weak from insufficient food. 
 
 " February 10th. Taplin was sent back with a few 
 men to assist Mr. Fitzpatrick; and continuing on 
 with three sleighs carrying a part of the baggage, 
 we had the satisfaction to encamp within two and a 
 half miles of the head of the hollow, and at the foot 
 of the last mountain ridge. Here two large trees 
 had been set on fire, and in the holes, where the 
 snow had been melted away, we found a comfortable 
 camp. Putting on our snow-shoes, we spent the 
 afternoon in exploring a road ahead. The glare of 
 the snow combined with great fatigue, had rendered 
 many of the people nearly blind; but we were fortu 
 nate in having some black silk handkerchiefs, which, 
 worn as veils, very much relieved the eyes. 
 
 " February llth. High wind continued, and our 
 trail this morning was nearly invisible here and 
 there indicated by a little ridge of snow. Our situa 
 tion became tiresome and dreary, requiring a strong 
 exercise of patience and resolution. In the evening 
 I received a message from Mr. Fitzpatrick, acquaint 
 ing me with the utter failure of his attempt to get 
 our mules and horses over the snow the half-hidden 
 trail had proved entirely too slight to support them, 
 and they had broken through, and were plunging 
 about or lying half buried in the snow. * * * I 
 wrote him to send the animals immediately back to 
 their old pastures; and after having made mauls and 
 shovels, turn in all the strength of his party to 
 open and beat a road through the snow, strengthen 
 ing it with branches and boughs of the pines. 
 
 " February 13th. We continued to labor on the 
 road; and in the course of the day had the satisfac 
 tion to see the people working down the face of the 
 opposite hill, about three miles distant. * * * The 
 meat train did not arrive this morning, and I gave 
 Godey leave to kill our little dog (Tlamatb), which 
 he prepared in Indian fashion; scorching off the hair, 
 and washing the skin with soap and snow, and then 
 
EARLY CONDITION OF THIS REGION. 
 
 63 
 
 cutting it up in pieces, which were laid on the snow. 
 Shortly afterward, the sleigh arrived with a supply 
 of horse meat; and we had to-night an extraordinary 
 dinner pea soup, mule and dog. * * * 
 
 " February 16th. We had succeeded in getting our 
 animals safely to the first grassy hill; and this 
 morning I started with Jacob on a reconnoitering 
 expedition beyond the mountain. 
 
 " We traveled along the crest of narrow ridges, 
 extending down from the mountain in the direction of 
 the valley, from which the snpw was fast melting 
 away. On the open spots was tolerably good grass; 
 and I judged that we should succeed in getting the 
 camp down by way of these. Toward sun-down 
 we discovered some icy points in a deep hollow, arid, 
 descending the mountain, we encamped at the head 
 water of a little creek, where at last the water found 
 its way to the Pacific. * * * We started again early 
 in the morning. The creek acquired a regular 
 breadth of about twenty feet, and we soon began to 
 hear the rushing of the water below the ice-surface, 
 over which we traveled to avoid the snow; a few 
 miles below we broke through, where the water was 
 several feet deep, and halted to dry our clothes. We 
 continued a few miles further, walking being very 
 laborious without snow-shoes. 1 was now perfectly 
 satisfied that we had struck the stream on which 
 Mr. Sutter lived; and, turning about, made a hard 
 push, and reached the camp at dark. * * * 
 
 " On the 19th, the people were occupied in mak 
 ing a road and bringing up the baggage; and, on the 
 afternoon of the next day, February 20, 1844, we 
 encamped with the animals and all the material of the 
 camp, on the summit of the pass in the dividing 
 ridge, one thousand miles by our traveled road from 
 the Dalles of the Columbia. The people, who had not 
 yet been to this point, climbed the neighboring peak 
 to enjoy a look at the valley. The temperature of 
 boiling water gave for the elevation of the encamp 
 ment nine thousand .three hundred and thirty-eight 
 feet above the sea. This was two thousand feet 
 higher than the South Pass in the Rocky Mountains, 
 and several peaks in view rose several thousand feet 
 still higher. * * *" 
 
 From the summit the party passed down the 
 western slope of the Sierras, following the general 
 course of the stream, and suffering many hardships 
 and privations, encountering much deep snow and 
 Mistaining life on none too juicy mule meat. The 
 stream whose course was being followed was the 
 south fork of the American river. Describing the 
 happy termination of this perilous journey by an 
 advance party of eight, Mr. Fremont says: 
 
 "March Gth. We continued on our road through 
 the same surpassingly beautiful country, entirely 
 uncqualed for the pasturage of stock by anything we 
 had ever seen. Our horses had now become so 
 strong that they were able to carry us, and we trav 
 eled rapidly over four miles an hour ; four of us 
 riding every alternate hour. Every few hundred 
 yards we came upon little bands of deer ; but we 
 were too eager to reach the settlement, which we 
 momentarily expected to discover, to halt for any 
 other than a passing shot. In a few hours we reached 
 a large fork (North Fork of the American river), 
 the northern branch of the river, and equal in size to 
 that which we had descended. Together they formed 
 a beautiful stream, sixty to one hundred yards wide, 
 which at first, ignorant of the nature of the country 
 
 through which that river ran, we took to be the 
 Sacramento. We continued down the right bank of 
 the river, traveling for a while over a wooded upland 
 where we had the delight to discover tracks of cattle. 
 * * * We made an acorn meal at noon and 
 hurried on. Shortly afterwards we gave a shout 
 at the appearance on a little bluff of a neatly built 
 adobe house with glass windows. We rode up, but, 
 to our disappointment, found only Indians. There 
 was no appearance of cultivation, and we could see 
 no cattle, and we supposed the place had been aban 
 doned. We now pressed on more eagerly than ever; 
 the river swept round in a large bend to the right ; 
 the hills lowered down entirely; and, gradually enter 
 ing a broad valley, we came unexpectedly into a large 
 Indian village, where the people looked clean, and 
 wore cotton shirts and various other articles of dress. 
 They immediately crowded around us, and we had 
 the inexpressible delight to find one who spoke a lit 
 tle indifferent Spanish, but who at first confounded 
 us by saying there were no whites in the country ; 
 but just then a well-dressed Indian came up and 
 made his salutations in very well-spoken Spanish. 
 In answer to our inquiries, he informed us that we 
 were upon the Rio de los Americanos (the river of the 
 Americans), and that it joined the Sacramento river 
 about ten miles below. Never did a name sound 
 more sweetly! We felt ourselves among our country 
 men; for the name of American, in these distant parts, 
 is applied to the citizens of the United States. To 
 our eager inquiries he answered, 'lama vaquero 
 (cow herd) in the service of Captain Sutter, and the 
 people of this rancheria work for him;' Our evident 
 satisfaction made him communicative; and he went 
 on to say that Captain Sutter was a very rich man, 
 and always glad to see his country people. We asked 
 for his house. He answered that it was just over the 
 hill before us, and offered, if we would wait a moment 
 to take his horse and conduct us to it. We readily 
 accepted his civil offer. In a short distance we came 
 in sight of the fort; and passing on the way the house 
 of a settler on the opposite side (a Mr. Sinclair), we 
 forded the river; and in a few miles were met a short 
 distance from the fort by Captain Sutter himself. 
 He gave us a most frank and cordial reception con 
 ducted us immediately to his residence and under his 
 hospitable roof had a night of rest, enjoyment, and 
 refreshment, which none but ourselves could appre 
 ciate." 
 
 Gen. Fremont the next day started back with 
 provisions and horses to meet and relieve the main 
 body of the party, who were several days in the 
 rear. He met them near the forks of the river, 
 " Each man, weak and emaciated, leading a horse 
 or mule as weak and emaciated as himself." Of 
 sixty-seven horses and mules, only thirty-three had 
 survived that terrible journey across the mountains. 
 Many of them had been killed for food, while others 
 had died of starvation or exhaustion or lay at the 
 bottom of rocky canons, down which they had 
 plunged from the precipitous heights above. Many 
 valuable specimens, collected during the long jour 
 ney were lost. 
 
 It was in the few years prior to the discovery of 
 gold that the genuine pioneers of California braved 
 the unknown dangers of the plains and mountains, 
 with the intention of settling in the fair valley, of 
 which so much was said and so little known, and 
 
HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 building a home for themselves and their children. 
 Many of these immigrants crossed the mountains by 
 nearly the same route pursued by the Central Pacific 
 Railroad, except that they followed down Bear river 
 to the plains. The first settlement reached by them 
 was that of Theodore Sicard, at Johnson's Crossing, 
 on the Placer county side, and a few miles below 
 'Camp Far West. This settlement was made in 1844, 
 and was the first point reached by the members of 
 the ill-starred Conner Party in 1847. Opposite 
 Sicard's settlement was Johnson's ranch, owned by 
 William Johnson and Sebastian Kyser, who settled 
 there in 1845. Johnson's Crossing was for years a 
 favorite landmark and rallying point. 
 
 The next Winter after Fremont made his perilous 
 crossing of the Sierras, another party, a band of 
 hardy pioneers, worked their laborious way through 
 the drifting snow of the mountains, and entered the 
 beautiful valley, one of them remaining in his snow 
 bound camp at Donner lake until returning Spring 
 made his rescue possible. The party consisted of 
 twenty-three men: John Flomboy; Captain Stevens, 
 now a resident of Kern county, Cal.; Joseph Foster; 
 Dr. Townsend; Allen Montgomery; Moses Schallen- 
 bcrger, now living in San Jose, Ca,!.; G. Greenwood, 
 and his two sons, John and Britt; James Miller, now 
 of San Rafael, Cal.; Mr. Calvin; William Martin; 
 Patrick Martin; Dennis Martin; Martin Murphy, and 
 his five sons; Mr. Hitchcock, and son. They left 
 Council Bluffs, May 20, 1844, en route to California, of 
 the fertility of whose soil and the mildness of whose 
 climate glowing accounts had been given. The dan 
 gers of the plains and mountains were passed, and 
 the party reached the Ilumboldt river, when an 
 Indian named Truckee presented himself, and 
 offered to guide them to California. After question 
 ing him closely, they employed him as their guide, 
 and as the}' progressed, found that the statements 
 he had made about the route were fully verified. 
 lie soon became a great favorite among them, and 
 when they reached the lower crossing of the Truckee 
 river, now Wadsworth, they gave his name to the 
 beautiful stream, so pleased were they by the pure 
 water and abundance of fish to which he had 
 directed them. The stream will ever live in history 
 a- the Truckee river, and the fish, the famous 
 Truckee trout, will continue to delight the palate of 
 tin- epicure for years to come. 
 
 From this point the party pushed on to the beauti 
 ful mountain lake, whose shores but two years' later 
 witnessed a scene of suffering and death uncqualed 
 in the annals of America's pioneers. Here, at Don- 
 ncr lake, it was decided to build a cabin and store 
 their goods until Spring, as the cattle were too 
 exhausted to drag them further. The cabin was 
 built by Allen Montgomer}-, Joseph Foster, and 
 Moses Schallcnbcrger, all young men used to pioneer 
 life, and who felt fully able to maintain themselves 
 by their rifles upon the bears and dear that seemed 
 so plentiful in the mountains. The cabin was built 
 
 of pine sapplings, with a roof of brush and raw 
 hides; it was twelve by fourteen feet and about eight 
 feet high, with a rude chimney, and but one aperture 
 for both a windoAv and door; it was about a quarter 
 of a mile below the foot of the lake, and is of 
 peculiar interest, as it was the first habitation built 
 by white men within the limits of Nevada county, 
 the entering wedge of civilization that in a few years 
 wrested these beautiful hills with their wealth of 
 gold from the hands of the barbarous Digger, and 
 brought one more country under the dominion of 
 intelligence. 
 
 The cabin was completed in two days, and the 
 party moved on across the summit, leaving but a 
 few provisions and a half-starved and emaciated 
 cow for the support of the young men, who had 
 undertaken a task, the magnitude of which they 
 little dreamed. It was about the middle of Novem 
 ber when the party left Donner lake, and they 
 arrived at Suiter's Fort on the 15th of December, 
 1844, the journey down the mountains consuming a 
 month of toil and privation. The day after the 
 cabin was completed a heavy fall of snow com 
 menced and continued for several days, and Avhilc 
 the journeying party were plunging and toiling 
 through the storm and drifts, the three young men 
 found themselves surrounded by a bed of snow from 
 ten to fifteen feet deep. The game had fled down 
 the mountains to escape the storm, and when the 
 poor cow was half consumed the three snow-bound 
 prisoners began to realize the danger of their situa 
 tion. Alarmed by the prospect of starvation, they 
 determined to force their way across the barrier of 
 snow. In one day's journey they reached the sum 
 mit, but poor Schallenberger was here taken Avith 
 severe cramps, and was unable to proceed the follow 
 ing day. Ever} few feet that he advanced in his 
 attempt to struggle along, he fell to the ground- 
 What could they do? To remain was death, and 
 yet they could not abandon their sick comrade among 
 the drifting snows on the summit of the Sierras. 
 Foster and Montgomery were placed in a trying 
 situation. Schallenberger told them that he would 
 remain alone if they would conduct him back to the 
 cabin. They did so, and providing everything they 
 could for his comfort, took their departure, leaving 
 him, sick and feeble, in the heart of the snow-locked 
 mountains. 
 
 A strong will can accomplish wonders, and a deter 
 mination to live is sometimes stronger than death, 
 and young Schallenberger by a groat exertion was 
 soon able to rise from his bod and seek for food. 
 Among the goods stored in the cabin he found some 
 steel-traps, with which he caught enough foxes to sus 
 tain himself in his little mountain cabin, until the 
 doors of his prison were unlocked by the melting 
 rays of the vernal sun, and a party of friends came 
 to his relief. On the 1st of March, 1845, he, too, 
 arrived at Sutter's Fort, having spent three months 
 
- ; ' ~* 
 
EARLY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 65 
 
 in the drifting snows of the "Snowy Mountains "- 
 the Sierra Nevada. 
 
 The after history of the Indian Truckee, whose 
 name so many objects bear, is an interesting one. 
 Passing down the mountains, he arrived at Sutter's 
 Fort with the main party, and remained until the 
 breaking out of the war in 1846, when ho joined 
 Fremont's Battalion, and was ever afterwards 
 known as Captain Truckee. He was quite a favorite 
 with Fremont, who presented him with a Bible with 
 the donor's autograph on the fly leaf. This with a 
 copy of the St. Louis Republican, Captain Truckee 
 jealously preserved until the time of his death. 
 After the American conquest, Truckee returned to 
 his people, east of the Sierras, and when the rich 
 silver discoveries in the Washoe region brought 
 thousands of white men there, he became their fast 
 friend and a universal favorite among the miners. 
 The Indian camp where he lived was in the Palmyra 
 District, Lyon county, Nevada, about a mile from 
 Como, and near the spring where the town of 
 Palmyra was subsequently built. One day in 1860, 
 Captain Truckee went to the mining camp at Como 
 to ask the men what remedy he should use for a 
 large swelling on his neck. The men thought he 
 had been bitten by a tarantula and advised him to 
 apply a slice of bacon. Poor Captain Truckee died 
 that night, his last request being to be buried by the 
 white men and in the white man's style. The miners 
 dug a grave near Como, in the croppings of the old 
 Goliah ledge, and good Captain Truckee was laid 
 away to rest, the Bible and the paper he had 
 cherished so long lying by his side. 
 
 The terrible sufferings of the Donner party have 
 been already portrayed. The groans of the starv 
 ing, and the wails of the dying, crazed with hunger; 
 will ever haunt the shores of Donner lake, and the 
 winds as they moan among the drooping branches 
 of the pines, will whisper tales of suffering such as 
 few have seen, and the most vivid imagination fails 
 to realize. The two cabins built by the Donner 
 party near that of Schallenberger, and which formed 
 the camp of the Breens, Graves, and Murphys, were 
 the second monuments of civilization in Nevada 
 county. About two weeks before the Donner party 
 found the way across the summit barred by the snow, 
 another immigrant train passed in safety. Among 
 those immigrants were Claude Ghana, who now lives 
 at Wbeatland, Yuba county, and Charles Covillaud, 
 one of the original proprietors of Marysville, and 
 who married Mary Murphy, a member of the Don 
 ner party, from whom the name Marysville was 
 derived. The widely different experiences of these 
 two parties in crossing the mountains, but illustrate 
 the changes that can there be wrought by a few days 
 of snow. This party also followed down Bear river 
 to Johnson's ranch, from which point the relief parties 
 were sent to Donner lake. The years 1846, 7 and 8, 
 saw many trains of immigrants on their way to 
 Oregon and California, those for this State crossing 
 
 the mountains by several routes, though most of 
 them came by way of Truckee river. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 AMADOR COUNTY. * 
 
 Early History Origin of the Name of Carson Pass River and 
 " Valley First White Men in the Territory Sutter's Whip- 
 saw-mill Discovery of Gold Organization of Calaveras 
 County Removal of County-Seat from Double Springs to 
 Jackson Second Removal to Mokelumne Hill First Set of 
 County Officers Second Set of County Officers Members 
 of the Legislature Miscellaneous Matters in Calaveras Joa- 
 quin's Career Chased by Indians Mokelumne Hill in Early 
 Days Green and Vogan's Line of Stages Stories of Griz 
 zlies Bull and Bear Fight. 
 
 A GENERAL history of the State has been given, in 
 which but little mention has been made of that por 
 tion of the territory out of which Amador county 
 was afterwards carved.- It is probable that some 
 trappers occasionally visited the lower portions of 
 Mokelumne river, though not often, for the Indians, 
 who inhabited that portion of the country, watched 
 with jealous eye the intrusion of strangers for any 
 purpose whatever. The Hudson's Bay Company 
 had a trail from French Camp to Oregon, which 
 was most of the way through the tides, and of 
 course far to the west of the present limits. The 
 ' ; Arroyo Seco " grant purports to have been made 
 in 1840, but it is quite certain that no Mexican had 
 ever set his foot on the hills, oV had ever seen 
 them except far away, from the Diablo range of 
 mountains. Those persons who accompanied Gen 
 eral Sutter in his campaign against Mikelkos in 
 1843, might have seen the Lyons mountains twenty 
 miles to the east. As early as 1840, according to 
 James Alexander Forbes, then the agent for the 
 Hudson Bay Company in Alta California, all attempts 
 to raise cattle on the east side of the San Joaquin, 
 had been an utter failure, the Indians invariably 
 driving off the stock and destroying the ranches. 
 
 CARSON PASS, VALLEY, AND RIVER. 
 
 The impression is generally prevailing that Carson 
 discovered the pass bearing his name. In the famous 
 trip across the mountains Fremont and Carson trav 
 eled northward from Walker's river, crossing the 
 river bearing Carson's name in their course, making 
 the crossing of the summit by way of Truckee and 
 Lake Tahoe. The river was then named in honor of 
 Carson, the pass and valley being named from the 
 river, so that it is quite probable that Carson never 
 crossed the mountains at that point until 1853, when 
 he came through with a division of U. S. troops 
 under Colonel Steptoe. 
 
 The first authentic report of the presence'of white 
 men in the county was in 1846, when Sutter, with a 
 party of Indians and a few white men, sawed lum 
 ber for a ferry-boat in a cluster of sugar pines on 
 the ridge between Sutter and Amador creeks, about 
 four miles above the towns of Amador and Sutter. 
 In 1849 the remains of the timbers and the sills over 
 
66 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 the pit were in good preservation though showing 
 indications of being older than the gold-hunting 
 immigration. The partially filled-up pit may still be 
 seen. 
 
 At this time the country was one unbroken forest 
 from the plains to the Sierra Nevadas, broken only 
 by grassy glades like lone valley, Volcano flats and 
 other places. The tall pine waved from every hill, 
 the white and black oak alternating and prevailing 
 in the lower valleys. The timber in the lower foot 
 hills and valleys, though continuous, was so scattering 
 that grasses, ferns, and other plants grew between, 
 giving the country the appearance of a well-cared-for 
 park. The quiet and repose of these ancient forests, 
 seemed like the results of thousands of years of 
 peaceful occupation, and at every turn in the trails 
 which the immigrants followed, they half expected 
 to see the familiar old homestead, orchard, cider- 
 press and grain fields, the glories of the older settle 
 ments in the Eastern States. These things, after 
 thirty years' residence, are beginning to appear, but 
 this settlement is the subject of our history, and 
 must not be anticipated. How much the ancient syl 
 van gods were astonished and shocked at the irrup 
 tion of the races that tore up the ground and felled 
 the woods, the poets of some other generation will 
 relate. 
 
 DISCOVERY OF GOLD IN AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 In the latter part of March, 1848, a man arrived 
 in Stockton, then called Tuleburgh, bringing with 
 him specimens of scale-gold, from Sutler's mill. He 
 informed the people there of the recent discoveries 
 on the American river, the specimens confirming his 
 report; whereupon, Captain Weber, catching a spark 
 from the flame, fitted out a prospecting party, con 
 sisting of settlers on his grant, some strangers that 
 chanced that way, and a force of Si-yak-um-na In 
 dians, and commenced the exploration of the country 
 east of Stockton, beginning at the Stanislaus, and 
 working north. The fever Avas on them; haste and 
 nuggets their watchwords; inexperience their com 
 panion, and failure the result, until they had reached 
 Mokelumne river, where the Captain decided to 
 make a more deliberate search, the result of which 
 was the discovery by him, on that river, of the first 
 gold found in the section of country, that was after 
 wards known as the Southern mines. Owing to 
 their more careful search and added experience, 
 gold was found north from this river, in every gulch 
 and stream to the American river. Arriving at Sut- 
 ter's mill, it was decided to commence mining at 
 what was called afterward Weber's creek, near 
 Placerville. As soon as he had got work on Weber 
 creek well under way, he returned to Stockton, and 
 organized a party to explore the country south of 
 the Mokelumne river. In a short time they re 
 turned with finer specimens than had been found at 
 Coloma. A mining company was formed, which 
 afterwards gave name to Wood's creek, Murphy's 
 
 creek, Angel's Camp, and other places. Then com 
 menced the general working of the " Southern mines," 
 the rush of miners, the immigration which built up the 
 flourishing counties of Amador, San Joaquin, Cala- 
 veras, Tuolumne, and the changing of the world's 
 commerce. 
 
 The ..Mokelumne river, the gulches at Drytown, 
 Volcano, and lone, were mined extensively in 1848. 
 General Sutter and party tried it near the town of 
 Sutter, but he was disgusted Avith the opening ol a 
 saloon near his works, and left the mines, never to 
 return. The emigration from the Eastern States, 
 by way of the plains and the Horn, brought a large 
 accession to the population, and brought about the 
 , necessity of some political organization. El Dorado 
 county was organized with Dry creek as its southern 
 boundary, Calaveras, with Dry creek as its northern 
 limits. From these two territories, Amador was 
 afterwards carved, first in 1854, by setting oif the 
 territory north of the Mokelumne from Calaveras, 
 and in 1856-57, by the addition of the strip from El 
 Dorado lying south of the Cosumnes, the boundaries 
 farther east being rather indefinite, as will bo here 
 after seen. A short account of the organizations of 
 these two counties, will suffice for this work. Gala- ; 
 veras county was organized in the session of the 
 Legislature, in 1849-50. It is said that it took its 
 name from an immense number of skulls found on 
 that river. The story was that a great number of 
 Indians coming down from the Sierras to fish for 
 salmon, were all slaughtered. There is a probability 
 that they were the result of the fearful mortality, 
 before mentioned, occurring among all the valley 
 tribes, from the head waters of the Sacramento to 
 those of the San Joaquin, in 1830. The county took 
 its name from the river. 
 
 The first officers were William Fowle Smith, County 
 Judge; John Hanson, Sheriff; Colonel Collyer, County 
 Clerk; A. B. Mudge, Treasurer; H. A. Carter, Prose 
 cuting Attorney. Pleasant Valley, better known an 
 Double Springs, was designated as the county seat. 
 The courts were held in a long tent, eight or ten 
 feet wide, imported from China. The first Grand 
 Jury held its sessions under a big tree. According to 
 all accounts, justice was anything but a blind god 
 dess. Very contradictory reports are current in 
 regard to the characters of the officers. "Fowle 
 Smith," an Eastern man, was represented by some 
 as a miserable concentration of all meanness that 
 was supposed to characterize that kind of men; 
 stinginess, cowardice, and "all that sort of thing." 
 Others say that he was honest, and would not 
 countenance Colonel Collyer's peccadillos, hence, their 
 mutual dislike. He has since taken to preaching, 
 and is said to be causing great revivals in some of 
 the Eastern States. 
 
 Colonel Collyer, according to the same authority, 
 was a southern man, with southern virtues in excess 
 pompous, portly, genial, brave, and reckless, with a 
 habit of calling everybody, who crossed his will, a 
 
EARLY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 67 
 
 d d son of a , and threatening to cut his heart 
 
 out; a treatment he had applied to Judge Smith, 
 until the latter was seriously afraid the Colonel was 
 in earnest. Among the peculiarities of Collyer, was 
 the pocketing of all fees received in his official capac 
 ity, leaving JudgT? Smith to collect his salary, or 
 extras, as he might. Collyer js said to have natural 
 ized sixty foreigners in one day, charging them one 
 ounce each, all of which he applied to his own benefit. 
 Mudge may be described in a few words, as putting 
 all the money received into his own pocket, and 
 decamping when it became too heavy to carry 
 around. John Hanson, Sheriff, now engaged in 
 business in San Francisco, was a native of Maine, 
 and. probably by attending strictly to his business, 
 made no extraordinary history. The same may be 
 said of H. A. Carter, the Prosecuting Attorney, a 
 native of New York. He now resides in lone valley. 
 
 CHANGE OP COUNTY SEAT. 
 
 According to the laws of the sessions of the Leg 
 islature of 1849-50, whenever a majority of the 
 voters of any county petitioned for an election fixing 
 the county seat, the Judge might order an election 
 on thirty days' notice. In accordance with this pro 
 vision an election was held in 1850, the two contest 
 ing places being Jackson and Mokelumrie Hill. When 
 the first count or estimate was made up, Mokelunme 
 Hill was said to have been the successful town, and 
 a team was sent to Double Springs to remove the 
 archives ; but a subsequent count by Judge Smith 
 made Jackson the county seat. Smith was openly 
 charged with fraud in the second counting. The 
 whole affair was probably as near a farce as elections 
 ever get to be. The manner of changing the archives 
 from Double Springs will be more fully set forth in 
 the township history of Jackson. The seat of- jus 
 tice remained at Jackson unjil 1852, when it was 
 transferred by election to Mokelumne Hill. The 
 general vote in 1851 was: Democratic, 1,780; Whig, 
 1,207. 
 
 County officer:-!, 1852: Sam. Booker, District At 
 torney; A. Laforge, Treasurer; Jo. Douglass, County 
 Clerk; Ben. Marshall, Sheriff; C. Creaner, District 
 Judge. 
 
 1852 Pierce, 2,848; Scott, 2,200. 
 
 1853 The officers of Calaveras county were : 
 Treasurer, A. Laforge; County Clerk, Jo. Douglass; 
 Sheriff, Ben Marshall; Prosecuting Attorney, Win. 
 Higby; County Judge, Henry Eno. 
 
 Members of the Legislature: Senators E. D. 
 Sawyer, Charles Leake. Assemblymen A. J. 
 Houghtaling, Martin Eowen, W. C. Pratt, C. Daniels 
 vice Carson, deceased. 
 
 The vote for Governor was: John Bigler (Demo 
 crat) 2,545; William Waldo (Whig) 2,212. 
 JOAQUIN'S CAREER IN AMADOR. 
 
 This renowned bandit commenced his career in 
 this county. His exploits are notorious, and like all 
 events of that kind, are multiplied and exaggerated 
 
 until the clearest sight can no longer distinguish the 
 true from the fabulous. Whether he was induced to 
 commence a career of murder and robbery on account 
 of being flogged at Jamison's ranch, will always 
 remain an uncertainty. His first operations were to 
 mount himself and party with the best horses in the 
 country. Judge Carter, in 1852, had a valu&ble and 
 favorite horse which for safety and frequent use was 
 usually kept staked a short distance from the house. 
 One morn-ing the horse was missing. Cochran, a 
 partner in the farming business, started in pursuit of 
 the horse and thief. The horse was easily tracked, 
 as in expectation of something of this kind the toe 
 corks on the shoes had been put on on a line with 
 the road instead of across it. The track led Cochran 
 across Dry creek, across the plains and thence toward 
 the mines several miles, where the rider seemed 
 accompanied by several other horsemen. Coming to 
 a public house kept by one Clark, he saw the horse 
 with several others, hitched at the door. Going in 
 he inquired for the party who rode his horse, saying 
 that it had been stolen. He was told he was a Mex 
 ican, and was then at dinner with several others. 
 Clark, who was a powerful and daring man, offered 
 to arrest him, and suiting the action to the word, 
 entered the dining-room in company with Cochran, 
 and, placing his hand on Joaquin's shoulder for it 
 was he said: "You are my prisoner." "I think 
 not," said Joaquin; at the same time shooting Clark 
 through the head, who fell dead. A general fusil 
 lade ensued, in which one of the Mexicans was shot 
 by the cook, who took part in the affair, Cochran 
 receiving a slight wound. The Mexicans mounted 
 their horses and escaped, leaving Carter's horse 
 hitched to the fence. 
 
 VISIT TO SUTHERLAND'S RANCH. 
 Jack Sutherland, now residing on King's river, 
 had, in early days, a ranch on Dry creek, below 
 lone, and also one near Plymouth. Soon after mov 
 ing to the former place, Billy Sutherland, then 
 seventeen or eighteen, who had charge of the place 
 in the absence of his father, sold a band of cattle for 
 several thousand dollars in gold. After the pur 
 chasers had gone with their property, he took a 
 notion to count the money again, before putting it 
 away in the safe, which, in this instance, was a hole 
 in a log, and emptied the sack on the table. While 
 piling it up in hundreds and thousands, a shadow 
 darkened the door. Looking up, who should he see 
 but Joaquin, the famous bandit. To say that he 
 was not afraid would be incredible, for Joaquin 
 usually traveled with a band, which, probably was 
 not far oft'; but he immediately conceived a plan to 
 save his money and life. .Resistance was out of the 
 question; for he was alone, and no houses within 
 miles. He politely invited Joaquin to alight, and 
 in answer to the question whether he could stay all 
 night with his party, replied in the affirmative. 
 Joaquin called to his party, in Spanish, that he had 
 found some friends, telling them to unsaddle. They 
 
68 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 were fierce and sullen looking fellows, but he trusted 
 to out-maneuver them. He pretended not to know 
 his guests, and set about getting their suppers 
 After eating, the lender asked young Sutherland if 
 he was not afraid to stay alone with so much money 
 in the house; and inquired what he would do if 
 Joaquin should come around? Sutherland replied 
 that Joaquin was a gentleman, and would not harm 
 his friends; that he and his father were acquainted, 
 and referred to some transactions which had oc 
 curred, in which his father had benefited Joaquin. 
 "Are you Jack Sutherland's son?" says Joaquin. 
 "1 am," says Sutherland. After some further 
 conversation, they laid down on their saddle blan 
 kets, and slept until morning. At parting, Joaquin 
 paid his bill, remarking that if any persons coming 
 along during the day should inquire for a party 
 answering their description, it would be as well for 
 him to remember nothing about their having been 
 there. Young Sutherland thought so also. 
 
 During the latter part of October, 1852, Joaquin 
 was prowling around the northern part of Calaveras. 
 in the vicinity of Oleta (Fiddletown): One day, one 
 of the Mexican women told an American that Joaquin 
 was in the town. As it was a common thing for 
 Mexicans to ride from one camp to another, the 
 presence of strangers caused no remark. His name, 
 however, was sufficient to raise a storm, and in a 
 few minutes he was being hunted. He was dressed 
 in the usual Spanish style, with wide-brimmed hat, 
 serape, white drawers, and pantaloons opening up 
 the sides. When he found he was betrayed, he 
 jumped on a table in a gambling room, flourished a 
 pistol around his head, said he was Joaquin, and 
 defied the town to take him. This bravado may 
 have been necessary to ensure his retreat, for he 
 and his party left immediately, with half the town 
 in pursuit. As it was, he came near being sur 
 rounded, and had to force his way out. "Am. 
 Parks " had hold of his bridle, but was induced to 
 let loose by a shot in his face, which, however, only 
 grazed the skin. The party of three or four left, 
 amid a shower of bullets from revolvers, none of 
 them taking effect, except, perhaps, on the horses; 
 either this or the party were not well mounted, for 
 in the pursuit which took place, the footmen kept 
 well up, some Indians, who joined in the chase, 
 being in the advance. Joaquin took the trail to 
 wards Slate creek, and thence across Dry creek 
 towards Lower Rancheria. Fresh men joined the 
 pursuers at every gulch. To get rid of the Indians, 
 the Mexicans stripped themselves first of serape, 
 spurs, and everything that could be thrown off 
 hastily. At the crossing of Dry creek, a half mile 
 below Dead Man's creek, a long-legged Missourian, 
 with a still longer rifle, 'came up within forty or 
 fifty yards, but was afraid to fire on account of that 
 terrible revolver of Joaquin's, which never missed. - 
 The Missourian never will get out of the range of 
 ridicule, that has been heaped on him ever since. 
 
 The Mexicans left their horses, and escaped in the 
 thick chaparral on the divide between Rancheria 
 and Dry creeks. That night they made their way 
 into Lower Rancheria, accounting for their demor 
 alization by saying they had been chased by Indians 
 which was true. 
 
 CHASED BY INDIANS. 
 
 In the Winter of 1850-51 a party of four or five 
 men, of whom A Askey, now of Jackson, was one, 
 were hunting deer in the mountains a few miles 
 above Volcano. Venison being worth fifty cents a 
 pound they could afford to take some risks. One 
 day, while following a wounded deer, Askey dis 
 covered a party of Indians, whom, by their dress, he 
 judged to be Washoes, who had the reputation of being 
 much better fighters than the California Indians. 
 They saw him about the same time, and, com 
 ing up, professed to be very friendly, wanting to 
 shake hands, which he prudently declined. A con 
 ference, mostly by signs, ensued, in which both par 
 ties agreed to pursue the deer, Askey taking one 
 side of the hill, the Indians the other. He did not 
 follow the deer far, but made the very best time to 
 the camp that his short legs would admit of. In the 
 morning, reinforced by his companions, he made a 
 reconnaissance in force, and, as he expected, found 
 that the Indians had made an effort to cut him off, 
 the tracks in the snow showing that they had fol 
 lowed him until they sighted the camp. The follow 
 ing day an old Indian came peering about, and, by 
 signs, intimated that the bark and wood set around 
 the hut would keep out arrows. Suspecting him of 
 being a spy, they thought best to detain him until 
 morning, when ho was dismissed with an application 
 of a number ten boot to his rear that accelerated his 
 departure. 
 
 MOKELUMNE HILL IN EARLY DAYS. 
 
 In early days Mokelumnc Hill was reputed one of 
 the liveliest places in the mines. It had the misfort 
 une to be settled by a heterogenous population 
 Yankees, Westerners^ and Southerners, from the 
 United States; and French, German, and Spanish, 
 from Europe; and Chilenos and Mexicans. Death by 
 violence seemed to be the rule. For seventeen suc 
 cessive weeks, according to Dr. Soher, of San Fran 
 cisco, a man was killed between Saturday night and 
 Sunday morning. Five men were once killed within 
 a week. The condition of things became so desper 
 ate that a vigilance committee was resolved upon, 
 which, however, did not continue in existence long. 
 One man, who was hung for stealing, confessed, just 
 before his death, to having committed eight mur 
 ders between Mokelumne Hill and Sonora. He was 
 a Mexican, of powerful physique and desperate 
 character. Shooting was resorted to on the most 
 trivial occasions. Two strangers sat quietly taking 
 a dinner at a restaurant, and talking with each other. 
 A gambler seated near, fancying that he heard his 
 name mentioned, drew his revolver and shot one 
 
EARLY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 69 
 
 man dead. The conversation proved to be about 
 mining matters which did not concern the gambler. 
 'A year after, to a day, the surviving man, who 
 was talking with the person slain, had occasion to 
 pass through the town, and remembering the former 
 shooting of his partner, concluded not to stop, but a 
 roysterer saw him, and disliking something in his 
 appearance, drew a bead on him and fired; the aim 
 was spoiled by some one throwing up the pistol at 
 the moment of the explosion. The stranger thought 
 it a curious country; his partner was killed a year 
 before for some harmless talk; he was shot at while 
 quietly passing along the streets. 
 
 THE MINES. 
 
 The gulches around the hill were very rich, and in 
 the Winter of 1850-51 the leads were traced into the 
 hills. The yield was enormous, even fabulous. The 
 hill is supposed to be a continuation of the same 
 wash that made Tunnel Hill rich. 
 
 THE FRENCH WAR. 
 
 A party of Frenchmen opened a hole in the rich 
 est part of the hill. Some Americans mining near 
 them conceived the plan of driving them out, on the 
 score of their not being citizens. The Frenchmen 
 resisted, and the Americans raised the cry that the 
 French had hoisted a French flag and defied the 
 Government, and called on everybody to arm and 
 drive them out. One Blankenship was foremost in 
 the matter. The Frenchmen lost their claim. Dur 
 ing the time of the difficulty, hundreds of persons 
 jumped into the hole, which was about fifty feet square, 
 and carried away dirt which would pay from fifty to 
 one hundred dollars per sack. The Frenchmen had 
 camped in the hole, cooking, eating, and sleeping 
 there, to prevent other parties stealing the dirt or 
 jumping the claim. Though the people generally 
 united to drive the original holders out, none can 
 now be found to justify the expulsion, which is now 
 looked upon as a downright robbery. 
 
 STAGING GREEN AND VOGAN's LINES. 
 
 Charles Green and John Vogan commenced the 
 business in 1853, running from Jackson, through 
 Drytown, to Sacramento in one day. The line prov 
 ing profitable, it was extended through Mokelumne 
 Hill to Sonora, making the whole distance in one 
 day, through fare being twenty dollars. The cost 
 of stocking a line was enormous. None of the 
 horses cost less than three hundred dollars each, and 
 some of them twice that. Concord wagons cost 
 from six hundred to one thousand dollars, and Troy 
 coaches twenty-five hundred to three thousand dol 
 lars. A good driver was worth one hundred and 
 fifty dollars per month; hostlers one hundred dol 
 lars. Hay and barley were also high, sometimes 
 one hundred dollars per ton. Notwithstanding 
 these expenses, the line was profitable, the coaches 
 generally being loaded to their utmost capacity. 
 Staging then and now were quite different affairs. 
 
 Then there were no roads, the coaches following the 
 trails, or zigzaging around the dust-holes in Sum 
 mer, and mud-holes in Winter. There were no 
 bridges, and sometimes driver and horses were lost. 
 During the Summer season the trip was rather 
 pleasant, but when the coach stuck in a raging 
 stream of water four or five feet deep, the situation 
 made a timid man pray and a wicked one swear. 
 The highwaymen occasionally levied tribute on the 
 passengers, who, though armed, would find them 
 selves unexpectedly confronted with a pistol in such 
 close proximity that it was useless to resist. The 
 line was afterwards consolidated with the California 
 Stage Company, which proved to be a. losing con 
 cern. 
 
 MYSTERIOUS SICKNESS. 
 
 In early days N. W. Spaulding, since Mayor of 
 Oakland, and Judge Thompson, of Mokelumne Hill, 
 now a resident of San Francisco, were living in the 
 same cabin, and both had a kind of rash or breaking out 
 on the skin, which was very annoying, causing an 
 intolerable itching. Dr. Sober, an eminent physician, 
 was consulted in the matter. He said it was pro 
 duced by a feverish condition of the blood, induced 
 by a change from the cool air on an ocean voyage to 
 the dry atmosphere of California, and recommended 
 laxative medicines, which they took for several 
 weeks without a.ny beneficial effects. The matter 
 became rather serious. A closer inspection revealed 
 the cause of the sickness to be an army of grey- 
 backs, who had taken up all the available ground 
 on their bodies, and were doing their best to work it 
 out, their operations being, happily, on the surface, 
 however, tunnel mining not having 'been discovered. 
 The clothing and cabin, even, were swarming with 
 the vermin. A three days' campaign with boiling 
 water, supplemented with a little unguentim, 
 expelled the trespassers. The matter was considered 
 too disgraceful to speak of publicly, and they paid 
 the doctor's bill, sixty-five dollars each, without 
 grumbling. Thirty years' silence over so good a 
 thing having become painful, mutual threats of 
 exposure brought out the story at a recent meeting 
 of the San Francisco Pioneer Society, amid shouts 
 of laughter. They were not the first or last 
 persons thoroughly astonished at the unexpected 
 presence of grey-backs in overwhelming numbers. 
 
 ADVENTURE WITH A GRIZZLY NEAR VOLCANO. 
 
 A genuine grizzly was discovered in a ravine a 
 mile or two from town, and a valiant party, armed 
 with axes, knives, pistols, and a few guns, started 
 after him. When the huge fellow, curious to see 
 what all the fuss was about, raised himself up on 
 his quarters to look around, all wisely ran but one 
 man, who had faith in his rifle, which carried a ball 
 about as large as a pea. He fired and hit the bear, 
 only to enrage him however, for the ball hardly 
 more than stung him. He soon came up with the 
 man, caught his head in his mouth, tearing off 
 
70 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 nearly the whole scalp, and otherwise lacerating the 
 man, who surrendered at discretion, leaving the 
 bear to make his own terms. By remaining entirely 
 passive, the man induced his bearship, Ursa, the ter 
 rible, to suspend farther punishment. After the 
 bear left, the man contrived to crawl towards his 
 home. A short time after a party better armed pur 
 sued the bear and killed him. Curious to see what 
 effect the pea rifle had on the bear, they examined 
 his hide, and found that the ball penetrated it and 
 lodged against the shoulder-blade, without injuring 
 the animal at all. The bear was a monster. 
 When loaded into an ordinary wagon-bed, eleven 
 feet long, his legs stuck out behind fully three feet, 
 making his total length not far from fourteen feet. 
 He was poor and tough, and was not considered fit for 
 food. When discovered he was feeding on carrion. 
 
 THE JOHNSTONS' ENCOUNTER WITH A GRIZZLY. 
 
 This occurred near the El Dorado county line. 
 The bear had been seen several times and was known 
 to frequent a patch of thick chaparral. A party of 
 ten or twelve persons, among whom were the John- 
 etons, Jim and Jack, started out to find him. They 
 succeeded in getting a fatal shot at his majesty the 
 bear, which contrary to all expectation, retreated 
 into the thick brush. From the amount of blood 
 along his trail they judged that he was too severely 
 wounded to be dangerous, and they imprudently fol 
 lowed him. The infuriated animal charged upon the 
 Johnstons, who were foremost, and brought one of 
 them to the ground, his gun during the encounter 
 being thrown out of reach. The other fired when the 
 opportunity presented itself to do so without endan 
 gering his brother's life, again wounding the bear, 
 which left the first one to pursue the other. It does 
 not seem that they succeeded in loading again, but 
 each endeavored to draw the bear away from the 
 other by pounding him over the head with the gun, 
 when the animal would get the other down and com 
 mence again gnawing and lacerating his arms, 
 head and body. It was a despei-ate fight now to get 
 away. The balance of the party had deserted them 
 at the first sight of the animal, when he made his 
 charge, leaving the two to their fate. Jack's arms 
 were now so useless from the repeated crushings, that 
 he could no longer raise the gun to strike the bear, 
 but still intent to get his brother away, he pushed 
 his shoulder against the animal, which would leave 
 the other for a moment. The creature was a monster 
 in size, his back being nearly on a level with Jack's 
 shoulder. The struggle seemed hopeless, but at the 
 last moment the bear, becoming exhausted "or sub 
 dued by the severe wounds, gave a kind of snarl and 
 again beat a retreat. One of the men was now 
 utterly helpless and the other one not much better; he 
 however, succeeded in dragging his brother out of 
 the brush to the open ground. He was taken away 
 in a wagon and cared for, and recovered after several 
 months. The crippled hand and arm, and terrible 
 
 scars 'all over his person, attest the severity of the 
 contest. After their recovery they revisited the 
 place. They found the skeleton of the bear, which 
 was of unheard-of dimensions. The stories of bears 
 weighing fifteen hundred pounds, to those who have 
 seen only the bears of two or three hundred pounds 
 weight, which frequent the mountains of the Eastern 
 States, seem utterly absurd. Making allowance for 
 the exaggeration natural under some circumstances, 
 there can be no doubt of their occasionally reaching 
 to a monstrous size, perhaps weighing seventeen or 
 eighteen hundred pounds. 
 
 KILLING A GRIZZLY. 
 
 In 1850 grizzlies were occasionally met with, and 
 they hardly ever gave the road, though not apt to 
 attack man unless provoked. It was Mr. Spaulding's 
 good fortune to have one of the most thrilling 
 adventures with one, that is recorded. At that time he 
 was in charge of a saw-mill and had occasion to visit 
 Mokelumne Hill late in the day. The trail led 
 through a deep, shadowy glen which the animals 
 sometimes visited, trampling down the brush and leav 
 ing tracks twice as large as a Hoosier's. As a mat 
 ter of prudence he took his rifle promising himself to 
 " fight it out on that line" if he met one. The day 
 light trip was well enough, no " bars " putting in an 
 appearance, but on his return after night-fall, as he 
 descended into the cool, shadowy part of the glen, he 
 heard the ominous cracking of the brush, and the 
 sound of footfalls along the trail. Nearer and nearer 
 came the animal that was never known to give the 
 road. To turn back was contrary to our hero's prin 
 ciples. Pierpont's 
 
 "Stand! 
 
 The ground's your own, my braves. 
 Will ye give it up to slaves ? 
 Look ye for greener graves ?" 
 
 From the old school reader, flashed through his mind, 
 and he stood! With gun cocked and hair on end, he 
 waited the onset. As the outline of the animal came 
 dimly into view he took as good aim as possible and 
 fired. An unearthly growling was succeeded by the 
 monster's tumbling, rolling, and tearing down the 
 trail to the bottom of the deep ravine. It was evi 
 dent the animal was severely wounded, and like all 
 grizzlies, would be then most dangerous, even if the 
 wound was mortal. To go down into the dark and 
 thick woods and fight the grizzly alone, would be 
 dangerous, perhaps fatal to him, for had not the 
 grizzly proved a match for many men even when 
 fatally wounded? Life was bright before him; hopes 
 of meeting well, no matter whom, and renewing 
 the tender relations; hopes of wealth, of political 
 success, of honor were not these worth more than 
 the chance of killing a grizzly ? He went back on 
 the trail, and making a wide circuit, reached the 
 camp at a late hour, exhausted with the excitement 
 and his long walk. After hearing his adventuresthc 
 men made up a company to visit the ravine the next 
 
EARLY SETTLEMENT. 
 
 71 
 
 morning and finish the monster. All the guns were 
 heavily loaded, and plans laid for approaching the 
 animal with the least danger. The most vulnerable 
 parts of the grizzly were duly discussed, some con 
 tending for an eye shot, others a side shot, at the 
 heart, etc. Cautiously they descended into the deep 
 ravine, avoiding clumps of trees or chaparral. At 
 the bottom they found signs of the conflict blood 
 and broken brush. One, bolder than the rest, fol 
 lowed the trail, and a great roar of laughter, with 
 "Darned if it aint Dr. Herschner's old jackass," 
 changed the sentiment of the party. The poor, 
 patient old fellow had packed many a load of grub to 
 the miners, and would, when relieved of his burden, 
 return home alone, but he had made his last trip. 
 Forty dollars paid for the animal, but many forties 
 would not pay for the liquors and cigars at Spaulding's 
 expense; and the end is not yet, for a mention of hunt 
 ing grizzlies will still bring out the best in the house. 
 
 BULL AND BEAR FIGHT. 
 
 In the days when Calaveras and Amador were 
 one, the population of the ancient capital were wont 
 to amuse themselves with bull and bear fights. Sun 
 day, by custom, was the day set apart for these 
 exhibitions, for, on that day, everybody came to 
 town. A large portion of the population was Span 
 ish, and anything pertaining to the fighting of bulls 
 would draw out the full Mexican population, sefiors 
 senoras, and senoritas. Spanish cattle were plenti 
 ful, and there were plenty of men who had been 
 trained to handle them; but bears, real grizzlies, 
 were not so easily caught and handled. They were 
 valued all the way from one to four thousand dol 
 lars; consequently, when a real grizzly was caught 
 and caged, he was generally given an unfair advan 
 tage. The bull- was lassoed just before the fight, 
 his horns sawed off, and the fight pretty well taken 
 out of him before he was turned into the ring. On 
 one occasion, the miners, and other spectators, got 
 rampant over the way in which a steer was sac 
 rificed, " without any fight at all worth speaking of." 
 Unfortunately, for the exhibitors, the bull-pen close 
 by had several fierce, untamed, and undaunted 
 steers, any one of which felt amply able to avenge 
 their slaughtered companion. One of them espe 
 cially attracted the notice of the spectators. He 
 would have filled the old Mosaic requirements, being 
 perfect in all his parts. Lithe as a cat, his horns 
 long and slender, he commenced bounding around 
 ht< limited arena as soon as he heard the bellowing 
 
 O 
 
 of his less able companero, that was being chawed and 
 clawed in the hug of the grizzly. 
 
 The vaqueros were ordered to turn the anxious 
 steer into the pen, a hundred revolvers being drawn 
 to enforce the request. The proprietors knew that 
 business was on hand, unless the request was acceded 
 to, as the grizzly was sure to be shot, and, perhaps, 
 some of their own number, too. There was no alter 
 native, and they turned the anxious fellow in, though 
 
 they expected the bear would be slain in a short 
 time. The bull came in, proud and defiant, gave a 
 snort of contempt, whirled his tail high in the air, 
 lowered his head, and made a charge. His majesty 
 seemed not to be aware of any unusual company, 
 and looked as placid and serene as though he had 
 just made an ample dinner of young and tender pig, 
 and was going to take his daily afternoon nap. He 
 received the bull with his usual affectionate hug, 
 the bull's horns passing each side of his body. He 
 caught the bull by the back of the neck with his 
 mouth, and with the aid of his forepaws, held him 
 firmly to his bosom, using his hind feet with terri 
 ble effect on the bulls neck and sides. One ear was 
 stripped off in a twinkling. Every dig of those 
 terrible claws left gaping wounds, while the bull 
 seemed utterly powerless to inflict any damage on 
 the bear. About five minutes of this kind of one 
 sided fighting, served to convince the bull that he 
 was not so invincible after all. His bellowings of 
 defiance changed to notes of rage, and then to 
 terror, and finally to cries for mercy; the last howls 
 being so loud as to be heard a mile away. After 
 punishing the bull for a while, the bear, entertaining 
 no malice, magnanimously let the bull loose, which, 
 blinded by blood and rage, made a charge at the 
 picket-fence, which separated him from the specta 
 tors, and went through it, scattering the crowd in 
 every direction, like a whirlwind. A dozen vaqueros 
 mounted their horses and started after him. Down 
 through the town went the bull, charging with his 
 bloody head at every gathering of men, until he got 
 to the clothing stores, kept by the Jews. The bright 
 red shirts attracting his attention, he demolished 
 these places one after another, monarch of all around, 
 until the oaqueros succeeded in getting their lariats 
 around his horns and legs, curbing the further 
 exhibition of his varying moods of temper. It is 
 unnecessary to say that the several acts of the exhi 
 bition were highly satisfactory to the crowd, the 
 general verdict being, " That thar bar's some, you 
 bet." 
 
 It was not always the case that the bear whipped 
 the bull. In early days, a bear and bull fight was 
 advertised to come off at Coloma. No Spanish bulls 
 being at hand, a lazy, good-natured old fellow, that 
 crossed the plains some years previously, and had 
 since lounged around the street^ at will, was selected 
 to fight the bear, much to the disgust of the assem 
 bled multitude. The fight was very short, the bull 
 killing the bear in two or three minutes, by goring 
 him through. In this instance, as in the one before 
 related, the victory was won by the cool and wary, 
 the victorious bull retiring from the contest, seem 
 ingly unconscious of any unusual event. 
 
72 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 DOMESTIC HABITS OF THE MINERS. 
 
 Exaggerated Accounts of Bret Harte and Joaquin Miller Cook 
 ing and Washing Hawks, Squirrels, Quails, and Other 
 Game for Food Getting Supper Under Difficulties 
 Laundry Affairs Prevalence of Vermin The Sanguinary 
 FleaMiners' Flea Trap Fleas versus Bed-bugs Rats and 
 Other Animals Visits of Snakes A Romantic Affair 
 Spoiled by a Skunk. 
 
 FOR the satisfaction of curious women who wish 
 to know how their fathers and brothers man 
 aged housekeeping, we have added this chapter. 
 Men who never tried pioneer life, and have no pros 
 pect or necessity of trying it, may omit reading this 
 altogether, or forever hold their peace. Many exag 
 gerated stories are in circulation concerning the 
 habits and characters of our early settlers. Bret 
 Harte, Joaquin Miller, and a score of other writers, 
 have taken some odd sample of humanity, added 
 some impossible qualities, and set him up to be 
 laughed at, or perhaps admired; when the fact is, the 
 caricature is about as near the original as the Indian 
 maiden of romance is to the filthy squaw that would 
 eat the raw entrails of a horse or bullock without 
 adding anything to the dirt, that already ornamented 
 her hands and face. The '49er is represented as hav- 
 iog pounds of dust loose in his pockets, which he 
 passed out by the handful for whisky or whatever 
 struck his fancy; as carrying an arsenal of knives 
 and revolvers which he was wont to use on the 
 slightest provocation " rough but generous, brave, 
 and kind." While it is true that an ideal '49er occa 
 sionally made an appearance in those days for it is 
 almost impossible to draw a monster, physical, 
 moral, or intellectual, that has not some familiar 
 features the fact is, that the mass of the people had 
 no resemblance to the ideals of Bret Harte or Joaquin 
 Miller. They were sober, industrious, and energetic 
 men, who toiled as men with ambition and strength 
 can toil. The labor these men performed in dam 
 ming and turning rivers, or tunneling mountains, 
 was not the -spurt of enthusiasm born of whisky. 
 Many of the men had families at home whose letters 
 were looked for with the most eager interest. The 
 younger men, who had not families, had ties perhaps 
 equally as strong. The exceptions, which have 
 given such a false character to the '49cr, were unprin 
 cipled adventurers from every State and nation, gam 
 blers in bad repute, even among their own kind, 
 frontiersmen who acknowledged no law, and fugi 
 tives from -justice everywhere. This was the class 
 that made a vigilance committee necessary in San 
 Francisco in 1850 and 1856; which occasionally 
 aroused the wrath of the mass of miners by robbing 
 or killing u peaceable citizen. The description of 
 this class is not the object of this chapter; they 
 have already, in the hundred books which have 
 been written of them, had more notice than they 
 deserved. The substantial, honorable, and indus 
 trious must now claim our attention. 
 
 When the lucky prospector had found a paying 
 claim, the next thing was to set up his household. 
 From two to four was the usual number of the mess. 
 The Summers were long and dry, and there was no 
 discomfort in sleeping out of doors. But even in 
 Summer a house, though humble it might be, had 
 many advantages over a tent for comfort and secu 
 rity. A stray horse or ox would sometimes get into 
 the flour-sack or bread-sack, upset the sugar, or 
 make a mess of the table-ware. Wandering Indians 
 would pilfer small things, or take away clothing 
 which might be left within reach; but in a cabin 
 things were tolerably secure from depredation. A 
 site for a cabin was selected where wood and water 
 were abundant. These things, as well as the pres 
 ence of gold, often determined the location of a 
 future town. Bottle Spring (Jackson), Double 
 Springs, Mud Springs, Diamond Springs, and Cold 
 Springs, at once suggest their origin. In the earlier 
 days, log-cabins were soon put up, for suitable logs 
 were found everywhere. Though these cabins are 
 in the dust passed into history there is no need 
 of describing them,' as the books are full of the 
 "settlers' log cabin," and no boy of the present gen 
 eration, who has arrived to the age of ten, would 
 need instruction in building one. 
 
 In the western settlements a floor made of hewn 
 timbers (puncheons) was usual, but the ground 
 served for a floor, and was considered good enough 
 for a man. The sleeping places were as various as 
 the minds of men. Sometimes a kind of Jais, or 
 elevation of two or three feet, was made on one side 
 of the cabin, where the men, wrapped in their blank 
 ets, slept with their feet to the fire. Generally, 
 bunks were made by putting a second log in the 
 cabin at a proper elevation and distance from the 
 sides, and nailing potato or gunny sacks across from 
 one to the other, making in the same way a second 
 tier of bunks, if necessary. Some fern leaves or 
 coarse hay on these sacks, with blankets, made a 
 comfortable bed. A good fire-place was necessary. 
 Most of the mining was in water, necessarily involv 
 ing wet clothes. A rousing fire, especially in Winter, 
 was necessary to " get dried out." Some of these fire 
 places would be six feet across, and built of granite 
 or slate rocks, as each abounded. There was not 
 much hewing done to make them fit. When the 
 structure had been carried up four or five feet, an 
 oak log was laid across as a mantle-piece, and on 
 this the chimney, generally made of sticks or small 
 poles plastered with mud, was built. A couple of 
 rocks served for rests for the backlog and forestick. 
 A shelf or two of shakes, or sometimes an open box 
 in which pickles or candles had come around the 
 Horn, would serve for a cupboard to keep a few tin 
 plates, and cups, and two or three cans containing 
 salt, pepper, and soda. A table of moderate t-i/.e was 
 also made of shakes, sometimes movable, but oftcner 
 nailed fast to the side of the house. Those who 
 crossed the plains would often take the tail-gate of 
 
RESIDENCE OF CHARLES GREEN, 
 
 D i v^ xm ITLI AkjiAnriD PD PAI 
 
DOMESTIC HABITS OF THE MINERS. 
 
 the wagon for this purpose. A frying-pan, coffee 
 pot, Dutch-oven, and water-bucket completed the 
 list of household utensils. As the miners became 
 pi-osperous, a soup-kettle for boiling potatoes, and 
 also for heating water to wash their clothes on a 
 Sunday was added. Somewhere in a corner was a 
 roll of paper, with pen and ink, with which to cor 
 respond with the folks at home. Cooking was some 
 times done turn-about for a week, and sometimes 
 seemed to fall to the lot of the best-natured one of 
 the crowd, the others bringing wood and water by 
 way of offset. Not much attempt was made at 
 neatness, and oftentimes one had to console himself 
 with eating only his own dirt, for there were camps 
 where the dishes were not washed for months. 
 Sometimes a little hot coffee turned on a plate would 
 take off the last-formed dirt; but washing dishes 
 the everlasting bane of woman's housekeeping was, 
 if possible, more repugnant to man, and wasfrequenfly 
 omitted; it made the gold-pan greasy (the miner's 
 prospecting-pan served for washing dishes as well as 
 gold, also as a bread-pan, and wash-tub on Sunday); 
 there was no time to stop after breakfast, and they 
 worked so late that they could not delay supper for 
 the dishes to be washed, and so they were left from 
 day to day. The cooking was a simple matter, 
 boiling potatoes, making coffee, frying slap-jacks and 
 meat, being the usual routine. Bread? yes, I am 
 going to tell you about that. All sorts of bread but 
 good bread, were made at first. The miners knew 
 that their wives and mothers put in soda, so they 
 put in soda. Some of them brought dried yeast 
 across the plains, and undertook to make raised 
 bread, but as a general thing miners' bread was but 
 sorry, sad stuff. The most successful plan was to 
 keep a can of sour batter (flour and water mixed), 
 with which to mix the bread, neutralizing the excess 
 of acid with soda. Some of the miners became quite 
 expert with this, judging to a nicety the exact 
 amount of soda required. Dough mixed in this way 
 and set in the sun, would soon raise, and, if the soda 
 was rightly proportioned, was palatable and whole 
 some. The sour batter was splendid for slapjacks! 
 The old story that a California miner could toss his 
 slap-jack up. a chimney, run out doors, and catch it 
 as it came down, right side up, is too old to bo re 
 peated; but it is a fact that they would turn the slap 
 jacks with a dexterous flip flop of the frying-pan, 
 though when the batter was made stiff enough to 
 
 O 
 
 stand this kind of usage, the cake would answer for 
 half-soling a boot. The better Avay was to have two 
 frying-pans, and turn the cakes by gently upsetting 
 the contents of one into the other. Thirty years' 
 experience and observation suggest no improvement 
 on this method. 
 
 Practice made many of the miners expert cooks. 
 New methods of cooking were sought out, and new 
 dishes invented. Think of using a dry-goods box 
 for an oven, and baking a pig or shoulder of pork 
 in it! No trick at all. Drive down a stake or two, 
 
 and on them make a small scaffold, on which to 
 place your roast; now build a very small fire of 
 hard wood, at such a distance away that a moderate 
 sized dry-goods box will cover it all, and your 
 arrangements are complete. The fire will need re 
 plenishing once or twice, and in two or three hours, 
 according to the size of the roast, you may take it 
 out, done in a rich gold color, with a flavor unat 
 tainable by any other method. Steaks were roasted 
 before a fire, or smothered, when sufficiently fried 
 by the ordinary process, in a stiff batter, and the 
 whole baked like a batch of biscuit, making a kind 
 of meat pie. Game sometimes entered into the 
 miner's bill of fare. Quails, rabbits, hares, coons, 
 squirrels, and hawks, were all converted into food, 
 as well as deer and bear. Some Frenchmen in 1852, 
 during a time of scarcity, killed and eat a coyote, 
 but their account of his good qualities was not such 
 as to induce others to try the experiment. In 1851, 
 some miners getting out of both money and meat, 
 shot a young and fine-looking hawk. He was fat, 
 and, the flesh looking toothsome, they cooked him, 
 and reported that "he was better nor a chicken." 
 Some neighbors tried the same experiment, but, 
 unfortunately, killed the old fellow that was pre 
 served from drowning a great many years ago, 
 through the kindness of one of our forefathers. His 
 flesh was about the color and consistency of sole- 
 leather, and after boiling him for three days in the 
 vain attempt to reduce his body to an eatable con 
 dition, he was cast away. Even the rice with which 
 he was boiled acquired no hawk flavor, which 
 induced one of the miners to remark, "They's much 
 difference 'n hawks as 'n women" A second trial re 
 sulted in a splendid dish, and after that hawks 
 learned to avoid that settlement. On Christmas- 
 day, 1852, a company of miners got up a big dinner. 
 They put a fine largo hawk in the center of a Dutch- 
 oven, about twenty quails around it, and around 
 them, potatoes. Some slices of salt pork on the 
 hawk and quails, seasoned the birds, and tempered 
 the upper heat of the oven. The hawk was pro 
 nounced the best of all. The Winter of 1852-53, was 
 perhaps the roughest time ever seen in California. 
 The long spell of high water utterly prevented the 
 transportation of provisions from the cities, and 
 there was much want, though no actual cases of 
 starvation. Many men lived for weeks on boiled 
 barley. Beans, without even a ham-bone to season 
 them, furnished, in some cases, the only food for 
 weeks. At one camp, a pork rind was borrowed 
 from one house to another, to grease the frying-pan 
 for slap-jacks. 
 
 A narrative of personal experience of one who 
 lived on the south branch of Dry creek, in 1852, will 
 give an iaca of the troubles of that year: 
 
 "It had been raining for about six weeks, and our 
 claim had been four feet under water for a month. 
 There were no gulches there that would pay, and we 
 had been waiting for the rain to ceasp until every bit 
 
HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 of provision of any description was gone, as well as 
 money or dust. Something had to be done, even if 
 the rain was coming down in torrents. There were 
 four of us, one Yankee, two young married men 
 from Illinois, and a man who had served in the 
 United States army in the Seminole war, and. also 
 as a volunteer in the Mexican war. We shouldered 
 our pick, shovel, and rocker, and started up towards 
 Indian gulch. After going a short distance, one of 
 the Illinoisians got to thinking of his young wife, and 
 the pleasures of home compared with this country, 
 and, overcome by his feelings, burst into a blubber 
 of despair, and started on the run for the cabin, 
 where he was found at night hovering over the cold 
 ashes of the fire-place, the fire totally extinguished 
 by his floods of tears. 
 
 :< At the head of Indian gulch we found some pay 
 ing dirt. We went to work, and by dint of ground 
 sluicing, rocking and panning, about four o'clock we 
 had, probably, an ounce of dust. With this I started 
 to Fiddletown to buy a supper for the boys. An 
 ounce of gold dust, in 1881, will buy almost a year's 
 provisions for a man, but in 1852 (flour at one hun 
 dred dollars per barrel, and meat seventy-five cents 
 per pound), it was not much. After standing and 
 aheminy awhile, I remarked that I thought the rain 
 would hold up shortly, so that provisions would get 
 cheaper; believed that I would buy but a small 
 quantity to-night, etc. Mr. Wingo, the gentlemanly 
 trader, did not seem to notice my embarrassment, 
 but politely sold me the little dab of flour and a 
 piece of meat, which went down into the corner of 
 the sack out of sight. I started for the cabin, dark 
 ness coming rapidly on, and the rain still falling. 
 The creeks were now nearly waist deep, but I safely 
 got through them all until I got to Dry creek. The 
 log on which I crossed in the morning was gone, 
 and the water was running high over the banks. 
 Two or three hundred yards away was the cabin, 
 and I knew, by the bright light shining through the 
 cracks of the door, that a big fire had been built to 
 cook our suppers, out of the proceeds of our day's 
 work, and to dry our clothes, soaked by twelve 
 hours' rain. A council of war was called, and all 
 attainable information regarding roads, bridges, and 
 ferries, called for. The creek was nowhere fordable; 
 that proposition was disposed of without delay. 
 One witness, or member of the council, had an 
 indistinct recollection of having seen a tree across 
 the creek a mile or two below, some days since, but 
 could not vouch for its being there at present. This 
 being the only information attainable, the com 
 mander ordered a change of base, to the possible 
 bridge. Down the creek, in utter darkness, over 
 rocks and bushes, stumbling and falling, and after 
 an hour's hard work, the bridge was found. It was 
 a cedar tree, the butt resting on the stump, the 
 large top reaching to the opposite shore, and the 
 middle sagged down so that the water was running, 
 perhaps, two feet deep over the trunk, and threaten 
 ing every moment to sweep the tree off its moorings; 
 for, standing on its upper end, I could feel it sway 
 ing to the movement of the water. But- the sub 
 merged part had limbs standing up out of the stream, 
 and a charge in force across the bridge was ordered, I 
 with this caution, ' My boy, if you go overboard, the 
 boys will go without their suppers.' The opposite 
 bank was gained in safety, by feeling the way and 
 holding to the limbs; and, an hour later, some bread 
 and fried pork, and a roaring fire, brought us to a 
 comfortable condition, and gave us the spirit to 
 laugh at all our troubles." 
 
 LAUNDRY AFFAIRS. 
 
 Necessity compelled every man to do some kind 
 of cooking. The calls of a ravenous stomach three 
 or four times a day could not be disregarded with 
 impunity; but the matter of having clean shirts and 
 beds, though quite as necessary, was not so forcibly 
 called for, and the washing was postponed from one 
 Sunday to another until the traditional washing-day, 
 in many camps, was well-nigh forgotten. A clean 
 shirt was hauled over a dirty one, until the accumu 
 lations of sweat and red clay would afford a study 
 for a geologist. The blankets, too, were slept in for 
 months, for no miner ever dreamed of having clean 
 sheets, and as for pillows, his boots tucked under his 
 blankets served as a support to his head. When a 
 shirt was changed, the cast-off garment was laid 
 aside, or left in his bunk to be washed at a more con 
 venient time which never came. No wonder then 
 that the gray-backed lice, the genuine army vermin, 
 colonized every blanket and shirt. For months 
 respectable men, who would as soon have been 
 accused of stealing as being lousy, went scratching 
 around without a suspicion of the trouble. Poison 
 oak, hives, change of climate, and a hundred other 
 things were supposed to produce the intolerable, 
 persistent itching. When the true cause became 
 known, for sooner or later the discovery was sure to 
 come, the conduct of the victims became amusing. 
 Some would swear, some would cast their clothing 
 away, or perhaps bury it, and purchase an entire 
 new outfit but the fact was the louse had taken 
 possession of the whole country; like the angel of 
 the apocalypse, he had a foot on the sea and on the 
 dry land; in the store as well as in the cabin. A 
 vigorous war with hot water, on everything that 
 would scald, would exterminate him, though some 
 lazy, and consequently lousy, miners contended that 
 hot water would not kill them. The louse event 
 ually abandoned the country; but whether from the 
 neater habits of the miners, or the coming of the 
 avenger, 
 
 THE FIERCE SANGUINARY FLEA, 
 
 Is still an open question. Between 1851 and '53, 
 contemporaneous with the irruption of the rat, the 
 flea fought his way into every camp, and held the 
 fort, too, against all enemies. If unwashed shirts 
 and blankets were favorable to the existence of 
 myriads of gray-backs, not less so was the swarming 
 lice for the flea, for he made meat and drink of them. 
 Hot water had no terrors for the flea; he was out 
 and off before a garment would go into the water. 
 During the day he made his home in the dust floor 
 of the cabin, and at night sallied out of his lair, 
 thirsting for blood. And he must be a good sleeper 
 indeed, who could close his eyes in slumber, while 
 hundreds of lancets were puncturing his cuticle. 
 Sometimes a cabin was abandoned on account of 
 them. A person happening to come in would have 
 hundreds crawling on his pants in a few minutes. 
 
DOMESTIC HABITS OF THE MINERS. 
 
 75 
 
 Sometimes a man would leave his cabin and blankets 
 and sleep on the naked ground on the outside to get 
 rid of his persistent bed-fellows. 
 
 THE MINERS' PLEA-TRAP. 
 
 If necessity is the mother of invention, the flea- 
 trap was a sure corollary. It was a simple and 
 effective affair. It was known that fleas would 
 gather around a light; taking advantage of this 
 habit, the miners would set a lighted candle on the 
 floor, and around it set their pans with a small 
 quantity of slippery soap-suds in each. The flea 
 would fall in, struggle vigorously for awhile to get 
 out, and finally drown. A tablespoonful of the 
 rascals in the morning was considered a satisfactory 
 catch. Later the bed-bugs drove out, to some 
 extent, the flea, and still hold the land. The good 
 housewife is often reduced to despair by the per 
 sistence of these unwelcome tenants of her rooms, 
 who neither pay rent nor vacate. 
 
 The following article, from the Oakland Times, is 
 commended to the attention of housekeepers who 
 are still in the thick of the doubtful and unequal 
 contest : 
 
 " Stockton is celebrated for its mosquitoes, Sacra 
 mento for its bed-bugs, San Francisco for its rats, 
 and Oakland for its fleas. They are larger and there 
 are more of them; they can jump further and higher, 
 bite oftener and deeper, than any fleas in the world. 
 They are more persistent than a book agent, and 
 hold with a tighter grip than a money-lender. They 
 swarm everywhere in the streets, the stores, and 
 the public places. Everybody ' has 'em bad.' The 
 young and the old, the tender and the tough, alike 
 are meat for them. If you wish to say a compli 
 mentary thing to a lady, ten to one a flea will bite 
 you where it is impossible to scratch, while, likely, 
 the lady, troubled in the same way, will manifest 
 impatience. Do not misjudge her, or be discouraged. 
 
 " You may fancy that your neighbor in the cars has 
 the itch; no such thing; only the irrepressible flea. 
 Flea catching is one of the accomplishments of our 
 belles. They never disrobe without taking a hunt, 
 and boast of the numbers they slay. Even the 
 sanctuary is invaded by them; in fact, the church flea 
 is the most ravenous of all. Starved during the 
 week, he has an extraordinary appetite when the 
 Sabbath comes. No bells calling a laboring man to 
 his dinner ever brought such joy as the Sunday 
 chimes do to the fasting flea. How ho rushes to the 
 attack as the people take their seats! How the vic 
 tims writhe and squirm as the flea plunges his jaws 
 into them! Preachers unaccustomed to the phenom 
 enon, imagine it to be the sword of the spirit bring 
 ing sinners to a lively sense of their condition, and 
 they lay on and spare not. Fleas, reverend sir; 
 nothing more. 
 
 " Those who have studied phlebotomy think they 
 can distinguish the bites of the different denomina 
 tions. There is the flea of the gushing Methodist, 
 that is gentle and affectionate; of the iron-bound 
 Presbyterian, that bounces you like a bull-dog ; but 
 for downright, hard work, take the flea of the hard 
 shell Eaptiat. liaised amidst difficulties, like the 
 Scotchman among his crags, and the New Englander 
 among the granite boulders, he is fitted for every 
 possible emergency in a race for life. None but the 
 
 hardiest survive, which proves Darwin's theory of 
 the survival of the fittest. 
 
 " The fleas are not without their benefits, however. 
 Half of the success of our business men is supposed 
 to be due to the irritation of the fleas, who never let 
 them rest, day nor night. And then no w housekeeper 
 listen no bed-bugs can live where such a race of 
 fleas has taken the land. To use the words of a 
 noted housekeeper, "the fleas eat 'em up." Not a 
 bed-bug is known in all Oakland. What a blessing 
 these fleas would be in our interior towns, whore the 
 bed-bugs have had possession for a quarter of a 
 century. How the sangrados would riot in blood ! 
 What consternation among the respectable, alder- 
 manic old bugs, as the bloodthirsty flea, his jaws 
 reeking with gore, dashed in among them ! The 
 irruption of the hordes of Alaric into Rome, or the 
 contemplated raid of Kearney's hoodlums into China 
 town, could not compare with it. 
 
 " If our country neighboi-s want some of these fleas, 
 I think the Oaklanders would be willing to spare 
 them. Though usually anxious to drive a good bar 
 gain, in the sale of fleas they would be generous. 
 They will help you catch them. You have only to 
 sleep a night or two in the churches, and you will 
 have enough. Negotiations may be opened with our 
 Mayor or any of the city officers." 
 
 RATS AND OTHER VERMIN. 
 
 Rats have been mentioned as coming in with the 
 fleas. The mild climate, exposed condition of eat 
 ables, and absence of cats and dogs, the natural 
 enemies of rats, caused them to multiply with extraor 
 dinary rapidity. They were as much at home in 
 the country as in the town, and a miner, camping in 
 the hills away from the town, soon received visits 
 from the rats, who thenceforth managed to have a 
 share of all he brought into his camp. After he 
 had retired to his blankets, the rats in troops would 
 run over his body, making it the jumping-off place 
 in their playful gambols. They left their tracks on 
 his butter, gnawed holes into his flour-sack, danced 
 cotillions on his table, and kicked up a fuss generally. 
 Nothing but boxes of tin or heavy lumber would 
 keep them from eating, destroying, or dirtying every 
 article of food around the cabin. It will be borne 
 in mind that the houses or cabins were made of logs 
 daubed with mud, without floors or windows, and 
 were accessible to all kinds of vermin, as well as 
 rats. Rattlesnakes sometimes crawled into the 
 interstices of the logs, and first made their presence 
 known by the sharp rattle or perhaps the deadly 
 thrust of their poisonous fangs into the sleeper's 
 limbs. A young man living on the Slate-creek side 
 of American hill, near Oleta, was bitten in this way 
 without any warning on the part of the snake. He 
 felt the sting, felt the deadly paralysis coming over 
 him, and, in company with two or three companions, 
 started for town, but sunk helplessly to the ground 
 before getting there, dying shortly after. The fol 
 lowing morning an examination of the bed revealed 
 the presence of a young and vigorous rattlesnake, 
 three feet or more in length. A Frenchman in the 
 vicinity, was bitten about the same way, though he 
 was living alone and was unable to reach the town, 
 
76 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOB COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 perishing on the way, being found in the trail some 
 days afterwards without any visible wound. A 
 rattlesnake, dead on the floor of his cabin, indicated 
 the cause of his death. The long, yellow chicken 
 snake would sometimes crawl into the cabin and 
 create consternation among the rats and lizards, as 
 well as among the miners. As the miners got to 
 building their cabins of sawed lumber and elevating 
 them above the ground, snakes, rats, mice, and 
 skunks, became less frequent visitors. When dogs 
 and cats were called in as friends and protectors, 
 men, and women as well, could sleep without fear of 
 disturbance. Since skunks have been mentioned, 
 the reader may feel an interest in the adventures of 
 a young and romantic miner with an animal of this 
 kind, which, possibly, exerted a great influence in 
 shaping his destiny: 
 
 " I had been mining on the South fork, in the 
 Summer of '52, and came down to Dry creek in the 
 Fall, a little the worst-busted individual you ever 
 saw. Save some old, worn-out shovels and picks, I 
 had nothing, not even a decent pair of pants. About 
 that time two or three families had settled on Dead 
 Man's creek, a little above my camp. I had seen a 
 slender, willowy form flitting in and out of a cabin, 
 and all the powers of my imagination were sum 
 moned to describe her charms. ' Young and fair 
 with bright golden hair,' was not then written, but 
 I thought it though, as well as many other fine 
 things, and spent some days in composing compli 
 ments to her musical ability, sweet voice, beautiful 
 eyes, mouth, teeth, feet, ' and all that sort of thing.' 
 I worked like a Trojan ' panning-out,' to get money 
 enough to buy raiment fit to appear in her presence. 
 At length, one Saturday evening, the task was per 
 formed, and I hung the suit up by my bed and 
 slept fondly dreaming etc. I was awakened in 
 the night by a scratching on the logs above my 
 head, which I supposed was by the rats. NOW T , they 
 had annoyed me so often in that way, that I had lost 
 all patience with them, and resolved to 'fix 'em.' 
 A gun was standing by my side, and I proceeded to 
 gently draw out a ramrod, with which to kill some 
 of them, for, from the scratching I concluded there 
 must be a dozen or two, at least. I succeeded in 
 getting the rod out without alarming my visitors, 
 and suddenly whipping it into the corner over my 
 head, did my best to kill the whole of them. There 
 were three other persons sleeping in the cabin. 
 Hearing the racket, t.hcy all roused up with: 
 
 < \VnE w!!' 'WHAT IN H L!!' 'Oil. JE RUSA- 
 
 LEM! ! ' We all leaped into the middle of the floor, 
 and, hastily stirring the coals in the fire-place, raised 
 light enough to see our friend crawling out of a hole 
 in the unfinished gable of the cabin. lie did not 
 take the atmosphere with him. Clothing, blankets, 
 provisions, boots and shoes, and even the very logs 
 of the cabin, were saturated with the essence of all 
 that is villainous. Months afterwards when the 
 scent had become so diffused that wo could no 
 longer perceive it, I made a visit to Fiddletown 
 (Oleta). There was a ball going on, and 1 stepped 
 into the ball-room to get a glimpse, once more, of 
 a woman's face. Several persons made the remark 
 that somebody must have killed a skunk. I did not 
 tell them that the skunk was not killed, but quietly 
 retired. Somebody else got that girl." 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 ORGANIZATION OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 Election for or Against Division, June 17, 1854 Proceedings 
 of the Board of Commissioners Strife for the Possession of 
 the County Seat The Owl Sketches of the First Candi 
 datesCourts Established Efforts to Suppress Disorderly 
 Houses Amusing Procession Election in 1854 Condition 
 of Society. 
 
 JACKSON and Mokelumne Hill had been rival 
 towns. When Calavcras county was organized, 
 Double Springs became the county seat; for a short 
 time only, however, for it was captured by a coup de 
 main, and transferred to Jackson, where it remained 
 for nearly two years. From that place it was trims 
 ferred to Mokelumne Hill, as the result of a choice, 
 by election, of the people, called in accordance with 
 an Act of the Legislature of 1851-2, the particulars 
 of which will be set forth more particularly in the 
 township histories. The politicians never rested 
 contentedly under this change. They asserted that 
 men on the south side of the Mokelumne river got 
 the offices, and they went to work to convince the 
 people that their interests would bo better served by 
 having a new county organized. By this time 
 (1853) there were several ambitious towns that were 
 willing to take charge of the county scat and fur 
 nish grub and whisky, particularly the latter, to all 
 who were rich enough to indulge in the luxury of 
 going to law. It was also urged, with too much 
 reason to be disputed, that the taxes were being 
 wasted at Mokelumne Hill; that no money was 
 paid into the State Treasury, more that the officers 
 wasted the county funds on loose women. It was 
 assorted that whenever you wished to see an official on 
 business, you must look for him in one of the half- 
 dozen dance-houses that ornamented and conserved 
 the morals of that high-toned town. 
 
 In 1853-4 the Legislature passed an Act calling 
 for the vote of the people in regard to a division, 
 fixing the 17th of June following as the day. and 
 appointing W. L. McKimm, E. W. Gemmill, A. G. 
 Sncath, Alexander Boileau, and Alonzo Platt as 
 Commissioners, to organize the new county in case 
 the people voted for a division. The bill was drawn 
 by E. D. Sawyer, one of the Senators from Cala- 
 veras, Charles Lcake being the other Senator. The 
 name originally given in the bill for the new county 
 was Washington, but the name Amador was substi 
 tuted in the Assembly, and concurred in by the Sen 
 ate. The bill was read three times, and passed the 
 same clay the motive for this hurry being expected 
 opposition. A delegation from Mokelumne Hill had 
 arrived to oppose the measure, but they had been 
 wined until all ideas of county scats were obliterated: 
 so a bill was hurried through before the drunk was off, 
 lest convincing arguments should bo urged against it 
 when they returned to their senses. 
 
 The prospect of having a county scat enlisted 
 a great many in the matter who otherwise would 
 have been utterly indifferent. lone was beginning 
 
C. WELLER 
 
 C. WELLER. 
 
 RESIDENCE "'CONRAD WELLER, 
 
 JACKSON, AMADOR COUNTY^ CAL. 
 
 ilTH BaiTTOM **EV", S. 
 
ORGANIZATION OF A MA DOR COUNTY. 
 
 77 
 
 to flourish on the sale of water-melons, vegetables, 
 hay, and barley, to the miners; had plenty of level 
 ground on which to build a town, and had no diffi 
 culty in proving that it was the proper place for dis 
 pensing justice and the disbursement of the peo 
 ples' money. Sutter Creek was growing from the 
 development of the quartz mining, which was likely 
 to be permanent. It claimed to be the town par 
 excellence, having a high-toned, moral people, where 
 no dance-houses or kindred institutions, were likely 
 to demoralize the public officers, as at Mokelumne Hill. 
 The latter reason was a sly thrust at Jackson, which 
 had early supported several of these resorts. There 
 was also a good place for a picturesque town, the hills 
 closing together around the place like an amphithea 
 ter. Volcano well it could not urge many rea 
 sons except that it wanted the benefit of a county 
 seat. It was true that it was on the outside of the 
 county to be created, or any possible, county for that 
 matter; it was down in a deep hole where people 
 had to be hoisted up to get out; the roads beyond 
 Volcano went to no place but the deep caves, or some 
 place still deeper; the town was hot in the Summer, 
 and muddy in the Winter, but it was growing rap 
 idly, had plenty of men to vote, and might get the 
 county seat any way. So Volcano became interested. 
 Jackson had been the county seat, and had had a 
 taste of the profits "and pleasures. It had the old 
 jail; that might be repaired and used again, and had 
 many reasons to urge for a new organization. Every 
 town, too, had a set of candidates for the offices 
 men who were willing to sacrifice their own business 
 for the public good. 
 
 On the south side of the river some towns con 
 ceived the idea that in case the county was divided, 
 the seat of justice might be moved from Mokelumne 
 Hill, so the interest in favor of division became 
 general. 
 
 On the day appointed the election came off, result 
 ing in a majority, though a small one, for the division. 
 But Mokelumne Hill was not to be taken that way. 
 The laAv required that the returns should be trans 
 mitted, sealed, to the Board of Supervisors. "When 
 the returns were handed in, it was found that all 
 from the north side of the river were opened had 
 been tampered with ! They were consequently 
 rejected. Here was a dilemma. The matter was 
 investigated, and it was found that the returns from 
 Mokelumne Hill hud also been opened, though after 
 wards sealed again. Several persons, among whom 
 was J. T. Farley, had seen the returns from Mokelumne 
 Hill, and knew that they had been opened also. The 
 fact was, all of them had been opened as soon as they 
 were received, and the party in power had resolved 
 to take advantage of their own mistakes. A deputy 
 Clerk was induced to make out the certificates of the 
 election, and the Board of Commissioners resolved to 
 organize the county notwithstanding the decision of 
 the officers. The proceedings are copied in full from 
 a small book, the first of the records of Amador 
 
 county. The phraseology and quaint style have been 
 preserved, believing that the original form will be 
 most interesting. Tucker's ranch mentioned, has 
 since been known as the T Garden, and was situated 
 at the junction of the Sutter Creek, lone, Jackson, 
 and Volcano roads, and was selected both for con 
 venience and because it was not likely to give 
 umbrage to any of the aspiring towns. 
 
 " Be it remembered that on the third day of July, 
 
 in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred 
 
 and fifty-four, the Board of Commissioners appointed 
 
 under an Act granting to the electors of Calaveras 
 
 county the privilege to vote for or against a division 
 
 i of said county, and to organize the county of Amador 
 
 Approved May the Eleventh A. I). 1854. Met at the 
 
 house of Martin Tucker in said county of Amador 
 
 ; present William L. McKimm, E. W. Gemill, A. G. 
 
 | Sneath, Alexander Boileau and Alonzo Platt; And on 
 
 I motion of Alonzo Platt seconded by E. W. Gemill 
 
 j William L. McKimm was chosen President of the 
 
 I Board. And on motion of Alexander Boileau, Alonzo 
 
 ! Platt was chosen Secretary of the Board: 
 
 " The President then called for the reading of the 
 j Law appointing the Board of Commissioners and 
 defining their duties and the same was read by the 
 Secretary; and having been considered by the Board, 
 it was on motion resolved by the Board to proceed 
 to establish Election Precincts in and for the county 
 of Amador. 
 
 "And thereupon the Board having considered the 
 matter and being fully advised in the premises 
 directed the Secretary to enter the following Order 
 on the Record: 
 
 " Ordered, By the Board of Commissioners that 
 there shall be twenty-one Election Precincts in the 
 county of Amador and that they shall be known and 
 designated as follows, to-wit: Dry Town, Upper 
 Rancheria; New York Ranch, Grass Valley, Ranch- 
 eria, Amador, Lancha Plana, Gales Ranch, Butte City, 
 Russell's, Volcano, Jackson, Plattsburgh, Fort John, 
 Strceter's Ranch, Q Ranch, lone City, Clinton, Sutter, 
 Armstrong's Mill, White's Bar. 
 
 " And on motion the Board proceeded to consider 
 the matter of the application for an Election Precinct 
 at ' AVhale Boat Ferry,' on the Moquelumnie River : 
 and proof being introduced and heard, it appearing 
 to the satisfaction of the Board that 'Whale Boat 
 Ferry' was not two miles from Butte Cit3 T , another 
 election precinct; It was by the Board 
 
 " Ordered, That the application for an Election Pre 
 cinct at 'Whale Boat Ferry' be not allowed, and the 
 Board then proceeded to consider the matter of the 
 appointment of Inspectors and Judges of Election in 
 the several Election Precincts established by them; 
 it was 
 
 " Ordered, That In Dry Town Precinct Chas.. W. 
 Fox be appointed Inspector, and J. T. King and J. 
 D. Cross Judges of Elections. 
 
 " Upper Rancheria Samuel Loree, Inspector; Dr. 
 Cartmill and Mr. Votaw, Judges. 
 
 "New York Ranch S. Spears, Inspector; John 
 Elkins, John Decks, Judges. 
 
 " Grass Valley Abner P. Clough, Inspector ; J. 
 O'Neal, G. Shoemaker, Judges. 
 
 "Rancheria Wm. Snediker, Inspector; S. Neese, 
 Andrew Onstott, Judges. 
 
 " Amador J. M. Scott, Inspector; M. M. Glover, 
 G. W. Taylor, Judges. 
 
 "Lancha Plana J. W. D. Palmer, Inspector; J. 
 Bullard, G. Wagner, Judges. 
 
78 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 " Gales Ranch E. J. Martin, Inspector ; William 
 Moon, J. Albertson, Judges. 
 
 " Butte City John Reno, Inspector; J. Northup, 
 William Young, Judges. 
 
 "Russell's William Foster, Inspector; Harrison 
 Freals, D. Robinson, Judges. 
 
 " Volcano^-C. B. Woodruff, Inspector; J. K. Payne, 
 M. K. Boucher, Judges. 
 
 " Q Ranch L. C. Patch, Inspector; A. R. Phillips, 
 A. K. Sexton, Judges. 
 
 " lone City Robert Reed, Inspector; T. Rickey, 
 J. E. Hunt, Judges. 
 
 "Clinton F. M. McKenzie, Inspector; Thomas 
 Loehr, S. L. Robinson, Judges. 
 
 "Sutter William Loring, Inspector; Herbert 
 Bowers, N. Harding, Judges. 
 
 "Jackson 1 T. Hinkley, Inspector; E. C. Webster, 
 Ellis Evans, Judges. 
 
 "Plattsburgh J. A. Dunn, Inspector; F. B. Case, 
 A. S. Richardson, Judges. 
 
 " Fort John P. Vaughn, Inspector; L. Sehon, - 
 Gilbert. Judges. 
 
 " Streeter's Ranch Wm. Porter, Inspector; Thos. 
 Jones, Wm. Amick, Judges. 
 
 "Armstrong's Mill John Hewlett, Inspector; J. 
 McDonough, Gofjf Moore, Judges. 
 
 " White's Bar J. E. Weeks, Inspector; James 
 Gregg, , Judges. 
 
 "And the Board then proceeded to consider the 
 form of the proclamation ordering an election on the 
 seventeenth day of July instant, for county officers 
 and the location of the seat of justice of the county 
 of Amador, and it was 
 
 "Ordered, That the Secretary propose a form and 
 submit the same to the Board for their considera 
 tion. 
 
 " The Secretary submitted to the Board a form for 
 an election notice with an appendix of instructions, 
 and the Board having considered the same, it was 
 
 " Ordered, By the Board that the following form of 
 an " Election Notice" for the county of Amador be 
 adopted, and that the President of this Board be 
 authorized and instructed to procure the same to 
 be printed together with the appendix of instructions, 
 and that he be further authorized to name one or 
 more executive officers, and appoint them to post (in 
 pursuance of the law) in the several election pre 
 cincts in this county at least ten days before said elec 
 tion the said election notice, to- wit: 
 
 "Election Notice Amador county. The under 
 signed, a Board of Commissioners appointed to or 
 ganize the county of Amador under the authority 
 and by virtue of ' An Act granting to the electors of 
 Calavcras county the privilege to vote for or against 
 a division of said county, and to organize the county,' 
 Approved May llth, A. D. 1854, do hereby order 
 an election to beheld by the qualified electors at the 
 several precincts, hereinafter named, on Monday the 
 seventeenth day of July instant, for the election of 
 the following officers, to-wit: One County Jud^e, 
 one County Clerk, one District Attorney, one Sheriff, 
 one Assessor, one Treasurer, one Coroner, and one 
 Public Administrator; and do hereby, under said law, 
 appoint the persons whose names are placed opposite 
 to each said precinct. And we do further order under 
 said law, that on said day and at each of said pre 
 cincts, the qualified electors do also vote for a place 
 for the location of the seat of justice of said county 
 of Amador. The election precincts are established 
 and the inspectors and judges of election appointed 
 as follows: 
 
 [Here follows a list of the officers of the election, 
 already mentioned on a former page.] 
 
 " Given under our hands and seals at Tucker's 
 ranch, in the county of Amador, on- Monday, the 
 third day of July, A. D. 1854. 
 
 (Signed) W. L. McKiMM, 
 
 E. W. GEMMILL, 
 A. G. SNEATH, 
 A. BOILEAU, 
 ALONZO PLATT. 
 
 "Appendix of Instructions: Inspectors, judges and 
 clerks of election should be sworn by a Justice if one 
 is present; if not, the Inspector will swear the judges 
 and clerks, and one of the judges then swear the 
 Inspector. 
 
 " The returns should be securely sealed with wax 
 wafer or paste, so that the envelope cannot be 
 removed. 
 
 " The returns may be made to either one of the 
 Board of Commissioners, but with all the require 
 ments of the law in the revised statutes in relation to 
 sending, forwarding or delivering election returns to 
 the County Clerk with the exception of returning to 
 one of the Board; the returns must by the law, organ 
 izing the County of Amador, be made within five 
 days. 
 
 " The votes for county officers and seat of justice 
 are to be on one ballot. 
 
 "If the inspectors and judges are not present to 
 conduct the election the voters will appoint them. 
 
 W.M. L. McKiMM, 
 
 President of (he Board of Commissioners. 
 ALONZO PLATT, Secretary. 
 
 "It was 
 
 "Ordered, That the President be authorized and 
 required to notify the inspectors and judges of their 
 appointments. It was 
 
 " Ordered, That when this Board adjourn it ad 
 journ to meet at Jackson, in the County of Amador, 
 on Saturday, the twenty-second day of July, A. D. 
 1854, to canvass the votes and proceed to a final dis 
 charge of their duties as Commissioners. 
 
 " There being no further business before the Board 
 the motion to adjourn having been made and sec 
 onded, it was ordered that the Board of Commission 
 ers now adjourn. 
 
 (Signed) W. L. McKiMM, 
 
 E. W. GEMMILL, 
 A. G. SNEATH, 
 A. BOILEAU, 
 ALONZO PLATT. 
 
 " Be it remembered that on the twenty-second day 
 of July in the year of our Lord one thousand eight 
 hundred and fifty-four, the Board of Commissioners 
 appointed bylaw to organize the County of Amador, 
 met in pursuance to their adjournment at Jackson in 
 the county of Amador. 
 
 "Present W. L. McKimm, President of the 
 Board; A. G. Sneath, E. W. Gemmill, Alexander Boi- 
 leau and Alonzo Platt, Secretary. 
 
 " The record of the last meeting of the Board was 
 read and approved and signed by all the Board, and 
 the Board proceeded to open the returns from the 
 several precincts and draw up a statement thereof; 
 and the said statement having been compared with 
 said returns and read and examined was approved, 
 and the President was ordered to file the said state 
 ment with the County Clerk of the County of Ama 
 dor. 
 
 " It was then ordered that the President and Sec 
 retary forward a transcript of the same certified by 
 
ORGANIZATION OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 79 
 
 them officially, to the Secretary of the State of Cali 
 fornia and to the Governor thereof. It was then 
 
 " Ordered, That a statement of the whole number 
 of votes received by each person for each office, and 
 by each place for' county seat, be entered on the 
 records of this Board. 
 
 " Which statement is here entered and is as fol 
 lows, to-wit: 
 
 "For County Seat: Briggs Ranch, 1 vote; Upper 
 Rancheria, 1; Jackson City, 2; Jackson, 1002; Sutter 
 Creek, 539; lone Valley, 496; Volcano, 937; Dry- 
 town, 3; lone, 2; Fort John, 1; Amador Creek, 1; 
 Rancheria, 1; Amador Mills, 1. 
 
 "For County Judge: James F. Hubbard, received 
 1354 votes; M. W. Gordon, 1484. 
 
 "For County Clerk: Chas. Boynton, received 
 1447 votes; James C.-Shipman, 1779. 
 
 " For Sheriff : Wm. A. Phcanix received 1500 votes ; 
 James Harnett, 1410. 
 
 " For Treasurer: James T. Farley received 1384 
 votes; W. L. McKimm, 1522. 
 
 " District Attorney: VV. W. Cope received 1372 
 votes; S. B. Axtell, 1528. 
 
 "Assessor: James L. Halstead received 1345 votes; 
 H. A. Eichelberger, 1579. 
 
 "Public Administrator: J. T. King received 1316 
 votes; E. B. Harris, 1569. 
 
 " Coroner: Wm. M. Sharp received 1350 votes: G- 
 L. Lyon, 1553. 
 
 " The whole number of votes polled in said county 
 was 3021." 
 
 The following persons were declared elected 
 being the first persons elected to these offices in the 
 county of Amador : 
 
 M. W. Gordon, Judge; William A. Phoenix, Sher 
 iff; James C. Shipman, County Clerk, W. S. Mc 
 Kimm, Treasurer; S. B. Axtell, District Attorney; 
 H. A. Eichelberger, Assessor; E. B. Harris, Public 
 Administrator; G. S. Lyons, Coroner. 
 
 The Judges, Inspectors, and Clerks, at this elec 
 tion were allowed eight dollars per day for services, 
 many of them receiving sixteen dollars each for the 
 day and night. 
 
 It will be seen that the county seat question was 
 one of the principal elements in the election, the 
 results among the contestants being: For lone, 496 
 votes; for Sutter Creek, 539 votes; for Volcano, 
 937 votes; for Jackon, 1,002 votes. 
 
 The following table will give an idea of the com 
 parative size of the several towns: 
 
 FIRST ELECTION HELD IN AMADOR COUNTY. JULY 17, 1854. LIST OF VOTES BY PRECINCTS. 
 
 
 Clinton. 
 
 Butte City. 
 
 Dry town. 
 
 Sutler Creek. 
 
 Jackson. 
 
 Lancha Plana. 
 
 Volcano. 
 
 IN 
 
 1 
 
 O 
 
 Piattsbui-gh. 
 
 Gale's Ranch. 
 
 v' 
 
 New York Ranch. 
 
 lone City. 
 
 Armstrong's Mill. 
 
 Fort John. 
 
 Russell's Diggings. 
 
 Upper Rancheria. v 
 
 White's Bar. 
 
 Lower Rancheria. 
 
 Amador. 
 
 -= 
 
 i 
 
 6" 
 
 o 
 H 
 
 COUNTY SEAT. 
 
 139 
 
 47 
 
 33 
 
 5 
 
 675 
 
 
 
 11 
 
 q 
 
 14 
 
 g 
 
 14 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 4 
 
 
 10 
 
 1 002 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 6 
 
 23 
 
 7 
 
 275 
 
 6 
 
 9 
 
 22 
 
 5 
 
 9 
 
 1 
 
 4 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 6 
 
 1 
 
 42 
 
 27 
 
 30 
 
 50 
 
 3 
 
 539 
 
 
 9 
 
 
 31 
 
 2 
 
 11 
 
 146 
 
 q 
 
 g 
 
 
 
 
 228 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 61 
 
 496 
 
 
 13 
 
 3 
 
 22 
 
 2 
 
 4 
 
 1 
 
 646 
 
 8'? 
 
 13 
 
 16 
 
 35 
 
 6 
 
 
 38 
 
 24 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 937 
 
 COUNTY JUDGE. 
 James F. Hubbard 
 
 103 
 
 18 
 
 58 
 
 164 
 
 234 
 
 41 
 
 369 
 
 54 
 
 18 
 
 16 
 
 29 
 
 123 
 
 6 
 
 16 
 
 18 
 
 28 
 
 7 
 
 9 
 
 29 
 
 30 
 
 1,354 
 
 M. W. Gordon 
 
 47 
 
 48 
 
 40 
 
 111 
 
 445 
 
 139 
 
 281 
 
 46 
 
 
 7 
 
 5 
 
 124 
 
 22 
 
 29 
 
 4 
 
 19 
 
 19 
 
 13 
 
 26 
 
 47 
 
 1,484 
 
 COUNTY CLERK. 
 Chas. Boynton 
 
 113 
 
 35 
 
 46 
 
 36 
 
 443 
 
 55 
 
 105 
 
 10 
 
 13 
 
 8 
 
 32 
 
 131 
 
 6 
 
 
 12 
 
 20 
 
 
 9 
 
 28 
 
 45 
 
 1,447 
 
 James C. Shipman 
 SHERIFF. 
 W. A. Phoenix 
 
 41 
 119 
 
 30 
 
 42 
 
 52 
 30 
 
 235 
 107 
 
 242 
 408 
 
 125 
 
 45 
 
 582 
 372 
 
 90 
 
 73 
 
 18 
 19 
 
 19 
 21 
 
 2 
 32 
 
 121 
 
 98 
 
 22 
 6 
 
 45 
 15 
 
 11 
 
 18 
 
 29 
 29 
 
 26 
 4 
 
 21 
 
 8 
 
 28 
 
 27 
 
 31 
 
 97 
 
 1,779 
 1,500 
 
 James Harnett 
 
 34 
 
 24 
 
 65 
 
 166 
 
 285 
 
 135 
 
 312 
 
 26 
 
 19 
 
 8 
 
 9 
 
 153 
 
 24 
 
 31 
 
 5 
 
 20 
 
 22 
 
 2*2 
 
 
 49 
 
 1,410 
 
 TREASURER. 
 James T. Farley 
 
 60 
 
 41 
 
 36 
 
 103 
 
 319 
 
 31 
 
 459 
 
 6 
 
 IT) 
 
 
 33 
 
 114 
 
 6 
 
 42 
 
 16 
 
 17 
 
 
 9 
 
 24 
 
 
 1,384 
 
 Wm. L. McKimm 
 DISTRICT ATTORNEY. 
 W. W. Cope 
 
 91 
 106 
 
 27 
 40 
 
 62 
 
 78 
 
 172 
 106 
 
 373 
 281 
 
 148 
 44 
 
 215 
 364 
 
 94 
 44 
 
 16 
 14 
 
 9 
 16 
 
 1 
 32 
 
 140 
 99 
 
 23 
 5 
 
 2 
 29 
 
 5 
 18 
 
 25 
 25 
 
 26 
 .1 
 
 21 
 
 9 
 
 28 
 30 
 
 45 
 33 
 
 1,522 
 1,372 
 
 S. B. Axtell 
 
 35 
 
 26 
 
 21 
 
 170 
 
 407 
 
 135 
 
 318 
 
 55 
 
 16 
 
 19 
 
 3 
 
 150 
 
 20 
 
 17 
 
 5 
 
 24 
 
 25 
 
 90 
 
 ?5 
 
 44 
 
 1,528 
 
 ASSESSOR. 
 
 James L. Halstead 
 H. A. Eichiberger 
 
 89 
 61 
 
 20 
 
 45 
 
 41 
 
 57 
 
 103 
 173 
 
 278 
 414 
 
 42 
 
 139 
 
 428 
 256 
 
 50 
 
 49 
 
 15 
 16 
 
 17 
 12 
 
 7 
 26 
 
 118 
 132 
 
 5 
 
 25 
 
 15 
 
 28 
 
 18 
 5 
 
 31 
 
 18 
 
 "26 
 
 7 
 26 
 
 28 
 28 
 
 32 
 44 
 
 1,345 
 1,579 
 
 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR. 
 Jerry T. King 
 
 83 
 
 36 
 
 69 
 
 101 
 
 282 
 
 44 
 
 346 
 
 50 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 19 
 
 119 
 
 4 
 
 16 
 
 18 
 
 26 
 
 
 9 
 
 
 35 
 
 1,316 
 
 E. B. Harris 
 
 66 
 
 29 
 
 28 
 
 175 
 
 411 
 
 134 
 
 337 
 
 50 
 
 16 
 
 19 
 
 16 
 
 191 
 
 
 30 
 
 5 
 
 24 
 
 26 
 
 
 98 
 
 40 
 
 1 569 
 
 CORONER. 
 W. M. Sharp 
 
 86 
 
 36 
 
 42 
 
 103 
 
 319 
 
 41 
 
 351 
 
 55 
 
 15 
 
 16 
 
 31 
 
 113 
 
 5 
 
 16 
 
 18 
 
 26 
 
 
 9 
 
 99 
 
 39 
 
 1 350 
 
 L. G-. Lyon 
 
 60 
 
 29 
 
 57 
 
 173 
 
 374 
 
 138 
 
 323 
 
 45 
 
 Hi 
 
 19 
 
 3 
 
 138 
 
 93 
 
 29 
 
 5 
 
 23 
 
 26 
 
 91 
 
 97 
 
 31 
 
 1 553 
 
 NUMBER OF VOTES CAST. 
 
 154 
 
 73 
 
 99 
 
 284 
 
 696 
 
 131 
 
 696 
 
 100 
 
 31 
 
 31 
 
 41 
 
 254 
 
 32 
 
 46 
 
 26 
 
 50 
 
 27 
 
 35 
 
 56 
 
 77 
 
 2,989 
 
80 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Immediately after the determination to organize, 
 the activity became remarkable. 
 
 Sutter Creek offered to give towards county 
 buildings ten thousand dollars; Jackson ten thou 
 sand dollars, and lone about six thousand dollars. 
 Volcano offered nothing, but ridiculed the offers 
 of money as all bosh, that Jackson would prob 
 ably donate the old county jail, which was made of 
 logs so small that a man could cut his way out in 
 an hour or two with his jack-knife, and, moreover, 
 the logs were so rotten that an enterprising pig 
 would root his way out. Volcano relied upon votes, 
 and it is probable with a little outside exertion 
 would have carried the matter for itself, as it only 
 lacked sixty or seventy votes of the selection. Real 
 estate in Volcano and Jackson went up with a booni. 
 Town-lots were staked off everywhere, and, until 
 the evening of the election, people were in a high 
 financial fever. Volcano patients soon recovered, 
 but the Jackson unfortunates were afflicted for some 
 years. 
 
 It will be noticed that the candidates at this elec 
 tion were mostly men of ability. Some of them will 
 have biographies in the chapter devoted to lawyers. 
 Others have become lawyers since leaving the 
 county. 
 
 M. "W. GORDON remained in the county, occupying 
 many times stations of honor. 
 
 JAMES F. HUBBARD was originally a surveyor; 
 studied law, practiced awhile in Amador county, 
 moved to San Francisco, and has drifted out of sight. 
 
 CHAS. BOYNTON, the brilliant editor and poet, will 
 be mentioned again in connection with newspapers. 
 
 JAMES C. SHIPMAN, several times elected County 
 Clerk, was from Virginia one of the genuine, old 
 stock. His honor and integrity have never been 
 questioned even by his political opponents enemies 
 he never had. 
 
 W. A. PHOENIX was a young man of energy, 
 integrity, and ability. He was killed in the unhappy 
 Rancheria affair, in which account ho will be further 
 mentioned. 
 
 JAMES HARNETT was a farmer of good standing in 
 lone valley. He returned to the East and has drifted 
 out of sight. 
 
 JAMES T. FARLEY is our present United States Sen 
 ator, and will have further mention in the proper 
 place. 
 
 \V. L. McKiMM, the first Treasurer, occupied many 
 positions of honor and profit; was Government Sur 
 veyor, and was employed to settle disputes in regard 
 to lines, having the confidence of all parties. He 
 was killed by being thrown from a buggy, while 
 descending the hill south of Jackson, in company 
 with the Hon. John A. Eagen. 
 
 W. W. COPE, now resident of San Francisco, once 
 a Judge of the Supremo Court will have further 
 mention. 
 
 S. B. AXTELL, since member of Congress from the 
 
 First District, Governor of Salt Lake and 
 Mexico, will be further mentioned. 
 
 JAMES L. HALSTEAD farmed in the early days on 
 Volcano Flat, has since been a member of the Leg- 
 
 * o 
 
 islature from Santa Cruz, and is now a prominent 
 lawyer in that county. 
 
 II. A. EICHELBERGER was a trusted citizen of Ama 
 dor county several years; went to Nevada in the 
 beginning of the mining excitement, and was acci 
 dentally killed while trying to prevent a quarrel 
 between two of his friends. Ilia remains lie in the 
 cemetery of lone. 
 
 J. T. KING has drifted out of sight. 
 
 DOCTOR HARRIS acted quite a prominent part in the 
 early settlement of Amador county. He was a 
 successful physician as well as miner. He built and 
 run for some time the Newton Hotel; was largely 
 instrumental in the organization of Amador county; 
 found time to help build up the State Agricultural 
 Society; mingled in politics; taught singing, and did 
 many things to help build up society. He Avas among 
 the foremost who went to the \\ r ashoe mines, put up 
 a custom mill, and made thirty thousand dollars 
 before other men had time to look around. When 
 the civil war broke, out, he joined the Union army, 
 and was made Assistant Surgeon General, where his 
 known skill as a surgeon, bis great executive abil 
 ity, and energy, were invaluable. Though genial 
 and social in his habits, he never, either by his 
 presence or conversation, promoted or countenanced 
 gambling, drinking, and other vices, that swept into 
 the vortex of ruin so many brilliant and talented 
 young men in early days. At present he is practic 
 ing medicine in Nevada. 
 
 DOCTOR SHARP was an able and successful physi 
 cian for many years in Jackson. 
 
 DOCTOR LYONS was a farmer and physician in lone. 
 Ho was unfortunate in his domestic relations, in 
 being connected, by report at least, in the drowning 
 of his wife, which happened in a well in his own 
 yard. He was acquitted by the jury of the charge 
 of murder, and soon after left the country. 
 "THE OWL.'' 
 
 This was a paper published occasionally in the 
 early days of Jackson a sort of bubbling or froth 
 ing over of wit that was too lively to be bottled up. 
 A reproduction of some of its articles will recall 
 many incidents, in connection with the county scat, 
 long forgotten : 
 
 In Snougerville's romantic bay 
 
 A gallant bark at anchor lay, 
 
 Whose banner bore this strange device : 
 
 Inquire at Logan's for the price 
 
 Of passage up Salt river. 
 
 The Owl, upon its office door, 
 The following flaming placard bore: 
 "Here Logan, agent of the line, 
 From four o'clock till half-past nine, 
 Sells tickets for Salt river.' 
 
 At four o'clock, the anxious crew, 
 With vacant looks and pockets, too, 
 . Crowded around the sanctum door 
 Of him, who oft had made before, 
 The passage up Salt river. 
 
RANCH a RESIDENCE <" WILLIAM H. PROUTY, JACKSON VALLEY, AMAOOR COUNT/, CAL. 
 
 RESIDENCE * EDGAR BISHOP, 
 (ONE CITY, AMAOOR COUNTY; CAL 
 
ORGANIZATION OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 81 
 
 Towering above the east was seen 
 A stove-pipe hat* of doubtful mien; 
 Battered and bruised, and crushed, it looked 
 As if its owner had been booked 
 Already for Salt river. 
 
 The poem had eighteen verses of this kind, filled 
 with allusions to noted persons. Snougerville was 
 a name given to what is now called Water street. 
 One of its citizens was nicknamed Snouger hence, 
 Snouger bay. 
 
 From the Owl, August 25, 1854: 
 
 There was a sound of revelry by night, 
 
 And our new county seat had gathered then 
 
 Her miners, and her merchants; and the light 
 
 Of tallow candles shone on drunken men. 
 
 A dozen hats had bricks in them; and when 
 
 Some jolly fellow, tighter than the rest, 
 
 Invited the whole crowd to drink again, 
 
 Not one among them needed to be pressed; 
 
 But hush! hark! a deep sound strikes every guest. 
 
 Did ye not hear it ? No, 'twas but the wind, 
 
 Or some damned jackass braying in the street. 
 
 Give us our drinks let joy be unconfined; 
 
 Nor part till morn we've got the county seat. 
 
 What fellow was it offered to stand treat ? 
 
 But hark ! that heavy sound breaks in once more, 
 
 As if the walls its echo would repeat, 
 
 And nearer, more distinctly than before 
 
 It is ! it is, to be concluded next week. 
 
 COURTS ESTABLISHED. 
 
 The first term of the Court of Sessions was held 
 in McKimm's Building, near the present Central 
 House; M. VV. Gordon, acting as Judge; O. P. 
 Southwell and William Wagner, as Associate Judges. 
 These last were selected from the Justices of the 
 Peace elect. The names of the first Grand Jury 
 were D. W. Aldrich, C. Derthick, D. L. Wells, W. 
 S. Birdsell, James Beckman. W. P. Jones, A. L. 
 Harding, I. Bell, Leon Sompayrac, Robert Reed, B. 
 S. Sanborn, Simeon Burt, Thomas Jones, Frank 
 Wayne, A. B. Andrews, E. Evans, S. D. Herrick, 
 and J. T. King. 
 
 Levi Hanford not appearing in season, and hav 
 ing no satisfactory excuse, was fined twenty-five 
 dollars, which he paid. 
 
 The first indictment for murder was against John 
 Chapman, for the murder of E. P. Hunter, of Lancha 
 Plana. The case of C. Y. Hammond, who had the 
 previous Summer killed his partner Elliot, as it was 
 alleged, with a blow of his fist, came before them 
 and was dismissed. Indictments for assault with 
 intent to commit murder, were found against one 
 Mexican, and several Chinamen. They also recom 
 mended the suppression of the houses of prostitution, 
 so frequent and conspicuous in Jackson, and the 
 other towns; the division of the county into town 
 ships, also the purchase of a safe, for keeping the 
 public funds. 
 
 The first trial jury was in the case, "The people 
 vs. Domingo Verjara," the names of the jurors be 
 ing Nathan Coon, John T. Griggs, E. H. Williams, 
 Charles Towles, A. H. Kirby, William Jennings, 
 John Rawley, John McKay, James Creighton, Will 
 iam Horton, J. L. Averill, and B. Ashton. 
 
 "Referring to Colonel Platt. 
 11 
 
 EFFORTS TO SUPPRESS DISORDERLY HOUSES. 
 
 The first Grand Jury had called the attention of 
 the authorities to the houses conspicuously kept for 
 the purposes of prostitution. The courts paid little 
 attention to it, perhaps thinking the Puritanic 
 spasm would soon pass away, or that the matter was 
 a dangerous one to touch, on account of so many of 
 the courts' constituents making their living by it. 
 But the second Grand Jury, summoned for Decem 
 ber, 1854, took the creature by the horns, and in 
 dicted several prominent citizens for renting houses 
 for the purposes of prostitution. The parties were 
 duly arraigned in court. After some skirmishing the 
 charge was dismissed on motion of the District 
 Attorney, S. B. Axtell, on the ground of want of 
 evidence. The jury also found true Bills against the 
 town authorities for obtaining money under false 
 pretenses, for licensing the aforesaid places as busi 
 ness houses. On motion of the District Attorney the 
 Court dismissed the charge. 
 
 The names of the Grand Jury, which made these 
 efforts at reform: George L. Gale, Foreman; James 
 L. Harnett, T. H. Loehr, Thomas S. Crafts, I. Stew 
 art, J. W. D. Palmer, G. M. S. Matthews, L. L. Robin 
 son, Silvester Streeter, D. C. Ferris, James Johnson, 
 A. D. Follett, James M. Ballard, I. S. Roy, A. Boi- 
 leau, Scott Cooledge, and Samuel Davis. 
 
 Though these efforts miscarried, they showed that 
 the leaven of reform was beginning to work. The 
 practices were not stopped, but. the stamp of con 
 demnation was set on them, so that a man seeking 
 office at the hands of the people, made a practice at 
 least of decency. In - a man of education and 
 apparent respectability, with M. D. to his name, in 
 the town of Yolcano, waited upon a prostitute to a 
 circus. There were numbers of respectable females, 
 young and old, present, and though the doctor had 
 an undoubted right to select his company, the act 
 was looked upon as at war with the better interests 
 of society. The roads were rather muddy, and the 
 portly doctor took the soiled dove in his arms and 
 carried her home, the act being as coolly done in the 
 presence of hundreds, as though the woman was a 
 cherished wife or daughter. The following Autumn 
 he came up as a candidate for Sheriff. He was met 
 with such a rebuff that he withdrew his name, and 
 shortly left the town. In the earlier days persons 
 high in office were often seen in the dance with the 
 frail ones. 
 
 AMUSING PROCESSION. 
 
 It will be remembered that the several towns anx 
 ious to have the honor of being the county seat, Yol 
 cano excepted, offered liberal sums for the erection 
 of county buildings. Some of the croakers pre 
 dicted that the promises would be forgotten after the 
 election. The prediction did not prove true, for 
 Jackson went to work in good faith, and at the end 
 of three or four months presented to the county a 
 nice and comfortable Court House. The county 
 officers had been occupying rooms at the foot of 
 
82 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Broadway, in and around the American Hotel. A 
 procession was formed here to take possession of the 
 new Court House. The order of the procession was 
 as follows : 
 
 BAND, 
 
 Consisting of cracked drum and asthmatic clarionet. 
 
 [This was as good as the band which escorted Na 
 poleon to his palace on the island of Elba, which, 
 according to Sir Walter Scott, consisted of four 
 wretched fiddles.] 
 
 FIREMEN (In red Shirts). 
 M. W. GORDON, County Judge, 
 
 Flanked by 
 
 WM. WAGNER and O. P. SOUTHWELL, Associate Judges, 
 
 John Phoenix, Sheriff; S. B. Axtell, District 
 
 Attorney; J. C. Shipman, County 
 
 Clerk; Wm. L. McKimm, 
 
 Treasurer; 
 
 Followed by Citizens generally. 
 
 They marched to the Court House in a body, when, 
 after Court was called, A. C. Brown, in behalf of the 
 citizens of Jackson, presented the building to the 
 county. Judge Gordon accepted it in a neat speech, 
 complimenting the citizens of Jackson on their liber 
 ality and public spirit. Some four or five hundred 
 dollars, back on the erection of the building, was 
 made up by subscription, Major Shipman, the 
 recently elected County Clerk, giving fifty dollars 
 towards it. The location of the county seat at Jack 
 son, was supposed to insure the permanent prosperity 
 of the town. In the burst of enthusiasm following 
 the settlement of the matter, the Court, county 
 officers, and citizens generally, were invited to par 
 take of the hospitalities of several of the leading 
 saloons and bars of the town. The procession 
 reformed in the same order as before. The Court being 
 still in session (according to our informant) the offi 
 cers, jurors and witnesses were compelled to follow, 
 or subject themselves to a fine for contempt! There 
 is no record of any punishment for contumacy or 
 even of failure to partake of the proffered hospital 
 ities, so it is presumed that the arrangement was 
 mutually satisfactory. Our informant, though a 
 juror, and consequently obliged to follow the Court 
 while it was in session, may have been mistaken in 
 thinking the Court was not adjourned, but, as sus 
 pecting his veracity would spoil a good story, it is 
 best to give the story the benefit of the doubt. 
 
 ELECTION, 1854. 
 
 Dwight Crandall (Democrat) was elected Senator 
 and James T. Farley and J. W. D. Palmer (Whigs) 
 were elected Assemblymen. The county was con 
 sidered Democratic, but the Know-Nothing or Native 
 American party had organized and made itself a 
 power in politics. The campaign was conducted 
 mostly by James T. Farley and Alonzo Platt, the 
 latter, though an old politician, being no match for 
 the young candidate, who, though in his early twen 
 
 ties, showed canvassing powers of the highest order. 
 He did not carry any angular notions into the can 
 vass, but professed to be willing to be governed by 
 the will of the people. 
 
 The vote for Governor stood: J. Neely Johnson 
 (Know-Nothing), 2,035 ; John Bigler (Democrat), 
 1,719. 
 
 FIRST TAX LEVY. 
 
 The Legislature of 1853-4 having abolished the 
 office of Supervisors in Calaveras county, the Court 
 of Sessions was empowered to transact the business 
 of the county. August 26, 1854, the Court ordered 
 a tax of fifty cents on each one hundred dollars of 
 property, five cents of which was to be devoted to 
 school purposes, and forty-five to county purposes. 
 
 CONDITION OP SOCIETY IN 1854. 
 
 The introduction of improved methods of mining 
 brought a great increase of population to Amador, 
 as well as the other counties of California. Along 
 with prosperity came the institutions, the dance- 
 house and the gambling saloons, looked upon then as 
 a peculiar feature in California society, but which is 
 now found to be a natural growth wherever sudden 
 wealth comes to those unacquainted with its proper 
 use. The absence of the family influence also fav 
 ored a condition of society in which the influence of 
 woman was in the descending scale. The soiled 
 doves were mostly natives of Mexico, " dusky daugh 
 ters of Montezuma " as the poets termed them, and 
 of Peru. It is said that at one time two hundred of 
 the frail beauties were resident in the town of Jack 
 son. Their daily appearance on the street or danc 
 ing during the evening in sight from the street, 
 called forth no remark of disapproval but had come 
 to be regarded as a matter of course. Some respect 
 able citizens made left-handed wives of them, and 
 wealthy men did not hesitate to build houses and 
 rent them for these institutions. Men who had left 
 families in the East were seen in friendly chat, and 
 young men by the score or hundreds rather poured 
 their gold into wanton laps. Some of these women 
 would accumulate ten thousand dollars, or in some 
 instances double that, in a Winter's campaign. 
 
 Faro, monte and other games gave the lucky miner 
 a chance to double his money or lose it, the latter 
 being the ordinary result. Many men who now 
 bewail their bad luck in California, turned their earn 
 ings into these banks that receive deposits but never 
 pay interest or principal. Whisky, too, had its dev 
 otees, and the principle was indulcated that he who 
 would not drink was a mean man. Nearly all social 
 intercourse was based upon " drinks all around." 
 When men met and when they parted, drinks 
 were in order; when they traded, drinks for all 
 were ordered as a matter of course. When a 
 man ran for office, whisky was his trump card. 
 An old politician said to a man about running for 
 office: "If you will not treat, you may as well 
 stay at home and give it up." Another one said: 
 
RANCHERIA MURDERS. 
 
 83 
 
 " Twelve hundred drinks elected me." To decline 
 these social observances was to become to some 
 extent ostracised. There were exceptions it is true; 
 there were men who would shut themselves in their 
 cabins and decline all intercourse rather than indulge 
 in the prevailing vices. These would remain 
 unknown until fortune in the shape of a rich claim 
 smiled on them, and then they were mentioned in no 
 complimentary terms. Every day men might be seen 
 in all stages of intoxication; some crazy with rough 
 fun. others ready for a brawl. One day one man in a 
 cabin was on a spree and requiring the restraint of 
 his companions, the next another. Whether because 
 the whisky was bad or because the hot, dry climate 
 aggravated the ills of the fiery liquors, or both, the 
 effect was disastrous, morally, physically, financially. 
 The men capable of writing a solid article on politi 
 cal or scientific subjects, or of delivering an oration 
 off-hand, could be seen ranting and howling through 
 the streets or sleeping off the effects of a debauch. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 RANCHERIA MURDERS. 
 
 Ill-feeling between the Americans and Mexicans Frequency of 
 Murders The Band First Seen at Hacalitas Up Dry Creek 
 At Rancheria To Drytown A Second Time to Kancheria 
 Slaughter Departure of the Eobbers Excitement the 
 Next Day Immense Gathering Trial and Hanging of the 
 Mexicans Death of Roberts Borquitas Presence ot County 
 Officers Pursuit of the Murderers Hunt Around Bear 
 Mountain The Murderers Overtaken Death of Phoenix 
 Expulsion and Disarming of Mexican Population Outrages 
 at Drytown Burning of the Church Mass Meeting at 
 Jackson Review After a Lapse of a Quarter of a Century. 
 
 THIS affair happened something over a quarter of 
 a century since. Many of the witnesses are dead, 
 others are gone, and many have forgotten some of 
 the important matters. Those who are" accustomed 
 to criminal trials, know how contradictory testi 
 mony may be among candid, truth-telling men, even 
 while the events are fresh in the mind. How much 
 more difficult then to get at the truth when a quarter 
 of a century has rolled over the events, inevitably 
 obliterating much that would be necessary to form 
 a rational opinion of the murders, and the resulting 
 events of the following month. A somewhat retro 
 spective view of the relations between the Mexican 
 population and our own, seems necessary, to get a 
 correct view of the situation. 
 
 There never was a good feeling between the 
 native population and the Americans. The indolent 
 native, fond of his siesta and cigarette, proud of the 
 smallest quantity of Castilian blood, and holding 
 in utter abhorrence laborious occupations, had, at 
 first, contempt, and then hatred, for the wild Ameri 
 canos, or Gringos (green-horns), as the Americans 
 were termed, who seemed to be endowed with an 
 infernal energy that tore up all the ordinary routine 
 of life, and made men almost maniacs, in the search 
 for wealth. 
 
 This feeling was older than the war in which Cal 
 
 ifornia was conquered. Years before that Alexander 
 Forbes, an Englishman, now a resident of Oakland, 
 who wrote the " History of California," as early as 
 1835, speaks of occasional parties of Americans who 
 came from the frontiers of the United States, whom 
 no danger could appall and no difficulty deter; who 
 would be likely in time to take California and hold 
 it as they had taken Texas, if some foreign power 
 did not step in and forestall them. At the time of 
 the war, there were some two hundred Americans 
 who had often made their power felt. Isaac Graham, 
 with some fifty or sixty men, had taken possession 
 of the Capital (Monterey), and made Juan B. Alva- 
 rado, Governor. They were always in a quasi 
 rebellion. Fremont with his battalion, had gone in 
 force through the country, stubbornly refusing to 
 be whipped. The Mexican Government had an 
 article inserted in the treaty, that the rights of the 
 Mexicans to their property in California should be 
 respected. But this did not prevent the Americans, 
 on the discovery of gold, from taking possession of 
 the best lands, and parceling them out into farms 
 and cultivating them. The native owner was wont 
 to consider himself lucky if he could save even his 
 houses and his herds. The latter, the Americans 
 would drive off and slaughter by the thousand, with 
 hardly a pretense of secrecy. In this way the herds 
 of nearly all the old dons were exterminated. The 
 titles to their lands were scarcely ever recognized 
 until they had passed into the hands of the Amer 
 icans. In the gold mines, they were treated as 
 intruders, and the discovery of a placer was sure to 
 bring a swarm of men about, who believed in 
 " Americans ruling America." This ill-feeling often 
 culminated in murder and robbery. Particular 
 roads frequented by parties of Mexicans, were found 
 to be dangerous to travel. Several persons had been 
 murdered on the road between Drytown and 
 Cosumnes. Murderer's gulch, north of the town, had 
 witnessed several murders, which, as the people 
 believed, had been traced to the native population. 
 Several attempts had been made to banish them from 
 the country, but when driven from one camp they 
 would go to another. As the miners were roving 
 about and the population changing, the expulsion 
 was soon forgotten, and the natives would return 
 embittered and sullen. Joaquin's raids through the 
 country had not been forgotten, and when the news 
 of the slaughter of six or seven persons at Rancheria 
 had spread over the county, it is not strange that 
 the community should bje terribly excited, and should 
 be moved to deeds which were afterwards looked 
 upon with regret. 
 
 The murders were committed by twelve men, one 
 of whom seemed to be white, and one a black man, 
 the rest appearing to be of the ordinary Mexican type. 
 Some of these were men of education, others had 
 been vaqueros in the valleys; and all perhaps felt 
 that they had some grievance to avenge, for we 
 cannot account for their subsequent career on any 
 
84 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 other hypothesis. They were first heard from at 
 Hacalitas (hard camp) not far from the Q ranch, 
 on the night of the 5th of August, 1855, where they 
 stayed all night. 
 
 The following morning, Monday, August 6th, they 
 left the camp and made their way towards Drytown, 
 first robbing a China camp, leaving the Chinamen tied. 
 They passed some white men without disturbing 
 them, however. It happened that George Durham, 
 foreign tax collector, had started on much the same 
 route and found that all the China camps from there 
 to Eancheria had been robbed. He got a very good 
 description of the numbers and appearance of the 
 men, and found that they had been at Eancheria at 
 Francis' store; also saw their camp just out of the 
 town. He warned Francis against the men, saying 
 that he thought they were the same men who had 
 recently committed some depredations at Tuttle's 
 store in Tuolumne county, and told Francis that he 
 was in danger of being robbed. Durham then went 
 towards Drytown, passing their camp. There 
 seemed to be some difficulty among them, as two 
 were well stripped apparently to fight, but were 
 quieted by a tall, slender man, who seemed to be 
 recognized as a chief. Two of the party followed 
 Durham as if to attack him, but turned back after 
 going a short distance. At Drytown, Durham en 
 gaged Cross, the constable, to assist in collecting the 
 tax from the Chinamen at Milton's ranch, as they had 
 dodged him before when he went alone. They got 
 back to Drytown about dark, and went into Mizen- 
 er's store. While there Judge Curtis came in and said 
 that a Spanish woman had come to his office and 
 told him that the town was full of robbers; that she 
 was afraid that they were all going to be robbed. 
 The description of the party corresponded with the 
 party which had been seen at Rancheria, and Cross 
 and Durham resolved to visit the place on Chile flat 
 where the robbers were taking supper. On coming 
 to the house, they had left, but were found a short 
 distance to the rear. Both parties, as they met, 
 commenced firing, some thirty or forty shots being 
 exchanged. The Mexicans were on an elevation, 
 and Durham and Cross were in a depression; these 
 circumstances as well as the darkness prevented any 
 fatal results, one person only, a Mexican, being 
 wounded. Both parties now withdrew, the Mexicans 
 going to their camp on the hill a half mile away, and 
 Durham and Cross to the American part of the town. 
 It was now evident that no small job was on hand. 
 Twelve desperate men thoroughly armed would take 
 the town. The citizens had heard the firing and 
 many of the bullets had struck the buildings, though 
 without doing any damage to persons. Although 
 this was in 1855, only a few years away from the 
 time that the men crossed the plains each with his 
 rifle in order, but few fire-arms could be found. 
 When these had been gathered up, it was learned 
 that the banditti had decamped and gone toward 
 Rancheria. Whether it was a ruse to draw the 
 
 armed party away from the town or not was uncer 
 tain, but it was now evident that one or both places 
 was to be attacked. It was also evident that, but for 
 the premature alarm, Drytown would have been the 
 first victim, and probably Rancheria afterwards. 
 Two persons, Robert Cosner being one, volunteered 
 to go to Rancheria to inform them of the danger. 
 They avoided the road, going up Rattlesnake gulch; 
 but while the party were discussing the matter the 
 Mexicans had done the work. On the arrival of Cos 
 ner and , the robbers appeared to be leaving the 
 
 town on the opposite side. There were no lights and 
 a dreadful silence prevailed. They called aloud sev 
 eral times before they heard any reply. David Wil 
 son was found hiding in a ditch; when he heard 
 their voices he said: " My God! The whole town is 
 slaughtered; my brother Sam is killed, and I don't 
 know how many more." At Francis' store they 
 found Dan Hutchinson, his clerk, dead behind the 
 counter, also Sam Wilson and - . Francis was 
 missing but was found not far away with both legs 
 broken and several severe wounds, but still alive. It 
 seemed that he had fought them to the last and 
 eventually ran out of the back door on the stumps 
 of his legs. While searching for Francis they found 
 the dead body of an Indian. The safe was blown 
 open and the contents, about twenty thousand dol 
 lars, abstracted. At Dynan's Hotel they found Mrs. 
 Dynan dead, shot through the body, and Dynan 
 wounded. Mrs. Dynan seemed to have been shot 
 while putting her child out of the window. Francis 
 died the next day. One leg was amputated and the 
 other set with the hope of saving his life. After 
 death it was discovered that his back bone was 
 nearly severed, apparently by a blow from an axe. 
 Altogether there were six men, one woman and an 
 Indian killed" and two men wounded. It seemed that 
 the party divided, a part going to each house, com 
 mencing the attack at about the same moment. At 
 Dynan's a party were playing cards when the house 
 was attacked. Dynan escaped up stairs and through 
 the windows. A man by the name of Foster, the 
 simpleton of the party, had wit enough to throw 
 himself under the table and remain there until the 
 trouble was over and thus saved his life. 
 
 THE NEXT DAY 
 
 The news rapidly spread. By nine the next morn 
 ing perhaps five hundred people were present. The 
 atrocious character of the murders, the unprovoked 
 and causeless attack, raised the anger of the mass of 
 the people almost beyond control. Some were for an 
 immediate war on all of the Mexican race. Parties 
 were engaged in arresting and bringing in all in the 
 vicinity. It is difficult now to ascertain whether any 
 trial was held or not. There was no organization of 
 the crowd which was continually coming and going. 
 A few elderly men, among whom may be mentioned 
 two Hinksons, acted as a sort of jury, to give a form 
 of deliberation to the affair. Judge Curtis is said 
 
RESIDENCE OF O. E.MARTIN, AMADOR CITY, AMADOR C CAL. 
 
 RANCH, RESIDENCE AND BUSINESS PLACE OF S.W.EMNIONS, 
 PINE: GROVE, AMADOR Cf? CAL. 
 
CALIFORNIA 
 
RANCHERIA MURDERS. 
 
 85 
 
 also to have taken part in the proceedings. These 
 men were noted for their moderation and prudence. 
 They probably prevented the crowd from doing 
 much worse than it did. "Let us proceed cau 
 tiously; let us be just; let us hang no innocent men," 
 said they. They were men in whom the people had 
 confidence. Some thirty-five men were brought 
 within the rope circle and guarded. A motion was 
 put to hang the whole of them, all but a few voting 
 for it. They were then asked to give the men a 
 trial. This was reluctantly consented to; and a com 
 mittee it could not be called a jury set themselves 
 to ascertain the evidence against the men. All that 
 could be found was that James Johnson, a miner 
 who lived iu a cabin near by, and looked out through 
 a crack in the door when the shooting was going on, 
 thought he heard a Mexican, called Port Wine (because 
 he was always drunk, or nearly so, on port), shout 
 ing for Mexico. Another one had placed a light in 
 the road in front of his house. The third one was 
 seen running around with the banditti during the 
 shooting. This was on the testimony of one man 
 who thought he saw it through a slight opening of his 
 cabin door. The committee reported that this was 
 all that could be found against any of them. It was 
 determined to hang them immediately. Port Wine 
 was a half-witted man, almost incapable of commit 
 ting a crime. He cried and begged, to no purpose; 
 ho was hung while his wife was begging for him, 
 two others being hung at the same time. The jury, 
 whose names it is impossible to learn, must not bo 
 blamed in this matter. It is impossible to tell what 
 any one would do until they are tried. Hundreds of 
 exasperated people were clamoring for the death of 
 somebody. It is likely that the hanging of the three 
 appeased, to some extent, the thirst fer vengeance. 
 William O. Clark, a well-known citizen of Drytown, 
 made a speech advocating a trial by law, by the 
 Courts, and made an appeal to the people to place 
 themselves, in imagination, in a foreign country, and 
 about to bo hung for a crime some of their own 
 countrymen had committed; but the people were in 
 no mood to hear finely constructed sentences, and 
 he was silenced. It was even proposed to hang him 
 for being friendly to the Mexicans. A Mrs. Ketch um 
 was particularly active in creating a sentiment 
 against Clark. The balance of the party arrested 
 were liberated on condition of leaving the camp 
 within four hours. 
 
 DEATH OP ROBERTS. 
 
 About this time a terrible accident occurred. A 
 man by the namo of Roberts, or Robinson, who had 
 been one of the most violent in demanding a whole 
 sale hanging, shot himself in the breast, dying imme 
 diately. There are so many conflicting reports that 
 it is with reluctance the subject is mentioned. One 
 person says they were about to go home, and Rob 
 erts was taking the gun towards him, neither angry 
 nor intoxicated, when it went off, striking him in 
 
 the breast. Another one says that Robinson or 
 Roberts was violently demanding the death of 
 another prisoner, which was not immediately 
 assented to, whereupon he said he would settle the 
 question himself, snatching up the gun with the 
 result heretofore stated. 
 
 BORQUITAS. 
 
 William Sutherland, whose veracity no one will 
 question, relates the following circumstances in 
 regard to it: A young Spaniard by the namo of 
 Borquitas, General Castro's business agent, happened 
 to be visiting Sutherland's at the time of the mur 
 ders Being a well educated man, speaking the 
 English language fluently, he remarked that he 
 might be of assistance in ferreting out the criminals, 
 and would go up to Rancheria. When he got there, 
 he found himself one of the criminals, or, at least, 
 he was reckoned among the criminal class. During 
 the affair, trial it could not be called, he conversed 
 with one of the accused. Becoming convinced of 
 the innocence of the party of any complicity in the 
 murders, he told the people so; whereupon, it was 
 proposed to hang him (Borquitas) also. It was 
 then that Roberts undertook to shoot him, with the 
 result of death to himself. Sutherland then told 
 Borquitas that he could do no good by staying and 
 risking his own life; that he had better leave. Tak 
 ing the advice of Sutherland, he left in the con 
 fusion, caused by the death of Roberts. 
 
 It is said that Judge Gordon, S. B. Axtell, District 
 Attorney, Judge Hubbard, and others, were present; 
 but as the hanging took place before noon, and the 
 Court met at ten, as usual, on the morning after the 
 murders, it is almost impossible that they should 
 have witnessed the hanging, though they probably 
 were present during the afternoon. 
 
 Port Wine had a good claim, which was considered 
 forfeited at his death, James Robinson, on whose 
 testimony he was hung, taking possession of it the 
 same evening. He worked it for a few days, but 
 finding work a burden, he sold it for two hundred 
 dollars, which ho spent in a week's spree, shortly 
 after. 
 
 WHERE "WERE THE OFFICERS? 
 
 Phoenix, and some of his deputies, visited the 
 Bceno of the disturbance, in the early mornin^. 
 After looking at the mutilated bodies, he merely 
 said, " Follow me." A party was immediately organ 
 ized to pursue the banditti, Avhich, as before stated, 
 left Rancheria, taking the road towards El Dorado 
 county. This proved to be a false scent. They 
 went as far as Indian Diggings, and, finding them 
 selves off the trail, returned to Jackson. There they 
 learned that the gang had crossed the Mokelumne 
 at Diamond bar. Phoanix, Cross, Porrin, Sherry, 
 Eichelberger, and Durham, went to Mokelumne 
 Hill that night. They there learned that Sheriff 
 Clark, Paul McCormick, and six-fingered Smith of 
 Camp Seco, had attacked the murderers at Texas 
 
86 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 bar, on the Calaveras, and had wounded and cap 
 tured one of the party, who had told the history 
 and names of the others. His name was Manuel 
 Garcia, and he had been a vaquero for Charles 
 Stone, at Buena Yista. He was sent to Jackson 
 with Eichelberger and Perrin. The crowd had 
 assembled to receive him; parting to the right and 
 left, and closing up after him, they escorted the 
 prisoner to the tree, which was already provided 
 with a noose. When his head was placed in it, the 
 buggy was moved along, and the body left dangling. 
 This was the eighth time the tree had borne its fruit. 
 
 It was now ascertained that the balance of the 
 party were concealed around Bear mountain. Two 
 days spent in hunting failed to find them; and then 
 the officers went to Jenny Lind -where they learned 
 that the Mexicans were camped near Reynold's 
 ferry on the Stanislaus. A large number of Mex 
 icans at Jenny Lind were disarmed, to prevent 
 any assistance reaching the banditti from that settle 
 ment, and the pursuit continued, but somebody had 
 given notice of the approach of the officers and 
 the party had left going towards the Tuolumne 
 river. A guard was set at Reynold's ferry, but the 
 robbers did not attempt to cross. The next day the 
 officers visited Tuttletown, Sonora, Campo Seco, and 
 Jamestown. At the latter place they again struck 
 the trail, and found some of the horses, which had 
 been stolen at Rancheria, dying of exhaustion. 
 
 The reader will bear in mind that the ground at 
 this season of the year (August) is hard as a rock, 
 receiving scarcely any impression from a hoof or 
 a shoe passing along; and besides the Mexicans 
 traveled in the night time, concealing themselves in 
 the thick chaparral, with which the hills around 
 Bear mountain abound during the day, so that 
 closely following the trail was out of the question; 
 but it was now evident that they were nearing the 
 objects of their search. Chinese Camp and a Mexican 
 camp, at what is called Old Chinese Camp, were 
 visited. At the latter place was a large dance-house 
 near the hills, the thick chaparral coming down close 
 to the house. It was out of the question to get any 
 correct information with regard to the party they 
 were in search of, but they concluded to stop awhile 
 and watch events. Drinks around and the usual 
 hospitalities followed, as a matter of course. While 
 some of the party engaged the senoritas in conver 
 sation, others kept a general lookout. A girl at the 
 door was seen making signals to some one in the 
 rear, as if to go away. Durham sprang to the door, 
 and saw some of the men they were in search of. 
 Phoenix was anxious to capture them alive, and to 
 this reluctance to kill them, was due the fatal result; 
 but shooting commenced at once. It is difficult to 
 recall events in their order, in which two or three 
 seconds make a failure or success of a movement; 
 but in the affray Phoenix was the first to fall; his 
 slayer the next the latter though severely wounded, 
 still kept fighting, being finally dispatched by a blow 
 
 on the head with an axe. The party dispersed in a 
 short time, the officers holding the ground. A boy, 
 who had witnessed the affair from a distance, told 
 the officers that he had seen a wounded man crawl 
 into a cloth shanty, blood stains indicating the cor 
 rectness of the statement. The man was told to 
 come out, but as no answer was received, the hut 
 was set on fire, as it was deemed dangerous to follow 
 him in. Not until it was blazing all over, so that it 
 was thought impossible for any living being to be 
 there, did he appear. He rushed out, covered with 
 blood, clothes and hair on fire, with a pistol in each 
 hand, shooting as he came. He was more frightful 
 than dangerous, and was soon quieted. Phoenix 
 was shot through the heart, dying immediately. He 
 was buried by the Masonic order at Sonora. He was, 
 perhaps, thirty years old, of social character, open- 
 hearted, holding malice towards none, and was 
 universally esteemed. He was in poor health at the 
 time, hardly fit for such an enterprise, as he took 
 upon himself to lead. On his return from the 
 unsuccessful search in El Dorado, he was urged to 
 rest; was told that, considering the disturbed con 
 dition of the county, his presence was needful which 
 was true. But he replied that if he should decline 
 pursuing the murderers, his courage would be called 
 in question, and he started the same evening. His 
 attempt to capture the men alive, was a fatal mis 
 take. It was no kindness to the party, for, in the 
 excited condition of the people, every one taken was 
 sure to be hung without a trial. 
 
 This affair occurred Sunday evening, August 12, 
 1855. 
 
 A day or two after these occurrences, Marshall 
 Wood, of the town of Columbia, telegraphed the 
 party that ho4iad arrested forty or more Spaniards, 
 and thought that some of the men they were in 
 search of, were among them. On visiting Sonora, 
 Durham recognized one of the party, a well-dressed, 
 educated, young man, who had formerly lived at 
 Dr3 T town. At first, he understood no English, knew 
 nothing about the matter, but upon being called by 
 name, Manuel Escobar, and being told that Garcia, 
 the one taken at Camp Seco, had given the names of 
 the whole party, he commenced cursing in good 
 English, and did not deny his connection with the 
 murders. He was taken to Jackson, and hung, being 
 the tenth and last hung on the famous tree. A 
 photograph was taken of the scene, and the picture 
 lithographed, some copies of which are still pre 
 served by the people of Jackson. 
 
 Shortly after this, an old Mexican from Algerino 
 Camp, told the officers that the man who had 
 killed Phoenix, came to his house wounded in sev 
 eral places, he thought fatally, wanting to be taken 
 care of; that he did not wish to harbor him, as he 
 thought that the Americans would kill him if they 
 found it out, and so told the wounded man, who, 
 however, threatened to kill him if he refused assist 
 ance. The old Mexican had put him down a shaft 
 
RANCHERIA MURDERS. 
 
 87 
 
 which had a short tunnel connected with it, in which 
 the wounded man was hiding. Durham and his party 
 visited the place, and called upon the man to come 
 out; receiving no answer, some brush was thrown 
 into the shaft and set on fire, shortly after which 
 the report of a pistol was heard. He had shot him 
 self rather than surrender. When the fire had gone 
 out, he was brought out dead. He was shot in five 
 
 o 
 
 places around the neck, and could hardly have recov 
 ered under any circumstances. 
 
 EXPULSION AND DISARMING OF THE MEXICAN 
 POPULATION. 
 
 The excitement all through the county was such 
 that business was nearly suspended. Extravagant 
 rumors of the intention of the Mexican population 
 to rise and take the county, got into circulation. The 
 same excitabilit}^ that demanded the hanging of a 
 whole nationality, formed a good material to float 
 impossible stories of an insurrection. The second 
 day after the murders, a great number of people 
 came around Rancheria. The Mexicans had left the 
 day of the hanging. It is said that some of the 
 wives and friends of the executed had hardly time to 
 bury the dead. VV^hen the crowd came the second 
 day they destroyed all the huts and houses belong 
 ing to the Mexicans. It was then resolved that they 
 should leave the country. A large body of those 
 that had been expelled from Rancheria were en 
 camped in Mile gulch, which runs north into Dry 
 creek, its head being near the town. Thither the 
 party proceeded. An indiscriminate shooting com 
 menced. Some Indians, who seemed to be watching 
 the Spanish, were told to kill all they could. Some 
 were known to be killed it is hoped, however, not 
 as many as were reported but the whole people 
 left as rapidly as they could. One Mexican was seen 
 packing two trunks on each side of a donkey. The 
 overloaded animal could not keep up and he was 
 obliged to abandon them. They were broken open 
 and found to be filled with shirts and finery, appar 
 ently goods plundered from Francis' store. The 
 Indians drew these on, one over another, until they 
 would have on five or six each. This prevented the 
 Indians from killing many of the fugitives, though 
 when questioned about it afterwards, they said they 
 had killed ocho, meaning eight. Some were found 
 dead in holes and shafts, others at springs, where 
 they had dragged themselves after being wounded. 
 Several persons say they have seen the hogs devour 
 ing the bodies of the slain. Pork was at a discount 
 during the season, on that account. At Sutter 
 Creek an extravagant rumor got into circulation that 
 five hundred men were coming to take the town. A 
 committee of safety was organized, and some fifty or 
 sixty Mexicans who were mining on Gopher flat, 
 were arrested and brought to town. One man was 
 unfortunate enough to have some connection, in some 
 way, with the Rancheria affair. He was traced into 
 the Mexican camp and a thorough search made for 
 
 him. It was about to be abandoned when a large 
 pile of clothes, just ironed, lying on a bed, attracted 
 attention. Underneath was found the man. He was 
 dragged out and hung on a gibbet made by lashing 
 wagon-tongues together, forming an A, the wagons 
 being locked to prevent separation. The fifty on 
 Gopher Flat were ordered to leave, which they con 
 sented to do provided an escort was given them, for 
 they dared not leave the town disarmed and alone. 
 They were escorted across the Mokelumne river. At 
 that time nearly the whole of the street below the 
 bridge, was occupied by the Mexican population. 
 They were ordered to leave and senoras and senoritas, 
 as well as the children (of which there was a con 
 siderable number), were seen climbing the hills on 
 their way out of the town. At Nacalitas, the camp 
 where the banditti stayed the Sunday night previous 
 to the outrage, the people were disarmed and ordered 
 to leave. One white man was left to make out the 
 passports, the others leaving for a similar duty at 
 another camp. The Mexicans at Hacalitas pleaded 
 utter ignorance of any knowledge or participation 
 in the operations of the murderers, but went without 
 making any resistance. A company from Dry town 
 went towards El Dorado county, disarming and driv 
 ing all the Mexicans away. Men came back with 
 numbers of revolvers and other arms taken from 
 them. 
 
 OUTRAGES AT DRYTOWN. 
 
 There were but few Mexicans at Drytown, the 
 Spanish population being mostly Chilenos; hence, 
 the name Chile Flat, the portion of the town where 
 they lived. Though speaking the same language, 
 the Chilenos and Mexicans had very little to do 
 with each other; and, consequently, the Chilenos 
 were not charged with any complicity in the out 
 rages at Rancheria, and were generally living on 
 good terms with the people of Drytown. 
 
 On the following Sunday, about dark, some fifteen 
 or twenty men on horseback, came into Drytown, 
 and set fire to the Chilenian part of it, and in a few 
 minutes the whole was in a blaze. The people, 
 most of whom were poor, some being women and 
 children, ran in dismay to some of their friends, 
 among the Americans. It is said that William O. 
 Clark's house was filled with crying women and 
 children, who had fled from their burning homes. 
 One man, by the name of Williston, usually called 
 Boston, from his native city, set fire to the Catholic 
 church, which was soon in ashes. The persons 
 engaged in this evening's work, seemed to have had 
 all their plans laid before coming into town, appar 
 ently consulted no one, and permitting no interfer 
 ence. Some of the citizens of Drytown have been 
 charged with assisting the rioters, but a thorough 
 investigation fails to connect any one of its citizens 
 with the affair, which was generally condemned as 
 cruel and wanton. 
 
88 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 CONVENTION, OR MASS MEETING, AT JACKSON. 
 
 A meeting was called to consider the propriety 
 of outlawing all of the Mexican population. Some 
 of the more violent approved of the measure, but 
 the hanging of the men at Jackson and Rancheria, 
 the excesses committed at Mile gulch and vicinity, 
 had caused the more thoughtful to doubt the pro 
 priety or necessity of turning all the blood-thirsty 
 loose, with license to kill Mexicans wherever they 
 could be found, for such would be the result of out 
 lawry. R. M. Briggs, especially, violently opposed 
 the measure, and it was abandoned. Most of the 
 Mexicans had left the county, and the necessity of 
 such a measure, was questionable on several grounds. 
 W. O. Clark, who opposed it, perhaps in imprudent 
 words, came near being lynched, his speeches at 
 Rancheria, the day after the murders, being remem 
 bered. Many of the Mexicans who fled the county 
 on that occasion, settled near Jenny Lind, in Cala- 
 veras county, where they have made peaceable and 
 quiet citizens. 
 
 GENERAL FEELING A QUARTER OP A CENTURY AFTER. 
 
 There are few, and the number is few, who helped 
 to vindicate justice, as they term it, who are proud 
 of the part they took in the matter. But the more 
 thoughtful look at it as one full of excesses to be re 
 gretted. There are many who believe that the three 
 persons hung at Rancheria the day following the out 
 rage were entirely innocent of any complicity in the 
 crimes committed. There appeared to have been 
 two classes of the Mexicans, the caballeros or horse 
 men and the peons or laboring class. The first were 
 accustomed here, as they were in Mexico, to help 
 themselves to whatever they wanted of the peons. 
 who occupied much of the former position of the 
 blacks in the Southern States, having no rights which 
 a caballero was bound to respect. It is said that when 
 ever these gentry were known to be in a Mexican 
 camp, or expected, the lights were blown out and 
 everything kept as quiet as possible so as to at 
 tract no attention. Old residents say that though 
 a Mexican with a crowbar and bataya might steal 
 an axe or a piece of meat, he was never known 
 to commit an outrage. The fact that half a dozen 
 white men would go to a Mexican camp of ten times 
 their number and disarm them does not prove them 
 very belligerent. It would seem that most of the 
 crimes, and they were many, committed by the Mex 
 ican population may be justly charged to the cabal- 
 leros. who were generally gamblers and horse-thieves, 
 or worse; who never worked for themselves but 
 appropriated the results of others' industry, not hes 
 itating at murder when necessary to accomplish their 
 object. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1855. 
 
 Success of the American Party List of Officers Elected 
 Rivalry Between Towns Financial Matters Efforts to 
 Suppress Gambling Political Parties in 1856 Names of 
 Officers Elected Calaveras Indebtedness Tax Levy in 1857 
 Disbursements for 1857 Table of Receipts for all Moneys 
 up to 1857 Political Parties in 1857 Officers Elected in , 
 1857 Officers Elected 1858 Tax Levy 1858 Condition of 
 Treasury Financial Matters in 1859 Condition of Polit 
 ical Parties. 
 
 THE Know-Nothing, or Native American Party, 
 had become the most numerous of any. The almost 
 annihilation of the Whig party in the Presidential 
 contest of 1852, and the subsequent growth of the 
 free soil element into a party, had left the Whigs to 
 form new combinations. As the defeat of the Whigs 
 was largely due to the solid, foreign Democratic 
 vote, it is not strange that the defeated Whigs should 
 organize to control or resist the foreign element. 
 The epithet, " Know-Nothing," seems to have been 
 first given in derision, from a constant assertion, "I 
 know nothing about it," when the members were 
 interrogated about the existence of such an organi 
 zation, and afterwards partially adopted, or, at 
 least, quietly received by them. The object was a 
 practical exclusion from power of the foreign ele 
 ment. It was urged that a few individuals often 
 controlled hundreds of votes, and could be influ 
 enced by improper means; that the foreigners, as a 
 rule, when they come to this country, had no knowl 
 edge of the nature of our institutions, and, from hav 
 ing been subjected to unjust laws in Europe, were 
 instinctively opposed to all wholesome restraints; 
 that the percentage of crimes and misdemeanors 
 committed by the foreign element was much greater 
 than their percentage of the population. The meet 
 ings, at first, were held secretly, and nearly all the 
 members of the Whig party, as well as many Dem 
 ocrats, were induced to act with them, so that until 
 the day of the election, few men, not belonging to 
 it, were aware of the extent of the organization, 
 and were surprised to find the new party in posses 
 sion of nearly all the offices, from the Governor 
 down. When the election was over, and conceal 
 ment no longer necessary, the members showed 
 themselves in processions and public meetings. 
 
 RIVALRY BETWEEN TOWNS. 
 
 While Volcano was making some pretensions to 
 superior size, the /Sentinel at Jackson published, as 
 amusing matter, the experience' of a Jackson man 
 in Yolcano; the latter town being represented as so 
 poverty-stricken, that a five-dollar piece had not 
 been seen for weeks. When our Jackson friend was 
 transacting some little business, he accidentally dis 
 played a ten-dollar piece. The sight was so unusual 
 that a crowd immediately gathered around to 
 admire and wonder. He good-naturedly allowed 
 them to view and handle it, after which ho treated, 
 paid his bill, and left. The Sentinel made quite an 
 amusing article of it; but the Yolcano man was to 
 

 
 VOLCANO LIVERY STABLE , STAGED EXPRESS OFFICE. 
 
 R.S.HINKSDN & BRO. PROP.? VOLCANO, AMADOR C DAL.. 
 
 ST. GEORGE HOTEL. 
 
 A. PETTY, PROP., VOLCANO, AMADOR C.9 CAL. 
 
OF THE 
 
 TJNIVERSITT^ 
 
 OF 
 
POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1856. 
 
 89 
 
 have his turn now. He acknowledged the story as 
 true in most of the statements. "It was astonish 
 ing that a man coming from Jackson should have ten 
 dollars, and still more unusual for a Jackson man to 
 treat; but when he paid his bill before leaving, the 
 astonishment of the people exceeded all bounds; 
 they were still talking about it." 
 
 LIST OF OFFICERS ELECTED IN 1855. 
 
 Members of the Assembly J. T. Farley, G. W. 
 Wagner. 
 
 Public Administrator Wm. Jennings. 
 School Commissioner J. Goodin. 
 County Surveyor David Armstrong. 
 
 JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
 
 Township No. 1 Bruce Husband, Hugh Robin- 
 son. 
 
 Township No. 2 J. W. D. Palmer, N. C. F. Lane. 
 
 Township No. 3 Geo. L. Gale, N. Harding. 
 
 Township No. 4 E. B. Howe, W. C. Bryant. 
 
 Township No. 5 J. B. King, W. B. Caswell. 
 
 Township No. 6 E. R. Yates, James Burt. 
 
 E. B. Howe and E. R. Yates were elected Associate 
 Justices to act with JVL VV. Gordon. 
 
 FINANCIAL. 
 
 Jan. 1, 1855, the total amount of warrants 
 
 issued since Sept 14, 1854, was $41,144.78 
 
 Warrants redeemed during same time .... $41,041.29 
 
 Total amount outstanding 103.49 
 
 Amount on hand $6,117.07 
 
 The second assessment for taxes was as follows : 
 
 On personal and real property for county purposes, 
 on each $100 , 50c. 
 
 For school purposes, on each $100 lOc. 
 
 Support of indigent sick, " " lOc. 
 
 Roads and highways, " " ... 2c. 
 
 State purposes " " . 60c. $1.32 
 
 Poll-tax 3.00 
 
 On January 1, 1856, the Supervisors made the fol 
 lowing report: 
 
 Jan. 1, 1855, cash on hand $6,117.07 
 
 Received during the year on account of prop 
 erty tax 3,068.24 
 
 On account of poll tax 2,270.90 
 
 Foreign miners' licenses 10,309.68 
 
 County licenses 13,258.75 
 
 Fees from Probate Court . . 61.50 
 
 Sale of county property 120.00 
 
 Refunded from State treasury 182.18 
 
 Total receipts for 1855 $35,957.67 
 
 Total disbursements for 1855 34,741.10 
 
 Balance on hand Jan. 1, 1856 $1,216.57 
 
 Total amount of warrants issued since 
 
 Sept. 14, 1854, to present $41,144.78 
 
 Amount redeemed 40,041.29 
 
 Outstanding $103.49 
 
 EFFORTS TO SUPPRESS GAMBLING. 
 
 At the February term, 1856, the Grand Jury made 
 some effort to suppress gambling. Up to this date 
 monte, faro, and other games were openly dealt in 
 many places in the county, demoralizing a great 
 many men. Laws against banking games had been 
 passed a year or two previous, but it was thought to 
 
 be impossible to enforce them in the mountain towns. 
 All laws are inoperative until sanctioned by public 
 opinion; in this instance only a movement was 
 needed to show that public gambling was not coun 
 tenanced by the community at large. The names of 
 the Grand Jury that first grappled with this evil are 
 S. G. Hand, who acted as foreman, John Bean, Thos. 
 Luther, Elias Kratzer, Z. Crane, Wm. Cochran, Wm. 
 Goode, David Beach, A. P. Clough, Samuel Folger, 
 Heman Allen, Ellis Evans, Thomas Skidmore, 
 Luther Morgan, Wm. Glenn, D. B. French, B. Dav 
 enport, J. H. Young, D. W. Aldrich, E. W. Rice, and 
 S. M. Streeter. Several indictments were found 
 against persons for gaming, also against the own 
 ers of houses permitting it. Though gambling never 
 was entirely suppressed it was forced to retire from 
 public sight. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1856. 
 
 Three parties made their appearance this season: 
 The Democratic party, confident in strength from a 
 sway of nearly a quarter of a century; the Know- 
 Nothing, flushed with a recent victory; and the 
 Republican, having nothing, with everything to hope 
 for. The fact that the Republicans had carried sev 
 eral Eastern States with rapid increase of numbers 
 everywhere, encouraged them to nominate a full 
 county ticket. They first called a general meeting 
 at Drytown on the 4th of October, met in mass meet 
 ing numbering about seventy-five, and nominated a 
 full ticket. Col. Baker addressed the meeting in 
 the evening and spoke afterwards at several places 
 in the county. Some little disposition to mob out the 
 Republicans was manifested in several places. At 
 Yolcano the sign of the Republican club was torn 
 down and destroyed an da notice served on Mahoney, 
 the owner of the hall, that if the meetings were per 
 mitted his hall should be torn down. Leading Dem 
 ocrats hastened to disavow any countenance of the 
 violent proceedings and assured the Republicans 
 that they should not be molested again. At Lancha 
 Plana, M. Frink, a candidate for the Assembly, was 
 torn from the stand, though this was said to have 
 been in consequence of remarks of a personal nature. 
 The fact that mobbing a speaker, however obnoxious 
 his sentiments are, is an argument generally in his 
 favor, is well known and serves to keep the appear 
 ance of peace at least. 
 
 The Know-Nothings held an imposing convention. 
 J. T. Farley, flushed with the honors of Speaker of 
 the Assembly, acted as president. A huge cannon 
 was fired at intervals of a few minutes through the 
 day, reminding the people for twenty miles around 
 that the Know-Nothing Convention was in session. 
 
 The Democratic ticket was elected, the Republi 
 cans casting a little over six hundred votes, or about 
 one-sixth part of the entire vote. 
 
 The vote for President was: Buchanan (Dem.), 
 1784; Fillmore (K. N.), 1557; Fremont (Rep.), 657. 
 
90 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 OFFICERS ELECTED NOVEMBER, 1856. 
 
 Assemblymen Wm. M. Seawell, James Livermore. 
 
 Sheriff W. J. Paugh. 
 
 County Clerk H. S. Hatch. 
 
 District Attorney S. B. Axtell. 
 
 Treasurer Ellis Evans. 
 
 Assessor H. A. Eichelberger. 
 
 Public Administrator J. B. King. 
 
 County Surveyor James Masterson. 
 
 Coronor A. B. Kibbe. 
 
 SUPERVISORS. 
 
 District No. 1 J. G. Severance. 
 
 District No. 2 E. A. Kingsley 
 
 District No. 3 J. A. Brown. 
 
 Superintendent Common Schools E.B. Mclntyre. 
 
 JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
 
 Township No. 1 L. N. Ketchum, Bruce Husband. 
 Township No. 2 N. C. F. Lane, J. W. D. Palmer. 
 Township No. 3 A. M. Ballard, Geo. Monkton. 
 Township No. 4 E. B. Mclntyre, D. R. Gans. 
 Township No. 5 C. N. W. Hinkson, G. W. Haynes. 
 Township No. 6 Stephen Kendall, I. F. Ostrom. 
 
 CALAVERAS INDEBTEDNESS. 
 
 When Amador was set off from Calaveras a pro 
 vision was made that the new county should assume 
 a just proportion of the common debt. As no 
 especial methods of determining this amount was 
 provided, the matter was neglected until Calaveras 
 brought suit, January 27, 1857, against J. C. Ship- 
 man, as Auditor of Amador county, to recognize the 
 obligation. James H. Hardy was employed as a 
 lawyer to defend Amador county, and was allowed . 
 one thousand dollars as a fee for his services. Feb 
 ruary 3d there is a minute to the effect that the 
 Board adjourned to meet the Board of Calaveras 
 county to effect an amicable arrangement. The 
 records of the Board of Supervisors do not make 
 mention of the matter again until the 7th of August 
 following, when Alonzo Platt and James F. Hubbard 
 were appointed as a Commission to meet an equal 
 number on the part of Calaveras county, to deter 
 mine the amount of the indebtedness. This confer 
 ence resulted in fixing the ameunt at twenty-six 
 thousand five hundred and seventeen dollars and 
 thirty-two cents. A warrant was issued for this 
 amount, and, as Number 103, became famous in the 
 financial history of the county as the source of eva 
 sions, injunctions and lawsuits. 
 
 The Board of Supervisors ordered that one-half 
 of the general fund should be set aside for the pay 
 ment of this warrant. From the records, it appears 
 that an arrangement had been made with the Cala 
 veras authorities, that evidence of Calaveras indebt 
 edness, or " county scrip," might be applied in pay 
 ment of this debt. George Durham was appointed 
 a broker, to buy up the scrip, sixty-five cents on the 
 dollar being the price he was to be paid for it, " and 
 no more." One thousand dollars was advanced to 
 
 him, as capital to begin with, and directions made 
 that he should settle as often as once a month. J. 
 C. Shipman, Alvinza Hayward, John C. White, Will 
 iam Sharp, and Wesley Jackson, were his sureties 
 for the faithful performance of the duties. It is to 
 be regretted that the records of the Board of Super 
 visors are not more complete. The high price of 
 ink, or some other freak of economy, kept them 
 from keeping a full account, and we are obliged to 
 write history out of hints and disjointed memoranda. 
 The purchase of scrip does not seem to have been 
 satisfactory, for suit was commenced against Dur 
 ham on account of the matter. There is a minute 
 to the effect that the District Attorney be directed 
 to suspend the suit against Durham, as long as M. 
 W. Gordon should pay to the County Treasurer fifty 
 dollars a month; that the stay of proceedings should 
 cease whenever the said M. W. Gordon should neg 
 lect or refuse to pay the fifty dollars per month. 
 
 TAX LEVY OF 1857. 
 
 .50c. 
 .10c. 
 .20c. 
 .30c. 
 .70c. $1.80 
 
 For county purposes, on eack 
 
 School purposes, " 
 
 Indigent sick, 
 
 Calaveras Fund, " 
 
 State taxes, 
 
 A poll-tax of $3.00 was ordered on account of roads, and the 
 same also for State and county purposes. 
 
 January 1, 1858, the Supervisors made the fol 
 lowing report: 
 
 Warrants issued during the year exclusive of the 
 
 famous 103 for Calaveras indebtedness was $42,457.27 
 
 Outstanding for previous year ' 103,49 
 
 $42,560.76 
 Warrants redeemed during the time $35,078.40 
 
 Warrants outstanding $ 7,482.36 
 
 26,517.32 
 
 Including Calaveras indebtedness $33,999.68 
 
 Inventory of county property. 
 
 Delinquent taxes $ 5,881.40 
 
 County jail and improvements 7,017.80 
 
 *Court House and lot improvements 2,379.10 
 
 Furniture of clerk's office 400.00 
 
 Sheriff's and other offices 270.00 
 
 County hospital 200.00 
 
 Total $16,148.30 
 
 September 18, 1857, the Supervisors ordered the 
 Treasurer to make no payment at all to S. L. McGee, 
 the holder of warrant No. 103, drawn on account of 
 the Calaveras indebtedness. From this item it 
 would appear that McGee had become the owner of 
 the warrant, and refused to take script on it. 
 
 The funds set aside for the payment of this war 
 rant accumulated until they amounted, in January, 
 1859, to $20,198.27, less $605.00, which had been 
 allowed the outgoing Treasurer as percentage. 
 
 This concatenation of awkward events was inau 
 gurated by J. G. Severance, E. A. Kingsley, and 
 James A. Brown, acting as the Board of Supervisors. 
 
 * The Court House having been donated by the town of Jack 
 son, only the improvements are estimated. 
 
POLITICAL PAUTIES IN 1857. 
 
 91 
 
 ACCOUNTS ALLOWED PROM JANUARY 1, 1857, TO JAN 
 UARY 1, 1858. 
 
 County Judge $ 2,500 00 
 
 County Clerk and Auditor 3,104 53 
 
 District Attorney 1,810 00 
 
 Associate Justices .... 874 00 
 
 Assessor , 2,653 34 
 
 Sheriff. : 7,406 22 
 
 Supervisors.. . . 1,095 55 
 
 Justice's Fees 624 10 
 
 Constable's Fees 1,318 49 
 
 Witnesses' Fees 113 50 
 
 Jurors. 4,384 50 
 
 Superintendent and Marshals Common Schools 581 00 
 
 Hospital 4,33661 
 
 Officers of Election 568 00 
 
 Repairs on Court House and Jail 1,550 92 
 
 Stationery 494 92 
 
 Scaffold and Execution of Cottle 100 00 
 
 Attorneys' Fees in Criminal Cases 135 00 
 
 P. M. Examinations and Taking Insane to Asylum . . 484 30 
 
 Attorneys' Fees in County Suits 1,400 00 
 
 Supplies for Jail 27500 
 
 Printing 917 00 
 
 Roads 12 25 
 
 Taxes Refunded 45 24 
 
 Miscellaneous 224 80 
 
 Total $37,039 35 
 
 Table Showing the Amounts of Money Received into the 
 Treasury to 1 857. 
 
 COMPILED BY F. MCBRIDE, THOMAS H. LOEHR, AND T. G. HOARD, 
 SUPERVISORS. 
 
 ON WHAT ACCOUNT. 
 
 1854. 
 
 1855. 
 
 1856. 
 
 1857. 
 
 TOTAL. 
 
 Property Tax 
 
 $7561 30 
 6946 50 
 6951 36 
 2671 50 
 380 10 
 464 40 
 
 $ 7172 02 
 14061 25 
 24065 7'2 
 4138 33 
 569 35 
 182 18 
 61 50 
 120 00 
 
 1 9054 10 
 14736 25 
 18248 04 
 3414 12 
 357 20 
 1848 44 
 42 00 
 100 00 
 1821 99 
 S06 25 
 161 24 
 408 00 
 
 $30144 77 
 142S2 62 
 22944 16 
 9234 85 
 626 20 
 1372 53 
 53 00 
 
 '5659" 62 
 5020 41 
 
 $5393-2 79 
 50026 62 
 72209 28 
 19458 80 
 1932 85 
 3867 55 
 156 50 
 220 00 
 9951 66 
 5826 66 
 361 24 
 453 00 
 5841 85 
 872 00 
 197 38 
 
 State and County Licenses 
 Foreign Miners' Tax 
 Poll-Tax 
 
 Fines 
 
 Refunded from State 
 Probate Court 
 
 Sale of County Property. 
 School-Tax 
 
 
 
 Hospital 
 
 
 
 Propertv Tax (Roads) .... 
 
 
 
 Jurors' Fees 
 
 
 
 45 00 
 5841 85 
 872 00 
 80 38 
 
 Calaveras Tax 
 
 
 
 Bridge and Ferry Licenses 
 
 
 
 
 45 00 
 
 
 63 00 
 
 Total 
 
 
 
 $250-20 76 
 
 ^50370 35 
 
 $51129 93 
 
 195586 89 
 
 $222108 93 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1857. 
 
 Three tickets were put into the field as usual. 
 The Democrats flushed with the recent Presidential 
 victory, and strong in the possession of the public 
 funds, the other two suffering from overwhelming 
 defeats. E. M. Briggs, of the moribund Know-Noth 
 ing party, was the only one elected on that ticket 
 in the county, and almost the only one in the State. 
 In the Assembly, "he chewed the bitter cud of Know- 
 nothingism, to the end, alone." There was little 
 interest in the election outside of the scramble among 
 the office-seekers. Every town had a full set of 
 candidates for all the positions. 
 
 The following list was elected: 
 
 State Senator L. N. Ketchum. 
 
 Assemblymen E. M. Briggs, Homer King. 
 
 County Surveyor John E. Dicks. 
 
 Superintendent Common Schools E. B. Mclntyre. 
 
 JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
 
 Township No. 1 J. M. Douglass, Geo. S. Smith. 
 Township No. 2 J. T. Poe, J. W. D. Palmer. 
 Township No. 3 John Doble, Geo. Monkton. 
 Township No. 4 D. E. Gans, E. B. Mnlntyre. 
 
 Township No. 5 C. N. K. Hinkson, E B. Styles. 
 Township No. 6. Steve Kendall, Hugh Bell. 
 Vote for Governor J. B. Weller (Dem.), 1619; 
 G. W. Bowie (K. N.), 997; Ed. Stanley (Eep.), 492. 
 
 OFFICERS ELECTED IN 1858. 
 
 Assembly W. W. Cope, J. A. Eagan. 
 
 County Judge M. W. Gordon. 
 
 Sheriff W. J. Paugh. 
 
 County Clerk T. M. Pawling. 
 
 District Attorney J. G. Severance. 
 
 Treasurer C. A. Lagrave. 
 
 Assessor F. P. Smith. 
 
 Public Administrator E. Gallagher. 
 
 Superintendent Common Schools H. H. Eheese. 
 
 Coroner John Vogan. 
 
 Surveyor Albert Moore. 
 
 SUPERVISORS. 
 
 District No. 1 E. D. Stiles. 
 District No. 2 Eobert Stewart. 
 District No. 3 Jacob Linzee. 
 
 JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
 
 Township No. 1 Geo. S. Smith, J. W. Hutchins. 
 Township No. 2 C. English, J. C. Wicker. 
 Township No. 3 John Doble, A. M. Ballard. 
 Township No. 4 E. B. Howe, D. E. Gans. 
 Township No. 5 E. B. Stiles, C. N. W. Hinkson. 
 Township No. 6 Hugh Bell, B. Nichols. 
 Township No. 7 SamLoree, D. Cartmill. 
 
 RATES OF TAXES FOR 1858. 
 
 For State purposes on each $100 50c. 
 
 County purposes, 50c. 
 
 School purposes, 10c. 
 
 Indigent Sick, 20c. 
 
 Calaveras Fund, 30c. 
 
 Board purposes, , 15c. $1.75 
 
 Also $3.00 poll-tax for roads, and also the same for general pur 
 poses. 
 
 There is no report found of the state of the 
 finances at the end of the year. Ellis Evans, the 
 County Treasurer, reports the total indebtedness at 
 $24,409.43. This must have been a balance, as the 
 famous warrant, No. 103, still remained with no por 
 tion paid, with accumulated interest. On the first 
 of July, in his second quarterly report, he fixes the 
 amount of outstanding warrants at $46,717.77. 
 
 There was in the Treasury credited to the 
 
 General Fund $ 1,799.02 
 
 Hospital Fund 305.73 
 
 Road Fund 74.84 
 
 Calaveras Fund 14,897.45 $17,077.45 
 
 Total indebtedness $29,640.63 
 
 At the end of 1858 the Calaveras Fund had accu 
 mulated until it amounted to $20,198.27, which, less 
 3 per cent., $605.94, Treasurer's commission, was 
 turned over to the incoming Treasurer, C. A. 
 Lagrave. 
 
 FINANCIAL MATTERS IN 1859. 
 
 Rates of taxes for State purposes on each $100 60c. 
 
 County purposes, " " 50c. 
 
 School purposes, " " lOc. 
 
 Calaveras Debt, " " 20c. 
 
 Road purposes, " " 5c. $1.45 
 
 Poll-tax, $3.00 for roads, and the same for general purposes. 
 
HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 During the first quarter of the year there was paid on the Cal- 
 averas debt (warrant 103) the sum of $19,005.50, leaving due the 
 sum of $19,577.75, of which sum $9,281.05 was interest. 
 
 On the 7th of November, Treasurer Lagrave reported the 
 county debt, exclusive of warrant 103, "at $6,644.18; Calaveras 
 debt, $9, 109. 17; making a total of $15,753.35. 
 
 This estimate was made after deducting moneys on hand 
 which were as follows: 
 
 General Fund $7,168.91 
 
 Hospital Fund $2,248.82 
 
 School Fund 2,348.42 
 
 Road Fund 567.72 
 
 Calaveras Fund 3,759.40 $16,091.27 
 
 DISBURSEMENTS PROM JULY 1, 1858, TO AUG. 1, 1859. 
 
 Salary of County Judge $ 2,499.96 
 
 County Clerk and Auditor 3,231.73 
 
 District Attorney, salary and fees 2,175.00 
 
 Associate Justices 726.00 
 
 Assessor 2,880.00 
 
 Sheriff fees in criminal cases $4,189.95 
 
 " boarding prisoners 3,426.50 
 
 " jailor and assistant 1,886.009,502.45 
 
 Supervisors per diem and mileage 1,063.05 
 
 Hospital expenses and burials 5,596.57 
 
 Officers of election 561,00 
 
 Supplies for Court House and jail 1,387.07 
 
 Stationery 
 
 Attorneys' fees in criminal cases 884.95 
 
 Printing 1,385.00 
 
 Road purposes 1,367.02 
 
 Inquests 298.60 
 
 Interpreting 98.00 
 
 Collecting county licenses extra per cent .... 129.47 
 
 Deficiences in gold-dust 156.25 
 
 Miscellaneous expenses 1,303.19 
 
 Total warrants issued $43,995.86 
 
 The interest on the Calaveras debt had accumulated to 
 $9,281.05, making the whole debt $35,798.37 before any payment 
 was made thereon. 
 
 CONDITION OP POLITICAL PARTIES. 
 
 With the close of the election of 1857, the Know- 
 Nothing party ceased to be a formidable element in 
 politics. The leaders, generally, having been promi 
 nent members of the defunct Whig party, now found 
 little difficulty in falling into the ranks of their ancient 
 foemen, the Democrats. Early in the season of 
 1857, a number of prominent Know-Nothings, J. O. 
 Goodwin of Yuba, and James T. Farley of Amador, 
 being of the number, agreed that, in view of the 
 breaking up of old parties, and the formation of new 
 parties in the East, and the expressed sentiments of 
 President Buchanan in regard to some of the objects 
 sought by the American party, it was not necessary 
 to continue the organization. Farley became a 
 member of the party, working in the ranks, until, 
 as he was wont to say, he had been forgiven. R. 
 M. Briggs also trained with the Democrats until the 
 Spring of 1861. W. W. Cope, D. W. Seaton, J. W. 
 Bicknell, and others, old Whigs, also fell into 
 the Democratic ranks. The Republican party was 
 mostly made up' of men who did not put themselves 
 forward for office. A lawyer was not often to be 
 found in their ranks, occasioning some trouble to 
 find a suitable candidate for District Attorney. 
 Hearing some Republicans lamenting the want of 
 a suitable man in their ranks to run for attorney, 
 D. W. Seaton remarked: "Never mind. You will 
 have lawyers enough on your side when you come 
 to a majority." During the first four years of the 
 organization, it was in a hopeless minority, with 
 
 few politicians or orators to meet the attacks of 
 ridicule and sarcasm, always given to the hindmost 
 in the race. 
 
 With the breaking up of the Know-Nothing party, 
 and the affiliation of most of the members with the 
 Democratic party, came the distinction "Lecompton" 
 and "Anti-Lecompton," growing out of the attempt 
 of Northern and Southern men to colonize the Terri 
 tory of Kansas, and bring it in as a free or slave 
 State; one wing of the Democratic party favoring, 
 and the other opposing the admission of Kansas 
 with the Lecompton Constitution, which established 
 slavery. 
 
 The vote for Governor, stood as follows: Latham 
 (Democrat), 2,023; John Curry (Anti-Lecompton), 
 985; Stanford (Republican), 232. 
 
 OFFICERS ELECTED IN 1859. 
 
 State Senator J. A. Eagan. 
 
 Assemblymen P. C. Johnson, J. H. Bowman. 
 
 Coroner J. C. Shepherd. 
 
 SUPERVISOR. 
 
 District No. 1 C. Y. Hammond. 
 
 JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
 
 Township No. 1 J. W. Hutchins, G. S. Smith. 
 
 Township No. 2 Chas. English, J. A. Peters. 
 
 Township No. 3 John Doble, S. S. Hartram. 
 
 Township No. 4 D. R. Gans, H. Wood. 
 
 Township No. 5 C. N. W. Hinkson, R. C. Brown. 
 
 Township No. 6 H. Bell, B. Nichols. 
 
 Township No. 7 Jacob Emminger, Sam Loree. 
 
 About this time the office of Supervisor was made of 
 three years duration and the elections so arranged 
 among the districts that one new member should be 
 elected each year. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 AMADOR COUNTY AT THE BEGINNING OF 1860. 
 
 County Officers Financial Situation Political Parties First 
 Appearance of R. Burnell First Appearance of Tom Fitch 
 Officers Elected in 1860 Amador Wagon Road Voted 
 On Names of Amador Mountaineers Financial Affairs in 
 1861 Calaveras Indebtedness Denied Enormous Profits 
 of Officers Political Parties in 1861 The Amador Wagon 
 Project Renewed Vote on the Project, May 10, 1862 
 Rates of Toll Impeachment of James H. Hardy Political 
 Parties in 1862 Great Fire in Jackson Petition of M. W. 
 Gordon Supervisors Order the Building of a Court House 
 Political Parties in 1863 French -Bar Affair Officers 
 Elected in 1863 General Vote Political Parties in 1864 
 Vote of 1864 Financial Matters Political Parties in 1865 
 Arrest of Hall and Penry Election Returns by Precincts, 
 1865 Seaton's Defection Counting the Votes Clinton 
 Vote List of Officers Elected in "1865 Death of G. W. 
 Seaton, and Election of A. H. Rose, his Successor Finan 
 cial Matters in 1865. 
 
 UP to this period, which seems a natural point in 
 time for a review, Amador county met with unre 
 mitting prosperity. The placers were yielding 
 undiminished sums; the quartz mines were begin 
 ning to show their inexhaustible treasures; agricul 
 ture had assumed a permanent and profitable 
 
RESIDENCE , RANCH ** ORCHARD OF J. W. VIO LETT, IONE VALLEY, AMADOR COUNTY, CAL. 
 
 RESIDENCE or j. M EEHAN, 
 
 JACKSON, AMADOR COUNT/, CAL. 
 
AT THE BEGINNING OF 1860. 
 
 93 
 
 character; schools were established, and in working 
 condition; churches, and other beneficiary institu 
 tions were prosperous, proving that society was being 
 built on a healthy basis; and, last though not least, 
 the county finances had been generally economically 
 managed, so that, notwithstanding the inevitable 
 expenses of organization and commencing a govern 
 ment, moderate taxes were sufficient to liquidate all 
 expenses. According to the Assessor's report there 
 were fifteen saw-mills cutting 11,500.000 feet of 
 lumber per year; thirty-two quartz-mills crushing 
 yearly 61,000 tons of quartz; six hundred miles of 
 main canal, besides distributors; 10,000 acres of cul 
 tivated land, yielding 6,000 tons of hay, 34,800 
 bushels of wheat, 46,000 of barley, 28,000 of corn, 
 besides other produce. There were nearly 10,000 
 head of cattle, 1,700 head of horses, 6,000 swine, 
 60,000 fruit trees, and 300,000 grape vines. 
 
 This condition of affairs would justify a hope that 
 prosperity might continue; but the failure of the 
 placer mines, disastrous fires, injudicious manage 
 ment of county finances, with unfortunate national 
 affairs, so changed the current of events, that 
 Amador came near taking her place among the 
 bankrupt counties of California. 
 
 January 1, 1860, found the following persons in 
 office: 
 
 District Judge Chas. Creanor. 
 
 County Judge M. W. Gordon. 
 
 District Attorney J. G. Severance. 
 
 County Clerk and Eecorder T: M. Pawling. 
 
 Sheriff W. J. Paugh. 
 
 Treasurer C. A. LaGrave. 
 
 Supervisors District No. 1, E. D. Stiles; District 
 No. 2, Eobert Stewart; District No. 3, J. Linzee. 
 
 February 6, 1860, the Supervisors allowed J. C. 
 Shipman one hundred and sixty dollars for acting as 
 Clerk of the Board of Supervisors for twenty days, 
 also seventy-eight dollars for acting as Clerk of the 
 Board of Equalization. These allowances seem but 
 the entering wedge to other and more extravagant 
 appropriations, which followed in the course of a 
 few years. 
 
 FINANCES. 
 
 Tax levy for 1860, adopted February 9th. 
 
 For State purposes, on each $100 60c. 
 
 County " " " 50c. 
 
 School " " .10c. 
 
 Indigent Sick, '' " 20c. 
 
 Calaveras indebtedness, on each $100 30c. 
 
 Road Fund " " 5c. fl.75 
 
 In the following report of the indebtedness of the 
 county the interest seems to have been omitted: 
 
 May 1, 1860 
 
 Warrants outstanding on General Fund.$ll, 581.44 
 
 " Calaveras " 10,797.57 $22,379.01 
 Cash on hand 
 
 General Fund $2,990.36 
 
 Hospital " .36 
 
 School " 1,797.23 
 
 Road " ... . . 19.80 
 
 Due from Sacramento County 426.85 
 
 Calaveras " 94.38 
 
 State to Hospital Fund 156.68$ 5,485.66 
 
 On the 7th of November previous, the Calaveras debt was 
 estimated at $19,577.75, of which sum $9,281.05 was for interest. 
 
 July 7, 1860, F. Eichling, Geo. L. Gale, and D. L 
 Triplett, appointed a commission, by Board of Super, 
 visors, to purchase a site for hospital grounds; which 
 was done, for the price of sixteen hundred dollars. 
 The erection of a suitable building on this tract 
 commenced a series of debts which hung over the 
 tax-payers for the next twenty years. 
 
 REPORT NOVEMBER 5, 1860. 
 
 Calaveras indebtedness, excluding interest $10,086.05 
 
 Other " " " 12,249.51 
 
 Total $22,335.56 
 
 Cash on hand 
 
 Calaveras Fund $4,108.05 
 
 General " 7,907.47 
 
 Hospital " 2,575.98 
 
 Road " 684.56 
 
 Due from Sacramento county 2,120.00 
 
 " Calaveras " 116.00 
 
 Total $17,512.06 
 
 Total debt, exclusive of interest, and less the amount in 
 
 the treasury $,823.504 
 
 This method of making reports was not well cal 
 culated to give the people any correct idea of the 
 state of the finances. The interest on warrant 103 
 alone, now amounted to twenty thousand dollars or 
 more; much of it was due, having accumulated 
 to upwards of ten thousand dollars before any por 
 tion of principal or interest was paid. 
 
 The Supervisors, beginning with September 3d } 
 were : 
 
 District No. 1 C. Y. Hammond. 
 
 District No. 2 E. Stewart. 
 
 District No. 3 Geo. McWilliams. 
 
 The latter taking his seat September 3d, succeed 
 ing J. Linzee. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1860. 
 
 Some of the waves raised by the political storm that 
 was raging in the Eastern States began to be felt in 
 California. The prospect of carrying the Presiden 
 tial election and sharing the official patronage 
 induced the Eepublicans to put forth greater efforts, 
 and for the first time in the history of the party, it 
 looked possible to carry some of the county offices. 
 The Democratic party seemed to be disintegrating, 
 having divided into the Douglass and Breckenridge 
 factions, while members of the old Whig party, con 
 fident in their principles, thought to rally round 
 them all the conservative elements and quiet the 
 storm which threatened to engulf the nation. There 
 are some questions that are so positive in their 
 nature as to admit of no compromise; all or nothing 
 being the only terms of settlement. The Eepublicans 
 took strong ground against the extension of slavery, 
 though denying any thonght of interfering with it 
 where it then existed. The Douglass Democrats 
 wished to leave it to the Territories and States to 
 determine for themselves whether slavery should or 
 should not exist within their boundaries, thus exclud 
 ing the matter from Congressional action. The 
 Breckenridge party contended that having been 
 
94 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 recognized by the Constitution as an element in the 
 social compact of States, it could not be excluded 
 from the Territories either by National or Territorial 
 legislation without manifest injustice to the States 
 wherein slavery existed. Each party endeavored to 
 prove that a true interpretation of the Constitution 
 would justify the proposed measures of exclusion, rele 
 gation of the matter to the States and Territories, 
 or general protection and recognition everywhere 
 under the flag. Careful readers of the early history 
 of the United States cannot fail to discover the ten 
 derness, evasion even, with which the subject of 
 slavery was treated. The word slavery had no 
 mention in the Constitution, those opposed to it hop 
 ing that it would cease of itself; those in favor of it 
 satisfied with its partial recognition. Able writers 
 on political economy assert that Constitutions are 
 growths of public opinion; that no constitutional 
 enactments can stand long against overwhelming 
 public sentiment; that the courts and government 
 shape the enactment when they execute the law, and, 
 that public sentiment establishes the government. 
 Three large parties accused each other of trying to 
 subvert the Constitution, each professing to see, in 
 the success of either of the others, utter ruin and 
 destruction. We shall see, as history progresses, the 
 truth of the principles alluded to, for the meaning of 
 the Constitution was eventually fixed at a cost of a 
 million of lives and billions of money. 
 
 First-class orators, as well as many who were 
 not rated at all, traversed the country, not omitting 
 Amador in their labors. Thousands of documents 
 bearing on the question, were sent through the mails 
 or circulated by means of committees. 
 
 R. Burnell, afterwards conspicuous in Amador poli 
 tics, made his appearance for the first time. He was 
 a lawyer by profession, from the central part of New 
 York. Having accumulated considerable money by 
 raising stock on the plains around Sacramento, he 
 spent a Winter in the capital, took a notion to mingle 
 in political affairs, and made Amador County a start 
 ing-point. He was a man of graceful presence, 
 pleasing address, a fluent speaker, with a good train 
 ing in the New York school of politics, of which 
 Martin Van Buren was the best specimen and ideal, 
 whose political gospel was " neither give nor take 
 offense." He rapidly made his way upwards, being 
 first elected to the Assembly, where he was elected 
 Speaker, and afterwards two terms to the Senate. 
 He was also a prominent candidate for Congress. 
 
 FIRST APPEARANCE OP TOM FITCH. 
 
 This celebrated orator was sent into the country 
 to try his strength of wing in the woods and chap 
 arral. Though he had spoken once or twice on the 
 steamer on which he was a passenger to this State, 
 and again once or twice after landing, the general 
 impression was that he was speaking a piece that 
 some one had written for him. His appearance was 
 
 boyish in the extreme. His plump and rather girlish 
 face, his lips with the babyish cupid's bow still giving 
 them shape, and his extremely youthful appearance, 
 (not over twenty at least), did not impress one at 
 first sight, or give any indication of his oratorical 
 powers. The first meeting at which he appeared 
 was in lone. Very few had heard of him, and it was 
 supposed that the State Central Committee had sent, 
 as they often had done before, some troublesome 
 aspirant for oratorical honors, where he would do the 
 least harm. James M. Hanford, M. W. Belshaw and 
 two or three local politicians were announced to 
 speak, and confident in their strength, inquired of 
 Fitch which part of the evening he would prefer, and 
 also how much time he Avould like to occupy, for it 
 was intended to give the boy a chance for success. He 
 rather dignifiedly answered that he would be satis 
 fied with any arrangements that might be made; so 
 he was generously allowed the closing speech ! After 
 the several speakers had plodded wearily through 
 the evening, the President introduced Thomas Fitch. 
 The writer of this, who was present, recollects well 
 the shade of disgust that passed over the faces of 
 the audience at the prospect of sitting out another 
 hour of dullness. He bowed dignifiedly to the Pres 
 ident and audience. His boyish appearance was 
 already gone, giving place to the ease and self-posses 
 sion born of conscious strength. He. commenced 
 with a few long, Ciceronian sentences, as stately and 
 beautiful in structure as a. Grecian temple, and what 
 was more, he kept them up for a full hour, never 
 faltering for a word, never missing a note in the lofty 
 song which he commenced, winding up with a bui-st of 
 eloquence in favor of universal freedom that Colonel 
 Baker might have equaled, but never surpassed. 
 There was none of the school-boy in the oration. 
 The sentences, ponderous as they were, came out of 
 his mouth as if propelled by an intellectual steam 
 engine. Had the people seen a train of cars dragged 
 by a single pony, going a hundred miles an hour, their 
 astonishment could not have been greater. The fol 
 lowing night he spoke at Lancha Plana to a large 
 audience, that had gathered, as much out of cui'iosity 
 as anything else, to hear the prodigy. Those who 
 had not heard him still contended that he must have 
 repeated what had been written for him by some one 
 else; but a circumstance occurred which set that 
 question at rest. A few minutes before he ascended 
 the stand the news came that Colonel Baker had 
 been elected United States Senator for Oregon 
 Oregon, the home of Joe Lane, the immovable Dem 
 ocratic State! The subject was one worthy the 
 power of an orator, and Fitch did it justice. " The 
 waves of public opinion, sweeping a continent in their 
 course, are rocking the strongest citadels of slavery." 
 Those who came out of curiosity remained, entranced. 
 Perhaps he was the only man who ever spoke in 
 Amador county that would hold every one of his 
 audience to the close. 
 
 Though a born orator, of unsurpassed ability, his 
 
AT THE BEGINNING OF 1860. 
 
 95 
 
 moral qualities were not of corresponding great 
 ness. He sadly disappointed the hopes of his early 
 admirers, and is now only a fourth rate lawyer. 
 
 Among the prominent speakers engaged in this 
 campaign was James H. Hardy, candidate for Judge 
 of the Sixteenth Judicial District, who ably sup 
 ported the Breckenridge side of the question. 
 
 The general vote was : Lincoln, 995; Douglass, 
 1866; Breckenridge, 945; Bell, 178; total, 3984, being 
 the largest vote ever polled in the county. 
 
 OFFICERS ELECTED IN 1860. 
 
 Judge of 16th Judicial District J. H. Hardy. 
 
 Assemblymen E. Burnell, Thomas Horrell. 
 
 Sheriff E. Cosner. 
 
 Clerk J. W. Bicknell * 
 
 Treasurer C. A. LaGrave. 
 
 District Attorney J. Foot Turner. 
 
 Assessor F. McGrath. 
 
 Public Administrator E. Gallagher. 
 
 Superintendent of Schools Samuel Page. 
 
 Surveyor J. M. Griffith. 
 
 Coroner W. E. Fifield. 
 
 JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
 
 Township No. 1 H. J. Bostwick, M. J. Little. 
 Township No. 2 W. C. Pratt, Charles English. 
 Township No. 3 J. M. Hanford, S. S. Hartram. 
 Township No. 4 Harvey Wood, D. E. Gans. 
 Township No. 5 C. W. N. Hinkson, George W. 
 Haines. 
 
 Township No. 6 H. Bell, B. Nicholls. 
 Township No. 7 J. McMurren, S. H. Loree. 
 
 AMADOR WAGON ROAD VOTED ON. 
 
 The discovery of the Comstock mines gave an 
 increased desire for the building of a wagon road 
 to Carson valley. The Legislature, by an act ap 
 proved March 23. 1861, required the Board of Super 
 visors of Amador, to call a special election of the 
 voters of Amador county to submit to them a pro 
 position to issue bonds of said county, not exceeding 
 in the aggregate the sum of forty thousand dollars, to 
 be expended in the construction of a wagon road, com 
 mencing at Antelope Springs, in Amador county, on 
 the ridge dividing the waters of the Mokelumne and 
 Cosumnes rivers, and following thence the best practi 
 cable route to Hope valley on the eastern slope of the 
 Sierra Nevada Mountains, and for the purpose at the 
 same time of electing one Eoad Commissioner in each 
 Supervisor District of said county. 
 
 The proposition was rejected by the folio wing vote: 
 For building the road, 1495; against, 1683. 
 
 A year later the subject was revived and carried 
 through. 
 
 *J. W. Bicknell was nominated in the Convention by a bit of 
 sharp practice. Alviaza Hayward, a friend of Bicknell's, went 
 around among the delegates, asking them to give the old gentleman 
 a complimentary vote, saying that he could not get the nomi 
 nation, but it would please him to get a good vote. When 
 the complimentary vote was counted, it was found to lie the 
 requisite number to nominate him. There was no chance to 
 retreat; so the Convention bore the joke as well as they could. 
 
 NAMES OF AMADOR MOUNTAINEERS, 
 
 Enrolled 1861, for service on the plains, guarding 
 the mail route to Fort Laramie: 
 
 Wm. McMullen, Capt. A. E. Abbott, 
 
 D. B. Haskell, 1st. Lieut. John Davis, 
 
 E. M. Crandall, 2d. Lieut. Joseph Willet, 
 John Parsons, Brev. Lieut. J. Dennis, 
 
 F. Eobjent, 
 John Ennis, 
 J. P. Ewing, 
 Albert Moore, 
 
 D. B. Trimble, 
 J. Hall, 
 
 T. J. Yager, 
 B. J. Thompson, 
 Geo. Monroe, 
 John Evans, 
 H. E. Brown, 
 John Dickinson, 
 T. H. Dickin, 
 Chas. Walton, 
 A. Carpenter, 
 P. Brady, 
 
 E. McCaugherty, 
 W. Kelly, 
 
 W. L. Ehynerson, 
 J. M. Griffith, 
 J. H. Bradley, 
 A. Allen, 
 
 W. E. McCormick, 
 C. H. Ashby, 
 L. D. Winchester, 
 Geo. Teas, 
 John Ferguson, 
 I. N. Swan, 
 F. Brill, 
 J. Johnson, 
 P. H. Eepp, 
 John Morris, 
 Isaac Perrin, 
 W. S. Cooledge. 
 Joseph Alyea, 
 A. E. Martin, 
 J. C. H. Wagner. 
 
 [The publishers intended to furnish a list of all the 
 volunteers who left the county, but were unable to 
 get their names.] 
 
 The Supervisors made the following report of finan 
 cial matters May 7, 1861: 
 
 Amounts of all warrants drawn on Treas 
 ury from Nov. 5, 1860, to May 7, 1861, 
 
 on General Fund $22,991.26 
 
 Total receipts for same time exclusive of 
 
 Calaveras and School Funds 31,366.81 
 
 Total amount of indebtedness exclusive of 
 interest on outstanding warrants and 
 
 Calaveras debt 4,936.05 
 
 ! Calaveras indebtedness 'including interest 
 
 on same 5,769.69 $10,754.74 
 
 i Assets County buildings and furniture. . 14,500.00 
 
 Cash on hand including solvent debts . . 6,955.86 $21,455.86 
 : Above indebtedness .' $10,701.06 
 
 RATE OF TAXES FOR 1861. 
 
 For State purposes on each $100 60c. 
 
 .50c. 
 .10c. 
 .20c. 
 .30c. 
 . 5c $1.75 
 
 County purposes, 
 
 School purposes, 
 
 Indigent sick, 
 
 Calaveras debt, 
 
 Road purposes, 
 
 Also $6. 00 poll-tax for State and County purposes. 
 
 CALAVERAS INDEBTEDNESS DENIED. 
 
 At a meeting of the Board of Supervisors, Decem 
 ber 26, 1861, the following proceedings were had: 
 
 "WHEREAS, By the quarterly financial report of 
 the Auditor and Treasurer of Amador county, sub 
 mitted to the Board on the first Monday of Decem 
 ber, 1861, it appears that there was, upon that day, 
 in the hands of said Treasurer, the sum of six thou 
 sand one hundred and fifty-five dollars and four 
 cents, credited to a fund known as the Calaveras 
 County Fund; and, 
 
 " WHEREAS, It is the opinion of this Board that 
 the object for which said fund was created, no longer 
 exists (the debt formerly due from Amador county 
 to said Calavcras county, having been fully paid). 
 
 "It is therefore ordered that the said Treasurer of 
 Amador county be, and is hereby directed, to trans- 
 
HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 fer from the said Calaveras County Fund to the Gen 
 eral Fund of Amador county, the sum of six thousand 
 dollars, and also that all such sum or sums as may 
 be paid into the said Treasury after the said first 
 Monday of December, 1861, upon said Calaveras 
 County Fund, be credited to the General Fund of 
 Amador county." 
 
 From the records of the Board of Supervisors, it 
 appears that on the second day of December, 1861 ? 
 they entered into an agreement with J. Foot Tur 
 ner, by which the said Turner agreed to evade or 
 satisfy the payment on the part of Amador county, 
 of the sum of six thousand one hundred and fifty- 
 eight dollars, then on hand and in the treasury, due 
 to the county of Calaveras as a part of the Cala 
 veras indebtedness on warrant 103, which he seems 
 to have done, as he was allowed the commission of 
 ten per cent, on the same, at a meeting of the Board 
 September 1, 1862. Subsequently, however, the mat] 
 ter came before the District Court. In the suit 
 of Beals, the holder of warrant No. 103, against the 
 Supervisors of Amador county, in 1864, the records 
 showed that a writ of mandamus was issued from 
 the District Court, S. W. Brockway presiding, to 
 the Board of Supervisors of Amador county, requir 
 ing them to levy a special tax for the payment of 
 the balance of the Calaveras indebtedness, amount 
 ing to $7,556.16, in accordance with a law approved 
 April 27, 1855. The matter was appealed to the 
 Supreme Court, where the decision of Judge Brock- 
 way was confirmed. The amount of the warrant 
 when drawn, was $26,517.32; up to 1865, $31,292.83 
 had been paid on it when the county, by the advice 
 of J. Foot Turner, refused to pay anything further. 
 The judgment given by Brockway, $7,556.16, was 
 avoided until it amounted to $11,000, making over 
 $40,000 in all that was paid on the warrant, the 
 costs, and attorneys' fees, swelling it to at least $50,- 
 000, before the demand was settled. 
 
 ENORMOUS PROFITS OF THE OFFICE-HOLDERS. 
 
 It is said that the offices of Sheriff and County 
 Clerk were worth from fifteen to twenty thousand 
 dollars per year. The latter was also Recorder of 
 Deeds, and acted as the Clerk of the Board of Super 
 visors and Equalization; also, as Auditor of Accounts, 
 for all of which he drew high pay. At a meeting of 
 the Board of Supervisors, February 6, 1861, present, 
 James H. Allen and George McWilliams, it was 
 ordered that the Auditor, J. W. Bicknell, be paid, as 
 salary, two hundred and forty dollars per month, in 
 quarterly installments; though October 9th, follow 
 ing, his salary was reduced to one hundred and sixty- 
 five dollars per month. The following items from 
 the records of the Board of Supervisors will show 
 how the money went: 
 
 November 18, 1861 Allowed J. W. Bicknell $300 
 for making assessment roll; also, $58 as Clerk to 
 the Board of Equalization. 
 
 October 3, 1862 $100 per month for signing poll- 
 tax receipts, and foreign miners' licenses. 
 
 October 3, 1862 (Page 435, Vol. B, minutes of 
 Board of Supervisors.) Allowed J. W. Bicknell quar 
 terly salary as Auditor, $495; quarterly salary as 
 Clerk of Board of Supervisors, $167.50. 
 
 October 8th Recording bonds of county officers, 
 $153. 
 
 November 8th Allowed for acting as Clerk of 
 Supervisors, $96. Each of the Board also allowed 
 themselves, November 8, 1862, $48, as members of 
 the Board of Equalization. 
 
 July 1, 1861 George F. Tripp, allowed fees in 
 criminal cases, $2,155, a fourth claim $810 being 
 rejected. For a few minutes' services as interpreter, 
 involving no loss of time worth mentioning, $5.00 
 was allowed. $24 was allowed for moving a person 
 twelve miles. 
 
 February 14, 1863 Treasurer LaGrave allowed 
 three per cent., amounting to $64, for apportioning 
 School Fund. 
 
 June 2, 1862 C. Y. Hammond and other Super 
 visors allowed each $32 for services on the wagon- 
 road election, which services should have been 
 included in the ordinary duties of Supervisor. The 
 Chairman was allowed $25 per month for signing 
 road receipts. 
 
 July 7, 1863 Board of Supervisors allowed them 
 selves $8.00 per day for twenty-three days, for act 
 ing as members of the Board of Equalization. 
 
 July 7, 1863 Allowed fees to Sheriff for month of 
 June, $549 53; also, for copying summons to Jurors, 
 $339. 
 
 March 3, 1863 Allowed County Treasurer $143 
 for signing licenses; same date, J. W. Bicknell $330 
 for acting as County Auditor. 
 
 April 8, 1863 Treasurer allowed $88.40 for appor 
 tioning School Fund; June 6th, for same, $119.34. 
 
 January 6, 1863 For printing blank road receipts, 
 $150. 
 
 April 8, 1863 Allowed $251 for printing county 
 blanks; also, June 2d, for same, $120. 
 
 June 6, 1863 Quarterly salary of $495 allowed 
 J. W. Bicknell as Auditor. 
 
 September 9th $285 rent allowed for county 
 buildings for month of August. 
 
 September 9, 1863 $627 allowed as Sheriff's fees 
 for last month. 
 
 September 21, 1863 Supervisors allowed them 
 selves $8.00 a day as canvassers of the election 
 returns. 
 
 October 7, 1863 J. W. Bicknell allowed $200 for 
 making out duplicate military list. 
 
 December 16, 1863 County Auditor allowed $495 
 as quarter's salary. 
 
 All services rendered seemed to be the subject for 
 special fees. It is not strange that candidates 
 should spend a thousand or two in trying to get a 
 nomination when a nomination was equivalent to an 
 election, or as much when the result of the election 
 was doubtful. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1861. 
 
 Soon after the election of Lincoln, the old land 
 marks, which had stood for many years as guides to 
 the various political crafts, went down out of sight. 
 Men who had for a quarter of a century anchored to 
 the Whig or Democratic doctrines, found themselves 
 without soundings. Professed politicians, who were 
 accustomed to weigh public opinion and move 
 accordingly, were now unable to tell where the 
 surging waters and contrary currents would permit 
 
RESIDENCE OF D. B. SPAGNOLI, JACKSON, AMADOR COUNTY, CAL. 
 
 SPRINGDALE R ESI DENCE >" D FARM of A. CAMINIETTl 
 FOUR MJLES N. E. OF JACKSON, AWADOR COUNTY, CAL. 
 
OF THE 
 
 [TJNIVERSITT, 
 
AT THE BEGINNING OF 1860. 
 
 97 
 
 secure anchorage. When everything is in confusion, 
 it sometimes happens that a single commanding 
 voice will turn a wavering crowd to its own course. 
 The steady disruption of the Southern States, the 
 boldness of their friends in California, who certainly 
 evinced no fear of consequences, made the prospect 
 of cutting out California from the Union, quite 
 imminent. The newspapers, usually, are but the 
 mouth-pieces of public sentiment. During this uncer 
 tain condition of affairs, the Ledger, which, since 
 1856, had been acting with the Democratic party, 
 while speaking of the breaking off from the Union of 
 Southern States, remarked: " For the present the 
 interests of California seem to be, to remain with the old 
 Union." 
 
 This sentiment prevailed to a great extent among 
 the politicians. Among the first to raise the alarm 
 of danger, was E. M. Briggs, a Douglass Democrat, 
 who called public meetings in different parts of the 
 county, and proclaimed to the people the designs of 
 some of the ultra-Breckenridge Democrats to carry 
 California out of the Union. He made speeches in 
 his peculiar style of oratory, in several of the larger 
 towns; introduced strong Union resolutions, with no 
 uncertain sound, which were usually adopted. At 
 
 lone he was met with a solid Union club of one 
 hundred, from Muletown, headed by the president, 
 Jack Miller, who pledged his company to the main 
 tenance of the Union, though some of his political 
 friends persuaded him afterwards that he was a little 
 premature in his promises. There is no doubt that 
 these demonstrations, made previous to the firing on, 
 and surrender of, Fort Sumter, helped to shape 
 public sentiment, so that when the time came for an 
 expression of public opinion, it was overwhelmingly 
 in favor of the perpetuity of the Union. The Fourth 
 of July celebrations in the different towns of the 
 county were hearty and enthusiastic nearly the 
 whole population participating. 
 
 The Douglass Democratic Convention at Sacra 
 mento, which met to nominate a candidate for 
 Governor, took strong Union grounds, denouncing 
 hesitation as cowardice, and doubt as treason. 
 
 The three parties put forward full sets of candi 
 dates. All professed to be in favor of union. The 
 Eepublicans favored the maintenance of the Union 
 by prosecuting the war until all rebellion was crushed 
 out, at whatever expense; the Douglass Democrats, by 
 conducting the war according to the Constitution, 
 with Democratic generals under a Democratic admin- 
 
 ELECTION RETURNS BY PRECINCTS- 1861. 
 
 PRECINCTS. 
 
 GOVERNOR. 
 
 LT. GOVERNOR. 
 
 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. 
 
 ASSEMBLYMEN. 
 
 s 
 
 5 1 
 
 P 
 
 Q 
 
 o 
 
 P 
 
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 89 
 
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 JD 
 
 W 
 
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 1 
 
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 Amador 
 
 11 
 
 10 
 16 
 18 
 23 
 17 
 27 
 46 
 45 
 2 
 
 17 
 
 W 
 
 51 
 1 
 12 
 11 
 21 
 28 
 53 
 14 
 101 
 14 
 
 73 
 11 
 25 
 
 "ii 
 
 45 
 8 
 68 
 73 
 16 
 32 
 8 
 128 
 117 
 48 
 4 
 25 
 4 
 21 
 c 
 
 27 
 18 
 35 
 186 
 39 
 236 
 6 
 15 
 
 22 
 10 
 14 
 18 
 25 
 21 
 26 
 48 
 46 
 3 
 20 
 33 
 131 
 232 
 62 
 6 
 8 
 35 
 30 
 25 
 36 
 24 
 33 
 112 
 21 
 236 
 
 O" 
 
 50 
 1 
 14 
 11 
 
 22 
 28 
 53 
 14 
 101 
 14 
 
 "l2 
 67 
 97 
 38 
 
 7 
 
 12 
 
 8 
 
 "e 
 
 21 
 84 
 55 
 100 
 
 64 
 11 
 25 
 
 12 
 42 
 9 
 64 
 71 
 15 
 29 
 8 
 112 
 103 
 47 
 2 
 24 
 4 
 6 
 8 
 25 
 20 
 30 
 106 
 38 
 195 
 5 
 15 
 
 23 
 10 
 14 
 18 
 26 
 23 
 26 
 49 
 48 
 4 
 20 
 30 
 139 
 328 
 67 
 5 
 8 
 37 
 31 
 25 
 36 
 26 
 33 
 113 
 25 
 241 
 37 
 
 22 
 10 
 14 
 18 
 25 
 22 
 26 
 49 
 46 
 4 
 20 
 30 
 136 
 328 
 66 
 6 
 8 
 37 
 30 
 25 
 36 
 25 
 31 
 112 
 25 
 241 
 36 
 
 51 
 1 
 14 
 11 
 22 
 28 
 53 
 15 
 102 
 14 
 
 51 
 1 
 14 
 11 
 22 
 28 
 53 
 15 
 102 
 14 
 
 64 
 11 
 
 25 
 
 62 
 11 
 
 25 
 
 63 
 11 
 
 25 
 
 1 
 
 18 
 12 
 17 
 9 
 24 
 20 
 17 
 81 
 48 
 5 
 18 
 30 
 111 
 275 
 58 
 6 
 1 
 35 
 29 
 21 
 35 
 23 
 32 
 106 
 41 
 231 
 29 
 
 22 
 11 
 12 
 18 
 24 
 30 
 29 
 49 
 30 
 3 
 21 
 33 
 127 
 329 
 86 
 6 
 8 
 36 
 30 
 25 
 35 
 24 
 33 
 110 
 33 
 233 
 35 
 
 48 
 
 52 
 
 65 
 9 
 24 
 
 63 
 10 
 26 
 
 
 Badger's Store 
 
 9 
 20 
 19 
 48 
 51 
 15 
 98 
 14 
 
 14 
 11 
 9 
 48 
 52 
 13 
 103 
 14 
 
 
 Buena Vista 
 
 12 
 40 
 9 
 63 
 72 
 15 
 29 
 8 
 106 
 97 
 42 
 3 
 24 
 2 
 6 
 8 
 25 
 18 
 30 
 103 
 35 
 189 
 3 
 15 
 8 
 1 
 
 11 
 41 
 9 
 62 
 
 68 
 15 
 29 
 8 
 109 
 96 
 42 
 2 
 24 
 2 
 6 
 8 
 24 
 19 
 27 
 107 
 35 
 189 
 3 
 15 
 8 
 1 
 
 11 
 
 37 
 9 
 63 
 8 
 
 
 11 
 35 
 9 
 38 
 63 
 13 
 27 
 11 
 j07 
 jlS 
 42 
 2 
 31 
 2 
 7 
 7 
 23 
 19 
 25 
 99 
 19 
 188 
 6 
 15 
 8 
 1 
 
 13 
 41 
 10 
 59 
 83 
 14 
 28 
 8 
 112 
 108 
 40 
 2 
 24 
 2 
 5 
 12 
 24 
 19 
 27 
 102 
 26 
 195 
 6 
 15 
 8 
 1 
 
 Butte City 
 
 Clinton 
 
 Drytown 
 
 Fiddletown 
 
 
 
 29 
 8 
 109 
 62 
 5 
 2 
 19 
 2 
 
 
 Iowa Flat 
 
 33 
 117 
 306 
 61 
 4 
 7 
 35 
 15 
 24 
 33 
 26 
 28 
 34 
 22 
 201 
 34 
 
 12 
 66 
 97 
 38 
 
 8 
 
 12 
 
 8 
 
 "e 
 "21 
 
 82 
 53 
 95 
 
 12 
 66 
 
 98 
 38 
 
 7 
 
 12 
 66 
 
 98 
 38 
 8 
 
 12 
 63 
 95 
 29 
 8 
 
 12 
 64 
 100 
 31 
 8 
 
 lone City 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Lancha Plana 
 
 Martin's Ranch 
 
 Middle Bar 
 
 Muletown 
 
 12 
 
 7 
 
 12 
 
 8 
 
 12 
 
 7 
 
 12 
 
 8 
 
 
 Rich Bar 
 
 8 
 24 
 18 
 26 
 72 
 35 
 179 
 3 
 15 
 
 "26 
 
 Pine Grove 
 
 6 
 
 6 
 
 7 
 
 7 
 
 Putt's Bar 
 
 Ranch 
 
 21 
 84 
 54 
 102 
 
 21 
 84 
 55 
 101 
 1 
 
 23 
 
 84 
 50 
 105 
 
 21 
 83 
 50 
 101 
 1 
 
 Sutler Creek 
 
 Upper Rancheria 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Willow Springs 
 
 White's Bar 
 
 
 4J 
 
 22 
 1 
 
 t 
 1 
 
 2 
 43 
 
 22 
 1 
 
 9 
 
 1 
 
 2 
 43 
 
 2 
 43 
 
 22 
 1 
 
 22 
 1 
 
 
 2 
 36 
 
 2 
 43 
 
 21 
 1 
 
 21 
 1 
 
 French Bar : 
 
 
 
 Totals 
 
 1258 
 
 827 
 
 1299 
 
 1448 
 
 838 
 
 1099 
 
 1487 
 
 1478 
 
 841 
 
 844 
 
 1063 
 
 1058 
 
 843 
 
 27 
 
 1370 
 
 1477 
 
 819 
 
 826 
 
 1024 
 
 1083 
 
 13 
 
98 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 istration, believing that genuine Democracy was a 
 cure for all the ills that could befall a State. The 
 Breckenridge Democrats were supposed to be, to 
 some extent, in sympathy with the Rebellion, but 
 they confined their arguments mostly to charging 
 the Administration with numerous faults, and a 
 systematic violation of the Constitution. Axtell, 
 Farley, and Eagan were able speakers, and repre 
 sented the Nation as having been hurried into a 
 needless war by the infatuation of half-crazy 
 fanatics, who, unless prevented, would ruin every 
 thing to give liberty to a race that was little above 
 the beasts of the field in intellectual and moral devel 
 opment. It was their object generally to represent 
 the South as the aggrieved party, that was willing, 
 even anxious, to return to the Union when their 
 rights were secured to them. Occasionally a speaker, 
 like the Hon. A. B. Dibble, of Nevada, would take 
 up the old story of negro equality, and draw a lively 
 picture of a 
 
 "Nigger in the bed 
 With your sister wed." 
 
 But the more thoughtful knew that two opposing 
 civilizations had met in the " irrepressible conflict;" 
 the one based on the rights of all men to pursue 
 their own substantial happiness; the other, on the 
 customs which made privileged, classes of kings, 
 nobility, and hereditary masters, with the concom 
 itants of subjects and slaves. It must be confessed 
 that in the history of the ages that have gone before, 
 the privileged classes have usually won the field. 
 
 The relative strength of the parties, as manifested 
 by the vote for Governor, was: For Stanford (Repub 
 lican), 1,299; Conness (Douglass Democrat), 1,258; 
 McConnell (Breckenridge Democrat), 827. 
 
 The following persons were elected in Amador 
 county: 
 
 State Senator R. Burnell. 
 
 Assemblymen G. W. Seaton, W. A. Waddell. 
 
 Supervisor, District No. 3 James H. Allen. 
 
 JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
 
 Township No. 1 J. G. High, G. S. Smith. 
 Township No. 2 Chas. English, J. A. Peters. 
 Township No. 3 H. T. Barnum, John Doble. 
 Township No. 4 J. S. Hill, H. Wood. 
 Township No. 5 R. C. Brown, E. B. Styles. 
 Township No. 6 Green Aden, B. Nichols. 
 Township No. 7 S. H. Loree, N. Yipon. 
 
 AMADOR WAGON ROAD REVIVED. 
 
 The increasing importance of the Nevada mines, 
 the discovery of the veins at Markleeville, Silver 
 City, and other places in the eastern part of Amador 
 county, the transportation of enormous quantities 
 of goods over the Placerville route, and the conse 
 quent prosperity of that portion of El Dorado county, 
 traversed by the road, induced the friends of an 
 Amador tramontane road, to make another effort. 
 Accordingly, in answer to the requests of a large 
 number of petitioners, the Legislature granted a 
 
 second trial, specifying how the road should be built, 
 in case the people voted for it. An election was 
 held May 10, 1862. About sixty per cent, of the popu 
 lation voted, the measure being carried by less than 
 half of the voters in the county. Towns along the 
 proposed line of the road, or connected with it, 
 voted nearly unanimously for it. Towns outside, 
 like Lancha Plana, were equally opposed to it. The 
 question was decided by a vote of 1,307 for, and 542 
 
 against. 
 
 VOTE BY PRECINCTS 
 For or Against the Amador Wagon Road, May 10, 1862. 
 
 PRECINCTS. 
 
 For the Road and 
 Issuance of Bonds 
 
 $s$ 
 
 &. 
 ^PS- 
 Is 
 
 g^ 
 
 w 
 
 o 
 & 
 
 i-n PJ 
 
 Amador 
 
 14 
 
 54 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 117 
 
 29 
 
 Badgers Store 
 
 40 
 
 8 
 
 Forest Home 
 
 34 
 
 1 
 
 Fiddletown 
 
 209 
 
 
 Dry town 
 
 18 
 
 80 
 
 Arkansas 
 
 19 
 
 
 Aqueduct City 
 
 30 
 
 5 
 
 Fosters Ranch 
 
 24 
 
 
 Upper Rancheria 
 
 50 
 
 13 
 
 Pine Grove 
 
 64 
 
 1 
 
 Volcano ; 
 
 416 
 
 7 
 
 Butte City , 
 
 22 
 
 9 
 
 Clinton 
 
 21 
 
 7 
 
 Lancha Plana 
 
 
 126 
 
 Q. Ranch 
 
 25 
 
 3 
 
 New York Ranch 
 
 26 
 
 9 
 
 Jackson 
 
 97 
 
 101 
 
 French Bar 
 
 15 
 
 1 
 
 lone City 
 
 65 
 
 64 
 
 Iowa Flat 
 
 1 
 
 24 
 
 
 
 
 Total - 
 
 1307 
 
 542 
 
 A. J. Potter, Wm. Crangle, and W. C. Jennings 
 were chosen a Board of Commissioners to build the 
 road. 
 
 The franchise for building this road was granted 
 to C. D. Burleson, James Tullock, E. B. Wooley, Geo. 
 Johnson, R. M. Briggs, David Coblentz, M. Tynan, 
 and Leroy Worden. The county was permitted, 
 by Act of the Legislature, to assist these parties 
 to the extent of twenty-five thousand dollars in 
 bonds bearing twelve per cent, interest per annum, 
 payable in one, two, three, four and five years from 
 date. In case the county donated these bonds, the 
 road was to be finished by the 1st of October of the 
 same year, or the franchise was to be forfeited. The 
 road was to be sixteen feet wide, and the maximum 
 grade eighteen feet to the hundred. Tolls were per 
 mitted as follows: 
 
 For each loaded wagon, one dollar; for each ani 
 mal attached, twenty-five cents; loaded pack-ani 
 mals, each twenty -five cents; pleasure carriages 
 and buggies, one dollar; empty freight wagons and 
 unladen pack-animals, half rates. The tolls were to 
 be reduced twenty per cent, at the end of five years. 
 
 The route was divided into five sections, begin 
 ning at Antelope Springs, thence to Tragedy Springs, 
 which formed section No. 1; thence to the crossing 
 
AT THE BEGINNING OF 1860. 
 
 99 
 
 of the outlet of Silver lake, which formed section 
 No. 2; thence to Carson Spur, No. 3; to Summit lake, 
 No. 4; and Hope valley, No. 5; the road at the latter 
 place intersecting the Big Tree and Carson Valley 
 road. The payment of the bonds was provided for 
 by taxes as follows, levied on all property: 
 
 1862 Twenty-five cents on each $100. 
 
 1863 Fifty cents on each $100. 
 
 1864 Forty-five cents on each $100. 
 
 1865 Forty cents on each $100. 
 
 1866 Thirty-five on each $100. 
 
 1867 Thirty cents on each $100. 
 When the vote was found to be in favor of the road, 
 quite a rush was made to get favorable locations for 
 public houses, and several fine buildings were erected 
 at different points along the road. Saw-mills were con 
 structed with the expectation of supplying both the 
 W ashoe mines and the Sacramento market. On com 
 pletion of the road a stage line, in connection with the 
 Sacramento and Stockton lines, took passengers to 
 Silver Lake and other way places. Quite a trade 
 sprang up over the road, the farmers carrying their 
 fruit and produce to Washoe. The travel had to be 
 abandoned as winter came, on account of the snow, 
 which fell to the depth of from three to twenty feet, 
 the last named being the usual depth at Silver Lake. 
 The deep snow very often crushed the houses and 
 destroyed the furniture. A fine house near Corral 
 Flat, owned by Goldsworthy and Mayo, was de 
 stroyed in this way. The road did not answer the 
 expectations of thepublic. Thetrade was not diverted 
 from the Placerville road, and, on the completion of 
 the railroad to Nevada, both roads fell into compara 
 tive disuse. The lower portion of the road is used 
 to take lumber from the mountains, and, in Summer, 
 a few visitors to Silver Lake give a little life to the 
 higher portion. 
 
 IMPEACHMENT OF JAMES H. HARDY. 
 
 Hardy was Judge of the Sixteenth Judicial District 
 comprising the counties of Amador and Calaveras. 
 He was a man of undisputed talents, great inde 
 pendence of character, amounting to recklessness. 
 Like all men of that character, he took no middle 
 course, was always in one extreme or the other, 
 and made hosts of friends as well as enemies. Early 
 in the contest he took the side of the South; often 
 boasted of being a rebel, expressed the opinion that the 
 Government had gone to hell, drank to the success 
 of the Southern Confederacy, and conducted himself 
 generally in a way hardly suitable to the position 
 he occupied. 'Early in the session of the Legislature 
 of 1862, Judge Campbell of Calaveras, prepared 
 articles of impeachment, numbering some twenty or 
 more, charging him with malfeasance in office on 
 divers occasions; one specification being a charge 
 of violating his oath of office in procuring the dis 
 charge of David S. Terry, on his trial for killing 
 Broderick. The article alleged that a change of 
 venue had been made to Marin county, where Hardy 
 
 was holding Court; that, with his knowledge and 
 consent, the clock had been put forward; that he 
 opened Court at ten according to the clock, although 
 it was much earlier by the true time; that the trial 
 was hastily and indecently hurried through, with 
 out giving time to get the witnesses on the part of 
 the State; that, although the important witnesses 
 were then on the way from San Francisco, and, 
 even in sight on the bay, being detained by con 
 trary winds (there then being no steam-ferry), ho 
 refused to continue the Court, and ordered the jury 
 in the absence of the witnesses, to find for the 
 acquittal of Terry, setting him free. On this charge, 
 the Assembly, sitting as a High Court of Impeach 
 ment, was evenly divided, standing eighteen to 
 eighteen. On the charge of uttering disloyal senti 
 ments, and using language unbecoming his high posi 
 tion, he was found guilty, and suspended from per 
 forming the duties of the office. 
 
 Judge W. H. Badgely, afterwards unanimously 
 elected to the position, was appointed to fill the 
 unexpired portion of the term. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1862. 
 
 The disruption of the Douglass Democracy, became 
 apparent early in the season. The efforts put for 
 ward by the South to maintain the Confederacy, 
 and, by the Administration to break it down, con 
 vinced the most skeptical that peace could come 
 only by the utter defeat of one or.' the other. The 
 Democracy now assumed a stronger tone. The 
 Dispatch, their ably edited organ, did not hesitate 
 to avow its sympathy for the Kebellion, and kept in 
 its columns the Kentucky resolutions of 1798, which 
 held to the right of each State to judge of any infrac 
 tion of the compact by any other State, as well as 
 the right to choose it own remedy therefor, mean 
 ing that each and every individual of the family 
 of States had a right to step out, at its will or con 
 venience. About this time, the " Knights of the 
 Golden Circle " were organized in different parts of 
 the county. Their meetings were generally held 
 in out-of-the-way places, and as quietly as possible. 
 The object of the organization was probably made 
 known to but few of the members even, the design 
 being to have the material well in hand to use in 
 case an opportunity offered, rather than the execu 
 tion of any well-digested plan of aiding the .Rebellion, 
 or carrying the State of California out of the Union. 
 A hundred and twenty-eight men had monthly 
 meetings in the hills west of the Blue Eidge, near 
 where Stony creek comes into Jackson creek; 
 though, it is said, that a few meetings were held 
 near Buena Vista. The " organization was met by 
 another, the "Loyal League," and also by the 
 organization of the " Home Guards," who were sup 
 plied with guns and ammunition by the Govern 
 ment. The fact that' the population of California 
 was composed of people from all the States, ren 
 dered it quite certain that an insurrection would be 
 
100 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 attended with a fearful destruction of life and prop 
 erty. Property is always a powerful conservator 
 of the peace; and it was much harder to arouse the 
 people into a war of ideas than it would have been 
 ten years before, when the farms, residences, and 
 valuable stores, had not yet made their appearance; 
 and no insurrection occurred. 
 
 When the Republican Convention met, a petition, 
 signed by three hundred Douglass Democrats, was 
 handed in, asking the Convention to drop the name 
 "Republican," disorganize, and form a Union party. 
 As there was nothing in a name, and the objects of 
 the two were essentially the same, the request was 
 acceded to. It will be remembered that the Doug 
 lass Democrats in the county, only a year before, 
 had a much larger number of votes than the Breck- 
 enridge Democrats; the relative numbers of the 
 parties on the vote for Governor being for Stanford, 
 1,299; Conness, 1,258; McConnel, 827. 
 
 They had swept all the county offices by majori 
 ties from three to eight hundred. 
 
 The vote for State Senator in 1861 was: For Bur- 
 nell, 1,546; Farley, 1,029; Hanford, 753. 
 
 Mr. Burnell joined the Union party. The move 
 ment seems to have been preconcerted throughout 
 the State, as from this date the Douglass party dis 
 appeared. The Democratic party ceased to wear 
 any qualifying prefix, and became, thenceforth, the 
 " Simon Pure." The old and well-known war horses, 
 Farley, Gordon, Axtell, and Eagan, still held their, 
 places as leaders in the ranks; but Porter and Briggs 
 were now found with the Republicans. It will be 
 seen that Wm. H. Badgely, who had been appointed 
 to fill the unexpired term, made vacant by the 
 impeachment of James H. Hardy, received the unani 
 mous vote of all parties. 
 
 ELECTION RETURNS IN 1862. 
 (Showing the relative standing of parties. ) 
 
 State Supt. Public Instruction. VOTES. 
 
 John Swett (Rep.) . . 1497 - 
 
 J. D. Stevenson (Dem.) 1327 
 
 0. P. Fitzerald (A. D.) 391 
 
 District Judge. 
 Wm. H. Badgely [wt'ce Hardy impeached] 
 
 received the entire vote of ... 3067 
 
 Assembly. 
 
 A. B. Andrews (Dem.) 1563 
 
 E. M. Simpson (Rep.) 1550 
 
 Edward Gallagher (Dem.) 1496 
 
 J. G. Severance (Rep.) 1524 
 
 County Judge. 
 
 M. W. Gordon (Dem.) 1595 
 
 J. M. Porter (Rep.) 1560 
 
 County Clerk. 
 
 James W. Bicknell (Dem.) 1712 
 
 C. C. Belding (Rep.) 1464 
 
 County Recorder. 
 
 A. Day (Dem.) 1692 
 
 Isaiah Heacock (Rep.) .... 1501 
 
 Sheriff. 
 
 R. Cosner (Dem.) _ . 1765 
 
 S. F. Dexter (Rep.) . 1431 
 
 District Attorney. 
 
 S. B. Axtell (Dem.) 1657 
 
 R. M. Briggs (Rep.) . 1505 
 
 County Treasurer. 
 
 F. McGrath (Dem.) 1609 
 
 Antonio Arata (Rep.) 1556 
 
 Superintendent of Public Instruction. 
 
 Samuel Page (Dem.) 1790 
 
 E. B. Mclntyre (Rep.) 1403 
 
 Public Administrator. 
 
 Geo. W. Beers (Dem.) 1668 
 
 Wm. Pitt (Rep.) - 1510 
 
 Coroner. 
 
 Louis Wentzel (Dem.) . 1670 
 
 J. Shumer (Rep.) 1506 
 
 Surveyor. 
 
 Geo. Kress (Dem.) 1633 
 
 J. M. Griffith (Rep.) . 1500 
 
 Supervisor, District No. 1. 
 I. B. Gregory (Dem.). 769 
 
 G. W. \V ithington (Rep.) 502 
 
 Township System. 
 For... 327 Against 2075 
 
 THE GREAT FIRE 
 
 On the 23d of August, 1862, will be more particu 
 larly described under the head of " Jackson," in the 
 township histories. The principal interest at this 
 point of our view is the destruction of the county 
 buildings. It will be remembered that the town of 
 Jackson donated the Court House, costing some ten 
 thousand dollars, to the county, the jail being after 
 wards added at an expense of more than six thousand 
 dollars. On the morning of the 24th, the county 
 was without a place of meeting for the Courts. 
 Rooms were hired in different places for transacting 
 the county ^business, at high rates one hundred 
 dollars per month being paid for the use of a hall in 
 which to hold Court. The offices of Sheriff', County 
 Clerk, Treasurer, and District Attorney, were kept 
 from necessity in inconvenient and improper places. 
 These circumstances induced Judge Gordon to set 
 forth the necessity of erecting county buildings, and 
 the powers of the Supervisors in the premises, in the 
 following petition: 
 
 PETITION OF M. W. GORDON. 
 
 "To the Board of Supervisors, of Amador county, Cali 
 fornia: Your petitioner, a resident citizen and tax 
 payer of said county, respectfully represents to said 
 Board, that, by article eleven, section five, of the 
 Constitution of said State, the Legislature thereof 
 "have power to provide for the election of a Board 
 of Supervisors in each county; and that these Super 
 visors, shall jointly and individually perform such 
 duties as may be prescribed by law." Your peti 
 tioner states, that, in pursuance of said law, the said 
 Legislature, at its sixth session, by ait Act approved 
 March 20, 1855, did create and establish, in each of 
 the counties of this State, a Board of Supervisors. 
 
 " Your petitioner says, that, both by the said Con 
 stitutional provision and by the provisions of said 
 law, the sole power over the property of each county, 
 is given to the Board of Supervisors, and is pro 
 hibited to the Legislature of the State, the Legisla 
 ture having the power to provide only for the election 
 of a Board of Supervisors, who shall perform such 
 duties as may be prescribed by law. 
 
... ...... :-:,.-. ;,,: 
 
 nc.aiuE.riwE. AND RANCH OF JAMES W. SHEALOR. 
 6 MILES E. FROM VOUCANO, AMAPOR COUNTY, CAL 
 
 RESIDENCE AND SAWMILL OF F. M.WHITMORE. 
 ANTELOPE CREEK .NEAR VOLCANO, AMADORCOUNTY,CAU. 
 
AT THE BEGINNING OF 1860. 
 
 101 
 
 " Your petitioner says that amongst the duties pre 
 scribed by law, to be performed by said Board, 
 (Wood's Digest, page 692, section 91), is the duty 
 " To cause to be erected and furnished a Court House, 
 jail, and such other public buildings as may be neces 
 sary, and to keep the same in repair." It is true, 
 that section 16, page 696, says: "The Board of 
 Supervisors shall not, for any purpose, contract debts 
 or liabilities, except those fixed by, or in pursuance of 
 law; and whenever debts or liabilities shall have been 
 created, which, added to the salaries of county 
 officers and other estimated liabilities fixed by law 
 for the remainder of the year, will equal the revenue 
 of the county for current expenses, no allowance 
 whatever shall be made of any account; nor shall 
 any expense be incurred other than the salaries and 
 fees expressly prescribed by, or in pursuance of, the 
 law." But it will be observed that the erection and 
 furnishing of a Court House and jail are fixed bylaw 
 in section 91, clause 11. 
 
 " Your petitioner says that the granting of the 
 powers in said Act to the Board of Supervisors by 
 the Legislature, and the specification of the duties 
 to be performed by said Board excludes the Legis 
 lature from all power over the : airs of each and 
 every county in the State, and iixes those duties 
 exclusively on the Board of Supc visors. 
 
 " Your petitioner says that, by article 514, section 
 2, page 127, Wood's Digest, Jac son is the county 
 seat of Amador county; and tnat, by article 670, 
 section 59, page 154. the Court House must be situated 
 at the county seat. 
 
 " Your petitioner says that the Court House and 
 county jail of Amador county was destroyed by fire 
 on the 23d of August, 1862; that these public 
 buildings are necessary for the conducting of 
 the civil and criminal business of the county, 
 and that the public business cannot be transacted 
 without them; that, as already shown, it is the 
 duty of the Board of Supervisors to proceed, as soon 
 as practicable, to erect and furnish a Court House 
 and jail at Jackson, for the use of said Amador 
 county. 
 
 "Your petitioner, therefore, 'moves the Honorable 
 the Boajd of Supervisors of Amador county, on the 
 3d of October, A. D. 1862, to hear this petition, 
 to examine the law and the facts in said petition 
 alleged; and upon the allegations herein being 
 proved, that said Board will decide upon erecting, as 
 soon as practicable, a Court House and county jail, on 
 the site of the late Courc House and jail, not to 
 exceed in cost the sum of twenty thousand dollars. 
 
 September 15, 1862. M. W. GORDON." 
 
 Board of Supervisors District No. 1, J. B. Greg 
 ory; District No. 2, H. B. Bishop; District No. 3, 
 J. H. Allen. 
 
 On the 4th of October the Supervisors invited pro 
 posals for the building of a Court House and jail, 
 according to plans presented, but on opening the 
 bids at the following session they were found too 
 indefinite for acceptation, and new ones were called 
 for, according to a plan presented by S. D. Mandell, 
 architect of the M. E. Church of lone. It will be 
 seen that during this year the debts were made 
 which hung over the county for twenty years, 
 bonds being issued for Amador wagon road, 
 twenty-five thousand dollars; for Court House and 
 jail an indefinite sum; for hospital, also uncertain. 
 
 October 3d, the Commissioners reported the com 
 pletion of the wagon road, and the full amount of 
 the bonds authorized to be issued was paid over to 
 the contractors. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1863. 
 
 The doubtful result of the war, the loss of friends 
 and relatives on one side or the other by nearly all, 
 begat an ill-feeling between the two parties that, at 
 times, looked like the forerunner of hostilities. The 
 Ledger and Dispntch now flung terms of reproach, 
 more true than polite, perhaps, but bitter and unre 
 lenting. It was difficult to tell whether national 
 issues, personal animosity, or desire for office, was 
 the greatest motive in the conduct of the campaign. 
 Men would be found first on one side and then on 
 the other, as one or the other of these motives pre 
 vailed, and, it would seem, buried all doubts by an 
 increased or simulated enthusiasm for the side 
 adopted. An old politician expressed the sentiment 
 that each side accused the other of all kinds of venal 
 ity, and knew themselves guilty of it. Every tech 
 nicality was used to further the interests of the dif 
 ferent individuals. 
 
 Some men were bold enough to throw technicali 
 ties to the winds, and fix up ballots by the hun 
 dred. The famous 
 
 FRENCH BAR AFFAIR 
 
 Occurred this season. At night the poll list num 
 bered twenty-six, but, during the counting, it 
 swelled to one hundred and thirty-eight, with votes 
 in the ballot-box to correspond. Jim Saultry was 
 credited with planning and executing this brilliant 
 raid on the enemy's ranks, which, however, failed to 
 elect anybody. The names were said to have been 
 taken from a Panama passenger list. 
 
 The eastern part of the county, up among the 
 pine trees, had rather uncertain boundaries, and 
 pleasure parties, or others could, according to the 
 existing law, get up a precinct* almost anywhere, 
 and shape or influence elections. When the tempta 
 tions for fraud were so great, and the opportunities 
 so frequent, nothing less than divine strength would 
 take the just course, and we have to look in century- 
 old annals for politicians of that character. 
 
 Complaints, that the collecting of taxes by the 
 Sheriff gave too much importance to that office, hav 
 ing become general, the Legislature provided for 
 township Assessors and Collectors; and for six years, 
 from 1863 to 1869, the latter method was in use. 
 
 At the election for Supervisors, held in 1863, quite 
 a contest occurred as to the boundaries of Amador 
 County in the vicinity of the Summit. The follow 
 ing extract from the Ledger will show the animus of 
 the affair: 
 
 ".Out of curiosity, however, and for the purpose of 
 branding Copperhead demagogues with the eternal 
 and ineffacable stamp of burning infamy and dis 
 grace which of right belongs to them, the recount 
 was made, and that same count did disclose and fasten 
 
102 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 upon the so-called Democratic party of Amador 
 county, the most disgraceful, hellish, diabolical, and 
 deep-dyed villainous scheme to commit a crime upon 
 the body politic that ever disgraced the criminal 
 calendars of the whole world. The bare thought of 
 what he has done to the " tool " employed to execute 
 it, must be a coal of fire in his brain, an enraged 
 adder in his heart. He must feel as if every hair of 
 his head were a serpent, like the hair of Eumenides, 
 and his aids and abettors, the devil's scanty leavings, 
 over whom, in their last hours, black despair shall 
 sit, with carrion birds and secesh owls hovering over 
 their heads." 
 
 As the article does not give any clue to the crime, 
 it may be explained that tampering with the votes 
 was suspected. 
 
 Having given a sample of the editorial style of 
 the Ledger, the Dispatch must be equally favored. In 
 the edition of June 4, 1864, referring to Lincoln, 
 it said: 
 
 "Is it possible that this long-shanked, flop-eared, 
 jimber-jawed, mule-countenanced, backwoods, rail- 
 splitting boor is wiser, purer, more far-seeing, and 
 understands better the power.8 of the Government 
 than the great Father of bis country, who presided 
 over the deliberations of the Convention that made 
 it?" 
 
 OFFICERS ELECTED IN 1863. 
 
 State Senator R. Burnell. 
 
 Members of Assembly Wm. B. Ludlow, A. C. 
 Brown. 
 
 County Judge J. Foot Turner. 
 
 District Attorney R. M. Briggs. 
 
 County Clerk E. S. Hall. 
 
 Recorder H. Wood. 
 
 Sheriff B. B. Redhead. 
 
 Treasurer Otto Walther. 
 
 Surveyor J. M. Griffith. 
 
 Supt. Schools D. Townsend. 
 
 Public Administrator H. Robinson. 
 
 Coroner C. II. Kelly. 
 
 From the minutes of the Board of Supervisors it 
 appears that some doubt existed as to who was 
 elected Supervisor from District No. 3. E. B. 
 Woolley and E. A. Kingsley both appeared and 
 claimed the seat. The latter had acted as Super 
 visor one month, and drawn pay therefor. On the 
 22d of November, Bishop and Gregory recognized 
 E. B. Woolley as the member, Kingsley filing a pro 
 test thereto. The latter appeared for several days as 
 a claimant to the seat. November 6th, he was 
 allowed thirty-seven dollars salary and mileage, 
 Woolley retaining his position. 
 
 GENERAL RESULT IN 1863. 
 
 Governor. 
 
 F. F. Low (Rep.) 2,245 
 
 J. G. Downey (Dem.) 2,046 
 
 Congress. 
 
 T. B. Shannon (Rep.) 2,25g 
 
 Wm. Higby (Rep.) 2,256 
 
 C. Cole (Rep.) 2,257 
 
 John B. Weller (Dem.) 2,042 
 
 John Bigler (Dem.) 2,043 
 
 N. E. Whitesides (Dem.) ... - . 2,044 
 
 County Ticket. 
 Senator. 
 
 R, Burnell (Rep.) 2,165 
 
 J. T. Farley (Dem.) ... 2,022 
 
 Assemblymen. 
 W. B. Ludlow (Rep.). 2,166 
 
 A. C. Brown (Rep.) ... 2,182 
 
 Woodburn (Dem.) 1,908 
 
 Lea (Dem.) 1,948 
 
 Sheriff. 
 
 B. B. Redhead (Rep.) ..2,153 
 
 R. Cosner (Dem.) 2,043 
 
 County Clerk. 
 
 E. S. Hall (Rep.)... 2,152 
 
 J. W. Bicknell (Dem.) 2,036 
 
 Treasurer. 
 
 Otto Walther (Rep.) 2,184 
 
 Francis McGrath (Dem.) 2,008 
 
 District Attorney. 
 
 R. M. Briggs (Rep.) ..2.210 
 
 S. B. Axtell (Dem.) ... 1,869 
 
 Public Administrator. 
 
 H. Robinson (Rep.) 2,196 
 
 - Beers (Dem.) 2,009 
 
 Surveyor. 
 
 J. M. Griffith (Rep.) 2,185 
 
 -Kress (Dem.)... .2,003 
 
 This estimate includes the vote of the territory 
 afterwards incorporated into the territory of Alpine. 
 
 TOWNSHIP ELECTIONS, 1863. 
 
 No. 1 John Burke, Collector; J. G. High, C. Y. 
 Hammond, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 No. 2 J. Farnsworth, Collector; H. M. Roberts, 
 Chas. English, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 No. 3 T. A. Goodwin, Collector; H. T. Barnum, 
 J. H. Bradley, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 No. 4 Thomas Dunlap, Collector; J. S. Hill, J. 
 S. Porter, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 No. 5 Chas. D. Smith, Collector; W. W. Swadley 
 R. C. Brown, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 No. 6 A. P. Wood, Collector; J. T. Phelps, B. 
 Nichols, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 No. 7 M. B. Oliver, Collector; W. H. Jones, Jacob 
 Emminger, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 No. 8 S. A. Hawkins, Collector; O. Bonney, J. 
 B. Marshall, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 No. 9 D. N. McBeth, Collector; Geo. J. Newman, 
 J. C. Ransom, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 TAXES FOR 1863 BY TOWNSHIPS. 
 
 Township No. 1 $11,349.11 
 
 2 (for '63-' 64) 24,681.41 
 
 3 10,252.30 
 
 4 10,389.33 
 
 5 6,674.34 
 
 6 7,219.63 
 
 " 7.. 1.034.91 
 
 TAXES ASSESSED FOR 1863. 
 
 For State purposes, on each $100 62c. 
 
 Federal Tax ' 62c. 
 
 Road Fund 10c. 
 
 School purposes " 20c. 
 
 Hospital " " 25c. 
 
 Sierra Wagon road " 50c. $2.29 
 
AT THE BEGINNING OF 1860. 
 
 103 
 
 During this season the Court House, which was to 
 cost $18,900, was swelled into a $50,000 structure, 
 by the changes from the original plan, involving 
 stone basement and water tables, and stone steps 
 in front and rear. 
 
 March 3, 1863. "Ordered (by the Supervisors) 
 that the steps to the Court House be made of stone 
 instead of brick, as specified in the original plan; 
 also, that the balustrade of the steps be made of 
 stone, and that the top step be made four feet 
 wide." A special superintendent, Francis McGrath, 
 was employed to measure and examine the work. 
 
 February 3, 1864. The Supervisors ordered a 
 warrant to be drawn for $9,174.76, in favor of Mat. 
 Canavan, assignee of Epley, Canavan, and Meloney, 
 he having obtained a judgment in the District Court 
 to that amount, as a balance due on the Court House 
 contract. Farley and Armstrong, attorneys for the 
 county, were allowed $500.00 as fees. 
 
 During 1863, townships eight and nine were 
 organized east of the Sierra Nevadas, out of terri 
 tory that was afterwards incorporated into Alpine 
 county; also the election precincts of Silver Mount 
 ain, Mogul, Mineral City, and Markleeville. The 
 uncertainty of the boundaries of these precincts, 
 especially on the Calaveras side, was the source of 
 much trouble until the final separation of the terri 
 tory from Amador county. Communication could 
 only be maintained in the Summer months. In the 
 Spring of 1864, the delegates attending the Conven 
 tions for nominating delegates to the Electoral Con 
 vention, came over by way of Placerville. The 
 county of Alpine was created March 16, 1864, by 
 Act of the Legislature, out of territory of El Dorado, 
 Amador, and Calaveras. By this Act, the eastern 
 boundary of Amador county was fixed at Hope 
 valley, Kirkwood's house being just within Amador. 
 Alpine county was to issue two warrants in favor 
 of Amador, for $5,000 each, payable out of the gen 
 eral fund, and bearing interest at the rate of six 
 per cent, per annum, payable in one and two years, 
 as her part of the common debt. The two counties 
 were made one district, for choosing Legislative 
 officers. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1864. 
 
 Biennial instead of annual sessions of the Legis 
 lature having been established, and the election of 
 members of the Legislature made to correspond in 
 time with that of the county officers, there were no 
 local interests to fan politics into the usual white 
 heat; but the great questions of union and freedom, 
 which had convulsed the nation for years, were still 
 in abeyance and proved ample enough to arouse the 
 highest feeling and bring out a full vote. The 
 habitual leaders, having no inducements to accom 
 modate their sentiments to those of the public, were 
 comparatively candid in expressing their opinions. 
 At 'the Convention held to elect delegates to the 
 Electoral State Convention, John Eagan, J. T. Farley, 
 E. Stewart, Long Primer Hall, and A. H. Eose, 
 
 opposed the prosecution of the war as unjust, uncon 
 stitutional, and inexpedient under any circumstances. 
 The sentiment, afterwards incorporated into the 
 National Democratic platform, that ''four years of 
 war having demonstrated the impossibility of con 
 quering the South, hostilities should cease, with a 
 view of peaceable separation, if satisfactory terms 
 of union could not be agreed upon," was generally 
 advocated. M. W. Gordon, however, was opposed 
 to acknowledging the independence of the Confed 
 eracy, under any circumstances, but believed the 
 Union could be restored, only by employing Demo 
 cratic generals, under a Democratic Administration, 
 with a Demoratic President. He would prefer 
 Thomas H. Seymour, of Connecticut, for President, 
 but would accept Grant, McClellan, or Sherman. 
 
 These sentiments did not suit the majority of the 
 Convention, but M. W. Gordon was a man of too 
 much talent andjnfluence to be slighted or left out 
 in the cold, and J. T. Farley, with his usual skill and 
 tact, advocated his having a place in the delegation. 
 James Meehan, J. T. Farley, M. W. Gordon, and E. 
 Cosner f were sent from the county at large, and T. 
 
 D. Wells, Lanning, Gerhard Sphon, Eobert Mc- 
 
 Lellan, Dickinson, and J. W. Leslie, from the 
 
 several townships. 
 
 Those of our readers who are not old enough to 
 remember the famous campaigns of " Tippecanoe 
 and Tyler too," of 1840, may form some idea of that 
 memorable affair, by the processions, bon-fires, and 
 illuminations of this season. Every town had its 
 turn, but, as usual in all such excitements, the active, 
 the aggressive, swept the conservative away, and the 
 Union demonstrations were the most brilliant and 
 noisy. Long processions, with all trades and employ 
 ments in active operation, were the usual beginnings 
 of a political meeting. Eail- splitting, tailoring, shoe- 
 making, blacksmithing, weaving, printing, and every 
 thing that could be done on wheels, were made parts 
 of the display. Abraham Lincoln split a lot of 
 rails once, and the three or four stalwart men swing 
 ing the mauls, were sure to bring out the enthusiasm. 
 There was a touch of the humorous in these dis 
 plays, which would have been enjoyable, but for the 
 solemn fact, that a million of our noblest and best, 
 were, at the moment, locked in a death struggle. 
 The whole nation went on a frolic in 1840, but no 
 such shadows of death rested on the people as in 
 1864. But, as a politician expressed it, the party 
 that could do the most of this work, would get the 
 bulge, and it was done. 
 
 VOTE OF 1864. 
 
 Presidential ticket Eepublican, 1392; Demo 
 cratic, 1200. 
 
 Congressional ticket Higby (Eep.), 1390; Coffroth 
 (Dem.), 1200. 
 
 TOWNSHIP COLLECTORS AND JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
 
 Township No. 1 John Burke, Collector; J. G. 
 High and T. Masterson, Justices of the Peace. 
 
104 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Township No. 2 J. Farnsworth, Collector; J. 
 Bo wen and C. English, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 Township No. 3 T. A. Goodwin, Collector; H. T. 
 Barnum and H. Cook, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 Township No. 4 I. N. Randolph, Collector; H. 
 Wood and J. S. Hill, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 Township No. 5 F. (or N.) King, Collector; J. W. 
 Morgan and R. C. Brown, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 Township No. 6 A. P. Wood, Collector; J. W. 
 Whitaker and B. Nichols, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 Township No. 7 M. B. Oliver, Collector; R. 
 Saunders and A. J. Lucas, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 At the judicial election in the Autumn of 1863, 
 the average Republican majority was seven hundred, 
 in a total vote of about three thousand. 
 
 FINANCIAL MATTERS, 1864. 
 
 The rate of taxation for all purposes, made May 
 7th, was three dollars and twenty-five cents on each 
 hundred dollars. 
 
 On the 7th of June, the Treasurer reported out 
 standing warrants over and above sums in the 
 Treasury to apply on General Fund, $74,159.42; on 
 Sierra Wagon Road Fund, $15,125.00; on Road fund, 
 $1,467.35; making a total of $90,751.77. 
 
 This estimate does not include interest, which 
 would swell the amount to $100,000. The extrav 
 agance of the two previous years, laid a foundation 
 for the permanent debt. 
 
 The following December the amount of the debt, 
 exclusive of interest, was estimated at $111,139.94. 
 Before the taxes were collected, it was apparent that 
 the levy was insufficient to meet current expenses, 
 and a new schedule was made out, as follows: 
 
 For State purposes 
 County " 
 
 " General Fund 
 
 " Hospital " 
 
 " School 
 
 Sierra Nevada Wagon Road 
 Redemption Road Fund 
 
 on each $100 
 
 92c 
 200c 
 lOOc 
 
 25c 
 
 20c 
 
 45c 
 
 lOc $4 92 
 
 TAXES ASSESSED BY TOWNSHIPS. 
 
 Township No. 1 $ 9,597.71 
 
 2 (for 1863-64).. 24,681.41 
 
 3 4,947.48 
 
 " 4: 9,701.93 
 
 5 6,879.10 
 
 6 6,844.26 
 
 7 1,014.24 
 
 8) afterwards j 9,627.72 
 9 j Alpine Co. } 3,030.46 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1865. 
 
 This, the last year of the bitter strife, witnessed 
 the most exciting scenes of all. The year opened 
 with the defeat of the rebel armies in all quarters, 
 and soon saw the surrender of the last of them* 
 Whether from indiscreet rejoicing on the part of 
 the Republicans, or embittered feelings on the part 
 of the Democrats, or both, the Democratic news 
 papers became more bitter and vituperative than 
 ever. Public opinion was in a highly excited con 
 dition in consequence, and when the news of the 
 assassination of Lincoln was flashed across the Conti 
 
 nent, the danger of riots, and destruction of life and 
 property, was imminent. Human nature is much the 
 same the world over. It is but two hundred 
 years since our ancestors thought it expedient and 
 right to burn, slay, destroy, torture, and harass, all 
 who differed with them, either religiously or politi 
 cally, and, notwithstanding all our boasted improve 
 ment, the desire to do so is still an active element 
 in our characters. The animus of the parties may 
 best be shown by extracts from the papers. 
 
 Dispatch, March 5, 1865: 
 
 "The first act of Lincoln's administration was 
 stained by falsehood, and shortly afterwards by 
 deliberate, palpable, tongue-blistering, soul-damning 
 perjury." 
 
 "The first officer under our Government, whose 
 moral conduct should reflect the virtues and dignity 
 of a great country, and be an example for all classes 
 of people to imitate, stands before the world with 
 the brand of perjury upon his brow!" 
 
 " The rebels fight for the priceless boon of liberty 
 as did their fathers of the Revolution; the merce 
 naries of the federal army, for Government green 
 backs." 
 
 March 12, 1865: 
 
 "If to sympathize with a brave and gallant peo 
 ple who are struggling to throw off the yoke of a 
 merciless despot, * * * be seeessionism, then we 
 are secessionists." 
 
 March 26, 1865: 
 
 "Abraham Lincoln, the self-confessed perjurer; 
 * * * the buffoon; the vulgar joker; the spiritu 
 alist; the abolitionist; the man who believes the 
 negro his equal." 
 
 ARREST OP L. P. HALL AND W. M. PENRY. 
 
 A company of cavalry had been stationed in lone 
 valley to eject settlers from the Arroyo Seco grant. 
 After the assassination of Lincoln, persons were 
 arrested in different parts of the State for sympathy 
 with the Rebellion, or for treasonable expressions. 
 The Dispatch had been one of the ablest and most 
 outspoken Democratic papers in the State, and 
 although not coming within the boundaries of giving 
 " substantial aid and comfort to the enemy," it had 
 advocated the right, if not the policy, of secession; 
 had eulogized the President and officers of the Con 
 federate States; had abused the Union President in 
 severe terms, and had, in fact, been a magazine of 
 Southern ideas and arguments, on Northern soil. 
 Some of the ablest articles in defense of the South had 
 come out in the Dispatch] in fact, there was no writer 
 in the county, on the Union side of the question, 
 that was a match for the editor of the Dispatch. It 
 was quite natural that the wrath of the Union men 
 should seek victims in the editors and writers of the 
 paper, though it was not charged that it had ever 
 sanctioned the assassination of Lincoln. On the 
 morning of the 8th of May, about daylight, the 
 persons mentioned awoke to find themselves sur 
 rounded by a troop of cavalry under the command 
 of Captain Starr, acting presumably, under the com 
 mand of General McDowell, at San Francisco. The 
 printing office was closed up, and two or three hours 
 
AT THE BEGINNING OF 1860. 
 
 105 
 
 afterwards the entire party left for Camp Jackson, in 
 lone valley, our friends walking through the hot 
 sand, with the thermometer at 100 in the shade. 
 From thence they were taken in irons to Fort Alca- 
 traz, where an eighteen-pound ball with chain, was 
 attached to the legs of each man. They had the 
 choice of hard labor on the works, under guard, or 
 confinement in the sweat-box, and wisely chose the 
 former. They were kept here, in company with 
 other sympathizers, until about the middle of the 
 following month, when peace, law, and order were 
 so far established, that it was considered safe for 
 them to be at large. It is said that neither of the 
 men ever had the remotest suspicion of the cause of 
 their incarceration ! 
 
 In justice to the Dispatch and its conductors, it 
 must be said that they picked up the cudgels of war 
 fare at the place where they dropped them at the 
 time of the arrest, and when they resumed the pub 
 lication of the paper, which they did on the 23d of 
 September following, it had lost none of the vigor 
 which characterized it through the four years of the 
 great Rebellion. 
 
 L. P. Hall, who was arrested with Penry, was one 
 of the most original men ever connected with the 
 press in Amador county, or, perhaps, in the State. 
 He was able to stand up to the case and set up his most 
 vituperative articles without manuscript, a feat that 
 few editors or printers are capable of. He was 
 thoroughly aggressive in his character, and if he had 
 been on " Southern Soil " at the time of the breaking 
 out of the Rebellion, his temperament would have 
 been as likely to have carried him into the opposition 
 as anywhere. He was previously the editor of the 
 Equal Rights Expositor, at Visalia, a paper as pro 
 nounced in its disloyal sentiments as the Dispatch. It 
 was suppressed by the order of General McDowell, 
 and the editor, and three others arrested with him, 
 set free on taking the following oath: 
 STATE OF CALIFORNIA, ) 
 County of Tulare. \ 
 
 We, L. P. Hall, of Tulare, State of 
 
 California, Citizens of the United States, do solemnly 
 swear that we will support the Constitution and Gov 
 ernment of the United States against all enemies, 
 whether foreign or domestic, and that we . will 
 bear true faith and allegiance, and loyalty to the 
 same, any ordinance, resolution, or any State Con 
 vention or law of any Legislature to the contrary, 
 notwithstanding; that .we will give no aid, assistance 
 or encouragement, by word or act, to any person or 
 persons, or pretended Government, engaged in 
 rebellion against the Government of the United 
 States. And further, that we will do this with a 
 full determination, pledge, and purpose, without 
 any mental reservation whatsoever, so help us God. 
 (Signed) L. P. HALL, * 
 
 Subscribed and sworn to before me, this fifth day of 
 January, 1863. M. A. MCLAUGHLIN, 
 
 Cop'ain %d Cavalry, C . V., Commanding. 
 
 Whatever difference of opinion may have existed 
 with regard to his course as an editor, there was 
 none with regard to his ability. 
 
 14 * There were three other signatures. 
 
 John Gaver, of Sutter Creek, who had written 
 many of the articles in the Dispatch, was arrested 
 about the same time, and subjected to the same 
 treatment. He was charged with rejoicing over the 
 assassination, which, however, he denied, or asserted, 
 that if he did, he was drunk, and unconscious of 
 what he said. He was arrested on complaint of 
 0. L. Chamberlain, F. Tibbetts, and T. Frakes. 
 
 After the assassination of Lincoln, more than one 
 Union meeting was held to consider the expediency 
 of demolishing the Dispatch establishment, but better 
 counsels prevailed. It is quite likely, however, that 
 the arrest of Penry and Hall, and the suppression of 
 the paper for awhile, saved the material from 
 destruction. The excitement gradually wore away, 
 and better feeling began to prevail. 
 
 SEATON'S DEFECTION. 
 
 There was a full set of county officers, as well as 
 members of the Legislature, to elect, and the politi 
 cians set about arranging these matters. The national 
 question having to some extent been settled, per 
 sonal ambitions and antipathies began to be more 
 manifest. When the Republican Convention met, 
 R. Burnell was nominated, after some opposition, as 
 candidate for Senator. G. W. Seaton, who had been 
 acting with the Republican party for years, arose 
 and denounced Burnell as having tried to throw the 
 State into the hands of the secessionists, by voting 
 for giving the seat to a Democrat in a contested 
 election case. This affair had happened some years 
 before, and, if true, Burnell was only voting to 
 decide who was elected, the politics of the man, 
 properly, having nothing to do with his right to a 
 seat. It is likely that personal antipathy was the 
 ruling motive, for Mr. Seaton had supported Burnell 
 in Convention and on the stump, after the occur 
 rence of the contested election case; but, at any 
 rate, he announced his intention of defeating Mr. 
 Burnell if it cost ten thousand dollars. As he had a 
 very rich quartz vein just then to draw on for funds, 
 the threat was very serious. He immediately 
 announced himself as an independent candidate for 
 Senator, and took the stump. The Democrats left 
 the nomination for the Senatorship vacant, with the 
 understanding that Seaton's name was to be used. 
 The contest of course was very spirited, Seaton's 
 gold mine being a powerful influence in his favor. 
 It is not supposed that votes were directly pur 
 chased, but money, which Seaton had in abundance, 
 would purchase fire-works, orators, music, gun-pow 
 der, and whisky, which certainly have the power of 
 moving many people in their political opinions. 
 
 It is generally believed too, that in the early days 
 the Italian vote was practically purchasable, that 
 is to say, that from fifteen hundred to twenty-five 
 hundred dollars would buy the influence of one or 
 two men, who would control the greater portion of 
 the Italian vote, which was numerous enough to 
 decide, in many cases, the election. (It is said, now, 
 
106 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 by those best acquainted with the Italians, that that 
 condition no longer exists; that individual indepen 
 dence is becoming as common with them as with 
 other nationalities.) When the contest was over, 
 Seaton was elected. Amador and Alpine had 
 remained one district for the election of members of 
 the Legislature, Alpine being allowed one member 
 and Amador the other three. O. F. Thornton and 
 Harvey Lee were candidates by the respective 
 
 parties, Republican and Democratic of Alpine 
 county Lee being elected. The following table of 
 the returns will be interesting, as not only showing 
 the names, and popularity of the different candidates, 
 but also as showing the names of many precincts 
 which were abolished when the registry law was 
 established, this election being the last held under 
 the old law: 
 
 ELECTION RETURNS BY PRECINCTS, SEPTEMBER 6, 1865. 
 
 
 
 
 
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 OFFICES. 
 
 NAMES. 
 
 
 
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 S enators ] 
 
 R. Burnell 
 G. W. Seaton. . 
 
 12 
 29 
 
 33 
 109 
 
 15 
 15 
 
 27 
 8 
 
 25 
 
 21 
 
 21 
 22 
 
 33 
 4 
 
 28 
 11 
 
 6 
 64 
 
 19 
 19 
 
 55 
 112 
 
 92 
 104 
 
 13 
 
 23 
 20 
 
 25 
 24 
 
 145 
 65 
 
 169 
 221 
 
 60 
 39 
 
 18 
 10 
 
 43 
 
 122 
 120 
 
 8 
 26 
 
 157 
 
 112 
 
 17 
 
 23 
 
 33 
 55 
 
 
 1 
 
 M. Frink. . 
 
 |9 
 
 40 
 
 17 
 
 96 
 
 95 
 
 19 
 
 ?9 
 
 97 
 
 6 
 
 93 
 
 ,59 
 
 88 
 
 13 
 
 98 
 
 16 
 
 115 
 
 159 
 
 78 
 
 16 
 
 44 
 
 I3S 
 
 S 
 
 jg-T 
 
 *">4 
 
 31 
 
 0. F. Thornton 
 Assemblymen... j H arvey Lee . . . . 
 
 13 
 29 
 
 41 
 104 
 
 17 
 14 
 
 26 
 8 
 
 25 
 21 
 
 21 
 22 
 
 29 
 
 7 
 
 27 
 12 
 
 6 
 64 
 
 22 
 16 
 
 59 
 105 
 
 89 
 104 
 
 14 
 11 
 
 27 
 14 
 
 16 
 30 
 
 116 
 
 88 
 
 154 
 
 233 
 
 60 
 30 
 
 17 
 13 
 
 44 
 32 
 
 131 
 112 
 
 8 
 26 
 
 162 
 
 10!) 
 
 24 
 17 
 
 34 
 56 
 
 [A. C. Brown... 
 
 29 
 
 105 
 
 14 
 
 8 
 
 21 
 
 24 
 
 7 
 
 12 
 
 64 
 
 17 
 
 107 
 
 99 
 
 13 
 
 12 
 
 26 
 
 91 
 
 232 
 
 18 
 
 14 
 
 32 
 
 107 
 
 26 
 
 107 
 
 13 
 
 56 
 
 Sheriff | 
 
 I. N. Randolph 
 
 11 
 
 59 
 
 13 
 
 23 
 
 25 
 
 14 
 
 25 
 
 23 
 
 7 
 
 24 
 
 71 
 
 89 
 
 14 
 
 24 
 
 15 
 
 89 
 
 155 
 
 49 
 
 18 
 
 33 
 
 145 
 
 8 
 
 143 
 
 23 
 
 44 
 
 
 R. Cosner 
 
 3o 
 
 So 
 
 9(1 
 
 IV 
 
 9| 
 
 99 
 
 9(1 
 
 IS 
 
 liii 
 
 lo 
 
 9V 
 
 1 16 
 
 IV 
 
 2C 
 
 39 
 
 |9(i 
 
 94 | 
 
 h9 
 
 Id 
 
 44 
 
 101 
 
 2G 
 
 ISO 
 
 IV 
 
 53 
 
 County Clerk j 
 
 J. A. Robinson 
 J. C. Shipman. 
 
 15 
 31 
 
 41 
 103 
 
 14 
 17 
 
 23 
 17 
 
 26 
 21 
 
 21 
 23 
 
 27 
 20 
 
 28 
 13 
 
 20 
 53 
 
 24 
 
 15 
 
 71 
 97 
 
 90 
 115 
 
 14 
 12 
 
 27 
 17 
 
 16 
 32 
 
 120 
 
 98 
 
 176 
 
 223 
 
 49 
 
 52 
 
 18 
 16 
 
 42 
 
 35 
 
 133 
 114 
 
 8 
 26 
 
 158 
 116 
 
 29 
 10 
 
 38 
 59 
 
 DA j 
 
 M. J. Goodrich 
 
 12 
 
 39 
 
 17 
 
 26 
 
 24 
 
 22 
 
 30 
 
 28 
 
 7 
 
 25 
 
 57 
 
 90 
 
 14 
 
 27 
 
 16 
 
 118 
 
 160 
 
 56 
 
 18 
 
 43 
 
 120 
 
 8 
 
 171 
 
 26 
 
 34 
 
 
 A. C. Hinkson. 
 
 32 
 
 105 
 
 15 
 
 14 
 
 23 
 
 22 
 
 16 
 
 13 
 
 66 
 
 14 
 
 111 
 
 114 
 
 11 
 
 17 
 
 32 
 
 99 
 
 240 
 
 54 
 
 14 
 
 34 
 
 124 
 
 26 
 
 101 
 
 13 
 
 61 
 
 
 Otto Walther.. 
 
 13 
 
 39 
 
 19 
 
 27 
 
 23 
 
 22 
 
 30 
 
 28 
 
 10 
 
 25 
 
 75 
 
 88 
 
 15 
 
 20 
 
 16 
 
 125 
 
 169 
 
 5(5 
 
 16 
 
 45 
 
 114 
 
 8 
 
 188 
 
 27 
 
 33 
 
 
 L. Rabolt 
 
 33 
 
 ION 
 
 13 
 
 11 
 
 2j 
 
 9? 
 
 17 
 
 11 
 
 63 
 
 14 
 
 93 
 
 115 
 
 11 
 
 93 
 
 39 
 
 9" 
 
 907 
 
 45 
 
 17 
 
 39 
 
 132 
 
 og 
 
 85 
 
 IS 
 
 61 
 
 District Attorney j 
 
 R. M. Briggs. . 
 J. A. Eagon. . . 
 
 16 
 30 
 
 29 
 107 
 
 19 
 13 
 
 25 
 15 
 
 24 
 23 
 
 24 
 20 
 
 30 
 17 
 
 28 
 13 
 
 8 
 64 
 
 25 
 14 
 
 75 
 94 
 
 86 
 116 
 
 14 
 11 
 
 28 
 16 
 
 14 
 33 
 
 97 
 112 
 
 225 
 170 
 
 63 
 34 
 
 18 
 16 
 
 44 
 33 
 
 137 
 110 
 
 8 
 26 
 
 164 
 1JO 
 
 30 
 10 
 
 32 
 
 65 
 
 Supt. Schools j 
 
 D. Townsend . . 
 S. G. Briggs... 
 
 13 
 33 
 
 40 
 103 
 
 16 
 16 
 
 26 
 14 
 
 25 
 21 
 
 22 
 22 
 
 28 
 17 
 
 28 
 13 
 
 7 
 66 
 
 25 
 14 
 
 72 
 96 
 
 96 
 110 
 
 14 
 11 
 
 27 
 17 
 
 16 
 
 32 
 
 121 
 96 
 
 159 
 
 L'.SS 
 
 60 
 39 
 
 17 
 
 17 
 
 45 
 32 
 
 137 
 
 109 
 
 8 
 26 
 
 161 
 113 
 
 30 
 10 
 
 34 
 63 
 
 Pub. Adminis'or. -] 
 
 H. Robinson . . 
 M.Tynan 
 
 13 
 33 
 
 40 
 103 
 
 16 
 16 
 
 27 
 13 
 
 25 
 21 
 
 22 
 22 
 
 29 
 17 
 
 28 
 13 
 
 14 
 56 
 
 25 
 12 
 
 69 
 
 98 
 
 89 
 114 
 
 9 
 17 
 
 27 
 16 
 
 16 
 32 
 
 121 
 95 
 
 171 
 
 228 
 
 60 
 39 
 
 17 
 
 17 
 
 44 
 
 33 
 
 138 
 
 107 
 
 8 
 26 
 
 165 
 109 
 
 29 
 11 
 
 34 
 62 
 
 Surveyor 
 
 J. M.Griffith.. 
 T. C. Stowers. . 
 
 13 
 33 
 
 40 
 103 
 
 16 
 
 16 
 
 '26 
 14 
 
 25 
 21 
 
 22 
 22 
 
 29 
 16 
 
 28 
 13 
 
 6 
 66 
 
 25 
 14 
 
 72 
 97 
 
 90 
 115 
 
 14 
 11 
 
 27 
 17 
 
 16 
 32 
 
 122 
 95 
 
 169 
 230 
 
 60 
 40 
 
 17 
 17 
 
 46 
 30 
 
 136 
 109 
 
 8 
 26 
 
 165 
 107 
 
 30 
 10 
 
 34 
 63 
 
 
 r j 
 
 V. Stacy 
 
 13 
 
 40 
 
 16 
 
 33 
 
 25 
 
 22 
 
 29 
 
 25 
 
 7 
 
 25 
 
 71 
 
 89 
 
 14 
 
 30 
 
 16 
 
 118 
 
 157 
 
 32 
 
 18 
 
 44 
 
 135 
 
 8 
 
 163 
 
 30 
 
 34 
 
 
 C. Boarman . . . 
 
 33 
 
 103 
 
 16 
 
 6 
 
 21 
 
 22 
 
 18 
 
 16 
 
 66 
 
 14 
 
 96 
 
 115 
 
 11 
 
 11 
 
 32 
 
 93 
 
 243 
 
 66 
 
 16 
 
 33 
 
 110 
 
 26 
 
 109 
 
 10 
 
 62 
 
 Sup. Dist. No. 1. j 
 
 C. Ingalls 
 James Carroll . . 
 
 
 
 
 25 
 14 
 
 
 17 ... 
 
 25 
 14 
 
 25 
 45 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12 
 36 
 
 110 
 
 98 
 
 203 
 190 
 
 40 
 
 56 
 
 18 
 1(5 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 COUNTING THE VOTES. 
 
 It is difficult to gather the facts in the matter of 
 the counting of the votes. There was much ill- 
 feeling about it, and many charges of fraud, and 
 much filing and counter-filing of protects. Judge 
 Badgely asked that the Supervisor votes for District 
 No. 1 be canvassed, which was r6fused. The two 
 candidates were James Carroll and C. Ingalls. The 
 custom had prevailed, whether lawful or not, of 
 holding elections in the camps in Arizona and Utah, 
 where the volunteers from Amador were stationed, 
 and returning their votes as from a precinct. Though 
 these soldiers were known to be of both parties, the 
 returns were generally all one way. It was alleged 
 by the Democrats that no fair election was held; 
 that the officers made out the returns to suit them 
 selves. The Democrats further urged that voting 
 in Arizona for officers in Amador, was carrying the 
 doctrine of constructive residence a little too far; 
 that it was unconstitutional. The Eepublican argu 
 ments in favor of counting their votes, were rather 
 necessity and expediency, than law. They showed 
 
 the absurdity of the Union men all going to the 
 war, and having no voice in the choice of officers, 
 and leaving the secessionists in the rear to rule; and 
 the votes were counted, though protests were filed 
 by D. Worley, John Eagon, A. C. Brown. Henry Lee, 
 James Carroll, E. M. Bradshaw, and John Surface. 
 
 There were also other irregularities. At Clinton, 
 D. B. Spagnoli acted both as Inspector and Clerk. 
 There was no appearance of fraud in the matter, 
 though the proceeding was evidently illegal. Here 
 was a chance for a contest. The vote was generally 
 six Eepublican, and 'sixty-four Democratic, making 
 a difference of fifty-eight votes. If the soldiers' vote 
 was rejected and Clinton accepted, most of the 
 Democrats would be elected, otherwise, most of the 
 Eepublicans. J. W. Armstrong, now a noted law 
 yer in Sacramento, then a young man, taking his 
 first flights in law and logic, contended for the 
 legality of the Clinton proceeding, and asserted the 
 principle, that the statute permitted what it did not 
 prohibit. The returns from Lower Eancheria hav-. 
 ing no certificate attached, were rejected. 
 
END OF THE SECOND DECADE. 
 
 107 
 
 LIST OF OFFICERS ELECTED IN 1865. 
 
 State Senator G. W. Seaton. 
 
 Members of Assembly M. Frink, H. Lee. 
 
 Sheriff R. Cosner. 
 
 County Clerk J. C. Shipman. 
 
 Recorder A. C. Hinkson. 
 
 Treasurer Otto AValther: 
 
 County Surveyor T. C. Stowers. 
 
 District Attorney R. M. Briggs. 
 
 Superintendent of Schools S. G. Briggs. 
 
 Coroner J. Boarman. 
 
 Public Administrator M. Tynan. 
 Supervisor District No. 1 C. Ingalls. 
 
 TOWNSHIP ELECTIONS. 
 
 No. 1 John Burke, Collector; E. Turner, Thomas 
 Jones, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 No. 2 J. W. Surface, Collector; Wm. H. Scudder, 
 Win. Shelley, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 No. 3 R. M. Bradshaw, Collector; H. T. Barnum, 
 George S. Fake, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 No. 4 Thomas Dunlap, Collector; C. K. Johnson, 
 P. Cook, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 No. 5. D. Worley, Collector; R. C. Brown, G. 
 Devore, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 No. 6 A. P. Wood, Collector; W. W. Swadley, 
 H. D. Ford, Justices of the Peace. 
 
 DEATH OF G. W. SEATON AND ELECTION OF HIS 
 SUCCESSOR. 
 
 This was caused by the explosion of the steamer 
 To Semite, October 12, 1865, between Sacramento 
 and San Francisco, W. A. Rogers, of Jackson, being 
 killed at the same time. A more particular account 
 of his life will be given in the account of the Amador 
 Bar. This accident necessitated the calling of another 
 election, which was fixed on the 2d of December. 
 A. H. Rose was nominated by the Democrats and O. 
 N. Morse by the Republicans. 
 
 Quartz again, as was said, influenced the election. 
 Rose had money to loan where it would do him good. 
 The M. E. Church Society at lone borrowed some 
 $1,500. It was not charged that this purchased any 
 votes, but having shown a disposition to accommo 
 date the church, he was a good man and ought to be 
 supported. He also obtained quite a support from 
 the recently ejected settlers in lone, inducing them 
 to think that Congress could be persuaded to remun 
 erate them by a memorial which he promised, to get 
 through the Legislature. His part of the contract 
 he fulfilled; the memorial, containing a concise, well- 
 written history of the Arroyo Seco grant, being trans 
 mitted to Congress with the official seal of the State 
 on it. These things are not related to cast reflec 
 tions on Mr. Rose's method of conducting the canvass, 
 but to show, as a soldier would, how battles are lost 
 and won. 
 
 The returns showed the following result: A. H. 
 Rose, 1,342; 0. H. Morse, 1,099. 
 
 H. Lee, the member from Alpine county, was killed 
 some months after by being thrown from a buggy. 
 
 Miner Frink's seat was contested by A. C. Brown, 
 who received but two or three votes less in the elec 
 tion than Frink. Brown proved that two or three 
 illegal votes were cast for Frink, and obtained the 
 seat. 
 
 Frink afterward got a position in the office of 
 Internal Revenue, but a year or two later, was 
 found dead in his bed at the hotel, in San Francisco. 
 
 FINANCIAL MATTERS. 
 
 The tax levy for 1865 was 
 
 For State purposes on each $100 $1 15 
 
 General Fund " " 1 00 
 
 Amador Wagon Road " " 40 
 
 Hospital Fund " " 25 
 
 School Fund " " 30 
 
 Redemption Road Fund " " 10 $3.20 
 
 In February, the outstanding warrants were 
 reported as being 
 
 On General Fund $74,308.18 
 
 Hospital Fund 11,619.71 
 
 Wagon Road Fund 9,918.55 
 
 Redemption Fund. 185.27-$96.031.7l 
 
 This did not include interest which was then accu 
 mulating at the rate of about ten thousand dollars 
 per year, which would have carried the debt up to 
 about one hundred and thirty thousand dollars. 
 
 This season the famous warrant, No. 103, was 
 liquidated, the balance due being $7,556.16. 
 
 REPORT OF AN EXPERT, 1865. 
 
 E. G. Hunt was appointed to examine the state 
 of the finances, and reported receipts from all 
 sources, from March, 1864, to December, 1865, as 
 follows: 
 
 Credited to General Fund $61,907.48 
 
 " State '.' 58,751.63 
 
 School " 17,643.39 
 
 " Hospital " 10,905.04 
 
 Road " 3,328.28 
 
 " Sierra W. R 13,906.57 $166,442.39 
 
 Taxes assessed in 1864 amounted to $75,753.20; 
 delinquent, $15,072.26; making a net of $60,680.94. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 END OF THE SECOND DECADE. 
 
 Politics in 1866 Financial Matters Rabolt Declared Ineligible 
 to the Office of Treasurer, and Otto Walther Appointed- 
 Political Parties in 1867 New Registry Law Election 
 Returns Showing the New Precincts Judiciary Election 
 Financial Matters Financial Matters in 1868 Contest for 
 Supervisor in the First District Ingalls Declared Unseated 
 Carroll Installed Act of the Legislature in Reference 
 Thereto Wealth and Population Political Parties in 1868, 
 Election Returns by Precincts Politics in 1869 Election 
 Returns by Precincts. 
 
 THE year 1866 opened with little attention to 
 politics. No elections occurring this season, the 
 strife was over the far away subjects of reconstruc 
 tion, taxing bonds, and negro suffrage, which did 
 not immediately concern the people. 
 
 June 2d, the Treasurer reported outstanding war 
 rants as follows: 
 
108 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 On General Fund 183,343.93 
 
 Hospital Fund 13,342.40 
 
 Road Fund 3,569.31 
 
 To this must be added the bonds of the 
 Sierra Nevada Wagon Road, amount 
 ing to 6,000.00 $106.255.64 
 
 This does not include interest, which, since 1863, 
 has been steadily accumulating, at the rare of ten 
 thousand dollars yearly. 
 
 December 1st, the outstanding warrants were 
 reported as 
 
 On General Fund $92,229.30 
 
 Wagon Road Fund 4,860.86 
 
 Hospital Fund 14,698.001111,788.16 
 
 No mention made of interest. 
 
 The assessment roll was reported at $1,874,817.75; 
 taxes on same, $58,685.70. 
 
 L. Rabolt, who had been elected Treasurer the 
 previous season, was declared ineligible to the posi 
 tion, on the ground that he was not a citizen; and 
 the office being vacant, Otto Walther was appointed 
 to fill it. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1867. 
 
 The election of State and county officers, as well 
 as members of Congress, caused the politicians to 
 set their standards early in the field. 
 
 H. H. Haight was nominated for Governor by 
 the Democrats, and George C. Gorham, by the 
 Republicans. Higby and Coffroth, both representa 
 tive men from the mines, were put forth by the 
 Republicans and Democrats respectively, for Con 
 gress. The failure to impeach Andrew Johnson, 
 which project was a Republican measure, had given 
 the Democrats courage everywhere in the county, 
 State, and nation. The Democrats had, to some 
 extent, adopted his financial views about the pay 
 ment, or rather, non-payment of the national debt; 
 and the traveling orators, including Farley and Cof 
 froth, roundly asserted, not only the right, but the 
 expediency of taxing national bonds, while Edger- 
 ton, and other Republican speakers, as roundly 
 denied it, and referred to numerous decisions of the 
 Supreme Court, establishing the non-taxability of 
 national securities. The bitterness of war times 
 was evidently passing away. The discussion of 
 financial questions involved figures rather than feel 
 ings; and not every one was capable of entering 
 into the spirit of large numbers. Bloated bond 
 holders and prospective negro suffrage, all could 
 understand, and a general interest, rather than the 
 intense bitterness of former years, marked the cam 
 paign. 
 
 The following table will show the relative strength 
 of the parties, and the names of the new polling 
 places under the registration law, which, though 
 somewhat difficult to put into operation, worked to 
 the general satisfaction of the public. Under the 
 old form of election, any out-of-the-way place could 
 get up a precinct. A poll list was kept, it is true, 
 but so loosely, that a man might vote in several 
 places, or several times a day, without detection. 
 Unnaturalized foreigners were voted in some places, 
 
 by the dozens. Men were chosen for judges and 
 inspectors, who could hardly read; and it was pos 
 sible to make up a general result only by condoning 
 a multitude of mistakes and irregularities. 
 
 ELECTION RETURNS-1867. 
 
 OFFICES. NAMES. 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Volcano 
 lone 
 
 Forest Home. 
 
 Drytown 
 
 Kiddletown . . 
 
 i 
 
 p 
 
 Sutler 
 
 g 
 
 E 
 
 1 H H Ha trht (D ) 
 
 40:1 
 
 147 280 
 
 18 
 
 6t> 
 
 161 
 
 4f. 
 
 214 
 
 13. ; )8 
 
 Governor < p, ' n ,-, fe _i ' /;,' \ 
 ( woo. o. Urornam, \K..^ 
 
 286 
 
 124 237 
 
 
 9'J 
 
 89 
 
 4'J 
 
 220 
 
 1076 
 
 Lieut. Governor . . -1 j f u 1 .', p jones / ")' ' 
 
 401 
 25S 
 
 144 287 
 137 245 
 
 17 
 
 73 
 96 
 
 1(14 
 106 
 
 44 
 
 46 
 
 215 
 
 _>:KI 
 
 1345 
 1147 
 
 f, ( J. W. Coffroth, (D.). . 
 
 897 
 
 143 2S6 
 
 17 
 
 78 
 
 KM 
 
 44 
 
 224 
 
 1347 
 
 Longressmen -^ \Vm. Higby, (R.) 
 
 260 
 
 135 248 
 
 SO 
 
 90 
 
 105 
 
 46 
 
 226 
 
 1151 
 
 (\. B. Gregory, (D.). . 
 
 408 
 
 154 286 
 
 17 
 
 59 
 
 169 
 
 6! 
 
 _'14 
 
 1336 
 
 Assemblymen | chas D SmiTh (11)' 
 
 405 
 268 
 
 154 286 
 131 248 
 
 17 
 42 
 
 M 
 118 
 
 104 
 1(1(1 
 
 47 
 41 
 
 228 
 228 
 
 1361 
 1166 
 
 ^William Pearson, (R.j 
 
 24* 
 
 132 245 
 
 36 
 
 loo 
 
 98 
 
 42 
 
 213 
 
 1114 
 
 . ._ I Geo. Durham, (D.). . 
 
 897 
 259 
 
 143 282 
 141 253 
 
 20 
 
 ta 
 
 71 
 
 98 
 
 168 
 
 110 
 
 53 
 37 
 
 199 
 
 246 
 
 1323 
 1178 
 
 ' ( Samuel Smith, (R.). . 
 
 County Clerk { A ; Jg <2&; 
 
 ill 
 246 
 
 142 28li 
 135 24(i 
 
 17 
 35 
 
 85 
 82 
 
 163 
 
 111 
 
 40 
 BO 
 
 237 
 208 
 
 1330 
 1111 
 
 Recorder .. \ : ^ ^1^ ' ^ \ 
 
 390 
 267 
 
 125 236 
 155 296 
 
 IB 
 B6 
 
 61 
 102 
 
 188 
 129 
 
 40 
 fiO 
 
 220 
 228 
 
 1228 
 1263 
 
 ( Ph. Seibenthaler, (R.) 
 
 ) James Mcehan, (D.). . 
 Treasurer 1 Henry Ginnochio, (R.) 
 
 866 
 287 
 
 154 294 
 137 246 
 
 i; 
 86 
 
 74 
 94 
 
 169 
 
 99 
 
 f.l 
 41 
 
 2 IS 
 
 227 
 
 1341 
 
 1146 
 
 i H. L. Waldo, (D.).... 
 District Attorney. - R M B r:ggs, (R.). . . . 
 
 398 
 
 262 
 
 145 288 
 137 246 
 
 20 
 81 
 
 75 
 
 114 
 
 L66 
 108 
 
 46 
 
 47 
 
 219 
 
 VS.4 
 
 135-2 
 1143 
 
 q,._ ( A. Specr, (D.) 
 
 402 
 
 145 283 
 
 17 
 
 75 
 
 168 
 
 44 
 
 2i; 
 
 1348 
 
 Surve > or '(Sam Loree , (R. ) 
 
 260 
 
 134 248 
 
 86 
 
 96 
 
 107 
 
 46 
 
 228 
 
 114S 
 
 Coroner i Chas ' Boarllian - ( D -) 
 
 409 
 
 145 283 
 
 17 
 
 76 
 
 168 
 
 35 
 
 216 
 
 1342 
 
 
 246 
 
 138 249 
 
 35 
 
 97 
 
 1* )" 
 
 4*> 
 
 230 
 
 1148 
 
 Public Administ'r -j Q/L Br-njiv (R ) 
 
 867 
 
 282 
 
 144 291 
 134 215 
 
 17 
 86 
 
 75 
 96 
 
 1(14 
 106 
 
 45 
 47 
 
 16! 
 
 280 
 
 1256 
 1229 
 
 ( S. G. Briggs,'(D.) .. 
 bupt. Schools ] j D Ma s n| fej 
 
 403 134 291 
 253'l47 241 
 
 17 
 86 
 
 71 
 
 SMi 
 
 168 
 106 
 
 45 
 49 
 
 -'17 
 
 1333 
 
 1155 
 
 The entire Democratic ticket was elected with the 
 exception of Seibenthaler, for County Clerk, who 
 was chosen by a small majority. It was currently 
 reported, and believed by many, that Otto Walther, 
 who became acting County Clerk, owed his election 
 to a commercial transaction rather than to political 
 preferences. If it was so, it was so quietly done that 
 no member of a Grand Jury ever got an inkling of it. 
 
 The Collectors and Assessors for 1867 were 
 
 Township No. 1 N. M. Bowman. 
 
 Township No, 2 J. W. Surface. 
 
 Township No. 3 J. Foster. 
 
 Township No. 4 Thomas Dunlap. 
 
 Township No. 5 J. T. Maffitt. 
 
 Township No. 6 F. L. Sullivan. 
 
 At the judiciary election, J. Foot Turner, Repub 
 lican, was re-elected over J. T. Phelps, Democrat, by a 
 large majority. This apparent change in the polit 
 ical cast of the vote was explained by the fact that 
 Judge Turner never was an active politician, and 
 was supported by persons of both parties. 
 
 FINANCIAL MATTERS IN 1867. 
 
 January, 1867, the reported outstanding warrants, 
 over and above the funds on hand to meet them, 
 was 
 
 On General Fund $94,761 74 
 
 Hospital Fund 13,691 53 $108,453 27 
 
 The Wagon Road Fund was $122.19 in excess of 
 liability. This did not take into account the fifth 
 bond which matured during the year, as the next 
 report mentions it with the accrued interest, amount 
 ing to 85,510. In this estimate no mention is made 
 of the interest which is steadily increasing. 
 
RESIDENCE**' RANCH. * CAPT.M. J . LITTLE, JACKSON/MADOR COUNTY, CAL. 
 
 RESiOENCE > R.C. DOWNS, 
 
 SUTTER OR EEK.AMAOOR COUNTY, CAL. 
 
OF THE 
 
END OF THE SECOND DECADE. 
 
 109 
 
 TAX RATE FOR 1867. 
 
 For State Fund, on each $100 $1 13 
 
 General Fund " " 1 00 
 
 Wagon Road Fund " 30 
 
 Hospital Fund " 25 
 
 School Fund " 35 
 
 In March the total indebtedness, exclusive of inter 
 est, was reported at $84,110.01. How it was reduced 
 $24.000 since January does not appear. 
 
 March 12, 1867, John Burke, Collector of Town 
 ship No. 1, was declared defaulter to the amount of 
 nine hundred and eighty-three dollars, by A. C. 
 Hinkson, County Auditor, for which act, as well as 
 other improper transactions, he was removed, and J. 
 M. Griffith appointed in his place. Among other things, 
 Burke was charged with making out receipts with 
 pencil, and collecting money thereon, and afterwards 
 procuring the receipts again for a trifle, erasing the 
 name and amount, and using them again, or return 
 ing them to the Board of Supervisors as unused. 
 
 FINANCIAL MATTERS IN 1868. 
 
 Rate of taxes for State purposes on each $100 $1.00 
 
 General Fund, " " 60 
 
 Hospital Fund, " " 25 
 
 School Fund, " " 35 $2.20 
 
 March 3d, the outstanding warrants were 
 
 General Fund $87,074.97 
 
 HospitalFund. 11.403.20 $98,478.17 
 
 Exclusive of interest!! 
 
 The Supervisors making this report were C. In- 
 galls, L. McLaine and D. M. Goif. James Carroll 
 was afterward declared by Judge Brockway entitled 
 to the seat occupied by C. Ingalls for nearly three 
 years. Many rumors were in circulation of a bar 
 gain between Carroll and Ingalls, that the latter 
 should allow himself to be ousted that the former 
 might draw a salary for the whole term; at any rate, 
 Carroll presented a bill for $1,665.50, salary for the 
 full term, which was allowed by the Supervisors, but 
 payment was stopped by means of an injunction 
 served on the Treasurer by District Attorney Waldo. 
 In 1872 the Legislature ordered the Supervisors of 
 Amador county to draw a warrant for $1,050 as back 
 salary, II. Waldo, John Eagon, and J. T. Farley 
 being members for Amador county. Since the allow 
 ance was made by the Supervisors, lines in ink have 
 been drawn through the minutes as if for erasure. 
 Carroll took his seat July 6th; the allowance was 
 made August 3d, following. 
 
 THE WEALTH AND POPULATION 
 
 According to reports were as follows: Real estate, 
 $962,284; improvements, $247,549; personal property, 
 $527,625; total, $1,737,458. Population, 11,400; 
 registered votes, 2,552. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1868. 
 
 There being no local officers to elect, this was the 
 off year in politics. The county officers, securely 
 fixed in their seats for a year, rested serenely on their 
 comfortable salaries. Some of the politicians and 
 orators, scenting places in the Custom House or office 
 of internal revenue, put on their armor, loaded their 
 
 mental guns with the heaviest shot, and plunged into 
 the thickest of the fight, making a great smoke and 
 noise whether they hit anybody or not. 
 
 The State had been divided into Congressional 
 Districts so that but a single Congressman was to be 
 voted for. Coffroth and Sargent, Democratic and 
 Republican candidates respectively, stumped the dis 
 tricts, taking Amador county in their course. The 
 questions of payment of the national debt, the taxa 
 tion of the bonds, and the reconstruction of the 
 Southern States, again came before the people. 
 Grant, the Republican nominee for President, was 
 reviewed, and, as was to be expected, was bitterly 
 assailed and as warmly defended. The danger of 
 electing soldiers to office was held up to view. Many 
 professed to believe that he would, with the aid of 
 the army, make himself Emperor; that in case he 
 was elected he would be the last President the United 
 States would ever have; that in a short time we 
 should have an order of hereditary nobility estab 
 lished. Others professed to think Grantonly a lucky 
 fool, who would be the tool of designing politicians; 
 that he was not much of a General anyhow; that 
 Sherman, Thomas, Sheridan, Logan and others 
 whipped the Rebellion. On the other hand Seymour 
 was represented as heartless, treacherous and un 
 worthy. The microscope was turned on him and 
 every possible mistake of his life magnified into a 
 monstrous crime. His treatment of the New York 
 rioters at the time of the draft was made construc 
 tive treason. "He ought to have turned loose the 
 dogs of war on the rioters; ought never to have 
 addressed them calling them his friends." Illustrated 
 editions of the New York riots in which brutal Irish 
 men were slaying defenseless negro orphan children 
 were everywhere circulated; in short, the old, old 
 stories, told every year from the time of Jefferson 
 down, were brought out, colored and re-shaped to 
 suit the times and persons, so that they were almost 
 as good as new. Strangers to our country and its 
 style of conducting a campaign, whether national or 
 local, would imagine that we were on the eve of 
 
 ELECTION RETURNS BY PRECINCTS IN 1868. 
 
 PRECINCTS. 
 
 SEYMOUR . 
 
 GRANT . . . 
 
 COFFROTH- 
 
 SARGENT . 
 
 Jackson .-- - 
 
 H20 
 
 236 
 
 320 
 
 223 
 
 lone City 
 
 142 
 
 127 
 
 142 
 
 157 
 
 Lancha Planu 
 
 42 
 
 49 
 
 42 
 
 49 
 
 Clinton - 
 
 70 
 
 23 
 
 72 
 
 21 
 
 Volcano . 
 
 246 
 
 222 
 
 247 
 
 221 
 
 Fiddletown . . 
 
 91 
 
 81 
 
 92 
 
 81 
 
 Enterprise - - - 
 
 54 
 
 28 
 
 54 
 
 28 
 
 Sutter Creek . - - . 
 
 138 
 
 188 
 
 133 
 
 188 
 
 Amador - - 
 
 42 
 
 48 
 
 41 
 
 48 
 
 Drytown 
 
 62 
 
 64 
 
 62 
 
 64 
 
 Forest Home - 
 
 16 
 
 42 
 
 16 
 
 42 
 
 Total - 
 
 1223 
 
 1098 
 
 1221 
 
 1112 
 
 Democratic majoritv 
 
 125 
 
 
 110 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
110 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 anarchy, a general breaking up of all order and indus 
 tries; but the elections pass away, the people, satisfied 
 with masquerading, return to their avocations and 
 prosperity continues. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1869. 
 
 A full set of county officers to be elected, set things 
 to going early. The interest was the most intense 
 in the Democratic party as being the most likely to 
 win, though much of the work was given to obtaining 
 the nominations. 
 
 The railroad question began to be agitated this year, 
 the question of regulating fares and freights having 
 become an element in politics. To what extent, if 
 any, candidates were supplied with the material for 
 making a successful campaign, by pledging them 
 selves, will always be a matter of mystery. The 
 Democrats, as usual, elected their whole ticket. It 
 will be observed that the township system was 
 discontinued, a County Assessor and Collector being 
 chosen. 
 
 ELECTION OP JUSTICES OF THE PEACE, 1869. 
 
 Township No. 1 E. Turner, J. S. Campbell. 
 Township No. 2 Charles Walker, William Shelby. 
 Township No. 3 Louis Miller, Louis Ludiken. 
 Township No. 4 C. K. Johnson, U. Nurse. 
 Township No. 5 M. B. Church, C. D. Smith. 
 Township No. 6 E. R. Yates, F. Shearer. 
 
 ELECTION RETURNS- 1869. 
 
 NAME. 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Clinton 
 
 ; 
 
 o 
 O 
 v? 
 
 r 
 g 
 
 "r: 
 9 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 Vol/ano 
 
 Sutter Creek . 
 
 Amador 
 
 Drytown 
 
 Forest Home. 
 
 Fiddletown . . 
 
 -. 
 
 9 
 
 o 
 
 | 
 
 H 
 o 
 
 
 STATE SENATOR. 
 
 J. T. Farley, (D.)- 
 
 ::M 
 ir;4 
 
 293 
 
 J01 
 196 
 
 178 
 
 :U7 
 
 us 
 
 808 
 
 170 
 
 889 
 
 14!) 
 
 887 
 188 
 
 876 
 tat 
 
 :',-2'.', 
 \M 
 
 :>:: 
 179 
 
 78 
 10 
 
 77 
 72 
 26 
 20 
 
 73 
 23 
 
 82 
 
 14 
 
 74 
 
 a 
 
 69 
 
 26 
 
 n 
 
 '21 
 
 !s2 
 14 
 
 77 
 M 
 
 126 
 
 104 
 122 
 
 m 
 
 105 
 
 li 4 
 
 110 
 89 
 
 l.'il 
 
 or 
 ISS 
 
 01 
 
 120 
 00 
 
 177 
 
 40 
 
 12.-, 
 
 I Of, 
 
 12.-, 
 Ulf, 
 
 89 
 
 25 
 
 39 
 86 
 
 29 
 2fc 
 
 48 
 IS 
 
 37 
 
 M 
 
 40 
 
 26 
 
 U 
 
 20 
 
 55 
 11 
 
 80 
 
 27 
 
 88 
 
 ts 
 
 2t5 
 
 171 
 
 203 
 218 
 189 
 182 
 
 10!) 
 -01 
 
 217 
 
 1*4 
 
 21 Hi 
 177 
 
 ;>:;<. 
 100 
 
 224 
 178 
 
 228 
 L78 
 
 2f,S 
 142 
 
 [94 
 
 142 
 
 166 
 
 188 
 168 
 
 147 
 
 228 
 
 in 
 
 176 
 
 ICO 
 
 107 
 1:12 
 
 170 
 
 in 
 
 198 
 
 14.'. 
 
 100 
 14:, 
 
 181 
 
 156 
 
 10 
 
 86 
 
 43 
 46 
 88 
 88 
 
 M 
 86 
 
 41 
 
 12 
 
 51 
 31 
 
 45 
 
 :is 
 
 47 
 
 :;7 
 
 M 
 
 87 
 
 45 
 
 :i:i 
 
 40 
 
 M 
 
 2:; 
 
 44 
 
 74 
 JS 
 
 50 
 
 is 
 
 11 
 86 
 
 40 
 48 
 
 86 
 
 60 
 
 81 
 
 47 
 
 4S 
 
 50 
 
 47 
 
 BO 
 
 B 
 
 27 
 
 T 
 
 7 
 80 
 80 
 
 10 
 
 27 
 (1 
 
 81 
 
 a 
 
 29 
 
 7 
 
 8Q 
 
 B 
 if 
 
 7 
 80 
 
 80 
 
 98 
 
 .-,!* 
 
 7. r , 
 SI 
 
 M 
 
 68 
 
 S7 
 68 
 
 69 
 
 75 
 
 90 
 66 
 
 79 
 
 BO 
 
 :,d 
 
 so 
 56 
 
 88 
 66 
 
 44 
 22 
 
 86 
 
 44 
 
 27 
 21 
 
 4ft 
 
 21 
 
 20 
 37 
 
 45 
 21 
 
 40 
 
 2f> 
 
 45 
 21 
 
 45 
 21 
 
 45 
 
 21 
 
 1209 
 815 
 
 1082 
 1151 
 946 
 854 
 
 1278 
 749 
 
 1107 
 925 
 
 1221 
 780 
 
 1156 
 862 
 
 1240 
 795 
 
 1222 
 814 
 
 1214 
 824 
 
 M. W. Goruon, (R.) 
 
 ASSEMBLYMEN. 
 
 A. C. Brown, (D.) 
 
 J. M. Johnson, (D.) 
 
 Wm. Jennings. 
 
 Foltrer 
 
 SHERIFF. 
 
 Geo. Durham. (U.) 
 
 Foster. (R ) 
 
 COUNTY CLERK. 
 
 D. B. Spagroli, (D.). . 
 
 B. F. Richtmyer, (R.) 
 
 TREASURER. 
 
 James Meehan, (D.) 
 
 F. McBride. (R.) 
 
 DISTRICT ATTORNEY. 
 
 H. L. Waldo, (D..) 
 E. G. Hunt, (R.) 
 
 COUNTY ASSESSOR. 
 
 James Surface, (D.) 
 
 Getche)l,(R.(. .. 
 
 rUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR. 
 
 A. Yoak 
 
 W. T. Wildman. 
 
 SUPERINTENDENT SpIIOOLS. 
 
 S. G. Britrgs 
 
 E. B. Mclntyrc. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 CONDITION OF THE COUNTY AT THE BEGINNING 
 OF THE THIRD DECADE-- 1870. 
 
 Condition of the County at the Beginning of the Third Decade 
 Statistics of the Wealth and Indebtedness Politics in 1870 
 Financial Condition Redemption Fund Condition of 
 Other Counties The Miners' League Death of McMenemy 
 and Hatch Political Parties in 1872 Election Returns by 
 Precincts, 1871 Persons Elected in 1871 Financial Mat 
 ters 1872 Political Parties in 1872 Election Returns for 
 1872 Comparison of Vote with Previous Years Financial 
 Matters, 1873 Political Parties in 1873 John Eagon's Posi 
 tion Judge Gordon's Stand J. T. Farley's Position Elec 
 tion Returns by Precincts Officers Elected in 1873 Alpine 
 county Left out in the Election Financial Matters in 1874 
 The Funding Project Political Parties in 1874 Financial 
 Matters in 1875 Robbery of the Treasury May 9, 1S75 
 Conclusion of Butterfield Matter in 1877 Political Matters 
 in 1875 Officers elected in 1875. 
 
 ACCORDING to the reports of the Assessor the value 
 of all property, personal and real, was $2,241,070. 
 The county debt had been estimated as being less 
 than $100,000, but as was written in the previous 
 chapters of the history, it was constantly increasing, 
 the sums paid not being equal to the interest, and con 
 sequently no portion was applied to the payment of 
 the principal. At the beginning of this decade the 
 debt was nearly, if not quite, $200,000. It seems to 
 be the fate of political organizations, as well as of 
 individuals, to go into extravagant and wasteful 
 expenditure in prosperous times, and pay up when 
 times are hard. At the beginning of 1860 we found 
 placer mining remunerative to a high degree; quartz 
 mining established on a paying basis and agriculture 
 and horticulture profitably employing a great num 
 ber of men. The farms on the Mokelumne river, in 
 Jackson, lone and Dry Creek valleys, as well as on 
 the heads of the latter creeks, with their waving 
 fields of grain, orchards, and vineyards, were all that 
 could be desired. 
 
 Many causes combined to arrest this tide of pros 
 perity. The Frazer river excitement drew away a 
 great many miners. Still later the discovery of the 
 Washoe mines caused another outflow of hundreds 
 of able, industrious men. The copper excitement 
 took a great many away from moderately profitable 
 work; and, when copper failed in the subsequent 
 years to prove remunerative, at least five hundred 
 men were set adrift, most of whom left the county 
 in search of some more promising place. During 
 the years of 1861-64, the price of cattle of all 
 kinds went down with a panic, so that many, who 
 considered themselves well fixed, became poor men. 
 The wine business, which promised so much, had 
 proved an utter failure, every attempt to market the 
 wine in the East resulting in loss; so that many per 
 sons were induced to tear up their vineyards and 
 give up the business. The orchards, which pro 
 duced a great quantity of the finest fruit, were also 
 poor property; for the emigration of many of the 
 miners left no market for such products. The quartz 
 mining alone saved the county from comparative 
 poverty. The mines along the mother lodes, as well 
 as in the eastern part of the county, on the Volcano 
 
AT THE BEGINNING O: 
 
 F THE THIRD DECADE. Ill 
 
 range gave employment to perhaps one thousand 
 
 Number of Sheep 23,914 3990 
 
 
 " Swine . 5,380 
 
 Mahoney and Hayward at Sutter Creek, and others at 
 Diytown, Amador, and Plymouth, took out sums 
 varying from ten thousand to sixty thousand dol 
 lars per month. Large quantities of wood and lum 
 ber were required, which furnished labor to as many 
 
 Bushels of Wheat raised 16,678 39,000 
 " Corn 36,370 19,000 
 Barley " 51,815 31,175 
 Potatoes " 9,988 9,200 
 " " Sweet " 1,060 
 
 Pounds of Wool.. _. 73,010 
 
 more men as were engaged in the mines. 
 
 Gals. Wine made 54,165 
 
 With all this there was little increase in the pop 
 
 Pounds of Butter 43,700 
 
 ulation and prospective wealth The vote which in 
 
 " Cheese 950 
 
 
 Gals. Milk sold. 1 600 
 
 1860 had closely reached four thousand, in ten years 
 
 Tons Hay raised 5.908 3000 
 
 was reduced to about two thousand, though there 
 
 Pounds of Hops 12,050 
 
 was no decrease in population in proportion to the 
 
 " Honey 2,520 
 
 vote, as the roving part was composed mostly of 
 
 Quartz Mills . 33 27 
 
 men without families 
 
 Tons of Eock crushed... . 61,736 70,360 
 
 The gradual improvement in financial standing, 
 through wise management, and a gradual and 
 healthy growth in all the business industries of the 
 country will appear as the third decade passes away. 
 
 A FEW STATISTICS 
 
 As to the comparative wealth and population will be 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1870. 
 
 This was a year of quiet, as neither national, State, 
 or county officers were to be elected. The mutter- 
 ings of the storm, that was prevailing in the East, 
 were but little heeded in the off years. It took the 
 loaves and fishes of the county offices to arouse the 
 
 interesting: 
 
 PRECINCTS- 
 
 Population in 1870. 
 
 Population 
 in I860.* 
 
 
 ff 
 
 ^ 
 
 S> 
 
 ct-_ 
 
 5' 
 
 <t> 
 
 1170 
 1094 
 
 840 
 1157 
 
 48(3 
 702 
 
 | 
 CD 
 
 CK)' 
 
 | 
 
 <rf- 
 
 CD 
 
 1 
 
 ^O 
 
 "o 
 O 
 
 9 
 
 5 
 
 CD 
 
 B 
 CD 
 
 H 
 1 
 
 1344 
 2712 
 1545 
 1214 
 1559 
 1191 
 478 
 
 10930 
 
 g 
 
 H- ' 
 
 y 
 
 Q 
 
 c" 
 
 i 
 P. 
 
 O 
 g 
 
 CD 
 
 CD 
 
 Jackson 
 
 2408 
 1779 
 1357 
 196(5 
 853 
 1219 
 
 1328 
 685 
 517 
 809 
 367 
 517 
 
 1988 
 1330 
 1218 
 1858 
 6iO 
 849 
 
 3 
 24 
 2 
 30 
 2 
 5 
 
 417 
 425 
 137 
 7^ 
 211 
 3(35 
 
 1822 
 2098 
 15-7 
 1022 
 
 852 
 824 
 382 
 
 8527 
 
 17 
 21 
 
 5 
 
 IM 
 
 IS 
 
 6 
 J 
 
 81 
 
 505 
 539 
 113 
 179 
 689 
 361 
 95 
 
 2535 
 
 lone 
 
 Volcano 
 Sutter 
 
 Drytown 
 Oleta 
 
 
 Total 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 9582 
 
 5449 
 
 4223 
 
 7883 
 
 72'l627 
 
 In making these estimates the Government gave 
 the township the name of the largest town. 
 
 1870 1860 
 
 Assessed value of Eeal Estate 01,167,525 
 " <> Pers. Property 785,419 
 
 Total $1,952,944 $2,395,684 
 
 True value.. $4,428,490 
 
 State Taxes $19,944 $28,855.90 
 
 County Taxes $29,293 
 
 Total. 
 
 County Debt 
 
 Improved Land (in acres). . 
 Unimproved " ' 
 
 Cash value of Farms 
 
 " ' Farm Impl'ts.. .. 
 " Orchard Products 
 Farm " 
 
 Market Gardens . . 
 Manufacturies. . .. 
 Animals for Food 
 
 Live Stock 
 
 Number of Horses 
 
 " Mules 
 
 " Milch Cows 
 
 " Working Oxen... 
 " Other Cattle. . 
 
 $48,237 
 
 $165,000 
 
 41,534 
 
 19,782 
 
 $486,400 
 
 4j,015 
 
 43,350 
 
 363,983 
 
 11,605 
 
 26,000 
 
 62,232 
 
 280,587 
 
 1,686 
 
 141 
 
 MSI 
 
 $4,823.50 
 38,483 
 
 1,749 
 
 2,497 
 
 68 v - - - 9,633 
 
 ' There is a slight discrepancy in the census returns . 
 
 politicians to a full sense of the dangers impending 
 over our Constitution, our country or our race. No 
 livery teams were hired to carry the men, ambitious 
 to serve their country in easy, lucrative offices, around 
 to alarm the people. No twenty-dollar pieces were 
 left at the saloons to pay for beer doled out where it 
 would do the most good. In fact, everything was dis 
 tressingly dull, and the people were allowed to attend 
 quietly to their business. 
 
 FINANCIAL CONDITION OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 Nobody knew exactly how it stood. It is true 
 that quarterly returns were made by the Sheriff, 
 Auditor, Treasurer, and Supervisors, and occasion 
 ally the Grand Jury would have a spasm of economy 
 and make an inquiry into the financial condition; but 
 who among the Grand Jurors had time to look over 
 the stubs of the outstanding warrants, to see for 
 what purpose, or when they were drawn, or how 
 much interest had accumulated, or whether even the 
 interest had been paid! A few persons were con 
 scious of the painful uncertainty and to these the 
 county is indebted for the arrangements which not 
 only brought the accumulating debt to view, but pro 
 vided means for its gradual liquidation. 
 
 REDEMPTION FUND. 
 
 As early as February 7th the Supervisors, L. Mc- 
 Laine, Henry Peck, and D. M. Goff, took the matter 
 under consideration and recommended a plan which, 
 however, was said to have been first suggested by 
 James Meehan, the Treasurer, that sixty cents on 
 each one hundred dollars should be raised to be used 
 as a sinking fund for outstanding registered war 
 rants. Meehan went to Sacramento and personally 
 solicited the support of the members not interested 
 in the matter, his position as Treasurer enabling him 
 to explain the necessity of some such measure, to 
 prevent the county from becoming bankrupt. Messrs. 
 
112 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Farley and Brown, Senator and Assemblyman 
 respectively, ably supported the Bill, and on the 12th 
 of March it became a law. It provided a sinking 
 fund of sixty cents on each one hundred dollars 
 which was sacred for this purpose; also that no war 
 rant should be drawn unless there was money to 
 meet it; a certificate of indebtedness, bearing no 
 interest, being given when occasion demanded. 
 Though the sum specially assessed was sufficient to 
 check the accumulation of interest, and also assisted 
 materially in bringing to light the different items, it 
 was not until December 3, 1872, that the full amount 
 of liabilities was known and reported, the debt having 
 been estimated at one hundred and sixty-five thou 
 sand dollars. To anticipate the result it was then 
 reported that the outstanding warrants 
 
 On General Fund with interest was.. .$157,126 02 
 On Hospital Fund, " "... 38,00783 
 
 On New Certificates not bearing interest 13,751) 23 $208,884 58. 
 
 CONDITION OF OTHER COUNTIES. 
 
 About this time, general attention was attracted 
 towards some of the older mining counties, which, 
 in former years, had contained much the largest 
 share of the population. At one time, El Dorado 
 county, now numbering less than ten thousand 
 inhabitants, had fifty thousand. Tuolumne, Cala- 
 veras, and some others, aleo showed a great reduc 
 tion. In Calaveras, the condition was much worse 
 than in Amador. The population reduced to less 
 than ten thousand; the assessment roll yearly 
 decreasing; the debt, principal and interest, con 
 stantly accumulating, so that five per cent, taxes 
 was hardly sufficient to meet current expenses; was 
 a condition calculated to depress and crush out all 
 industrial energy. It was known that stock-men, 
 who grazed their flocks in the mountains of Cala 
 veras, would hold them in other counties, where the 
 rates of taxation were lower, until the time for 
 assessing was past, before they would drive them 
 to their pastures. A tax rate as high as five per 
 cent, was considered as a mortgage for all the prop 
 erty was worth. Things were looking so serious 
 that the Legislature felt called upon to investigate 
 the matter before the question of State responsibility 
 for county indebtedness, should meet them in the 
 shape of a judgment. 
 
 In making these investigations, Amador was con 
 sidered one of the counties possibly requiring the 
 aid of the State. Happily, it has passed any such 
 probable contingency. 
 
 THE MINERS' LEAGUE. 
 
 Any history of Amador county which failed to 
 give an account of the Miners' League, would be 
 lamentably deficient. This Society organized as a 
 kind of mutual benefit association. It does not 
 appear that any unlawful measures were at first 
 contemplated; but organization gave the members 
 an idea of strength and influence. Merchants joined 
 the league, for fear of losing the trade of the miners; 
 
 politicians, to make a few votes; and the lawless and 
 desperate, to work against law and order in society. 
 In Sutter Creek, it numbered about three hundred 
 members, composed of Irish, Cornishmen, Austrians, 
 and Italians, and had a membership of perhaps as 
 many more in other parts of the county. They 
 built a large hall, costing several thousand dollars. 
 Luke Burns, who had had some experience in simi 
 lar associations in Virginia City, was President, and 
 L. J. Marks, Secretary. 
 
 The immediate cause of the outbreak was the 
 reduction of twenty-five cents a day on the wages 
 of the hands working on the surface, in the Consoli 
 dated Amador mine. After much discussion a gen 
 eral strike was agreed upon, also a determination to 
 enforce it everywhere, and not permit the working 
 of the mines unless at the proposed rates. The 
 schedule of wages demanded by the Miners' League 
 made very little advance over the existing rates, 
 but the right to make even a small advance im 
 plied a right to control the working of the mines, 
 and the mine owners refused to accept the rates. 
 Members of the league to the number of two hun 
 dred visited the different mines, and ordered the 
 stopping of the work. They carried no arms that 
 were in sight, though according to some reports they 
 supplied themselves with clubs from the wood-piles 
 of the mills. It is now contended by some that no 
 threats or force was used; that the miners went 
 rather as a committee of conference than as a menac 
 ing party. They would not permit any work to be 
 done, not even allowing an engine to be run to keep 
 the water out. John Eagon, since State Senator, 
 and James Meehan, as well as other prominent men, 
 were members of the league. The former person 
 accompanied the body of miners to the mills, as he 
 asserted, to prevent them from committing any 
 excesses, though others say, that having raised a 
 storm he could not control he was swept along in 
 the whirlwind. The mills at Amador, Sutter, and 
 Oneida were all stopped. It is true that some of 
 these mines, like the Keystone, Consolidated, Ama 
 dor, and others, were paying mines, and could have 
 paid higher wages and dividends also; but other 
 mines like the Oneida had never paid dividends, but 
 had always been worked at a loss. The wages paid 
 varied from two dollars and a half a day for top 
 hands, to four dollars for underground men. There 
 was no plea that the wages were insufficient to sup 
 port the families, or less than were paid in other 
 laborious occupations, but it was intended to raise 
 them to the Virginia and Gold Hill standard, where 
 the expenses of living were much higher. The daily 
 threats of destruction of life and property showed 
 the existence of so much ill-feeling that the Governor 
 was invoked for aid, and a body of volunteers, 
 under General Cazenau, came from San Francisco 
 and camped on the hill near the old Wolverine 
 shaft. They had several pieces of artillery, and 
 formed a regular military camp, sending out and 
 
RESIDENCE' JUDGE GEORGE MOORE 
 
 JACKSON, AMADOR COUNTY. GAL. 
 
 RESIDENCE" HO N.JAMES T.FARLEY. 
 
 JACKSON. AMADOR COUNTY, CAL. 
 
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE THIRD DECADE. 
 
 113 
 
 relieving guards every evening for the different 
 mines. Correspondents from the cities accompanied 
 the troops, and reported the conditions every day. 
 
 Never, at any time in the history of the county, 
 was the apprehension of danger to life and property 
 so strong. The members of the league were men 
 who were accustomed to danger, for what does a 
 man care for life who risks it every day as a 
 miner does. And then the mass of the miners felt 
 amenable to no laws but their own. There is no 
 class of people who have so little intercourse with 
 the outside world, who have their own codes of 
 ethics and modes of thought, as the professional 
 miners. The threats of life and property, extended 
 to other parts of the county. It seemed that the 
 officers of justice were paralyzed. The newspapers 
 of the county said little about it, as if fearful that a 
 word might bring destruction upon them. 
 
 The result was a general prostration of business. 
 The towns around the quartz mines had been the 
 principal market for produce for some years, and 
 when a thousand or more men were thrown out of 
 employment and the money which was usually paid 
 as wages ceased to circulate, the depression in 
 business was universal, producing in some instances 
 actual distress. 
 
 The soldiers remained in the county for several 
 weeks, and prevented any destruction of pioperty. 
 Some kind of concession was made which termi 
 nated the siege, and the soldiers left, although the 
 ill-feeling engendered by the operation remained for 
 some time. The damage to the county by this affair 
 can hardly be estimated. The mines of gold and 
 copper, as well as other minerals, require the aid of 
 capital to be made profitable. Capital must be pro 
 tected, or it silently shuts itself up. In subsequent 
 years, the memory of the Amador war diverted 
 many thousands of dollars from investment in the 
 county. 
 
 DEATH OP M'MENEMY AND HATCH. 
 
 Several altercations grew out of the matter, one 
 resulting in the death of two men and the wounding 
 of a third. The following from the Dispatch of July 
 29, 1871, gives the only account of the matter to be 
 found: 
 
 " The wounds received by Hatch and McMenemy 
 have both proved fatal. Both of the wounded men 
 were attended by the best of medical aid, but human 
 effort proved of no avail. McMenemy lingered 
 until half-past twelve p. M., on Wednesday, when he 
 died; Mr. Hatch, till halt-past four the. same after 
 noon, when he breathed his last. He was conscious 
 to the last, but unable to speak for some hours before 
 his death. 
 
 " AVe will not attempt to give any of the particu 
 lars of this truly melancholy affair, as there are so 
 many conflicting statements and rumors afloat that 
 it is almost impossible to arrive at the truth of the 
 matter. The immediate cause of the shooting, how 
 ever, grew out of an attack made on Mr. Hatch the 
 Friday night previous, at a concert given in Sutter 
 Creek. The result has created much feeling and 
 15 
 
 excitement in our county, 
 can now tell." 
 
 Where it will end no one 
 
 Hatch was the confidential clerk of the Amador 
 Consolidated Co. Bennet was his friend, who took 
 up the quarrel that was forced on Hatch. He was 
 obliged to leave the county. Hatch left a young 
 wife to mourn her loss. 
 
 Wriggles worth, an engineer, who persisted in 
 running an engine for pumping, after notice to quit, 
 was set upon in the streets, and escaped through the 
 kindness of a woman in the Exchange Hotel, who 
 hid him away while the crowd was searching for 
 him. He also had to leave the county. 
 
 The reign of terror gradually passed away, though 
 the influence of the Miners' League was felt in polit 
 ical matters sometime after. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1871. 
 
 A full set of county and State officers was to be 
 elected and, consequently, the politicians began early 
 to take advantageous positions and set their forces in 
 the field. There were no great national issues to 
 arouse public interest, but a combination, or perhaps 
 a bidding for the vote of the Miners' League, hereto 
 fore mentioned, gave a great deal of interest to the 
 campaign. John Eagon, a member of the League, 
 was supposed to control three hundred votes, which 
 number would ensure the election of any one nomin 
 ated by either party. Few of the better citizens of 
 either party would countenance the proceedings of 
 the League, but as one old politician said, three 
 
 ELECTION RETURNS -1871. 
 
 CANDIDATES. 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Clinton 
 
 o 
 
 = 
 c 
 
 Q 
 
 ^ 
 
 Lancha Ptana. 
 
 1 Volcano 
 
 1 Sutter Creek . 
 
 Amador 
 
 f ~T. 
 
 c" 
 B 
 
 Forest Home. 
 
 1 Fiddletown . . 
 
 I Enterprise. .. 
 
 GOVERNOR. 
 
 H H Haight (D ) 
 
 208 
 
 209 
 
 270 
 
 208 
 
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 Newton Booth (R.) 
 
 LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. 
 
 E. J. Lewis (D.) 
 
 R. Pacheco (R. ) 
 
 CONGRESSMAN. 
 
 Coffroth (D ) . ... 
 
 Sargent ( R ) 
 
 ASSEMBLY MEN. 
 
 Waldo (D.) 
 
 
 
 
 Swift (Ind.) 
 
 SHERIFF. 
 
 H. Kelly(R.) 
 
 COUNTY CLERK. 
 
 Spagnoli (D.) 
 
 Rithtmyer (R.) 
 
 TREASURER. 
 
 Meehan (D.) 
 
 Button (R.) 
 
 DISTRICT ATTORNEY. 
 
 Turner (D ) .... 
 
 Briga-s (R.) 
 
 ASSESSOR. 
 
 Surface 
 
 Mullen 
 
 SUPERINTENDENT SCHOOLS. 
 
 Brings 
 
 Kerr 
 
 SURVEYOR. 
 
 McKimm 
 
 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR. 
 
 Yoak 
 
 Winnegar 
 
 CORONER 
 
 
 Sharp : 
 
HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 hundred votes were hard to pick up, so the three 
 hundred were treated with distinguished considera 
 tion. What diplomatic feats were performed; what 
 promises made and broken none will tell. The elec 
 tion returns form the best history of the transaction. 
 
 OFFICERS ELECTED IN 1871. 
 
 District Judge A. C. Adams. 
 County Judge T. M. Pawling. 
 Assemblymen H. A. Waldo, J. A. Eagon. 
 District Attorney R. M. Briggs. 
 County Clerk B. F. Richtmyer. 
 Sheriff H. B. Kelley. 
 Treasurer 0. Button. 
 Surveyor D. D. Reaves. 
 Assessor J. W. Surface. 
 Superintendent of Schools S. G. Briggs. 
 Coroner Charles Boarman. 
 Public Administrator A. Yoak. 
 
 JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
 
 Township No. 1 J. C. Shipman, Hugh Robinson. 
 " " 2 L. Brusie, L. M. Earle. 
 
 " 3 S. F. Mullen, L. Ludekin. 
 4 P. Cook, J. S. Hill. 
 " " 5 M. B. Church, D. Worley. 
 
 " " 6 E. R. Yates, James Gregg. 
 
 FINANCIAL MATTERS IN 1872. 
 
 This may be distinguished as the year of waking 
 up, when every cranny and pigeon hole was ran 
 sacked to find the amount of the county debt. In 
 February the Treasurer estimated the debt as 8179,- 
 265.47. On the sixth day of June the report indicated 
 outstanding warrants on 
 
 General Fund with interest $153,551.00 
 
 Hospital Fund " " 36,995.68 
 
 New Certificates l,97i), 64 $192,526.32 
 
 The following note is appended to the report: 
 
 "Upon a thorough examination of the registration 
 of outstanding warrants against the redemption and 
 hospital funds of the county, as the same appears on 
 the books of the County Treasurer, it appears that 
 the reports made of the indebtedness of the county 
 for the past years have been incorrect, the true 
 indebtedness being much greater than reported. The 
 presumption is, the error was committed by report 
 ing the interest paid as a reduction of the principal 
 to that amount, when in fact it did not reduce it at 
 all." 
 
 The last quarterly report, December 3, 1872, was, 
 outstanding warrants on 
 
 General Fund .$157,121.02 
 
 Hospital Fund 38,007.33 
 
 New General Fund 13,756.23 $208,884.58 
 
 The Assessor, J. W. Surface, catching some of the 
 economic spirit, doubled the assessment roll and aston 
 ished the people with the amount of wealth in the 
 county. 
 Assessment roll for 1872: 
 
 Real Estate $ 359,133 
 
 Improvements 269 105 
 
 Town Lots . v .. v . 90 ; 965 
 
 Improvements thereon 279 800 
 
 Mining Claims .'..!'..'. 1,2*4200 
 
 Improvements 150,350 
 
 Telegraph 800 
 
 Water Ditches 82,950 
 
 Personal Property 3,027,119 $5,556,442 
 
 Rate of taxation, $2.35 on each $100. 
 
 Taxes assessed, including special school taxes, $77,531.17. 
 
 TAX RATES. 
 
 Sinking Fund 70c. 
 
 General Fund. . . .45c. 
 
 School Fund 30c. 
 
 Hospital Fuud...40c. 
 
 State Fund 50c. $2.35 
 
 Producing .$22,307.25 
 14,340.37 
 
 9,560.25 
 
 6,373.50 
 15,933.75 $74,888.62 
 
 Considering that the population of the county was 
 something less than ten thousand, government was 
 was quite a luxury, costing about $8.00 per capita. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1872. 
 
 This year furnishes an apt illustration of the often 
 repeated assertion that the desire for office was at 
 the foundation of the enthusiasm generally prevalent 
 during elections. There were no county offices to 
 fill, and it was difficult to kindle any interest in the 
 mass of voters. The Presidential election was a far 
 away matter in the chances to get a public appoint 
 ment, arid few took any interest on that account. Then 
 the nominations were singular. Grant, the Republi 
 can nominee for President, in former days, was con 
 sidered a Democrat, and Greeley, the Democratic 
 nominee never was a Democrat; on the contrary, he 
 had been during his whole life, fiercely aggressive on 
 them; had charged them with all kinds of sins, indi 
 vidually and collectively sins political, moral and 
 intellectual; but Greeley had quarreled with the 
 administration, and he was thought a suitable candi 
 date to make an inroad in the Republican ranks. A 
 great many, who were former admirers of Greeley, 
 were known to be disaffected, and, it was thought, 
 would leave the Republican party. The Democrats 
 had now conceded the payment of the national debt 
 and the validity of the Constitutional amendments, 
 so that there was really little difference of opinion, 
 on national questions, to keep the people apart. The 
 old Democrats reluctantly fell into the ranks with 
 
 ELECTION RETURNS FOR 1872. 
 
 PRECINCTS. 
 
 
 
 >-t 
 
 p 
 
 B 
 
 <n- 
 
 9 
 *^j 
 
 ' Greeley (D.) . 
 
 hi 
 p 
 era 
 
 CD 
 S-\ 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 o 
 
 03 
 
 S. 
 
 5' 
 
 00 
 
 f \ 
 
 b 
 o 
 
 Jackson 
 
 178 
 
 17? 
 
 159 
 
 188 
 
 Clinton 
 
 65 
 
 ?0 
 
 65 
 
 fl1 
 
 lone City 
 
 115 
 
 W 
 
 88 
 
 119 
 
 Lancha Plana . . . 
 
 35 
 
 38 
 
 ?5 
 
 46 
 
 Volcano 
 
 165 
 
 155 
 
 135 
 
 188 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 155 
 
 80 
 
 135 
 
 13? 
 
 Amador 
 
 53 
 
 85 
 
 30 
 
 106 
 
 Dry town 
 
 47 
 
 fl6 
 
 43 
 
 31 
 
 Forest Home 
 
 34 
 
 1?, 
 
 1? 
 
 ?4 
 
 Fiddletown 
 
 5? 
 
 45 
 
 11 
 
 89 
 
 Enterprise . 
 
 15 
 
 ?5 
 
 1? 
 
 ?6 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 55 
 
 ?,?, 
 
 ?9 
 
 46 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Total... 
 
 964 
 
 772 
 
 744 
 
 1016 
 
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE THIRD DECADE. 
 
 115 
 
 Greeley at the head of the column. It was a decided 
 case of self-sacrifice for the benefit of the country. 
 The younger Democrats suspended the rule and 
 voted as they pleased. As might have been expected 
 the vote was very light. Even the vote for Congress 
 man was far short of the usual numbers. 
 
 A comparison of the vote with that of 1868 will 
 be of interest as showing the want of interest in the 
 
 election: 
 
 1868. 1872. 
 
 Grant (E.) 1,109 Grant (E.) 946 
 
 Seymour (D.) . . .1.223 Greeley (D.) 772 
 
 Total 2,332 Total 1,718 
 
 Decrease in vote, 614. 
 
 CONGRESSIONAL VOTE. 
 
 1868. 1872. 
 
 Sargent (E.) .... 1,102 Page (E.) .744. 
 
 Coffroth (D.).--. 1,222 Coggins (D.)....'. .1,016 
 
 Total 1,760 
 
 Total. 2,324 
 
 Decrease in vote, 564. 
 
 Page's vote was two hundred and two less than 
 Grant's, and Greeley's vote two hundred and forty- 
 eight less than Coifroth's. It is evident that many 
 men of both parties failed to vote, and that personal 
 preference;?, with many Democrats as well asEcpub- 
 licans, were stronger than party ties; also, that 
 National questions were considered of less moment 
 than the election of the right kind of men for county 
 officers, as the whole vote fell short of the vote of 
 the previous year as follows: 
 
 County Clerk Spagnoli, 1,002; Eichtmyer, 1,194; 
 total, 2,196. Presidential vote, 18721,718. Differ 
 ence, 478. 
 
 Vote for County Clerk in 1873 Stevens, 1,087; 
 Eichtmyer, 1,017; total, 2,104. Difference, 386. 
 
 FINANCIAL MATTERS IN 1873. 
 
 From this time, there seems to have been an 
 earnest effort to pay off the debt, as well as to check 
 county expenditures. The effort to make the pros 
 pective value of the mines an item on the assessment 
 roll, failed. The mine owners succeeded in evading 
 it, sometimes by a technicality. In other instances, 
 the Supervisors abated part of the tax, to avoid a 
 doubtful and expensive lawsuit. The Keystone min 
 ing property was assessed in bulk, the taxes amount 
 ing to nine thousand dollars, which the company 
 refused to pay, whereupon, J. W. Surface, the col 
 lector, proceeded to sell the property. In the suit 
 which followed, the Court decided, that, though the 
 property was principally owned by one company, 
 it should have been described and assessed as three 
 separate properties; that, in consequence of this, 
 the collector be restrained from selling it. 
 
 The assessment roll was reduced, to $3,186,750, 
 and $18,176.90 taxes were reported as delinquent. 
 The total indebtedness July 31st, was reported at 
 
 Outstanding warrants on Gen. Fund. . $141,768.08 
 Hospital Fund. 34,044.36 
 Certificates not bearing interest 13,991.09 $189,803.53 
 
 October 3d, it was reported 
 
 Outstanding warrants on Gen. Fund. .$143,894.39 
 Hospital Fund . 34,736.46 
 
 Certificates not bearing interest 17,774.65 
 
 New Hospital Fund 1,032.85 $197,438.35 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1873. 
 
 Early in the season, it was evident that a nomina 
 tion by the Democratic party was equivalent to an 
 election, and the strife was principally in the prima 
 ries. Nearly every town had a full set of candidates, 
 who undertook to effect a combination which should 
 have their own names on the slate. When the pri 
 maries were over, the successful operators went into 
 the Convention, each with his list of delegates, which 
 he could trade or bestow on any other candidate as 
 a consideration for votes given to himself. Some 
 sturdy, independent men, finding themselves valued, 
 labeled and consigned to certain parties, will rebel 
 and fret, but a skillful manipulator will manage to 
 conciliate them with the promise of a nomination 
 another year, or something equally delusive, and so, 
 year after year, a smart manager wriggles him 
 self into office; and the man who studies political 
 economy instead of men, who knows less of prima 
 ries and more of the science of government, is left 
 in the rear in the race. It may be said, however, 
 in defense of this kind of political economy, that the 
 best governments are the result of organizations 
 which harmonize conflicting elements into a force 
 working for the general good; that he who cannot 
 lead, and is unwilling to follow, must stand aside. 
 This season showed a change of positions of some 
 of the leaders. John Eagon, one of the old Demo 
 cratic war horses, who was wont to fall into the 
 front line when a charge was sounded, now ranged 
 himself with the Eepublicans. When he made his 
 intention known, he excused, or rather justified, him 
 self with the remark of a Eoman orator: " Tempora 
 mutantur, mutamur," which may be translated, 
 Times change, we change. In a rather lengthy address, 
 the sentiment, above quoted, was elaborated into 
 something like the following: "Fellow-citizens: I 
 honestly defended slavery, not that I believed it 
 advantageous to States or to the nation, but because 
 I found it recognized in the national compact as an 
 existing institution. I opposed the attempt to coerce 
 the States who refused to submit to the election of 
 of a President, and the establishment of an adminis 
 tration hostile to the institution of slavery, not 
 because I justified secession, but because I believed 
 that reunion could be safely left to time and oppor 
 tunity. The nation thought otherwise. Slavery 
 has been abolished by the court of last resort; the 
 Union has been re-established, though at a fearful 
 price. I do not believe in prolonging a useless, 
 strife. I am willing to accept the verdict, and abide 
 the judgment of the Court. I am willing to forget 
 the past, and join with any party to cultivate peace 
 and friendship between the two sections, and repair 
 the waste and desolations of the war." 
 
116 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Judge Gordon also took the stump for the Repub 
 lican party. He had been longer a member of the 
 Democratic party, because an older man; had been 
 a Murat in the thickest of the fight, where his intel 
 lectual sword was sure to cleave a broad way 
 through opposing ranks. Though his judgment 
 might have caused him to submit to, and advocate? 
 the new order of political economy, his heart did 
 not respond to the new slogan. His speeches lacked 
 the usual fire and vim, and, in a few years after, he 
 concluded to give his old age to the party of his 
 youth. 
 
 James T. Farley, who had quietly taken the bit 
 ter pill of defeat during the years of the war, was 
 now in front. He had been prudent during the 
 years of bitter strife; had tried to soften the asper 
 ity and vindictiveness of both parties. He had 
 remained with the Democrats when sure defeat 
 awaited them. His uniform consistency won the 
 confidence of the community. He also accepted 
 the results of the war, and wished to cultivate peace 
 and amity. 
 
 In this campaign was the beginning of that con 
 tinuous wave of popularity which carried him into 
 the United States Senate. 
 
 The comparison of the vote with that of 1861, 
 when he received less than one-third of the votes, 
 must be to him a source of satisfaction. 
 
 ELECTION RETURNS-SEPTEMBER, 1873. 
 
 CANDIDATES. 
 
 Jackson 
 
 . Clinton 
 
 lone City 
 
 Lancha Flana 
 
 Volcano 
 
 1 Sutter Creek. 
 
 1 AmadorCity. 
 
 Drytown 
 
 Forest Home. 
 
 Fiddletown . . 
 
 Enterprise . 
 
 S 
 
 B 
 
 o 
 
 = 
 
 S 5 
 
 
 
 n 
 
 HARBOR COMMISSIONER. 
 
 John W. Boat, (D.) 
 
 889 
 
 17<i 
 
 :;2o 
 i<><; 
 
 241 
 
 2 is 
 210 
 
 171 
 170 
 
 188 
 88 
 
 261 
 
 174 
 
 2!)i 
 l.-i'.l 
 
 '2-24 
 
 197 
 MO 
 
 I.V.I 
 
 81 
 
 L98 
 
 107 
 
 120 
 
 201 
 
 211 
 
 <;i 
 
 41 
 
 n 
 
 81 
 
 62 
 60 
 68 
 40 
 
 48 
 
 55 
 
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 11 
 96 
 
 M 
 88 
 
 9 
 44 
 
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 67 
 
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 111 
 
 104 
 
 141 
 77 
 
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 97 
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 115 
 
 lid 
 
 li:0 
 124 
 
 160 
 78 
 
 L2s 
 
 LOO 
 
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 U8 
 109 
 
 31 
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 40 
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 89 
 28 
 
 37 
 
 28 
 80 
 
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 43 
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 27 
 
 86 
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 88 
 88 
 
 86 
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 69 
 
 221 
 78 
 280 
 78 
 
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 81 
 
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 189 
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 108 
 
 181 
 
 i-j<i 
 
 1:1:1 
 
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 200 
 
 mi 
 
 17!) 
 128 
 
 171 
 
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 148 
 
 207 
 17:: 
 178 
 LSI 
 
 179 
 
 18 
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 ID!) 
 141 
 
 168 
 
 177 
 
 in 
 
 14(1 
 
 BOG 
 
 i::o 
 
 317 
 
 IS 
 
 183 
 LOO 
 
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 ill 
 
 08 
 
 86 
 
 111 
 87 
 
 117 
 94 
 
 69 
 86 
 
 10'.) 
 
 M 
 
 20 
 
 89 
 62 
 
 86 
 66 
 
 90 
 58 
 
 1 r:'. 
 42 
 
 103 
 
 41 
 
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 66 
 
 91 
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 42 
 
 88 
 
 60 
 
 40 
 
 67 
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 69 
 89 
 
 48 
 
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 20 
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 89 
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 40 
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 44 
 
 88 
 
 62 
 
 7 
 80 
 
 81 
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 17 
 
 14 
 
 80 
 
 27 
 
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 80 
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 16 
 
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 42 
 
 15 
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 22 
 
 22 
 
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 81 
 
 42 
 
 15 
 80 
 
 68 
 80 
 
 78 
 46 
 
 97 
 48 
 79 
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 61 
 
 22 
 
 41 
 
 96 
 27 
 
 89 
 
 86 
 
 111 
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 97 
 
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 86 
 
 77 
 4- 
 
 80 
 
 41 
 
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 26 
 
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 18 
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 18 
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 24 
 
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 14 
 
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 9 
 
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 94 
 66 
 
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 102 
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 69 
 
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 57 
 
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 64 
 
 56 
 
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 78 
 
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 02 
 
 90 
 76 
 
 82 
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 91 
 32 
 
 1195 
 663 
 
 1382 
 648 
 
 1334 
 939 
 1171 
 708 
 
 953 
 733 
 408 
 
 1257 
 812 
 
 1087 
 1017 
 
 1185 
 890 
 
 1286 
 787 
 
 1317 
 
 730 
 
 12C4 
 
 8P3 
 
 1141 
 924 
 
 Paul Ncuman, (R ) 
 
 BEN TOR. 
 
 J. T. Farley, (D.) 
 
 John A. Eagon, (R.) 
 
 /SSBMBIAMKN. 
 
 W. H. Stowers,(0.) 
 J. M. Johnson, (D.) 
 
 L. Miller, (R.) 
 
 J. A. Tagjfard, (R.) 
 
 SHERIFF. 
 
 Peter Fasran, (D.) 
 
 J. Farnsworth, (R ) 
 
 I. N. Randolph, (Ind.) 
 
 TREASURER. 
 
 J. A. Buttterfield, (D.) 
 S. O. Spa^noli,(R.) 
 
 CLERK. 
 
 J. B. Stevens, (D ) 
 
 B. F. Richtmyer, (R.) 
 
 DISTRICT ATTORNEY. 
 
 T. J. Phelps, (D.) . . 
 
 M. W Gordon, (R.) 
 
 ASSESSOR. 
 
 J. W. Surface, (D.) 
 
 S. C. Wheeler. (R.) .'. . 
 
 SURVEYon. 
 
 W. L. McKimm, (D.) 
 H. C. Meek, (R ) 
 
 SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT. 
 
 S. O. firings, (D.) 
 
 H. L. Gould, (R.) 
 
 CORONER. 
 
 D. Mvers, (D.) ... 
 
 J. S.'Hil. (H.) 
 
 OFFICERS ELECTED IN 1873. 
 
 State Senator James T. Farley (D.) 
 Assemblymen W. H. Stowers (D.), Louis Mil 
 ler (E.) 
 
 District Attorney T. J. Phelps (D.) 
 County Clerk J. B. Stevens (D.) 
 
 Sheriff Peter Fagan (D.) 
 
 County Treasurer J. A. Butterfield (D.) 
 
 County Surveyor Wm. L. McKimm (D.) 
 
 Assessor J. W. Surface (D.) 
 
 Superintendent of Schools S. G. Briggs (D.) 
 
 Coronor and Public Administrator D. Myers (D.) 
 
 JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
 
 Township No. 1 J. C. Shipman, Hugh Robin 
 son. 
 
 Township No. 2 L. Brusie, L. M. Earl. 
 Township No. 3 L. McLaine, L. Ludekins. 
 Township No. 4 J. A. Brown, C. K. Johnson. 
 Township No. 5 M. B. Church, R. S. Hinkson. 
 Township No. 6. S. Cooledge, L. G. Lewis. 
 
 ALPINE COUNTY LEFT OUT IN THE ELECTION. 
 
 When Alpine county was organized, in 1864, it 
 was joined to Amador as a Legislative district, 
 which was allowed one Senator and two Assembly 
 men. It was a mutual understanding that Alpine 
 should have one Assemblyman, and Amador the 
 other, and the Senator. This arrangement was 
 observed for two Legislative terms, but in 1871 and 
 1873 the bargain was forgotten in the hurly burly of 
 election, and Amador got the whole delegation. It 
 happened, in this way, that Louis Miller, a Republi 
 can, was elected to the Assembly, though the party 
 to which he belonged was in the minority. In 1874 
 Alpine was joined to El Dorado for election purposes, 
 and had no further political connection with Ama 
 dor. 
 
 FINANCIAL MATTERS IN 1874. 
 
 January 31st the outgoing Treasurer, O. Button, 
 made the following report: 
 
 Cash in Treasury School Fund 
 
 General Fund 
 
 Outstanding Warrants on General 
 
 Fund with interest 134,694 39 
 
 Outstanding Warrants on Hospital 
 
 Fund with interest. 33, 185 34 
 
 Certificates on Current Expense Fund, 
 
 no interest . 6,622 31 
 
 110,338 19 
 13,964 36 
 
 735 00 $174,509 57 
 13,964 36 
 
 Certificates on New Hospital Fund. . . . 
 Cash to Apply 
 
 Total Indebtedness $160,504 21 
 
 Value of Taxable Property $2,738,970 00 
 
 Rate of Taxation 2 65 
 
 Amount of Taxes 72,532 70 
 
 Delinquent for 1873 7,169 74 
 
 ASSESSMENT ROLL FOR 1874. 
 
 Real Estate and Improvements . . .$1,724,140 00 
 
 Personal Property 830,415 00 
 
 Mines 503,780 03 
 
 Improvements on same 194,310 00 
 
 Ditches 61,080 00 
 
 Telegraphs 900 00 $3,314,625 00 
 
 CONVENTION TO CONSIDER THE FUNDING PROJECT. 
 
 The Grand Jury which met at the February term, 
 C. C. Belding, foreman, recommended a serious effort 
 to put the finances on a better basis; proposed a 
 general reduction of fche salaries of officers, and a 
 funding of the county indebtedness at a lower rate 
 of interest, and proposed a general mass-meeting on 
 

 KfeaLA. -,. *'" 
 
 BUNKER HILL MINE, MILL AND REDUCTION WORKS. 
 
 ISRAEL W. KNOX.PRES. NEAR AMADDR CITY, AMADOR C? CAL. 
 
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE THIRD DECADE. 
 
 117 
 
 the 21st instant to consider the situation. The call 
 for a convention was responded to by only a few 
 individuals, who did not seem to have very clear 
 ideas of how refunding the whole debt and issuing 
 bonds bearing interest should lessen the taxes of the 
 county, when a considerable portion of the indebted 
 ness was not bearing interest. The movement was 
 scouted by some as a measure in the interest of the 
 bond-holders, and by others advocated as an eco 
 nomical measure. Nothing resulted from it. 
 
 POLITICAL MATTERS OP 1874. 
 
 As there were neither national, State, or county 
 elections during this year, the chapter on political 
 matters will be much like the one said to have been 
 written by Dean Smith on the snakes of Ireland, 
 which consisted of the single line, " There are no 
 snakes in Ireland." No momentous events occurred 
 to disturb the serenity of those who were comforta 
 bly seated at their desks in the Court House. The 
 newspapers kept up the usual rattle of squibs and 
 fire-crackers, and continued to take in the cash for 
 Sheriff's sales, patent medicines, and " new goods for 
 sale cheaper than ever at the old stand. " 
 
 FINANCIAL MATTERS, 1875. 
 
 March 1st. J. A. Butterfield, County Treasurer, 
 reported the outstanding warrants with interest 
 
 On Redemption Fund $105,436 46 
 
 Hospital " 21,13053 
 
 Certificates not bearing interest. . . 2,342 42 $128.909 46 
 
 The assessment roll for this year, was 
 
 Real Estate $077.188 00 
 
 Improvements 7(56,810 00 
 
 Peisonal Property 799,787 00 
 
 Money 25,158 00 $2,568,913 00 
 
 Taxes were assessed on each one hundred dollars 
 
 For State Fund 60c 
 
 General Redemption Fund 65c 
 
 Current Expense Fund 74c 
 
 Hospital Redemption Fund 20c 
 
 Hospital Current Expense Fund 16c 
 
 School Fund 20c 
 
 Road Fund 5c $2 60 
 
 ROBBERY OP THE COUNTY TREASURY. 
 
 This occurred on the night of the 9th of May, 
 1875. The following account is made up from the files 
 of the Dispatch of May 15, 1875: 
 
 Sometime in the night, the residence of the Treas 
 urer (Mr. Butterfield) was entered, and his pants 
 rifled of the key to the inner lock of the safe, the 
 outer one being a Bussey combination lock. The 
 robbers then went to the Court House, unlocked the 
 office door, opened the safe, and took out fifteen 
 thousand two hundred and forty-eight dollars, most 
 of which belonged to the School Fund, consisting of 
 fourteen thousand dollars in gold coin, one thousand 
 two hundred and eight dollars in silver coin, and 
 forty dollars in gold notes. The safe and room were 
 then re-locked, and the prize carried away. There 
 were two checks amounting to one thousand dollars, 
 and some four or five hundred dollars in gold notes, 
 
 which were not taken. When Mr. Butterfield awoke 
 in the morning, he was affected with dizziness and 
 a sickness of the stomach, and did not get up until 
 after his usual hour of rising, and did not miss the 
 loss of the pants until five o'clock. 
 
 When Mr. Butterfield discovered the loss of the 
 key, he suspected that a robbery had been com 
 mitted, and called upon several citizens to go to the 
 Court House with him to examine the safe. They 
 found the door of the office locked as usual; the safe 
 was also in its usual condition, the outer door being 
 locked, and apparently undisturbed. It yielded to 
 the usual combination, but the larger portion of the 
 money, amounting to fifteen thousand two hundred 
 and forty-eight dollars, was missing. Some spots of 
 candle-grease on the floor, were the only marks of 
 disorder perceptible. 
 
 A meeting of the Board of Supervisors was called 
 to consider the matter. A reward of three thou 
 sand dollars was offered for the recovery of the 
 treasure, and one thousand dollars for the conviction 
 of the robbers. Some professional detectives were 
 emplo} T ed to make a thorough investigation into all 
 the circumstances connected with the matter. They 
 decided that it was next to impossible for any one, 
 not acquainted with the combination, to open the 
 door without breaking the lock, or to shut it when 
 opened. On inquiry, it was found that the combi 
 nation was the one in use during the term of office of 
 his predecessor, Mr. Button; that several persons 
 besides the Treasurer knew the combination; James 
 B. Stevens, the County Clerk, had once opened the 
 safe during a temporary illness of the Treasurer, the 
 combination having been written on a slip of paper 
 for that purpose; that it was called off by another 
 person in the hearing of several others Mr. Stevens 
 turning the handle to correspond with the letters 
 called. 
 
 The detectives were of the opinion that no robbery 
 was committed on the night in question; that it had 
 been abstracted at a time, or at different times, pre 
 vious to the 9th and 10th of May, by parties who 
 were familiar with the combination. The wildest 
 rumors were immediately afloat concerning the loss 
 of the money. It was said that a syndicate of Court 
 House officers with some outside friends, had been 
 using the funds to speculate in stocks, which, at that 
 time, were making and breaking fortunes for hun 
 dreds of lucky or unlucky men. As ten thousand 
 dollars or more of the school funds were frequently 
 left in the safe for months, tlie use of it in a certain 
 venture would do the county no harm. The ab 
 straction of the money with the intention of return 
 ing it, was not stealing. All this and much more 
 was put forward as probable excuses for abstracting 
 the public funds. In fact, it was confidently stated 
 that a fortunate speculation was once made by a 
 former Treasurer in that same way. 
 
 The Treasurer had erected a costly residence soon 
 after coming into office. He was the Owner of a 
 
118 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 saw-mill and could erect several houses, if necessaiy, 
 without taxing the mill above its powers, but he had 
 to bear a share of the public rumors. The using of 
 the old combination, which was known to several 
 persons, was a matter which merited blame, and 
 suspicion must necessarily rest upon all who were 
 familiar with the combination and had access to 
 the safe. 
 
 Some of the efforts to find the money were ludi 
 crous enough to set the public on the grin. Dr. 
 Randall of lone, who is a firm believer in his power 
 to call spirits up, or down, from the ethereal deep, 
 and gather knowledge from their more than human 
 wisdom, announced his ability to find the missing 
 money, but the sibyls either knew nothing about it, 
 or set him to digging in the wrong places, for its 
 location is still a mystery to the public. 
 
 June 17, 1875. At a special meeting of the Board 
 of Supervisors, to consider the loss of the county 
 funds, it was ordered that proceedings be immedi 
 ately commenced against the Treasurer and bonds 
 men, for the missing funds. 
 
 It may be as well to anticipate the result, and 
 make a connected history of the affair. At the 
 close of Mr. Butterfield's term of office, two experts, 
 employed to investigate the accounts, reported as 
 follows: 
 
 *Cash on hand, March 2, 1874, on taking possession of 
 
 the office $ 19,058 56 
 
 Amounts received during two years as taxes on prop 
 erty 131,446 91 
 
 Poll-taxes 6,834 45 
 
 Licenses 6,31181 
 
 State apportionment 24,297 87 
 
 Fines in Justices Courts 374 07 
 
 Bonds forfeited 43 00 
 
 Sales of lumber 10 00 
 
 Sales of school lands 2,202 66 
 
 Total receipts for two years $190,592 83 
 
 DISBURSEMENTS. 
 
 Warrants redeemed $132,995 55 
 
 Paid State Treasurer 26,653 91 
 
 Treasurer's Mileage. : 154 00 
 
 Auditor's allowance 606 07 
 
 Cash on hand, March 6 7,039 90 
 
 Amount stolen ... : 15,248 00 
 
 Accounts otherwise short 4,894 76 $190,592 83 
 
 The deficit being 20,142 76 
 
 This was incorporated into the judgment, which 
 was obtained against the Treasurer and bondsmen, 
 which, with costs, amounted to twenty-two thou 
 sand two hundred and ninety-two dollars and forty- 
 six cents. 
 
 "In the District Court, Eleventh Judicial District for 
 the county of Amador. 
 
 "Amador county, plaintiff, vs. J. A. Butterfield; et. 
 al., defendants. 
 
 "It was held by the Court that the custodian of 
 the county funds was responsible to the county for 
 them in all cases, except by acts of God, or a public 
 enemy, in which cases there might be a doubt. As 
 these conditions were not included in the plea of 
 the defendants, they would not be considered. The 
 Court ordered judgment to be entered against 
 defendants for full amount of loss and costs, amount- 
 
 *These figures are copied from newspaper reports, and are evi 
 dently incorrect. 
 
 ing to twenty-two thousand two hundred and ninety- 
 two dollars and forty-six cents." 
 
 The following sureties were included in the judg 
 ment, for the sums set opposite their names: 
 
 F. H.Hoffman ...$ 4,000 
 
 Joseph Samuels. . 3,000 
 
 F. Rocco 1,000 
 
 A. Chicizola 1,000 
 
 James Meehan 14,000 
 
 E. Muldoon 5,000 
 
 E. C. Palmer 4,000 
 
 E. Genochio 2,000 
 
 F. M. Whitmore. 1,000 
 
 L. McLaine 4.000 
 
 L. Cassinelli 4,000 
 
 Hiram Beigle 5,000 
 
 Chas. Steckler... 2,000 
 
 John Miller 5,000 
 
 Thos. Carpenter. 
 
 James Adams 
 
 P. A. Clute 
 
 Joseph Cuneo.. 
 
 R. F. Fry 
 
 A. Rossi 
 
 J. Coleman 
 
 John Yogan 
 
 J. W. Surface.... 
 
 R. Ludgate 
 
 J. P. Surface 
 
 J. P. Martin 
 
 F. Hutner. . 
 
 8 1,000 
 2,000 
 5,000 
 2,000 
 2,000 
 1,000 
 5.000 
 3,000 
 3,000 
 3,000 
 3,000 
 10,000 
 5,000 
 
 CONCLUSION OF THE BUTTERFIELD MATTER, 1877. 
 
 At a meeting of the Board of Supervisors in the 
 early part of 1877, to take into consideration the 
 Butterfield judgment for twenty-two thousand seven 
 hundred and one dollars and thirty-one cents, it was 
 ordered that the proposition of the defendants' 
 attorne} T s, Farley and Porter, to pay the sum of six 
 thousand dollars, in three annual installments with 
 out interest, be accepted, the payments to commence 
 April 1, 1877. This compromise was considered best 
 because the sureties resisted the payment of the full 
 amount, and a long and costly suit being the alter 
 native. It was further said: " If we compel the 
 sureties to pay the deficit, no future Treasurer could 
 ever get bonds!" 
 
 Mr. Butterfield undertook to work the matter out 
 without loss to the bondsmen, and, though his 
 
 / / o 
 
 health was much shattered by the unfortunate affair, 
 it is nearly settled. Public opinion, much against 
 him at first, has become nearly unanimous that he 
 was more sinned against than sinning; a victim 
 rather than a criminal. No clue has yet been 
 obtained to the missing money, though it is gener 
 ally thought to have gone into Flood and O'Brien's 
 bank, through stock speculations. 
 
 POLITICAL MATTERS IN 1875. 
 
 The uniform success of the Democratic party 
 during recent years, left the struggle principally for 
 the nominations. Personal popularity was the basis 
 for success in the Convention. Although the national 
 questions were discussed to some extent on the stump, 
 it was done rather in obedience to custom than for 
 any particular interest the people took in the matter. 
 Judge Carter, Democratic nominee for the Assem 
 bly, was noted for suavity and pleasing address, and 
 in his progress through the county, mostly let poli 
 tics alone and dealt in personal reminiscences. 
 Dunlap was a merchant in Sutter Creek, and though 
 not a speaker, had the confidence of the community. 
 Green well, his adversary in Sutter Creek, and Brown 
 of Jackson, though men of eloquence and ability, 
 failed to make any inroad on the solid Democratic 
 
REVIEW FROM 1870 TO 1880. 
 
 119 
 
 vote. Brown was in charge of the Amador ditch, 
 and was expending much money in the county. 
 Peck and Aitken, candidates for County Clerk, were 
 both good men, who stood high in the community; 
 also in the societies to which they both belonged. 
 Vogan! who does not know his bland face, twinkling 
 with humor, which has carried sunshine along all the 
 stage-roads since '49? There were no personal 
 objections to the candidates on either side, and 
 when the vote was counted the results were not 
 unexpected. 
 
 OFFICERS ELECTED IN 1875. 
 
 Assembly H. A. Carter, Thomas Dunlap. 
 
 Sheriff John Vogan. 
 
 District Attorney T. J. Phelps. 
 
 Treasurer James Meehan. 
 
 Surveyor W. L. McKimm. 
 
 Assessor J. J. Jones. 
 
 Superintendent of Schools "W. II. Stowers. 
 
 Coroner and Public Administrator D. Myers. 
 
 JUSTICES OF THE PEACE. 
 
 Township No. I H. Goldner, II. Robinson. 
 " " 2 L. Brusie, L. M. Earle. 
 
 " " 3 L. McLaine, L. Ludekins. 
 
 " " 4 C. K. Johnson, L. B. Maxey. 
 
 5 M. B. Church. 
 
 6 E. R. Yates, S. G. Lewis. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 FINANCIAL MATTERS IN 1876. 
 
 Political Parties in 1876 Election Returns by Precincts Finan 
 ces in 1877 Political Parties in 1877 Returns by Precincts 
 Death of the Honorable Robert Lndgate Financial Mat 
 ters in 1878 Political Parties in 1878 Vote on the Adop 
 tion of the New Constitution Financial Matters in 1879 
 Political Matters in 1879 Officers ElectedEffect of the 
 New Constitution on the Judicial System Financial Mat 
 ters in 1860 Political Parties in 1880 Amador County 
 Election Returns Nov. 2, 1880 Review from 1870 to 1880. 
 
 ON taking his seat, the Treasurer made a thorough 
 examination of the records of the Treasury. It was 
 found, notwithstanding the losses, that the finances 
 were in a healthy condition. 
 
 The outstanding warrants on the 
 
 General Fund $67,533 94 
 
 Hospital Fund 16,713 46 
 
 Certificates on Current Expense Fund . 4,191 48 
 
 Interest Estimated at ."8,963 73127,402 61 
 
 Expenses for year ending March 1, 1875 
 
 Amount allowed on Current Expense 
 
 Fund $21,319 17 
 
 Amount allowed on Hospital Expense 
 
 Fund 4,654 32 $25,973 49 
 
 Expense for year ending March 4, 1876 
 
 Amount allowed on Current Expense 
 
 Fund $21,019 22 
 
 Amount allowed on Hospital Expense 
 
 Fund 3,944 02 $24,963 24 
 
 Total for two years $50,936 73 
 
 The Treasurer made a calculation that, the taxes 
 remaining the same, outstanding warrants on the 
 General Fund would be redeemed in four years; 
 the warrants on the Hospital Fund, in eight years. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1876. 
 
 All parties had heartily united in celebrating the 
 Centennial. Whatever their differences of opinions 
 as to the means of preserving the Union, there were 
 none as to its value. War Democrats, peace Demo 
 crats, as well as Republicans, spoke from the same 
 stand, with the same flag floating over them. No 
 one, in listening to the orations, and judging from 
 their tenor alone, would suppose that a few years 
 previous, they had accused each other of treason, 
 and all imaginable crimes. Talk is cheap. If pro 
 fessions of love and devotion to the Constitution and 
 the country are cheap, so are charges of treason and 
 corruption. People do not mean all they say, or 
 say all they mean. 
 
 It was evident that a close contest for the Presi 
 dency was impending. A few votes in Amador 
 county might decide the vote of the State, and that 
 of the State might decide the Presidential question. 
 Four votes in the city of New York elected a Con 
 gressman, whose vote on the thirty-sixth ballot, 
 made Thomas Jefferson President. John Quincy 
 Adams was made President by a small number of 
 votes in the same way. Though disagreeing little 
 on Constitutional matters, and the payment of the 
 national debts, the parties diverged widely as to 
 details. Some were in favor of an unlimited amount 
 of paper money. The Whig doctrines of 1836-40, 
 were revived; only the advocates were found among 
 the members of the hard money party of that day, 
 while most of the Whigs, who, in former times, 
 advocated paper money, were found in the ranks of 
 Republicans, who were generally favorable to a gold 
 and silver currency. Almost every one, old enough 
 to have remembered those days when Jackson and 
 Clay were the leaders of the opposing hosts, might 
 have said with the Roman orator, " Times change, 
 and we change;" for almost every one had changed 
 positions. 
 
 As usual, vituperations and accusations, charges 
 of dishonesty and peculations, were made a large 
 element in the campaign. Although Governor Tilden 
 was instrumental in breaking up one of the most 
 gigantic municipal rings that ever controlled a city 
 government, and plundered the people, he was rep 
 resented as the incarnation of dishonesty, while the 
 Republican party was charged with being the abettor 
 of frauds, running through all the civil service. The 
 administration, from the President down to tide- 
 waiters, was represented as corrupt and dishonest. 
 The "Solid South" was born in this campaign. The 
 Democrats were charged with interfering with the 
 freedom of elections in the Southern States, of trav 
 eling around the country in disguise, and whipping, 
 maiming, and even killing, negroes who dared to 
 vote the Republican ticket. According to the Repub 
 lican orators, no one could enjoy life or property MI 
 the old slave States, without conforming to their 
 political creeds. It is not our purpose to write a 
 history of the United States, or to discuss the politi- 
 
120 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 cal issues of that or any other day; but it may be 
 permissible to remark, that a little of the good feel 
 ing, manifested in the Fourth of July celebration, car 
 ried into the canvass would have done neither party 
 any harm, in votes or otherwise. It is quite prob 
 able, first, that scarcely anybody meant all they 
 said, and second, that few men changed their minds 
 or votes in consequence of mutual criminations. 
 
 ELECTION RETURNS BY PRECINCTS. 
 
 PRECINCTS. 
 
 H 
 
 5 
 
 a> 
 
 P 
 
 p 
 
 W 
 3 
 1 
 
 r 
 
 | 
 
 8 
 
 Kenfield(R.).. 
 
 Carpenter (D.) 
 
 ^d 
 
 1 
 
 fo 
 
 Jackson 
 
 973 
 
 1S55 
 
 ?78 
 
 185 
 
 979 
 
 185 
 
 Clinton. 
 
 51 
 
 8? 
 
 51 
 
 8? 
 
 51 
 
 8? 
 
 lone 
 
 157 
 
 160 
 
 157 
 
 160 
 
 156 
 
 160 
 
 Lancha Plana. . . 
 
 89 
 
 44 
 
 88 
 
 44 
 
 88 
 
 45 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Ifi? 
 
 181 
 
 1fi? 
 
 181 
 
 161 
 
 18? 
 
 Ham's Station. 
 
 ?1 
 
 11 
 
 91 
 
 11 
 
 91 
 
 11 
 
 Sutler Creek 
 
 178 
 
 904 
 
 17?, 
 
 904 
 
 160 
 
 ?08 
 
 Amador City- 
 
 17? 
 
 80 
 
 17? 
 
 80 
 
 17? 
 
 79 
 
 Dry town. 
 
 fifi 
 
 81 
 
 66 
 
 81 
 
 64 
 
 88 
 
 Forest Home ... 
 
 20 
 
 87 
 
 90 
 
 87 
 
 19 
 
 88 
 
 Plymouth . . .... 
 
 99 
 
 18H 
 
 99 
 
 186 
 
 87 
 
 147 
 
 Fiddletown 
 
 70 
 
 68 
 
 70 
 
 68 
 
 70 
 
 68 
 
 Enterprise. . 
 
 1? 
 
 8 
 
 1? 
 
 8 
 
 1? 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Total.. 
 
 1815 
 
 1172 
 
 1814 
 
 1172 
 
 129? 
 
 1191 
 
 It may be mentioned as a remarkable occurrence, 
 that the vote at this election approximated the usual 
 vote on county officers, falling only one hundred 
 short of the vote the following year. 
 
 FINANCES IN 1877. 
 
 The Supervisors reported, March 1, 1877 
 
 Total receipts for three years as $169,058 48 
 
 Cash an hand at the beginuing of the 
 
 Term 1874 23,767 19 $192,825 67 
 
 Disbursements during same time $ 167,513 36 
 
 On hand 
 
 October 1st the Treasurer reported 
 
 Outstanding warrants on 
 
 General Fund $52,689 23 
 
 Hospital Redemption Fund 14,502 39 
 
 Current Expense Fund 11,351 84 
 
 Hospital Expense Fund 1,016 21 
 
 Unclassified 89 86 
 
 Deficiency 
 
 $16,312 31 
 
 65 80 $79,715 33 
 
 This does not include interest. It is not probable 
 that any accurate estimate of interest had been made 
 up to this date, as it was considered the work of sev 
 eral weeks to go over the outstanding warrants and 
 estimate the interest due; hence the apparent con 
 tradictions in annual reports. In other instances 
 reports, made before and after the collections of the 
 annual tax, showed a great reduction of the debt 
 when, considering the whole year, no reduction had 
 been made. In March, Judge Williams, of the Dis 
 trict Court, decided that the warrants only bore 
 seven per cent, interest, this applying to all that 
 were issued previous to 1868, as well as since. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1877. 
 
 The occurrence of the county election again 
 brought out a new crop of aspirants. This season 
 Amador was joined with San Joaquin as a Sen 
 atorial District, the later county being entitled to one 
 for itself, and another jointly with Amador. James 
 T. Farley, who had been Senator for two successive 
 terms, was now a candidate for the IT. S. Senate, and 
 declined a re-election. Frank Brown, who had had 
 some experience in a former canvass as candidate for 
 the Assembly, was nominated a joint Senator Avith 
 San Joaquin. Dunlap, the former member, and R. 
 Ludgate of lone, a popular man, were nominated for 
 the Assembly by the Democrats, Judge Carter hav 
 ing declined a re-election. Eagon, who was now 
 working well in the Republican ranks, and James 
 Johnston of lone, a pioneer and universally liked, 
 were nominated by the Republicans for the same 
 positions. Yogan, incumbent, was re-nominated for 
 Sheriff, running against Frank Howard of Sutter 
 Creek. Meehan, Treasurer, was also re-nominated. 
 Caminetti, a young and active lawyer, popular \vith 
 ever}' body in general, especially the ladies, received 
 the nomination of District Attorney at the hands of 
 the Democrats against J. S. Hill, a well-known pio 
 neer, nominated by the Republicans. Henry Peck, 
 County Clerk, was re-nominated by the Democrats. 
 Tom Chicizola receiving the Republican nomination. 
 The men were all popular in their respective pre 
 cincts, and were expected to make large inroads into 
 the votes of their opponents. Brown and Eagon did 
 the heavy speaking for the Republicans, Caminetti 
 doing similar service for the Democrats. Mr. Farley, 
 however, though not on the ticket, as usual led the 
 Democratic forces. The matter of electing a delega 
 tion to the Legislature favorable to his aspirations to 
 the Senatorship, was an important element in the 
 canvass, which was remarkable for -the good i'eeling 
 and absence of the usual vituperation and abuse. 
 
 ELECTION RETURNS 1877. 
 
 CANDIDATES. 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Clinton 
 
 lone City 
 
 Lancha 1 Una. 
 
 Ham's Station 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Amador C.ty. 
 
 Suttel Creek. . 
 
 1 
 
 3 
 
 
 r 
 3 
 
 : 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Fiddletown . . 
 
 -. 
 
 5 
 
 5 
 
 2 
 . 
 
 SENATOR. 
 
 Oullahan (D ) 
 
 229 
 244 
 
 202 
 200 
 
 2-2; 
 
 IS) 
 
 800 
 
 174 
 
 308 
 168 
 
 tit 
 
 I.V, 
 
 813 
 
 168 
 
 273 
 
 in: 
 
 801 
 
 in 
 
 ii07 
 
 t9 
 
 :,:: 
 
 57 
 6' 
 
 42 
 4C 
 
 5S 
 43 
 
 59 
 4z 
 
 26 
 
 66 
 37 
 
 57 
 45 
 
 57 
 45 
 
 15 
 
 118 
 154 
 
 K17 
 
 lit; 
 US 
 
 13 r 
 
 Kill 
 
 108 
 
 165 
 
 tog 
 
 IM 
 
 is; 
 
 (88 
 
 140 
 
 186 
 
 i:i- 
 
 |8Q 
 
 i:',<) 
 
 135 
 
 43 
 
 n 
 
 41 
 
 40 
 33 
 30 
 
 41 
 30 
 
 44 
 29 
 
 41 
 
 31 
 
 43 
 
 30 
 
 42 
 
 30 
 
 11 
 29 
 
 31 
 
 ]!> 
 39 
 
 32 
 
 27 
 28 
 31 
 
 45 
 14 
 
 4:: 
 16 
 
 2.". 
 31 
 
 ::: 
 28 
 
 28 
 31 
 
 22 
 
 V| 
 
 8] 
 
 199 
 
 1-20 
 
 200 
 
 ._,,,., 
 
 ll'.l 
 118 
 
 W 
 
 123 
 
 194 
 
 123 
 
 191 
 
 188 
 
 in 
 
 128 
 
 \M 
 18 
 
 181 
 188 
 
 UN 
 
 ,70 
 103 
 
 !<;.-> 
 
 17:, 
 
 10:; 
 99 
 
 L7> 
 102 
 
 178 
 
 96 
 
 IM 
 
 117 
 
 171 
 102 
 
 171 
 
 10! 
 
 1:11 
 
 Ml 
 
 Hi( 
 
 UN 
 
 81 i 
 
 104 
 200 
 221 
 l7 
 
 181 
 251 
 
 183 
 
 201 
 
 la 
 
 204 
 
 191 
 182 
 
 18! 
 1!) 
 
 | 
 218 
 
 204 
 
 22 
 31 
 
 24 
 24 
 81 
 
 31 
 
 2{ 
 
 2f 
 
 2S 
 25 
 
 23 
 30 
 
 K 
 
 31 
 
 ^ 
 31 
 
 21 
 
 30 
 
 n 
 
 65 
 
 10: 
 
 54 
 53 
 101 
 107 
 
 a 
 
 IMI 
 
 67 
 M 
 
 r,< 
 in 
 
 51 
 101 
 
 r,<. 
 
 10: 
 
 45 
 
 115 
 
 70? 
 
 in: 
 172 
 
 io:> 
 
 93 
 171 
 173 
 
 115 
 
 l.->r 
 
 Ill 
 151 
 
 109 
 
 KM 
 
 68 
 201 
 
 101 
 
 ]<;. 
 
 10- 
 
 11.5 
 
 17: 
 
 57 
 
 75 
 
 65 
 5 
 
 71 
 67 
 
 7( 
 62 
 
 s: 
 tK 
 
 51 
 
 to 
 
 50 
 
 s: 
 
 (i: 
 K 
 
 I.I 
 
 :; 
 18 
 
 17 
 
 : 
 i 
 
 U 
 
 : 
 
 U 
 
 3 
 
 IS 
 4 
 
 i:, 
 1 
 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 18 
 4 
 
 4 
 
 1249 
 1346 
 
 1354 
 1345 
 12B7 
 
 1202 
 
 1409 
 1185 
 
 1477 
 1106 
 
 1368 
 1217 
 
 1356 
 1217 
 
 135!) 
 1241 
 
 1291 
 1306 
 
 1262 
 
 Brown (R ) 
 
 ASSEMBLYMEN. 
 
 Ludgate (D ) 
 
 DunLip (U ) 
 
 Eagon (R ) 
 
 Johnston (R.) 
 
 S! IKK IKK. 
 
 Voo'an (D ) 
 
 Howard (R ) 
 
 CLERK. 
 
 Peck (D ) 
 
 
 DISTRICT ATTORNEY. 
 
 Caminetti (D.) 
 
 Hill(R.) 
 
 TEASL'RKR. 
 
 Mcehan 'D ) 
 
 rotter (R.) 
 
 CORONER. 
 
 Giles CD ) 
 
 SCHOOL SUP'T. 
 Norton (R ) 
 
 61 
 It 
 
 68 
 
 Edsinfjer (D.) 
 
 SURVEYOR. 
 
 W. L. McKimm (R). . . . 
 
RESIDENCE OF JOHN VDBAN. JACKSON 
 
 MOUNTAIN SPRINGS, RANCH AND TCLLHOUSE OF JOHNVOGAN. 
 IONE & JACKSON ROAD. AMADOR COUNTY.CAL. 
 
REVIEW FROM 1870 TO 1880. 
 
 121 
 
 JUSTICES OF THE PEACE ELECTED 1878. 
 
 Township No. 1 S. G. Spagnoli, II. Goldner. 
 
 Township No. 2 L. Brusie, L. M. Earlo. 
 
 Township No. 3 L. Ludekin, L. Huey. 
 
 Township No. 4 J. Gundry, J. B. Maxey. 
 
 Township No. 5 M. B. Church. 
 
 Township No. 6 S. G. Lewis, S. Cooledgo. 
 
 The list of returns is well worth a study. It will 
 be seen that each candidate made large inroads into 
 his opponent's vote in his own district, also, that 
 when the vote was counted, there was a great uni 
 formity in the majorities. 
 
 DEATH OF THE HON. ROBERT LUDGATE. 
 
 This occurred February 15, 1878, while in Sacra 
 mento attending, as far as his failing health would 
 allow, to his duties as Legislator. He was born in 
 the county of Waterford, Ireland, and was forty- 
 four years old at the time of his death. He came to 
 the United States in 1850, and a year later to 
 California, settling in lone valley, where he built 
 up a home. He was a man of warm feelings, 
 active temperament, strong convictions, and un 
 doubted integrity, winning the respect and esteem 
 of all with whom he became acquainted. His death 
 was not unexpected, as he had been suffering for 
 many years from a pulmonary disease. A committee 
 of both houses was appointed to escort his remains 
 to lone, and assist in the funeral ceremonies. 
 
 FINANCIAL MATTERS IN 1878. 
 
 Rates of taxes: 
 
 For State Fund 55 c. 
 
 Gen. Redemption Fund 57c. 
 
 Current Expense " 65 c. 
 
 Hospital Red'ption " 15|c. 
 
 Hospital Current Expense Fund 20 c. 
 
 School Fund 24 c. 
 
 Road " 13 c. $2.50 
 
 November 4th, the Treasurer reported 
 outstanding warrants on Current 
 
 Expense Fund $10,947 98 
 
 Hospital Current Expense Fund... 224 83 
 
 Salary " ... 2,530 15 
 
 General Redemption " ... 43,032 74 
 
 Hospital " "... 10,138 63 $66,874 33 
 
 This does not seem to include interest, which two years before 
 
 was estimated at $38,963.73. 
 This would carry the debt to upwards of $100,000. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES IN 1878. 
 
 The usual political problems were postponed to 
 consider the matter of framing a new Constitution. 
 For once in our history the people were engaged in 
 discussing the first principles of government. The 
 overshadowing growth of the great railroad com 
 pany, which bad extended its Briarian arms, so as to 
 bring every industry, whether mercantile, agricultu 
 ral, or mechanical, under its influence; the growth of 
 the gas and water companies in the cities; the appro 
 priation of the streams flowing from the mountains 
 by the ditch and water companies; the holding of 
 large tracts of land, amounting in some instances to 
 one hundred thousand acres, for purely speculative 
 purposes, as well as many other similar institutions, 
 16 
 
 caused a general fear in the State, that a few were 
 soon to have the wealth, and that poverty was to be 
 the inheritance of the workers. In the cities the 
 agitation was greatest among the day laborers, 
 who beheld a favored few unjustly favore'd in the 
 minds of the laborers rolling along the streets in 
 easy carriages, while they, who had built the houses, 
 worked the mines, and made the property, were 
 working for barely enough to obtain the merest 
 necessaries of life. In San Francisco, Sacramento, 
 and Stockton, socialistic sentiments prevailed to a 
 great extent, and at one time, when Kearney was 
 organizing the workers, as well as those who never 
 did nor would work, into a voting party, the pros 
 pect of a forcible distribution of property was quite 
 imminent. Hundreds of fierce, brutal faces hung on 
 his words and listened for the expected order to help 
 themselves to all they wanted, and, also, take satis 
 faction for past sufferings and injuries. 
 
 During the working of the placer mines, when any 
 one who would work could make three dollars or 
 more per day, thousands wasted .their earnings on 
 cards, whisky, or women. A stream of gold flowed 
 to the cities, building up stores, dwellings, and big 
 bank accounts, leaving the worked-out gulches and 
 hills, and the old, worn-out, dilapidated miners as the 
 heritage of the country that furnished the wealth. 
 Many of these demoralized miners drifted towards 
 the cities, following the wake of their departed 
 means, and, homeless, hopeless, and useless, joined 
 the city vagrants in their efforts to compel the resti 
 tution of their wasted wealth, their sole political aim 
 being to " give old money-bags hell." 
 
 In the country, especially in Amador county, 
 the agitation was on a different basis. Here were 
 numerous small proprietors, owning ten to one 
 hundred acres of land stocked with a few cattle 
 and sheep, who did their own work, and who, by 
 industry and close economy, could make both 
 ends of saving and expenditure meet at the end of 
 the year. Every year the Assessor came around and 
 made a note of every pig, chicken, or cow that was 
 about the place. The land, as well as improvements, 
 
 ' was assessed up to full value. If, in consequence of 
 sickness or a failure of crops, the farmer had been 
 compelled to mortgage his home to keep things 
 going, the taxes remained unabated. It was known 
 that men with large sums of money loaned out at 
 high interest, paid nominal taxes. When money 
 could be made to pay two or three per cent, per 
 month it was forthcoming, but when taxes were 
 assessed it was a nonentity. It was like the little 
 
 joker under Lucky Bill's* fingers: now you could see 
 it, but when the thimble was lifted it was not there. 
 
 * It was known that large tracts of land that were 
 held for purely speculative purposes, paid only a 
 
 *William Thornton (Lucky Bill) made a hundred thousand 
 dollars er more in Placerville, in 1850, with a piece of sponge, 
 which he dexterously played under two or three thimbles. He 
 inducsd thousands of men to bet a hundred on finding it, gener 
 ally taking in the money. 
 
122 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 nominal tax. It was believed that the producing 
 class bore the brunt of taxation, while corporuted 
 companies and dealers in stocks virtually escaped. 
 
 The subject of taxation was discussed at every fire 
 side in the county. The farmers and gardeners had 
 no feelings in common with the socialist or com 
 munist. Dennis Kearney could not have raised a 
 corporal's guard who would indorse his theory of 
 political economy. But the feeling of distrust 
 towards capitalists, for a short time, united the most 
 antipodal extremes, and found the farmers voting 
 with city proletariats. This was manifested less in the 
 election of delegates than in the vote to adopt the 
 Constitution afterwards framed. The non-partisan 
 ticket prevailed, Wm. H. Prouty, a farmer of Jack 
 son valley, and John A. Eagon, a lawyer, being 
 elected delegates to the Constitutional Convention. 
 The selection of these two was evidently a compro 
 mise or union of the solid parts of both Republican 
 and Democratic parties, as a measure of defense 
 against the wild theories of the Kearney party in 
 the cities. 
 
 THE VOTE ON ADOPTION OP THE NEW CONSTITUTION 
 
 Showed a preponderance of the farming interest for 
 the Constitution, and of the mining interest against 
 it, lone City, which was the center of the farming 
 population, giving seventy-one majority for the Con 
 stitution, while Araador, Plymouth, Drytown and 
 Volcano were as decidedly against, the former town 
 giving nearly ten to one. This overwhelming oppo 
 sition was ascribed to the influence of the mine 
 owners, who induced the workmen to believe the 
 mills would stop under the new Constitution. 
 
 For. Against. 
 
 Amador 20 190 
 
 Clinton 34 28 
 
 Drytown 21 115 
 
 Enterprise .' . 1 14 
 
 Forest Home 15 31 
 
 Ham's Station 8 5 
 
 lone City 174 103 
 
 Jackson 207 207 
 
 Oleta 62 45 
 
 LanchaPlana 32 53 
 
 Plymouth 70 166 
 
 *Sutter Creek. 224 133 
 
 Volcano 140 171 
 
 Total 1008 1261 
 
 Majority for adoption, 253. 
 
 FINANCIAL MATTERS IN 1879. 
 
 Tax rates : 
 
 For State Purposes 62^o. 
 
 General Redemption Fund 57ic. 
 
 Expense Fund 67|c. 
 
 Hospital Redemption Fund 15c. - 
 
 Hospital Current Expense Fund iOc. 
 
 School Fund 24c. 
 
 Road Fund 13c. $2 60 
 
 *Sntter Creek seemed to have voted differently from the other 
 mining towns. This was owing to a partial resuscitation of the 
 Miners' League. 
 
 ASRESSMENT ROLL. 
 
 Real Estate $^5,409 00 
 
 Improvements 979, 1 10 00 
 
 Personal Pr >perty 66 1 ,369 00 
 
 Money 12, 183 00 $2,578,071 00 
 
 Taxes on the same 67,307 78 
 
 StatePortion 16,179 75 
 
 County Portion 51,128 03 $67,307 78 
 
 TREASURER'S REPORT, OCTOBER 31, 1879. 
 
 Outstanding Warrants on 
 
 Current Expense Fund $ 7,057 66J 
 
 Hospital Expense Fund 1,">36 48 
 
 Salary Expense Fund 8,450 95 
 
 General Redemption Fund 41,812 34 
 
 Hospital Redemption Fund 8,606 38 $67,463 81 
 
 Cash in treasury to apply 24,847 61 
 
 Total Indebtedness $12,61 1 20^ 
 
 As this report was made previous to the applica 
 tion of the current year's revenue, it shows an undue 
 amount of debt. 
 
 Jamiary 31st, following 
 
 The indebtedness, exclusive of interest $69,493 76 
 
 Cash in Treasury to apply 61,060 31 
 
 Leaving $8,433 45 
 
 POLITICAL MATTERS IN 1879. 
 
 The election following the Constitutional Conven 
 tion, would naturally partake of the peculiar char 
 acter of the previous year's canvass; but it seemed 
 that the reaction setting in over the State, was felt 
 also in Amador county. The impracticability of 
 righting all wrongs by statute law, became manifest 
 as the Convention set about the work, so that the 
 fierce and positive opinions became considerably 
 modified in the course of a few months. The elec 
 tion of most of the old officers was a natural result. 
 Where new ones were substituted, men of moderate 
 opinions were chosen. Dr. Brusie, an old resident 
 of the county, and a highly esteemed man, never 
 had been active in politics, and was elected more 
 for his personal popularity, than for any speeches 
 he had made on the stump. The same might be 
 said of R. C. Downs, who had resided in the county 
 for thirty years. He had been engaged in quartz 
 mining most of the time, in which vocation he had 
 been eminently successful, having opened and devel 
 oped some of the richest mines in the county, as 
 early as 1851. Fontenroso, the new County Clerk, 
 was a young man, born of Italian parents, and edu 
 cated in the county. He received the full Republi 
 can vote, and also many of the votes of Democratic 
 Italians. This class of foreign citizens formerly 
 voted the Democratic ticket unanimously, but the 
 solidarity is being broken up, and in a few years 
 they are likely to divide on all political questions. 
 
 Judge Moore, elected to the position of Superior 
 Judge, is a young and promising lawyer, and fills 
 the position with honor to himself, and satisfaction 
 to all who bring business before him. 
 
 It will bo observed that B. F. Langford, State 
 Senator, is a resident of San Joaquin county, which, 
 three years before, was joined to Amador as a joint 
 Senatorial District, for one Senator. As Amador 
 
REVIEW FROM 1870 TO 1880. 
 
 123 
 
 had the nomination of the first Senator on that 
 plan, the second fell to San Joaquin. 
 
 OFFICERS ELECTED. 
 
 Superior Judge Geo. Moore. 
 
 State Senator B. F. Langford. 
 
 Assemblymen L. Brusie, R. C. Downs. 
 
 District Attorney A. Caminetti. 
 
 County Clerk L. J. Fontenrose. 
 
 Sheriff John Vogan. 
 
 Treasurer James Meehan. 
 
 Surveyor J. A. Brown. 
 
 Assessor A. Petty. 
 
 Superintendent Schools L. Miller. 
 
 Coroner and Public Administrator II. Schacht. 
 
 THE NEW CONSTITUTION AND THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. 
 
 At the general election held in the month of Sep 
 tember, 1879, the people adopted the new Constitu 
 tion, which took effect on the first day of January 
 succeeding. 
 
 By the provisions of this instrument the entire 
 judicial system of the State was revolutionized, and 
 new courts succeeded to the powers and jurisdiction 
 of the old ones. Prior to January, 1880, Hon. George 
 E. Williams, of El Dorado county, was the Judge of 
 the District Court, embracing within its territorial 
 boundaries, the counties of Amador, Calaveras, and 
 El Dorado; and Hon. A. C. Brown was the Judge of 
 the County Court of Amador county. 
 
 By the new Constitution the combined jurisdiction 
 of these two tribunals in this county, was merged 
 into one court called the " Supreme Court of the 
 County of Amador," with one Judge, who was 
 elected at the general election in 1879, and took his 
 seat on the first Monday in January, 1880. 
 
 At that time, lion. George Moore, of Jackson, 
 was elected to the position of " Superior Judge," 
 for a term of five years. Judge Moore is a native of 
 Kentucky, a regular graduate of Centre College, 
 and at the date of his elevation to the bench was 
 about thirty years of age, being one of the youngest 
 Superior Court Judges in the State. 
 
 This new judicial system, which establishes and 
 keeps open at all times, a court of general common 
 law, equity, and criminal jurisdiction in each county 
 of the State, would, it was thought, greatly facilitate 
 the speedy trial of causes, and prove more econom 
 ical in everyway, both to litigants and tax-payers. 
 
 Having now watched its workings for one year, 
 we are satisfied that these expectations are being 
 fully realized. In this, and indeed in every county 
 throughout the State, we find that it is daily growing 
 in popularity with both bar and bench, as well as 
 with the people. We no longer hear from any 
 quarter, the many complaints in reference to the 
 delay and expense incident to litigation under the 
 old system; but all who are best posted touching 
 these matters, unite in saying that the change was 
 one much needed, and one which will promote the 
 best interests of the entire State. 
 
 FINANCIAL MATTERS IN 1880. 
 
 At the close of the fiscal year the Treasurer 
 reported outstanding warrants on 
 
 Current Expense Fund $10,101 71 
 
 Salary Fund 7,344 41 
 
 Hospital Expense Fund . . 456 57 
 
 Kedemption Fund, exclvding interest.. 41,812 34 
 
 Hospital Kedemption Fund 8,601 38 $69,493 76 
 
 Cash in Treasury to apply 61,060 31 
 
 Indebtedness exclusive of interest $8,433 45 
 
 It would have been more satisfactory to have 
 known the exact amount, but the calculations of 
 interest seem to be repulsive to most persons except 
 those who are to receive it. The most careless reader 
 will perceive that the debt is being gradually extin 
 guished, however, forming a pleasing contrast to the 
 end of the previous decade, when the principal was 
 one hundred thousand dollars, and the interest as 
 much more, amounting to two hundred and eight 
 thousand dollars, with habits of careless extrava 
 gance to add to the burden. 
 
 POLITICAL PARTIES OF 1880. 
 
 With the return of the Presidential campaign 
 came the resort to abuse. It looks like folly to recur 
 so often to these things. Those who, for the first 
 time, vote the Presidential ticket might imagine that 
 it was possible that a rascal had wriggled into the 
 nomination. Those whose memory extends back a 
 half century, or whose reading extends over the hun 
 dred years of our national existence, will know that 
 this personal abuse is peculiar to no age, no Presi 
 dential campaign, no year; that it does not depend 
 upon malaria in the atmosphere or dyspepsia pre 
 vailing in the national stomach, but is incidental to a 
 free discussion of political matters, whether by a 
 mob of Athenians, a body of dignified Senators, or a 
 crowd of sand-lot political economists. No man, 
 however exalted his character, can expect to escape. 
 Washington, Jefferson, Jackson, and Lincoln, men 
 whom a grateful posterity have enshrined, felt tho 
 bitterness of vindictive misrepresentation. At the 
 close of Washington's administration, a resolution 
 approving his administration and recommending bis 
 successors to follow in his footsteps, met the fiercest 
 opposition. Mr. Giles, Senator from Virginia, Wash 
 ington's own State, remarked: " I do not consider his 
 administration an able one; on the contrary, 1 think it 
 is to his imbecility and cowardice that we owe all our 
 misfortunes." Probably no President ever received 
 severer language on the floor of Congress. Quite a 
 number of men voted against the resolution, among 
 the number being Andrew Jackson, then a Senator 
 by appointment from the recently admitted State of 
 Tennessee. The Philadelphia Aurora, a leading 
 Republican paper, commenced an article, on the day 
 spoken of, in this wise: 
 
 "'Lord lettest thou now thy servant depart in 
 peace, for mine eyes have seen the glory of thy salva 
 tion.' If ever any nation had reason to utter this, 
 it is this nation. If any people ever had occasion to 
 
124 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 utter it, it is this people, for this day the author of all 
 our woes retires to private life. Let him go to that 
 retirement which he so much desires." 
 
 And much more of the same sort. Volumes could 
 be filled with the written and spoken abuse of our 
 best men; but it is not the province of this work to 
 contain a history of the United States. The vituper 
 ation, the charges of treason, cowardice, dishonesty, 
 and everything else conceivable that is bad, that 
 were hurled at the distinguished men who were 
 candidates for the Presidency, are the subjects of mys 
 tery. That Garfield should have sold himself for 
 three hundred and twenty-nine dollars, or that Han 
 cock contemplated handing his army over to the 
 rebels, is, now that the campaign is over, too absurd 
 to deserve a thought. How people can bring them 
 selves to such a mental condition is mysterious, but 
 it is probably the same faculty of imagination which 
 induced a man to think he had married an angel 
 and then induced him to larrup her within an inch of 
 her life in less than a week from the wedding day. 
 The election passed off, and as the sun went down 
 so did the passions and anger which the occasion had 
 engendered, the smoke of the jubilee bonfires and 
 powder being the last of it. 
 
 ELECTION RETURNS -1880. 
 
 
 
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 68 
 
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 1345 
 
 CONGRESS. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 163 183 
 
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 A3SKMBLYMKN. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Thomas Duu'ap (D.) 
 C. B. Swift(D.). 
 
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 Chapman Warkins(R.). . .. 
 
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 39 186J 53 
 
 1398 
 
 The careful reader will see that the average Dem 
 ocratic majority has been decreasing for some years, 
 being less than one hundred where it was formerly 
 three hundred. The two persons elected to the Leg 
 islature were new men. Swift, a man of reading and 
 culture, had modestly kept in the background until 
 forced to accept a nomination. Warkins is a profes 
 sional miner, who has studied the structure of veins ; 
 wall rocks, dips, and strikes, more than tariffs and 
 taxes. Ho is a man of mature judgment and inflex 
 ible integrity, and is not likely to be bribed or led 
 into the support of vicious legislation. 
 
 REVIEW FROM 1870 TO 1880. 
 
 At the beginning of this decade the county was 
 two hundred and eight thousand dollars in debt; the 
 population was decreasing; the placer mines had 
 become comparatively exhausted; the population, 
 being made up largely of women and children, 
 instead of the stalwart, healthy men who settled 
 the country, had become less self-sustaining, and 
 a general decline in all industrial industries seemed 
 imminent. The towns of Sutler and Amador alone 
 seemed to be in a flourishing condition. These 
 
 towns furnished the best market for lumber, wood, 
 and agricultural products, and in one way and 
 another contributed towards sustaining every indus 
 try. We have seen the effect of economy in county 
 expenditures, which, without increasing the rate of 
 taxation, has so worn away the public debt that it is 
 expected to call in the last outstanding warrant by 
 the first of January, 1884. Though quartz mining 
 has mostly ceased in Sutter Creek, where its annual 
 productions once reached millions, it has been placed 
 on a paying basis in several places (notably Volcano 
 and Plymouth), where it was not profitable before, 
 and largely increased in other places, as Amador and 
 Jackson. New mines are being opened at several 
 places which bid fair to rival, in richness and perma 
 nency, the once rich mines of Sutter Creek. Agri 
 culture has received a new impetus, and small 
 vineyards, orchards, and farms, are appearing on the 
 hill-sides and valleys, which are made to teem with 
 life by means of the water from the mining ditches. 
 The population is increasing in numbers, the cen 
 sus returns showing an increase of one thou 
 sand seven hundred and forty since 1870, being 
 nearly twenty per cent. More permanent buildings 
 are being erected, and more extensive farming oper 
 ations contemplated. The population have less 
 expectation of getting rich suddenly, and are more 
 willing to labor for a fair compensation. Better 
 school-houses are being erected and the attendance 
 is more constant, showing better results in every 
 way. 
 
 The once common vices of gambling and drinking 
 with the usual accompaniments of lewdness and 
 obscenity, are vanishing before a healthy public opin 
 ion, a sense of self-respect taking the place of the 
 recklessness of early days. Most of the surround 
 ings are conducive to the building up of peaceful, hon 
 orable industries, and an industrious and virtuous 
 community. 
 
 NOTE. Those who undertake to verify the statistics of the 
 last two chapters, will discover many inaccuracies. They have 
 been compiled from newspapers, the official reports not being 
 accessible. Only professional, statisticians, like DeBow or 
 Walker, can handle large columns of figures without confusing 
 them. Though imperfect in detail, the general results are sub 
 stantially correct. The publishers give them as the best attain 
 able. 
 
" 
 
 -THOMPSON <f- wesr 
 
OF THE 
 
 'UNIVERSITY^ 
 
GEOLOGY OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 125 
 
 CIIAPTER XXY. 
 
 GEOLOGY OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 Strata in Buena Vista Mountain Carboniferous Clays Granitic 
 Sandstone Glacial Epoch Supposed Section of the Mount 
 ains Former Course of the Rivers Account of the Blue 
 Lead Stratified Eocks Serpentine Range Chromate of 
 Iron. 
 
 SOME account of its geology seems absolutely 
 necessary in connection with the extensive mining 
 interests; yet it is rather dangerous ground to 
 step on. Every day is bringing some discovery, 
 which sweeps away an old and well-established 
 opinion. To write an opinion of its geology may 
 subject one to the fate experienced by Dr. Lardner, 
 who wrote a very copious book, demonstrating 
 beyond a doubt the impossibility of crossing the 
 ocean by steam. About the time the book was well 
 out, a steamer crossed the ocean, without paying 
 any attention to the impossibility. It would be of 
 little use to the majority of the readers of this book 
 to tell them that the slates were what is called 
 hypor/ene schistose, by some authors, to signify that they 
 might have come from the earth in an injection 
 between the vertical rocks; or metamorpkic slates by 
 others, to signify that they had been altered by 
 heat, or other causes; that these slates were gen 
 erally metaliferous, and that veins of ores of all kinds 
 might be found in such rocks. These matters are 
 known to scientific readers, and are but the skeleton 
 parts, which must be clothed with a thousand accom 
 panying facts to make geology a living, interesting 
 topic. The limits of this work will not permit a full 
 treatise of the geology of this county, even if the 
 author were fully able, w T hich is not the case. Only 
 the most obvious and important matters, with the 
 proofs that can bo seen without much trouble or 
 expense, will be noticed. 
 
 A largo volume might be written on the subject, 
 without exhausting it; and years, aye, a life-time, 
 might be spent in the study of geolog} T , and still 
 only penetrate the outer precincts of the science. 
 A distinguished geologist, who had given a quarter 
 of a century to the study, said if one could live a 
 thousand years he might know something about it. 
 While the author disclaims any pretensions to pro 
 found knowledge of this subject, in justice to him 
 self and readers, he claims to have given it much 
 thought. Twenty-five years' residence in the county, 
 close and careful observation, with perhaps as much 
 reading as generally falls to a laboring man, has 
 given him an opportunity to appreciate, if not to 
 master, the difficulties of some of the problems in 
 geology. As scarcely one of the subscribers to this 
 work will claim or acknowledge any skill in this 
 science, the writer may be excused for treating it 
 in a popular manner. If some one of our young 
 readers may be induced to give the subject his atten 
 tion, if only one Hugh Miller, is kindled with a 
 desire to be able to read the records of creation, as 
 told by the rocks, and shall give a score of years of 
 
 active, vigorous life, to the examination of the sub 
 ject, so as to be able to give the world a true geology, 
 the writer will have been a thousand times remuner 
 ated. 
 
 TIME. 
 
 In treating of geology, I must ask my readers to 
 make a free use of time. Let thousands, aye, hun 
 dreds of thousands of years enter into our calcu 
 lations without fear of using up that part of the 
 material, for Nature is never pressed for time. No 
 matter how mall the yearly progress, time will 
 accomplish great changes. Those who have given 
 chronology thorough study, think they can trace 
 the creation back six hundred nillions of years. Let 
 us consider too that change, if not life, is the inher 
 ent quality of all matter; that no form is permanent; 
 that the "eternal hills" is true not for a day even; 
 that the loftiest mountain, buttressed with granite, 
 was once sleeping beneath the sea, and will again; 
 that the deep sea holds mountain chains in her 
 bosom, that will, in their own good time, emerge to 
 the light. 
 
 As all stratified rocks, or at least such as we are 
 likely to meet with, were once horizontal, let us go 
 back in imagination to the time when the deep sea 
 was rolling over our own Sierra Nevadas. We must 
 not hesitate in the cause of science, to sink also the 
 Utah basin, and even the Bocky Mountains. It 
 matters not that some of our sarcastic friends tell us 
 that we have no ground to stand on; that will 
 appear presently. We have now the sea, deep as 
 the Atlantic, rolling over the future Great West. 
 Only a portion of the continent, perhaps the White 
 Mountains and Apalachian range, are yet out of the 
 sea. It is during these immensely long periods that 
 the slates and the rocks, the future sources of min 
 eral wealth, are deposited in the deep sea. Age 
 after age (time is no object) the deposit goes on, 
 perhaps the thousandth part of an inch a year. 
 Minerals, suspended or in solution in the water, may 
 be brought and deposited, either by precipitation or 
 by gravity, and compounded into the mass. Every 
 one has seen how iron is precipitated by a small 
 particle of sea-weed along the shore, the iron in turn 
 uniting with something eli?e limo, salt, magnesia, 
 potash, silex, alumina, and, perhaps, gold and silver, 
 through chemical changes that are constantly inter 
 mingling, changing, and forming new compounds. 
 The coral insect goes to work, and, laying hold of 
 each particle of lime that comes along, incorporates 
 it into a solid reef the future limestone ranges of 
 the continent that is forming. The smallest insect, 
 the infusoria, finding the water charged with silex, 
 lays hold of the atoms, builds its tiny shells so small 
 that a thousand millions would not make an inch, and 
 patiently, year after year, age after age, piles up the 
 little shells, until five, ten, perhaps fifty feet of infuso 
 rial earth forms the material for the quartz veins of 
 our continent yet to be. Ten thousand, twenty thou 
 sand, and sometimes fifty thousand feet of various min- 
 
126 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 erals may be deposited in this way, all this matter 
 being slowly worn away from some pre-existing land, 
 which perhaps has had a birth in a former cycle. 
 As the material accumulates and acquires depth, the 
 internal heat of the earth, which is manifested in all 
 deep mines, by an increase of temperature of one 
 degree for each sixty feet or thereabouts, begins to 
 facilitate and perhaps produce chemical changes in 
 the first formed strata, which soon lose their former 
 texture and become our future metamorphic, or, as 
 they were formerly called, the hypogene schistose 
 rocks. Allowing an increase of one degree for each 
 sixty feet, we have for a depth of forty thousand 
 feet a heat of six hundred or more degrees, and 
 making allowance for rents and seams permeating 
 the mass, probably much greater in places. And 
 now for some unknown reason, the great mass, so 
 long quiet, slowly arises out of the water, not all at 
 once, but in long, parallel reefs, one preceding the 
 other perhaps by ages; low and marshy at first, but 
 soon, geologically speaking, assuming shape. Wheth 
 er from a greater force of upheaval or from a weak 
 ness or want of cohesion, some of these ranges, or 
 axes of elevation, break for great distances, and 
 granite is erupted, forming mountains, down whose 
 sides water begins to run, carrying the detritus or 
 decay into the new valleys. The mineral matters, 
 having undergone great changes in the depth of the 
 earth, appear, perhaps, concentrated into veins. 
 
 Now, let us consider for a moment the appearance 
 of these different strata. At first horizontal and 
 existing in floors and parallel layers, they are now 
 distorted, bent in places into the shape of a " U," 
 in others into a " Y " shape, the lower parts being 
 still down thousands of feet in the earth, subject to 
 the six hundred or more degrees of heat, which were 
 before referred to. If we could see the strata in its 
 shape where the mountain chains arc being elevated, 
 it would present an appearance something like a 
 hundred or more layers of cloth pressed edgewise 
 together, thus: 
 
 The reader will not for a moment consider that the 
 different layers of rock will hold together like cloth; 
 we have supposed the breakage to take place where 
 the greatest strain occurred, which would be on the 
 top of the bends or bights. We must also consider 
 these bends, anywhere from ten to twenty miles 
 apart, or at least twice the thickness of our deposit 
 in the sea, though these mountain elevations may 
 be hundreds or even thousands ef miles apart, in 
 which case we might have a valley like the space 
 
 between the Alleghany and Rocky Mountains, or 
 with unequal elevations, we might have a valley like 
 the space between the Sierra Nevada and Rocky 
 Mountains with short ranges interspersed. 
 
 We have presumed upon the tops of these bights 
 or axes of upheaval, breaking so as to expose the 
 lower lying strata. In fact, denudation would set 
 in and the tops of these elevations would be cut oft' 
 nearly to the line of the primitive or granitic rocks. 
 It is now evident that the lower or first formed 
 rocks, being the hardest or most highly metamor 
 phosed, would form the tops of the ridges, even 
 where the granite had not cropped out. 
 
 The formation of mountain ranges is a thing of 
 past ages, but is a product of forces still in operation. 
 Slowly the Coast Range is emerging from the sea, 
 and along the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, 
 as well as the Coast Range, are indisputable marks of 
 a former sea-shore, when both ranges of mountains 
 and the intervening valley were some hundreds of 
 feet lower than at present. How many of these axes 
 of elevation occur in the Sierra Nevadas, may not 
 be determined, but it is quite certain that the higher 
 mountains were, so to speak, in active operation 
 while the foot-hills, where the principal mines are, 
 were still the floor of the ocean. It is also certain 
 that the older or higher ranges had auriferous quartz 
 veins, while the present worked veins were either 
 unformed or slumbering in the depths of the sea. 
 Those who have never studied the rocks, except to 
 learn their economic value, can form but little idea 
 of the history of their creation, which their texture, 
 quality and locality relate. A boy who picks up a 
 rounded quartz pebble considers it a good article 
 with which to pelt a dog or knock a squirrel out of a 
 tree; a gravel miner would consider it an indication of 
 a hill deposit, and forthwith would commence a shaft 
 on the top of the nearest hill; while a railroad man 
 would think a deposit would make splendid material 
 to ballast his road. A geologist would immediately 
 ask, " Where is the river which rounded this pebble ? 
 for every rounded pebble is the result of pluvial 
 action. Where is the quartz vein from which this 
 has been torn ?" A bed of boulders on the top of a 
 hill marks the bed of an ancient river, though the 
 present stream runs some hundred feet below. lie 
 will tell you that in by-gone ages the river was up 
 there; that the valleys had been made by erosion. 
 So every rock, every pebble, has its history. The 
 placers which were worked in an early day- Tunnel 
 Hill, Butte Basin, Prospect Hill, American Hill at 
 Oleta, as well as Loafer Hill all speak of a system of 
 rivers, and of course a system of quartz veins from 
 which the gold was filched. The vast masses of 
 sand, gravel, and clay, with which the San Joaquin 
 valley is filled, as well as the eroded valleys, ancient 
 rivers, and lava-capped hills, all testify of the forces 
 that have helped to make our present abode. 
 
 A history of the denudation may be read in the 
 layers of potter's clay, gravel, sand, and lava, that 
 
GEOLOGY OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 127 
 
 form the foot-hills arid the bed of the San Joaquin 
 valley. The Bucna Vista mountain is, perhaps, from 
 its exposure on several sides, a convenient book of 
 reference. Standing on the top of this, one may see 
 many parts of the original plain, of which this 
 mountain formed a part, that once rested on the 
 valleys of lone, Buena Vista, and Buckeye, from 
 three hundred to six hundred feet thick, sloping to 
 the edge of the former sea-shore, which was forced 
 farther away as the masses of matter carried down 
 by the rivers filled the valley or basin, precisely as 
 the debris or slickens is now filling up the low places. 
 The top of this mountain is about six hundred feet 
 above the valley, and seems to have formed a part of 
 the same plain which extended east past Jackson, 
 Slitter, and Amador, though at these last-named 
 places the plain was some hundreds of feet higher 
 than at Bnena Vista. Marks of this plain can be 
 eeen around the base of Butte mountain, which 
 stood, like Thomas H. Benton, " solitary and alone," 
 while the shallow rivers fumed and fretted at its 
 feet, depositing beds of auriferous gravel to be 
 scrambled for in after ages. Let us see what the 
 
 BUENA VISTA MOUNTAIN 
 
 Is composed of. Commencing at the top, 
 we find indurated volcanic ash, or what 
 may be termed trachyte, with some indi 
 cations of columnar cleavage 80 feet. 
 
 Coarse fragments of lava, not hardened, 
 forming a loose, porous soil. This is the 
 sloping portion, below the bold part of 
 the hill... 100 feet. 
 
 Bed of volcanic and quartz gravel, contain 
 ing some gold 50 feet. 
 
 (This, on the surrounding hills, is the bed 
 upon which is generally superimposed 
 the breccia, or unwashed lava, not having 
 been rounded by the action of water.) 
 
 Sandstone, resembling granite, suitable for 
 
 building purposes 40 feet. 
 
 (In some of the surrounding hills this 
 becomes of a fine red color, owing to the 
 presence of sesquioxide of iron. The bal 
 ustrade of the steps of the Court House in 
 Jackson are made of this stone.) 
 
 Clays of different kinds, containing, in 
 places, iron ore, sometimes white, some 
 times composed of sand, white as snow, 
 supposed to be mostly from volcanic 
 material, as in corresponding strata; far- 
 ther west, pieces of pumice-stone of fine 
 quality abound... . 200 feet. 
 
 Carboniferous clays and sandstones, con 
 taining impressions of vegetation, mostly 
 of the kinds now growing, such as alder, 
 ash, pine, cedar, spruce, with some of 
 leaves resembling the palm. The feathers 
 of birds are also converted into coal, and 
 preserved in the seams of clay 100 leet. 
 
 (These clays are the matrices of the coal 
 beds, which vary in thickness from a mere 
 stain to several feet.) 
 
 Ferruginous clay, containing spheroidal 
 concretions, from a foot to six feet in 
 diameter, with impressions of leaves and 
 plants. The discovery of an old well, 
 with cut stone walls, proved to be the 
 lower half of a concretion, the shell of 
 which bore much resemblance to a stone 
 
 wall 40 feet. 
 
 Coarse clay and beds of sand, with some 
 vegetable remains half converted to coal. 
 These veins furnish water for the artesian 
 wells: when traced to the mountains 
 
 they become auriferous gravel-beds (*) 150 feet. 
 
 These strata all have a descent to the west of 
 about one hundred feet to the mile, and correspond 
 nearly with the ascending beds of the ancient east 
 and west rivers; thus, continuing the line east at 
 Jackson, the elevation of the plain would be about 
 twelve hundred feet; at Volcano twenty-five hun 
 dred. This plain terminates in the present Sacra 
 mento or San Joaquin plain, about five or six 
 miles west. The lava flow may be seen in several 
 places dipping into the ground, or into the level that 
 was once a sea-shore line, as at AV hippies, near the 
 Poland House on the Mokelumne river; on the 
 mountain west of J. P. Martin's lower ranch, where 
 it forms the crest of the mountain; on the hills 
 south of the Newton mine, and, perhaps, in a hun 
 dred other places in the county. 
 
 I have deemed it necessary to particularly notice 
 the formation of the foot-hills, because here we have a 
 record of the denudation that has gone on in the 
 mountains, the separate layers each telling its story. 
 Let us examine the lowest formation, which here 
 rests on the hardest and most highly metamorphosed 
 slate we meet with in the whole series of the foot 
 hills, the slaty structure being very hard to trace. 
 These reefs of rocks form the dividing lines, and 
 frequently, the boundaries of the valleys; as, for 
 instance, the hill near the junction of Dry creek 
 with Jackson creek, and the same class of rocks 
 north and south of Jackson valley. In looking at 
 these one can easily believe they have been a mass 
 of boulders, partially melted and fused together. 
 You can easily pick out rocks of different kinds, 
 which seemed to have formed the original mass, yet 
 the geologists tell us that they were never melted; 
 that this apparent fusion occurred when the rocks 
 were in a plastic state, and that the boulder appear 
 ance is due to the tendency to spheroidal concretion, 
 manifested by all plastic substances. The long reefs 
 of rocks, smoothed as if with a plane, show the 
 wash of a surf for an indefinite period of time, and 
 the subsequent burying by matter, held in suspension, 
 indicates a calm, sheltered bay, where the tides and 
 currents were gentle. 
 
 *These figures are in round numbers. The depth or thickness 
 of the strata constantly varies. 
 
128 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 If we examine the gravel at the base of the slate 
 hills, we shall find no volcanic matter ; quartz, 
 slate, and granite boulders only. This would indi 
 cate a considerable period of erosion, of denudation 
 of the hills before any eruption of lava. The next 
 deposit is mostly destitute of volcanic matter, but 
 contains much iron, indicating a breaking down of 
 ledges or rocks containing iron and sulphur, as sec 
 ondary sulphurets are frequent; in fact, much of the 
 gravel of this age is cemented by sulphurcts; for 
 instance, in the lower beds of gravel in Mat Mur 
 ray's claim, at Lancha Plana. 
 
 THE CARBONIFEROUS CLAYS. 
 
 These contain a great deal of volcanic matter 
 which seems to have been carried into the rivers as 
 ashes, pumice-stone and scoriae. In many places 
 the pumice-stone, as in the hills west of lone, is 
 found in considerable quantities. The streams depos 
 iting this were apparently running in broad, shallow 
 channels, with but small depression, the layers 
 being regular, and sometimes so thin that hundreds 
 of different deposits may be found in the thickness 
 of a foot. The length of this period seems to have 
 been immense. We can conceive something of the num 
 ber of years necessary to fill up a valley, even like that 
 of the Sacramento or San Joaquin with running rivers, 
 bankfull of mud, gravel, and sand; but to calculate 
 the time a gentle current, perhaps only discolored 
 with clay, would require to fill an open sea, or bay, 
 a hundred feet or more deep, makes quite a draft on 
 our stock of time. In this deposit we find the coal- 
 beds which seem to be nothing more than masses of 
 drift-wood, of the kinds now growing on the sur 
 rounding hills, such as cedar, pine, oak, manzanita 
 and alder, the latter being particularly abundant, 
 inclosed in the tight clays, and imperfectly carbon 
 ized. This part of the subject will be treated more 
 fully under the head of coal. 
 
 If a heavy draft on time was necessary for the 
 deposite of the carbonaceous strata, a much heavier 
 one is necessary for the overlying clays, which are, 
 in places, two hundred feet thick. In some places 
 they are alternate with beds of infusorial earth, 
 which could have been deposited only in clear water 
 holding silex, not in suspension, but in solution, as a 
 hundredth, or perhaps a thousandth part of an inch 
 of mud would have destroyed the insects which 
 build these little shells. 
 
 These clays have an economic value, as fine pottery 
 is being made from them, and it is quite probable 
 that porcelain will, at no distant day, be manu 
 factured, using the clays and quartz of the higher 
 ranges. 
 
 GRANITIC SANDSTONE. 
 
 There is little volcanic matter in this. The 
 deposit shows a breaking down of granitic rocks, 
 and a more vigorous wash of the streams, indicating 
 an increased altitude of the mountains, and conse 
 quently a greater carrying power to the water. 
 
 BOULDER FORMATION. 
 
 For the first time in our record, we find a volcanic 
 boulder in the drift. The volcanoes now dis^or^e 
 
 O O 
 
 lava, solid rock, instead of ashes and scorigB, and are 
 evidently in full operation, the streams being all at 
 work. In many places the lava deposits quite hide 
 the rock-beds heretofore traversed by the streams, 
 as the drift is composed wholly of volcanic boulders 
 which cover thousands of acres, in fact, half the hills 
 of the county seem capped with them. They are 
 hard t almost indestructible, and, wherever a mass 
 has been deposited, effectually protect the ground 
 from erosion. 
 
 Breccia, or lava, is found still higher than the 
 boulders, and sometimes has completely filled the 
 channels, turning the rivers into entirely new 
 courses. These masses of lava flowing red hot to 
 the sea, must have presented a magnificent sight to 
 man, if he existed. Boulders of considerable size 
 are found in the lava, but were probably formed by 
 spheroidal concretion, or by being rolled or crowded 
 along while in a partially melted state. This formed 
 the climax of volcanic action. But for the presence 
 of volcanic ash on the breccia, or lava, we might 
 conclude that the volcanoes ceased their working 
 after the terrific outpour of lava, but it Avould seem 
 that they quieted down gradually, perhaps were in 
 their old age for centuries. Extensive as the flow 
 was, Amador county was only on the outer edge of 
 the volcanic action; farther north the whole country, 
 for thousands of square miles, was covered so deeply 
 that no rivers have cut their way through it. If it 
 buried gold mines, they are still there. This outflow 
 of lava and boulders pushed the shore-line of the 
 bay some seven or eight miles farther out, burying 
 the drift-wood hundreds of feet deep. If we could 
 have seen Amador county at this time, it would have 
 presented the appearance of a vast plain with a few 
 peaks, like the Butte mountain, and a few of the 
 higher points west of the quartz belt, standing 
 above the mass of lava and boulders. It could have 
 had no vegetation, any more than the Modoc lava- 
 bed. What a few acres are now, barren and sterile, 
 the whole county was then. It could have sustained 
 no vegetation. Some of the places are left, especially 
 in the upper parts of the county. 
 
 It must not be inferred that a uniform mass of 
 lava covered the county. The same water-shed as 
 now sent its streams to the sea, meandering upon the 
 plain, piling up here gravel and there sand, chang 
 ing their courses frequently. Nearly all the strata, 
 described in this chapter as belonging to the Buena 
 Vista mountain, thin out as we strike the slates, and 
 many are entirely lost; a few of the more extensive, 
 like the lava boulder and clay formations, have their 
 representatives in the more elevated parts of the 
 county. 
 
 GLACIAL EPOCH. 
 
 A new actor comes upon the scene. From being 
 covered with streams of melted lava, flowing in a 
 
JOHN A. BROWN. 
 
GEOLOGY OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 129 
 
 fiery stream to the sea, the ice king throws his 
 mantle over it, and claims it for his own. As in all 
 the rest of North America, or at least the northern 
 part of it, the falling snows accumulated thousands 
 of years, until, compacted into ice, they were miles 
 in depth. There is not room here to prove the 
 glacial theory. One must read it for themselves, 
 or look for its track in our mountain canons, or on 
 our long sloping plains. They must see, as the 
 author has seen, the piles of rock, miles in extent, 
 heaped up by them, and the vast surfaces worn 
 away, smoothed down as with a gigantic plane, 
 which it is; then the track of a glacier will be 
 recognized, as easily as the track of a land-slide. 
 These glaciers reached to the sea-line, though the 
 heaviest work was done towards the summits. These 
 great masses of ice move, slowly it is true, twenty 
 or thirty feet in a year, forcing along everything in 
 their way that is movable. Granite boulders, twenty 
 feet in diameter, are held in the ice as in a; vice, 
 and cut their way through lava, through slate, and 
 through granite, leaving the powdered debris to be 
 carried off in the melting stream, in the shape of 
 clay. How long these streams continued is uncer 
 tain; long enough to erode deep canons in the 
 hardest rocks. Silver lake is a glacial erosion, for 
 - years it moved down the canon below Silver 
 lake, down the American river, cutting its way with 
 irresistible force; but the glacial epoch had its time, 
 and the ice king slowly surrendered his dominions, 
 retreating up the mountain sides, stubbornly con 
 testing each foot of ground. At Silver lake, he 
 made a last stand before a complete surrender. The 
 ice could get no farther than the outlet of the lake, 
 and melted at that point. Here were accumulated 
 the broken and worn-out tools, used in the excava 
 tion, piled up in a great mass across the lower end 
 of the lake. These dams, or piles of rocks, so well 
 known to geologists, are called moraines, and always 
 mark the retreat of a glacier. The outlet of the 
 lake has not yet worn much below the channel, left 
 at the melting of the great mass. Those who are 
 curious enough to examine them, may find several 
 small glaciers, a few acres in extent, around the 
 lake. We may well believe that a mass of ice a 
 couple of miles in depth, forced along by several 
 miles more upon the mountain sides, could scoop out 
 a basin like Silver lake, or even like Tahoe lake, 
 which is also a glacier erosion. The basin of Volcano 
 is also a glacial erosion, the glacier melting and 
 leaving a lake nearly a hundred feet deep, which j 
 shrunk away as the waters cut the canon deeper. 
 The limestone, sometimes smoothed as if hammered 
 and polished, and then, again, honey-combed by the 
 streams flowing from the melting mass of ice, have 
 kept a faithful record of the matter. Butte basin 
 is also another glacial erosion, with this difference, 
 however, it was filled up within a short time after 
 the melting of the ice. The long sloping valleys 
 around Jackson, Sutter, Amador, and Plymouth, 
 17 
 
 have the same origin. As a general thing, a valley 
 with the bed-rock near the surface, worn smoothly 
 away, without regard to the character of the rock, 
 is the result of glacier erosion, as is also a long, 
 straight, or nearly straight, channel of a creek. A 
 crooked channel, dodging the hard places, is a water 
 erosion. The present channels of the streams are 
 below the channels eroded by the glaciers, from one 
 hundred to four hundred feet, so that the track of 
 the glaciers must be looked for on higher ground. 
 
 If we could take a section a few miles in depth, 
 out of the mountains between lone and Yolcano, the 
 appearance would be something like the following 
 rough drawing: 
 
 A BCD 
 
 We will suppose "A" to be in the vicinity of lone; 
 " B " to represent the serpentine range which passes 
 the Mountain Spring House; " C " to be the ridge 
 west of Jackson, Sutter Creek, Amador, and Ply 
 mouth, and " D " to be the ridge west of Yolcano and 
 the principal marble range, these points being the axes 
 of elevation, no attempt being made to preserve the 
 relative distances. Further examination might show 
 another axis of elevation between the Mother Lode, 
 as it is called, and the limestone range, but the pres 
 ent diagram is accurate enough to illustrate the 
 theory of denudation, the mineral veins and the 
 ancient valleys. It will be seen from this that a 
 great portion of the elevation is gone. It may have 
 been, probably was, miles in depth, for the lime 
 stones that now form such prominent objects in 
 many parts of the county are destitute of fossils, 
 with a high crystalline formation, which changes 
 could have been accomplished only under the pres 
 sure of a superincumbent mass of perhaps, miles in 
 depth. The same pressure was requisite to obliterate 
 the fossils of the metamorphic rocks constituting the. 
 summits of the hills at the axes of the elevations. If 
 any one should object to this as involving too great a 
 removal of earth, a question as to the source of the 
 material forming the San'Joaquin and Sacramento 
 valleys might prepare his mind to assent to the 
 denudation. 
 
 FORMER COURSE OF THE RIVERS. 
 
 The present rivers intersect these ridges or for 
 mer mountain ranges, yet there are many facts 
 showing a system of rivers running parallel with 
 these lines of elevation. Looking at these mountains 
 in a clear day, from an elevated point on the Sacra 
 mento plains, one may easily trace the course of 
 these rivers by their banks which have been only 
 partially obliterated. From Bear Mountain in Cala- 
 veras to the ridges west of the lower end of Indian 
 creek, in the northern part of the county, and the 
 
130 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 ridges west of the quartz mines of Nashville and 
 Aurum City, the marks of an ancient valley are 
 unmistakable. The other valleys, though not so 
 prominent, may be easily traced. The gravel beds 
 also furnish another incontestible proof of the exist 
 ence of these valleys. The glacial erosion did not 
 wholly obliterate the beds of the ancient rivers. 
 Beginning with Tunnel hill, where we find a large 
 deposit, we pass northward, passing Jackson, which 
 we find to be in the track of a glacier, to the hills 
 east of the Gate, when we again f.ome upon the river 
 bed. North of the Gate it passes under the lava 
 ridge, shows itself on the east side of the town of 
 
 O * 
 
 Sutter Creek in several places, though it is somewhat 
 obscured where the east and west streams intersect it. 
 An examination of the gravel will generally determine 
 the age of the stream. As the stream we are follow 
 ing existed previous to the volcanic era, we shall find 
 few or no boulders of that formation. East of Ama- 
 dor and Plymouth the traces are nearly obliterated. 
 Snake Flat, east of the Cover mine, probably is a 
 relic of the river. East of Volcano we also find the 
 same evidence of former streams. Prospect hill, 
 now overgrown with pines, Humbug hill, and the 
 hills in the vicinity of Spanish gulch, the hills farther 
 up the forks of Sutter Creek, Mason's claim, Hall's 
 claim, the Italian claim, all belong to that age of 
 deposit. The streams must not be confounded with the 
 subsequent rivers which intersected all that we are 
 speaking of. The rivers of the first instance were 
 shallow, meandering along valleys of considerable 
 width, following no certain direction and frequently 
 changing their channels. The quartz boulders 
 abounding in these channels do not indicate a power 
 ful stream but rather a steady wear; furthermore, 
 the boulders, especially the heavy ones, were not 
 moved far from the veins, which usually may be 
 found within a short distance. It is highly probable 
 that the actual elevation of these rivers was much less 
 than at present. Perhaps at this time a description 
 of the great lead of California may bo introduced as 
 showing the character of the rivers existing previous 
 to the volcanic era. This description is taken from 
 the Overland Monthly, and is worthy the attention of 
 all desirous of a knowledge of the former systems of 
 rivers. We propose to show in a future chapter the 
 possible continuation of the river into this county, 
 all traces of it .having been, according to our best 
 authorities, lost. 
 
 THE DEAD RIVERS OF CALIFORNIA. 
 
 " What is a dead river ?" 
 
 " The simplest reply to this natural question would 
 be, that a dead river is one which formerly existed, 
 but exists no longer. In volcanic regions it some 
 times happens that the liquid lava, seeking the 
 lowest ground, fills up the beds of rivers which would 
 die, and are replaced by water courses running in 
 other channels, and in different directions. These 
 dead streams are so few and of little importance 
 elsewhere, that as yet, no class-name has been given 
 them; but in California they are among the chief 
 
 sources of its mineral wealth, and among the most 
 remarkable features of its geological formation. 
 They take us back to a remote era, before the time 
 of 'Borne, or Greece, or Egypt, far back beyond the 
 origin of history or tradition, before our coast had 
 taken its present shape; before the Sierra Nevada 
 had risen to its present elevation; before Shasta, 
 and Lassen, and Castle Peaks, had poured out their 
 lava floods; before the Sacramento river had its 
 birth, and while, if not before, the mastodon, the 
 elephant, the rhinoceros, the horse, the mammoth 
 bull, the tapir, and the bison, lived in the land. 
 They are indeed among the most remarkable dis 
 coveries of the age, and among the greatest wonders 
 of geology. They deserve some common name, and 
 we have to choose between ' extinct ' and ' dead.' 
 We speak of ' extinct volcanoes,' and of ' dead 
 languages,' and as the latter is Saxon and short, we 
 preterit. They had been called ' old channels,' but 
 this name does not convey the proper idea, since a 
 channel is not necessarily a river, and an old channel 
 is not necessarily a dead one. A dead river is a 
 channel formerly occupied by a running stream, but 
 now filled up with earthy or rocky matter, and is 
 not to be confounded with a channel that is open 
 and remains dry during the greater part of the year 
 because of a lack of water, or that has been aban 
 doned by the stream for a deeper channel elsewhere. 
 A dry river bed is not a dead river. 
 
 " The dead rivers of California, so far as known, are 
 on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, from 
 five hundred to seven thousand feet above the sea. 
 They are auriferous, and therefore they have been 
 sought for and examined. They have yielded prob 
 ably $300,000,000 in all; they now produce perhaps 
 $8,000,000 annually. They are not less interesting, 
 therefore, 1 ^ the miner than to the geologist; not less 
 important to the statesman than to the antiquarian. 
 
 " The largest dead river is known as ' the Big 
 Blue Lead,' and has been traced from Little Grizzly, 
 about latitude thirty-nine degrees and forty-five 
 minutes, in Placer county, a distance of sixty-five 
 miles. The course is south-south-east, the position 
 about thirty miles west of, and parallel with, the 
 main divide of the Sierra Nevada. The elevation is 
 five thousand feet above the sea at Little Grizzly, 
 and two thousand eight hundred at Forest Hill, 
 showing an average fall of thirty-three feet per mile. 
 The live rivers of the Sierra Nevada run at right 
 angles to the course of the range, and have cut 
 canons from fifteen hundred to three thousand feet 
 deep, and they are separated by ridges which are 
 from three to six miles apart, and are as high as the 
 canons are deep. The Blue Lead runs across these 
 ridges from two hundred to one thousand feet below 
 their summits. The traveler does not see any signs 
 of a dead river in these ridges, which are as high 
 and have the same general appearance at the Blue 
 Lead as at other places. I shall presently tell how 
 the miner discovers the lead, but before coming to 
 that, I want to give you a clear idea how the dead 
 river crosses the ridges. Take a piece of common 
 ruled cap paper; put your pen on a line, draw it up 
 at an angle of forty -five degrees to the second line 
 above, then down the first line at the same angle, 
 and so on until the line made by your pen looks like 
 eight rectangular saw-teeth, which are about an 
 inch high. Consider those teeth, as the ridges of the 
 Sierra Nevada on the lino of the Blue Lead in Sierra 
 county, and the intervals between them as the 
 canons. Write over the first canon to the left, 
 'Canon creek;' over the next, ' Goodyear's creek; 
 
GEOLOGY OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 131 
 
 and over the others consecutively, 'North Fork of 
 the Yuba river,' 'Eock creek,' ' Oregon ravine,' ' West 
 ravine,' and ' Middle Yuba.' Now draw a horizontal 
 line across all the ridges, a quarter of an inch from 
 their tops. That line is the Blue Lead. The diagram 
 made as directed, represents a perpendicular section 
 of the ridges and canons of the Sierra Nevada, on 
 the line of the Big Blue Lead in Sierra county as 
 seen from the west. 
 
 " I have said that the traveler would seo no sign of 
 a dead river in riding over the country. The ridges 
 are as high on its line as elsewhere; the canon sides 
 present the same appearance. Years elapsed before 
 the miners discovered the existence of the ancient 
 channel. But it required only a few months for the 
 discovery that the live rivers were very rich in gold 
 up to a certain point; that the abundance and "size 
 of the particles increased as they ascended up to that 
 point; and that beyond or east of that point the 
 streams were poor. Those points on the different 
 streams were nearly on a line. Just there the ravines 
 on the sides of the canons were very rich, and they 
 were comparatively poor elsewhere. The miners fol 
 lowed up the ravines, washing the dirt in their beds, 
 and the dirt where the ravines were not too steep 
 was a foot or two deep over the slate rock. At last, 
 when the miners got near the top of the ridge, they 
 found that the narrow, shallow rock-bed of the 
 ravine suddenly disappeared, and the body of the 
 hill was composed of gravel, which had a peculiar 
 blue color, and part of it, a horizontal stratum about 
 half a mile wide from east to west, and five feet 
 thick, was very rich in gold. They looked after the 
 metal and paid little attention to anything else. As 
 the stratum ran across the ridges from north to south, 
 the miners followed it in with adits, or tunnels, and 
 in more than one place the tunnels met; and a few 
 years ago it was customary for footmen passing 
 between Monticello and Excelsior to go under ground 
 a distance of a mile rather than to climb over the 
 hill six hundred feet high, by a path nearly two 
 miles long. In the same manner Forest City and 
 Alleghany were connected by a continuous tunnel, 
 but the timbers have rotted, the roof has fallen in, 
 and the passage is now closed. 
 
 " The auriferous deposit is gravel, mixed with boul 
 ders, clay, and sand, varjang from a hundred to three 
 hundred feet in depth; in strata, distinguished from 
 one another by differences in color, in the size of the 
 boulders and gravel, and in the number and size of 
 the particles of gold. The predominant color is 
 bluish-gray, dark at the bottom and lighter above, 
 with a reddish tinge in those places that have long 
 been exposed to the air, showing the presence of iron. 
 The material of the boulders, gravel and sand, is 
 almost exclusively quartz. In the whole length of 
 the river, as traced fora distance of sixty-five miles, 
 assuming that the deposits of gravel average half a 
 mile wide and two hundred feet deep, there were, 
 counting in the portions which have been washed 
 away by the live rivers, six billion six hundred and 
 sixty million cubic yards of quartz and clay, and the 
 quartz alone must have measured five billion cubic 
 yards. In the live rivers, quartz forms only a small 
 portion of the gravel. 
 
 " Whence came all the quartz of the Big Blue ? 
 How did it happen that no granite, slate, porphyry, 
 basalt or sandstone was buried in its bed? If all the 
 quartz veins now known in California were cleaned 
 out to a depth of one hundred feet, they would not 
 supply so much as is found in sixty-five miles of a 
 river that must have run for many hundreds of miles. 
 
 The gravel is all water- worn, and rounded by long 
 attrition. It came from far north. A piece of rough 
 quartz, while being carried five hundred miles in the 
 fiercest of our mountain streams, would not be worn 
 so smooth as is every pebble in the Blue Lead. And 
 the immense size of the boulders implies a mighty 
 current. Those in the lowest stratum average, in 
 some places, a ton. and many are found of twenty tons. 
 These are worn as smooth as the pebbles. They 
 are not found scattered here and there as though 
 they had tumbled down the banks of the river near 
 the spot where they are found; but they are evenly 
 distributed in a stratum of equal thickness across the 
 whole bed, and for miles in length. Above that may 
 be a stratum of larger ones. The great river 
 handled these masses of rock with as much apparent 
 ease, and spread them out as evenly, as if they had 
 been no larger than pigeons' eggs. 
 
 " The particles of gold are larger in size, and con 
 tain more silver at the bottom than at the top. The 
 smaller pieces are in the upper strata and as they 
 have a larger surface proportionately, the silver is 
 eaten out by the sulphurous acid which is developed 
 in the gravel by the oxidation of pyrites. If a 
 double eagle and twenty one-dollar pieces are thrown 
 into a solution of vitriol arid left there for several 
 weeks, the small pieces will, at the end of that time, 
 contain a larger proportion of gold than the large 
 one; and for a similar reason the surface placer gold 
 is finer chemically than that obtained from the 
 deeper strata. As a general rule, the deep gold is 
 nine hundred fine, or is worth eighteen dollars and 
 sixty cents per ounce, and the surface gold is nine 
 hundred and twenty fine, and is worth nineteen dol 
 lars in the Big Blue Lead. The gold and gravel are 
 deposited as in tha live rivers, in the banks, bars, 
 eddies, ripples and rapids. 
 
 "The richest places have contained as much as fifty 
 dollars to the cubic yard of the lower stratum, or if 
 the large boulders were left out of the estimate, to 
 two or three cubic feet. The space between the 
 boulders is filled with sand, clay, and gravel, which 
 contains the gold. In the upper strata there are from 
 fifty cents to two dollars to the cubic yard. The bed 
 is of slate rock, and the banks are from fifty to three 
 hundred feet high; but there are few places where 
 they have been examined, for nowhere has all the 
 gravel been washed awa}* across the channel. 
 
 "But how was it possible that the bed of a large 
 river could be filled three hundred feet deep with 
 gravel? When the miners in 1850 to 1852, flumed 
 the live rivers of California, and took the gold from 
 their beds, they found a deposit of gravel that did 
 not average more than five feet deep on the bed 
 rock, in streams that ran in canons one thousand 
 feet deep; and it is strange that the Big Blue should 
 have filled its bed with gravel. Yet this filling is 
 not without an analogue of our day. Under the 
 influence of hydraulic washing, Bear river and Yuba 
 river have, within the last fifteen years, begun to 
 fill up with gravel, and their beds have, for miles, 
 risen seventy feet or more above the levels of 1853. 
 This gravel is auriferous, and it is deposited in strata, 
 and the arrangements and general appearance resem 
 ble those of the Big Blue Lead. The filling up began 
 down in the valley, and as it ascended the current 
 became less rapid, and lost the power to carry away 
 the gravel. In Bear river, below Dutch Flat, the 
 bed rises two feet per month during the chief wash 
 ing season, from February to September, and in the 
 remaining months it falls on account of the stoppage 
 of washing and of the Winter floods, which carry 
 
132 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 off perhaps half of the accumulation of the Summer. 
 
 " Some persons claim that various camps on parts 
 of dead rivers in Plumas county, are on the Big 
 Blue Lead, and others think that portions of a dead 
 river, near Placerville, belong to the same stream. 
 I do not accept these theories, but if they are true, 
 the Big Blue river has been traced about one hun 
 dred and ten miles. In the northern part of Plumas 
 county, the river is buried under deep beds of lava 
 and basalt, and south of Placerville it is probably 
 below the level of the live streams, and thus cannot 
 be found by any system of mining or mode of pros 
 pecting now in use. Even in places where it is 
 above the level of the live streams, it may be cov 
 ered on the sides of the canons by slides of rock or 
 barren dirt or gravel, and the miner might spend 
 thousands of dollars in a vain search for treasures 
 not ten feet from his drift, as many have done, and 
 some accident, luck, or perseverance, afterwards 
 proved the proximity of the rich deposit. In sev 
 eral cases the lead was found by calculation. The 
 miner took his position on a hill-side, on a level 
 with other camps, and in a few days he found a 
 fortune; and others have spent years working on a 
 similar plan without success. The river must have 
 taken bends on the north side of Rock creek and 
 Oregon ravine, and twelve years of searching have 
 not revealed the position of the bends. 
 
 " But why did the Big Blue river die, and leave 
 nothing but its gravel and its gold to tell the story of 
 its greatness ? The main cause must have been the 
 subsequent rise of the Sierra Nevada. Suppose that 
 a range of mountains, seven thousand feet high were 
 upheaved thirty miles east of the Mississippi; that the 
 bed of the stream were on the mountain side, three 
 thousand feet above the sea, and that thirty miles west 
 the country retained its present level; the result 
 would be that the present Mississippi would soon be 
 a dead river; it would be cut across by streams run 
 ning doAvn the mountain side, and pouring into a 
 new Mississippi, thirty miles or more west of the 
 present one. We know that the Sierra Nevada has 
 been upheaved; that a large stream ran on what is 
 now the mountain side; and that it has been suc 
 ceeded by a new river farther west; and we must 
 infer that the death of the old and the birth of the 
 new river was caused by the upheaval. 
 
 " Many of the hills crossed by the Big Blue are 
 capped with lava or basalt, which covered much of 
 the country from near the summit of the range to 
 about three thousand feet above the sea. It seems 
 then that the river filled its bed with gravel; the 
 mountains began to rise, and volcanoes broke out 
 along the divide; the lava ran down and covered the 
 land to the line of the dead river and beyond it; 
 the mountains rose still higher, and the waters run 
 ning down their sides cut through the lava and 
 made deep canons, and washed away two- thirds or 
 three-fourths of the dead river, and scattered its 
 gold among the living waters. 
 
 " The descent of thirty -three feet per mile 
 observed between Little Grizzly and Forest Hill 
 would make a terrific current in a stream half a mile 
 wide. The Sacramento is a lively river, yet its grade 
 is only five feet in a mile. But no ordinary current 
 could have carried the large quartz boulders of the 
 Big Blue Lead from distant regions and distributed 
 them evenly over the river bed. It is possible, how 
 ever, that in the lifting up of the mountains the rela 
 tive elevations have been altered, and that the 
 present grade differs from that of the Big Blue while 
 it was alive. 
 
 " A question suggests itself whether the great dead 
 river was the predecessor of any living stream; but 
 to this no satisfactory answer can now be given; 
 and it is doubtful whether time and research will 
 ever furnish one. The Big Blue was parallel to the 
 Sacramento and has to a certain extent been suc 
 ceeded by it; but it drained a much larger district 
 than the Sacramento does, or the rain-fall of the 
 country was much greater in the era of its existence. 
 The Sacramento does not carry one-fourth of the water 
 which ran in the Big Blue probably not one-tenth. 
 If we could ascertain that the quantity of rain had 
 not altered, then we should be justified in presuming 
 that the Columbia river,which would just about fill the 
 bed of the Big Blue, instead of turning westward at 
 Walla Walla, originally continued southward, until 
 the lifting up of Shasta and Lasscn, and the adjacent 
 ridges, stopped its course, and compelled it to break 
 through the Cascade range at the Dalles. With our 
 present limited knowledge, we are not justified in 
 calling the Big Blue river either the dead Sacra 
 mento or the dead Columbia. 
 
 "Some persons have argued that the Big Blue Lead 
 never was a river, but only a lacustrine or alluvial 
 deposit. This theory, however, is untenable. The 
 Big Blue Lead has all the marks which a dead river 
 should have. It has a long course; a width nearly 
 uniform, a course nearly straight, some bends with 
 eddies on the inner side, a peculiar quartz unlike any 
 found in the neighboring ridges, or in the streams 
 to the eastward, an abundance of quartz, which no 
 place now known to us could have supplied, and 
 which came, probably, from a distant northern region 
 now covered with lava; water- worn gravel, which 
 must have been carried far; flat stones pointing 
 down stream, as a current would place them; strata 
 of coarse and fine gravel, which must have been 
 deposited in a stream; a uniform, descending grade; 
 the coarse particles of gold, which could not have 
 been distributed so evenly over a wide channel except 
 in a strong current; an immense quantity of gold, 
 which required ages to scatter through a deposit 
 three hundred feet deep; drift-wood unmistakably 
 water-worn; trunks of trees with the butts up 
 stream; tributary brooks, and a number of other 
 evidences which would require more space for their 
 description and explanation than I could spare. To 
 say that the Big Blue is not a dead river, is equiva 
 lent to saying that the bones of the mastodon never 
 belonged to a living animal, but were formed under 
 geological influences exclusively. 
 
 " If this were the only dead river in the State, the 
 proof would be less conclusive, but there are a dozen 
 others. One which runs south-westwardly, and may 
 be called the dead Brandy river, appears at La Port, 
 Brandy City, Camptonville and North San Juan, and 
 is marked by the same general characteristics, save 
 that the gravel is finer, the pebbles in the upper strata 
 being generally not larger than a pigeon's egg. 
 
 " In Tuolumne and Calaveras counties we have the 
 dead Stanislaus, or Tuolumne table mountain, which 
 runs from near Silver mountain, in Alpine, to 
 Knight's Ferry, and there disappears. It is covered 
 by a bed of basalt, which flowed as lava from a vol 
 cano, and filled up the ancient bed; and this basalt 
 has resisted the elements, and now stands as a 
 mountain forty miles long, a quarter of a mile wide, 
 and eight hundred feet high, the softer adjacent 
 slate rock having been wasted and washed away. 
 Under this mountain lies a dead river, rich in gold. 
 A similar table mountain of basalt, covering an aurif 
 erous dead river, which I call the dead Cherokee, 
 
JOSEPH WOOLFORD. 
 
 4 YfST. 
 
GEOLOGY OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 133 
 
 niter its chief mining camp, extends seventy miles, 
 from Lassen's Peak to Oroville. At Bangor, in 
 Butte county, is a small dead river, seventy feet below 
 the general surface of the ground, and covered with 
 ordinary soil and gravel. There are also dead riv 
 ers at Smartsville, Mokelumne Hill and San Andreas. 
 The Big Blue and dead Brandy are distinguished by 
 the depth of their gravel, and by the absence of 
 pebbles of eruptive origin in it. The others have 
 either short courses or shallow deposits of gravel; 
 and the quartz forms a much smaller percentage of 
 the gravel. In the dead rivers at Cherokee, Ban 
 gor, and Smartsville, a large proportion of the boul 
 ders and pebbles is of lava and basalt, as if the 
 stream had been formed after the commencement 
 of the volcanic era. But different as is the material 
 of the gravel, the fluvial origin of the deposits is sim 
 ilar and indubitable in all of them, when they are 
 studied together." 
 
 It may be presumptive to offer any suggestion as 
 to the source of the immense stream which formed 
 or deposited this lead. The suggestion that it might 
 have been the Columbia river before it had broken 
 its way through the Dalles, is perhaps worth con 
 sidering. Another suggestion may be permitted. 
 Those who have crossed the Utah basin, will have 
 noticed the water lines far up on the sides of the 
 mountains, showing that it was formerly an inland 
 sea, or lake, larger than any now on the continent, 
 which might have had its outlet through some of 
 the passes in the Sierra, ere its waters were lapped 
 up by the dessicating winds. This suggestion is 
 made for the benefit of the future geologist. The 
 question may be decided when the great lava bed, 
 which buried up the supposed channel of the river, 
 shall have been explored, and its secrets laid bare. 
 For the present we may lay this question aside, as 
 one too momentous for our present limited infor 
 mation. How long these rivers pursued their course, 
 where they emptied, and into what waters, are also 
 matters for future investigation. The deposits of 
 clay which marked this era, indicated an almost 
 interminable period. We may be inclined to ask, 
 Of what use was the earth at this time? 
 
 RIVERS FLOWING TO THE WEST. 
 
 But there came an end to this sleepy, easy flow 
 of events. The volcanoes, which had so long sent 
 forth only mud and ashes, now took on an indus 
 trious fit, and commenced pouring out lava without 
 stint, choking up the former channels, and, in some 
 instances, burying them under three or four hun 
 dred feet of lava. It is probable that previous to 
 this, many, or perhaps all, of these rivers had worn 
 a way through the low mountains which hemmed 
 them in, and found their way to the sea; but the 
 lava forced them to form channels in a new direc 
 tion. The low mountain barriers were overflowed. 
 The rivers, running with an increased velocity, now 
 swept along great boulders of lava, granite, slate, or 
 whatever came in their way. On a ridge between 
 Amador and Sutter, some miles below the towns, 
 may be seen boulders ten feet in diameter, which 
 appear to have been left at the foot of a long descend 
 ing portion of the river. Many times the new rivers 
 would choke up, compelling the water, again and 
 again, to seek new channels. These channels, in 
 many places, occupy the ridges between the present 
 river beds, sometimes at a height of six hundred 
 feet. 
 
 STRATIFIED ROCKS. 
 
 The surface having been considered, the stratified 
 rocks may next claim attention. These all dip into 
 the ground at various angles, sometimes with pitch 
 to the east, and sometimes to the west. In these 
 stratified rocks are found our valuable metals; and 
 any theory of vein formation, to* be of value, must 
 consider them as a unity. Commencing at the foot 
 of the mountains, at the lowest formation visible, 
 at lone, Lancha Plana, and the corresponding places 
 farther north, we find the strata in the following 
 order. I have set the names of the strata to cor 
 respond somewhat with the position of the rocks 
 named, and also have elevated, and otherwise noted, 
 the metamorphic rocks which formed the summits 
 of the ancient valleys. 
 
134 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
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GEOLOGY OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 135 
 
 It must not be supposed that any stratum pre 
 serves a uniform character for any distance. Only a 
 few of the great veins or ranges like the serpentine 
 and the other metamorphic can be traced in this 
 way. Whether from currents in the ocean deposit 
 ing different materials previous to the upturning of 
 the slates, or from subsequent change by translation 
 of minerals, or both, the slates change in character 
 every mile or two. The black slate will change to 
 gray, then to quartzose, or perhaps to syenite. The 
 metamorphic is often thinned out by other rocks. Jn 
 some place the serpentine is two miles wide, in 
 others nearly wanting, so that a description of rocks 
 at lone might not fully apply to the rocks four or five 
 miles further north. 
 
 The metamorphic rocks near lone, Lancha Plana 
 and Buena Vista, which have been referred to before, 
 may be taken as a starting-point. These do not 
 form a continuous reef, but here stand as detached 
 masses probably eroded as before mentioned by the 
 waves of the sea. Along the junction of this with 
 the black slate are some of the largest quartz veins in 
 the county. One of them may be seen near Randal's 
 ranch near lone, one at Mrs. Nichol's place near 
 Buena Vista, and at several other places. That one 
 on Randal's ranch has been sunk on some eighty feet 
 or more without finding anything of value. Where 
 these veins have been subjected to sea wash, as at 
 Muletown, and, perhaps, the Arkansas diggings, they 
 have made good placer mining. Irish Hill was 
 enriched by a mountain stream, as the gravel is com 
 posed of entirely different rocks from that of Mule- 
 town. The hill east of lone is probably sea wash, of 
 the same age as the Muletown deposit. The sea 
 shore line may be eat-ily traced by the bench-like 
 erosions. 
 
 Near the foot-wall of this belt are the Cosumnes, 
 the Arroyo Seco, Lancha Plana, and other copper 
 mines. On the opposite side of this belt is the New 
 ton Coppermine, as well as several others of promise. 
 The reader is requested to note the fact of paying 
 mines being found in the vicinity of these hard slates, 
 though these slates themselves scarcely ever contain 
 any mineral of value. In the intermediate space are 
 many veins containing copper- and other minerals in 
 small quantities. Near the Boston ranch some 
 small veins of quartz are estimated to have five 
 dollars to the ton, but they seem to thin out and 
 ramify through the ground so as to be unprofitable to 
 work, though many ravines have been enriched by 
 them. Some veins of steatite (soap-stone) have con 
 siderable gold in them visible to the eye, but no one, 
 as yet, has been able to separate it. The gulches 
 running from this range have been rich. Near Irish 
 Ilill is the Kirkendall district which was thought to 
 be rich in quartz veins, but the expectations have not 
 been realized. 
 
 SERPENTINE RANGE. 
 
 This is a striking formation of metamorphic rock, 
 BO twisted, contorted and scraggy, that it has been 
 
 considered by many as of volcanic origin. The point 
 between Jackson and Stony Creek was thought to be 
 an old crater. A close investigation shows it to be slate, 
 and the ragged, contorted appearance to be the result 
 of the substitution of magnesia for potash in the com 
 position of the rock. Chromate of iron abounds in it, 
 a vein of it near the Westfalls' ranch being nearly 
 three feet thick. Hundreds of small quartz veins, as 
 well as other ore chimneys, may be seen within a 
 mile or two while walking along this range. Vogan 
 has used many of these veins for road material. 
 When sunk on they often turn to clay, and many of 
 them are known by being sinks in the ground, or 
 sometimes pot-holes of clay. Silver, gold, and 
 copper are all found in these chimneys in small quan 
 tities. They were formerly explored for copper. 
 These ore deposits may be a continuation of those 
 found on the west side of the lower metaliferous 
 range. Farther east are many small quartz veins 
 with considerable gold, though the veins are too nar 
 row to be worked with profit. Limestone is found in 
 many places on this range. Not far from the Filmer 
 ranch is a large deposit which burns into good lime; 
 though many of the deposits contain too much silica 
 or magnesia for that purpose, being perhaps a kind 
 of dolomite. It is too dark colored and too hard for 
 ornamental purposes. On the Mokelumne river, near 
 the head of the Lancha Plana ditch, is a curious 
 formation of lime, resembling a frozen waterfall. It 
 is somewhat obscured by the dirt which has fallen 
 over it, but is well worth an examination. 
 
 A short distance below is an iron spring, a good il 
 lustration of an active ore deposit, a formation of iron 
 ore constantly going on, which is every year carried 
 away by the high waters of the river. The ore is 
 probably the result of the percolation of water 
 through decomposing sulphurets not far away. 
 Passing east we strike another belt of metamorphic 
 slates in places two miles in width. This may be 
 considered the great foot-wall of the Mother Lode, 
 also the most prominent indication of the largest 
 valley, following the ranges of mountains, that 
 existed in this county. As the Mother Lode has been, 
 and is now, perhaps, the source of more gold than 
 any space of the same width and length in the world, 
 and, from its having been worked deeper and better 
 than any other place, furnishes more material for a 
 scientific account of the formation of quartz veins, 
 the consideration of it will be deferred to another 
 chapter. It may be said of it that it probably fur 
 nished the gold with which the streams once running 
 parallel to it were enriched, as well as the streams 
 which now cross it, also the larger part of the 
 gold that enriched the gravel diggings at the foot 
 hills. It is probable that the stream debouched into 
 the Mokelumne or through that depression for a 
 long time before the volcanic era, as there are no 
 large deposits of gravel along the foot-hills near the 
 outlet of the present streams that are of sufficient 
 amount to have been produced by its wash. 
 
136 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 East of the Mother Lode, which must be consid 
 ered never less than two hundred, and sometimes 
 two thousand, feet wide, there is little quartz that 
 has any value. We find veins of slate and syenite 
 alternating with each other. Some of the gulches are 
 enriched by the wash of the great streams of gravel 
 that resulted in the breaking up of the first system 
 of rivers. Nearly half of the ground around Pine 
 Grove seems to be a relic of this wash; streams of 
 gravel, some rich and some nearly barren, traversing 
 the hills in all possible directions. The quartz veins 
 near the last metamorphic range spoken of are prob 
 ably connected by a sort of geological, umbilical cord 
 with the Mother Lode, though vastly inferior to it in 
 wealth. The veins have not regularity of pitch or 
 strike, sometimes breaking through the slate across 
 
 * o o 
 
 the rift and frequently losing themselves in extensive 
 ramifications. In places they are very rich, thirty or 
 forty dollars per ton not being uncommon. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 GEOLOGY OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 BY GEORGE MADEIRA. 
 
 Extensive Character of the Subject Mother Lode Methods 
 of Vein Deposits Character of the Veins East of the 
 Mother Lode Minerals in the Tertiary Rocks Nature of 
 the Limestones Gravel Deposits Nature of the Supposed 
 Photosraphic Eock Evidences of Glaciers Moving Large 
 Rocks Volcanoes Origin of the Trap Rock Origin of the 
 Smaller Quartz Veins Butte Mountain Copper Iron 
 Gypsum Asbestos Marble Kaolin Manganese Agate 
 Chalcedony Skeletons of the Megatherium Other Fos 
 sils Rhinoceros Hippopotamus Horse Destruction of the 
 Arcadian Land Botany. 
 
 [THE following chapter on technical geology, by 
 a professional mining expert, will please the more 
 scientific of the readers of this work. The writer 
 is amply competent to write an extended and 
 exhaustive treatise on the subject of geology or 
 practical mining. EDITOR.] 
 
 To the geologist and mining explorer, Amador 
 county offers the most interesting field of research 
 to be found in the State, containing, as it does 
 within its limits, the most extensive quartz deposits 
 to be found on the western slope of the Sierras. 
 The great Mother Lode passes entirely across the 
 county in a northerly and southerly direction. At 
 the Keystone mine (Amador) the course of the vein 
 is: south forty-two degrees, twenty-six minutes 
 east; north forty-two degrees, twenty-six minutes 
 west. Inclination of east wall of fissure, fifty 
 degrees; the east hanging wall is a metamorphic 
 silicious slate; and what is known, along the lod^, 
 as the west wall rock, or foot-wall, is a blue-black, 
 laminated slate. These laminated slates on the 
 west may not be the true foot-wall, as we find, one- 
 fourth of a mile to the west, a simalar parellel wall 
 of metamorphic slate, although it does not contain 
 the silica found in the east wall rock. 
 
 Between these widely divided parallel walls of 
 metamorphic slates, we find numerous stringers of i 
 
 quartz, from the width of a knife-blade to many 
 feet. The main Mother Lode, however, is found run 
 ning along the east hanging-wall rock, but in some 
 instances it leaves the same and varies to the west. 
 In the Keystone, at Amador, the vein leaves the east 
 wall, and, for a space of four hundred feet, does not 
 return to it. In the same mine we find the entire 
 width of the quartz deposit, as far as penetrated 
 to the west, nearly one hundred and fifty feet. At 
 the Empire mine, Plymouth, the vein is seventy-five 
 feet in width. At the Zeile mine, one-half mile south 
 of Jackson, the vein is thirty to forty feet at its 
 greatest width. 
 
 Stringers and feeders, from the country rock in 
 geological times, carried the silicious waters to the 
 main fissure, where it deposited its lode of silica 
 that went to form the vein. This lode gives indubit 
 able evidence of the manner in which it was formed, 
 to wit: by infiltration from the country rock, mostly 
 from the east. The east hanging-wall, in many 
 places along the line of the fissure, is a crystalline, 
 metamorphic slate, which has been changed by heat 
 and pressure into a near approach to diorite. 
 These slates are silicious rather than talcose, and 
 frequently pass into rock closely resembling diorite 
 or trap, and are difficult to distinguish from the 
 intrusive or eruptive rocks. They, at times, assume 
 a porphyritic structure, and may be taken for eruptive 
 rocks. 
 
 As we pass to the west, we find the slates grad- 
 ully change from metamorphic, to laminated, then to 
 conglomerate slate,* a series of fragmerital rocks. 
 These conglomerate slates have caused much com 
 ment among explorers, other than geologists, as to 
 their origin, and as they are abundant to the west 
 of the great Mother Lode, but are not found to the 
 east of it, we will give their origin. 
 
 These slates are made up of quartz pebbles, 
 fragments of slate, mica, and feldspar. They appear 
 as stratified gravel deposits, and gold has been found 
 in them. These strata were formed on the bottom 
 of a Jurassic sea, and are the cemented fragments 
 torn from older rocks. In the upheaval of the 
 Sierras, these slates escaped the pressure that was 
 brought to bear on those further to the east, and 
 hence we find them to-day a series of conglomerate 
 slate and sandstone. It is interesting to pass over 
 these slates, eastward, and see them pass gradu 
 ally into the metamorphic slates, and trace the out 
 lines of the quartz pebble in the firm silicious slate 
 along the great fissure that contains the Mother 
 Lode. 
 
 At some period, after the Jurassic era, the upheaval 
 of the Sierra fissured the western slope, as it is 
 known to have fissured the eastern, with numerous 
 large and small openings. Along the line of the 
 then base of the Sierras, volumes of steam and 
 streams of silicious waters poured from the great 
 fissure, which now contains the Mother Lode. The 
 *May be seen in quantity near Dry town. 
 
J^l^AM 
 
 7 
 
GEOLOGY OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 137 
 
 heated waters deposited their loads of silica, and, 
 the ascending vapors their metalic deposit. From 
 near Berranda, on the South Pacific Railroad, to 
 Trinity on the north, spouting geysers and steam 
 ing solfataras, ladened the air with vapors, and 
 marked the site of the gold deposits of to-day. 
 
 East of the Mother Lode, from one to three miles, 
 a ridge of feldspathic rock runs parallel with the 
 lode across the county. In some places, it is a com 
 pact granite; in others, a gneissoid granite. It is 
 traversed in places by dikes of trap and large veins 
 of barren quartz. At Quartz mountain, on the line 
 of this granitic ridge, is an immense deposit of 
 quartz, low grade ore. The auriferous slates of the 
 county are arenaceous, argillaceous, and quartzose, 
 sometimes changing in a few rods, from magnesian 
 to aluminous, or to hard, blue metamorphic slates. 
 These slates further change as we go west, and at 
 the Newton copper mine we find them an argillaceous 
 shale. 
 
 When excavations are made in the alum slates, 
 a deposit of Uhat mineral forms on the damp walls, 
 and waters flowing from tunnels in the slates, are 
 sometimes heavily charged with alum from decom 
 posing pyrites of iron. These slates, as has been 
 determined from fossils, found further north in Plu- 
 mas county, belong to the upper triassic and Jurassic 
 epoch. 
 
 The auriferous slates on either side of the great 
 Mother Lode are of the same age as the Jura Alps, 
 and hence Jurassic. They have a width of about 
 thirty miles from east to west. Five miles from 
 Jackson, on the Volcano road, we find these slates 
 divided by an immense ridge of granite; and three 
 miles east of the town of Volcano, the granite rocks 
 commence and extend, with slight interruptions, to 
 the summit of the great chain of the Sierras. All 
 the country rock, between these granite ridges, 
 which cross the county in a northerly direction, is 
 occupied by the auriferous slates except where 
 the carboniferous limestone divides it. There 
 are several strata or formations of the limestone 
 which cross the county in the same general direction 
 that the quartz veins do. These limestones mark 
 the near shore-line of a carboniferous ocean, and are 
 the work of the coral polyps that once existed on 
 the golden shores of Amador. It is a well-known 
 fact that the coral insect does not live and work at 
 a greater depth than one hundred feet; and at the 
 period when these limestones were formed, the land 
 lay at the bottom of a shallow sea; or the rising 
 Sierras shifted the receding shore-line continually 
 to the west. Hence we find the greatest deposit 
 of the limestones on the east of Volcano, where 
 they have a width of three thousand feet. Between 
 Valcano and Sutter, we find two narrow strata of 
 limestone; and three or four miles to the west of 
 Sutter, we find the last, or most western, strata of 
 the carboniferous limestones. 
 
 These limestones do not contain a fossil of the 
 18 
 
 coral polyps, who built them; not even with the 
 microscope can they be detected. The strata has 
 been so metamorphosed and changed by pressure, as 
 to destroy the form, and change its beautiful coral 
 formations (as found in the limestones of the same 
 age in Shasta county), into crystalline marble. 
 This limestone is a white, crystalline, saccharoidal 
 marble of fine and coarse texture, with veinings of 
 oxide of iron and black oxide of manganese. It is 
 traversed, in many places, by heavy and light trap- 
 dikes. 
 
 Previous to the deposition of the gold-bearing 
 gravel upon it the rock has been worn by the action 
 of the elements into the most fantastic shapes.. By 
 the removal of the auriferous gravel covering, the 
 limestones, domes and spires, monuments and towers, 
 of dark-veined marble have been exposed to view, 
 presenting an imposing appearance. It is full of pot 
 holes formed by the action of water, and deep, 
 curiously eroded cavities, once filled with gold-bear 
 ing gravel. 
 
 Caves, caverns, and long, sinuous galleries have 
 been formed by the eroding waters carrying the car 
 bonate of lime in solution, depositing it at different 
 parts of the deposit, in many instances decorating 
 the roofs and floors of the caverns with beautiful 
 stalagmite and stalactite formations. The lime 
 stone belt is crossed by quartz veins of small size. 
 Layers of flint, or chert, possibly formed from the 
 cast-off shells of diatoms, are found along the line 
 of the marble and slaty beds of the same rock. The 
 gravel deposits, which at Volcano have been exten 
 sively worked for gold, rest on the auriferous slates 
 as well as the limestones. Beneath the limestones 
 the slates are not found. 
 
 In the ridge north of the town (Volcano) the 
 auriferous gravel is overlain by horizontal beds of 
 white and pink tufa or volcanic materials, consisting 
 of ashes and pumice cemented and stratified by 
 water. Upon these horizontal strata rests a mass of 
 trachyte, broken into rounded forms on the surface. 
 Under this massive volcanic ridge, the entire aurifer 
 ous belt plunges, re-appearing on the opposite side, 
 at Fort John. 
 
 Between the Volcano basin and the Mokelumne 
 river is another high ridge of volcanic materials, 
 under which the auriferous belt passes in a southerly 
 direction. 
 
 These volcanic ridges which may be met with all 
 along the western slopes of the main chain, extend 
 ing m parallel courses from the summits of the high 
 Sierras to the low tertiary foot-hills, which in many 
 instances they cap with a shallow deposit extend 
 in a continuous line to the summit of the Sierra 
 Nevada. 
 
 These ridges push out in detached masses to the 
 confines of the Sacramento valley, where, becoming 
 thinner and thinner, they have finally stopped, and 
 are found on the summits of the low tertiary hills 
 around lone valley. 
 
138 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Near the surface in some of these tufa deposits, 
 may be found beautiful specimens of what are called 
 photographic rock dendritic formations; generally 
 resembling delicate tracery of trees and shrubs. 
 
 Some of the pictures are ideal landscapes, with 
 hill, valley, and lake; the lake in the foreground, 
 bordered by grass and ferns, the low hills in the back 
 ground with palmate and branching trees, delicate 
 as sea mosses. They are not, as supposed, nature's 
 photographs, but are formed by waters, holding 
 black oxide of manganese in solution, percolating 
 through the fissures in the rock. These formations 
 are abundant in the claims of McLaughlin & Co., on 
 Union Flat, and Whitney & Co., on the same range 
 near Volcano. 
 
 The Jurassic and carboniferous strata are overlain 
 by the strata of the tertiary and post-pliocene, with 
 boulder or glacial drift and aluvium deposits. The 
 volcanic deposits cap the whole, and are consequently 
 the latest formations. 
 
 GLACIAL EVIDENCES. 
 
 On the summits of many of the high ridges, both 
 exposed and under the lava flow, are deposits of 
 glacier drift, in places rich in gold. The question 
 with many is, how these immense polished boulders 
 have been left on the summits. 
 
 The solution of the question is that they were carried 
 there in the glacial period, after having been torn 
 from the numerous quartz, and other ledges, over 
 which the glacial flow passed, carrying them over 
 valley and hill as they are known to have traveled 
 from a northerly direction. The great body of 
 ice, possibly two or three miles in thickness, acted as 
 a mighty arastra, grinding down the quartz lodes, 
 pulverizing the mass, polishing the boulders, and 
 depositing the gold in the drift (to be concentrated 
 afterwards by the flowing streams from the melting 
 ice), wearing down the slates, and leaving the aurifer 
 ous gravel in the beds of the rivers and gulches, filling 
 the great valley of the Sacramento to an unknown 
 depth. The Stockton artesian well, sunk to a depth 
 of eleven hundred feet, did not go through the deposit, 
 nor the well at the Sacramento sugar refinery, two 
 thousand two hundred feet in depth, the auger 
 bringing up gold, quartz, and wood, at a depth of 
 two thousand feet. We mention these deep sinkings 
 in the valley to show that the debris, for countless 
 ages, has beeri pouring in.to the valleys, and must 
 for countless ages to come. Three miles west of the 
 town of Amador we find evidences of glacial deposit. 
 On the summit of one of the volcanic ridges, min 
 gled with the huge, rounded trachyte boulders, are 
 fifteen granite glacier-polished boulders. The larg 
 est is thirteen feet long by seven and one-half feet 
 wide; the part above ground is five feet high. It 
 contains fifty tons of rock, and has the ovid or 
 sheep-back form peculiar to glacial boulders. The 
 others, all similar in appearance, are much smaller. 
 There is no granite of the same character nearer 
 
 than twenty miles north-east, in an air line. We 
 followed the line of the glacier drift over the vol 
 canic ridges, and down the deep canons, to near 
 Upper Rancheria, where wo again came upon the 
 same character of granite boulders, but distant from 
 the first mentioned by ten or twelve miles. They 
 are from five to thirty tons weight. They mark the 
 line of the glacial flow, and their polished sides show 
 the action of the moving ice. 
 
 VOLCANOES. 
 
 There are no well-defined volcanoes, with the ex 
 ceptions of Butte mountain, near Jackson, and one 
 west of Tragedy Springs, near Silver lake. At the 
 last-mentioned point, there are evidences of the most 
 stupendous volcanic outbursts, and from this point 
 the lava ridges may be traced for forty miles or 
 more, toward the valley of the Sacramento. These 
 lava rivers in the volcanic epoch, flowed down the 
 lowest places, or river beds. As the ages rolled on, 
 the eroding waters and high mountain glaciers, wore 
 the softer slates away, and left these g-idges, as we 
 find them to-day, the most elevated portion of the 
 county. That portion of the county to the east of 
 the great Mother Lode, is traversed, to a greater 
 or less extent, by igneous rocks, mostly trap and 
 diorite. These dikes cut through all formations, 
 and are found extending to the boulder drift and 
 aluviuna deposits. (According to Clarence King, 
 United States geologist, they were erupted in the 
 cretaceous, or chalk period.) They are from a few 
 inches in width to many (sometimes five hun 
 dred) feet wide. We have traced many of them for 
 a distance v of two miles, through several formations. 
 They are, in many instances, intimately connected 
 with the formation of quartz lodes; and where they 
 cut a ledge or intersect it, deposits of rich ore are 
 often found. la the Pioneer district, five miles east 
 of Volcano, the small quartz lodes in the granite, 
 owe their origin to these trap-dikes; they are what 
 is known as segregated lodes, that is, drawn from 
 the granite by the heat of the ascending dike. 
 
 Trap-dikes cross the basin on- which the town of 
 Volcano is located, in almost all directions. The 
 richest placer deposits have been found in close 
 proximity to these erupted dikes, on one or the 
 other side. They appear to have acted as gigantic 
 riffles during the glacial period, and held the gold 
 as it was ground out of the abundant quartz lodes, 
 much as is common in a sluice at the present time. 
 A large dike of doleritic trap rock, with large crys 
 tals of augite, malacolite, and sahlite, of a dingy 
 green color, passes just above the falls on Indian 
 gulch, near Volcano, and through which a tunnel 
 has been driven. ' This heavy dike of igneous rock 
 changed the inclosing limestones to a coarse crys 
 talline carbonate of lime, some of the crystals an 
 inch square. Some very good marble has been 
 formed in the same way, at various places on the 
 limestone belt. This great dike, in a few hundred 
 
GEOLOGY OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 139 
 
 feet, frays out into numerous small dikes; some of 
 them cutting small quartz veins, in the here silicious 
 limestones, which show gold where the trap passes 
 through the quartz. 
 
 Butte mountain gives indubitable evidence of hav 
 ing been erupted on the spot, the molten matter 
 coming up through an opening in the slates. We 
 find the conical mountain composed of volcanic rocks 
 and ashes, resting on the auriferous slates. This 
 mountain is a conspicuous figure in the landscape, 
 and the view from its summit, extensive and grand. 
 
 COPPER. '*' 
 
 What is known as the copper belt, and on which 
 the Newton copper mine is located, passes across 
 the county five or six miles to the west of the great 
 Mother Lode. The slates in this section are the 
 magnesian and argillaceous. Large ledges and 
 strata of serpentine rocks cross and cut these slates 
 in all directions. The ore obtained at the Newton 
 mine is the sulphuret, known as chalcopyrite, the 
 yellow oxide of copper. There is some iron pyrites 
 mixed with the ore to a greater or less extent, 
 which lowers the percentage of the ore correspond 
 ingly; red oxide is also obtained in smaller quanti 
 ties. 
 
 The process of working is simple. The ore is 
 roasted, then leached, and the copper precipitated 
 with iron, or rather, collected on iron scraps. 
 
 Along this copper belt are numerous croppings 
 and evidences of the existence of other deposits of 
 copper, and the future prospector may yet uncover 
 mines equal to the one described above. 
 
 MINERALS. 
 
 Iron is abundant; and the day is not distant when 
 the inexhaustible iron deposits of Amador will be 
 profitably worked. 
 
 Wood is abundant for the manufacture of char 
 coal; limestone of the best quality for smelting 
 purposes without limit; andiron ore of a good grade 
 beyond computation. It is on every hand; in the 
 limonite that binds the gravel beds in solid conglom 
 erate to lodes or deposits of great extent ; in 
 masses of dark steel-gray hematite, and lodes of 
 magnetic iron ore; in specular iron; in masses of 
 iron and black oxide of manganese; in ocherous 
 earth and jaspery croppings; in stalactites and small 
 beautiful specimens of titanic ore; last but not least, 
 in the blood-red soil of the environing hills. 
 
 GYPSUM. 
 
 Small deposits of sulphate of lime have been found 
 at various points in the county, but not in paying 
 quantities. The future explorer may develop quan 
 tities of the mineral. 
 
 ASBESTOS. 
 
 Small veins of the above mineral exist all over the 
 county, changing from the fibrous to immense ledges 
 of steatite of a coarse variety. 
 
 MARBLE. 
 
 Marble of a good quality, and' of diiferent shades 
 from blue-veined to crystalline white, is found along 
 the limestone belt. Small quantities of onyx are also 
 found in the same vicinity. 
 
 MANGANESE. 
 
 Small veins of the above mineral are also met 
 with. 
 
 KAOLIN. 
 
 A good quality of potter's clay is found in hori 
 zontal deposits near Carbondale, and around lone 
 Valley. A good deposit of the same mineral exists 
 at Aqueduct City. 
 
 Accompanying the quartz veins, in many instances 
 forming selvedge or "gouge," as it is called by the 
 miners, is a fair quality of kaolin; formed from decom 
 posed feldspar. 
 
 AGATE CHALCEDONY. 
 
 In Soldiers' gulch, back of the town of Volcano, 
 is a quartz vein passing through the gravelly deposit, 
 formed, by the action of water holding silica in 
 solution, since the deposition of the gravel. It is a 
 ferruginous, jaspery vein of geodic chalcedony and 
 agate. Some of the cavities are most beautifully 
 lined with silicious crystalline deposits of these 
 minerals. 
 
 About one hundred feet to the north of the above- 
 described curious jaspery formation, is a dike or 
 trap, which, when erupted, baked the clay on either 
 hand for a distance of fifty feet into porcelanite, a 
 species of jasper. Near this dike we found several 
 casts of bones of the megatherium (?) a gigantic 
 animal that existed in the tertiary period. The casts 
 are of porcelanite, and very large. 
 
 In some of the clay slates, all over the county, we 
 found tracks and borings of worms and rain-drop 
 impressions, and in the hard blue slates along the 
 Mother Lode, we frequently find the wave marks 
 left by the receding Jurassic sea. In a mining claim 
 (at Volcano) near the junction of the slates and lime 
 stones, we found some fine specimens of ferruginous 
 lignite, or in other words, fossil woods changed to 
 iron ore, the fibre of the wood clear and distinct. 
 Here we also found a similar sample of palm wood, 
 the bark still remaining on the wood. The other 
 woods found presented a fibre similar to alder and 
 maple. We also found fossil plants, two in number, 
 all of which probably belonged to the triassic slates. 
 In the high volcanic ridge, known as Shake ridge, 
 about three miles north-east of Volcano, is the tunnel 
 of W. Q. Mason, which has been driven under the 
 volcanic matter or lava, through the channel rim of 
 slates, cutting an ancient river bed, or lacustrine de 
 posit. The thinly laminated clayey deposit, has been 
 formed in still water, as may be determined from the 
 position of the fossil vegetation. Charred wood and 
 'ferruginous lignite, or wood changed to iron ore, is 
 abundant. Mr. Mason has a pine cone a beautiful 
 
140 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 specimen, changed into sulphuret of iron. Here we 
 found between the thin, clayey layers, the leaves of the 
 following trees: Alder, willow, oak, maple, fig, and a 
 very large leaf we could not determine. These 
 leaves, and what appeared to be the fronds of a 
 species of fern, are abundant, forming a deposit in 
 some places two or three feet thick. They are very 
 fragile, and all attempts to preserve them, even for 
 a few days, were futile. 
 
 The fossil plants belong to the tertiary period, and 
 the volanic flow, that ended their existence, car 
 bonized and preserved their varied forms intact. 
 Similar leaves and fossil woods are found, in and 
 around Jackson and lone valleys, beneath the hori 
 zontal clay strata that form the hills. 
 
 Fossil remains of the elephant and mastodon have 
 been found at various places in the county by miners 
 and others. 
 
 In Jackson valley the} 7 have been upturned by 
 the plow. At Grass Yalley a tusk of a mastodon, 
 nine feet long, was washed from the auriferous 
 gravel deposits. 
 
 At one period of time in the geological history of 
 Amador, the rhinoceros (an animal allied to the 
 hippopotamus), an extinct species of horse, and an 
 animal allied to the camel, wandered through the 
 palm groves and tropical woods of Arcadian Ama 
 dor; none of these survived the grand catastrophe 
 that swept them from the earth and buried their 
 bones with the destroyed groves through which 
 they wandered under the great lava-covered ridges, 
 in the ancient river beds of to-day. 
 
 The feathery palm lifted its proud head to a trop 
 ical sun; the wild fig dropped its fruit along the 
 streams, and the maple flourished on the gently 
 rolling hills; gigantic ferns grew in rank luxuriance 
 around the margin of the placid lake; birds of gay 
 plumage winged their flight through flowering 
 groves, and the air was rank with heated vapors. 
 
 But a change came over the spirit of the dream; a 
 geological epoch had been accomplished, and the 
 rising Sierras, with their teeming volcanoes, lit up 
 the eastern heavens with a lurid glare, sending 
 down streams of lava and volcanic material, burying 
 the remains of those animals beneath the fiery flood. 
 Later the elephant and the mastodon wandered over 
 the hills and valleys of our county, only to be swept 
 away by the seas of ice, or ground to atoms beneath 
 its accumulated weight, leaving their remains as 
 evidence of their existence. 
 
 BOTANY OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 Sugar Pine (Pinus Lambertina) The first and 
 grandest tree of the Sierras, which should have been 
 named pinus saccharina, an appropriate and suggest 
 ive name. It deposits a sugary mass, similar to the 
 manna of the druggist, but a mild cathartic, although 
 pleasant to the taste. 
 
 This majestic tree, with its long horizontal branches 
 and pendant cones of twelve to twenty inches in 
 
 length, towering high above its fellows, forms a most 
 attractive figure in the landscape. The white pine 
 lumber from this tree is the best met with in the 
 Sierras. 
 
 Pitch Pine (Pinus ponderosa) Comes next in value, 
 and immense quantities are sawed into lumber and 
 shipped to the valleys, or floated down the ditches to 
 the mines at Sutter, Amador, and other places. 
 
 Arbor Yitce (Thugia giyantea) Or the noble fir, is 
 found in the deep canons a few miles east of Yolcano. 
 
 Red Fir (Abies Doujlasii) Is also found on the 
 volcanic rjdges, and down the canons. 
 
 Balsam Fir (Picca granrlis)Is also met with, and 
 used for economical purposes. 
 
 The White Cedar (Labrocedus ducurens) Is a beau 
 tiful tree, and many attempts have been made to 
 transplant it to the valley homes, for ornamental pur 
 poses, but with only partial success. 
 
 Nut or Rock Pine (Pinus sabiana) Is found grow 
 ing on the rock lands of the western part of the 
 county, and along the carboniferous limestones, bear 
 ing a large cone full of edible nuts. The wood is poor, 
 even for fire-wood. 
 
 Nutmeg Tree ( Torreya C alifornica ) Which grows 
 into a stately tree in the Coast Range, here only 
 reaches a small shrub. The nuts are not like the 
 nutmeg of commerce, except in outside appearance. 
 The meat is edible, but the squirrels usually get it. 
 
 Western Yew (Taxus brevlfofia) Found in the 
 eastern part of the county, as also the mountain 
 spruce. 
 
 Bay Tree, or Mountain Laurel (Oreodaphne C alifor 
 nica,) A beautiful, spicy tree, which grows to an 
 immense size in the Coast Range, but here, only to a 
 respectable shrub. 
 
 White Oak (Quercus Lobata) Differs from that 
 found east of the Rocky Mountains. 
 
 Quercus Agrifolia Quite plenty on the ridges, and 
 around lone valley. 
 
 Canon Live-Oak (Q. Crysolepsis) A valuable 
 wood for ship timbers. 
 
 California Chestnut (Castanopsis Chrysophylla) A 
 shrubby tree; grows on the rocky lands. 
 
 Hazelnut (Corylus Roslrata) In the canons and 
 north hill-sides; bears nuts in small quantities. 
 
 Alder (Alnus Viridis) Found growing along the 
 streams. In the Coast Range is used for powder- 
 wood. 
 
 Common Willow (Salix Biglowii) Found in large 
 trees along the creeks and streams. 
 
 Cottonwood Poplar (Populas monilifera) Large 
 trees; in some instances along the creeks. 
 
 Bayberry or Wax Myrtle (Myrica Californica) 
 On moist hill-sides and streams. 
 
 Leather Wood ( Dirca palustris) A bush six to ten 
 feet high; grows on dry ridges; very tough. 
 
 Alder Buckthorn (jRhammus Californica) From 
 five to ten feet high; called Wild Coffee from the fact 
 the berry contains seeds that resemble coffee, and 
 
ORIGIN OF MINERAL VEINS. 
 
 141 
 
 have been so used, but it is distinct from the true 
 coffee plant. 
 
 Mountain Lilac (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus) Two va 
 rieties, blue and white; a fragrant, handsome tree or 
 shrub. 
 
 Ceanothus papillosus Resembles the last; found in 
 the mountains; the body of the tree is full of nobs 
 made by the attacks of insects; used for canes on 
 account of this peculiarity. 
 
 ROSE FAMILY. 
 
 Wild Cherry (^Prunus ilicifolia). 
 
 Mountain Holly (Heteromeles arbutifolia ) Grows as 
 high as twenty feet, with beautiful, red berries, 
 which ripen in January or February; much sought 
 by birds. 
 
 Service Berry (Amelanchier alnifolia) Grows high 
 in the mountains. 
 
 Chaparral- Chemisal (Adenostoma fasclculatum) 
 Grows from five to twenty feet high; covers the 
 rocky hills to the exclusion of all other trees. 
 
 * MAPLE FAMILY. 
 
 Buckeye Horse-chestnut (jEsculus Californica) A 
 beautiful tree in the Spring when in bloom; nut used 
 by the Indians for food, who soak the poison out 
 with water. 
 
 Big Leafed Maple (Acer macrophyllum) Grows into 
 a small tree. 
 
 Poison Oak (Rhustaxico dendron) and (Rhus diver- 
 sllolba) Either variety of which will make the visitor 
 wish he or she had not met with it. This obnoxious 
 shrub grows all over the State. 
 
 HEATH FAMILY. 
 
 The Madrona or Strawberry Tree of the Spaniards 
 (Arbutus Menziessii) A beautiful tree with orange 
 colored branches and deep green varnished leaves; 
 bears a red berry of which the wild pigeons are fond. 
 Manzanita ( Arctostaphyhs tomentosa) and (A. 
 Glanca) Two varieties; bears berries, which the 
 Indians gather in large quantities, of which they 
 make a kind of cider. 
 
 Flowering Dogwood (Cornus Nuttallii) A beauti 
 ful tree when in bloom. 
 
 C. Californica Grows mostly along the streams; 
 another species of Dogwood. 
 
 Elder ( Sambucus glauca ) Bears edible berries. 
 Calif ornicum Rhododendron Is found in some 
 parts of the county. 
 
 Of plants, we have, lilies, saxifrages, orchides, 
 equisetce, sedges, etc., ferns in variety, wood mosses, 
 and lichens; there are lupines, orthocarpus; the 
 poppy family is represented by three or four beauti 
 ful species, and the lilies by as many. 
 There are two or three species of violets. 
 This list might be extended much farther. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI 1. 
 
 ORIGIN OF MINERAL VEINS. 
 
 Plutonic Theory Ocean Floors Other Theories Considered 
 Function of Wall Rock and Gouge Surface Veins 
 Probable Depth of Veins Methods of Deposit Jurassic 
 Gravel Course of the Blue Lead. 
 
 IT may seem presumptuous to offer any ideas on 
 the formation of the various metaliferous veins that 
 ramify through our mountains; but between those 
 who think God called all things into existence just as 
 they are, and those who can readily explain every 
 thing^) there is quite room enough for many persons, 
 however different their opinions, to stand without 
 jostling each other. Notwithstanding all the dis 
 coveries in science, and they are many and of great 
 importance, we are but on the boundaries of the 
 infinite field, for natural science, in any of its thou 
 sands branches, is an illimitable expanse which 
 would require an eternity to explore. 
 
 An elaborate treatise on the formation of mineral 
 veins would be out of place in a volume of this kind, 
 even if the writer were capable of such a work; 
 hence only matters pertaining to the industries of 
 the county will find place here. Thirty years' 
 experience in gold and other mining, much of which, 
 for want of knowledge, has been unprofitable, has 
 left many valuable hints, which, like trees blazed 
 by the pioneer through the pathless woods, serve to 
 guide those who come after. An abandoned shaft 
 or mine should tell its tale of warning, and when 
 properly interrogated will probably do so. 
 
 PLUTONIC THEORY. 
 
 It was formerly held that all mineral veins were 
 the result of internal heat, which out of an immense 
 amount of material always hot, molten, .sent some 
 small fragments to the upper earth. Nearly all the 
 rocks were supposed to have the same origin; but 
 the inexplicable difficulties which this theory led to, 
 soon caused its abandonment. The metalic veins 
 were too finely ramified, reticulated through the 
 rock, to admit of that method of deposit. If the 
 metaliferous lodes had been raised to the necessary 
 degree of heat for fusion, the wall rocks or casings 
 would have been destroyed or vitrified; whereas, 
 the slate or other rocks in the vicinity of a vein are 
 frequently unchanged. The ribbon quartz, consisting 
 of parallel layers sometimes not thicker than paper, 
 and extending for hundreds of feet in length and 
 depth, would be impossible by the Plutonic theory. 
 Then again, known eruptive rocks are entirely differ 
 ent from the rocks in which minerals are found. 
 Lava beds contain no gold or silver. 
 
 OCEAN FLOORS. 
 
 It is now a favorite theory with many that metal 
 iferous veins are deposited in floors of the ocean pre 
 vious to their upheaval into mountain ranges, and 
 that the metals are precipitated by chemical action; 
 in proof of which we are cited to the precipitation 
 
142 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 of iron by vegetable matter on a sea-shore. The 
 sea of Sargasso, which is an immense field of sea 
 weeds in mid-ocean, near the tropics, must be, 
 according to this theory, a vast mineral bed, perhaps 
 of gold and silver. We hope no one, in consequence of 
 this suggestion, will get up an expedition to stake off 
 and work this mineral bed, although it might prove 
 fully as profitable as a Cocos island investment. It 
 is certain that nature is a unit in all her works, and 
 that all things work together for final results. We 
 have seen in the deposits at the foot-hills, which 
 probably have an extension into the plains, or 
 former bed of the bay, the deposits of eilicious 
 matter in the shape of infusoria, which forms beds 
 several feet in thickness. Mid-ocean, which receives, 
 though slowly, the same material, held in suspension 
 by the water, is consequently reproducing a similar 
 formation in the bottom of the ocean. Let us suppose 
 that the Sacramento valley be buried twenty thou 
 sand feet deep, in slickens, if you please, and that 
 after remaining long enough at that depth for the 
 layers of sand, clay, and gravel, to become indurated 
 or solidified, it begins to slowly emerge as a mount 
 ain range. Let us now consider the minerals likely 
 to be found in the rocks. The best statistics of the 
 composition will be a list of the materials which 
 have been dumped into the bay by the rivers. 
 According to the best authorities, twenty thousand feet, 
 at least, of rocks have been ground or torn away. 
 Much of this was gold-bearing; indeed, there is 
 much evidence in favor of the opinion that the rich 
 est portions of the quartz veins were on the surface. 
 No twenty -five pound lumps have been found in the 
 veins. The gold found in the gulches may have 
 been the coarser particles, rounded by attrition of 
 all this tremendous denudation. How much of the 
 gold was originally coarse? How much of that 
 now found in the quartz veins, if ground in a canon 
 of rocks like those found in any mountain river, 
 would leave coarse rounded gold ? Free gold is usu 
 ally found in threads and spangles. The Hayward 
 vein, the Keystone, the Plymouth, did not enrich the 
 gulches to any extent. The series of rich surface 
 veins, near Mace's ranch, hardly make a ravine worth 
 working, so fine is the gold. The fine gold of the 
 veins, as well as the particles worn oif the sprangly 
 threads, leaving the rounded dust or nuggets, has 
 gone into the valley, and is deposited in an impalpa 
 ble state in the sand, clay, and gravel, or, perhaps, 
 more finely divided, has gone to sea, to be deposited 
 in the mid-ocean beds of earthy deposits. We may 
 trace it farther than this; some of it may be held in 
 solution. The Platner process of dissolving gold in 
 hydrochloric acid, has shown how it is possible for 
 the sea- water to hold it in solution, and has, perhaps, 
 given us a hint of its possible recovery therefrom. 
 How about the proportion left in the gulches? 
 When one looks at the operations of a glacier, which 
 reduces everything in its grasp to the finest clay; 
 and to such canons as the American, Mokelumne, or 
 
 Cosumnes rivers, which take in tons in weight of 
 hard, flinty rocks, reduce them to powder, and send 
 them out on the plains as slickens, and asks what has 
 become of the soft gold, it must be .answered: It is 
 not destroyed, but not one per cent, of it is left to be 
 mined out in the rivers; not a quarter of one per 
 cent. even. For every million that goes to the mint, 
 more than five hundred has been lost as far as the 
 present race is concerned. It may be worked out 
 when our Sierras and the deep sea shall exchange 
 places, but not before. 
 
 To continue the illustration of the formation of 
 quartz veins: the layer of rock over and, perhaps, 
 under the ranges of sand or gravel containing the 
 gold, shall be firm, consistent, holding water, and 
 forming a subterranean channel, such as the water 
 in our artesian wells flows through, these tight floors 
 and roofs becoming the wall rocks of our future 
 vein. When these strata are upheaved so far as to 
 have one portion of the " U " several hundred feet, 
 or perhaps a thousand feet, higher than the other, 
 the lower portion reaches down to depths where the 
 heat maybe much above the boiling point, this being 
 reached at the depth of twelve thousand seven hun 
 dred and twenty feet, or an increase of one degree 
 for each sixty feet of descent. The iron, sulphur, 
 potash, soda, and other minerals, usually found with 
 all ores, were not mentioned in connection with the 
 gold, supposed to be in the soil of the Sacramento 
 valley, for the reason that they are so common as 
 to be perceptible in every soil. When this arrange 
 ment has been completed, the process of depositing 
 mineral veins may be considered to have commenced. 
 It is not essential that more than one end of the 
 " U," or succession of them, shall be exposed. We 
 only stipulate for such an arrangement as will allow 
 the rain-water which falls on the top of the mount 
 ain to sink into the earth and carry along whatever 
 mineral it may be able to hold in solution, parting 
 now with a particle of potash or sulphur, taking up 
 a particle of magnesia, silex, or other minerals, 
 until it reaches the alembic, crucible, or laboratory, 
 where heat comes in as a stimulant to its holding or 
 solvent powers. It is impossible to overestimate the 
 capacity of a circulation of this sort. When the 
 water reaches the opposite end of the " U," and again 
 encounters the cooler temperature of the surface, it 
 must gradually part with the greater portion of the 
 mineral which it picked up in its long journey, 
 though not quite all, for every spring contains more 
 or less mineral matter, especially if it emerges in 
 such quantity as to exceed the capacity of .the 
 ground for cooling it, as is the case with thermal 
 or hot springs. What would be the consequence of 
 a break or crack in the roof or floor of this channel ? 
 Would it not result in the formation of a side or 
 branch vein? An irregularity of upheaval which 
 shall separate the roof of the subterranean channel 
 into numerous parts, would result in setting up new 
 lines of deposit, and a consequent weakening of the 
 
ORIGIN OF MINERAL VEINS. 
 
 143 
 
 main lode. Now, it is a fact, so common in quartz 
 mining as to amount to a certainty, that, without a 
 good hanging-wall not far away, a vein is almost 
 sure to fail. If it were true that the minerals are 
 deposited in veins on ocean floors, this condition 
 would not be so imperious. 
 
 A cross fracture in the roof- wall would produce a 
 cross-vein like the (rate vein, the one east of the Zeile 
 mine, and others that might be named. How can 
 such veins be accounted for on the supposition that 
 the precipitation is while the locality is yet- a floor? 
 Why should quartz be the vehicle for gathering 
 and retaining gold as well as most other metals? 
 The solution of gold by the Platner process, before 
 referred to, may give us a hint as to the chemical 
 agency of common salt and sulphur in gathering up 
 the gold scattered in impalpable particles through 
 the soil and concentrating it in veins; the precip 
 itation by the sulphuret of iron, tells its own story 
 also, as this form of iron is constantly associated 
 with gold. The free gold and large lumps still 
 remain to be accounted for. Some miners of intel 
 ligence believe that gold grows by accretion both 
 in quartz and gravel. Possibly it does. Who can 
 tell when, if ever, the particles of matter, even in the 
 hardest rocks, ceased to adjust themselves to each 
 other ? J. T. Burke, the oldest and most experienced 
 quartz miner in the county, thinks that the quartz 
 veins are still receiving gold. It is said that the 
 silver mines of Mexico, which were worked three 
 hundred years since, have again become rich from 
 the flowing through them of water containing silver 
 in solution. The copper mines in the lower part of 
 the county are known to be in an active condition, 
 gaining or losing ores all the time. 
 
 The mineral belts of Amador county are various 
 and extensive, but there are many reasons for believ 
 ing they once were one floor. Beginning with the 
 lower veins nearly on a level with the ocean, as the 
 last formed, we have the Arroyo Seco lead near 
 Muletown on the west, and the Newton lead on the 
 east; thence across the axis of elevation (the ser 
 pentine range near the Mountain Spring House), we 
 have another extension of the same, but a few miles 
 in width, and by no means continuous from north 
 to south. Some rich quartz is found in this range, 
 and considerable copper, the latter in chimneys of 
 small extent. Next is the Mother Lode, which has 
 been fully described, the upper end or east side of 
 the " U" being near Volcano. East of Volcano is the 
 last one to be considered, for the reason that by 
 denudation the upper and older lines of elevation are 
 nearly erased. Why the lower belt near the foot 
 hills should have copper instead of gold; why the 
 middle belt should have the custody of the richest 
 quartz veins; why the upper or Volcano range 
 should have its'veins transverse or at angles, vary 
 ing with the cleavage of the slate, is among the 
 many, very many, mysteries. 
 
 So far, we have only taken into account the fissure 
 
 or true veins, which may be considered as those that 
 reach the bottom, or continue through the inverted 
 syphon. The true fissure vein may be in the shape 
 of a chimney, wide, with a short run north and 
 south, or it may be continuous for hundreds of feet, 
 with about the same thickness; but in either case 
 it may be poor or rich, the essential condition of its 
 wealth being, that it must be located in a gold-bear 
 ing soil or lode. A vein of quartz by itself may not 
 be rich in gold any more than a ravine. There are 
 quartz mountains in New Hampshire, as well as in 
 California; but no gold in them that is known. 
 
 SURFACE VEINS. 
 
 These have an entirely different origin, and in 
 general pinch out at no great distance from the 
 surface. They are probably produced by the pre 
 cipitation of gold and quartz, held in solution by 
 surface streams. Some surface veins are quite rich; 
 little fortunes are often made out of them. This is 
 the character of many of the veins in the vicinity 
 of West Point. A surface vein is characterized by 
 a nearly total want of gouge. What this has to do 
 with a quartz vein, may not be apparent to the gen 
 eral reader. In all fissures of any extent is found 
 a clay, sometimes several inches in thickness, which 
 is said to be produced by the slow grinding or rub 
 bing of the walls against each other. The rocks 
 and clay are striated, the lines showing the direc 
 tions of these oscillations, which are not necessarily 
 perceivable, in a generation even. There is apt to 
 be a heavier deposit of ore along the gouge, which, 
 as a usual thing, also is a water-course. If the fis 
 sure is but temporary, extending down a few hun 
 dred feet at most, below which the rock is solid, 
 there can be no grinding or rubbing of the walls 
 together, and, consequently, no gouge. These sur 
 face veins are in constant formation, though some 
 of them probably are contemporaneous with the true 
 fissure veins. A small quartz vein will sometimes 
 form in a lava bed; also in the coal veins, or beds 
 of lignite, in the foot-hills. They are found in the 
 tertiary or sandstone hills of the Coast Range, some 
 of the veins having considerable gold in them. These 
 hills, by the way, though in some places thousands 
 of feet high, bear marks of a birth long subsequent 
 to the Sierras, and are, probably, in great part com 
 posed of the debris from the summits of the Sierras, 
 when they had not yet bared their heads of granite. 
 The cement of old buildings sometimes contains thin 
 veins of crystallized quartz. The gold-bearing veins 
 of steatite near lone, probably were enriched the 
 same way; that is, by surface action. Let our 
 future chemists take a hint from this in the reduc 
 tion of gold quartz. 
 
 PROBABLE DEPTH OP VEINS. 
 
 It is well settled that quartz and other mineral veins 
 have no particular connection with the center of the 
 earth, but are surface affairs, extending no deeper 
 than the deposits of rocky matter that in the great 
 
144 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 ycle of events is now filling up an ocean, and now 
 being lifted to be denuded and sent again to the bot 
 tom of the deep sea. If the slope in the Keystone, 
 Gover, and Seaton mines were maintained for a few 
 thousand feet it would be apt to meet the bottom of the 
 'V," or inverted syphon. The wall rock of the Consol 
 idated Amador failed at one thousand seven hundred 
 and fifty feet; other mines may extend to greater 
 depths, but if they could or should be worked down 
 to greater depths, probably the wall rock would be 
 found gradually getting flatter. Indeed, the univer 
 sal testimony is that after the permanent vein is 
 reached a change in the direction of the vein is 
 always towards a horizontal. The opinion sometimes 
 entertained, that the quartz veins extend to intermin 
 able depths is probably erroneous, though the limit 
 may never be reached by any known methods of 
 working deep mines. 
 
 METHODS OP DEPOSIT. 
 
 An uneducated person, when first shown a piece of 
 crystalized quartz, is apt to form the opinion that it 
 had been melted and run into that shape, but a little 
 observation will convince him that the regular forms 
 must be the result of a general law resulting from the 
 adjustment of the particles to each other. In some 
 specimens of crystals we may seethe lines of deposit 
 which are always parallel to the terminal faces. 
 In examining veins of quartz of different localities, 
 we find some in fine layers (like ribbons when viewed 
 edgewise), not thicker than paper. The slightest 
 amount of iron, lime, or other mineral, in solution 
 with the silicious matter, will suffice to mark the 
 lines of deposit. In other veins, which appear to be 
 solid, we may get a hint of the method of deposit 
 by the lines of decomposition or decay, which show 
 an arrangement of particles like melting ice, which 
 docs not melt in parallel lines, but in cavities. So a 
 quartz vein will show a deposit of irregular crystals 
 adhering to the sides of a cavity and gradually 
 approaching each other until they unite and become 
 solid. This seems to be a common form of deposit 
 in the recent or surface veins. In other cases the 
 quartz is in nodules or amorphous bunches. This is 
 the case in the Keystone where the bunches are 
 sometimes so large as to contain forty thousand tons 
 of rich milling ore. The Hayward had a boulder 
 vein also, though it would scarcely pay for milling. 
 A more thorough investigation may show a uniform 
 and decided difference in the lines of deposit of sur 
 face and true fissure veins, by which their character 
 may be determined. 
 
 JURASSIC GRAVEL. 
 
 Geologists have determined the gold-bearing quartz 
 and adjoining rocks to belong to the Jurassic age. 
 This classification is said to rest on the discovery of 
 fossil reptiles, and is probably correct. The point to 
 note in the matter, which seems to have escaped the 
 attention of the professors, is the existence of large 
 bodies of gravel in different portions of the county, in 
 
 strata parallel to the quartz veins, and probably 
 extending down as far or farther than the quartz 
 veins. These veins of gravel are full of quartz peb 
 bles, as well rounded as any that can be found in 
 creek or river, and are no spheroidal concretions 
 formed when the slates were a plastic mass, but are 
 evidently the product of a rapid stream passing over 
 auriferous quartz. Where is the stream that rounded 
 these pebbles? Where is the system of quartz veins 
 which must antedate the Mother Lode from which 
 these pebbles were torn? Where is the mountain 
 that gave impetus to these streams that rounded 
 them? The beds appear in such quantities and in 
 such places and conditions as to forbid the idea of 
 their having fallen into a fissure in the earth. They 
 have the regular stratification and cleavage of the 
 slate; the layers being separated frequently by thin, 
 delicate lines of slate such as maybe seen in any allu 
 vial deposit. The gravel may be seen in nearly all 
 the cafions west of the Mother Lode, but the most 
 decided outcrop is about one thousand feet east of 
 Drytown, where there are two distinct deposits each 
 a hundred feet thick, separated by a strata of the 
 black clay slate, common to the country. This reef 
 extends the whole length of Murderer's gulch on the 
 north, and to the Rancheria hill on the south, a distance 
 of two miles, and from the gold found in the ravine 
 near by, is evidently gold-bearing. What becomes 
 of the Mother Lode theory now ? Here is gravel 
 that is as old in its place as the Mother Lode, that 
 presupposes an older lode still, not only that, but a 
 subsequent upheaval. There is but one conclusion in 
 the matter possible; there must have been an older 
 Mother Lode, or grandmother, if such a term is per 
 missible, which existed and was in a mountain or 
 range of mountains ere the upturning of the slates in 
 whose company the gravels rest. As there are some 
 two or three thousand feet of clay slate between this 
 gravel and the Mother Lode, older than the quartz, 
 occupying the inferior position, millions of years 
 were necessary for the slow deposit of the clays 
 afterwards indurated into slate. Reference to evi 
 dence of a former mineral region, denuded to the 
 granite rock in a former age has once before been 
 made. 
 
 In the northern part of the State where the integ 
 rity of the mountain topshasbeen better maintained, 
 there arelanjd rivers which seem to run towards the 
 
 O 
 
 south and become lost. The Blue Lead, the largest 
 of these, is said to have been traced to El Dorado 
 county. As this river was fur to the east, occupying 
 a much greater altitude, these gravel beds may be 
 the lacustrine termination of the Blue Lead which by 
 a subsequent upheaval, is now tightly inclosed in its 
 coffin of slate. The question, " What has become of the 
 Blue Lead? " may possibly be answered here. The 
 discovery may have no economic value but it will be 
 an interesting leaf to read in thegeology of California. 
 This lead of gravel, tracing it by the appearance in 
 places, seems to have taken a south-western direction 
 

 ARTHUR B. SAN BORN. 
 
QUARTZ MINING. 
 
 145 
 
 across the county. It may be seen in Sutter creek 
 about four miles below the town, and again in the 
 southern part of the county near the Mokelumne 
 river. Although the veins have never been worked, 
 a thorough prospecting might prove them to have 
 some economic value. 
 
 CHAPTEE XXVIII. 
 
 QUARTZ MINING. 
 
 Quartz Mining, Commencement of Quartz Miners' Convention 
 Account of the Mother Lode Sketch of Different Mines 
 Gwin Mines Casco Murphy's Ridge Huffaker Moore 
 Zeile Description of a Model Mill Plainer Process of 
 Reducing Sulphurets Hinkley Mine Monterichard 
 Kennedy Tubbs Oneida Summit Hay ward Character 
 of the Same Railroad Wildman Mahoney Union or 
 Lincoln Accident in the Lincoln Mechanics Herbertville 
 Spring Hill Keystone Consolidation of Granite State 
 and Walnut Hill Discovery of the Bonanza Statistics of 
 Same Big Grab, and Failure to Hold ifc Account of the 
 Suit Original Amador Bunker Hill Pennsylvania Gover 
 Black Hills Seaton Potosi Quartz Mountain Ply 
 mouth Group Enterprise Nashville. 
 
 THE intelligent men who worked the gulches and 
 rivers in an early day, soon sought the sources of 
 the gold. Sometimes gold was found with quartz 
 adhering to it, or occasionally a quartz pebble 
 riveted through and through with gold. The veins 
 of quartz seaming the hills in the vicinity of the 
 richest placers, also served to point to that rock as 
 the original source of the gold. At Carson Hill, in 
 Mariposa county, quartz had been found immensely 
 rich; but the expense of blasting the rock out and 
 crushing it was such, that no serious attempts were 
 made, in Amador county, until 1851. The whole 
 country abounded with quartz; in some places there 
 were mountains of it, which had filled the ravines 
 with broken quartz, where no gold was to be found; 
 so that the search for auriferous quartz was a tedious 
 affair until men were put upon the scent. 
 
 The first discovery of gold in quartz seems to have 
 been made by a man by the name of Davidson, a 
 Baptist preacher, in February, 1851, on the south side 
 of Amador creek near the spring then used by the 
 miners. Boulders of considerable size were lying 
 on the top of the ground, supposed to have been 
 detached from the vein. Gold was found in some of 
 these, and subsequently, in the vein from which these 
 came. Associated with Davidson were Glover, 
 Herbert, and P. Y. Cool, all ministers; hence the 
 claim was known as the "ministers' claim." Samuel 
 Hill, afterward a resident of Buckeye, was taken in 
 as a capitalist, and the company organized as the 
 Spring Hill Company. About the same time, 
 Thomas Eickey, and his son James, afterward resi 
 dents of lone, located the vein on the north side of 
 the creek, since known as the Original Amador. Gold 
 could also be seen in this rock. None of these men 
 had ever seen any quartz mining; in fact, there was 
 none in the world to compare with what may be 
 seen now at any mining town. Hill, of the Spring 
 Hill Company, went to Sacramento and bought a 
 19 
 
 steam engine, aged and ancient in style, which proved 
 a 'mine of trouble to them, as it took an enormous 
 quantity of wood to make steam. The main shaft 
 was wood with bearings of round bar iron, two 
 inches in diameter, which were driven in with a 
 hammer, the end of the log being banded with iron. 
 The cams were large spikes of bar iron driven into 
 the shaft and afterward bent. The stamps had 
 wooden stems, and spikes driven into the stems for 
 tappits or projections, against which the cams should 
 play to raise the stamps. The gold was saved, or 
 rather lost, by means of a rocker about eight feet 
 long, worked by the same power as the stamps. 
 The machinery proving a failure, was soon rebuilt 
 with improvements suggested by experience. 
 
 The mill on the north side was started about the 
 same time, September 5, 1851, with somewhat 
 better machinery. The shaft was of wood, but had 
 axe-bar iron four inches wide and half an inch thick 
 for cams, the bars being bent after they were put in 
 the shaft. The stamps also had wooden stems with 
 slots in the middle to receive the cams. Dan Fiddler 
 was the master mechanic, and J. T. Berke the 
 superintendent of this mine. It made dividends as 
 well as wages for its owners, who were all workers. 
 Quicksilver was tried, but from some cause failed to 
 give satisfactory results. It was also discovered 
 that much of the gold was lost, being too fine to 
 settle into the ordinary riffles. While experiments 
 were being made to remedy the matter, a German 
 who had had experience in mining in Peru, pro 
 posed to amalgamate with arastras. With his 
 assistance the company took out about seventy-five 
 ounces a week, the German receiving one-thirteenth 
 part for his share. This was the first successful 
 quartz mining in the county. 
 
 QUARTZ MINERS' CONVENTION. 
 
 The discovery of gold-bearing quartz aroused the 
 whole country. All were looking forward to the 
 time when the gulches and surface claims should be 
 exhausted, and there were numbers of men who 
 thought this was the case as early as 1851. Quartz 
 was now tried everywhere; like any other mining 
 craze it went beyond all reasonable bounds. Possi 
 bilities became certainties. A mill had been put up 
 at Quartzburg on the Cosumnes river which was 
 thought to be making fabulous fortunes for its own 
 ers, which, however, was far from true. It may as 
 well be told here that the superintendent, Dr. Har 
 ris, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, brought out 
 seventeen thousand dollars to work the mine, drew 
 on the company for twenty-eight thousand dollars 
 more, and then abandoned the mine to the hired 
 hands to make their back wages out of it if they 
 could. The lead or Mother Lode, as this system 
 of veins, chutes, or chimneys, has been called, 
 was soon traced to the Cosumnes on the north, 
 and the Mokelumne on the south. All kinds 
 of claims were set up and a harvest of lawsuits 
 
146 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 seemed impending, when it was resolved to hold a 
 quartz convention and make regulations to ensure 
 the peace and security of quartz mining, which, after 
 a proper notice, was held at Rancher! a, that being 
 probably the largest place in the county. 
 
 The following is copied from the book of records 
 now in the hands of M. B. Church of Drytown. 
 
 "QUARTZ MINING LAWS. 
 
 " At a meeting of the miners of Dry Creek, Ran- 
 cheria Creek, Amador Creek, Sutter Creek, holden 
 near the town of Rancheria, June 7, 1851, in accord 
 ance with previous public notice, for the purpose of 
 making rules and regulations for quartz miners, in 
 the mining districts hereinafter described. 
 
 " T. J. Lawton was chosen President; Samuel Her 
 bert, Vice-President; Wm. Salter, Jr., Secretary. 
 
 " On motion of O. L. Palmer, a committee of three 
 was appointed consisting of 0. L. Palmer, Wm. Fen- 
 ton, of Rancheria, and Hiram B. Platt, of Drytown, to 
 prepare resolutions for the consideration of the meet 
 ing. The committee offered the following report, 
 which was accepted. 
 
 "Resolved, That rules and regulations for the 
 security, peace and harmony of the miners, who are 
 now or who may be hereafter engaged in prospect 
 ing and working quartz mines, are positively neces 
 sary. 
 
 "2. That incompliance with that necessity, we do 
 hereby ordain and establish the following rules and 
 regulations for the government of the district within 
 the following bonds, to wit: All that portion of the 
 county of Calaveras that lies south of the dividing 
 ridge between Cosumues river and Dry creek and 
 north of the Mokelumne river. 
 
 " 3. That the size of a claim in quartz veins shall 
 be two hundred and forty (240) feet in length of the 
 vein without regard to the width, to the discoverer or 
 company, and one hundred and twenty (120) feet in 
 addition thereto for each member of the company 
 that shall now or may be hereafter organized. 
 
 "4. That no claims, hereafter made, shall be con 
 sidered good and valid, unless the same shall have 
 been staked off, in conformity with the provisions 
 of Resolution 3, and written notice of the size of the 
 claim, and the number of the men in the company, 
 posted on a stake or tree at each end of the claim, 
 together with the date of the day when the claim 
 was made; and all claims now made shall be staked 
 off in conformity with these resolutions,, within five 
 days from the date of the adoption of these resolu 
 tions. 
 
 "5. That the size of the claim, the names and num 
 ber of men composing the company that holds the 
 claim, together with a brief description of the loca 
 tion of the same, so that it may be identified, shall, 
 within ten days after the claim is made, be filed in 
 the office of the Justice of the Peace, in whose dis 
 trict the same may be located. And all persons 
 holding such claims shall file the same within ten 
 days from this meeting, and all persons hereafter 
 making claims (within ten days after the claims are 
 located), or otherwise, said claims shall be forfeited. 
 
 " 6. In all cases where claims are held by a com 
 pany working jointly, they shall not be required to 
 work in more than one place; but where held by 
 individuals, each several claim must be worked. 
 
 7. Whenever a claim has been abandoned, and 
 such can be clearly proved before the Justice of the 
 Peace, where such filing was made, said claim shall 
 
 be forfeited to the person or persons establishing 
 
 such proof. 
 
 " 8. That these rules, regulations, and proceedings, 
 
 be signed by the president and secretary of this 
 
 meeting, and filed in the Justice's office at Drytown. 
 
 'T. J. LAWTON, Pres., 
 "AVAi. SALTER, Sec." 
 
 The number of talented men in this Convention 
 was noted, although it was not unusual for such 
 bodies, in the early fifties, to be composed of men 
 who might have sat in Legislative halls, with credit 
 to themselves and all concerned. 
 
 The Convention was hopeful, and even confident, 
 of success. Some, who were not in possession of 
 satisfactory claims, wished the size to be cut down. 
 It was urged that fifty feet of a vein, which probably 
 had no bottom, was quite enough to satisfy any 
 reasonable man. One thousand dollars a ton was 
 set as the probable value of the quartz. Some of 
 the veins were fifty, and even a hundred, feet wide. 
 It was easy to figure up into millions within a short 
 distance of the top on a fifty-foot claim. Some 
 ventured to say that the quartz would not pay 
 a dollar a pound. Mr. Davidson, being a candid, 
 unexcitable man, was called upon to give his opinion 
 as to the value of it. He said that he had no wish 
 to deceive the Convention, but he doubted if the 
 rock would average more than ten cents per pound, 
 or two hundred dollars per ton (he had not then 
 started his mill); and claims were made one hundred 
 and twenty feet, with two extra claims to the dis 
 coverer. What would have been the feelings of the 
 Convention if they could have foreseen that one- 
 tenth of the sum named would come to be considered 
 very rich? Scarcely one of all the number who 
 assembled that day, but what retired from quartz 
 mining, bankrupt and discouraged. This, however, 
 is anticipating. 
 
 Quartz mining was now fairly inaugurated. In 
 a short time, the Granite State, the Herbertville, the 
 Union. Eureka, Badger, Wolverine (the last three 
 being consolidated in the Hayward mine), Oneida, 
 all came in a short time. The Granite State was 
 the first to put up a mill with iron shaft, tappits and 
 stems. John Conness was a stockholder in this 
 mine. Garfield, afterwards Governor of Washington 
 Territory, invented the stamp with tapering stem 
 and socket, to correspond. Shaking tables 'were 
 introduced in 1852, and were in use until 1860. The 
 Chile mill, with rotating balls and revolving barrel, 
 was introduced by P. M. Randal. The last is still 
 used. Roasting the ore was tried, but, though it 
 was more easily pulverized, it was soon abandoned 
 as not satisfactory. The sulphurets were saved by 
 means of blankets or rawhides, placed along the 
 bottoms of the sluices, and amalgamated in the Chile 
 mill, or revolving barrel. 
 
 THE MOTHER LODE. 
 
 Perhaps no term more inappropriate could have 
 been selected. Tbe name is inappropriate because 
 
QUARTZ MINING. 
 
 147 
 
 there is no principal lode or vein at all, but rather 
 a series or system of veins, chutes or chimneys along 
 a certain range of country, varying in width from 
 two hundred to four thousand, or perhaps eight 
 thousand feet. In some places there are hundreds 
 of veins, as on the Black hills and Murphy's ridge, 
 some of which are mere threads, ramifying in every 
 direction. In other places, the ore-bearing ground 
 is narrowed within walls two or three hundred feet 
 apart, as at the Keystone, Plymouth, and the Hay- 
 ward mines; though even here, as we shall see, the 
 ore is not concentrated in a single vein. The term 
 mother, is also misleading, for it gives the idea that 
 all other veins are connected somehow, and fed from 
 this, than which nothing could be more erroneous. 
 Evidently, the first theorists presumed that all 
 mineral veins came out of the interior regions of 
 the earth, where the fires are always glowing, and 
 that down some thousand feet all the veins of quartz, 
 big and little, would come together in one main 
 lode, extending the whole length of the State, or as 
 far as the gold range extends. 
 
 SKETCH OF THE DIFFERENT MINES. 
 
 The Cfwin mine, though in Calaveras county, is 
 really the beginning of the series of veins which 
 have made Amador the richest county in the State 
 in quart/. This is in Rich gulch, which is supposed 
 to have derived its wealth from the breaking down 
 of the vein matter. The owner, Dr. Gwin, is better 
 known as Duke Gwin, from his having that title con 
 ferred on him for valuable aid to the Emperor Max- 
 imillian of Mexico. The mine is said to be paying 
 well. The series of veins here is quite wide, several 
 other veins cropping out a thousand feet or more to 
 the east. v 
 
 The Casco mine is on the north side of the Mokel- 
 umne river, and consequently in Amador county. 
 
 This mine was worked in 1868 by J. E. Harden- 
 burg some eight hundred feet deep, the rock being 
 crushed by a water-mill of twenty stamps, not far 
 from the mine. The owner sunk twenty thousand 
 dollars in the operation. The Casco mine is on the 
 eastern side of the range, which here is quite wide. 
 Abraham McKinney has a mine on the west side of 
 the range, which is yet undeveloped, but which 
 shows some very rich specimens, some of which are 
 of singular appearance, containing gold in crystal 
 line forms in coarse granulated quartz. Persons 
 who entertain an opinion that gold is deposited in a 
 melted state, will find a puzzling problem in these 
 specimens; The rock east of here (hanging-wall) is 
 syenitic or stratified rock, resembling granite, vary 
 ing in texture and character at every dividing seam. 
 On the west the wall rock (foot-wall) is the hard 
 metamorphic slate sometimes termed by the miners 
 " blue granite." 
 
 MURPHY'S RIDGE. 
 
 This singular formation is the Mother Lode in 
 its integrity with tho foot and hanging-walls washed 
 
 away and occupied by ravines, Murphy's gulch and 
 Black gulch on one side, and Hunt's gulch on the 
 other. It is likely that the gouge, which is generally 
 a soft, clayey mass, which seems to have been formed 
 by the slow grinding of the walls against the vein, 
 gave direction to the course of the water which 
 finally eroded them away. On the west side of the 
 ridge the miners have followed the gouge down in 
 places to a considerable depth for the gold that lies 
 on the foot- wall. The ravines were, perhaps, the 
 richest ever found in the county, as they were 
 worked with profit for twenty years, one set of 
 miners after another taking away their "piles." 
 
 The ridge is a network of small veins which ramify 
 in every direction through a rather soft earthy slate. 
 Some of the seams are immensely rich, four or five 
 hundred dollars being taken out of a bucketful of the 
 rotten rock. Sometimes the gold is found in combi 
 nation with arsenic, or arsenical sulphurets, which 
 pay a thousand dollars or more to the ton, though 
 the tons are not many, as the veins may not be a 
 half inch in thickness. In places the ridge is being 
 washed down by hydraulic power. As much of the 
 gold is too fine to be saved by this process, much 
 must be lost. In other instances the small veins of 
 quartz are mined out and crushed, paying good 
 wages. " There is millions in it," i. e., the hill or 
 ridge, but how to get it out economically is the ques 
 tion. Isaac N. Dewitt owns twenty acres of this 
 ridge, being a long strip four hundred feet wide along 
 the center. 
 
 Many experienced miners think all these veins 
 will come together below, and offer as a reason for 
 this opinion that the wall rocks are converging as 
 they go down. James Morgan, a man with much 
 experience in mining, is of this opinion, and is now 
 running a cross cut some four hundred feet below the 
 summit of the ridge, to test the theory. A shaft 
 sunk four hundred feet on the east side of the ridge, 
 did not expose any workable vein. 
 
 HUFFAKER LEAD. 
 
 This once very rich mine, some two thousand feet 
 or more to the east of the last-named mine, is not 
 worked at present. It is said that in 1856 the Huff- 
 aker brothers and - - Harris, found quartz that 
 would pay twenty thousand dollars per ton. The 
 gold was found in bunches or pockets. Like all 
 pocket veins, this one marred about as many fortunes 
 as it made. James Morgan is now sinking on this 
 lode with good prospects. This vein is believed to 
 have supplied the gold that enriched the hills around 
 the south side of the Butte Basin. 
 
 THE MOORE MINE 
 
 Is at the head of Hunt's gulch, on the eastern side 
 of the Mother Lode. It is a curiosity, and is 
 worthy of observation. It is a rather thin vein of 
 good looking quartz, with an enormous mass of bar 
 ren quartzose rock for a foot-wall, the whole mass 
 being considerable out of the range of Murphy's 
 
148 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 ridge, which is thought to be the main lode. North 
 of Murphy's the quartz seems to be wanting, though 
 a few small veins crop out over a space perhaps half 
 a mile wide, some of these being in the hard, meta- 
 morphic slate, which is supposed to have been the axis 
 of elevation when the mountian chains were formed. 
 These veins may be traced along the ridge west of 
 Jackson and the Oneida. Though they contain some 
 gold they pinch oat at a short distance from the sur 
 face, and are avoided by quartz miners. 
 
 There has been considerable prospecting in the 
 neighborhood of Jackson, and several times the 
 announcement of the beginning of the quartz mining 
 era was made, but it never came. So many promising 
 mines were discovered that in 1862 the Kearsing 
 brothers erected a four-stamp mill and arastra, run 
 by water-power, for custom work. The mill was 
 afterwards enlarged to ten stamps, but it was not a 
 paying concern. In 18G2 
 
 THE ZEILE MINE 
 
 Was discovered by Leonard Coney, who put up a 
 mill with sixteen stamps, with works to reduce the 
 sulphurets, though the Platner process was not intro 
 duced at that time. Some very good runs were made, 
 realizing ten thousand dollars per month. In April, 
 1866, it was sold by Charles T. Meader, who had 
 been running it, to Dr. Zeile, of San Francisco, for 
 seventy-five thousand dollars. Work was sus 
 pended until within the past two years, since which 
 time new hoisting works and mill, with all the lat 
 est improvements, have been placed on the mine. 
 As this is considered the model mill of the county, 
 a description of it will be in place. The hoisting 
 works over the shaft have powerful pumps, which 
 can be set in motion without interfering with the 
 other machinery. An air-compresser saves the work 
 of striking the drills, while an automatic dumper 
 does away with the dangerous work of bucket land 
 ing, by which so many men have been injured. 
 The rock is carried on a tramway to the upper story 
 of the mill, where a " grizzly " separates the fine 
 from the coarse rock, the latter going into a rock- 
 breaker, which prepares it for the stamps. From 
 the rock breaker the quartz goes to the automatic 
 feeder, a machine that seems almost endowed with 
 life, so closely does it watch the batteries, supplying 
 them with quartz at the moment the stamps begin 
 to strike the bed of the mortar. The action is sim 
 ple and reliable. The idea originated with James 
 Tullock, of Volcano, who erected the first one some 
 years ago. Several designs have been patented 
 since, but his holds a place yet among quartz-mills. 
 The tappit or collar around the stem of the stamp, 
 by means of which the cam raises the stamp, is the 
 agent employed. It is put in connection with a 
 revolving belt or table, containing the quartz to be 
 fed to the battery, so that when the stamp descends 
 to the bottom of the mortar, the tappit moves the 
 table, and drops some rock into the battery, which 
 
 it continues to do until the want is supplied. An 
 automatic feeder is required for each battery. When 
 the pulverized quartz has passed through the shak 
 ing tables, and other machinery for saving the free 
 gold, it passes to the machine known as the " Frue 
 Concentrator," for saving the sulphurets. This 
 machine is a recent invention, and considered a 
 great improvement over either the Buddie or 
 the Hendy concentrator. The pulp is caught on 
 a wide rubber belt, which, with an oscillating motion, 
 is made to carry the tailings up an incline against 
 a gentle stream of water, which washes away the 
 lighter particles, leaving the sulphurets, which are 
 heavier, to adhere, by their own specific gravity, to 
 the endless belt, which passes into a water-bath, 
 removing the sulphurets, which are thus saved in a 
 very concentrated condition. 
 
 THE PLATNER PROCESS 
 
 Of reducing sulphurets was introduced into Cali 
 fornia by a miner by the name of Deakin, and is now 
 in general use. By this process the sulphurets form 
 erly lost are made to pay from fifty to six hundred 
 dollars per ton, amounting in some instances to twenty 
 per cent, of the entire gold product. The "chlorination 
 works " is a long building with a furnace some forty 
 feet long, and sixteen feet wide with arched roof from 
 one to three feet above the floor. There are several 
 openings along the sides to put in and withdraw 
 the charge, (which, in a furnace of the above size, 
 would be about three tons,) also to observe the pro 
 gress of the work. The first heat is moderate and is 
 intended to expel the moisture, after which the heat 
 is increased and the sulphur is set on fire. This 
 burns for some hours, keeping the mass at a dull red 
 heat; after the sulphur has burned out the fire must 
 be increased so as to drive off the arsenic and other 
 base metals. Too much heat will now volatilize the 
 gold, which will be found gilding the roof of the 
 arch. Too little fire leaves the fine particles of gold 
 coated with a metal that would prevent the last and 
 most important process (to be described hereafter), 
 so that constant watchfulness is requisite, though a 
 trusty man, without being a chemist, soon learns the 
 necessary treatment. The mass, after being roasted 
 from twenty -four to thirty-six hours, is allowed to 
 cool off, and is then place in tubs five or six feet wide 
 and two feet high with tight-fitting covers, where it 
 is subjected for thirty-six hours to the action of 
 chlorine gas which dissolves the gold, forming the 
 chloride of gold which is soluble in water. The pro 
 cess of making gold soluble is particularly described, 
 because it may be necessary to remember this when 
 we consider the origin of the gold deposits in the 
 quartz veins. The chlorine gas is obtained by the 
 action of sulphuric acid on common suit and oxide of 
 manganese, all cheap articles. It is a corrosive gas 
 eating up other metals as well as gold, and "also 
 destroys animal matter, purifying the atmosphere of 
 offensive odors. Water is now turned into the tubs 
 
QUARTZ MINING. 
 
 149 
 
 and the gold comes out as a greenish-brown liquid; 
 in fact, gold is of a green color, notwithstanding the 
 ordinary opinion, as may be seen by looking through 
 a very thin film of gold, which will appear of a beau 
 tiful green. Water is run through the mass until no 
 green tinge is left. Sulphate of iron (copperas) is 
 now added to the solution and in a short time the 
 gold begins to settle in the shape of a brown powder, 
 which, upon being put in the crucible, melts into gold 
 995. fine, worth twenty dollars per ounce. The cost 
 of reducing sulphurets this way is about seventeen 
 dollars per ton. It is expected that the cost of 
 extracting and reducing ore at this mill will fall 
 below two dollars per ton. If this can be accom 
 plished, it will, perhaps, cause many other mines of 
 low grade ore to be worked. The works, with the 
 powerful and massive machinery, form a wonderful 
 contrast to the mills at Amador thirty years ago. 
 
 THE HINKLEY MINE 
 
 Is a pocket mine and was discovered in 1863 while 
 the owner was digging a post hole. Some four 
 thousand dollars were taken out in a few days. The 
 vein is two and a half feet thick at the surface; at a 
 depth of forty feet it was five feet thick; turned from 
 a perpendicular to a horizontal for thirty feet, and 
 then ran down nearly vertically again. It has pro 
 duced eighteen thousand dollars at an expense of six 
 thousand dollars. It has many times made its owner 
 happy, but the rock when away from a pocket is 
 distressingly poor. Mr. Hinkley owns about four 
 hundred feet of the vein. 
 
 A few hundred yards east of the Zeile mine is a 
 slash vein, so called, running nearly at right angles 
 with the ordinary course. At the Gate is another of 
 great width and nearly a thousand feet long. They 
 are seen occasionally in other parts of the county, 
 and, although they have never been worked to any 
 extent, they are important as throwing considerable 
 light on the formation of quartz veins. 
 
 The Monterichard is a cross vein in the hard 
 metamorphic slate about two miles west of Jackson. 
 It was discovered in 1876 by a Frenchman who gave 
 his name to the mine. It has paid very well, making 
 for thirty -two months from two thousand to three 
 thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars per month 
 with a mill often stamps. The vein isnarrow, vary 
 ing from six inches to two feet, with walls well 
 defined. It was run by James Meehan, Sanguinetti, 
 and Muldoon, until March, 1880, when it was sold to 
 Lloyd Tevis, of San Francisco, for twenty thousand 
 dollars. The new owner put in ten more stamps, 
 making a twenty-stamp mill. The vein pinched out 
 soon after and the mine is suspended. It is generally 
 thought Tevis got the worst of the bargain. 
 
 THE KENNEDY MINE 
 
 So named from its discoverer, was developed by 
 John Fullen, James Fleming, and James Bergon, 
 working the rock at the Oneida mill. In 1871 it was 
 
 taken by a joint-stock company, the Richlings being 
 large owners. The mine has hardly been a success, 
 and in 1880 it was closed down. The vein is close to 
 the foot-wall and has pitched rapidly to the east, 
 following a pitch of nearly forty -five degrees, which 
 is considered very flat. It is believed that it will 
 eventually join a vein about six hundred feet to the 
 east, called the "Volunteer." The lode does not fol 
 low the rift of the slate and consequently is not a 
 true fissure vein. 
 
 THE TUBE'S MINE 
 
 Was on the eastern part of the lode near the Gate. 
 It did not pay and was shut down. Stephen Kendal 
 was the manager of the works. There seems to have 
 been no substantial wall rock and consequently no 
 permanent vein. 
 
 THE ONEIDA. 
 
 This location was made in 1851, by a number of 
 men from the central part of New York. Like all 
 the companies engaged at that time in quartz min 
 ing, the Oneida had extravagant expectations. 
 When a run had been made, the interested parties 
 gathered around to see the batteries cleaned up. 
 The sand, quicksilver, and amalgam were gathered, 
 and the operator commenced the panning process, 
 turning off the quicksilver as it ran together. As the 
 sand was washed out the amalgam grew less and less 
 as did the prospects of the miners. The whole pro 
 ceeds of several days' crushing finally shrunk to a 
 handful containing a few ounce.8 of gold, not half 
 enough to pay expenses, to say nothing about a 
 fortune. The mill and mine were leased, in 1854, to 
 Dr. E. B. Harris for a nominal rent, for the purpose 
 of having it developed. He was endowed with 
 great physical strength and indomitable energy, as 
 well as good judgment, and by selecting good rock, 
 and acting as fireman, engineer, amalgamator, 
 machinist, miner, and superintendent, by turns, 
 making about a dozen men of one and that one him 
 self, he made the mine pay, for that year, about 
 twenty thousand dollars over expenses. At that 
 time machinery was generally taken to Sacra 
 mento for repairs, necessitating long delays and 
 much expense. One day a cam-seat, or groove, 
 on the shaft which holds the key gave away, 
 and the cam was dangling like a broken leg. 
 To take out the shaft and send it to Sacramento 
 was expensive, both in time and money, and 
 it was resolved to drill a hole through both cam and 
 shaft and put a large pin through them to hold the cam. 
 By superhuman exertion this was done in about three 
 hours, the order to " fire up " ringing simultaneously 
 with the coming through of the point of the drill, and 
 in half an hour the mill was pounding away. A 
 year or two afterward the mine was rented to Swain 
 of lone, who in one year lost as much as Harris made. 
 
 The mine afterward fell into the hands of Fullen, 
 Flomming, Bergon & Co., who worked it with but 
 moderate success for some years. About 1865, it 
 
150 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 was purchased by William M. Stewart, then U. S. 
 Senator for Nevada, James Morgan, and others, for one 
 hundred thousand dollars, of which sum the share 
 holders received eighty thousand dollars, the other 
 twenty thousand dollars going to the negotiators of 
 the sale, Seaton and Farley. The mine was retim- 
 bered, the mill enlarged to sixty stamps, and new 
 hoisting works erected, making the mine an invest 
 ment to the stockholders of something over a quarter 
 of a million. The vein was fifty feet thick, though 
 of low grade, and with improved machinery it was 
 expected to realize large dividends; but the mine 
 was an expensive one to work, the walls being soft 
 and apt to swell or crawl, and also full of water. 
 Sometimes great masses of soft earth, mud, and 
 gouge would break loose and run down the stopes 
 and shafts, burying up or clogging the lower works. 
 Sometimes a shaft would close up, timbers two feet 
 in diameter being slowly crushed endwise into kin 
 dling-wood. Where there was so much movement 
 underground, the surface must become unstable also, 
 and the hoisting works required frequent rebuilding 
 or adjustment. The mine proved a losing concern 
 and became a grave for about four hundred thousand 
 dollars. 
 
 It is now owned by a Boston company, and is 
 under the superintendence of Robert Robinson. 
 Water-power has been substituted for steam-power, 
 making a saving of many thousand dollars in a year; 
 the water is to some degree exhausted, and at a 
 lower level the walls become harder and more easily 
 timbered, so that the mine, almost for the first time 
 in its history, has been, perhaps, put on a paying 
 basis.* 
 
 The depth on the slope is eleven hundred and 
 fifty feet, but at the lower level the vein is nearly 
 flat, and the vertical depth is not much over sjx 
 hundred feet. The eastern or lower workings are 
 about in a line with the buddle house, perhaps four 
 hundred feet east of the shaft. At this point the 
 vein, which seems to have followed the rift of the 
 slate, and is, therefore, the true fissure, is nearly 
 pinched out, and a drift of six hundred feet length 
 wise the vein, failed to discover any swell or deposit. 
 A single boulder or bunch of quartz weighing a few 
 hundred pounds, and very rich, was all that was 
 found at this depth that was encouraging. How this 
 was deposited,, or perhaps lost there, is a question for 
 geologists. As the lower level has been allowed to 
 fill up with water, it is probable that no deeper 
 explorations are contemplated. 
 
 There are some encouraging indications of a vein or 
 body of ore in what is called the west wall. In 
 working out bodies of ore left in the upper levels, a 
 stringer, or thin vein of quartz, was found leading 
 to the west, which experienced miners think indi 
 cates another ore body. If this should be realized 
 the mine may have a brilliant future. 
 
 * Since writing the above, we learn that the mine has indefi 
 nitely suspended work. 
 
 North of the Oneida, the range is buried for some 
 distance under a pliocene river, with perhaps two 
 hundred feet of gravel, sand, and boulders. As this 
 has not been found to be rich, no explorations under 
 it have been made, and if the lode crops out it has 
 not been seen. Farther north is the 
 
 SUMMIT MINE, 
 
 Or, more properly, a prospect hole, for no paying 
 quartz was found, though the shaft was sunk several 
 hundred feet deep, at a cost of some twenty or 
 thirty thousand dollars. The experiment was made 
 by Hall McAllister of San Francisco. 
 
 HAYWARD MINE. 
 
 The next mine north of the Summit mine is the 
 Consolidated Amador, better known by the name of 
 the man whose energy, with a good share of luck, 
 developed it into, probably, the best-paying gold 
 mine in the world. In 1853 three mines on the 
 south side of Sutter creek Wolverine, Eureka, and 
 Badger were struggling for existence, Alvinza 
 Hay ward owning the largest interest in the one last 
 named. None of the quartz mines at that time 
 were giants ready at the asking to bestow fortunes; 
 on the contrary, they were always requiring enor 
 mous outlays for sinking shafts, running cross-cuts, 
 timber, wood, and machinery all making quartz 
 mining a precarious employment. The Wolverine 
 was among the first to fail. The Eureka was divided 
 into about sixty shares, most of the holders being 
 working men. The Badger was equipped with 
 hoisting works and a mill on the creek below the 
 town. The quartz was hauled on wagons to the 
 mill. Whether because the rock was inferior or 
 unskillfully handled, it hardly ever paid expenses, 
 oftener less than more, to such an extent that 
 the mine, though a promising one, had promised so 
 much that its credit was utterly destroyed. Ninety 
 thousand dollars or more hung over it, not like the 
 sword of Damocles, suspended by a single hair, but 
 due for wood, steel, provisions, and labor, besides 
 borrowed money. Many times the proprietor was 
 tempted to throw up the works and turn them over to 
 the creditors; but they as often told him to go on; 
 that he could make it pay if any one could. Often 
 on a Sunday morning, when the laborers came for 
 their pay, a dollar or two for tobacco money was all 
 that could be spared. On one occasion, the propri 
 etor was seen carrying wood on his back from the 
 side-hill to keep the engine running. A Mr. Norton 
 furnished wood on long time, and relieved that 
 source of solicitude. Four or five years of such 
 struggling had broken down, one after another, the 
 most of those who had commenced quartz mining in 
 1851. In 1857 the struggle still continued. There 
 was a change impending. The pay chimney was 
 struck, and now the double eagles, instead of scant 
 half-dollars, were paid to the men. The pay-streak 
 was likely to run into the Eureka ground, and the 
 owner quietly commenced buying up shares of that 
 
QUARTZ MINING. 
 
 151 
 
 company's stock. Five hundred dollars a share, 
 considering the mill which they had erected 
 at an estimated expense of thirty thousand dollars, 
 just the amount at which the shares were rated, was 
 not too much. It was soon known that a majority 
 of the stock had passed into his hands, and the bal 
 ance hastened to part with their stock, selling as low 
 as four hundred dollars per share; though assured 
 that no freezing out was intended, the shares all 
 passed into Mr. Hayward's control. It now became 
 known that it had been placed on a permanent, pay 
 ing basis, yielding from twent3 T -eight thousand to 
 sixty-five thousand dollars per month. 
 
 GENERAL CHARACTER OF THE HAYWARD MINE. 
 
 As this was not only the best mine in the range, 
 but the deepest, the explorations having reached the 
 depth of two thousand two hundred arid fifty 
 feet, a particular description of its locality, wall 
 rocks, and surface indications, will be interesting, as 
 throwing light on the nature of quartz veins in gen 
 eral. Although there were large masses of rock in 
 the vein, and covering the ground in the vicinity of 
 this mine, the ravine below was only moderately 
 rich. The surface rock that was within a few hundred 
 feet of the top, paid from eight to twelve dollars a 
 ton only. In the early days of quartz mining, when 
 the means of closely saving the gold had not been 
 discovered, this would hardly pay; though after the 
 mine passed into other hands, the same rock, by 
 means of improved machinery, being taken out and 
 reduced for two dollars and seventy-five cents per 
 ton, according to the report of the superintendent, 
 J. C. Faul, paid one hundred and fifty thousand dol 
 lars in dividends. The wall rocks of the range, which 
 here was only two or three hundred feet wide, were 
 firm, metamorphic slate, called by the miners, gran 
 ite, a term which often misleads persons seeking 
 information. It scarcely ever has any of the appear 
 ance of true granite", and in most instances is simi 
 lar in texture to the great reef of rock lying west 
 of the quartz belt, or range of mining towns, 
 which has already been spoken of as one of the 
 axes of elevation, and the western boundary of the 
 ancient valley. This wall rock, on the east side of 
 the vein, went down, solid and firm, about one thou 
 sand seven hundred and fifty feet, after which it was 
 much broken up, the quartz paying to this depth. 
 There were two principal veins; perhaps deposits 
 would be a better term, as but one of the deposits 
 was in the shape of a vein, the other being called a 
 boulder vein, from its being in detached masses, like 
 boulders, through occupying a regular rift or fissure 
 in the slate. The continuous vein was next to the 
 hanging or eastern wall, and both veins had a pitch 
 or slope to the east of about twenty feet to the hun 
 dred, so that a perpendicular shaft, to reach the vein 
 at a depth of two thousand feet, must be started 
 about four hundred feet east of the cropping*. It 
 may be as well to mention here that experienced 
 miners never expect to find the true course of a vein 
 
 until they have sunk from four to eight hundred 
 feet on it. An ore-bearing vein or fissure, if an 
 extensive one, is always more or less open, admit 
 ting water. A few calculations as to the power of 
 displacement in a seam containing water may be 
 interesting. " Water presses in proportion to its 
 perpendicular height." At a depth of thirty-three 
 feet the lateral pressure is two thousand one hun 
 dred and sixty pounds to the square foot, at sixty-six 
 twice that, at one hundred three times, and so on as 
 far as the water reaches, which is usually as far as 
 any ore is found. Let us now estimate the thrust 
 or lateral pressure on a hill one thousand feet high, 
 and exposed to the action of the displacing force 
 along a distance of another thousand feet, though 
 hills containing ore are not often elevated above the 
 surrounding country more than a few hundred feet; 
 but the power of displacement acts in other instances 
 as well as in mineral veins, as a powerful agent in 
 the formation of valleys, and more especially, as we 
 shall hereafter see, in the formation of the mineral 
 veins themselves. Making the pressure at thirty- 
 three feet a ton, (in round numbers, for the sake of 
 convenience,) at one hundred feet it is three tons; at 
 five hundred feet, fifteen tons, which will be the 
 average of the one thousand feet in. depth, or fifteen 
 thousand tons for the column, one foot later 
 ally, and one thousand times that for the whole 
 thrust of the little seam of water of, say, an eighth 
 of an inch in thickness, making fifteen millions of 
 tons. What wonder then that we find the surfaces of 
 quartz veins thrown hundreds of feet out of line, or 
 in some instances doubled quite over. If those per 
 sons who are so ready to invoke the agencies of 
 earthquakes for every displacement of rocks and 
 mineral veins, would study the effect of agencies, 
 silent and slow, yet irresistible as fate, now at 
 work, they would not be obliged to conceive of 
 mountains being tossed from place to place like foot 
 balls. 
 
 Both veins had a dip to the north, the boulder 
 vein soon leaving the other, which only dipped 
 slightly, so that it passed into the Eureka ground 
 some hundred feet below. At a depth of six hun 
 dred feet, the hanging-wall or eastern vein pinched 
 nearly out. As the pay was mostly in this vein, 
 the other paying only in spots, the mine for awhile 
 appeared to have been worked out; but the same 
 pluck which had developed it came in play, and the 
 gouge, or soft clay in the fissure, was followed down 
 two hundred feet further, and the vein opened better 
 than ever. A vein of sulphurets, one inch in thick 
 ness, ran diagonally across the main lode, that was 
 half gold. Immense quantities were surreptitiously 
 taken by the workmen, who were compelled to strip 
 themselves on coming out of the shaft, step across 
 the room, put on other clothes, leaving the mining 
 suit to be examined by the inspector, a person 
 appointed for the purpose. All sorts of devices 
 were employed to conceal the gold. One miner 
 
152 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 threw away a pair of old boots. The inspector 
 examined them, and found several ounces of speci 
 mens, which the owner expected to get after night 
 fall should enable him to get the boots unobserved. 
 Some concealed specimens in their hair; and even 
 the anus was used for that purpose. A small quartz 
 mill was set up in an abandoned tunnel, for reducing 
 rich rock. Notwithstanding all possible vigilance 
 on the part of the superintendents, a great deal was 
 stolen. A kind of demoralization existed among 
 many of the miners, especially those of foreign birth, 
 which caused such abstractions to be considered as 
 commendable, sharp tricks rather than ciimes. 
 
 A great number of persons have lost their lives 
 here, some by carelessness, and some by unavoidable 
 accidents. Any one may see that familiarity with 
 danger will breed contempt for it, by watching the 
 miners going up or down the shaft. Three or four 
 will get into the tub, and as many more on the out 
 side, and go up or down as though they were riding 
 along a smooth road instead of being suspended, 
 where a fall would precipitate them a thousand feet, 
 against timbers and rocks. An indiscreet movement 
 of the head, when the bucket is in rapid motion, 
 has resulted in shaving a man's head half away. 
 Sometimes incorrect signals are made with the bell 
 wire, and a bucket is raised when it should be low 
 ered; at other times, a trap along a level will be 
 left open, and a man walking along with a dim 
 light will "fall a hundred or two feet, to be killed or 
 maimed for life. Sometimes a ladder will give 
 away, and a man will fall from the carelessness or 
 awkwardness of the carpenter who put up the lad 
 ders. Some sixty men had been lost in the first 
 twenty years of its working. 
 
 Although the mine was called the Hayward mine, 
 several other men have had interests at different 
 times. When the mine was in debt, partial inter 
 ests were disposed of to obtain necessary means to 
 work it. 
 
 O. L. Chamberlain, Dan Fiddler, Charles McNe- 
 mair, and A. H. Rose, have been at times part 
 owners. The latter's interest was a result of a piece 
 of questionable enterprise, not, however, unusual 
 with that smart operator in quartz mining. In 1864 
 or 1865 a number of persons were willing to take the 
 usually unprofitable position of Public Administrator. 
 After the election it was learned that not only a share 
 in the rich Hayward mine, but a hundred thousand 
 dollars in dividends, were the unclaimed assets of 
 Charles McNemair, who went to Frazer river in 1857, 
 before the Hayward mine had become a paying insti 
 tution, and was supposed to be lost. In due course 
 of time Mr. Tynan, the Public Administrator, filed 
 a petition for letters of administration, showing at 
 the same time probable proof of the death of McNe 
 mair, who was last seen going up the river in a boat, 
 which was reported to have foundered with all hands 
 on board. A stay of proceedings was obtained by 
 the introduction of an affidavit to the effect that 
 
 McNemair had been seen in British Columbia subse 
 quently to the alleged loss of the boat, and conse 
 quently might be still living. It is said that this 
 affidavit was procured by A. II. Rose, to delay events 
 until he could purchase the interests of the different 
 heirs of the McNemair estate. At all events, he soon 
 appeared as claimant, he having sent a trusty agent 
 to Illinois, the former home of McNemair, who had 
 purchased the whole estate, a share in the mine, as 
 well as the accumulated dividends, for about three 
 thousand dollars, a mere bagatelle compared to its 
 real value. What representations were made to 
 effect this transaction is not known; but several visits 
 were made to California by lawyers in the interests 
 of the heirs, and it was some years before the matter 
 was hushed up. It is needless to say that no more 
 information of the missing man was received after 
 the purchase of the estate by Rose. 
 
 After the mine had been successfully worked for 
 about fifteen years, it was sold to a joint-stock com 
 pany for six hundred thousand dollars, and was listed 
 on the mining market at the Stock Exchange as the 
 Consolidated Amador. The mine was too well known 
 to be used as a bait for the public, and was not called 
 on the board a great while. The mine perhaps paid 
 for itself but did not equal the expectation of the 
 stockholders. It was twice burned out, the immense 
 amount of timber in the mine and the great cham 
 bering, making it an impossibility to stay a confla 
 gration after it had once got fairly started. 
 
 The first of these fires occurred in April, 1870. It 
 was supposed that it originated from a lighted candle 
 being left on a timber in the north shaft. The men 
 below were hoisted out of the other shafts and the 
 mine closed up. Some days after an examination 
 was made; a number of men going down the shaft 
 were rescued with the utmost difficulty on account 
 of the noxious gasses engendered by the fire. As 
 the lower levels were still burning, the shafts were 
 covered up and the hoisting works removed. The 
 mine was repaired at an enormous expense, as it was 
 supposed that the rock would continue at an infinite 
 depth, but though the sump, or advanced shaft, was 
 carried down to two thousand two hundred and fifty 
 feet, no ore body below the seventeen-hundred-foot 
 level was worked. At that point the great lode had 
 shrunken from forty to less than six feet in width, 
 with a run from north to south of thirty feet, instead 
 of four hundred and fifty, and very moderate in pay 
 at that. The lower sinking failed to discover any 
 new development of the vein; in fact, the fissure was 
 all that was found, and when the last great fire 
 occurred, it was deemed best to abandon the locality 
 and open the mine in a new place, some six hundred 
 feet towards the north, on the ground near the old 
 Wolverine claim, which had been many years before 
 consolidated with the Badger and Eureka. The rock 
 now being taken out at a depth of four hundred and 
 fifty feet, is not of the kind formerly found in the 
 south end of the claim, but perhaps will pay for 
 
FRUIT f\ANCH/ RESIDENCE OF JOHN NORTHUP. 
 
 JULIEN DISTRICT. AMADOR COUNTY. CAt 
 
 
 RANCH <#* RESIDENCE OFA.A.VAN.SANDT. 
 
 Tf N5. i AMADOR COU NTY, CAL. 
 
OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY, 
 
QUARTZ MINING. 
 
 153 
 
 crushing. The superintendent does not expect to 
 find good rock until the walls become well defined. 
 
 THE RAILROAD MINE 
 
 Is the name given to a vein of quartz some two or 
 three hundred feet east of the Wolverine. It was 
 worked down four or five hundred feet, and, though 
 some rich rock was found (a thousand dollars once 
 being taken out of a candle-box full of rock), the vein 
 was neither rich nor permanent, and the work was 
 suspended. The wall rocks were hard, with little 
 gouge, a surface opening only being indicated. 
 
 THE WILDMAN MINE 
 
 Was on the north side of the creek. Some good 
 rock was taken out of this ground, but, like the 
 majority of quartz veins, has not made its owners rich. 
 As this vein is located out of range with the other 
 mines, many experienced miners believe that proper 
 cross-cutting towards the west will be likely to strike 
 a paying chimney. 
 
 THE MAHONEY. 
 
 This ground was formerly owned by Hayward, 
 who thought he had found a thousand dollars when 
 he sold it to the Mahoney brothers for that sum. 
 Though not equal to the Consolidated Amador, it 
 made very handsome dividends for a good many 
 years. The vein, forty feet wide or more, was 
 worked down nearly eight hundred feet when work 
 was suspended on account of the death of the last of 
 the four Mahoney brothers, by consumption, in the 
 course of a few years. A few years since it fell into 
 the hands of Senator Stewart of Nevada. Some 
 sinking was done by James Morgan of the Oneida 
 Mining Company, nothing new being developed. 
 The company erected a mill near the hoisting works, 
 the rock formerly having been crushed by a water- 
 mill on the creek some distance away. At a depth 
 of eight hundred and fifty feet the vein is not well 
 defined, the walls being much broken. The rock is 
 supposed to pay only moderately. Those who saw 
 this place in an early day would be ready to say 
 that the quartz veins here made a sharp turn to the 
 east, into what is called Tucker hill. This hill is 
 netted with quartz veins sometimes in slate and often 
 in the hard hanging-wall of the main range. Some 
 small fortunes have been made out of the occasion 
 ally rich veins, which, though promising on the top, 
 soon pinch out. Nearly all the ^surface has a little 
 gold in it, and the gulches in the vicinity were the 
 best around Sutter creek. 
 
 The true direction of the main lode may be seen 
 by the cavity made by the falling in of the upper 
 portion of the mine worked twenty years ago. 
 
 THE UNION OR LINCOLN, 
 
 Or, as it is sometimes called, the Stanford mine, was 
 the first discovery in Sutter creek. E. B. Mclntyre, 
 Samuel Hanford, Levi Hanford, E. C. Downs, N. 
 Drew, and others of Amador, formed a company in 
 20 
 
 1851 to hunt a quartz mine. They first tried Quartz 
 mountain near Lower Rancheria. This not proving 
 satisfactory , they divided into smaller parties and tried 
 other places. One of the parties came on the south 
 side of the ridge, Sutter creek then having about a 
 dozen inhabitants. Much money had, even then, 
 been expended in sinking on barren veins, and the 
 company had made it a condition that no shaft 
 should be commenced until gold was found in the 
 ledge or vein in place. Floating rock with gold in 
 it was found on the flat west of the present Mahoney 
 and Union locations. Some narrow veins were found 
 on the hill-side near the sulphuret works, but these 
 not proving satisfactory they ran an open cut a few 
 feet in depth and struck the main lode, in which they 
 found a speck of gold. As this satisfied the condi 
 tions of the incorporation, a shaft was commenced 
 and good rock soon after discovered, from which, 
 with modern machinery, fifty or seventy-five dol 
 lars to the ton could be extracted. 
 
 They found a company of men working quartz on 
 the south side of the Tucker hill, who set up a claim 
 to the discovery they had made. To quiet all dis 
 putes, the south side company, consisting of Malva- 
 ney, Sherwood, Armstrong, and others, were taken 
 in, making the company which was thereafter called 
 the " Union," numbering about sixteen men, E. B. 
 Mclntyre being president, and N. Drew, secretary. 
 A water-mill was builfc, near the present residence of 
 R. C. Downs, with five stamps. This was the first mill 
 in Sutter Creek, the Hayward mill being next. 
 David Armstrong, who afterwards built a saw-mill 
 near Pine Grove, was the mill-wright. The power 
 was a breast-wheel, with a wooden shaft and wooden 
 cams, the latter being set into the shaft in mortises 
 and curved at the end to match the tappits, which 
 were also of wood, set into mortises in the square 
 wooden stems of the stamps. Armstrong was a 
 good mechanic, and the work was well done, though 
 much power was lost in the unavoidable friction of 
 the wooden machinery. It worked as well as could be 
 expected, and something over expenses was made 
 out of the quartz. The gold was saved on blankets 
 laid along the sluices, which were washed every half- 
 hour. Quicksilver was tried, but it would not unite 
 with the gold. An amalgamator from the Nashville 
 mine, on the Cosumnes, was hired to superintend 
 the sluices. He discovered that the quicksilver was 
 adulterated with lead; after this was gotten rid of 
 there was no difficulty in amalgamation. 
 
 In 1852 the mine and mill were leased to a com 
 pany that made five thousand dollars to each partner. 
 After the expiration of the lease, the Union company 
 again worked it, Frank Tibbetts being superintend 
 ent. It was a common report that two million 
 dollars were taken out of the mine during the next 
 eight years, but the company became bankrupt, and 
 in October, 1859, the mine fell into the hands of 
 Leland Stanford, who made R. C. Downs superin 
 tendent. Under his management the mine became 
 
154 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 highly remunerative. It was now called the " Lin 
 coln," and was worked by Downs and Stanford until 
 1873, when it passed into the hands of some foreign 
 capitalists, who put up a mill on the south side of the 
 hill, and made other inprovements. At present the 
 mine is not worked, the shaft and pumping machin 
 ery being used to drain the Mahoney mine. In this 
 mine the paying vein was next to the hanging-wall, 
 which, as in the Mahoney, the adjoining mine, was 
 the hard, metamorphic slate, called " blue granite " 
 by the miners. A cross cut into it indicated no 
 change or prospect of a parallel vein. The gouge 
 was on the foot-wall, which at a depth of five or six 
 hundred feet, gradually changed to a quartzose char 
 acter. The pitch of the vein was sixty-seven to 
 seventy degrees from horizontal, and was from two 
 to twenty feet thick. It will be seen that this cluster 
 of mines was practically exhausted at a depth of 
 less than one thousand feet, though deep sinking 
 may, as in the Hayward mine, reveal a stronger 
 vein than the surface one; the. well-defined foot and 
 hanging-walls favoring the presumption. 
 
 The most startling and serious accident that ever 
 occurred in the mines in this county, happened 
 here, in 1875. The following account taken from 
 the Independent, a dail} 7 paper published at Slitter 
 Creek at the time, will be read with interest: 
 
 " Now that the dead and alive are all out of the 
 mine and properly cared for, we shall attempt to 
 give a correct version of the affair. On Friday 
 morning, at seven o'clock, the day shift were let 
 down, consisting of fifteen men, part of whom went 
 on the three-hundred-foot, and part on the five-hun 
 dred-foot level. Those on the first were working 
 in the stope, and three running the tunnel toward 
 the old south shaft, which had been deserted for 
 upwards of eight years, and was filled with stagnant 
 water and foul air. Hardly had the drifters worked 
 an hour when they broke through, and. at first, a 
 small volume of water rushed in and drove them 
 out. The alarm was immediately given, and fore 
 man Horn, with another man, went down. They 
 found William Wadge and Antonio Robles almost 
 dead from suffocation, and took them to the top. 
 Wadge soon recovered and was taken home, while 
 Robles suffered terribly for some hours, when he 
 was removed, but died during the night. The most 
 intense excitement now prevailed, and Superintendent 
 Stewart, Foreman Horn, and others, commenced the 
 work of getting to the remaining men below. The 
 foul air had become so strong that no light would 
 burn within thirty feet of the three-hundred-foot 
 level. The workmen exerted every nerve to extri 
 cate the now supposed dead men. Finding that all 
 chances were lost to pass the first level, the water 
 buckets were put to use, and at night they had 
 cleared the water out to within a few feet of the 
 five-hundred-foot level, yet they could not descend. 
 All night the work went on, and by morning four 
 of the unfortunate men were found. Saturday after 
 noon the shaft was so cleared of the bad air, by the 
 aid of the air pumps, that Mr. Horn managed to 
 reach the top of the lower level. 
 
 "About eight o'clock, while the water bucket was 
 down, the signal rope was pulled and the bell rung, 
 which caused great excitement above. When the 
 
 bucket arrived at the top, there sat upon it Joseph 
 Bath, and alive. He sang out to the astonished 
 crowd, ' I am all right, there are three more alive 
 in the lower level.' Reader, imagine the scene. We 
 cannot give it in words. The bucket was lowered, 
 and up came the three other men. It is impossible 
 for us to give a description of the feelings of the 
 people at this time. Mr. Bath has given us a full 
 account of the whole affair at least what happened, 
 underground and in all history nothing has ever 
 come to our notice that can in the slightest compare 
 with this. None of the men about the mine have 
 a word of fault to find with the management from 
 first to last. We hear nothing but praise to Super 
 intendent Stewart and Foreman Horn for their untir 
 ing perseverance. For over two days and nights 
 Mr. Horn never left his post, and not till the last 
 man was found and taken out did the brave man 
 have any rest. 
 
 " We here give the names of the dead and living 
 in full. Dead Patrick Frazier, leaves a wife and 
 four children, Ireland; John Collier, wife and five 
 children, Ireland; Dennis Lynch, Ireland, wife and 
 two children; William Coombs, England, wife and 
 two children; W. H. Rule, England, single; Gr. B. 
 Bobbino and Bartolomeo Gazzolo, single, Italy; 
 Antonio Robles, Mexico, single; Nicolas Balulich, 
 Austria, wife and four children. Saved Jos. Bath, 
 wife and four children, England; Bart. Curotto, 
 wife and four children, Italy; Stefano Poclepovich, 
 wife and six children. Italy; AVilliam Wadge, wife 
 and several children, England; John O'Neil, Ireland. 
 Mr. Frazier had an insurance of one thousand dol 
 lars, and Mr. Collier a policy of two thousand dol 
 lars in the Phoenix Mutual of Hartford. 
 
 "Seven were buried on Sunday, and two on Mon 
 day. Never before has so much sadness and sorrow 
 been mixed .with so much joy and hnppiness as has 
 been the case within the past three days." 
 
 The accident was evidently owing to a faulty 
 survey, which failed to indicate the proximity of 
 the old works. It is said that some of the victims 
 had presentiments of the danger, and bid their 
 families good-bye on leaving home the morning of 
 the accident. The feelings of the parties inclosed 
 in the drift must have been terrible. It was expected 
 that all were dead, but the drift being ascending, 
 the chamber of air prevented the water from filling 
 it. Those who attempted to swim out through the 
 submerged end of the level were lost. Can imagina 
 tion conceive a more terrible situation ? 
 
 THE MECHANICS' MINE 
 
 Was a vein a mile east of the Mother Lode in the 
 vicinity of Sutter creek. The rock was good-look 
 ing, and for a time the mine was considered promising, 
 but it proved a losing concern, and is not worked 
 at present. 
 
 THE HERBERTVILLE MINE 
 
 Is some mile or more north of the Sutter creek 
 cluster, the intervening ground not having any 
 strong croppings indicating a large lode, though 
 several shafts have been sunk on the thin veins 
 which appear at the surface. The Herbertville is 
 singular in having the loot-wall of the hard meta 
 morphic slate. The direction of this vein hardly 
 conforms to the general trend of the Mother Lode; 
 
QUARTZ MINING. 
 
 155 
 
 it is also somewhat out of range, being to the east of 
 the other mines; from these circumstances it is con 
 sidered, by many experienced miners, as an acci 
 dental deposit, not occupying a true fissure. It was 
 first worked in 1854, by Jones & Davis. The vein 
 was twenty feet wide in places, and had a" run of 
 nearly three hundred feet, pinching out at the depth 
 of six hundred feet. The rock was very good, fre 
 quently paying forty dollars a ton. It was among 
 the best mines twenty years ago, but is not worked 
 at present. If this was an accidental vein, it was a 
 happy accident for the owners at least. A cross 
 cut to the west might discover the true vein. A 
 boulder, weighing several tons and quite rich in gold, 
 was found, some years since, in a situation which 
 indicated it as a float from a vein farther west. E. 
 B. Mclntyre of Sutter Creek is the owner of this 
 chance for a mine. 
 
 SPRING HILL. 
 
 Though promising at the beginning, these mines 
 had ruined nearly all who had been connected with 
 them. " Quartz-mine" debts were harder to collect 
 than saw-mill debts, which is saying a great deal. 
 Sharp practice was often necessary to get pay for 
 hay, grain or timber furnished the mines. In 1857, 
 Stone, of the Buena Vista ranch, sold the Spring Hill 
 Company a quantity of hay,, but when he called for 
 his money he was put off on various pretexts. He 
 was as shrewd as they and had a sheriff watch the 
 mill, to attach the amalgam when it was taken up. 
 It was hidden in the lower works out of his way. 
 The sheriff went down after it. The mining company 
 quit pumping and let the shaft fill up with water> 
 not soon enough, however, to save their amalgam. 
 Stone got his pay. It is not intended to convey the 
 idea that quartz mining is necessarily demoralizing, 
 more than any other business which happens to be 
 unprofitable. The mill and mine (Spi'ing Hill) was 
 
 owned by P. M. Eandal, B. F. Pendleton, and 
 
 Palmer until 1858, when they finally broke up, the 
 creditors taking the property and running it with 
 success, paying off the debts, after which, about 
 1861, it fell into the hands of Isaac Perkins. He 
 ran it for four years at a loss; then the Hoopers, 
 father and son, tried it with no better success. In 
 1867, work was suspended until it was consolidated 
 with the Keystone Company's property. 
 
 THE KEYSTONE. 
 
 This mine has the most eventful history of any 
 of the Amador mines. Though never called on 
 the stock-boards, it has almost a world-wide reputa 
 tion. It was here that quartz mining in this county 
 commenced, and here were made the first failures as 
 well as successes. In the history of the beginning of 
 quartz mining, we left the Spring Hill and Granite 
 State making their first efforts in the work. We 
 have seen that the Spring Hill was located by the 
 minister company, consisting of Davidson, Herbert, 
 Glover, and Cool. The Granite State was located by 
 
 Wheeler; the Walnut Hill, named after Beecher's 
 famous seminary near Cincinnati, by two brothers 
 named Holt. The mill was in the house now used by 
 the Keystone company, as an office and assaying 
 room. After the mill and mine had been run for a 
 while at a loss, the two brothers proposed to run it 
 themselves for what they could make out of it. They 
 found a bonanza, making twenty thousand dollars in 
 a short time. 
 
 The Granite State was located near the present 
 Keystone mill; the Spring Hill towards the creek, 
 these mines had, at first, been worked with arastras 
 which made selected rock yield one hundred dollars 
 per ton, but the process was slow and was abandoned, 
 though an attempt was made to run the arastras by 
 water-power, which also was a failure. These three 
 mines constitute the property now known as the 
 Keystone. 
 
 CONSOLIDATION OP 
 
 The Granite State and Walnut Hill. About 1857 
 these two mines had some share-holders in common, 
 one of whom, Samuel Mannon,made a proposition that 
 they should consolidate, which was adopted, the new 
 company being called the Keystone; but the move 
 did not relieve the indebtedness which was over 
 whelming, everything being attached for much more 
 than it was worth. A mortgage on it was foreclosed, 
 but an older judgment, in the hands of A. H. Eose 
 and Phil. Crusart, took the mine, Eose eventually 
 becoming sole owner. It was not supposed to be a 
 paying property, though it was worked more or less, 
 the mill being used for custom work as well as for 
 the mine. Once during the time it was sold to Frank 
 Tibbetts, who run it at a serious loss, and the prop 
 erty reverted to Eose. In 1869 it was sold to J. M. 
 McDonald, Michael .Reese and others, of San Fran 
 cisco, for one hundred and four thousand dollars, 
 which was thought by outsiders to be an enormous 
 price. It had previously been offered for fifteen 
 thousand dollars, but the rich discoveries then being 
 made along the range in the vicinity of the Seaton 
 mine shot quartz up with alarming rapidity. It 
 is currently reported also, that the Mint receipts for 
 custom work, were used to enhance the apparent 
 value of the mine. At all events the first workings 
 were a total failure. The old proprietor was heard 
 to say that that no child born would live to see the 
 mine pay for itself!! This may all be legitimate 
 among stock- dealers. 
 
 DISCOVERY OP THE BONANZA. 
 
 Old miners had suspected another vein to the east 
 in what was considered the hanging-wall, though 
 this opinion was not shared by the former proprie 
 tors. Occasionally a blast in the hanging-wall 
 would show stringers of quartz which indicated 
 another deposit. A cross-cut was started, but a 
 beginning had hardly been made when rich quartz 
 was uncovered. Quartz in the hanging-wall was a 
 novelty, but there it was sparkling with gold. The 
 
156 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 first month's crushing paid forty thousand dollars, 
 and the next and ever since the same. By select 
 ing the best rock it could be made to pay a million 
 a year for an indefinite time, but all rock that will 
 pay two dollars, which is considered about the cost 
 of extracting and crushing, is worked. The vein is 
 a boulder vein, that is, lying in bunches, kidney- 
 shaped, and varying in size from a few tons to forty 
 thousand tons. The bunches are connected by 
 stringers. It will be recollected that the boulder vein 
 in the Hayward mine was next the foot-wall, and 
 was not uniformly rich. There seems to be no rule 
 governing in such deposits. The pitch of the mine 
 is about forty-five degrees. The following figures 
 from the actual survey will give an idea of pitch. 
 
 Distances. On the slope. Horizontal. Vertical. 
 
 1st Level 475 ft. 294.77ft. 394.23ft. 
 
 ..556 358.63 424.88 
 
 " ...681 439.25 520.40 
 
 " 812 523.75 620.51 
 
 " 950 612.76 725.96 
 
 ..1080 696.61 825.30 
 
 The run north and south is seven hundred and 
 sixty-five feet between the pinches. The best de 
 posits are found on the flat portion of the foot- wall, 
 these places acting like a riffle in retaining the 
 quartz. Within the last two years new and sub 
 stantial works have been erected. From the hoisting 
 works to the mill, everything is arranged for con 
 venience. The ore falls into substantial ore houses, 
 that will hold a month's crushing, so that a repair of 
 the shaft or mine will cause no delay of work. 
 
 One hundred and thirty men find constant em 
 ployment here. The rates of labor have not varied 
 much for twenty years, and are 
 
 For Under-ground Miners, per day, $3 00 
 
 Laborers above ground, " " ,...***' 2 50 
 
 Blacksmiths " " 3 50 
 
 Carpenters " " 4 00 
 
 Engineers " " 300 
 
 The lumber used in one year is enormous: 
 
 5,000 round timbers" with sawed lumber $26,000 00 
 
 25,000 pieces of lagging, @ $95 00 per M. 2,375 00 
 
 2,000 cords of wood @ $6 00 per cord 12,000 00 
 
 It will be seen that nearly two hundred thousand 
 dollars is distributed annually by this mine in the 
 matter of expenses. 
 
 The Assessor furnishes the following report of the 
 proceeds for 1879, which may approximate the facts: 
 
 Amount of rock crushed, in tons 39,000 
 
 Total yield $451,000 00 
 
 Expenses claimed by mine 273,000 00 
 
 " allowed by Assessor 195,000 00 
 
 BIG GRAB. 
 
 The history of these mines would be incomplete 
 without an account of the daring attempt, under 
 cover of an agricultural claim, to obtain possession 
 of all these mines. In August, 1869, that portion of 
 the county was surveyed and sectionized by J. 
 G. Mather, and the plot of the section and mines, 
 and other improvements thereon, reported to the 
 general office at San Francisco. 
 
 36 
 
 A. H. Rose had a vineyard and farm east of the 
 town of Amador; so it was supposed that it would be 
 on the east half-section, section thirty-six. As sec 
 tions sixteen and thirty-six in each township had 
 been donated to the State for school purposes, no 
 alarm was raised or objections interposed when a 
 patent for the east half-section was applied for, and 
 obtained from the State; though the fact that Henry 
 Casey, instead of A. H. Rose, the actual owner of 
 the vineyard, applied for and obtained the deed to 
 the land, Rose acting as his business agent, would 
 naturally cause inquiry and suspicion of fraud. 
 
 The plot, as subsequently corrected, and now on 
 file in the State Surveyor General's- office at San 
 Francisco, is as follows: 
 
 31 
 
 Section 36, T. 7 N., B. 10 E. 
 
 T. 7 N., R. 11 E 
 
(UNIVERSITY; 
 
 y. OF Jr 
 
QUARTZ MINING. 
 
 157 
 
 When the plot had been consummated Henry Casey 
 disappeared, and A. H. Kose appeared, armed with 
 a deed from the State, as the claimant for millions 
 worth of property. It is not necessary to follow the 
 matter through the courts. It is sufficient to say 
 that it was finally carried up to the Secretary of the 
 Interior. The following, from the Washington cor 
 respondent of the Sacramento Union, will give a clear 
 idea of the dangers the Amadorians have surmounted: 
 
 " WASHINGTON, April 9, 1873. 
 
 " Extraordinary professional and lobby interests 
 are being organized and concentrated here by A. 
 H. Kose, to bear upon the Secretary of the Interior 
 in the important case of the Keystone Consolidated 
 Mining Company, the Original Amador Mining Com 
 pany, Bunker Hill Quartz Company, and the town 
 site of Amador, against the State of. California. 
 The purpose is to secure a reversal of the decision of 
 the General Land Office, whereby to turn over to 
 Eose and his associates property worth millions of 
 dollars, for which the nominal sum of four hundred 
 dollars was partly paid by Henry Casey, the alleged 
 grantee from the State. The case involves extraor 
 dinary features, apparent frauds, as well as a princi 
 ple of the utmost importance to thousands of mine- 
 owners and mines in controversy, situated on the 
 Mother Lode of California, which have been worked 
 since 1850. Eose sold, for one hundred and thirty 
 thousand dollars, the Keystone mine, and he now 
 seeks to recover it in the name of Casey. The town 
 of Amador was founded in 1850, its site, and all 
 the mines situated upon the east half-section of sec 
 tion thirty-six, township seven north, range ten 
 east, Mt. Diablo meridian. In 1870 certain parties 
 procured a United States survey of that township, 
 and, it is alleged, induced the Deputy Surveyor, by 
 fraudulent field notes, to represent the mines and 
 town as located upon the west half of the section. 
 This was to deceive occupants, so as to induce 
 them to apply for the wrong tract, while the specu 
 lators could, without opposition, purchase from the 
 State for four hundred dollars, and receive a patent 
 for the tract on which these properties were actually 
 located. The fraud was discovered and exposed by 
 abundant proofs, demonstrating unquestionably the 
 surveyor's infidelity, in returning as agricultural 
 land the richest half-section of mineral land ever dis 
 covered. The patent not having been issued, the bona 
 fide mining claimants and town authorities immedi 
 ately applied to the Land Department for patents 
 under the mineral and town site laws, but the 
 would-be purchasers from the State then boldly 
 claimed that the School Land Act of March 3, 1853, 
 was a grant en presente of both surveyed and unsur- 
 veyed, and both mineral and agricultural, lands com 
 prised in the sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections of 
 every township, and consequently that the mineral 
 lands in controversy situated in the thirty-sixth sec 
 tion, passed to the State immediately on the passage 
 of the Act of 1853. To this it in replied that min 
 eral lands were excluded from the grants to the 
 State; that the State title did not vest in any lands 
 uniil surveyed, there being prior thereto BO sections 
 sixteen and thirty-six; the Act of 1853 provided that as 
 to mineral lands only township lines should be run, 
 which provision was not repealed until July 9, 1870; 
 that it was competent for Congress, before vested 
 rights attached, to make a diiferent appropriation of 
 the lands; that before the survey Congress did, by 
 the Act of July 26, 1866, make a different appro 
 
 priation of the mineral lands; that if this were not 
 so, yet the particular tract in controversy was 
 expressly excepted from the State grant by the 
 seventh section of the Act of 1853, by reason of its 
 settlement and the erection of dwelling-houses 
 thereon prior to the survey. The local land officers 
 and the Commission-General of the Land Office 
 decided against the pretentious of the private claim 
 ants who use the State's name, and the case is now 
 pending on appeal before the Secretary of the In 
 terior. The danger grows out of the fact that the 
 Supreme Court of the State of California, in the case 
 of Sherman against Buck, decided that the Act of 
 1853 did vest title to all sixteenth and thirty -sixth 
 sections in the State prior to the survey. And 
 although it is believed the court will grant a rehear 
 ing and reverse that decision, its action, neverthe 
 less, lends color of support to the attempt now making 
 to obtain possession of the Amador mines and estab 
 lishes a principle fraught with immense danger to 
 thousands of other interests. Eose is here person 
 ally pressing the case, in addition to Wm. H. Patter 
 son and other well-known California lawyers and 
 lobbyists to assist in its prosecution. It is probable 
 dilatory tactics will be employed to postpone the decis 
 ion of this tainted claim until the Benjamin Snelling 
 case from the Marysville district can be presented to 
 the Secretary for a decision of the naked question of 
 the right of the State to the sixteenth and thirty- 
 sixth sections of mineral lands; so that if the right of 
 the State is affirmed, it will be comparatively easy to 
 find a pretext for deciding Eose's case in his favor. 
 The question has a vital importance to all mineral 
 occupants on the sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections. 
 If the mineral claimants in either the Keystone or 
 Snelling cases are defeated, then all mines upon simi 
 larly numbered subdivisions, or which upon future 
 survey may prove to be so numbered, are at the 
 mercy of the first applicant to purchase from the 
 State at one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre. It 
 is represented here that the parties who are initiated 
 in this speculation have already taken the requisite 
 steps to file the first applications for all similar sec 
 tions throughout the State. The same dangers 
 threaten mineral occupants in every other mineral 
 State." 
 
 " WASHINGTON, April 28, 1873. 
 " The Secretary of the Interior to-day decided the 
 very important and much contested cases of the Key 
 stone Mining Company et. al., vs. State of California, 
 and of Benjamin Snelling vs. the State of California, 
 both of which involved the question whether the 
 grant to said State of sections sixteen and thirty 
 six for school purposes by the Act of March 3, 1853, 
 included said sections when they were on mineral 
 lands. The Secretary held, first, that the title to 
 said sections sixteen and thirty-six does not vest in 
 the State until survey has been made, which brings 
 into existence and locates said section, and that said 
 minir.g companies, having appropriated said lands 
 under the Act of July 26, 1866, prior to such survey, 
 they had the better right. Second, that the seventh 
 section of the Act of 1853 exceptsfrom the grant all 
 of sections sixteen and thirty-six, on which there 
 had been, prior to the survey, a settlement by the 
 erection of a dwelling-house or the cultivation of any 
 portion of the land, and that the settlement referred 
 to was technically known as pre-emption settlement. 
 Third, that the grant was not intended to include, 
 and does not include, said sections when they are on 
 mineral lands. The decision was given against the 
 State in both cases." 
 
158 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Extraordinary reports are current as to the means 
 by which this fraudulent survey was accomplished. 
 J. G. Mather was not in the field at the time, though 
 his name was attached to the plot returned to the 
 office. His deputies were Uri Nurse and Marcellus 
 Nurse, father and son, the latter doing the work. 
 Some say the survey was made by moonlight; others 
 that a lantern was used, and some go so far as to 
 name the persons who acted as chain and torch 
 bearers in these midnight surveys. Young Nurse is 
 reported as saying that he made fifteen thousand 
 dollars during the season. Mather is made to bear 
 the responsibility, and has not since been employed 
 by the Government in any work, nor is he likely 
 to be. 
 
 The contest was finally terminated November 22, 
 1880. 
 
 " In the case Ivanhoe Mining Company vs. Key 
 stone Consolidated Company, the Supreme Court 
 held that in the grant of the sixteenth and thirty- 
 sixth sections of the public lands to the State of 
 California for school purposes, the title to the mineral 
 lands did not pass, for the reason that it was the 
 established policy of the Government to withhold the 
 mineral lands from sale, and that in this case the 
 land in question, having been improved before the 
 survey, it was exempt from sale by reason of section 
 seven of such law." 
 
 The owners of mines and houses on the famous 
 thirty-sixth section may now rest, secure in the 
 results of their industry. 
 
 THE ORIGINAL AMADOR, 
 
 Sometimes called the Little Amador, is the mine on 
 the north side of the creek, which was taken up by 
 Thomas Rickey and son in February, 1851. This 
 mine was about the first to pay dividends, J. T. 
 Burke, still living in Amador, being thesuperintend- 
 dent. In 1854, it passed into the hands of some 
 Germans, who ran it until 1857, when it gradually 
 failed, work being totally suspended in 1858. In the 
 meantime it was sold to Haverstick and Leninger of 
 lone, the latter soon becoming the sole owner, the 
 mine at this time being valued at only two hundred 
 and fifty dollars. J. T. Burke, the first superintend- 
 dent, leased the mine from Leninger, giving him half 
 the profits. His knowledge of the mine enabled him 
 to pay Leninger the sum of eight thousand dollars 
 forjiis share of the profits. After the expiration of 
 the lease, work was suspended until 1862, when J. T. 
 Burke bought it for three thousand dollars, one-third 
 down, balance in installments. The mine paid for a 
 short time, but the rock failing, it went back to 
 Leninger, who sold it to John C. Faul for a nominal 
 price. The mine was developed under his manage 
 ment, the hoisting works and mill being rebuilt. 
 The reputation of the mine was such that it 
 was sold to an English company in 1870, for six 
 hundred thousand dollars. It is not considered 
 a paying property. Work is nearly suspended 
 at present. Old miners think that a cross-cut 
 
 to the west might strike a paying vein. The 
 present works are near the hanging-wall. A shaft is 
 now being sunk on the summit, near the Bunker 
 Hill ground. The hoisting is done with a wire cable 
 from the old hoisting works nearly a thousand feet 
 away. 
 
 THE BUNKER HILL. 
 
 This is one of the mines included in the famous 
 thirty-sixth section, a portion of the ground being on 
 the doubtful tract. Superintendent Palmer furnishes 
 the following information about the mine: It was 
 worked in 1851, by Snediker, Briggs, and others, mak 
 ing the quartz pay twenty dollars per ton, until the 
 works were carried down some depth. It is now four 
 hundred and fifty feet deep, with two veins of paying 
 rock. The vein next to the hanging-wall is about 
 five feet thick. The second one varies from one foot 
 to thirty feet in thickness, and is what is called a 
 chimney, dipping to the north about forty-five 
 degrees. The hanging- wall is well defined and reg 
 ular; the foot-wall being somewhat broken. The 
 general pitch is about twenty-eight degrees from a 
 perpendicular. The two veins are about sixty feet 
 apart, no gold being found in the slates between 
 the veins. The sulphurets, constituting about three 
 per cent, of the entire rock, are worth about eighty 
 dollars per ton, this being about one-tenth of the 
 entire product, which at these figures would be about 
 twenty-five, dollars per ton. The rock shows an 
 improvement as a greater depth is reached. 
 
 New hoisting works, mill and chlorination works 
 are being erected, and a new shaft is being sunk. 
 The mill is to have forty stumps run by water-power, 
 and everything is to be substantial and first-class. 
 The property is owned by a joint-stock company and 
 bids fair to be highly remunerative. 
 
 There are no mines of note for some distance north 
 of the Bunker Hill; though several shafts have been 
 sunk no valuable lodes were opened. 
 
 THE PENNSYLVANIA. 
 
 This mine was worked by J. W. Pierson, of Oakland. 
 Either bad management or other causes have given 
 it an unenviable reputation. About a year since, 
 fortunately while there was no one in the works, it 
 caved in, the whole works collapsing. As the mine 
 is being dismantled it is likely that it was not found 
 profitable. 
 
 THE GOVER. 
 
 This is an old mine with a varied experience, the 
 balance generally being on the wrong side of the 
 ledger. It has been worked to a depth of one thou 
 sand and thirty feet; has two veins, the one next the 
 hanging-wall about seven feet thick containing the 
 pay. The pitch is about forty-five degrees. The 
 vein one hundred' and thirty feet west is about four 
 feet thick and does not contain much gold. A cross 
 cut at seven hundred feet showed no improvement in 
 the west vein; at this depth the eastern or hanging- 
 
QUARTZ MINING. 
 
 159 
 
 wall vein was good, averaging twelve dollars and a 
 half per ton, but gradually became poorer as a greater 
 depth was reached. The west vein was not tested 
 below the seven-hundred-foot level. 
 
 There is no appearance of a chimney in this mine, 
 the vein maintaining about the same width on a run 
 of seven hundred feet. This is a solitary case, every 
 other paying vein being in the shape of a channel, 
 chute, or chimney. The hoisting works and water- 
 power mill (twenty stamp) are substantial and well 
 arranged. The" town, called New Chicago, built up 
 on the strength of this and the adjoining mines, is 
 distressingly quiet. There is a prospect (January 1, 
 1881) of the Gover resuming work. 
 
 THE BLACK HILLS. 
 
 This is, to some extent, a repetition of Murphy's 
 ridge in the southern part of the county, the veins 
 being irregular in location and very much so in their 
 value. Immense sums have been taken out by the 
 Italians, Austrians and Mexicans, who have been 
 working this section for twenty years or more. There 
 is a strong hanging-wall but no foot-wall except the 
 ordinary slate. Sometimes the quartz shows in large 
 chimneys of barren rock a hundred feet thick; at 
 other times it ramifies into a thousand seams all 
 containing gold. The hills have been sluiced, hydrau- 
 liced, coyoted, and tunnelled and worked in every 
 way conceivable, and still a great number of men 
 make a living for their families, most of whom live 
 in the hollows below the mine in a primitive style? 
 with goats and children swarming over the hills. 
 Efforts have been made to mine this scientifically, 
 and long tunnels have been run under or down the 
 hanging-wall, which has a slope of about forty-five 
 degrees, but the Mexican with his crow-bar and 
 bataya still holds the country. The gulches heading 
 against this quartz reef were all rich, clear to the 
 summit, and it was by following up these that the 
 rich threads of quartz interlacing the hill were found. 
 
 THE SEATON MINE. 
 
 Twenty years ago this was a power in the land. It 
 was immensely rich in places. It adjoins the Black 
 hills on the north. The same rule as at the other 
 mines in this cluster holds good, i. e., a strong hanging- 
 wall. A mill and hoisting works were erected, and 
 the results were such as to make a boom in quartz; a 
 million of dollars seeking investment in the county 
 in a short time. Some of these ventures have proved 
 failures, others exceeded the most sanguine expecta 
 tions of the investors. The mine is owned by an 
 English company, and at present is not paying 
 dividends, but perseverance may uncover another 
 bonanza which will repay them for all their toil. 
 THE POTOSI. 
 
 This mine was developed by the Hinksons of 
 Drytown, and for many years was a source of profit, 
 if not of fortunes. The wall rock on the east is 
 here broken off, and for two miles, or until Plymouth 
 is reached, the veins are scattered, spreading in 
 
 some instances to two thousand feet in width. Some 
 mills have been erected, and though occasional runs 
 have been made which were profitable, the mines 
 in general proved a poor investment. Most of the 
 veins are held by persons too poor to sink on them, 
 the prospects not being good enough to induce cap 
 italists to invest. Some of the veins, with econom 
 ical management, may pay for working at the top, 
 and thus pay for testing them. 
 
 QUARTZ MOUNTAIN. 
 
 Although this is not usually considered on the 
 range, or Mother Lode, it is most convenient to 
 consider it here. It is an immense body of quartz 
 covering twenty acres or more of ground. It seems 
 to be a vein, perhaps one hundred feet thick, and 
 perhaps a thousand feet long, which, from its original 
 inclination, has fallen over to the eastward, as much 
 as twenty acres lying nearly flat, forming a promi 
 nent object for miles around. It early attracted the 
 attention of quartz miners, and was examined and 
 claimed in 1851, at the time of the first quartz 
 excitement. The ravines in the immediate vicinity 
 were not rich, although a three-hundred-dollar 
 lump is said to have been found in the long gulch 
 running from it towards the creek. It is rock of a 
 peculiar character, being much purer, and more 
 compact than the quartz of the Mother Lode. The 
 bullion from it is of low value, being worth only ten 
 or twelve dollars to the ounce, and very light, forty 
 per cent, of it being silver, on which account it is 
 hard to save. The quartz, notwithstanding its favor 
 able appearance, has not yet milled above two dol 
 lars per ton, and has proved a losing business to 
 all persons engaged in it. The ore has been treated 
 in every possible method, but the successful reduc 
 tion of it has not yet been accomplished. The sul- 
 phurets are extremely rich, being worth five or six 
 hundred dollars a ton. South of the Quartz mountain 
 the country has been .very rich in coarse gold. Some 
 quartz veins crop out on the heads of Deep and 
 Indian gulches, which have the same pitch to the 
 west that characterizes the Quartz mountain, and 
 are probably a part of the same formation. As 
 Rancheria creek above the town contains liJLtle 
 gold, and there is little indication of an ancient 
 river bed in this vicinity, it is highly probable that 
 Deep and Indian gulches, as well as the flats around, 
 were enriched by the system of quartz veins, to 
 which Quartz mountain belongs. Mack Culbert and 
 sons are working a vein on the hill above Indian 
 gulch, with fair prospects of making it pay. It is 
 likely that a thorough search will discover workable 
 veins. Reference was made to this mountain in the 
 article on quartz veins. 
 
 PLYMOUTH GROUP OF MINES. 
 
 It is more convenient to consider them under one 
 heading, although there are several incorporations, 
 the management being by one set of men. The situa 
 tion of the mines will be understood by a diagram: 
 
160 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 The Plymouth mine was discovered by Green 
 Aden in 1853 or 1854. The mine, then called the 
 Phoenix, was developed by the Hoopers, and was 
 worked by them until 1871, when it passed into the 
 hands of Hayward, D. O. Mills and Company. It 
 was then worked under the superintendence of 
 Charles Green, who developed it into its present 
 profitable condition. The mine is singular in the 
 fact that it is the site of a glacier erosion, which 
 smoothed down every rock, however hard or soft, 
 leaving none of the hard reefs so prominent in con 
 nection with other paying quartz veins. A reef of 
 rocks across the lower end of the valley, west of 
 Puckerville, formed the moraine or terminal line of 
 the erosion. 
 
 The ordinary hanging-wall is thought to be some 
 six hundred feet to the east of the vein, but as a drift 
 has been run only eighty feet in that direction, the 
 hanging-wall may be much nearer than is supposed. 
 The vein, which averages fifty-two feet in thickness, 
 had a moderate slope towards the east, until it 
 reached a depth of one thousand feet, when it sud 
 denly became much flatter, having a slope of about 
 forty-five degrees. The richest quartz was found on 
 this slope, there being a sudden increase in quality 
 as well as quantity at this bend. A nother peculiarity 
 of the mine is that the pay chimney runs towards 
 the south. . In this connection it may be well to 
 speak of the lawsuit now pending for trespass and 
 damage. Though Alvinza Hayward is a principal 
 owner in both the Empire and Pacific, other stock 
 holders have interests in but one, and in working 
 down on the chimney, which runs into the Pacific, the 
 Empire men received profits which accrued from the 
 Pacific ground; hence a suit for two hundred and 
 fifty thousand dollars damage. The Empire acknowl 
 edged a demand for eighty thousand dollars, but this 
 did not satisfy the Pacifies. To complicate matters 
 still more, the Merchants' Exchange Bank of San 
 Francisco, through some business complications with 
 Hayward, stepped in as an intervener, and the suit 
 became a triangular duel. An army of lawyers and 
 short-hand reporters was brought up from San 
 Francisco and quartered around Jackson. Two 
 thousand pages of testimony were taken to be used 
 in the higher courts, for this was but the beginning 
 or skirmishing line in the war. Those who have 
 never read the account of the "triangular duel' 1 in 
 Captain Maryatt's " Midshipman Easy," may get an 
 idea of this suit by imagining a three-handed game 
 of euchre, all parties playing against Hayward, who 
 was bound to be euchred in any event, having the 
 most of the cost (o pay. An award of seventy-one 
 thousand dollars damage was made by Judge Moore, 
 
 before whom the case was tried, and the matter is 
 still running through the courts. 
 
 The chimney at the depth of twelve hundred feet 
 has gone five hundred and ninety-two feet to the 
 south, at which point hoisting works of the most 
 substantial kind are being constructed, the shaft 
 being square, with four compartments. The tall 
 tower stands over the shaft, a prominent feature in 
 the landscape. This elevation is to give room for 
 waste rock that often accumulates to an inconven 
 ient degree around mining works. The eighty-stamp 
 mill, the largest in the county, is run by water- 
 power, the canal being a portion of the company's 
 works. A large portion of the timber and lagging 
 used, comes down the canal, which receives its sup 
 ply of water from the Cosumnes river. About four 
 thousand tons of rock are crushed each month, yield 
 ing forty thousand dollars or upwards. 
 
 Like other large mines, this consumes a great 
 amount of material, the yearly demand being 
 
 3,500 cords of wood valued at $21,000 
 
 7,000 pieces of round timber. 21,000 
 
 35,000 pieces of lagging 3,500 
 
 In addition to this, half as much may be reckoned 
 for dimension timbers for new works on the surface. 
 The names of some one hundred and fifty men are 
 on the pay-roll. 
 
 ENTERPRISE. 
 
 North of the Plymouth group the mines have not 
 been developed, though there are indications of 
 extensive quartz deposits. Indian creek, which 
 follows nearly the course of the quartz lodes, was 
 quite rich, as were the side gulches putting into it. 
 A few j^ears since a town was started on the pros 
 pects of the Enterprise mine, which flourished for a 
 time, but when the work was suspended the place 
 shrunk away. The mines along this range seem full 
 of water, the west or foot- wall (the west bank of 
 Indian creek) having numerous springs, which may 
 come from extensive mineral deposits on that side. 
 A mineral lode has once been a water channel though 
 subsequent erosions and cleavages may have changed 
 its course. 
 
 NASHVILLE. 
 
 On the north side of the Cosumnes is the place 
 called Nashville, formerly Quartzburg, which, though 
 in El Dorado county, may be mentioned in connection 
 with the Amador mines as being the extension and 
 probable termination on the north, as the Gwin mine 
 is on the south, of that remarkable deposit which 
 we have endeavored to describe, called the Mother 
 Lode in Amador county, as north of the Nashville 
 group, and south of the Gwin mine, the quartz 
 deposits are irregular and cannot compare, in pro- 
 
QUARTZ MINING EAST OF THE MOTHER LODE. 
 
 161 
 
 ductiveness or regularity, with the mines between 
 the two named points. This mine was worked at an 
 earlier day than any of the Amador mines, as the 
 mill was a model for some of them. The mine was 
 developed by Dr. Harris of Nashville, Tennessee, who 
 sunk for his company some forty thousand dollars. 
 The first power used was steam, but afterwards a 
 dam was thrown across the river at a cost of thirty 
 thousand dollars, which was a needless expense, as 
 a small canal a mile or two in length, has since been 
 equal to the power gained by the dam. During the 
 Summer of 1851 a man by the name of Eustice, from 
 Missouri, discovered a rich vein near Nashville, 
 which he allowed the Mexicans to work for a royalty, 
 which was an arrangement that they should purchase 
 their supplies of him, which condition they generally 
 observed. The Mexicans worked the rock with 
 arastras, with which they are experts, and made it 
 pay much better than did the mill men who came 
 after them. As many as thirty or forty of these 
 might be seen grinding at a time. Perhaps two 
 hundred men, women, and children were congre 
 gated around the mine, which pinched out at a depth 
 of about a hundred feet. The arrangement was 
 mutually satisfactory and profitable, and Eustice car 
 ried away about sixteen thousand dollars for his 
 share. The mines are not worked at present, and 
 seem never to have been as rich and asextensiveas the 
 mines in Amador county. This closes the account of 
 the great Mother Lode as it exists in Amador county. 
 In the chapter on the formation of mineral veins, 
 reference to the mines is occasionally made. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIX. 
 QUARTZ MINING EAST OF THE MOTHER LODE. 
 
 Downs Mine Mark lee Tellurium Thayer Clinton Mines 
 Mace Range of Mines Pioneer and Golden Gate Mines 
 Quartz Veins West of the Mother Lode Kirkendall Soap- 
 Stone or Steatite Mine Quartz Mining in the Future 
 Put Money in Thy Purse School Cabinets Copper Min 
 ing General Craze Country Formed into Districts Funny 
 Notices New Towns Result of the General Search 
 Chrome Iron Failure of Meader Remarkable Discovery 
 Present Condition of Copper Mining. Newton Mine. 
 
 No man who has made gold mining a subject for 
 thought, ever doubted that the gold found in our 
 gulches and rivers originally came from the quartz 
 veins. When the news of the discovery of gold in 
 the quartz at Sutter Creek and other places was 
 learned, the belief that the quartz veins on the upper 
 range of placers, which were not inferior in richness 
 to the lower ones, became general. Soldiers' gulch 
 had several veins crossing it, and so had numerous 
 other rich placers. Quartz boulders, with gold 
 riveted through and through them, were sometimes 
 found, as well as rough quartz, which did not appear 
 to have been moved any great distance from the 
 vein. Small veins were found with considerable 
 gold in them, and in 1867 there were not less than 
 one hundred stamps in operation within a few miles 
 21 
 
 of Yolcano, and nearly two hundred on the upper 
 range. The following table will show that the upper 
 veins were being fully tried: 
 
 Location in 
 Amador county 
 
 Name of Mill. 
 
 M 
 
 i < 
 " 1 
 
 & 
 
 / 
 
 : 
 
 or 
 
 
 
 No. Arastra. 
 
 Power 
 
 Cost. 
 
 Present Occupants. 
 
 Amador City . 
 Clinton '.'. 
 
 Amador 
 Bunker Hill.. 
 Fleeharti 
 Hazard 
 
 1856 
 1855 
 1866 
 1857 
 1856 
 iS56 
 1865 
 
 HI 
 8 
 Id 
 8 
 
 4r. 
 
 to 
 
 111 
 
 
 steam 
 s & w 
 steam 
 water 
 steam 
 s & w 
 steam 
 
 s & w 
 water 
 s & w 
 
 steam 
 water 
 
 steam 
 
 water 
 
 s & w 
 water 
 
 S & W 
 
 water 
 s & w 
 water 
 
 steam 
 s & w 
 
 steam 
 ^ater 
 <' earn 
 
 10.000 
 12,000 
 10,0:)0 
 6000 
 40,000 
 40,000 
 10,000 
 10,000 
 20,000 
 10,00(! 
 100,000 
 10,00 
 10,000 
 8,000 
 5,000 
 10,000 
 40,000 
 7,500 
 10,000 
 15,000 
 10,000 
 10,000 
 40,000 
 10,000 
 15,000 
 20,000 
 10,000 
 12,000 
 9,000 
 10,000 
 20,000 
 8,000 
 4,000 
 20,OCO 
 15,000 
 20,000 
 9,000 
 8,00(i 
 5.0CO 
 8,000 
 
 Middleton & Co. 
 William A. Palmer. 
 Gardner & Fleehart. 
 Gardner & Fleehart. 
 Gashwilder & Co. 
 Hooper & Co. 
 W. J. Paugh. 
 E. T. Steen. 
 Hooper & Co. 
 Creed & Wood. 
 Seaton M. Co. 
 Ragon & Co. 
 C. T. Mea'Jer. 
 S. C. Fogus. 
 C. T. Meader. 
 Tubbs & Co. 
 James Morgan. 
 Biuno & Co. 
 Gushing, Ryder & Co. 
 Hurst & Co. 
 A. Hay ward. 
 R. C. Downs. 
 A. Hayward. 
 R. C. Downs, Supt. 
 Mahoney Brothers. 
 C. T. H eader. 
 C. T. Wheeler. 
 California Furnace Co 
 
 Keystone 
 Spring Hill. .. 
 Rockv Falls.. 
 
 
 Union 
 
 1858 
 i860 
 1857 
 1865 
 1865 
 1864 
 i860 
 1862 
 1806 
 1854 
 1804 
 1864 
 1868 
 1858 
 1858 
 1858 
 
 185S 
 1866 
 1859 
 186a 
 1S5S 
 1 8 65 
 1865 
 186i 
 I860 
 1*63 
 
 10 
 
 M 
 
 H; 
 <( 
 10 
 16 
 10 
 10 
 10 
 40 
 4 
 10 
 20 
 Hi 
 
 III 
 41, 
 
 20 
 
 1'i 
 20 
 12 
 10 
 10 
 Hi 
 HI 
 10 
 LO 
 u 
 
 
 Dry town ... . 
 
 Plymouth 
 Totosi 
 
 Seaton 
 
 Fiddletown .... 
 Jackson 
 
 Richmond .. . 
 Coneys 
 tluobards .... 
 Kearsings .... 
 
 
 
 t> 
 
 Tubbs 
 
 Lower Randiccia 
 Pine Grove. 
 Rancheria. . . 
 Sutter Creek 
 ii <> 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Oneida 
 Italian 
 
 Tellurium . . . 
 Loval League 
 Badger 
 
 Downs 
 
 Eureka 
 
 Lincoln Q M Co 
 -Vlahoney . 
 Meader 
 
 VVildumna . . . 
 Belding 
 Eagle 
 Fogus 
 Golden Gate.. 
 Italian 
 Monday 
 
 
 J. T. Farley. 
 Kurd & Co. 
 Rose & Co. 
 Fogus & Co. 
 Lawton & Co. 
 C. T. Meader. 
 J. T. Farley. 
 W. H. Thoss. 
 Lawton & Co. 
 Tulloch & Co. 
 M. Tynan. 
 
 
 
 ii 
 
 ii 
 
 ii 
 
 Mitchells . 
 
 u 
 
 Pioneer 
 Sirocco 
 
 18&5 
 
 u,eo 
 
 in 
 20 
 
 
 it 
 
 u 
 
 Sulphuret 
 Tulloch 
 Till loch 
 
 1864 
 1865 
 
 1865 
 1865 
 
 15 
 1 
 12 
 
 2 
 'l 
 
 ii 
 
 ii 
 
 " 
 
 Tynan 
 
 It took twenty years of costly experience to learn 
 quartz mining and the nature of quartz veins. There 
 were these differences in the veins on the Mother 
 Lode and in the other parts of the county; on the 
 Mother Lode the veins generally had a north and 
 south direction; on the others they ran in all direc 
 tions; though, often than otherwise, conforming in 
 directions to the rifts of the slate, they turned appar 
 ently at every little obstruction and had no uniformity 
 of direction, dip, or strike. There was a gouge or 
 selvage beside the Mother Lode; scarcely any at all 
 on the upper veins, many of the largest of the veins 
 being encased in solid walls, in fact, as the miners 
 use to say, melted into it. Along the Mother Lode 
 was a solid wall (frequently on both sides) which was 
 continuous, and could readily be traced through the 
 county; on the upper ranges the wall rock, or rock 
 adjoining the quartz, would change its character 
 every few feet, sometimes being a hard metamor 
 phosed flinty rock, at other places turning to steatite, 
 or soft, earthy slate. Those of our readers who 
 studied the Mother Lode, in its entirety, will remem 
 ber the functions of a firm wall rock and the 
 importance of a gouge, one as holding the quartz 
 deposit to its place, the other showing a deep fissure 
 or a greater length of deposit. There is a probability 
 that the aggregate amount of gold in the West Point 
 system of veins, which also crosses Amador county, 
 is greater than in the Mother Lode of the same 
 length, and so of the other veins that traverse the 
 eastern part of the county within a few miles of Vol- 
 
162 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 cano. The great sea that deposited the rocks, 
 did not leave the material for a firm overlying bed. 
 The corals, building up reefs, and modifying the 
 influence of the ocean currents, perhaps, interfered 
 with the deposit of a stratum as uniform in its char 
 acter as was done a few miles farther west. At any 
 rate, when the mountains were lifted out of the sea 
 the mass of rock overlying the gold-bearing strata 
 opened in various directions, besides at the axis of 
 elevation; hence the water holding gold and other 
 minerals in solution found its way to the surface, 
 sometimes through limestone, sometimes through 
 granite or syenite, and sometimes through soft slate, 
 the fissures following no direction long, nor extend 
 ing to great depths, as at the Mother Lode, though 
 the conditions admit of exceptions. 
 
 With these few general remarks the subject of 
 their formation may be dismissed and a few of the 
 mines noticed. 
 
 THE DOWNS MINE 
 
 Apparently conforms more nearly to a true fissure 
 vein than any in the upper series yet found, though 
 differing in its direction from veins on the Mother 
 Lode. It has a gouge, a large amount of vein mat 
 ter or distinctly characterized rock, and firm walls, 
 all of which conditions are favorable to permanence 
 and depth. This mine was located as early as 1857 
 by Phil. Scibenthaler, Geo. Felmath, and others. 
 The rock on the surface was worked by arastras and 
 paid from forty to one hundred dollars per ton. 
 They then enlarged the works and put up a twenty- 
 stamp mill. There was not rock enough avail 
 able to keep the mill running, and the company 
 failed, work being suspended until 1866, when the 
 whole property was bought by James M. Hanford 
 for one hundred dollars. Work was resumed, the 
 quartz being hauled to the Fogus mill, two and a half 
 miles below Volcano, for reduction. The milling was 
 badly done, saving only eight dollars and twenty-five 
 cents per ton. A year later the shaft was sunk forty 
 feet deeper. Two tons ground in an arastra paid 
 twenty-six dollars per ton. This so encouraged the 
 proprietor that sinking was continued still further. 
 A swell was struck ir the vein which now became 
 four feet in thickness, though the body of the vein 
 had no greater amount of gold than before, now pay 
 ing only twenty dollars per ton; but this was good 
 rock. Fifteen feet deeper the vein contracted to its 
 original width of two feet. The next crushing of 
 rock, taken from below the swell at a depth of ninety 
 feet, paid sixty-eight dollars per ton by the arastra 
 process. It was also discovered that there were two 
 continuous parallel veins within the two wall rocks, 
 which were about thirty feet apart, though one of 
 the veins was of much less value than the other. 
 The narrow vein (the first one worked) is now pay 
 ing, by mill process, twenty-five to forty dollars per 
 ton. The mill is run by water-power and all the 
 appliances are calculated to work economically. All 
 the circumstances point towards a permanent and 
 
 profitable mine. The vein has an easterly and west 
 erly direction and can be distinctly traced some dis 
 tance towards the west, showing good rock all the 
 way. J. N. Peck & Co. own one extension under 
 the name of the Golden Star, and Benjamin Ross 
 another'. 
 
 THE MARKLEE MINE. 
 
 This mine is north of Volcano and not far from 
 Dry Creek. It was worked with profit for aboiit two 
 years. Many good runs were made on it. May 11, 
 1872, sixteen days' run with twelve stamps netted 
 thirteen thousand dollars. It was sold to an 
 English company, who put some one in charge who 
 was either unacquainted with quartz mining, or had 
 a job on hand, as he drifted away from the pay 
 chute, at least in the opinion of the workmen who 
 seemed to be better acquainted with the nature of 
 the quartz than the foreman. The mill and hoisting 
 works were removed and the mine and improvements 
 left to ruin. In the opinion of many the mine is still 
 good. 
 
 THE TELLURIUM 
 
 Is a few hundred feet east of Pine Grove. The 
 quartz in this vein is in considerable quantity, form 
 ing a regular vein. It appears rather white and pure 
 to contain much mineral, but is said to pay thirty or 
 forty dollars per ton, which, however, is very doubt 
 ful. The name Telhirium seems to have been given 
 rather as a fanciful title than because any of that 
 mineral exists in the rock. As usual with mines 
 owned in cities or out of the State, the management 
 has been given to incompetent men, the working of 
 the mine being experimental rather than practical. 
 
 THE THAYER MINE 
 
 Was on the north side of Grass Valley creek, and 
 in 1859-60 was a promising vein. A man by the 
 name of Thayer (from the city, of course) gave his 
 name to it, and also demonstrated the inutility of 
 new quartz machines, like many before and since, 
 and probably many yet to come. His plan was an 
 enlargement of the Chile wheel, which, in this 
 instance, was made ten or twelve feet in diameter, 
 shod with iron castings, and traveling in a circular 
 gutter fifty or sixty feet in circumference, also lined 
 with iron. The principle was correct enough, and 
 has since been used with good effect with heavy cast- 
 iron balls rolling in a cast-iron basin four or five feet 
 in diameter; but in his case the castings worked 
 loose, both in the track and on the circumference of 
 the wheel, making a total wreck in the course of a 
 few days. The machinery was sold for old iron, and 
 work suspended for some years. Some miners 
 jumped the claim and opened a paying vein, at least 
 for a time. The surface of the vein, or a sheet of it, 
 perhaps twenty feet wide, was found flat on the 
 ground, having apparently fallen over. A hundred 
 tons of this rock, crushed at the Fogus Mill, paid 
 about thirty-four dollars per ton. An attachment 
 was laid on the money by three lawyers from Mokel- 
 
QUARTZ MINING EAST OF THE MOTHER LODE. 
 
 163 
 
 umne Hill, all of whom were dignified as Judges. 
 An expensive lawsuit followed. Surveyors were 
 sent to map the ground, experts to theorize on the 
 probabilities of the existence of a vein, and, in fact, 
 the whole legal mining machinery which had been 
 introduced into Comstock mining litigation, was 
 brought into play on the real discoverers of the pay 
 ing vein. They had to yield. The mine is now 
 nearly forgotten. 
 
 THE CLINTON MINES 
 
 Were once considered good, but are not worked at 
 present. These belong to the Pine Grove range, 
 and, like them, have a short run in length as well as 
 depth. 
 
 THE MACE RANGE 
 
 Has the north and south trend following the rifts 
 of the slate. Though rich on the surface, they 
 pinch out at a short depth, and are not true fissure 
 veins. It would seem possible that these veins are 
 produced by surface action, that is, by the precipita 
 tion of minerals held in solution, by water flowing 
 over the surface, as the veins seem to have no con 
 nection with a gold-bearing strata, like the veins on 
 the Mother Lode. 
 
 A good vein of ore in this vicinity may yield three 
 or four thousand dollars before it pinches out. The 
 milling is done by a custom mill at five dollars per 
 ton, owned by F. Mace. 
 
 Though these veins have a family resemblance, 
 they differ much in character in the course of a few 
 miles, sometimes being clear, hard, and blue in text 
 ure and color, and then shading into syenite sand 
 stone or hornblende. In some, the gold, though pay 
 ing well for milling, is so fine as to be almost 
 impalpable. In this case, the breaking down of a 
 vein by glacial or other erosion would not make rich 
 placers. 
 
 It may be observed of the country generally, that 
 quartz boulders of any size usually indicate the 
 proximity of a quartz vein of similar character, prov 
 ing that the streams or rivers forming the beds of 
 gravel, were small. This, however, does not apply 
 to the great east and west river, which had its chan 
 nel on the divide between Dry creek and Sutter creek, 
 which escaped the great glacial erosion. A river 
 which could sweep millions of tons of volcanic boul 
 ders down the slope of the mountains, could and did, 
 sweep along boulders of quartz three feet in diameter. 
 Such a boulder was found in 1857, on Union flat, 
 above any bed rock. It was of clear, blue quartz, 
 without any admixture of iron, and had several 
 hundred dollars in pure gold in a kind of stratum 
 on one side, the other side being barren. The rock 
 bore a great resemblance to that of the Sheep 
 Ranch mine in Calaveras county, said to be one of 
 the best paying mines in the State. 
 
 PIONEER AND GOLDEN GATE MINES. 
 
 Between the Mace, or West Point range, and Vol 
 cano, are veins of a very- distinct character. They 
 
 are narrow but well defined, going straight down, 
 neither widening or pinching out. Of this character 
 are the veins named at the head of this paragraph. 
 The veins do not follow the trend of the country rock, 
 but seem to be rather in a transverse fissure. They 
 are from sixteen inches to two feet in width, paying 
 from twenty to forty dollars a ton. The mine owned 
 D y W- Q- Mason, is of this group. The vein varies 
 from three to nine inches in width, averaging about 
 thirty-five dollars per ton, though in places the 
 rock is quite rich, paying several dollars to the 
 pound. This range of mines has not been sufficiently 
 explored to determine the Value of them. 
 
 QUARTZ VEINS WEST OP THE MOTHER LODE. 
 
 These are numerous, and some of them quite 
 large, being in some instances thirty or forty feet 
 thick, as at Dr. Randall's ranch near lone, and at 
 Mrs. JSTichol's ranch, in Jackson valley. The lower 
 range is quite as extensive as the Mother Lode, and 
 in the rich gulches and placers adjoining, bears evi 
 dence of having considerable gold. In the vicinity 
 of French Camp, some of the small veins are said 
 to have gold enough to pay for crushing, but as they 
 do not hold their size, but ramify into numerous 
 branches, they are not likely to be extensively 
 worked. The Kirkendall range near Irish hill, was 
 thought to be rich, but work on it is generally sus 
 pended. 
 
 In the vicinity of Stony creek the quartz seems 
 to be auriferous, but here, as at French Camp, the 
 veins are neither permanent nor well defined. It 
 would seem that in all this western range of quartz 
 veins, copper, not gold seems to be the predominat 
 ing mineral. 
 
 SOAP-STONE, OR STEATITE GOLD MINES. 
 
 These mines are some miles east of the lower 
 range of quartz veins, and seem to be connected 
 rather with the serpentine or green ledge formation. 
 There is considerable doubt in the minds of many 
 who have not examined the locality, as to the pres 
 ence of gold in steatite; but the fact that all the 
 gulches running from the locality were rich, ought 
 to set all doubts to rest. Attention was called to 
 these places twenty years since, by specimens of 
 the steatite with gold, like bronze, well-distributed 
 through it. There was some coarse gold found occa 
 sionally. Major Barting, who did the most to test 
 these veins, found a piece in this vein thirty feet 
 from the surface, which weighed some sixty grains 
 or more. 
 
 It is claimed that the rock contains twenty or 
 thirty dollars to the ton; but all attempts to save it 
 have been failures, the gold being so fine as to float 
 off on the top of the water. 
 
 QUARTZ MINING IN THE FUTURE. 
 
 Much money has been expended in quartz that 
 has not been returned. A few have become wealthy, 
 others have made a living, and many have worn 
 
164 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 themselves out in the unsuccessful search for gold. 
 The fact that gold, which made the placers, was 
 originally derived from quartz, and that many of the 
 veins are still rich, will induce the examination of the 
 last one where there is any probability, or even possi 
 bility, of finding it. GOLD ! what a magic in the 
 word! What a spell it will work. For gold, man will 
 dare the depths of the earth, the heights of the 
 mountains, the heat of the tropics, and the ice regions 
 of the pole, the solitude of the plains and the crowds 
 in cities. 
 
 Those who preach moderation in seeking it are the 
 first to sniff a strike, and the fiercest to strive for its 
 possession. Until human nature is changed, the gold 
 hunt will continue. 
 
 " ' PUT MONEY IN THY PURSE.' 
 
 " Make it thy soul's delight to gather coin. Suffer not 
 thy thoughts to stray from this purpose. Make cor 
 ners in bread, so that the poor shall go hungry. 
 What is it to thee that hundreds suffer? Make cor 
 ners in water, though the great Father poured it out 
 without stint for all his children. Fence it up ; 
 gather it in'to reservoirs and make the thirst as well 
 the hunger of the people fill thy purse. What were 
 hunger and thirst made for but to help thee put 
 money in thy purse ? Watch the progress of industry, 
 and buy up the land that lies in its course. Hold 
 it for high prices ; hold it until the homeless and 
 landless must have it at any price. What is it to 
 thee that industries are paralyzed? Put money in 
 thy purse. 
 
 " Thy brother may be fainting by the wayside, 
 crushed by misfortune and sickness. Heed not his 
 cry of agony. Shut all avenues of the heart to the 
 cries of suffering humanity. What is the world to 
 thee? Put money in thy purse. 
 
 " The world is full of beauty. Every little flower 
 that opens its petals to drink in the sunshine, is full 
 of marvelous, self-acting machinery. Heed it not. 
 Turn not aside from thy great work. The rocks of 
 the earth, all the elements, tell a wondrous story of 
 the creation, extending through myriads of ages, of 
 changes from chaos to order; from darkness to light 
 and life; of alternating ages of torrid heat and icy 
 solitude. The stars spangling the infinite blue deep, 
 tell a marvelous tale of the extent of God's works, 
 and suggest the possibility of a future greatness of 
 the soul ; of a wandering at will through endless 
 beauty wondering, admiring, and learning. Leave 
 such things to fools; they are nothing to thee. Put 
 money in thy purse. 
 
 " Work for money with all thy might, mind, and 
 soul, and it shall flow to thee, as the water floweth 
 to the sea, in streams ever widening and deepening, 
 gathering strength as it comes. Thou shalt own 
 broad acres in the hearts of cities, and principalities 
 in the country. Thy flocks shall cover a thousand 
 hills, and thy bank accounts increase by day and by 
 night. Though in the pursuit of wealth thy fea 
 tures become the incarnation of all that is vile, a 
 record of years of sin, at thy approach with the 
 golden key the doors of palatial residences will fly 
 open; obsequious servants will conduct thee to the 
 innermost shrine; melodious voices will sing for thee 
 the sweetest songs; gray-haired wisdom will lend 
 thee its aid, and youth and beauty will come to thy 
 arms. Thou mayest ride rough-shod over the people, 
 for hast thou not the wherewith? 
 
 < k But know, O mortal! that thy millions cannot 
 purchase one atom of love or respect; that the poor 
 est sewing girl in the city, or the dirtiest dustman, 
 is richer than thou art, for some one may have for 
 them a tender thought; but thou shalt be abhorred 
 of all. When sorrow cometh to thee, no heart will 
 beat in sympathy, no tears will mingle with thine. 
 Every man's hand will be against thee, as thine has 
 been against mankind. Every dollar of thy millions 
 will be a demon to gnaw thy withered, nhrunken 
 soul. Thy heart shall be like a desert land, without 
 green thing, fountain, or shade. The harpies of the 
 law shall quarrel over thy ill-gotten wealth, as the 
 wild dogs and wolves over the fallen bison of the 
 plains, "and thou shalt have lived in vain, for what 
 doth thy wealth profit?" 
 
 Gold mining and the pursuit of wealth will go on 
 nevertheless, and may be regulated, but not pro 
 hibited. 
 
 SCHOOL CABINETS. 
 
 Cabinets of elegant curiosities abound everywhere, 
 but, notwithstanding, there is a great deal of con 
 fusion regarding the names of the commonest rocks. 
 The metamorphic slates, constituting the wall rocks 
 of the quartz veins, are generally called granite, 
 than which nothing is more different. A collection 
 of a hundred common rocks, properly labelled and 
 cased, at the school-houses, would cost but little and 
 would soon have a perceptible effect in remedying 
 the confusion. 
 
 COPPER MINING. 
 
 Copper, in quantity, was first discovered in Cala- 
 veras county, at the place afterwards called Copper- 
 opolis, by W. K. Reed, July 4, 1861. The outcrop, 
 along where the Union and Keystone mines were 
 located, was very marked, and large quantities of 
 oxidized ores were taken out near the surface, as well 
 as fine specimens of native copper, some of which 
 were arborescent or crystallized in form. There were 
 also large quantities of impure oxide of copper (cop 
 per smut) mixed more or less with red oxide. These 
 ores were all shipped to Swansea, England, for reduc 
 tion, and the profits were such that fortunes of half 
 a million were made in a little time. It is said that 
 the Union mine opened the largest body of ore ever 
 discovered in the world, the shipments from it being 
 made on an immense scale. The run of ore was 
 three hundred and fifty feet long, and from four to 
 nine thick at the upper level; twenty-one feet at 
 the depth of two hundred, and thirty-one feet at the 
 depth of two hundred and fifty feet, all of No. 1 and 
 No. 2 ores. Other mines in the vicinity were also 
 rich. The shipments from Stockton of the Copper- 
 opolis ores, netted in 1863 six hundred thousand 
 dollars; in 1864 over one million dollars. For the 
 first year or two little attention was paid to cop 
 per in other places, but the rapid development of the 
 mines, and shipment of ores with profitable returns, 
 soon set hundreds to tracing out the copper forma 
 tion. The gossan or calico rock, so named from the 
 spotted appearance caused by patches of iron rust, 
 was found in a thousand places, and on uncovering 
 
.,.-. 
 
 
 \\^- 
 
 V-&*" 
 
RESIDENCE: AND LIVERY STABLE OF PETER PAGAN, 
 SUTTER CREEK, AMAOOR C? CAL. 
 
 LITM, BftlTTOH trlltr. 
 
QUARTZ MINING EAST OF THE MOTHER LODE. 
 
 165 
 
 the rock, mundic or sulphuret of iron was generally 
 found a few feet from the surface with a little copper 
 also. Considerable veins were found at Lancha 
 Plana and Campo Seco, especially at the latter place. 
 Several companies were organized and the shipping 
 of ore commenced. In 1862 Dr. Newton, near Ione> 
 commenced sinking for copper on general principles 
 rather than any practical knowledge of the ores or 
 croppings; but the following Summer, 1863, he struck 
 a vein of shipping ore, and the excitement in Amador 
 county commenced. It was found that the calico, 
 or gossan rock, was common over a tract of country 
 eight or ten miles wide, east and west, and extend 
 ing from the Mokelumne to the Cosumnes rivers. 
 
 GENERAL CRAZE. 
 
 Within four months, or by the first of October, at 
 least one thousand men were at work sinking on 
 every discoloration of rock that could be found. At 
 first some attention was paid to the range, but soon 
 the veins were found everywhere, though not in 
 sufficient quantity to be of any commercial value. 
 A vein of four inches of black oxide of copper was 
 discovered on the top of Bald hill, near Buena Vista, 
 and shares were soon selling at the rate of two hun 
 dred thousand dollars for the prospect. This claim 
 or mine was known by the name of Bull Eun. The 
 Star of the West, not far away, also went up to a 
 fabulous price. Quite a town, Copper Centre, sprang 
 up in the vicinity and many more sites were staked 
 out. The lone City company struck a vein of a few 
 inches in thickness near Stony creek, and shares 
 were immediately held at two thousand five hundred 
 dollars per hundred feet. Shares in an adjoining 
 claim without the color of copper were worth two 
 hundred dollars. Copper could be melted out of the 
 ores of many of the veins with a common black 
 smith's forge. This was the case with a vein an inch 
 or two in thickness near Sutter creek (name of the 
 mine forgotten), and forthwith each hundred of the 
 two thousand feet was worth one thousand dollars. 
 Many of the companies incorporated with a capital 
 stock of one hundred thousand to one million dollars, 
 and opened offices, hired secretaries at salaries from 
 fifty to one bundred dollars per month, issued hand 
 somely printed certificates of stock, and did 
 everything that Washoe companies did. Large 
 handsome signs such as, Office lone City Copper Min 
 ing Company; Office Chaparral Copper Mining 
 Company, indicated the " Copper on the brain " 
 which was afflicting almost every one. 
 
 COUNTRY FORMED INTO DISTRICTS. 
 
 The country was all districted off, recorders 
 elected, and laws passed, which were recognized in 
 the courts as valid and binding. The fees for 
 recording a location were usually one dollar, with 
 an additional twenty-five cents for each name 
 attached to the notice. Some of the recorders would 
 make one hundred dollars a month at this alone. 
 Placer mining was nearly suspended in the hunt for 
 
 copper. Not less than three hundred companies 
 were doing constant work between the northern 
 and southern boundaries of the county, besides 
 others who were doing enough to hold the ground. 
 Tunnels hundreds of feet long were run in the hard 
 metamorphic slates, just to strike the supposed range. 
 The serpentine range had a green color, and was 
 thought by many to be copper ore. " Uncle Thomas 
 Rickey " formed a company of two hundred or more, 
 to run a tunnel into this, near Poe's ranch. " It would 
 only cost a dollar to get in, and if they struck any 
 thing there would be enough for all." This tunnel 
 was run something over two hundred feet. Fifty 
 companies were sinking near Horse creek, one hun 
 dred near Forest home, fifty or more in the vicinity 
 of lone, as many more near Jackson and Stony 
 creeks; in fact, it was hard to find a hill which was 
 not claimed, with a little work done to hold the 
 ground. Some of the notices were amusing enough. 
 
 FUNNY NOTICES. 
 
 Hon. W. A. Ludlow, now of Oakland, is authority 
 for the following: 
 
 " tack Notes thee unter singd clant two Huntent 
 foot Sought on thes Loat from thee mans Neten 
 bushes 
 
 Febuary 12 1863 
 
 Clamte sought ter Pint three" 
 
 " Nota Bean Is here By given notes ter unter 
 signed clame too cooben clames of too Hunter feet 
 square sought Nort too 200 Hunter feet 
 
 Thounship 
 
 No 5 
 AmTore country feb 12 63 " 
 
 " Take Notes the untersiGent chlames North 400 
 foot to a mains neeten Bush for Preubens of Mining 
 Coper 
 
 Febuary 12 one thousand 800 63 " 
 
 Lest people should think this style was owing to 
 the absence of the school-master, the following notice 
 for the sale of property in Berkeley, in the shadow 
 of the University, is appended: 
 
 'FERR SALL TUR MES Ezi." 
 
 Selling claims or" shares was a profitable business, 
 and stock gambling came near being established. 
 Almost every person had his pockets full of rocks, 
 and wanted to sell shares. 
 
 The finest and best arranged collection of ores and 
 croppings was collected by Judge Carter, of lone. 
 Some twenty or thirty of the leading mines were 
 fully represented, cropping and ores being arranged 
 in the natural order from the top down. It should 
 have been preserved for the use of schools. 
 NEW TOWNS. 
 
 Forest Home, Mineral City, and several other 
 towns sprang up in the northern part of the county, 
 where the excitement was greater, if possible, than 
 in any other part. The One Hundred and One, or 
 
166 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Cosumnes Company, shipped considerable ore, as did 
 several other companies. The McNealy Company 
 (Arroyo Seco Copper Company), near Muletown, also 
 shipped several hundred tons of ore. C. T. Meader, 
 of Stockton, became the copper king of the State, 
 buying into many promising locations, the Newton 
 mine among others. This was extensively oper 
 ated, and numbers of teams loaded every day for the 
 water-front. 
 
 RESULT OP THE GENERAL SEARCH. 
 
 A thousand shafts were sunk, many of them strik 
 ing copper in small quantities. The serpentine range, 
 spoken of in the chapter on geology as an axis of 
 elevation, seemed to be the center of the copper 
 belt. The deposits on the eastern side were gener 
 ally in bunches of a few tons, capped with iron ore. 
 At one point, between Stony and Jackson creeks 
 twenty-three of these chimneys could be seen within 
 a space of half a mile square. Around the Mountain 
 Spring House the " mineral caps" were equally notice 
 able before they were removed for grading the turn- 
 piked road. This section of the country is well 
 worth the attention of mineralogists for its indica 
 tions of other minerals than copper. Some of the 
 shafts near the serpentine struck asbestos in consider 
 able quantities, which is likely to be valuable. 
 
 CHROME IRON 
 
 Was also found in quantity in several places, one 
 vein, now claimed by the Westfall brothers, being 
 nearly three feet thick. Twenty years since, this ore 
 was worth sixty dollars per ton, but since the dis 
 covery of large quantities of it in Sonoma and other 
 places, it is worth only the cost of mining it. 
 
 In the Autumn of 1863, some five or six companies 
 were shipping ore, and a hundred more were expect 
 ing to do so soon, but the whole thing collapsed in a 
 few months, leaving the million of dollars or more, 
 which had been expended in the search, a total loss. 
 
 FAILURE OF MEADER. 
 
 The first intimation of the coming panic was the 
 failure of C. T. Meader, the copper king. He had 
 not only bought into copper mines, but into quartz 
 mines as well. The Coney mine had passed into his 
 possession, and he had engaged extensively in ship 
 ping under the name of " Meader, Loler & Co." 
 
 When his failure came, it involved the mines in 
 which he was engaged in litigation, which had the 
 effect of tying them up for several years. Among 
 the causes mentioned was the depreciation of copper, 
 which went down, in the course of two years, from 
 twenty-eight to fourteen cents a pound. It was said 
 at the time that this depreciation was the result of 
 a conspiracy on the part of the Swansea Companies, 
 to break down the mining of copper in California; 
 but the reports of the discoveries, not only in Ama- 
 dor and Calaveras, but all over the State as well, 
 would be likely to affect the market. In Nevada 
 county the Well claim was said to be inexhaustible, 
 having a body of ore two hundred feet in width. 
 
 In Arizona there were, as it was said, miles of dykes 
 of ore standing in sight on the top of the ground. 
 The mines of Lake Superior were also pouring into 
 the trade a marvelous quantity of copper, so that 
 it was hardly necessary to suppose a conspiracy. 
 
 Four years afterwards, Meader, in accounting for 
 his failure, said that his copper stocks had depre 
 ciated in value two million two hundred and forty 
 thousand dollars, and that his total indebtedness 
 was one million two hundred and ninety thousand 
 dollars. The extreme depreciation continued for sev 
 eral years, totally suspending copper mining, many 
 of the claims being abandoned, and all being allowed 
 to fill up with water. From this latter circumstance 
 came the discovery of a cheaper method of reducing 
 the ores. 
 
 At the time work was suspended many of the 
 tools were left in the mines. When the water was 
 pumped out three or four years afterwards, a 
 
 REMARKABLE DISCOVERY 
 
 Was made. Every piece of iron or steel left in the 
 ground had been decomposed, and around it was an 
 oxide of copper, with a brown luster, which would 
 assay ninety -five per cent, copper. Shovels, hammers, 
 drills, iron bars, car wheels, and spikes used in fast 
 ening timber, were solid copper, bearing some resem 
 blance to the original articles. The steel drills were ir 
 regular tubes, the hollow part retaining the shape of 
 the iron. This was a discovery. Instead of having to 
 ship the ores to Swansea at an enormous expense, 
 they could be leached; that is, after the exposure of 
 the ores to the air they decomposed, and became 
 converted into sulphate of copper (blue stone of 
 commerce) which was soluble in water. The water, 
 beino 1 run into large vats, was brought into contact 
 with scrap-iron, which could be bought for a trifle; 
 the iron had a stronger affinity for the sul 
 phur, and the copper was precipitated in the form of 
 a brown powder, which was nearly pure copper. 
 By this method very poor ores can be worked with a 
 profit. It must be said, however, that not all the 
 copper ores can be worked in this manner. The 
 number of veins containing workable ore, is, per 
 haps, hundreds, possibly thousands. Though no 
 colossal fortunes will be made, yet they are likely in 
 the future to give profitable employment to a great 
 number of men. 
 
 PRESENT CONDITION OF COPPER MINING. 
 
 The Newton lead, owned by a Boston company, is 
 the only one that is extensively worked. This was 
 the first to make -use of the process of leaching and 
 precipitation. Under the able management of Ed 
 ward Johnson, the mine has not only been put on a 
 paying basis, but the way shown to utilize the 
 small bodies of copper ores which abound on the 
 east side of the serpentine ledge, as well as the 
 larger ones on the west side. The works now cover 
 several acres of ground. The vats, piles of scrap-iron 
 which now come near to the mine by rail the piles 
 
JACKSON. 
 
 167 
 
 of ore, through which the water is slowly soaking, 
 and the hoisting works, all serve to make a business 
 appearance. 
 
 The main shaft is four hundred and thirty feet 
 deep, from which four levels have been run each way 
 about two hundred feet, exposing large bodies of 
 double sulphurets of copper and iron. These levels 
 are all connected by winzes with the air shaft. Some 
 of the higher grades of ore are sent to Swansea for 
 reduction, but the larger part are reduced on the 
 ground. About forty men are employed about the 
 works. 
 
 Eeduction by leaching is also in use, to some ex 
 tent, in the mines near Forest Home. Copper mining 
 is a promising element in the prospects of the county. 
 
 CHAPTEE XXX. 
 
 JACKSON. 
 
 Capture of the County Seat Killing of Colonel Collyer Loss of 
 the County Seat Bull Fight and Election Mines First 
 School Improvements in 1854 Hanging Tree Griswold 
 Murder Great Freshet 1861 Great Fire 1862 Flood and 
 Loss of Life 1878 Big Frolic Celebration of Admission Day 
 Mokelumne River Murphy's Gulch Hunt's Gulch 
 Tunnel Hill Butte Basin Butte Mountain Butte City 
 Marriage in High Life The Gate Ohio Hill Slab City- 
 Clinton Spaulding's Invention. 
 
 DURING the Summer of 1848 this was a stopping- 
 place for persons traveling between Dry town and 
 Mokelumne river, though some mining was done 
 with batayas by the Mexicans, at the spring near the 
 National Hotel. The number of bottles left around 
 the spring by travelers, gave it the name of Bottil- 
 leas, until it was changed to Jackson, in honor of 
 Colonel Jackson, who afterwards settled there. It 
 does not appear that any number of men wintered 
 here in 1848, though some of Stevenson's soldiers 
 wintered at Mokelumne Hill. The first permanent 
 white resident of which any account can be found is 
 Louis Tellier, who still resides on the first location. 
 When Jim Martin and his company of eight passed 
 through Jackson, or rather where it was not, tjiere 
 was a Mexican cart standing near the spring. Louis 
 Tellier's first house was a log cabin covered with raw 
 hides; he also had a large army tent which had been 
 used in Mexico. In early days freight to Sacramento 
 was as high as one thousand dollars per ton. In 1850 
 it was reduced to two hundred dollars per ton. To 
 Volcano from Sacramento it was two hundred and 
 fifty dollars. There were no bridges, and, even in 
 Summer-time, both men and animals were sometimes 
 drowned. Lumber was worth thi^ee dollars per foot, 
 the floor of a small room costing six hundred to one 
 thousand dollars. The roads were mere Indian 
 trails, which were, in many instances, too narrow to 
 let wagons through. 
 
 There were two roads to Sacramento; one by 
 way of Eancheria and Drytown, the other by wny 
 of Buena Vista. Louis Tellier caused the latter 
 trail to be cut wide enough for a wagon, at his own 
 
 expense. The trail nearly followed the road towards 
 Lancha Plana to Stony creek, thence to the right 
 over the Blue ridge. During the Summer, Mr. 
 Hough, Mrs. Hough and her sister, came to the 
 town, these two being the first white women in 
 the town. Mrs. Hough is now living in Diamond 
 Springs, the second is living in Jackson, the widow 
 of McDowell, the first Justice of the Peace in Jack 
 son. The union of Miss Hough and McDowell, was 
 the first wedding. Mrs. Silas Penry is the daughter 
 by that marriage. Charles Boynton built the " Astor 
 House," and also a bowling saloon. History does 
 not give us many particulars regarding the archi 
 tectural merits of the " Astor House," nor as to the 
 architect who planned it. It was equal to any build 
 ing in the city, however, though it was built of logs, 
 and daubed with mud. There was a cabin near 
 where E. W. Palmer's house now stands; also one 
 on the site of his stable, occupied by John Papac, 
 a Chileno. Towards the Gate was a cabin, with the 
 sign, " brandy and sugar," hence called the Brandy 
 and Sugar Hotel, kept by a man by the name of 
 Kelley. He also sold bread and butter; a slice off 
 a loaf baked in a Dutch oven, was sold for one dollar; 
 if buttered, two dollars. He charged one dollar 
 per night for room to spread the. blankets on the 
 ground floor. 
 
 A Dr. Elliot had a tent near the site of the Central 
 House where he sold goods. During the Autumn an 
 emigrant sold his tent for six dollars; the rains com 
 ing on soon after, he paid one dollar a night for the 
 privilege of sleeping under it. Evans came in March, 
 1850, with some beef, slaughtered on the Cosumnes, 
 packed on some animals. He hung his meat on a 
 pole resting on two forked posts, and soon sold out 
 and went after more. His business flourishing, he 
 soon after opened a store at Secreto (near Clinton) 
 another at Butte, and a larger one at Jackson, near 
 the site of the National Hotel. His store was of 
 logs, and, not being well chinked, he filled up the 
 holes with hams, the shank bones sticking out all 
 around. He soon associated with him D. C. White 
 (who afterwards put up the soda works), and A. 
 Askey, the latter having remained with him since. 
 
 Duncan & Gage (who afterwards kept a Chinese 
 Bazar at San Francisco), Levinsky, Sloan, Stevens, 
 Stockier, Captain Dunham, and others, came soon 
 after Evans. Levinsky had a large store for many 
 years, as also did Sleekier. Stevens run the Young 
 America saloon; Sloan afterwards lighted Jackson 
 with Aubin gas. Captain Dunham kept a meat mar 
 ket near the hanging tree. There were also the two 
 Doctor Shields (called the big doctor and the little 
 doctor), one, it is not certain which, having a wife. 
 
 In August, 1850, there were but seven buildings 
 in the town, some of which were empty. These 
 were Louis Tellier's, White & Evans', Henry and Fred- 
 erich Eeeves' (on the hill near Butterfield's), one 
 where Kent now lives, occupied by Mr. Hough and 
 family, one at Palmer's house, and also one near his 
 
168 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 stable and the Brandy and Sugar Hotel. Dan Wor- 
 ley, now living near Drytown, visiting Jackson one 
 day, thought to get a clean square meal cooked by 
 a woman, but except for the name of the thing 
 would as soon have eaten in his own cabin. Bill of 
 fare: Fried steak, bread, and black coffee, $1.00, 
 with, " If you don't like it stay away." 
 
 FIRST GREAT EVENT IN JACKSON. 
 
 This was no less than the capture of the county 
 seat. This brilliant exploit seemed to have had its 
 origin in the fertile brain of Charles Boynton. When 
 Calaveras county was organized, Double Springs 
 somehow obtained the county scat. It had but one 
 house, which answered for Court House, saloon, 
 store, and hotel. The place had not grown as was 
 expected. The county seat, metaphorically speak 
 ing, was reaching out its arms for a more suitable 
 home; and Jackson, with its less than a dozen houses, 
 was willing to receive it, and nurse it to greater 
 strength. Elections and Acts of the Legislature, 
 means usually invoked in such matters, were set 
 aside as involving too much time, altogether too 
 slow for the lively town of Jackson. One morning, 
 while Double Springs was resting quietly on its 
 dignity as a shire town, the enemy appeared, smil 
 ing as usual. They (Charles Boynton and Theo. 
 Mudge) walked up to the county seat's bar, and 
 throwing down the coin, according to the custom 
 of the country, invited all hands to imbibe. The 
 population of the town, or at least the larger part, 
 responded with alacrity, the larger part being Col 
 onel Collyer, a rather pompous, portly Virginia gen 
 tleman, fond of telling good stories, and fonder still 
 of good liquor, never refusing the opportunity for 
 either. While one detachment of the enemy art 
 fully engaged the attention of Colonel Collyer, who 
 was county clerk, and in that capacity custodian of 
 the archives, another detachment at the other end 
 of the room gathered the archives under his arm, 
 tumbled them into a buggy, and ran away with 
 them to Jackson. When the Colonel found the 
 county seat had vanished, he raised his portly form 
 an inch or two higher, swung his cane furiously 
 around his head, and "swore that the army should 
 be called out to vindicate the dignity of the court. 
 
 A shake shanty, at the foot of Court street, had 
 been prepared for the bantling, and, on the arrival 
 of Boynton and Mudge at Jackson, the archives 
 were desposited with the proper ceremonies, the 
 liquors being remarkably fine; and Jackson became 
 the center of government for the great territory of 
 Calaveras, which extended from Sacramento .to the 
 Rocky Mountains. Judge Smith, the County Judge, 
 seemed to be on hand, ready to administer justice; 
 in fact, he was suspected of having connived at the 
 abduction, which act, it is said, was in part the 
 cause of the tragedy occurring soon after. The 
 County Clerk was induced to take his place, and 
 issue the proper papers, dated at Jackson, for the 
 convening of a court. 
 
 TRAGEDY KILLING OF COLONEL COLLYER. 
 
 At the election for county officers, held soon aftei 
 the removal of the county seat,- Joe Douglass, can 
 didate for the clerkship against Colonel Collyer 
 received the larger number of votes. The Colone 
 locked up the returns in his desk, in order to hold 
 the office until his successor was qualified, which 
 could not well be done without the counting of the 
 votes, with his official signature to the result. Judge 
 Smith broke open the desk in the absence of the Col 
 onel, counted the returns, and issued the certificates 
 of election to the successful candidates, Joe Doug 
 lass among the rest. This put a new face on the 
 aifair. The feud, occasioned by the removal of the 
 county records, now grew into an open war. 
 Threats to shoot Judge Smith on sight induced him 
 to arm himself, and when they met, near the foot 
 of the present Court street, Smith commenced firing, 
 hitting Collyer, who does not seem to have been 
 armed, two or three times. The shots were fatal, 
 and Collyer fell at the foot of a large oak tree grow 
 ing there, and shortly after expired. Smith was not 
 tried for the homicide, but public indignation was so 
 strong that he resigned. It is said, however, that as 
 Smith was a Northern man and Collyer a Southern 
 man, the people took sides accordingly in approving 
 or condemning, and thus foreshadowed the great 
 contest of ten years later. 
 
 The few residents of Jackson got up a celebration 
 of the Fourth. McDonnell was the orator, and com 
 pared the Constitution to a " crystal palace with its 
 pedestal towering to the skies." 
 
 EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY. 
 
 In the Fall a great immigration came in, and by 
 the 1st of December, Jackson had in the neighborhood 
 of a hundred houses. Harnett, who afterwards 
 lived in lone valley, built and kept a restaurant near 
 the Astor House. Henry Mann and John Burke 
 also had a restaurant, near the tree afterwards 
 famous as the "hanging-tree." It was in this house 
 that the Indian, Coyote Joe, was tried for killing the 
 blacksmith near the Gate. The wife of Helmer Tur 
 ner, present Deputy County Clerk, is a daughter of 
 Henry Mann; a son is junior partner of the firm, 
 Hutchirison, Mann & Co., engaged in insurance in 
 San Francisco. Mr. Mann lost his life in a singular 
 manner. A tame bear was kept tied to the famous 
 tree near Mann's restaurant. One day he had been 
 moved to a lot where some shoats were kept, which 
 his bearship commenced killing. Mr. Mann, in try 
 ing to return the animal to the tree, Angered the 
 bear, which gave him a hug that proved fatal in two 
 or three days. Mrs. Mann afterwards married W. 
 L. McKimm, the wedding taking place on the top of 
 Butte mountain. 
 
 Streeter and family, who afterwards lived on Dry 
 creek, resided here during the Winter of 1850-51. 
 Sheldon Streeter was the first white child born in 
 Jackson. 
 

 RESIDENCE AND RANCH OF 320ACRES JEFFERSON BAIRD. 
 3 MILES N.E. FROM PLYMOUTH, AMADOR C.9 GAL. 
 
 RESIDENCE AND LUMBERYARD OF E.S. POTTER. 
 PLYMOUTH, AMADOR C CAL. 
 
OF THE 
 
 TJNIVERSITT) 
 
JACKSON. 
 
 169 
 
 Medical attendance was expensive in those days, 
 physicians charging enormous fees. The following 
 fee bill was posted up in a doctor's office: 
 
 For one visit with medicine $ 16 00 
 
 Reducing a fractured limb $50 00 to 100 00 
 
 Parturition 100 00 
 
 The following story on medical charges is on the 
 said so of Tom Springer of the Ledger: 
 
 " Doctor Marsh, who was murdered in Contra Costa 
 county about 1856, was formerly owner of a ranch 
 in this county. Being called upon in a professional 
 capacity to visit a sick child, he got the mother to 
 wash a shirt for him. 
 
 " On leaving he made out a bill for services amount 
 ing to fifty cows the exact number of the woman's 
 herd of cattle. She acknowledged the debt, but at 
 the same time made out a bill to the same amount 
 for washing his shirt. The doctor went off grum 
 bling at the high rate for washing in California." 
 
 SECOND REMOVAL OF THE COUNTY SEAT. 
 
 Mokelumne Hill having outgrown Jackson, was 
 hankering for the distribution of the public moneys 
 among her own people. According to the law passed 
 by the Legislature in 1849-50, the county seat might 
 be moved every year if a majority petitioned for an 
 election and two-thirds voted for the change. It 
 was little trouble to get names on a petition of any 
 kind, and, as events subsequently proved, not very 
 much trouble to get votes in those days. An election 
 being ordered, Jackson would make an effort to keep 
 it. Though Mokelumne Hill had the votes, Jackson 
 had the talent and daring, which, once before, had 
 captured the county seat. 
 
 It was determined to gather a great multitude by 
 means of a free bull-fight, hoping to out-vote Mokel 
 umne Hill. Accordingly a corral was prepared, bulls 
 engaged, and great inducements offered, or, as the 
 play bills said, unparalleled attraction. 
 
 The bulls, some seven or eight in number, were 
 brought in some day or two before, and fierce looking 
 fellows they were, with their long slender horns and 
 sleek hides, and the excitement was immense. It 
 looked as if Jackson had got the bulge on the Mokel 
 umne " Hellyons." Lest the cattle might be sur 
 reptitiously turned loose, a guard of three or four 
 men with rifles, was stationed at the gate to insure 
 the safe keeping of the animals. But the Mok- 
 Hillians were not asleep. They began to gather in 
 horses; they were not going to be beaten with a bull 
 fight. They announced that the bull-fight was not 
 coming off. A delegation of trusty men was sent to 
 Jackson to watch the enemy. During the night they 
 plied the guards so well with whisky that they slept 
 at their posts, during which time the Mok-Hill- 
 ians quietly undid the fastenings without disturbing 
 the sentinels. Getting on the opposite side of the 
 corral they raised a great hullabalo, hearing which 
 the guards sprang to their feet only to be tossed and 
 trampled by the infuriated beasts, which charged at 
 a run through the open gate and were gone in a 
 
 moment. 
 22 
 
 The Spanish bulls having gone, an attempt was 
 made to get up an entertainment with American cat 
 tle, but they would not entertain worth a cent, and 
 the crowd programme was a failure. It was now 
 learned what the horses at Mokelumne Hill were for. 
 Bands of men were riding furiously all over the coun 
 try voting at every precinct, but the horses of 
 Jackson were few, and when the sun went down 
 Jackson was beaten, because the other side had the 
 most horses. An enormous vote was cast, out of all 
 proportion to the population. 
 
 MINES. 
 
 The gulches around Jackson were generally good, 
 though no such strikes were made as in Mokelumne 
 river. The north fork of Jackson creek was good 
 to its head; the south and middle forks were also 
 good. The best spots were near the junction of the 
 creeks, not far from the National House. A few men 
 made as high as five hundred dollars per day at 
 times. Thomas Jones had one of the best claims. 
 Nuggets worth two hundred and fifty dollars were 
 taken out near Dick Palmer's house. Hough also 
 had a good claim near the same place. One day 
 some immigrants inquired where they could find 
 diggings, and a place was pointed out. In a few 
 days they took out fourteen pounds each, and went 
 home. The flats in the vicinity of Tunnel hill 
 were also good. Jackson owed its prosperity more to 
 being a convenient center than to any mines about 
 the town. The different forks of the creeks came 
 together at Jackson. The roads to Volcano, Mokel 
 umne Hill, and the southern mines, passed through 
 here, and all helped to make it a center for a large 
 extent of country. 
 
 FIRST PREACHING. 
 
 The meeting was held in Mann's saloon in 1850. 
 The preacher (Southern Methodist), took a drink 
 before commencing service. His preaching was 
 profitable to himself at least, his receipts at the 
 close of the sermon being over a hundred dollars, 
 of which sum Harnet gave twenty dollars, and 
 Laura Stubbs, afterwards Harnet's wife, giving ten 
 dollars. This Avas about all the preaching that Win 
 ter. Davidson and his three partners (of what was 
 called the Minister Quartz Company, working at 
 Amador), preached occasional!} 7 the following Sum 
 mer. I. B. Fish was the first established preacher. 
 He belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church. 
 He was a fearless man, of good mind and 
 great force of character, and did not hesitate to 
 denounce the popular vices of the age. At lone, 
 especially, he won the enmity of saloon-keepers and 
 gamblers. The first church was built in 1853 by 
 subscriptions, costing two thousand dollars. 
 
 THE FIRST SCHOOL 
 
 Was taught by Mrs. Trowbridge, using the Methodist 
 church for a school-house. She was one of the few 
 pioneer women who felt the responsibility of living 
 where female influence was so great, and will be 
 
170 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 remembered as using it for the advancement of so 
 ciety. Several children, around Jackson at the 
 time, were going to ruin for the want of a mother's 
 care. Mrs. Trowbridge obtained clothes for them, 
 induced them to go to school and otherwise cared 
 for them. Geo. 0. Ash, now a leading member of 
 the Methodist Episcopal Church in this State, owes 
 his early training and subsequent success to Mrs. 
 Trowbridge's care when he was a motherless waif. 
 
 IN 1854 
 
 The advent of the county seat gave Jackson a 
 great lift. Several brick buildings were put up 
 about this time, among which was the building at 
 the bridge used as a Court House after the big fire, 
 the house used by Ingalls as a drug store at 
 the corner of Main and Water streets, and some 
 others not recollected. 
 
 With the increase of population came also all 
 kinds of mercantile institutions, where beauty and 
 frailty had a market value. The sounds of music, 
 the clinking of glasses, the chink of money as the 
 gambler paid out his losses or raked in his winnings, 
 were in time and tune with the other towns of Cal 
 ifornia, neither better nor worse. The town was or 
 ganized, and a Board of Trustees and Mayor elected. 
 When the first term of court under the new organ 
 ization was in session, the Grand Jury recommended 
 that some attempt be made to suppress the disor 
 derly houses meaning the houses of ill-fame. No 
 attention was paid to it, but at the next session the 
 Grand Jury acted more vigorously. Several men 
 were indicted for keeping disorderly houses. The 
 Grand Jury, visiting some of the houses, were 
 shown licenses fordoing business, which the "parties 
 construed into doing their kind of business; so they, the 
 Grand Jury, indicted the town authorities for issuing 
 the licenses, though the charge was " for obtaining 
 money under false pretenses." A. C. Brown, acting 
 as attorney for himself and other members of the 
 Board, acknowledged the service of the papers, and 
 gave security for appearance. 
 
 The affair caused quite an excitement, but ended 
 in nothing, as District Attorney Axtell appeared in 
 court the next morning and entered a noils prosequi 
 in the cases, and Judge Gordon dismissed them. 
 
 The indictments against the parties keeping the 
 disorderly houses were continued until the next 
 term, and then dismissed for want of evidence. Al 
 though these matters did not result in suppressing 
 these institutions, they showed that public o-pinion 
 was getting intolerant of the display of such places, 
 and from this time they rather evaded than courted 
 publicity. 
 
 GAS WORKS. 
 
 About this time, Sloan and some others established 
 gas works. Pipes were laid along the streets and 
 in all the public places. The works were on the 
 ground occupied by the rear of R. W. Palmer's staMe. 
 There was a bench of three retorts, and a tank or 
 
 gasometer holding perhaps five thousand feet. Pitch 
 wood was used for making the gas which was called 
 Aubin gas. Great hopes were entertained of the 
 project, but the quality of the gas, owing to the 
 defective machinery for purifying it, was uncertain. 
 Sometimes the light from it was brilliant, then going 
 entirely out; and the experiment was abandoned. 
 The pipes were afterwards utilized as water-pipes. 
 
 THE GREAT FRESHET. 
 
 Eighteen hundred and sixty-one found Broadway 
 built quite across the creek, the houses resting on 
 posts, which were set in the ground but a little ways. 
 It was nine years since the flood of fifty-two and 
 three, and the people either had forgotten, or would 
 not believe that the forks of Jackson creek would 
 sometimes float a steamboat, and so they rested in 
 security. The American Hotel, Young America 
 Saloon, and other good houses, were built over the 
 channel on Broadway. On the continuation of 
 Main street, beyond the Louisiana Hotel (now 
 National Hotel), was a row of barber-shops and 
 saloons. The rains commenced about the first of 
 December, and continued without much inter 
 mission for some weeks, until the ground was so 
 full it could hold no more, each shower sending the 
 streams, already full, over the banks. When the 
 main rise occurred, bringing down trees, timber, 
 fences, and mining machinery, the channel soon 
 choked. The flood now turned into Water street, 
 running along in front of the Louisiana Hotel, 
 carrying off the wagon-shop to the west of the hotel, 
 with its contents, and endangering the safety of all 
 the buildings along the street. At this point the build 
 ings began to give way. The American Hotel 
 actually floated up stream a little, which caused the 
 remark that it always was a contrary concern and 
 would not go like other buildings, referring to its 
 having been an unprofitable investment. Slowly the 
 mass of buildings, with the bridge, gave way and 
 started, grinding along and tearing away the out 
 buildings which had been built from both sides into 
 the creek. The row of barber-shops and saloons on 
 the next crossing hardly checked the movement, and 
 the mass went grinding and crashing into the canon 
 below, and the channel was cleared and the danger 
 passed. Some twenty buildings went off in this 
 burst, involving a loss of perhaps fifty thousand 
 dollars. The quantity of lumber of all kinds that 
 went down the creek through Jackson was enor 
 mous. It was fished out at all points. Several 
 thousand feet could bo gathered in a few hours, so 
 much broken, however, as to be useless except for 
 wood. Much of it went into the bay and thence to 
 sea. 
 
 INCIDENTS OF THE FRESHET. 
 
 The buildings taken away from the foot of Broad 
 way and Main streets, with their contents, went 
 tearing and crashing down the canon, and for some 
 j weeks, broken doors, windows, counters, and all 
 
JACKSON. 
 
 171 
 
 kinds of goods, were thrown ashore or fished out of 
 the creek below. One day, Dr. Crawford and Sam 
 Folger, the latter now in business in Jackson, were 
 engaged with others in wrecking in Jackson valley. 
 Now a door, which they recognized as coming from 
 the Young America saloon, would come to land; 
 then a window from the American Hotel; then a 
 part of the outhouse of the Louisiana, the parties 
 extracting a good deal of fun out of the work. A 
 bottle of some kind of liquor, miraculously preserved 
 from breaking, during its journey through the 
 Devil's Mill, as the canon was called, came rolling 
 and bobbing along, and was fished out. Now the 
 Young America had the reputation of keeping the 
 best liquors in the county. If it should be some of 
 Bristow's whisky, as Mrs. Toodles says, "it would 
 come so handy;" but there were barbers' and doctors' 
 shops carried away also, and it might be hair oil, or 
 hair dye, or some other horrible stuff, and it naturally 
 fell to the Doctor to try it. He smelled and tasted, 
 and smelled and tasted again, and ominously shook 
 his head. "Better not touch it, Folger, it may be 
 poison. Let me try it again;" taking a liberal sam 
 ple, again shaking his head, but the indescribable 
 look of satisfaction over-spreading his countenance, 
 induced Folger to test it also. It was some of Bris 
 tow's best, and a very acceptable find to the wet 
 fishermen. 
 
 THE HANGING-TREE. 
 
 This tree which has become noted wherever the 
 name of California is known, formerly stood near 
 Louis Tellier's saloon, and was a live-oak, with sev 
 eral branching trunks. It was never very beautiful, 
 but was a source of so much pride to the citizens, 
 on account of its history, that its likeness was 
 engraved on the county seal, so that its appearance 
 is not likely to be forgotten. 
 
 Its use at first as a hanging-tree, was quite acci 
 dental; but in the course of time the tree was a 
 terrible hint for the quick solution of a criminal 
 case, and when the tree was injured by the great 
 fire of August, 1862, so as to necessitate the cutting 
 of it down, the feeling regarding its fate was not 
 altogether sorrowful. 
 
 The first case was "Coyote Joe," an Indian, 
 charged with killing a blacksmith at the Gate, for 
 the purpose of getting his money. He was tried 
 by a jury of miners, Dr. Pitt acting as foreman, and 
 found guilty, as some of the specimens the black 
 smith was known to have, were found on the Indian's 
 person. The trial was in a restaurant, not far from 
 the tree, and he was soon hanging. 
 
 The second case was that of a Chileno, who stabbed 
 a woman who was his cousin; he was tried by a jury 
 of citizens, found guilty, and shortly hung. 
 
 In 1851, two Frenchmen were murdered in Squaw 
 gulch near the Gate. One was stabbed with a long 
 bowie-knife thirteen times, dying immediately; the 
 other, though cut five or six times, lived for several 
 days. Suspicions were fixed upon a youug Mexican, 
 
 who was afterwards arrested by AVaterman H. Nel 
 son, Sheriff of Calavoras county (this being before 
 the organization of Araador) at Sacramento, and 
 brought to Jackson handcuffed to another young 
 Mexican who had been arrested for horse-stealing. 
 The examination was before Bruce Husband, Justice 
 of the Peace. The testimony was so positive that 
 there was no doubt of the guilt of the accused, and 
 as the atrocious details of the murder came out the 
 French portion .of the population became excited 
 beyond all control, and they determined to hang the 
 Mexican at all hazards, and so told the Sheriff, who 
 determined that the prisoner should be taken to 
 Mokelumnc Hill for trial. The French armed them 
 selves with shot-guns, and the Americans with pistols, 
 the latter with the intention of defending Nelson if 
 ho was assaulted. The murderer was still hand 
 cuffed to the other Mexican who was arrested for 
 horse-stealing. How to get them apart was the 
 question, and at one time it seemed as if both would 
 be hanged together, but Martell, the blacksmith, 
 finally cut the chain in two, releasing the horse-thief. 
 Now commenced the exciting part of the affair. The 
 Frenchmen had assured Nelson that they would not 
 hurt him. The Americans looked on, admiring the 
 pluck of the officer, caring little what became of the 
 " greaser." It was remarked that if one shot-gun 
 went off there would be fifty dead men in five min 
 utes. Twice the rope was placed around the fellow's 
 neck, and twice it was cut by the Sheriff. Sompayrac, 
 a French merchant, was asked to say something to 
 allay the excitement, but he only shouted, " Hang 
 him! hang him!" Nelson was finally overpowered 
 and the Mexican was hanged. It may be a matter 
 of doubt whether Nelson's apparent struggle to 
 maintain the dignity of the law was not half, at 
 least, in the interest of the mob, as no arms were 
 used or exhibited by him. 
 
 The other prisoner got out of the crowd and went 
 to the Union Hotel. The proprietor, Colonel Allen, 
 remarked that the crowd would hang him also, 
 " Did you steal a horse ?" asked Allen of him. "Yes, 
 I took a horse and rode him." (Allen.) " You sabe 
 este camino?" pointing to a trail that led down the 
 creek. "Si Sefior." (Allen.) " Vamos" giving the 
 Mexican a shove. He left, making excellent time as 
 long as he was in sight, and thus escaped, for that 
 day at least, a hanging. 
 
 Some accounts state that the two Mexicans were 
 banged, but the above statement seems to be the most 
 authentic. 
 
 In 1853, a party of Mexicans, said to have been 
 Joaquin's band, robbed some Chinamen, killing two of 
 them and tying the others on the creek below the 
 town. Joe Lake, a butcher, in his rounds to sell his 
 meat, rode up to the camp at the time the robbery 
 was going on, and was killed by the Mexicans. One 
 Chinaman escaping, came to the town and gave infor 
 mation of the tragedy. A party was made up and 
 the Mexicans were pursued and overtaken; in the 
 
172 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 running fight which ensued one was severely 
 wounded and was afterwards arrested in Lancha 
 Plana, taken to Jackson and hanged. 
 
 In 1854, in March or April, a Chileno living in 
 Jackson, attempted to rob a China camp on Cook's 
 gulch, west of Jackson. The Chinamen got the bet 
 ter of him, tied-him and brought him to town, where 
 he paid the penalty of his crime by hanging. 
 
 March 23. 1854, a Swede, name unknown, was 
 hung at Jackson, for the stealing. of a horse from 
 Evans and Askey. As there has been much talk 
 of this matter, a short account of the stealing of the 
 horse and its subsequent recovery, and the capture 
 of the man, may not be out of place: The horse, a 
 valuable and noticeable one, was taken from the 
 stable on the night of the 17th. Suspicion immedi 
 ately fixed itself on the person afterwards arrested, 
 who had been camping in the vicinity, with no 
 ostensible occupation. The camp was visited, but 
 the man was gone. A blanket stolen at the same 
 time, was found there, however, which served to 
 confirm the suspicion with regard to the author of 
 the theft. He was traced out of town towards the 
 south; thence he turned north, making a wide cir 
 cuit, and got on the Drytown road. At the Cos- 
 umnes ferry, the man and horse crossed early in 
 the morning, both man and horse being identified, 
 as they were subsequently at Mud Springs (El 
 Dorado). Here they lost the trail for one day, but 
 recovered it again on the Auburn road, both horse 
 and man being in company. Here he offered to sell 
 the horse, saying that he had sold the mate for 
 three hundred dollars. He was eventually captured 
 near Bridgeport, in Nevada county. The chain of 
 evidence establishing his possession of the horse 
 from the time of the stealing to his capture, seemed 
 perfect. From these circumstances, no value what 
 ever was attached to the bill of sale which he pro 
 duced, which read as follows, 
 
 "Sac. City, March 16, 154. 
 
 "Mr. C. Bennet Bot of C. Cuper, for one gray 
 horse, Three Hundred & Forty Dollars. Title guar 
 anteed. 
 "\V. Holman, Auctioneer. C. CUPER." 
 
 Nor of the story which he told of having purchased 
 the horse from a traveler on the road, with the 
 transfer of the bill of sale. 
 
 On the way back, hundreds recognized both man 
 and horse, so there seems no possible doubt of the 
 guilt of the man, whatever may be thought of the 
 hanging. He had a trial of only a few minutes, on 
 the steps of the Louisiana House, at sunrise, soon 
 after coming to the town. A rope was put around 
 his neck, and he was hurried to the tree, only a few 
 people being present. He tried to explain away the 
 charge against him, saying that he bought the horse 
 of a traveler, who transferred the bill of sale with 
 the horse. He could not speak English, and Levin- 
 sky, whose store was near, interpreted for him. 
 His body hung until noon before it was cut down. 
 
 There was a valuable ring on one of his fingers. A 
 man, now living in Jackson, whose name does not 
 deserve mention in this book, not being able to pull 
 the ring off the swollen finger, cut it off; some say 
 on a butcher's block, which was near by. It is also 
 current that the several claimants to the ring played 
 a game of cards, to see who should have it. 
 
 Public opinion was very much against the lyrichers 
 in this affair, and the next Grand Jury found bills for 
 a high crime against several prominent citizens, who 
 took an active part in the matter, and they found it 
 convenient to be absent from the town, at several 
 subsequent courts, to give color to the legal fiction 
 that the parties named in the indictments could not 
 be found. 
 
 In 1855, two Mexicans tried to rob a China camp, 
 about four miles below Jackson. They met with 
 unexpected resistance; one being stunned with a 
 blow from a hatchet, the other making his escape. 
 The Chinamen wound their prisoner with ropes from 
 head to foot, so tightly that he could not bend, and 
 then guyed him up liked a smoke-stack to a steam 
 saw-mill, and sent to town for help to arrest him. 
 When the whites got there they found him standing 
 in the middle of the camp with ropes reaching out 
 from him, all around, holding him to his place. He 
 was brought to town and hung. 
 
 August 10, 1855, Manuel Garcia, one of the Eanch- 
 eria banditti, was wounded in the running fight on 
 the Calaveras river, taken and carried to Campo 
 Seco, from which place he was taken to Jackson by 
 Perry and Eichelberger. He was immediately hung 
 by the people. 
 
 Soon after this, or about the 15th of August, two 
 Mexicans were hung for complicity in the Eanchcria 
 murders. Manuel Escobar, of the same party was 
 the tenth and last. The tree was injured in the 
 great fire of 1862, and was cut down. 
 
 QRISWOLD MURDER. 
 
 On November 7, 1857, Martin Van Buren Griswold 
 was murdered under circumstances that attracted 
 the attention of the people, not only of the county, 
 but also throughout the State. Griswold was a 
 daring, self-possessed, and powerful man, who 
 crossed the plains to Oregon in 1848. On his arrival 
 in Oregon he learned of the discovery of gold in 
 California, and, with his usual decision of character, 
 he immediately turned toward that place. He 
 arrived in San Francisco in April, '49, and went to 
 Placerville, where he mined with rather indifferent 
 success, but afterward struck it rich at Oregon Bar, 
 "making his pile." After traveling about California 
 awhile, he started for New York by way of the 
 city of Mexico. While there he got out of coin and 
 went to the mint to get his dust exchanged for gold, 
 which they agreed to do, but afterward insisted upon 
 his taking silver. He brought the mint officers to 
 a sense of right by drawing his revolver upon them, 
 and departed with the gold coin. He reached New 
 
JACKSON. 
 
 173 
 
 York without farther mishap, New Year's day, 1850. 
 After spending a few weeks with his family, he 
 started again for the Golden State, this time by way 
 of Milwaukee and the great North-West, the then 
 terra, incognita, but now the great wheat-field of 
 the world. Passing down the RedBiver of the North 
 to the Selkirk settlements, he swung away toward 
 the McKenzie and Copper Mine rivers to the out 
 posts of the fur companies, and from thence made 
 his way to Oregon, which place he reached Christ 
 mas day, 1850, having been nearly a year in making 
 the trip, passing through the territory of twenty 
 different tribes of Indians without a mishap. For 
 some years he oscillated between San Diego and 
 Siskiyou, San Francisco and the Sandwich Islands; 
 was a prisoner among the Klamath Indians, from 
 whom he escaped after two years of imprisonment, 
 during which time he experienced many desperate 
 adventures. He finally settled down with Horace 
 Kilham, an extensive mine and ditch owner near 
 Jackson. Large quantities of gold-dust were bought 
 and sold at this place, the safe having at times 
 fifty thousand dollars or more in it, a great tempta 
 tion to Chinamen (several of wJiom worked about 
 the place) who were in the habit of working for a 
 mere pittance. One day he was missing; on examina 
 tion the gold in the safe was also gone. For a 
 moment suspicion fell on Griswold, but his friends 
 scouted the idea of Griswold playing the scoundrel. 
 Foul play was certain. With a man of his active 
 temperament it was difficult to tell where he might 
 not have been waylaid. 
 
 Hundreds of men from the adjoining mines were 
 soon there; every possible contingency was can 
 vassed. It was discovered that the China cook was 
 also gone, and had been seen some miles away in 
 company with other Chinamen. A thorough search 
 of the premises was now made, but not until th e 
 next day was any clue to the mystery found, when 
 the body of Griswold was found under the China 
 man's bed. Death was produced by two fractures of 
 the skull, apparently by a blow from the rear, by 
 a blunt instrument, though it was apparent that 
 after the infliction of these wounds he had been 
 struck in the front by some sharp instrument, again 
 breaking the skull. To make assurance doubly 
 sure, the murderers had drawn a chord tightly 
 around the neck; but this was needless, the work 
 was thoroughly done. In the room was found a heavy 
 club, also a slung-shot, which had been seen in the 
 possession of the Chinaman some weeks before the 
 murder. Large rewards were offered for the appre 
 hension of the China cook and his friends, who had 
 been seen with him, the Chinese residents of Jack 
 son contributing largely. The whole State was on 
 the watch. The parties were arrested in Marysville 
 through the assistance of the Chinese residents, 
 there. The key of the safe, some jewelry, and other 
 articles known to have been in the safe, were found 
 on their persons. They received a fair trial, had the 
 
 benefit of able counsel, and were found guilty. Three 
 were sentenced to be hung, and were executed on 
 the sixteenth day of April, 1858. The fourth one 
 indicted was given the benefit of a doubt, and his 
 trial postponed; but he anticipated justice by com 
 mitting suicide in his cell. Fou Seen, the cook who 
 is supposed to have planned the murder, and called 
 in the other parties to assist in the matter, was none 
 of the simple " Heathen Chinee," but had been an 
 extensive traveler, and was, in China, a desperado. 
 
 GREAT FIRE AUGUST 23, 1862. 
 
 So far fires at Jackson had been comparatively 
 insignificant. Drytown had been swept as if by a 
 whirlwind. The citizens of Jackson had looked 
 across the river and seen Mekelumno Hill, their an 
 cient rival, blackened with the charred remains of 
 their town. Jackson had, to some extent, provided 
 for a fire, having two fire-engines and a hook-and- 
 ladder company. Shortly after one o'clock the 
 alarm of fire was raised, and smoke was seen issuing 
 from an out-building in the rear of the assay office. 
 The firemen were quickly at their posts, and for a 
 few minutes it seemed that the firemen had the better 
 of it. There are different accounts as to the cause 
 of the failure to control it; some say that the water 
 in the tank or cistern failed; others that the assist 
 ant engineer ordered another stream from the main 
 engine to bo turned on without increasing the supply 
 hose, which so weakened the force of the streams 
 that they would not reach the fire. Whatever may 
 have been the fault, the fire spread, and in a few 
 minutes was beyond all control. The houses, mostly 
 of pine, shriveling in the hot sun, caught like powder 
 and flashed the fire from one to another, until the 
 only question was to save life property was not to 
 be thought of. The Court House being some dis 
 tance from the fire, permitted the saving of the 
 records; but the house itself went like a pile of brush. 
 In some instances people had to make their escape 
 from beseiged houses with wet blankets over their 
 heads. Iron bars, one inch by three, used for the 
 support of balconies, though on the outside of the 
 buildings, were seen to melt and fall from their own* 
 
 O ' 
 
 weight. A phenomenon occurred here that is much 
 disputed: the smoke, rolling along the ground in the 
 narrow alleys, would become so intensely heated 
 by the flames above as to take fire and explode like 
 powder. The Union Hotel was built around three 
 sides of a quadrangle, which was filled with bedding 
 that the occupants hud thrown out of the windows 
 in hopes of saving it, but the flames lapped over the 
 place, and in an instant the whole mass added new 
 strength to the hungry element. Colonel Allen, the 
 proprietor, left with his music-box under his arm, 
 that being the only thing saved. Stoves, hardware, 
 church-bells, and glass, were melted into one con 
 glomeration. The fire swept everything on the road 
 towards Sacramento, till it reached the wagon-shop 
 near Trenchel's brewery, where it was stayed with 
 
\ 
 
 174 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 the aid of a hose used in that establishment. On 
 the south side it was met by the fire department 
 from Mokelumne Hill. At night the town was a 
 smoking ruin, the tall, ghostly chimneys keeping 
 watch over the seething embers, while the inhab 
 itants were camped on the surrounding hills, house 
 less and supperless. Children, for the first time in 
 their lives, went supperless to bed, and that bed the 
 earth, and the sky for the coverlet. There was no 
 despair, however; no wringing of hands and shedding 
 of tears. Before darkness came, lumber was en 
 gaged to rebuild some of the houses, and in the 
 morning was actually awaiting the cooling of the 
 hot ashes and cinders. Provisions came pouring in from 
 the surrounding towns, and there was no suffering. 
 As the people sat around the smouldering rains of 
 the town, many incidents were related, which, if 
 recorded, would be interesting reading now. Hair 
 breadth escapes of children and women snatched from 
 burning buildings which fell a moment after, were 
 common enough. In some instances, women seemed 
 to have been helpless from- fright; in others, the 
 love for home seemed to be stronger than the love 
 for life, and they had to be carried out by force. 
 
 The fire department came in for its share of the 
 heroic. Some cynical man had predicted that in 
 case of a general fire, the boys would lose their engine. 
 When the engines failed, and the flames were flash 
 ing from street to street, most of the men ran to 
 save their families, leaving but a few to see to the 
 machine, and for a time it looked as if the prediction 
 was to be verified. Two or three men, however, 
 commenced tugging at it, when the cloud of smoke 
 which enveloped them, flashed like an explosion of 
 gas, compelling the men to get under the truck for 
 protection; in a moment the smoke and flame 
 cleared away, and the boys rolled it out. 
 
 After the fire was over many a deed of heroism 
 and devotion came to light; for misfortunes have 
 the good effect to bring to light the jewels of charac 
 ter that otherwise mi^ht have never shone through 
 
 o o 
 
 the incrustations of selfishness. The savings of 
 years of industry were gone, but the indomitable 
 energy and perseverance that had built up the town 
 were not destroyed, and the people went to work. 
 A hundred new buildings were erected before the 
 rainy season set in, and in one year all marks of the 
 fire were effaced. 
 
 It has been impossible to collect anything like a 
 full list of the losses; a few may be mentioned: 
 
 Levinsky, $20,000; H. W. Allen, $15,000; W. L. 
 McKimm, $7,000; J. Samuels, $15,000; Tellier, $1,000; 
 Harris, $3,000; Evans & Askey $5,000; A. C. Brown, 
 $40,000; Steckler & Co., $10,000; M. Bruml, $5,000; 
 H. Kress, $3,500; Moses Medina, $7,000. 
 
 The following, from the California Spirit of the 
 Times, edited by Marcus D. Boruck, will give a lively 
 idea of the fire: 
 
 " LETTER FROM MOKELUMNE HILL. 
 
 "MOKELUMNE HILL, August 25, 1862. 
 
 "You are pi-obably aware, by this time, of the 
 total destruction of the beautiful and flourishing 
 city of Jackson, Amador county. On Friday last I 
 passe'd through it at four o'clock, and everything 
 betokened peace and security; but it is now no more, 
 the lines of the city being scarcely perceptible. 1 
 visited the place yesterday morning, and a more des 
 olate and melancholy looking place I never saw; 
 and seeing it a short time before in all its beauty, I 
 could more keenly appreciate the destruction which 
 surrounded me on all sides. But the people, with 
 that wonderful elasticity which so far forcibly char 
 acterizes all Californians, were smiling and passin"- 
 jokes on each other with scarcely a thought of what 
 had passed. With the exception of three or four 
 brick buildings on Main street, and a few private 
 residences to the right as you enter the town from 
 this place, the city has been totally destroyed. All 
 the principal buildings, including the Court House, 
 theater, Amador Ledyer, and Amador Dispatch print 
 ing offices, the post-office, Colonel Allen's Union 
 Hotel, and the Louisiana Hotel of Evans & Askey 
 being in the wreck and ruin. 
 
 "The smoke of the fire was seen at this place at 
 fifteen minutes of two o'clock (five minutes after it 
 broke out) and there could not have been less than a 
 dozen opinions as to its locality; every other place 
 but the right one having entered into its discussion. 
 At last, Mr. Moses, the telegraph operator, said he 
 could not get the operator at Jackson, as the circuit 
 was broken; and then all became satisfied that it 
 was Jackson. The tire, in the meantime, had mate 
 rially decreased; but all of a sudden the flame and 
 smoke could be seen ascending from the hill-tops, 
 and the conflagration increased with alarming rapid- 
 it3 r . A large number of people from this place 
 started for the scene (many of them on foot), a dis 
 tance of six miles, over the roughest kind of a mount 
 ain road, and the thermometer , as high as you 
 
 please. They arrived at the scene, however, in time 
 to save the houses of Mr. Coney and Mr. Axtcll, 
 situated on either side of the road this side of the 
 gulch, and thus prevented the further spread of the 
 fire in that direction; all they could do in the town 
 itself, was to save the Masonic building. The fire 
 broke out at twenty minutes of two o'clock, and at 
 five o'clock the destruction of the town was com 
 plete. When the alarm was first sounded, there 
 was not the remotest idea entertained that the place 
 was doomed, the city being provided with an effec 
 tive fire department, and full cisterns of water. The 
 fire broke out on the right hand side of Main street, 
 as you leave the town fur Sacramento, a few doors 
 from Court street, an avenue which led direct to the 
 Court House, and in the rear of the Ledi/er office. 
 When the fire was first discovered, it was about as 
 big as a man's hat. The apparatus was promptly 
 brought out, and taken to the cistern on High 
 street, a few doors from the Court House; the fire 
 men, under the direction of Chief Engineer Wells, 
 working admirably. There was a fatal mistake in 
 getting to work, which consisted in not placing one 
 of the engines on Main street, where there was an 
 abundance of water (the cisterns being full to the 
 brim when I saw them yesterday morning), thus 
 preventing the fire from bursting through on to the 
 front, it having commenced in the rear from hot 
 ashes having been thrown into a barrel which stood 
 against a frame building. Both engines being at 
 
JACKSON. 
 
 175 
 
 the same cistern, and that a small one, it soon 
 became exhausted, and in a short time the firemen 
 were horror-stricken to find they were drawing 
 nothing but air. It was at this point that the peo 
 ple of this place saw the fire decrease, and then as 
 suddenly increase, for at one time the firemen had 
 the fire entirely under their control, when the Chief 
 Engineer was compelled to give the order to change 
 position; and, in carrying it out, before it could be 
 accomplished, the fire gained such headway on them 
 that they could not master it, and spread three dif 
 ferent ways, barely giving them time to save their 
 apparatus, with a loss of four hundred and fifty feet 
 of Button's patent coupling hose. It was then that 
 no further reliance could be placed in the fire depart 
 ment, and the apparatus was abandoned, except by 
 a few who removed it to a place of safety. The fire 
 now spread with fearful strides, which, combined 
 with the intense heat of the weather, added to the 
 terror of the scene. The safety of women and chil 
 dren was looked to, and an effort made to save 
 property, but it was useless. The fire swallowed 
 up everything in its capacious maw, and when the 
 sun went down on the disaster, the town, including 
 all the provision in it, was turned to ashes. 
 
 "As I have before stated, the fire broke out at a 
 quarter before two o'clock, and ended its course at 
 five. At that hour definite information was received 
 at this place of the great disaster. In fifteen minutes 
 a meeting was held in front of H. Atwood's Union 
 Hotel, presided over by Jeff. Gatewood, Esq. The 
 circumstances were narrated, and a committee con 
 sisting of Dr. Hoerchner, W. S. Moses, and Dr. Sober 
 appointed to collect subscriptions. At six o'clock a 
 four-horse team, belonging to Mr. Taft, started 
 laden with provisions and blankets, under charge of 
 Mr. Chas. Spiers, which reached Jackson about 
 half-past eight o'clock, much to the joy of the inhab 
 itants of the desolate place. At eight o'clock an 
 adjourned meeting was held at the Court House, 
 where reports were made that at least fifteen hun 
 dred dollars in provisions and money had been 
 collected, and seven or eight teams forwarded to, 
 Jackson with provisions. Judge Badgcly spoke at 
 this meeting, and gave a detailed account of all the 
 circumstances, he having gone through the fire. I 
 never saw such good feeling manifested by any peo 
 ple as those of this place, and more promptitude 
 shown in acting in such a matter; without their aid, 
 the people of Jackson would have been in a terrible 
 condition. They acted in a manner which will 
 always cause Mokelumne Hill to be remembered 
 wilh pride and pleasure. 
 
 "On this morning sixty dollars' worth of fresh bread, 
 innumerable provisions and blankets were sent. 
 When 1 arrived at Jackson this morning, thirteen 
 hours after the fire, there were at least a dozen 
 loads of joist, lumber, and planking, in different 
 localities, waiting for the burning embers to cool, 
 preparatory to rebuilding. The town will be rebuilt 
 long before the rainy season, although the losses arc 
 severe, at least seven hundred and fifty thousand dol 
 lars, upon which there is said to be an insurance of 
 one hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which I hope 
 is the fact. The fire-proof buildings were about as 
 much fire-proof as a sheet of paper. The Chief Engi 
 neer ordered the walls of Sleekier & Newbauer's 
 building, at the corner of Main and Court streets, 
 to be pulled down, and also that of Levinsky Broth 
 ers, on Main street, on account of their totU-ring 
 condition. I should judge that in the construction 
 of the former, at least two barrels of cement were 
 
 used, and, in the latter, not less than a barrel and a 
 half perfect counterfeits on the name of fire-proof. 
 
 "The Amador Ledger will be issued from the Chroni 
 cle building this week. I have not learned what dis 
 position the Amador Dispatch people have made in 
 regard to a re-issue. Springer saved his two inside 
 forms, but not a letter of type besides. In regard to 
 the fire department of Jackson (every member of 
 which is a sufferer by the fire), too much praise cannot 
 be awarded for their efforts. They were unfortunate, 
 it is true, in their choice of position, and, like 
 McLellan, were forced to change their base of opera 
 tions, and in doing so the enemy attacked their right, 
 left, and center; but notwithstanding all that, they 
 made a gallant fight. Disastrous fires have befallen 
 other departments much more experienced than they. 
 In rebuilding the town, I would suggest to the depart 
 ment of Jackson to locate one of their engines in 
 the neighborhood of where the Louisiana and Union 
 Hotels stood, near where the new hall was to have 
 been built, and the truck, on Court street, above 
 where it stood before. 
 
 "It will never do in the world to mass the appa 
 ratus as was the intention before the fire; and above 
 all, more cisterns and larger ones; they are the real 
 dependence for a prompt supply of water in the 
 event of a fire. To say that we sympathize with 
 Jackson in this great disaster is unnecessary. The 
 Spirit gives prompt assurance of that. To condole 
 with Cahfornians is not to be thought of, but that 
 there may never be a repetition of the event of Sat 
 urday last is our fervent wish. B." 
 
 JACKSON FLOOD, FEBRUARY 17, 1878. 
 
 A remarkable flood occurred in Jackson and 
 vicinity, on the 17th of February, 1878. For some 
 weeks the streams had been bank full; but, as sailors 
 say, everything was made snug and tight, and no 
 one anticipated any particular trouble, and were 
 unprepared for a flood which had no precedent in 
 the history of the State. Since the denudation of 
 the hills of their wood, the country has become sub 
 ject to extraordinary showers, the rain coming down 
 in torrents, or, as the people usually call them, cloud 
 bursts, which seem to be a condensing point, or 
 meeting, of two opposing currents of wind which 
 remain stationary for some considerable time over 
 a tract of country. The strip of land ten or twelve 
 miles wide near the foot-hills, seems to be particu 
 larly subject to these rains. Several of these showers 
 have passed over the bare hills in the vicinity of 
 Lancha Plana, and more particularly along the ridge 
 west of Jackson and Sutter creek. Fifteen, or even 
 ten minutes' rain, was enough to raise a stream 
 three feet deep, in a gully two or three hundred 
 yards long; and streams that have a mile or two in 
 length, come roaring along with a breast or wall 
 of water, generally held back to some extent, by 
 trash or timber, of five or six feet, running a stream 
 deep enough for a steamboat to float, where ten 
 minutes before there was scarcely a drink for an ox. 
 Usualty, these showers extend over but a small 
 space; otherwise, general destruction would occur. 
 Those who were watching the weather on that Sun 
 day morning, noticed a dense bank of clouds to the 
 south-east, with a line something like the colors 
 
176 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 seen in tempering steel, dividing this bank from a 
 similar one in the north-west, both banks of clouds 
 charged with water; both seemingly determined to 
 ''fight it on that line," the ominous line of precipita 
 tion being drawn just over Jackson. The wind 
 which for some time had been quite a gale, 
 ceased, like a breathing spell before two opposing 
 armies lock themselves in the embrace of death. 
 The fall of a leaf could be heard on the ground, but, 
 high up in the air could be heard the roaring of the 
 fierce, surcharged currents, as they met each other. 
 Down came the rain, great drops as largo as bullets, 
 some feet apart at first, but soon nearer together, 
 until one could not see ten steps away; in five 
 minutes the hill-sides were a sheet of running water, 
 the little gulches were creeks, and the creeks, rivers; 
 still the rain continued for some time. When its 
 force seemed exhausted, and silence had come, a 
 great roar of rushing waters, mingled with shouts 
 and shrieks, was heard; the waters from the head 
 of the north fork, and the other forks heading near 
 the New York ranch, had come rolling in a wall 
 or breast, variously estimated at five to ten feet 
 high, carrying before it houses, barns, logs, fences, 
 and uprooted trees. 
 
 It struck Chinatown (the north end of Jackson), 
 carrying everything in its way. A few were able 
 to take out some articles, but in five minutes the 
 stream was full struggling Chinamen, houses, shops, 
 goods, all in a rolling mass. Most of the Chinamen 
 escaped before the stream entered the canon. Six of 
 them went down the stream in the wreck, the 
 bodies being afterwards found all the way from 
 Jackson to Buena Vista. Some white men, assisting 
 the Chinamen, were carried down the stream, but 
 saved themselves before they entered the canon. 
 In half an hour or more after the flood had swept 
 Chinatown away, the middle fork, which is longer 
 than the north fork, came booming the same way, 
 with a bulk-head of timber, fences, and trees. It 
 struck the bridge across the creek near Genochio's 
 store, forming a dam, and for a few minutes the 
 stream turned through Jackson, in front of the 
 National House; and at one time it seemed as if all 
 that end of the town would be swept away in one 
 wreck. Several persons narrowly escaped drowning 
 in the streets. A foot-bridge, belonging to Mushet, 
 lodged in the street in front of the National. The 
 bridge finally 'gave way, and the channel cleared, car 
 rying with it all the out-houses and lumber in its 
 course. The flood was over, and people could then 
 estimate their losses. 
 
 The Amador Canal Company were damaged to the 
 sum of thirty thousand dollars by the breaking of 
 reservoirs and ditches. 
 
 The French garden above Jackson lost about two 
 thousand dollars; Geo. Clark, four miles above Jack 
 son, one thousand dollars. 
 
 Some considerable damage was done to ranches in 
 the valley also. 
 
 The following is a partial list of the losses: 
 
 ON WATER STREET. 
 
 J. B. Phelps $500 00 
 
 H. I. Stribley 200 00 
 
 Mrs. Westfall 100 00 
 
 N. Draper 100 00 
 
 B. S. Sanborn 300 00 
 
 R. M. Briggs 100 00 
 
 Henry Barton 500 00 
 
 Mrs. S. Bradley. . . . 1,000 00 
 
 E. G. Freeman 100 00 
 
 Mat. Ryan 100 00 
 
 W. Little 100 00 
 
 A. C. Brown 100 00 
 
 C. Weller 100 00 
 
 R. Hall 50 00 
 
 J. Williams 100 00 
 
 E. Genochio 300 00 
 
 F. Rocco 2,000 00 
 
 J. A. Butterfielcl. . 700 OC 
 
 A. S. Kelly $ 100 03 
 
 National Hotel 250 00 
 
 Benjamin & Ledou. . 1,00000 
 
 Thos. Jones 500 00 
 
 R. W. Palmer 600 00 
 
 B. F. Richtmyer 100 00 
 
 Bridges 7,500 00 
 
 OX MAIN STREET. 
 
 Frank Guerra 10000 
 
 Madam Retrou 200 00 
 
 B. Sanguenetti 400 00 
 
 Benjamin & Carreau 1,500 00 
 Eight China stores 
 
 and contents 15,000 00 
 
 P. Kelly 700 00 
 
 Geo. White 300 00 
 
 Antone Silva 250 00 
 
 John Belleuomiui. . . 20000 
 
 INCIDENTS. 
 
 As one Chinaman sat astride of his house, which 
 was whirling in the canon, some one asked him: 
 
 " Where you go, John ?" 
 
 " No sabe," says the Chinaman, in an impatient, 
 savage manner. It was supposed that he was 
 drowned in the canon, but two or three days after 
 the flood, he came to life, or rather he came walking 
 into town, being probably the only man whoever 
 successfully navigated Jackson creek through the 
 canon. 
 
 BIG FROLIC. 
 
 Thanksgiving day, 185-, was the witness of the 
 most extraordinary frolic that ever occurred in the 
 county. No one could tell how, or exactly when, it 
 commenced, but as the sun went down it was evi 
 dent that there were sounds of revelry in the air; 
 but this was no gathering of beauty and chivalry. 
 As the whistling of the wind through the rigging 
 sends the sailor aloft to make all snug, or the moan 
 ing of wind around the chimney portending a storm 
 sends the thrifty housewife out to gather in her 
 wash from the clothes-line, so at the ominous signs 
 the careful mother sends after her son, and the pru 
 dent wife seeks her husband, for the Bacchanalian 
 press gang were out. 
 
 Some were drinking who never drank before; 
 Those who always drank now drank the more. 
 
 As usually sober men found themselves getting more 
 than was good for them, they determined that their 
 friends should share the pleasure or disgrace. An 
 eminent lawyer once asked, how do men, who never 
 get drunk, know each other? Did not Byron say of 
 a man, " He is a splendid fellow and I long to get 
 drunk with him " ? and of another that he had "tried 
 him drunk and tried him sober, there's nothing in 
 him"! All who had held office, or had run for it, 
 or were known to want it, as well as those who 
 drank, were sought out and pressed into service. 
 When the hunt commenced some retreated to their 
 homes, but the warrant for arrest reached them even 
 there, and men were torn from their wives' arms. 
 O. D. Araline's wife, firmly locking her arms around 
 her husband, declared that if they took her husband 
 
RESIDENCE ^ RANCH OF MRS MARY M.KIDD, 
 
 JACKSON VALLEY AMADOR CAL. 
 
 RESIDENCE AND RANCH OF 320 ACRES, INGLEFIELD B.GREGORY, 
 JACKSON VALLEY, AMADOR C?CAL. 
 
JACKSON. 
 
 177 
 
 they should take her also, and looked as it' she meant 
 it too, and the party had to leave him. 
 
 They took possession of the Young America saloon 
 and appointed a door-keeper who locked the door on 
 the outside, opening only for the admittance of new 
 victims, no egress being permitted. A press gang 
 waylaid the Judge, who was expecting to hold court 
 the next day. He resisted their importunities a 
 long time on the grounds of public duty, but he had 
 been known to take a spree and no excuse would 
 answer now. "Good-bye, boys," said he; " it can't 
 be helped." What took place on the inside can only 
 be guessed. Some in their wild excitement were 
 tossed like foot-balls over the tables. Speeches and 
 songs, and shouts mingled in confusion dire. Four 
 teen dozen of champagne had their necks broken. 
 Some were soon helpless on the floor; one or two 
 escaped from an upper window, and some were able 
 to keep up the orgies till midnight. When morning 
 came those who were able had left. The Judge's 
 pants were found on the steps of the Court House, 
 other garments in other places. He, with a sense of 
 public duty still uppermost, was delivering a charge 
 to an imaginary jury. The officers of course took 
 care of him until he was sufficiently sober to 
 attend to business, which was not for some days. 
 The Grand Jury found a Bill against him for mis 
 demeanor and conduct unbecoming a magistrate. 
 The Judge complimented the jury on having fear 
 lessly done their duty, acknowledged the delinquency 
 and promised that they should never have occasion 
 to do so again, and with his silver tongue, which so 
 often had charmed away opposition, turned aside the 
 righteous indignation of his constituents. 
 
 CELEBRATION OP ADMISSION DAY. 
 [Taken from Amador Dispatch.] 
 
 "The celebration of the 30th anniversary of the 
 admission of California into the Union by the Ama 
 dor Pioneer Association, in this place last Thursday, 
 was one of the most pleasing, unique, and successful 
 affairs of the kind ever witnessed in the county, and 
 reflected great credit upon the Association, owing 
 to the excellent manner in which the programme 
 was carried out from beginning to end. The pro 
 cession was formed about ten o'clock, and was quite 
 an extensive and imposing affair, extending nearly 
 the whole length of Main street, and consisting of 
 pioneers and others on foot to the number of about 
 one hundred and fifty, many of whom were armed 
 with guns of various kinds, axes, and other imple 
 ments generally used in frontier life, also, pioneers 
 and others on horseback, followed by a large num 
 ber of vehicles of various kinds, including a regular 
 emigrant ox-team, driven by our pioneer friend, 
 William Cook of Buena Vista, who was rigged up 
 for the occasion in regular '49 style, including a 
 huge leather belt to which was attached the inev 
 itable pistol, bowie-knife, tin cup, etc. This and the 
 dilapidated looking emigrant wagon which followed, 
 loaded with women, children, frying-pans, pots, ket 
 tles, tin pans, and other cooking utensils, formed 
 one of the most familiar and noticeable features of 
 the grand procession, and created much merriment 
 among the hundreds of spectators who thronged 
 23 
 
 our streets. After marching through the principal 
 streets of the town, under the command of the hand 
 some and energetic Marshal of the day, E. VV. Pal 
 mer, who was closely followed by Kay's lone Cornet 
 Band, the procession wended its way to the picnic 
 ground in Walker's ranch, where the literary and 
 musical exercises were gone through with, consist 
 ing of an oration by Hon. J. A. Eagon, poems by C. 
 B. Swift and J. F. Gould, an impromptu address by 
 Hon. J. T. Farley, singing, music by the band, etc. 
 Our room will not permit us to speak in detail of 
 these exercises, but suffice it to say that they all 
 did well, and the audience were well satisfied there 
 with. At the conclusion of these exercises, all 
 hands were invited to partake of a sumptuous lunch, 
 consisting of pork and beans, and other substantial 
 edibles, and the invitation was accepted with a vim 
 seldom surpassed in this or any other country. 
 After dinner, horse-racing, foot-racing, and other 
 amusements were indulged in until near sundown, 
 when the procession and many of the spectators 
 returned to town to prepare for the grand ball in 
 the evening. 
 
 "The ball, like everything else connected with 
 the celebration, was a grand success, Love's hall 
 being well filled with gay and festive pleasure-seek 
 ers of both sexes, who enjoyed themselves in a man 
 ner well calculated to create envy in the heart of 
 a king or prince or even a country editor. In 
 short, nothing transpired during the day or night 
 to mar the pleasures of the occasion, and the affair 
 will hereafter constitute one of the most pleasing 
 pages in the history of Amador county." 
 
 MOKELUMNE RIVER. 
 
 It is uncertain whether gold was first mined on 
 the Mokelumne river or at lone valley, though the 
 discovery, according to Weber's account, was on the 
 Mokelumne. In the Summer of 1848 James P. Mar 
 tin passed through lone valley, on his way to 
 Mokelumne river, Hicks' rawhide house being the 
 only improvement there. A man was mining at 
 lone. A Spanish cart was doing duty as a house 
 near where the National Hotel now stands, there 
 being no houses at the time, or even mining, at 
 Jackson. At first, Martin's company of eight men 
 were the only ones on the river, though quite a num 
 ber came in shortly afterward. They did very well, 
 making several thousand dollars each in the course 
 of two months. They had some fears of Indians, 
 who, however, did not trouble them. Nearly the 
 whole party were taken sick with diarrhea, arid com 
 pelled to leave. Colonel Stevenson, with about one 
 hundred of his men, who had previously been mus 
 tered out of service, mined here and at Mokelumne 
 Hill in the Autumn of the year. The Colonel drew 
 up the first code of mining laws, perhaps, ever writ 
 ten in the State, for the use of his men. A party of 
 his was the first to turn the river, the place being 
 near the crossing. A cabin was built on the ground, 
 afterwards proving very rich, though his party did 
 not discover it. He returned to Sutter's Fort in 
 December, at the beginning of the rainy season, a 
 few inches of snow having fallen at Mokelumne 
 Hill. With regard to the report that a deep snow 
 fell all over the State in that vear, and that he had 
 
178 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 to send a patry of relief to his men, the Colonel says 
 
 that remain to tell the story of the thousands that 
 
 he knows nothing of it; that the men were well 
 
 toiled under a broiling sun, in the ice-cold water. 
 
 supplied with provisions, and could have stood any 
 
 The following poem by Charles Boynton, written 
 
 siege of snow. Colonel Stevenson, from whom these 
 
 in 1853. will give an idea of the river in its best days: 
 
 facts were gathered, though nearly eighty years old, 
 
 TO THE MOKELUMNE RIVER. 
 
 is still hale and hearty, his memory having a full 
 retention of the early incidents in his California 
 
 To thee, Mokelumne, the bard 
 His humble tribute pays, 
 
 life. 
 
 And should he work but half as hard 
 
 
 In chronicling thy praise, 
 
 SPRING OP 49. 
 
 As he has labored on thy bars, 
 
 
 His daily grub to gain, 
 
 Very many came the following Spring. A com 
 
 The reader would pronounce his verse 
 
 pany, consisting of J. S. Smythe; Michael and John 
 
 A very labored strain. 
 
 O'Neal; Peter Jacobs, a German; Captain Rogers? 
 
 Of thee, Mokelumne, I sing, 
 
 from the Sandwich Islands; Godey and Perry Lake> 
 the two latter of Stevenson's regiment, dammed 
 
 For I have known thee long ; 
 And, from that knowledge, I can bring 
 Some truth into my song. 
 
 the river near the mouth of Rich gulch. The 
 
 Four long and tedious years have passed 
 
 claim did not equal their expectations; that is to 
 
 Since first I reached thy shore, 
 And near thy stream my lot is cast, 
 
 say, it did not yield a bucketful of gold a day, and 
 
 I fear, forevermore. 
 
 they abandoned it. 
 
 For now my pile is quite as small 
 
 Colonel James gave his name to the bar. His part 
 
 As when I saw thee first ; 
 Thy early freshets in the Fall 
 
 ners were two brothers, Vanderslice, one a doctor, 
 
 My bubble fortune burst. 
 
 the other a gambler. Judge Smith, who afterwards 
 
 The rise of water and of flour, 
 And every drink a scad, 
 
 killed Colonel Collyer at Jackson, and a man by the 
 
 Together with the monte-bank, 
 
 name of Haskell, kept a store there. Soon after the 
 
 Soon took what dimes I had. f 
 
 immigration got in it was estimated that a thousand 
 
 Time was I mean in '49 
 
 men were mining on the river within a distance of 
 two or three miles, mostly with pans and rockers. 
 
 When in each wild ravine 
 And tributary gulch of thine, 
 A jolly crew was found. 
 
 A large meeting of miners was called to drive away 
 foreigners, which project however, did not carry. 
 
 Who dug up chispas by the pound, 
 And spent them fast and free, 
 Thinking that gold would still. abound, 
 
 McKimm mined here in '49, as also did Donnelly (who 
 
 As late as '53. 
 
 is now driving a wood team), J. D. Davis and Dr. 
 
 But ah! a change came o'er their dream, 
 
 Elliott. McKimm had at one time seventy-five pounds 
 of gold-dust; Donnelly had, also, about the same 
 
 Ere yet a year had sped; 
 For '50 brought a living stream 
 Of miners to thy bed. 
 
 quantity. N. W. Spaulding and Company whip- 
 
 Old Pike with half his stalwart sons, 
 .And 1 foosici'dom was tliOjT 
 
 sawed out thirteen thousand feet of lumber one 
 
 While all the Suckers in the world 
 
 season, to flume the Mokelumne river. The project was 
 
 Camped on each gulch and bar. 
 
 determined upon by getting a few cents' worth of gold 
 
 They turned thy waters from their course, 
 
 in a shovel of dirt out of a deep hole in the river. 
 
 Through many a rude canawl ; 
 
 When, after immense labor, the river bad been 
 
 They dammed thee, from thy very source, 
 Down to the lowest fall. 
 
 dammed and flumed, and the channel exposed, all 
 
 Ingratitude personified ! 
 
 the gold of consequence found in the claim, was in 
 
 Without the slightest shamming, 
 Each company was occupied 
 
 that immediate spot, and amounted to about one 
 
 In the hardest kind of damming. 
 
 hundred and sixty dollars. As many thousands 
 
 But those who dammed thee, were the men, 
 
 would not have been considered anything trreat. 
 
 Who never made a dime; 
 
 j 
 The river in the vicinity of Rich gulch and Mur 
 
 Thy waters raised indignant then 
 Long ere the usual time; 
 
 phy's was very rich, men taking out with a rocker 
 
 They burst all dams and carried off 
 
 several thousand dollars in a day. In some places 
 
 Toms, rockers, pans, and kettles, 
 And left each claim not worth a dam, 
 
 the gravel would be " lousy " with gold. It must 
 
 And raised the price of wittles. 
 
 not be supposed that all fared this way, however. 
 
 Mokelumne, thy source is in 
 
 As many men then were wandering around " broke" 
 
 Nevada's hills of snow. 
 
 as now. When Winter came on most of the men 
 
 And, when thine icy torrents reach 
 The burning plains below, 
 
 left, some going up the gulches and others to Jack 
 
 A draught from thee is better far, 
 
 son and Mokelumne Hill, which now began to be 
 
 The miners' thirst to slake, 
 Than choicest cobblers at the bar, 
 
 permanent camps. At the present writing, one 
 
 That ever Bruce can make. 
 
 walking along the banks of the Mokelumne river, can 
 hardly realize that the stillness, broken only by the 
 
 And though thy waves have ever been 
 As free and uncontrolled, 
 
 murmur of the water, was ever otherwise. A few 
 
 As when the New York Volunteers, 
 
 old cabins rotting away on the side-hills, or the relic 
 
 First sought thy banks for gold, 
 Soon will the Anglo-Saxon race, 
 
 of some chimney, where thirty years since the miner 
 fried his slapjacks or dried his wet clothing, are al] 
 
 With science, labor, skill, 
 Throw over thee their mighty chain, 
 And make thee work their mill. 
 
JACKSON. 
 
 179 
 
 Thy waters will be made to come 
 
 And go at their command, 
 Led around to wash their ore, 
 
 Or fertilize the land. 
 And even here in Jackson town 
 
 We are expecting soon 
 To see Cap Ham* and all his men 
 
 Come sailing down the flume. 
 
 Reader, if Logan + had the time 
 
 He would extend the song, 
 But, like his liquor bills up street, 
 
 'Tis even now too long. 
 Beneath Mokelumne's dark waves 
 
 Lies many a precious nugget, 
 And there the poet's fortune is 
 
 If some one has n't dug it. 
 
 Sober & Parrish's Big Bar bridge has quite a 
 history. The first ferry, a dug-out, was run by a 
 Scotchman, the price of passage being one dollar. 
 Getting tired of the business, he donated it to Dr. 
 Sober, who in turn gave it to John Hasley, who 
 sold it in 1850 to Pope & Burns for fifty dollars. 
 They bought some lumber and built a small ferry 
 boat, charging the same for crossing as formerly. 
 Horses were made to swim by leading them beside 
 the boat. Travel increasing, they began to make 
 money rapidly, seeing which, Dr. Sober thought 
 to buy it back; but the stock had now gone up, the 
 .parties asking twelve thousand dollars for it. The 
 Goodwins, Sober, A. J. Houghtaling, and Kenny 
 bought it, the latter selling his share for six thousand 
 dollars. The bridge was built in 1853, costing twelve 
 thousand dollars the road on the Amador side, 
 twelve thousand dollars, and on the other, three 
 
 thousand dollars. 
 
 MURPHY'S GULCH 
 
 Was natui'ally traced up from the Mokelumne river, 
 into which it empties. It lies parallel to the great 
 quartz lode, crossing it once, and derives its gold 
 from the breaking down of that auriferous reef of 
 slate. It has been the source of many fortunes, 
 having been worked and re-worked for years. It 
 is threaded by many veins of. rich quartz, not 
 extensive enough, however, to justify large mining. 
 Murphy's gulch starts on the west side of the lode, 
 keeping its course along the base for a mile or so; 
 then crosses the lode, emptying into the river on the 
 north side. 
 
 BLACK GULCH 
 
 Is the continuation of Murphy's gulcli on the same 
 side, and, though shorter, has the same characteris 
 tics as that gulch. 
 
 HUNT'S GULCH 
 
 Was also enriched by the breaking down of the 
 Mother Lode along its course, and also by the stream 
 of gravel which left its deposits on Tunnel hill and 
 Ohio hill. This gulch was perhaps richer than 
 
 *Cap Ham was the projector of the Jackson flume, which 
 being four or five feet wide was expected to be navigable for 
 boats both ways. A model propeller, with a stern-wheel, which 
 should rest on a track on each side of the flume, and thus force 
 a boat upstream against the current, was constructed, but, like 
 many other brilliant ideas, was wrecked soon after being launched. 
 
 t Boynton's nom de plume. 
 
 Murphy's, though somewhat harder to work in con 
 sequence of the great deposit of gravel on it. The 
 Tunnel hill gravel has been run into it, prolonging 
 its thorough working. If the Dewitt hill should be 
 worked off as it is now being worked, the gulch will 
 sometime pay for working again. 
 
 TUNNEL HILL. 
 
 This was the largest deposit of the drift, belonging 
 to the north and south rivers of the county. Here 
 it seemed to have spread out into a large body, most 
 of which was swept away by the subsequent glacier 
 erosion. The remains of the ancient plain may be 
 easily see around the base of Butte mountain, also 
 on all the hills around. The great wealth of the 
 gulches around Tunnel hill, soon taught the miners 
 to look for the source of the gravel; and we find 
 that, as early as 1850, some of the miners had 
 ascended the slope of the hill, -until they had struck 
 it sinking bed rock. 
 
 Daniel Haskell and Martin Love have the credit of 
 being the first to work the dead river bed of gravel. 
 They hauled the dirt to the south fork of Jackson 
 creek about half a mile away. The dirt was rather 
 hard to drift, but paid from one to two ounces to the 
 cart-load. Madame Pantaloon, a woman dressed in 
 man's clothing, and doing a man's work, made a 
 large sum of money out of this hill; she drove a 
 team and did light work at first, and for some time 
 was supposed to be a boy. 
 
 The hill was first tunnelled in 1852, by Braxton 
 Davenport, K. M. Johnston, and William McLeod, 
 who, after one year's labor of drifting, sold their 
 interest to Peter A. Martin, who in the Spring of 
 1853, erected a trestle work, with a car track and 
 chute, extending to the survey of the Cunningham 
 ditch, which was soon after constructed along the 
 western and southern side of the hill. The second 
 tunnel was run by A. C. Loveridge, in the Spring 
 of 1854, which year inaugurated a thorough prospect 
 ing of the hill, which was all claimed, and worked by 
 the usual drifting system, until water was brought 
 on the hill in 1858, when piping and sluicing suc 
 ceeded the former slow process of removing the dirt. 
 By this method the whole surface was made to pay, 
 as well as the rich gravel at the bed rock. It is im 
 possible to tell how much gold was taken out, as 
 many lucky miners judiciously kept the results to 
 themselves. 
 
 BUTTE BASIN 
 
 Is, and always was, a mystery. Butte mountain 
 looks down upon it from the north, Tunnel hill from 
 the west, and rich gravel hills on the south. On the 
 west is the high, rocky wall of the Mokelumne 
 river, broken through in a narrow gorge, so as to 
 form an outlet to the basin. The west and south 
 sides have been very rich, and the whole surface of 
 the basin was rich enough to pay for piping. On the 
 west and south sides the gravel followed the slopes 
 of the hills down under the volcanic matter with 
 
180 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 which the basin is filled. Efforts have been made to 
 follow this down and work it out, but so far without 
 success, on account of immense quantities of water 
 the miners meet in sinking. Not long since a com 
 pany, under the superintendence of C. W. Tozier, an 
 experienced miner, sunk one hundred and forty feet. 
 At this point there was no appearance of bottom, and 
 the water was so strong that two pumps, eight and 
 twelve inch respectively, driven by a powerful engine, 
 were not sufficient to control it. After expending 
 about twenty thousand dollars, the company was 
 obliged to abandon the enterprise. The material 
 with which the basin is filled, though of volcanic 
 origin, bears the marks of having been deposited by 
 water. The descending lines of deposit on the sides 
 indicate a former lake, the gravel, following down 
 the slopes of the basin, being left at, or near, the 
 edge of the water, while the lighter matter was 
 carried further on a phenomenon any one may see 
 where a set of sluices dump into a river or body of 
 water, and which may be seen in a thousand places 
 along the foot-hills. 
 
 Formerly the surface of the basin was much 
 higher, but the wearing away of the outlet has 
 lowered it, perhaps several hundred feet. 
 
 A project has been started to run a tunnel into the 
 basin from Mokelumne river, tapping it three hun 
 dred feet below the outlet. The length of the pro 
 posed tunnel is one thousand seven hundred feet, 
 and the estimated cost is twenty thousand dollars. 
 James Morgan is the owner of the east side of the 
 basin, C. D. Horn of the west side; the latter owning 
 some two hundred acres of land, a large portion of 
 which was formerly an orchard and vineyard, bear 
 ing the best of fruit, which he sluiced away. 
 
 BUTTE CITY. 
 
 This was a camp on the south side of the basin and 
 for a while bid fair to rival Jackson. Only a few 
 houses now mark the site of the former city. An 
 orange tree bearing regular crops, on the place of H. 
 L. Loveridge, shows the fertility of the soil and the 
 mildness of the climate. 
 
 BUTTE MOUNTAIN 
 
 Is a landmark for twenty miles away. It is a puzzle 
 for geologists, many believing it to be of volcanic 
 origin. The rock has the appearance of being 
 trachyte, but as a pretty thorough examination fails to 
 bring to light anything like a crater; the solution 
 may be left to the coming 1 geologist. * 
 
 WEDDING IN HIGH LIFE. 
 
 W. L. McKimm and Mrs. Mann were married one 
 fine morning, many years ago, on the top of the mount 
 ain. It is not recorded whether the reporters were 
 invited or whether, if they were, they had the energy 
 to make the ascent. The height of the mountain 
 (two thousand five hundred feet) and its isolation, 
 caused it to be selected for one of the stations of the 
 United States Geodetical Survey. Whether from its 
 
 grand appearance, or from the clear atmosphere 
 around its summit, or other causes, this mountain has 
 caused the outflow of an immense amount of wit and 
 wisdom. Some years ago when the periodic epidemic 
 for the removal of the capital was raging, R. M. 
 Briggs, then Assemblyman from Amador, introduced 
 a Bill for the removal of the capital to Butte mount 
 ain. The Bill provided for a sufficient number of 
 balloons to be attached to the capitol to float and hold 
 it suspended, so that in case of high water or other 
 danger, it might be removed without expense. A 
 petition for the change accompanied the Bill, signed 
 by every voter of the county, or at least the great 
 register itself was attached to the petition. The Bill 
 did not move the capitol, but it moved the members 
 to laughter, and helped to throw ridicule on capitol 
 movers. 
 
 Once, when the project for building abridge across 
 the Mokelumne river was being considered, a wag 
 proposed to construct one of rawhide from Butte 
 mountain to Mokelumne Hill. It should be made of 
 rawhide cables, laid along the ground and covered 
 with planking in the ordinary way. Ho thought, 
 when the hot weather came, and the bridge shrank, 
 it would come up taut! 
 
 THE GATE. 
 
 This place is on the north fork of Jackson creek, 
 about one mile from Jackson. It takes its name 
 from a fissure in a reef of rock, which crosses the 
 creek, about twenty feet wide with nearly perpen 
 dicular walls on each side, through which the creek 
 flows. The place was discovered in 1849 by a boy 
 who ran away from Sacramento. It was not as rich 
 as many other places, but uniformly good, paying 
 eight to sixteen dollars a day to the man. 
 
 In 1850 as many as five hundred miners settled 
 around the Gate. Diarrhea prevailed here as else 
 where at the time. The miners were shocked one 
 day by seeing two boys carrying away, to bury, the 
 corpse of their father, who, unknown to the miners, 
 had died of the prevailing epidemic a day or two 
 before. The boys were induced to suspend the inter 
 ment, and in a short time several hundred men were 
 collected together, to give him as decent a burial as 
 the circumstances would permit. 
 
 Claims were fifteen feet square. This was the 
 usual size of claims all over the country, until the 
 Spring of 1851. Several of the Johnston family who 
 came from Pennsylvania, were settled here. One of 
 them being sick, a man called " Grizzly," jumped his 
 claim. A meeting of the miners was called and it 
 was decided that a sick man had no right to a claim. 
 The decision was thought to have been brought 
 about by the fear of "Grizzly's" ill-will, and an 
 appeal from the decision was made by a friend getting 
 on the claim with a drawn revolver, and promising a 
 quick passage to the happy hunting-grounds to any 
 one who should attempt to work it. The decision 
 was reversed and the claim respected until the owner 
 was able to work. The largest lump of gold ever 
 
or THE 
 UNlVERSITTj 
 
JACKSON. 
 
 181 
 
 found at the Gate came out of this piece of ground. 
 It weighed four ounces and was shaped like a bull's 
 head. 
 
 During the dry part of the season dirt was carried 
 in sacks to the spring near Kennedy flat for wash 
 ing. The ditch still visible on the north side of the 
 creek, said to have been the first ditch in Amador 
 county, was dug by the Johnstons. It was but a 
 mile or two in length, but the water sold for one dol 
 lar per inch. One evening one of the Johnstons 
 being out late, called at a Mexican camp for a drink 
 of water. The Mexican drew an immense knife and 
 putting himself in a position of defense, said in 
 Spanish, "Speak louder, sir; I am hard of hearing." 
 The Mexicans, as well as the Americans, were on the 
 
 alert for danger. 
 
 OHIO HILL 
 
 And Squaw gulch were rich places in the vicinity. 
 From the former place one man by the name of Bod 
 kin carried away some forty or fifty thousand dollars 
 as the result of a Winter's work. Madame Pantaloon 
 took out one hundred thousand dollars and then sold 
 the claim for twenty-five thousand dollars more. 
 This hill was of the same formation as Tunnel hill, 
 with the same polished, but not rounded, boulders, 
 indicating a river of moderate size as the source of 
 the wash. It is highly probable that the gravel was 
 never moved any great distance, and that the veins 
 of quartz near by are the ones from which the bould 
 ers were formed. 
 
 SLAB CITY. 
 
 This place took its name from the cabins being 
 built of slabs from Iluffaker's mill in the early fifties. 
 It had in 1855 to 1860 some fifty or sixty miners. 
 The shallow gulches were soon worked out and the 
 place is now converted to farming ground. The 
 same may be said of Irishtown, once a lively camp. 
 
 CLINTON. 
 
 This place, which is north-east from Jackson some 
 six miles, was first worked by Mexicans, who drifted 
 under the red hills around the town, making mod 
 erate pay. After the introduction of water, by 
 means of canals, quite a number of miners settled 
 here. Judge Hugh Kobinson, J. W. Paugh, Sheriff 
 of Amador county for several terms, and now a 
 resident of San Francisco, L. N. Ketchum, after 
 wards State Senator, N. W. Spaulding, since Mayor 
 of Oakland, D. B. Spagnoli, and many others of 
 note, were first heard of in Clinton. Some small 
 quartz veins traverse this part of the country, which 
 probably have supplied part of the gold found in 
 the gulches; but the hills indicate an ancient river 
 system, probably the same that left deposits of 
 gravel at Pine Grove and Aqueduct City. The 
 mines, at the best, were but moderately rich, and 
 to this fact, perhaps, is due the political careers of 
 many of its citizens. This town was the occasion 
 of some talk a few years ago, in connection with an 
 
 election, one man acting as both Judge and Clerk. 
 A good deal of eloquence was displayed before the 
 Board of Supervisors when this vote was canvassed, 
 which is lost to the world for want of short-hand 
 reporters. 
 
 N. W. Spaulding is the inventor of the famous 
 circular shank saw tooth. He was a mill-wright 
 by profession, and after mining a few years, returned 
 to his trade, which became profitable in utilizing 
 the vast forests of the Sierras. Movable teeth had 
 been used before, but under such conditions as to 
 cause them to be set aside. The improvement con 
 sisted in using a circular instead of a square shank. 
 The continued vibration of the saw, incident to a 
 high speed, caused a crystallization of the plate to 
 take place, it being most intense at the corners of 
 the cavity, causing a cracking and ultimate ruin of 
 the plate; by distributing the crystallization evenly 
 around the cavity, the plate would endure an indefi 
 nite amount of work. This little improvement 
 became of so much value that it revolutionized the 
 methods of sawing lumber, the circular saw being 
 everywhere adopted, the improvement being appro 
 priated by saw-mill men without leave or license. 
 Four different lawsuits concerning this tooth were 
 carried to the United States Supreme Court, one of 
 which involved costs to the amount of twenty thou 
 sand dollars. An attempt was made to prove that 
 this form of tooth had been in general use for years, 
 and particularly in a mill owned by Tupper and 
 others, in a certain town in Yermont, a man by the 
 name of Percival, who was said to have been dead 
 for some years, being the mill-wright who had made 
 and used them. Mr. Spaulding, with his accustomed 
 energy, set inquiries on foot, and found that Perci 
 val, though somewhat advanced in years, was still 
 living, and among the pineries in Wisconsin; not 
 withstanding the distance, he was brought into 
 court at San Francisco, before the close of the case. 
 Every attempt to prove a previous use of the cir 
 cular shank had failed, except in the case of the 
 Tupper mill; and, when Percival's name was called, 
 a look of astonishment ran over the countenances 
 of the opposing lawyers, one of them audibly remark 
 ing, " Eather a lively looking corpse," referring to 
 the oft-repeated statement that Percival was dead. 
 He had a vivid remembrance of the kind of tooth 
 used in the Tupper mill, and, what was of much 
 importance, had a veritable sample of the teeth 
 then used, which he had kept in his tool chest for 
 nearly a quarter of a century. When these were 
 produced in court, behold, they had the square 
 shank. This settled the matter, the defendants' 
 lawyer remarking, " Well, Spaulding, you've beaten 
 us." The saws now go to every quarter of the 
 globe. 
 
182 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXI. 
 
 IONE VALLEY AND VICINITY. 
 
 First White Men in lone Valley First House First Ranches 
 Judge Lyncli Starkey's Case First Mill Fun with Griz 
 zlies Origin of Name lone First School First Flour Mill 
 First Brick Store Methodist Church Centennial Pres 
 ident's Address Extracts from Poem Extracts from Ora 
 tion lone in 1876 Railroad Stockton Narrow-Guage 
 Gait Road Overflows Fires Bueiia Vista First Settle 
 ment Mining Arroyo Seco Grant Dispossession of Settlers 
 Present Appearance Buckeye Valley Irish Hill Qnincy 
 Muletown Miners' Court The Funny Man Faithful 
 Wife. 
 
 IONE VALLEY is situated about twelve miles west 
 of the county seat, and is formed by the junction 
 of Dry creek, Sutter creek, and Jackson creek, soon 
 after they leave the mountains. 
 
 Who has not heard of lone valley. Whether one 
 rides over the dusty plains from Sacramento, or 
 descends from the pine-clad hills of the Sierras, lone 
 comes on his view like the realization of a dream. 
 None ever saw but to admire. When the plains are 
 sweltering in heat, when the scanty herbage is with 
 ering under a scorching sun, lone is green and 
 delightful. The tall oaks send their long, flexible 
 limbs to the ground, reminding one of tropical 
 scenes. The wild grape-vine climbs to the topmost 
 boughs, and, trailing into natural arbors, invites to 
 repose and rest. The natural grasses, taller than 
 horses or men, attest the unexampled fertility of the 
 soil. Rumors of this paradise occasionally reached 
 the far-off miners; of oats nine feet in height; of six 
 tons of hay to the acre; but the melons, forty or 
 fifty pounds in weight, wild oats half an inch in 
 diameter and long enough for a fish pole, onions 
 weighing four pounds, potatoes seven or eight, and 
 squashes two hundred and fifty pounds, were wit 
 nesses whose testimony could not be impeached. It 
 is not known that any white man visited this valley 
 previous to 1848. The Indians relate that, at the 
 time Sutter settled in Sacramento, numbers of 
 them went to see the man with a white skin; that 
 afterwards they were captured (corralled would be a 
 proper term), and driven to Sacramento and made to 
 work for Sutter, though they soon after went volun 
 tarily. 
 
 It is extremely doubtful whether Teodosio Yorba, 
 or any other Mexican, ever saw the valley even from 
 a distance, the name Arroyo Seco being given the 
 Drytown branch of the creek by the miners who 
 went there soon after the discovery of gold. Some 
 of the Weber party in prospecting from the Stanis 
 laus, might have passed through the valley, as it is 
 recorded that they found gold on the Mokelumne 
 river first, and at every place until they reached 
 Weber Creek, in El Dorado county. Sutter, in an 
 early day, 1846, got out timbers for a ferry-boat on 
 the divide between Sutter and Amador, about three 
 miles above the towns, but it is said that his wagons 
 
 *This chapter is lamely made up from the Centennial address 
 of the Hon. C. B. Swift. When practicable, his own words are 
 used. 
 
 passed up on the north side of Dry creek, this route 
 being the one over which wagons passed to and fro 
 in the earliest days, Lower Rancheria being one of 
 the way places. The pit where the sawing was done 
 is still visible. J. T. Wheeler of Pine Grove, saw 
 this in 1849, some of the partly-finished timbers 
 being still on the blocks. J. P. Martin passed through 
 lone on his way to Big Bar, on the Mokelumne river, 
 in 1848. At that time a man was mining on a gulch 
 emptying into the creek on the north side of the 
 town, this being soon after Utcks opened his store 
 neur Judge Carter's residence. It is said that the 
 man made seven thousand dollars with a rocker in a 
 short time. There was but one house in 'Jackson, a 
 Spanish cart doing duty as a house near whei-e the 
 National Hotel now stands. The first mining of 
 
 o 
 
 which any knowledge can be obtained, was by a 
 Mexican early in 1848, before Hicks had pastured 
 cattle here. The Mexican told Indian Tom that the 
 oro (gold) would buy beef and sugar, which induced 
 the Indians to go to work. 
 
 FIRST WHITE MEN IN IONE VALLEY. 
 
 About the last of August, 1848, two men then min 
 ing at Mormon Island, at the head of the American 
 river, imbued with that restless spirit which charac 
 terized all early Californians, started out on a 
 prospecting tour, and headed directly for this valley, 
 reports having already reached them of its existence 
 and its great fertility. They entered the valley 
 where Dosh's store now stands. Those two men 
 were William Hicks and Moses Childers, who crossed 
 the plains in 1843 in company with J. P. Martin. 
 There were then living here (1848) in an adobe house, 
 on the ranch now owned by the Winters brothers, 
 the Patterson family, and a man named Edward 
 Robinson. Soon after the arrival of Hicks and Chil 
 ders, General Sutter, who was then living at Sutter's 
 Fort in Sacramento, came through here with a retinue 
 of Indians on an excursion to the mountains, and 
 camped on the spot where Sutter Creek now stands, 
 which event gave that town its name, and also the 
 creek on which it is situated. Andreas Pico, with a 
 large crowd of Mexicans, also visited this section the 
 same season. 
 
 FIRST HOUSE. 
 
 Hicks built his first house, with poles covered with 
 hides, on the knoll where Judge Carter's house now 
 stands. He and Martin engaged in the stock busi 
 ness, buying cattle in southern California and driving 
 them here to fatten for market, the valley being then 
 covered with a luxuriant growth of grass, "high as a 
 man's head." The business proved to be lucrative. 
 In the Spring of '49 Hicks converted his house on 
 the knoll into a store, the first in the valley, with 
 Childers as manager. His first goods were hauled 
 from Sacramento in a cart. They sold all sorts of 
 trinkets to the Indians, such as beads, jewsharps, 
 calicoes, and whisky. They received gold-dust in 
 exchange. Extravagant prices ruled. A bottle of 
 
IONE VALLEY AND VICINITY. 
 
 183 
 
 whisky would often bring its " weight in gold-dust." 
 It was estimated that there were five thousand 
 Indians within a radius of ten miles around the val 
 ley at that time. Previous to its settlement by the 
 whites, they disposed of their dead by raising them 
 into the tops of the trees and fastening them with 
 withes. Eobert Ludgate, who came to the valley in 
 1851. relates that as he was walking one day down 
 the lower side of the valley, he saw something in the 
 crotch of a tree which attracted his curiosity, and 
 climbing up to look at it, was startled to see the grim 
 skeleton of an Indian. 
 
 FIRST RANCHES. 
 
 The Q ranch was taken up in 1850, by James 
 Alvord, Buck Tarrier and one or two others. Henry 
 Gibbons, who was a member of Company Q of the 
 Ohio Volunteers, gave the ranch its name, which it 
 will probably retain until the next centennial celebra 
 tion. A D ranch was taken up by Harry Hensner 
 
 and Merchant. They branded their stock with 
 
 the letters "A D," which gave that ranch its name. 
 The 2 L ranch, taken up by the Luther brothers, was 
 named in the same manner, their brand being a figure 
 2 and the letter L. The Q ranch was bought in 
 1853 by Charles Green, who, in company with John 
 Vogan, established a line of stages between Sacra 
 mento and Sonora, via the Q ranch, Jackson and 
 Mokelumne Hill ; and the Q became quite a noted 
 place, having a post-office, blacksmith shop, and 
 race track. 
 
 JUDGE LYNCH. 
 
 Two Mexicans were hung on a tree a few rods 
 south of the Q dwelling-house, for stealing stock. 
 Another was hung on a tree by the roadside, about 
 half-way between Dosh's store and the Alabama 
 House, by the side of a little stream called the Wol 
 verine. A negro was tied up and whipped for 
 stealing a horse. He stoutly objected to that mode 
 of punishment on the ground that it would injure 
 his character. These transactions took place after a 
 trial and conviction of the parties before Judge 1 
 Lynch. The first wedding ceremony occurred in a 
 house which stood near J. P. Martin's present resi 
 dence, where William Hicks was married to a Mrs. 
 Wilson, a widow lady. The first child born in the 
 valley only lived two or three months, and was 
 named lone Harnett by its parents, who then resided 
 on the place now owned by the Winters brothers. 
 Tiie second child born was named William Burris, 
 who is still living. The first sermon was preached 
 in Andes Courtright's house, which stood a short 
 distance west of Mr. Dawson's present residence, and 
 is now torn down. No one recollects this preacher's 
 name. But he is represented as having preached a 
 most excellent discourse, and under its influence 
 quite a large collection was taken up. He immedi 
 ately went to Drytown and opened a monte-bank, 
 where he was followed, the next day, by Gourtright, 
 who won back the entire proceeds of the collection. 
 
 It may be proper to state that the present represen 
 tatives of the cloth in lone do not accept that 
 example as a standard of ministerial dignity and 
 propriety. 
 
 STARKEY'S CASE. 
 
 In the fall of '50, it became known to the valley 
 that the two Starkey brothers and a man named 
 Haines, who lived at the lower end of Jackson 
 valley, were engaged in stealing stock. They also 
 had a rendezvous at the forks of the Cosumnes. 
 One of the Starkeys, and a hired man by the name 
 of Reed, were arrested and brought to Hicks' ranch, 
 where forty or fifty men were awaiting their arrival. 
 Starkey was immediately put on trial. Williams, 
 Mays, .Robinson, Clark (afterward Judge in Fresno 
 county, and connected with a cutting affray at the 
 same place), Dr. Jabez Newton (discoverer of the 
 Newton copper mine), and others, acting as jurymen. 
 It was proved beyond a doubt that he had been in 
 the habit of slaughtering cattle and selling the 
 meat, though he put in a plea that the cattle seemed 
 to be abandoned property and without owners. 
 The crime of grand larceny had so far been consid 
 ered greater than murder, the penalty prescribed by 
 the statutes being death, although it is doubtful 
 whether any court in California, other than Judge 
 Lynch's, ever passed such a sentence, or if so, that 
 it was executed, so early had the people begun to 
 revolt against the code. 
 
 A motion was made that he should receive one 
 hundred and fifty lashes on his bare back, have his 
 head shaved, and the letter R branded on his cheek, 
 with the understanding that he might be hung if 
 he preferred. On taking the vote, all but one 
 present voted aye! One person, Eobert Reed, voted 
 no. The crowd turned fiercely upon him, demanding 
 his reasons for voting against the sentence, and for 
 awhile it seemed as if he also might be lynched. 
 He said that no man could live through such a pun 
 ishment, and urged a mitigation. It was finally 
 agreed that Dr. Newton should stand by and stop 
 the whipping when it should be necessary to do so, to 
 save his life. Upon Starkey being asked his choice 
 of punishments, he replied that he would take the 
 chance for his life. He was tied to a log with his 
 face down, and his back stripped. A Spaniard, or 
 Mexican, then doubled a rawhide riata, and com 
 menced the work. The first blow, made with a 
 long sweep of the arm, left two blue stripes across 
 his back. The flesh quivered, but no groan escaped 
 him. Blow after blow followed with the same cruel 
 deliberation, for the greaser had feelings of his own 
 to satisfy. 
 
 Starkey was a powerful man, and bore it until 
 the flesh was cut into shreds, and the blood was 
 dripping to the ground. At every swing of the 
 riata the blood would fly off in the air and fall 
 among the crowd. At the one hundred and twenty- 
 fifth blow the doctor made a sign to suspend the 
 whipping. He was untied and his shirt put on. He 
 
184 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 was able to step tip to the bar and take a drink of 
 whisky, after which he laid down on a mattress 
 in the corner of the room. A branding iron in the 
 shape of the letter R, about two inches each way, 
 was made from a piece of , hoop iron. Hicks applied 
 it to the man's face. It did not make a very distinct 
 letter, as the victim turned his face during the oper 
 ation. Perhaps Hicks had mercy on the man and 
 purposely made it indistinct. Starkey's wife, who 
 was present, wanted to share the punishment. 
 After it was over, he was mounted on a horse behind 
 his wife, and they left for their cabin, near the mouth 
 of Jackson creek, where Frank McMurray's house 
 now stands. 
 
 The hired man, Reed, received the twenty-five 
 lashes, which came near proving fatal, as he did not 
 have the iron nerves of Starkey. 
 
 Many cattle had been stolen during the year, and 
 Starkey's conviction had fixed the whole loss on him, 
 though in after years it became a current opinion, 
 in the mountains, that stealing cattle was a common 
 practice on the ranches. It is quite certain that 
 teamsters and others would, at the close of Summer, 
 drive their cattle and horses to the valleys to tres 
 pass on the farmers, who might sometimes have 
 taken that way to get even. At any rate, a great 
 crowd, mostly from the mines, came to Starkey's the 
 next day to hunt their missing cattle. Not finding 
 them, they burned his house and voted to hang him, 
 which they were in the act of doing when Hicks, 
 Reed, and other parties, who witnessed the punish 
 ment of the day before, coming up, persuaded the 
 crowd to remit it on condition of his leaving the 
 country. He recovered, and was seen afterwards 
 driving a team in some of the Territories. 
 
 FIRST MILLS. 
 
 In 1851 Wooster and the Reed brothers built 
 a saw-mill where J. Farnsworth's barn now stands. 
 Reed was then living on the place now owned by 
 D. Younglove. 
 
 PUN WITH GRIZZLIES. 
 
 In going to their daily work of hewing timber for 
 the mill, they discovered bear tracks in the road, 
 and the provisions, which they hung up in the trees 
 over night, were stolen by the grizzlies. Woostcr 
 and Baker, the latter of whom was a blacksmith, 
 made steel traps, and succeeded in catching three of 
 these monsters. The difficult and dangerous task of 
 tying them was accomplished by R. Reed, with one 
 assistant. They sold one to Hicks, who advertised 
 fora bull and bear fight. A great crowd came from 
 all directions to see so novel a spectacle. Among 
 those who came from Winters' Bar, on the Mokel- 
 umne river, was Dr. Brusie, who was then a Justice 
 of the Peace there. The bear, however, died before 
 the day fixed for the fight, and the day was turned 
 into horse-racing. They also sold one to the Q 
 ranch folks for the same purpose, and with the same 
 result. The other one was caged up in a pen on 
 
 the ground where Woolsey's lumber yard now 
 stands, but finally broke out and ran away. A Cal 
 ifornia lion, or panther, was caught in a ravine north 
 of lone. An attempt was made to take him away 
 alive, but the animal struggled fiercely, and died on 
 the way, the day being very hot. Dr. E. B. Harris, 
 who built and was then keeping the afterwards 
 "Newton Copper Mine House," stuffed the panther's 
 skin and made it look natural as life, and twice as 
 fierce. It was placed at the head of the chamber 
 stairs. Many a stranger, who was induced to pre 
 cede the landlord, has been frightened out of half a 
 night's sleep by the glaring eyes and open mouth 
 with the frightful fangs, of the well fixed up skin. 
 
 One Indian, trying to get the meat with which the 
 trap was baited, got caught and had to stay until 
 help could be got from lone, the Indians not know 
 ing how to free him from the trap. 
 
 J. M. Wooster built the first house of hewed logs. 
 It still stands where it was built, and is used as the 
 sitting room of the Arcade Hotel. The house in which 
 Judge Carter resides was the first frame built in the 
 county. It was brought around the Horn in 1850 
 and is still a very good house. A man by the name 
 of Baker did the first blacksmithing at a forge under 
 a tree below the steam flour-mill. Abraham Sells 
 built the first blacksmith shop on the corner west of 
 the livery stable. He was bought out by A. Sheak- 
 ley, who run it until he was burnt out in the fire of 
 1865. In the Spring of 1851, A. Gr. Lane opened the 
 first store, on the corner now occupied by J. P. Fcr- 
 rier's saloon. Reed, Wooster and Lane built the brick 
 grist-mill in 1855, which runs by water-power and is 
 now owned by Dr. Gumming. Daniel Stewart built 
 the first brick store in 1855. Dr. E. B. Harris was 
 the first practicing physician who located here. 
 
 ORIGIN OF THE NAME IONE. 
 
 The valley was named lone before a town was 
 started here, by Thomas Brown, who was a great 
 reader. He was reading a historical romance of 
 Bulwer, entitled " Herculaneum; or the last days of 
 Pompeii," one of whose heroines was a very beauti 
 ful young girl named " lone." By one of those 
 happy, thoughts which sometimes come to us like a 
 revelation, it occurred to him that " lone" was a 
 most appropriate name for this valley, and he accord 
 ingly gave it that name. But the town itself did not 
 escape the fate of most California towns, without 
 being christened evil names. It was named first. 
 Bedbug, then Frcezeout. Finally a meeting was 
 called to decide on a name; a few were in favor of 
 Wooster, but a majority were in favor of naming it 
 after the valley, so it was christened lone City. 
 Thus it remained for Bulwer, the great English 
 scholar, novelist and poet, to furnish a name for this 
 beautiful town and valley. Wooster, after whom it 
 was proposed to name the town, was the discoverer 
 of the big trees in 1850, having followed some miners 
 in that direction who were supposed to be going to 
 
r ^ OF THE 
 
 XJNIVERSITTJ 
 
TONE VALLEY AND VICINITY. 
 
 185 
 
 Gold Lake. He cut his name on one of the trees 
 with a hatchet. Andes Courtright was the first Jus 
 tice of the Peace. W. C. Pratt was the first Assem 
 blyman elected from this town. Mr. Pratt was a 
 man who Went for everything with his whole might 
 and strength. While in the Legislature he either 
 knew or thought he knew of immense sums of money 
 being expended in the Senatorial election then pend 
 ing, Broderick and Gwin being the candidates. He 
 made a very enthusiastic speech without throwing 
 much light on the subject however, but he told the 
 members that he knew something of it. In those 
 days people had a habit of mixing Spanish words into 
 their talk. " I sabe mottcka," said he. He was known 
 ever after as "sabe moucha." Amador was then 
 included in Calaveras county, of which Henry A. 
 Carter was the first District Attorney. 
 
 FIRST SCHOOL. 
 
 The first school was taught by a man by the name 
 of Meade in 1853, in a house owned by Eeed. The 
 Methodist church was organized in 1853, Thomas 
 Kickey being the most active person in promoting 
 the organization. He also kept the Irene Hotel, 
 and a store at the same time. George B. Taylor 
 was the first minister stationed here. He was a 
 man of considerable talent, though some of his 
 subsequent actions would hardly square with the 
 notions of church people. The church building, used 
 at that time, was converted into a paint shop some 
 years since. About this time several families began 
 to exert a moderating influence on the manners of 
 the people. There were then living here the families 
 of Thomas Eickey, Eobert Eeed, E. JD. Style, A. 
 Preater, John T. Poe, I. B. Gregory, Judge Turner, 
 Phillips, the McMurrays, Spencer, and others. There 
 were several marriageable girls, who unconsciously 
 exerted a good influence in elevating the morals of 
 the young men, who would visit the town to get a 
 glimpse of them. Dr. E. B. Harris, the first practic 
 ing physician to locate here, taught a singing-school 
 which drew a crowd of well- behaved people. 
 
 FIRST FLOUR MILL. 
 
 The first flour mill was built in 1855 by Eeed, 
 Wooster, and Lane. At first it was intended for a 
 feed mill but was soon afterwards improved so as to 
 make flour. The steam mill was built in 1856 by 
 Thomas Eickey, though, at the time of the erection, 
 it was but a small affair compared to what it after 
 wards became under the ownership of Hall & Son. 
 
 Daniel Stuart built the first brick store in 1855, 
 John Edwards putting up the next, now occupied by 
 George Woolsey. The school-house was built in 1858, 
 the upper story being occupied by the Masonic fra 
 ternity. A town hall was also built in 1858, which 
 was afterwards used by the Presbyterian denomina 
 tion as a church. The Baptist church was built in '59. 
 
 THE METHODIST CHURCH 
 
 Was built in 1862, Bishop Simpson laying the corner 
 stone July 4th, Dr. Peck, Dr. Owens and several other 
 24 
 
 prominent men of the Methodist church assisting. 
 Some effective solicitation was done and a large 
 amount of money was raised, not enough to complete 
 the church however, which, owing to reverses which 
 will be mentioned hereafter, remains, nearly twenty 
 years afterwards, hopelessly in debt. A man by the 
 name of Mandel was the architect. The estimated cost 
 of the edifice was eight thousand dollars, but whether 
 from incorrect estimates of labor and material, or 
 other causes, the church cost twice as much, which, 
 with interest paid on mortgages, and other debts 
 pertaining to it, will make the total not far short of 
 twenty-five thousand dollars. 
 
 A celebration was held the same day, Thomas 
 Fitch, the celebrated orator, being the speaker. A 
 car of young ladies representing the galaxy of States 
 was a noticeable feature of the occasion. A circus, 
 and afterwards expensive fire-works, concluded the 
 day. So'many notable events are not often crowded 
 into one occasion. 
 
 The centennial celebration was an event in the 
 history of lone. It was notable in many respects; 
 for the unanimity and good feeling with which it was 
 conducted; the general and almost universal attend 
 ance of the people, and the marked difference of the 
 assemblage, in character and sex, from all former 
 gatherings. In early days a few seats of honor near 
 the Chair would have accommodated all the females 
 and children who would be present. What a differ 
 ence a quarter of a century had made. As the hour 
 for the exercises approached, wagon after wagon 
 unloaded children of all ages, and before long they 
 took the town. They swarmed through every street 
 and lane, and out of every door. The old '49ers who 
 had danced in glee around a woman's cast-off bonnet, 
 or taken a walk of miles to catch a glimpse of a sun- 
 bonnet flitting around a house, now stood aghast 
 with the change. The tide had turned. Men were 
 now emigrating to the mines, leaving a redundant 
 female population. If the quails in '49 or '50 had 
 donned female gear and come tripping around the 
 miners' cabins, the pioneers would not have been 
 more astonished than in 1876, to see the turn affairs 
 had taken. Scores of attractive, blushing damsels 
 thronged the grounds as if a natural product of the 
 valley. The miner, with a red shirt, and revolver 
 slung to his side, must now be sought in our Terri 
 tories. 
 
 A procession was formed under the charge of J. 
 Brannan. An immense carriage had been impro 
 vised for the occasion in shape of a pyramid, with 
 the goddess of liberty seated on the apex, and young 
 ladies seated around to represent the galaxy of 
 States. Then followed a troop of boys dressed in 
 continental uniform, with military companies, citi 
 zens, and carriages containing the officers of the 
 day. The exercises were held in a grove of shade 
 trees at the foot of Church street, near Hall's mills. 
 Two thousand people were estimated to be present. 
 
186 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 
 
 "J. D. Mason, president of the day, opened the 
 meeting with the following remarks: 
 
 "FELLOW -CITIZENS: It is unnecessary to announce 
 the object of this gathering. The old and the young 
 alike know why we celebrate this day. The cen 
 tennial of our nation's birth is a festal day in every 
 civilized land. From an inauspicious beginning a 
 birth in pain and sorrow, and surrounded by adverse 
 circumstances our country has grown to marvelous 
 dimensions, reaching from ocean to ocean, including 
 in its boundaries the longest rivers, the largest lakes, 
 mountain ranges rich in all valuable minerals, fertile 
 valleys and plains, producing all the heart of man 
 can desire, where the humblest laborer can rest in 
 the bosom of his family, secure in the protection of 
 just laws. Unlike nations of the Old World, no 
 millions toil in sorrow that a pampered few shall 
 rest in wealth and power. 
 
 "While other nations have marched to greatness 
 through blood and carnage, crushing out other 
 governments and civilizations, ours has achieved 
 its victories over the silence of the desert, the lone 
 liness of the forest, and the rock-guarded treasures 
 of the mountains. Her victories are the triumphs 
 of peaceful industry, filling the land with churches, 
 schools, and comfortable, happy homes. 
 
 "The earth is filled with the wrecks of nations 
 that have flourished a time, only to be submerged 
 in the surrounding barbarism; but the student of 
 history will discover in the upheaval of thought 
 which produced our free institutions, the germ of 
 a greater, better, and more permanent civilization 
 than the world has ever seen, surpassing the wildest 
 dreams of the ancients. With the aid of the tele 
 graph, the steam engine, and the printing press, 
 remote nations now share their wealth and wants, 
 their joys and sorrows. All our surroundings are 
 conducive to prosperity. 
 
 "We begin the second century of our existence 
 with these substantial achievements and brilliant 
 prospects. It is well to commemorate this day that 
 our children may learn the value of the estate we 
 transmit to them. It is proper to usher in the sec 
 ond century of our existence with bonfires, illumina 
 tions and hymns of joy." 
 
 The Declaration of Independence was read by F. 
 C. Hall, after which the Rev. A. K. Crawford, for 
 merly Professor of Belles- Lettres, at the Santa 
 Clara College, delivered the poem, portions of 
 which are given here: 
 
 ******* 
 
 Honor, all honor to-day to those men, 
 
 And their labors and triumphs 
 
 Labors that shaped a new world, 
 
 And triumphs that crown them immortal. 
 
 Rude was -the wild they traversed, 
 
 A continent, virgin and pathless. 
 
 An unformed choas of men, 
 
 From the ends of the earth flung together, 
 
 Mingled as quartz and feldspar 
 
 And hornblende are mingled in granite; 
 
 Mingled by fiery fusion, 
 
 To make the bedrock of the nation. 
 
 Fierce were the forces that fought 
 In the furnace where freedom was molded, 
 " Tyranny kindled the flame, 
 But Liberty fanned it and fed it," 
 Till the crude mass, refractory, stubborn, chaotic, 
 Blended at last in a union of hearts 
 And of States in firm compact, 
 Welded, in blood and fire, established for ages of ages. 
 
 The Declaration made that day 
 
 Was no mere mass of glittering words; 
 It set the nation in array 
 
 Against far more than British swords. 
 'Twas the proposal we still make 
 
 That all mankind shall here be free. 
 Jehovah smiled and said, "Go take 
 
 The right to nationality." 
 That smile, sent for our pledges' sake, 
 Is now the ground on which we stake 
 
 Our hope of perpetuity. 
 
 Each nation of antiquity, 
 
 When first its life began, 
 Gave promise to co-operate 
 
 With God in his great plan 
 
 To elevate humanity. 
 And each was made invincible 
 
 While faithful to her trust; 
 But when she failed to do her work, 
 
 Her heroes bit the dust. 
 
 We have passed through some terrible conflicts, 
 
 Our banner still kissing the sky, 
 While star after star has been added 
 
 Before the world's envious eye. 
 
 Shall that banner, hereafter, by traitors 
 
 Be trampled in dust and decay? 
 Or shall it float on, over liberty's sons, 
 
 Till the dawn of unending day? 
 
 Say, friends, shall it wave 
 O'er the free and the brave, 
 Till the stars and blue sky 
 It resembles on high, 
 Into ruin shall roll, 
 Like a shriveling scroll ? 
 
 The oration which was delivered by the Rev. J. 
 T. White, was somewhat lengthy, and was a histor 
 ical review of the circumstances out of which grew 
 the modern Republics and the spirit of freedom, 
 moving governments to ameliorate the conditions 
 
 of the people. 
 
 ******* 
 
 "And here the question arises, Was the Revolti- 
 tion, taking all the circumstances of the case into 
 review, right? Was it right? This is a very proper 
 question to ask, and this is the proper time to ask 
 it. I say, then, was it right? Every American will 
 answer with an emphatic ' Yes.' Every true patriot, 
 no matter in what land born or reared, will answer, 
 Yes. Every lover of liberty, in whatever country 
 his destiny may have been cast, will answer, Yes. 
 The truest men in old England at the time said it 
 was right, and protested in indignant terms (still to 
 be read) against the cruelty and oppression that 
 rendered such a step necessary on the part of the 
 colonists. The splendid eloquence of Pitt, and the 
 brilliant oratory of Burke, were heard in denuncia 
 tion of such flagrant wrong-doing. The long halls 
 of the British House of Parliament rang again with 
 the echoes of the clear voice of the great Earl of 
 Chatham, as in bold and uncompromising langu:i-e 
 he declared, ' Were I an American as I am an Eng 
 lishman, while a foreign troop was landed in my 
 country I never would lay down my arms never, 
 never, never!' And the circumstance that I stand 
 here to-day to raise my voice in this matter is a 
 proof a solemn assurance in fact that I think it 
 was right. Were it otherwise, 1 should not be found 
 on this platform to-day. Money couldn't buy me, 
 and threats couldn't intimidate me, and flattery 
 couldn't induce me to get up here and let sentiments 
 escape my lips, either on the subject of liberty, or 
 any other topic that didn't find an echo in my heart. 
 
TONE VALLEY AND VICINITY. 
 
 187 
 
 You will consider it no breach of etiquette for me 
 to remind you that the spirit of liberty is neither 
 native to the American soil, nor exclusively confined 
 to the American people. Wherever on the face of 
 God's wide earth there is a true man with a true 
 heart in his bosom, the spirit of liberty is there 
 is there inspiring him with a noble love for every 
 thing that is beautiful, and pure, and good, and 
 filling him with a lofty scorn for everything that is 
 low r and base, and mercenary. My position, there 
 fore, and the post assigned me in connection with 
 this centennial celebration to-day, although one 
 from which I naturally did shrink on the ground 
 of conscious incompetency for many reasons, is yet 
 one from which 1 do not shrink, and have no reason 
 to shrink, on the score of want of sympathy with 
 this day's proceedings, or with the grand object 
 which we are assembled here this day to commem 
 orate. I yield to no man in my love of liberty. I 
 yield to no man in my sympathies with the enslaved. 
 My mission from week to week is to proclaim ' lib 
 erty to the captives, and the opening of the prison 
 to those that are bound.' Why should I shrink 
 from the performance of a duty so nearly allied to 
 that to-day?" 
 
 " And now before quitting this part of our subject, 
 let us consider what is the grand lesson taught us 
 by the history of the Revolution. What do you 
 think it is ? As / read that event, 1 take it to be 
 this: that man was made to be free. God ordained 
 every man to be a free man. Liberty is the inherent, 
 inalienable birthright of every son and daughter of 
 God. The American Revolution, and similar revolu 
 tions in other lands and other times, have been 
 nothing more nor less than man asserting his claim 
 to this God-given heritage. All down the ages, ever 
 since the primal curse rested upon the race, men 
 have been saying here and there, and yonder: ' We 
 want you to be subject to us bow down and serve 
 us;' and ever the reply has been hurled back: 'We 
 shall not do it we were born free as you we shall 
 not do it we shall die first.' And hence on this very 
 point have arisen all the battles that were ever 
 fought on the theater of this world, between despot 
 ism on the one hand, with its chains for the van 
 quished, and freedom on the other, with its glorious 
 charter of equal rights for every man, and unfet 
 tered liberty for all. It was to conserve and preserve 
 intact this grand principle, this legacy of God to his 
 children here below that marshaled that little 
 band of Grecian warriors on the plain of Marathon; 
 that filled their hearts with a courage almost super 
 human, and nerved their arms with almost more 
 than mortal strength, and sent a thunderbolt of God 
 scattering confusion, and dismay, and disaster, 
 throughout the length and breadth of the mighty 
 hosts of Persia, making Marathon the grandest 
 name in the military history of our world a syno 
 nym for Liberty herself. It was in behalf of this 
 great principle that that tiny handful of three hun 
 dred heroic men disputed the narrow pass of Ther 
 mopylae, against the combined hosts of Asia, and on 
 gory death-beds, under the open firmament of heaven, 
 testified their allegiance to the spirit of liberty, and 
 practically said, writing it in their hearts' blood in 
 the soil of their native Greece, ' We shall not wear 
 your chains; we shall not do it; we shall die first.' 
 And they did die, every man of them, every man of 
 the three hundred. Died, did I say? Such men 
 never die! The world will not let them die. They 
 shall live, embalmed in the memories of the nations, 
 as long as the world itself has an existence. It was 
 
 .over the settlement of this great question that the 
 continent of Europe during the early part of this 
 century was turned into an immense battlefield, 
 where despotism and liberty were pitted against 
 each other in mortal conflict, the victory at one time 
 inclining toward despotism, and then again alternat 
 ing on the side of liberty, until on that memorable 
 18th of June, there was drawn up to settle the con 
 test the grandest and most imposing military specta 
 cle that the world has ever witnessed the grandest 
 because of the mighty issues at stake, the most 
 imposing because of the unrivaled and wonderful 
 combination of power, skill, discipline, zeal, courage, 
 and extraordinary military genius of the opposing 
 forces and there and then, on that memorable 
 Sunday in June, on the plains of Belgium, amid 
 smoke, and slaughter, and carnage, and ten thousand 
 deaths, and confused noise, and garments rolled in 
 blood, the great battle of liberty was won, and the 
 name of Waterloo crowned for all time with imper 
 ishable and deathless glory! Such cases as these 
 teach us (what your own Revolution teaches with 
 equal force and clearness) that man was made to be 
 free. This, I take it, is the grand lesson to be learned 
 from the important events we have had under 
 review." 
 
 After the oration the Hon. C. B. Swift, in accord 
 ance with the recommendation of the President of 
 the United States, gave a brief history of lone 
 valley, the most of which has been incorporated into 
 this work; as it will be of interest hereafter, the con 
 dition of lone, as given by him at that time, will be 
 added. 
 
 IONE IN 1876. 
 
 lone City contains a popiilation of about six hun 
 dred. Of this number one hundred and thirty-eight 
 are between the ages of five and seventeen; two 
 hundred and twenty-nine are under seventeen. 
 Nine woman and eleven men are over seventy. 
 The Chinese population numbers about one hundred. 
 It has four churches, two Sunday-schools, one pub 
 lic school, one division of the S. of T., with sixty 
 members, one Masonic lodge, one Legion of the K. 
 of A. C. Pastor of the M. E. church, Rev. A. K. 
 Crawford; pastor of the Presbyterian church, Rev. 
 James White; pastor of the Catholic church, Rev. 
 Father Welch. The Baptists have no minister here 
 at present. Teachers of the public schools, Miss 
 Augusta Withington and Mrs. T. Stewart. It has 
 four stores, two hotels, one meat market, one brew 
 ery, one restaurant, one millinery establishment, one 
 art gallery, six saloons, one drug store, one barber 
 shop, two paint shops, two blacksmith shops, one 
 harness shop, one tin shop, three shoe shops, one 
 variety store, one jewelry store, one cabinet shop, 
 one powder house, one livery stable, two flouring mills 
 one running by steam, the other by water-power. 
 The water mill has not been running the past year. 
 The steam mill grinds a yearly average of over 
 two thousand tons of barley, one thousand or twelve 
 hundred tons of wheat, and one hundred and fifty 
 tons of corn. 
 
 lone will close the centennial year with a rail 
 road completed to her town limits. The project of 
 
188 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 a road from Gait to lone, was first broached to the 
 directors of the Central Pacific by F. C. Hall, about 
 the time of the "miners' strike'.' in Sutter. The 
 company then agreed to lay the track and put on 
 the rolling stock, whenever the road-bed should be 
 graded. The general depression in business which 
 followed the " strike," postponed the enterprise- 
 Finally, Messrs. Hart, Goodman & Co., seeing that 
 their coal interests demanded a road, entered into a 
 contract with the Central Pacific to build the grade 
 from Gait to Buckeye. While this work was in 
 progress, the citizens of lone called a meeting to 
 take measures to continue the grade from Buckeye 
 to lone, a distance of six miles. A committee was 
 appointed to raise the necessary funds, and to let 
 the contract. Nine thousand nine hundred and forty 
 dollars was raised by subscription, one thousand of 
 which was appropriated to buy the right of way. 
 
 At the close of the meeting, the president cordially 
 invited all to be present at the next centennial. 
 Perhaps a few may be able to accept the invitation. 
 
 RAILROAD. 
 
 Previous to 1876, lone was connected with the out 
 side world with only the poorest kinds of wagon 
 roads. Many persons had advocated and others had 
 opposed a railroad. Those who favored it pointed to 
 the fact that, with few exceptions, cheap transporta 
 tion aided to build up a country; that, though a few 
 local interests suffered, a railroad made markets and 
 also made more things marketable. Others said that 
 we had a market for all that we could raise now; 
 that a railroad from the plains would put down the 
 price of grain to the extent, that it would lower the 
 price of transportation from the great valleys with 
 which the farmers were now competing. This was 
 evidently true for the producer, also for the con 
 sumer. But the desire for a railroad yearly grew 
 stronger. A ride over the abominated stage road 
 between lone and Gait was sure to convert one to 
 the railroad system. About 1872 things began to 
 shape themselves in this direction. The discovery 
 of extensive beds of lignite, which made a very good 
 substitute for coal, which had not then been found 
 in quantities that it since has, turned attention 
 to the valley. Occasional articles in the county 
 papers which were copied into the city papers also 
 called attention to the projects. 
 
 STOCKTON NARROW-GAUGE. 
 
 This was projected by Dr. E. S. llolden, who was 
 instrumental in building the Stockton and Sacra 
 mento road afterwards incorporated into the Central 
 Pacific Railroad, and also the Stockton and Copper- 
 opolis, which was also absorbed by the Central 
 Pacific Railroad. It was advocated by the Stockton 
 Independent and the other city papers. J. K. Doak, 
 Mayor of Stockton, H. E. Hall, N. M. Orr, J. H. 
 O'Brien, John Willson, Dr. A. Clark, Geo. Gray, E. 
 Lyon,all prominent citizens, became the officers of a 
 
 joint-stock company. The design at that time was to 
 build a branch road from Linden to lone, but the 
 embarrassment of the company caused by the fail 
 ure of the copper mines and the inability to complete 
 or maintain possession of the road, induced them to 
 re-organize and attempt the building of a narrow- 
 guage direct from lone to tide-water at Stockton. 
 Some of the coal was taken to Stockton and tried. 
 It was thought that it could be delivered in Stock 
 ton for three or four dollars .per ton, which was less 
 than half the ordinary price of fuel. Subscriptions 
 to the amount of one hundi*ed thousand dollars were 
 made by the citizens of Stockton. A survey was 
 made under Schuyler, and the project fairly inau 
 gurated. A favorable contract for coal and the 
 necessary land for depot grounds was entered into 
 and the building of the road let to W. H. Platt, of 
 San Francisco, for the sum of four hundred thousand 
 dollars, payable in installments as the road pro 
 gressed. The route of the road was to have been by 
 way of Waterloo, Lockford, Poland House, Zimmer 
 man's creek, Jackson valley, to lone, a route involv 
 ing but few heavy grades or expensive bridges. A 
 few miles were graded and a few rails laid down ; a 
 passenger and two or three box cars were partly 
 built. Two narrow-guage engines were shipped from 
 the East and brought to Stockton, and, at one time, 
 it looked as if the road might be built. Considerable 
 money was paid in on the subscriptions, which 
 seemed to be wasted in mere show, and finally the 
 project fell through. The engines were soon 
 removed and put upon the Nevada Narrow-Guage, 
 and the half-finished cars upon which a hundred or 
 two dollars were expended is all to show for the 
 fifty thousand dollars or more paid in by the citizens 
 of Stockton. 
 
 GALT ROAD. 
 
 This was projected by F. C. Hall, who never had 
 much confidence in the Stockton enterprise. In 1876 
 the Central Pacific Company having finished some 
 of their main lines, were induced to turn their atten 
 tion to some of the side lines. A survey was made 
 and the route found to be inexpensive. It was 
 intended to run the road up Dry creek, but some of 
 the farmers evincing hostility to having the road pass 
 over their lands, it was deflected up Buckeye creek, 
 running directly to the coal mines, at what is now 
 Carbondale. The road was intended mostly to carry 
 away coal, and it seemed that the company wei-e 
 in no hurry to extend it to lone. This did not look 
 favorable for the prosperity of the town, as the travel 
 from the upper towns might be diverted from lone. 
 A donation of some twelve thousand dollars, nearly 
 or quite enough to pay the right of way and grade 
 the line from Buckeye, was made by the citizens, and 
 the cars came into the town about December 1, 1876. 
 Much difference of opinion exists as to the benefit 
 of the road. Freight on goods is somewhat cheaper, 
 though not enough to prevent wagons from doing 
 some of the work. A greater number of teams get 
 
 
': 
 
TONE VALLEY AND VICINITY. . 
 
 189 
 
 employment into the mountains than were engaged 
 before its completion. Considerable wholesale trad 
 ing is now done at lone. The amount of goods 
 received by rail is constantly increasing, necessitating 
 a recent increase of storage at the depot. Those 
 who believe that freshets, drought, pestilence, famine, 
 and failures of mines follow in the march of rail 
 roads, will undoubtedly think that lone and the other 
 portions of the county have been damaged by it. 
 When the farmers adapt their crops to the changed 
 circumstances, and raise such things as the fine soil 
 and climate ripens to perfection, such as grapes, 
 peaches and apricots, they will probably discover 
 that the railroad is beneficial. 
 
 OVERFLOWS. 
 
 The same agency which has deposited the fertile 
 soil of the valley, occasionally becomes a means of 
 destruction. A large water-shed is at the head of 
 Dry and Sutter creeks. In early days when no 
 tailings or slickens burdened the water, the overflows 
 were comparatively harmless, but not so when the 
 streams are taxed to their utmost capacity to pre 
 cipitate on the valleys the mud, sand, and rocks, 
 from a thousand mining claims. The most disas 
 trous overflow occurred in 1861-62. The piles of 
 tailings the accumulations of years were forced 
 through the canon, and, though pulverized by the 
 constant attrition, lodged soon after reaching the 
 valley, filling the channel, nearly to the surface; con 
 sequently the great mass of water either eroded 
 new channels, or carried great quantities of sterile 
 sand over the farms, destroying orchards, vineyards, 
 and gardens the work of years of industry leaving 
 only a waste producing willows and malaria. Some 
 of the finest farms were hopelessly buried up in this 
 way. A stream of water several hundred feet wide 
 left Sutter creek near lone; portions of it going 
 through the town swept across the ranch formerly 
 owned by Thomas Eickey, in some places carrying 
 away several feet of soil, in others leaving as much 
 sand. Houses, bridges, fences, and all improvements 
 were swept away. At the lower part of the valley, 
 the waters from Mule creek had already buried some 
 of the land with tailings. This freshet piled on new 
 horrors, adding several feet more of slickens, and 
 covering a still larger area. At Dry creek a new 
 channel was eroded through, perh aps, the finest corn 
 field in the State, leaving, as on Sutter creek, a 
 great waste of useless sand. Mr. Scott, an elderly 
 and much esteemed man, was swept away at lone, 
 and drowned, his body being found some miles be 
 low, after several days' search. 
 
 A great destruction also occurred on Sunday, Feb 
 ruary 16, 1878. This overflow was not the product 
 of a long-continued rain, but of a cloud burst, which 
 was only of a few hours' duration and limited in 
 extent, the rain-fall being the greatest nearly on the 
 line of the Mother Lode or along the towns of Jack 
 son, Sutter Creek, and Amador. The shower has 
 been more particularly described in the history of 
 
 Jackson. Only one inch of rain fell at lone; proba 
 bly ten times that fell at other points. The nature 
 of a cloud burst limits it in its operations, or we 
 might have a repetition of Noah's flood. In this 
 instance, the torrents from the neighborhood of Sut 
 ter and Amador filled the channel full, and over 
 flowed the surrounding country, lone being for a 
 time another Venice. Doctor Cummings' costly im 
 provements were swept away, and many farms were 
 damaged. 
 
 These overflows produce malaria, as well as destroy 
 land and property. The debris question is the most 
 serious danger the valleys have to confront, and will 
 be treated more extensively in the chapter on gravel 
 mining. 
 
 FIRES. 
 
 lone has been particularly fortunate in not having 
 shared the usual fate of California towns a general 
 conflagration. Occasionally, a small fire would 
 arouse the population to greater watchfulness. On 
 the night of October 8, 1865, occurred the largest 
 fire that lone has experienced. The block bounded 
 by Main, Buena Vista, Jackson, and Church streets, 
 was entirely consumed. The night was perfectly 
 calm, and the blaze went straight up in one tall 
 column; otherwise the whole town would have been 
 destroyed. The losses were: Farnsworth's black 
 smith shop; Stevens' paint shop; Bona Belter's bak 
 ery; Ringer's saloon; Miller's saloon; Ludgate & 
 Surface's livery stable, and a barber shop. The 
 block was soon rebuilt, much better than before, 
 many of the new buildings being of brick. 
 
 In this fire the old lone Valley Hotel, one of the 
 first buildings erected, was destroyed. 
 
 BUENA VISTA. 
 
 This is the center of a farming region, and, as its 
 name implies, is perhaps one of the most beautiful 
 places in the State. Jackson creek here comes out 
 of the mountains, and the valley spreads out from 
 one to two miles in width, maintaining this char 
 acter until Dry creek comes into it, some five or six 
 miles below. The long sweep of hills around the 
 valley have the effect of a fine setting, and the 
 Buena Vista mountain, with bold castellated peaks, 
 varying their outlines with every change of view, 
 brino- to mind some of the ruins of the older world, 
 and make one feel that ho is on the ground of 
 ancient civilization. The rich, black soil, covered 
 with grass as high as a man's head, early attracted 
 the attention of settlers, though it is impossible to 
 learn who first visited it. It forms part of the tract 
 of land granted to Teodosia Yerba* in 1840, by Gov 
 ernor Juan B. Alvarado; though it is doubtful 
 whether Yerba, or any Mexican, or other citizen 
 of California, ever set foot on the land at that early 
 date, as it was inhabited by the Nesheans, Luck- 
 lumlas, Mokelkos, and other Indians, who had taught 
 
 *The name is spelled Yerba and Yorba. It is probable that the 
 family did not know how it was spelled, as they signed their 
 names with a cross. 
 
190 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 the native population to respect the San Joaquin 
 river as the boundary line. 
 
 Cattle were grazed here as early as 1848, whether 
 by some of Hick's and Martin's vaqueros, is not 
 known; but the land was claimed by a man by the 
 name of Diggs, who kept a trading post, ranched 
 cattle and sold beef, in 1849. In 1850, it was 
 purchased by Charles Stone, Warren Nimms, and 
 Fletcher Baker, all from the eastern part of New 
 York. Stone seemed to have been the business 
 man of the firm, and, under his management, the 
 valley had quite a princely look. They run a log 
 fence around a thousand acres or more of land, put 
 up buildings, costing, with the then high price of 
 lumber and labor, several thousand dollars. They 
 purchased large herds of cattle in southern California 
 at low figures, kept them on the place until the 
 condition of the market or the cattle was favorable, 
 and sold them at a great advance. They also went 
 into farming, and raised large quantities of barley, 
 when it readily brought from one hundred and fifty 
 to two hundred and fifty dollars per ton, hay being 
 sold on the place for fifty dollars per ton. It is 
 said that the yield of barley was sometimes one 
 hundred and twenty bushels to the acre, and seven 
 tons of weighed hay were sold from an acre at 
 fifty dollars per ton, though, says the narrator, it 
 was not quite cured. They were not suffered to 
 enjoy such abundance in peace, however. The 
 Johnston family, as well as others, laid hold of a 
 quarter section, here and there, and expensive law 
 suits resulted. An attempt was made to get a bill 
 through Congress, donating the land to them in 
 consideration of their improvements, which were 
 estimated at forty thousand dollars, but Congress 
 failed to give them any relief. In 1852, Congress 
 donated to California five hundred thousand acres 
 of land for school purposes, and the State issued 
 warrants for the same to settlers who wished to pur 
 chase land. Attempts were made to locate under 
 these warrants, but the land was unsurveyed, and 
 no land offices had been created; and all that could 
 be done was to record in the county archives, the 
 intention of locating them. These disturbances pro 
 duced a dissolution of the copartnership, Baker sell 
 ing out to Stone, and going East. A division of 
 property then took place between Stone and Nimms, 
 the latter taking the western half of the tract. He 
 put up fine buildings (fine for that day), and main 
 tained the suits against the jumpers with increased 
 vigor, which soon reduced his purse to such a low 
 ebb, that he was compelled to dispose of the -land, 
 although he had succeeded in holding it on the 
 ground of priority of possession, Judge Murry, 
 before whom the case was tried, holding that the 
 log fence, being sufficient to turn cattle and save 
 the crops, was an inchoate title, which was good 
 until a better one was shown. Nimms went to 
 preaching the gospel, and is now (1880) engaged in 
 the same profession somewhere in Nevada. 
 
 Stone, more prudent and, perhaps, wiser, suffered 
 Nimms to carry on the suits, and awaited results. 
 It is said that he kept the squatters off his portion 
 of the ground with his lariat, with which he was an 
 expert. He would ride up to a beginning of a 
 house, throw his riata around it, and in a few min 
 utes the residence, that was to be, would be scat 
 tered in fragments a mile away, fences being served 
 the same way. He could not always scare men 
 away, however. Jim Johnston, one of the Johnston 
 family, commenced building a house somewhere on 
 Jonathan Ringer's present ranch, which, Stone dis 
 covering, he rode up and commenced swinging his 
 riata in preparation for an immediate move on the 
 works. Johnston quietly drew a revolver, and 
 warned Stone that he had better not make any such 
 demonstrations with him. Stone seemed to be of 
 about the same opinion, and let the house building 
 go on. After the termination of the Nimms suits, 
 the squatters, who were on the portion claimed by 
 him, bought or left, and this ended the land suits for 
 the time. 
 
 About 1856 to 1860 the ranches were generally 
 sold to the present size, Alexander Thompson, 
 William Spray, Samuel Williams (on the farm now 
 occupied by Lyman Tubbs), Moses Hill. John P. Hoff 
 man, P. Y. Cool, William Joiner, Joseph Fithian, 
 Mathew Leary, William C. Thompson, J. D. Mason, 
 Azariah Sellers, and others, settling in the valley. 
 Calvin Dillon, John Kite, Patrick and William 
 Sculley, Samuel Deardorff, George Martin, J. C. Ham- 
 rick, and Thomas Jones, came in a year or two 
 earlier. In 1857 a school-house was built, which 
 was also used for church purposes. Religious meet 
 ings had been previously held in Stone's house. 
 The first school was taught by Cyrus James in 1858- 
 From this time forward the place had much of the 
 style prevailing in eastern rural communities. 
 MINING. 
 
 On the north side of the valley considerable min 
 ing was carried on in the early days. The pay was 
 generally on the top of the ground, and the working- 
 inexpensive. Some of the gulches were rich, in 
 some instances as much as eight dollars to the pan 
 being obtained. When the Turner ditch was brought 
 in, quite a town sprang up in the neighborhood of 
 Dillon's ranch. George Walker established the first 
 store. William C. Richey afterwards engaged in 
 merchandising, and moved his store to the corner 
 near his present residence, where he traded for a 
 year or two, selling out to John Fitzsimmons about 
 1860. Fitzsimmons had formerly traded at Poverty 
 Bar, but on the failure of the mines there, he chose a 
 surer if not more profitable trade, in a farming com 
 munity. He remained in trade until about 1874, and 
 was succeeded by William Cook, from Lancha Plana. 
 
 EFFECT OF THE ARROYO SECO GRANT. 
 
 This grant included a larger part of this valley, 
 which, like lone valley, was a great sufferer, though 
 
IONE VALLEY AND VICINITY. 
 
 191 
 
 not to the same extent as much of the land had been 
 purchased of the first claimants, in 1857. Some of 
 the principal sufferers were Calvin Cole, Patrick and 
 VVrn. Sculley, Chas. Black, Strobridge, and Samuel 
 Deardorff. When the ejection took place the soldiers 
 were quartered on the premises of Cole, his goods 
 being piled rather roughly out on the common. 
 They made free use of his property, killing his sheep 
 and appropriating whatever was needed by them. 
 It is believed Captain Starr tried to preserve the 
 property from harm, but soldiers are not apt to 
 starve in the midst of plenty, and the old man had 
 plenty, for he was as saving as he was thrifty. It is 
 said that one of the soldiers, while dressing a stolen 
 sheep, received a bullet in his leg,- inflicting a severe 
 though not dangerous wound. No inquiry was 
 made for the author. 
 
 Charley Black's house was opened in the absence 
 of the family, and the goods, a valuable organ among 
 the other things, thrust out into the storm to be 
 ruined. At other places the same rudeness was dis 
 played. It must be remembered that the soldiers 
 were not in reality acting under the commands of 
 their own officers, but under the command of Her 
 man Wohler, one of the grant proprietors. The 
 soldiers disliked the business and did not hesitate to 
 avow it. After a representation of the matter to the 
 authorities they were relieved from handling hot 
 stoves, and other household goods. When they came 
 to Joe Fithians he had the United States flag hoisted, 
 for Joe was an out and out Union man, and the 
 soldiers disliked more than ever to tumble his family 
 of little children into the street, but the orders were 
 peremptory, and they were loaded into an army 
 wagon and hauled out to the boundaries of the grant 
 with the flag flying over the wagon, so that it had the 
 appearance of a triumphal march. At Deardorff's they 
 found the door locked (which they broke open), and 
 the cooking stove red hot, which was Mrs. Deardorff's 
 system of war. They found means to carry it away 
 however. When they were about locking the door 
 of Bill Sculley's house, after having taken pos 
 session, Bill shook his fist in the agent's face (the 
 agent's name was Clark), observing, " I would like 
 to lock the gates of hell on you," and looked as 
 though be might make short work of the job then 
 and there. Clark called for protection, but Sculley 
 was not arrested. The following night Sculley's 
 house was burned, no attempt being made to save it. 
 It may be remarked that Sculley obtained very easy 
 terms when he purchased his property, perhaps, for 
 the reason that the grant owners did not care to have 
 him for an enemy, for capital is quite as cowardly as 
 it is unscrupulous and selfish. 
 
 In a few years the excitement abated and industry 
 was resumed, although men rested uneasy, not know 
 ing when the torch should fire the dry grain fields 
 and the fire sweep away the accumulations of years 
 of industry, but the law was suffered to take its 
 course; indeed, the people of this valley have ever 
 
 been remarkable for their law-abiding character, 
 not a single homicide ever having been committed in 
 the valley. 
 
 The valley suffered considerably from the overflow 
 of 1861-62, getting a foretaste of what slickens can do 
 in ruining land. For nine years mining had been 
 carried on above, but most of the debris had lodged 
 in the small gulches, and up to this date no overflow 
 had left any serious amount of sand or gravel. The 
 unusual quantity of water in that season sent it 
 down all at once. The channels were filled with 
 moving sand to the depth of several feet. After the 
 water went down, boulders weighing several pounds 
 were found in the canon above, nine feet above the 
 bed of the stream, showing that the moving gravel 
 had been that high. The most of the gravel had 
 been ground to sand when it had reached the valley, 
 but the streams were so full even when the water 
 was down, as to make crossing dangerous. The stage 
 generally managed to get through, but frequently 
 eight or ten horses hitched to the wagon with a long 
 rope, would be required to pull it out. When the 
 wheels commenced sinking, the only alternative was 
 to get the horses loose from the carriage and pull 
 them ashore, as they were utterly helpless in the 
 quicksand. Early in the storm the creek broke over 
 its banks a mile or two below the foot of the canon, 
 and carried a great quantity of coarse sand on the 
 ranches of John Kite, Samuel Williams & Son, 
 William Spray, and others below, burying the fertile 
 soil from one to three feet deep with the debris. 
 Some of these lands have been partially reclaimed; 
 others still produce nothing but worthless weeds. 
 
 Eecently the debris has begun to dam up below 
 and seems inclined to bury the lower part of the val 
 ley first, though every year the point of deposit is 
 advancing up the valley. Since 1861-62 the overflows 
 have not seriously injured the land in consequence 
 of the almost entire suspension of hydraulic mining 
 on the different branches of Jackson creek. Some 
 years since, when what is called the Isaacs claim, on 
 the east side of Jackson valley, was opened, it was 
 feared that the valley would be inundated with tail 
 ings, but fortunately, for the farmers at least, the 
 claim did not prove remunerative, and work was 
 suspended and the danger averted. 
 
 The " cloud burst " which played such havoc in 
 Jackson in February, 1878, dumped the broken build 
 ings and dead Chinamen on the ranches near the 
 foot of the canon, the bodies of several of the 
 drowned being found on Mr. Tubbs' farm. 
 
 At the present writing (1881) it is by far the most 
 beautiful spot in Amador county. The finest fruit as 
 well as the abundant crops attest the capacity of the 
 soil. Artesian water enables the people to have green 
 crops through the year (although all the fruits and 
 cereals flourish without irrigation) and have per 
 petual, blooming flowers around their generally ele 
 gant residences, and altogether the people may feel 
 proud of their homes as well as their history. 
 
192 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 BUCKEYE VALLEY". 
 
 This valley, beautifully situated with low rolling 
 hills for a setting, was inferior to lone for cultivated 
 crops, but furnished an abundance of the finest 
 quality of hay. It was occupied mostly by stock 
 men. Samuel Hill, Captain Good, I. N. Kay (now 
 of Alameda), Wayburn, Mugford, Barrett, and 
 others, being the first settlers. The lone & Gait R. 
 R. Co. have a station here called Carbondale, from 
 which is taken annually a great quantity of the soft 
 coal, or lignite, which is said to underlie the whole 
 valley. Miss Wilbur, the poetess, better known 
 under the nom de plume of " Gordon Bracket " resides 
 in this valley. She has written some very good lines. 
 Perhaps her poem on the death of J. W. Coffroth is 
 an average of her work. 
 
 The soil of the valley having been farmed and 
 cropped many years with no return, has ceased to be 
 productive. In the northern part of the valley 
 Addington & Son have, for many years, made a good 
 article of fire brick, also of pottery, out of the clays 
 overlying the coal. He was the first to utilize the 
 clays for this purpose, his works having been in 
 operation some twenty-three or four years. Until 
 the opening of the C. P. R. R., which crossed the 
 same formation at Lincoln, quite a trade existed in 
 this clay, the return freight-wagons loading with it 
 and supplying several potteries at Sacramento. 
 
 IRISH HILL. 
 
 This hill, situated on the north side of Dry creek, 
 where it leaves the canon, was a mixture pf river 
 and beach diggings, unlike Muletown, having bould 
 ers from river-wash mingled with the beach-wash. 
 It was also very rich in an early day. Four men, 
 Hawley, Nelson, Millner, and - (name unknown), 
 made nine thousand dollars each in seven months. 
 Nelson is still working in the vicinity poor. Hawley 
 went East, and by a fortunate venture converted his 
 dollars into thousands. He came back recently to 
 see the place where he had made his start. Millner 
 was killed by the caving of a bank in his claim. He 
 was buried in the graveyard in lone. A hundred 
 or more men, dressed in black pants and gray shirts, 
 walked in procession from Irish hill, taking turns in 
 carrying the bier. 
 
 The place is still worked, the ground being owned 
 by Alvinza Hay ward and Stanford & Co., the latter 
 being owners of the grant of which this hill forms a 
 part. The water used comes from the Plymouth 
 ditch, after being used at the Empire mills. 
 
 This town also had its fun with the enrolling officer 
 in 1863. When he put in an appearance, some one 
 blew a tremendous horn which gave notice to all 
 the able-bodied to decamp, which was done to an 
 extent sufficient to make the enrolling rather difficult. 
 
 QUINCY. 
 
 Scarce one man in ten who lives in lone valley has 
 ever heard of Quincy, though they can scarcely look 
 
 up from their plowing without seeing the former site 
 of this town, which is as much a thing of the past as 
 Babylon or Nineveh. But for a newspaper pub 
 lished there in an early day, its very existence would 
 remain unknown. According to this paper (the 
 Quincy Prospector'), edited and published by Alexan 
 der Badlam, now Assessor of San Francisco, the 
 town was quite large, having a Broadway with 
 houses numbered; stores, with stocks of general 
 merchandise; saloons; doctors', lawyers', and even 
 real estate offices. From the paper it might be 
 inferred that it was quite a city, rivaling Sacramento 
 or even Muletown in its best days. The locality of 
 the town is uncertain, but it is known to have been 
 somewhere between Muletown and the Boston store. 
 Some of our antiquarian societies will confer a great 
 favor on the world, and advance the cause of science, 
 by sending out an exploring party to dig up its 
 valuable relics before the tooth of time shall have 
 obliterated them. 
 
 MULETOWN. 
 
 This place was about two miles north of lone, and 
 in the fifties was a very lively camp". It belonged to 
 the foot-hill diggings, the gold &i the gulches and 
 hills having been liberated from the quartz veins by 
 a wash of the sea, all the gravel having a 
 peculiar, polished appearance without the rounded 
 form usually seen in river deposits. The ravines 
 were very rich. Yancy, a native of the Argentine 
 Republic, often made a hundred dollars a day with a 
 pan alone. Others made nearly as much. A China 
 man picked up a piece weighing thirty-six ounces. 
 He was so elated that he immediately left for home. 
 The first store was kept by Charles Simmors; others 
 were started soon after by the Dillards, and also by 
 a man of peculiar character, named Cunningham. 
 These insignificant places, with not a tenth as large 
 stocks as the present stores at lone, would sell 
 thousands of dollars' worth of merchandise a day. 
 Water was brought in in 1854 by the Johnston broth 
 ers. After the ravines were worked, the hills were 
 attacked with hydi-aulic power, and paid better than 
 the ravines bad ever done. The first hydraulic was 
 put up by Wm. H. Fox & Co., consisting of pen 
 stock, flume and hose. The next was by Willson, 
 Miller, & Bagley, with iron pipe, then but recently 
 introduced. Some of the claims paid as high as one 
 thousand dollars per week to the man. In its best 
 days, Muletown had several hundred inhabitants, 
 mostly Irish, though other nationalities were well 
 represented. The peculiarities of the Irish had full 
 sweep. Most of those who could afford to, purchased 
 horses, and on Sunday would ride outiri quest of fun 
 and adventure. They were not skillful or graceful 
 horsemen at first, and a Muletown crowd could be 
 distinguished at a long distance by the flopping 
 limbs and furious riding. The pranks and funny 
 affairs of Muletown would fill a book. A few only 
 will be related. 
 
RESIDENCE 8: STOCK RANCH OF JAMES ROBERTSON, NEAR MOUNTAIN SPRINGS, 
 
 TPI. AMADOR CCAL. 
 
 RESIDENCE OF MATTHEW MURRAY, LANCHA PLANA, 
 AMADOR CCAL. 
 
 HTM. sF.trrntJ * HEY a.. F 
 
TONE VALLEY AND VICINITY. 
 
 193 
 
 .MINERS COURT. 
 
 In 1830 the miners had got tired of being taken 
 from their work to testify in cases of disputed min 
 ing titles, and a public meeting was called to consider 
 the situation. It was finally resolved that all such 
 cases should be settled by arbitration; that no appeal 
 should be taken; that any party that should feel 
 aggrieved should fight his opponent a fist fight, 
 according to the rules of the ring, the best man tak 
 ing the ground. It was also agreed, that in case of a 
 great disparity in size or strength, the weaker per 
 son might substitute a friend to do his fighting. In 
 order not to interfere with the work, the fights were 
 to come off on the first Sunday after the dispute. It 
 happened that the first trial of this kind fell on a 
 Sunday on which there was to be a Catholic service. 
 How to proceed so as to keep the priest in ignorance 
 of the matter, so that he might not interfere, was the 
 question. At a meeting held the evening before to 
 make arrangements, it was determined to commence 
 the fight at daylight at a spot a little distance 
 from the town. It was thought that by conducting 
 the matter quietly the Father might not hear of it. 
 There were several parties to the affair, involving 
 sevei'al fights, but it was hoped that they might be 
 finished before the women and children should 
 awake, as the custom was to sleep late on Sunday. 
 The morning came and nearly all the male popula 
 tion were present. The ring was marked out, the 
 bottle-holders and seconds appointed, and the fight 
 commenced. The contest proved longer than was 
 expected. The litigants were both plucky. Eound 
 after round was fought, still no sign of yielding. The 
 sun was getting well up and the women and children 
 would soon be moving. So far there had been no 
 cheering. The blows had fallen thick and fast, taken 
 and given. It is not strange then that the friends of 
 each party began to cheer the combatants, until the 
 noise aroused the women and the priest, who came 
 rushing to the ground, about the time each side 
 thought the other side was about whipped. " How 
 dare you desecrate the Sabbath this way ? " says the 
 priest, addressing one of the seconds, whose shirt, 
 from sponging his principal's face, was quite bloody. 
 The second, answering for the meeting, replied that 
 it was much better to settle a difficulty by a fist 
 fight than with knives and pistols, as had been 
 recently done at Volcano, where the priest lived; 
 that it was sometimes necessary to choose the least 
 of two evils. The priest turned away, mounted 
 his horse and left the place, without saying a word. 
 There was no service that day. It was expected 
 that he would give them a fearful admonition the 
 next time, but the subject was never mentioned. 
 This method of settling disputes involved so many 
 inconveniences that it was not tried again. 
 
 THE FUNNY MAN. 
 
 Muletown had a philanthropist by the name of 
 Cunningham, who had very original ways of bene- 
 25 
 
 fiting mankind. He had been very successful in 
 trade, also in mining, and wanted to use his money 
 for the benefit of the community. " He was rough, 
 but generous and brave," as the poet would have 
 it, a good deal addicted to drink, fully conscious of 
 his importance, and inclined to be dictatorial when 
 in his cups. He built a hall which was free to all 
 churches, public meetings, and respectable parties, 
 which was dedicated with a dancing party, with 
 the following schedule for tickets: 
 
 Tickets to gentlemen without ladies ...$6.00 
 
 " with one lady 3.00 
 
 " " " two ladies free. 
 
 The entertainment was magnificent, and gave sat 
 isfaction to his numerous guests. The hall was used 
 also as a school-house, the old man contributing liber 
 ally to the support of the school. 
 
 While the camp was still flourishing, his wife died. 
 She was buried without the usual funeral ceremonies, 
 which were postponed to a more convenient season, 
 that he might get them up in a style becoming his 
 wealth. Sometime after", he stipulated with Elder 
 Sharp, the Methodist preacher at lone, to preach 
 two sermons at twenty dollars each. He gave 
 notice of a free dinner to all who would attend, and 
 as the style of his entertainments was well known, 
 the attendance was numerous. As the old man was 
 somewhat wanting in reverence for the cloth, and 
 apt to make disparaging remarks, the Elder thought 
 it best to take along Father Eickey, and some of 
 the elder members of his church, to overawe the 
 old man, which did not succeed, however, as he was 
 quite ready to applaud or condemn, when anything 
 pleased or displeased him. "That's good," said he, 
 "that's bully, that's first rate," looking around in 
 triumph. "The next sermon will be better than 
 this." The Elder continued his remarks without 
 being disturbed by the applause. During the ser 
 mon, Mr. Cunningham felt a call from nature, and 
 asked Elder Sharp to wait a few minutes till he 
 could go out; but the preacher, not being used to 
 such interruptions, continued his sermon. Cunning 
 ham commenced raising his bulky form, some of 
 Sharp's friends trying to hold him down in his seat. 
 He shook them off, however, for his strength was 
 immense, and balanced himself in front of the 
 preacher, wrath oozing out of every inch of his 
 bloated face, his bulky form and baggy cheeks 
 quivering with rage. "By G , sir, I would like to 
 know who is running this funeral!" The Elder 
 heaved a sigh and subsided, waiting for the old man 
 to come back. Cunningham died, and was buried 
 near his wife, nearly a score of years since, and the 
 sheep and goats feed where once stood his hall and 
 the surrounding town, but the memory of his many 
 benevolent deeds will last until the pioneers have 
 gone to their final rest. 
 
 A FAITHFUL WIFE. 
 
 In the early fifties, two Mexicans getting into a 
 difficulty, agreed to settle the matter in dispute 
 
'194 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 with an exchange of pistol shots, the contest to be 
 continued with knives, in case both parties survived 
 the shooting, until one was slain, which was done. 
 The wife of the party slain wished to continue the 
 fight, but was not allowed. She remained faithful 
 to his memory, and once every month, for years 
 afterward, lighted twelve candles on his grave, and, 
 alone, watched the whole night. 
 
 When copper was discovered in the McNealy 
 claim, Muletown took a little start upwards, but 
 soon resumed its decay, one house after another 
 being removed, or falling to ruins. The removal of 
 the inhabitants was accelerated by the prevalence 
 of chills and fever, supposed to be generated by the 
 immense pile of tailings, which cover the low lands 
 in the vicinity. The house owned by the Johnstons, 
 the proprietors of the ditch, was consumed by fire 
 a few years since, and now, naught but the scarred 
 hill-sides remain to show that twenty years ago the 
 place was alive with a striving humanity. Wood- 
 burn, Member of Congress from Nevada, mined in 
 Muletown in 1860. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII. 
 
 LANCHA PLANA' AND VICINITY. 
 
 Its Early Settlers Cholera and Diarrhea Judge Palmer's 
 Bridge Fires First School Notable Homicide Bluff 
 Mining Open Sea Chaparral Hill Growth of the Town 
 Bonita Affair Indian War Butler Claim Decline of 
 the Town Put's Bar and the Fruit Interest Overflows 
 Townerville Camp Opera French Camp Copper Centre. 
 
 THIS town, situated in the south-western part of 
 the county, where the Mokelumne river leaves the 
 mountains, was settled soon after the discovery of 
 gold. Though the foot-hills were not as rich as at 
 the main gold belt, the gold was finer, more evenly 
 distributed, and over a great surface of country, 
 enabling a great number of persons to make remu 
 nerative wages. Like nearly all such places, it was 
 first worked by the native Californians, or Mexicans. 
 It did not amount to much as a town until 1850, and 
 then the population was scattered along the river at 
 Poverty Bar, Winters' Bar, and other places, Win 
 ters' Bar, perhaps, having the largest number. As 
 these towns were in the same county, and intimately 
 associated together in early times, a history of 
 Lancha Plana will involve, to some extent, a history 
 of the other towns, although not included in the 
 county of Amador. 
 
 In 1850, we find the towns in a flood-tide of pros 
 perity. Many men, since noted in the history of 
 our country, settled here about this time. The 
 Dudleys, Al. and Bill, and others who had a love for 
 intellectual strife, but none for hard work, and were, 
 consequently, generally flat broke, gave name to 
 Poverty Bar. A man by the name of Luffton, for 
 merly a lieutenant in the regular army, who was cash 
 iered in Jackson's time for some irregularity in money 
 matters, was also in the vicinity, living with a squaw 
 
 * Flat boat. 
 
 for a wife. He was a braggart, pompous, and con 
 sequential, professing to hold his honor in high esti 
 mation, and ready to avenge an insult with his 
 sword, which was always ready for emergencies. 
 His professions of valor were taken for what they 
 were worth, and were finally squelched in a difficulty 
 by a shower of flour upon his person, which caused 
 a great laugh but no bloodshed. General Stedman, 
 afterward a noted soldier in the Union army, mined 
 on the Oregon bar. He had been an engineer on 
 the Ohio canal, was used to the control of men, and 
 was employed by the Oregon Bar Company to con 
 struct a dam to turn* the river, all previous efforts to 
 make a dam stick having failed. He constructed log 
 pens, eight or ten feet square, floated them to the 
 desired place, and sunk them by filling them with 
 rock. Timbers and brush against these, and then 
 gravel, made a good dam, enabling the company to 
 work the river, which, however, proved worthless. 
 The operation bursted the company. Some of the 
 cribs could be seen as late as 1860. Gen. Stedman 
 would take off his wet clothes when he came out of 
 the river, don a pair of overalls, and walk around on 
 the hot sand barefooted, like the rest of the boys. 
 He was very fond of whist, being a skillful player. 
 The Oregon Bar Company was composed mostly of 
 Southern men, who brought their negroes with them. 
 The miners generally looked upon the introduction 
 of negro labor with disfavor, and to this antipathy, 
 more than to any moral principle, we owe the pro 
 hibitive clause in our Constitution. When the com 
 pany had determined on removal, the negroes were 
 sent out to gather up the horses, but they failed to 
 find their way back to the camp, though the party 
 remained several weeks to give them a chance to 
 return. Koon, one of the principal owners, tried to 
 enlist the miners in a search for the missing slaves, 
 but they did not respond to his efforts. 
 
 Charles T. Meader, afterwards merchant at Stock 
 ton, and the great copper miner, also commenced life 
 in California at this place, besides many more of note 
 whose names appear in the course of our history. 
 The criminal element was well represented. Sam 
 Brown, who, perhaps, committed more murders on 
 this coast than any other person, also resided in 
 Lancha Plana, though at a later date, as also did Sam 
 Marshall, the murderer of Dan Childs, and Ritter, of 
 Willow Springs. A company of men from Steuben- 
 ville, Ohio, also made their influence felt. They were 
 roughs, shoulder-strikers, much like the New York 
 firemen, and were the cause of many disturbances, 
 generally being in the lead whenever a mob was 
 gathered. Most of them perished by violence, for 
 the forbearance of men would not last forever. 
 
 In 1850 an effort was made to expel the Mexican 
 population. A mass-meeting was called, violent 
 harangues were made, and resolutions calling for the 
 immediate expulsion of the Mexicans offered. Gen 
 eral Stedman opposed the measure as an unfair and 
 unreasonable act, and contrary to our solemn treaties, 
 
LANCHA PLANA AND VICINITY. 
 
 195 
 
 and probably to his influence was due the failure of 
 the movement. Soon after this, his trusted servant, 
 a Mexican boy, robbed Stedman's camp of the money 
 and other valuables, and left, and was not seen after 
 wards, though a thorough search was made. Some 
 persons who were angry at Stedman for the part he 
 took in opposing the expulsion of the Mexicans, 
 openly rejoiced at his loss. 
 
 CHOLERA AND DIARRHEA. 
 
 Cholora and diarrhea prevailed in this vicinity in 
 1850, as in nearly all the towns of California. Poor 
 living, the great change of the thermometer, (as many 
 as sixty degrees between midnight and midday,) the 
 working in the cold water of the river, and the blaz 
 ing sun overhead, with the reduced condition of the 
 system after a long voyage at sea, or trip across the 
 plains, predisposed the system to disease, and made 
 an easy harvest for the epidemic; a few days of 
 diarrhea and the cholera finished the work in an 
 hour or two. There were no homes, no medicines, 
 no nurses, and but few physicians, though some 
 quacks, pretenders, seeing a chance to make money, 
 put out their M. D., and for a fee of an ounce, gave 
 bad medicine and worse advice, which accelerated 
 the fatal journey. Hundreds died whose names were 
 never known, and whose families, perhaps, are living 
 in hopes to this day, to hear from them. Dr. Brusie, 
 then living here, was active in relieving suffering, and 
 won the esteem of all by his disinterested efforts, and 
 is remembered with kindness by numbers who have 
 not kept trace of him since. He is still living, hale 
 and hearty, at lone, and can relate many thrilling 
 incidents in his lorg career in California and in the 
 army for the suppression of the Eebellion. 
 
 The first ferry was established in 1850, by Kaiser 
 and Winter, the boat being a kind of raft made of 
 casks lashed together ; it carried over passengers 
 only, the fare being fifty cents. A French Canadian 
 by the name of Prank, opened the first store. 
 
 Lumber was worth one dollar per foot; tacks, one 
 dollar and a quarter per paper; inch screws, one dol 
 lar per dozen; a sheet of iron large enough for a 
 rocker, three dollars. 
 
 Tom Love was the first to introduce the long torn, 
 which soon took the place of the rocker. At first 
 the water was conducted to the torn through hose 
 and short ditches, but the elevating wheel was 
 shortly introduced; this resembled the flutter wheel, 
 and was ten to fifteen feet in diameter. It was 
 placed in a strong current in the river,- and elevated 
 the water in buckets (sometimes oyster cans were 
 used), nailed to the rim of the wheel, which went up 
 partly filled with water, and were emptied, by the 
 turn of the wheel, into a trough which carried the 
 water to the torn. As many as twenty or thirty 
 wheels were sometimes running near a camp. 
 
 JUDGE PALMER'S BRIDGE. 
 
 This bridge was built in 1852, and seems to have 
 been a slender affair, set on bents or posts in the 
 
 river, with timbers reaching from one bent to 
 another, much like the bridges which Caesar built 
 two thousand years ago, when he made his famous 
 campaign among the German tribes. The Judge, 
 being a Latin scholar, probably got his plan from 
 Caesar's Commentaries. Accounts differ as to how 
 long the bridge stood. The Judge says until the 
 rains came; others say that it fell the next day after 
 it was completed; that only one man, a Dutch 
 man with a horse and cart, crossed on it. As it was 
 completed in the Fall, just before the big rise of '52, 
 all the stories may be correct. All parties agree 
 that it was raining very hard; that he was engaged 
 in a game of pedro, or something like it; that a 
 great outcry among the Chinamen caused him to get 
 up from the table and look out of the door. The bridge 
 was taking its departure for the bay without as 
 much as by your leave. Not a muscle of his face 
 stirred. With his usual serenity he reseated himself 
 at the table, inquiring "Whose deal?" That, and 
 nothing more. 
 
 After the departure of the bridge, Westmoreland's 
 ferry continued to be the only way of crossing 
 though a bridge some distance up the river was 
 built by Delaney, now a resident of San Francisco 
 which, having been put up of green lumber, fell 
 when the hot Summer shrank the timbers. About 
 1856 the present bridge was built. It has witnessed 
 the quarter-century which marked the rise and 
 decay of the mining towns of the river, and is likely 
 to do service much longer. 
 FIRES. 
 
 The first and only fire in Lancha Plana was in 
 1853, burning the entire town, which, at that time, 
 was a cluster of tents and brush shanties. It is 
 needless to say that the loss was inconsiderable, and 
 did not much retard its prosperity. 
 
 THE FIRST SCHOOL 
 
 Was taught by James Gould, who came from Vol 
 cano and set up a private school in 1853. At this 
 time there were but few families in the place, and 
 perhaps not more than ten or twelve children. 
 
 The church was built by subscription in 1855, and 
 was used by all denominations for religious purposes, 
 and also by the citizens generally as a town hall. 
 
 NOTABLE HOMICIDE. 
 
 This occurred in 1855, and from the respectable 
 standing of the parties, was an event in the history 
 of the town. A stream of water used for running a 
 wheel was turned away, causing a dispute in which 
 some high words were passed. A man by the name 
 of Norton, who was not interested in the affair, 
 came up to quiet the dispute, when Dr. Beck, a man 
 of generous though hasty feelings, -threw a rock, 
 breaking Norton's skull. A general row ensued, in 
 which knives and pistols were freely used, without 
 any further serious casualties, however. Dr. Beck 
 gave himself up, and seemed to be extremely peni- 
 
196 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 tent in regard to the matter, even giving directions 
 for dressing Norton's wound, and would, doubtless, 
 have done everything in his power to prevent a fatal 
 result. He was acquitted of the charge of murder, 
 and afterwards went to Santa Fe to settle the estate 
 of a brother, who had been engaged in trade, and 
 who had been shot in a difficulty. A hasty temper 
 provoked another shooting affair, in which he was 
 the victim this time: thus ends the tragedy with 
 three victims. 
 
 BLUFF MINING 
 
 Commenced in 1856. It is not known who made the 
 first discovery, probably several about the same 
 time. A bed of gravel, several feet thick, extended 
 over the flat and through the bluff, richer than the 
 river ever was; it was, in fact, the former bed of the 
 river in pliocene times, though, when the river ran 
 long enough to deposit such a mass of auriferous 
 gravel a hundred times greater than was found in 
 the river-bed proper; when the stream buried it as 
 deep or deeper than the bluff; when it eroded 
 the valley where Winters' Bar, Poverty Bar, and 
 the flat on which Lancha Plana rests are ques 
 tions involving many doubtful points. The his 
 tory of Buena Yista mountain, is the history of the 
 bluffs around Lancha Plana, and a short digression 
 from the recent to the ancient, may be interesting to 
 those who either have, or will hereafter, mine in 
 this vicinity. Lancha Plana furnishes, perhaps, the 
 best point in the county to study the effect of ero 
 sions and deposits. The bluffs and deposits of gravel 
 around Campo Seco, must also be considered in this 
 history. The story shall be short, though marvel 
 ous, and the proofs such that any thinking man can 
 see them for himself in an hour's walk. 
 
 THE OPEN SEA. 
 
 First, suppose that around Lancha Plana all of the 
 sandstones are away, only the slate, and rocks of 
 that character, stand in the shallow bay, or water of 
 the sea, which extends west from the foot of the 
 mountains, which are not yet cut and eroded into 
 channels as deep as now by hundreds of feet. A 
 stream is flowing in here, but, though it has force 
 enough to bring in moderate sized gravel, it does not 
 bring sediment faster than the tides, which daily 
 sweep past the boulder-like slate rocks scat 
 tered up and down the present river, can carry it 
 away. Then was deposited the gravel along the 
 foot-hills, forming the beds now lying under the 
 pay-streak under consideration, and separated from 
 it in many places by a hard floor of sand. It may 
 be seen under the claim of Mat Murray, on the bed 
 rock north of the town, and wherever gravel lies under 
 t/te coal formation all the way to Jackson creek, the 
 position fixing its age. The coal formation may be 
 seen under what is called Alum peak. A liberal 
 allowance of time may be made here. Above the 
 coal formation allow time for a deposit of clay, say 
 an eighth of an inch a year; this is during the gla 
 cier period, when little gravel is being brought 
 
 down, all being ground into fine clay. This being 
 done, let the sandstones, the fine building stones of 
 Lancha Plana, appear; after that, gravel in moderate 
 quantities. Some of the hills north of Lancha have 
 this gravel, notably around China gulch. In some 
 instances, the gold is in paying quantities. 
 
 Lancha Plana by this time was several hundred feet 
 under ground. Now the streams begin to run with 
 greater force. The ocean line is crowded out miles 
 and miles. The progress of the filling is now much 
 faster. Gravel, sand, clay, and lava, alternate with 
 each other, until the first deposits are buried a thou 
 sand feet deep, and the whole country to the 
 east is a plain higher than Buena Yista mount 
 ain. In Calaveras county is a mountain of peculiar 
 structure, that may be a part of a plain a thou 
 sand feet higher than the Buena Yista mountain. 
 If it should prove to be so, then we may provide for 
 the lapse of a still greater number of years, not 
 only in the filling, but in the erosion which is to fol 
 low. Then the present system of rivers was formed. 
 They begin to gnaw away the great masses of mat 
 ter which had taken so many millions of years to 
 heap up. Little by little, as now, the earth is carried 
 out on the plains to fill up the San Joaquin valley 
 which heretofore has been an open 'sea. The great 
 masses of gravel deposited in the mountains, like that 
 at Mokelumne Hill and Jackson, in fact, covering the 
 greater part of the country, is now being moved and 
 re-adjusted. The gravel hills around Campo Seco 
 and Camanche are now one after another deposited, 
 the streams eroding, in all instances, more than they 
 deposit, wearing away and concentrating the gravel 
 and the gold. Now the rivers are beginning to find 
 their present channels, as they wear deeper and 
 deeper into the sandstones and rocks, for they have 
 again struck the slate rocks. They have now worn 
 down far below the glacier erosions, and now flow in 
 saw-like channels, instead of the long, smooth val 
 leys of the time when such vast masses of gravel 
 were on the move. The volcanoes have now been 
 quiet for ages. The whole country is comparatively 
 in a state of repose. The bluff banks by Lockford 
 and the Poland House may begin to show, as the 
 stream is not pressed with sand and gravel from the 
 mountains. Having no serious work on hand, the 
 river may commence eroding a valley in the former 
 deposits, making room for the present bottom-lands. 
 When this condition has arrived, we may look for 
 the river to reach the level of the big gravel deposits 
 forming the base of the bluffs. How many years 
 the rive.r was wearing into the sandstones, into the 
 hard clays, carrying them off ounce by ounce, perhaps 
 only as muddy water, none can tell. It had to make 
 room for the gravel; then had to have uninterrupted 
 ages to bring the gravel down from the deposits in 
 the mountains. Running in a nearly straight course 
 towards the plains, it slowly piled up acres of gravel, 
 perhaps a hundred, and for some unexplained reason 
 buried it up in sand again, until a flat appears, of 
 
LANCHA PLANA AND VICINITY. 
 
 197 
 
 which the blutt' where Maroon's house, Judge Palm 
 er's, and others are situated, is a relic. This piling 
 up of fine quicksand, must also have been the work 
 of ages. It will be obvious to any one, that a slight 
 difference either in the obstruction in carrying 
 off of the debris from the mountains above, or an 
 increase in the erosive and carrying power of the 
 mountain streams, would produce a change in the 
 lines of deposit in the valley. 
 
 It might have occurred by a change of channel, as 
 there is much to show that the Mokelumne river has 
 occupied various channels; for instance, it once ran 
 through Story's chain south of the bluff through 
 which he tunneled; also, at the Metzer ranch, it ran 
 in a channel north of the present one. The next 
 change was the erosion of the present channel and 
 the wearing away of a large portion of the bluff, 
 leaving the flat where the town was standing in 1860, 
 now covered with alfalfa patches, vineyards and 
 orchards. What a period of time to contemplate! 
 Yet all these changes are recorded in rocky bluffs 
 around the town, in such characters that all may 
 read who wish to. One step will lead to another 
 until the whole will be like an open book. 
 
 After this somewhat lengthy digression, the bluffs 
 may claim attention. The claims were very rich. 
 In many instances the proceeds of a week's drifting 
 would pay the whole expense of opening. The firt-t 
 to go down met with a great amount of water. It 
 was feared for some time that the water could not 
 be controlled, but when several companies began to 
 work, the water was so reduced that it gave but lit 
 tle trouble. William Cook had a claim which paid a 
 hundred dollars a week to the man. Kidd, Porter 
 & Lyman had a claim near where Judge Palmer's 
 residence now is, which paid even better than that. 
 Krail, Perkins & Barnett also had a good claim in 
 the same vicinity. The Murray brothers, Wad- 
 dell brothers, Phil. Kennedy, McCarty & Hinkley, 
 Christie, English & Mclntyre, Walters, John Cook, 
 Calvin Cole, also mined on the bluff with success, as 
 did many others. The mines on the hill north-east 
 of the town were also discovered about this time 
 and many moderate fortunes were made. This 
 place was called 
 
 CHAPARRAL HILL. 
 
 Miner Frink, afterwards member of the Assembly, 
 Joseph Cochran, Mat. Leary, Patrick O Keefe, Ned 
 and Jerry McGraw, Geo. Wagner, who was Asso 
 ciate Judge and member of the Assembly, etc., Joe 
 Hall, Geo. Sitzer and brother (the latter being killed 
 in his mine), Tom Love and Joe Clark (fighting 
 Joe), all had good claims here. The town began to 
 grow. Eestaurants, saloons, breweries, stores, hotels, 
 and other institutions common to California mining 
 towns, also came and flourished as long as the mines 
 lasted. Several substantial buildings, made of fine 
 sandstone resembling granite, with fire-proof shut 
 ters and doors, still attest the prosperity of the years 
 of the bluff diggings. Main street, running towards 
 
 the river, had the best buildings and largest stores, 
 some of which would do credit to a city. Among 
 these were those of J. W. D. Palmer & Co., John 
 Cook, William Cook, Holman & Co., Nye & Co. The 
 building of the Cooks was removed to Buena Vista 
 some five o.r six years ago and the place mined out 
 by Chinamen. Palmer & Co. were at the foot of the 
 street nearest the river. Chinatown, also a large 
 settlement, was between Main street and the river. 
 From Palmer's present store to the bluff was a solid 
 line of buildings. The bluff was also laid off into 
 streets and was considerably built up, as was the hill 
 north of the town. In its best days Lancha Plana 
 had perhaps a thousand inhabitants. During this 
 period many shafts were sunk in the hills around 
 Lancha Plana. A line of holes were sunk north 
 ward towards the Boston ranch to connect with the 
 French Camp lead. In some places considerable 
 gold was found, and the blue clay above the gravel 
 led the miners to think they had discovered the Blue 
 Lead. The blue clay was eventually found to indi 
 cate coal. Many of the prospectors sunk through 
 the half-charred, half-decayed piles of drift-wood and 
 encountered noxious gases, destructive to life. In 
 one of these shafts near the big reservoir, a man, on 
 going down, was overcome and fell insensible to .the 
 bottom of the shaft. Men had been crushed by fall 
 ing banks of earth and had met death in various 
 ways, but the fire-damp was a new fiend, and when it 
 was known that a man was killed with it, and that 
 his body could not be recovered, the whole popula 
 tion left their work forthe scene of the accident. 
 
 The shaft was about one hundred feet deep, and 
 the pile of dirty, black, decayed vegetable material, 
 with a disagreeable smell, indicated too well the 
 nature of the gas which had destroyed the man's 
 life. Dr. Tillson, a druggist, asserted that he could 
 saturate a handkerchief with a liquid that would 
 render the gas innocuous. Thus assured, a man vol 
 unteered to go down slung in a rope, so that in case 
 of being overcome, he could be hauled out before 
 fatal results should happen. He succeeded in fasten 
 ing a rope to the body, and it was hoisted to the 
 surface. Life was of course extinct, as the body had 
 been in the shaft some hours. 
 
 A tunnel was run under Alum peak all the way in 
 a coal formation. A man by the name of Packard 
 ran a tunnel into the hill in which the Waddell broth 
 ers afterwards developed a coal mine. The nature 
 of this deposit is fully treated in the chapter on 
 coal. Suffice it to say here that probably Lancha 
 Plana has the largest and best deposit in the county. 
 
 Lancha Plana had its largest population about 
 1860. At this time the Dispatch, now of Jackson, 
 was running here under the charge of Heckendorn & 
 Payne, and was quite a lively paper. From 1865 
 the town gradually decayed. The population left 
 after the working out of the bluffs; the houses fell 
 to ruins or were removed, and for many years the 
 voting population has been less than one hundred. 
 
198 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 The vines and trees make a neai'ly successful effort 
 to cover up the scars caused by mining. 
 
 Among the first to develop the fruit business, w.ere 
 A. F. Northrup and Captain Kid. The former had 
 an orchard on the flat, where Mat Murray's claim 
 now is, early as 1859. In 1861, it became quite a 
 place of resort, and was the source of much profit. 
 The extraordinary productiveness of the land, as 
 well as the excellent quality of the fruit raised, 
 induced a great many to embark in that business. 
 For some miles down the river as well as at Lancha 
 Plana, fruit has for many years formed a heavy 
 item in the production. Kientz, Lucas, Foster, De- 
 Bolt, Northrup, Goodings, Van Zant, Bamert and 
 others, have places noted for fine fruit. 
 
 PUT'S BAR. 
 
 This was discovered in 1853 by Putnam, now resid 
 ing at lone. It was a "wage-claim," never having 
 been very rich, though in 1855 to 1860 it had several 
 hundred miners, mostly Chinamen. In an early day 
 it was found to be good for raising watermelons, in 
 fact, a "bonanza." Old Man Borden, as he was called, 
 would bring them into market on the Fourth of July 
 and get a great price for them. This was weeks 
 earlier than lone valley could do it, and eventually 
 the river melons monopolized the market. A large 
 vineyard was planted by Palmer and Woolsey below 
 Put's Bar, but owing to the depression in the wine 
 business, it was mostly dug up some years since. 
 Table grapes have been found to be the most profita 
 ble. The quantity of ground suited either to the 
 wine or table grape, is unlimited. 
 
 OVERFLOWS. 
 
 Lancha Plana and vicinity have suffered some from 
 overflows. In 1861-62 the Mokelumne river rose 
 nearly thirty feet, sweeping off the bridge between 
 Lancha Plana and Poverty Bar and burying up the 
 fine peach orchard owned by A. F. Northrup. The 
 river took a "shear" against Poverty Bar, on the 
 opposite side, and wore away nearly all the ground 
 on which the town stood. Stores, dwellings, and 
 barns, one after another, would be undermined and 
 tumble into the stream, taking passage for the tulcs 
 around Stockton. The town never recovered from 
 the blow. Lancha being on higher ground, escaped. 
 
 THE BONITA AFFAIR. 
 
 This occurrence was on the south side of the river, 
 and, consequently, in Calaveras county; but, as the 
 people engaged in it were from both sides, it is prop 
 erly a matter of record in this book. In 1852, during 
 the flush times in the vicinity of Lancha Plana, the 
 miners received notice that a greaser was to be hung; 
 and a large number of men, perhaps a thousand, soon 
 came together. The crime of which the Mexican 
 boy was said to be guilty was of unmitigated atroc 
 ity. A Portuguese family in the vicinity had a beau 
 tiful little girl, four or five years of age, named 
 Bonita, who was a general favorite with the miners. 
 
 Every one had a kind word for her, which she repaid 
 with loving smiles. One day it was announced that 
 she was lost. A general search was instituted, and 
 the hills, ravines, thickets, and old shafts, in the 
 neighborhood, were thoroughly searched. The 
 worst fears with regard to her were realized. After 
 some hours' search she was found in a thicket, insen 
 sible, with every appearance of having been outi'aged. 
 Some way, suspicion was fastened on a Mexican 
 boy of twenty or such a matter, who had formerly 
 been in the employ of the father of the child, fie 
 had been seen fondling the child but a short time 
 before her disappearance. Suspicion soon turned to 
 accusation, and that to conviction, for the crime 
 was of such a character that few men could remain 
 cool enough to listen to reason. There was sense of 
 justice enough to give the form of a trial, and a jury 
 of twelve men was selected, ostensibly to try the 
 accused, but really to confirm the popular verdict of 
 guilty. Only a portion of the names can be recol 
 lected : A. Norton and Jefferson Tarr, of Amador 
 county; Alfred Small, Captain Allen, and Captain 
 Knowlton, residences unknown; and B. S. E. Will 
 iams, now in the employ of the Central Pacific 
 Railroad at Oakland. A man by the name of Beaty 
 volunteered to act as counsel for the accused. 
 The jury sat around a miner's table, under a large 
 tree, the spectators crowding around and interfer 
 ing very much with the comfort and deliberations of 
 the jury. The " Steubenville boys " were anxious to 
 commence the hanging, and impatiently waited the 
 taking of the testimony, and the deliberations of 
 the jury. The voluntary attorney, Beaty, proceeded 
 to cross- question the witnesses after the usual man 
 ner of lawyers. One of the "Steubenville boys" backed 
 up and took what they call the rump lock on him, 
 i. e., took him by the seat of his broadcloth pants 
 and dragged him, squirming and kicking, out of the 
 court, leaving a vacancy in the covering of his rear 
 part which compelled a hauling off to repair damages. 
 This rough though comical treatment of the law 
 yer was not unacceptable to the jury, who were per 
 fectly competent to question the witnesses for them 
 selves, and had been rather annoyed by his officious 
 conduct. 
 
 As the trial proceeded, it appeared that thei-e was 
 no evidence to prove the connection of the boy with 
 the outrage; that he was asleep on a porch during the 
 time of the absence of Bonita, though he joined in 
 the hunt after the alarm was raised, and they 
 brought. in a verdict of "not guilty." This was not 
 what the crowd had come for. They had come to 
 see a h'anging and meant to see it too, especially the 
 Steubenville boys. One of their number had been 
 killed by a Mexican, not long before, in an affray in 
 a dance house, and they were ready to hang all 
 greasers on the slightest excuse. The crowd soon 
 began to boil. The larger part had been partaking 
 freely of whisky, and were in no mood to listen 
 to reason or be thwarted. Some of the jurors 
 
LANCHA PLANA AND VICINITY. 
 
 199 
 
 (who, by the way, had early become alarmed at the 
 quantities of whisky which had been drunk, and 
 resolved to drink nothing and were consequently 
 sober), were roughly handled. Captain Knowlton 
 was knocked down for asserting the innocence of 
 the boy. It was now evident that a first-class riot 
 was impending. It was hundreds maddened with 
 whisky against dozens only of sober men. The 
 sober men stood around the intended victim, and 
 protested against the hanging. A proposition was 
 made to give him a new examination before Dr. 
 Brusie, the Justice at Winters' Bar. The doctor was 
 a man high in the esteem of the community. This 
 brought a few more men to the side of the jurymen. 
 Taking advantage of an opening in the crowd, the 
 boy was hustled into a wagon and hurried away to 
 Winters' Bar, and an examination commenced; but 
 the crowd soon came up, more violent than before. 
 Though the evidence against the boy amounted to 
 nothing, it was evident to the Justice that the only 
 chance to save his life was to send him to jail. A 
 powerful man by the name of Cunningham was 
 deputized to take charge of him. It was now getting 
 nearly night, and the rioters feared they were about 
 to lose their prey. Some dozen or more, among 
 whom was Tom Love, resolved to drag him out and 
 shoot him, and with drawn pistols rushed into the 
 crowd. The boy retreated behind the burly form of 
 Dr. Brusio, who was thus placed in an interesting 
 situation. He was thoroughly aroused by this time. 
 Shaking his fist in the faces of the rioters, he shouted: 
 "I will have you all arrested for this." Though so 
 many pistols were pointed towards him in the effort 
 to cover the boy, the mob had no intention of kill 
 ing him. They rather admired his pluck, knowing 
 him to be in the line of his duty, and furthermore, 
 to have injured him would have arrayed the whole 
 country against them. Two of the mob succeeded in 
 getting the boy, and were leading him out, a man on 
 each side, when the drawn pistols pointing towards 
 them caused one of the men to let go the boy, who 
 immediately swung to the rear of the other man who 
 was holding him, crying to Manuel, the father of the 
 girl: "Shoot him! shoot him!" At this point of the 
 affair, Williams, who had from the first to the last 
 used every eftbrt to save the boy's life, shoved him 
 into the crowd, so that to shoot would endanger the 
 life of the rioters, as well as others. Cunningham 
 now tried to get the boy away. A scuffle ensued and 
 Cunningham was thrown to the ground. While the 
 attention of the crow r d was engaged, two men, 
 Williams being one, rushed the boy over the bank of 
 the river, which here was ten or twelve feet high, 
 got him out of sight, and conducted him to a store 
 owned by a man by the name of Waters, who con 
 cealed him in a back room. When the row over 
 , Cunningham had subsided, and the would-be exe 
 cutioners had time to look around, the intended 
 victim was gone. It was now moonlight and a 
 search was made. Dr. Brusie bad deputized Waters 
 
 to take the boy away to Mokelumne Hill, which he 
 intended to do the next morning; but a party of 
 the rioters getting on his trail, and shortly after 
 ward entering his store, he took the boy out through 
 a rear entrance and safely made his way with him to 
 Mokelumne Hill, where he was detained until the 
 session of a Grand Jury, when, no evidence appear-" 
 ing against him, he was set at liberty. 
 
 INDIAN WAR. 
 
 This affair occurred in the Summer of 1859. A 
 large number of Indians, variously estimated at from 
 three to six hundred, had been holding a fandango 
 or war dance, on the hill north of the town. Some 
 were from the northern part of the county, some 
 from Calaveras, and quite a large number from 
 Tuolumne. The festivities were mostly over, and 
 many of the Indians had gone. An American, not 
 much above an Indian in appearance, and, probably, 
 far below one in character, claimed a horse which 
 one of the Indians had in his possession. The Indian 
 declined giving it up, alleging that he had bought 
 it of the white man, which, on inquiry, afterwards 
 proved to be true, or, at least, had won it in a game 
 of cards. The white man employed Miles Hunts 
 man, the Constable, to get the horse for him. It 
 does not seem that the Constable had any writ to 
 replevy the horse, or that he even made a demand 
 for it, but went as an individual, took the horse and 
 was leading him off, when the Indians commenced 
 shooting arrows at him, and the claimant of the 
 horse. Huntsman returned the fire with his revolver, 
 which he emptied of the six shots, and then retreated; 
 by this time all the Indians were after him in full 
 cry, the arrows flying in clouds. He fell, pierced 
 by several arrows, not far from the junction of the 
 Winters and Lancha Plana road. When it was 
 learned in the town that Miles was killed, every 
 one that could raise a fire-arm started in the pur 
 suit of the Indians, who commenced dispersing with 
 all possible rapidity. The Jackson valley Indians, 
 who had always been peaceably inclined, claimed 
 protection at the houses of some who had employed 
 them for washing, and other purposes, and would 
 not join in the stampede, and probably saved their 
 lives by so doing. Some of the Indians remaining 
 near the camp were pursued, and one was shot near 
 Waddell's ranch; he died game, shooting his arrows 
 after he was shot through and through, and unable 
 to stand on his feet. Great numbers had forded the 
 river, and others had crossed by the bridge. These 
 were also pursued, and as a great many shots were 
 heard, it was supposed that numbers had been killed. 
 
 Exaggerated stories prevailed that day and even, 
 ing with regard to the number slain, but careful 
 inquiry limits the casualties to two Indians slain 
 one at Waddell's ranch, and one near Campo Seco, 
 who was shot by a sailor who was pursuing him, 
 and who got shot in turn by the Indian and one 
 Indian's leg broken by a ball from the revolver of 
 Huntsman in the beginning of the fight, and the 
 
200 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU, COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 two white men mentioned, though many valiant (?) 
 men boasted of having slain scores. One Wallace, 
 a Canadian (we hope he was no descendant of Sir 
 William), was found shooting at a squaw and some 
 little children, who, when overtaken in the pursuit, 
 sat down and buried their faces in their laps, the 
 Indian token of submission, which, however, did not 
 prevent the valorous man from emptying his revolver 
 on them. Their escape was due to his nervous feel 
 ings, or their being in a hollow below him, which 
 caused him to over shoot. He was stopped in his 
 shooting by Tom Love, who, though on the war 
 path against the Indians, had no heart for shooting 
 squaws. The wounded Indian was taken to the 
 office of Drs. Boarman and Schoneman, and his leg 
 amputated, some squaws acting as nurses. He 
 recovered, and has become a famous beggar, in fact 
 a nuisance, thrusting his wooden leg forward every 
 where as a reason for charity. It has been to him 
 quite a fortune. 
 
 MIDNIGHT SCARE. 
 
 While the extravagant reports of numbers slain 
 were still believed, a report got into circulation that 
 three hundred Tuolumne Indians were nearing Lan- 
 
 O 
 
 cha Plana with a determination to avenge the 
 slaughter of the Indians; the place was to be wiped 
 out. It was impossible to learn the origin of the 
 rumor, but it was believed, and runners were sent to 
 all the houses on the outskirts of the town, and the 
 people all brought in. The stone stores were con 
 sidered as the best for a defense, and as many as 
 could be were quartered in these buildings. All the 
 arms were collected, and put in the best condition. 
 A military company was formed, and R. W. Palmer, 
 who claimed ome knowledge of military affairs, was 
 put in command, Dr. Tillson being second officer. 
 The men were drilled to charge and retreat, to act 
 as skirmishers or advanced pickets, and were 
 marched and countermarched until it was thought 
 they would do to trust as soldiers. Their arms were 
 then inspected, and the amount and quality of the 
 ammunition ascertained. Some of the arms were 
 woefully deficient. Tim Conway had a little pistol, 
 but it had no lock. 
 
 "What do you expect to do with that?" says 
 Captain Palmer. 
 
 "Oh, be jabers! won'tlmakeit hot for the In 
 dians when 1 touch it off with a match ?" 
 
 He thought he was "good for one Indian, any 
 how." Guards were stationed at the different .cross 
 ings of the river, and at all points where there was a 
 probability of being attacked. Instructions were 
 given to the women and children to put out the 
 lights and lie flat on the floor, when the shooting 
 commenced a proposition that some of the more 
 nervous were in favor of putting into practice at once. 
 Mrs. Boarman, who seemed to have some of her 
 husband's coolness, or which is better some of her 
 own, remarked that, " We might as well sit up until 
 the Indians come." Dr. Tillson, who was but recently 
 
 married, made his wife a very affecting good-bye. 
 " My dear wife, my country calls, and I must obey. 
 I trust that we may meet again. Good-bye, my 
 dear." It is said that she urged him to take a frying- 
 pan to hold before his face when the arrows began to 
 fly. She was very proud of the Doctor's handsome 
 face, and did not want it disfigured. The popula 
 tion did not all muster at the drum-beat to defend 
 the town. John Sprague, who owned a livery stable, 
 got out a buggy and team, took his wife and chil 
 dren, and started as fast as horse flesh could go, and 
 did not stop until he reached Stockton, alarming the 
 whole country on the way. At Poverty Bar, as 
 Milton said of Satan after he awoke from his sleepy 
 drench, 
 " He called so loud that all the hollow depths of Hell resounded. " 
 
 " Turn out! Turn out, for God's sake! The In 
 dians are murdering everybody at Lancha Plana/' 
 
 Bill Morrow got out his team and buggy, and went 
 after the Wheeler girls, and ran away with them, 
 hardly giving them time to dress. At Comanche, 
 Sprague gave the alarm also, and for awhile confusion 
 reigned there. Morning came at last, but no Indians, 
 though during the day the Tuolumne chief, a vener 
 able and dignified Indian, came back to inquire into 
 the shooting, which had taken place after he had 
 left the fandango. He said that if any of his young 
 men were guilty, they should be surrendered for 
 punishment, and two or three days afterwards, a 
 couple of young Indians were sent up, securely tied, 
 for the Lancha folks to do with as they thought 
 best. The panic was over, and the two Indians were 
 sent to Jackson for trial; but no evidence against 
 them appearing, they were set at liberty, and thus 
 ended the Indian war. At this day it is impossible 
 to form any correct conclusion as to the cause of the 
 alarm, or whether there was any cause at all. It 
 seems so much like a burlesque that we are some 
 times ready to conclude that it was a huge Irish joke, 
 the Irish element being in the ascendency in the 
 town at that time. If any race of people could have 
 a bit of fun out of such a matter, it would be the 
 Irish. Captain Palmer, who lives at Jackson, upon 
 being questioned as to the three hundred Indians 
 marching upon Lancha Plana, says, " Certainly; 
 they would have attacked the town if we had not 
 prepared to defend it." But who saw them? 
 
 ORIGIN OP PANICS. 
 
 Lest some of our friends might undervalue them 
 selves while remembering these events, it may be 
 well enough to make an extract from Washington 
 Irving's "Life of Washington," page 196, volume I: 
 
 " In the meantime the panic and contusion in 
 creased. On Sunday an express hurried into town 
 breathless with haste and terror. The Indians, he 
 ^aid, were but twelve miles off ; they had attacked 
 the house of Isaac Julian; the inhabitants were fly 
 ing for their lives. Washington immediately ordered 
 the town guards to be strengthened ; armed some 
 recruits who had just arrived, and sent out two 
 
R ES I DEN1CE ' J DSTOLCKEN 
 V/'Oi.CANO AMADOR CttCAL 
 
 RESIDENCE AND RANCH OF J.E. PETTITT. 
 PLYMOUTH, AMADOR C? CAL- 
 
OF THE 
 
 tJNlVERSITYJ 
 
LANCHA PLANA AND VICINITY. 
 
 201 
 
 scouts to reconnoiter the enemy. It was a sleepless 
 night at Winchester. Horror increased with the 
 dawn ; before the men could be paraded, a second 
 express arrived, ten times more terrified than the 
 former. The Indians were within four miles of town, 
 killing and destroying all before them. He had 
 heard the constant firing of the savages, and the 
 shrieks of the victims. The terror of Winchester 
 now passed all bounds. Washington put himself at 
 the head of about forty men, militia and recruits, 
 and pushed for the scene of carnage. 
 
 "The result is almost too ludicrous for record. The 
 whole cause of the alarm proved to be three drunken 
 troopers, carousing, hallooing, uttering the most 
 unheard-of imprecations, and ever and anon firing 
 off their pistols. Washington interrupted them in 
 the midst of their revel and blasphemy, and con 
 ducted them prisoners to town." 
 
 This was in Virginia, and among the countrymen 
 and neighbors of Washington. 
 
 THE BUTLER CLAIM 
 
 Was situated at the foot of the deep gorge which 
 came out of the mountains, and was first owned by 
 a party of negroes, hence was called the "Nigger 
 Claim." The river was dammed and turned as usual 
 in river claims. The channel was straight and 
 smooth and offered no holding-place for the gold, 
 and all of the party except Butler left the claim. 
 The following year Butler borrowed five or six hun 
 dred dollars of Uncle Pompey, another colored man, 
 and opened the claim a little lower down in a bend. 
 It proved the richest piece of ground ever found in 
 the vicinity, or even in the two counties, being a 
 mass of gravel six or eight feet deep, literally lousy 
 with gold. A day's work with a rocker would pro 
 duce ten, twenty, thirty, and even fifty thousand 
 dollars. Fred Westmoreland, a cool and sensible 
 person, not liable to be excited, says he frequently 
 saw a milk pan, the ordinary gold pan, heaping full 
 for a day's work, so full that it could not be lifted by 
 the rim without tearing in pieces. Some of the dirt, 
 not so rich, was washed in a long torn. According 
 to Tom Love a hundred dollars' worth of dust could 
 be seen following the dirt along the sluice-box, the 
 hands who were tending it stealing the dust by the 
 handful, A face or breast was worked on the bed of 
 gravel, and the gold showed from the top to the bot 
 tom, a distance of six or eight feet. At the bottom 
 the pure dust could be gathered with a spoon. When 
 it was known how immensely rich it was, a number 
 of men were anxious to have a share. The former 
 partners of Butler were hunted up and induced to 
 sell interests in the claim. A number of suits were 
 commenced against Butler, and some half-dozen or 
 more lawyers engaged to share the proceeds if 
 successful. A receiver was appointed to take charge 
 of the claim pending the suits. Eobert Bennet, 
 known as Bob Bennet, a well-known citizen of Lan- 
 cha Plana, was once appointed custodian for a day. 
 In a few panfuls of dirt he obtained dust to the 
 amount of two thousand two hundred dollars, which, 
 
 " Damned fool that 1 was, I turned over to the court. 
 26 
 
 Everybody was taking and keeping all they could 
 get." It was too much for the old man. He was 
 taken sick with fever and shortly died. It was 
 known by his friends that he had some eighty thou 
 sand dollars on deposit at Mokelumne Hill, as much 
 more at Sacramento, and also immense sums buried 
 in unknown spots. The Public Administrator took 
 possession of the property and there was not enough 
 found to pay a few small outstanding debts. 
 
 TOWNERVILLE, 
 
 Or "Hotel de Twelve," as it was sometimes called, was 
 the place of operations of a man by the name of Tow- 
 ner, who was sent up by the San Francisco Philhar 
 monic Society, during the copper excitement, to make 
 a fortune for each member of the society. He did not 
 manifest much knowledge of mineral veins, but 
 showed uncommon skill in manipulating stocks and 
 mines for his own pocket, the vouchers, when exam 
 ined, always showing a margin for his benefit. 
 This camp was composed largely of the Irish ele 
 ment, and true to their reputation, fun was the gen 
 eral order. When the officer, appointed in 1863 
 to enroll the able-bodied men in the county, made 
 his appearance in the camp, a general scampering to 
 the chaparral thickets took place. Scarce a man 
 was to be seen. Several families of children were 
 running about, but they were so well instructed that 
 they did not know their names. The officer ques 
 tioned a woman who had six little bright-eyed ras 
 cals running around, as to her husband's name. "I 
 have naw husband." The officer ventured to remark 
 that the circumstances of such a large family with 
 out a husband was rather unusual. " Oi, there's 
 mony a woman has childer without a husband." A 
 demand was then made of the superintendent for 
 the pay-roll, which, after quite an elaborate argu 
 ment, was shown, which afforded part of the 
 requisite data. When this had been given up most 
 of the men came back to their work. A general 
 jollification took place, the men seeming to be well 
 satisfied with having bothered the officer for an hour 
 or two. After taking dinner with them, every lux 
 ury the camp afforded being put upon the table, he 
 left with mutual good feeling. Soon after he was 
 gone the last of the absconding men came in. Now 
 was their time for fun. He had evaded the draft; 
 he was to be fined five hundred dollars and sent to 
 Alcatraz to carry sand bags for a year. A reward 
 was to be offered for his apprehension. A file of 
 soldiers was to be sent after him and much more to 
 the same effect. He might yet overtake the officer and 
 get his name put on. Pat started like a shot out of 
 a gun; he scaled the side of the mountain like a 
 deer, and two miles away from the camp overtook 
 the officer, only to be- informed that he had been 
 hoaxed; that his name was alreadj 7 on the roll. 
 Another person in the vicinity, a first-class wag, 
 bothered the officer considerably by putting on a 
 new face every time they met, invariably getting the 
 laugh on him. 
 
202 
 
 HISTORY OF AMAtJOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 CAMP OPERA. 
 
 This was a small town or camp at the foot-hills 
 in the south-western part of the county, and had 
 at first a population of only twenty-five or thirty, 
 mostly Mexicans, who worked with batayas, there 
 being but little water. When the Lancaster ditch 
 was brought in in 1853, the population swelled to sev 
 eral hundred. Camp Opera was known as a rough 
 place, being a resort for desperate whites as well 
 as Mexicans. It is said that Joaquin made it a 
 stopping place in his frequent excursions. The first 
 trading post was kept by a white man from Mexico, 
 by the name of Kemp, and Ike Mansfield. Kemp 
 was charged with stealing some specimens of gold, 
 and was hung up by the miners, who, however, let 
 him down before life was extinct, and let him go 
 on condition that he should leave the country, which 
 he did. Patrick Sculley had a trading post after 
 wards, and trusted out nearly his whole stock of 
 provisions to the men, who were throwing up dirt 
 for Winter washing. The rains not coming accord 
 ing to expectation, he was compelled to take the 
 piles of dirt for pay, and realized very little for his 
 goods. Near Camp Opera is a small graveyard, 
 said to have been peopled with victims to whisky. 
 Several cabins were said to have sent their whole 
 number of occupants to this settlement. In 1857, 
 the place maintained several stores, a dozen or more 
 saloons, and two dance houses, and was considered 
 a lively place. It gradually went down, and now 
 only a few men make a living, where hundreds for 
 merly took out the means for riot and extravagance. 
 The ground in places was quite rich with coarse 
 gold, which was found in gravel underlying the 
 coal formation, though it had, in many places, been 
 swept out towards the valley by an over- wash. 
 
 FRENCH CAMP. 
 
 This place is a mile or two south of Camp Opera, 
 and is much like it in character. It has had rather 
 more extensive gravel claims, however, which are 
 probably a relic of the wash of Mokelumne river in 
 pre-glacial times. It was occupied by a party of 
 Frenchmen in an early day, hence the name, though 
 afterwards mined mostly by Mexicans and Chilenos. 
 Some coarse gold was found here. The country is 
 threaded by small quartz veins, which are supposed 
 to have helped to enrich the ravines and flats. In 
 1854, a barid of Yaqui Indians, numbering forty or 
 more, mined here. They were wild, savage looking 
 fellows, but lived peaceably with the other miners. 
 They were fond of whisky and cards. In 1854, an 
 old man named Finley, who drove an ox-team to 
 Sacramento, and frequently carried considerable 
 gold-dust, was set upon by a Mexican, who drew a 
 long knife and rushed upon him. Finley having no 
 arms, ran away, taking to the brush. The Mexican 
 came near enough to strike at him, slitting his coat 
 and shirt open, without hurting him, however. He 
 made his way into Jone after dark, and recovered 
 
 his team the following day. About the year 1856, 
 Joe Septen, an Italian, traced the gravel range 
 under the hills, finding a rich deposit, taking out, 
 sometimes, several thousand dollars a week. Many 
 theories were advanced as to the source of the gold. 
 Some maintained that a great river formerly run 
 along the foot-hills, that it could be found by sink 
 ing deep holes in the hills in the vicinity. A hun 
 dred deep shafts and numerous tunnels attest the 
 enterprise of the miners. Some of the holes were 
 four hundred feet deep. One company struck boldly 
 to the west with a tunnel in the descending strata, 
 and struck a vein of coal, without knowing what it 
 was, however. The only paying place fell into the 
 hands of James Moore and Thomas Barnet, who 
 mined it successfully for nearly twenty years. It 
 is now generally considered that these gravel deposits 
 are the relics of a sea-shore line, which may be 
 traced the entire length of Amador county. Scarcely 
 a sign of the camp remains, and the country is mostly 
 used for grazing. 
 
 COPPER CENTER. 
 
 This was quite a lively camp during the copper 
 excitement in 1863, having several stores, saloons, 
 and hotels, and any amount of prospective million 
 aires. The "Star of the West," a company in which 
 Chas. Meader had an interest, was made the basis 
 of considerable stock speculation. It never proved 
 to be good, although drifting on the vein might 
 have revealed paying ore. The '-Bull Run," a claim 
 on the high hill east of the town, had a narrow vein 
 of black oxides of copper from the top down, but it 
 was never a source of profit. A windmill on this 
 hill was a conspicuous object for miles around. The 
 hill is interesting to the geologist, having on its 
 summit a bed of volcanic boulders, a relic of the 
 vast plain existing previous to the glacial erosion. 
 The site of Copper Center is now part of the ranch 
 of J. Q. Horton, two or three miles east of Jackson 
 valley. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXII 1. 
 VOLCANO AND VICINITY. 
 
 As it^ Looked in '49 Georgia Claim Sharp Mining Broker 
 Bod. Stowell Agriculture Society A Philosopher 
 Hydraulic Mining Nature of the Gravel Deposits China 
 Gulch Volcano Tunnel Former Project of Lowering the 
 Outlet Fires Largest Fire Fire of 1865 Year of Fires- 
 Burning of Hanford's Store Miners' Joke Nocturnal 
 Visitor Murder of Beck man Lynch Law Stage Robber- 
 its Miners' Library Association Dramatic Societies 
 Russel's Hill Fort John Upper Rancheria Aqueduct 
 City Contreras Ashland Grizzly Hill Wheeler Dig 
 gings Plattsburg How Named Hunt's Gulch Spanish 
 Gulch Whisky Slide Large Crystal Caves. 
 
 YOLCANO is situated on Sutter creek, twelve miles 
 above the town of Sutter Creek, and about twelve 
 miles north-east from the county seat. This place 
 seems to have been discovered in 1848, as a party of 
 Stevenson's soldiers were here about the time that 
 another party was mining on the Mokelumne river. 
 They built two huts on Soldiers' gulch, so named on 
 
VOLCANO AND VICINITY. 
 
 203 
 
 that account, near the place afterward occupied by 
 Hale's sash factory. The party of Mexicans, who 
 were first in the camp in the Spring of '49, found two 
 dead bodies in the huts, and buried them on what 
 was afterward called graveyard hill. How these 
 came to their death, or what became of the balance 
 of the party, is not known. Colonel Stevenson, who 
 resides at San Francisco, full of memories of that 
 day, though at the advanced age of eighty-one, has 
 no knowledge of any of his men ever having mined 
 there. The huts, two in number, formed by set 
 ting poles endwise in the ground in the shape of 
 an A, the whole being covered with dirt, were stand 
 ing during the Summer of '49, but were torn down 
 as the immigration came in. It is difficult to ascer 
 tain who came first in '49. The first wagon was 
 driven in by William Wiley, now living on a ranch 
 six miles north-east from Jackson, at the foot of 
 tanyard hill. He was of a party of eight, from 
 Dayton near Ottawa, Illinois, consisting of John 
 Green and his sons, Joseph and Jesse, Erick Erick- 
 son, Torkle Erickson, Charles Ewebanks, and Jack 
 son Beam. They had been camping on Sutter creek 
 near the present town, and represent that place at 
 that time as entirely vacant; not a man, not a hole 
 even sunk there, though the works of General 
 Sutter and his party, who mined there in 1848, 
 might have escaped their attention or have been for 
 gotten. 
 
 At that time, there were no houses in Volcano, 
 except the huts built by the soldiers. Soon after the 
 arrival of the Green party, Jacob Cook and party 
 also came in with a wagon, and the numbers aug 
 mented until by Winter there were about one hun 
 dred persons. Some of Green's party had preceded 
 the main body, and staked off claims where the 
 Cross & Gordon claim and Georgia claim were after 
 ward located. 
 
 A VIEW OF VOLCANO 
 
 As it then was, would make a great contrast with 
 the present appearance. Standing on the point at 
 the junction of Soldiers' gulch with Sutter creek, 
 toward the east was a flat, terminating near the 
 Griesbach ranch, covered with tall grass, as high as 
 the backs of the animals feeding on it. Large white 
 oaks, with branches drooping nearly to the ground, 
 were scattered over the grassy plain, giving it the 
 appearance of a cultivated and well cared for park. 
 The clear water of the creek meandered along the 
 meadow, rippling over the quartz gravel, warming 
 in the sun on a sandy beach, or cooling itself in a 
 deep hole under a shady bank, where the mountain 
 trout of pounds in weight lurked for the coming of 
 the unwary insect. The gray limestone formed a 
 pleasing contrast to the dark green of the pines, 
 which waved from all the hills around. A spring of 
 the purest and coldest of water, large enough to 
 turn a mill, well remembered by all the residents 
 down to 1856, bubbled out of the rock, on which the 
 Masonic Hall was built, near the junction of Sutter 
 
 creek with the south branch. For untold ages the 
 Indian had gathered acorns and pine-nuts, or 
 captured the deer and other game with which the 
 hills abounded. But there was gold in the hills, gold 
 in the flat, in the gulches, everywhere; gold that 
 opens the roads to influence, power, and happiness. 
 The grassy plains have been torn up, the rich soil 
 sluiced through the canon, and are but unsightly piles 
 of rock, holes of mud and stagnant water. The hills, 
 robbed of their graceful pines, are furrowed into deep 
 gullies, while the clear, limpid waters of the creek, 
 turned from the channel and carried into the sur 
 rounding hills, are laden with mud, sand, and gravel, 
 carrying destruction to the farms in the valley below. 
 Such was and such is Volcano. It is not intended to 
 find fault with the work done it is probably well; 
 for until the great balance sheet is made out, who 
 shall say that the activity, the commercial life, the 
 enlarging of man's powers by these operations, may 
 not more than compensate the apparent destruction. 
 The Illinois party, Green & Co., went to 
 work on the ground staked off. The surface was a 
 reddish clay, evidently a wash from the hill to the 
 west. About eight feet from the surface they came 
 to the gravel, which was so rich that they could 
 pick out gold with the fingers. They carried the 
 dirt to the creek, some two hundred yards away, in 
 buckets, and washed it in a rocker. They made 
 about a hundred dollars a day to the man, some of 
 which was coarse gold, one piece being worth over 
 nine hundred dollars. At a depth of fifteen feet 
 they struck a yellow clay, so tough that they could 
 not wash it, and abandoned the claim as worked 
 out. The same place was worked continually for 
 thirty years. Probably a million of dollars in all 
 was taken put of it, or in the immediate vicinity. 
 Some years after it was known as the Cross and Gor 
 don claim. They had a pump, worked by several 
 horses, to keep the water out. It is said that they 
 divided thirty thousand dollars profits at the end ot 
 a year. It was afterwards known as the 
 
 GEORGIA CLAIM. 
 
 There were sixteen shares in this company, and the 
 stock was rated as high as three thousand dollars per 
 share. It is said that some of the men carried away 
 as high as thirty thousand dollars each. Various 
 devices were used to get rid of the water. One engi 
 neer, of questionable ability, induced them to put in a 
 pendulum pump, with which one man could do as 
 much as several by the ordinary method. A gallows 
 fifty feet high was erected, and a pine log hung in it 
 as a pendulum. Two stout men could scarcely keep 
 the thing swinging with no machinery or pump 
 attached to it, and the machine was consigned to the 
 tomb of all attempts to manufacture power out of 
 nothing. A stout fellow was hired, for four dollars, 
 to keep the water down during the night, which he 
 did and had time to spare to dance away his wages 
 at fifty cents a round, at a dance house in the vicin 
 ity. He afterwards found his way to the State 
 
204 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 prison for the theft of a watch, valued at fifty dol 
 lars, at a time that stealing fifty dollars was a cap 
 ital offense. It may be also mentioned that this 
 same fellow belonged to an organization that had 
 agreed to lick any man that would work for less 
 than four dollars a day. The claim was afterwards 
 kept dry by a steam engine and pump. Once, in a 
 storm, the water got the better of the engine, and 
 rose several feet above all the works, leaving only 
 the smoke-stack above the water. John Goodwin, 
 a waggish fellow, proposed that a man should take 
 some kindling and wood and dive with it down to 
 the furnace, and start a fire. The plan was not 
 adopted. 
 
 To return to '49. About the first of October two 
 houses were built, one near the Odd Fellows' Hall, 
 there being a spring in that vicinity, and also a 
 brush and pole shanty, covered with dirt, not far 
 away. Besides the Green company, there were 
 Dr. Kelsey, afterwards President of the First 
 National Bank, Stockton, also Treasurer of San 
 Joaquin county, who was afterwards found dead in 
 a boat on the slough; Bunnel, from Ohio; Ballard, of 
 Illinois; Kelley, from Ohio; Jacob Cook, now living 
 at Pine Grove; -Henry Hester; Jim Gould, now at 
 Jackson; Philip Kyle, now of San Joaquin county; 
 Mills, P. Fellinsbee, McDowell, Rod. Stowell, and 
 other names not remembered, making a population 
 of about fifty. Most of the mining was in Soldiers' 
 gulch, the dirt being carried to the creek for wash 
 ing. A number of men made hand-barrows, on 
 which they carried the dirt. Finally a cart was 
 rigged up, and, with a yoke of cattle to draw it, 
 readily rented for eight dollars per day. 
 
 Cook & Co., got a barrel of syrup, one of whisky, 
 and one of vinegar, from Sacramento, and started 
 the first store. Syrup was worth five dollars per 
 gallon, vinegar the same, and whisky was fifty cents 
 a drink. They also kept a few boarders, at twenty- 
 one dollars per week. 
 
 The Indians worked in Indian gulch, hence its 
 name. A Missonrinn jumped an Indian's hole, throw 
 ing out his tools. The Indians came around and 
 ordered him out. Upon his refusing to leave, they 
 drew their bows, and prepared to enforce the com 
 mand. He ran away, going to Soldiers' gulch, where 
 a party was raised to pursue and chastise the 
 Indians. When the party came in sight, the Indians 
 ran, and the whites fired at them, Rod. Stowell, a 
 Texas ranger, killing one. They followed .them 
 towards Russel hill, occasionally getting sight of 
 them and firing, though no more were killed. The 
 following day, one of a party of three or four men, 
 traveling from Jackson to Volcano, stopped to let 
 his horse eat grass at the flat where Armstrong 
 afterwards built a saw-mill. When the others of 
 the party had got out of sight, the Indians fell upon 
 him and killed him; stripping off his clothes, they 
 partially concealed the body by laying it by the 
 side of a log, and burying it with brush. Being 
 
 missed, search was made, and his body discovered, 
 the Indians having left one foot sticking out. He 
 was buried at the graveyard hill. This murder 
 was supposed to have been in retaliation for the kill 
 ing of the Indian by Stowell. 
 
 On the approach of Winter, Green's party, with 
 others, numbering about twenty in all, built a log 
 cabin containing several compartments, making it 
 compact to avoid attacks of the Indians, who were 
 evincing some signs of hostility, stealing all the stock 
 they could. They got it all except a mule, which 
 was saved by locking a chain, fastened to a log by 
 a staple and ring, around its neck. There was only 
 one house between Yolcano and Jackson, and that 
 was on the top of tanyard hill. Two of the men 
 in the big cabin died of scurvy during the Winter. 
 Captain Updegraff had a cabin near the Consolation 
 or present Union House. 
 
 The rains commenced in the latter part of October. 
 Green's party sunk a hole in Clapboard gulch at the 
 beginning of the rainy season, and got two ounces 
 to the pan, but were obliged to abandon the place on 
 account of water. They afterwards mined in the 
 heads of the gulches, and by the first of January 
 had accumulated about seventy-five pounds of dust, 
 worth about sixteen thousand dollars, when they 
 abandoned the camp as worked out. It may be here 
 remarked that that was the saying when the writer 
 came in 1850. It was said in 1848 that the middle 
 of a few little ravines paid a spade wide and no more. 
 In 1853, when the writer came to Yolcano, Fred 
 Wallace, one of the lucky miners, said the camp was 
 worked out, and Jacob Cook, now of Pine Grove, 
 says that in '49 they would have abandoned Yolcano 
 if their cattle had not been too poor to draw their 
 wagon up the hill. 
 
 During the Winter, Rod. Stowell, a Texas ranger, 
 killed Sheldon, a Missourian, by stabbing him with a 
 long knife. The statements concerning this transac 
 tion are very conflicting. Stowell claimed that on 
 entering the cabin, which was a kind of public house, 
 Sheldon shut and locked the doors, making him 
 (Stowell) a prisoner, and then drew a knife to kill 
 him, and that he acted in pure self-defense. Jim 
 Gould, an eye-witness, states the house was not 
 closed; that Sheldon drew a small knife and jocu 
 larly told Stowell he was going to kill him ; that the 
 killing of Sheldon was uncalled for and wanton. It 
 may be observed that the habit of retributive justice 
 was gradually adopted by early miners as a kind of 
 necessity, and had not grown into a practice at this 
 time, or Stowell might have fared hard at the hands 
 of the miners, who were much shocked at the affair. 
 
 In the Spring and Summer many additions were 
 made to the population. Mann, afterwards of Jack-' 
 son, opened a restaurant meals one dollar. The 
 Hanfords opened a store, with W. I. Morgan as man 
 ager, which stock was afterwards increased until it 
 was the largest in the county. The Fourth of July 
 was celebrated by the reading of the Declaration by 
 
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OF THE 
 
 QNIVERSITTJ 
 
VOLCANO AND VICINITY. 
 
 205 
 
 McDowell, who afterwards resided at Juckson. Mann 
 got up the dinner for five dollars a head. A family 
 camped near Grass Valley about this time, and many 
 of the miners walked out, a distance of three or four 
 miles, to catch a glimpse of a woman. 
 
 In the Summer of 1850, Billy Eogers, Sheriff of 
 El Dorado, passed through Volcano with his party 
 of men with whom he had been hunting Indians in 
 the mountains. They purchased some beef, some 
 where in the vicinity, of a man by the name of 
 Ehodes, who, dissatisfied with the payment, followed 
 Rogers' party into Volcano. Meeting Skaggs, one of 
 the party, in a saloon kept by Ingalls, a dispute 
 ensued, during which Ehodes shot Skaggs in the 
 wrist, but while cocking his pistol for another shot, 
 Skaggs fired, killing Ehodes. As the matter was 
 evidently in self-defense, nothing was done about it. 
 F. M. Whitmore, still resident in Volcano, and James 
 L. Halsted, afterwards member of the Legislature 
 from Santa Cruz county, came early in 1850. 
 
 The graveyard was fenced in during the Summer 
 with shakes taken from the roof of the Green cabin, 
 which, it seems, had been abandoned by the owners 
 when they left the camp in January. Volcano 
 had a kind of sleepy existence during the Summer 
 of 1850. It was evidently waiting for an infusion of 
 more active blood into the population. There was 
 some carting to the creek, and Captain Graham and 
 Biggs were enterprising enough to rig up a water- 
 power to run rockers. It was a wheel, of the sim 
 plest construction, turned by water carried to it in 
 spouts or troughs chopped out of logs. It would 
 keep five or six rockers on the move, the charge 
 being sixteen dollars per day, each. This was thought 
 to be a great stride in mining improvements. 
 
 In the Autumn of 1850, many persons came in 
 by the plains, and Volcano began to assume the 
 appearance of a permanent settlement. The Jeromes, 
 three in number, one of whom is still in Volcano, 
 came this season. Jerome, Hansen & Smith opened 
 a store with a respectable stock of goods. The first 
 religious service in the town was in a building of 
 theirs, by Mr. Davidson of the ministers' company 
 at Amador, being the same Davidson who afterwards 
 built the church now going to ruins on the hill. 
 Henry Jones' family was the first to settle here. He 
 was a shrewd, sharp man, with one eye half shut; 
 this half-closed eye, in the opinion of the people, 
 being gifted with the remarkable quality of seeing 
 " clean through everything." Two little children 
 (girls) always looked neat as dolls. When they got 
 a speck of dust on their clothes, she would wash and 
 spank them, and put on clean dresses. Mrs. Jones had 
 a mania for neatness, and her puncheon floor would 
 not soil a lavender kid. She met a man calling to see 
 Mr. Jones, with: "Don't come in here with your 
 dirty feet." The red dust certainly was very 
 annoying to a neat housekeeper. At the opening of a 
 saloon in 1851, the good-natured, but rough miners 
 cut a hole in the lining of the roof, chucked the 
 
 owner up through, and kept him there until he 
 came to terms. 
 
 At the election this year, when Joe Douglass and 
 Colonel Collyer were the candidates, the friends of 
 the former voted a rancheria of Indians. 
 
 During .the Winter, portions of the graveyard 
 were found to be rich, and the gulches were worked 
 much deeper. It now began to be suspected, or 
 rather learned, that the deposits of gold were enor 
 mously large, and that they extended to great 
 depths. Henry Jones, L. McLaine, Fred Wallace, 
 
 Dr. M. K. Boucher, Doctor Yeager, Ike West, 
 
 Thomas, Ellec Hayes, and others, had claims in 
 Soldiers' gulch that were enormously rich. A cart 
 load of dir.t would have two hundred and fifty dol 
 lars in it. Sometimes a pan of dirt would contain 
 five hundred dollars. Men who never in their lives 
 had a hundred dollars, would make a thousand 
 dollars a day. A company of Texans would make 
 a hundred dollars each in a day, and gamble it away 
 every night, and come to their claim in the morning 
 broke. This was their way of having a good time, 
 and gambling saloons came in for a large share of 
 the profits. Clapboard gulch also paid good wages; 
 though not so rich as Soldiers' gulch, the pay-dirt 
 was easier washed and near the surface. Indian 
 gulch was also found to be rich, especially at the 
 head. The Welch claim had a mound of dirt a few 
 feet across that had more than a hundred thousand 
 dollars in it. Some of the gold was found in a tough 
 clay that defied washing by any ordinary method. 
 Boiling was found to disintegrate the clay, and 
 boilers were erected in many places to steam it so 
 that it would come to pieces. It was observed that 
 when left in the sun to dry hard, the clay would fall 
 to pieces, and drying yards were established where 
 the rich dirt was dried and pounded. 
 
 A SHARP MINING BROKER. 
 
 A sharp trade was driven in claims, a thousand 
 dollars being frequently paid for a piece of ground 
 thirty feet square. Moore Lerty was particularly 
 successful in selling claims. His operations were 
 bold, and perhaps original. He would open a claim 
 in a good vicinity, down to good-looking dirt, and 
 then would load an old musket with gold-dust, and 
 shoot the ground full of gold. It is said that he has 
 been known to punish a claim with two or three 
 hundred dollars in this way. If he did not sell the 
 claim, he could wash the dirt, and recover the dust. 
 He sold a claim for one thousand dollars in this way 
 to Henry Jones, notably the sharpest man in Vol 
 cano. Jones tried the claim for a day or two before 
 purchasing, it is said, even going into the hole at 
 night to get the dirt, so as to be sure that he was 
 not imposed on. The dirt was all rich, so he bought 
 it. The fun of the matter was in the fact that the 
 place proved to be really rich, one of the best in the 
 camp. Another salted claim, in China gulch, also 
 proved good, but several f his swindles coming to 
 light, he fled before the wrath that began to mani- 
 
206 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 fost itself, and left the country. A number of houses 
 of respectable appearance were built in 1851, among 
 which were the Volcano Hotel, by G. W. (remmil; 
 the National, by Dr. Flint, of Flint, Bixby & Co.; 
 the Philadelphia House, by Downs, and some 
 others. The last two were standing until a few 
 years since, a relic of pioneer days. 
 
 STOWELL TO THE FRONT AGAIN. 
 
 Dr. Flint, since an extensive stock raiser in some 
 of the southern counties, under the name of Flint, 
 Bixby & Co., went into the mountains on the line 
 of the emigrant road, and purchased stock. In 
 driving it down to Volcano some of it escaped, and 
 was taken up by some miners at Fort Ann, who 
 advertised the cattle as well as they were able at 
 that time, as estrays. They refused to give them 
 up to Flint on the proof of ownership which he 
 presented, and a lawyer advised him to avoid the 
 preliminary costs of a suit, a hundred dollars or 
 more, by taking the cattle by force, so as to compel 
 them to initiate the lawsuit if they wanted one. 
 Flint took Rod. Stowell along as the force element; 
 but force was something that both sides could appeal 
 to, and a row ensued, Rod. getting a ball which 
 made a cripple of him for life; and the two miners, 
 wounds which were thought by the physician to be 
 mortal. Stowell was arrested, and found guilty of 
 murder by a jury of miners, and a resolution was 
 passed to hang him when either of the victims should 
 die, and a guard was set to watch him. Unex 
 pectedly, the two miners recovered, and Stowell 
 escaped hanging, more on account of the pleadings 
 of his mother than any good-will the people bore 
 him, for his name had become offensive. Clark, 
 then Sheriff of Calaveras county, was present, but 
 did not attempt to rescue the prisoner. 
 
 AGRICULTURE. 
 
 It could not be expected that such a piece of 
 ground as the Volcano flat should remain idle. In 
 1851, it was taken up for ranches by several parties. 
 James L. Halstead and Thomas Bryant took up the 
 lower part next to the town, and Van Metre, and 
 another man, the upper part. Halstead and Bryant 
 raised potatoes in 1851, both on the main stream and 
 on the south branch. In 1852, Henrj 7 Jones became 
 the owner of the upper ranch, and several acres of 
 potatoes were planted. The soil produced enor 
 mously. According to Jones, who testified to it 
 under oath, in a suit for the restitution of water 
 which the miners had directed from his. ranch, the 
 yield was seven hundred and fifty bushels to the 
 acre. He had ten thousand hills which would aver 
 age ten pounds to the hill, worth ten cents per 
 pound. Tomatoes, and all kinds of vegetables, 
 flourished with unknown luxuriance, the produce 
 selling at enormous prices. Halstead would make 
 twenty dollars per day carrying vegetables around 
 in a sack. Wash. Lewis at this time was a partner 
 in the ranch. In 1853, an enormous crop of potatoes 
 
 was raised, in fact, twice the amout required for the 
 consumption of the place. Jones succeeded in quietly 
 disposing of his while holding out that he would not 
 sell for less than a certain rate. Most of the others, 
 stored in some cabins, were ruined by a hard frost, 
 and potatoes were a white elephant. Prices for 
 vegetables in the early years were, for green corn, 
 one dollar per dozen; cucumbers, fifty cents; toma 
 toes, ten cents per pound, as also were beans (green), 
 carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, and cabbage; water 
 melons, fifty cents to one dollar each; figs, peaches, 
 and pears, twenty-five cents each, the last being 
 imported from Lower California. An Oregon apple, 
 in the Winter, was worth one dollar as late as 1857. 
 
 SOCIETY. 
 
 In 1852, Colonel Madeira, John Turner, Captain 
 Richards, Story, Else, Oaf, Addison, Shultis, Wash. 
 Lewis, Joe Lewis, Downs, Hartram, and Stevenson, 
 settled in the place, and there began to be society. 
 It was now possible to get up a respectable dance by 
 pressing into service all mothers as well as children. 
 Mrs. Henly, a woman who cooked at the Volcano 
 Hotel, and Mr. Hunt were married in 1851, this 
 being the first wedding in the town. The next was 
 Halstead and a sister of the Lewis brothers, soon 
 after crossing the plains; the next, John James and 
 a daughter of Else. 
 
 Perhaps few towns could boast of as much talent 
 lying around loose as Volcano. On the flat, back of 
 the town, was a number of cabins where a cluster of 
 intellectual lights daily discussed and solved all the 
 abstruse questions since modestly treated upon by 
 Spencer, Huxley, Tyndal and others. Tom Boucher 
 had edited a magazine in Cincinnati, and disliked to 
 come to shoveling the tough mud in which gold was 
 found in Volcano. Some half a dozen more of the 
 same kind felt and thought the same way. The 
 days were too hot for work, but the cool evenings 
 were conducive to profound thoughts, so they wore 
 their old broadcloth into dirty gloss, read all the 
 books and newspapers that could be found, and 
 trusted to heaven, or the generosity of the boys, for 
 a square meal. This constellation of stars of the 
 first magnitude finally became scattered. The 
 country was not advanced enough in 1853, to sustain 
 such a society. 
 
 This does not finish the subject, however. There 
 were others who adapted themselves to the circum 
 stances. Ellec Hayes, who worked on the grave 
 yard hill, was a West Pointer, and afterward a 
 brigadier-general, and was killed in the battles of 
 the Wilderness. Sempronius Boyd was afterward a 
 Union general, and also member of Congress. Rufus 
 Boyd also became a member of Congress. James T. 
 Farley commenced his career in this place, his first 
 cases being before Justice Stevens. Halstead, who 
 carried vegetables on his back over the town, is now 
 a distinguished lawyer in Santa Cruz, having filled 
 many positions of honor and profit. S. J. K. Handy, 
 
VOLCANO AND VICINITY. 
 
 207 
 
 Judge Black, Moses Tebbs, Judge .Reynolds, all men 
 of note, were residents of Volcano in early days, and 
 have made their mark in the world. J. W. Porter, 
 now a lawyer at Jackson, sunk the deepest hole for 
 gravel ever seen about Volcano, and perhaps, in the 
 county. He was as fond of going to the bottom of 
 things while mining as when searching out his law 
 points, and started a shaft on the clay between the 
 limestone and slate at the head of Soldiers' gulch. 
 He went down one hundred and fifty feet, striking 
 the limestone at the bottom, finding gold all the way. 
 Morris M. Estee, one of the foremost lawyers in San 
 Francisco, was a boy here in 1855, just commencing 
 the study of law. M. \V. Gordon, since member of 
 the Legislature, and several times County Judge, 
 and always, from the necessity of things, a foremost 
 man, could be seen thirty years since swinging the 
 pick as lustily as any of the miners. 
 
 There were some prominent physicians, also Dr. 
 Ayer, now of San Francisco, mined in Humbug 
 gulch in an early day. Dr. Morgan, afterward of 
 Sacramento, mined in the Soldiers' gulch, and also 
 on the south branch. He was a wag of the first 
 water, and generally kept some good thing in the 
 way of fun traveling about the camp. He gave 
 " Shirt-tail Bend " its felicitous name. It is related 
 of him that he once sold a good claim for a very in 
 significant sum. When it proved a big thing, he was 
 so mortified that he took himself out one side and 
 chastised himself with a big hickory, exclaiming, 
 between the blows, " Take that you d n fool; sell a 
 good claim for nothing, will you ? " M. K. Boucher, 
 a brother to Tom, the magazine writer, was a man 
 of thorough knowledge in his profession, and of 
 varied reading in general science. Dr. Ives, an 
 eminent physician, helped for years to make the 
 waters of Sutter creek a stream of mud and sand. 
 In the chaos of social elements these men threw 
 away the university gown and donned the hickory 
 shirt and canvas pants of the miner. Some, dis 
 couraged by the apparent worthlessness of their 
 scientific training in the hurly burly of this kind of 
 life, sunk and never recovered, dying in poverty and 
 obscurity; others, gathering wisdom from the rough 
 experience, arose mightier than before, and pushed 
 their way to eminence. With such elements, it is not 
 strange that the old-time laws of ethics and religion 
 should be swept away like cobwebs, as unsuitable for 
 the new circumstances, and new ones established, or 
 at least tried. We, who look at the comparatively 
 orderly days of 1881, can scarcely form an idea of 
 the chaos of thirty years since. 
 
 A PHILOSOPHER. 
 
 Volcano was famous, in some places at least, for 
 other things than its gold. In 1855 a resident wrote 
 and published a work on natural philosophy, which 
 was sent over all the world, copies of it going to 
 the sovereigns of Europe, the Pope of Eome, and 
 also to the principal scientific and literary men 
 of both continents. The work was entitled, " An 
 
 Examiner into the Laws of Nature," and was writ 
 ten " principally for those who had not examined 
 much into the laws of Nature, and who had not 
 made a variety of galvanic and other experiments, 
 and more especially for the benefit of children." It 
 was so clear and pellucid in argument, so simple 
 and grand in expression, that children, undoubtedly, 
 could appreciate it as well as older persons. A few 
 extracts from the work will give an idea of the 
 majestic sweep of thought which characterized the 
 work from the beginning to the end. 
 
 " From examining into the external organization 
 surrounding the surface of the earth, we find there 
 are fixed laws created within the physical organiza 
 tion to bring on periods of changes. Said changes 
 appear approaching towards perfection. By track 
 ing some of said changes to the present period, we 
 learn that all animated nature has undergone 
 changes. From said changes said cause, so ex 
 isting in and among men, has been so changed 
 from time to time that it is difficult for one to become 
 acquainted with said cause. Man can only become 
 acquainted with said existing poisonous cause in and 
 among men, in all its branches, from tracing said 
 effects from causes up to the present period, as before 
 said. * * * I believe a general knowledge 
 of said cause, so existing in and among men, that 
 man will greatly diminish said cause, so existing in 
 and among men ; and the effects that must follow and 
 from so diminishing said poison, must be beneficial 
 results flowing therefrom. * * * So of the 
 growth of wheat : When said grains become com 
 posed in said heads and perfected, said two statutes, 
 male and female, remained in said grains until the 
 next planting time, if said grains did not become de 
 composed from some cause. When said wheat stalks 
 and head were perfected, the affinity which com 
 posed said stalks and head, through said liquid for 
 mation, and holds said stalks together in forms and 
 shapes, and said stalks were strong and tough, the 
 power of affinity existed in said stalks and heads. 
 What effect followed said wheat stalks, heads, and 
 grains? When said liquid circulation within said 
 stalks and heads ceased circulating, the power of 
 affinity commenced decreasing, and said stalks com 
 menced losing their power and strength gradually, 
 as said power continued diminishing within; and by 
 the time said power had ceased holding said stalks 
 together in form and shape, said parcels within had 
 composed said stalks, and occupied the same position 
 in parcels as they did when said formation com 
 menced. Said grains, when perfected and become 
 hard and somewhat solid, said power of affinity 
 existed the greatest in some grains, and if left sub 
 ject to said law, undergoes the same process as said 
 stalks did." 
 
 The author in this lucid way, described the forma 
 tion of the earth, seas, and mineral lodes; the 
 decomposition of the "said water into said seas 
 into the fine parcels they occupied previous to the 
 formation of said seas," thus forestalling this book 
 by more than a quarter of a century! His biogra 
 phy written by himself is : 
 
 " The author of this work is in and about five feet 
 and five inches tall; possessed of dark brownish hair 
 and eyes; a projecting forehead over his eyes; 
 rather flat on the top of his head; and has been 
 subject to a crook in one of his fingers on his right 
 
208 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 hand, the second finger from the thumb, at the first 
 joint from the nail, crooking towards the thumb; 
 and weighs in and about one hundred and twenty 
 pounds. 
 
 " My mother did inform me that 1 was born in 
 Northampton county, and State of Pennsylvania. 
 February 18, 1807. And it was my parents' lot to be 
 poor, and to become a subject to the support of a 
 large family, and I being the youngest of the 
 family, and through said cause I did not receive 
 a proper education in my youthful days. All the 
 schooling I did receive at different periods, did not 
 receive one year. Notwithstanding, in the con 
 struction, form, and shape of my physical organiza 
 tion, was constructed organs possessed of power to 
 create natural impressions in my mind; although 
 said organs was merety excited into action in my 
 youthful days owing to said cause. * * * * 
 
 " I had a little money left. I did deposit said 
 money into a banking house, and took a check from 
 said banking house; and I put said check into a 
 letter, and I put said letter into the post-office to be 
 sent home to my friends. The next day it was re 
 ported through the city that said banking house had 
 failed. From said report, I became aware that said 
 money could not reach the Atlantic States. I was 
 grieved for a few days with sorrows, but on meditat 
 ing I became at once aware, if I did continue fret 
 ting and grieving for said disappointments, that I 
 should soon destroy my mind, and I must remain 
 hopeless of doing anything for myself or my friends. 
 I at once canie to a conclusion, as I thought that 1 was 
 born so unlucky; and if I was born so unlucky there 
 must be a sure cause for it. But why was it so, or 
 what cause existed in me that made me so unlucky ? 
 but said cause thereof I could not tell." 
 
 He labored in the mines three years with poor 
 success. 
 
 " In December, 1854, I became so reduced in means 
 that 1 had but one suit of clothes, which I had on my 
 body. My clothes became subject to lice, and I had 
 to suffer the torments of said lice for five days, before 
 1 could possibly raise means to buy clean clothes; 
 and became hungry and did go into a house and ask 
 for something to eat, and told them that I had no 
 money to pay for it." 
 
 FORMATION AND COMPOSITION OF THE EARTH. 
 
 "In describing the organization of the earth I 
 shall first commence on her surface, and then pene 
 trate into her internal parts. First, the earth has an 
 outside crust or shell, extending from her surface 
 towards her center, from five hundred to a thousand 
 miles, more or less, which forms a roundish arch 
 within her. Said outside crust or shell is of a nature 
 like the bark of trees, and like oyster shells, and 
 like rocks found on her surface. Said crust or shell 
 is the hardest and most porous on and near her sur 
 face, like trees are the most solid on and in their 
 center. Oyster shells possess the same nature. * * 
 It is often difficult by looking small children in the 
 face, to tell whether they are males or females; the 
 greatest distinction on\y develops itself in and about 
 the time they mature. The moon is possessed of the 
 same organization as the earth. The moon has a 
 current of air round his or her body, but said air 
 does not as yet carry vapor, for this reason : The 
 moon is not as yet matured to his or her full size; and 
 if the moon is a female her surface cannot produce 
 vegetation as yet. The sea is the stomach of the 
 moon the same as the sea is the stomach of the earth, 
 
 and in its organization collects matter of space in 
 parcels possessed of all the different qualities and 
 properties required to compose every separate and 
 different internal and external organ of the moon, in 
 the same order that animals and men receive into 
 their stomachs liquid and all the vegetable ingre 
 dients for their entire organization. The different 
 organs in said organization separate the different 
 properties required to compose the different parts of 
 the body, although all are mixed up at once in the 
 stomach." 
 
 The Professor, by means of electricity, was able 
 to detect all the phases of character. 
 
 "I happened to be at a hotel where a number of 
 men had collected, and, by looking at said men in 
 their faces, I soon saw that said men were possessed 
 of different temperaments; and 1 looked at one man, 
 and thought, owing to his organization, that his 
 body must contain too much electricity, and not 
 enough of caloric, and that his head must contain 
 too much caloric, and not enough electricity. I 
 asked said man if he was not a subject of exciting 
 uneasiness at spells, and if he did not become a sub 
 ject of blues or horrors during said exciting days? 
 He said, yes. I asked him if said blues did not come 
 on him, and he did not know how. He said, yes. 
 Knowing the days of said periods, I referred him 
 back to said days, and asked him if he was subject 
 of said blues during said days? Ho said, yes. Know 
 ing the days of said negative period which followed, 
 I asked him how he i'elt bad in said days. He said 
 he had in a manner become relieved of said blues." 
 
 The Knickerbocker Magazine, replied: "Fervently 
 appealed to as an organ of Eastern scientific opinion 
 (?) to make known the views of Professor Horn, we 
 have yielded to the request. Our own views are 
 respectfully requested. We give them freely. We 
 do not believe there is at this moment on the globe 
 a really scientific philosopher who can, in any respect, 
 compare with Professor Horn." What the Pope, 
 Queen Yictoria, and the other dignitaries of Europe 
 thought of it, is not known. 
 
 EIGHTEEN HUNDRED AND FIFTY-THREE. 
 
 This season witnessed the infusion of new energy 
 into mining operations. It was found that many 
 of the hills and flats, like Union flat, Mahala flat, 
 and the hills along the junction of the limestone and 
 slate, had gold in paying quantities. Extensive 
 canals were surveyed, and mining was put on a new 
 basis. The Jackson Ditch Company was organized 
 by J. C. Ham, Alonzo Platt, and, soon after, the 
 Volcano Canal Company, by J. C. Shipman, B. F. 
 Wheeler, M. W. Gordon, William Roberts, J. T. Far 
 ley, W. A. Eliason, and others. The waters of the 
 different forks of Sutter creek were carried on to 
 the hills and flats adjoining, and ground-sluicing 
 inaugurated. Largo masses of earth were now 
 moved in a very short time. Slickens was born in 
 the Winter of 1853-54, though few persons had at 
 that time any serious idea of the future growth of 
 the monster, else he had been strangled then and 
 there. On the south branch, near the foot of Hum- 
 lug gulch, was a nice little garden of an acre or two 
 
FOREST LIVERY STABLE. 
 
 THOMPSON DAVIS & MERWIM LEACH, PROPS., PLYMOUTH. AMADOR C? CAL, 
 
 FOREST HOUSE. 
 
 T.VY.EASTONI, OWNER & PROP ? PLYMOUTH, AMADDR C CAL. 
 
 ITM. m*ITTOIt * V. . 
 
VOLCANO AND VICINITY. 
 
 209 
 
 only in extent; but the soil was rich, and produced 
 an abundance of vegetables. An immigrant, by the 
 name of Payne, gave all he had, about eight hundred 
 dollars, for this little place. The miners carried a 
 stream of water into the head of the gulch, which 
 was but a mile in length, with a fall of three or four 
 hundred feet, and moved a hundred thousand cubic 
 yards of earth down the gulch, which ran a stream 
 of mud, which, in a short time, buried the ranch 
 several feet deep with the slickens, leaving only the 
 roofs of the buildings above the ground. The min 
 ing law, the only one in force then, gave him no 
 remedy, and he was obliged to submit to the destruc 
 tion. The impetus given to mining gave a cor 
 responding growth to the town; and brick, stone 
 and grout (cement), buildings went up in a short 
 time. 
 
 INTRODUCTION OP HYDRAULIC MINING. 
 
 Some attempts were made in the Winter of 1853-54, 
 but the idea was not fully developed. The invention 
 or use of hydraulic pressure in mining, is generally 
 accredited to Matthewson, of Mokelumne Hill. It 
 is uncertain who first used it in Amador county. 
 Some persons claim it for N. W. Spaulding, near 
 Clinton. In the Winter of 1853-54, tin pipes were 
 used as nozzles, with a pressure of twenty to thirty 
 feet. It was thought impossible to use a hundred 
 feet pressure, but experiments quickly taught the 
 miners that no practical limit was probable; and 
 we soon find the fall increased to seventy-five, one 
 hundred, and even one hundred and fifty feet. The 
 hose began to be made of the heaviest canvas, with 
 two or three thicknesses. With a pressure of one 
 hundred and twenty-five feet, the toughest clays 
 around the camp would melt away like snow before 
 a driving wind, and more gold was saved than before. 
 Experience suggested improvements, and the way 
 was pointed out which led to the Monitor, through 
 which five hundred inches are hurled with force suffi 
 cient to move rocks tons in weight. 
 
 At first it was customary to build pen-stocks on 
 high and costly frames, which, not only encumbered 
 the ground, but were liable to blow down, or fall, by 
 the moving or sliding of the ground, near large 
 excavations. It was learned that all the pressure 
 was utilized by laying the hose on the ground, along 
 the slope of the hill. Mason & Foster were the 
 first to use iron pipe for hydraulic purposes. This 
 was five and a quarter inches in diameter, and some 
 thing over two hundred feet long, which, with can 
 vas hose at the head, gave a pressure of nearly one 
 hundred and fifty feet. This was sufficient to burst 
 copper-riveted, four-inch, leather hose, and force 
 twenty inches of water, miners' measurement, through 
 an inch nozzle. Some difficulty was experienced in 
 providing for the expansion and contraction of the 
 pipe. In a hot day the pipe would expand several 
 inches; a stream of cold water turned in would sud 
 denly contract it, and, of course, cause a break. This 
 was remedied by making flexible joints, and in a few 
 27 
 
 weeks the " new notion," as it was termed, became a 
 starting-point for other improvements. The pipe, 
 constructed in March, 1856, is still in use. 
 
 THE NATURE OF THE GRAVEL DEPOSITS 
 
 Began to be studied. The fact that gulches cross 
 ing limestone ranges were generally rich below such 
 junction, was observed, though the reasons were then, 
 and are even now, little understood; a subsequent 
 conclusion, that the hills adjoining must be rich, 
 caused many good claims to be opened. The Mason 
 & Foster claim was of this character. The point 
 of rocks near the foot of the Boardman hill, was as 
 unlikely a place to find gold, except for the theory 
 referred to, as one could well find; yet the ground 
 payed in places from the top down forty or fifty 
 feet. There appeared to have been several channels 
 worn through the rocks by a former river, a subse 
 quent flow diagonally across the first channels sup 
 plying the gold, which was much rounded. As no 
 quartz veins are found in the vicinity, the gravel 
 containing the gold must have been moved from a 
 considerable distance. The same deposit was traced 
 for some miles along the limestone towards the Mo 
 kelumne river. It is now believed by many intelli 
 gent miners that these deposits are lateral moraines 
 of the glacier period, the location being, to some 
 extent, the consequence of the usual friable nature 
 of the slates along the junction of the limestones, 
 which favored the cutting of a channel on that line. 
 
 IN CHINA GULCH. 
 
 The Chapline boys, Story & Co., A. J. Holmes, 
 now owner of the Northern Belle mine in Nevada, 
 had good claims in China gulch, on the same range. 
 The south branch, which ran parallel with this 
 range and touching it occasionally, was also im 
 mensely rich, though the gold was distributed 
 through gravel in places sixty or seventy feet deep. 
 Some places, like the Green claim in Soldiers' gulch, 
 seemed to have no bottom, but kept on paying, though 
 no gold was found on the bed-rock soft mud " and 
 nothing more." S. B. Boardman worked a channel 
 up through the South Branch flat, striking many 
 rich pockets. This was a potato field in 1853. 
 
 The main branch of Sutter creek where Halsted, 
 Bryant, and Henry W. Jones had their ranches, 
 was also immensely rich in places. The Italians 
 mostly worked this, some of whom carried away 
 twenty-five thousand dollars each. Eed gulch, for 
 merly called Hines gulch, along the eastern side of 
 the limestone, has also been rich. Eecently large 
 machinery was fitted up on this place to run dirt up 
 an inclined plane to a dump box, but the great ex 
 pense of raising the dirt, and the amount of water 
 to contend with, induced the proprietors, Moyle & 
 Co., to change their plan of working. 
 
 VOLCANO TUNNEL. 
 
 A joint-stock company was formed, nearly all the 
 ground on the flat on the south branch as well as 
 on the main creek purchased, and a tunnel started. 
 
210 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 This was a bold project; its length is two thousand 
 three hundred and fifty feet and strikes the flat forty- 
 two feet lower than the present outlet. The opening 
 or dimensions are eight feet square, with a grade of 
 two inches to the rod. In other days this would 
 have been impi'acticable, but with the aid of modern 
 machinery it has been comparatively easy. The 
 compressor drill will strike two hundred and fifty 
 times a minute, and requires but one man to manage 
 it. It takes but little room, makes no mistakes, and 
 though apparently spiteful, is more subject to control 
 than horse, mule or man power. The tunnel was 
 commenced four years since, working from both ends; 
 the workmen met about the first of January, 1881. 
 The work is estimated to have cost nearly two hundred 
 thousand dollars. Like all projects of this kind it 
 has its prophets of good and evil. It will take a year 
 or more to carry the works up to Red gulch, where 
 the heaviest pay is expected. It is to be hoped 
 that the investment may pay. 
 
 FORMER PROJECTS FOR LOWERING THE OUTLET. 
 
 In 1854 J. W. Bicknell, William Grubb, Odell, 
 Davis, and Harmon, ran a bed-rock flume up the 
 Volcano canon. The intention was to make only a 
 straight channel for a flume and make the pay out 
 of the waste from the claims above. This did not 
 pay, and in 1857 Thomas and John Goodwin, Cap 
 tain Richards, McGrath, and others, commenced 
 blasting up through with the intention of lowering 
 the outlet fifteen feet. The work was more expen 
 sive than was calculated, on account of the hardness 
 of the rock, which would require a fresh drill every 
 inch; and the work was abandoned by the company, 
 and was finished by Goiian for the Amador Canal 
 Company, to aid the sale of water. The channel 
 was narrow and rough, and did not have the carry 
 ing capacity to convey the water in a rise, and it was 
 found impracticable to keep it open, and was aban 
 doned. 
 
 About the same time that the last project was 
 started, Judge Black, a lawyer of Volcano, organized 
 a company to tunnel through the canon, mitch like 
 the present tunnel project, making a shorter tunnel 
 with less depth for outlet. A few hundred dollars 
 exhausted the resources of the projectors, who, not 
 being practical miners, could not obtain the con 
 fidence of capitalists, and the project was soon 
 abandoned. 
 
 The largest population was in 1855, the place cast 
 ing nearly one thousand two hundred votes .in that 
 season. The population was by no means permanent, 
 having been attracted to the place by the reports of 
 rich mines that would pay down an indefinite depth. 
 It remained at about that figure until the Table 
 Mountain excitement in Tuolumne county, in 1856. 
 That drew away a great many, and the Frazer River 
 boom a year or two later, drew off a still greater 
 number. Notwithstanding some discoveries in quartz 
 and many good claims which continued to pay, the 
 place showed a steady decrease in population until 
 
 about 1876, when, in consequence of some important 
 discoveries in quartz, notably the Hanford and Downs 
 mine, the Golden Gate and the Pioneer, a reaction 
 set in. Volcano may now be reckoned as a promis 
 ing town again. Some new buildings are being 
 erected and old ones repaired and enlarged. 
 
 FIRES. 
 
 Volcano has had rather a large share of destruc 
 tion in this way. The first large fire occurred in 
 August, 1853, commencing in the Eureka Hotel, 
 kept by Myers. This occurred near midnight. The 
 house had just been built, was a two-story building, 
 costing perhaps five or six thousand dollars. There 
 was no bell or other means of arousing the people, 
 and the first alarm was the shooting of revolvers 
 like fire-crackers, the progress of the fire being so 
 rapid that the boarders had not time to remove their 
 personal property. The building being of a light 
 and combustible material, was soon consumed. The 
 flumes spread north towards the National Hotel, 
 and south towards the creek, consuming several 
 buildings, Myers and Duke (the latter owning the 
 store at the junction of the old streets, near the 
 present St. George, which is on the site of the old 
 Eureka,) being the principal losers. But for the 
 fact that there was a deep hole of water in the vicin 
 ity, the whole town would have burned. A line of 
 buckets was quickly formed and a stream of water 
 poured upon the adjacent buildings, and the fire 
 stayed. 
 
 THE LARGEST FIRE 
 
 Occurred in November, 1859. This commenced in a 
 bakery on the corner of Consolation and Main 
 streets, about seven o'clock in the morning. The 
 buildings were very dry, no rain having yet fallen. 
 The hook and ladder company, the only organized 
 fire company, attempted to arrest it by pulling down 
 buildings, but without success, as the ruins could 
 not be dragged out of the way in time to keep them 
 from taking fire, and the buildings down the street 
 as far asThurston's store were all consumed. Dur 
 ing the eafly part of the fire it progressed towards 
 the lower end of town against a gentle breeze from 
 the south-east; but the wind soon freshened and 
 drove it back on its first course, burning the build 
 ings on the back streets that had been saved in its 
 first movement. The Mahoney Hall and the build 
 ings north of Consolation street were saved by 
 covering them with wet blankets. There is no 
 recorded list of losses obtainable, but the following 
 are among some of the larger ones, the aggregate 
 being about sixty thousand dollars : 
 
 Henry Fredericks $ 3,000 
 
 J. Goldswortby. 2,000 
 
 Else Estate 1,000 
 
 Ballurd's National House (built in 1851). 2,000 
 
 Gerhard Spohn & Co 3,000 
 
 Fridonburg's Saloon and Bakery 4,000 
 
 B. F. George's Empire Hotel (formerly 
 
 Eureka) _ 10,000 
 
VOLCANO AND VICINITY. 
 
 211 
 
 The losses numbered about twenty-five, the build 
 ings being partially insured. It was late in the 
 season, but by the first of January most of the 
 burned district was rebuilt. The goods saved were 
 stored in Clute's and Handford's stores until new 
 ones were built. The town quickly recovered from 
 
 this fire. 
 
 FIRE OF 1862. 
 
 This occurred in October, and commenced in the 
 St. George Hotel (formerly Empire, Eureka), in the 
 kitchen roof, burning the whole block on which it 
 stood. The fire was arrested by tearing down Je 
 rome's livery stable. 
 Partial list of losses: 
 
 B. F. George $10,000 
 
 Fridenburg's Saloon 4,000 
 
 G. Spohn & Co 3,000 
 
 FIRE OF 1865. 
 
 This commenced in a building north of Hanford's 
 store, burning all on that side as far as Whiting's 
 shop; all the wooden buildings across the street, 
 including the old Volcano Hotel, built by Gemmil 
 in 1851, several residences, also several China stores. 
 This part of the town was the first built, and con 
 tained many old landmarks, such as Mahoney Hall, 
 Philadelphia House,* etc. Aggregate losses, twenty- 
 five thousand dollars. 
 
 LOYAL FLAG. 
 
 Mahony Hall had been used as an armory by the 
 Volcano Blues, an intensely loyal company. The 
 flag was flying when the building took fire, and in 
 the hurry and confusion was overlooked when they 
 were compelled to leave the building, much to the 
 regret of the Blues. The- old flag refused to burn 
 or to fall, and waved in triumph until the tall flag 
 staff burned off, when it fell beyond the fire, and 
 was saved by the boys, who made a rush for it. 
 
 YEAR OF FIRES. 
 
 The year 1868 was called the year of fires, no less 
 than five having occurred. Most of the buildings 
 burned had been insured when property was high, 
 and the town prosperous. When the town began 
 to decline, and property depreciate, the amount for 
 which the buildings were insured was often greater 
 than any sum for which they could be sold; hence 
 a suspicion that the fires were not altogether acci 
 dental. The locality of the next fire was a matter 
 of speculation based on the notoriously high insur 
 ance. The first fire was in Fabian's store, near the 
 post-office, burning all on that side of the street 
 to Hanford's store, six or eight buildings being 
 destroyed. By extraordinary efforts of .Robert 
 Stewart, Q. Mason, Pettis Williams, and Isaac Whit 
 ney, who stood on Goldsmith's saloon and kept it 
 wet, the fire was prevented from crossing the street. 
 Some of these men fought the fire so closely that 
 
 *The writer had a residence for some time in one of these 
 hotels in 1853, and begs leave to say if they were as densely 
 populated as in that day, the destruction of life was inevitably 
 enormous. 
 
 their clothes were charred on them. The losses 
 were about fifteen thousand dollars. Two or three 
 weeks after, eleven o'clock at night, the fire broke 
 out in a saloon and bakery, on the corner of Consola 
 tion and Main streets, owned by George Schaffer, 
 burning all on that side down to Burleson's store. 
 The flames reached over the store, setting fire to 
 the next building, but by courageous efforts the fire 
 was stayed at that point. Losses, about six thou 
 sand dollars. The next fire was in the bend south 
 of the creek, burning Sorrocco's store, with the con 
 tents. Loss, about twelve thousand dollars. The 
 next, two weeks after, at eleven o'clock at night, 
 commenced in the stable belonging to Nicolas & 
 Wendal, butchers, communicating to Fridenburg's 
 saloon and bakery, and Mrs. Hemlin's dwelling- 
 house. Losses, about eight thousand dollars, all 
 insured. Fulton's dwelling-house was burned the 
 same season. The fire commenced in the night, and 
 was quelled, as it was thought, but soon after the 
 house was found to be again in flames, and was soon 
 destroyed. 
 
 HANFORD'S STORE. 
 
 One of the oldest and most expensive structures 
 in town was burned in 1872. A kerosene lamp fell 
 into the hatchway of the cellar, about nine o'clock 
 in the evening, breaking in pieces and setting fire to 
 the goods in the vicinity. The flames were extin 
 guished and no further trouble was apprehended, but 
 the fire had unexpectedly communicated to the 
 extensive stock of liquors, and flames were soon 
 bursting out all over the cellar. A few minutes' 
 attempt to put out the flames showed the doom of the 
 building, and the hatchway was closed down, and as 
 many goods removed as was possible, about four thou 
 sand dollars being saved. The removal of the goods, 
 by as many as could work, was kept up until the floor 
 commenced sinking, when all hands were ordered 
 out and the doors closed. Soon after this the liquors, 
 being raised to a boiling point by the great heat in 
 the cellar, exploded, blowing out the rear of the store 
 and raising the floors and roof a few feet, which fell 
 in as they settled back, and the work of destruction 
 was completed in a few minutes. 
 
 As there are some reports in circulation to the 
 effect that this fire was contemplated to get the 
 insurance, the author has taken some trouble in 
 getting the true history of the matter. The stories 
 that the goods had been secretly removed and empty 
 boxes substituted; that the cords on which the lamps 
 were suspended had been arranged so as to burn off; 
 that a train of combustibles had been laid so as to 
 connect with the inflammable liquors, may be true, 
 but considered in connection with the known facts, 
 that ten thousand dollars had recently been added to 
 the stock; that Hanford seriously risked his life in 
 saving the goods, being almost dragged out of the 
 building after the floor had commenced sinking; 
 that he left his watch and many valuable relics in his 
 desk, which were destroyed, they seemed so improb- 
 
212 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 able that the insurance companies did not consider 
 them worth notice. 
 
 The careful reader will notice that the site of the 
 present St. George, owned by A. Petty, has been 
 burned over three times, as well as the ground 
 adjoining on the north. The first hotel, the Eureka, 
 was burned in August, 1853; the second, by the same 
 name, B. F. George proprietor, in 1859; it was next 
 called the Empire, with the same proprietor, and was 
 burned in 1862. B. F. George seemed to rise with 
 the necessities of the occasion and twice raised it 
 over the ashes, each time better than before. It still 
 lives, perhaps the best hotel in the county. 
 
 MINER'S JOKE. 
 
 In an early day, Major Shipman, a favorite of the 
 public and several times a County Clerk and other 
 wise honored with office, was mining in a tunnel in 
 Volcano. One day he was rather unfortunate, a 
 piece of steel from his pick breaking off and cutting 
 him severely over the eye. The wound was more 
 frightful than dangerous, and it occurred to him to 
 sell some of his friends. He first called on the Good 
 win boys. They were alarmed at his appearance, 
 the blood running freely over his face, and inquired 
 how he got hurt. He told them he had a difficulty 
 with a man by the name of Steel, whom he found in 
 his tunnel; further inquiry elicited the fact that the 
 man was still in the tunnel, and was likely to stay 
 there until he was brought out. They thought it a 
 matter of prudence to take the body out of the tun 
 nel, for if found there it might make trouble when 
 the miners found it out, and actually started off to 
 remove the body, but returned when they found 
 they were sold. They went to Jim Farley, known 
 to be a warm friend of the Major's, and told him 
 that Shipman had got into a serious difficulty. Far 
 ley immediately responded, and advised Shipman to 
 leave the country, as the miners might lynch him if 
 they got enraged, " if, as you say, every miner in 
 the camp is a friend of Steel's." "Have you any 
 money?" says Farley. " None to speak of," replies 
 Shipman. " Well," says Farley, " I have but little. 
 I can get you two hundred dollars and a horse, and 
 the sooner you are off the better." The Major's 
 heart began to relent at the part he was playing, as 
 Jim seemed to be quite alarmed, and the Major was 
 obliged to explain. " Few and short were the 
 prayers " Parley said, as he turned on his heel. " Oh, 
 h 1!" nothing more. 
 
 PLEASANT NOCTURNAL VISITOR. 
 
 Some time in the fifties, a showman, traveling with 
 a tame bear, gave an exhibition at Mahoney Hall. 
 During the following night, the bear escaped from 
 its keepers, and started out in search of adventures. 
 The rear part of the hall opened on the roofs and 
 balconies of several buildings, and the bear made 
 his way into a chamber occupied by a shoemaker, by 
 the name of Poole, an odd, irascible character, who 
 had been made the butt of many practical jokes. 
 
 When he felt the bed-clothing being dragged off, he 
 thought the boys were at their old tricks again. He 
 made a grab for the intruder, and was lucky enough 
 to catch him by the scalp. . The supposed boy mak 
 ing no resistance, Poole's courage rose to the occa 
 sion, and he determined to light a match, and see 
 who had so often disturbed his slumbers. Now, 
 Poole was considered the ugliest man in all those 
 parts, his face, according to judges of physiognomy, 
 indicating a decided progression, or divergence, 
 towards the catfish type of animals. When the 
 German match flashed into a bright flame, revealing 
 the parties to each other, their astonishment was 
 mutual. If Poole was terrified, so was the bear, 
 which gave a horrible howl, and tumbled out of the 
 window with all possible dispatch. 
 
 MURDER OF BECKMAN IN 1853. 
 
 This was attended with such unmitigated atrocities 
 that the community was thoroughly aroused. Beck- 
 man, a German, kept a store nearly in front of 
 Mahoney Hall, and by his straightforward character 
 had won the good opinion of all his acquaintances. 
 One morning he did not open the store as usual. On 
 examining the premises the rear door was found 
 partly open, though not broken, and Beckman in his 
 bunk alive, but speechless and insensible from a ter 
 rible cut with an ax, which had cleft his skull; the 
 bloody ax, the broken safe or chest, in which he 
 was known to keep his money, and other circum 
 stances, revealing the details and motives of the 
 murder. It was ascertained that Chris, a German, 
 mining on Mokelumne river in company with Harry 
 Fox, an Englishman, had been in the habit of sleep 
 ing in the store on his occasional visits to the town; 
 that he had been there at a late hour the previous 
 evening. Other circumstances also pointed towards 
 Chris and Harry as the criminals. 
 
 After a fruitless search for several days it was 
 learned that they had left the State by the emigrant 
 road. They were afterwards recognized on a Nica 
 ragua steamer by an eastern bound passenger, who 
 had them apprehended and sent to California by a 
 return vessel. On their way up, Chris threw himself 
 overboard and was drowned. Fox was carried to 
 Mokelumne Hill, and placed in jail to await his trial. 
 He soon after escaped, the ten thousand dollars of 
 which Beckman was robbed, being, possibly, a fac 
 tor^in the matter. The fugitives had made their 
 way towards the East as far as Salt Lake, where, 
 fancying they were pursued, they turned towards 
 Mexico, and made their way towards where they 
 were arrested. 
 
 LYNCH LAW. 
 
 The only execution in Volcano under this code 
 occurred in November, 1854. A young man from 
 Arkansas, by the name of Messer, had, during the 
 Summer, evinced a very bloodthirsty spirit, evi 
 dently desirous of " getting away with his man" as 
 soon as convenient. He wore a knife in a conspicu- 
 

 RESIDENCE BRANCH OF J.H.HOLMAN, NEAR PLYMOUTH, AMADORC?CAL. 
 
 RESIDENCE AND RANCH OF S.C.WHEELER, 
 NEAR PLYMOUTH, AMADDR C?GAL. 
 

VOLCANO AND VICINITY. 
 
 213 
 
 ous manner, and often boasted of his ability to cut 
 his way with it. He had already crippled for life a 
 young man by the name of Byrne, in a trifling dis 
 pute over a game of cards, and, when the final 
 offense was committed, there was no sympathy for 
 him. 
 
 In the Autumn of that year a family by the name 
 of McAllister had located in the town. The father 
 and mother were ignorant, uncultivated people, and 
 felt rather flattered than otherwise with the numer 
 ous visits to their house, the chief attraction being a 
 girl of perhaps fourteen years. One evening, Messer 
 and his three or four companions were refused 
 admission. By listening at the door they had ascer 
 tained that several men were already in the house, 
 and Messer's companions urged him to clean them 
 out, promising to " back him up." The door was 
 fastened on the inside with a pin inserted in the door 
 post, a usual method of securing doors in new 
 countries. Messer, familiar with this kind of lock, 
 succeeded in prj'ing the pin out with the point of his 
 knife, and, opening the door, entered with his com 
 panions. The old man expostulated with him, begged 
 that he would make no disturbance, and it seemed, 
 put his hand on Messer's shoulder, though with 
 out using any force, or trying to eject him. Messer 
 drew his ever-ready knife, and, with a back-handed 
 thrust, plunged it into the old man's bowels, com 
 pletely severing the liver from the body. The 
 wound was of course fatal, the pallor of death com 
 ing over his features in an instant. This seemed to 
 have satisfied Messer and his companions, who left 
 immediately. Several young men in the house 
 witnessed the affair, which was so sudden and unex 
 pected that they could offer no resistance. They 
 were, apparently, too astonished to raise an alarm, 
 and could hardly give a coherent account of the mur 
 der. Mrs. McAllister raised the neighbors byyelling 
 
 at the top of her voice: " , jiminy, send for 
 
 a doctor! " with a persistency that under less serious 
 circumstances would have been quite laughable. 
 
 A general pursuit of the parties commenced, and 
 Messer was apprehended in a short time and taken 
 past the scene of the murder. He was now bellowing 
 like a baby, his courage having failed at the sight of 
 danger. The crowd passed over the bridge toward 
 the town. At the Miners' restaurant they halted a 
 moment. In answer to the question " What shall 
 we do with him?" the cry was "Hang him! hang 
 him! " A proposition was made to do something for 
 the widow, but no response was made. Up through 
 the main street, every house helping to swell the 
 stream, no voices, no sound but the dull tramp, 
 tramp of hundreds of feet, the crowd made their 
 way. At Consolation street they turned toward the 
 Methodist church. Up that street, no one knew 
 whither, to the foot of the hill, thence to the left, 
 halting in a ravine to the north of the church where 
 there was a leaning oak tree, the top of which was 
 broken off twenty or thirty feet from the ground. 
 
 There was no consultation, no form of a trial; every 
 thing seemed to be done by common consent. Here 
 an unsuccessful attempt was made, by Constable 
 Scott, to arrest the lynching. Messer seemed to 
 have partially recovered his self-command, gave 
 some directions as to the disposal of his property, 
 and the payment of a few dollars he was owing in the 
 town. His last words were to this effect: " If I was 
 right in killing him, God will forgive me; if I am 
 wrong, I hope God will punish him," evidently 
 referring to himself. There was so little noise that 
 persons sleeping in houses a little way off heard 
 nothing of the affair, and were much astonished, 
 when they awoke in the morning, at seeing a dead 
 man hanging so near them. There was no frantic 
 excitement or rage, usually manifested on such occa 
 sions. The hanging seemed a foregone conclusion 
 from the start. 
 
 Had this murder been committed by an influential 
 man a quarter of a century later, a plea of hereditary 
 insanity would probably have saved him from execu 
 tion or any other serious punishment. Messer was 
 not insane ; he was simply acting his ideal of man 
 hood. He had been educated in that way ; was 
 taught that a gentleman must "get away with his 
 man." Though the murder was of the most atro 
 cious character, without the motive of anger, revenge 
 or lust, purely wanton, some might say thoughtless, 
 he placed himself on trial before bis God. " If I was 
 right in killing him God will forgive me. If I was 
 wrong I hope he will punish me." 
 
 Men ought not to be punished for acting up to their 
 instincts or convictions. Crime is the result of moral 
 and physical infirmities, modified by education and 
 circumstances, and to a great extent, is inevitable. 
 Punishment is an absurdity, an impossibility. It 
 does not restore the victim to his family or to society. 
 The right to take the life of a criminal must rest on 
 the broader ground of self-protection; that whether 
 from choice or necessity, his further existence is not 
 consistent with the security of life and property, and 
 must cease. The present insecurity of life does not 
 result so much from the want of law as from its refine 
 ments. The upper, not the lower classes, are now 
 setting law at defiance. 
 
 Substantial justice had been done without the 
 forms or delays of the law. No friends claiming the 
 body for burial, it was taken by the doctors and 
 skeletonized, some of the attending circumstances 
 being revolting. Portions of the body were said to 
 have been devoured by hogs, which had discovered 
 the pool of water into which the remains were placed 
 to disintegrate the flesh from the bones. The skel 
 eton was used to illustrate public lectures on anatomy 
 and physiology. All the circumstances were such as 
 to strike those criminally inclined with terror, if such 
 a thing were possible. Mark the result. Among the 
 most prominent of the volunteer executioners were 
 Dr. Goodwin, who was shot in a row at Snelling's 
 ranch, Si Maynard, who was hanged by a mob for 
 
214 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 stealing cattle, and Johnson, who was hanged in 
 Sierra county for murder. Mansur, who assisted, died 
 shortly afterwards of consumption. These results 
 are not related as retributive justice, but to show the 
 frequent inutility of lynch law as a means of reform, 
 or deterring others from committing crime. It often 
 happens that in new countries like California crime 
 precedes the organization of courts, compelling the 
 community to fall back on the first principles of gov 
 ernment, by organizing in self-defense; but when it is 
 necessary to anticipate courts, or supplement their 
 inefficient authority by "Judge Lynch's" code, it 
 should be done by those whose motives in undertak 
 ing it are unquestionable ; who look upon the pro 
 ceeding as a deplorable necessity, rather than as an 
 act of vengeance. 
 
 STAGE ROBBERIES. 
 
 This place^has become noted for the stage rob 
 beries occurring in the vicinity. The hill was usually 
 selected for the operation, the early morning hour at 
 which the stage started for Sacramento also favoring 
 the robbers. The largest robbery occurred May 1, 
 1872. A suspicion that an attack was contemplated 
 caused the agent of the express company to send 
 through a corresponding weight of rocks for several 
 days, which went without disturbance. One morn 
 ing the bullion, worth about ten thousand dollars, 
 was started. It was thought that no one had a 
 knowledge of the affair, but when near the top of 
 the hill the driver, Dick Hipkins, was confronted by 
 two masked men with revolvers, who ordered him to 
 dismount, which he did. One of the men mounted 
 the box, took the lines and drove the team a short 
 distance into the timber where the horses were 
 unhitched from the coach. The men then proceeded 
 to detach the treasure box from the wagon, after 
 which it was broken open with an ax. After having 
 taken out the treasure, the robbers told Hipkins to 
 proceed on his way, the robbers taking the road to 
 Volcano. John N. Boardman was arrested for the 
 robbery, tried and acquitted. Several prominent men 
 were suspected, but no other arrests were made. 
 The express agency was disestablished and the ship 
 pers of dust have experienced much inconvenience in 
 consequence. 
 
 MINERS' LIBRARY ASSOCIATION. 
 
 Such a gathering of professional and literary men 
 was sure to ripen into action. Some attempts were 
 made by Robert Beth as early as 1850 to bring 
 about a public library. Some of the merchants 
 bought a stock of novels and light reading, which 
 was loaned at ten cents a volume. The first organ 
 ized effort to get reading matter was in the Autumn 
 of 1854, when the " Miners' Library Association " 
 was formed, with admission fees of one dollar, and 
 monthly dues of twenty-five cents. Weekly meet 
 ings were held to discuss social, political, and scien 
 tific questions. Such talent as was obtainable was 
 engaged for occasional lectures. The Baptist church, 
 the building now going to ruin, was frequently filled 
 
 with attentive and interested hearers. When a 
 hundred dollars had been accumulated a list of books 
 was ordered, and a respectable nucleus of a library 
 formed. The institution ran smoothly for three or 
 four months, when, a series of revival meetings, held 
 at the Methodist church, drew away the audience. 
 The society made the mistake of neglecting to 
 incorporate, and when the weekly meetings began to 
 lose their interest, a rumor got into circulation that 
 the society was broken up, whereupon a grab was 
 made for the books, and the Library Association 
 dissolved in a day or two, never to recover, as there 
 was no power to compel restitution of books. Among 
 the founders of this society, were John King, R. C. 
 Jacobs, I. W. Whitney, Robert Stewart, Henry C. 
 Foster, Charles, William, and Bartholomew Chapline, 
 James Whitesides, J. D. Mason and others. 
 
 DRAMATIC SOCIETIES. 
 
 The Volcano Thespian Society was formed in the 
 Winter of 1854-55. Many of the promoters of the 
 defunct Library Association, threw their energies 
 into this institution, and for a few months gave occa 
 sional exhibitions. u The Golden Farmer " was 
 played, with James Whitesides for the farmer; R. C. 
 Jacobs, for Elizabeth; Dr. Gibson, now of Stock 
 ton, for Jimmy Twitcher; other parts forgotten. 
 James Rile was scene-painter. He was mining in 
 Humbug gulch, and gave the society the benefit of 
 his skill as a scenic painter, which was considerable, 
 whenever a man was put in his place in the mine. 
 Two young boys, by the name of Geo. Y. and Louis 
 Miller, now stalwart, bearded men in San Francisco, 
 made two handsome actresses. This institution gave 
 the school a benefit or two, ran a few months until 
 the evenings got too short for work, and collapsed. 
 A wandering theatrical party afterwards borrowed 
 the small property, and left without remembering to 
 return it. 
 
 About the time this society started, another put in 
 appearance. The second one embraced some musical 
 talent, and played for a few times; once for the 
 benefit of the Baptist church. For, the " benefit of 
 the Baptist church," became a by-word; the gam 
 blers opened their games for the " benefit of the 
 
 Baptist church." 
 
 RUSSELL'S HILL. 
 
 This is a gravel deposit on the line of the Volcano 
 ridge, and probably belongs to the same range as 
 Upper Rancheria. It was left in the great glacial 
 erosion which cut out the valleys north of Volcano. 
 It was good for an ounce a da} 7 in early time. 
 
 FORT JOHN 
 
 Is a limestone deposit similar to Volcano, which 
 place it bid fair to rival in 1850. Two or three men 
 (names forgotten) who first mined here in '49, were 
 killed by the Indians. P. Y. Cool, Thomas Rickey, 
 and James, his son, mined here in 1850, previous to 
 working quartz in Amador. They were instru 
 mental in building a church and school-house, per- 
 
VOLCANO AND VICINITY. 
 
 215 
 
 haps the first in the county. The deposits were 
 neither extensive nor rich, and the place soon fell in 
 the rear. In 1856 it contained a little one-horse 
 store, with a dozen or more miners, who were said 
 by those who visited the place, to be always waiting 
 for water to come or go down, amusing themselves 
 in the meantime with bean-poker. 
 
 In 1850 several hundred miners made good pay on 
 the flat; now one man, who has been there all these 
 long years, is the sole inhabitant. He seems to have 
 staid to point out the site of the former town, and 
 relate to occasional visitors the glories of the ancient 
 days. He remembers where and when every event 
 of note transpired. 
 
 UPPER RANCHERIA. 
 
 This is a continuation of the Eussell's hill lead, 
 some of the gravel running under the deep lava bed 
 in the vicinity. In 1856 to 1860 there were fifty or 
 sixty miners here. Some fine structures, built of the 
 indurated lava, from the adjoining hills, are still stand 
 ing, relics of the former glory of the town. The place 
 is famous as the former residence of Jacob Emmin- 
 ger, a Justice of the Peace, who sentenced a China 
 man to jail for life for stealing chickens. Upon 
 being questioned about the matter, Jake denied the 
 impeachment, but finally justified the matter by say 
 ing, "If I had not done so the crowd would have 
 hung the poor fellow." Sam Loree now keeps a 
 lonely watch over the site of the ancient town. 
 
 AQUEDUCT CITY 
 
 Is at the head of Grass valley, which was taken up 
 in 1850 by James Dolan, as a ranch. It was after 
 wards sold to Thompson and Perrin, who fenced it 
 and cut the grass for hay, which was worth sixty- 
 five to one hundred dollars per ton. Mines were 
 discovered near the head of the valley in 1850. It 
 was first worked by a party of four or five, Braden 
 & Co., who made a secret of the discovery, but not 
 long, for one morning James Henry and party 
 appeared and staked off claims. The new comers 
 had not yet built cabins, and when the rain came, 
 in September, they were sleeping in blankets on the 
 ground. They got up and sat out the night astride 
 of a log, with the blankets over their heads. There 
 was no more rain of any account until Spring. The 
 Huet claim was the richest in the camp. French 
 gulch, coming into the valley near Ham's Hotel, was 
 very rich. One man carried away fifty thousand 
 dollars from it. Sleeper, Lucas, and Bisbee (Bob, 
 now of Sutter Creek), had claims that would pay an 
 ounce each for two or three hours' work. When 
 they had made this, the day's work was finished, and 
 they put on white shirts and mounted their horses 
 for a ride to Jackson, or some other town. 
 
 The water by the Ham ditch passed the Mokelumne 
 divide at this place. An aqueduct one hundred and 
 thirty feet high, carrying the water to the next 
 ridge, gave name to the place, which, about the time 
 of the coming of the water, had several hundred 
 
 inhabitants, three hotels, two livery stables, three 
 stores for general merchandise, one drug store, 
 besides numerous saloons. The first store was kept 
 by Henry, Graham & Biggs. 
 
 The old residents of the place remember the sen 
 sation created by the two tall Bell sisters, who rode 
 like centaurs, whenever they appeared on horse 
 back. The livery stables had several pairs of fine 
 saddle horses, which were much in quest at that 
 time. Dr. Crawford and the Johnston brothers had 
 a saw-mill there, with quite a history. It was for 
 merly located in El Dorado county; some kind of 
 attachment being laid on it, or expected, it was 
 determined to move it into Amador county. The 
 removal had to be done between Saturday night and 
 Sunday morning, to prevent a legal process for 
 injunction. The engineer, Underwood, afterwards 
 of Amador, ran the mill as usual, but had loosened 
 every bolt and nut possible, and, when twelve o'clock 
 came, the mill was shut down, dismembered and 
 loaded on a wagon, within an hour, the boilers hot, 
 and the furnace fires still glowing. Sunday morn 
 ing found the place deserted, which caused the 
 remark that Dr. Crawford, who planned the elope 
 ment, carried off a saw-mill while it was running. 
 Before midnight it was in Amador county, beyond 
 the reach of attachment. 
 
 The gulches were soon worked out, and the hill 
 diggings did not prove rich or permanent. The 
 place now has a few families, one store, and one 
 hotel. Captain Ham, the engineer and financier of 
 the Ham ditch, resides here. Forty years of active 
 life has not dulled his capacity for gigantic projects, 
 one of his especial favorites being a canal which 
 would transport the entire amount of wood and 
 lumber in the Sierras to San Francisco. 
 
 POTATO DIET. 
 
 In the Winter of 1852-53, Major Shipman, Albert 
 and Carter Land, had been prospecting a quartz 
 vein near Grass Valley, boarding at Thompson & 
 Perrin's, at twenty-one dollars per week. When 
 the roads got so bad that they could not get pro 
 visions at all, Thompson & Perrin were obliged 
 to close their house. The Major had cultivated a 
 small patch in potatoes the Summer before, and the 
 party now started in on roast potatoes. Jim Henry, 
 Ike Eastman, Jake Cook, and other boys at Grass 
 Valley, being out of provisions also, were invited in. 
 and they all lived like kings on roast potatoes until 
 the storm was over, and the roads got so that better 
 food could be obtained. 
 
 CONTRERAS. 
 
 Twenty-five years ago a party of Mexicans, led 
 by Pablo Contreras, who seems to have been a man 
 of much education and influence, was mining at this 
 place, which was a few miles east from Volcano. 
 There were numerous small veins of quartz, from 
 three inches to eighteen inches in width. They were 
 pocket veins, a thousand dollars being often found in 
 
216 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 a small space. A largo number of arastras were 
 running, three of them by water-power. There 
 were several veins in the vicinity which were worked 
 by larger companies. The Belding vein, worked by 
 C. C. Belding of Sutter Creek, changed owners 
 several times, at twenty thousand dollars. The 
 Thierkauf vein was also rich, some good crushings 
 being made. The wall rocks were mostly granite, 
 and the veins were soon exhausted. The system 
 belongs to the West Point range, the Mace veins 
 being a continuation of the same. The gold in some 
 of these veins is so fine as to be unappreciable by the 
 ordinary processes of working. Careful panning of 
 the decayed quartz will sometimes show a thousand 
 microscopic specks of gold, as fine as bronze, which 
 will float off on the water. Tavernier, the noted 
 caricaturist and painter, operated here for a while. 
 Contreras had a family of very pretty and virtuous 
 girls, who fascinated a score of young Americans, 
 some of whom followed the family back to Mexico. 
 The place had three or four hundred inhabitants at 
 one time, and was worked for some years. Very 
 little work is being done at present. 
 
 ASHLAND, GRIZZLY HILL, AND WHEELER'S DIGGINGS. 
 
 These are names of once flourishing mining camps, 
 to the northward of the quartz veins last mentioned, 
 on the different branches of Sutter creek. Ashland 
 was worked by Colonel Bicknell and party. It 
 sometimes paid as high as two ounces per day. 
 Wheeler's diggings, on the north fork, were not quite 
 so rich, but furnished remunerative employment 
 some years for quite a number of men. In 1869, 
 Mr. H. Parlin, James Hall, and - - Halsey, experi 
 enced miners, traced the pay into the hills or ridges 
 between the hills, and in 1876, succeeded in carrying 
 a stream of water on to the hill, developing prob- j 
 ably the best paying gravel mines in the county at ' 
 the present time. James Hall, the present owner, i 
 has a tract of twenty acres, which will probably 
 put him in easy circumstances for life. A ditch i 
 from the middle fork of Sutter creek, which runs ! 
 nearly the whole season, supplies him with water; j 
 the elevation above the hill gives plenty of fall for | 
 tailings, and the quantity of ground, twenty acres, ! 
 ensures a life-long and profitable job. 
 
 The deposit seems of an alluvial character, the 
 stream running transversely to the present streams. 
 The pebbles are little rounded, the boulders of curi 
 ous looking quartz, seen in many places lying near ! 
 the veins of which they were once a part, showing 
 that the stream or river was inbignificant, running 
 at a small depression. 
 
 PLATSBURG, 
 
 Or Prospect hill, one of the places that was, the former 
 site being overgrown with pine trees, so thick as to 
 deter even a rabbit from attempting to explore it, 
 was in the vicinity of Foster's ranch, Hunt's gulch. 
 Spanish gulch, and Whisky flat or Karney's diggings, 
 belonging to the same cluster of gold deposits. 
 
 Plattsburg has strong indications of being the bed 
 of a river, the boulders being large and well rounded. 
 When discovered it was a flat of a few acres in ex 
 tent, having four or five feet of gravel under two 
 or three feet of red soil. In 1854 and '55, it had forty 
 or fifty miners, but was soon worked out and deserted. 
 When the place was discovered, Colonel Platt and 
 Judge Gale, two lawyers, intent on immortalizing 
 their names, played a game of euchre to see whether 
 it should be called Plattsburg or Galesburg; the for 
 mer winning, and giving it his name. 
 
 HUNT'S GULCH 
 
 Heads on the Platsburg hill, a man by the name of 
 Hunt working it at an early day. One day when 
 Hunt was in Jackson he was informed by Evans, the 
 gentlemanly proprietor of the Louisiana House, 
 that a lady in the parlor wished to see him. As he 
 was young and rather good looking, the request was 
 not surprising, and he responded with alacrity. The 
 lady had arrived that morning from the East, on her 
 way to her husband, whose name was Steven Hunt, 
 of Volcano. On inquiring for him she was much 
 pleased to learn that he was in the house at the 
 time. Evans was not aware that Hunt had no wife, 
 and thought to give him an agreeable surprise. She 
 clasped her arms around Hunt's neck, kissed him, 
 and sunk her face, bathed with tears of joy, into 
 his bosom, as any faithful wife would naturally do 
 after a separation of years. After reposing there a 
 moment she took a second and better look at his face 
 and starting back with a look of about equal parts 
 of alarm and indignation, exclaimed, "You are not 
 my husband!" " No," says he, "unfortunately for 
 me, I am not." A little inquiry elicited the fact that 
 the true Steven Hunt was in Volcano, unconscious of 
 the proximity of his wife. As the interested parties 
 were sensible persons, there was no shooting or other 
 display of foolishness. 
 
 Spanish gulch emptied into the south branch near 
 Hunt's gulch. It was worked in 1850 by James L. 
 Halstead, who has been referred to before. It was 
 said to be good at first but was abandoned in a year 
 or two. 
 
 Whisky Slide, where Andy Karney and Charlie 
 Ackerly made a raise, was a flat near Spanish gulch, 
 and probably was once the channel. It was good 
 for an ounce a day. It was discovered about 1855 
 by a rather ludicrous accident. The lucky discov 
 erers were in the habit of returning to their cabin 
 late at night and in an inebriated condition. On one 
 of these trips one of the party tumbled into a pros 
 pect hole. It was not deep enough to seriously 
 injure him, but too deep for him to climb out without 
 aid. While the others were gone for ropes and a 
 light, he took a notion to try some dirt from the bot 
 tom, and refused to come out until they gave him the 
 means of getting a pan of dirt. When it was washed 
 the next morning it proved to be rich, and was the 
 starting-point for several fortunes. 
 
RESIDENCE, HOTEL AND RANCH OF M*, 8 MARGARET FOSTER, 
 AMADOR WAGON ROAD, 6 MILES FROM VOLCANO. AMADDR, C. GAL. 
 
 RANCH AND RESIDENCE OF CHARLES BAMERT, 
 
 NEAR MDKELUMNE RIVER, T. P N92.AMADDR.CSCAL. 
 
VOLCANO AND VICINITY. 
 
 217 
 
 CRYSTALS. 
 
 Fine specimens of crystallized quartz, of a smoky 
 color by transmitted light, and black by reflected 
 light, are found near Volcano. Mr. Williams, near 
 Peter Den tzler'a house, has some fine specimens five 
 or six inches in diameter. Some of these show the 
 lines of deposit and are valuable for illustrating the 
 processes of crystallization. 
 CAVES. 
 
 There are many caves around Volcano. Several 
 of the smaller ones were discovered at an early day, 
 but the large one was not explored until 1834. This 
 is supposed to underlie the hill south of Stony Point. 
 E. Sannnis. with a party, is believed to have been 
 the first to enter it. The opening, about eighteen 
 inches across, is near the top of the hill, and 
 descends rather precipitously to the water level, one 
 hundred and fifty feet below, the distance on the 
 slope being about two hundred. The first thorough 
 exploration was made in the Summer of 1854 by a 
 parly of which the writer was one, the previous 
 explorers having gone down but a short distance. 
 The long rope was fastened to the rock at the sur 
 face, and the coil thrown forward and downward 
 into the darkness. Several pounds of candles were 
 taken along and placed in the soft clay, which 
 formed the sloping floor of the cavern. The ad 
 vanced man of the party, not having a realizing 
 sense of the abyss yawning below him, stood without 
 fear on the steep slope, where a slip of the foot 
 would have sent him sliding to the bottom. As the 
 descent progressed and the cave became lighted up, 
 a vaulted chamber, large enough to contain the 
 largest trees, came to view. Stalactites, or rather 
 crystals of rhomboidal spar, sparklud like diamonds 
 all over the roof. As the size of the cavern, and the 
 depth and almost perpendicular descent, became 
 apparent by the lighted candles a hundred feet- 
 below, all except the advanced portion of the party 
 beat a retreat, the descent looking too dangerous. 
 The courage of the first to descend was rather a 
 matter of unconsciousness of danger, than a knowl 
 edge of the situation and a willingness to face it, as, 
 when coming up, the at first fearless persons clung 
 with a nervous feeling to the rope, nor dared to take 
 a full breath until they were well on their feet on the 
 ground above. About one hundred feet from the 
 surface a small space was found which was compara 
 tively level, affording a resting-place. From this 
 place the cavern seemed to branch off in several 
 directions; towards the north was a narrow fissure, 
 or nearly vertical opening, corresponding in pitch 
 and direction to the lines of cleavage of the country 
 rock, and might have been, under other and more 
 favorable circumstances, the location of a quartz vein ; 
 in fact, the capping or roof of this fissure is a kind 
 of jasper or ferruginous quartz. On the south side 
 there was a perpendicular descent of perhaps twenty 
 feet, and then another comparatively level place. 
 So far the bottom or floor was soft clay, which, 
 28 
 
 apparently, had been washed in from the surface of 
 the ground through the opening; but they now 
 found the true floor, which seemed of infinitely 
 small stalagmites, fine as snow, which crunched 
 under the foot like frost. This formation was all 
 destroyed in a short time by the tramping over it of 
 numerous vtsitoi-s. Some thirty or forty feet below 
 this second flat or floor was the lake, a pool of clear 
 water, sixty or eight}" feet across, which is, proba 
 bly, the source of supply for the numerous cool 
 springs in the vicinity. This last floor seemed to 
 rest on numerous pillars of rhomboidal spar, which 
 were originally stalactites, or pendant formations 
 from the roof, which had grown by continual pre 
 cipitation of calcareous matter, until they united 
 with the floor. Som6 of these columns were round, 
 some thin and slab-like, the latter being the prevail 
 ing type. When struck they would give 'forth a 
 peculiar bell-like, musical sound, each column having 
 a different note, which reverberated through the 
 cave like the sounds of an organ in a cathedral. 
 One of these columns, a thin slab, perhaps three 
 feet wide, one-fourth as thick, and fifteen feet high, 
 had a peculiarly rich tone. In trying to see how 
 loud it could be made to sound it was cracked, and 
 its voice forever silenced. This act of vandalism has 
 been, and always will be, a source of regret, though 
 the other columns, in consequence of repeated ham 
 merings by subsequent visitors, were soon silenced 
 and have given forth no song for a quarter of a cen 
 tury. The side caves were full of the beveled crys 
 tallizations, which, when broken off, fell to the bot 
 tom of the cave with a tinkling, jingling sound, as of 
 a hundred tiny silver bells. The last-mentioned 
 crystals, though formed of rhomboid spar, stood out 
 from the walls in every conceivable direction, turning 
 and bending into many shapes, according to the law 
 of obtuse angles, prevailing with that variety of 
 crystals. It is thought by some naturalists that 
 they result from vapor containing lime, as it is 
 impossible for them to have been formed from drip 
 ping water, like stalactites or stalagmites. 
 
 Soon after the discovery of the cave the entrance 
 was enlarged, for the purpose of putting a stairway 
 down, and making it a place of public resort. The 
 project was abandoned, and in a short time the 
 numerous visitors despoiled the cave of all the spar; 
 and visitors of the present dny can form no idea of 
 its splendor twenty-five years ago. The other 
 smaller caves had no curiosities like the large one. 
 It is believed that the hill north of Volcano also 
 contains a large cavern, as in many places water 
 runs down that does not again make its appear 
 ance at the surface. The name of Volcano was 
 given to the place, under the impression that the 
 s of chalcedony, carnelian, cacholong, onyx, 
 and jasper, were of volcanic origin. Many beautiful 
 specimens have been carried away, some of which 
 were cut into jewelry. The composition is of silica, 
 lime, red oxide of iron, and perhaps other minerals 
 
218 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 in minute quantities, the color varying from trans 
 lucent to milky white, or flesh color, as the minerals 
 named, predominate in the mixture. They have 
 no value except as curiosities. The same formations 
 on' a smaller scale, may be found in many other 
 places, especially in the serpentine range in the 
 western portion of the county. Pebbles of various 
 kinds of agate, cut away from these ranges during 
 the glacial era, may be found on the plains west of 
 the county line. They have the same character 
 and origin as the famous Pescadero pebbles found 
 on the sea-beach near Santa Cruz. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXIV. 
 NORTH-WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 Sutter Creek First Foundry Knight's Foundry and Machine 
 Shop Planing Mill Society at Sutter Creek Schools and 
 Sohool-Houses Shipment of Gold Fires Incorporation 
 Future Prospects Amador M inisters Placer Mines 
 Gold of Lower Kancheria Oleta Execution by Lynch Law 
 Killing of Carter by Doctor Unkles Home Rule Fatal 
 Explosion Bad Case of Erysipelas Lynch Law Vetoed 
 The Famous Safe Robbery First School Churches Pres 
 ent Mining Prospects Sewell's Addition Cosumnes River 
 Amusing account of Mining Machinery Famous Lynch 
 ing Affair at Jamison's Ranch. 
 
 THOUGH General Sutter and his party mined here 
 in 1848, there was little done until the discovery of 
 quartz in 1851. In October, 1849, persons passing 
 through could see no evidence of any mining. There 
 was a small, cloth tent at the crossing of the creek, 
 owned by a man by the name of Jackson, from 
 Oregon, where meat, whisky, and some provisions, 
 were sold. A few miners gathered here on Sundays 
 when the weather did not permit them to go to Dry- 
 town or Jackson. After the discovery of the quartz 
 mines on the north side of the creek, the gulches 
 and flats began to be worked. The placers were 
 only moderately rich. Perhaps the streams making 
 off of Tucker hill were as good as any. A report is 
 current that a twenty-five pound lump was found in 
 the ravine below the Lincoln & Mahoney mills, but it 
 cannot be traced to any reliable source. The gulch 
 below the Hay ward mine was only moderately rich. 
 Indeed, it seems quite certain that a vein which has 
 enriched many gulches has nothing left for milling 
 purposes. Gopher flat, above the town, was worked 
 mostly by Spaniards, by drifting from one hole to 
 another, only a few feet below the surface. Some 
 times the dirt was carted to Sutter creek to be 
 washed. The hills east of the town are gravel 
 deposits of the pliocene period. Though worked in 
 many places, they were only moderately rich. They 
 are interesting as showing the course of the streams 
 in past ages. One may still trace the directions by 
 the bodies of gravel left in many places. The divide 
 between Amador and Sutter is full of interesting 
 points, showing a river running towards the west 
 before the close of the volcanic period. Four or five 
 miles west of Sutter this stream seems to have ter 
 minated in a precipitous fall, boulders of many 
 tons in weight, some of granite and others of vol 
 
 canic matter, being piled in a confused mass. Some 
 few places along this line have been mined out, but, 
 as in nearly all the rivers of the volcanic period, 
 the irruptions of lava kept the stream from wearing 
 away the beds of auriferous slates, the sources of the 
 river gold. On the south side of Sutter creek is the 
 largest stream of volcanic gravel in the county, 
 which may be traced from Prospect Rock twenty- 
 five miles east of Volcano, to some miles west of 
 lone, where it spread out into the ocean. This chan 
 nel is remarkable as having at one time in the vol 
 canic period a body of hot lava running from the 
 summit to the sea. What a sight for the primeval 
 man, which, according to Whitney, must have lived 
 here at that time. 
 
 The mining here at first was of a primitive order, 
 the rocker being the main reliance for separating 
 the gold. In the Spring of 1850, a great improve 
 ment was introduced. Jim Wheeler, Boz. Goodrich, 
 and Dick Moulton, brought a long torn, which was 
 first used in the northern mines, from Sacramento. 
 It was a daring innovation, and, like most new 
 things, was unmercifully ridiculed by the conserva 
 tive portion of the miners. It was only seven feet 
 long, and sixteen inches wide. Small as it was, it 
 effected a great saving of labor, and was soon brought 
 into general use, though a year later it was displaced 
 by the string of sluices, which enabled men to make 
 wages out of still poorer dirt. After the discovery 
 of the quartz mines, the energy of the best men of 
 the camp was turned in that direction, and placer 
 mining became a minor interest. The development 
 of quartz mining, which built up the most flourish 
 ing town in Amador county, that annually sent a 
 million or more of dollars into the general circula 
 tion, is described in another chapter. 
 
 The first families in the place were those of Mcln- 
 tyre, Stewart, Jones, Tucker, Rice, and Hanford. 
 E. B. Mclntyre's family, as well as Levi Hanford's, 
 came in 1852. Some of these families were from the 
 frontier, and others from the East, and the Yankees, 
 and the extreme southerners and westerners, met 
 here for the first time. Thirty years after, when 
 these streams are flowing in the same channel, mar 
 riage and intermarriage having obliterated nearly 
 every distinction, the aversion which they enter 
 tained towards each other has become the subject 
 of much merriment. 
 
 Mrs. Mclntyre tried to start a Sunday-school, but 
 could get only three or four children to attend. 
 Mr. Barlow, from Drytown, acted as Superintendent, 
 Mr. Davidson and Mr. Glovei*, of the Amador quartz 
 mines, preached occasionally, as did I. B. Fish, who 
 was stationed at Mokelumne Hill. The preaching 
 was usually in the school-room; sometimes in an 
 unfinished room in Harding's Hotel. Money was 
 raised to buy a Sunday-school library. Robert 
 McLellan is remembered as having donated five 
 dollars. "Dick's Works" were among the books 
 bought. 
 
NORTH-WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 219 
 
 The first church was built in 1860, and dedicated in 
 1863 by Doctor Thomas, who was slain by the 
 Modocs. This church has been occupied by the 
 Methodists since that time. 
 
 Mrs. Rice, now living 'here, is remembered as the 
 iirst person who wore a store bonnet to meeting. This, 
 with blue silk gloves and some other finery recently 
 imported from the East, was quite enough to distract 
 the less fortunate sisters, and turn their thoughts 
 away from holy things. 
 
 The first school was taught by N. Harding, who 
 received seventy-five dollars per month. This was 
 raised mostly by subscription. Judge Carter, now 
 of lone, who happened to be present, generously 
 donated ten dollars toward it. Mr. Harding sent one 
 child, Mclntyre one, Stewart two, Mrs. Jones one, 
 others to the number of twelve in all. Slitter Creek 
 since has been noted for its interest in educational 
 matters. E. B. Mclntyre was the first County Super 
 intendent. He remembers that it was extremely 
 difficult to get the trustees to report to him, the law 
 permitting no appropriation of money without an 
 annual report from the districts. 
 
 The first wedding was in the boarding-house of 
 the quartz mine (afterwards the Lincoln mine). The 
 
 bridegroom was named Dick; the bride was a 
 
 girl living with the family that did the cooking. 
 The town boys honored them with a serenade and 
 charivari. Soon afterwards Allen Tibbetts was mar 
 ried to Letitia Tucker; and Dwight Crandall, after 
 wards State Senator, to Mar} T Jones. 
 
 FIRST FOUNDRY. 
 
 Soon after the commencement of quartz mining, 
 the want of a machine shop and foundry induced a 
 small beginning in this way at the lower end of the 
 town near the water-mill of the Lincoln mine. As 
 it was a small affair and did not answer the purpose, 
 it was removed to the present site, and enlarged so 
 that the smaller parts of the quartz mills, such as 
 dies, stamps, etc., could be cast, utilizing the worn- 
 out castings. Frank Tibbetts was the proprietor 
 for many years. The machine shops and melting 
 capacity have been enlarged until now almost any 
 required machinery can be put up, the cupola 
 having a capacity of four tons. They have several 
 large lathes, some of which have a swing of four 
 teen feet. The works are run by water-power. 
 Water-wheels are a specialty with them. The one 
 used by the Empire mill, at Plymouth, made by them, 
 runs eighty stamps, with a head of six hundred inches 
 at a pressure of sixty feet. Dan. Donnelly & Co. own 
 the works. Several of the best mills in Amador and 
 the adjoining counties, have been constructed by 
 them. About one million pounds of castings are 
 turned out annually. 
 
 KNIGHT'S FOUNDRY AND MACHINE SHOP. 
 
 This was established in 1873 to construct water- 
 wheels of a peculiar character, calculated to utilize 
 small heads of water at a high pressure. Though 
 
 no new principle was discovered, the adaptation of 
 old ones to new conditions has all the merit of a dis 
 covery. A small wheel, seven or eight feet in diam 
 eter, looking much like a cart-wheel with a rim of 
 tea-cups, drives a quartz mill of eighty stamps, with 
 all the necessary shaking tables and amalgamators. 
 The opening through which the water strikes the 
 wheel, contains only two and a quarter square 
 inches, and the gate to this is so arranged that it 
 may be reduced to any desired size, running half or 
 a quarter of the stamps, keeping the tube or pipe 
 from which the power is derived, full, thus utilizing 
 the whole pressure. The Amador mill is driven by 
 a wheel of this kind, utilizing the five hundred feet 
 fall from the Amador canal to the mill. The wheels 
 are in use throughout this State, Nevada, Arizona, 
 and Utah. The works have been enlarged until any 
 sized machinery needed in mining" can be con 
 structed. Seven to ten tons a week is the usual 
 amount of melting. They have about thirty thou 
 sand dollars invested in the foundry and machine 
 shops. 
 
 PLANING MILL. 
 
 The Walkmeister brothers have started a planing 
 mill near Sutter Creek, where all kinds of fine work is 
 done equal to the best of city work. The machinery 
 is driven by water-power, the water being used again 
 by the miners at Amador. 
 
 SOCIETY AT SUTTER CREEK. 
 
 Though a large portion of the population is made 
 up of a class that is not noted for refinement or cul 
 ture, there has always been a nucleus of highly 
 cultivated and refined people, as any one would per 
 ceive who took the pains to stroll around the town. 
 Among the many families who have in times past 
 contributed to this result may be mentioned the fam 
 ilies Dunlap, Wildman, Belding, Hanford, Downs, 
 Sewart, Mclntyre, Keyes and Corliss. 
 , There has always been a choir of good singers, 
 which lead the public taste in the county, principally 
 through the industry and devotion of E. F. Hughes, 
 Mrs. Dudley, Mrs. Keyes, and others. 
 
 SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL-HOUSES. 
 
 This place has always been noted for the educa 
 tional interest manifested ; not always harmonious 
 in its operation, but resulting, as it is believed, in sub 
 stantial success. The first school-house built, some 
 twenty-five years since, was burned, as it is thought, 
 by the act of an incendiary. After a proper agita 
 tion of the matter an election was ordered to 
 determine whether a sum to build a school-house 
 should be raised by a property tax. The result was 
 a school-house costing perhaps ten thousand dollars, 
 the best one in the county, if not in the mountains. 
 
 THE SHIPMENT OF GOLD 
 
 Through Wells, Fargo and Co.'s, express will show 
 the relatively prosperous years. No account was 
 kept previous to 1870, though the annual amounts 
 
'220 
 
 in STORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 often reached one million dollars. Since then the 
 amounts have been, 
 
 1871 $412,853 
 
 1872 . 645.1:;.') 
 
 1873.. 530,112 
 
 1874 4t;:].5()() 
 
 1879. 
 
 1875 .6517,569 
 
 1876 516,615 
 
 1877 : 517,54* 
 
 1878.. ! 449,r>7:> 
 
 .185,194. 
 
 FIRES. 
 
 Sutter Creek has hud its share of the destructive 
 element. The largest fire happened September 9, 
 1865. The following is a list of the losses : 
 
 Antonio Garbini 8 500 
 
 Bishop & Kelly. 600 
 
 Mcllcnry & Tibbit Is . . 4.000 
 
 C. E. Armstrong 4 ; 000 
 
 Nickerson & Joy ... 1,200 
 
 J. Stcinmetz ,. - 2,000 
 
 E. W. Rice . 1,000 
 
 J. C. McDonald ... . 1,000 
 
 W. B. Hubble. 600 
 
 OddFelloAvs 500 
 
 W. E. Fifield 3,500 
 
 J. D. Dennis.. 1.800 
 
 Hay ward & Chamberlain 1.000 
 
 Joseph King 4.000 
 
 John B. Keyes . 500 
 
 Bright & Hatch . . 700 
 
 M. Shields 500 
 
 J. Cuneo 500 
 
 J. Devoto 300 
 
 Italian 200 
 
 J. Mahoney 200 
 
 Mrs. Armeandes . 250 
 
 C. Weller.. 400 
 W. T. Wildman 250 
 
 Thomas Grady . . 600 
 
 VV. Schauffer 600 
 
 D. Myers .- _ . 800 
 
 1. N. Randolph 5,000 
 
 Brinn & Newman 4 1,750 
 
 V. Lutnesky ... . _ 500 
 
 M. Silver 500 
 
 P. Fagan .. 4,000 
 
 Randolph & Warkins. . 1.500 
 
 This included all the business portion of the town. 
 It was soon rebuilt better than before, and enjoyed 
 a greater prosperity, in consequence of mining devel 
 opment, than ever. A smaller fire had occurred 
 about the first of September, 1862, shortly after the 
 big fire at .laek>on. burning nearly all the buildings 
 on Humbug hill, including WildmaiTs store, Bird- 
 sail's store, Rice's blacksmith shop and dwelling. 
 This tire was :it. last stayed at the butcher shop at 
 the foot of the hill. 
 
 INCORPORATION. 
 
 Sutter Creek incorporated as early as 1856, under 
 the general law for incorporation. The organization 
 was found to be defective in many respects, and in 
 
 1873, it was re-incorporated by a special Act of the 
 Legislature, an election for township officers being 
 ordered, February 12th. Thegovernment was invested 
 in a Board of Trustees (five in number), Town Mar 
 shal and Clerk, to be elected annually. The Trustees 
 were authorized to purchase the necessary real estate 
 on which to erect a jail, and other necessary bu ; Id- 
 ings; to assess taxes not exceeding one per cent, on 
 the whole taxable property, no assessments, how 
 ever, to be made on mines except the improvements 
 which were above ground; to assess a poll-tax of 
 not more than two dollars; to determine and abate 
 nuisances; to prevent animals from running at large; 
 to prevent and punish disorderly conduct; to license 
 shows, theaters, hawkers, and peddlers; and to make 
 all necessary regulations not inconsistent with the 
 general law. The Mai'shal was to receive seventy- 
 five dollars per year for collecting taxes, and to have 
 a salaiy not exceeding one hundred dollars per 
 month. The Town Recorder was to have the juris 
 diction of a Justice of the Peace, and to pay all fines 
 over to the Treasurer, who was to receive one-half 
 of one per cent, for receiving and disbursing money. 
 The Clerk was to receive no salary. 
 
 The effect of the organization was found to be 
 salutary. A number of hoodlums, who had rendered 
 night hideous and the streets disagreeable, dan 
 gerous even, to females especially, found themselves 
 confronted with a lodging in a calabose, for any dis 
 orderly conduct. Nuisances were now removed at 
 the expense of the authors-. Boys were required to 
 be at home at eight o'clock, and there was a marked 
 improvement in the appearance of the town, espe 
 cially after night-fall. 
 
 FUTURE PROSPECTS. 
 
 At this writing (1881), the town is in a depressed 
 condition, owing to the suspension of mining opera 
 tions. It is by no means certain that Sutter creek 
 js Ci worked out;" on the contrary, but little of the 
 ground is even prospected, a few hundred feet of many 
 thousands, only, having been explored. No one 
 knows what chimneys of rich ore arc slumbering 
 "just below," waiting for the miner to lay bare its 
 wealth. 
 
 AMADOR, 
 
 Situated on the Mother Lode, where it is intc 
 sected by Amador creek, about seven miles north 
 Jackson, was mined soon after the discovery of gold. 
 Some Oregon men built two cabins, and stayed dur 
 ing the Winter. James T. Wheeler and lour others 
 built a large double cabin in the Fall of IS ID. near 
 where the Spring Hill mill was afterwards built. 
 Some men from Virginia also built a cabin and kept 
 a stock of goods, mining at the same time. W. II. 
 Mitchell, William Lesaw, J. A. Tucker, Joseph 
 
 Wright. Silas Reed, Ashley, and Willson. are 
 
 nanies remembered of the company who wintered 
 here in 1849. Silas lieed was a famous hunter, and 
 kept the camp supplied with game. 
 
ITu.i'vV-O'-^^.- 
 
 RESIDENCE OF FR, HERMAN. SUTTER CREEK, AMADDR C CAL. 
 
 RESIDENCE OF FATHER P. BERMINGHAM. BUTTER CREEK 
 
 AMADOR C^CAL. 
 
OFTHE 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
NORTH-WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 221 
 
 MINISTERS. 
 
 Mr. Ashley was a minister of striking appearance, 
 wearing green spectacles for weak eyes, slender in 
 form, helpless in appearance, of soft and humble 
 address, being one of those who prefer laboring 
 where there is a well-furnished parsonage, with a 
 membership of weak sisters who are satisfied with 
 milk and water sermons. Finding the preaching of 
 the gospel an up-hill business among the rough 
 miners, he turned to mining for a living, but'accord- 
 ing to the testimony of his neighbors, "He did not 
 have energy enough to dig a hole in a da}* big 
 em 'iigh to bury a cat." and failed as a miner. Sev 
 eral persons died of cholera during the Fall. On one 
 occasion he was requested b\- some miners to attend 
 the burial of a man, putting a man and neighbor 
 into the ground without some marks of respect not 
 having become common. Ashley refused to go, say 
 ing he was not in that line of business. His friends 
 raised money and sent him back East as a flower too 
 frail for a new settlement. 
 
 This man was not one of the firm of ministers, 
 Davidson, Glover, Herbert, & Cool, who in 1851 
 settled in Amador and commenced quartz mining. 
 These were all working men as well as preachers, 
 ready to bear their part in any labor or hardships 
 necessary to develop a new country. WiHson had a 
 family, the first who resided in Amador. He kept a 
 store, the same which was afterwards occupied by 
 llanibrd & Downs, in the Spring of 1850. When 
 Ilanford's family came out, ho located in Sutter 
 Creek, moving to Yolnano in the Spring of 1853. 
 
 PLACER MINES. 
 
 The mines were never as rich as at Drytown and 
 other place.-, the gold being rather fine. Twelve to 
 twenty dollars per day was considered good work in 
 the best days. When ihe water failed in the Spring, 
 the larger portion of the population left. Amador 
 was better than Sutter Creek, and had much the 
 largest population previous to the discovery of the 
 quartz mines. Like Sutter Creek, its history is 
 mostly in connection with quartz mining, which has 
 received an exhaustive notice in a special chapter. 
 
 Js about two miles east from Drytown, and is about 
 one mile east of the Mother Lode. Quartz mountain, 
 and the other veins of the same formation, are sup 
 posed to have enriched the flats and gulches around 
 this place, which were worked in 1848, and some 
 years aficr. with great success. From all accounts. 
 Deep gulch and Slate gulch were as rich as any 
 places in Amador county, as much as ten thousand 
 dollars being taken from a claim fifteen feet square 
 and three feet deep. Lumps were found at the foot 
 of Deep gulch weighing twelve pounds. John Eagon, 
 Avho mined here in an earl}' day, picked up a < 
 whieh was worth about one thousand dollars. The 
 mines were first worked by Major Redding and his 
 
 party in 1848. One of his men had a dozen bottles 
 full of gold-dust. Quite a number of Americans 
 mined here in 1849 and '50; during the latter year, 
 several persons, who preached in the eastern States, 
 settled here, but abandoned the profession as incon 
 venient and unprofitable. 
 
 The population was much mixed, the Mexican and 
 Chilean .predominating. The camp at one time had 
 five or six hundred people, gambling with its usual 
 accompaniments being the usual recreation. Som 
 breros, serapes, knives, horses, and jingling spurs were 
 the striking features in every gathering. In Sep 
 tember, 1852, a Mexican stabbed a Dutchman, for 
 which he was whipped. The Dutchman dying some 
 time after the stabbing, the people reconsidered the 
 whipping and hung the Mexican. 
 
 The character of the population remained much 
 the same until 1855. After the occurrence of the 
 dreadful tragedy, an account of which has been 
 given in the County History, the place has been 
 avoided by the Mexican population. 
 
 Lower Ranchcria ]s remarkable in the history of 
 mining as being on a break of the hanging-wall of 
 the great Mother Lode, being enriched by a system 
 of veins perhaps three thousand feet to the east. 
 The pitch of the lode on the west of .this is as much 
 as forty -five degrees, so that if the veins were fol 
 lowed three or four thousand feet, a position nearly 
 perpendicular to Quartz mountain would be reached. 
 The fact that one such break in the overlying 
 rock hanging-wall has been found, maybe an induce 
 ment to look for others. 
 
 The valley, which is evidently a glacier erosion, 
 is now the site of a beautiful farm owned by R. D. 
 Ford. The graves of the parties murdered are care 
 fully fenced in, and form about the only reminder 
 of the terrible tragedy of August 6, 1855. The old 
 broken safe of Dinan's store, forms the support of 
 one corner of a barn. There are but few persons 
 to be found who have any memory of the transaction; 
 and rosy-cheeked, innocent children romp and play, 
 where a quarter of a century since the very ground 
 seemed accursed, for the crimes it had witnessed. 
 
 Some two miles above the site of the old town, is 
 the ranch formerly owned by Burt and Perkins. 
 In 1851-52, this furnished a large quantity of vege 
 tables for the miners; and with its green patches of 
 cultivated land, was like a gem set in the brown 
 hills. Perkins, one of the owners, had sold his share 
 of the place, and with his savings, about -six thou 
 sand dollars, started for Sacramento, on his way 
 home. While he was passing through a point of 
 chaparral, he was shot and robbed by some con 
 cealed party. Though his body was discovered 
 before it was quite cold, no clue to the murder was 
 obtained for many years. It is now said that a big, 
 one-eyed Indian, who formerly lived around Volcano, 
 confessed to the murder of Perkins, and several 
 other white men, some years since. Burt after 
 wards lived on this ranch, planted a large orchard, 
 
222 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 built a saw-mill, and otherwise improved the place. 
 The orchard is still one of the best in the county. 
 
 OLETA FORMERLY FIDDLETOWN. 
 
 It may be well to give the origin of the first, as 
 well as the last name. The place was settled in 
 1849 by a party from Missouri. The early records 
 of the settlement, if kept, are lost, and only tradi 
 tion is left to account for the musical name. It 
 became necessary to name the young town. " They 
 are always fiddling," says an old Missouri patri 
 arch, "call it Fiddletown;" and Fiddletown it was, 
 not only when it was a hamlet of three or four wag 
 ons and a tent, but when it was a town of large 
 streets and a hundred houses, some of brick and 
 stone. Judge Purinton is said to have started the 
 movement for the change of name, which was done 
 by Act of the Legislature, in 1878. In his annual 
 trips to the capital, or San Francisco, he saw his 
 name among the arrivals as C. A. Purinton, Fiddle- 
 town. Merchants on the lookout for a customer 
 would come across the man from Fiddletown. The 
 hotel clerks would grow a trifle more dignified as the 
 ominous Fiddletown was attached to his name. The 
 best of hats, faultless coat, gloves and boots, were 
 of no avail as long as the name was anchored to Fid 
 dletown. The first settlers certainly manifested little 
 taste in the selection of names. Poompoomatee they 
 metamorphosed into Suckertown. Every Spring where 
 the Indians camped had a name, generally sonorous 
 and sweet, with a meaning sometimes full of poetry. 
 What possessed men to baptize places Hogtown, 
 Helltown, Shirt-tail, to say nothing of names which 
 cannot be repeated, is a phenomenon to be explained. 
 Oleta was settled in 1849, and had but a small growth 
 until after the discovery of American flat, French 
 flat, and American hill, in 1852. Previous to that 
 the houses could be counted on one's fingers. Cap 
 tain Stowers, in company with Carter and Curtis, 
 kept the hotel which had the eminent distinction of 
 having a real glass window. The bar-room was 
 also sitting-room, dining-room and bed-room, the 
 beds being potatoe sacks stretched across poles, fur 
 nished with blankets, but no pillows, a man's boots 
 being expected to serve that purpose. The floor 
 was the original red soil, sprinkled, swept, and 
 tramped every day. There were two stores, one 
 kept by Jesse Hendricks, long since passed away, 
 and another kept by - -Gilbert. Saloons outnum 
 bered, as usual-, all other places of business. Dr. 
 Unkles, a little, old man, perhaps five feet four 
 inches in height, kept a drug store in a house about 
 six feet by eight, made of shakes stuck endwise in 
 the ground. A few rows of bottles on a shelf or 
 two contained the entire stock of drugs. A French 
 man, name forgotten, was blacksmith, gunsmith, 
 machinist, and gasconader, for, according to his 
 account of himself, he was a most terrible man. 
 The country was quite good in places, but as there 
 were no permanent streams of water, there was an 
 abundance of waiting and little work. Oleta early 
 
 developed a spirit of self-government. The inhabit 
 ants soon staked off all known auriferous ground, 
 and held it against all suspicious new-comers. Cap 
 tain Stowers was usually the spokesman of this com 
 mittee of safety. When strangers with their frying- 
 pan, coffee-pot, pick, pan, shovels and blankets, came 
 into town and evinced any intention of tarrying, the 
 old gentleman generally managed to find out what 
 State they were from, how long they had been in the 
 State, and where they had been mining. If the 
 answer was considered favorable, a committee would 
 show him where he could locate ground. The 
 writer of this article, then one of the interviewed, 
 could find no resting-place nearer than the south 
 fork of Dry creek, three miles away. Mrs. Gilbert, 
 afterwards wife of W. T. Gist, was then the only 
 white woman in the town. 
 
 The Summer of '52 witnessed a large accession to 
 the population. In that year several families of the 
 highest respectability located in and around the town, 
 among whom were those of R. M. Briggs, the dis 
 tinguished lawyer, LaGrave, afterwards Treasurer 
 of the county, McKensie, Stribling, Bain, Votaw, and 
 others whose names cannot be recalled. The first 
 wedding was that of E. R. Yates to Miss Scott, mem 
 ber of the numerous and respectable family of that 
 name. A large party was made to welcome the 
 bride to the town. 
 
 In that year many respectable buildings were put 
 up, among which was the United States Hotel, then 
 kept by McDevitt & Cope, the latter person having 
 since been a Judge of the Supreme Court and now an 
 eminent lawyer in San Francisco. The discovery of 
 American flat and hill was made by Jerry Ruth, 
 George Schoemaker and Samuel Nase ; Charles Mc- 
 Lain, Samuel Parker, J. W. Croff and William Dunn 
 also had claims there. This discovery was made on 
 the south-west side of the hill, about the same time 
 that a French party of five men, who were working 
 the place called French flat on the east side, traced 
 the deposit into the hill on that side. The channel 
 was from three hundred to five hundred feet wide, 
 the pay gravel being from five to seven feet thick. 
 The Frenchmen are said to have carried away two 
 hundred and fifty thousand dollars, though this may 
 have been too high an estimate. The deposit was 
 one of the ancient streams, and probably derived its 
 gold from a pocket-vein of quartz in the immediate 
 vicinity. A slab from a big boulder dumped out the 
 mouth of a tunnel, was found years after, when the 
 tunnel had fallen in, to be very rich. The ancient 
 river deposits in the vicinity are very extensive, 
 though in no instance as rich as the American Hill. 
 Loafer flat and hill seem to be a continuation of the 
 channel towards Dry creek, but the gravel as far as 
 explored is smaller, having but little resemblance to 
 the American hill gravel. The same may be said of 
 Lone hill, also the ridge between Suckertown and 
 Slate creek, all having gravel in paying quantities. ^ 
 At the time the French flat was being worked a 
 
NORTH-WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 223 
 
 vein of quartz was discovered which seemed riveted 
 through with gold, but it did not prove to be per 
 manent, or as the miners term it, a true fissure vein. 
 
 Oleta occupied an anomalous position with respect 
 to county governments. El Dorado was bounded on 
 the south by .Dry creek and Calaveras, on the north 
 by Dry creek. There were two forks of about equal 
 size, Fiddletown being between the two. For vot 
 ing purposes the strip of intervening territory on 
 which stood Fiddletown, or rather Oleta, was. in 
 El Dorado county, but when taxes were called for it 
 was neutral territory! as was Vermont in the Revo 
 lutionary war, belonging neither to New Hampshire 
 nor New York. Fiddletown did not prove a harbor 
 for thieves, but rather the reverse, setting up courts 
 of its own to administer justice. 
 
 The first court under home rule was held in 1851. 
 There had been, as was believed, an organized band 
 of horse thieves operating in the present territory of 
 Amador, with head-quarters at lone. The matter 
 had gone so far as to be brought before the Grand 
 Jury of Calaveras, without, however, convicting any 
 one. A man by the name of West was arrested in 
 Fiddletown for stealing a horse. Major Shipman, 
 then residing there, was appointed Judge. He was 
 familiar with law forms, having been a Magistrate, 
 also County Clerk, in some of the older States. 
 Witnesses were sworn, and the whole proceedings 
 conducted in accordance with the form and spirit of 
 the law, without its technicalities. The jury found 
 him guilty and fixed his punishment at one hundred 
 stripes. His fortitude gave way at this severe sen 
 tence, and he agreed if they .would niitigate the pun 
 ishment to thirty stripes he would make such state 
 ments as would expose the whole gang, enabling the 
 people to convict them all. The thirty stripes were 
 first administered by Abe De Haven, a powerful 
 man, after which he made a statement in private to 
 E. Walker and Major Shipman, it being deemed best 
 not to have the statement made in public, as being 
 likely to interfere with the arrest of the gang. 
 
 A man by the name of Mills, a New Yorker of 
 good family and education, was brought to trial. 
 He had many friends, and was furnished with money 
 and a lawyer to defend him. Judge Carter of lone 
 undertook his defense. He brought logic and pathos 
 to bear, and finally induced the jury to bring in a 
 verdict of not yuilty, on condition that he would 
 leave the country immediately. He went back to 
 lone, which, as Oleta was an independent community, 
 he considered complying with the sentence. He 
 soon left the county, however, and was afterward 
 shot, as was said, while engaged in unlawful act. 
 
 A tax gatherer from Coloma, the county seat of 
 El Dorado, put in an appearance one day and ex 
 pressed the determination to collect poll-tax from 
 every one in the place. He stopped long enough to 
 take a drink or two, and was sped on his way by 
 numerous threats, backed by revolvers, with his 
 purse no heavier for poll-taxes. 
 
 EXECUTION BY LYNCH LAW. 
 
 In the Autumn of 1852, a man passing by the 
 name of "one-armed Smith " turned out an old and 
 worn-out horse, supposed to be worth about five 
 dollars, to graze. A Mexican, seeing it apparently 
 without an owner, put a saddle on it and rode a 
 short distance, without attempting to take it out 
 of the country, however. He was apprehended, and 
 hung on a tree north-west of the town. While the 
 trial was in progress, E. R. Yates, the Magistrate, 
 ordered Walker, the Constable, to quell the riot. 
 The result was, to use the words of Abe De Haven, 
 "East, come out and ordered us to stop. I was about 
 to slay him right and left, when he jumped back and 
 says, don't you understand ?" from which it was 
 inferred that no very serious opposition to the exe 
 cution was intended. 
 
 KILLING OF CARTER BY DR. UNKLES. 
 
 Some ill-feeling existed on the part of Captain 
 Stowers, Carter, and Curtis, towards Unkles, in 
 consequence of a misunderstanding in some com 
 mercial transaction. Captain Stowers went into the 
 old man's drug-shop, .gave the bottles a sweep with 
 his cane, exclaiming, "This settles my account." 
 Carter had his to settle also, and went, with some 
 others, to the door of the cabin, and commenced 
 abusing the Doctor. There was scarcely room for 
 more than two or three men in the little box, and 
 as they (Carter and his party) commenced crowd 
 ing in, he met them and civilly requested them to 
 stay out; that he wanted no trouble with them; that 
 they evidently intended no good. This remonstrance 
 not being heeded, he drew a small pocket-knife, and 
 began thrusting and making passes at Carter, the 
 foremost man in the crowd. Little attention was 
 paid to his words or his thrusts, but the old man 
 was in earnest. With an instinct born of his knowl 
 edge of anatomy to direct his hand, the little knife 
 was a most deadly weapon. The first stroke laid 
 bare the jugular vein; another, directed towards 
 the chest, was stopped by folds of Carter's shirt; 
 another penetrated his side, producing a sickening 
 sensation, which compelled him to lie down, pro 
 ducing death in a few minutes. Carter's friends 
 picked out a tree upon which to hang the Doctor; 
 but when the circumstances that Unkles was physi 
 cally insignificant, and that the parties pressing him 
 were intent on serious mischief, became known, few 
 were found willing to assist in his execution, and 
 he was not molested. 
 
 FATAL EXPLOSION. 
 
 in the early part of 1853, 11. C. Farnum and 
 James McLeod built a steam saw-mill at Oleta, to 
 utilize the fine timber which covered all the hills 
 around. Some two or three months afterward, in 
 the early part of April, the boiler collapsed a flue. 
 The force of the steam, reacting against the bed in 
 which the boiler was placed, threw it out of posi 
 tion, propelling it through the side of a building, 
 
224 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 also through the office or counting-room. McLeod, 
 ^landing in the line of the movement, was caught on 
 t lie end of the boiler, and forced along until the 
 boiler stopped. Both legs and one arm were broken, 
 and he was in addition thereto much burned, lacer 
 ated, and internally injured, yet when the clouds of 
 steam cleared away, he was seen dragging himself 
 by his remaining arm to the water. lie survived 
 but a day or two. suffering intensely, and begging 
 his'friends to kill him. Farnum and another party 
 were sitting on the opposite sides of a table in the 
 counting-room, when the boiler, with .McLeod on the 
 end, came crashing through the building, passing 
 between the two. Farnum had one arm broken, and 
 was otherwise bruised and burned; the man sitting- 
 opposite," inhaled the hot steam, which resulted 
 fatally in a year or two. McLeod was a native of 
 Canada West, and was universally esteemed. 
 
 SERIOUS CASE OP ERYSIPELAS. 
 
 Captain S towers and his friend Slater, who lived 
 in one of the shanties called by courtesy " hotels." 
 came out one day, bandaged and bundled, tcrribly 
 sick. Swellings all over them, angry swellings and 
 indolent ulcers that would not heal, were symptoms oi 
 very bad cases of erysipelas! They were going to die: 
 nothing would save them. Squire Yates was con 
 sulted as to settling their affairs. His good sense. 
 or, perhaps, experience, solved the difficulty. '-You 
 dirty dogs," said he, after an examination, "you 
 ought to bo bung! You are rotten with Ike, gray- 
 backs" which was the case. The lice were three 
 deep, all gnaAving away at the portly Captain, suck 
 ing the delicious juices out of his body. His feelings 
 experienced a sudden revulsion, not exactly from 
 mourning to joy, but wrath rather. Some few " cuss 
 words," like scattering drops of rain before a 
 shower, fell from his lips, and then the storm burst. 
 Better ring down the curtain. 
 
 LYNCH LAW VETOED. 
 
 In 1854, a Mexican and a Frenchman, journeying 
 together towards Oleta, drank each other's health so 
 frequently as to produce confused perceptions of 
 passing events. On arriving at Olcta, the French 
 man missed his watch, and accused the Mexican of 
 stealing it. The dispute coming to the knowledge oi 
 some of the " home rulers," the} T proposed to have a 
 '49 trial. As they were ravenous lor blood, they 
 soon found the Mexican guilty, condemning him to 
 be hung immediately, and set about executing the 
 sentence. Henry Kutchenthall, II. M. Brigg- 
 and Jonathan Palmer, expostulated with the crowd; 
 told them they were not '4J)ers; that '-l!)ers never 
 acted in such an infamous manner, and much more 
 of the same offect;. to no purpose, however, until, led 
 by Kutchenthall, they rushed in with drawn revol 
 vers, and liberated the Mexican. 
 
 Three or four courageous men, backed by revol 
 vers and a sense of right, were often able to subdue 
 a cowardly mob of scores. 
 
 THE FAMOUS SAFE UOT5V.ERY. 
 
 Wells, Fargo and Company .had their agency at 
 the United States Hotel, kepi then by the Kendall 
 brothers. One morning the safe was found robbed 
 of the contents, some ten thousand dollars., A liberal 
 reward was offered for the recovery of the money 
 and the apprehension of the thief. Many persons 
 were anxious to get the reward, and set about the 
 matter with more zeal than discretion. Charles 
 'Acke.r'ly, a dissipated man, stated that- being out late 
 the night before and looking through the window of 
 the office, he saw one of the Kendnlls tampering with 
 1 he safe. This rather unreasonable story was not 
 credited, especially as he refused to testify at all in 
 court, though kept in jail some time for contempt. 
 Three strangers, who happened to come into the town 
 about the time of the occurrence, were suspected. 
 arrested, and brought before the Magistrate for 
 examination. While this was in progress three 
 masked men forcibly took Stupperfield, one of the 
 strangers, out of the custody of the officers, con 
 ducted him to the outskirts of the town, and com 
 menced taking testimony in a manner not laid down 
 in modern works on evidence, but one in vogue a 
 Jew centuries since, and occasionally resorted to in 
 California at an early day. They told him that his 
 partners, meaning the other two strangers, had con 
 fessed the crime and had been hung, and that they 
 Avere iroino- to serve him the same way unless he told 
 
 O O 
 
 them where he had hidden the money. He asserted 
 his innocence of the charge; said he Avas a respecta 
 ble man ; had never committed any crime unless it 
 was gambling a little, and expressed the fear that if 
 he was hung it would kill his mother and sister. He 
 asked some one to take the address of his mother 
 and sister, and write to them his last words, that he 
 died innocent of any crime. Some one volunteering 
 to gratify him was thrust rudely aside Avith the un 
 feeling remark that " The man had better be praying, 
 for his time is mighty short." The noose Avas fixed 
 around his neck and he was drawn up and held sus 
 pended until he ceased struggling, when he was let 
 down until he recovered. Denying any knowledg 
 of the transaction, he was again " strung up.'' and 
 again let down. Though unable to speak, he wa 
 drawn up a third time by the batHed reward-hunters 
 who were getting enraged at the man who AVOU! 
 not "own up." At this stage of the affair Dr. Phelps 
 Avhocame up, interfered to save the man any furthe 
 torture, or rather to save his life, for he had now he- 
 come insensible, lie reached over the heads of the 
 executioners, and with a Bowie knife cut the rope 
 and the man fell to the ground. Depuiy Sheriff Gist 
 coining up about the same time, the court dispersed. 
 The man was with difficulty resuscitated, his limbs 
 being paralyzed for some time in consequen 
 injury to his spinal chord from the repeated hang 
 ings. It turned out that Stupperfield, as well as the 
 other two strangers arrested, were in Forest Hume 
 
RESi DENCECFR.W.PALMER. 
 JACK50M , AMADOR C^ CAL 
 
 RESIDENCE*' M" s ROSA FROELlCH. 
 
 JACKSON, AMADOR C9 CAL 
 

NORTH-WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 225 
 
 the night of the robbery. Public opinion has fixed 
 the robbery on one of the parties engaged in this 
 hanging. As the men were masked, it is unsafe to 
 attempt to name them, though many persons have 
 no doubt about their identity. It is better that pos 
 terity should remain ignorant of the names of the 
 parties, than have the doubtful honor fixed on the 
 wrong person. 
 
 There are many conflicting statements about the 
 matter, some saying that Stupperfield was taken 
 away from the presence of the Magistrate, others 
 that the maskers took him from a deputy, after the 
 preliminary examination, before a decision was ren 
 dered, the latter hypothesis having the weight of 
 evidence. 
 
 The affair did not terminate with one prosecution. 
 Lee Warden, the Constable, acting on the testimony 
 of Ackerly, watched the house closel} r , and from 
 some movements therein, concluded that the money 
 was concealed not far away, a suspicion that proved 
 correct, as it was found in an old oven not far from 
 the house. The storm of persecution was now 
 turned on him. He was arrested and thrown into 
 jail, and as Job says, "escaped by the skin of his 
 teeth," though public opinion has exonerated him 
 of any connection with the robbery. 
 
 FIRST SCHOOL. 
 
 Dennis Townsend, afterwards county Superin 
 tendent of Schools for many years, taught the first 
 school, Mrs. Bain sending one child, Rolands two, 
 Gilpin three, Lagrave one, and Burt one. Lizzie 
 Scott, now Mrs. Button, at lone, was also a pupil. 
 Few men were more devoted to their profession 
 than Dennis Townsend. Coming to California when 
 gold-hunting was the sole object with most men, 
 his educational feelings were aroused to action by 
 the sight of the children growing up untaught. 
 Leaving the making of a fortune out of the question, 
 he adopted the profession of a teacher, at a time 
 that it meant inevitable poverty and sacrifice, which 
 profession he followed during his life, or, until the 
 arduous duties ruined his health and mind. If we 
 measure men's wealth by the accumulation of gold, 
 he died poor; if by the love of thousands of human 
 beings, who have modeled their lives after his 
 instruction, and hold his memory in veneration, he 
 died one of the wealthiest men in the country. He 
 was the inventor of the folding globe, by which the 
 study of geography has been greatly simplified. 
 
 CHURCHES. 
 
 The first church was built in the Winter of 1852-53, 
 it being a small room, perhaps twelve by twenty, 
 fitted up with desks and seats. Elder Blain, of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, held service occasionally 
 with a few miners, and the wives of Briggs, Lagrave, 
 and occasionally the Scott girls from Amador, sisters 
 to the first-named women. A new church was 
 erected in 1855, which was elegant and commodious. 
 
 The town continued to grow until about 1863. 
 29 
 
 At one time, four stage-lines concentrated here, tak 
 ing passengers to Indian Diggings, and other mining 
 towns, also for the cities. The hill diggings, though 
 not rich, furnished remunerative employment to a 
 great many men. Soon after the discovery of the 
 Nevada mines, the population began to decline in 
 common with the other placer mining tows of Ama 
 dor county. As the placers were worked out, the 
 Chinese, who are willing to work for the smallest 
 pittance, began to occupy the country. They now 
 own nearly all the older part of the town. The 
 buildings, water-worn and sunburned, would burn 
 up in a moment if a fire were once kindled, and the 
 old landmarks would be gone. The Chinese por 
 tion of the town shows gradual and certain decay. 
 Though manifested in different ways, prosperity 
 and adversity make their own record. Pomposity, 
 obesity, contentment, and fine raiment, indicate 
 easy circumstances; modesty, leanness, irritability, 
 and shabbiness, belong to adversity. The latter 
 conditions prevail in the Chinese quarters in Oleta 
 to an alarming degree. 
 
 MINING PROSPECTS. 
 
 There is more placer mining around Oleta than in 
 any other of the mining camps. The gulches were 
 soon worked out, but the low-grade gravel hills 
 remained unworked until smaller wages were satis 
 factory, or until improved methods of mining were 
 adopted. The reduced price of water also has had 
 much to do with the working of low-grade gravel 
 mines. Loafer hill, as well as other hills in the 
 vicinity, has many years of drifting. The ridge 
 between Slate creek and Sucker creek is also paying 
 ground. At the Brown claim, on Sucker hill, may be 
 seen the most advanced methods of gravel mining. 
 There is a large area of cemented gravel of low 
 grade. The ordinary process of sluice-washing failed 
 to make it remunerative. A stamp mill was tried, but 
 the cost of crushing absorbed all the returns, leaving 
 no margin for dividends. The crushing process, how 
 ever, was supposed to get the. most of the gold 
 that was in the gravel; so a point was gained for 
 further experiments. The Duham " Gold and Water 
 Saving Machine " seems to have solved the problem 
 for this kind of mining. 
 
 Fancy an old-fashioned churn about twelve or four 
 teen feet long, with staves of bar-iron half an inch 
 thick and three inches wide, riveted to stout hoops 
 instead of being banded or held together, the 
 spaces between the staves being, say, one- twelfth 
 of an inch. This is hung nearly horizontal on 
 pivots, like a flour bolting machine, and partly 
 immersed in a bath of water. The gravel is poured 
 into one end of the churn, the rotary motion, which 
 may be obtained by the same water which is 
 used for the bath, or by steam-power, tumbles the 
 gravel from one side to the other, all the time pass 
 ing it through the water until it is washed com 
 paratively clean, rolling out at the lower end, 
 out of the way. The gold is caught on amalgamat- 
 
226 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 ing plates under the cylinder. The arrangement of 
 these are such as to be with difficulty understood 
 without drawings. 
 
 The results are as follows: 
 
 Cost of mining out the gravel per ton 50c. 
 
 " " crushing in cement mill . -50c. 
 
 $1 00 
 
 Total yield $1 00 
 
 Profit, nothing. 
 
 Cost of mining being the same 50c. 
 
 " " reducing by Duham's process lOc. 
 
 60c. 
 
 Total yield by same 90c. 
 
 Margin for profit 30c. 
 
 90c. 90c. 
 
 The capacity of the machine is ten tons per hour. 
 The machine weighs about three tons, and may be 
 taken in pieces of less than fifty pounds each. 
 About two inches of water will run it. 
 
 SEAWELL ADDITION. 
 
 The tract between Dry creek and the Cosumnes, 
 originally belonging to the El Dorado Company, was 
 set off to Amador by Act of the Legislature in the 
 Winter of 1856-57, through the instrumentality of 
 Seawell, member from the Amador side. Indian creek, 
 emptying into the Cosumnes at the forks, heads not 
 far from Oleta. Pigeon creek is a short stream 
 between Indian creek and the Cosumnes. These 
 streams were never rich in gold, though mined even 
 to the present time. This country was a part of the 
 ancient river system, and much of it was buried up 
 in lava or lava wash. The glaciers swept out wide 
 valleys, which are now the sites of fine farms. The 
 volcanic debris forms a fine, warm soil, suitable for 
 the vine and stone fruits. Ulinger's ranch has per 
 haps twenty thousand vines of different varieties 
 flourishing finely. The wine is said to be of fine 
 quality. Other farms in the vicinity are also prom 
 ising. The farming interests in this portion of the 
 county will, no doubt, soon be the predominating 
 element in the prosperity of the people. The soil is 
 deep, generally free from boulders, and, having a 
 granitic base, strong and enduring. The shallow 
 mines have in many instances materially assisted the 
 owners to tide over the unproductive time of ; < open 
 ing up a farm." Fruits and grain flourish without 
 irrigation, though it is generally believed that apples 
 and pears, and more especially small berries, would 
 be much improved by it. At present the want of a 
 market prevents the development of the cultivation 
 of fruits. When canneries and dryers are estab 
 lished the resources of this portion of the county 
 will be appreciated and developed. 
 
 COSUMNES RIVER. 
 
 This, by Act of the Legislature, 1856-57, con 
 stitutes the northern boundary of the county. The 
 south fork was probably the poorest in gold of all 
 the rivers in the mines; though around Fairplay, 
 
 Cedarville, and Indian Diggings, a range correspond 
 ing with Volcano and Murphy's, there were some 
 very rich placers. Near the lower end of the flat, 
 above the falls, were some deposits of fine gold* 
 where the miners made from two to six ounces a day. 
 This flat, like many places both north and south of 
 the river, is a glacial erosion, one peculiarity of 
 which is to pile up irregularly rounded gravel, 
 clay and other debris, peculiar to such agencies, 
 against the dam or terminal wall, called by geolo 
 gists a moraine. If the track of the glacier is over 
 auriferous slates or through gravel containing gold, 
 rich deposits will be found at the lower end of a valley, 
 or, as the miners say, at the wrong end, reversing 
 the usual methods of deposit. Two or three rich 
 riffles of small extent were discovered and worked 
 in 1851, and subsequently in 1852. The following 
 rather amusing account of an attempt to introduce 
 improved mining will not only explain itself, but 
 give an idea of the mistaken notions prevailing 
 among miners with regard to the nature of gold 
 deposits. The article was originally published in the 
 Oakland Times: 
 
 The south fork of the Cosumnes heads among some 
 very good placer mines, or rather what were good 
 mines, for the once busy places are indicated by the 
 scarred hills, and the chimneys of the long since 
 deserted cabins. The main channel was rather poor, 
 though some of the riffles or bars were rich in the 
 scale gold, which was characteristic of this river, 
 some small deposits paying as much as one hundred 
 dollars per day to the man, which was enough to 
 justify, in the then uncertain knowledge of the nature 
 of river deposits, a belief in the unbounded richness of 
 the inaccessible deep holes with which the river 
 abounded. Early in 1852 some sailors, who had been 
 on a slaver on the coast of Africa, obtained possession 
 of a long, deep hole, just below one of these rich bars, 
 which had paid for a few days astonishingly, every 
 bucketful of dirt having a dollar in it. The hole was 
 supposed to contain at least a bushel of gold, which 
 opinion was strengthened by finding several dollars' 
 worth of dust on the naked granite rock which 
 crossed the channel, forming the dam which retained 
 the water. This appeared to have been swashed 
 out of the hole by the freshet which occurred in 
 March of that year. The sailors, knowing little or 
 nothing of mining, had taken in as partners two 
 experienced miners to engineer the working of the 
 claim. A race, or canal, was cut around the hole, 
 a dam thrown across the river, and about the first of 
 July the water was all turned into the canal, the 
 seepage through the dam being but trifling. Still 
 there was five or six feet of water over the supposed 
 treasure; how to get rid of it was the question. In 
 the latter days of mining a steam engine and pump 
 would have made short work of it, but in those days 
 such a thing was not thought of, and the proposal 
 to blast down the channel was rejected on account 
 of the expense. At this stage of the affair one of 
 the men who had been taken in as engineer pro 
 posed to construct a syphon to drain off the water, 
 and made a model to show its workings, bringing 
 forward Comstock's Philosophy as authority. The 
 sailors had no faith in " book larnin," and came very 
 near rejecting the proposal, but finally gave a reluc 
 tant consent, and the construction of a syphon out 
 
NORTH-WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 227 
 
 of inch pine lumber, with no tools but a jack- 
 plane, saw, and auger, was commenced. The lum 
 ber, all the way from Maine, cost twenty-eight cents 
 a foot, and was carried over the mountains from Ye- 
 omet, the nearest town. The syphon was made eight 
 inches square in the clear, the edges of the lumber 
 being put together with white lead. The ends of 
 the several sections were joined by wrapping them 
 with several folds of tarred canvas. To prevent 
 leakage through the small worm-holes and pores of 
 the wood, several coats of hot tar were applied to 
 the outside. When finished the "simon," as it was 
 universally called, was near a hundred feet long, look 
 ing much like " the great sea serpent we have read 
 of." The project had excited much derisive comment 
 among the several hundred miners in the vicinity, 
 and when the day came for putting it in, all work 
 was suspended, a great crowd gathering to see it work, 
 or rather fail to work, for not one had an encourag 
 ing word for the projector; even the sailors had lost 
 what little confidence in it they had at first, and 
 were threatening personal violence to the originator. 
 Those who have ever undertaken anything contrary 
 to the universal opinion have some idea of the sore 
 ness a hundred wagging tongues will produce. From 
 this point it may be as well to let the narrator use 
 his own words: "I now floated one end of the tube 
 out into deep water and sunk it to the bottom, put 
 ting a large rock on it to hold it down ; the other 
 end was bent over the rock so as to obtain a fall of 
 perhaps eight feet. I had gates at the ends and 
 a valve opening outward at the highest part of the 
 bend to aid in filling it with water. Everything 
 being arranged 1 stationed a man at each end to tend 
 the gates, taking charge of the vafve at the top my 
 self. When the syphon was full I let it stand a 
 moment to see that all was tight, and th.en closed 
 the valve, wedging it down tight, and gave directions 
 for the gates to be withdrawn. The syphon run a 
 few barrels of water, gave a kind of snort, and was 
 apparently dead! The crowd gave a derisive shout, 
 using such expressions as " Yerl do ter travel, won't 
 yer? Gonter take out a patent ? Reckon yerl have 
 ter study yer book a while longer, my friend. Yer've 
 been ter college, have yer?" 
 
 Though these expressions were made more in fun 
 than anger, I was exceedingly mortified. Science 
 had gone back on me. Comstock was a cheat ! To 
 add to my discomfort, my partner, who had con 
 tended for my knowledge of such matters and who, 
 when the growling had assumed ominous proportions, 
 had taken his little pile of three hundred dollars and 
 told the sailors they had abused his partner long 
 enough, and offered to bet his whole pile on the 
 " simon " and thereby silenced their clamors, for a 
 while at least, gave me a reproachful look I shall 
 always remember, and went off to the cabin. The 
 crowd of spectators, after venting their opinions, went 
 to a saloon near by to finish the day at cards and 
 whisky. After the first shock of disappointment was 
 overl commenced a critical examination to see where 
 the failure was. I half expected that some one had 
 thrust a bowie-knife through the flexible joints, or 
 that some crack had admitted the air, but all seemed 
 as perfect as when I laid it down. At the lower end 
 I made a discovery. When the water started through 
 the syphon it raised the light pine box out of its bed 
 so as to let the air in. I now dug away so as to let 
 it down a little deeper and put a heavy rock on it 
 to hold it to its place, and put in the gates without 
 assistance, not wishing to have any spectators at the 
 next trial. A second time I filled it and carefully 
 
 closed the valve. I then waded out into the deep 
 water and pulled out the upper gate and floundered 
 back as soon as possible to take out the lower one, 
 being apprehensive of failure on account of the dif 
 ference in time. The reader will bear in mind that 
 the water in the pond was up to the top and running 
 over the ro.ck, consequently the syphon would dis 
 charge the water as at a pressure of eight feet, or the 
 difference between the water-level and the lower leg 
 of the syphon. When I pulled out the gate the 
 water poured through the syphon like a young flood. 
 In two minutes the claim below was flooded, sluice- 
 boxes, pumps, and everything made of wood being 
 afloat, which I was not sorry for, as the owners had 
 laughed the loudest at my failure. A whirl-pool 
 over the mouth of the upper end of the syphon 
 showed the force with which the water was being 
 drawn through. I gave a shout or screech of delight 
 which brought every one within hearing to the spot. 
 A man came to the door of the saloon and shouted, 
 "I'll be dogoned if the simon ain't jest a bilin." The 
 cards were thrown down, and a rush made for the 
 syphon. Since then I have " struck it rich " and 
 made my "pile." 1 have mingled in politics and 
 won the race, and have received a blissful answer 
 from the woman 1 loved; but I doubt if anything 
 brought the happiness of that moment. Science 
 was victorious. 
 
 Yarious were the speculations about the " simon." 
 One suggested that the moving power was suction. 
 
 " Suction be d d," said the other, with a look 
 
 of pitiful contempt, "Where's yer suck?" It may 
 be explained that the plunger of a pump is called a 
 suck by many Far West people. The theory most 
 in vogue was : " Yer see, this end er the simon's a 
 heap the lowest, and the water is gonter run out 
 heah any how; nothin' can't git inter it 'cept at the 
 eends, and the water has ter come; somethin' has ter 
 come, you bet." 
 
 In a few days the wonder ceased. I was known 
 as the " simon man," which afterwards was shortened 
 to Simon. There was no fortune in the hole, the 
 bottom being as smooth as your hand. 
 
 A visit to the river after an absence of nearly 
 thirty years shows little change. No deep bank 
 diggings, such as characterize the other rivers, are 
 seen; no canals, blasted through the rocky sides, 
 show where the river was turned. The slickens from 
 the mines around the head of the river, have given 
 a smoothness to the channel that it did not formerly 
 have. The cafion, as it was termed, where a pile of 
 boulders ten to a hundred feet in diameter, which 
 filled the whole river-bed in 1851 so that no water 
 was seen or even heard, except during floods, is now 
 so filled with tailings that the water runs over the 
 tops of the rocks. A few timber slides and wood 
 roads show the occasional presence of lumbermen, 
 but otherwise the deer might wander undisturbed. 
 
 FARMS. 
 
 Above the falls are several good farms. This 
 ground was taken up for farming purposes in 1851, 
 by John M. Jamison and son. They were from 
 St. Louis, where the former had held many posi 
 tions of trust and honor. They afterwards removed 
 to Pigeon creek, where they erected a saw-mill, put 
 up good buildings, and made a home for the family, 
 which soon joined them. The original location was 
 
228 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 good land, but rather frosty, owing to the conforma 
 tion of the outlet of the valley, which was a glacial 
 moraine. 
 
 LYNCHING AFFAIR. 
 
 Jamison's ranch was the scene of an affair in 1852 
 that occupied the attention of the people and author 
 ities of El Dorado for some time, involving the 
 Jamisons, both father and son, in a vexatious and 
 costly lawsuit. 
 
 John Crouch, then living on a place now occupied 
 by Mrs. Williams, found the hide of one of his 
 missing cattle in a Mexican camp, at the forks of the 
 Oosumnes. With the help of some friends, he gath 
 ered up five or six of the Mexicans, and took them 
 to Jamison's ranch for a trial. Knowing the hasty 
 manner of such trials, and the summary justice 
 meted out, Beebee and other respectable persons at 
 the Forks (Yeomet) sent an express to Coloma for 
 the Sheriff, Buchanan, to be present at the meeting 
 the next day. While the gathering was in progress, 
 the Sheriff and deputies, two or three in number, 
 with some friends and acquaintances of the Mexi 
 cans, came also. Some high words ensued, the 
 Sheriff urging the citizens to give up the Mexicans 
 for trial, the citizens insisting upon trying them then 
 and there, as the courts were unreliable. While the 
 angry colloquy was going on, several Mexicans, with 
 arms in their hands, were discovered hanging around 
 on the outskirts of the place. Whether they came 
 with peaceful intent and were afraid to come in, is 
 not known. Several persons went with guns and 
 pistols and drove them away. Among this number 
 was the elder Jamison. There is no mistake about 
 his being of the party, and it is particularly noticed 
 here, as being important in connection with the 
 charge subsequently made against him of resisting 
 the officers. Several shots were fired at the Mexi 
 cans, and perhaps some were returned. They retired 
 however without much delay. The shots on the outside 
 of the camp seemed to inflame the crowd, many of 
 whom drew their revolvers and told the Sheriff to 
 leave. One person struck his horse with the barrel 
 of a rifle. Perhaps a dozen pistols and guns were 
 exhibited with the intention of overawing him. The 
 Sheriff was obliged to go, as it would have been 
 madness to have drawn a weapon in his own defense 
 in the presence of so many weapons ready to be 
 used. He turned his horse, and rode slowly away, 
 evidently angry, but holding himself in good order, 
 followed by the friends of the Mexicans. Perhaps 
 the presence of the hide might have been explained 
 if the folks at the Forks had been heard. Beebe, 
 of the firm of Beebee & Simpson, claims that the 
 Mexicans were not guilty of any crime; that the 
 parties punished were hard-working, honest men. 
 After the Sheriff and his party had retired, the citi 
 zens proceeded to try the accused. A jury of twelve 
 was called out. The evidence left no doubt of the 
 stealing of the cattle by some one or more in the 
 camp to which the Mexicans belonged. The accused 
 
 one of whom could speak English, told the jury that 
 there were some bad men in the settlement to which 
 he belonged; that neither he nor his friends ought to 
 be held responsible for their deeds, for they were 
 desperadoes, as ready to rob their own countrj^men 
 as the Americans. The statement looked reasona 
 ble, but the accused were found guilty by the jury, 
 mostly on the ground of not having prevented the 
 stealing by other parties, and were sentenced to some 
 thirty lashes each, on the general principle that a 
 greaser was always guilty. One after another was 
 taken out to a tree and whipped. One of them, a 
 fine-looking man the one spoken of before bowed 
 to the people with a smile, saying in good English : 
 / " Gentlemen, 1 am as innocent of this stealing as 
 any of you," and held his hands up to be tied to the 
 tree. 
 
 The executioner, whose name will be omitted, 
 
 said: "G d you, I'll take that smile off your 
 
 face." 
 
 John McCauley, one of the participators in the 
 affair, protested against his receiving any severer 
 punishment than the others. It is said that the 
 last-mentioned person was Joaquin Murietta. There 
 are so many conflicting reports concerning him that 
 it is difficult to believe anything. The report that 
 he was unjustly whipped somewhere, is probably 
 true. Persons acquainted with him say that it was 
 in El Dorado county; others say that it was in 
 Sonora. Whether it was Joaquin or somebody else, 
 is not material. The sting of the lash may be borne 
 with indifference, but the disgrace, the insults, con 
 nected with it, who will forgive? One enemy at 
 least was made who probably wiped out the dis 
 grace, according to his code, in blood. The fact 
 that Joaquin commenced his mui-derous career in 
 Fiddletown; that the participants in the "Jamison 
 affair," as it was called, were apparently hunted, 
 gives an appearance of probability to the theory. 
 
 The Sheriff left with no pleasant feelings. The 
 firmly set jaw and steady eye, indicated another 
 chapter in the play. In a day or two after, he 
 returned with a posse comitatus of three or four hun 
 dred men, to arrest the rioters. 
 
 "Then there was hurrying to and fro, 
 And cheeks all pale which but an hour ago," 
 
 Well the rioters ran now. 
 
 Runners were sent up and down the river, also to 
 Fiddletown, warning them to flee from the wrath 
 to come. Some visited with the Indians for a while; 
 others found a hunting trip on the upper waters of 
 the rivers, to be the best thing at hand. Jamison 
 and his son were both arrested, and taken to Coloma. 
 The posse comitatus helped themselves freely to hay, 
 grain, and provisions, wasting what they did not 
 consume, and doing damage to the amount of several 
 hundred dollars. At the preliminary examination 
 before a magistrate, the Sheriff found it difficult to 
 fix any participation in resisting him, on either 
 Tamison or the son, for the reason, as before stated, 
 
NORTH-WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 229 
 
 that they were of the party that were out at the 
 time to drive away the Mexicans who were hanging 
 around the place. The principle of law, that he who 
 is present when an unlawful act is committed, without 
 using his influence to prevent it, becomes "particeps 
 criminis," was cited with the proof of influence, 
 which, if it had been used, might have averted the 
 resistance. Mr. Jamison's house, or place, had been 
 used on account of the convenience of meeting there, 
 not because he took an active part in the matter. 
 The offense, if any had been committed, was purely 
 technical, and by a general understanding the Jami 
 sons plead guilty, paid a nominal fine, and were dis 
 missed; but the active lynchers did not rest quite 
 easy, until after several months had elapsed. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXV. 
 
 NORTH-WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 Drytown Details of Settlement First Justice of the Peace 
 Arrival of Families Scurvy Great Fire Farming Dry 
 Creek Rattlesnake Gulch Mile Gulch Murderers' 
 Gulch Forest Home Arkansas Creek Yankee Hill Big 
 Nugget Willow Springs Central House Plymouth 
 Puckerville Mineral Springs Fires Enterprise Yeomet. 
 
 DRYTOWN is on Dry creek, in the northern part of 
 the county, about twelve miles from Jackson. Dry 
 creek, from which the town takes its name, runs 
 through the place. It is the oldest town of any size 
 in the county. As early as May in 1848, some fifty 
 or more persons were working here, the most of 
 whom were Mexicans from Monterey and vicinity. 
 Isaac E. Eastman, now mining in the vicinity of 
 Volcano, was here a few days at that time. Two 
 ounces a day was the ordinary day's work, though 
 occasionally, when a rich crevice was found, the 
 ounces would become pounds. During the Summer, 
 the number was still greater. In the following 
 Spring, more white men came, among whom were 
 G. L. Thomas, who had resided in Thomas O. 
 Larkin's family at Monterey, also some of Steven 
 son's regiment, names unknown, though one of them 
 went by the name of Leather-stocking. All accounts 
 agree in the statement that the ravines and gulches 
 were very rich, the gold being on the bed-rock near 
 the surface. A hundred dollars to the pan was not 
 an unusual occurrence. The tussocks, or bunches of 
 grass along the ravines, would often have five or six 
 dollars adhering to the roots. Mr. Thomas, who 
 still lives in Drytown, thinks that in the Spring and 
 Summer of '49, men averaged one hundred dollars 
 per day. The town was very quiet, the Indians, 
 Mexicans, and white population generally getting 
 along without much trouble. The four or five white 
 men began to think they were not having a fair show, 
 considering they were the owners of the country, and 
 posted up a notice ordering all foreigners to leave 
 within a certain time, which, however, was not 
 noticed. An Englishman by the name of Pilkinton, 
 who had formerly lived in Mexico, and understood 
 the Spanish language, kept a store in a brush shanty 
 
 and got most of the Mexican trade. A man by the 
 name of Williams, who had a store on Chile hill, got 
 the Indian trade, his stock being mostly shirts and 
 other cotton goods of gay colors, with which the 
 Indians loved to decorate themselves. At this time 
 there were but three or four log-cabins. 
 
 Pilkinton was the first Justice of the Peace, or the 
 first elected rather, but as the election was carried 
 by the residents of the town, who were mostly 
 gamblers, it did not give satisfaction to the miners, 
 who called a meeting in the evening to reconsider the 
 matter. There was no town hall, but a big fire was 
 built against a log, and the meeting was organized 
 by the election of a man by the name of Beiterman 
 as chairman the chair being a portion of the log at 
 a little distance from the fire. Mr. Beiterman was a 
 portly, good-looking man, and had the only stove 
 pipe hat in the country, and had the further dis 
 tinction of having married a runaway wife of 
 Brigham Young, hence was considered a suitable per 
 son for chairman. The fact that Pilkinton was an 
 Englishman, and was chosen by the gamblers, was 
 duly set forth, and the election was annulled. 
 
 During the Summer, when the " around the Horn 
 men" began to arrive, there was a large accession 
 to the white population. All the passengers, num 
 bering thirty or forty, from the barks Strafford and 
 Anna Welch, from New York, came in a body to the 
 town, and a new impetus was given to aifairs. An 
 election for Justice of the Peace was called, and two 
 candidates were set up. The old citizens nominated 
 and supported a man by the name of Mulford, from 
 Pennsylvania. The Straifords nominated a man by 
 the name of Coffin, who was elected after a very 
 spirited contest. He left, however, in the course of 
 a week. A love for a political contest, more than 
 the want of a magistrate, was the source of the 
 interest manifested in the election. 
 
 In the Autumn a great many families came to 
 Drytown, among whom were the Hinkstons, Boone, 
 ' lineal descendants of Daniel Boone,' Weston, and 
 Richmond families; a family also settled in Mile 
 gulch. Miss Mollie Boone, now Mrs. Prank Hen 
 derson, living at Drytown, was born December 2d, 
 1849, on the north side of the creek, then in El 
 Dorado county, Dry creek being the county line. 
 She was the first white child born in the present limits 
 of the county. 
 
 The first attempts to have anything like perma 
 nent residences, commenced about this time. So 
 far, the people had camped under trees or brush 
 shanties, or in tents. The boots and hat often 
 served for a pillow. Coyotes prowled around the 
 camps at night, gathering up all that was eatable, 
 or had the smell of human hands on it. One morn 
 ing, a miner missed one of his boots. He remem 
 bered that he put it under his head; why any one 
 should steal one boot, he could not imagine. It was 
 found some distance away, gnawed by a coyote, 
 that had managed to pull it from under his head, 
 
230 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 without disturbing his slumbers. In another in 
 stance, a man, distrusting his companions, put his 
 purse, containing several pounds of dust, under a 
 flat rock some ways from the camp. In the morn 
 ing it was gone. He was loud in his complaints of 
 having been robbed by some one of the company. 
 Instead of getting up a row, they were cool enough 
 to inquire into the circumstances, and went with 
 the loser to the defaulting bank. The depositor 
 showed the line between two trees, where the gold 
 was buried under the rock, which appeared to have 
 been moved. A closer examination showed marks 
 of a paw that had scratched around the stone. The 
 purse, gnawed in holes and empty, was found not 
 far away, the dust being scattered over considerable 
 ground. It was mostly recovered, and good feel 
 ings in the family restored, though coyotes fared 
 badly in the vicinity after that, all on account of 
 " tJiat thar blamed crittur that stole his puss." 
 
 ROCKERS. 
 
 The Beitermans made rockers out of "split stuff," 
 and sold them for seventy -five dollars each. A year 
 afterwards they were sold for twenty-five dollars. 
 The Americans used rockers, packing the dirt in 
 sacks to water, sometimes half a mile away. The 
 Mexicans dry- washed, with their batayas, with much 
 the same movement that is used in cleaning sand 
 out of gold-dust. When less than an ounce a day 
 was made, new diggings were sought. 
 CABINS. 
 
 When the rains commenced there were few or no 
 cabins; those who had been prudent enough to build 
 them gave a place on the ground for a spread to those 
 who were out of doors. It was found that the western 
 man, either from having crossed the plains or from 
 being accustomed to a rough life, was readiest to 
 adapt himself to circumstances. He soon "knocked 
 up" a log cabin, while the eastern man cursed the 
 country and lamented his hard fate. The first rains 
 were of short duration and before the heavy rains 
 set in all were sheltered. Shakes were worth six 
 teen dollars per hundred, and a man with a cross-cut 
 saw and froe could make two ounces a day. 
 SCURVY. 
 
 Nearly everybody was afflicted with what was 
 called scurvy, which seerried to be a disease similar 
 to what afflicted the people the following year, though 
 accompanied with other symptoms. The limbs and 
 body would swell, the tongue crack and bleed,, and 
 the gums get so sore and ulcerated that the teeth 
 would become loose, sometimes falling out. It was 
 usually accompanied with diarrhea and flux, which 
 became to a great extent epidemic. It is supposed 
 to have been caused by the hardships of the long 
 journey, both by sea and land, and the scarcity of 
 vegetable food. About thirty persons, one-fifth of 
 the white population, died during the Winter, of this 
 disease. Doctors charged eight dollars for a visit in 
 town, and sixteen to fifty dollars per visit to the 
 
 country. Dan Worley, who suffered from this disease 
 for some time, employed a physician, who salivated 
 and otherwise demoralized him, without doing him 
 any good, for which he charged one thousand one 
 hundred dollars. Dan thinks he could have got his 
 teeth knocked out for a much less sum than that if 
 he had set about it. 
 
 Potatoes were worth two dollars a pound; a bottle 
 of sauerkraut, four dollars; vinegar, when it could be 
 had, was dealt out as medicine at twenty-five cents a 
 spoonful. The scarcity of good water might have 
 had something to do with the violence of disease, 
 as there was but one place (near the present slaughter 
 house) where drinking water could be obtained. 
 Men would go there before daylight and await their 
 turn for a chance at the small seepage which came out 
 there. Five years afterwards no such awaiting 
 would have occurred, for the sinking of a shaft deep 
 enough to reach the abundance of cool water every 
 where found in that vicinity, would not have caused 
 ten minutes conference. 
 
 Until 1853, Drytown was a collection of log cabins 
 and shake shanties, without much attempt at arch 
 itectural display or even comfort, but the people 
 caught the prevailing spirit of improvement, and 
 commenced improving. A hall for general purposes 
 was built. It was also used as a church and school- 
 house. In 1854 several brick buildings, supposed to 
 be fire-proof, were erected. In 1856-57 the town 
 was at its best as far as numbers were concerned, 
 though it was even then considered a "worked-out" 
 place, the shallow gulches having been easily ex 
 hausted and no hill diggings taking their places. 
 
 GREAT FIRE. 
 
 In the Autumn of 1857 a fire broke out near the 
 creek, and, aided by the wind, situation of the town, 
 and combustible nature of the buildings, in an hour 
 it laid the whole place in ashes. Three buildings, Will 
 iams' and Louis & Richtmyer's, and the present 
 store of William 0. Clark, were the only ones 
 saved. Those who have never seen a California town 
 burn, have no idea of the progress of the flames after 
 a start is made. The shakes and pine boards, ren 
 dered spongy by long exposure to the Winter rains 
 without protection from paint, and then made dry as 
 tinder by a six months' exposure to a heat of one 
 hundred and forty degrees in the sun, flash like shav 
 ings, the flame leaping from house to house as on the 
 dry prairie grass, rendering useless any attempts to 
 stay its progress or save property. 
 
 Drytown never recovered from this misfortune. 
 The Mexicans and Chilenos, who had constituted the 
 larger part of the population in times past, left, no 
 white people taking their places. 
 
 Some of the brick buildings and most of the 
 dwellings of the white residents were rebuilt, but 
 some of the brick stores were soon after without 
 tenants, and served to shelter the weary pigs and 
 goats from the noon-day sun. When the Gover, Sea- 
 ton, Pennsylvania, and other mines along the lode 
 
NORTH-WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 231 
 
 were developed, the town showed some signs of 
 revival, but New Chicago soon appropriated that 
 source of prosperity , and the old routine was resumed. 
 The travel between the different mining towns still 
 goes through Dry town, and the stages from lone and 
 Latrobe connect with stages for the upper towns 
 twice a day, bringing some trade to the stores. 
 
 There is some farming in the vicinity, the soil 
 being well adapted to cereals and fruits. Wine of a 
 fine quality is manufactured in considerable quanti 
 ties, the capacity of the soil for grapes being unsur 
 passed. William O. Clark, the famous temperance 
 orator, recuperates his exhausted energies by plough 
 ing the hill sides and harvesting the tall oats, as a 
 recreation. Robert Cosner, a successful politician, 
 several times elected to the office of Sheriff, and now 
 a prominent man in San Francisco, commenced his 
 career here as a clerk for J. C. Williams. Doc 
 tor Fox, a stock broker in the city, also resided here 
 in early days, as did W. F. Curtis, a lawyer, after 
 wards a noted man in the Union army. D. W. Sea- 
 ton, successful as a lawyer, politician, and miner, was 
 also resident here from his first coming to California 
 to the day of his death (soon after his election to 
 the State Senate) by the explosion of the steamer 
 Yo Semite. He gave his name to the Seaton mine. 
 
 DRY CREEK. 
 
 From the crossing of the Mother Lode, down, 
 this creek was probably the best in the county. It 
 was the first to be extensively worked, having sev 
 eral hundred miners while there was yet but a house 
 or two at Amador and Sutter Creek. The source of 
 the gold which enriched all the gulches in the vicin 
 ity is a mystery. No rich quartz veins traverse the 
 hills which are nearly a mile west of the Mother 
 Lode, and no place on the Mother Lode in the county 
 was as rich as at Drytown, excepting, perhaps, Mur 
 phy's and Hunt's gulches. If there were ever any 
 ancient river-beds, they are gone, only a trace in two 
 or three places being left; but as Drytown is two or 
 three hundred feet lower than any mining town 
 in the county, the ancient rivers may have been 
 swept away. Some traces of one are found on the 
 high hill south of the town, also on a hill near the 
 quartz lode, also at Rattlesnake flat, east of the 
 quart/ lode. The clayey bed on which the gravel 
 rested at the latter-named place indicates a bed of a 
 glacier, and Drytown may have been the outlet for a 
 vast floe of ice, the flats at the Central House and 
 Plymouth forming a part of the same. The fact 
 that the wall-rock of the ancient valley is broken 
 down here Jower than any point between the bound 
 aries of the county favors this theory. Some indica 
 tions of benches or shores of an ancient lake may be 
 seen on the hill -sides south of Drytown. 
 
 The creek was rich several miles below town. At 
 Campbell's store, five miles below town, the creek 
 was as good as at any other point, and at Irish Hill, 
 the ancient outlet of the glacial stream, it was no 
 unusual thing for men to make fortunes of ten to 
 
 twenty thousand dollars. Whoever has time and 
 inclination to study the connections between the 
 ancient river beds of Fiddletown (Oleta) and the 
 glacial marks at points farther west, will find a rich 
 field for study and discovery. 
 
 RATTLESNAKE GULCH 
 
 Was one of the richest gulches around Drytown. 
 Its several branches start from the crest of the Black 
 hills, (the rich quartz deposit heretofore described,) 
 and empty into Dry creek, not far above the town. 
 
 MURDERER'S GULCH, 
 
 An ominous name, was so called from its being 
 the scene of several murders in 1849-50. It lies 
 along the reef of Jurassic gravel, from which it prob 
 ably derives most of its gold. Blood gulch also was 
 the scene of a murder in the same year. Some men 
 seeing blood mingled with the water, went up the 
 stream a few yards, and found a man who had been 
 shot and robbed, hence the name. 
 
 MILE GULCH 
 
 Heads near Lower Rancheria, and runs north 
 westerly towards Dry creek. This was also the 
 scene of a tragedy during the excitement of 1855. 
 The gold was from a pliocene river, which enriched 
 Rattlesnake flat, this being one of the very few 
 places remaining of the great gravel deposits. A 
 family (name forgotten) settled here in '49. Rattle 
 snake flat was mined in 1859 or '60, by a party 
 who brought water to it by means of a ditch and 
 flume, from Rancheria creek. 
 
 FOREST HOME. 
 
 This was the center of a mining district in the 
 north-western part of the county, which was, per 
 haps, the poorest in gold of any portion that was 
 extensively worked. The serpentine range here 
 reached its largest development, some of the peaks 
 forming landmarks for many miles around. This 
 development, or rather extraordinary elevation of 
 the metamorphic series of rocks, perhaps had some 
 influence in preventing streams or channels from 
 being formed which could be enriched by the Mother 
 Lode, as the country further south was. The Cos- 
 umnes river along this tract was not rich, the pay 
 ing claims being farther down, in the vicinity of 
 Michigan bar, in Sacramento and El Dorado counties. 
 
 ARKANSAS CREEK, 
 
 So called because no "Arkansaw traveler" ever 
 came that way, has its source near Forest Home, 
 runs westerly several miles, and empties into the 
 Cosumnes, near the county line. At the head of 
 this creek were some deep diggings, called the 
 "Yankee claim" and Wind hill. These places seem 
 to have been the remains of a pliocene river, perhaps 
 of the same age as the hills around Stony creek, in 
 the southern part of the county, Arkansas creek 
 receiving its wealth from these hills. 
 
 YANKEE HILL 
 
 Was worked in 1850 by Griswold, Emerson, Pur- 
 tham, Alexander, and others. Griswold is now an 
 
232 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 eminent composer of music in Boston. The lower 
 part of the creek only paid moderately, three to five 
 dollars being the usual result of a day's work. Will 
 iam B. Ludlow, afterwards member of the Legis 
 lature, now a resident of Oakland, Edmond Tanner, 
 Wallace Wallace, and Charles Bennett, the latter 
 since a resident of Sutter Creek, are remembered as 
 mining there in 1850, and since. Potter, now of 
 Plymouth, and also Gideon Babb, kept stores there. 
 Some coarse gold was taken out occasionally. The 
 hills were generally composed of sand and gravel, 
 the gold being found in a kind of ferruginous, 
 cemented gravel, on the bottom. 
 
 BIG NUGGET. 
 
 One day a Mexican, named Antone, struck a nug 
 get with his crow-bar, which refused to give way. 
 He enlarged the drift, and approached it two or 
 three inches farther back, and struck his bar, as he 
 thought, behind it. To his astonishment, the nugget 
 still continued into the hill. A second enlargement 
 produced a like result, and not until he enlarged 
 and extended the drift a third time, did he get 
 behind it. He began to be rather excited by this 
 time, and when it came out, he thought he had 
 about all the money he should ever want. He 
 rushed to the nearest saloon, and treated all hands, 
 depositing the cliispa as security for payment. He 
 continued to treat so many times, that the margin 
 vanished, the nugget eventually falling into the 
 hands of J. Elkins. The piece was seven and a half 
 inches long, and worth three hundred dollars. The 
 gold in this vicinity was mixed with silver, and was 
 worth only thirteen dollars per ounce, forming a 
 great contrast in appearance with the gold from 
 Drytown, which was worth seventeen dollars and 
 seventy-five cents per ounce. 
 
 In 1860, the sluices were often robbed. Some 
 person would cut small creases in the bottoms of 
 the boxes, and with a sharp, conical scraper, would 
 clean several sets of sluices in a night. The act 
 be'coming common, Edward Evans, one of the 
 miners, kept watch, and when the robber went at 
 his work, gave him a load of shot. The culprit 
 proved to be a Chinaman. The Chinese in the 
 vicinity were compelled to bury him. Evans received 
 no punishment. In 1850, John Ballou and Nehcmiah 
 Barnes, got into a difficulty about a right to a min 
 ing claim, which resulted in the fatal shooting of 
 the former. Barnes soon after left the country. In 
 an early day, a Frenchman named Raymond, min 
 ing on the river, shot a Chinaman with very little 
 provocation. The miners gathered, and giving the 
 Frenchman a trial, hung him. At that time there 
 was no especial prejudice towards the Chinese race. 
 The Arkansas House, not far from the county line, 
 was kept by a man by the name of Haynes, who j 
 died some twenty years ago, of consumption. He 
 was the first Justice of the Peace in that section of ! 
 the county. 
 
 WILLOW SPRINGS. 
 
 This is the site of a glacial erosion, like Plymouth 
 and other places. It was settled by Richard 
 son and William Jennings, who put up a first-class 
 hotel, the place being on the line of the travel from 
 Drytown, Fiddletown and other places to Sacra 
 mento. Travelers a quarter of a century since 
 recollect well the good fare of those days. The 
 place was afterwards sold to Mathews. W. D. Castle, 
 now of San Jose, owned the place for many years. 
 The mining was never of much importance around 
 this place. 
 
 THE CENTRAL HOUSE, 
 
 Two miles north of Drytown, is another place similar 
 to Willow Springs in location and character. As 
 before stated, the gold mining never attracted many 
 persons to this vicinity. Soon after the breaking 
 out of the copper excitement, several veins of copper 
 were discovered, and for some years this " North- 
 West Territory" bid fair to become a second El 
 Dorado, or Copperopolis. This epoch of the history 
 will receive more particular attention in the history 
 of copper mining, which will form a chapter by 
 itself. 
 
 PLYMOUTH 
 
 Is on the Mother Lode, near the northern boundary 
 of the county, fifteen miles from the county seat. It 
 has very little history separate from the history of 
 its quartz veins. At the lower end of the flat, on 
 which the town is built, there was formerly a small 
 hamlet called Puckerville, or Pokerville. It might 
 have had twenty or thirty miners in its best days, 
 which were nearly a quarter of a century since. At 
 the present time, a solitary house marks the site of 
 the ancient town. Ruined chimneys, the usual relics 
 of a " dug-out " town, are totally wanting, and at 
 this day the history of the town is irrevocably lost. 
 If the name was Pokerville, we may imagine the 
 citizens playing poker, with beans for stakes, while 
 waiting through the long Summer for water to come, 
 or, through the Winter for the water to go down, so 
 their claims could be worked, a practice quite com 
 mon in early days in many a mining camp which has 
 since made a town. As for Puckerville, there is no 
 accounting for that name. There were no persim 
 mons to contract the beef and potato gates; no old 
 maids to put on Sunday rig, and draw the mouth 
 together like a rose-bud to look sweet and tempting; 
 in fact, there were no females at all, save occasion 
 ally a wandering mdhflfa, with a basket on her broad 
 back, gathering acorns and bugs. The Indian belle 
 never pressed her mouth to look sweet; that were 
 impossible, but delighted rather in an immense 
 spread, which showed a set of ivories like a quartz 
 breaker. The wildest imagination fails to find a 
 probable reason, and the question " Wherefore Puck 
 erville?" must be left to the wisdom of some of the 
 numerous debuting societies of the mountains. Per 
 haps the orator of the "sand-lot," when he has 
 
A.K.DUObEV 
 
 TOMP60CV * WEST 
 
UNIVERSITY 
 
 CALIFORNIA- 
 
NORTH-WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 233 
 
 decided all the questions of theology, political and 
 social economy, whether moral or financial, to the 
 satisfaction of the people, will give this question the 
 benefit of his profound erudition. 
 
 Plymouth proper was settled upon in an early day 
 by Green Aden and others in search of quartz, but 
 the commencement of its growth as a town, dates 
 to the working of the mines by the Hoopers, father 
 and son. About 1873 the town took a sudden start, 
 occasioned by the purchase of the mines by Hay- 
 ward, D. O. Mills and company. In the same year 
 the precinct cast one hundred and seventy-five votes; 
 in 1877, two hundred and seventy-five; in 1 880, some 
 thing over three hundred, showing a steady growth 
 which is likely to be permanent. 
 
 The town is identified with the prosperity of the 
 mines, though there is considerable farming land in 
 the vicinity, which partially supplies the demand for 
 hay and barley. Shenandoah valley is one of the 
 rural places in this vicinity. It has many fine farms 
 and orchards, that of Oliver Balls being among the 
 best. 
 
 MINERAL SPRINGS. 
 
 The White Sulphur Springs, about two miles north 
 of Plymouth, possess relaxing qualities useful in 
 cases of constipation and inflammatory diseases. No 
 improvements have been made yet. The property 
 is owned by Albert Stevens. There is also an exten 
 sive marble quarry in the vicinity, furnishing an 
 abundance of rock for ornamental purposes, as well 
 as lime for building. 
 
 FIRES. 
 
 The following letter from Plymouth to the Dispatch 
 will explain itself: 
 
 About three o'clock on Monday, the tenth of June, 
 1877, occurred the largest fire ever experienced in 
 this town (Plymouth). The fire commenced in the 
 rear of J. C. Williams' stable and spread over the 
 upper part of the town in an incredible short space 
 of time, reducing twenty or more buildings with their 
 contents to ashes. The following is a partial list of 
 the losses: Easton's hotel, McMullen's boarding and 
 lodging house, James Davis' store, John Davis' dwell 
 ing house, Baer & Coblentz's store, Odd Fellows' 
 hall, P. Quin's saloon and dwelling house, dwellings 
 of Williams, Thomas, and Richardson, Wentworth s 
 blacksmith shop and dwelling, Jacob Smith's shoe 
 maker shop and dwelling, Potter's barn and out-houses, 
 J. C. Williams' stable, five horses, lumber yard, 
 wagons, hay, grain, etc., the residences of the Misses 
 Snyder, and a number of other houses and buildings, 
 about twenty-two in all. 
 
 The fire was said to have been started by some 
 children who were playing with matches in some 
 straw in the rear of the stable. The total loss is 
 estimated at fifty thousand dollars, only a small por 
 tion being covered by insurance. 
 
 ENTERPRISE 
 
 Is the name of a town that was started up about 
 the time that Plymouth commenced growing, and 
 had at one time a hundred or more men busily 
 prospecting quartz, which was thought to be very 
 good. Whether from too much water, as some 
 30 
 
 allege, or from other causes, capitalists failed to take 
 hold of the work, and explorations ceased, the town 
 with the fine name being relegated to obscurity. A 
 house or two keeps guard over what was once a 
 lively camp. 
 
 YEOMET 
 
 Is an Indian name signifying rocky falls, and was 
 given to the forks of the Cosumnes river. Indian 
 creek, north fork, middle fork, which received the 
 south fork a mile or two above, all coming together 
 here. Indian creek rises east of Oleta, runs west until 
 it strikes the quartz range; thence along the course of 
 the vein three miles to the Cosumnes. The north 
 fork also runs for some miles parallel to the Mother 
 Lode; hence, as might be expected, the river was 
 rich, a large number not only mining here, but draw 
 ing their supplies from this base. Up to 1853, it had 
 the appearance of becoming a town. Simpson, 
 Beebee & Co., Bowman & Co., arid others, had large 
 stores, the latter persons also having a bridge across 
 the river, and a hotel of considerable pretensions. 
 Many of the settlers were from Pittsburg, Penn., 
 perhaps induced to remain here by a fancied resem 
 blance to the forks of the Ohio at that town. Some 
 were steamboat captains, some merchants and clerks, 
 some workmen from the great machine shops, that 
 even then had learned to rival Birmingham and the 
 Clyde in making ponderous machinery. Captain 
 John King, who had steamed up and down the Mis 
 sissippi a hundred times, told his stories, how he had 
 entrapped a load of passengers once at New Orleans, 
 by pretending that he had a famous French general 
 on board, having arranged for a smart Frenchmen to 
 play the part, which worked to a charm, his boat 
 being crowded, while the boat having the real gen 
 eral was a few hours behind empty! Some of these 
 men made fortunes and went home; others told their 
 stories, all the better for a drink, which at last got 
 the better of them, leaving them in a nameless grave. 
 Beebee & Simpson were favorites among the miners 
 for their thorough honesty in trade. " Have you some 
 good coffee, sugar, flour, or bacon?" generally elicited, 
 " only a moderately good article," which, however, 
 was found to be as good as the market afforded; but 
 the miners knew their men, and that answer was 
 sufficient. Old man Simpson (E. M.), as the miners 
 used to call him, was subsequently elected to the 
 Legislature, and won the esteem of all he met, by 
 his unswerving honesty and good sense. H. E. Hall, 
 afterwards County Clerk, and Sam Loree, the latter 
 now resident at Upper Rancheria, built saw-mills 
 near the forks in the Summer of 1852. The former 
 was swept away by the high water of the following 
 Winter. The miners gradually encroached upon the 
 town, one building after another giving away, and 
 now a solitary house holds all the population, he 
 watching for a quarter from an occasional footman 
 across the bridge. The river now is not vexed with 
 dam or wing-dam, but follows its own sweet will to 
 the sea. 
 
234 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 A general air of lost, forgotten, or dead pervades 
 this section of the country, north as well as south of 
 the river. Many springs pour cooling streams out of 
 the hill-sides, but no little homes, decorated with 
 vines and trees as at other places, relieve the eyes 
 wearied of the everlasting brown of the hills. Some 
 of the cabins built in 1850 maintain a tottering 
 standing, with the aid of props and braces. Inside 
 you may see the gold-pan and pick as of yore, but 
 the men, weary and worn with a quarter of a cen 
 tury of unsuccessful search for gold, seem waiting for 
 the last act of the play, though still hoping to strike it. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVI. 
 EASTERN PART OF AMADOE COUNTY. 
 
 Elevation Above Tide- water lone, Jackson, Volcano Pine 
 Grove Dentzler's Flume House Claibqrne Foster's Ante 
 lope Springs Hipkins & Wiley's Station Ham's Station- 
 Mud Springs Stevens' Lumber Yard Emigrant's Pass 
 Amount of Timber Remaining Climatic Effect of the Loss 
 of Timber Summer Pasture As a Summer Resort Prac 
 tical Jokes Salt Springs Mammoth Quartz Vein Trout 
 Fishing Silver Mines Sunset from the Sierras Climate 
 Drouths Freshets Rain Table for Amador County, as Com 
 piled by Frank Howard Rain Table for Sacramento, cor 
 rected for Sutter Creek. 
 
 THIS county is shaped much like the famous Pan- 
 Handle of Virginia. As the force of the name may 
 not be apparent to our younger readers, an explana 
 tion may be in order. A half century ago, before the 
 invention of the cooking stove, telephone, high-heeled 
 shoes, creme de Us, arid other modern improvements, 
 the universal frying-pan had a handle some five feet 
 long, to enable a woman to cook by the roaring fires 
 that our ancestors found necessary to have in Win 
 ter, without roasting her face to more than a cherry 
 red. In time every long strip of territory became a 
 pan-handle. Amador county in the Sierras, has much 
 the same attachment. The south fork of the Cosum- 
 nes was established as the northern boundary, the 
 north fork of the Mokelumne as the southern 
 boundary; but as the Cosumnes was a short river, 
 not reaching the summit, leaving the eastern boundary 
 in doubt, Amador took the benefit of the doubt and 
 set up a claim reaching to the State of Nevada, 
 i When Alpine county was created the dividing line 
 between that county and Amador was fixed at Kirk- 
 wood's house in Hope valley, leaving his house on 
 the Amador side. This threw the line of the Amador 
 wagon road. Silver lake and considerable of a tract 
 of Alpine character, into Amador county. Though 
 no towns or even hamlets abound in these mountain 
 regions, they are in many respects the most interest 
 ing part of Amador, and no one should feel them 
 selves acquainted with the whole county until they 
 have breathed the pure attenuated air, seen the tall 
 pines, or fished in the streams of the upper Sierras. 
 A statement of the different elevations, with some 
 of the characteristic productions, will be a good 
 starting point for a general description. 
 
 THE ELEVATION ABOVE TIDE-WATER. 
 
 lone 270 feet. Prevailing timber, oak and scrubby 
 pine, nut pine predominating; no sugar pine ; nat 
 ural grasses, wild oats, etc.; all annuals (except along 
 water courses) in perfection; soil and climate adapted 
 to all fruits; apples, however, lack the flavor of the 
 colder altitudes. 
 
 Jackson 1,300 feet. Timber, oak and pine, pitch 
 pine predominating; sugar pine makes its appear 
 ance; natural grasses inferior to the valley; fruits of 
 all kinds flourish, including the orange, in favored 
 localities; grapes are in perfection. 
 
 Volcano 2,162 feet. Prevailing timber, oak and 
 pine, pitch pine in perfection; sugar pine improving; 
 fir makes its appearance, also the cedar, laurel, pep 
 per, nutmeg pine, etc.; apples improving; grapes at 
 this point (owing to the situation of the town in a 
 basin) are liable to frosts; the wild plum, gooseberry 
 and other berries, make their appearance. 
 
 Pine Grove 2,675 feet. Prevailing timber, oak and 
 pine, pitch pine predominating; pitch pine in perfec 
 tion; sugar pine improving and now towers above all 
 the trees; cedar and fir becoming frequent; grapes 
 good but require sheltered situations; apples have 
 a sharp flavor; peaches late but good in flavor. Snow 
 sometimes falls a foot in depth, remaining on the 
 ground a week or two. 
 
 Dentzler's Flume House 2,980 feet. Timber, oak 
 and pine; nut pine ceases; pitch pine in perfection; 
 sugar pine still improving; the fir and spruce now 
 stately trees; new varieties of the cedar make their 
 appearance; natural grasses scarce, varieties of ferns 
 taking their place; grapes uncertain and lack sugar; 
 apples improving; peaches good; wild plum and 
 gooseberry plentiful, forming thickets; best potatoes 
 in the county raised at this elevation. This includes 
 the altitude of J. A. Foster's ranch, also F. Mace's 
 and B. F. VVhitra ore's. Snow falls occasionally two 
 or three feet deep, and may remain on a month or 
 more. 
 
 Claiborne Foster's 3,100 feet. Timber principally 
 pine, all kinds in perfection; immense quantities in 
 favorable localities, and so thick that the surveyors 
 cannot run a hundred feet in a straight line; sugar 
 pines may now be found six feet in diameter a hun 
 dred leet from the ground; best apples raised at this 
 height; peaches sure in favorable localities, though 
 the later varieties will not ripen; potatoes in perfec 
 tion; wild plums, gooseberries, chinquepins (a kind of 
 dwarf chestnut) in abundance. Snow in considera 
 ble quantities. 
 
 Antelope Springs 4,250 feet. Pines, firs and cedars 
 now a solid forest; oak thinning out, only found on 
 exposed points and dwarfed in stature; potatoes still 
 good ; no attempts made to cultivate fruits above 
 this point. 
 
 Hipkin's & Wiley's Station (on the Amador wagon 
 road) 5,000 feet- Best pine lumber; the oak becomes 
 insignificant. 
 
 Ham's Station 5,425 feet. 
 
EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 235 
 
 Mud Springs 5,975 feet. 
 
 Steven's Lumber Yard 6,422 feet. Potatoes and 
 alfalfa raised here; the best pine ceases, tamarack 
 taking its place. Snow falls eight or ten feet deep. 
 
 Emigrant Pass (second summit) 8,300 feet. 
 Above seven thousand feet the timber is found 
 only in sheltered depressions. The snow fulls any 
 where from ten to twenty feet in depth, which may 
 all melt and go away in the course of three days, if 
 a warm rain prevails. The most striking features in 
 all this upper region are the bare volcanic or gran 
 itic peaks, the heavy rains and floods denuding them 
 of every particle of earth. This region is the source 
 of the freshets which occasional!} 1 " pour down and 
 inundate the lower valleys. 
 
 East of Volcano but little farming is done. A few 
 
 x 
 
 men cultivate small farms to supply the lumbermen 
 with a portion of their needs. Hay and grain are 
 hauled up, and exchanged for lumber. Hay, worth 
 ten dollars in the valleys, becomes twenty dollars at 
 the saw-mill, and lumber which is worth ten dollars 
 at the mill, brings twenty dollars in the valleys. 
 Though the cash values have constantly decreased 
 for twenty years or more the relative values of each 
 have remained about the same. Nearly all the 
 mountain land will raise grain or hay by ploughing 
 and sowing it every year. It is a question of cost 
 alone. If any means should be inaugurated whereby 
 the lumber could be floated to market by water so 
 that teams would not be required to haul the lumber 
 down, and consequently have no inducement to haul 
 hay and grain into the mountains, farming would be 
 put on a remunerative basis. 
 
 AMOUNT OP TIMBER STILL REMAINING. 
 
 Formerly the pine timber covered the entire coun 
 try from the foot-hills up to the bald peaks of the 
 Sierras. Below the altitude of one thousand feet, 
 the timber was dwarfed and inferior. The trees 
 lacked body. A few of the pitch pines may still be 
 seen in the valleys, towering among oaks, but very 
 much inferior to their tall, stately brothers of the 
 mountains. A cluster of fair-sized pines once stood 
 on the south side of Jackson creek, where it runs 
 through the green ledge. These were all cut down 
 and hauled to Lancha Plana some twenty j^ears 
 since for bridge timbers. Between lone and Jack 
 son scarcely a pine can be seen, and around the 
 latter place they are by no means plenty. A few, 
 far up the side of Butte mountain, have escaped the 
 slaughtering axe of the lumbermen. One sugar 
 pine, too crabbed and crooked for shakes, still holds 
 its long arms to the breeze, the only specimen to be 
 seen for miles around. At Pine Grove enough are 
 left to give a plausible reason for the name of the 
 town. Practically, the timber is cut away for a dis 
 tance of thirty-five miles from the foot-hills, the 
 little that is left within that distance being in inac 
 cessible places. The sawed lumber is only a small 
 portion of the amount annually used. Hundreds of 
 teams are hauling lagging and timbers for the under 
 
 ground works which daily swallow up loads of each. 
 The introduction of water as a motive power for 
 driving the machinery saves a consumption of wood 
 amounting to thousands of cords a year; but no sub 
 stitute can be found for the underground timbers. 
 The Plymouth cluster of mines have used up nearly 
 all the available lumber along the line of the ditch, 
 and now have to rely on the supplies farther up in 
 the mountains. The side-hills along the Cosumnes 
 and Mokelumne, as well as Dry .creek and Sutter 
 creek, are now being denuded of everything that 
 will burn, to be floated down in the high waters of 
 Winter. Bryant and others put an immense amount 
 of lumber, consisting of logs, cord-wood, cuts and 
 bolts of sugar pine, into the Mokelumne, far up in 
 the mountains, to be floated down and taken out near 
 Woodbridge, for a match and sash factory. Thou 
 sands of cords, floating out on the bottoms of the 
 Mokelumne, or caught in the rocks of the canons 
 above, were left to rot. In some instances heavy 
 damages were collected of them for the piles of tim 
 ber left on the overflowed ranches. 
 
 Feeble efforts have been made by the United 
 States inspectors to prevent the waste of timber, but 
 our liberal land laws enable any one to make a claim 
 on the land, strip off the timber and then abandon 
 it, without much expense or trouble. 
 
 Benjamin Ross, of Volcano, a deputy United States 
 Surveyor, thinks the lumber belt is hardly reached; 
 that the portion already cut over, though to.irty 
 miles or more in width, is only the ragged edge of 
 the true belt. Others have also expressed the same 
 opinion; while others, whose opportunities for obser 
 vation are good, feel much alarm over the destruc 
 tion that is going on. A thorough survey of each 
 section will be required to set the matter at rest. 
 
 In all ages the destruction' of the growing timber 
 of a country has been considered a most disastrous 
 proceeding. The old (Greeks bestowed the most 
 opprobrious epithet on those who would wantonly 
 kill trees. Trees were religiously preserved as nec 
 essary to the regular fall of rain. Perhaps it was 
 for this that the priest and oracles taught, that every 
 tree was the abode of a spirit who would certainly 
 avenge the destruction of its home. If any tree 
 could make a fitting residence for a god, the sugar 
 pine with its straight shaft, as beautiful as a Grecian 
 column, a hundred feet high, without a limb or knot 
 to mar its magnificent proportions, would be the one. 
 Yet a shake-splitter will ruthlessly cut one of these 
 monarchs down, use a few feet to make shakes, or, if 
 it does not quite suit him, abandon it, and move on 
 to another, which he will serve in like manner. Far 
 in advance of the regular lumberman may be seen the 
 shake-splitter selecting the best trees, which he will 
 destroy to get means to purchase a bottle of whisky 
 and sack of flour, or get enough to indulge in a day 
 or two of debauchery in the nearest town. 
 
 The only estimate of the quantity of lumber 
 remaining in the mountains, that the writer is aware 
 
236 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 of, is that of Capt. J. C. Ham, who built the canal 
 known by his name. His estimate is as follows :- 
 
 ....... :: ........ 800,00 
 
 Mining timbers (sticks).. 
 
 He proposes to carry this all to San Francisco by 
 means of a canal and railroad. It is likely that the 
 general government would interfere if this project 
 was undertaken. 
 
 CLIMATIC EFFECT OF THE LOSS OF THE TIMBER. 
 
 Whether the destruction of timber has already 
 affected any change in the climate, is an open ques 
 tion. The thirty years during which a rain-gauge 
 has been kept, is not a sufficient length of time to 
 determine the average amount of rain, as one or 
 two exceptional seasons would make the amount 
 greater or less than the general average, and lead 
 to a wrong conclusion. After a series of dry seasons 
 it seems easy to prove a serious change, and after 
 a rain like the one occurring in February, 1878, no 
 change at all. The old Spaniards speak of seasons 
 of drouth. The year 1825 was said to be so desti 
 tute of rain that even large rivers dried up, the San 
 Joaquin being so low that cattle could ford it at 
 Stockton; but as no cattle were, ever seen at that 
 point prior to 1843 (except when stolen by the 
 Indians), when Gulnac, in the interest of Weber, 
 established a cattle rancho there, the tradition is 
 not worth much. The tremendous bursts of rain 
 or cloud breaks, seem to be a phenomenon peculiar 
 to treeless countries. 
 
 There is one condition that may mitigate to some 
 extent the cutting away of the timber. Everywhere 
 there is springing up an immense number of small 
 pines, hundreds for every one that was cut away, 
 For miles around Volcano they have started up so 
 thick, that a hundred to the square rod is a low 
 estimate. In some places these second-growth pines 
 are a foot or more in diameter, though where there 
 are a hundred to the rod, they may be only a few 
 inches in thickness. The writer of this article 
 assisted, in 1856, in building a small reservoir in 
 Boardman's gulch, near Volcano. A small pine, 
 about an inch in diameter, was left in the embank 
 ment, as likely to do no harm. Twenty-four years 
 afterward it had grown to be considerably over two 
 feet in diameter. This may be considered excep 
 tional, but hundreds in the immediate vicinity, which 
 have sprung up since, are a foot or more through. 
 If these young pines could be protected, it is not 
 likely that a serious change of climate need be appre 
 hended. As a commercial speculation, an invest 
 ment in young pine trees is quite as promising as 
 stocks in Arizona or Colorado, or even better than 
 cutting them down and sowing the ground to grain. 
 
 SUMMER PASTURE. 
 
 Near the head-waters of the American, Cosumnes, 
 and Mokelumne rivers, are many valleys which pro 
 
 duce an abundance of clover, and other grasses. 
 Thither, in the Summer, many herds of cattle and 
 sheep are driven, to remain until the falling snows 
 or cold weather remind them of the return of Winter. 
 Butter, of a quality equal to that made at Point 
 Keyes, is manufactured in considerable quantities. 
 The cattle, fattened on these green pastures, bring 
 an extra price. The work of tending these herds, 
 though lonely, is not without enjoyment. The clear, 
 cold water; the pure, exhilarating air; the glorious 
 prospects from the hills; trout fishing in the streams; 
 and an occasional deer, or perhaps the advent of a 
 grizzly, serve to keep the mind employed, and build 
 up a wasted nervous system. Almost every valley 
 is thus claimed as Summer pasture by laws, or rather 
 common usage. Cattle pastured here in the Sum 
 mer retai'n a lively memory of the green grass, and 
 every Spring, on the approach of warm weather, 
 manifest an intense uneasiness, and, if possible, 
 break away and make their way by themselves. 
 The instinct of the buffalo'in emigrating from Texas 
 to Montana, is perhaps of the same origin. 
 
 AS A SUMMER RESORT 
 
 The upper valleys are unsurpassed. It is true there 
 are no such tremendous gorges as the Yo Semite, or 
 groves of the Sequoia Giyantea, but there are num 
 berless sources of amusement and health. Silver 
 lake is one of the most beautiful sheets of water in 
 the world, and a sojourn on its banks in the Summer 
 is one of the pleasantest enjoyments possible. 
 The lake is full of small trout, that despise all the 
 patent flies and other deceitful contrivances for their 
 destruction, and bite eagerly at, as Izaalc Walton 
 would say, a hook baited with a grasshopper or a 
 vile worm. While they do not bite so as to load 
 down a man or a boat in a few hours, the angler is 
 sure of enough to make him a hearty supper, and 
 also the necessary appetite to relish, as well as a 
 tone of stomach to safely and profitably, for the 
 body at least, dispose of them. Nothing can be bet 
 ter to restore a worn out nervous system, or repair 
 debility induced by overwork of any kind, than a 
 residence of a few weeks in the Sierras. A delicate, 
 feeble woman, who had to be lifted into a carriage 
 at the beginning of the journey, has been known to 
 improve so rapidly in a few weeks as to get up in 
 the morning and, from very exuberance of feeling 
 give half a dozen Indian yells that could be beard a 
 mile, or catch up a pair of oars and row a half-mile 
 out into the lake, singing and shouting in a way that 
 would bring the police down on her or cause an ex 
 amination for lunacy if done in a city. 
 
 The peaks around about are excellent hills to climb 
 to give one wind and muscle, and try them, too. The 
 months of July, August and September are best for 
 these visits, and a tent with plenty of bedding the 
 best outfit. Hotels are rather scarce and not of ex 
 travagant size when found, and a dozen or two 
 visitors would tax the lodging capacity, as well as 
 the lander, to the utmost. Fresh beef and milk can 
 

 HAM'S STATION. HOTEL AND RANCH 
 AMADQR. WAQQN ROAD It M*-s-FqOM SILVER IAKE,AMADOR COUNTY, CAL. 
 
 RESIDENCE, RANCH A BUSINES3 PLACEopA.C.HAM 
 AQUEDUCT CITY, AMADOR COUNTY, CAL. 
 
 N 
 
EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 237 
 
 generally be found at the Summer ranches in the 
 vicinity, and bacon, coffee and bread will always 
 relish when nothing better is at hand. Camp on the 
 shores of the lake, for a mile or two away there is 
 frost every night; but the lake, absorbing the sun's 
 rays during the day, parts with the heat at night, 
 making a delightful temperature for sleep and rest 
 Thunder peak, south of Silver lake, is said to exhibit at 
 times some very curious electrical phenomena. It will 
 be remembered by some of our readers that a scientist 
 has recently discovered that zones of different elec 
 trical conditions are found at different heights ; 
 perhaps some of our young scientists may work out 
 this problem on Thunder mountain. Several persons 
 report curious things, such as quite perceptible 
 shocks, as if from a Leyden vial, flashes of flame 
 from the points of knives, sparks fr.om metallic but 
 tons, etc. 
 
 PRACTICAL JOKES. 
 
 The following letters, from Ed. Briggs of Ply 
 mouth to the Dispatch, will give one a vivid idea 
 of the rollicksome feelings a party is likely to have, 
 and the consequent character of their amusements: 
 
 PLYMOUTH, August 26, 1880. 
 
 EDITOR DISPATCH: I promised several sports in 
 different parts of the county that I would, on my 
 return from a hunting and fishing excursion to the 
 head-waters of the north fork of the American river, 
 write a brief description of the same, and send it to 
 you for publication. 
 
 Our company consisted of the following well- 
 known gentlemen: James Dohman, captain; J. E, 
 Brown, guide; L. G. Noris, assistant; G. K. Goble, 
 camp guard; Frank Potter, teamster; E. B. Muggy, 
 commissary; J. J. Dohman, and C. W. Wild, cooks. 
 With a four-horse team loaded with a month's sup 
 ply of provisions, ammunition, etc., we set out upon 
 the third of August, calculating to spend a month in 
 the Sierras, on the head-waters of the north Ameri 
 can river. 
 
 Nothing of interest occurred on the journey 
 until we reached what is called Silver creek. Here 
 we found quite an encampment of excursionists from 
 Sacramento and other localities, all in fine health 
 and good spirits. The fishing here is excellent. 
 The waters of this beautiful stream come pouring 
 and dashing down from the snow-capped mountains, 
 foaming and sparkling in the beautiful sunlight, in 
 its native purity, cool from the snowy mountains, 
 and clear as crystal; and oh, what a treat, after leav 
 ing the brackish and mineral water of the valleys 
 and foot-hills, to sit beside this beautiful stream 
 beneath the shadows of those towering firs and 
 pines, and drink from this pure fountain. Here we 
 struck camp for the remainder of the day, our fish 
 ing tackle was unpacked, and soon our entire com 
 pany was busy trying their luck among the finny 
 tribe which inhabits this stream in great abundance. 
 The creeping shadows of evening now warn us that 
 it is time to repair to camp for supper, and as the 
 boys began to drop in, each with a long string of 
 regular beauties, their countenances radiant with 
 smiles, tell but too well how delighted they all felt 
 with their success. All hands now busy preparing 
 the fish for the cooks, who, with their pans and corn- 
 meal, begin their work, and in a few moments we 
 have all surrounded our frugal table, when the con 
 
 versation goes back to the boys left behind, with 
 such remarks as, "now if old George Durham was 
 here, wouldn't he enjoy this." I then told the story 
 about George and " Put." coming into a wood camp 
 once up in the mountains; that the cook had pre 
 pared a whole sheep for the wood-choppers, but 
 George being very hungry, could not wait for the 
 boys to come in, and persuaded the cook to let him 
 eat; that to the astonishment of the cook, and the 
 disappointment of the hungry wood-choppers, and 
 in spite of the remonstrances of the cook, he ate the 
 entire sheep at one meal. Cook, Breese, and other 
 fellow sportsmen were not forgotten, and the demi 
 john was brought forth, and a health drank to all the 
 sports left behind. Then the big fish-eat com 
 menced in earnest. Supper over, and pipes well 
 filled, amongst other topics it was discussed what 
 we should name our first camp, when one very 
 enthusiastic Democrat proposed to call it Camp 
 Hancock, in honor of the distinguished gentleman 
 who heads the Democratic ticket, whilst an equally 
 sanguine Republican proposed Garfield as an appro 
 priate name. The arguments on both sides were 
 put forth in a very forcible manner, and for a while 
 it seemed that the camp would be left without a 
 name, as neither side was "willing to yield, when 
 luckily, a very conservative member of the party 
 proposed a compromise name, which seemed to sat 
 isfy the entire party, and the name of "Garcock" 
 was unanimously adopted, and the new name, with 
 the names of the entire party, was the next morning 
 neatly carved on a beautiful tamarack tree. The 
 fishing being so good, and the feed for our animals 
 so plentiful, we concluded to enjoy another day at 
 Camp Garcock, in which we were equally successful, 
 catching all the fish we wanted, and at every recur 
 ring meal the flask and camp jokes went round. 
 The deer hunt of Dry canon, in which our mutual 
 friend W. T. Jones participated, was related in a 
 most interesting manner by L. G. Norris and others 
 of the party; and after spending a very happy day 
 and night, we again packed up and started for the 
 head-waters of the Rubicon river, one of the finest 
 deer parks in California, and after two days of hard 
 travel over one of the roughest countries there is in 
 the mountains, we camped for the night, within six 
 miles of the park. The next morning we packed 
 the horses leaving the wagon behind and after 
 considerable difficulty, reached our camping place 
 about five o'clock p. M. Away up among the lofty 
 peaks of the Sierras, and the shadows of evening 
 again began to creep over the towering rocks that 
 have stood sentinel over this lonely spot for centuries 
 gone by, and as we listen to the mournful music of 
 the wind as it comes sighing through her cragged 
 heights, we became conscious of that sublime power 
 and greatness which awes and uplifts like God him 
 self. 
 
 This park is located where the Rubicon comes 
 dashing down from the summits of the mountains in 
 all the grandeur that nature could invest it with 
 the mountains on each side of the stream, rising in 
 regular amphitheatrical style, that is, in a succession 
 of benches one above the other, for miles on either 
 side, these benches or tables varying in width 
 sometimes the ascent from one bench to another 
 being very steep and rocky. Among these rocks 
 on the benches are the homes of the fleet-footed and 
 keen-sighted deer; and from the vast numbers found 
 here, it would seem that this is to them a favorite 
 resort. We found them here in countless numbers, 
 from the tiny fawn in all the beauty of his spotted 
 
238 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 dress, to the largest buck, with horns like a young 
 forest. This splendid park has never, as yet, been 
 disturbed by the shepherd, and in all probability j 
 never will, as it is almost inaccessible for man or j 
 beast, and I do think there should be some steps 
 taken by the proper authorities to secure this as a 
 public park to the exclusion of all shepherds, for it 
 is an established fact among hunters that sheep and 
 deer will not range together. 
 
 I am admonished by counting my pages that I am 
 trespassing upon your valuable space, and will hasten 
 to a close for this time. Suffice it to say that we t 
 spent ten days in this secluded place, with more 
 excitement and pleasure than was ever enjoyed by 
 us before; we killed twenty-one deer, and caught 
 three little spotted fawns which we very reluctantly 
 had to turn loose again, as it was impossible for us to 
 obtain milk for their subsistence; but we have them 
 all marked, and we may at some future day have the 
 pleasure of reclaiming them with the trusty rifle. 
 We could fill two or three columns with incidents of 
 the hunt, which we know would interest the sport 
 ing boys, but we cannot crowd it into this letter. 
 Probably at some future time we will write a letter 
 of incidents connected with this remarkable hunt. 
 
 We were gone three weeks, and all returned in i 
 excellent health, thinking that no party that has i 
 gone to the mountains this summer has had a better ! 
 time than we have. NIMROD. 
 
 PLYMOUTH, Sept. 9, 1880. 
 
 EDITOR DISPATCH : Having been strongly urged 
 by a goodly number of your readers for another let 
 ter descriptive of some of the incidents connected with 
 our late extraordinary hunt in the mountains, I 
 hope will suffice as a sufficient apology for our 
 appearance again in your columns with another 
 sporting letter. Then, to commence with, we wish 
 to state, that before our departure, we all had a 
 mutual agreement that nothing that we should say 
 or do should, in any way, mar or disturb the friendly 
 feeling that existed one for the other in other 
 words, jokes should all be free. It was a good time 
 we were out for, and a good time we would have. 
 Almost the first thing that attracted our special 
 attention in our new camp, was a fight with a large 
 rattlesnake, which infests this part in untold num 
 bers. Almost every rock has its rattlesnake, some 
 times two or three, and some of our boys were 
 terribly afraid of snakes, particularly our young 
 friend Wilds. He could see more snakes than all 
 the rest of the boys put together. 1 think it was 
 the second day that Mr. Norris and Mr. Muzzy killed 
 a large deer close to camp, and in dressing the deer, 
 a happy idea struck Muzzy for a good practical joke 
 on Wilds. So he carefully rolled up the small entrails 
 of the deer, and packed them into camp in his 
 pocket, and then posted all the boys, except Wilds. 
 After supper we made a big camp-fire, all hands lying 
 around, smoking and recounting the exciting scenes 
 of the day. ..Among other topics the number of 
 snakes seen and killed; the habits of the snake, and 
 particularly his venom and great antipathy to the 
 whole human race. During this time Muzzy had 
 found a place alongside of Wilds, and taking out his 
 deer guts, without Wilds' knowledge, carefully 
 pinned one end to the seat of Wilds' pants, while the 
 rest of it, about ten feet, lay in a heap by his side, 
 all hands awaiting the discovery with suppressed 
 mirth. Pretty soon he rolled over on his side, and 
 bis hand came in contact with the gut. "With one 
 wild yell he sprang to his feet, clearing the fire at 
 one bound, and as he went over the gut wrapped 
 
 around a small brand of fire. Away goes Wilds 
 around the camp shouting : 
 
 "Snake! help! shoot!" and " Oh, my God, boys, 
 don't let it eat me alive!" 
 
 Three or four of the boys fired off their guns, and 
 by this time the whole party, had become so con 
 vulsed that they were rolling and tumbling on the 
 ground. The snake caught around a bush and 
 pulled loose, and Wilds fell breathless in among 
 where the boys were rolling and laughing. He now 
 began to take in the situation, and raising himself up 
 he says : 
 
 " Now look here, you d d fools, I don't see any 
 thing funny about this, and if it wasn't for breaking 
 
 our pledge, I would lick every d d scoundrel of 
 
 you. You all think you have played smart, don't 
 you ?" By this time the demijohn was produced, and 
 I tell you there was justice done her this time. The 
 next morning Wilds and Brown were out early, and 
 killed a fine large_buck. the biggest I ever saw in my 
 life. Wilds had it now, for he had found out that it 
 was Muzzy that had perpetrated the joke on him; 
 so he takes the head off the buck with a long neck, 
 then carefully arranging it on a stick, he placed it so 
 it looked like a deer lying beside a rock, with nothing 
 visible of him but his head. Next morning he in 
 vites Muzzy to accompany him on a hunt. He takes 
 him up on the right side of the rock, then he whis 
 pers to him to keep a sharp lookout. Just then, 
 bang goes Muzzy's gun. Wilds pulls up, but Muzzy 
 says, " hold, Claib, I want this one," (up to this time 
 he had not killed any) bang, again, with the same, 
 
 result; d n you, he says, I will fetch }~ou, and this 
 
 time he missed the head and struck the stick, and 
 the head fell to the ground; he dropped his rifle in 
 the excitement, and rushed up; imagine his surprise 
 to find a deer head without a body. It was now 
 Wilds' time, who sings out, ''look out for snakes." He 
 describes Muzzy as looking more like an idiot than 
 anything else he could compare him to. Muzzy now 
 tries to bribe Claib to say nothing about it when 
 they return to camp, but he was uncompromising, 
 and that night the jug and the joke went high. It 
 was about this time that Mr. Norris placed the deer 
 head, which was literally working with deer ticks." 
 under Captain Dohman's blankets; he had not lain 
 there very long until he sprang up exclaiming "Light 
 ning has struck the traveler, or the traveler has 
 struck lightning, one or the other." The Captain did 
 not sleep much that night, but he affirms that there 
 was not less than a bushel of ticks on him at once. 
 
 A hunter from Virginia City, named J. N. Robin 
 son, joined our party while we were up there, whom 
 we found to be a very genial, social gentleman, and 
 a remarkably successful hunter, and devotedly at 
 tached to this hunting-ground. He informed us that 
 he had spent two months each year for the past lour 
 years, at this place, and always succeeded in killing 
 all the deer he wanted, and in honor of him we call 
 the place "Robinson's Park." 
 
 This will now finish this hunt, but us our quail 
 season soon commences, we expect to have rare sport 
 in this end of the count)", and will, from time to time 
 try and make your sporting column interesting to at 
 least the sports of the gun. NIMROD. 
 
 SALT SPRINGS. 
 
 These are about six miles south of Silver lake, 01 
 the south side of the Mokelumne river, and con 
 sequently in Calaveras county; but properly belong 
 to the Silver lake region, and merit the notice of all 
 
EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 239 
 
 who visit that vicinity. They are on an elevated 
 bench of rock a few yards from the river, and, unless 
 special search for them is made, might be passed 
 unnoticed by persons fishing along the river. The 
 salt water is found in holes of various sizes, from a 
 few inches to three feet in depth, in the solid granite 
 rock which characterizes the whole region. These 
 are so regular in their shape as to induce a belief 
 that they are hollowed out by human agency, in 
 the manner that the holes where the Indian women 
 grind or pound their acorns and pine nuts are, which 
 they resemble. Reports differ as to their number. 
 Captain J. C. Ham, estimates them at nine hundred. 
 Eli Smith, of Volcano, who has visited them several 
 times, thinks there may be one hundred and fifty. 
 The holes are always found filled with water. At 
 the bottom is a mixture of dirt and salt, which, 
 being washed, leaves a residuum of remarkably pure 
 table salt. The water with which the holes are 
 filled appears to have trickled over the rocks from 
 above, and seems to come from a small shallow lake 
 or pool, a hundred or two feet in diameter, which is 
 surrounded by tall reeds and grass, so that one 
 might pass quite near without seeing the water. 
 There is no apparent trail leading to these salt 
 wells, but as the surrounding rock is the indestruc- 
 table and trackless granite, no conclusion as to their 
 origin or use can be formed from that circumstance, 
 as thousands might visit the place, and leave no 
 trail. In the early days of silver mining on the 
 Comstock ledge, the Indians brought in considerable 
 quantities of salt, which was thought to have been 
 found out on the plains beyond Carson river. It 
 seems likely that the whole Washoe tribe may have 
 for centuries annually visited this place for salt; 
 that the wells were gradually hollowed out, and 
 constantly enlarged by use. A thorough examina 
 tion of the subject might reveal many interesting 
 things in Indian history. 
 
 MAMMOTH QUARTZ VEIN. 
 
 In wandering over the rocks one will see innu 
 merable quartz veins of all sizes and kinds, crossing 
 each other with faults and other geological phe 
 nomena, highly suggestive of the disturbed condi 
 tion of affairs when earth was young, ere the Sierras 
 were lifted from the sea, or of the earth in our own 
 time, thirty thousand feet below, where new Sierras 
 are slowly being formed. Between Silver lake and 
 the salt wells is a quartz vein, said to be the largest 
 in the State. It appears to be barren of gold, which, 
 however, may, in its own time, have been deposited 
 near the surface, as in our present worked veins, 
 twenty thousand feet above the present summits of 
 the Sierras. 
 
 THE RUBY OR SCHORL MINE 
 
 Is in this vicinity, on what is called Burley's peak. 
 This is a form of quartz crystallization of various 
 colors white, green, red, and black, some of the 
 varieties bordering upon emerald. It is likely that a 
 thorough search might reveal valuable stones in this 
 
 vicinity. The mine is claimed by J. C. Ham, of 
 Aqueduct City. 
 
 TROUT FISHING. 
 
 Mention has been made of the small trout in Sil 
 ver lake. Whether they are of different species, or 
 whether the climatic character of the lake prevents 
 their growth, is uncertain, but no large fish are 
 found in the lake, while in the streams around are 
 trout of several pounds in weight, which have all the 
 wariness and vigor, when hooked, characteristic of 
 the trout family. The unlwkif fisherman will see 
 hundreds of " fine speckled beauties" lying at ease 
 in a hole twenty feet deep, from which fly nor worm 
 will draw them. Some persons in times past, in 
 revenge no doubt, have blown them up with dynam 
 ite, or strangled them with pounded soap-root. 
 The law makes these acts high misdemeanors, but 
 who cares for law forty miles in the woods, when 
 the trout refuse to bite at a reasonable bait? 
 
 The rocks in all this vicinity are Racier-polished, 
 and none but an active, sure-footed man can clamber 
 safely over them. 
 
 SILVER MINES. 
 
 Some twenty -five miles west of the summit argen 
 tiferous galena in considerable quantities has been 
 found. The slates and other rocks in the vicinity of 
 the junction o'f the old Placerville and Volcano emi 
 grant roads have all the appearance of being metal 
 liferous, and may yet prove the source of much 
 wealth. Lyman and Silas Tubbs, and others, made 
 the discovery, some years since, of such an outcrop; 
 but they have never developed the prospect. 
 
 MAGNIFICENT VIEWS FROM THE SIERRAS. 
 
 Standing on one of the western spurs of the Sier 
 ras, the valleys of the San Joaquin and Sacramento, 
 as well as the hills of the Coast Range, are in full 
 view; Mount Shasta in the north, and the treeless 
 plains of the south, the sharp outlines of the Mendo- 
 cirio peaks, Diablo in the middle, with the hazy 
 atmosphere, now shading everything with the tint 
 of autumnal ripeness, now drifting away towards the 
 sea in crimson clouds, and leaving the air so clear that 
 the streets of Sacramento, though fifty miles away, 
 are distinctly visible, are elements out of which the 
 most splendid sunsets that imagination can conceive, 
 will occasionally appear. 
 
 Sometimes the fog comes rolling in from the 
 ocean like a sea of molten silver, spreading over the 
 valleys, until only the tips of the highest mountains 
 are visible above the feathery masses, of vapor that 
 lie at rest, or, slowing melting, blend and fuse into a 
 thousand shapes, reminding one of an invading host 
 taking the land, and, sometimes, of the spiritual 
 world, where millions of departed souls re-enact the 
 stories of their 'earthly careers. Sometimes, at the 
 close of a storm, when the clouds, in dense, black 
 masses, hang suspended around the summits of the 
 Sierras and high over the plains, the setting sun, 
 blazing through the rifts, will strike across the wide 
 plains, tinging the hills with a rich orange hue, and 
 
240 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 the clouds with crimson and purple, giving one an 
 idea of possible landscapes in the better land. 
 
 Again the thunder clouds gather in dark masses 
 around the base of the mountains and over the wide 
 valley, leaving all serene above; hill and cloud 
 answering each other in lightning flashes and peal on 
 peal of rolling thunder that dies away in deep mut- 
 terings a hundred miles distant, until we could almost 
 believe that all the artillery of the world was parked 
 in the great valley, engaged as an accompaniment in 
 a grand anthem sung by the millions of all ages. 
 
 Bayard Taylor, the poet and traveler, expressed 
 the opinion that the view from a point a few miles 
 above the Mountain Spring House, was the most mag 
 nificent landscape to be seen in the world. How 
 much the world has lost, that a man, with his 
 soul to appreciate, his eyes to see, and his pen to de 
 scribe, has not seen the landscape mentioned in one 
 of its magnificent moods. If he had passed over it 
 as many times as the writer of this article has, he 
 could not have failed to see that which would have 
 tasked his pen, facile as it was, to the utmost, to have 
 described. Every season has its moods. The Win 
 ter with its storms sweeping the horizon with clouds, 
 drenching everything in falling rain, alternating 
 with clear days when every arm of the bay and 
 rivers, every tree, every dwelling for fifty miles 
 around is so distinct as to appear like a view through 
 a telescope reversed; the Spring with its lights and 
 shadows chasing each other with railroad speed, or 
 resting for hours in lazy dalliance over wide por 
 tions of the plains; the Summer, with the haze blend 
 ing with the brown hills and plains ripening into 
 autumnal tints; the Autumn in dreamy obscurity, 
 its deep golden veil occasionally lifted aside or piled 
 in majestic folds on the Coast Range by the contend 
 ing sea and land breezes, may well cause the painter 
 to throw down his brushes in despair, or the writer 
 to wish for a pen tipped with fire, so utterly above 
 all human ability is the task of' giving a representa 
 tion of the constantly varying, beautiful, grand, or 
 awful landscapes. 
 
 Let us stand on one of the foot-hills at the close of 
 a day in October. If the gods of the air are favor 
 able to our wishes, and grant us an exhibition of 
 their powers, the deep haze, which all the day has 
 hung around the mountains and over the plains, 
 wrapping everything in a dreamy uncertainty, will 
 gradually settle away towards the Coast Range of 
 mountains, bringing trees, orchards, vineyards, and 
 grain-fields into high relief. The oaks and pines in 
 the mountains and plains will blend in the retreating 
 haze until the one is lost in the other. The retreat 
 ing veil will now form long wavy lines along the 
 Coast Range, the tops of which are visible, and, by 
 their presence, serve to aid in the illusion. The 
 sinking sun, striking through the horizontal cloud- 
 rifts, tinges all the openings with crimson and purple, 
 like hills and mountains of a far-off land. The hills 
 of gold and precious stones, the gates of pearl seem 
 
 just in sight. These wide and glorious valleys must 
 be peopled by millions on millions of happy spirits. 
 We see the rivers and lakes, for they are but the 
 continuation of that which we know to be water. 
 We can almost hear the songs of the beautiful beings 
 who float in fairy boats on those crystal lakes. The 
 air seems filled with the soft murmur of music that 
 comes in gentle echoes from the thousand harps 
 played by angel hands. Lo! towai'ds the south a 
 breeze through the Golden Gate makes a riffle in the 
 crimson clouds, rolling them into domes and amphi 
 theaters. The horizontal lines of the cloud-strata 
 are crossed by perpendicular divisk)ns. A great city, 
 vast in its proportions, with its streets and squares, 
 lofty towers, temples, and palaces, comes into view. 
 Yes, it is Rome. That huge circle of towering height 
 is the Coliseum. That dome is the Pantheon. We 
 hear the fierce debates in the forum. We hear 
 Cicero denouncing Cataline. We see the triumphal 
 processions with kings chained to the chariot-wheels 
 of the conquerors. We hear the eighty thousand 
 spectators in the Coliseum shout as the victims of the 
 popular thirst for blood go down under the fierce 
 blows of the successful gladiators. We see Caesar, 
 the Imperator, throw his robe over his head, and die 
 like a god. We see the hordes of Attila rushing 
 through the streets, slaughtering the miserable 
 inhabitants, until the very swords are weary of blood. 
 Rome of Augustus Caesar! where art thou ? As the 
 shades of night deepen over the mimicry of thy 
 palaces and amphitheaters, so did the barbarism 
 bury the beautiful, the glorious, the good, and the 
 infamous, in one common ruin. 
 
 The gorgeous pageant does not end here. Pericles 
 summons the Athenians, and Mount Diablo becomes 
 Mount Olympus, towering above the Acropolis. I 
 see the Parthenon, with its unapproachable archi 
 tecture. 1 see the hill crowned with palaces and 
 works of art, and its ix thousand statues, every 
 fragment of which is now worth its weight of gold. 
 1 hear the finished periods of the Athenian orators. 
 I hear the shouts of the people at the Olympic 
 games. I see the approaching clouds, like the 
 barbarism by which Athens was surrounded, gradu 
 ally obliterate every line of the sunset scene. 
 
 Lo! another age appears. On the treeless plains 
 of the San Joaquin the mimicry of cloudy fabric 
 goes on. The pyramids, dark and sombre, now fast 
 sinking into obscurity, rise to view, dim as if the 
 vital energy that had first raised them had exhausted 
 itself, and the very spirits had become faded spectres 
 in a spectral world. The obscurity of four thousand 
 years rests on these cloudy shapes of the toil of 
 millions. Is there death and change in the spiritual 
 world also? Have the millions, who cultivated the 
 valley of the Nile, who built the cities of Memphis, 
 with its temples that almost defy the tooth of time, 
 ceased to re-enact, even in the spectral world, the 
 actions of real life? Is a future existence dependent 
 on the permanency of works? 
 
RESIDENCE AND RANCH OF NASON C. WILLIAMS, 
 
 NEAR VOLCANO . AMADDR Cff GAL. 
 
 RESIDENCE, RANCH AND LUMBERYARD OF H.C.FARNHAM, 
 OLETA,AMADOR C CAL. 
 
- 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 
 
 241 
 
 Gradually the crimson and purple deepened into 
 night, and Caesar, and Pharaoh, and Demosthenes, 
 and the millions of spirits that had gathered to 
 build the spectral towers, temples, and pyramids, 
 vanished as the sun set behind the hills, and the 
 dusty road, the cooling breeze from the mountains, 
 and darkness, brought back real life / with its duties 
 and vicissitudes. Is it all imagination? Is there no 
 mind in the gorgeous landscapes that occasionally 
 gild all the western horizon? Why should not the 
 spirits of the departed, wandering in ether, pile 
 together the half material substance of the air, and 
 lead the world to a sense of beauty, and glory, and 
 power? 
 
 CLIMATE. 
 
 So much has been written about the climate of 
 California that it would seem useless to attempt 
 any further description, especially for California 
 readers. The temperature falls a little lower in 
 Winter than in Sacramento, and rises a little higher 
 in Summer. But once or twice during thirty years' 
 observation did the temperature at lone valley fall 
 to 16 above zero. The coldest spell perhaps ever 
 experienced was on 14th, 15th, 16th, and 17th of 
 March, 1859, when the ground, in shady places, 
 remained frozen all day. A dry north wind helped 
 to reduce the temperature. The ground in some 
 places was frozen two inches thick. The season 
 was early, fruit trees being in full bloom, which was 
 mostly destroyed. Grass and grain in many places 
 was killed, so that as the sun came up it wilted and 
 turned black. The temperature occasionally falls 
 to the freezing point during a storm; an inch or two 
 of snow may tben fall, to remain on until the sun 
 comes out, and then vanish in a few minutes. Occa 
 sionally there is a flurry of hail, which has been 
 known to seriously injure young vines and fruit 
 trees. The most dreaded, because most destructive, 
 feature is the dry, north wind, that occasionally 
 sweeps over the country. " Whence it cometh, or 
 whither it goeth, no man can tell," but the moist 
 ground becomes dry and hard; the promising crop 
 droops after three or four days, and, if the season 
 has been dry, the farmer hastens to cut his fields of 
 grain for hay. So drying is this wind that the fur 
 niture in the house will warp and crack, wagons 
 will fall down, and general shrinkage takes place. 
 The atmosphere is charged with electricity, and 
 combing one's head will produce a multitude of 
 sparks. This wind is the bane of farming in Cali 
 fornia, but it does not prevail in the mountains as 
 in the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys. In 
 Amador it sometimes injures, but scarcely ever ruins 
 a crop. 
 
 DROUTHS. 
 
 Once only during the history of Amador county 
 has there been an utter failure from, drouth. In the 
 winter of 1863-64, so little rain fell that scarce a 
 fourth of a crop was raised, though, in the opinion of 
 the best farmers, early sewing and deep, thorough 
 31 
 
 ploughing would have doubled the yield. So short 
 was the straw, both of hay and grain, that aprons 
 were attached to the reapers and mowers to save a 
 little handful which otherwise would be lost among 
 the clods and stubble. Barns and granaries were 
 empty, and cattle starved by the thousand. A few 
 clouds would occasionally pass over, but they refused 
 to part with their treasures, and the dry Summer 
 completed the failure of the crops. 
 
 FRESHETS. 
 
 As might be expected the heavy rain-fall some 
 times damages the farmer and miner. The snow 
 will fall perhaps ten or twenty feet deep in the upper 
 parts of the Sierras, and a warm rain will send it 
 down in a three days run. Such a snow-fall, followed 
 by a warm rain, occurred in December, 1861, inun 
 dating all the valleys, carrying off fences, and, in 
 some instances, buildings. The overflow was much 
 increased by the moving sand and gravel which 
 obstructed the channels. But when the water went 
 down the farmer went to ploughing, arid bounteous 
 crops rewarded his labor, and one year's work re 
 paired all the losses. A few farms were injured with 
 "slickens," and, in some places, as at the Q Ranch, 
 the streams cut new channels, but the losses were 
 trifling compared with the drouth two years after. 
 Sometimes a " cloud burst," more particularly de 
 scribed in the history of Jackson, will create an over 
 flow over a limited space, as did the one which swept 
 Jackson and Sutter Creeks in February, 1878. But 
 these are necessarily limited in territory, and though 
 destructive enough when they prevail, do not bank 
 rupt whole counties like the ice floods on the Mis 
 souri or Susquehanna rivers. 
 
 RAIN TABLE FOR AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 COMPILED BY FRANK HOWARD, OF SUTTER CREEK, FOR THE 
 
 YEARS 1 874-75 -76-77-78-79-80. 
 
 MONTHS. 
 
 1874. 
 
 1875. 
 
 1876. 
 
 1877. 
 
 1878. 
 
 1879. 
 
 1880. 
 
 September 
 
 * 
 
 
 
 
 .11 
 
 
 
 October 
 November 
 December 
 
 4.12 
 7.50 
 .36 
 
 .66 
 14.04 
 5.04 
 
 3.61 
 
 .18 
 
 .71 
 1.93 
 1.40 
 
 1.09 
 1.16 
 .35 
 
 2.59 
 
 2.88 
 6.84 
 
 .36 
 .35 
 11.42 
 
 1881. 
 
 MONTHS. 
 
 1875. 
 
 1876. 
 
 1877. 
 
 1878. 
 
 1879. 
 
 1880. 
 
 January . 
 February 
 March. 
 
 17.18 
 1.40 
 2.14 
 .22 
 !59 
 1.26 
 
 7.43 
 4.40 
 6.46 
 1.62 
 .75 
 .75 
 36 
 
 6.94 
 .94 
 
 2.68 
 .46 
 1.74 
 
 .18 
 
 9.35 
 12.96 
 6.20 
 1.94 
 .20 
 .60 
 
 5.34 
 5.74 
 
 8.07 
 5.08 
 2.45 
 .29 
 
 3.25 
 3.93 
 3.81 
 15.85 
 3.02 
 
 10.89 
 522 
 2.49 
 3.00 
 
 April 
 
 May 
 
 June 
 
 July.. 
 
 
 
 August . . 
 
 
 m 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Total 
 
 34.77 
 
 39.80 
 
 16.73 
 
 35.29 
 
 29.68 
 
 42.17 
 
 33.73 
 
 
 Sacramento totals for same years : 23.64, 25.67, 
 9.32, 21.24, 16.77, 18.51. 
 
 
242 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 IR-AIIN" T^IBILjIE IFOIR, S-A-Ol^^IMIIEiTTO- 
 
 Prepared by the late Dr. T. M. Logan and Dr. F. W. Hatch, Arranged according to the Seasons, Showing the Amount in Inches of Each Month, during Thirty-one Years, and 
 for each Rainy Season, to November 22, 1880: also the Quantity for Every Month, and the Annual Amount of Rain. 
 
 [CORRECTED FOR SUTTER CREEK, ACCORDING TO F. HOWARD'S MEASUREMENTS.] 
 
 S 
 
 CO 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 O 
 
 co 
 
 From these comparisons the average rain-fall 
 appears to be nearly seventy-two per cent, greater 
 at Sutter Creek than at Sacramento. Other places 
 in Amador would show a still greater difference. It 
 has been known to rain continuously for hours at 
 Vogan's (Mountain Spring House) when no rain fell 
 at Bucna Vista, six miles below. During the Spring 
 of 1864, when rain was so anxiously looked for 
 showers were frequent on the Mokelumne river when 
 no rain fell a half mile away. The cooler tempera 
 ture at the above places is supposed to have caused 
 the clouds to part with their moisture. 
 
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 CHAPTER XXXVII. 
 
 ARROYO SECO GRANT. 
 
 Claim Rejected Claim Confirmed on Appeal Character of 
 Grant Matters of Record Letter from T. A. Heudricks, 
 Attorney General Final Survey During Hancock Agency 
 
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 rial to President Lincoln Dispossession Settlers' League 
 Shooting of Herman Wohler Last Effort Memorial to 
 Congress. 
 
 THE policy of making homes for the people of easy 
 attainment has been so long established in the United 
 States that few living have any recollections to the 
 contrary. In New York the Patroon estates, and in 
 Louisiana the Spanish grants, had hung like a pall 
 over the inhabitants, but the majority of the people 
 knew nothing of the relics of feudalism, which made 
 one man the owner of the rents at least, of thousands 
 of acres. When the great immigration poured into 
 California in 1849-50, they found the valleys and 
 plains around the bay and larger rivers in the pos 
 session of a few men. General Sutter at New Helvetia, 
 Charles Weber at Stockton, were near the mines 
 first discovered, and first gave an idea of the scope 
 of the princely estates, which afterwards, in the 
 hands of professional land-grabbers, whose infernal 
 resources seemed unfathomable, became such a source 
 of oppression and robbery. The confusion in the 
 early records of the California government; the loose 
 manner in which the records were kept in the national 
 archives in the city of Mexico; the difficulty of gain 
 ing access to them on account of the distance, all 
 conspired to render the grant system a fruitful field 
 for the operations of rascals. Grants were manufac 
 tured by the hundred after the treaty of peace with 
 Mexico. In some instances the paper itself on which 
 the grants were written, bore water-marks of a date 
 subsequent to the treaty; these were of course re 
 jected. Others as fraudulent, but more cautiously 
 manipulated, were made to fit the lands made valua 
 ble by settlement. The uncertainty of titles to the 
 agricultural lands around the bay were, to the earlier 
 settler of Amador county, far away matters. 
 The first glimpse of the impending calamity came 
 in 1853. Dr. E. B. Harris and H. A. Carter of lone 
 were visiting the Legislature then in session at 
 Benicia, to further the project of the organization of 
 the new county of Amador. There they casually 
 
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ARROYO SECO GRANT. 
 
 243 
 
 learned of a claim recently filed in the General Land 
 Office with "!ONE" marked in the center of a plot of 
 the claim. The reader will remember that "lone" 
 was a name given to the valley almost by inspira 
 tion. Who had any business with that name? A 
 visit to the Land Office was next in order. There 
 was the title 
 
 EL ARROYO SECO, 
 
 Situado asi a los Cordilleras la Sierra Nevada tene 
 endo for limites at Norte el vio de los Cosumnes al 
 sur el do Moquelemes at aiccenle, el camino del Sac 
 ramento Y. al Este Las Sierras. 
 
 [Filed with Secretary of Land Comission, Novem 
 ber 1, 1852.] 
 
 This purported to be a tract of land granted to 
 Teodocio Yerba May 8, 1840, containing eleven 
 leagues of land. Sierra Nevada mountains! Cosumnes 
 river! Moqueleme river! Sacramento road! Which 
 were the Sierras? Where was the Sacramento road? 
 It may well be supposed that our friends had no heart 
 for lobbying a bill through the Legislature for the di 
 vision of the county of Calaveras. They returned home 
 and called a public meeting, to announce the coming 
 disaster. Charles Walker was made chairman. Judge 
 Carter explained the situation. Some were for treat 
 ing the claim with contempt. The uncertainty of 
 the boundaries, the enormous area included in the 
 description, were conclusive evidence of fraud. 
 Others reasoned differently. If the grant had been 
 fraudulent it would have been more carefully worded. 
 Its uncertainty, the awkwardness of description, 
 such as one might make who never had seen the 
 country, or such as he might get from the Indians, 
 was in favor of its realty. There was the Shaddon 
 & Day lor ranch, the Pico ranch, and the Weber, only 
 a little ways off. 
 
 A society or league was formed to contest the 
 grant. It does not appear that any forcible or illegal 
 means were thought of. Money was raised and legal 
 talent engaged. A. C. Brown and EL. A. Carter were 
 employed to engage a competent man to watch the 
 affair. O. P. Sutton, a clerk in the Land Office was 
 first employed, Thorntorn & Williams, two eminent 
 land lawyers, being afterwards associated with him. 
 
 CLAIM REJECTED. 
 
 February 27, 1855, the claim was rejected by" the 
 Commissioners appointed by the United States Gov 
 ernment to try the validity of the Mexican claims. 
 
 On the 12th of May, notice of appeal from the 
 decision of the Commissioners was filed in the 
 United States District Court, followed by a petition 
 for review on the llth of June. On the 21st of 
 April, 1856, the decision of the Commissioners was 
 reversed by Judge Hoffman. 
 
 CLAIM CONFIRMED. 
 
 By this decision, Andres Pico was entitled to eleven 
 square leagues of land, somewhere in the boundaries 
 set forth in his grant. On the 3d of October, 1856, 
 an appeal to the United States Supreme Court was 
 
 perfected, and the transcript sent up. It does not 
 appear that the Court ever took the case into con 
 sideration. So far, in this matter, the people had a 
 right to think the Government would watch their 
 interests. The claims for land were against the Gov 
 ernment, not against the people; but we can hardly 
 consider the Courts and their officers as acting for 
 the people, but for the speculators. It is now, after 
 the lapse of a quarter of a century, difficult to ascer 
 tain the true facts in the case. Whether Williams & 
 Thornton did their duty during this stage of the 
 affair; whether any attorney for the people made an 
 appearance when the case was called in the United 
 States Court, is not known; but, at any rate, on the 
 4th of May, 1858, the case was, on motion of Attor 
 ney-General Black, dismissed, and the order for dis 
 missal of suit filed in San Francisco. 
 
 CHARACTER OP THE GRANT. 
 
 As the claim to the. land is now confirmed, a little 
 knowledge as to the character of the men concerned 
 may not be out of place. Yorba, or Yerba, for it 
 seems that he could not write his name, and proba 
 bly did not know how to spell it, was connected by 
 marriage with some of the higher families. Juan B. 
 Alvarado was an intriguer, first a Secretary in the 
 department of Customs; then a revolutionist, who 
 by means of an arrangement with Isaac Graham, a 
 Tennesseean, wriggled himself into the position of 
 Governor. It is said of him that he gave to all his 
 followers whatever land they asked for. The date of 
 the grant is May 8, 1840. Sutter did not settle at 
 New Helvetia until the latter part of 1839. His 
 grant was not completed until 1841; Weber's not 
 until 1843. 
 
 In the Autumn of 1841, the Mokelkos, a tribe of 
 Indians living on the Mokelumne, below Lockeford, 
 stole some cattle from Sutter. He organized an expe 
 dition and attacked them, marching thirty miles in 
 the night. This march would carry him across the 
 Cosumnes, and in sight of the Jim Martin and Lyon 
 range of hills, which are probably described in the 
 grant as the " neighboring Sierras." But he did not 
 obtain his grant from Alvarado until June, 1841. 
 Pio Pico's grant covered the lower portion of the 
 Mokelumne river. Charles Weber did not get his 
 grant until some years after he had resided with 
 Sutter, and not until after the termination of Sut- 
 tcr's war with the Mokelkos, and a treaty of peace 
 with them. He obtained permission to settle on the 
 slough at Stockton from the chief, by agreeing to 
 defend them against the Mexicans, the mortal enemies 
 of the Mokelkos. In the subsequent revolutions, 
 while Alvarado was striving to rnantain his position 
 as Governor, it is said that Sutter assisted him mate 
 rially with men, in return for which he not only 
 gave Sutter a large tract of land, but granted to 
 other persons, such as Sutter should recommend, in 
 his capacity as Justice, other tracts. If the date of 
 this had been but a year and a month later, it might 
 have been genuine, but reason is against such a con- 
 
244 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 elusion. It is absurd to suppose that the outside 
 grant should have preceded the larger ones by a 
 period of one to three years. 
 
 Yerba's grant was made May 8, 1840, by Juan B. 
 Alvarado; Butter's grant, June, 1841, by same per 
 son; Guillermo Gulnac's for Weber, July 13, 1843, by 
 Manuel Micheltorena. 
 
 The Hudson's Bay Fur Company had a trading- 
 post at French Camp (hence the name), south of 
 Stockton, for many years, and left about the time 
 that Weber obtained his grant, which induced him 
 to locate temporarily on the Cosumnes, until he got 
 on better terms with the Mokelkos. 
 
 Andres Pico, who bought of Yerba, was brother of 
 the last Governor, Pio Pico, and is said to have been 
 addicted to drink and gambling. De Zaldo was in 
 1850-51 a clerk in the Land Office. It seems more 
 probable that the whole matter was cooked up in the 
 Land Office after the discovery of gold, than that the 
 grant should have preceded such settlements as Sut- 
 ter's and Weber's. The fact that at the time of 
 making the grant no Mexican dared show bis head 
 east of the San Joaquin or Sacramento rivers, serves 
 to confirm the former hypothesis. Governor Downey, 
 who is believed to have a good knowledge of the 
 nature of Spanish claims, denounced the Arroyo Seco 
 as a rank fraud. 
 
 For the purpose of keeping our history clear, it 
 may be best to have a list of titles passed: 
 
 Grant to Teodosio Yerba, May 8, 1840. 
 
 Sale to Andres Pico, October 4, 1852. Consider 
 ation five hundred head of cattle. 
 [COPY OF DEED.] 
 
 Know all men by these presents, That we, Teodocio 
 Yerba and Maria Antonio Lugo Ins wife, for and in 
 consideration of the sum of five hundred head of 
 cattle, paid and delivered to us by Andres Pico, the 
 receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, have sold, 
 bargained and transferred and by these presents sell, 
 bargain and transfer to the said Andres Pico and his 
 heirs and assigns, all that tract of land situate and 
 lying in the county of Sacramento, bounded and 
 described as follows : " Situado asi a las Cordil 
 leras la Sierra Nevada tene endo for limetes at Norte 
 el vio de los Cosumnes al sur el do Moquelemes at 
 aiccenle el camino del Sacramento Yal este Las 
 Sierras immuratus," and known by the name of " El 
 Arroyo Seco," and being the same tract of land 
 granted to the said Teodocio Yerba, by Governor 
 Juan B. Alvarado, 8th May, 1840, and containing, 
 more or les.8, eleven leagues, together with all the 
 improvements thereon, the rights, easements, and 
 privileges appertaining thereto, to have and to hold 
 for the use and benefit of the said Andres Pico, his 
 heirs and assigns forever. And we for ourselves our 
 heirs and administrators, hereby covenant with the 
 said Pico, his heirs and assigns, that we will warrant 
 and defend the said premises hereby conveyed, 
 against the claims and demands of any person or 
 persons claiming by, through or from us. 
 
 Witness our hands and seals this fourth day of 
 October, 1852. his 
 
 (Signed) TEODOCIO X YORBA. [seal.] 
 
 mark. 
 
 her 
 
 MARIA ANTONIO X LUGO. 
 
 mark. 
 
 [seal.] 
 
 Filed September 22, 1856, in Recorder's office, 
 Amador County. 
 
 Andres Pico to Ramon De Zaldo. April 4, 1855. 
 2-11 Arroyo Seco. Consideration, $2,000. Filed in 
 Amador County July 21, 1856. 
 
 Pico & De Zaldo to Green & Vogan, June 13, 1856. 
 317.69 acres (Q Ranch) Consideration, $3 176.90. 
 
 Same to Fixary & Sompayrac, July 23, 1856. 
 Town lots in Jackson. Consideration, $600. Fix 
 ary Ranch, 240 acres. Consideration, $1,500. 
 
 Same to James Brown, December 2, 1856. 5,7GO 
 acres. Consideration, $9,516. 
 
 This was the famous sale of the mines, and in 
 cluded all of the quartz leads that were then known 
 to be valuable, Spring Hill, Keystone, Herbertville, 
 Amador, Union, Eureka, Badger, etc., also the town 
 sites of Amador, Sutter and Jackson. 
 
 Pico & De Zaldo to Bruce Husband, December, 
 1856. Town lot in Jackson. Consideration, $1. 
 
 Same to Isaac Silver, January 9, 1857. 
 
 Same to Thomas Jones, January 13, 1857. 
 
 Same to William Pitt, January 12, 1857. 
 
 Same to Luther K. Hammer, February 9, 1857. 
 
 Same to John Williams, February 24, 1857. 
 
 Same to Geo. Durham, February 21, 1857. 
 
 Same to A. Sheakley, February 21, 1857. 
 
 The most of these were town lots in Jackson. 
 Contracts for sale were also made in many places in 
 the valley. In most instances the sales were made 
 to influential persons upon favorable terms, the 
 object being to detach them from the party of oppo 
 sition. This was particularly true of the sales to 
 Green & Vogan, John Edwards, Charles Stone, and 
 James P. Martin. 
 
 Soon after the confirmation of the grant by the 
 District Court, Pico employed Sherman Day to sur 
 vey and sectionize the ranch in accordance with the 
 United States survey, making Mount Diablo a base 
 and meridian point. The lines were run to include 
 all the valuable farms and mines possible. Many 
 thousand dollars were obtained for the mines. After 
 all had been got from them that was possible, the 
 claim to the mines was abandoned, new lines being 
 run to include other farms. For some years it was 
 a floating grant. The lines were run so as to include 
 a greater area on Dry creek. An improvement 
 in any direction was sure to bring the grant line 
 around it. 
 
 LOCATION OF THE TRACT. 
 
 This was next in order. During the location of 
 the claim, high up on the mountains, the United 
 States had sectionized and sold some of the valley 
 lands on Dry creek, Purkey being among the pur 
 chasers. When the miners had been bled, the claim 
 was again projected west on the lands recently 
 sold by the Government, again making the United 
 States a party to the affair. 
 
 For three or four years the people saw surveyor's 
 lines run around their homes, Surveyor-General 
 Mandeville being among those engaged. As he was 
 
ARROYO SECO GRANT. 
 
 245 
 
 supposed to be acting in his official capacity, a re 
 monstrance against the crooked lines was forwarded 
 to President Buchanan, but it seems that the article 
 was not sufficiently explicit in describing the claim. 
 Thomas A. Hendricks, Commissioner of the General 
 Land Office, returned the following answer: 
 
 LETTER FROM THOMAS A. HENDRICKS. 
 
 GENERAL LAND OFFICE, 
 
 August 18th, 1857. 
 SIR: There has been referred to this office a letter 
 from you, dated 27th of June last, addressed to the 
 President of the United States, complaining of a lo 
 cation of a private claim, under a Mexican grant 
 called the "Arroyo Seco," so as to cover the settle 
 ments and improvements of yourself and others. The 
 claim referred to is presumed to be that entered as 
 No. 186, on the Docket of the Board of Land Com 
 missioners, rejected by Board of Land Commissioners 
 November 22d, 1853, but afterwards confirmed by 
 the United States District Court, and the appeal dis 
 missed in the United States Supreme Court, and 
 therefore, stands finally confirmed. 
 
 The survey of this claim has not been returned to 
 this office, and we have, therefore, no means of judg 
 ing of the manner of its location. Though your let 
 ter presents a case of hardship, and the policy of the 
 Government favors the protection of the settlers on 
 public lands, we regret that you furnish no such spe 
 cific information in the matter as would justify action 
 by the Department. When, however, the final sur 
 vey of the claim shall be returned, it will be carefully 
 examined, particularly in respect to the " zigzag 
 form" of its location, as represented by you. 
 Very respectfully, 
 
 Your obedient servant, 
 
 THOMAS A. HENDRICKS, 
 
 H. A. CARTER, ESQ., Commissioner. 
 
 lone Yalley P. 0., 
 
 California. 
 
 The Arroyo Seco was filed November 1, 1852, and 
 was numbered 441; was rejected February 27, 1855, 
 so that the claim referred to by Commissioner Hen 
 dricks could not have been the Arroyo Seco. Upon 
 farther inquiry it proved that Mandeville had been 
 employed and paid by the grant party while ostensi 
 bly acting in an official capacity. 
 
 October 17, 1858, Mandeville wrote to the set 
 tlers that he should not make a final survey until 
 after he returned from Washington, to which place 
 he was then going. He assured them that all should 
 be heard. 
 
 THE FINAL SURVEY 
 
 Was made in August, 1859. At the hearing of this, 
 before Judge McAllister, a great many witnesses 
 were examined as to the character of the country. 
 The lagoon west of lone, on Buckeye creek, accord 
 ing to some, was the valley intended to be covered 
 by the grant. It was urged, with much reason, that 
 the mountains between that lagoon and lone valley 
 were the "Sierras immuratus;" others ridiculed the 
 idea of calling the hills of the tertiary formation a 
 part of the mountains. Judge McAllister decided, 
 April 26, 1860, that the grant of land was west of 
 the Lyons and Martin Mountains. This, for a time, 
 seemed to have removed the load of misery from the 
 
 residents of lone valley; from this time to December 
 10th was the golden opportunity, as we shall here 
 after see. The survey was confirmed by Judge Hoff 
 man, September, 1862. It is said that Hoffman ex 
 amined the ground personally. This survey, and 
 the new ownership which had occurred, fairly real 
 ized the worst fears of the settlers. In order to make 
 a connected history, it will be necessary to retrace 
 our steps and consider the condition of affairs. 
 
 DURING HANCOCK'S AGENCY. 
 
 For the purpose of acting as a partner and giving 
 more authority to his deeds, Henry Hancock bought 
 of Andres Pico one-fifth of the grant for sixty thou 
 sand dollars, deed dated April 20, 1859, and re- 
 deeded it for the same consideration the same day. 
 The first deed was filed April 28, 1859, the second, 
 June 9, 1860. Andres Pico also sold to De Zaldo a 
 further interest of two leagues, for five thousand 
 dollars. De Zaldo sold his entire interest in the 
 grant to Pio Pico, commonly called Governor Pico, 
 brother to Andres, December 10, 1861, for four thou 
 sand dollars. As at this time the principal contest 
 was on the location of the grant; many efforts being 
 made to compromise the matter, and end the con 
 test. January 7th, Pico had written to the settlers 
 assuring them of his good will, and asked them to 
 consult with each other, so as to come to some 
 amicable understanding. In May, Hancock com 
 menced acting as agent for Pico and De Zaldo. May 
 27th, he wrote that a further contest would only waste 
 their mutual substance, which would go to enrich 
 strangers. A report becoming current that, in case 
 the survey was confirmed, those who had been most 
 active in opposing the grant, would have to pay a 
 high price, Pico assured them that all should have 
 their land at the same rate. During the time while 
 the confirmation of the survey was pending in the 
 United States Supreme Court for the Northern Dis 
 trict of California, a number of the settlers, H. A. 
 Carter, W. H. Harron, W. K. Johnston, assisted by 
 O. P. Sutton, of their counsel, acting for the settlers, 
 entered into an agreement with Pico to the follow 
 ing effect: 
 
 AGREEMENT. 
 
 Pico should sell the land at the following rates: 
 
 First class bottom-land in lone valley, per acre $ 10 00 
 
 " " " " Jackson valley, per acre 9 00 
 
 " " red land, per acre 4 00 
 
 Second class red land, per acre 2 00 
 
 For town site of lone, excepting such as had been here 
 tofore sold or contracted 5,000 00 
 
 One-fourth at the time of completing the sale, and 
 the balance to be paid within ninety days after 
 a United States patent or its equivalent should be 
 recorded at the county seat, without interest until 
 the ninety days had expired. All indebtedness to 
 be secured by mortgage. Pico to extinguish all liens 
 and taxes outstanding on the land, so as to give the 
 settlers a clear title. The settlers were to withdraw 
 all opposition to the confirmation of the survey now 
 pending in the Supreme Court of the United States 
 
246 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 for the Northern District of California. In case of 
 disagreement as to the class of the lands in question, 
 each party interested was to name one person, and 
 these two a third, if necessary to effect a classifica 
 tion. 
 
 This was about one-fourth of the price at which the 
 lands were valued, yet very few seemed to be willing 
 to accept the terms. If the land was theirs, they 
 wanted it without paying a greaser for it. Ten dol 
 lars an acre for a person who had already taxed 
 himself twice that, to oppose the grant, was no easy 
 matter to raise. It was hard to bring the men to 
 concert of action. The moderate terms which Pico 
 offered were considered as indicating a consciousness 
 of a weak case, and so the matter remained unde 
 cided. 
 
 SALE TO J. MORA MOSS & CO. 
 
 Pico, as well as the settlers, had become exhausted 
 with the long effort. Twenty-three hundred head 
 of cattle had been driven into market and sold, to 
 maintain the suit, and a mortgage for thirty-five 
 thousand dollars was resting on the grant, as an 
 evidence of further expenditure. Tired of the profit 
 less contest, and, perhaps, disgusted with the dilatory 
 action of the people, he sold on the 10th day of 
 December, 1861, to J. Mora Moss, H. W. Carpentier. 
 E. F. Beales, Herman Wohler, and others. This 
 firm was composed of men who had become noto 
 rious in connection with land grants. They had 
 even then acquired the reputation of hesitating at 
 nothing which would forward their suits. 
 
 Bribery and perjury were openly talked of. The 
 suits, or contests, whatever they may be called, still 
 at this date, 1881, overshadow whole communities 
 and paralyze the industries of cities and towns. 
 Look at the cases of the Sobrante ranch, and the 
 water front of Oakland. When the news of the 
 sale came, and afterwards the confirmation of the 
 survey by Judge Hoffman, September, 1862, 
 "Hope for a season bade the world farewell." 
 
 No astonishment was felt when, in 1863, Attorney- 
 General Bates dismissed the appeal to the Supreme 
 Court of the United States, and swept away the 
 last ground for hope. If the Central Pacific Rail 
 road Company can make the Sierras reach within 
 five miles of Sacramento, perhaps Mora Moss & Co. 
 may drive them back as far. 
 
 As a last- resort, a memorial in a few words was 
 addressed to President Lincoln and Attorney-Gen 
 eral Bates, asking that the case might be again put 
 on the calendar for a hearing. The paper was signed 
 by several hundred persons, nearly all the residents 
 of the county. 
 
 To Hon. Abraliam Lincoln, President of the United 
 States, and Hon. 6'. M. Bates, Attorney-General: 
 We, the undersigned citizens of the United States 
 
 havmgfailed every where, and under all circumstances' 
 in our efforts to obtain justice in a matter of the 
 deepest moment to ourselves and families, now as a 
 last resort, appeal to you. Failing in this, we will 
 
 endeavor to reconcile ourselves to our hard fate, and 
 at once quit our humble homes, and make room for 
 those who, by means of their greater wealth, have 
 been able to tire us out and obtain our little farms 
 and poor homes, which have cost us long years of 
 toil and privation. 
 
 Here are the facts and circumstances of our case, 
 as briefly as it is possible to put them upon paper : 
 
 Most of your petitioners emigrated to California at 
 an early day, bringing with us our families and all 
 we possessed, intending in the far-off land to make 
 homes for ourselves and our children. 
 
 We located where we now reside, in Amador county, 
 and upon lands then claimed by none but Indians, 
 arid as we honestly believed, owned by the general 
 government. 
 
 Here at the foot of the mountains, under the laws 
 of the State of California, we took up for ourselves 
 homes in small parcels, varying from fifty to one 
 hundred and sixty acres each. Being upon mineral 
 land we have enjoyed our possessions uninterruptedly, 
 save when the miners saw fit to prospect and mine 
 within our enclosures. 
 
 Upon these lands we have planted trees, built 
 fence?, and erected houses. In our midst churches 
 and school-houses have sprung up. 
 
 Years after our location, and when the eastern 
 border of the tract was found valuable because of its 
 mineral deposits, and when the whole face of our 
 section had become a community of happy families, 
 the rumor reached us that a Spanish grant covered 
 our homes. 
 
 We consulted and employed lawyers; we have ex 
 hausted ourselves and been beaten. Now we think 
 we are wrongfully defeated, and appeal to you for 
 interposition in our behalf, so far as is consistent and 
 proper. 
 
 The private claim which overwhelms us like a pall, 
 and of which we complain, is the " Arroyo Seco 
 Grant." 
 
 This claim was defeated before the Board of Land 
 Commissioners. 
 
 The decree of the Board was reversed by the 
 United States District Court. 
 
 The decision of the District Court was appealed 
 from by the Government under the administration 
 of Attorney- General Black. 
 
 The appeal was dismissed without a hearing. 
 
 Then came the location of the grant. Surveyor- 
 General Mandeville located the grant, extending the 
 eastern boundary into the foot-hills of the Sierra 
 Nevada, to a point (improperly as we insist) which 
 embraces our homes within the location. 
 
 The Government was heard in a review of Man- 
 
 deville's proceedings before the Hon. McAllister, 
 
 who, after deliberating upon the case, modified or 
 changed the location made by Mandeville, and 
 thereby relieved us from the scourge. 
 
 About this time the grant changed hands, passing 
 from Andres Pico to the present proprietors, con 
 sisting of the following gentlemen : J. Mora Moss, 
 H. W. Carpentier, Surveyor-General Beale, and Her 
 man Wohler. 
 
 This party, men of great wealth, procured a re 
 hearing of the case before the Hon. Ogden Hoffman, 
 District Judge of the United States District Court. 
 
 Judge Hoffman upset the decree of Judge McAllis 
 ter, and confirmed the location made by General 
 Mandeville. 
 
 An appeal was taken by the Government to the 
 United States Supreme Court. 
 
 We are just now informed that the appeal has been 
 
ARROYO SECO GRANT. 
 
 247 
 
 dismissed, and we are therefore deprived of a fair 
 hearing before the Tribunal of last resort, whither 
 we supposed we were advancing according to the 
 rules and practices of the Courts of our country, and 
 from which Tribunal we were fondly hoping to re 
 ceive the relief from litigation and oppression from 
 which we have suffered so long. 
 
 Now all we ask from you, gentlemen, is that the 
 case may be reinstated upon the calendar, treated as 
 a new case, and passed upon by the Court. The de 
 cision of that high Tribunal, though adverse to us, 
 will be cheerfully acquiesced in. 
 
 FIRST ATTEMPTS AT DISPOSSESSION. 
 
 Soon after the dismissal of the appeal a United 
 States patent was obtained, and an attempt was made 
 to dispossess the settlers. It was wisely resolved 
 not to bring the people of the county into collision 
 with their own officers, and a man by the name of 
 Benjamin Bellock, said to be a Peruvian citizen, was 
 put forward, so as to throw the case into the hands 
 of a United States Marshal, though Bellock's inter 
 est must have been very remote, as his name does 
 not appear on record as an owner of any part of the 
 grant. The Marshal put in an appearance one day, 
 and was in the act of evicting Thomas Rickey when 
 quite a number of men (the Marshal estimated 
 them at fifty), armed with rifles and pistols, went 
 along to see how the thing was to be done. It is 
 said that Turner, one of the settlers, used some 
 threatening language, but no violence was used. 
 The appearance of opposition was expected, and, 
 perhaps, desired. The Marshal went back to San 
 Francisco. 
 
 SETTLERS' LEAGUE. 
 
 This has been referred to before. Its organization 
 was a secret one, and the proceedings were never 
 published. Public notices were printed in an odd 
 kind of type, and were signed with a numeral as 
 Secretary. It was supposed that the members num 
 bered three hundred or more. It was not known, 
 of course, what measures were contemplated. Resist 
 ance to dispossession was openly talked of. It was 
 thought that the grant company would have to pay 
 the expense of keeping the soldiers in the field. 
 Others said that we should be compelled to yield; 
 that successful resistance to one company of soldiers 
 would only bring a regiment, to oppose which would 
 be an insurrection, another rebellion; but that we 
 might murder the proprietors, and annoy those who 
 should undertake the cultivation of the land, so as 
 to make it worthless. The feeling was very bitter, 
 and a little indiscretion might have brought on 
 bloodshed. 
 
 THE SOLDIERS HAVE COME. 
 
 On the eleventh of February the sullen boom of the 
 cannon, heard for miles around, announced the arrival 
 of the soldiers. Why the cannon was fired does not 
 appear, but every one knew the meaning. There 
 was no gathering, no appearance of resistance. 
 What might have happened if a smaller number had 
 commenced the dispossession, can only be imagined. 
 
 The seventy -five might coujd have been beaten, 
 but these were the " boys in blue," who had been 
 battling so bravely for the Union, who had borne 
 the flag aloft mid shot and shell in many a bloody 
 field, who had saved our country. It is quite likely 
 that grief as well as anger pervaded the league, and 
 no resistance was offered. The people were deter 
 mined to lose no point by vacating voluntarily, but 
 quietly suffered their goods, household utensils, their 
 wives and children, to be removed into the streets, 
 in the storm, even, for the eviction took place in Feb 
 ruary, the month of rains. Some formed camps, 
 others went to the houses of friends, and some went 
 back to the houses from which they had been 
 ejected. The fastenings were slight, and perhaps 
 it was expected that they would return, though as 
 tresspassers. A man by the name of Clark, venera 
 ble, respectable and prudent, was made custodian 
 and superintendent of the property. So far, the dis 
 possession of the settlers had gone on without 
 violence. The dispatches sent to the principals were 
 congratulatory. 
 
 SHOOTING OP HERMAN WOHLER. 
 
 Wohler was perhaps the smallest owner in the 
 grant, and, likely, the smallest capitalist in the com 
 pany, and was probably put forward to manage the 
 eviction on account of having no moral weakness or 
 humane feelings which should prevent him turning a 
 multitude of men, women and children out of their 
 homes. If he had feelings to gratify, if he wished 
 to avenge the long and persistent fight the settlers 
 had made for their homes, his opportunity was ample. 
 His pitiless face was seen everywhere directing the 
 soldiers in their work the only one in the whole 
 crowd who did not show disgust with the business. 
 Every man who had been driven out marked his 
 overbearing and unfeeling demeanor. The dispos 
 session was complete. The Arroyo Seco steal was a 
 fixed fact. Any settler now who wished to have his 
 rights would have to wade through an awful quag 
 mire of law and technicalities. A big dinner was 
 given, to celebrate the successful termination of the 
 matter, which was attended by some of the county 
 officers, among whom was the District Attorney, 
 Briggs. Hare, stewed in wine, was said to be one of 
 the extraordinary dishes set at this entertainment. 
 The celebration was generally known, and was con 
 sidered, in view of the distress of the people, heart 
 less, and even insulting. It passed off, however, 
 without disturbance, the guests leaving about ten 
 o'clock p. M. Wohler was about retiring, and went 
 to raise the window, to let out some of the cigar 
 smoke which filled the room. While he stood for a 
 moment looking into the darkness, the report of a 
 rifle, in the direction of the blacksmith shop, was 
 heard; he felt the sting of a ball in his chest and fell 
 back seriously wounded. It was supposed to be 
 mortal, but he so far recovered, in a few days, as to 
 be removed to San Francisco. 
 
248 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 The news that a man had been shot in lone on 
 account of land matters, soon found its way over the 
 State, and throughout the East. The settlers were 
 now put on the defense. Those who were unac 
 quainted with the previous facts denounced it as an 
 atrocious act. Those who knew something of the- 
 circumstances, which have been related in this his 
 tory, will find some reasons for a mild sentence. "To 
 forgive is divine," they say. Forgiveness may be an 
 attribute of divinity, but, though the lone Valley 
 people are, perhaps, as moral and as well-behaved as 
 any community in the State, they have never made 
 any pretensions to a divine nature. Let no one pass 
 judgment on the act until he has first put himself in 
 the place of a settler, ejected, with his wife and chil 
 dren, from a home which he has wrested from a 
 desert. 
 
 Wohler recovered from this wound, and died about 
 two years since in Sonoma county. The agent, 
 Clark, put in possession of the property was prudent 
 and obliging, as far as his position would permit, 
 renting the land to the former owners at a nominal 
 figure. In a few years the ill-feeling seemed to abate, 
 the new owners were-permitted to occupy the lands 
 in security, and peace and industry once more re 
 sumed their sway. 
 
 THE LAST EFFORT 
 
 To get justice was made at the session of the Legis 
 lature in 1865-66. Through the instrumentality, prin 
 cipally, of A. H. Rose, State Senator from Amador 
 county, Congress was memorialized on the subject. 
 On hearing it read, many members of Congress 
 denounced the system of grunts as a store-house of 
 fraud, but nothing beneficial to the settlers ever came 
 of it. 
 
 The memorial will conclude this chapter on the 
 "Arroyo Seco Grant." 
 
 MEMORIAL TO CONGRESS. 
 
 The Memorial of the Legislature of the State of Cali 
 fornia to the Congress of the United States respect 
 fully represents 
 
 That at the time California was acquired by the 
 United States, a tract of arable land, containing 
 pome fifty thousand acres, well watered and exceed 
 ingly fertile, had remained, from its secluded position 
 and its distance from the sea-coast, if not undiscov 
 ered, entirely unoccupied by civilized man. The 
 tract lies near to the Sierras, and is surrounded by low 
 hills, and beyond them sterile plains, and it is quite 
 probable that up to the time when gold was discov 
 ered it had never been visited by white man; 
 it is entirely certain that no vestige of civiliza 
 tion was ever found on it. In 1848, when General 
 Sutter prospected for gold two miles above in 
 the foot-hills, the principal stream which irri 
 gates and fertilizes'this valley had not even a name 
 to designate it. It has been known from that 
 time as Sutter creek. The same is true of its 
 second principal stream, named for an early miner, 
 Jackson. Another, still, from a miner, Amador; and, 
 curiously enough, the grant, which will be hereafter 
 mentioned, takes its name from a stream christened 
 by the Mexican miners, after eighteen hundred and 
 forty-eight, Arroyo Seco, or Dry creek, and the vil 
 
 lage in which they lived is still known as Dry town. 
 The valuable belt of mineral lands embracing the 
 villages of Drytown, Amador, Sutter Creek and 
 Jackson, lies ten miles to the above and to the east 
 of this valley, and was prospected by Amador, Sutter, 
 Jackson, and others, in the fall and winter of 1848-49, 
 and at that time the valley was entirely -unoccupied. 
 
 In 1849 it attracted the attention of enterprising 
 men, who found it as nature had left it, unoccupied 
 and unclaimed. They believed, and were justified by 
 all appearances in this belief, that this was public 
 land, belonging to the United States. They were 
 principally Western men, who had from their youth 
 been familiar with the beneficent system of land 
 laws in the new and unoccupied Territories of the 
 Union, and they settled at once in the beautiful val 
 ley, each making out, as near as he could, his hundred 
 and sixty acres, and felt as certain of his right to 
 do so, and as secure of his possession, as any heir 
 could be to his ancient inheritance. They knew the 
 country had been ceded to the United States; they 
 knew the lands were public lands, for there was 
 neither occupant nor claimant not a vestige of a 
 house, not a hoof of stock, nor a settlement nearer 
 them than Sutters Foi't, forty miles distant. These 
 lands were exceedingly fertile, and convenient to the 
 best market for farm produce in the world, the 
 mines of California.. As soon as the capacity of 
 these lands to produce both grains and fruits had 
 been tested by these hardy pioneers, they became at 
 once exceedingly valuable. Improvements were com 
 menced of the most permanent character; orchards 
 and vineyards were planted; beautiful and expen 
 sive dwellings were erected ; steam-power was 
 introduced; large mills for converting their grain 
 into flour were built; hotels, stores, and villages 
 sprang up from the plain as if by magic; extensive 
 ditches and costly aqueducts, both for the purpose of 
 irrigation and working the mines upon the borders 
 of the valley, were constructed, while churches and 
 school-houses told plainer than words could convey, 
 who were the settlers of lone valley " and this waste 
 land, where no man came or had come since the 
 making of the world," blossomed as only California 
 valleys can under the hand of experienced culti 
 vation. 
 
 This picture is not overdrawn, and but feebly con 
 veys an idea of the prosperity, progress, and refine 
 ment of the settlers in this valley, for the first ten 
 years of their California life. The value of the im 
 provements which they had placed upon the lands 
 could not have been less than eight hundred thousand 
 dollars. From that date words will fail to depict the 
 calamities of these most unfortunate families. Their 
 lands and improvements have been taken from them 
 without any compensation whatever. A Mexican 
 grant to the whole of the valley has been confirmed. 
 The land has peen patented to strangers by the 
 United States, and pioneers, the early settlers, the 
 men who bore the heat and burden of the day, have 
 been stripped of their all, and many of them in the 
 decline of life turned literally out of doors. 
 
 All right-thinking men naturally ask, " Is there 
 any redress for this calamity ? Can any compensa 
 tion be made these families for their great loss?" In 
 plain words, ought the general government to 
 stretch forth its powerful arms for the relief of this 
 distressed community ? If it can be shown that they 
 settled these lands under encouragement from the 
 United States, all questions will be at an end. That 
 many of them did so is a fact recorded in the archives 
 of the government. 
 
CAif. 
 
KM^X 
 
 OPTHE A. 
 
 (UNIVERSITY) 
 
 \*^s 
 
ARROYO SECO GRANT. 
 
 249 
 
 To establish the right of this community to relief 
 from the general government, it will be necessary to 
 give a brief history of the Arroyo Seco Grant, upon 
 which a patent to their lands has been issued. 
 
 It appears from the records that in the year 1852, 
 on the 1st of November, Andreas Pico filed a peti 
 tion before the Land Commissoners for eleven leagues 
 of land, known as the Arroyo Seco Grant, and lying 
 in whole or in part, as the petition states, in Sacra 
 mento county, but giving only certain external 
 boundaries, which embraced a scope of country con 
 taining at least six times the required amount of 
 land; and at this time it must be borne in mind lone 
 valley and the lands referred to in the memorial, lay 
 not in Sacramento but in Oalaveras county, which 
 barely cornered on Sacramento. The question is now, 
 not whether Pico had any valid grant, but did his 
 claim for eleven leagues of land, lying in whole or in 
 part in Sacramento county, impart any notice whatever 
 to the settlers of Calaveras county ? If they ever 
 heard that such a petition had been filed before the 
 Land Commissioners in San Francisco, they certainly 
 never once thought it referred to their valley, for the 
 boundaries claimed by Pico, as well as the county, 
 seemed clearly to exclude them. Pico's eastern 
 boundary came only to the foot-hills, which rise, sharply 
 defined, to the west of lone. It is confidently asserted 
 that this claim was never at that time heard of in 
 the valley; if it ever was, the next news heard from 
 it was that it had been rejected by the Land Commis 
 sion on the twenty-seventh day of February, 1855. 
 Six years had now passed in undisturbed possession, 
 with no adverse claims to the lands on which they 
 resided; for Pico stated in his petition to the Land 
 Commissioners, that there were no adverse claimants 
 to the lands which he desired, and as there was at 
 least fifty leagues of land vacant and unoccupied 
 within the external boundaries which his petition set 
 forth, it neither imparted notice nor gave a hint of 
 danger to these bona fide and actual settlers. Pico 
 said: "Somewhere in that space of country bounded 
 on the north by the Cosumnes river, on the east by 
 the foot-hills, on the south by the Mokelumne river, 
 and on the west by the old Sacramento and Stockton 
 trail, I claim eleven leagues of land, and the land I 
 desire is vacant, unoccupied land there is no other 
 to claim it." And his claim could have been satisfied 
 four times over and never have touched them. Ought 
 they, as the most scrupulously prudent men, to have 
 thought the shaft was aimed at their peace? They 
 did not think it was, and they continued to build, 
 and improve, and enter into the fruit of their labors. 
 They had the most unbounded confidence that the 
 general government would now, as she always had, 
 protect her hardy pioneers. 
 
 On the 12th of May, 1855, notice of appeal from 
 the Land Commission was filed, followed on the 
 llth of June by a petition for review; and on the 
 21st of April, 1856, the Court reversed the action 
 of the Land Commission, and confirmed to Andreas 
 Pico eleven leagues of land, somewhere within his 
 said external boundaries. No survey had yet been 
 made; the grant had been confirmed, but not located. 
 And it must be steadily borne in mind that there 
 was abundance of land to satisfy the grant, and 
 leave the settlers alone. Would not the United 
 States undoubtedly see that this was done? Before 
 proceeding, however, to the history of the surveys, 
 we will complete the legal history of this calamitous 
 grant. On the third of October, 1856, an appeal 
 to the "United States Supreme Court was perfected, 
 and the transcript sent up, and, without ever com- 
 32 
 
 ing to a hearing, was, May 4, 1858, on motion of 
 Attorney-General Black, dismissed, and the mandate 
 of dismissal filed in San Francisco on the 3d of Sep 
 tember, of the same year. This, of course, ended 
 the litigation. It must steadily be borne in mind 
 that the United States, during all this time, was the 
 party in interest, and, by her highest officers, man 
 aged this important suit, involving, it is true, only 
 the price of the land, some sixty thousand dollars; 
 to her citizens her children the increased value 
 of improvements and cultivation, amounting to 
 nearly or quite a million. We have now reached 
 the Autumn of 1858, ten years subsequent to the 
 discovery of gold, and nine since the valley was first 
 settled. Many of the farms were worth a hundred 
 dollars an acre, and, in the character and value, of 
 their improvements, would not suffer by comparison 
 with the most highly cultivated sections of the older 
 States. 
 
 The United States had surveyed and laid off into 
 townships and sections nearly the whole of the 
 valley, and have actually sold, as the records of the 
 Land Office at Stockton show, four thousand nine 
 hundred and ninety-six and forty-nine one hundredths 
 acres; the balance had been all, or nearly all, pre 
 empted. We now ask, in all candor and kindness, 
 if the United States could have so located these 
 eleven leagues of land belonging to Pico, so as not 
 to disturb these settlers, and did not do it, ought 
 she not to reimburse them for their losses? To 
 determine this question, so vital to their hopes, let 
 us proceed with the history of the surveys. 
 
 Sometime during the Summer of 1856, Andreas 
 Pico himself came with surveyors into the district, 
 and proceeded to select and mark out his eleven 
 leagues. It would seem that if any person knew 
 where the land was he, the grantee, was most likely 
 to possess this information. "He located his eastern 
 boundary ten miles further east than the line of the 
 present survey, and included within his boundaries 
 all the rich belt of mineral lands heretofore spoken 
 of, and with the invaluable mines, assumed owner 
 ship of the thriving villages of Amador, Sutter 
 Creek, and Jackson, the county seat of the new 
 county, which, in 1854, had been carved from Cala 
 veras. He established his boundaries by permanent 
 monuments, and proceeded to sell and deed lands, as 
 the records of Amador county will show, to numer 
 ous purchasers, across all this range. The wealth 
 iest and most intelligent quartz miners in this State 
 bought his title. 
 
 It will be remembered that this survey of 1856 left 
 out a large number of those persons who are now 
 included in the present survey, and these facts are 
 stated to render the position impregnable that these 
 settlers believed, and were justified by the facts 
 surrounding them in this belief, that they were 
 upon the public lands of the United States. 
 
 In the meantime to render this belief a certainty, 
 the United States surveyed all the valley lands to 
 the west of Pico's location, and sold them to these 
 very men who now are memorializing Congress for 
 relief. 
 
 But time rolled on; the survey had not yet been 
 confirmed; the mines were growing poorer and the 
 valley richer, and Pico in his great anguish, when he 
 discovered that he had not included within his lines 
 all the valuable property between the Cosumnes and 
 Mokelumne rivers, and the old Stockton trail and the 
 foot-hills, proceed at once to change the lines of the 
 survey. 
 
250 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 In August, 1859, that grant was surveyed by the 
 United States Surveyor-General for the State of 
 California, J. W. Mandeville, Esq. The eastern line 
 of Pico's first survey was carried ten miles west, and 
 of necessity, included many of the settlers who had 
 purchased these lands of the United States. It must 
 constantly be borne in mind that this was a floating 
 grant] that there was at least six times as much 
 land contained within its exterior lines as the grant 
 called for; that all the lands outside of this valley 
 were vacant lands, and that this survey was per 
 sistently and openly made to include the most val 
 uable farms, and was made by a United States Sur 
 veyor-General, and confirmed by a United States 
 District Judge. 
 
 This survey was confirmed September, 1862. An 
 appeal was taken from the order of confirmation, 
 and this appeal, on motion of Attorney-General 
 Bates, was dismissed February 3, 1863. Not until this 
 date were the settlers left without hope. 
 
 Soon after this confirmation, a patent was issued, 
 and a company of United States dragoons ordered 
 into the valley to assist the United Status Marshal 
 in ejecting the settlers. Let us quickly draw a veil 
 over this sad picture, and state at once the plan we 
 propose for redress. 
 
 We appeal to Congress, and respectfully pray that 
 a commission of disinterested and qualified men be 
 selected and authorized, at the expense of the gen 
 eral government, to visit the land in question; 
 to inquire into and ascertain all the facts of the case; 
 to take testimony in relation thereto, and to award 
 to each settler such amount as may be deemed by 
 said commission to bejust and right. And Congress 
 is further requested to make such appropriation as 
 will be necessary to carry out the objects of said 
 commission. 
 
 Such proceedings on the part of Congress your 
 memorialists believe to be consonant with reason and 
 justice, and to be sanctioned by precedent. 
 
 His Excellency, the Governor, is requested to for 
 ward a copy of the above memorial to each of our 
 delegation in Congress. 
 
 CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
 FARNHAM'S HISTORY OF ALVARADO. 
 
 SINCE writing the foregoing chapter, the writer 
 found in an old history of California, a further 
 account of Juan B. Alvarado, which may be interest 
 ing as throwing some light on the character of those 
 persons who were, as is now believed, instrumental 
 in the manufacture of the fraudulent " Arroyo Seco 
 Grant." 
 
 J. T. Farnham, a man who had been an extensive 
 traveler, arrived in the Bay of Monterey on board 
 the bark Don Quixote in 1840, at the time that Alva 
 rado, acting as Governor of California, had im 
 prisoned all the foreign population on the charge of 
 conspiring against the government. They were con 
 fined in narrow quarters and treated with the 
 utmost inhumanity, and our author's statements, in 
 consequence of his sympathy for the unfortunate 
 prisoners, may have been colored more than facts 
 warrant. His history of the affair places Alvarado 
 in no enviable light. It may be found, commencing 
 
 page sixty, " Early Days of California," by J. T. 
 Farnham. 
 
 In 1836, a Mexican general by the name of 
 Echuandria was the commandant general of Upper 
 California. Some years previous, as will be partic 
 ularly shown in another place, he had come up from 
 .Mexico with a band of fellow myrmidons, and, hav 
 ing received the submission of the country to the 
 authorities of that Republic, commenced robbing the 
 government for which he acted, and the several 
 interests which he had been sent to protect. 
 Nothing escaped his mercenary clutches. The peo 
 ple, the missions, and the revenue were robbed indis 
 criminately as opportunity offered. A few of the 
 white population participated in these acts. But 
 generally the Californians were the sufferers, and, as 
 is id ways the case with unhonored rogues, raised a 
 perpetual storm of indignation about the dishonest 
 deeds of those they desired to supplant for the pur 
 pose of enacting the same things. An occurrence of 
 this kind was the cause of the revolution in 1836. 
 
 A vessel had cast anchor in the harbor of Monte 
 rey. General Echuandria, not having that honor 
 able confidence in the integrit}^ of the Custom House 
 officers which thieves are accustomed to have in one 
 another, placed a guard on board the craft to pre 
 vent them from receiving bribes for their own 
 exclusive benefit. To this the officers demurred; 
 and, in order to free their territory from the crea 
 tures of one whose conscience would compel him to 
 receive bribes for his own pockets instead of theirs, 
 they sent their own clerk, a young rascal of the coun 
 try by the name of Juan Baptiste Alvarado, to inform 
 the general that it was improper to suggest, by put 
 ting a guard on board, that the officers of the ship 
 which lay under the fort, either attempted or dared 
 to attempt the payment of duties! 
 
 The general, however, was too well acquainted 
 with his inalienable rights to be wheedled out of 
 them in this manner, and manifested his indignation 
 towards the clerk for attempting to obtrude his 
 plebeian presence on his golden dream, by ordering 
 him to be put in irons. Alvarado, however, escaped. 
 
 On page two hundred and eighty-six he again 
 refers to this transaction in the following terms: 
 
 In the year 1836, a quarrel arose between the 
 Mexican Governor at Monterey, and Custom House 
 officer by the name of Juan Baptiste Alvarado, in 
 regard to the division of certain bribes which had 
 been paid to the officers by the supercargo of a 
 foreign ship, as a remuneration for entering upon 
 the Government books only half the cargo, and 
 admitting the remainder for a certain sum in specie 
 and goods, paid to themselves; and the first result 
 of the difficulty was a revolutionary movement under 
 Alvarado and Graham, as I have heretofore related. 
 
 To continue the narrative in Farnham's own 
 words: 
 
 He (Alvarado) fled into the country, rallied the 
 farmers, who still loved the descendants of Philip 
 the II. more than El Presidenfe, and formed a camp 
 at the Mission of San Juan, thirty miles eastward 
 from Monterey. 
 
 Near this mission lived an old Tennessoean by the 
 name of Graham; a stout, sturdy "backwoodsman, 
 of a stamp which existed only on the frontiers of 
 the American States men with the blood of the 
 ancient Normans and Saxons in their veins with 
 hearts as large as their bodies can hold, beating 
 
FARNHAM'S HISTORY OF ALVARADO. 
 
 251 
 
 nothing but kindness till injustice showed its fangs, 
 and then, lion like, striking for vengeance. This 
 trait of natural character had been fostered in Gra 
 ham by the life he had led. Early trained to the 
 use of the rifle, he had learned to regard it las his 
 friend and protector; and when the season of man 
 hood had arrived, he threw it upon his shoulder and 
 sought the wilderness, where he could enjoy its pro 
 tection, and be fed by its faithful aim. He became 
 a beaver hunter a cavalier of the wilderness that 
 noble specimen of brave men, who have muscles for 
 riding wild horses and warring with wild beasts, a 
 steady brain and foot for climbing the icy precipice. 
 a strong breast for the mountain torrent, an unre 
 lenting trap for the beaver, a keen eye and deadly 
 shot for a foe. A man, was this Graham, who stood 
 boldly up before his kind, conscious of possessing 
 physical and mental powers adequate to any emer 
 gency. He had a strong aversion to the elegant 
 edifices, the furniture, wardrobe, and food of pol 
 ished life, coupled with a vivid love of mountain 
 sublimity, the beautiful herbage on uncultivated dis 
 tricts, the wild animals, and the streams of water 
 roaring down the frozen heights. Even the gray 
 deserts, with the hunger and thirst incident to trav 
 eling over them, had wild and exciting charms for 
 him. On these his giant frame had obstacles to 
 contend with worthy of its powers. A projecting 
 rock, against which blazed his camp-fire, a crackling 
 pine-knot his light, a roasting sirloin of elk or a 
 buffalo hump for a supper, and a sleep in his blankets 
 on the green sward in the open air after a day's 
 exciting hunt, were the objects sought with the 
 keenest zest, and enjoyed with the greatest pleasure. 
 
 lie forced his way over the Rocky Mountains and 
 located himself in Upper California. This country 
 was suited to his tastes. Its climate allowed him to 
 sleep in the open air most of the year; an abundance 
 of native animals covered the hills, and nature was 
 spread out luxuriantly in wild, untrodden freshness. 
 
 As I have said, this brave man resided near, the 
 Mission of San Juan. He had there erected a rude 
 dwelling and a distillery. On the neighboring plains 
 he herded large bands of hoi'ses, mules and cattle. 
 To this fine old fellow Alvarado made known his peril 
 and designs ; whereupon the foreigners assembled 
 at Graham's summons, elected him their captain, an 
 Englishman by the name of Coppinger lieutenant, 
 and repaired to San Juan. A council of war was 
 held between the clerk and the foreigners. The 
 former promised that if by the aid of the latter he 
 should successfully defend himself against the acting 
 Governor, and obtain possession of the country, it 
 should be declared independent of Mexico, and that 
 the law which prevented foreigners from holding 
 real estate should bo abrogated. The foreigners 
 agreed, on these conditions, to aid Alvarado to the 
 utmost of their power. The next morning the united 
 forces, fifty foreigners and twenty-five Californi- 
 ans, marched against Montei'ey. They entered the 
 town in the afternoon of the same day, and took 
 up their position in the woods, one hundred rods in 
 the rear of the castello or fort. No event of impor 
 tance occurred till the night came on, when the awe 
 with which darkness sometimes inspires even the 
 bravest minds, fell with overwhelming power on the 
 valorous garrison, that, notwithstanding they were 
 supported by the open mouths of the guns, the bark 
 ing of their dog, the roar of the surf, and the hooting 
 of an owl on a neighboring tree-top, they were abso 
 lutely compelled to forsake the ramparts, for the 
 more certain protection of unmolested flight. 
 
 Graham and his men perceiving the discomfiture 
 of their enemies, availed themselves of their absence 
 by taking possession of the evacuated fort. Alva 
 rado, meantime, actuated, it is to be presumed, by a 
 desire to save life, and philosophical conviction of 
 the dangers incident to bullets rendered crazy by 
 burning powder, restrained the fiery ardor of his 
 twenty-five Californians, and held his own person 
 beyond the reach of harm, in case some luckless 
 horse or cow straying over hostile ground on that 
 memorable night, should scare the fleeing garrison 
 into an act of defense. The next morning he and 
 his brave men were found peering from their hiding- 
 places in a state of gT-eat anxiety and alarm! A battle 
 had almost been begun in Monterey! The blood of 
 their enemies had almost begun to fatten the soil of 
 California! They themselves had nearly stepped in 
 blood knee deep, among the carcasses of the hated 
 Mexicans. The besom of destruction had shaken 
 itself, and had barely missed commencing the havoc 
 of bone and flesh, which would have crushed every 
 mote of Mexican life within their borders! Thus they 
 gloried among the bushes! 
 
 Old Graham stood at sunrise on the earth embank 
 ments of the castello. A hunting shirt of buckskin, 
 and pants of the same material, covered his giant 
 frame; a slouched broad- brimmed hat hung around 
 his head and half covered his quiet, determined face! 
 In his right hand he held his rifle, the tried com 
 panion of many fearful strifes among the savages! 
 Four or five of his men sat on a dismounted thirty- 
 two pounder, querying whether they could repair its 
 wood-work so as to bring it to bear on the presidio 
 or Government House. Others stood by a bucket of 
 water swabbing out their rifle barrels and drying the 
 locks. Others of them were cooking beef; others 
 whittling, swearing and chewing tobacco. 
 
 About nine o'clock flags of truce began their oner 
 ous duties. Alvarado came from the woods and took 
 part in the councils. The insurgents demanded the 
 surrender of the government; whereat the cavaliers 
 of the presidio considered themselves immeasurably 
 insulted. Two days were passed in parleying, with 
 out advancing the interests of either party. They 
 were days big with the fate of the future; and who 
 could weary under the dreadful burthens ? Not 
 such men as Alvarado. He bore himself like the 
 man he was, through all this trying period. He 
 uniformly preferred delay to fighting! He was sus 
 tained in this preference by his right-hand villain, 
 Captain Jose Castro. Indeed it was the unanimous 
 choice of the whole California division of the insur 
 gent forces, to wit., the twenty-five before men 
 tioned, to massacre time instead of men. For not a 
 single one of them manifested impatience or insub 
 ordination under the delay a fact which, perhaps, 
 demonstrates the perfection of military discipline in 
 California! The foreigners seemed different from 
 their illustrious allies. Graham thought " two days 
 and nights awaiting on them bars was enough." 
 Accordingly, taking the responsibility on himself, 
 after the manner of his distinguished fellow states 
 man, he sent a flag to the presidio, with notice that 
 two hours only would be given the Governor and his 
 officers to surrender themselves prisoners of war. 
 The demand of the old Tennesseean, however, was 
 disregarded. The appointed time passed without a 
 surrender. Forbearance was at an end. The lieu 
 tenant of Graham's rifle corps was ordered to level 
 a four-pound brass piece at the presidio. A ball was 
 sent through its tiled roof, immediately over the 
 heads of the Mexican magnates. 
 
252 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 It is wonderful how small a portion of necessity 
 mingled with human aft'airs will quicken men's per 
 ception of duty. No sooner did the broken tiles 
 rattle around the heads of these valiant warriors 
 than they became suddenly convinced that it would 
 be exceedingly hazardous to continue their resist 
 ance against such an overwhelming force; and that 
 the central government at Mexico would not be so 
 unreasonable as to expect four or five hundred 
 troops to hold out against " Los Rifteros Americanos." 
 This view of the case, taken through the shat 
 tered roof of the presidio was conclusive. They 
 surrendered at discretion! Alvarado marched into 
 the citadel of government! The Mexicans laid down 
 their arms! The emblems of office were transferred 
 to the Custom House clerk! When these things had 
 transpired, General Ecliuandra was pleased to say 
 with the most exalted good sense, " had we known 
 we were thrice as many as you, we would not have 
 surrendered so soon;" thereby demonstrating to the 
 future historian of Alta California that he and his 
 friends would either have fought the seventy-five 
 with the five hundred, or protracted the siege of bra 
 vado much longer, had they been able to count the 
 seventy-five at the distance of seventy-five yards, 
 during the lapse of two days! Difficulties in the use 
 of optics often occur in the Californian warfare 
 which are not treated of in the books. 
 
 The end of this revolution came. The schooner 
 Clarion, of New Bedford, was purchased, and the 
 Mexican officers shipped to San Bias. Juan Bap- 
 tiste Alvarado, custom clerk, proclaimed El Alta 
 California an independent republic, and himself its 
 governor. But more of this on a subsequent page. 
 It suffices my present purpose to have shown how 
 far this Alvarado was indebted to the foreigners 
 dying in his prisons for the station and power which 
 he was using for their destruction. He could never 
 have obtained possession of Monterey without them. 
 And had they not slept on their arms for months 
 after that event; a party in the south under his 
 uncle, Don Carlos Carillo, or another in the north 
 under his uncle, Guadalupe Viego (Vallejo), would 
 have torn him from his ill-gotted elevation. 
 
 Thus California became an independent State, and 
 Alvarado its governor. The central government at 
 Mexico was, of course, much shocked at such unpol 
 ished, ungloved impudence; threatened much, and 
 at last, in September, 1837, induced Alvarado to buy 
 a ship, send dispatches to Mexico, and become Ml 
 Goubernador Constitutional del Alia California, asso 
 ciated with his uncle Viego, as commandante general. 
 After this adhesion to the Mexican government, 
 Alvarado became suspicious of the foreigners who 
 had aided him in the " revolution," and sought every 
 means of annoying them. They might depose him 
 as they had done Echuandra. And if vengeance 
 were always a certain consequent of injustice, he 
 reasoned well. The vagabond had promised, in his 
 day of need, to bestow lands on those who had 
 saved his neck and raised him to power. This he 
 found convenient to forget. Like Spaniards of all 
 ages and all countries, after having been well served 
 by his friends, he rewarded them with the most 
 heartless ingratitude. 
 
 Graham in particular was closely watched. A 
 bold, open-handed man, never concealing for an 
 instant either his love or hatred, but with the frank 
 ness and generosity of those great souls, rough hewn, 
 but majestically honest, who belong to the valley 
 States, he told the Governor his sins from time to 
 time, and demanded, in the authoritative tone of an 
 
 affectionate elder brother, that he redeem his pledges. 
 He asked for justice, and received 
 what we shall presently see. 
 
 Graham loved a horse. He had taken a fine 
 gelding with him when he emigrated to the country, 
 and trained him for the turf. Every year he had 
 challenged the whole country to the course, and as 
 often won everything wagered against his noble 
 steed. Jose Castro * * and his Excel- 
 
 lentissimo were among Graham's heaviest debtors. 
 Behold the reasons of their enmity. 
 
 Another cause of the general feelings against the 
 Americans and Britons in California was the fact 
 that the sefioritas, the dear ladies, in the plenitude 
 of their taste and sympathy for foreigners, preferred 
 them as husbands. Hence Jose Castro was heard to 
 declare a little before the arrest of the Americans 
 and Britons, that such indignities could not be borne 
 by Castilian blood; "fora Californian cavaliero can 
 not woo a senorita if opposed in his suit by an Amer 
 ican sailor, and these heretics must be cleared from the 
 land." Such were the causes operating to arouse 
 the wrath and ripen the patriotism of the Californians. 
 The vengeance of baffled gallantry bit at the ear of 
 Captain Jose Castro; the fear of being brought to 
 justice by Graham tugged at the liver of Alvarado; 
 and love, the keenest, and hate, the bitterest, in a 
 soul the smallest that was ever entitled to the breath 
 of life, burnished the little black eyes and inflamed 
 the thin nose of one Corporal Pinto. These were the 
 worthies who projected the onslaught on the foreign 
 ers. Their plan of operations was the shrewdest one 
 ever concocted in California. 
 
 Since the "revolution" of 1836 the California 
 Spaniards had been convinced that the Americans 
 and Britons were vastly their superiors in courage 
 and skill in war. From the beginning, therefore, it 
 was apparent that if they were to get one or two 
 hundred of these men into their power it must be 
 done by strategem. Accordingly Graham's annual 
 challenge for the Spring races, in 1840, was conven 
 iently construed into a disguised attempt to gather 
 his friends for the purpose of overthrowing Alvara- 
 do's government. This suggestion was made to the 
 minor leading interests, civil and military, and a 
 junta was formed for the safety of the State; or in 
 plain truth, for the gratification of the several per 
 sonal enmities and jealousies of half a dozen scoun 
 drels who, disregarding the most sacred pledges to 
 their friends, would rob them of their property and 
 sacrifice their lives. 
 
 This junta, marshalling their forces at Monterey, 
 adopted the following plan for accomplishing their 
 fiendish designs:- The soldiers were detailed into 
 corps of two, three, and four in number, to which 
 were attached several civilized Indians. These bands 
 were secretly sent to the abodes of the foreigners, 
 with instructions to convey them with dispatch to 
 the Alcaldes of the neighboring missions. This they 
 accomplished. The victims, on receiving information 
 that the Alcaldes wished to see them, repaired to their 
 presence willingly, and without suspicions of evil in 
 tentions against them. As soon, however, as they 
 arrived they were loaded with irons and cast into 
 the loathesomc cells of these establishments, in which 
 the padres formerly confined their disobedient con 
 verts. 
 
 Thus, one by one, they succeeded in arresting one 
 hundred and sixty odd Americans and Bi-itons brave 
 old trappers, mechanics, merchants, whalemen and 
 tars men who, if embodied under Graham, with 
 rifles in their hands, could have marched from San 
 
FARNHAM'S HISTORY OF ALVARADO. 
 
 253 
 
 Francisco to St. Lucas, conquered nine hundred miles 
 of coast, and held the government in spite of the 
 dastards who were opposing them. But they were 
 caught in a net, skillfully thrown over them, and 
 were helpless. After each man was bolted safely in 
 his dungeon, the harpies proceeded to his house, vio 
 lated his family, plundered his premises, and drove 
 away his live-stock as private booty the reward of 
 the brave! 
 
 Having in this manner collected these unhappy 
 men in the prisons of the several missions, Alvarado 
 and Castro marched their whole disposable force to 
 one mission after another, and brought them in, a few 
 at a time, to the Government dungeons at Monterey. 
 The names of these men, with their places of resi 
 dence, are given below. 
 
 Here follows a list of one hundred and sixty names, 
 which will be omitted, as the object is more to show 
 something of the character of Alvarado than to give 
 a detailed account of the transaction. 
 
 Farnham afterwards got a full account of the 
 method of arrest of forty-one of these prisoners. 
 The statement of Isaac Graham will serve to sample 
 the lot and show the atrocious character of Alvarado. 
 It will be remembered that Graham was the one who 
 assisted Alvarado to his position, so that in treating 
 Graham as he did, he proved himself well, no term 
 sufficiently expressive occurs at this moment. 
 
 I, Isaac Graham, a citizen of the United States 
 of America, came across the continent to California, 
 with a passport from the Mexican authorities of Chi 
 huahua, and obtained from the general commanding 
 in Upper California a license to run a distillery in 
 that country for the term of eight years; this busi 
 ness I have followed since that time. 
 
 On the 6th of April last (1840) there appeared to 
 be mischief brewing. But what it would prove to be 
 none of us could tell. The California Spaniards usually 
 travel much about the country, and converse with 
 foreigners rather shyly. They had threatened to 
 drive us out of California several times, and we 
 tried to guess whether, at last, they were preparing 
 to accomplish it; but from what we saw, it was 
 impossible to form a correct conclusion. 
 
 On the same day, however, Jose Castro, Bicenta 
 Contrina, Ankel Castro, and a runaway Botany bay 
 English convict by the name of Garner, a vile fellow, 
 and an enemy of mine, because the foreigners would 
 not elect him their captain, passed and re-passed my 
 house several times, and conversed together in low 
 tones of voice. 1 stopped Jose Castro and asked 
 him what was the matter. He replied that he was 
 going to march against the commandante general, 
 Viego, at San Francisco, to depose him from the 
 command of the forces. His two companions made 
 the same assertion. I knew that Alvarado was 
 afraid of Viego, and that Jose Castro was ambitious 
 for the place; and for these reasons I partly con 
 cluded that they spoke the truth. 
 
 A little later in the day, however, the vagabond 
 Garner called at my house, and, having drunk freely 
 of whisky, became rather boisterous, and said sig 
 nificantly, that the time of some people would be 
 short; that Jose Castro had received orders from 
 the Governor to drive the foreigners out of Califor 
 nia, or to dispose of them in some other way. He 
 boasted that he himself would have a pleasant par 
 ticipation in the business. I could not persuade him 
 to tell me in what manner, or when this business 
 
 was to take place. I had heard the same threats 
 made a number of times within the past year, but it 
 resulted in nothing. Believing, therefore, that Gar 
 ner's threats proceeded from the whisky he had 
 drunk, rather than the truth, I loft him in the yard, 
 and in company with my partner, Mr. Niel, went to 
 bed. Messrs. Morris and Barton, as usual, took to 
 their couches in the still-house. 
 
 We slept quietly until about three o'clock in the 
 morning, when I was awakened by the discharge of 
 a pistol near my head, the ball of which passed 
 through the handkerchief around my neck. I 
 sprang to my feet and jumped in the direction of the 
 villains, when they discharged six other pistols, so 
 near that my shirt took fire in several places. 
 Fortunately, the darkness and the trepidation of the 
 cowards prevented their taking good aim, for only 
 one of the shots took effect, and that one in my left 
 arm. 
 
 After firing, they fell back a few paces and com 
 menced reloading their pieces. I perceived by the 
 light of their pistols that they were too numerous 
 for a single man to contend with, and determined to 
 escape. But I had scarcely got six paces from the 
 door when I was overtaken and assailed with heavy 
 blows from their swords. These I succeeded in 
 parrying off to such an extent, that I was not much 
 injured by them. Being incensed by my successful 
 resistance, they grappled with me, and threw me 
 down, when an ensign by the name of Joaquin 
 Terres drew his dirk, and, saying with an oath that 
 he would let out my life, made a thrust at my heart. 
 God saved me again. The weapon, passing between 
 my body and my left arm, sunk deep in the ground, 
 and before he had an opportunity of repeating his 
 blow, they dragged me up the hill in the rear of my 
 house, where Jose Castro was standing. They 
 called to him "Here he is! here he is! " whereupon 
 Castro rode up and struck me with the back of his 
 sword so severely as to bring me to the ground, and 
 then ordered four balls to be put through me. But 
 this was prevented by a faithful Indian in my serv 
 ice, who threw himself upon me, declaring that he 
 would receive the balls in his own heart. 
 
 Unwilling to be thwarted, however, in their designs 
 to destroy me, they next fastened a rope to one of 
 my arms, and passed it to a man on horseback, who 
 wound it firmly around the horn of his saddle. Then 
 the rest of them, taking hold of the other arm, 
 endeavored to haul my shoulders out of joint; but 
 the rope broke. Thinking the scoundrels bent on 
 killing me in some way, I begged for liberty to com 
 mend my soul to God. To this they replied: "You 
 shall never pray till you kneel over your grave." 
 They then conducted me to my house, and permitted 
 me to put on my pantaloons. While there, they 
 asked where Mr. Morris was. I told them I did not 
 know. They then put lances to my breast, and told 
 me to call him or die. I answered that he had made 
 his escape. While I was saying this, Mr. Niel came 
 to the house, pale from the loss of blood, and vomit 
 ing terribly. He had a lance thrust through his 
 thigh, and a wound in his leg, nearly separating the 
 cord of the heel. 
 
 They next put Mr. Niel and myself in double 
 irons, carrying us a half a mile into the plain, left 
 me under guard, and returned to plunder the house. 
 After having been absent a short time, they came 
 and conducted me back to our rifled home. As soon 
 as we arrived there, a man by the name of Manuel 
 Larias approached me with a drawn sword, and 
 commanded me to inform him where my money was 
 
254 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 buried. I told him I had none. He cursed me, and 
 turned away. I had some buried in the ground, but 
 I determined they should never enjoy it. After 
 having robbed me of my books and papers, which 
 were all the evidence 1 had that these very scoun 
 drels, and others, were largely indebted to me, and 
 having taken whatever was valuable on my premises, 
 and distributed it among themselves, they proceeded 
 to take an inventory of what was left, as if it were 
 the whole of my property, and then put me on horse 
 back, and sent me to this prison. You know the 
 rest. I am chained like a dog, and suffer like one. 
 
 The testimony of the other prisoners shows that 
 the same cowardly, cruel spirit prevailed every 
 where in making the arrests. It was at this period 
 in the revolution that the bark Don Quixote came 
 into the harbor of Monterey, from Honolulu. Though 
 usually there were plenty of white men at Monterey, 
 none were to be seen now. Thomas O. Larkin, 
 afterwards the American Consul, was the only man 
 to be seen, and a Spanish hombre was detailed to 
 listen to every word that should be said to or by 
 him, even sitting down to tea with them. It was 
 with the utmost difficulty that the strangers were 
 informed that the country was in a state of revolu 
 tion, that it was probable that all the foreigners 
 arrested would be shot in the cells where they were 
 confined. The question naturally arose, whether 
 anything could be done for them? Can they be 
 saved? though the numbers on the bark were few. 
 It was resolved to make the attempt, though they 
 might all be shot in an hour. 
 
 The first duty on setting foot in California is to 
 report ones self to the Governor, and obtain from him 
 a written permission to remain in the country. This 
 I proceeded to do. Mr. Larkin was obliging enough 
 to accompany me to the Governor's residence. We 
 found before it a small number of men who were 
 usually complimented with the cognomen of " guard." 
 They consisted of five half-breed Indians, and what 
 passed for a white corporal, lounging about the door 
 in the manner of grog-shop savans. Their outer 
 man is worth a description. They wore raw, bull's 
 hide sandals on their feet, leathern breeches, blankets 
 about- their shoulders, and anything and everything 
 about their heads. Of arms they had nothing which 
 deserved the name. One made pretensions with an . 
 old musket without a lock; and his lour comrades 
 were equally heroic with kindred pieces so deeply 
 rusted that the absence of locks would have been an 
 unimportant item in estimating their value. 
 
 We passed this formidable body, ascended a flight 
 of stairs, and entered the presence of the Governor, 
 Juan Baptiste Alvarado, a well-formed, full-blooded 
 Californian Spaniard, five feet eleven inches in height, 
 with coal-black curly hair, deep black eyes, fiercely 
 black eyebrows, high cheek bones, an aquiline nose, 
 fine white teeth, brown complexion, and the clearly- 
 marked mien of a pompous coward, clad in the broad 
 cloth and whiskers of a gentleman. 
 
 When we entered he was sitting behind a kind of 
 writing-desk in the farther corner of the room. He 
 rose as we entered and received us with the charac 
 teristic urbanity of a Spanish body without a soul; 
 waved us to chairs, when he would have seen us 
 ling from the balcony; smiled graciously at us 
 one corner of his mouth, while he cursed us 
 
 with the other; seated himself, laid his hands and 
 arms on the upper shelf of his abdomen, and asked 
 if the ship had anchored. 
 
 It seems that he had urgent reasons for asking 
 this. The coming of a merchant vessel had, when 
 he was a Custom House clerk, and since he was 
 Governor, been the means of filling his exhausted 
 exchequer and paying his debts. When he was 
 informed that the vessel was not laden with mer 
 chandise, and did not propose to make any long stay, 
 his disappointment was evident. He threw some 
 red-tape formalities in the way of giving Farnham 
 a permit to reside on shore. Farnham was a six- 
 footer, looked like a man of nerve and power. In the 
 present delicate situation of affairs he did not court 
 the presence of such men; neither did he dare to 
 refuse him. The vessel was standing in and out of 
 the harbor; might be one of a fleet outside. Farnham 
 was referred to the Alcalde, whom he found after 
 passing the guard, which was a big dog, asleep on a 
 rawhide in the corner of an adobe shanty. A full 
 hour was consumed in writing the permit, an instru 
 ment of four lines, which had to be countersigned 
 by the Governor. When this was accomplished he 
 took up his residence with Mr. Larkin, the Consul, 
 whose house- was not far from some of the prisons 
 where the prisoners were confined. 
 
 The shouts of the prisoners for water, food and 
 air were distinctly audible. 
 
 " Breathe fast, for God's sake. I must come to the 
 grate soon, or I shall suffocate! " 
 
 " Give me water, you merciless devils! Give me 
 water! " 
 
 " You infernal sons of the Inquisition, give me 
 water or fire on me! " 
 
 "Give us something to eat! O God! we shall die 
 here! We can't breathe! Half of us can't speak! " 
 And so on the night through. 
 
 Four hundred troops, such as they were, consti 
 tuted the army. Old Graham, with fifty of his rifle 
 men, would have sent them flying like a herd of sheep, 
 but the old fellow was double chained. Through the 
 influence of Larkin, who stretched the facts about 
 the vessel several points to make Alvarado believe it 
 was a government explorer connected with a fleet, 
 Farnham was permitted to interview the prisoners, 
 when he took the statements before referred to. It 
 was noticed that the vessel went out of the harbor 
 every night and returned in the morning, as if com 
 municating with a fleet; that Farnham was making 
 signals of some kind when the vessel was in the har 
 bor, though, in fact, the signals were a sham, as 
 neither party understood the other. Mr. Larkin 
 professed to be in ignorance with regard to the vis 
 itors, said they certainly appeared to be persons high 
 in authority. By thus working on the fears of Al 
 varado, Larkin was permitted to feed the prisoners. 
 Sixty were found confined in a pen twenty feet 
 square, where there was not room to lie down, the 
 floor being knee deep in mud and filth. During the 
 
THE ABORIGINES. 
 
 255 
 
 time it was learned that the authorities were consid 
 ering the proposition of shooting all the prisoners in 
 the pens. Farnham wore a sword with the Ameri 
 can eagle on the hilt, and, assuming some airs of im 
 portance, resented any restraint on his movements, 
 even refusing to give audience to Alvarado when sent 
 for. Farnham had managed to communicate some 
 courage to the prisoners, who defiantly sung some of 
 the patriotic songs of their land. Pinto, before 
 referred to, was commander of the guard, and became 
 alarmed when the shouts of defiance reached his ears. 
 He was told from the jail that the government of 
 California had better commit suicide than to bring 
 the British Lion and the American Eagle to war with 
 them. Alvarado was finally moved to give them a 
 trial, or at least a form of one. 
 
 On the morning of the 22d of April, 1840, twenty- 
 one of the prisoners were brought before the Gov 
 ernor, and, one after another, questioned about the 
 supposed conspiracy. Among the others was Gra 
 ham, who also denied any knowledge of the conspir 
 acy. A miserable tool of the Governor, who under 
 stood so little English as to fail to make himself 
 understood by the prisoners, was the interpreter. By 
 his aid a case was made against them. Garner, a 
 Botany Bay convict, instrumental in the arrest of 
 Graham, testified as to the existence of a conspiracy 
 which was to exterminate the whole Spanish people 
 of the province! Under this kind of testimony and 
 trial forty-six were found guilty of conspiracy and 
 were sent to Tepic for the Mexican government to 
 deal with. Graham and Morris were so heavily 
 ironed that four Indians were required to carry their 
 emaciated bodies aboard the vessel which was char 
 tered to take them away. Many of these persons 
 had native wives who clung to the departing prison 
 ers with cries of despair. They followed the prisoners 
 from the jails as far as they could, helping to bear up 
 the chains. They were driven away with blows. 
 They had no homes to return to, as the soldiers had 
 plundered their houses when the arrests were made, 
 and stood wailing on the shore as the ship left the 
 harbor. 
 
 A general thanksgiving was ordered and mass was 
 sung in the churches for the yrent deliverance! It is 
 said that Alvarado was much disappointed that he 
 did not shoot Graham, and thus cancel twenty-two 
 hundred and thirty-five dollars owing to him in mer 
 cantile transactions. This, and other events con 
 nected therewith, occupied Alvarado the rest of the 
 month. On the Sih of the. following month he made the 
 famous Arroyo Seco Grant. 
 
 Much that is bitter denunciation has been left out 
 of this narrative. It must be remembered that when 
 Farnham arrived one hundred and sixty pei'sons 
 were lying in jail for an imaginary offense; that 
 these were the persons who had helped Alvarado to 
 power; that the}' had been arrested without warrant, 
 confined in filthy pens, their families maltreated, and 
 their homes destroyed, and we can excuse some of 
 
 the writer's indignation. That Alvarado was mak 
 ing land grants in the mountains at this time, where 
 no Mexican dared set his foot, is improbable. That 
 he was capable of fixing up the records, in connec 
 tion with others, so as to show a grant at that time, 
 may be possible. 
 
 CIIAPTEE XXXIX. 
 
 THE ABORIGINES. 
 
 Origin Probable Antiquity Indian Eelics Personal Character 
 of California Indians Division of Tribes Indian Huts 
 Food Indian Mills Indian Cooking Meal Time Cloth 
 ing Legal Tender Grizzlies Arms Principles of Gov 
 ernment Family Delations Marriage Small Hands and 
 Feet Religion Funerals Military Reviews Numbers 
 Assembled Military Evolutions Games Sweat House 
 Fandango at Yeomet 1851 Diseases and Treatment Scourge 
 of 1832-33 Anecdotes of the Indians. 
 
 MANY attempts have been made to identify the 
 Aborigines with the people of the eastern hemisphere, 
 or at least to prove their descent therefrom. A Jap 
 anese junk sunk on our coast is taken as evidence of 
 a Mongolian immigration. The figure of a cross on 
 one of the temples of Central America is taken as 
 proof of a former Christian worship, though the tem 
 ples themselves antedate Christianity by centuries. 
 Learned linguists find a resemblance in some words 
 of the Welsh and a tribe of Indians in New Mexico, 
 and forthwith a treatise or volume appears to prove 
 that in the year 731, Ap Gllyyss and a hundred other 
 Welshmen, driven out by the tyranny of a despotic 
 prince, sailed away and were never heard of more 
 until they were found, one thousand years afterward, 
 settled on the head-waters of the Colorado in New 
 Mexico, living in stone houses such as are found in 
 Wales. It would seem that common sense in regard 
 to such matters might be called in without detri 
 ment to the results. 
 
 PROBABLE ANTIQUITY. 
 
 The facts are, the populations of the New World 
 show as much divergence of character as those of 
 the Old World, and can lay about as good claim to 
 antiquity. Portions -of the American continent are 
 older in geological formation than Asia, and may 
 have been peopled as early. From the north to the 
 south, from the east to the west, on both Ameiicas, 
 are the indisputable traces of ancient empire. The 
 thousands of mounds in the valley of the Mississippi, 
 the ruins of temples in Central America, which ap 
 pear to be as ancient as the pyramids of Egypt, the 
 ruins of buildings in Arizona, all prehistoric, speak of 
 the" rise and growth of nations; of the struggles of 
 infancy, of the dominion of maturity; of nations 
 exterminated and others taking their place. The 
 colossal character of these ruins, and the extent of 
 ground covered by them, are evidences of thousands 
 of years of growth, which may have been cotem- 
 porary, previous or subsequent to the Asiatic or 
 European civilization. Even in California, though 
 no granite temples record the ancient power and cul 
 tivation of the tribes, there is evidence of their 
 
256 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 possession of the country for ages. The shell mounds 
 along the sea shore are the accumulation of centuries. 
 Indian implements are found buried beneath mounds 
 of earth and debris of rivers, which prove their an 
 tiquity beyond all doubt. 
 
 INDIAN RELICS. 
 
 In 1853, while mining out a portion of Humbug 
 gulch, near Volcano, in Amador county, the writer of 
 this historj^ found an Indian mortar similar to those in 
 use, buried under ten or twelve feet of soil, on which 
 timber of considerable size was growing. The place 
 seemed to have been used as a spring, burnt sticks 
 and other trash indicating a camp near by. The spot 
 was quite rich, having a hundred dollars or more in 
 a little spot a yard square. If the squaws who used 
 this spring had ever cleaned it out, they could hardly 
 help finding some of the gold which was mixed with 
 the trash. Others have had a similar experience. 
 Indian relics, consisting of mortars, pestles, etc., were 
 taken out of the ground at a depth of eighteen feet, 
 by J. F. M. Johnston, showing a great antiquity. 
 
 PERSONAL CHARACTER. 
 
 The Indians of California are rather shorter in 
 stature and stouter built than the Indians east of the 
 Rocky Mountains, though occasionally one might be 
 found who was tall and slender, like some of the 
 Sioux or Pawnees. The Indians of the Pacific coast 
 were also of a more dusky hue, but tho same long, 
 straight, coarse, black hair, beardless faces, and dark, 
 dreamy eyes, characterized all the North American 
 races. The divergence from the general type was 
 not greater than can be seen in any race of men, in 
 fact, it appears to be true that the less the cultiva 
 tion the more uniformity of character. 
 
 DIVISION OP TRIBES. 
 
 The Indians of the Sacramento and San Joaquin 
 valleys were divided into several tribes, though there 
 seemed to be a blending by intermarriage so that 
 the lines were not rigidly drawn. It is probable 
 that individuals could change their allegiance with 
 out much trouble. The Indians living in the vicin 
 ity of the upper Cosumnes, including the Dry Creek 
 Indians, called themselves Neshenams. The Poo- 
 soones lived about the mouth of the American river; 
 the Quotoas, around Placerville, the Colomas, 
 around Sutter's old mill, the Wapumnes, near 
 Latrobe. The Mokelkos occupied that portion of 
 San Joaquin county, lying east and north of Stock 
 ton. From Staples' Ferry to Athearn's, they, called 
 themselves the La-las. The Indians of the lone 
 valley called themselves Lucklum-las. The - 
 Machacos occupied the Mokelumne river to Campo 
 Seco. The La-las were absorbed by the Mokel 
 kos, who were the most powerful of all tho tribes, 
 and had nearly a score of towns, with a total popu 
 lation of three or four thousand. They were con 
 tinually at war, sometimes against the Machacos, 
 sometimes against the Cosos (Cosumne Indians) and 
 the Jackson Valley Indians combined. The Mokel 
 
 kos claimed to be Christianized, and had for chiefs 
 four brothers Sanato, at Staples' ferry; Loweno at 
 Woodbridge; Antonio, on the Calaveras, and Maximo, 
 still living near Terry's mill. A favorite battle 
 ground was near the old brick church not far from 
 Staples' ferry. The Walla Wallas from Oregon some 
 times came into the valley, in which case the tribes 
 all combined to expel them. This is supposed to 
 have happened about 1833, as the Walla Wallas are 
 charged with having poisoned the waters and pro 
 duced a general sickness. 
 
 HOUSES. 
 
 They had no houses worthy of the name, their 
 camps being a collection of brush shanties, with 
 pieces of bark, sticks, and perhaps skins, put on the 
 exposed side to protect them from the wind and 
 rain. They were generally on the move, pulling up 
 camp whenever game, fish or acorns, became scarce- 
 FOOD. 
 
 They never cultivated the soil until taught to do so 
 by the whites. Nearly everything was at times con 
 verted into food. In times of plenty they feasted 
 and wasted; in tirnes of scarcity starved, the weak 
 and aged dying. The acorn, pine nut, and seeds 
 from plants furnished them with substantial food in 
 the season. 
 
 INDIAN MILLS. 
 
 The acorn was gathered by the squaws and 
 reduced to a powder, bv pounding in mortars or 
 holes worn into the rocks by the stone pestles. The 
 seeds of plants were also reduced to flour the same 
 way, as also was corn, wheat and barley after the 
 advent of the white man. The mortars were holes 
 pounded or dug out with infinite labor in boulders, 
 generally of volcanic rock. These seemed to have 
 been selected as much for shape of the boulder 
 which needed no dressing on the outside, as for the 
 quality of the rock. These mortars were carried from 
 camp to camp by the squaws, and were a necessity 
 in the valleys and in other portions of the country 
 where there was no hard rock. In the mountains, 
 where granite or other hard rocks were found, the 
 custom was to pound the acorns in holes in the 
 rocks, which by constant use had become worn to 
 a depth of several inches, large enough to hold a 
 gallon or more. Sometimes a dozen or more of these 
 holes can be found in a space of a square rod, show 
 ing the sociable habits of the women, who, while 
 pounding their acorns would chat, tell stories, and 
 laugh with the greatest glee. These mill-sites may 
 be found in the vicinity of every oak or nut-pine 
 grove. 
 
 INDIAN COOKING. 
 
 When the acorns or seeds were reduced to powder, 
 the mass was mixed with water and. boiled in baskets 
 made of reeds. These were the only kettles and culi 
 nary vessels, though this boiling was sometimes done 
 in a hole in the ground, which was lined with clay 
 and patted down until it would hold water, the clay 
 
P N. PECK. 
 
 wear PUB OAHIAND 
 
* 
 OF THE 
 VERSITY 
 k 
 
THE ABORIGINES. 
 
 257 
 
 soon becoming tight by the soaking into it of the 
 pulp or mush to be cooked. The boiling in either 
 case was effected by dropping in the mass 'smooth 
 stones, previously heated to a proper point in a fire. 
 Stones were selected which, by experience, were 
 found to stand the effect of the fire. When the mass 
 was sufficiently boiled it was put away to cool, for 
 the Indian never spoils his teeth or stomach with 
 hot food, both being kept in the best condition to 
 old age. 
 
 MEAL TIME. 
 
 When the meal time arrived the setting of the 
 table was but a short affair. No dishes to wash, no 
 table cloth to spread or shake out. The family 
 gathered around the basket and the open hand 
 served for a spoon, and the open mouth (an Indian's 
 mouth has a tremendous expansion) received the 
 load and disposed of it without trouble. The acorn 
 season was a time for rejoicing. When the harvest 
 was over the different tribes visited each other and 
 feasted until the acorns were gone. When this 
 occurred they hunted rabbits, quail and deer, and 
 when game was scarce would live on bugs, snails, 
 lizards and gophers. Rats and mice came in with 
 the white man, and probably were never used as 
 food by them. Occasionally a daring raid would be 
 made on the cattle ranches, and a supply of beef 
 obtained. Grasshoppers and young wasps or yellow 
 jackets were esteemed an especial delicacy, and no 
 boy of the Northern States ever dug out and fought 
 a swarm of "bumble bees" with more zeal than a 
 young digger would a hornet's nest. The squirming 
 innocents (innocent of stings) would vanish in a 
 hurry, the Indian's face always asking for more. 
 The young Indians were turned out early to hunt 
 for themselves. During the latter part of the win 
 ter, especially if the winter was cold, they suffered 
 greatly, and many would perish. Whenever any of 
 them were hired on the ranches and ate the food of 
 the white people, they usually suffered sickness of 
 some kind. 
 
 CLOTHING. 
 
 It has been asserted that, previous to the advent 
 of the whites, they went naked. I think this is a 
 mistake. The young ones from childhood to near 
 maturity wore no clothing except for ornament, and 
 many of the males went naked or without any 
 attempt to conceal their persons. The women wore 
 a covering over the loins made of buckskin, or 
 perhaps bark plaited. Considerable taste was dis 
 played in ornamenting the very short breeches, for 
 such they were, with pieces of quills or shells. The 
 limbs and body were usually fully exposed. The 
 young squaws soon learned to conceal their well- 
 developed bosoms from the admiring gaze of a 
 white man by donning a shirt, and, soon, a skirt, for 
 modesty is to woman born, and is aroused by the 
 first glance of passion, whether in a gilded saloon or 
 in a pine forest. Both sexes wore shell ornaments, 
 33 
 
 wrought out with much labor, in fact, pieces of 
 abalone shells, strung on sinews, was the 
 
 LEGAL TENDER. 
 
 An Indian possessing three or four coils, long 
 enough to hang on his arm, was rich. Soon after the 
 coming of the whites, beads took the place of shells, 
 but the supply becoming too abundant they soon 
 ceased to circulate as money, and were used 
 chiefly as ornaments. A very successful hunter was 
 able to wear a necklace of bears' claws. This 
 would give him a right to the highest seat in the 
 council. 
 
 GRIZZLIES. 
 
 A grizzly was a full match for a band of Indians, 
 and the latter generally let the grizzly alone. When 
 an attack was made, the result was somewhat uncer 
 tain. An old Indian said, "Sometimes Indians eat 
 bear, sometimes bear eat Indians; don't know." 
 Bears abounded in all the valleys of the foot-hills. 
 According to Powell, the Jackson valley chief, six 
 or seven would come into the valley at a time, to 
 eat the young clover. Three or four years before 
 the discovery of gold, a big one was killed by a 
 strong bowman in Jackson valley, and a great feast 
 was made, a hundred warriors toning up their cour 
 age by helping to eat him. 
 
 ARMS. 
 
 The bow of the California Indian is a marvel of 
 strength and efficiency. Although so small and 
 light, it will, when well constructed, stand a pull 
 of two hundred pounds. I have seen strong men 
 place them under their feet, and lift with all their 
 strength, and still fail to break them. They are 
 made of wood, generally yew, sometimes cedar, and 
 derive most of their elasticity from a covering on 
 the back made of sinew, nicely laid on with glue. 
 The string is made of the bark of the wild hemp, 
 and is superior in strength to the best linen or silk. 
 The arrows are made of wood, or reeds, a email bush 
 growing along the creeks furnishing favorite sticks 
 for this purpose. The points were formerly made 
 of obsidian, and were about three inches long, flat, 
 ovoid in shape, with a notch on either edge for a 
 piece of sinew to hold it to the shaft; the feather, 
 or thumb end, had some half feathers tied to it, to 
 give it a rotary motion, like a rifle ball. This was 
 the style of the best arrows, which were used only 
 for war or large game. The arrows used for birds 
 and rabbits were destitute of the obsidian point and 
 feathers. An Indian brave will carry his arrows 
 in an otter or beaver skin, and, with a quiver full, 
 is a match for a white man with a navy revolver. 
 After the advent of the whites, the points were 
 often made of glass. If you want to try your 
 patience and skrll, make or attempt to an arrow 
 head out of an old junk bottle; yet an expert Indian 
 will have no trouble in doing it. The light arrows 
 of the Indians have only a short flight, and the 
 natives soon obtained rifles and shot guns. 
 
258 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNMENT. 
 
 Personal prowess was the foundation of authority. " 
 Though the government was hereditary, the heir 
 must prove himself before he could rule. He had 
 to chastise the refractory and disorderly, and in 
 some instances take the life of a subject, direct the 
 tribe to new hunting grounds, arrange the hunting 
 parties, and take the lead in all things, if a rival 
 warrior or hunter disputes his authority, a duel is 
 imperative, the survivor taking his place. Powell, 
 of Jackson valley, won his position in this way. 
 He is, or was, a person of immense strength, and, 
 when not full of whisky, had much self-respect and 
 dignity, and with the advantages of education and 
 training, would have made himself respected in any 
 community. 
 
 FAMILY RELATIONS. 
 
 The family relations were quite binding. The In 
 dian considered his children as a species of property. 
 They did not hesitate to commit infanticide when 
 the means of living was scarce, believing with the 
 Chinese, that an infant had better die than to grow 
 up to starvation. There seems to be no want of 
 affection, however, for when the child is permitted 
 to live, it never perishes from neglect. It is wrapped 
 in soft grass, tied to a kind of frame, which keeps 
 it straight. Over the child's head is placed a hoop, 
 as a sort of protection from accidental thumps, also 
 to furnish a resting place or support for a shade, to 
 protect the babe's eyes when traveling. The squaw 
 will place a strap or band over her head and around 
 their conical baskets, and carry a whole family, or, 
 if necessary, pack a hundred pounds of flour, appar 
 ently with all ease, on a journey, while the buck 
 leads the way, with his bow strung and arrow in 
 place, for game or an enemy. The labor falls on 
 the women. They gather. acorns, though the buck 
 will sometimes climb the tree to shake them off, 
 pound and cook them, transport the baggage from 
 one camp to another, fix up the hut, and do all the 
 work except hunting and fighting. 
 
 MARRIAGE. 
 
 When old enough to marry, the daughter is sold 
 to some agreeable bidder, for a sum perhaps equiva 
 lent to the price of a pony. The sale is generally 
 agreeable to all parties, and the purchase money is 
 regarded much in the light of a dower. The 
 marriage ceremony is very slight. If with a neigh 
 boring tribe, the bridegroom usually resides, for a 
 time, with her tribe. A chief may have several 
 wives, each in a different camp. Infidelity is, or was, 
 comparatively unknown among them, the penalty 
 being death to both parties. A squaw was stoned to 
 death in Sacramento county in 1850, for yielding to 
 a white man. It is incumbent on tke injured party 
 to inflict the penalty. 
 
 SMALL HANDS AND FEET. 
 
 When young, the squaws have good shaped limbs, 
 small hands and feet, which are the envy of white 
 
 women. As they get older they take on fat, have 
 Durham backs, large, flabby faces, and get terribly 
 coarse. * As they get old they loose their fat, become 
 wrinkled and attenuated, and are no more lovely. 
 They never get bald, and, as the hair turns white 
 and learns to stand on end, they become absolutely 
 hideous. Their voices are generally soft and sweet. 
 Such a thing as scolding is never heard among them. 
 
 RELIGION. 
 
 Their religious notions are very dim. An old 
 Indian says: " White man die, he go up; don't know 
 where Indian go to." On the death of an Indian, 
 the news is communicated from one camp to another 
 by a peculiar, dismal howl by the squaws. It is 
 heard for miles around, traveling from camp to 
 camp. Soon the Indians begin to pour in to assist 
 in the burial. Every trail brings a howling party. 
 A grave is dug near, in fact, in the camp, four or five 
 feet deep; the corpse is wrapped in a blanket, in as 
 small compass as possible, the bones being often 
 broken to effect the purpose. The body is placed in 
 the hole in a sitting position, and the soil pressed 
 thoroughly around it, a small mound raised, and a 
 few trinkets placed thereon. The mourners (women) 
 keep up the while the noise, which bears a great 
 resemblance to the laments of the wild Irish over 
 their dead. The lament, sung or howled within a 
 compass of two or three notes with minor intervals, 
 was translated: " Where is our brave man ? who now 
 will hunt for us and kill meat? who will lead us to 
 catch the fish ? who will now kindle his fire ? who will 
 make his bed ? who will comfort him ? who will make 
 him happy? he was a brave man; he was a good 
 man; we will perish without you; we all love you; 
 come back to your wife, your children." The elderly 
 women performed the part of chief mourners or 
 howlers; and though it was evident that much of the 
 grief was a formality, perhaps paid for, the cere 
 monies were rather impressive. After the funeral 
 services were completed, the whole tribe left that 
 place, not coming back for months. Occasional 
 visits were made, however, and a few mournful 
 words chanted over the grave. Sometimes the body 
 was burned on a large pile of wood, in which case 
 the mourning was kept up during the whole time of 
 the cremation. The widow is said to anoint her 
 face with a black paint made of the charred remains 
 of the husband, and it is also said that it is never 
 washed off, but is left, to wear off, after which she is 
 ready to marry again. The children are put up in a 
 tree, on something like a crow's nest, to waste away. 
 James and John Surface of lone, when boys, found 
 such a grave, and with boyish curiosity climbed the 
 tree and peeped in the nest, but the staring face of a 
 half-decayed child made them hurry down. 
 
 MILITARY REVIEWS. 
 
 The war dance was the great event in Indian life, 
 though the name is about as appropriate for the 
 exercise as it would be for the evolutions of cavalry 
 
THE ABORIGINES. 
 
 259 
 
 or artillery. The war dance is of a gymnastic char 
 acter, and is performed wholly by the most vigorous 
 males in the tribe, anJ is about as well calculated 
 to develop muscular power and endurance as any 
 gymnastic exercise taught at our schools. When it 
 was determined to hold a military review, invitations 
 were sent to such tribes as it was deemed proper to 
 invite, to come prepared at a certain day. The cards 
 of invitation, or, perhaps proclamation would be a 
 better word, was a string with knots in it, each knot 
 representing a night and day, the announcement be 
 ing made some fifteen or twenty days before the time 
 of meeting. Every morning a knot was cut oif, and 
 thus the coming of the day recorded. On the event 
 ful morning the camp was deserted by all except 
 three or four of the aged and infirm. The warrior 
 put on his necklace of bear claws or his belts of 
 wampum (strings of shells); his arrows were burn 
 ished and straightened anew; his bow put in the best 
 condition; a plume of eagle feathers adorned his 
 head, and his fur cloak, made from the animals he 
 had slaughtered, was thrown over his shoulders. If 
 he was rich enough to own a horse, he mounted his 
 
 O ' 
 
 steed and led the way to the rendezvous, followed by 
 his braves, on foot or mounted, with drawn bows. 
 The squaws and children followed with the supplies 
 of acorn mush, rabbits, deer or other meat, and man- 
 zanita berries for making their cider. All the wealth 
 of the tribe was displayed. The squaws wore their 
 best ornaments, and everj'thing was done to enter 
 the camp in a superior style. 
 
 NUMBER ASSEMBLED. 
 
 As many as a thousand Indians would gather at 
 these reviews. Eating, drinking and gambling were 
 of course prominent events. The Indian is a good 
 feeder when he has opportunity, though he can go 
 without or subsist on a minimum when necessary. 
 His capacious mouth, perfect, white teeth, and 
 enormous chest, attest his eating capacity, and his 
 sleek, plump look, the power of digestion. Before 
 the introduction of whisky and the vices of civiliza 
 tion, he was a splendid animal. After a general 
 interchange of civilities and current news, prepara 
 tions for the fete were made. A space of ground 
 sixty feet or more across was made smooth and hard. 
 A hollow log was brought to be used as a drum for 
 regulating the movements. 
 
 MILITARY EVOLUTIONS. 
 
 From ten to twenty of the warriors desirous of 
 the honors would step into the ring and form a circle 
 around the precentor, and, at a sign from him, com 
 menced jumping, with lungs inflated and muscles 
 contracted, jumping stiff-legged as we Bay of a 
 bucking horse at each jump expelling a portion of 
 the air from the lungs, with a sort of ugh! ujh! mov 
 ing slowly around the circle, occasionally reversing 
 their circular movement with loud shout and a flour 
 ish of the bows which they hold in their hands. The 
 movements, moderate at first, each moment become 
 
 more vigorous; the contracted muscles stand out in 
 knots; the perspiration rolls off the bodies, and 
 the air is redolent of the perfume of Indian, accumu 
 lated dirt and smoke. 
 
 It is now evident that this is no capering to the 
 soft tinklings of a lute. It is work, the hardest kind 
 of work. The multitude gather around, and encour 
 age the performers. Tbey redouble their exertions; 
 they bound upwards with the mere spring of the 
 toes without bending a limb, leaping a foot or more 
 from the ground. When human nature is about 
 exhausted, a signal is made, a few grand jumps are 
 given, the performance ends with a shout, and the 
 braves are taken away and rubbed down by the 
 admiring squaws. After an hour's intermission, 
 another band will repeat the performance, and, if 
 possible, surpass it. This continues for several days, 
 or until the provisions are exhausted, when the 
 homeward march is made, and the ordinary life 
 resumed. 
 
 GAMES. 
 
 The Indians had games involving feats of strength 
 and activity, which were played one camp against 
 another, one of which was much like foot-ball, which, 
 however, was said to have been learned from the San 
 Diego Indians, about 1850, so that it might have 
 been introduced by the whites. The ball was made 
 of skins, tied into a compact form, and was about as 
 large as a child's head. It was rather hard on the 
 naked toes of the Indians, occasionally breaking 
 them. The Indians made as much noise while play 
 ing this as would a crowd of school-boys playing base 
 ball. 
 
 THE SWEAT- HOUSE. 
 
 Every central camp had a council house, or fort, 
 or sweat-house as the whites called it. It was prob 
 ably used for many purposes; as a shelter in bad 
 weather; as council room when important business 
 called the braves together, and as a fort when 
 attacked. It was from thirty to fifty feet across, 
 circular, sunk three feet or more into the ground, 
 was covered with branches and afterwards with dirt, 
 so that at a distance it had the appearance of a 
 mound of earth. There was an opening in the top 
 for the escape of smoke, and had one entrance, long, 
 low and narrow. 
 
 The middle portion of the room might be eight or 
 nine feet high, sloping to four or five feet at the 
 sides. The roof was sustained on forked posts upon 
 which rested the cross-timbers. In a storm, or when 
 attacked, a large number could take refuge in this 
 house. It would be almost impossible to dislodge a 
 body of Indians from one of these houses without 
 large guns to shell them out. They are, in fact, a 
 sort of bomb-proof. It is doubtful whether any of 
 them remain in the county at this time. 
 
 FANDANGO AT YEOMET. 
 
 At the time of the opening of the mines, the rela 
 tions of the white man and Indian was somewhat 
 
260 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 doubtful. The Indian mostly kept oat of the way 
 of the rifle of the far-west man, who would as soon 
 draw on him as a deer. The Indian soon found that 
 he was safer in the town than in the woods, and soon 
 learned to pan out and exchange his dust for sugar 
 or meat. It was the policy of the government, for a 
 while at least, to gather them on reservations, as the 
 easiest way of maintaining the peace. Many of the 
 natives had retreated to the mountains, and occa 
 sionally a white man was murdered in retaliation for 
 the sla}*ing of an Indian by some thoughtless miner. 
 Expeditions were undertaken to bring them in. Some 
 were found far up among the snows, starving and 
 freezing. When assured of safety they were not 
 unwilling to surrender and be fed. On one occasion 
 an old chief of gigantic size, being entirely naked, 
 was induced to put on clothing, lie was given a 
 coat too small and short to cover much of his person. 
 He observed that the commander of the party of 
 white men who came after him wore a pair of spec 
 tacles and a plug hat, and manifested a desire to do 
 the same himself, supposing these things to be marks 
 of authority. He was gratified, and took great 
 pleasure in strutting around in his uniform of small 
 coat, plug hat and brass-bowed spectacles. A party 
 of several hundred Indians were collected at the 
 forks of the Cosumnes in 1851, by a government 
 agent by the name of Belcher, who fed them for 
 some weeks on beef. This was about the first oppor 
 tunity of the miners of that vicinity to study the 
 Indian in his peaceful relations, and a great many 
 took advantage of it. Even at this time most of the 
 Indians had put on clothing, and the men as well as 
 the squaws had some sense of modesty. 
 
 When a beef was killed it was quickly skinned 
 and cut to pieces by the Indians, and the gorging 
 commenced. The bucks got most of the meat; the 
 squaws, whether from choice or necessity, probably 
 the latter, got the intestines. Those persons who 
 desire to remember the Indian maiden as a model of 
 beauty, purity and neatness, had better skip this arti 
 cle. The -women would carry the intestines to the 
 fire, rip them open, empty them of the undigested con 
 tents, and then proceed to cut them into long strips, 
 holding on to the intestines with their toes for this 
 purpose. They laid these strips, without washing or 
 other preparation, on the fire, and when warmed 
 through, would eat them with much gusto. I have 
 witnessed the same thing at other times. Those who 
 think that an artificial style of life begets a love for 
 stimulants will have to find some other reason with 
 the Indian, for he takes to whisky as a babe does to 
 milk. A drunken Indian is not less foolish, noisy 
 and brutal, than his white brother. In spite of all 
 laws to the contrary, the sale of whisky to the In 
 dian goes on and is doing as much as anything else 
 to thin out the race. 
 
 PREVAILING DISEASES AND TREATMENT. 
 
 Like all tribes of uncivilized people, the Indians 
 treated disease with a mixture of herbs and sorcery. 
 
 Starvation, gluttony and exposure were the sources 
 of most of their ailings. The survival of the fittest 
 was a thing of course. There were few lame or de 
 formed. The squaw about to become a mother 
 would retire from the camp for a day or two and live 
 in a hut prepared for the occasion in some secluded 
 place. A " lying-in hospital " of this kind, for the 
 Buena Vista Indians, was a nest under the brow of a 
 rock on the south side of the mountain, so hidden by 
 the bushes that no indication of it appeared to a per 
 son casually passing. 
 
 Some Indian in the tribe usually administered 
 herbs and incantations when too much clover in the 
 Spring, or too much meat after a successful hunt 
 overtasked the powers of the stomach. Occasionally 
 epidemics would sweep away half the population. 
 
 GREAT SCOURGE, 1832-33. 
 
 Colonel J. J. Warner, now of Los Angeles, a mem 
 ber of the Ewing trapping expedition, which passed 
 north through these valleys in 1832, and back again 
 in 1833, says: 
 
 In the Fall of 1832, there were a number of Indian 
 villages on Kings river, between its mouth and the 
 mountains; also on the San Joaquin river, from the 
 base of the mountains down to and some distance 
 below the great slouch. On the Merced river, from 
 the mountains to its junction with the Sun Joaquin 
 there were no Indian villages; but from about this 
 point on the San Joaquin, as well as on its principal 
 tributaries, the Indian villages w r ere numerous, many 
 of them containing from filly to one hundred dwell 
 ings, built with poles and thatched with rushes. 
 With some few exceptions, the Indians were peace 
 ably disposed. On the Tuolumne, Stanislaus, arid 
 Calaveras rivers there were Indian villages above 
 the mouths, as also at or near their junction with 
 the San Joaquin. The most hostile were on the 
 Calaveras river. The bunks of the Sucrumento 
 river, in its whole course through the valley, was 
 studded with Indian villages, the houses of which, 
 in the Spring, during the day-time, were red with 
 the salmon the aborigines were curing. 
 
 At this time there were not, on the San Jouquin or 
 Sacramento rivers, or any of their tribuiaries, nor 
 within the valleys of the two rivers, any inhabitants 
 but Indians. On no part of the continent over 
 which I had then or have since traveled was so 
 numerous an Indian population, subsisting upon the 
 natural products of the soil and waters, as in the 
 valleys of the San Joaquin and Sucramento. There 
 was no cultivation of the soil by them; game, fish, 
 nuts of the forest, and seeds of the field constituted 
 their entire food. They were experts in catching 
 fish in many ways, and in snaring game in divers 
 modes. 
 
 On our return, late in the Summer of 1833, we 
 found the vallej's depopulated. From the head of 
 the Sucramento to the great bend and slough of the 
 San Joaquin we did not see more than six or eight 
 live Indians, while large numbers of their skulls and 
 dead bodies were to be seen under almost every 
 shade tree near water, where the uninhabited and 
 deserted villages had been converted into grave 
 yards; and on the San Joaquin river, in the imme 
 diate neighborhood of the larger class of villages, 
 which the preceding year were the abodes of large 
 numbers of these Indians, we found not only many 
 
THE ABORIGINES. 
 
 261 
 
 graves, but the vestiges of a funeral pyre. At the 
 mouth of Kings river we encountered the fhvt and 
 only village of the stricken race that we had seen 
 after entering the great valley; this village contained 
 a large number of Indians temporarily stopping at 
 that place. 
 
 We were encamped rear the village one night 
 only, and during that time, the death angel passing 
 over the camping ground of the plague-stricken fugi 
 tives, waved his wand, summoning from a littl# rem 
 nant of a once numerous people a score of victims to 
 muster in the land of the Munitoa; and the cries of 
 the dying, mingling with the wails of the bereaved, 
 made the night hideous in that veritable valley of 
 death. 
 
 ANECDOTES OP THE INDIANS. 
 
 Captain Charlie was quite a character in his way. 
 He had seen the foreign mining tax collector going 
 about among the Chinamen collecting $4 a month 
 from them, and he concluded to try it himself. 
 Knowing the value of an impressive appearance, he 
 put on, in addition to his rather short hickory shirt 
 which constituted his usual dress, a naval coat much 
 too small for his well-rounded body, which had 
 the effect of hauling his arms back and giving a 
 peculiar strut to his walk. He also put on a pair of 
 brass bowed spectacles. He managed to get a large 
 book, a Bible as it was said, and with some pencils 
 and paper he started out, backed by some half a 
 dozen of his braves, to enforce the collection. His 
 usual salutation was, " This my dirt, my countlee, 
 my gold; you pay me folin miners tax," which they 
 usually did without much dispute. He gave them, 
 in exchange for their money, a paper full of pictures 
 of arrows, bows, knives, and other warlike imple 
 ments. This continued for some days, when the 
 officers of the county interfered and told Jack that 
 ho must not do it any more. Jack was not to be 
 thwarted so easily, however. 
 
 One morning, when Bill Gist, Deputy Sheriff, col 
 lector of the foreign miners tax, was on his daily 
 round, he visited a camp where he had every reason 
 to think a large number of Chinamen were at work, 
 but none were in sight. Captain Charlie was perched 
 on a rock, singing in his happiest mood tome of his 
 triumphs over the Indians, or perhaps a love ditty to 
 some fascinating squaw. " No-wa-ha-har Neshean. 
 No-wa-ha-har Mokelke-," etc. 
 
 Gist " Good morning, Charlie." 
 
 Charlie " Good day. No-wa-ha-har Neshean" 
 (in a most indifferent manner). 
 
 Gist "Charlie, where are the Chinamen?" 
 
 Charlie " Do no; me no see. No-wa-ha-har, No- 
 wa-ha-har Neshean." 
 
 Gist suspected something wrong, and told Charley 
 that he knew where the Chinamen were, but he denied 
 knowing anything about it, and kept his song going 
 in a provokingly cool way. He thought he would 
 leave and come some other time, but Captain Charlie 
 was on the watch. 
 
 " Bill Gist, how much you give me show you 
 twenty Chinamen ?" 
 
 "Five dollars," says Bill. 
 
 "You think Indian d n fool, you catchlee 
 
 eighty dollars; give five dollars? no-wa-ha-har, 
 Neshean." 
 
 " Ten," says Gist. 
 
 "No-wa-ha-har, Neshean." 
 
 Gist offered fifteen, but Charlie was unmoved. 
 
 Gist was about to leave, but Charley had not played 
 all his trumps. 
 
 " You give me twenty dollars, make sixty dollars 
 easy." 
 
 Gist offered the twenty, and had to pay the money 
 down, for Charley had learned to distrust a white 
 man's promise. 
 
 After Jack got his money he told Gist " to go into 
 chaplul," meaning the brush near by, " and go sleep; 
 bime-by Chinaman he come." 
 
 Giwt hid him&elf in the bushes,and soon the Chinaman 
 came to work, when he pounced them, and exacted 
 the eighty dollars in full. Soon afterwards, meeting 
 Charlie, he learned that the rascal had hidden the 
 Chinamen in a tunnel for twenty dollars, and after 
 getting twenty out of him, had told the Chinamen 
 to come out, saying to them, 
 
 ' Folin miner tax-klector, he gone; no more come 
 back." 
 
 The last seen of him he was showing his twenties 
 with the remark that, " Chinamen heap good men. 
 Catchee twenty dollars hide um; catchee twenty 
 dollars find um; heap good Chinamen." 
 
 At another time, he undertook to run a boarding- 
 house, at so much per week. He got a cabin, some 
 flour and meat, table utensils, and a bell, and opened 
 in style, ringing the bell three times a day; " all the 
 same as white men." His institution flourished until 
 the-following Sunday (pay-day), when it stopped for 
 the reason, as Charley said, 
 
 "D n Indian no 'count, no pay." 
 
 He also engaged in mining. He found some good 
 ground up on a side-hill, and undertook to carry 
 water in a ditch to the place, but he failed to make 
 the water run to it. 
 
 " White men make water run up hill, Indian no 
 can do. AVhite man heap sale" 
 
 CHAPTER XL. 
 
 CANALS. 
 
 Kilham Ditches Ham Ditch Amador and Sutter Ditch Wil 
 low Spring Ditch Floating Lumber Novel Passenger B mt 
 Empire Ditch Amador Ditch Buena Vista Ditch 
 Lancha Plana Ditch The Nigger Ditch Poverty Bar Ditch 
 Volcano Ditch Cosumnes VVater Company The Amador 
 Canal. 
 
 SOON after the coming of the miners, the want of 
 water and the means to supply it were often the 
 subjects of consideration. From turning the water 
 out of a river or gulch to mine out the bed, to carry 
 ing it a mile or two to wash rich dirt, was but a 
 small step. The season of 1850-51, was dry, little 
 or no rain falling until April. During the Winter 
 
262 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 many short ditches were cut, and many more con 
 templated. The Johnston family, who settled around 
 the Gate, cut a ditch about one mile long in the 
 Spring of 1851, from the north fork of Jackson to 
 the gulch below the Kennedy mill. This is said to 
 have been, at the time, the longest ditch in the 
 county. The most important system of ditches in 
 the vicinity of Jackson was inaugurated by Horace 
 Kilham and his associates. The following able 
 account of them is furnished by Mr. H. L. Loveridge, 
 who has been connected with them from their 
 inception to the present time: 
 
 KILHAM DITCHES. 
 
 The first ditch constructed in the neighborhood 
 of Jackson was for the conveyance of water to the 
 placer mines in the vicinity of Hunt's gulch, Mur 
 phy's gulch and ridge, and Butte City, and was 
 surveyed by two brothers by the name of Watkins, 
 in the Fall of 1851, the head of the ditch beginning 
 at a point some three and a half miles above the 
 town of Jackson, on the south fork of Jackson creek. 
 After the filing of a claim to the right of way, and 
 the completion of the survey of the ditch, the con 
 struction work was deferred till the Spring of 1852, 
 at which time Horace Kilham, William Lewis, 
 
 Thomas Campbell, and Merrill, purchased the 
 
 interests of the Watkins brothers to the right of way 
 for the ditch, as well as the right to diversion of 
 the waters of the creek for its supply; and they at 
 once commenced the work of construction, doing 
 the principal portion of the labor themselves, com 
 pleting the ditch to the immediate vicinity of Scotts- 
 ville, about the 20th of November of that year 
 which, by the ditch line, was seven miles in length, 
 with an outlay, besides their own labor, of two 
 thousand dollars, the most of the money being 
 expended in the construction of flumes. 
 
 During the Winter and Spring of 1852, Kilham, 
 Lewis and Merrill appropriated the most of their 
 share of the water supply in mining in Ken tuck and 
 Rich gulches, located north and west of Gold hill, 
 while Campbell sold his portion of the water to the 
 miners about Scottsville and Butte City, the ditch 
 being completed to the latter-mentioned locality in 
 January, 1853. During the Spring of the same year 
 a branch ditch was constructed to Murphy's gulch 
 and ridge, where the owners of good paying claims 
 were anxiously awaiting the coming of the much- 
 needed water. The price charged for water during 
 the first season of its introduction, was one dollar per 
 inch per day. 
 
 Late in the Spring of 1853 Campbell and Lewis 
 sold their interests in the ditch to Kilham and Mer 
 rill, and returned to their homes in the East, while 
 Kilham and Merrill remained to reap a rich harvest 
 of gold in their sales of water, which averaged, dur 
 ing the full water supply of eight months each season, 
 for two years, five thousand dollars per month. In 
 the Spring of 1855 Merrill returned to his old home 
 in Wisconsin, in company with Braxton Davenport, 
 
 a prominent miner of Scottsville, to whom Merrill 
 sold his interest in the ditch property. Davenport 
 soon returned, and after a brief period disposed of 
 his one-half interest in the ditch to Kilham. 
 
 One ditch being inadequate to supply the exten 
 sive mining region covered by its' construction, a 
 second ditch from Jackson creek, covering the same 
 territory of mineral wealth, with an additional alti 
 tude of thirty feet, was soon considered to be a 
 remunerative investment, and early in the Spring of 
 
 1853 Major Cunningham, W. V. Clark, and Mun- 
 
 son, commenced the construction of a ditch, with its 
 head on the south fork of Jackson creek, about a 
 mile and a half above the Kilham ditch, and on the 
 middle fork, six miles above the town of Jackson; 
 and pushing their work ahead with all possible speed, 
 their ditch reached completion in May of that year. 
 East of Tunnel hill, in the Alpi ranch, a spacious 
 distributing reservoir was built, which has ever 
 proved a most valuable water depository in connec 
 tion with the water supply of Butte basin and its 
 surrounding country. From this reservoir to the 
 point where the ditch heads on the south fork, the. 
 distance is seven miles, and from the head of the 
 middle fork branch, fifteen miles; the cost of con 
 struction, not including the labor of its proprietors, 
 was six thousand dollars. After the completion of 
 this enterprise, water was sold at seventy-five cents 
 per inch. 
 
 In the Fall of 1855 Mr. Kilham bought the Cun 
 ningham (so called) ditch property, and its retiring 
 owners entered into the pursuit of mining Cunning 
 ham and Munson remaining in the vicinity of Butte 
 City for a couple of years, following their avocation 
 successfully, while Mr. Clark became a mining pro 
 prietor in a wealthy mineral district of West Point, 
 Calaveras county, where, we believe, he still resides. 
 Cunningham and Munson left Butte City in the 
 Spring of 1857, and became interested soon there 
 after in some extensive mining projects in Placer 
 county. 
 
 Soon after Mr. Kilham assumed the sole proprie 
 torship of both of the Jackson creek ditches, ho 
 became involved in a lawsuit with a party on both 
 the middle and south forks, in consequence of the 
 attempt of some miners to divert the waters from 
 the creeks above the head of his ditches to neigh 
 boring mining localities, from which places the water 
 would flow into the streams below where be could 
 utilize it; and after a protracted siege of litigation, 
 Kilham beat his water contestants, since which time 
 no trouble of a similar character that is worthy of 
 note has occurred. 
 
 And now, in order to make an intelligible connec 
 tion with all these ditch interests, it becomes neces 
 sary to digress a little for the moment and chronicle 
 the addition of a new ditch enterprise the Butte 
 ditch stretching its lengthy and rugged line twenty 
 miles above Tunnel hill, where it was fed by the 
 cold, crystal waters of the north fork of the Mokel- 
 
CANALS. 
 
 263 
 
 umne river. This work was commenced in tho 
 Spring of 1856, and finished late in the Fall of the 
 same year, at a cost of one hundred thousand dol 
 lars. The main trunk of the ditch was capable of 
 conveying seven hundred inches of water, while 
 its lateral branches were constructed to carry a 
 sufficient quantity to accommodate the demands of 
 the several mining sections which they supplied. 
 Slabtown and Iowa Flat, hitherto without water 
 facilities for mining purposes, were, by this ditch, 
 favored with an ample supply, and during the few 
 years that these placers lasted, the water sales were 
 a handsome income to the ditch company. The 
 uniform price established for water was fifty cents 
 per inch. 
 
 In the Spring of 1858, after six years of almost 
 uninterrupted prosperity in the sales of water, Mr. 
 Kilham sold all his ditch interests to the Butte Ditch 
 Company for twenty-two thousand dollar^, the sale 
 including an orchard and vineyard belonging to the 
 property, which was soon thereafter sold by its late 
 purchasers to Dr. Samuel Page and Peter A. Martin 
 for two thousand dollars. The price of water from 
 the creek ditches was at this time dropped from 
 seventy-five to forty cents per inch. 
 
 During the Summer of 1858, a suspension flume 
 was constructed from a point half a mile west of C. 
 J. Kuffuer's residence to the north end of Tunnel 
 hill, a distance of thirty-three hundred feet, and 
 which was, at its highest point from the surface of 
 the ground, one hundred and eighty feet. The flume 
 was built by Conrad & Holt for fifteen thousand dol 
 lars, and was not entirely a success to its contractors, 
 for they warranted the structure to stand for one year 
 from the date of completion, and a portion of it broke 
 down before the expiration of the year, and the 
 burden of rebuilding fell upon its contractors. The 
 flume was repaired in the Spring of 1860, and stood 
 till November, 1863, when it was entirely thrown 
 down by a heavy wind-storm then prevailing. In 
 consequence of the heavy expense incurred in bring 
 ing the water on Tunnel hill, the price established 
 was fifty cents per inch ten cents more than for 
 other sections. In the year of 1861, water fo.r dig 
 gings other than Tunnel hill, was reduced to thirty 
 cents per inch, and two years thereafter to twenty- 
 five cents per inch. About this time the company 
 became financially embarrassed, and the two mort 
 gages hanging over the property had to be paid, 
 when three members of the company, Isaac Tripp, 
 William Stickle, and A. M. Harris, who held the 
 second mortgage, paid the first one and took the 
 property. In the Fall of 1864, C. D. Home pur 
 chased a fourth interest in the property, and at once 
 became its active manager. In the Spring of 1866, 
 water was again conducted to Tunnel hill by an 
 eleven-inch iron pipe, but the sales of water there 
 did not justify the expense incurred in conducting the 
 water where the paying portion of the hill had 
 before become so nearly exhausted. 
 
 In February, 1870, the river ditch was sold to the 
 Amador Canal Company for twenty thousand dollars 
 the creek ditches not being included in the sale. 
 The purchase of the Butte ditch by the canal com 
 pany was no doubt for the object of securing the 
 water-right of the former, as no portion of the old 
 river ditch has ever been used by the canal company. 
 
 In a financial point of view, the Butte ditch was a 
 failure, for it never paid one-fourth the cost of its 
 construction, for its water market was too limited to 
 warrant the expensive outlay of its building. But 
 the Kilham ditches always proved a source of remun 
 erative profit to their owners. For several years 
 past the lower creek ditch has not been in use, as the 
 upper ditch is of sufficient capacity (five hundred 
 inches) to furnish the needed water supply along its 
 entire line the water being used for mining and 
 irrigating purposes. The price of water for several 
 years past has been for the irrigation of alfalfa, 
 twelve and a half cents, and for trees and vegetables, 
 twenty cents per inch, while for mining the price 
 varies from four to ten cents per inch, according to 
 the quantity used. 
 
 The ownership of the entire ditch interests have, 
 within the past few years, passed into the hands of 
 Mr. C. D. Home, under whose superintendence the 
 property has been managed since his first connection 
 with the ditch. 
 
 THE HAM DITCH. 
 
 This canal, so called from the name of the con 
 structor, the most costly and extensive, as well as 
 unprofitable, of all the water projects inaugurated in 
 Amador county, was surveyed in 1852 by Alon/io Platt 
 
 and Hubbard. The intention was to supply all 
 
 the middle and western portion of the county with 
 water, at all seasons of the year, and lumber as well, 
 for it was to be a flume, four feet wide at the bottom 
 and five at the top, and three feet deep, with gradi 
 ents and curves that should permit the floating of 
 lumber of any dimensions likely to be required in the 
 mines. The project involved the building of several 
 mills at the different branches of the north fork of the 
 Mokelumne river. The first mill was put up on Mill 
 creek, and the work inaugurated in 1854. The mill, 
 a water-power, was a splendid piece of mechanism, 
 running a sash saw, two hundred and fifty strokes a 
 minute, cutting twenty-three thousand feet a day. 
 In 1853 J. C. Ham took the contract to build eleven 
 and a half miles of flume, at the following rates: 
 Earth grading, fifty cents per yard; hard-pan, two 
 dollars per yard; rock, five dollars per yard; lumber, 
 eighty dollars per thousand; nails, twenty-five dol 
 lars per hundred weight. 
 
 The mill was constructed with edger and mortising 
 | saws, so that the entire work, except laying the 
 flume, was done by the machinery. By these appli 
 ances eleven thousand feet could be put into the 
 flume every day, a quarter of a mile being laid on 
 a wager in five hours and a half. This mill was 
 burned up in 1856, by a fire set to burn the slabs 
 
264 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 and other trash which had accumulated around the 
 mill. Water was carried to Aqueduct City, across 
 the divide, in 1856. Much of the grading had been 
 paid for in scrip, which entitled the holder to a pre 
 ferred right to water when the flume should be 
 finished. When the work was finished, the cost was 
 estimated at three hundred and forty-four thousand 
 dollars. Mill creek proving insufficient to supply 
 the flume, the water failing in the Summer, an 
 extension was determined on. To complete this 
 extension the property was mortgaged to James 
 Birch, for twenty-five thousand dollars. Being 
 unable to pay this, the property was mortgaged to 
 J. Mora Moss & Co., for fifty thousand dollars, the 
 payment of the Birch lien with the accrued interest 
 being effected in this way. The interest of the last 
 named mortgage was fixed at one and one-half per 
 cent, per month. The property eventually fell into 
 the hands of Pioche, Bayurque & Co., who were said 
 to be handling the money of Louis Napoleon. The 
 project was disastrous to every one investing in it. 
 The water scrip, or certificates for work done, pay 
 able in water on the completion of the ditch, were 
 not recognized by the last owners. The flume was 
 not capable of carrying lumber to any extent, and 
 damages and breaks by storms, failure of the mines, 
 cost of necessary lateral branches, with expensive, 
 perhaps extravagant management, soon bankrupted 
 the company, and a few years since the property 
 was purchased by Chas. McLaughlin of San Fran 
 cisco, for a few thousand dollars, or less than five 
 per cent, of the original cost, which must have been 
 near five hundred thousand dollars. The country 
 at large derived some benefit from the distribution 
 of water, which, however, was sold at high rates, 
 being fifty cents an inch outlet, under six inches 
 pressure. None of the originators made anything 
 out of the affair. J. C. Ham, now an old man, who 
 put such a portion of his active life as well as twenty- 
 five thousand dollars in cash into the project, is 
 comparatively poor, though still full of gigantic 
 plans for utilizing the lumber forest of the Sierras. 
 
 THE AMADOR AND SUTTER DITCH 
 
 Was surveyed in the Spring of 1853, by Emanuc 1 
 Wise and the Howard brothers, Lyman, Jerry, and 
 Martin. The water was taken out of Sutter creek 
 about four miles below Volcano, and carried to the 
 towns of Sutter and Amador. The cost was about 
 twenty-two thousand dollars. It did not prove a 
 profitable investment, and was afterwards sold to a 
 company of Italians for six thousand dollars, who 
 got their money back in the first run of bix months. 
 The Keystone mining company now own it. 
 
 THE WILLOW SPRING DITCH. 
 
 Surveying commenced in 1851. The ground was 
 broken the following year. The original proprietors 
 were A. Wood, J. Riddle, John Cursner, Joe Jack 
 son, Fitzgeral and others, twenty in all, most of the 
 proprietors being engaged in the work. The cost 
 
 was estimated at forty thousand dollars, but it 
 swelled to eighty thousand dollars before completion. 
 It took the water from the south fork of the Cosum- 
 nes and distributed it through the north-western 
 part of the county, including the camps of Plymouth, 
 Forest Home, Puckerville, Ai'kansas diggings, etc. 
 Porter, who was afterwards murdered and robbed 
 while engaged in his duties, was made superintendent. 
 Though managed economically the property did 
 not pay according to expectations, and in 1854 it was 
 sold to William Ritter and John O'Brien, for about 
 twenty thousand dollars, who enlarged the channel 
 and extended it to the middle fork of the Cosumnes, at 
 a cost of twenty-four thousand dollars more. In 
 June, 1872, the property was purchased by Alvinza 
 Hayward & Co., for eighteen thousand dollars. The 
 channel was enlarged to three feet on the bottom, 
 five at the top, with a depth of three feet. Grades 
 and curves^were arranged with reference to floating 
 lumber and mining timbers, for which purpose it 
 proved well adapted, millions of feet having been 
 successfully sent through to the works at Plymouth. 
 
 FLOATING LUMBER. 
 
 Thus after twenty years of experiment a part of 
 the hopes of ditch projectors of carrying lumber 
 was realized. 
 
 As this was the first successful operation of the 
 kind in the county a few words as to the former 
 expectations and failures may be permissible. The 
 carrying of freight in artificial rivers is as old as the 
 age of man. It is most successful in moderately 
 level countries. The first great project of the kind 
 in the United States was the Clinton ditch (as it was 
 called by Thomas Jefferson, who was unsparing in 
 his ridicule of it), which was projected three-quar 
 ters of a century since by the New York settlers 
 from Holland, where they had been accustomed to see 
 artificial rivers made the channels of a national com 
 merce. But Holland is a flat country. New York, 
 though not flat, is by no means a Sierra Nevada- 
 The canal meanders through valleys and occasionally 
 along a gentle slope, and when an aqueduct, as at 
 Little Falls, Rochester, or Lockport is required, it 
 is constructed of granite in a substantial manner, and 
 even then a break will sometimes occur which neces 
 sitates costly repairs. Let one, who has seen the 
 successful artificial water channels, pass along the 
 line of a ditch in the Sierras, and compare the 
 scarcely-flowing stream with only three or four 
 inches grade to the mile, through a comparatively 
 level country, with a stream in the Sierra Nevadas, 
 diverted from its channel and carried around sharp 
 ledges of rock, across ravines a hundred feet deep on 
 a slender tressle work, winding its way until a dizzy 
 height of hundreds of feet is attained, and the 
 absurdity of trying to make it a channel for trans 
 portation will be apparent. The canal, to be suc 
 cessful as a supply of water, must have as much fall 
 as is possible without washing the banks. A stick 
 of timber turned crosswise in the ditch would, in 
 
JAME3 tESSLEY. 
 
CANALS. 
 
 265 
 
 five minutes, cause an overflow that might wash 
 away a quarter of a mile of ditch, where digging a 
 new channel on the grade was nearly impossible. 
 The slight manner in which many of the ditches 
 were constructed was the cause of many failures. It 
 is even now no unusual thing to see a flume of a 
 capacity of several hundred inches, standing on one 
 leg away up on the side of a mountain, in such a 
 precarious situation that a man with a family 
 depending on him for support would have no right to 
 walk over the shaky concern. The utility of ditches 
 as a means of transportation is undoubted, and suc 
 cess will result from numberless trials and failures. 
 Engineering will overcome the difficulties, and the 
 Sierras will be induced to give up their treasures of 
 sugar and other pines without the weary dragging 
 through the dusty roads, now incident to the lumber 
 trade. 
 
 NOVEL PASSENGER BOAT. 
 
 While the Ham flume was building it was pro 
 posed to carry passengers up as well as down by 
 means of the stream. The passengers could, of 
 course, float comfortably down in a boat. To get up 
 stream was provided for. A car, running on a track, 
 which was to be laid on the sides of the flume, was 
 to have paddle wheels at each end, which, turned 
 by the water, would turn the car wheels, attached to 
 the same axle, and thus propel the carriage up the 
 stream. The model was tried, but no reporters being 
 permitted to witness the experiment, the result can 
 only be conjectured. 
 
 To return to the Plymouth or Willow Spring ditch. 
 It was extended to Irish hill in the western part of 
 the county, to work some gravel beds on the Arroyo 
 Seco grant. 
 
 THE EMPIRE DITCH 
 
 Was constructed by George and Eichard Withington, 
 Charles Hutz, Samuel Ewing, Perrin and Crowell, 
 taking water out of Sutter creek, about one mile 
 below the town of Sutter Creek, distributing it 
 around the country between Dry creek and Sutter 
 creek, including the diggings around Muletown and 
 vicinity. This eventually became consolidated with 
 the Amanor canal, owned by the Johnstons. 
 
 THE AMADOR DITCH, 
 
 Said to be the first ditch of any length con 
 structed in the county, was made to take water from 
 Sutter creek to the placers in the vicinity of lone. 
 It was thirteen miles in length, and cost about twenty 
 thousand dollars. 
 
 THE BUENA VISTA DITCH 
 
 Also was supplied by water taken out of Sutter creek. 
 
 This was surveyed by Munger, and built by J. 
 
 Foot Turner, a"bout 1856, at a cost of eighteen thou 
 sand dollars. The main ditch was fifteen miles in 
 length, and carried the water to the rich placers dis 
 covered between Buena Bista and lone, about 1854 
 and 1855. Extensions were made to Chaney hill, 
 also to Lincoln gulch, at a cost of several thousand 
 34 
 
 dollars, which, however, did not prove remunerative. 
 Water at first was sold for twenty -five cents an inch, 
 but as the better claims were worked out, it was 
 reduced to ten cents. The property was generally 
 remunerative. 
 
 A few years since it passed into the hands of some 
 Italians, at a valuation of some fifteen hundred 
 dollars. 
 
 THE LANCHA PLANA DITCH 
 
 Took water from Jackson creek, carrying it across 
 the dividing ridge near AVaters' ranch. It supplied 
 Camp Opera, French Camp, Steven's gulch and China 
 gulch, and was also extended to the hills in the 
 vicinity of Putt's bar. The entire length was about 
 thirty miles, costing about thirty thousand dollars. 
 Walker, Proctor and Lancaster were the builders. 
 When it was built water was sold at fifty cents per 
 inch. This was one of the few ditches which 
 proved remunerative. 
 
 THE NIGGER DITCH 
 
 Was built by a colored man, who had made several 
 thousand dollars as a rag pieker. It took water from 
 Stony creek to the Buena Vista placers. It was 
 about eight miles in length, and has long been 
 abandoned. 
 
 POVERTY-BAR DITCH 
 
 Was mostly on the south side of the Mokelumne 
 river, in Calaveras county. A branch, by means of a 
 suspension flume ninety feet high, was carried across 
 the river into Amador county near the famous Butler 
 claim. The whole work cost ninety thousand dol 
 lars, and was built by McNeely, Davis, Morrow and 
 McCarty, in 1857. The branch into Amador county 
 came into competition with the Proctor and Walker 
 ditch, and caused a reduction of the price of water. 
 
 THE VOLCANO DITCH 
 
 Was projected in 1855, by George Monkton, B. F. 
 Wheeler, James T. Farley, J. C. Shipman, M. W. 
 Gordon, William Eoberts, and W. A. Eliason, the 
 latter person acting as the engineer. It connected 
 Volcano with the head-waters of Panther and Tiger 
 creeks and Mokelumne river, and had the greatest 
 altitude of any of the canals in the county. The 
 work was commenced in 1855, and completed the fol 
 lowing year. The cost was estimated at one hundred 
 thousand dollars, the length being thirty-six miles. 
 It was proposed to pay for the construction one- 
 third cash, one-third notes, and one-third water scrip, 
 or paid-up certificates, calling for water when the 
 work was completed. The ditch ran over loose 
 gravel a great deal of the way; the water supply 
 was not equal to the expectation, and the company 
 got involved. They borrowed ten thousand dollars 
 of Charles D. Home at ten per cent, per month, ex 
 pecting to be able to pay it in a short time, but the 
 mortgage took the ditch. Dr. E. B. Harris also 
 loaned the company some ten thousand dollars, but 
 it was not so well secured, to him at least, and the 
 money stayed loaned. Four or five years after it 
 
266 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 passed into the possession of Bayerque & Pioche, and 
 within the last few years was transferred to Charles 
 McLaughlin, with the Ham ditch and other property, 
 for a consideration of twenty-five thousand dollars. 
 The first cost of the property so conveyed is esti 
 mated as follows : Jackson ditch, four hundred thou 
 sand dollars; Open Cut flume, ninety thousand dol 
 lars; Volcano ditch, one hundred and forty thousand 
 dollars; total, six hundred and thirty thousand dollars. 
 The water scrip was not recognized by the subse 
 quent owners of the ditch, and the notes given by 
 the company were worthless after the property, 
 bad passed out of their hands, and the whole matter 
 of building and running it was the source of 
 much dissatisfaction. The water-rights conveyed by 
 the sale of these ditches to McLaughlin are immense 
 and may seriously affect, perhaps jeopardize, the 
 prosperity of the community. 
 
 COSUMNES WATER COMPANY. 
 
 The ditch belonging to this company was com 
 menced in 1852, by Samuel Loree and twenty others. 
 They brought water into Fiddletown from the south 
 fork of the Cosumnes in 1853, the length of the ditch 
 being about forty-five miles, costing forty-five thou 
 sand dollars. The ground over which the ditch ran 
 was very favorable for the construction, but some 
 bad management involved the company in debt. The 
 lumber for the flumes was sawed at the forks of the 
 Cosumnes, so far away from the work that the haul 
 ing cost two hundred dollars per thousand feet. The 
 company borrowed money at ten percent, per month, 
 which soon took the property. The ditch passed 
 into the hands of C. A. Purinton, who still owns it. 
 A branch from Dry creek, called the Eagle ditch, 
 running to Quartz mountain and the G-over mines, 
 costing about seven thousand dollars, was added after 
 Purinton's purchase of the property. Water, for 
 merly sold for thirty cents, is now sold at eight cents 
 per inch, with a probability of further reduction. 
 This ditch, running through an agricultural country, 
 is being used to irrigate orchards and vineyards, and 
 offers great inducements for improvements in that 
 locality. 
 
 THE AMADOR CANAL. 
 
 The enterprise of the present Amador Canal and 
 
 Mining Company was inaugurated by Bowman 
 
 and others about the year 1870, under the name of 
 the Sutter Canal and Mining Company, by the pur 
 chase of the water-right of the old Butte Ditch Com 
 pany, which right controlled a large proportion of 
 the waters of the north or main fork of the Mokel- 
 umne river. 
 
 These parties nearly completed the construction of 
 the canal from its lower terminus near the town of 
 Sutter Creek to the vicinity of Bald Rock a distance 
 of over ^hirty miles when, on account of financial 
 embarrassment, the work was suspended. 
 
 The property subsequently went into the hands of 
 a receiver, and was purchased by the present com 
 pany in the year 1873. 
 
 The construction of the unfinished portion of the 
 works was commenced in October of the same year; 
 and being to a considerable extent through solid 
 rock, although pushed vigorously, it required nearly 
 a year for its completion. In the Fall of 1874 the 
 water through it was first applied as a motive power 
 for the mills and mines of the county; from that 
 date it has formed a very important feature in quartz 
 mining. Owing to its cheapness and its superiority 
 as a motive power, much low-grade ore has been 
 worked, which, under the expensive method of work 
 ing by steam-power, would have still remained in 
 the earth. 
 
 The surveyor under whose direction the work was 
 laid out, was the late W. L. McKimm, of Jackson. 
 The length of the main ditch is forty-five miles; size, 
 six and a half feet on the bottom, nine on the top, 
 and three feet deep: grade about eight feet to the 
 mile. The velocity of the water is about two miles 
 per hour. The distributing ditches aggregate about 
 one hundred miles. 
 
 The ditch and its branches reach nearly every por 
 tion of the county where water is likely to be needed 
 for mining or agricultural purposes, including in 
 their course Clinton, Irishtown, Sutter Creek, Ama 
 dor City, Jackson, Butte City, Rancheria, New 
 Chicago, Drytown, and lone. The towns of Sutter 
 Creek, Jackson and Amador are supplied with the 
 water for domestic and other purposes. The eleva 
 tion of the canal at the head is about nineteen hun 
 dred feet above the sea level, which leaves it with an 
 elevation sufficient to drive the heaviest machinery 
 at all the towns along the lines of extension. The 
 storage capacity is about six billion of gallons. The 
 capital invested is about six hundred thousand dol 
 lars. The present price of water is twenty cents per 
 miners' inch. 
 
 The project has been managed with the wisdom of 
 thirty years' experience. It was built with labor at 
 reasonable rates; has no extraordinary expenses, 
 and the proprietors have no expectation of extra 
 ordinary profits. It may be considered as the 
 inauguration of a new epoch in Amador county, 
 which will witness an increased production in min 
 eral, mechanical and agricultural industries. 
 
 The present officers are J. S. Emery, president; B. 
 N. Yan Brunt, secretary; H. H. Towns, general 
 superintendent. 
 
 In reading this account of the ditches of Amador 
 county, one will be struck with their generally 
 unprofitable character as a financial investment. A 
 few short ditches were extremely profitable, making 
 their owners comfortable fortunes in a few years. 
 This was especially true of the Kilham ditches, 
 which from the start were managed with discretion. 
 The small ditch running into Fiddletown (Oleta) paid 
 its owners, in early days, one thousand dollars per 
 month during the mining season; so of other short 
 ditches in many places. Expensive flumes, which 
 rotted down in two or three years ; slides and wash- 
 
PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
 
 267 
 
 outs, and constantly decreasing market for the water, 
 caused some of the ditches to be abandoned soon 
 after their construction. The hope that was enter 
 tained, that they would be serviceable for agriculture, 
 has not been realized. The long trestle-work on 
 which they were built, which is now superceded by 
 iron pipes; the high grades, sometimes twenty feet 
 to the mile, causing a rapid flow and great wearing 
 of the banks; and the location of ditches in other 
 agricultural Sections, has prevented those first con 
 structed from being utilized by the farmers. 
 
 The following list of ditches, published in 1861. 
 when placer mining was in its zenith, will be inter 
 esting as mentioning many ditches then in active use 
 but now abandoned and forgotten: 
 
 AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 NAME OF DITCH. 
 
 SOURCE OF WATER. 
 
 i: 
 
 COST. 
 
 NAME OF OWNER. 
 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 ti 
 
 16 
 
 6 
 IS 
 
 V) 
 1-1 
 4 
 10 
 
 :. 
 2-2 
 
 in 
 
 
 
 a 
 
 4 
 
 'I 
 
 20,000 
 400,000 
 3,500 
 3,000 
 18,000 
 125,000 
 40,000 
 6,000 
 10,000 
 2,000 
 22,000 
 30,000 
 2,000 
 1,500 
 2,000 
 90,000 
 
 J. Johnston & Bros. 
 P'oche & Bayerque. 
 lames Mehan. 
 White & Co. 
 J. Foote Turner. 
 Butte Canal Co. 
 C. A. Purinton. 
 Davis & Co. 
 W. L. McKimm. 
 Duell & Co. 
 Butte Canal Co. 
 Proctor & Bowdon. 
 Samuel Loree. 
 Meeks & Sons. 
 N. Parsons. 
 Pioche & Bayerque. 
 
 Amador County Canal . . 
 Bovle 
 
 Mokelumne River. 
 
 Buckeye 
 Buena Vista 
 Butte Canal ... 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 Sutter Creek 
 Mokelumne River. 
 Cosuinnes River.. 
 Dry Creek . . . 
 
 Consumnes Water Co 
 
 
 Jackson Creek . . . 
 
 
 Rancheria Creek . 
 
 Kullum Ditches (3) 
 
 Jackson Creek. . . . 
 Jackson Creek 
 
 Loree's 
 
 Rancheria Creek . . 
 Jackson Creek. . . . 
 Itaiicheria, Creek. . 
 Sutter Crock 
 Jackson Creek 
 
 Mile Gulch 
 Open Cut Fluin 
 Pardee'8 
 
 Purinton's 
 Phelps&Co 
 
 Suttor Creek 
 Dry Creek 
 Cosumnes River . 
 Dry Creek 
 
 26 
 6 
 
 7 
 5 
 14 
 8 
 15 
 5 
 2:. 
 
 48 
 
 15,000 
 6,000 
 8,000 
 2,500 
 16,000 
 10,000 
 10,000 
 4,000 
 150,000 
 18,000 
 140,000 
 
 Reuben Fry, Agent. 
 Phelps & Co. 
 Simpson & Co. 
 Hinktuton & Glover. 
 Walker & Lancaster. 
 Reichling & Alt. 
 B. F. Richtmyer. 
 Rich & Co. 
 Est. of Win. Ritter. 
 J. E. Warner. 
 Pioche & Bayerque. 
 
 Potosi . 
 
 Proctor, Walker & Co 
 Reichling & Alt (2) 
 Richtmyer. 
 
 Jackson Creek . . . 
 Slitter Creek 
 Drv Creek 
 
 Rich & Co. . . .... 
 
 Big Bar Canon ... 
 Cosumnes River.. 
 
 Ritter 
 
 Sutler Cr^ek and Volcano. 
 Volcano 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 Mokelumne R. trib 
 
 
 The water-rights are likely to be a source of liti 
 gation in the future. It is an open question whether 
 the old riparian customs should not be restored, and 
 the right to divert a stream from its course be rele 
 gated to the eminent domain from which it has been 
 wrenched by the temporary necessities born of min 
 ing interests. A water monopoly is not less detri 
 mental to a country than a land monopoly, especially 
 in a rainless climate requiring artificial irrigation to 
 insure the maturity of fruits and grains. 
 
 CHAPTEE XLI. 
 PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
 
 First School in the State School System First School Report 
 First County Superintendent School-book War School 
 Census in 18b'3 by Districts School Statistics Condition 
 of Schools in 1871 Tribute to School-teachers. 
 
 PROVISIONS for public schools were made at the 
 first session of the Legislature, in 1849. Five hun 
 dred thousand acres of land, which had been donated 
 by Congress for this purpose, was to be used so as to 
 make a perpetual fund, with a proviso, however, that 
 it might be used for other purposes "if the public 
 exigencies required" This produced an animated 
 
 debate, it being justly considered that " public exi 
 gencies " was rather an indefinite term, and would 
 be found to endanger the existence of a school fund. 
 The proviso was striken out by a majority of one 
 vote. It was made essential to have a three months' 
 school in each year, in order to have a portion of the 
 public fund. Mr. Semple of Sonoma seems to have 
 had the clearest ideas of the necessary details. The 
 effort to organize a general fund sacred to public 
 schools was opposed by William M. Gwin and Gen 
 eral H. W. Halleck, and conditions were actually 
 imposed on the formation of a fund which resulted 
 in the sale and loss of fifty thousand acres of the 
 school lands before the matter was placed on a secure 
 basis. It was thought by many that these school 
 lands, some of which were located in the mines, 
 would furnish a revenue sufficiently large to run 
 the whole State government. 
 
 THE FIRST FREE SCHOOL IN THE STATE 
 
 Was organized in San Francisco, April 2, 1850. 
 Small schools were established in the mining towns 
 in many places. The writer recollects of seeing in 
 Placerville, in 1851, a class of half a dozen being 
 taught by a carpenter in his shop, in the intervals of 
 nailing together rockers and long-toms. The school 
 lands seemed to benefit the State very little during 
 the first years, the system of surveys being so bung 
 ling and impracticable that it was difficult to organ 
 ize the fund out of the sales. 
 
 THE FIRST SCHOOL REPORT. 
 
 Was published in 1852, by John G. Marvin. He 
 recommended several important changes in the 
 school law, among others, that a tax of five cents 
 should be levied on each hundred dollars; that the 
 office of County Superintendent should be created; 
 that provision should be made for school libraries, 
 and that the proceeds of the swamp and overflowed 
 lands be applied to the school fund. He estimated 
 the value of the sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections, 
 and the five hundred thousand acres, (special grant,) 
 to be worth eight million dollars. In his report is 
 the first intimation of the condition and number of 
 the children in Calaveras county. He estimates the 
 number of children at one hundred, and no school, 
 El Dorado county being in the same condition. 
 
 In the second annual report, 1852, the number 
 of public schools in the whole State was said to be 
 only twenty; that the sales of land had produced 
 a fund of three hundred thousand dollars; that the 
 number of children in the State, between four and 
 eighteen years, was seventeen thousand eight hun 
 dred and twenty-one, three thousand three hundred 
 and fourteen attending school. He recommended 
 that the county Assessors be made, ex officio, County 
 Superintendents; that no Catholic schools be allowed 
 any portion of the public fund. In 1852, t the sales 
 of land belonging to the school fund amounted to 
 three hundred thousand dollars. 
 
 In 1853, the Legislature enacted that the school 
 fund should not be used for any other purpose what- 
 
268 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 ever; that religious and sectarian schools should not 
 have a pro rata of the school fund. The County 
 Superintendent was authorized to appoint three 
 school commissioners for each school district. Paul 
 K. Hubbs, State Superintendent, recommended that 
 the school fund should be apportioned according to 
 the number of children attending school, instead of 
 the census returns. 
 
 In 1854, the Legislature provided that fifteen per 
 cent, of the poll-tax should be paid into the school 
 fund. An attempt was made this session to repeal 
 the Article prohibiting the granting of money to 
 sectarian schools, but the proposed law did not 
 reach a vote. The Superintendent reported the 
 number of children attending school as having 
 increased from two thousand in 1853, to five thousand 
 seven hundred and fifty-one, in 1854; this being the 
 first attempt made to get a tabulated statement of 
 school matters. 
 
 In 1855, D. R. Ashley introduced about the game 
 measures that had been defeated the previous ses 
 sion. This, among other things, provided that no 
 sectarian doctrines should be taught in schools 
 receiving public money. It also provided that no 
 money should be apportioned to any school not 
 taught by a regularly examined and licensed teacher. 
 It is likely that these stringent provisions forever 
 settled the question of maintaining sectarian schools 
 out of the public funds. 
 
 In 1856, Paul K. Hubbs recommended that a uni 
 form series of text books be used. This was one 
 great step in advance, as previous to this every 
 school, in fact every pupil, had his own text books, 
 creating much confusion in all the schools. 
 
 In 1857, Andrew J. Moulder became State Super 
 intendent. The number of schools had now increased 
 to four hundred and eighty-six; the number of chil 
 dren, from eleven thousand two hundred and forty- 
 two to thirty-five th'ousand seven hundred and 
 twenty-two. He was devoted in his attention to 
 the prosperity of the schools, and did much to create 
 an interest in the public mind. He strongly rec 
 ommended the establishment of a polytechnic school, 
 which should be able to turn out practical metallur 
 gists and miners; predicted the immense mining 
 interests to be developed. At this time no surveys 
 had been made, and the sixteenth and thirty-sixth 
 sections of land were practically useless. 
 
 Schools had been established in 1853 in Volcano, 
 Jackson, Sutter Creek and lone. Mention has -been 
 made in the township histories of schools in each of 
 these places. In the records of the first Court of 
 Sessions held in Amador county may be found a 
 minute that J. K. Payne was excused from jury duty 
 because he was engaged in building a school-house 
 at Volcano. The sight of a child in early days would 
 almost draw out a donation for a school. The first 
 School Superintendent of Amador county was Dr. J. 
 W. Groodin, who was appointed in 1855. Previous 
 to this the duties of apportionment had been per 
 
 formed by Henry Eichelberger, the County Assessor. 
 There were many persons who interested themselves 
 in schools. In Volcano were Levi Hanford and wife, 
 John Turner, W. H. Jones, and others. Mrs. 
 Hanford taught a school in the old Methodist church 
 in 1853, as did also Sempronius (Pony) Boyd in 1855. 
 S. T. Tackerberry and M. M. Estee, two young men 
 then studying law, are also remembered as having 
 taught at Volcano in early days. The latter is now 
 a prominent lawyer in San Francisco; the former 
 has drifted out of sight. W. T. A. Gibson, now of 
 Stockton, was also a teacher there. 
 
 Many dunces as well as able men found their way 
 into the school-houses. The Trustees of the districts 
 were appointed by the County Superintendent on the 
 recommendation of the patrons, the process being a 
 virtual election. Sometimes the Trustees were edu 
 cated men, in which case competent teachers would 
 be employed. They were also the examiners, and 
 were compelled to go through the form of an exam 
 ination, whether the candidate for teacher was a 
 graduate of Dartmouth or Yale, or some one whose 
 muscles were not adapted to achieving success in the 
 mines, and whose moral and mental fibre was still 
 weaker. 
 
 A college graduate was required to know the mul 
 tiplication table, also how many pints make one 
 quart, or how many inches make one foot, how 
 many feet one rod, etc. If he was able to perform 
 these mathematical feats he was permitted to teach 
 in the public schools for one year, and so also of any 
 one who could perform them, whether a collegian or 
 not. The utmost latitude was allowed in books, any 
 kind or none at all being equally permitted. Some 
 were brought across the plains, some " around the 
 Horn," and if any preference was shown it was for 
 the voice of the majority of pupils, or rather the 
 book that was in the possession of the majority. 
 Sanders' readers were, perhaps, the most numerous, 
 while grammars and arithmetics were unlimited in 
 number. The incompetency of a majority of the 
 teachers, the diversity of school-books and the irreg 
 ular attendance of pupils, and rate-bills, all tended 
 to render the schools, to a great extent, failures. 
 They merely served as a starting-point for the sys 
 tem, which, under the management of such men as 
 Geo. W. Minns, Crawford, Swett, Denman, Campbell, 
 present State Superintendent, and others, has devel 
 oped into a wonderful power for good. 
 
 In 1856, the 
 
 FIRST COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT 
 
 Was elected. E. B. Mclntyre was an old school 
 master in the Eastern States, and brought with him 
 the notion that the perpetuity of republican institu 
 tions rests on the general intelligence of the people. 
 He labored hard to work the system -up to a useful 
 point, but the indifference of the public, as well as 
 the organic defects of the system, were in the way. 
 Successful schools are growths of civilization, not 
 the results of legal enactments. Not until officers. 
 
PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
 
 269 
 
 teachers, parents and pupils have, to some extent, 
 been gradually prepared for it, will a complex, 
 though finally useful system, be successfully put into 
 operation. Mr. Mclntyre reported that he expe 
 rienced great difficulty in getting the Trustees of the 
 schools to report to him, although the failure to do 
 so compelled him to withhold their pro rata of the 
 public money. 
 
 In 1857, Paul K. Hubbs, State Superintendent, 
 reported that no such thing as a public school existed 
 in the State; that the rate bills and other expenses 
 practically excluded many from the schools, and 
 urged a greater appropriation, which was done by 
 the Legislature of 1858, which not only increased 
 the school fund, but authorized the separate districts 
 to raise a special school tax on all the propertj 7 . 
 The bill was so carelessly drawn, however, as to 
 render it, in many instances, inoperative. 
 
 Andrew J. Moulder was elected State Superintend 
 ent in 1858. He was a hard-working, conscientious 
 man, and did much to arouse the attention of the 
 public to the condition of the schools. 
 
 He made the first able report of the condition of the 
 schools. The number of children had now reached 
 29,347. He reported that the cost of controlling 
 and punishing the criminals had amounted to $754,- 
 193.80 in the past five years, while but $284,183.69 
 had been expended for school purposes; in other 
 words, that the 400 criminals cost three times as 
 much to the State as the 30,000 children, each crim 
 inal costing $1,885, each child, $9. He recom 
 mended that each district be required to have six 
 months school in the year. 
 
 The total number of children in Amador 
 
 county under eighteen was 
 
 Between four and eighteen 
 
 Boys 
 
 Girls 
 
 Under four. . 
 
 Daily average attendance 
 
 2,114 
 1,377 
 
 763 
 
 614 
 
 737 
 
 383 
 
 State funds for the year" $2,336 00 
 
 liaised by county taxes 2,550 83 
 
 " " bills and district taxes 5,31584 
 
 Total expenditure for schools ... $10,202 67 
 Estimated value of school property $12,825 00 
 
 This is the first account of the schools in the 
 county which can be found in print. H. H. Ehees 
 was County Superintendent. 
 
 The following list of School Trustees and Teachers 
 by Districts, in 1858, will be interesting: 
 
 JACKSON Trustees, A. C. Brown, John Mushett, 
 VV. L. McKimm. Teachers, A. W. Kerr, Mrs. A. VV. 
 Kerr. 
 
 IONE Trustees, J. F. Turner, J. H. Stevens, S. 
 Love. Teacher, J. A. Peters. 
 
 PINE GROVE J. D. Luttrell, A. Leonard, A. P. 
 Clougb. Teacher, Miss Dane. 
 
 DRYTOWN Trustees, D. W. Seaton, E. K. Wick, 
 C. W. Fox. Teacher, H. P. Hinkson. 
 
 SUTTER CREEK Trustees, N. A. Green, W. T. Wild- 
 man, A. Hayward. Teacher, E. B. Mclntyre. 
 
 VOLCANO Trustees, A. N. Ballard, John Turner, 
 S. B. Boardman. Teacher, M. M. Estee. 
 
 FIDDLETOWN (Oi/ETA) Trustees, John D. Williams, 
 D. M.. Goff, J. F. Ostrum. Teacher, W. J. Cooper. 
 
 AMADOR Trustees, W. S. Porter, D. Barry, P. 
 Kusart. 
 
 BUENA VISTA Trustees, P. Y. Cool, J. T. Joiner, 
 John Kite. 
 
 JACKSON VALLEY Trustees, Simon Prouty, Joseph 
 Lewis, W. H. Amick. 
 
 UNION CHURCH Trustees, E. K. Sexton, A. F. 
 Potter. 
 
 CLINTON Trustees, Linus Morgan, Hugh Eobin- 
 son, M. Tynan. 
 
 The school system met with many severe attacks, 
 and had many battles to win before it could be firmly 
 established in a working condition. The ablest 
 opponent to the system in the State is now, and 
 always has been, Zachary Montgomery, a lawyer, 
 residence in Oakland. As a member of the Legisla 
 ture, he fought the common school system and 
 opposed its establishment with the same vigor which 
 he has since shown. 
 
 In 1861 he introduced a bill providing " That every 
 school numbering thirty pupils, established by the 
 parents or guardians of such pupils, should have the 
 right, on application, to be enrolled as a public school; 
 that the common school branches should be taught 
 five hours a day, with religious instruction and cate 
 chism as an extra at the. will of the parents; that 
 the parents or guardians should elect the Trustees of 
 such school with full powers to control; and that the 
 State fund should be apportioned according to the 
 number of children attending school." 
 
 The bill was accompanied by a petition, numer 
 ously signed. The Honorable John Coness defended 
 the common school system in a lengthy speech, recit 
 ing a portion of his own experience. The measure 
 was defeated. 
 
 The new school laws of 1863 required the use of 
 school registers for keeping a record of the daily 
 attendance, deportment and progress of the scholars; 
 made provisions and appropriations (one hundred 
 and fifty dollars) for holding annual county teachers' 
 institutes; provided for the annual election of a Trus 
 tee, who should hold office for three years; made new 
 provisions for the collection of taxes for building 
 school-houses and the maintenance of schools; and 
 authorized the issuing of teachers' certificates for a 
 term of years. 
 
 The most decided improvement in schools was 
 made during the superintendence of John Swett. 
 He was a graduate of the common schools, and had 
 an abiding faith, not only of their utility in society, 
 but as a necessity for a safe foundation for all the 
 essentials of a republican form of government. In 
 his first annual report, he recommended the raising of 
 a sufficient sum by a property tax to support the 
 
270 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 schools free from all rate bills or local taxes, for at 
 least five months in the year. He showed that but 
 twenty -five per cent, of the children in the State 
 attended school, and contended that, as the general 
 voter had control of property in revenue matters, a 
 portion of it should be taken to prepare him for 
 that responsibility; that, considering the diversified 
 character of our population, California needed the 
 benefits of a free school more than any State in the 
 Union. The Legislature of 1864 passed new school 
 laws, laying an annual tax of five mills on each one 
 hundred dollars of property in the State, and making 
 it imperative on the counties to raise enough, in 
 addition to the State appropriation, to maintain 
 schools five months in the year. 
 
 The bill passed the Assembly without opposition, 
 but the famous Zachary Montgomery was in the 
 Senate, and there it came near being slaughtered. 
 The vote stood: 
 
 Ayes Benton, Burnell. Crane, Cunningham, 
 Foulke, Hall, Haswell, Kutz, Maddox, McMurtry, 
 Moyle, Porter, Roberts, Shepherd, Tuttle, Wright 
 18. 
 
 Noes Buckley, Dodge, Evans, Freeman, Gaskill, 
 Hamilton, Hawes, Montgomery, Pearce, Redington, 
 Bush, Shafter 12. 
 
 In 1863, the amount of money expended for 
 schools in the whole State, was four hundred and 
 eighty thousand dollars; in 1867 the amount of 
 annual expenditure reached the sum of one million 
 two hundred and eighty-seven thousand dollars. The 
 direct tax on all property throughout the State was 
 eight cents on the one hundred dollars, bringing in 
 an income of one hundred and twenty thousand 
 dollars. 
 
 Many of the Eastern States, Iowa and Illinois, 
 had, about the same time as California, provided for 
 the general education of the children. A well-to-do 
 farmer, a bachelor of course, of the former State, 
 became disgusted with the freedom with which the 
 Legislature put their hands in his pockets and helped 
 themselves to his cash for educational purposes, and 
 sold out and left for California, where the people were 
 supposed to retain some of the conservative, primi 
 tive virtues of old times. When he came to Cali 
 fornia and found that the same system of robbery 
 was in practice here, he gave a terrible howl and 
 turned the heads of his flocks and herds towards 
 Oregon. The last heard of him he was making with 
 all speed towards Alaska, where, it is confidently 
 believed, he will not be disturbed by a general 
 school-tax for at least ten years. 
 
 In 1872, the test oath requiring teachers to take 
 the oath of allegiance, was repealed. This was, 
 perhaps, a matter of unnecessary caution; doing 
 very little good or harm, as no case is on record of 
 any teachers leaving the profession on account of it. 
 
 In 1867, the State Superintendent reported that 
 every school in the State had become FREE. The 
 Legislature had added some new features to the 
 
 school law. Formerly teachers were examined by 
 incompetent men, and, as a consequence, men were 
 sometimes admitted to the position of teachers who 
 were unfit to have charge of dumb brutes, much less 
 human beings. The law now required the County 
 Superintendent and also the Board of Examiners to 
 hold first-grade certificates. There is always much 
 difficulty in executing a law that is much in advance 
 of public opinion. There was no exception to the 
 rule in this case. The County Superintendents 
 bi'idged over the obstruction, and things went much 
 as before, though there was a manifest improvement 
 in the qualifications of teachers. 
 
 The system of free schools met with much opposi 
 tion. There is a plausibility, at least, in the princi 
 ples that every man has a right to accumulate and 
 hold property; that he is under no obligation to 
 educate or support his indolent neighbors' children; 
 but in the other side of the scales is the fact that, if 
 his neighbors' children are not educated to some use 
 ful purpose, they become criminals and paupers, and 
 by their destructive habits endanger not only the 
 existence of the property which was denied for edu 
 cational purposes, but even life itself. 
 
 In 1872, Superintendent Bolander recommended 
 compulsory education, and declared that illiteracy 
 was incipient crime ; and quoted Beecber, that, 
 " uneducated mind is educated vice." Bolander pro 
 posed five hundred dollars as the least sum that 
 should be expended in anj r school district in one year. 
 
 THE SCHOOL-BOOK WAR. 
 
 The law requiring a uniformity of text-books was 
 no exception to the average of laws, of which it has 
 been said the unlocked for operations constitute the 
 principal results. The value of school-books in use 
 amounted to hundreds of thousands of dollars. A 
 small profit on a book in general use, would make a 
 fortune for the publishing house, or the firm holding 
 the agency. Numerous advocates of each proposed 
 work traversed the country proclaiming its merits, 
 and even a lobbyist was thought necessary for the 
 Legislature. Thousands of dollars were expended 
 in getting the books introduced, all of which had to 
 be paid for by the consumers or purchasers of the 
 books in one way or another. The Sanders series 
 of readers had been discarded, and Willson's generally 
 adopted. They were well printed, finely illustrated, 
 and were a great improvement on anything before 
 in use. During the Superintendency of Fitzgerald 
 they were cast aside, and the McGuft'ey series adopted. 
 Now came the war. Willson was a northern man, 
 and his books were the product of the northern 
 system of education. McGuffey was President of 
 the Virginia University, and his books were supposed 
 to represent the style of southern education. Mc- 
 Gruffey's series were said to belong to an ancient 
 formation, a sort of pliocene stratum, containing only 
 fossils of defunct ideas; the engravings were said to 
 be old and inferior, having but one commendable 
 quality; there were but few in the book. The change, 
 
PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
 
 271 
 
 which had cost the parents in the State something 
 like two hundred thousand dollars, was brought 
 about by the State Teachers' Institute. It was even 
 said by the Willson advocates that money had been 
 used to obtain the decision in favor of the south 
 ern reader. This insinuation was bruited about by 
 the newspapers, and perhaps influenced some in their 
 opinions, but the more candid part of the people 
 scouted the idea, considering partisan feeling and the 
 prejudice of birth amply sufficient to account for any 
 apparent injustice or error of judgment, in producing 
 the exchange. 
 
 The result was a defeat of Fitzgerald, who was 
 much grieved about the matter. The Legislature at 
 the next session took the control of text-books away 
 from the State Board. The Willson readers were not 
 reinstated. The change from Willson's toMcGuffey's 
 series received the condemnation of the people, yet 
 having been introduced, it was considei'ed better to 
 retain it than to incur a new expense. 
 
 SCHOOL CENSUS IN 1863, BY DISTRICTS. 
 
 Amador 82 Lancha Plana 85 
 
 Butte City 49 Mountain Springs 41 
 
 Buena Vista. . 63 Pine Grove . . 75 
 
 Buckeye 56 
 
 Clinton ... 81 
 
 Drytown 66 
 
 Fiddletown . . . . 124 
 
 Forest Home 64 
 
 Franklin 59 
 
 lone City 162 
 
 Jackson. 205 
 
 Jackson Valley.. 51 
 
 Puckerville 52 
 
 Eural. 38 
 
 S utter Creek 133 
 
 Union 101 
 
 Upper Ran cheria 43 
 
 Union Church.. 45 
 
 Volcano.- 109 
 
 Williams 30 
 
 Willow Springs. 61 
 
 Total . . 1875 
 
 SCHOOL STATISTICS. 
 
 State 
 Superintendent. 
 
 County 
 Superintendent 
 
 K) 
 O 
 
 s= 
 
 Bet. 4 and IS 
 
 &- 
 of 
 o: 
 
 rr 
 o 
 o. 
 
 1 No. Schools. 
 
 Expendi 
 ture. 
 
 Teachers Wages 
 
 Male. 
 
 Female. 
 
 John G. Marvin. 
 John (i. Marvin . 
 Paul K. Hubbs. 
 Paul K. Hubbs. 
 A. J. Moulder. . 
 A. J. Moulder. . 
 A. J. Moulder. . 
 A. J. Moulder. . 
 A. J. Moulder.. 
 A. J. Moulder. . 
 John Swett 
 Jiihn Swett 
 John Swett 
 John Swett 
 John S >ett 
 O.P. Fitzgerald. 
 O. P. Fitzgerald. 
 O. P. Fitzgerald 
 O. P. Fitzgerald 
 II. \. Bolandcr. 
 H. N. Bolander. 
 H. N. Bolander. 
 H. N. Bolander. 
 E. S. Carr 
 E. S. Carr 
 E. S. Carr 
 E. S. Carr 
 E. S. Carr... . 
 
 
 1853 
 1854 
 1855 
 1856 
 1857 
 1S5S 
 1859 
 I860 
 1861 
 1862 
 1S63 
 1864 
 1865 
 1866 
 18S7 
 1868 
 1SI 
 1870 
 1871 
 1S72 
 1873 
 1874 
 1875 
 1876 
 1877 
 1878 
 187!) 
 18*0 
 
 339 
 432 
 865 
 868 
 986 
 1100 
 lf.77 
 1591 
 1679 
 1738 
 1875 
 2365 
 2074 
 
 1003 
 1855 
 1869 
 191 
 2(97 
 2134 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 
 H. Eichelberger 
 Dr JWGoodiny 
 E. B. Mclntire. 
 E. B. Mclntire. 
 H. H. Rheese . . 
 H. H. Rheese.. 
 J. H. Bradley.. 
 Samuel Page. . . 
 Samuel P ige. . . 
 Satnurl Page. . . 
 D. Townsend . . 
 D. Townsend . . 
 S. G. Br'ggs 
 S. G. Briggs . . . 
 S. G. Briggs . . . 
 S. G. Briggs . . . 
 S. G. Brig-gs . . . 
 S. G. Briggs . . . 
 S. G. Briggs . . . 
 S. G. Briggs . . . 
 S. G. Briggs . . . 
 VV. H. Stowers. 
 W. li. Stowers. 
 A. Edsinger . . . 
 A. Edsinger. . . . 
 L. Miller 
 L. Miller 
 
 20S 
 318 
 426 
 523 
 5^5 
 625 
 734 
 801' 
 976 
 995 
 1323 
 1315 
 1770 
 1960 
 1327 
 1322 
 1401 
 1148 
 
 E 
 7 
 8 
 10 
 12 
 16 
 IS 
 2" 
 26 
 27 
 29 
 28 
 
 K 
 28 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 .Si6,'l92.'67 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 S 65.96 
 73.00 
 70.00 
 70.00 
 74.33 
 81.13 
 81.66 
 81.66 
 
 
 
 847.00 
 55.00 
 62.00 
 56.00 
 50.25 
 51.35 
 50.00 
 50.00 
 
 14,592.65 
 9,hl6.49 
 ; 16,278.68 
 15,889.86 
 15,140.33 
 12,446.46 
 17,742 51 
 15,576.27 
 18,493.10 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2659 
 2733 
 
 
 
 35,791.73 
 
 77.00 
 80.00 
 
 ' 62.66 
 55.00 
 
 *The total expenditures, from the organization of the county to 1867, in 
 clusive, was $133,873.15. 
 
 CONDITION OP SCHOOLS IN 1871. 
 
 Amador City School. This district has no re 
 corded date of organization. Its progress has been 
 
 rather slow; its present condition is rather flattering; 
 its wante are . numerous; no school furniture or 
 apparatus, and a poor, dilapidated school-house. 
 
 Aqueduct City School. This district was organ 
 ized about 1865; has progressed finely, as a rural 
 district; has a neat little school-house, together with 
 some apparatus; house poorly furnished. Its pres 
 ent prospects are hopeful. 
 
 Buckeye Valley School. This district has been 
 unfortunate. Its people were divided on their school 
 interests, and the result of their troubles was the 
 burning of their school-house, which loss they have 
 not yet recovered from, and consequently are not 
 in a very flourishing condition. They are in need 
 of a house, furniture, and apparatus. 
 
 Buena Vista School. This district was organ 
 ized in 1857; has a very comfortable school-house, 
 some apparatus, very poor furniture, but is in a very 
 flourishing condition, notwithstanding. 
 
 Clinton School. This district is poor. They 
 have a neat little school-house, no furniture or 
 apparatus, yet it is quite flourishing. 
 
 Drytown School. This district was organized in 
 1853, and, for several years, only maintained a three 
 month's school during the year: but the last few 
 years they have been able to keep their school open 
 seven months in the year. They have a nice school- 
 bouse, costing some eight hundred dollars, some 
 furniture, some apparatus, and the school is in a 
 better condition than it has ever been. 
 
 Fiddletown School (Oleta). This is an old dis 
 trict, without date of organization; has an excellent 
 school-house, well furnished, with some apparatus, 
 and is in a very flourishing condition, under the 
 guidance of an efficient teacher. 
 
 Franklin School. This district is small, situated 
 in a very sparsely settled neighborhood; has a small 
 school-house, some apparatus, but no furniture. It 
 is in rather a state of progression. 
 
 Forest Home School. This district, like many 
 others, has no date of organization. They have a 
 respectable school-house, but poorly furnished, yet in 
 rather a flourishing condition. 
 
 lone Valley School. It is situated in a very rich 
 and fertile valley which is covered by a Spanish grant, 
 which has been very prejudicial to its interests. They 
 have a comfortable school-house. The district was 
 organized in 1853, is tolerably well supplied with 
 apparatus and furniture and is quite flourishing. 
 
 Jackson School. This district is also without date 
 of organization; has a brick school-house, with two 
 departments, and has progressed finely; has always 
 been under the guidance of able teachers, and is well 
 supplied with apparatus and furniture. 
 
 Jackson Valley School. This district is a small 
 one, and labors under the same difficulties as the lone 
 Valley, it being on the Spanish grant, also. They 
 have a very commodious school-house, tolerably well 
 supplied with furniture and apparatus, and is in quite 
 a flourishing condition. 
 
272 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Lancha Plana School. Situated in the south-west 
 portion of the county, and at one time a very rich 
 mining camp, but now in a dilapidated condition, 
 and consequently the school has suffered. They 
 have a sheU of a house in which to impart instruc 
 tion, poor furniture, some apparatus, and, notwith 
 standing the disadvantages under which it has 
 labored, its prospects are quite flattering. 
 
 Mountain Echo School. This district was organ 
 ized in 1867, and has progressed slowly. They have 
 a good wooden school-house, very little furniture and 
 no apparatus. Notwithstanding the many difficulties 
 with which they are surrounded, they have been able 
 to maintain four or five months' school in the year. 
 Their prospects are quite encouraging. 
 
 Milligan's School. : This district has no date of 
 organization, and is also one of the rural districts. It 
 has been able to maintain a four months' school some 
 portion of the year. They have quite a comfortable 
 little school-house, with very little furniture or appa 
 ratus. 
 
 Mountain Springs School. This is a small district, 
 and has a hard struggle to exist. By perseverance 
 they have been able to keep open a school in accord 
 ance with the law. They have a school-house that 
 answers the purpose, but need furniture and appa 
 ratus. Their prospects are anything but flattering. 
 
 New York Ranch School. This district was organ 
 ized about 1866. They have a very comfortable 
 school-house, together with some furniture and appa 
 ratus. It has steadily advanced and its prospects for 
 the future are quite flattering. 
 
 Oneida School. This district was organized in 
 1865, with some twenty census children. It now 
 numbers some eighty. They have progressed stead 
 ily; have a shell of a house, entirely destitute of fur 
 niture and apparatus. 
 
 Puckerville School. This is an old district, with 
 out date of organization; has a very commodious 
 school-house, well supplied with furniture and appa 
 ratus, and is progressing finely. 
 
 Pine Grove School. This district is situated on 
 the road leading from Volcano to Jackson. They 
 have a neat and comfortable school-house, pretty 
 well furnished with apparatus and furniture. This 
 school has been conducted in the main by able teach-, 
 ers, and is in a prosperous condition. 
 
 Sutter Creek School. This district like a number 
 of others, is without date of organization; has had 
 t'he misfortune of having its school-house burned up, 
 but, nothing discouraged, its friends went to work 
 and put up a magnificent two-story, brick building. 
 The cost of the house was about six thousand dollars. 
 It is well furnished with apparatus and furniture, 
 has two hundred and twenty census children, and is 
 situated in the richest mining district in the county. 
 Its future is truly flattering. 
 
 Stony 'Creek School. This is one of the rural dis 
 tricts of the county, and was organized in 1868, with 
 small beginnings; but by perseverance they have a 
 
 neat little school-house, with a moderate supply of 
 furniture and apparatus. They have progressed 
 beyond expectation. Their prospects are truly 
 flattering. 
 
 Union Church and Muletown School. These two 
 districts have been merged into one, and will be 
 known hereafter as the Union District, and is situ 
 ated in one of the prettiest valleys in the county. 
 Last Spring the friends of education went to work 
 and put up a good school-house at a convenient 
 center for both districts, and furnished the same 
 tolerably well. They are getting along finely now. 
 
 Upper Rancheria School. This district is also 
 without date of organization ; is an old school, but has 
 not advanced as it should have done. But few felt 
 interested in the education of the children, and con 
 sequently let both the school and the school-house 
 run down. Now that it is necessary to have a new 
 house, the people are divided, and cannot agree 
 where to place it, and consequently their prospects 
 are gloomy. 
 
 Volcano School. This district was organized in 
 1855, and prospered finely until about 1861, when 
 a state of confusion and strife sprang up, which re 
 sulted in a division of the district. Union district 
 was formed out of a portion of its territory, and 
 continued in that separate state until last year, when 
 they united again and built a fine and commodious 
 house that reflects credit upon the Trustees of both 
 districts. 
 
 Williams School. This district is among the oldest 
 in the county. Its record shows no date of organi 
 zation. They have a very pleasant school-house, 
 with some furniture and a few articles of apparatus. 
 They have progressed steadily. Its wants are con 
 siderable in the way of furniture. 
 
 Willow Springs School. This district, like too 
 many others, has been negligent of its records. 
 Very little can be learned of its history, other than 
 it has had an existence for several years. They 
 have a tolerably comfortable school-house, some 
 furniture, and need almost everything to conduct a 
 school properly. 
 
 Washington School. This district, like a great 
 many others, has been quite negligent of duty, the 
 record showing no date of organization. They have 
 a very neat and comfortable school- house, tolerably 
 well supplied with furniture and apparatus. They 
 have progressed moderately well. Their prospects 
 are encouraging. 
 
 The foregoing is from the report of the Rev. S. 
 G. Briggs, County Superintendent from 1866 to 
 1875. Though a man of limited education, his 
 integrity and devotion to the interests of schools 
 enabled him to accomplish a great deal towards 
 elevating them to their present high standard. It 
 will be seen that the most of the statistics, in the 
 table appended, were gathered during his incum 
 bency. He died at the post of duty, beloved by all 
 the teachers and pupils in the county. The same 
 

 RESIDENCE, STORE* RANCH OF CHARLES DOSCH. 
 IONE VALLEY. AMAOOR COUNTY, 
 
 RANCH.^ RESIDENCE OFJ.C-B LYTHER. 
 
 TOWNSHIP4.AMADOR COUNTY. CM. 
 
NEWSPAPERS. 
 
 273 
 
 may be said also of W. H. Stowers, who succeeded 
 him. 
 
 TRIBUTE TO SCHOOL-TEACHERS. 
 
 The limits of this work will only permit a brief 
 reference to some of the devoted teachers, who have 
 seen their sun of life rise and go far down the west 
 ern slope in their devotion to the cause of education, 
 and of some who have reposed in death for years 
 after their work was well done. School-teaching, 
 though holding so important a position in social 
 economy, is a profession that is little honored. Day 
 after day, weeks following weeks, until the youthful, 
 vigorous form becomes old and feeble, the teacher 
 coins his life into the coming generation, and finally 
 sinks unknown and unsung to the grave. No 
 plaudits of assembled thousands encourage him; no 
 daily papers chronicle his coming in or going out, 
 yet silently he fashions the future citizen, perhaps 
 President, weaves his web of human affairs in pov 
 erty and obscurity, often in want, happy to see his 
 former pupils performing an honored part in the 
 world. 
 
 Many have lived their whole active life in Amador 
 county. Among these we may reckon A. W. Kerr 
 of Plymouth, who is now teaching the third genera 
 tion; J. F. Gould of Jackson, who thirty years since 
 commenced his work, and still holds on. Hiram 
 Ford, of Buena Vista, also is well fixed in the groove. 
 Some have gone down to premature graves, worn 
 out by the terrible nervous exhaustion incident to 
 watching and caring for a large school of children- 
 Of this number we may reckon Dennis Townsend, 
 whose mind gave way under the terrible strain; and 
 also William H. Stowers, who gave all of life that 
 was in him to children who are now taking places 
 in active life. J. C. Gear, also a teacher for years, 
 rests in the lone cemetery, hot quite forgotten by 
 the children, now men and women, whom he led 
 up the first low hills of science. Among the women 
 we may reckon Mrs. Bartlett of Sutter Creek, Mrs. 
 M. B. Church of Drytown, Mrs. Thomas Stewart of 
 lone, Miss Augusta Withington, Mrs. Trowbridge 
 (deceased) of Jackson, and numerous others who 
 have done, and still are doing, good work. All honor 
 to them. 
 
 CHAPTEE XLII. 
 
 NEWSPAPERS. 
 
 Charles Boynton Amador Ledger Dispatch Union Record 
 Sutter Creek Independent lone News Amador Sentinel. 
 
 THE mining towns, with three or four hundred men 
 hungry for news, were tempting fields for an ambi 
 tious man. The first institution after the hotel and 
 saloon is a printing office. Who has not felt an idea 
 in his well, head, pressing and kicking to get out, 
 aching for deliverance, that it might grow and over 
 spread the world, revolutionize governments, and 
 correct all things? Men will not try the law without 
 35 
 
 study, or mercantile business without some practice, 
 or a hotel without sitting around awhile to see how 
 things might be run. But there is no measure for 
 mental work; no rule of feet and inches, no measure 
 of pints and quarts to gauge the product of the mind. 
 Though a man may write over acres of paper, square 
 measure will not apply; solid or leaded articles defy 
 cubic measure and avoirdupois just as well; and, 
 finally, though an article may be a drug, apotheca 
 ries weight will not weigh it, and, though it may be 
 a golden thought, the jeweler's scales are equally 
 powerless. If it is a living, active, vital thought, 
 adapted to the wants of man, it will live and flourish; 
 it is seed sown on good ground. If it is obsolete; if it 
 is the effete matter of a morbid mind, though it is 
 embalmed in print, or engraved in stone, naught 
 shall save it from oblivion. 
 
 When lofty thoughts thy mind inspire, 
 Write; some slumhering soul that reads, 
 
 Touched by sparks of thy celestial tire, 
 Shall ripen into glorious deeds. 
 
 Charles Boynton was the father of the newspaper 
 in Amador county. Though many recollect him, 
 few can give an idea of his character, which seemed 
 to be as changeable as a kaleidoscope, now foaming 
 over with fun and good nature, now seriously discuss 
 ing political economy; now poring over some old 
 volume of forgotten history, and now going for the 
 gold in the bed of the Mokelumne with all his might, 
 mind and strength, with a woman's emotion and a 
 man's power. He was in some way connected with 
 the Mokelumne Hill Chronicle; at any rate he had 
 sufficient access to the types and press to work off 
 several numbers of the Owl, 1853 and '54, which set 
 the whole country crazy with its fun, which, however, 
 being of a local nature, is now understood only by 
 those who remember the incidents referred to. It 
 is said that he used to swim the river with the 
 edition tied to the top of his head. It is also said 
 that he never went over to the Hill without hav 
 ing a fight or two on account of the little paper. 
 Soon after the organization of the county he started 
 the Sentinel, an independent paper, devoted to no 
 party or clique. It was printed for some months 
 on the Chronicle press, the edition being so small 
 that he carried it all under his arm to Jackson 
 to be distributed. He soon after obtained a press of 
 his own, and ran the paper successfully for some 
 years. O. D Avaline, formerly of Fort Wayne, Indi 
 ana, became the proprietor of it about 1857 or '58, 
 continuing the publication until the great fire of 1862, 
 when he abandoned the newspaper business, raised 
 a company of soldiers and joined the Union army. 
 He died at Folsom of general debility, produced by 
 exposure while in the service. 
 
 THE AMADOR LEDGER 
 
 Was started by Thomas H. Springer in Volcano in 
 1855, during the boom in that town. It was an 
 independent sheet at first, but in 1856, during the 
 Fremont, Fillmore and Buchanan campaign, it took 
 
274 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Democratic ground, which it maintained until the 
 breaking out of the war of the Rebellion, when it 
 became Union Democratic, and finally Republican. 
 It was moved from Volcano to Jackson in 1857. In 
 typographic appearance it was much better than 
 the Sentinel, Springer being a first-rate printer. 
 Though making no pretensions as a" writer, he had a 
 short, spicy way of dealing out the current news. 
 He was, at different times, assisted in the editorial 
 department by P. C. Johnson, John Bradly, E.Y. Ilam- 
 mand and others. AVhen Springer was elected State 
 Printer, the paper was managed by Grant Springer 
 and Shearer, finally falling into the ownership of R. 
 M. Briggs and J. A. Eagon, who made it a political 
 organ. Both were able lawyers, politicians and 
 writers. Some very able editorials appeared in it; 
 but even a country newspaper requires the undi 
 vided attention of an able man to make it success 
 ful, and they soon tired of publishing it for the 
 honor, and sold it in 1875 to Richard Webb, its pres 
 ent proprietor. Mr. Webb wields a sarcastic pen, 
 and frequently gets into personal difficulties, and 
 occasionally a libel suit, on account of his unsparing 
 denunciations; but nothing can change his course; 
 he returns to the attack with more vim than ever. 
 He was formerly connected with a small semi- 
 weekly publication at Sutter Creek, which, on his 
 purchase of the Ledger, was discontinued. 
 
 THE AMADOR DISPATCH 
 
 Was originally started in Lancha Plana,by Hecken- 
 dorn & Payne. It was a small and badly printed 
 sheet, containing mostly local news. The old roller- 
 press on which it was printed was, until a few years 
 since, lying in a vacant lot near the town. It was 
 enlarged into a sheet of better appearance and pub 
 lished for some months during the boom at that 
 town. In 1859 it was purchased by Mullen, and 
 moved to Jackson, and started as a Democratic 
 sheet. On the breaking out of the war, the proprie 
 tor sold it to Geo. M. Payne and Win. M. Penry (the 
 latter gentleman being still proprietor), raised a com 
 pany of soldiers, and went to the aid of the Union. 
 The Dispatch immediately took strong Democratic 
 ground, attacking tfie administration at every assail 
 able point, with arguments, sarcasm and ridicule, 
 and made itself a power in politics. The famous L. 
 P. Hall (Long Primer) was associated for some 
 years with Penry in conducting the paper. At the 
 time of the assassination of Lincoln it was suppressed 
 for several months, and Penry and Hull immured in 
 Fort Alcatraz, of which a particular account has 
 been given in another portion of our history. Per 
 sonally, Mr. Penry is " as mild a mannered man as 
 ever " indicted an editorial, and his serene and kindly 
 face gives no indication of the mental fires burning 
 below; forming a parallel in this trait to the famous 
 Brick Pomeroy, who wields the editorial tomahawk 
 and scalping-knife with a fearful effect, without 
 ruffling a line or curve in his well-fed face. 
 
 The paper has passed its twenty-first year, and 
 bids fair to continue to a good old age. 
 
 UNION RECORD. 
 
 While Penry and Hall were incarcerated in Alca 
 traz, R. M. Briggs took the printing material of the 
 Dispatch and published the paper bearing the above 
 title. He let off the accumulated fire-works for a few 
 months with considerable noise and effect. Some of 
 his editorials on national questions had wide circula 
 tion in the East. On Mr. Penry's discharge from con 
 finement, the publication of the Union Record ceased. 
 
 THE SUTTER CREEK INDEPENDENT 
 
 Was a small daily paper published about 1872 by 
 R. V. Chadd, formerly of Stockton. It made quite a 
 sensation for a while with its local hits and current 
 news, but was discontinued for want of support. 
 The material was finally purchased by Richard Webb, 
 who published a semi-weekly for a short time, merg 
 ing into the Ledger in 1875. 
 
 THE IONE NEWS 
 
 Was commenced in 1877 by Haley & Co. It was 
 continued for about three years and discontinued. 
 The make-up of the paper was good and the contents 
 well edited, but the county could hardly support four 
 papers, and some one must fail, and the publication 
 was suspended about the end of November, 1880. 
 In 1861 a weekly paper was published at lone for a 
 few months by Folger & Co., who afterwards moved 
 the concern to Alpine county, where it flourished as 
 a political paper for some years. 
 
 THE AMADOR SENTINEL. 
 
 This is probably a namesake of the Sentinel which 
 was destroyed by the fire in 1862, though no 
 descendant thereof. It was started in June, 1879, by 
 Turner, McNeil & Briggs, but at present is owned by 
 Turner & Sunborn, both young men but able writers. 
 It is gaining an influence and circulation, having a 
 subscription list of something over BIX hundred. It 
 is Republican in politics though liberal in its opinions. 
 It is the official paper, and seems to be on a paying 
 basis, with a hopeful career before it. 
 
 CHAPTER X L I 1 1. 
 
 SOCIETIES. 
 
 The Society of Free Masons Modern Masonry General Ten 
 dency of Masonry Introduction into the United States 
 Volcano Lodge No. 515 Amador Lodge No. u'5 lone Lodge 
 No. 80 Henry Clay Lodge No. 90 St. Marks Lodge No. 15 
 
 Drytown Lodge No. 174 Royal Arch Chapter No. 31- 
 Origin of Odd Fellowship Encampment Decree of Re- 
 bekah Volcano Lodge No ^5 Sutter Creek Lodge No. 31 
 Jackson Lodge No. 3G lone Lodge No. 51 Telegraph Lodge 
 No. 7; Lancha Plana Lodge No. 95 Plymouth Lodge No. 
 260 Grand Encampment No. 17 M.irble Encampment No. 
 19 Temperance iSocicties Subjects for Insane Asylums 
 Good Templars Knights of the Red Cross Blue Ribbon 
 Society General Tendency of Temperance Societies Bur 
 lesque Societies E-Clampsus Vitus Hautontimnroumenos 
 
 Knights of the Assyrian Cross Pioneer Societies Am 
 ador Society of California Pioneers Sclavonic lllyric 
 Mutual Benevolent Soc.ety Grangers. 
 
 " UNITHD we stand; divided we fall." Organiza 
 tion is the largest factor in modern civilization. In 
 ancient times, in the rude beginnings of society, the 
 
SOCIETIES. 
 
 275 
 
 family relation was the source of strength and pros 
 perity. The mother who bore the most children 
 was the most honored. Perhaps the best illustration 
 of the enormous force of family relation may be 
 seen in the ancient Israelites, who, holding to 
 blood ties, became a great nation, with the full faith 
 that they were destined to inherit the earth. But 
 great as the Israelites were they were scattered by 
 a host of innumerable families united under one gov 
 ernment. Tribal and family organizations give way 
 to combinations of still greater magnitude, which 
 are made up of innumerable smaller parts, each being 
 to some extent a body politic within itself. Individ 
 ual valor, though a source of" personal respect, can 
 accomplish little compared to the united efforts of 
 multitudes. An army is efficient in proportion to its 
 discipline. A well-trained army of a few thousands, 
 acting under the direction of one mind, will rout a 
 mob often times their number. The principle holds 
 good in all the relations of life, whether the object 
 be to establish a nation, accumulate wealth, damage 
 an enemy, or benefit mankind. The ability to com 
 bine conflicting or inert elements into a solid, active 
 body will always hold the highest position in civil 
 ized society. 
 
 The so-called secret societies are the results of 
 this instinct. Some of them, if not as ancient as 
 any national or religious organization, have their 
 origin in the ages of elementary government; have, 
 what might be called an umbilical cord, running 
 back to the origin of all government. All of them 
 serve the important purpose in society of teaching 
 authority and obedience, without which law and 
 order is impossible. The most vicious member of 
 a vicious society, by agreeing to sacrifice some of 
 his privileges to better secure the others, becomes 
 unconsciously better prepared to obey other laws, 
 and eventually becomes a useful member of society; 
 while as a member of a higher organization whose 
 objects, in part at least, are beneficent towards 
 society, he acquires the knowledge of parliamentary 
 forms, and the habit of listening deferentially to 
 opinions differing from his own. 
 
 Thus we have, as powerful auxiliaries in the 
 maintenance of law and order, the numerous socie 
 ties of the age, such as Masons, Odd Fellows, Good 
 Templars, arid Sons of Temperance, Knights of the 
 Bed Cross, etc. The former two of the list, especially, 
 have become almost cosmopolitan in character and 
 influence, modifying the rancors and cruelties of 
 war, and carrying a benign influence into millions 
 of places. The secrets, which are made of great 
 account in all societies, are a means of attracting 
 the public, and holding them together. The mystery 
 of the Shekinah held the Israelites together. The 
 Greeks had the Adelphos, and Elusinian mysteries. 
 The Egyptians had mysteries, and, in later times, 
 the Druids had a wonderful, valuable mystery in 
 their possession. Men, as well as women, love a 
 mystery, and are led away by it. 
 
 The society of Free Masons has, probably, the 
 best claims to antiquity of any of the beneficiary 
 societies of modern times. It is quite certain that 
 at least one thousand years ago the builders of 
 churches and palaces, who moved about over Europe 
 as their services were wanted in the different towns, 
 formed themselves into guilds, where each one's 
 rank as a builder was fixed by his rank in the 
 society. They were accustomed to camp in a body 
 under the direction of the officers. The society was 
 not unlike the modern Typographical Union in its 
 objects and organization. From the best accounts 
 there were several of them in different parts cf 
 Europe, but a membership in one made it much 
 easier to gain admission to another. In several 
 instances the governments manifested considerable 
 hostility to the organizations on account of their 
 maintaining extortion rates for work. The terms, 
 entered apprentice, fellow craft, free and accepted 
 Masons, i. e., free to work at the trade, indicate 
 beyond doubt the nature and object of the organi 
 zation. 
 
 The signs and secret work enabled the members to 
 recognize each other's standing as workmen without 
 the trouble of testing the work, arid also to assist 
 each other in traveling about the country in those 
 lawless times, in going from one job to another. 
 
 The changes in the system of building large cathe 
 drals like those of the middle ages in sparsely settled 
 countries, the denser populations and greater diffusion 
 of knowledge, architectural as well as other kinds, 
 obviated the necessity of societies for mutual protec 
 tion, as every city of any note hud an ample number 
 of architects and stone-cutters to do all its work. 
 
 The churches or church had, in the first instances, 
 rather encouraged the formation of the societies as 
 tending to disseminate the knowledge of build 
 ing. In the later years it discouraged the existence 
 of the societies as setting up a secret which was 
 superior to the confessional, an opposition which it 
 still maintains with persistent action. 
 
 In the beginning of the seventeenth century the 
 societies gradually ceased to be of a trade character, 
 and began to take on a form of self-protection 
 admitting as members persons who had no knowledge 
 of stone-cutting or other mechanical arts, the old 
 emblems of the tools of the trade being retained as 
 symbols of degrees and character. 
 
 MODERN MASONRY 
 
 Began in London, June 24, 1717, when the four 
 London lodges united into one and named their 
 grand master. From this time forward no practical 
 knowledge of mechanical work was required for 
 admission. The principal promoters of this union 
 were, Desaguliers, a well-known popularizer of 
 science, and James Anderson, a Presbyterian clergy 
 man, who compiled the book of constitutions con 
 taining the charges, rites and traditions of the craft, 
 reducing them to something like system and order. 
 From this time no new lodge could be formed without 
 
276 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 a warrant from the grand lodge. The Dnke of 
 Montagu became grand master. Other noblemen 
 also joined the order so that it lost somewhat of its 
 democratic character. The principle of charity, as 
 well as self-protection, became incorporated into it, 
 and schools were organized at the time, some of 
 which (Battersea and Tottenham) are continued to 
 this day. 
 
 The latter part of the eighteenth century a kind 
 of rebellion or assumption of authority took place by 
 the old York lodge of masons, claiming the right to 
 issue warrants for the organization of subordinate 
 lodges. This lodge claimed to have existed from 
 926. They also had a new ritual, introducing the 
 red color of the Royal Arch, which they declared of 
 higher rank than the blue degree of St. John. It 
 was claimed to be a degree used at the second build 
 ing of the Temple. Another branch also introduced 
 an order of the Templars. In 1813, the Dukes of 
 Sussex, Kent and Athole, succeeded in uniting all 
 these orders together under the name of " The 
 United Grand Lodge of England." This patronage 
 of the nobility gave the order an impetus which 
 resulted in making it almost a national matter. 
 About this time Jews were admitted to membership. 
 They built a hall for the collection of material per 
 taining to the order, established several magazines 
 such as the Freemason's Magazine, and the Freemason, 
 and the Freemason's Quarterly, and built an asylum 
 for indigent and unfortunate members of the order. 
 
 At present, England has sixty provincial lodges, 
 twelve hundred minor lodges, grand chapter of the 
 royal arch degree, grand lodge for the mark masters, 
 grand conclave of the knights' templars, and a 
 superior grand council of the ancient and accepted 
 rite of the thirty-three degrees. 
 
 Masonry was introduced into Ireland in 1730. In 
 Scotland the history of the order was much like that 
 in England except that at one time females, widows 
 of members, were admitted as parties interested in 
 building contracts. Desaguliers, the apostle of 
 Masonry in England, appeared in Edinburg in 1721, 
 and succeeded in modifying the character of the 
 organization, and bringing about a union with the 
 London societies. St. Andrew's day was substituted 
 for that of St. John the Baptist, and on November 
 30, 1736, a grand lodge for Scotland was formed, act 
 ing in connection with the grand lodge of England. 
 
 It is said that in Scotland the growth of the order 
 was rather towards conviviality than charity. .Some 
 of the ceremonies, such as drinking beer out of a 
 human skull, had to be eliminated. The head of 
 the St. Clair family resigned his hereditary office 
 and became the first grand master. The supreme 
 grand royal arch chapter was organized at Edinburg, 
 but its authority is not recognized by other similar 
 orders. 
 
 Masonry as a speculative order was introduced in 
 France in 1725, and from the first was patronized 
 largely by the nobility. An attempt to engraft on 
 
 it the mysteries of Cagliostro, the most accomplished 
 humbug the world ever saw, which were said to 
 have been derived from the deciphered records of 
 Egypt, and also the Rosicrucian mysteries, and still 
 more, a pretension to holy inspiration, came near 
 strangling the infant in its cradle. Some of the 
 Bonapartes, and Marshals Kellerman and Massena, 
 were members of the order. Napoleon the Great 
 rather frowned on the order, as it contained too 
 many of the nobility, who might come to a better 
 understanding, and the members of ihefamilie with 
 drew from the order. It does not flourish in France 
 as in the more Protestant countries, the secrets of 
 the order being out of -reach of the confessional. 
 
 Germany claims the honor of organizing modern 
 masonry, and have what is called the royal mother 
 lodge of the world. Those best acquainted with its 
 workings and history, or at least some of them, say 
 that the masonic organization was older in England 
 than in Germany; that it was carried to Germany, 
 and flourished there while it was nearly forgotten in 
 England; that it was brought back irom Germany, 
 getting its final movement in England. 
 
 GENERAL TENDENCY OP MASONRY. 
 
 It is impossible, even for members, to judge accu 
 rately what its general tendency is. It undoubtedly 
 is to some extent a rival, for favor, with the religious 
 societies of the world, in a manner satisfying the 
 hunger for a religious belief by holding in its bosom 
 a continued mystery, whose end cannot be reached. 
 The claim to be a charitable institution, to do good to 
 the whole world, has perhaps a tendency to make 
 them brethren with those who cannot give the signs 
 of fellowship. Others -contend that there is a ten 
 dency to a degeneracy into a convivial club. It is 
 likely that all these tendencies prevail in different 
 places, depending upon the tone of the surrounding 
 society. 
 
 The charge that was made against the order a half 
 a century since of hatching treason to government, 
 or the general plunder of society, has been forgotten 
 and need not be defended here, though the Masonic 
 lodges in some parts of Europe, especially in France, 
 Italy and Austria, are said to be amenable to this 
 charge, as also to the charge of entertaining irrelig 
 ious opinions. 
 
 INTRODUCTION INTO THE UNITED STATES. 
 
 Masonry was -introduced into Boston in 1733, 
 which was followed by lodges in different colonies. 
 After the war of Independence grand lodges were 
 formed in the several States, it flourished until 1829, 
 when an exposure was made by a man by the name 
 of Morgan in Batavia, New York. He was spirited 
 away, and never heard of more. The old Whig party, 
 which had an existence of a quarter of a century, 
 was formed out of discontents in regard to, the tariff 
 and opponents to Free Masonry. In the hurry and 
 skurry of politics, Masonry was forgotten and 
 allowed to outgrow the odium attached to it in Mor- 
 
SOCIETIES. 
 
 277 
 
 gnn's time. Ben. Franklin was a grand master of a 
 lodge in Philadelphia. Washington was also a mem 
 ber. There are now forty-three grand lodges, and 
 five thousand subordinate lodges in the United 
 States, numbering four hundred thousand members, 
 officers being elected each year by ballot. 
 
 The officers of an organized lodge are : Worshipful 
 Master, Senior. Warden, Junior Warden, Treasurer, 
 Secretary, Senior Deacon, Junior Deacon, Tyler and 
 Chaplain. 
 
 The Masonic library of books, written to explain 
 its workings and claims to antiquity and support 
 numbers four thousand volumes. 
 
 VOLCANO LODGE, NO. 56, 
 
 Is the oldest in the county, having been in existence 
 since 1855. The first officers were J. C. Shipman, W. 
 M.; T. Stewart, S. W.; E. Sammis, J. W.; B. W. 
 Payne, Treas.; W. Hudson, S.; J. II. Welch, T. Since 
 then the position of W. M. was held by G. R. Walker, 
 1856; W. Ayer, 1857; J. W. Bicknel, 1858; R. Stew 
 art, 1859-60-62-65; Charles Wilson, 1861; L. Mc- 
 Laine, 1863-64, 1869, 1878-79 ; A. Young, 1866-67-68 ; 
 James Adams, 1870-71, 1873-74-75-76-77; Louis Mil 
 ler, 1872. Many prominent men have been members 
 of this lodge. Quite a volume might be written on 
 the actions and adventures of the men who have at 
 different times been associated in this institution. 
 
 AMADOR LODGE, NO. 65, 
 
 Was organized the same year, at Jackson, with W. 
 W. Cope, as W. M.; W. M. Eogers, S. W.; C. Boyn- 
 ton, J. W.; P. Clark, Treas.; B. Hubbard, S.; J. J. Gib 
 bons, T. Since then the chair of W. M. was filled by 
 J. E. Graham, 1856-57; W. W. Cope, in 1858; At. J. 
 Little, in 1859-60-62-63, 1865; M. Levinsky, 1861; J. 
 Foote Turner, 1867; E. Aitken, in 1868-69-70-71-72- 
 73; Wallace Kay, in 1874-75-76-77-78-79. This 
 lodge also has had several distinguished names on its 
 rolls, such as W. W. Cope, who was a Chiet Justice, 
 and also that of J. T. Farley, United States Senator 
 for California. The institution is flourishing, having 
 a hall of its own. 
 
 TONE .LODGE. NO. 80, 
 
 Was also organized in 1855, with A. E. Callaway as 
 W. M.; J. T. Poe, S. W.; E Benedick, J. W.: I. B. 
 Gregory, Treas.; J. C. Gear, S.; and W. S. Porter, T. 
 Soon after the organization the lodge, in conjunction 
 with the citizens, erected a two-story building, taking 
 the upper portion for the Masonic Hall, while the low 
 er was occupied as a school-bouse. About 1870, the 
 Masons and Odd Fellows together purchased the 
 Turner building, on extremely favorable terms, and 
 converted the upper part into a convenient and com 
 modious hall, which they have since occupied. The 
 position of W. M. has been filled since the organiza 
 tion by A. E. Callaway, in 1856; J. C. Gear, in 1857; 
 J. A. Eagon, in 1858; II. II. Ehees, in 1859; J. Foot 
 Turner, in 1860; E. F. Stevens, in 1861, 1866; J. 
 Farnsworth, in 1862; E. II. Withington, in 1863; 
 George Haverstick, in 1864; A. K. Dudley, in 1865; 
 
 James Cumming, in 1867; M. C. Parkinson, in 
 1868-69; J. W. Surface, in 1870-71, 1874; B. Isaacs, 
 in 1872-73; John Merchant, in 1875-76-77; W. A. 
 Bennetts, in 1878-79. The members of this lodge 
 are said to be worth, in the aggregate, near a 
 million dollars, and the society is always in funds. 
 
 HENRY CLAY LODGE, NO. 90, 
 
 Was organized in 1856, at Sutter Creek, with S. F. 
 Benjamin as W. M.- A. II. Eose. S. W.; O. P. South 
 well, J. W.; James Murry, Treas.; A. Hay ward, S.; 
 and D. Crandall. T. The position of W. M. has been 
 filled by 0. P. Southwell, in 1857; A. Hayward, in 
 1858-59-60-61; II. Wood, in 1862; John Gaver, in 
 1863-64; Henry M. Fisk, in 1865-66-67-68; Thomas 
 Dunlap, in 1869, 1871-72-73, 1875 ; A. C. Joy, in 1870 ; 
 Henry Peck, in 1874; Morris Brinn, in 1876-77; J. 
 E. Eussel, in 1878; and John Lithgow, in 1879. This 
 lodge is also in good financial circumstances, many of 
 the rich mine-owners, as Ilayward, Chamberlain and 
 others, having been members. 
 
 ST. MARKS LODGE, NO. 115, 
 
 Was organized in 1857, at Oleta (Fiddletown), with 
 T. L. Sullivan as W. M.; A. B. Eowland, S. W.; T. 
 M. Horrell, J. W.; A. Eneas Quin, Treas.; Thomas 
 Horan, S.; and II. A. Kutchenthall, T. This lodge, 
 in consequence of the decrease of the population and 
 failure of the mines, has had a struggle for existence. 
 In 1875 it was consolidated with No. 85, at Indian 
 Diggings, to which it was attached until 1879, when 
 it was reorganized at Oleta. The position of W. M. 
 was filled in 1858-59-60, by F. L. Sullivan; in 1861, 
 by Thomas Horan; in 1862, by J. B. Hill; in 1863- 
 64-65, by W. B. Norman; in 1866, by D. Coblentz; 
 in 1867, 1872-73-74, by Charles Lee; in 1868, by A. P. 
 Wood; in 1869, by J. W. McManus; in 1870, by C. A. 
 Purinton; in 1871, by II. J. Dial; in 1879, by H. II. 
 Bell. 
 
 DRYTOWN LODGE, NO. 174, 
 
 Was organized in 1865, with J. B. Hill as W. M.; 
 J. M. Hinkson, S. W.; Daniel Worley, J. W; M. A. 
 Hinkson, Treasurer; A. S. Eichardson, S; and C. II. 
 Misner, T. The first W. M. occupied the same posi 
 tion the two succeeding terms; the years 1868-69- 
 70-71-72-74-75-76, by J. M. Hinkson; the year of 
 1873 by Henry Burchell; 1877, by J. A. Gessler, and 
 1879 by William Jennings. This lodge, the youngest 
 in the county, has had its seasons of prosperity and 
 adversity. When the mines along the lode employ 
 a great many men the numbers on the roll increase. 
 
 ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER. 
 
 This is an advanced order of Masonry, and was 
 derived from the York branch, having no connection 
 with Scottish branch, which confers the thirty -three 
 degrees. They date from the second building of 
 Solomon's temple, which date is obtained by adding 
 five hundred and thirty to the current year, 1881, 
 becoming 2411 A. I., or Anno Inventionern (year of 
 the discovery). The officers are High Priest, King, 
 Scribe, Treasurer, Secretary, Captain of the Host, 
 
278 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Principal Sojourner, Royal Arch Captain, Masters 
 of the third, second, and first vails, and Guard. 
 
 A Chapter, called the Volcano Chapter, No. 8, 
 was organized at Volcano, May 3, 1856. At the 
 session of the Grand Lodge in 1860, the name was 
 changed to "Sutter Creek," retaining the same 
 number. The present officers are John Lithgow, 
 H. P.; T. Dunlap, K.; Robert Robinson, S.; V. 
 Lutei^Vy, Treas.; A. K. Dudley, Sec'y.; J. Mc- 
 Dougu., Post C. of H.; Wallace Kay, P. S.; M. 
 Brinn, R. A. C.; R. Redpath, Mastr 3d V.; D. A. 
 Patterson, Mastr 2dV.; John Oulds, Mastr 1st V.; 
 John Jelmini, Guard; Past High Priests, Alvinza 
 Hayward, R. Aitken, John Lithgow, J. YV. Surface. 
 
 Members of the Royal Arch Chapter: James 
 Adams, J. Q. Adams, G. Allen, W. A. Bennets, A. 
 Berryman, J. M. Campbell, P. A. Clute, \V .S. Cool- 
 idge, R. Cosner, D. T. Davis, P. Fagan, J. T. Farley, 
 H^ D. Ford, F. Frates, W. H. Gunsolus, H. F. Hall, 
 J. W. Houston, B. Isaacs, John Marchant, L. Mc- 
 Laine, S. S. Manon, J. W. McMurry, J. Milliken, J. 
 Miller, G. Newman, L. R. Poundstone, C. A. Purin- 
 ton, J. Reardon, P. S. Robertson, J. E. Russel, S. G. 
 Spagnoli, B. Spagnoli, J. A. Steinberger, J. F. 
 Stewart, J. B. Stevens, W. Sutherland, J. P. Sur 
 face, F. K. Taber, W. H. S. Welch, D. H. Whitlatch, 
 numbering fifty-six. 
 
 ORIGIN OP ODD FELLOWSHIP. 
 
 Unlike the Masons, the origin of this order was in 
 a convivial club, existing in the latter part of the 
 last century in London, called the " Ancient and 
 Honorable Order of Odd Fellows." Attempts were 
 made to change the character of the order to one of 
 more sobriety and decorum, which not succeeding, a 
 portion seceded, and called themselves the Union 
 Order of Odd Fellows. The members in England 
 now number about five hundred thousand. April 
 26, 1819, Thomas Wildey and four others organized 
 the first lodge of Odd Fellows in the United States, 
 acting under a charter from the Union Order of Odd 
 Fellows. This day is frequently celebrated by the 
 members. The order was established in Boston, 
 March 26, 1820, and in Philadelphia, December 26, 
 1821, both lodges receiving their charter from the 
 Baltimore lodge. A grand charter was then issued 
 to the past grands of New York. Since then the 
 order has been established in. every State and Terri 
 tory, and, perhaps, every county in the Union. 
 There are forty-eight grand lodges, thirty six grand 
 encampments, five thousand four hundred and eighty- 
 eix subordinate lodges, one thousand five hundred 
 and twelve subordinate encampments, and five hun 
 dred and twelve Rebekah degree lodges. Candi 
 dates for admission must be free white males of 
 good moral character, and twenty-one years old, 
 who believe in a Supreme Being, the creator and 
 preserver of the universe. Fidelity to the laws of 
 the land and of the society, and the duties of good 
 citizenship are strictly enjoined, though the order 
 
 is moral and beneficiary, rather than religious. Its 
 secrecy consists of an unwritten and unspoken lan 
 guage by means of signs, which serves for mutual 
 recognition. Five or more members may constitute 
 a subordinate lodge, whose functions are chiefly 
 administrative. It provides means to relieve its sick 
 and distressed members, to bury the dead, to relieve 
 the widow, and to educate the orphan. The by-laws 
 constitute the legal contract between the initiate 
 and the lodge. The series of degrees with white, 
 pink, blue, green, and scarlet, represent moral les 
 sons. The officers of a subordinate lodge are Noble 
 Grand, Vice-Grand, Secretary, and Treasurer, and 
 are elected semi-annuully. The degree of Rebekah 
 was created in 1851, to be conferred upon the female 
 members of the Odd Fellow families. 
 
 THE ENCAMPMENT 
 
 Is composed of members of the scarlet degree. The 
 officers are Patriarch, High Priest, Senior and Junior 
 Wardens, Secretary and Treasurer. They have the 
 exclusive right to confer the patriarchal, golden rule 
 and royal purple degrees, and are officered by a Chief 
 Patriarch, High Priest, Senior Warden, Scribe, Treas 
 urer and Junior Warden. All Past Patriarchs in 
 good standing, are members of grand encampments. 
 The grand encampment meets annually, and is offi 
 cered by a Grand Patriarch, Grand High Priest, 
 Grand Senior Warden, Grand Scribe, Grand Treas 
 urer, and Grand Junior Warden, elected annually. 
 The grand lodge and grand encampments derive 
 their revenues from charier fees and per centage on 
 lodge or encampment revenues, and a per capita tax. 
 The Grand Lodge of the United States is composed 
 of representatives elected biennially by the several 
 grand lodges and encampments. Its elective officers 
 are a Grand Sire, Grand Secretary and Grand Treas 
 urer, elected biennially. The seat of government is 
 Baltimore, where the order in the United States was 
 first organized. Its revenue now amounts to over 
 five million dollars annually. Since 1843 the order 
 has had no official connection with or responsibility 
 to the Union Order of Odd "Fellows of England; 
 hence the term Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 
 The Independent Order of Odd Fellows has four 
 supreme grand lodges one in the United States; 
 one in the German Empire; one in Australia, and 
 one in New Zealand. In the United States it has 48 
 subordinate grand lodges, 30 grand encampments, 
 6,734 subordinate lodges, 1,318 subordinate encamp 
 ments, and 870 Rebekah lodges, composed of mem 
 bers of the fifth degree and their wives. Total reve 
 nue for one year, $4,516,660.63. During the year 
 1877, there were 40,578 initiations. Since the organ 
 ization to 1877, the initiations amounted to 1,064,928; 
 members relieved, 816,882; widowed families relieved 
 108,385; members buried, 74,226. The whole amount 
 of relief was $69,235,989.45. The membership is now 
 (1881) nearly three-fourths of a million. 
 
SOCIETIES. 
 
 279 
 
 VOLCANO LODGE, NO. 25, 
 
 Was the first in the county, and has held its way 
 firmly ever since, the membership generally approx 
 imating to a hundred. The first officers were, N. 
 Vipon, N. G.; J. W. Warner, V. G.; H. Hanford, E. 
 S.; J. Fridenburg, T. Assets estimated at $3,000 
 The following persons have filled the position of first 
 officer: H. Hanford, P. S. Wilkes, J. E. Warner, H. 
 Lake, J. Halsey, T. A. Goodwin, A. Petty, E. Grant, 
 D. S. Boj'dston, Chas. Wilson, A. Howerton, L. Miller, 
 Geo. Collins, N. Euddick, B. Eoss. * * * 
 
 Members of the Etbekah Degree Mesdames Han 
 nah E. Warner, Elizabeth Phelps, Sarah Eobinson, 
 Christiana Weller, Catherine Burnhardt, Emma W. 
 Halsey, Mary A. Mails, Lucy B. Hanford. Charlotte 
 Barnum, Warren Tarr, Samuel Hale, Wm. Blakely, D. 
 Lowery, McKensie, Eva Walker, Sophia Babcock, 
 Susan Boydston, Jane Largornarcino, Mary Cox, 
 Julia E. McFadden, James Hall, A. Petty, C. B. 
 Goodrich, E. D. Miller, J. Stainer. 
 
 SUTTER CREEK LODGE, NO. 31, 
 
 Was organized in I860. First officers: C. B. Culver, 
 N. G.; J. T. Skinner, V. G.; J. Davidson, E. S.; W. 
 Gothie, T. Property estimated at $3,425.62. The 
 position of first officer has been held by W. E. Fifield, 
 Wm. Gothie, W. Palmer, E. F. Huse, J. S. Hill, D. 
 M. Hardman, C. Weaver, W. E. Finn, J. Swift, H. B. 
 Bishop, J. H. Hammond, B. F. Taylor, L. Fournier, 
 A. Campbell, W. C. Harvey, James Bennet, J. E. 
 Claxton, J. Higgins, Stephen Moyle. * * * The 
 members of this lodge range from fifty-four to 
 eighty. It is in a flourishing condition. 
 
 Members of Eebekah Degree Mesdames C. E. 
 Bishop, Lavinia Stowers, G. Shealor, J. Collins, E. 
 Blake, G. King, J. Saunders, G. Allen, W. P. Jones, 
 J. W. Allen, Alfred Howell, J acob Turner, James Ham 
 mond, E. M. Corliss, C. D. Burleson, Daniel Donnelly, 
 Eichard Jones, A. E. Greenwell, Jane F. Ellis, Julia 
 Tressider, M. E. Warkins, E. S. Bennett, Jane Smith, 
 Jane Higgins, F. E. Dennis, Ellen Tucker, S. P. 
 Taylor, F. S. Belding, Elizabeth Jacka, Breedlove> 
 - Bruce, Keerfoot, Gilmore, Banell, Pay- 
 ton, M. Brinn, Fagan, Scott, Seaman, Stephen 
 Moyle, John Laswell, Geo. Wrigglesworth, \V. C. 
 Harvey, Wm. II. Turner, J. E. Tregloan, Jane 
 Trippit, D. T. Davis, Thomas Davis, J. E. Davis, F. 
 Labin, Alfred Howell. 
 
 JACKSON LODGE, NO. 36, 
 
 Organized in 1860. First officers : H. Iloeber, N. G.; 
 J. P. Alsover, V. G.; S. Page, E. S; A. Yoak, Treas 
 urer. The value of property was estimated at three 
 thousand one hundred and eighty dollars. The first 
 officers since its organization were: E. G. Freeman, D. 
 Cuppet, S. B. Bartlett, E. Agard. J. T. Shelborne, E. 
 S. Hall, L. Brandt, E. B. Styles, D. B. Spagnoli, H. 
 W. Allen, L. J. Dodge, J. A. Peters, J. Smith, J. Hol- 
 lingsworth, J. C. McJSTamara. * * * 
 
 Members of Eebekah Degree Mesdames B. B. Eed- 
 head, W. A. Eogers, E. G. Freeman, N. M. Bowman, 
 T. D. Wells, Thomas Shelborne, Sarah S. Eobinson, 
 
 Nancy E. Miller, Elizabeth Keshler, Laura Brummel, 
 Catherine A. Hall, E. Hesse, J. D. Mason, S. H. 
 Bartlett, N. C. Briggs, Mary J. Perry, L. J. Little- 
 field, Susan Meek, Isabella E. Spagnoli, M. Lory, E. 
 Warren, F. Brandt, L. J. Doaye, James Avis, Fred. 
 Balls, H, L. Joy, O. Walther, T. A. Springer, I. 
 Ideans, A. Gabrino. 
 
 IONE LODGE, NO. 51. 
 
 First officers: J. Bowen,N. G.; J. Bagley, V.G.; G. 
 f ilaverstick,E. S.; D. Stewart, Treasurer. First officers 
 since : Geo. Haverstick, T. P. Stewart, M. Zimmer, A. 
 Preater, I. B. Fish, 0. N. Morse, C. Burgen, G. W. 
 Owens, C. B. Strong, H. Craner, E. Ludgate, J.W. Sur 
 face, A. B. McDonald, W.K.Johnston, Henry C.King, 
 W. H.Prouty, James McCauley. * * * Value of prop 
 erty in 1860, fifteen hundred dollars. For many 
 years this lodge was weak in numbers, though strong 
 in purpose, the numbers varying from nineteen in 
 1861 to thirty as late as 1870. After that it took a 
 start, and now numbers nearly a hundred, with an 
 interest in a good hall, and is in a good working 
 condition. Assets in 1872, twelve hundred dollars. 
 
 Members of the Eebekah Degree Mesdames Mar 
 garet Bagley, Margaret Morse, Mary A. Dutschke, 
 Elizbeth Baker, J. McCauley, Moses Myer, D. Stew 
 art, E. Ludgate, John Hartman, Virginia Burgen, 
 May Ann Brown, T. Eichards, D. Fisher, L. H. Lang. 
 
 TELEGRAPH LODGE, NO. 79 
 
 Was instituted at Oleta (Fiddletown) in 1859. Char 
 ter members : James Burt, J. C. Chestnut. John 
 Cumberland, John Cox. George Harridon, J. H. 
 Howleit, J. F. Ot-trom, Wilmer Palmer, F. P. Smith, 
 
 C. O. Sloat, Leroy Worden, H. H. White. Third 
 degree W. E. Dean, J. W. Kendall, J. Keifer, B. F. 
 Marble, Samuel Parker, E. A. Sloat, E. Wigal. Sec 
 ond degree, David Frazine. In a short time it had 
 thirty-three members. Leroy Worden was the first 
 representative to the Grand Lodge. N. G.'s since 
 the organization : J. F. Ostrom, S. Parker, H. D. 
 Ford, W. T. Ligget, J. E. Bates, F. A. Charleville, 
 G. Coblentz, W. F. Knapp. C. Perry, A. F. Driver, E. 
 A. Sloat, E. Brown, * * * 
 
 Members of the Degree of Eebekah Mrs. E. S. 
 Potter. * * * 
 
 'LANCHA PLANA LODGE, NO. 95, 
 
 Organized in 1860. First officers : H. A. Messinger, 
 N. G.; S. Kidd, V. G.; Wm. Cook, E. S.; J. P. Mc- 
 Henry, Treasurer. The assets were valued at eight 
 hundred and eighty-one dollars and eighty-seven 
 cents. The position of N. G. was afterwards filled 
 by J. P. McHenry, H. Percival, * * * In 1864 
 the lodge ceased to report, the members uniting 
 with other lodges. 
 
 PLYMOUTH LODGE, NO. 260, 
 
 Was instituted at Plymouth, June 15, 1879, by John 
 Blower, D. D. G. M., assisted by I. N. Eandolph, P. 
 G. M., assisted by other P. G. Masters. Charter 
 members: C. A. Cordell, W. Wright, J. A. Gessler, 
 
 D. W. Walker, T. P. Bawden, S. G. Lewis, Charles 
 Green, E. S. Potter, S. Eing, E. Summers, and John 
 
280 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Daviggio; D. W. Walker being the first N. G., and 
 T. P. Bawden the next. This lodge, unlike some 
 of the others, became numerous immediately. They 
 have a fine hall, and have never felt the pinch of 
 poverty. The prosperity of the Order has been 
 largely due to the active exertions of Uhas. Green, 
 who was for many years the foreman of the Empire 
 and Phoenix mines. 
 
 THE GRAND ENCAMPMENT, NO. 17, 
 
 Is composed of members of the scarlet or fifth . 
 degrees, these being, in their order, white, pink, 
 blue, green, and scarlet. Two encampments have 
 been formed in the county; the Amador, No. 17, at 
 Sutter Creek, and the Marble, No. 19, at Volcano, 
 the latter afterwards being removed to lone, retain 
 ing the same name. The first was organized in 
 1859, with J. A* Brown as Chief Patriarch; J. T. 
 Skinner, High Priest;- J. M. Smith, Senior Warden, 
 Charles Doveton, Scribe; D. Gardner, Treasurer; 
 James Foster, Junior Warden. The officers are 
 elected semi-annually; S. L. Sutton, Isaac Tripp, 
 Wilmer Palmer, Morris Brinn, L. T. McLinn, J. H. 
 Hammond, and G. A. Newton, having been Chief 
 Patriarchs at different times since. 
 
 THE MARBLE ENCAMPMENT, NO. 19, 
 
 Was organized June 19, I860, with E. A. Kingsley 
 as C. P.; B. Ross, II. P.; G. Williams, S. W.; R. F. 
 Logan, J. W.; Joseph Samuels, Treasurer. The 
 following persons have since filled the position of 
 Chief Patriarch: I. Butland, R. M. Bradshaw, George 
 Collins, H. T. Barnum. This list is not complete, 
 the official returns not being at hand, the object- 
 in this history being to give an idea of the workings 
 of the order rather than a detailed history. As in the 
 Masonic order the literature which one must read 
 and become familiar with to be well up in the order, 
 is immense. 
 
 The society is yet plastic in all its workings, 
 readily adapting itself to the changing habits of 
 mankind. The main object is relief to its members, 
 but a great many other things are accomplished. 
 The societies have numerous, well-stocked libraries, 
 where the best of books are kept free of charge, for 
 its members, though friends of the members are not 
 rigidly excluded, but frequently admitted as a mat 
 ter of courtesy. Much good is being accomplished 
 in this way. The introduction of the Degree of 
 Rebekah admitting females, was probably in re 
 sponse to the general demand for admitting women 
 to greater privileges, which, in time, may be- still 
 farther extended. The friends of the order have 
 ample cause to be satisfied, and are not wanting 
 substantial reasons for claiming Odd Fellowship as 
 the best fruit of modern civilization. 
 
 TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES. 
 
 These were organized in an early day. As early 
 as 1853 a body organized after the manner of the 
 Washingtonians held weekly meetings in the old 
 Methodist church at Volcano. There was ample 
 cause for work in this direction, for the habit 
 
 of drinking was fearfully prevalent. All who ever 
 drank, and many who never did before, were swept 
 into the almost universal habit. The churches 
 generally discouraged drinking, but the small voice 
 was not heard amid the clinking of glasses and 
 chinking of gold. Twelve or fifteen persons met and 
 talked over the prevalence of the habit, and com 
 forted each other in their loneliness. Occasionally 
 they would capture for a few months some notorious 
 drinker, sober him off and get a clean shirt on him, 
 but the great mass kept on tbeir course, and every 
 barrel of flour brought into town was sandwiched 
 with whisky, that kept company from the rising to 
 the going down of the sun, until the mines were 
 exhausted. In September and October of that year, 
 the society grew until the roll numbered a hundred 
 or more names. Many hard drinkers were sobered 
 up for a time. The first division of the Sons of Tem 
 perance in the county was organized about the first 
 of November of that year. Davidson, of Amador, 
 W. P.; - - Daviss, P. W. P.; L. S. Scott, C.; R. 
 Stewart, R. S.; Ned Lonegan, F. S.; D. Boydston, 
 I. S.; Jacob Level, 0. S. J. K. Sloughton and Sem- 
 pronius Boyd were among the charter members. 
 When this society was organized the old society was 
 dissolved, most of the members joining the new 
 order. In 1855 a new hall was built, which has been 
 devoted to temperance work since, though occupied 
 by different societies. 
 
 The Sons of Temperance have had organizations 
 in nearly all the towns of the county at different 
 times, flourishing notably in lone in 1875-76, and in 
 Sutter Creek, Amador and Drytown about the same 
 time. These societies are maintained by small 
 monthly dues. They have high-sounding titles, like 
 Worthy Patriarch, Past and Grands of the same, 
 with significant regalia to correspond. Persons of 
 both sexes of fourteen years and upward are 
 admitted. Though temperance is the professed 
 object, the love of power inherent in human nature 
 soon manifests itself, and a lodge or division soon 
 becomes divided into factions, each striving for the 
 mastery. ; Sometimes the younger members will 
 combine against the elder, and make fun and merri. 
 ment the main object. The societies have a pre 
 ventive rather than a reformatory tendency, but 
 undoubtedly exert a healthy influence in holding the 
 evils of intemperance constantly in view, and in 
 teaching habits of obedience and the responsibilities 
 of authority. 
 
 THE GOOD TEMPLARS 
 
 Are of similar character, with perhaps a better sys 
 tem of organization, as the society holds together 
 and accumulates property, having an asylum for 
 orphans at Vallejo which would be a credit to any 
 order. This society had a large prosperity in 
 1858-59-60 at lone. C. B. Strong, I. B. Gregory, 
 Mrs. George Withington, Win. II. Scudder and wile, 
 being among the principal promoters of the organi 
 zation. 
 
RESIDENCE AND RANCH 320 ACRES OF JONATHAN SALLEE, 
 NEAR PLYMOUTH, AMADOR C CAL. 
 
 CENTRAL HOUSE RANCH. 
 
 RESIDENCE AND PROPERTY OF M^ ss M.H.WELLS J.H.GRAMBART, 
 
SOCIETIES. 
 
 281 
 
 THE KNIGHTS OF THE RED CROSS, 
 
 A beneficiary society, is flourishing of late years. 
 This has engrafted some of the customs of the Ma 
 sonic and Odd Fellows' organizations on the former 
 temperance unions, and are consequently more self- 
 sustaining. The order is flourishing in lone at the 
 present writing. 
 
 THE BLUE RIBBON SOCIETY 
 
 Is an order which requires its members to wear the 
 badge of abstinence in the daily intercourse with 
 mankind. The lodge at Volcano was organized by 
 Doctor Haskell, an itinerant temperance reformer. 
 It numbers about one hundred members. It has a 
 President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. 
 R. Stewart was the first President; James Jenkins, 
 Vice-President. The present officers are : George 
 Madeira, President; Miss Anna Whitchead, Vice- 
 President; Miss Minnie Mclntyre, Treasurer, and 
 Miss Ellen Cottingham, Secretary. The Blue Ribbon 
 Bugle is a manuscript paper read once or twice a 
 month to the society and others interested. 
 
 THE GENERAL TENDENCY OF TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES 
 
 Is undoubtedly good, though a habit of indulgence 
 which has prevailed for centuries cannot be eradi 
 cated in a generation. Inherited appetite, customs 
 of society, and pecuniary interests are all conducive 
 to the perpetuation of the vice of drinking. Sump 
 tuary laws have ever been unpopular, and conse 
 quently laws regulating the manufacture, sale and 
 consumption of alcoholic beverages have had much 
 prejudice to contend with, much negative opposition; 
 but when public opinion generally sanctions them 
 they will be as effective as other laws. 
 
 SUBJECTS FOR INSANE ASYLUMS. 
 
 Whisky, and the excitement of mining, with its 
 gains and losses, hopes and disappointments, sent a 
 fearful number to the Insane Asylum, the average 
 from Amador county, according to the reports, being 
 one a month. As to whisky as a cause of insanity, 
 the opinion of E. T. Wilkins, Commissioner in 
 Lunacy for the State of California, as found in his 
 report to Gov. H. II. Haight, December 2, 1871, may 
 be to the point: 
 
 With regard to intemperance It 
 
 seems to be the bane of all countries, and claims its 
 victims in every civilized nation and under every 
 form of government. It is the common enemy of 
 mankind, the destroyer of domestic happiness, the 
 copartner of every crime from petit larceny to mur 
 der. It is the father of poverty, the creator of 
 debauchery, and the principal working tool of the 
 devil. No man is bold enough to defend it, and yet 
 it is tolerated by all classes of society. It finds its 
 way alike to the house of the rich and the home of 
 the poor. It is the boon companion at the festive 
 board of the aristocrat and the poorly provided table 
 of the cottager. It has caused more heart-aches, 
 produced more tears, engendered more sorrows, 
 starved more babies, and led to more insanity than 
 any other agent in existence if not more than all 
 other causes combined. We are strongly inclined to 
 36 
 
 the opinion that directly or remotely it is more 
 potent in producing these results than all other 
 causes. It is the sin of civilization that it has found 
 out ways of extracting alcohol from natural sub 
 stances, so that it is offered in tempting forms and 
 accessible abundance to the weak and incautious 
 who would not instinctively seek it, as well as those 
 whose appetites demand it. If, then, civilization is 
 responsible for the introduction of this destructive 
 element among mankind, it is certainly its duty, and 
 it should be compelled, to provide for its victims. 
 How to arrest its progress, if, indeed, it be possible, 
 we must leave to the wiser heads of the Legislature 
 and the statesman; and he who can solve the prob 
 lem will be the wisest of men, and a greater bene 
 factor to his fellow-men than has ever yet appeared 
 among them. 
 
 BURLESQUE SOCIETIES. 
 
 The essential object of these is fun; it matters 
 little at whose expense. Eidicule is a chief element 
 in all the ceremonies and exercises. All that admits 
 of it is burlesqued. The members claim for the 
 societies that in addition to affording amusement, 
 which is a sanitary necessity, they take down the 
 pretentious and pompous, prick the bubbles of ego 
 tism, and benefit society in many ways. If only the 
 conceited, pompous and pretentious were made sub 
 jects of the initiation, there would be some claim for 
 the respect of the community; but it often happens 
 that the unsuspecting and honest are their victims. 
 
 THE E-CLAMPSUS VITUS 
 
 Flourished in 1861-62, especially in lone. The ini 
 tiation was generally newly arranged for each sub 
 ject. One ceremony was to make the initiate crawl 
 through a portion of an old smokestack and acceler 
 ate his movements by dashing buckets of cold water 
 after him; another, to run him blindfolded over 
 chains and other obstructions until his shins were 
 well barked; another, to make him jump from a terri 
 ble height (?) into a tub of cold water, after which 
 he was dressed up in some absurd way, brought before 
 a mirror and the blind removed, that he might " see 
 himself as the world saw him." Not all were ad 
 mitted in this way; some were received for the pur 
 pose of assisting in the work. 
 
 Many sober, honest, middle-aged men were induced 
 to join to become the possessors of the great secret. 
 
 THE HAUTONTIMOROUMENOS 
 
 Flourished in Amador, but had branches in Sutter, 
 Jackson and other places. From the cuts with 
 which their official papers were ornamented, the 
 impression would be formed that the society was 
 rather of the convivial order. 
 
 THE KNIGHTS OF THE ASSYRIAN CROSS, 
 
 Organized in 1873, have maintained a longer exist 
 ence than any others of this class in the county. 
 In Sutter Creek, where the first lodge was organized, 
 they number one hundred members; fifty in Jackson, 
 and about the same in lone. The high, swelling 
 names of the other societies are burlequesed in great 
 style, the English dictionary being ransacked to find 
 
282 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 suitable superlatives. Grand Mogul, Great Grand 
 Light of Ages, Grand Executioner, Bearer of the 
 Great Seal, and everything else of a grandiose char 
 acter are freely appropriated and bestowed. An 
 antiquity of a half million of years ia also claimed, 
 antedating Masonic or all other societies. They 
 claim to be benevolent, literary, scientific, philosophic 
 and religious. They occasionally parade in costume, 
 or rather in masks, representing all kinds of animals. 
 They hold public meetings, at which characteristic 
 poems, orations and other exercies are indulged in. 
 Those who wish for further information may un 
 doubtedly obtain it by applying to the proper per 
 
 sons. 
 
 PIONEER SOCIETIES. 
 
 Soon after the settlement, when it became apparent 
 that California was destined to become a great and 
 important State, associations began to be formed, 
 some to preserve the records of the early events, 
 some for mutual assistance, and some as claiming a 
 kind of distinction for having been among the first 
 to arrive in the country. Hence the Pioneer society, 
 which required a residence as early as 1849 for mem 
 bership, and the Territorial Pioneers that required a 
 residence prior to September 9, 1850. 
 
 THE AMADOR SOCIETY OP CALIFORNIA PIONEERS 
 
 Was organized September 9, 1877, at Jackson, Cali 
 fornia. Its objects are to cultivate the social virtues 
 of its members, alleviate their sufferings and sick 
 ness, secure them a decent burial, and, as far as pos 
 sible, render assistance when needed to their widows 
 and orphans, and also assist in perpetuating the 
 memory of those whose love of enterprise and 
 independence induced them to seek a home in the far 
 West and become the germ of a new and great 
 State. Members are required to have had a resi 
 dence previous to December 1, 1852, to be citizens or 
 desirous of becoming such. Male descendants of the 
 above, twenty-one j r ears of age, may become mem 
 bers. Admission fees must not be less than five 
 dollars. Regular monthly dues are established by the 
 society. Members, in case of sickness or bodily 
 injury by which they are prevented from following 
 their usual occupations, are entitled to such weekly 
 benefits as may be fixed by law. Sixty dollars burial 
 expenses are allowed. The regular meetings are on 
 the first and third Mondays of each month. 
 
 Charter members X. Benoist, Chas. Boarman, R. 
 Caminetti, J. D. Davis, Peter David, George Durham, 
 Ellis Evans, Thomas Greenhalgh, H. Goldner, M. W. 
 Gordon, E. Gardner, J. Gross, J. F. Gould, Philip 
 Gilbert, J. F. Harleman, J. C. Ilam, Wm. Jennings, 
 Thomas Jones, E. A. Kent, Thomas Love, John 
 Martin, James Meehan, John Marlett, John B. 
 Phelps, Wm. Pitt, R. W. Palmer, Chas. Peters, John 
 B. Reeves, Chas. B. Swift, Joseph Smith, Louis 
 Tellier, John Vogan. 
 
 REGULAR MEMBERS. 
 
 Allen, J. C. 
 Boarman, Chas.* 
 Billiard, J. B * 
 Benoist, X. 
 Boxall, Wm. 
 Boyrie, Jacques 
 Burnhardt, P. K. 
 Boyer, Julian 
 Bales J. J. 
 Cook, Wm. 
 Durham, George 
 David, Peter 
 Davis, J. D. 
 D \vyer, P. 
 Desbro, Wm. 
 Evans, Ellis 
 Eagon, J. A. 
 Gilbert, Philip 
 Gould, J. F. 
 Gardner, E. 
 Greenhalgh, Thos. 
 Gross, Joseph 
 Goldner, Herman 
 Graham, Frank 
 Hurleman, J. F. 
 Ham, J. C. 
 Howard, Frank 
 Ilanley, Tim. 
 Hinkson, J. M. 
 Hinkson, R. S. 
 Hinkson, N. C. 
 Jennings, Wm. 
 Jones, Thos. 
 Jones, W. C. 
 Kent, E. A. 
 Koch, Albert 
 
 Kelly, Michael 
 Keshler, A. 
 Love. Thomas* 
 Latique, Vital 
 Laronsini, Jean 
 Marlett, John 
 Meehan, James 
 McKoy, R. K. 
 McKinney, A. 
 Peck, Henry* 
 Phelps, J. B. 
 Peters, Charles 
 Pitt, Wm. 
 Palmer, R. W. 
 Plasse, Raymond 
 Reeves, John B. 
 Swift, C. B. 
 Stevitch, J. 
 Straggozi, Paul 
 Schwartz, F. 
 Schwartz, E. 
 Steckler, Chas.* 
 Stewart, Robert 
 Silva, Thos. 
 Staats, F. K. 
 Sejers, Jas. 
 Styles, S. W. 
 Stewart, Danl. 
 Sullivan, Jeremiah 
 Stowers, W. A. 
 Tellier, Louis 
 Truel, H. 
 Tarwater, G. F. 
 Yo /an, John 
 White, George 
 Weller, C. 
 
 LIST OP OFFICERS. 
 
 1878-79. 1880-81. 
 
 President James Meehan James Meehan 
 
 Vice President. -Thomas Jones J. A. Engon 
 
 Secretary J. D. Davis. J. F. Gould 
 
 Treasurer E. Evans ,E. Evans. 
 
 C Louis Tellier ( E. A. Kent 
 Trustees 4 J. F. Gould -j P. Dwyer 
 
 ( P. Dwyer ( John Vogan 
 
 C E. A. Kent ( Thos. Jones 
 
 Finance Com .} T. Greenhalgh.. -< II. Goldner 
 
 ( Charles Peters (_ Thomas Love 
 
 Marshal R. W. Palmer R. W. Palmer. 
 
 The society is making historical collections, and 
 have some curious relics of early years, among which 
 are copies of the Owl and Qaincy Prospector, the first 
 newspapers published in the county. The society is 
 in a flourishing condition. 
 
 THE SCLAVONIC ILLYRIC MUTUAL BENEVOLENT SOCIETY 
 
 Is a branch of the San Francisco society of the same 
 name. Monthly dues, one dollar; the members re 
 ceiving in case of sickness, eight dollars per week. 
 In case of death the funeral expenses are paid by 
 the society. They own a hall, costing about three 
 thousand five hundred dollars. The society was 
 organized at Sutter Creek, 1874. 
 
 GRANGERS. 
 
 Some years since several of these societies were 
 organized in the county. The first was in the vicin- 
 
 *Deceaaed. 
 
SKETCHES OF AMADOR COUNTY BAR. 
 
 283 
 
 ity of the Jackson valley school-house. The objects 
 seemed to have been to protect themselves against 
 the extortions of middle men, by combining to dis 
 pose of their produce dii*ect!y to the consumers. 
 The attempt was not quite successful, owing to the 
 inexperience or incapacity of their agents. It was 
 attempted to engraft them on the political parties, 
 but the Grangers declined any alliance. It is likely, 
 however, that both parties, seeking their votes, con 
 ceded legislation that would not have been given to 
 unorganized sentiment. The influence of the grange 
 is much less now than a few years since. There are 
 still two or three societies in the county. It is 
 probable that social enjoyment rather than financial 
 benefits, is the motive power. The officers are 
 divided between males and females, the latter being 
 elected to offices such as Ceres, Pomona and Flora. 
 A society of this kind meets once a month at Sutter 
 Creek, occasionally holding a feast or day of general 
 recreation. No statistics are at hand. 
 
 CHAPTER XL1II. 
 
 SKETCHES OF AMADOR COUNTY BAR. 
 BY J. G. SEVERANCE, SAN FRANCISCO. 
 
 AT a very early period in the history of California, 
 subsequent to its acquisition by the United States, 
 the Bar of "Old Calaveras" was justly assigned 
 a position in the front rank of the legal profession. 
 It was, with few exceptions, composed of men of 
 push and genius; of acknowledged worth, integrity, 
 ability, and wit; men possessed of learning and 
 culture, acquired in the best of Eastern schools, and 
 of large experience, gained by near association and 
 contact with the ablest lawyers, jurists, and scholars 
 of the commercial and manufacturing cities, and 
 populous agricultural and mineral districts of the 
 Atlantic States. That air of rusticity, and the lim 
 ited professional experience which usually charac 
 terize members of the profession in the interior of 
 older settled sections, were wanting among these 
 cosmopolitan argonauts. They were alike experi 
 enced in, and qualified to skillfully deal with, intri 
 cate questions of maritime, commercial, and inter- 
 nationallaw, as settled and adjudicated by author 
 ity, and to cope with and adjust successfully such 
 novel legal problems as the new industries, customs, 
 and requirements of the newly acquired territory 
 developed; they came prepared for city or country 
 life, for metropolitan, bucolic or pioneer practice. 
 They abandoned the homes of education and refine 
 ment in the East, for the rude life of the Western 
 El Dorado, in search of the Golden Fleece, and, if 
 funds ran low because of the too angelic visits of 
 clients, instead of listlessly awaiting the coming of 
 a brief in their offices, they sought and found lucra 
 tive employment on ranches, in work -shops, kitchens, 
 mining claims, and other vocations, until a popular 
 recognition of their talents gave abundant labor in 
 
 their profession. Many a retainer of corpulent pro 
 portions has been dropped into hands made hard 
 and horny by familiarity with rough labor, or soft 
 ened by culinary employment, and the grease of the 
 dish-pan; and the intricate details of many cases 
 of great financial importance have been imparted to 
 counsel while engaged with pick and shovel at the 
 sluices and the long-torn. 
 
 Ably and well has the Bar of "Old Calaveras" 
 been represented in both the Senate and House of 
 Representatives of the national Congress, and in 
 both Houses of the State Legislature, by not a few 
 of its members; many, to its honor and credit, have 
 worn the judicial ermine. It has furnished gov 
 ernors, and numerous faithful and competent officials 
 for political positions, Federal, State, and municipal, 
 and none have been found unworthy of the trust 
 reposed in them. When, by the Act of the State 
 Legislature of 1854, the little county of Amador was 
 created out of a portion of Calaveras county, the 
 former retained a fair and just proportion of the 
 legal talent which had been embraced within the 
 latter. A jealous, but friendly, rivalry was engen 
 dered between the denizens of the two sections 
 lying on either side of the deep gorge through which 
 flowed the Mokelumne river, and which seemed to 
 have been designed by Nature for a political boun 
 dary line; and frequent contentions arose, in which 
 the opposing clans acknowledged the leadership of 
 the lawyers of their respective divisions. So equally 
 matched were these generals in diplomacy and skill, 
 that a segregation was acquiesced in, as the only 
 method of adjustment, and Amador county was 
 created, that each faction might have full scope for 
 the exercise of its genius. A close intimacy and the 
 kindliest feeling subsequently existed between the 
 two Bars, which have at all times been so closely 
 allied that great difficulty is experienced in record 
 ing the history of the one, without including that of 
 the other. 
 
 The more important of the early litigation in 
 Amador county was concerning matters affecting 
 the respective and relative rights of the miner, the 
 riparian claimant and the agriculturist, up to about 
 the year 1866, when the Supreme Court decided that 
 the interest of a miner in his claim was realty, hence 
 questions affecting such interest were not within the 
 jurisdiction of inferior courts. All cases involving the 
 possession of mining claims, their boundaries and 
 priviliges were tried in Justices' Courts, irrespective 
 of their values, subject to an appeal to the County 
 Court. Consequently large fees were frequently paid 
 to attorneys for conducting trials in these courts 
 where the interests involved often amounted to 
 thousands of dollars. The waters of the rivers and 
 creeks were appropriated and conveyed in ditches 
 and flumes to the mines by the construction of dams 
 and tapping them at different points, and it fre 
 quently became a delicate matter to properly and 
 equitably adjust the rights of adverse claimants. It 
 
284 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 often occurred that beneath the most productive soil, 
 forming the surface of a flat or bar, the bed-rock 
 was richest in its deposits of gold. Hence many 
 questions arose without well-established precedents, 
 and legislative as well as judicial skill was frequently 
 invoked to settle them in such manner as the better 
 to subserve the public welfare and the individual 
 interests of each. Senator Norman, of Calaveras 
 county, introduced a bill, which was known as the 
 Norman Bill, in the Legislature, which became a law 
 in the year 1857, and which, in a great measure, 
 served to reconcile disputes concerning the relative 
 rights of the miner and agriculturist; and the final 
 adjudication of many other litigious propositions 
 arising in the courts of Amador, of a novel charac 
 ter, have largely contributed to the settlement of 
 vexed questions, and rendered certain what was 
 before uncertain. 
 
 Following are the names of those who, as judges 
 and lawyers, have taken an active part in the judi 
 cial affairs of the county since its organization: 
 Marion W. Gordan, W. VV. Cope, Robert M. Briggs, 
 James F. Hubbard, S. J. K. Handy, James T. Farley, 
 James W. Porter, A. C. Brown, Samuel B. Axtell, 
 Thomas D. Grant, T. M. Pawling, H. A. Carter, John 
 C. Gear, Charles Boynton, Judge Reynolds, J. G. 
 Severance, George W. Seaton, John W. Armstrong, 
 James H. Hardy, Alvinza Hayward, John Palmer, 
 W. P. Buchanan, Alonzo Platt, W. T. Curtis, Claiborn 
 Roarer, Henry L. Waldo, Nash C. Briggs, John A- 
 Eagon, Wm. P. George, Fayette Mace, T. J. Phelps, 
 A. C-iminetti, Silas Penry, George Moore, P. C. 
 Johnson, L. N. Ketchum, J. Foot Turner, J. A. 
 Robinson, Henry Cook, Moses Tebbs, George L. Gale. 
 
 Amador county was first included within the fifth 
 judicial district, of which Hon. Charles M. Creanor, 
 now of Stockton, was the Judge. This district was 
 comprised of the populous and important mining 
 and agricultural counties of Amador, Calaveras, 
 Tuolumne, Stanislaus and San Joaquin, and, to dis 
 pose of the enormous amount of litigation arising 
 therein, required great energy, endurance, and dis 
 patch. Court week at Jackson was an eventful 
 season. Motions and demurrers for delay received 
 but little consideration, and not to be ready wben 
 your case was called was to have it very summarily 
 disposed of. Jurors, witnesses, and litigants, from 
 all parts of the county, were largely in attendance, 
 and one case followed another from nine in the 
 morning until far into the night, when, not infre 
 quently, rest and recreation were only found at 
 the poker table until morning. Hon. Tod Robinson, 
 of Sacramento, was so constant an attendant on the 
 courts of Amador, that a history of its Bar would 
 be incomplete without mention of his name; and 
 time and again have the Court House walls at Jack 
 son rung with the eloquent voices of Honorables E. D. 
 Baker, N. Greene Curtis, Frank Hereford, and others 
 whose oratory has won for them a national fame, and 
 still oftener have they resounded with the blows of 
 
 the Sheriff's knuckles upon his unoffending desk, in 
 his efforts to bring order out of the chaos provoked 
 by some sally of wit on the part of Col. A. P. Dud 
 ley, of Calaveras. 
 
 Judge Cre inor possessed the exceptional power 
 and ability requisite to discharge the onerous duties 
 that devolved upon him as the judicial head of so 
 large a district as his, and infused into those who 
 practiced in his courts something of his executive 
 zeal. So quick of comprehension was he that but 
 few explanatory words were necessary to convey to 
 his clear, grasping and judicial mind all the salient 
 points in the facts of the most complicated and cum 
 bersome cause; so impartial and just in his decisions 
 and conclusions that no charge of parsonal favoritism, 
 bribery, fraud or dishonesty was ever hinted at; so 
 prompt in the dispatch of business pertaining to the 
 courts that no attendant thereon complained of 
 unnecessary detention; so firm and rigid in court 
 regime, that it is said of him he imposed a fine upon 
 himself for being ten minutes late at court one 
 morning; so courteous to the elder and considerate 
 to the younger members of the profession, that he 
 possessed the highest esteem and fullest confidence of 
 all; it was but a natural sequence that his example 
 had much to do in moulding the character and 
 habits of those who practiced before him. No judge 
 ever retired from the bench with a fairer record than 
 Hon. Charles M. Creanor; and if any errors of judg 
 ment are entered there, they are so obscured by the 
 brilliancy of his sterling qualities that we pass them 
 unnoticed. 
 
 As before stated, Amador was first in the fifth 
 judicial district, with Hon. C. M. Creanor as Judge. 
 In 1859, the district was divided, and Amador and 
 Calaveras made to constitute the sixteenth judicial 
 district, Hon. James II. Hardy being appointed the 
 first Judge thereof. Hon. Wm. II. Badgley, of Cala 
 veras county, succeeded Judge Hardy. Judge 
 Badgley was a highly cultivated and polished gen 
 tleman from the State of New York, and is now 
 engaged in practice in that city. Judge Silas W. 
 Brockway, a native of New York, an earnest 
 laborer in his profession, an able lawyer, and pos 
 sessed of great force of character, succeeded Judge 
 Badgley in 1864, Amador being then in the eleventh 
 district, composed of Amador, El Dorado, and Cala 
 veras. Hon. A. C. Adams, now of San Francisco, 
 succeeded Judge Brockway, and Hon. George II. 
 Williams, of El Dorado, succeeded Judge Adams. 
 
 That this sketch may not justly be compared to 
 the great play of Hamlet with Hamlet omitted, the 
 brief biographies of such prominent members of the 
 Amador Bar as could be obtained, are appended. 
 
 J. W. ARMSTRONG was a blacksmith in early days 
 in California, but took a notion that he could make 
 a lawyer of himself, and commenced the study some 
 twenty-two years since. He has been, and is, one of 
 the most indefatigable students the world ever saw, 
 
SKETCHES OF AMADOR COUNTY BAR. 
 
 285 
 
 exhibiting a most wonderful capacity for hard work. 
 He commenced the practice in Amador county, some 
 twenty years since, but, after some years, removed 
 to Sacramento, where he has eucceeeed in building 
 up a lucrative practice and a reputation for being 
 one of the best informed men of the State. His 
 acquirements are substantial and useful. Having 
 little taste for the poetical adornments which orna 
 mented the orations of Baker and other famous 
 speakers, he deals in hard, incontrovertible facts, 
 piling them up mountain .high, leaving no possible 
 escape for his adversary. He is still in the prime of 
 life, and has promise of many years of usefulness. 
 
 HONORABLE SAMUEL B. AXTELL was one of those 
 cold, reticent men whoso suaviter in modo won the 
 respect rather than the friendship of men. Indeed, 
 he did not care for the friendship of many, and those 
 such as could be of use to him. He was possessed 
 of a high sense of honor, polished in manner, and 
 uncompromising in his zeal when in pursuit of some 
 purpose, and he always had a purpose in view. As 
 an advocate, and especially in jury trials, he had few 
 equals in method, terseness of expression, and clear 
 ness of style. Educated at Oberlin College, in his 
 native State, Ohio, his earliest forensic efforts, were 
 in behalf of abolitionism; he afterwards went South, 
 and there became imbued with Southern ideas and 
 proclivities; settled in Jackson as early as 1853, and 
 was elected the first District Attorney in 1854, and 
 was re-elected in 1856, making a most excellent offi 
 cer, firm arid unflinching in the performance of his 
 duties, but never over zealous to the extent of per 
 secution. He subsequently removed to San Fran 
 cisco, and was there elected to Congress, where he 
 was converted to Republicanism, having theretofore 
 been a Democrat. He has never since returned to 
 California, but was appointed Governor of Utah, 
 and subsequently Governor of New Mexico, where 
 his policy of Mormon conciliation became so obnox 
 ious to the Government that he was recalled. His 
 merits, however, seemed not to have been ignored, 
 for recently the position of Receiver of Public 
 Moneys in Idaho was tendered him, but whether he 
 accepted has not transpired. 
 
 ROBERT M. BRIGGS. There has been no more 
 active lawyer or politician in Amador than R. M. 
 Briggs. His petite form seemed made up of a bun 
 dle of nerves, as unconscious of fatigue as the wires 
 of an electric battery, which seemed to flash to his 
 brain and concentrate there all the vast vitality 
 which nature had so bound together, whenever occa 
 sion demanded. He was always ready for a speech, 
 at the Bar or on the stump, and never failed to hold 
 together and enthuse his audience. Unexpected 
 bursts of eloquence were sandwiched between per 
 tinent anecdotes in such profusion that his speeches 
 were always received with unbounded applause. As 
 an illustration of his oratorical power, the closing of 
 a speech he made before the Fiddletown Scott and 
 
 Graham Club, in 1852, is given. After expatiating 
 upon the character of Scott, his services in the wars 
 of 1812, and with Mexico, he electrified his hearers 
 with these words: 
 
 "When the end of all things shall have come; 
 when the last great trump shall have sounded; 
 when the angel of death shall be standing with one 
 foot on the sea and the other on the land, swearing 
 that time shall be no more; when the solid mount 
 ains of granite are rocking to their very foundations; 
 the stars falling from their places in the heavens, 
 and revolving worlds are wheeling into annihilation, 
 then shall the names of Scott and Graham appear 
 written all over the sky in letters of living fire \ " 
 
 In 1861 a monster mass Union meeting was held 
 in San Francisco, at which, it was announced, promi 
 nent speakers from every county in the State would be 
 present. Briggs, who happened to be in the city at 
 the time, was on the programme, from Amador. 
 The meeting, which was a great success, was 
 addressed by Colonel Baker and other noted ora 
 tors, and immense enthusiasm was manifested by 
 the enormous concourse of people present. The 
 press of San Francisco concurred in the statement 
 that by far the best and most soul-stirring speech of 
 the evening was that of R. M. Briggs, of Amador. 
 As no extended reports of the speeches were given, 
 the friends of Briggs interviewed him to ascertain 
 what he said that so eclipsed the orators of the 
 Pacific. He declared that he could not recollect a 
 word. He said that upon being informed by the 
 committee that he would be called upon, he endeav 
 ored to arrange his ideas into some form suitable to 
 the occasion, and, toward evening sought to ascer 
 tain at about what time in the evening he would be 
 called upon, that he might be enabled to cut his fuse 
 the right length; that the committee seemed to have 
 entirely forgotten him, and he concluded he had been 
 
 left out in the cold, which made him so d d mad 
 
 that he went to a neighboring saloon and imbibed 
 brandy and water, one glassful upon another, to 
 drown his disappointment, until he became well 
 pretty well elevated. 
 
 Late in the evening some one came in and said, 
 ''Briggs, they are calling for you." He started up 
 toward the place of meeting on the plaza, where the 
 speakers' stand was a narrow balcony. He was 
 conscious that in his condition he would not be able 
 to stand there a moment, but would fall headlong 
 into the crowd below. He, therefore, took a dry- 
 goods box which was near at hand, and placingiton 
 the sidewalk mounted it, remarking that he was one 
 of the people, and did not desire to get above them 
 preferred to be with them and of them and then 
 commenced his speech. His remembrance of the 
 occasion was confined to the vociferous applause and 
 enthusiasm, the like of which, he says, he never 
 heard. Sober persons present declared that the 
 crowd had listened to Baker and others until they 
 
286 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 were fully charged, and only required to be touched 
 off to cause it to burst forth into a terrific explosion; 
 Briggs' union pyrotechnics, in which appeared the 
 "glorious old flag," the "American eagle," "liberty 
 and equality," " union now and forever," like the 
 colors of a revolving kaleidoscope, was the torch. 
 Briggs obtained the sobriquet of " Brother Crawford " 
 by his forensic illustrations of his adieus, as well 
 as those of others made to the Democratic party, by 
 repeating a sermon of a divine named Crawford, in 
 which was related the circumstances of his departure 
 from the field of his former labors, and in which the 
 preacher narrated how he visited each object with 
 which long association had made him familiar and to 
 which he had become endeared, and each in turn 
 seemed to say to him, "Farewell, Brother Crawford!" 
 that as he rode down the lane upon his horse, the 
 trees and grain in the adjacent fields seemed to 
 solemnly nod to him and say, " Farewell, Brother 
 Crawford; " that the very stones of the wall that 
 marked the lane seemed possessed of melancholy 
 voices, which cried out, " Farewell, Brother Craw 
 ford! " that his horse took fright at a hog that rushed 
 across the lane before him, reared and plunged, and 
 throwing his rider in the ditch, speeded down the 
 road with heels flying in the air, seeming to snort 
 aloud, " Farewell, Brother Crawford! " 
 
 Briggs was by no means deficient in talent as a 
 writer, and as the editor of the local papers, attained 
 a well-earned reputation. He once wrote for his 
 paper a lengthy article on Mexican affairs during 
 the French invasion, which was re-published in 
 pamphlet form, and widely distributed in the Eastern 
 States, and, not improbably, had an influence upon 
 the Administration in taking its decisive position 
 against foreign occupation. He was a native of 
 Illinois, developed his muscle in the lead mines, was 
 a dry-goods clerk in Galena, afterwards moved to 
 Grant county,- Wisconsin, where he studied law, 
 and was elected to the Legislature in 1851, and 
 came to California in 1852. He was elected Assem 
 blyman, and twice District Attorney, in Amador; 
 was appointed Register of the General Land Office 
 at Independence, and is now Superior Judge of 
 Mono county, residing at Bodie. 
 
 HON. A. C. BROWN, born at St. Charles, Missouri, 
 January 10, 1816, crossed the plains from Lancaster, 
 Grant county, Wisconsin, when he was admitted to 
 practice in March, 1849, and settled in Jackson in 
 September, 1851, where he has ever since resided, 
 and where he is now engaged in the practice of his' 
 profession, having been admitted to the District 
 Court in 1851, and to the Supreme Court in 1879. 
 For three several terms he served in the Territorial 
 and State Legislature of Wisconsin, and three times 
 represented Amador county in the Assembly; was 
 County Judge from 1877 up to the time the new 
 State Constitution went into effect in 1880. He has 
 ever been an active politician, not a radical, but 
 
 professed Democrat, and a staunch supporter of the 
 Union cause during the Rebellion. The father of 
 a large family, and possessed of considerable wealth, 
 chiefly invested in improved town property, he has 
 ever been regarded as one of the substantial citizens 
 of Amador county. More than once the fire-fiend 
 has swept away his possessions, but his energy 
 planned more imposing structures before the ashes 
 were cold. 
 
 NASH CORWITH BRIGGS was one of the few young 
 men raised in California who preferred study to such 
 pastimes as the freedom of our early society tolera 
 ted. He was born in Hannibal, Missouri, February 
 1, 1838, removed to Grant county, Wisconsin, in 
 1849, and, in 1852, came to California with his father, 
 Hon. R. M. Briggs, and resided in Jackson from 1854 
 to 1864, where he studied law, and, being admitted 
 by the District Court, formed a law copartnership 
 with his father, in 1860. In 1834 he removed to 
 Alpine county, and upon its organization was elected 
 District Attorney in that year, was re-elected in 
 1866, and again in 1868. In December of the latter 
 year he removed to Hollister, and upon the organ 
 ization of San Benito county, in 1874, was elected 
 District Attorney, and re-elected in 1876. He mar 
 ried Miss Annie Barton, who was a native of Jack 
 son, and has an interesting family at Hollister, 
 where he is now associated in the practice of the 
 law with N. A. Hawkins; was admitted to the 
 Supreme Court in October, 1869. 
 
 HON. R. BURNELL, though a lawyer by education, 
 was better known as a politician. He was a native 
 of New York, was a stock-raiser in early days, hav 
 ing accumulated something like fifty thousand dol 
 lars in raising cattle on the Sacramento plains. 
 His career as a politician is related in the body of 
 this history, and need not be repeated here. After 
 the termination of his political career he removed 
 to Napa, where he formed a law partnership with 
 his brother-in-law, Chancellor Hartson, with whom 
 he remained until his death, a year or two since. 
 
 A. CAMINETTI is a young man of Italian birth and 
 California raising. He commenced the study of law 
 under the tuition of Farley & Pawling, was admit 
 ted to practice in 1877, and two years later was 
 elected Prosecuting Attorney, a position he has filled 
 with marked ability. He is brilliant, thorough, and 
 persevering, an easy and graceful speaker, with a 
 good degree of that elasticity of temperament which 
 enables him to adapt himself to circumstances. He 
 has a promising future before him. He is Demo 
 cratic in politics, and had his name on the ticket for 
 electors at the last Presidential contest. He did 
 good service for his party in the campaign of 1880. 
 
 HON. II. A. CARTER is a native of New York, 
 where he studied and practiced law previous to com 
 ing to California, which was in 1849. He was the 
 first District Attorney of Calaveras county, and has 
 
SKETCHES OF AMADOR COUNTY BAR. 
 
 287 
 
 witnessed all tbe squabbles for the county seat since 
 the time that Double Springs, with but one hou-<e, 
 wasthe place of justice, and the jury-room the shade of 
 a tree. His habit of advising litigants to settle with 
 out a lawsuit has militated against his success as a 
 lawyer, but has made him a most valuable citizen 
 and neighbor. He has generally rested content with 
 being the Pericles of his county, the man in whom 
 all had unbounded confidence. He is a man of 
 extensive and general information, communicative in 
 his character, with a keen sense of the ludicrous, and 
 tells a splendid story. He has spent the larger por 
 tion of life in the cultivation of the soil, preferring 
 the comforts of home and the companionship of his 
 neighbors to the turmoils of politics or the law. He 
 was seduced into running for the Assembly in 1875, 
 traveled over the county, smoked and joked with 
 his friends, told some of his best stories, and was 
 triumphantly elected, fairly walking over the course. 
 It will be perceived that his strength as a lawyer is 
 in advising every one to keep out of lawsuits. 
 According to lawyers themselves, Judge Carter, if 
 he had turned the force of his character that way, 
 would have excelled in the high courts as a judge in 
 equity. 
 
 JUDGE COOK was a resident of Volcano for several 
 years previous to the organization of Alpine county, 
 and made quite a reputation as a safe and cautious 
 counselor. He was well informed on general topics, 
 dignified and courteous in his bearing, a gentleman 
 of the old school. After the organization of Alpine 
 he removed to that county, where he was quite 
 prominent for several years. He has, in consequence 
 of advancing age, mostly retired from the practice 
 of the law. 
 
 HON. W. W. COPE. Amador has had but one 
 representative upon the bench of the Supreme 
 Court, and he, like all others of her citizens, when 
 called upon to exercise official functions, was 
 not found wanting either in ability or integrity. 
 His professional experience in the semi-agricul 
 tural and semi-mineral regions of the foot-hills, fitted 
 him well to consider and intelligently decide the 
 many new and difficult questions affecting these two 
 great interests of our State, and both the farmer and 
 the miner are much indebted to his wisdom and 
 foresight in establishing legal rules adjusting their 
 respective rights. 
 
 Judge Cope was born in Kentucky on the 29th of 
 January, 1824, where he studied law, and was 
 admitted to practice, coming to California in 1850. 
 Like most early pioneers he believed that fickle for 
 tune's blandest smiles were easier won in other 
 vocations than a profession, and he did not engage 
 exclusively in the practice of the law until the organ 
 ization of Amador county in 1854, when he opened 
 his law office at Jackson, where alone and in part 
 nership with James F. Hubbard, and with R. M. 
 Briggs, he took a leading position at the Bar. In 
 
 1858, he was elected to the Assembly, and was made 
 chairman of the judiciary committee. An appre 
 ciation of his services in that position was made 
 manifest by his being elected Associate Justice of 
 the Supreme Court the following year. After his 
 election and previous to his entering upon the duties 
 of his judicial position, Judge Terry, then Chief 
 Justice, resigned, and Judge Cope was appointed to 
 fill the vacancy. He remained upon the Supreme 
 Bench until the 1st of January, 1864, having, as his 
 associates during that time, Field, Baldwin, Norton, 
 and Crocker. A short time after leaving the bench, 
 he removed to San Francisco, where he is now asso 
 ciated with J. Thomas Boyd, and is enjoying a lucra 
 tive and high order of practice. 
 
 W. T. CURTIS came from Ohio in an early day, 
 making his home at Drytown. He was a man of 
 fine culture, gentlemanly in manner, and much more 
 disposed to advise a peaceful settlement of a diffi 
 culty than costly litigation. He usually made him 
 self prominent in allaying, rather 4,han fomenting, 
 the riotous spirit which so commonly existed in the 
 mining towns in an early day. He was especially 
 prominent in mitigating the not inexcusable anger 
 of the population after the atrocious murders at 
 Rancheria. He was a Republican in sentiment, and 
 a candidate for District Attorney on the same ticket 
 which was headed with the name of John C. Fremont, 
 in 1856. He stumped the county for Fremont, speak 
 ing in every place of any size. His candor and 
 gentlemanly qualities were appreciated by friends 
 and opponents alike, and he was always respectfully 
 listened to. On the breaking out of the Rebellion, 
 he joined the Union army as aid to an officer in high 
 rank. From the best information attainable, he was 
 killed early in the contest. 
 
 HON. JOHN A. EAGON is a native of Virginia, and 
 came to this State in 1851, and from the first made 
 his home in Amador county. He mined for a time 
 at Lower Rancheria with considerable success, hav 
 ing the good fortune to pick up a four-pound lump. 
 He was engaged afterwards in mining near lone. 
 It was during his residence there that he began to 
 be known for his conversational powers, which indi 
 cated his logical turn of mind, and led him to the 
 adoption of the law as a profession. He has gradu 
 ally worked up both professionally and politically, 
 until he has become one of the leading men. As his 
 name is connected with most of the prominent events 
 in the county, related in another part of the history, 
 it is unnecessary to repeat them here. He has a 
 peculiarly earnest, nervous style of argument, replete 
 with facts, but nearly destitute of humor, his speeches 
 reminding one much of those of Silas Wright, in his 
 best days. He is still young and vigorous, with no 
 demoralizing habits, and is likely to go much higher 
 before he pauses in his advancing career. 
 
 HON. JAMES T. FARLEY, one of the present United 
 States Senators from California, is a native of Vir- 
 
288 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 ginia. He was some time in the University of Vir 
 ginia, but did not graduate, however. After spending 
 some years in Missouri, he emigrated to California, 
 arriving in 1850. lie commenced the study of the 
 law in Volcano, his first cases being in Justice Ste- 
 phenson's court in 1854. He early entered into politics, 
 and became famous for his success in attaching the 
 voters to his interests. He was elected to the Assem 
 bly in 1854, re-elected in 1855, and made speaker. 
 On the breaking up of the American party, he allied 
 himself with the Democracy, where he has since 
 remained. During the early years of the Rebellion, 
 he was a Lecompton Democrat, and suffered defeat 
 in company with other nominees of that party. 
 After the union of the Republicans with the Doug 
 las Democrats, his star began to rise, and he was 
 twice elected to the State Senate by majorities far 
 greater than the average of his ticket. His ability 
 as a legislator is unquestioned; the same intuitive 
 knowledge of human nature coming into use among 
 the Solons of the capital as well as in a country 
 town. Perhaps the best work, or at least the work 
 involving the most comprehensive reasoning, was his 
 report, as chairman of the Committee on Incorpora 
 tions, on the bill regulating fares and freights. In 
 1878 he was elected to the United States Senate, and 
 took his seat in 1879. 
 
 As a lawyer he is most efficient as a jury pleader. 
 He has little of the overbearing character generally 
 thought necessary in badgering a refractory or reti 
 cent witness; never arouses the antagonism of jury 
 or witness by an abuse of his position; yet few wit 
 nesses can boast of carrying away any honors in a 
 contest with him. 
 
 As a politician, he is strong in the ability to organ 
 ize, uniting his friends and dividing his enemies. 
 His private character is above reproach. He is 
 genial in manner, sympathetic in feeling, making 
 friends where possible. He is still on the sunny side 
 of fifty, hale and hearty, having fortunately escaped 
 the social perils which beset the paths of Califbrniun 
 politicians. Having apparently many years of hard 
 work in him, it is quite possible that he may attain 
 one of the two higher positions possible in his polit 
 ical career. 
 
 GEORGE L. GALE, though he did not often appear in 
 court, generally having other business to attend to, 
 was was one of them i. e. the lawyers in spirit 
 and education. He was a native of Massachusetts, 
 born, as he was wont to state, at the foot of Bunker 
 Hill, and belonged to the true chivalry of the country, 
 the "Bunker Hill chivalry," by which means he came 
 to be known as Bunker Hill Gale. He was 
 extremely original in his methods of reasoning, sharp 
 rapid and incisive in his language, prompt in decision, 
 and quick in action. To contend with him on any 
 subject was to meet a rattling fire of musketry, 
 brilliant thrust of rapiers, and pyrotechnical flashes 
 that dazzled and confused the ordinary mind. He 
 made a splendid Justice of the Peace, and his 
 
 decisions were hardly ever reversed in the higher 
 courts, though he was too brilliant to become pro 
 found in the law, loving rather to deal with its 
 puzzling technicalities. He would have filled the 
 seat of paragraphist in a modern editorial room to 
 perfection, his keen sense of the ludicrous and 
 trenchant wit qualifying him for the position of critic. 
 His sayings and doings would fill a good-sized book. 
 He was once appointed sealer of weights and 
 measures, and collected double fees by sealing them 
 for the year past and then for the coming year on 
 the same day. Upon being remonstrated with for 
 exacting fees for two years, he told them, " either 
 pay it or render yourselves liable to a fine for selling 
 goods with unsealed weights and measures." The 
 subjects, knowing Gales' strength in law technical 
 ities, usually paid, though with much grumbling. 
 He had no family, and died in obscurity a few years 
 ago at Pine Grove. 
 
 JOHN C. GEAR was a young man who alternated 
 the practice of law with mining and teaching school, 
 in the vicinity of lone. He was brilliant and enthus 
 iastic, with many qualities that go to make up an 
 orator. lie died at lone before he had the opportu 
 nity to make his mark in his profession. 
 
 HON. MARION W. GORDON is a native of Tennessee, 
 of Irish descent. In early life he was a professor of 
 elocution, and traveled extensively, lecturing on, and 
 teaching the art. He was at different times con 
 nected with some of the leading papers in Missouri, 
 and was associated with many of the prominent pol 
 iticians, in shaping the policy of that State after the 
 overthrow of the Benton reyime. He came to Cali 
 fornia in 1850, and soon after located in Volcano, 
 forming one of the coterie of philosophers heretofore 
 referred to, who discussed questions of the lofty 
 character which have employed such minds as 
 Hegel, Descartes, Comte, Mills, and Spencer. In 
 Judge Gordon's case, however, he mingled hard 
 work with hard thinking, arid in 1852-53 could be 
 seen swinging the pick and shovel in the Volcano 
 tail-race, which he, with others, cut through the 
 deep flat. In 1853, in compliance with the wishes of 
 many friends, he came before the county Conven 
 tion for the nomination for member of the Assembly 
 for Calaveras county, which he received. After a 
 well-contested canvass he came out victorious, and 
 took his seat in the Legislature one of the last of 
 the old Calaveras delegation.* On the organization of 
 Amador county he was elected to the position of 
 County Judge, which he held for three consecutive 
 terms. 
 
 Judge Gordon is a man of varied accomplish 
 ments and general information. Scarcely any topic 
 can be introduced which has not been read up by 
 him. Mesmerism, animal magnetism, clairvoyance, 
 and all the modern occult sciences have been, at times, 
 
 *His name was omitted in the list of members of that year 
 through a typographical error. 
 
JAMES.MEEHAIVL 
 
OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
SKETCHES OF AMADOR COUNTY BAR. 
 
 289 
 
 assayed in his mental laboratory. His midnight lamp 
 was often burning when all else was buried in deep 
 slumber. As a politician he had few superiors. The 
 habit of judging men and organizing them into solid 
 parties was to him a matter of instinct, accomplished 
 without serious effort. His ability to adapt his 
 speech to the capacity of his hearers was remarka 
 ble. A scowling face was discerned, and the latent 
 opposition neutralized by a happy allusion. Whether 
 before a crowd of rough miners, a body of school 
 teachers, a convention of musicians, or an assembly 
 of wary politicians, this faculty never failed him. 
 As a lawyer, he dealt rather in the general princi 
 ples than in the technicalities. His love for general 
 ization, and a consequent knowledge of the laws of 
 equity, enabled him to easily perform the duties of 
 Judge. In Congress his general information and 
 knowledge of the human heart would have enabled 
 him to have taken high rank. That he never went 
 to Congress is a matter of regret. That so many, 
 vastly his inferiors, have found their way there, is, 
 and will be, a mystery. Though his mental powers 
 are still vigorous, he has retired from active practice, 
 and is spending his old age in dignified leisure. 
 
 THOMAS D. GRANT was born, and educated for the 
 law, in the State of New York. His early associa 
 tions were with such legal luminaries as Judge 
 Spencer and lawyers of his ilk, from whom he 
 imbibed a true respect for, and due appreciation of, 
 the honor and dignity of his profession, which he 
 regarded above all others. This, coupled with his 
 proverbial honesty and integrity, inspired a public 
 confidence that secured to him a very desirable 
 clientage. When the writer of this was first nomi 
 nated for District Attorney, he was associated with 
 Judge Grant in practice. The Judge was bitterly 
 opposed to politics, and declared if the candidate 
 persisted in running for office, he would dissolve 
 their copartnership, and defeat him if possible. The 
 young aspirant did persist, and a dissolution fol 
 lowed. When the votes were counted it was found 
 that out of seventy-eight votes polled at a precinct 
 down in the deep gorge of the Mokelumne river, 
 six or eight miles from Jackson, where the Judge 
 resided, the writer received more than seventy, 
 although he was an entire stranger in the locality. 
 Believing that this large vote was not wholly due 
 to the fact that he was unknown, bo instituted 
 inquiries, and ascertained that the Judge, being 
 too heavy (some four hundred avoirdupois) to ride 
 on horseback, and the roads being altogether too 
 steep for a carriage, had secretly walked down and 
 back to the Bar, where he had formerly mined, 
 and was loved and respected by all, and stuffed 
 not the ballot-box but the voters, with the theory 
 that the candidate was worthy of their suffrages. 
 This is given as illustrative of the character of the 
 man. Although he was rude and rough at times, 
 in his words and deportment, his heart was in size 
 proportionate to his Falstaffian physique over-flow- 
 37 
 
 ing with true sympathy and noble impulses its 
 beatings the power that moved his hands to the 
 performance of generous deeds. When he died, in 
 Jackson, 1859, the community lost one of God's 
 noblest works an honest man. 
 
 HON. JAMES H. HARDY had the brain of some 
 fabled Lycurgus, and possessed the fecundity of a 
 Jupiter's; the bare assertion that "Jim" Hardy 
 sprang therefrom fully armed for the legal arena 
 would require strong refutation. No one could tell 
 when he applied himself to his books, and yet he was 
 an animated encyclopaedia of legal decisions, from 
 the earliest to the latest. When he was upon the 
 bench, attorneys become careless and would simply 
 state that the Supreme Court had so decided, and 
 wait for the Judge to tell them the title of the case, 
 and in what volume it could be found. He possessed, 
 in a marked degree, the two qualities, one at least of 
 which is essential to success in the legal practice, but 
 seldom found combined in one eloquence and a clear 
 knowledge and comprehension of the law. In the 
 absence of a native talent for these, he could scarcely 
 have reached the prominence at the Bar he attained, 
 since he preferred the social companionship of his 
 host of friends to the studious application most men 
 find essential to a legal reputation. Judge Hardy 
 was born in Hamilton county, Illinois, on the 
 third day of April, 1832; first studied law with his 
 father, and afterwards with Hon. S. S.Marshall; was 
 admitted to practice in Illinois, where, notwithstand 
 ing his extreme youth, he acquired quite an extensive 
 reputation as a lawyer, and came to California in 
 1852, locating at Sacramento; subsequently, he 
 removed to Jackson, and, upon the creation of the 
 Sixteenth Judicial District with the counties of Ama- 
 dor and Calaveras in 1859, was appointed Judge of 
 the new district, to which position he was elected by 
 a flattering majority, at the next following election. 
 As a Democrat he always took prominent part in poli 
 tics; was District Attorney of Sacramento county, and 
 ran as a Breckinridge elector in 1856. In his numer 
 ous "stumping" excursions through the State, he 
 always denied that he was out electioneering, but 
 asserted that he was hunting for an ox which he 
 lost while crossing the plains in '50. It is related 
 of him that his first appearance in court at Sacra 
 mento was upon the recommendation of a friend who 
 had known him in Illinois. "Jim" was found hard 
 at work in a bakery, and at first declined to take the 
 case, alleging his lack of recent practice, etc., but 
 after much urging went into court without changing 
 his garments, white with "miller's dust." The 
 opposing counsel, who was somewhat overbearing 
 and pompous in his manner, inquired who repre 
 sented the other side. Young Hardy was pointed 
 out to him, when he sneeringly asked, " And who is 
 Mr. Hard} T ? I have not the pleasure of his acquain 
 tance." Hardy immediately caught up a large 
 volume lying upon the table, and hurling it at the 
 interrogator, with great force exclaimed, " 
 
290 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 not require any further introduction the next time 
 we meet!" Hardy was fined fifty dollars for contempt, 
 but proceeded with his case, convincing his oppo 
 nent, as well as others who listened, that "Jim" 
 Hardy was not to be despised even in his baker's 
 uniform. 
 
 SAMUEL J. K. HANDY was a native of Maryland, 
 of the Virginia school of gentlemen, polished and 
 accomplished, blending dignity and kindness together. 
 He was prominent before the State Convention, in 
 1856, as a candidate for Congress; failing in which, 
 he left the county. His present residence, if living, 
 is unknown. As he was somewhat advanced in 
 years at the time of his residence here, it is likely 
 that he has accomplished his work. 
 
 ALVINZA HAY WARD probably had at one time some 
 aspirations for a professional career, but rich quartz 
 mines absorbed his attention, so that ho had little 
 time for thoughts of the law except as it concerned 
 his own extensive business. He will be remembered 
 as the man who developed the richest gold mine on 
 the coast, and in that connection his history is 
 related in another portion of this book. 
 
 JAMES F. HUBBARD was formerly a surveyor, but 
 concluding that he could see to better advantage 
 through the intricacies of the law than through the 
 theodolite, he threw aside the chain and compass, 
 and commenced Blackstone and Kent. His hopes 
 and anticipations were fully realized, and, in due 
 course of time, he took his seat at the Bar, and built 
 up a most valuable practice. He was in company 
 with several of the prominent lawyers at Jackson 
 at different times. Though not considered a bril 
 liant pleader, his opinion was highly valued. About 
 the years 1862 or '63, he removed to San Francisco, 
 where he practiced with fair success for a few years, 
 finally returning to New York, his native State. 
 
 HON. P. C. JOHNSON.* Though Mr. Johnson occu 
 pied the attention of the county for some years, very 
 little is known of his antecedents. He came into the 
 county from El Dorado in 1855, in company with 
 T. A. Springer, who established the Yolcano Ledger 
 that year. Though admitted to the Bar he scarcely 
 ever appeared in court, giving most of his attention 
 to literary matters. He was a brilliant writer, and 
 was connected with the Ledjer for many years as 
 assistant or chief editor. He was elected to the 
 Legislature in 1859, and died at the house of T. A. 
 Springer in Jackson, in 1862. Though possessed of 
 Miany excellent and brilliant qualities, they were 
 impaired by a social weakness, which eventually 
 terminated his life. 
 
 L. N. KETCHUM was brought into public notice in 
 1857, when he was elected to the State Senate, being 
 then a resident of Clinton, where he had been 
 mining. He made his mark as a legislator, and then 
 
 *His name does not appear in the continuous history as .mem 
 ber of Lejislature for that year. The accounts were made up 
 from the Supervisor's records, which were very imperfect EC. 
 
 studied law. Possessed of great colloquial powers 
 and an excellent education, it is not surprising that 
 be met with success in his new vocation. He prac 
 ticed, however, but little in Amador county, but 
 removed to Siskiyou county, where he enjoyed a 
 fine practice and was elected District Attorney. He 
 died at Yreka several years ago. 
 
 FAYETTE MACE was admitted to the practice of 
 law many years since, but owing to his extensive 
 operations in saw-mills, quartz-mills and farming, he 
 has given the law little attention since, except as it 
 was incidental in his business operations. 
 
 HON. GEORGE MOORE, the present Superior Judge 
 of Amador county, was born in Davisville, Boyle 
 county, Kentucky, February 14, 1850; graduated 
 at Centre College in the class of 1870, and after pur 
 suing the study of law for two years under the tuition 
 of Hon. M. J. Durham, of Kentucky, attended the law 
 school of Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachu 
 setts, and was admitted to the Bar in 1874. In the 
 political campaign of 1876 he was appointed one of 
 the Tilden and Hendricks electors, and came to Cal 
 ifornia in the Fall of 1877, settling in Amador county. 
 He entered upon the discharge of his duties as the 
 first Superior Judge of Amador county, under the 
 New Constitution, on the first Monday of January, 
 1880. He married Mrs. Y. B. Lackey, also a native 
 of Kentucky, in 1879, and now resides in Jackson. 
 
 JONATHAN PALMER was admitted to practice on the 
 organization of the county. His residence was in 
 Oleta (then Fiddletown), and he divided his time 
 about evenly between mining and the study of the 
 law. He acted as Justice of the Peace as early as 
 1852. He was a man of solid rather than showy 
 acquirements, and in the matter of oratory was 
 eclipsed by R. M. Briggs, who was a resident there 
 at the same time. He was one of the discoverers of 
 the famous American hill, and to the fact of having 
 a rich claim is probably due the little interest he 
 took in legal matters. He has drifted out of sight 
 in recent years. 
 
 HON. THOMAS M. PAWLING, a native of Philadel 
 phia, whose lawyers have been traditionally the 
 " hardest to puzzle " of any of their class, located at 
 Volcano in 1855, where he was law partner of Hon. 
 James T. Farley; was elected County Clerk in 1858, 
 and upon the expiration of his official term resumed 
 practice at Jackson, with J. G. Severance as his part 
 ner. Upon the discovery of the mines in Esmeralda 
 county, he removed to Aurora, where he acquired 
 considerable wealth, but returned to Jackson in 1865, 
 and again formed a copartnership with Mr. Farley, 
 and continued his practice until 1871, when he was 
 appointed by Governor Haight to fill the position of 
 County Judge, made vacant by the death of Hon. 
 J. Foot Turner, to which office he was subsequently 
 twice elected by the people. Judge Pawling made 
 no great pretentions to oratory, but excelled as an 
 " office lawyer," and had few superiors in the prepara- 
 
SKETCHES OF AMADOR COUNTY BAR. 
 
 291 
 
 tion of legal documents. He died at Jackson, Janu 
 ary 21, 1877, while County Judge, at about fifty years 
 of age. 
 
 T. J. PHELPS.IS a native of Kentucky; came to Cal 
 ifornia in 1849, and to Amador county, as since organ 
 ized, in 1852; residing in Oleta until elected District 
 Attorney in 1873, a position he filled with distinction 
 for four years. Mr. Phelps has been identified with 
 the material interests of the county since his resi 
 dence here. He was one of the first to recognize the 
 practicability of conveying water to the mines the 
 ditch from the north fork of Dry creek in which he 
 was part owner being not only among the first, but 
 among the most profitable of any that were ever con 
 structed in the county. As a lawyer, Mr. Phelps is 
 a counselor rather than an advocate, and much more 
 disposed to heal dissentions than promote them. He 
 has ever been distinguished as an upright and honor 
 able man, modest and unassuming, but equal to any 
 emergency that has ever called him to action. 
 
 SILAS PENRY is a native of Texas; coming to Cal 
 ifornia at a very early age, he has made himself 
 what he is in this State. He is still quite young, 
 both in years and in his profession, but has the prom 
 ise of being brilliant and useful. His life has been 
 somewhat shadowed by the unfortunate affair re 
 sulting in the death of Elisha Turner, an intimate 
 friend of his. On his trial the courts and public sen 
 timent exonerated him of all malice, and it is quite 
 certain that no other blame can attach to him than 
 that of thoughtlessly using his weapon in a case of 
 mutually angry words. It is believed that he will 
 outgrow his self reproach, and attain the position to 
 which his talents entitle him. 
 
 ALONZO PLATT was from the State of New York: 
 was one of the original movers in the matter of the 
 organization of Amador county, and one of the com 
 missioners appointed by the Governor to establish 
 the new county government and call an election for 
 county officers. lie was consi lerable of a politician 
 of the old school, and came up for office several times; 
 but as he did not have the plasticity of character 
 necessary to succeed, he was distanced in the race by 
 Messrs. Parley, Gordon, Cope, Brigg.sand Axtell, and 
 withdrew from public notice. 
 
 J. W. PORTER is a native of Pennsylvania; came 
 to California in an early day and engaged in mining, 
 perhaps rather to obtain the means of gratifying his 
 love of reading than with the expectation of making 
 a fortune. Jt was observed of him, however, that 
 much of his mining was experimental, rather to 
 prove or disprove some theory regarding the deposits 
 of gold, than as a means of acquiring immediate 
 wealth. The hole which he sunk in the head of 
 Soldier's gulch, one hundred and fifty feet deep, 
 under the impression that gold would be found all 
 the way to the bed-rock, was a case in point. The 
 gold was found to that depth, proving his theory, 
 but it was not in sufficient quantity to make his dis 
 
 covery valuable. His reading was largely ancient 
 history, which caused the remark to be made, perhaps 
 with some degree of truth, that he was more of a 
 Roman than an American citizen; at any rate, he 
 has many Roman virtues, such as sobriety, stern 
 integrity, fortitude, and none of those weaknesses 
 which endear some of our public men to the average 
 voter, for no man could say that he had tried him 
 drunk and tried him sober, for he was always sober. 
 His aversion to the ordinary method of conducting 
 a political campaign has prevented him from seeking 
 office, for but once was he ever tempted to have his 
 name placed on a ticket, when he ran for County 
 Judge against M. W. Gordon, coming within a few 
 votes of being elected. He refused to electioneer; 
 some of his friends remarking that Porter would not 
 solicit a vote if that one would elect him. His 
 peculiar character of mind eminently fitted him for a 
 judge, but did not fit him for getting the position 
 which depended so much on personal popularity, 
 though his utter contempt for human weakness 
 might have made him a severe judge in criminal 
 cases. Once while pleading before a Justice's Court, 
 in the early fifties, in Volcano, he was interrupted 
 by a half drunken Irishman with threats of personal 
 violence unless he ceased his offensive remarks. 
 Porter bore the interruptions for a while, but as the 
 court did not seem inclined to protect him he caught 
 up a black-snake whip, which was near by, and 
 lashed the Hibernian until he cried for mercy, after 
 which he proceeded in his speech without apparently 
 noticing the interruption. As might be expected, 
 Mr. Porter remains a single man. 
 
 REYNOLDS was a Judge of the Court of First 
 
 Instance, or as it was called, Alcalde, in some of the 
 earlier settlements in 1830, and, in consequence, 
 claimed a membership with the Bar, and was 
 admitted to practice upon the organization of Ama 
 dor county. His legal acquirements were rather 
 limited, but in the chaotic condition of society 
 twenty-five years since, he obtained some practice in 
 the inferior courts, lie was not remarkable for any 
 thing but pretension, and soon dropped out of sight. 
 
 J. A. ROBINSON is a native of Ohio, was born in 
 1838, removed to Illinois in 1858, enlisted April 23, 
 1861, in the Eighth Regiment of Infantry, Illinois 
 Volunteers, and served under General Oglesby until 
 discharged for disability incurred in the service. He 
 came to California in 1863 and settled in Jackson; 
 was at different times County Clerk, and Assistant 
 United States Assessor, for Amador county. He 
 completed his law studies, and was admitted to 
 practice in 1866; removed to San Francisco in 1871, 
 where, for several years, he was chief clerk in the 
 United States Surveyor-General's office, under Har- 
 denburg and his successors. He is now practicing 
 law in San Francisco, making land cases a specialty, 
 his long training in that business giving him great 
 familiarity with the origin and perfection of land 
 
292 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 titles. He resides in Oakland, and has several times 
 been before the public in connection with municipal 
 offices. His training and natural temperament 
 peculiarly fit him for investigations of complex land 
 titles, and he is enjoying a remunerative and exten 
 sive practice. 
 
 HON. GEO. W. SEATON was a lawyer, politician, and 
 quart/, miner of considerable note in the early days 
 of Amador. He, like many members of the old Whig 
 party, joined the Know-Nothing, or American party, 
 and afterwards both Democratic and Republican par 
 ties by turns. He was elected to the State Senate 
 in 1865 by the .Democratic party, but perished in the 
 explosion of the steamer Yosemite, on the Sacra 
 mento, before taking his seat. He was a man of 
 strong will and great energy, and when a move 
 was decided upon it never failed for want of persist 
 ent action. His style of speech was, like the man, 
 more forcible than elegant. He made no pretensions 
 to learning or elegance, but appealed to the com 
 mon sense of his auditors. He was better adapted 
 to the forum than the Bar. 
 
 JOSIAH GOULD SEVERANCE is a native of Maine, 
 born September 30, 1832. He prepared for college 
 at Hampden Academy, and entered at Bowdoin in 
 1852, but, at the solicitations of friends, withdrew 
 without graduating, and entered upon the study of 
 the law in the office of Hon. Hannibal Hamlin, at 
 Hampden, where he remained for about a year, 
 when he entered the law office of Hon. John E. God 
 frey, for years and now Probate Judge of Penobscot 
 county, at Bangor; was admitted to the Supreme 
 Judicial Court of that State in 1855, and arrived in 
 San Francisco on the first day of January, 1856, and 
 first located in the then flourishing mining town of 
 Lancha Plana, Amador county. He was elected a 
 member of the Board of Supervisors in the Fall of 
 1856, and in 1858, District Attorney by the Douglas 
 Democracy, having as his opponents Hon. S. B. 
 Axtell, Breckinridge candidate, and John C. Gear, 
 the straight Republican nominee; was active in 
 the organization of the Union party in the county, 
 in 1862, and was made chairman of its first County 
 Central Committee ; ran for the Assembly, much 
 against his will, that year, and, with the whole 
 ticket, was defeated, coming, however, within twenty- 
 nine votes of an election. In the Fall of 1862, he 
 married Miss M. J. Tiel, of Jackson, and removed 
 to Calaveras county, where he was elected District 
 Attorney the following year, and re-elected in 1865. 
 For some time he edited the Amador Ledger, and 
 was the proprietor and editor of the San Andreas 
 Register. He is now engaged in his professional 
 practice in San Francisco, where he has taken but 
 little part in politics, although he there served for 
 a time as assistant District Attorney, under D. J. 
 Murphy, Esq., and ran on and was defeated with, 
 the straight Republican ticket, as Delegate at Large 
 to the late Constitutional Convention. 
 
 MOSES TEBBS was a young man of rather promis 
 ing abilities who came to Volcano in 1855. Remain 
 ing but a few years he went to Alpine upon the 
 organization of that county, where he was heard 
 from occasionally in connection with political mat 
 ters. His present residence is unknown. 
 
 HENRY L. WALDO was a native of Missouri, and 
 made his way to California by way of Oregon. He 
 early chose the law as his profession, and alternated 
 study with hard work whenever he had the oppor 
 tunity, sometimes studying with his friends, sharing 
 their hospitalities, and at other times becoming a 
 habitant of a law office. His progress in his profes 
 sion was rapid. In 1869 he was elected District 
 Attorney, which position he held to the close of the 
 term, performing the duties to the satisfaction of all 
 concerned. He declined a re-election, justly con 
 cluding that he could find a more honorable and 
 lucrative position elsewhere. Ho now holds a high 
 judicial position in the Territory of New Mexico. 
 As an officer he was courteous, firm and upright, 
 swerved from the right course neither by blandish 
 ments nor fear. During the excitement attending the 
 lawless action of the Miner's League at Sutler Creek, 
 he was informed that he would prosecute the rioters 
 at the risk of his life. He turned to the belligerent 
 leaguer and invited him to commence operations then 
 and there, for he should perform his duty. 
 
 [The biographies of the members of the Bar are 
 somewhat limited, owing to the difficulty of obtain 
 ing reliable data. Some are too moJest to narrate 
 the prominent events in their lives; some, perhaps, 
 are apprehensive of a too critical review of their 
 careers, some are negligent, and others have gone 
 to that region from which no correspondence is 
 permitted. If some things important are omitted 
 and others exalted to undue importance, we can 
 only say that after awaiting letters and information 
 some time, the demand for copy compelled us to 
 close the sketches with what we had on hand.] 
 
 DROPS OF JUDICIAL WISDOM. 
 
 Mr. Axtell relates the following of , 
 
 whilom Justice of the Peace at Rancberia: During 
 the progress of a trial by jury in his court, the 
 expression, non compos mentis, was used. One of 
 the jurors, with a laudable desire to fully understand 
 the case, asked the Court the meaning of the term 
 used. " It is," said his honor, with becoming dig 
 nity, "the process by which the attendance of wit 
 nesses from another county is obtained." As wit 
 nesses were present from El Dorado county, the 
 answer was satisfactory. 
 
 "Uncle Jake" Emminger was also Justice at 
 Ranch eria, and was very proud of his patriarchal 
 beard, which he allowed to fall below his waist on 
 Sundays and Court days, but carefully folded up on 
 ordinary occasions. lie was also proud of his politi 
 cal achievements in his township, where, by some 
 coup de main, he obtained thirty-four votes out of a 
 
SKETCHES OF AMADOR COUNTY BAR. 
 
 293 
 
 possible sixty-seven in the whole township, and was, 
 therefore, elected. It is said that he once sentenced 
 a Chinaman to jail for life for stealing chickens, but 
 afterwards excused the error, as being of the heart 
 and not of the head, by claiming that had a shorter 
 term been imposed his constituency would have 
 hanged the culprit. In a case before "Uncle Jake" 
 the defendant presented and read an affidavit for 
 change of venue. The Court listened patiently, 
 stroked his long beard gravely and thoughtfully for 
 a few minutes, then said: "The affidavit of the 
 defendant is overruled, and judgment rendered for 
 
 the plaintiff in the sum of " "Hold on," cried 
 
 the defendant, "if I must have my case tried by 
 tliis Court, I demand a jury!" "What in h , sir, 
 do you expect to prove by a jury?" demanded the 
 Judge in his most severe manner. 
 
 "Judge" Hugh Robinson, an Irish gentleman of 
 the old school, was for many years Justice of the 
 Peace at Clinton, and mine host of the chief cara 
 vansary of the village. It was not a temperance 
 tavern, and so great was the liberal hospitality of 
 the " Judge," that even the Governor of North Caro- 
 linia would have ceased his chronic complaint of "a 
 long time between drinks," had he been his guest. 
 S. B. Axtell and James F. Ilubbard were once pitted 
 against each other in a case before him. The testi 
 mony all in, the brief and terse argument of Mr. Axtell 
 was listened to by the Court with marked attention, 
 but the " linked sweetness" of Judge Hubbard's reply 
 proved too much for the "Judge's" active tempera 
 ment, and under the combined influence of somno 
 lent logic and cordial hospitality, he fell asleep. 
 Judge Ilubbard had him aroused, and, in a some 
 what indignant manner, remarked that if his ca^e 
 was not properly considered he would appeal it to a 
 higher court. "Appeal to h , and be damned to 
 ye!" cried the "Judge;" "judgment for the plaint 
 iff, and this court is adjourned ! " 
 
 A marriage ceremony was once performed by one 
 of the local Justices, so brilliant in its character that 
 the name of the distinguished official, and the time 
 and place, ai*e omitted, that the honors may be 
 equally divided. The candidates for matrimonial 
 uncertainties presenting themselves before the magis 
 trate, he ordered the bridegroom elect to hold up his 
 right hand, and, in his most impressive manner, 
 said: "You do most solemnly swear that you are 
 twenty-one j-ears of age; that you will support the 
 Constitution of the United States, and of the State of 
 California; that you will be a true, faithful, and obe 
 dient husband, and that you have not voted before 
 this day, so help you God." AVhat was said to the 
 woman was not related. 
 
 The case of Owens vs. Shackles, et al., was brought 
 in Justice Palmer's court, at Lancha Plana, in Jan 
 uary, 1856, to determine the right of po>session to a 
 mining claim. Henry Eno, who had been County 
 Judge of Calaveras county, and was afterwards 
 County Judge of Alpine county, was attorney for 
 
 the plaintiff. The trial was had by jury, who ren 
 dered their verdict that the claim did not belong to 
 either party. Without waiting for any action by 
 the Court upon the verdict, there was a gen 
 eral rush of attorneys, clients, and witnesses for the 
 disputed ground. It is said that Judge Eno, whose 
 gra}' hairs were streaming in the wind, raised by his 
 Iroquois pace, would have won the race and (bound 
 ary) stakes, had not Shackles caught him by the 
 coat-tail, and flung him aside, thus winning the race 
 and suit, with Owens a very good second. 
 
 Apropos of Judge Eno, a story is told which may 
 not be out of place here, since his practice was quite 
 as extensive in Amador as in Calaveras. While he 
 was County Judge of Calaveras, a young man was 
 tried and convicted before him, of a felony. Judge 
 Brockway defended the prisoner in his usual able 
 manner, and upon the arraignment of his client for 
 sentence made a most feeling appeal to the Court 
 for leniency, moving his auditors to tears, and 
 apparently producing a deep impression upon the 
 Court. After waiting a short time for the excitement 
 to subside, Judge Eno said: " Prisoner, stand up! 
 You have been indicted by the Grand Jury of this 
 county for the crime of burglary, to which indict 
 ment you pleaded ' not guilty.' You have been fairly 
 tried by a jury of your own selection, who find you 
 guilty of the charge contained in the indictment, 
 having been ably and well defended during that trial 
 by eminent counsel. Your counsel has made a most 
 touching and eloquent appeal to the Court for its 
 sympathy and indulgence, calling attention to the 
 apparent fqct that you are but a boy in years; aver 
 ring that this is your first criminal offense; that you 
 are the only son of one of our most respected and 
 worthy citizens, and the idol of an almost broken 
 hearted mother; that the result of a long incarcera 
 tion would be ruin to your future, which might be 
 fair and even brilliant. The Court is deeply 
 impressed with these facts, and its sentence, there 
 fore, is, that you be taken by the Sheriff of this 
 county to the State prison at San Quentin, and there 
 be confined to hard labor for a term of fourteen 
 years; and I only wish I could make it longer." 
 
 The prisoner was, however, pardoned a short time 
 after, and, to the credit of Judge Eno, be it said, he 
 signed the petition for the pardon and exerted him 
 self in that behalf. 
 
 A DISGUSTED CREDITOR. 
 
 While Judge Gordon was County Judge SLndexofficio 
 Judge of the Probate Court, and Jerry King was 
 Public Administrator, two Swedes were drowned in 
 the Mokelumne river, leaving, as was supposed, some 
 property. King was duly appointed administrator 
 of their estates. A few weeks after, an original 
 specimen of humanity, with unkempt hair of an 
 indescribable hue, crane neck and leathery features, 
 his general appearance suggesting the idea of a 
 dried-apple on the end of a ramrod, presented him 
 self before Judge Gordon, and making an awkward 
 
294 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 bow of unusual vigor, and slinging his well-worn 
 sombrero beneath his arm with the air and punctilio 
 of a soldier presenting arms, his mental thermom 
 eter evidently at fighting point, said, 
 
 " Might Mister King be here ? " 
 
 Judge Gordon ever ready to gratify his disposition 
 for a quiet joke, and discovering rich croppings 
 therefor, concluded to prospect, and answered, 
 
 " No. What do you want with Mr. King ? " 
 
 Pat " An' its meself that wants me money! " 
 
 Judge Gordon " What money has Mr. King of 
 yours?" 
 
 Pat " Its me money that I arent like an honest 
 man off them that died in the river beyant, bedad! " 
 
 Judge Gordon "Did you earn it before or after 
 they were drowned ? " 
 
 Pat " Do ye thinfc they could hire me afther they 
 were dead, bedad? " 
 
 Judge Gordon " Mr. King cannot give you your 
 money now. You must wait until the estate is 
 administered." 
 
 Pat" An' what's that ? " 
 
 Judge Gordon " Until it goes through the court." 
 
 Pat "An' d'ye say that, now? Then it's Pat 
 Rooney's son '11 give hisself no more trouble aboot 
 it, at all, at all. Bedad, an' if it goes through the 
 coort, it's meself that '11 niver see a cint. Ach, hone, 
 I thought afther only one man's stalings, faith, 
 tbere'd be some left but if it's got to go through the 
 coort, Holy Virgin, it's me own father's son that '11 
 niver get a cint. Good day ter yees, gintlemen; it's 
 no more I'll bother me head aboot it, at all, at all! " 
 
 DEVOUT DEACONS. ' 
 
 About the year 1860, an Episcopal clergj-man 
 made an effort to establish a society of his form of 
 worship at Jackson, and secured the court-room for 
 the meeting. Of course it was popular, and it 
 became the intellectual members of the community 
 to identify themselves with the movement; hence, 
 many members of the Bar who had been conspic 
 uous by their absence from any church for years, 
 were in attendance. It was necessary that deacons 
 
 should be selected, arid Counselor B and Judge 
 
 H - were among the elect. During service they 
 were unable to find the places in the book for re 
 sponses, and B asked of II in an audible whisper, 
 
 "Jim, where in h 1 is the place?" " Damfino," 
 
 responded 11 earnestly turning the leaves of the 
 
 one book with which he was not familiar. 
 
 A COLORED ADVOCATE. 
 
 J. W. D. Palmer, a most genial and intelligent 
 gentleman, from Kentucky, and formerly connected 
 with the press at Louisville, has been Justice of the 
 Peace at Lancha Plana for years. In his court an 
 action to recover the possession of a mining claim, 
 situated in the basin of a hill, was brought by Hon. 
 George Wagner, who had represented Amador in 
 the Assembly, against a colored man named Smith, 
 who had dug a "tail-race" through the rim rock 
 
 of the hill into the basin, through which to run off 
 the debris in sluices. Mr. Wagner was represented 
 by Mr. Severance, and Smith appeared in propria 
 persona. The testimony all in, Smith proceeded to 
 sum up as follows: "Yer 'oner, I will please to state 
 to dis Court dat 1 jist spent my bottom dollar on 
 dat ar tail-race; an de statoots uv dis State says dat 
 3"ou can't steal away my prop'ty. My oppoleon has 
 gone and payed a silver-tongued lawyer to come 
 here and cheat me out ob dat tail-race, but I'll 
 please to state to dis Court dat it can't be did. No 
 sar! Now dars George Wagner, kase he's 'lected to 
 de Legislator when people was scace down dis way, 
 he thinks he can run ober de poor African!" In 
 spite of his eloquence he lost his case. 
 
 A GAME OP WHIST. 
 
 One evening during court week, Tod Robinson 
 and Judge Carter engaged in a game of whist, in 
 the "Young America," upon opposite sides. After 
 playing for some time, Judge Carter dextrously 
 exchanged cards with Judge Robinson, and got a 
 very good hand by that means. The act was wit 
 nessed by the spectators, but passed unnoticed by 
 Judge Robinson. Trick after trick was taken by 
 Carter, to the audible amusement of the lookers-on, 
 when Robinson, irritated by the laughter exclaimed, 
 in that clear, cut silver speech, for which he was 
 noted, " Gentlemen, am 7 the butt of your merri 
 ment?" He soon discovered that Carter had played 
 a trick on him, and, rising to his full height and 
 assuming his most dignified and tragic style, said, 
 "Judge Carter! [pause] Squire Carter! [pause 
 in a louder tone] Mister Carter! [contemptuously] 
 Carter! [then in a tone of withering irony] Old 
 Carter! You have played seven-up with Bill Hicks 
 and Jim Martin on a rawhide until you are wholly 
 unfit to play with a gentleman, and I'll leave you, 
 sir!" 
 
 AN INDUSTRIOUS GRAND JURY. 
 
 A careful reader of our history will not need tell 
 ing a second time, that gambling was alarmingly 
 prevalent in early days. The Legislature passed 
 laws making gambling a penal offense; but in the 
 chaotic state of society, about the beginning of the 
 sixties, the laws against it were considered more 
 as moral maxims than as imperious rules, and 
 gambling went on much as ever. It happened that 
 a Grand Jury, more than usually conscientious was 
 convened, and when they were sworn to bring to 
 notice all known violations of the statutes, gambling 
 was of course included. A few cases were brought 
 in, and the persons indicted. This led to more, and 
 the whole week was spent in obtaining evidence of 
 the act, until the numbers amounted to over three 
 hundred. The District Attorney urged the useless- 
 ness of the course, as no trial jury would convict a 
 man of a State's prison offense merely for betting 
 a quarter on monte or faro, but the Grand Jury 
 thought otherwise. Blank indictments were printed 
 
SKETCHES OF AMADOR COUNTY BAR. 
 
 295 
 
 so that the jurors themselves could fill up the blanks, 
 and the work went on. One case was brought to 
 trial, and a day spent in the vain effort to obtain a 
 conviction. The District Attorney here told the 
 jury that he was unable to obtain a conviction, and 
 asked legal assistance. Fifty dollars was raised 
 among the grand jurors, and the services of Tod 
 Robinson obtained. lie exerted himself to the 
 utmost, still the verdict was "not guilty." Sat 
 urday noon had arrived, and the Grand Jury were 
 still at work, increasing the list until it seemed as 
 if half the county would be put on trial. The Dis 
 trict Attorney communicated his dilemma to Judge 
 Gordon. He said nothing, but gave that peculiar 
 
 twist of the eyes and mouth which all his friends 
 
 know forebodes well, something decisive. When 
 
 some little business had been disposed of the Judge 
 asked the usual question, "Mr. District Attorney, 
 have you any farther business before this Court?" 
 Upon being answered in the negative, he ordered 
 the Court adjourned sine die. The Grand Jury met 
 the following Monday morning to continue the busi 
 ness, but were informed that the adjournment of 
 the Court had ended their life as a Grand Jury. 
 Some were able to look at it as a good joke; others 
 went home resolving that if they should again get 
 on the Grand Jury, they would begin with the Judge 
 first. 
 
296 
 
 OFFICERS OF AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 OFFICERS 
 
 OF 
 
 -AJMI-AJDOI^ COTJIsTT^ a-A-LXIFOIRIsrijk., 
 
 FROM 1854 TO 1880. 
 
 CO. ASSESSOR. 7 
 
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 [') Vice T. W. Pawling, deceased; appointed in February. 
 | 2 ) Vice Henry Peck, deceased. 
 ( 3 ) The offices of County Clerk and Recorder combined, except in the years 1862-63-61-65-66-67. 
 *) Appointed August, 1855, vice W. A. Phoenix, who was killed in the difficulty at Chinese Camp. 
 [ 5 ) Appointed November 25th, vice B. B. Redhead, deceased. 
 ; 6 ) In the election held September 6, 1865, L. Rabolt was elected Treasurer, but it being proved that 
 he was not a citizen, Otto Walter, competitor, was appointed to fill the vacancy. 
 C 1 ) Township Assessors during the years 1862-63-64-65-66-67-68. 
 [*) Superior Judge. 
 
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 CO. SURVEYOR. 
 
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 38 
 
Is a native of the city of New York; born on the 
 llth of July, 1841. Being left an orphan at the 
 early age of one year, he was taken to Rochester, 
 where he lived about ten years. His education was 
 obtained in different portions of the great " Empire " 
 State, his occupation, after he was old enough to 
 work, being farming. In 1860 he came to Califor 
 nia, by way of the Isthmus of Panama, landing in 
 the city of San Francisco on the first day of March. 
 The second day of the same month found him at 
 Sutter Creek, Amador county, which he has since 
 made his home. He has been engaged in various 
 kinds of business since arriving at this place, princi 
 pally teaming, lumbering, and stock-raising. 
 
 For the first six years he followed the former bus 
 iness, and then engaged in the lumber trade, which 
 business he still conducts, having the only lumber 
 yard in Sutter Creek. A good portion of the time 
 he has several teams on the road, hauling lumber 
 from his saw-mill, better known as Tarr's mill, situ 
 ated about ten miles above Volcano. 
 
 He is largely interested in stock-raising, dealing 
 in and raising horses, mules, and cattle, extensively. 
 Mr. Allen has in the neighborhood of three thousand 
 acres of land adjoining Sutter Creek, all under 
 fence, and well supplied with the necessary arrange 
 ments for the prosecution of his business; has 
 numerous barns for the shelter of his stock. He also 
 has some fifteen hundred acres of mountain range, 
 to which he drives his stock when the feed fails 
 around his home ranch. Taking into consideration 
 his being left an orphan when so young, Mr. Allen 
 is a self-made man, and has accomplished what many 
 others have failed to do. His honesty, integrity and 
 punctuality have always been prominent features in 
 his dealings with his fellow-men. 
 
 He was married July 11, 1870, in Amador City, to 
 Miss Annie E. Bradbury, a native of the State 
 of Maine. Their union has been blessed with five 
 children, four of whom, two boj's and two girls, are 
 still living, their oldest child, a daughter, having 
 died. 
 
 Was born in Perry county, Pennsylvania, December 
 15, 1826, where he resided until the Spring of 1839, 
 when, with his parents, he removed to Iowa. While 
 there he learned the carpenter's trade, though prin 
 
 cipally engaged in farming. In 1850 he was swept 
 off by the great California wave, which sent such a 
 vast number of the best and most energetic across 
 the plains to build up a new State. After resting 
 and looking around awhile at Sacramento, he went 
 to Rough and Ready, in Nevada county, where he 
 remained one year, engaged in mining. From thence 
 he moved to El Dorado county, making that his 
 home until 1876, being engaged in mining ditches 
 until 1856, when he bought into a saw-mill, which, in 
 connection with the selling and transportation of 
 lumber, he carried on until the year mentioned, when 
 he finally located on the present farm, which he had 
 previously purchased. It is situated three miles 
 north-east of Plymouth, and contains three hundred 
 and twenty acres of ground highly improved. 
 
 Mr. Baird was married September 14, 1868, to 
 Miss Mary Ann Brown, who -died May 1, 1877. 
 The family consists of Mr. Baird and an only son, 
 now twelve years of age. He is a man trusted 
 by his neighbors, and is a member of the Board of 
 School Trustees of his district. 
 
 CHARLES BAMERT 
 
 Was born at Baden, in Germany, April 2, 1830. The 
 first five years of his life were passed in his native 
 country; but coming to America at that early age, 
 his first recollections are consequently located in this 
 country. Upon his arrival in America, he went with 
 his parents to Ontario, New York, where he remained 
 until 1852. During that time he attended school 
 and acquired a common school education. 
 
 In the year last named, he came to California, 
 reaching San Francisco in the month of July. His 
 first occupation was that of a miner, in Ophir dis 
 trict, in Placer county, where he experienced the 
 trials and privations usually connected with that 
 kind of life in those days. For eight years he fol 
 lowed that business, and in 1860 settled on the 
 Mokelumne river, where he has since resided. Mr. 
 Bamert has a fine ranch containing seven hundred 
 acres, and is also largely interested in other tracts of 
 land in connection with other parties. He has been 
 extensively engaged in stock-raising, but more 
 recently has turned his attention to the sheep bus 
 iness, in company with Pardeau & Borden. For 
 thirteen years Mr. Bamert has been engaged in gen 
 eral merchandise, being first interested with Messrs. 
 Woolsey & Palmer, afterward purchasing their inter- 
 
300 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 ests in the stock of goods, and conducting the busi 
 ness himself. His natural ability foi 1 the trade has 
 manifested itself throughout his years of experience 
 and he ranks at the present time with the prosper 
 ous and successful business men of the county. He 
 was married in 1876, to Miss Leah Shclburn, and 
 their union has been blessed with two children, now 
 aged three and one years respectively. 
 
 EDGAE BISHOP. 
 
 The subject of the following sketch is a native of 
 New York State, having been born at Warrensburgh, 
 Warren county, in 1839. Upon reaching his major 
 ity he left the familiar scenes of his childhood, and 
 began the battle of life for himself, his objective 
 point being California. His first location in this State 
 was at lone, Amador county, where he was engaged 
 in trade from 1861 to 1866. In June of the last 
 named year, he removed to the city of San Fran 
 cisco, and for about fourteen years was widely known 
 as a successful grocer of that thriving city. In the 
 Spring of 1880, Mr. Bishop returned to lone and pur 
 chased the stock and trade of Daniel Stewart, and is 
 in possession of a large, thriving business. 
 
 He was married in San Francisco in October, 1873, 
 to Mrs. Sophia C. Streeter, and their union is blessed 
 with two children, both girls. 
 
 J. C. BLYTHER 
 
 Is a native of the State of Maine; was born in the 
 town of Calais, Washington county, January 7, 1826. 
 At the tender age of three years he removed with 
 his parents to the city of New Orleans. Louisiana. 
 In the " Crescent City " he received a liberal educa 
 tion, and resided there most of the time until 1850, 
 at which time he came to California. Like nearly 
 all the early pioneers of the " Golden State," his 
 aspirations led him to seek his fortune in the mines, 
 and his first occupation after reaching his destination 
 was consequently that of delving in the earth in 
 search of the precious nuggets. After a short time 
 in his first location, he sought other places where it 
 was believed dame fortune had deposited a larger 
 supply of wealth for him; and, possessing a rambling 
 nature, visited different parts of the State during the 
 succeeding eleven } T ears. In 1861 Mr. Blyther con 
 cluded to settle down, as he was a firm believer ia the 
 old adage that "a rolling stone gathers no moss," and 
 in the last-named year located on the' ranch, where 
 he is very pleasantly situated at the present time, 
 owning one of the best places on the Mokelumne 
 river; though containing but two hundred acres, it 
 is well cared for, and conducted on the true principle 
 that land in order 'to be remunerative, must receive 
 a certain amount of attention. He was married in 
 1866 to Mrs. Child, who had one child by. a former 
 marriage, that now lives with his parents, a bright, 
 
 active young man of nineteen years. Mr. Blytheris a 
 courteous gentleman, and in connection with his rep 
 utation as a good farmer, has the good- will and esteem 
 of his neighbors, and is what might be called a self- 
 made man. 
 
 JOHN A. BROWN 
 
 Was born in the town of Warsaw, State of Missouri, 
 on the 25th of November, 1848. When he was a 
 mere infant his parents came across the plains to 
 California with ox-teams. The first recollections of 
 which our subject is master, are of life in the golden 
 State. His education was obtained in the schools 
 of this State, and speaks volumes for the country 
 that but a few years since, was known only to the 
 hardy pioneers and the " dusky sons of the forest." 
 The first location of the family after reaching the 
 land of promise, was on Bear river, near Marysville. 
 One year later they removed to Amador City, and 
 soon after moved on to a farm near Sutter creek, 
 where they remained fourteen years. 
 
 The subject of our sketch attended school until 
 about twenty years of age, and at the early age of 
 twenty-two 3 T ears was elected as a Justice of the 
 Peace, holding the office nearly two years. He was 
 engaged in various kinds of business after leaving 
 school, and put in some time prospecting; he also 
 studied law for a couple of years, but during this 
 time he had an ambition to become a civil engineer 
 and surveyor, arid accordingly fitted himself for that 
 profession. 
 
 In 1878 be received the appointment of County 
 Surveyor, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of 
 that officer, and the same Summer received his papers 
 appointing him a United States Deputy Surveyor. 
 Since receiving his first appointment as County Sur 
 veyor, he has continued to fill that position to the 
 present time, and has dispatched the duties of his 
 office with entire satisfaction to his people and with 
 credit to himself. In 1879 he made a survey of all 
 the public roads of this county, and is at present 
 engaged in making an elaborate county map. Mr. 
 Brown is an accomplished and thorough gentleman 
 in all the associations of life, and also fully appre 
 ciates the fact that his profession requires the atten 
 tion, that he so readily gives to it. 
 
 He was married February 25, 1880, to Miss Vir 
 ginia Hayden, one child having been born to them. 
 
 ANTHONY CAMINETTI 
 
 Was born at Jackson Gate, in Amador county, July 
 30, 1854, being one of the first children born in the 
 county. His parents are natives of Italy. The first 
 ten years of his life were passed in his native place, 
 and at that age he went to the city of San Francisco, 
 and attended school, for three years. In 1867, he 
 returned to Jackson, and entered the employ of his 
 Uncle, B. Caminetti, as clerk in his store. In this 
 
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BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES. 
 
 301 
 
 last position he remained about three years, and 
 attain went to San Francisco, and entered the law 
 office of Quint & Hardy, as clerk, .and remained 
 in that capacity until the completion of the first trial 
 of Laura D. Fair. He soon after entered the State 
 University, at Oakland, where he pursued his studies 
 until October 31, 1873, at which time he returned 
 to Jackson, and commenced reading law in the 
 office of J. T. Farley. In May, 1877, he was admit 
 ted to the Bar of California, and, during the same 
 year, was elected as District Attorney. During the 
 Legislative session of 1875-76, Mr. Caminetti filled 
 the position of Assistant Journal Clerk of the Senate. 
 He was at once recognized as a leader in politics, 
 and in 1880 received the nomination as alternate 
 elector on the Democratic Presidential ticket. In 
 social life he is a genial gentleman, enjoying a large 
 circle of friends, and though young in years, carries 
 a well-balanced head; and we may expect to see 
 him honored in a manner becoming his talents. 
 
 W. W. CARLILE 
 
 Was born in Carroll county, Ohio, December 3, 
 1839. He resided in that State until 1846, when he 
 removed with his parents to Keokuk, Iowa, where he 
 lived until 1862. When but little past his majority 
 he discovered that it was not good for man to live 
 alone, and took himself a wife, Miss Phebe Smith, 
 who has blessed him with six children, four girls and 
 two boys; all but one girl now living, who bid fair 
 to inherit the virtues and industrious habits of both 
 parents. May 7, 1862, himself and wife, packing 
 their worldly estate into a wagon, started for Califor 
 nia with an ox-team, full of hope and determination 
 that if hard work would wrench good fortune out of 
 the California chaos, they would have a share of the 
 gold and other good things. The daily plodding 
 through the sands and climbing of mountains ter 
 minated, and one evening they let their eyes feast on 
 the green valleys of lone, which formed such a con 
 trast to the alkaline plains of the two thousand 
 miles they had so wearily traversed. They rented a 
 farm and orchard in the interior of the valley, and 
 sunrise and sunset saw him either at work on his 
 place or on the way to market. In those days all 
 kinds of farm produce brought a good price, and in 
 a few years he had accumulated several thousand 
 dollars, enough, as he thought, to give him a good 
 start in the West, for like most early comers to Cali 
 fornia he had not learned to consider California an 
 inviting home. In 1872 he pulled up all his stakes 
 and removed to Kansas, with the intention of making 
 that State his home. But, alas! he had not calcu 
 lated for the cold winters. He did not like the idea 
 of having his heels freeze while his toes were toast 
 ing at a fierce fire; one winter of it was enough. 
 The following Spring he was on his way to Cali 
 fornia, and reached it in due time a wiser, if not a 
 
 wealthier, man, for this bit of experience had made 
 quite a hole in his litlb capital. But the word fail 
 had no place in his vocabulary. He was not long in 
 getting under way, and soon bought the place on 
 which he now resides, it being in the neighborhood 
 of the noted Q ranch, containing some of the best 
 land in the famous lone valley. In addition to 
 farming his own place he has been engaged in 
 threshing for the many farmers in his vicinity. His 
 love for machinery and knowledge of mechanics has 
 enabled him to make many improvements in the 
 steam power and separators, one of which is likely 
 to become extensively adopted. This is an attach 
 ment to the engine to raise the grain to the separator 
 without the aid of horses. As the machine is under 
 the control of the engineer, it makes a saving of 
 both horse and man power. It is needless to say 
 that Mr. Carlile has secured a patent for the improve 
 ment, it being the first in this direction. Our readers 
 will better understand the nature of the improve 
 ment by consulting the engraving in the body of the 
 work. Coal in considerable quantity is found on his 
 ranch, and the same stream of gravel that has made 
 good diggings on the Coffin place, also traverses his. 
 
 JAMES GUMMING. 
 
 Few men have a more varied or extensive expe 
 rience than Dr. Gumming. A volume of interesting 
 incidents might be written without exhausting the 
 subject. He is a native of Tennessee, first seeing 
 the sunlight February 10, 1813, among the mount 
 ains of the eastern part of the State, which has pro 
 duced so many extraordinary men, such as Andrew 
 Johnson and Parson Brownlow, Grainger county 
 being his birthplace. He received a liberal educa 
 tion, both classical and scientific, being a graduate 
 of the University of Knoxville. He afterwards 
 studied medicine, graduating in the Transylvania 
 University of Kentucky. He spent some years in 
 the practice of medicine in Decatur, Alabama, but, 
 in consequence of ill-health, was forced to leave that 
 section of country, removing in 1836 to Peoria, Illi 
 nois, where, in addition to the practice of medicine, 
 he engaged extensively in real estate transactions. 
 He rapidly accumulated property, soon becoming 
 rich. January 17, 1842, he married Miss Mary Ann 
 Dorsey, daughter of Captain Chas. S. Dorsey, of 
 Kentucky. It was remarked that the richest man 
 had married the handsomest woman in four counties, 
 this seeming anomaly arising from the fact that the 
 Dorsey residence stood on the corners of four coun 
 ties. Miss Dorsey made him an inestimable com 
 panion, and still retains much of the beauty which 
 forty years ago made her the queen of all the prairie 
 flowers. They have had three children, none of 
 whom are living to inherit the beauty of the mother, 
 or the intellectual qualifications of the father. 
 
 His extensive business operations carried him to 
 
302 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 different parts of the Union, his longest stay being 
 made in New Mexico, near Santa Fe, where he 
 engaged in trade, and also in government contracts. 
 His knowledge of the Spanish language, and the 
 character of the peons, enabled him to render the 
 Government efficient service. His experiences among 
 the ignorant and prejudiced, but not by any means 
 bad, natives would make interesting and valuable 
 reading matter, if the doctor could be induced to 
 commit it to paper. In 1859, he so far closed his 
 business in New Mexico as to permit his leaving the 
 Territory and becoming a citizen of California. He 
 was among the first to take passage by the line of 
 overland stages established about that time. Soon 
 after arriving in this State he purchased the prop 
 erty known as the brick flour mills, which he 
 enlarged and otherwise improved, until he can do 
 
 as good work as is done in the State. The mill has 
 both water and steam-power, the water-power being 
 obtained by a ditch which taps Sutter creek about 
 two miles above the town, the steam-power being 
 used when the water is low. Dr. Gumming is a 
 noted inventor, he having constructed the first plow 
 that would scour in the fat prairies of the West. 
 He has patented two important improvements in 
 the turbine wheel, one of which was to contract the 
 openings so as to utilize the whole fall with a small 
 head of water. lie has also some thirty other pat 
 ents, which have been generally adopted. He has 
 occupied many positions of honor, such as army 
 surgeon, member of the Illinois Legislature, magis 
 trate, etc. Fort Gumming was named in his honor, 
 lie has not accepted any official position in Cali 
 fornia. 
 
 WILLIAM O. CLARK. 
 
 WILLIAM 0. CLARK. 
 
 A personal acquaintance with the subject of this 
 sketch enables the writer to give more of the history 
 of this natural orator than he would be likely to 
 communicate to any one for publication. He was 
 born in Madison, Indiana, January 21, 1817, and con 
 sequently has seen most of the strides that Indiana, 
 as well as other western States, has made in popula 
 tion and wealth. He came to California in an early 
 day, and found ample material in the abundant dram- 
 drinking of California to arouse into action all his 
 powers of oratory, and he early sounded the tocsin 
 of alarm, and proclaimed the evils of intemperance 
 
 in every town, from Siskiyou to San Diego, organiz 
 ing temperance societies in every possible place, 
 lie is possessed of a sanguine temperament that 
 throws all power available into a contest when once 
 a decision is made, and he made his influence felt 
 wherever saloons existed. He is said to have spent 
 several fortunes in the cause. He has been G. W. P. 
 of the Sons of Temperance for many successive 
 terms. In 1872 he made a trip around the world, 
 visiting England, France, Sicily, Egypt, the Holy 
 Land, India, China and Japan, carrying the temper 
 ance colors all the time, and lecturing upon it 
 whenever practicable. He has resided in Drytown, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES. 
 
 303 
 
 except when traveling on his special mission, for 
 twenty-six years. Ho suffered heavily in the great 
 fire of 1857, but saved something from the general 
 wreck. The brick store he claims to be the oldest 
 brick structure in the county. Other brick buildings 
 were erected before his, but went down in some of 
 the numerous fires which visited every town. He 
 was married in 1857, to Miss Julia Appleby of Ottawa, 
 Illinois. She was noted as combining extraordinary 
 beauty with a vigorous intellect, and in a suitable 
 sphere would have taken high rank. There was 
 little room in Drytown a quarter of a century since, 
 however, for the exercise of those gifts which in the 
 centers of population would have made her a queen 
 of society. They have one child, a son, living. Mr. 
 Clark amuses himself in his intervals of business, by 
 cultivating the hills around Drytown in grain, and 
 demonstrating their ability to produce something 
 besides grapes. 
 
 THOMPSON DAVIS 
 
 "Was born in the State of Missouri in 1833. At the 
 age of twenty years he emigrated to California, set 
 tling atPlacerville (Hangtown), in El Dorado county, 
 where he lived for two years, when he came to Vol 
 cano, where he mined for one year; thence to Oleta 
 where he lived for two years; thence to Upper 
 Rancheria, where he also mined for two years. 
 Placer mining becoming rather precarious, he tried 
 farming in Buckeye valley, near Carbondale, for ten 
 years. He then engaged in the mercantile business 
 near Drytown for eight years. In 1879 he removed 
 to Plymouth, where he erected a store and enlarged 
 his business. He has since made this place his home. 
 He was married in 1866 to Miss Maria A. Davies. 
 They have four children. 
 
 R. C. DOWNS 
 
 AVas born in Bristol, Hartford county, Connecticut, 
 on the 19th of April, 1828, where he passed his early 
 years. At the age of eighteen he went to New 
 York City, where he was employed as a clerk in a 
 dry goods establishment. On the 25th of January, 
 1849, he sailed from the latter city in the ship 
 Tuhmaroo, Captain Richardson, master; and on the 
 first of the following July, landed in San Francisco. 
 He at once left for the mines, his first location being 
 on the north fork of the American river, where he 
 remained until the Fall of that year. He then 
 removed to Amador creek, and was engaged in the 
 same business until the following Spring. From 
 1850 until 1859 he was engaged in merchandising at 
 Amador, Rancheria, Sutter Creek and Volcano, in 
 company with Levi Hanford, having establishments 
 at each of those places. Mr. Hanford had charge 
 of the stores, Mr. Downs generally remaining in the 
 city purchasing and forwarding goods. They were 
 
 eminently successful, the firm of Hanford & Downs 
 becoming well known over the State. From 1860 to 
 1873 he was part owner and superintendent of the 
 Lincoln quartz mine at Sutter Creek, Leland Stan 
 ford being a partner. He made the mine a paying 
 institution. The succeeding four years he spent in 
 traveling, making several trips to the Eastern States, 
 as well as traveling extensively through California. 
 In the Summer of 1877, in connection with J. M. 
 Hanford, he opened a mine near Volcano, now bear 
 ing his name, which they have worked successfully 
 ever since. Mr. Downs is also owner of the Golden 
 Eagle mine, near Sutter Creek, which he is now 
 prospecting. He was elected to the Assembly of the 
 State Legislature in 1879-80, an office he filled to the 
 entire satisfaction of his constituents. He has 
 recently built a fine residence at Sutter Creek, where 
 he intends making his permanent home. He was 
 married in his native town, in October, 1856, and 
 has three sons aged respectively eighteen, sixteen 
 and thirteen years. 
 
 THOMAS W. EASTON 
 
 Is a native of England, though he came to America 
 in company with his parents when he was but eight 
 years of age. He was born September 1, 1823, in 
 the county of Kent. The family settled in Otsego 
 county, New York. Soon after reaching America, the 
 boy, feeling strong enough to go alone, started out in 
 life on his own account, going first to Cattaraugus 
 county, where he engaged in farming for some years, 
 or until he was twenty-one years old, when he went 
 to Saginaw county, Michigan, where he followed 
 teaching private school for two seasons. Following 
 up the injunction to go west, he made another move, 
 this time to Wisconsin, in which State he resided 
 four years, engaged, most of the time, in farming. 
 In 1848, being then twenty-five years of age, he 
 man-ied Miss Lucinda Jane Van Loan, who was a 
 native of New York. In 1854 Mr. Easton, with his 
 wife and two children a daughter and son crossed 
 the plains to California, making their first halt in 
 Sacramento county, going afterwai'ds to Placerville 
 for a few months, finally settling in El Dorado 
 county, where he lived until October, 1873, his prin 
 cipal business being mining, though he united with 
 this the business of keeping a hotel during seven 
 years of the time. In 1873 he came to Plymouth, 
 then rapidly growing up in consequence of the 
 development of the mines under the management of 
 Alvinza Hay ward, and engaged in keeping a hotel. 
 In June, 1877, he was completely ruined in financial 
 matters by the great fire of that year; but the energy 
 which had wrested success out of apparent defeat so 
 many times was not exhausted, and another one was 
 soon flourishing. His family consists of himself, wife 
 and four children. 
 
304 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 S. \V. EMMONS 
 
 Was born January 31, 1829, at Chillicothe, Ross 
 county, Ohio. When but three years of age he 
 removed with his parents to the State of Michigan, 
 where he lived on a farm until he reached the age of 
 eighteen years. Having acquired a common school 
 education from the meagre facilities of his neighbor 
 hood by attending school during the Winter terms, 
 he left home and went to Detroit, and entered a 
 machine shop for the purpose of learning the trade 
 of a machinist, spending the next five years in so 
 doing. 
 
 In 1853 he saw bright and golden prospects in 
 California, and, to realize his hopes in that direction, 
 sailed for the Pacific coast, which he reached in due 
 time, by way of the isthmus. He at once entered 
 the mines in El Dorado county, but soon after went 
 to Mokelumne Hill, in Calaveras county, where he 
 followed mining until 1856, with varied success. In 
 
 1857 he accepted a position as engineer in Clinton, 
 Amador county, where he remained one year. His 
 next move was to accept a position at the New York 
 branch saw-mill, and had charge of the engine from 
 
 1858 to 1864. In the last-named year, he took the 
 management of the engine and machinery at the 
 Oneida mine, wh ; ch he retained two years. He was 
 afterwards in a like position in Jackson, in the Ken 
 nedy mine. In all these responsible positions Mr. 
 Emmons succeeded admirably in giving entire satis 
 faction to his employers, and became noted for his 
 excellent management. Tiring of this occupation, 
 and requiring out-door exercise, he engaged in farm 
 ing at the New York ranch, which he followed about 
 two years. He then bought the Pine Grove hotel, 
 a place well and favorably known throughout the 
 country, located on the Jackson and* Volcano road, 
 ten miles north-east of the former place, and has 
 since catered to the wants of his guests in a creditable 
 manner. 
 
 Mr. Emmons was married on New Year's day, 
 1873, to Miss Eliza Beem, a native of Illinois, and 
 their union is blessed with one child, a son, about five 
 years of age. 
 
 The hotel and surroundings of Mr. Emmons can 
 best be appreciated by a glance at the view herein 
 contained on another page. 
 
 Is a native of Canada West, having been born at a 
 place called Bytown, now known as Ottawa, in 
 the year 1835. The first sixteen years of his life 
 were passed on Canadian soil, and his early educa 
 tion was obtained in the schools of his native town. 
 In 1851 he emigrated with his parents to the State 
 of Illinois, and located in Bureau county, and for 
 about eight years devoted his time to the tilling of 
 the soil, which experience was of service to him in 
 later years. In 1858 he came to California, by way 
 
 of New Orleans and Havana. He remained a short 
 time in San Francisco, and then came to Amador 
 county, locating at Sutter Creek, where he has since 
 resided, engaged in various occupations. The first 
 four .years of his residence at this place, he was 
 engineer at the Eureka mine, a position he filled with 
 more than ordinary ability. He then turned his 
 attention to teaming, and for two years followed that 
 business. 
 
 Desiring something better suited to his tastes, he 
 gave up teaming and opened a livery stable, and has 
 the satisfaction of knowing that his is the only first- 
 class establishment of the kind in the town, in fact, 
 no better can be found in many large cities. He is 
 also considerably interested in ranching, owning a 
 fine farm, containing two hundred acres. He has a 
 mill in which he grinds the feed for his livery stock, 
 and also for the public. The mill was originally run 
 by steam, but is now run by water-power. 
 
 Mr. Fagan is one of the live men, noted for energy 
 and executive ability, and deserves, and does possess, 
 the confidence of the community. He held the 
 responsible position of Sheriff, in the years 1874-75, 
 and performed the duties of the office to the satisfac 
 tion of all. 
 
 He was married in 1864, to Miss Maggie Duke, 
 a native of New York. They have seven children 
 living, six girls and one boy. 
 
 II. C. FARNIIAM 
 
 Is a native of New York, having been born July 12, 
 1827, at Forestville, in Chester county. Here he 
 acquired some education, and, what is of much more 
 importance, the habits of industry and economy, 
 which in every well regulated community are essen 
 tial to success. At the age of eighteen, on foot and 
 alone, with his whole estate in his hands, he started 
 out on his life career. He was a splendid penman 
 and felt confident of paying his way by teaching 
 penmanship along the lines of travel, which he did, 
 forming classes at many points, teaching the young 
 ideas how to write. lie brought up at Milwau 
 kee after six months of this, his first experience, in 
 the world. Seeing no opening for work with his 
 pen, he turned to the plane and saw, and worked' at 
 the carpenter business until 1850, when he enlisted 
 in the great column bound for California, and one 
 hot, sunny day found himself wandering around the 
 streets and mining holes of Hangtown, wondering 
 ivhat next ? He mined around Placerville for a couple 
 of years, and then, early in 1853, went to Fiddle- 
 town, now Olcta, and in company with James Mc- 
 Leod erected the first saw-mill in the vicinity. 
 Through some faulty construction or setting, the 
 boiler collapsed a flue and was thrown many feet out 
 of its bed, fatally wounding two men (McLeod being 
 one), and severely injuring Mr. Farnham, the flying 
 boiler, with McLeod on the end, passing between Mr. 
 
STEPHEN FINN. 
 ( DECEASED) 
 
 f.tv!*T fc a. oi/( > u 
 
OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY^ 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES. 
 
 305 
 
 Farnham and another man sitting at a table in the 
 office. Notwithstanding the accident the mill was 
 repaired, and has done good work ever sin^e, though 
 the cutting away of the timber has necessitated 
 several removals of the mill farther into the mount 
 ains. 
 
 lie has a fine ranch of two hundred and eighty 
 acres, of the deep, productive granite soil, in the 
 immediate vicinity of Oleta, with large barns and 
 elegant house. Several large teams hauling lumber 
 to the mills of Plymouth and Amador, make the 
 place look like business. In fact, Mr. Farnham is a 
 business man; every line in his face, every move of 
 his feet and look of his eyes, together with the sys 
 tem of order displayed on his farm, in his barns and 
 shops, and mill, indicate the ruling motive of the 
 man. He has an unmitigated contempt for the 
 whining, indolent men, who stand around with their 
 hands in their pockets, saying " the country is played 
 out, nothing more to do." He has full faith in Cali 
 fornia, and believes it the best State in the Union. 
 
 He was married April 1, 1854, to Miss Eunice 
 Haynes, a native of New York, by whom he has had 
 seven children, two daughters and five boys, now 
 living. 
 
 STEPHEN FINN. 
 
 Few places in Amador county are better known 
 than Finn's ranch. Like the Q ranch, Buena Vista, 
 Buckeye, and other well-known places, it was not a 
 town, but like them early became noted as among 
 the first to establish the comforts of home and its 
 refining influences, and reveal the possibilities of the 
 new State. It was hardly possible to come into the 
 county without hearing of Finn's ranch, or to con 
 verse about any matter without mentioning it. 
 Every place was located as so many miles from 
 Finn's ranch. Stephen Finn was born in County 
 Wicklow, Ireland, December 26, 1829. Some nine 
 years afterward his parents, following the great 
 stream of emigration, went to Canada with* their 
 family of four children, Stephen being the youngest. 
 They settled in the county of Kent, and commenced 
 anew the struggle for a home. A rigorous climate, 
 lands to be cleared of trees, and buildings to be 
 erected, made this a laborious task, but young Finn 
 did not flinch from the trial, but stayed by his parents 
 until the coming of age, acquiring the habits of in 
 dustry and self-reliance which proved so valuable in 
 the State of his adoption. 
 
 On the sixteenth day of February, 1852, he mar 
 ried Miss Catherine Martin, a native of Canada, of 
 French descent, who was born August 2, 1830. From 
 this marriage came nine children, of whom six sur 
 vive. In 1853 Mr. Finn, with his young wife, came 
 to California, settling first in El Dorado, then known 
 as Mud Springs. Their stay there was short, how 
 ever, soon moving to this county, which he made a 
 home for more than a quarter of a century, or until 
 39 
 
 his death, which occurred on February 28, 1880. 
 
 He was a .Roman Catholic in his religious opinions, 
 but his charity and hospitality was not limited by 
 church lines, all being welcomed to the comforts of 
 his home, until the white house under the tree be 
 came famous for its good cheer. Easter, Christmas, 
 New Years, and Thanksgiving, as well as birthdays, 
 all found a large company of neighbors and friends 
 at his table. 
 
 He was a good citizen, industrious in his business, 
 true to his promises, and faithful in every position 
 in life. 
 
 L. J. FONTENROSE. 
 
 This gentleman was born September 27, 1850, of 
 Italian parents, coming with them to California 
 seven years later. He received his education in the 
 public school of Sutter Creek, carrying off a large 
 share of the honors, being, in every sense of the word, 
 but birth, a native Californian. His education has 
 been supplemented by a liberal course of reading, 
 encouraged by his father, who early perceived the 
 advantages of education to a citizen of the Republic. 
 At the age of fifteen he entered a mercantile house, 
 which position he retained until he was twenty-one, 
 when he abandoned that business and engaged in 
 quartz mining, running an engine most of the time. 
 At the death of his father, five years later, he 
 returned to his home and took charge of the busi 
 ness until 1879, when he was appointed Deputy 
 County Clerk, a position he was especially qualified 
 to fill. At the county election held in 1880, he was 
 chosen to the same position which he still retains. 
 He is a trusty, patient, pains-taking man, and wins 
 the confidence of all with whom he has business. 
 
 MARGARET FOSTER. 
 
 The lady referred to in the following sketch is a 
 native of the State of Illinois, having been born in 
 Madison county on the 15th of February, 1818. Her 
 lite was passed in her native State until the year 
 1852, at which time she, in company with her hus 
 band, crossed the plains to California and settled in 
 Amador county. She was married February 14, 
 1842, to Claiborne Foster, who departed this life at 
 the place where his widow still resides, September 6, 
 1876. Being left alone in the world with the excep 
 tion of her two children, Mrs. Foster managed the 
 businen-s and ranch in a very creditable manner to 
 herself. She has conducted a hotel for the weary 
 traveler and teamster for some years, and it is a 
 pleasure to become an inmate of her hospitable 
 home. Her ranch is beautifully situated in the 
 mountains six miles from Volcano, on the old emi 
 grant road, and contains three hundred acres of 
 choice land* Her union with Mr. Foster was blessed 
 with two children, both girls, who are married, and 
 each have families of their own. 
 
306 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 JOHN II. GRAMBART 
 
 Was born July 22, 1830, near Bremerhaven, in the 
 Kingdom of Hanover. He came to New York in 
 October, 1845, and to California, via Panama, in 
 1853, arriving in San Francisco on the anniversary 
 of Washington's birthday. He came to Drytown 
 soon after, and engaged in the retail dry goods and 
 grocery business with J. C. Williams. He was 
 married August 15, I860, to Miss E. D. Wells, 
 daughter of Mr. H. Wells, of Amador Crossing. 
 They have one child, a boy, thirteen years of age. 
 Ho purchased the Central House in company with 
 his father-in-law, Mr. H. Wells, February 4, 1863. 
 This is one of the best known places in the county, 
 occupying a central position on the lines of travel. 
 It can hardly be surpassed for natural scenery and 
 beauty of location, having an extended view of Sac 
 ramento valley and the western part of the State. 
 
 CHARLES GREEN 
 
 Is a native of Ohio, having been born in Licking 
 county, December 5, 1830, in which State he 
 resided until 1850, when he emigrated, coming to 
 California. His first halt was made in Sacramento, 
 when, attracted by the rich bottom-lands and beau 
 tiful crops, he went to farming, raising stock, hay 
 and grain. He sold out in 1852, and moved to Yolo 
 county, engaging in much the same business, where 
 he again stayed about two years. Like almost 
 every one, he had to try his luck in the mines, and 
 mined two years at Salmon Falls, on the American 
 river. In 1862 he went to Folsom and became 
 interested in a large flouring mill, which he ran for 
 three years. He then went out on the line of the 
 Central Pacific railway, in the interest of T. II. 
 Carroll & Co. He again turned to the mines, and in 
 1870 located in Amador county, looking for two and 
 a half years after the property of the Sacramento 
 and Amador Canal Company. In 1872 he went into 
 the employment of the Phoenix Mill and Mining 
 Comp:my, then controlled by the Hoopers, as super 
 intendent of the ditch, and was finally made foreman 
 of the mill, and eventually superintendent. His 
 incumbency was marked by a great development of 
 all the works about the mine, until it became the 
 most extensive in the county. Ho was married, 
 June 23, 1878, to Miss E. M. Russell, a native of 
 Illinois, having been born September 19, 1848, in 
 the town of Fillmore, Cole county. Mr. Green has 
 a beautiful residence with pleasant surroundings, 
 situated on a gentle eminence overlooking the town 
 of Plymouth, a large portion of the western part 
 of the county, and part of the Sacramento valley. 
 His family at this time, 1881, is himself, wife and 
 one child. 
 
 I. B. GREGORY 
 
 Was born in Sumner county, Tennessee, April 5, 
 1819, and for the succeeding thirteen years remained 
 
 a resident of that State. His advantages for obtain 
 ing an education were somewhat limited, but he 
 managed, by energy and close attention to his studies, 
 to acquire a knowledge of the common branches, to 
 which ho added, in after years, a large amount of 
 practical knowledge, which places him on a firm basis 
 in that direction. In 1832 he removed from Ten 
 nessee to the State of Missouri, where he remained 
 until 1846, at which time he went to Texas, and for 
 about three years was a resident of that State. In 
 1849 he again emigrated, this time to Iowa, and 
 stayed there three years, and then returned to Mis 
 souri. One year later he started for California by 
 way of the plains, and after experiencing the usual 
 incidents connected with such a trip, reached his 
 objective point and located at lone City, Amador 
 county, where he followed the occupation of con 
 tractor and builder. In 1862 Mr Gregory was 
 elected a Supervisor of his district, serving in that 
 position about three years. In 1867-68, he rep 
 resented his people in the Assembly of the State 
 Legislature, in a very creditable manner to himself 
 and to the entire satisfaction of his constituents, and 
 was solicited to again accept the nomination for the 
 same office, but declined. Mr. Gregory possesses the 
 enviable distinction of being almost the only man ever 
 elected to office in the county who did not urge his 
 canvass with whisky. Some years since he joined a 
 temperance society, the secretary of which firmly 
 pasted the two sheets containing his signature and 
 pledge, together, in consequence of which he cannot 
 erase his name, and still feels bound by the obliga 
 tion. His honor and integrity are the brightest 
 jewels in his character. About three years since he 
 removed from lone City to his present home in Jack 
 son valley, a view of which is to be found in this 
 volume. Mr. Gregory was married to Miss Martha 
 Jane McMurry,March2, 1843; nine children are living 
 at the present time to bless their union, one being 
 laid to rest to meet them no more on earth. 
 
 A. C. HAM 
 
 Was born on the Licking river in Kentucky in 1841. 
 Soon after the family removed to Illinois, where they 
 resided until 1855, when they came to California, 
 joining the father, J. C. Ham, the extensive con 
 tractor and builder, who had preceded them some 
 years. They made their re>idence at Aqueduct City, 
 the headquarters of some of the largest enterprises 
 of the senior member of the family. Young Hum 
 soon "struck out" for nimself, engaging in mining 
 and other business. On the opening of the Amador 
 wagon road our friend established a hotel, culled 
 Ham's Station, about twenty miles above Volcano, 
 which he managed for some years, but which since 
 the building of the larger hotel at Aqueduct City, he 
 has left to the management of an agent. Mr. Ham 
 has now become sole owner of the Modoc mine, in 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES. 
 
 307 
 
 the Pioneer district. The mine bids fair to take its 
 place among the bullion producers of the Pacific 
 coast. Persons wishing for a few days' rural amuse 
 ment in a romantic valley will do well to make Mr. 
 Ham's place their headquarters, as he is familiar 
 with all the resorts of the grizzlies and other game. 
 
 FRANKLIN HERMAN. 
 
 The subject of the following sketch is a native of 
 Pennsylvania, having been born in Franklin county, 
 February 27, 1830. When five years of age he 
 removed with his parents to the wilds of Ohio, where 
 he remained until he entered the army, and engaged 
 in the war with Mexico. His education was received 
 in the common schools, and leaving school and 
 friends at such an early age, he was necessarily 
 deprived of advantages in that line. He, however, 
 obtained a thorough knowledge of the common 
 branches, and with his one year's service in the army 
 placed himself on a fair footing with many who 
 received more advantageous schooling. 
 
 At the expiration of his term of service he returned 
 to Ohio, where he remained about two years. He 
 was married when quite young to Mi^s Mary G. 
 Dreisbach, a native of Ohio, and soon after started 
 with his bride for the Pacific coast, and located at 
 Shasta in 1853, where he remained about four 
 months. He is by trade a blacksmith, a business he 
 has followed during all his life on this coast. Upon 
 leaving Shasta he settled at Sutler Creek, Amador 
 county, where he has since resided. 
 
 Mr. Herman is at the present time engaged by the 
 Mahoney Mining Company, as a true son of Vulcan. 
 He has very few superiors, and is withal a gentleman 
 in whom repose the respect and confidence of all 
 who know him. His family consists of himself, wife 
 and two children, a son and daughter. 
 
 R. S. AND J. M. HINKSON 
 
 Are natives of Washington county, Missouri, where 
 they resided until 1849, when they crossed the plains 
 with the extentlve family of that name, with their 
 connections by marriage, the Boones. They located 
 at Drytovvn, on the north side of the creek, in what 
 was soon after El Dorado county, Dry creek being 
 the dividing line. Few families have been better 
 known than the Ilinksons. They were the fir^t to 
 open and develop the Potosi mine. The elderly 
 Hinkson did more, perhaps, to restrain arid culm the 
 anger of the people during the terrible affair of 
 August, 1855, than any other man, his age and rep 
 utation being appreciated by the honest, though hasty 
 miners. The two sons whose names are at the head 
 of this article, came to Volcano in Ifc79, and engaged 
 in the livery business, which they are still carrying 
 on. They run a stage line to Jackson and al^o have 
 a mail contract between Jackson and Volcano, and 
 
 al*o carry the express for Wells, Fargo & Co., and 
 do an express business on their own account. They 
 both have families residing in Volcano. The Hink- 
 eons are reckoned among the solid, reliable men of 
 the county. 
 
 FRANK HOFFMAN 
 
 AVas born April 18, 1827, in Evarsdorf, in Germany, 
 coming to America at the early age of sixteen, New 
 Orleans being his first residence. After remaining 
 here three months he went to St. Louis, in Missouri, 
 where he remained seven years, engaged in the 
 butchering business. In 1850 he fell into the big 
 column of immigration and crossed the plains to Cal 
 ifornia, reaching Mud Springs (El Dorado) among 
 the earliest. Here he followed the same business as 
 in St. Louis until the following Spring, in company 
 with John P. Hoffman, now living near Ukiah City. 
 In the Spring he went to Grass Valley and started 
 business there, continuing in it for about six months, 
 when he sold out and went to the Missouri House, 
 near Auburn, where he remained about six months. 
 Mokelumne river was his next location, settling on a 
 ranch, and remaining about four years. While en 
 gaged in ranching with a partner, they started a 
 livery stable at Mokelumne Hill, but not being satis 
 fied with it, they abandoned the project, but started 
 in the following season the same business at Jackson, 
 which venture proved profitable and permanent, for 
 the business has been continued in the same place to 
 the present day. 
 
 He was married in 1862 to Miss Christina Clem. 
 They have no children. 
 
 He has a well-equipped stable, fine residence, and 
 a highly cultivated farm of one hundred and sixty 
 acres, adjoining the town of Jackson. He is one of 
 the solid men of the county, who was willing to wrest 
 wealth out of the chaos of early days, with hard 
 work and close attention to business, and who did 
 it too. 
 
 JAMES H. HOLMAN 
 
 Was born in the town of Versailles, Indiana, Febru 
 ary 18, 1831, residing there until he was twenty-one 
 years of age, acquiring the education and business 
 habits which has served him to such good purpose 
 in California. The great wave of gold fever, which 
 swept over the country in 1852, took him from the 
 parent home, and March 1st we find him among the 
 crowd, driving an ox-team and plodding his weary 
 way across the plains towards the sunset. The long 
 est journey must have an end, and August 7th he 
 looked down into the Hangtown (Placerville) basin, 
 famous for murder, hanging and gambling, as well as 
 its rich placers. What a contrast then with now ; 
 then Lucky Bill was coining money on the streets, a 
 meal of bread, tough steak and black coffee was 
 worth a dollar, and Coon Hollow was giving up its 
 
308 
 
 HISTORY OF AHADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 millions to thq^e who would dig. The oldest Yula 
 Dammer would say that it was a " right peert place ; " 
 
 now ? He followed mining for two years and 
 
 then went to teaming, a business which he has fol 
 lowed extensively to the present time, latterly for the 
 Empire Mining and Mill Company at Plymouth. In 
 1856 he located at Fiddletown (Oleta) where he 
 remained for five or six years. In 1870 he located on 
 his present ranch one mile and a half west of the town 
 of Plymouth, and commenced making a permanent 
 home. His farm contains 160 acres of highly im 
 proved land. In connection with farming and team 
 ing he has raised stock of all kinds. He enjoys the 
 confidence of the community and has held several 
 responsible offices. He was married August 4, 1856, 
 to Miss Catherine Ashby, a native of Illinois, by 
 whom he had one child, not now living. Mr. Hoi- 
 man's surroundings are pleasant and comfortable, a 
 good place to anchor to, after the hurry -skttrry of 
 thirty years of excitement and labor. 
 
 JOHN HOSLEY. 
 
 "I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of 
 most excellent fancy." Who does not know John; 
 " rough, but generous, brave and kind." He has 
 played more jokes, said more pithy things, and spent 
 and given away more money than any other man of 
 his inches or avoirdupois in the county, if not in 
 the State. The good jokes and sayings of his would 
 fill a book, and make interesting reading, too. His 
 love of fun is the strongest element in his character. 
 Sample No. 1 of a lot : A number of San Francisco 
 mining sharps had been to Washoe in an early day, 
 and returning with sacks of ore from newly-dis 
 covered mines, stopped at his place. He listened to 
 their speculations about the value of this and that 
 package of ore, and after they had gone to bed. 
 judiciously exchanged ores, putting in those he knew 
 to be first-class. They continued their way to San 
 Francisco, and hastened to put their specimens in the 
 hands of the assayers. Their most extravagant 
 hopes were realized. The ores assayed up into 
 thousands. Companies were formed, the mines pur 
 chased, and the expectant millionaires started back 
 in all haste to take possession and make their for 
 tunes, but no ores of the same sort were found. 
 When they related the circumstances, they had the 
 comforting remark that they were sold by old John, 
 whereat they went home wiser, but not wealthier 
 men. 
 
 He was born in Yorkshire, England, July 14, 1825, 
 emigrating when about ten years of age. He first 
 lived in Canada, but afterwards in Yermont, coming 
 to California in 1849 among the pioneers. He lived 
 at Mokelumne Hill for some years, and ran the first 
 ferry-boat that was established on the river, it being 
 at first only a dug-out. He enlarged it to a plank- 
 boat, capable of carrying three or four passengers, 
 
 and finally sold out, having made all the money he 
 wanted. Dr. Sober soon afterwards purchased the 
 same institution for twelve thousand dollars, and 
 expending some thirty thousand dollars more, inaugu 
 rated the Big Bar bridge. John was present at the 
 birth of Mokelumne Hill, knew all its crooked habits; 
 kew all the defaulting treasurers, sheriffs, and tax- 
 collectors; can tell more yarns of their doings than 
 they or their friends will like to have recorded. He 
 has made many rich discoveries in quartz and placer, 
 but money would never stick to his fingers long 
 enough to stain them a bit. What he had belonged 
 to all his friends, and their name was legion. As the 
 country became settled up, and the free, flu^h times 
 of '49 became impossible, he retreated into the 
 mountains, and is now manager and proprietor of 
 the toll-road leading over the mountains from Ante 
 lope Springs to Kirkwood's and Carson valleys. He 
 has a nice place some nine miles east of Yolcano, 
 where we advise all to repair who wish to catch a 
 whiff of pioneer times, or get materials for a book 
 of fun. 
 
 JOHN W. HUTCHINS 
 
 Is a native of the State of Maine, and was born in 
 Hermon, Penobscot county, June 24, 1828. His 
 father was one of the principal farmers and 
 lumber-dealers of that section of the country, and 
 our subject was trained to those callings during 
 his early life. He received a common school edu 
 cation, and in 1853 cut loose from the ties that 
 bound him to his native town, and sought his 
 fortune in the far West. During the last-named 
 year he arrived in California, and for ten years was 
 engaged in mining in Amador county. In 1863 he 
 entered the United States Army as a member of the 
 seventh regiment, California Volunteers, and served 
 as a soldier for about eighteen months. His service 
 was principally in Arizona, a country well calculated 
 to destroy the ambition of the most valiant and 
 patriotic of our boys in blue. After his discharge 
 from the service he returned to Clinton, where he 
 has since resided. Mr. Hutchins has held the office 
 of Justice of the Peace, being elected in 1856 and '57, a 
 position he creditably filled. The history of his suc 
 cesses and reverses in fortune would fill an ordinary 
 volume. He is unmarried. 
 
 W. C. JONES 
 
 Was born in Lewis county, Missouri, April 1, 1834, 
 where he spent his boyhood until he was eighteen 
 years of ago. Being of an energetic temperament, 
 he broke away from the comforts of home and made 
 his way to the land of gold, by way of the plains, 
 arriving in Diamond Springs, El Dorado county, Sep 
 tember 30, 1852, where he remained engaged in min 
 ing until 1857, when he removed to Amador county. 
 He was married October 11, 1857, to Mrs. Elizabeth 
 
ISAAC LEPLEV 
 
, OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY^ 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES. 
 
 309 
 
 Kelley, by whom he has had six children, four of 
 whom are now living. He takes naturally to keep 
 ing hotel, having been mostly engaged in that busi 
 ness since his residence in the county. All the trav 
 elers on the road in 1859-60 will remember the com 
 forts of the Revere House under his management. 
 He recently purchased a tract of one hundred and 
 sixty acres among the romantic hills, two and one- 
 half miles east of lone, which he is fitting up as a 
 pleasant stopping place, and as a resort for persons 
 seeking rest and amusement. The character of his 
 improvements will be best learned from the fine 
 engraving of them which accompanies this volume. 
 
 THOMAS KERR 
 
 Was born in 1843 in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, 
 where he remained until he was fourteen years of 
 age, during which time he took advantage of such 
 opportunities of informing his mind as the place 
 afforded. He came to California in 1860, locating at 
 once in the town of Amador which he has since made 
 his home. For a few years he engaged in freighting 1 , 
 the immense quantities of timber and other supplies 
 needed in the heavy mining around the town, mak 
 ing that a very extensive business. After four years 
 of this kind of work he engaged in the livery busi 
 ness, which he has since followed. In 1871 he was 
 married to Miss Augusta Fassett, a native of Illinois, 
 who died February 25, 1880. Have three children, 
 two boys and one girl. Mr. Kerr is a Californian in 
 spirit and fact, his active years so far, having been 
 given to the Golden State. 
 
 STEPHEN P. KIDD 
 
 Was born in Colne, Lancashire, England, in 1825, liv 
 ing there until he was twenty-three years of age, fol 
 lowing the business of landscape gardener, seedsman 
 and florist, callings for which he had been regularly 
 educated. In 1848 he came to the United States, and 
 four years afterwards to California in company with 
 the Surface family, who settled on Dry creek. In 
 the Summer after his arrival he engaged in mining at 
 the old Winters Bar, opposite Lancha Plana, follow 
 ing his trade the following Summer on the rich lands 
 of Dry creek. Being naturally of a scientific turn of 
 mind he soon mastered all that was known of mines 
 and mining, and his advice became valuable in con 
 nection with the mines afterwards discovered in 
 Nevada, some of the most extensive and profitable 
 ventures in that State being inaugurated by him. 
 The fine, artistic plans on the Edwards place, now 
 owned by Younglove. was the result of his skill as a 
 landscape gardener. After spending some years in 
 the Nevada mines he finally settled down on a beau 
 tiful place in Jackson valley to make a home for his 
 young and interesting family, he having married 
 Miss Mary M. Goodding December 13, 1870; but God 
 
 disposes. In the midst of his projects he was taken 
 sick, and on Sunday eve he breathed his last. 
 
 As a man Mr. Kidd was quiet and unassuming, 
 always cheerful, with a kindly word for all. In his 
 business relations he was exact and reliable, manag 
 ing with justice and discretion. Nature forms but 
 few such men. 
 
 MERWIN LEACH 
 
 Was born in Franklin county, Vermont, in 1837, and 
 came across the plains in 1860, bringing up in 
 Amador City, where he lived for ten years. In 
 1870 he went to Plymouth, residing there for one 
 year; thence to Church Union mines in El Dorado 
 county for two years; thence to Kelsey, where he 
 remained until April 18. 1881, when he returned to 
 Plymouth, and purchased a half-interest in the storo 
 of Thompson Davis, with whom he has since 
 remained. He is not married at the time of this 
 writing. 
 
 ISAAC LEPIVE?. 
 
 It is to be regretted that we have no personal his 
 tory of this distinguished inventor. We can only 
 form an opinion of his early days by the fruits of his 
 matured mind and judgment. Those who are famil 
 iar with mining will appreciate the value of the 
 machine at sight. For the information of many of 
 our readers who have never seen a mine, we may 
 explain that thousands of framed timbers are put 
 into the mines; some to secure the walls from com! n^ 
 
 ' n 
 
 together when the vein matter is extracted; some to 
 secure the passages from one part of the mine to the 
 other, in short, timber is wanted everywhere, with 
 mortises and corresponding tenons or slots, as the 
 case may be. In a building every stick is planned 
 beforehand; a hundred men may work at the differ 
 ent parts, but in a mine no one knows what is wanted 
 until the emergency comes. The bell rings; an order 
 comes for a timber of certain dimensions with tenons 
 and slots; the safety of the mine, perhaps of human 
 lives, depends upon having it immediately. Some 
 times dozens of carpenters are kept in waiting for 
 such emergencies; when the order comes they jump 
 on a log and work as if at a fire; but haste and want 
 of space makes confusion, and liability of mistakes 
 and accidents. The automatic timber-framing 
 machine is equal to a dozen carpenters. The pow 
 erful cutting head, which, by means of hand screws, 
 is easily handled, bends down to the log and rapidly 
 chips a tenon or a slot, cutting a bevel or a circle at 
 the will of the operator; makes a mortise, enlarges 
 it to the required dimensions, and in a moment the 
 piece goes whizzing down the shaft a thousand feet, 
 ready to go in where the cracking timbers and 
 crumbling rocks indicate a coming disaster, and the 
 danger is averted. The following description, with 
 accompanying engraving, from the Scientific and 
 Mining Press, will be read with pleasure : 
 
310 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Isaac Lepley, of Amador City, Amador county, 
 has recently invented a novel piece of mechanism, 
 which is intended for the framing of timbers of all 
 kinds, which are to be joined together. One of the 
 machines is now in operation at the Keystone Con 
 solidated mine, Amador. 
 
 The invention consists in the employment of a cut 
 ter head or heads, which are caused to rotate upon a 
 suitable frame, and this frame is moved both verti 
 cally and horizontally by means of slides and guides, 
 so that the cutters may be carried across the timbers 
 upon either one or all four sides to form a tenon, dove 
 tail, or other cut; and if desired, a round tenon may 
 be formed by the use of a link which has one end 
 fixed to the frame, so that the slides will move in a 
 manner to carry the tool around in a circle. 
 
 In the engraving, A represents the cutter head, 
 which is caused to rotate upon its shaft by a belt to 
 the pulley, B, so that the cutter acts as a planer. It 
 may be of sufficient height for the tenon to be cut, 
 or by moving the timber or carriage the length de 
 sired may be cut at two or more operations. Its 
 shaft is journaled at the top of a frame, C. This 
 frame is moved up and down in guides upon the 
 frame, E, by means of friction rollers, F, which press 
 against a vertical central bar, A", which extends par 
 allel with the frame, C. These rollers, F, are driven 
 by pinions upon their shafts, and a hand wheel or 
 other device upon a main shaft at the end of the 
 machine, as shown. 
 
 The frame, , is also adapted to move horizontally 
 upon the main frame, G, by means of similar gearing 
 to that which moves the frame, (7, and by these two 
 motions, it will be seen that the cutters may be 
 moved in any direction. The log is laid upon a car 
 riage with its end near the frame, and its height is 
 BO adjusted, that when the frame, E, is moved across 
 horizontally, the revolving cutters will be carried 
 across, so as to make a cut to the depth desired. 
 
 The frame, C, is then moved downward, and the 
 cutters will cut the vertical face upon one side. The 
 frame, C, then remains stationary, while the frame, 
 E, is moved horizontally backward upon the guides 
 on the main frame, and the cutters will complete the 
 lower part of the tenon. The frame, E, is then held 
 stationary and the frame, C, is again moved upward, 
 so that the cutters will be carried upward across the 
 remaining side, and the tenon will be finished. 
 
 The cutters are blades secured to a head similar to 
 those used upon planer-heads, but in order to make 
 the vertical cut at the inner end of the tenon so that 
 it will present a clean, square surface, sliding plates 
 are fitted to move in grooves on the end of the planer- 
 head. Their outer ends are toothed, or formed so as 
 to make the proper cut, and they are held in place 
 by set-screws. 
 
 In order to allow the cutter shaft and its driving 
 pulley to move in the directions and to the distances 
 as described, the belt which drives it is carried over 
 tightening pulleys, suitably arranged in sliding 
 frames with weights. 
 
 The tenons here described are those which are 
 usually made upon the ends of timbers in timbering 
 up mines. The timbers are united, and these tenons 
 allow the timbers to be properly set together. It 
 will be obvious, however, that this apparatus r~_ay be 
 employed to make any kind of a cut on a timber, or 
 to square up the ends of timber, as the cutter may 
 be moved in any direction required. Upon the end 
 of the cutter shaft, opposite the planer-head, is a 
 peculiarly shaped boring and cutting tool, J, which 
 is intended to form mortises either in the sides or ends 
 of timbers. The end of this tool is nearly flat, but is 
 provided with a cutting bit, which enables it to enter 
 the timber as far as may be desired. 
 
 The sides of the tool (which is cylindrical in shape) 
 are cutaway so as to form an enclosed cutting edge, 
 and after it has entered the timber far enough to give 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES. 
 
 311 
 
 the required depth, the frame, E, may be moved upon 
 the frame, (?, where the side cutter will cut away 
 the wood until the mortise is as long as desired. 
 The same style of cutter may be employed to form 
 what is termed the boxing, or the depression which 
 is cut across the timber equal to the length of the 
 mortise, to receive the foot -of the timber which is 
 tenoned to fit the mortise. 
 
 The tenon to fit the mortise is formed by the cut 
 ter, A, in the same manner as has been described, 
 except that the ends must be rounded to fit the ends 
 of the mortise, which may be left curved by the 
 tool, J. In order to make these rounded ends to 
 the tenon, it is necessary to produce a compound 
 motion of the two frames, C and 1?, one of which, as 
 before described, moves vertically, while the other 
 moves horizontally. 
 
 This compound motion is produced by the aid of 
 the arm, A', which has one end pivoted to the side of 
 the vertically moving frame, C. The opposite end is 
 adapted to slip into a slot in a block, L, which is piv 
 oted to a slide, J/, this slide moving in a slot in the 
 bar, N, which extends from end to end of the frame, 
 G, and inside the frames, E and G '. Two stops, 0, are 
 fitted to be moved to or from each other by the long 
 right and left sere vv, P, these stops having projections 
 which enter the slot in the bar, iV, and they serve to 
 limit the motion of the slide, J/, and block, L. When 
 a tenon is to be made with rounded ends, the bar or 
 arm, A", is slipped through the slot in the block, L, 
 and is secured by a set screw. This arm is secured 
 at a distance from the point about which the arm 
 turns, equal to half the thickness of the proposed 
 tenon, added to the whole diameter of the cutter- 
 head, as the latter must pass all around the tenon. 
 The stops, 0, are adjusted by turning the screw, P, 
 until they are at a distance apart equal to the width 
 of the tenon to be made, plus the diameter of the 
 cutter-head. 
 
 The operation will thus be as follows: The frame, 
 C. being set at a point which will allow the cutter to 
 form the top of the tenon, the frame, E, is moved 
 horizontally upon the main frame, G, until the slide, 
 Af, has moved the distance between the stops, 0. 
 This carries the cutter across the top of the tenon to 
 the point where the curve of one side or edge com 
 mences. From this point the frame, 6', is moved 
 downward, and the frame, E, horizontally, the arm, 
 1C, acting as the radius or link to hold the frames in 
 their relative positions and cutter to its work, until it 
 has passed around the side, and formed the curve at 
 that part of the tenon. The arm, A', having then 
 passed around its pivot to form a half circle, the frame, 
 C, is allowed to remain stationary, and the frame, J&, is 
 moved along to allow the cutter to form the bottom 
 of the tenon, the slide, M, moving the distance 
 between the stops, 0. From this point the curve at 
 the opposite side of the tenon is formed in the same 
 manner as before described. 
 
 If it is desired to form a complete cylindrical tenon, 
 
 the stops, 6>, are curved up close to the slide, M, the 
 block, L, having been secured to the arm, K, at a dis 
 tance from the centre pivot equal to half the diame 
 ter of the proposed tenon, plus the diameter of the 
 cutter, and the frames, C and JE, are then moved 
 simultaneously, so as to produce a compound move 
 ment, the resultant of which will be to form a cylin 
 drical tenon. 
 
 This machine is applicable to work upon any form 
 of timber, and make any kind of a cut. The tool, J, 
 may be made with cutters which can be detached 
 to be sharpened or renewed. Mr. Lepley, who may 
 be addressed for further information, at Amador 
 City, has applied for a patent for his invention 
 through the Mininy an! Scientific Press Patent 
 Agency. 
 
 JAMES LESSLEY 
 
 Is one of our valuable men who go straight to work; 
 satisfied with moderate prospects they turn neither 
 to the right nor left, but keep on with slow and steady 
 accumulations until they outstrip many who start in 
 life with much more brilliant prospects. He was 
 born in Putnam county, Missouri, February 16, 1840, 
 and came to California with his parents in 1854, 
 making his home since that time in Amador county. 
 His education has been rather practical than other 
 wise, being acquired mostly in business operations. 
 He was employed with a team soon after coming 
 here, and in due time acquired a team of his own aud 
 engaged in the lumber trade until he became one of 
 
 O O 
 
 the principal dealers and manufacturers in the 
 county. He was married, August 22, 1869, to Miss 
 Mary McGhee. They have seven children, two boys 
 and five girls. 
 
 M. J. LITTLE 
 
 Was born in Bristol, Lincoln county, Maine, January 
 14, 1821, where he resided until he was fifteen years 
 of age, getting such education as the town afforded. 
 Like most young men in a maritime town he had to 
 try his fortunes on the sea, going abroad on his first 
 voyage at the age of sixteen. Being faithful and 
 efficient, he was promoted from one position to 
 another. In 1844, we find him second mate; in 
 1846, first mate, and two years later in charge of 
 the vessel John F. Strout. As might have been 
 expected of one so ambitious and energetic, the gold 
 excitement swept him off his feet, and a few months 
 later found him on his way around the Horn on the 
 brig Han'/arian, arriving in San Francisco April 27, 
 1830. He remained in that Babel of nationalities but 
 one month; then purchasing a small row-boat, made 
 his way up the Sacramento and Feather rivers to 
 Marysville, and from thence to the Butte creek 
 mines. From here he soon returned to San Fran 
 cisco, and made another start to the mines, this time 
 to Stephens Bar, on the Tuolumne river, in Tuolumne 
 county, where he engaged in mining, also in trading 
 
312 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 in general merchandise until 1853, when he sold out 
 and traveled around the mines, visiting Mariposa and 
 other places, finally settling down in Jackson in 
 1854, which place he has since made his home. ILe 
 followed mining until 1863, when the unsurpassed 
 fruit and other California productions led him to 
 adopt agriculture as a calling, which he has followed 
 since. He located at that time the farm of one hun 
 dred and twenty-eight acres of land adjoining the 
 town of Jackson. It is pleasantly situated, has a 
 fine orchard and vineyard, with good buildings, and 
 has in itself enough charms to satisfy a reasonable 
 mind, and induce one to forego vo} T ages and explora 
 tions and live contentedly under his own vine and fig 
 tree. He was married, March 18, 1861, to Miss Mary 
 I), Pope, of Sherburne, Chenango county, New York. 
 Mr. Little has the same straightforward, honest 
 ways which induced the owners of vessels to entrust 
 thousands of dollars worth of property to his care 
 when he was young, and enjoys the fullest confidence 
 of the community. 
 
 ROBERT LUDGATE 
 
 Was born in the city of Waterford, Waterford county, 
 Ireland, September 22, 1833. He came to New Or 
 leans while still a boy and from thence to California 
 in 1850, settling a year later in lone valley, which 
 place he made his permanent residence. He was 
 engaged most of the time in stock-raising and farm 
 ing until 1863, when he became associated with J. 
 W. Surface in the livery business, in which he con 
 tinued until his death. In 1877 he was elected to 
 represent the people of Amador county in the Legis 
 lature of California. He had been in feeble health 
 for some years, and was illy qualified to perform the 
 arduous duties of a Legislator, but with the consci 
 entiousness and fidelity characteristic of his whole 
 life, he gave his unremitting attention to the business 
 until nature, overtasked, gave way, and he breathed 
 his last February 15, 1878, at ten o'clock, having been 
 present in his seat the same day. The next morning, 
 after the calling of the Assembly to order, the follow 
 ing resolution was offered by Mr. Dunlap, his associ 
 ate member from the county, and unanimously 
 adopted by a rising vote : 
 
 Jiesolved, By the Assembly, the Senate concurring, 
 that a committee of five members of the Assembly 
 be appointed by the Speaker, and five Senators be 
 appointed by the President of the Senate to attend 
 the obsequies of the Honorable Robert Ludgate, 
 on Sunday, the 17th, at 3 o'clock, p. M., at the town 
 of lone City, in Amador county, and further that the 
 Assembly attend the funeral in a body. 
 
 Upon this resolution being received in the Senate 
 Chamber it was also adopted, the President appoint 
 ing Brown of Amador, Craig of San Francisco, 
 Rogers of San Francisco, Brown of El Dorado, and 
 Nunan of San Francisco a committee to escort the 
 remains to the late member's home. The committee 
 
 from the Assembly was Dunlap of Amador, Wheat of 
 Calaveras, Meyers of San Joaquin, Miller of El Dorado 
 and Ames of San Matco. A resolution was also 
 passed to wear the usual badge of mourning for thirty 
 days, arid as a mark of respect both houses adjourned 
 until the following Monday. In Sacramento, the 
 Odd Fellows, of which Body he was a distinguished 
 member, assembled at their lodges and encamp 
 ments and made arrangements to escort the remains 
 of their late brother to the train which was to take 
 them to the Amador branch of the road. On Sun 
 day an immense cortege, consisting of the various 
 branches of the Odd Fellows in regalia, members of 
 the Legislature, delegation of citizens from lone, and 
 private citizens, accompanied the remains from the 
 hotel to the depot. At Gait the escort was met by 
 the members of the lone Lodge No. 51 and theremains 
 transferred to the cars running to lone, where the 
 cortege was received by the citizens of the county 
 generally and accompanied to the home of the late 
 member. The funeral services were observed the 
 following day according to the established form of 
 the society of Odd Fellows, the Rev. J. T. White act 
 ing as clergyman, assisted by the Rev. E. Jacka and 
 J. W. Huston, N. G. 
 
 As a man Mr. Ludgate was upright in his charac 
 ter, warm in his feelings, strong in his convictions 
 and outspoken in his opinions ; a devoted husband 
 and father, and a firm, unwavering friend. In busi 
 ness transactions his word was a bond, as sacred as 
 though God were called to witness. He leaves a 
 widow and three children, one boy and two girls, to 
 sorrow for his untimely end, and inherit the honor 
 of his untarnished name. Her maiden name was 
 Mary O'Brien, and they were married November 8, 
 1869. 
 
 O. E. MARTIN 
 
 Was born in the town of Guilford, Maine, May 28, 
 1848. Mr. Martin had the misfortune to lose his 
 parents at an early age, and has no recollection of 
 the tender love and care of a mother. His grand 
 parents made the loss less to him by watching over 
 his young life, he living with them until he was 
 eighteen years of age, at the town of Montville. 
 From there he went to Boston, where he spent two 
 years in the drug business. During the next four 
 years he lived in Kansas, Missouri, and Maine, or at 
 least such portions of the time as he was not travel 
 ing, for the desire to see the world was as strong 
 in him as in most young men, and must be gratified 
 ere the future business man can settle down to the 
 Avork of life. In January, 1873, he left his native 
 State for California, arriving in Sacramento in 
 June, and immediately located in the county of Ama- 
 cli>r, at Sutter Creek, where he was engaged in the 
 milk business for two or three years. In 1877 he 
 was confidential clerk in the lumber establishment of 
 

 THOMAS KERR. 
 
Of THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES. 
 
 313 
 
 Tarr & Co., which resulted in the purchase of the 
 business with J. O. Bartlett of Sutter Creek. 
 
 At the present time the firm name is O. E. Martin 
 & Co., being the only extensive dealers in lumber in 
 the town of Amador. The lumber is brought from 
 Tarr's mill, which is in the mountains twenty-one 
 miles distant. 
 
 Mr. Martin was married November 16, 1880, to 
 Mrs. Sarah E. Price, a native of Illinois. 
 
 L. McLAINE 
 
 Was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward's Island, 
 March 22, 1830, where he remained until he reached 
 manhood's estate. He received a liberal education, 
 and in May, 1850, bade farewell to his early associa 
 tions to seek his fortune in the much-talked-of Cal 
 ifornia. In October of the same year he located in 
 Volcano, Amador county, and for ten years followed 
 the usual occupation of those days. Ho also served 
 six years as Supervisor for District No. 2. In 
 1869 he commenced business as a banker and broker, 
 which he has followed to the present time, his pur 
 chases of gold-dust and bullion often amounting to 
 twenty thousand dollars per month. He has an 
 assaying department connected with his establish 
 ment. He is at present also superintendent of the 
 Consolidated Amador Hydraulic Gold Mining and 
 Land Company. 
 
 He was married in 1872 ; to Miss Sarah E., 
 daughter of Dr. Wm. Ives, of Volcano. Mrs. Mc- 
 Laine is a native of Moorefield, Hardy county, West 
 Virginia, and was born in 1849. Their union has 
 been blessed with five children. 
 
 JAMES MEEHAN 
 
 Is a native of county Monohan, Ireland, where be 
 wan born November 1, 1833. Coming to America at 
 the age of thirteen and engaging in business, his 
 education was somewhat limited, but by study and 
 application during leisure hours he succeeded in fully 
 remedying the want, and is remarkably well in 
 formed on all general topics. He came to New 
 Orleans on the sailing vessel George Washinyfon, 
 arriving in July, 1847, in company with a brother, 
 where he remained until 1849. On the breaking out 
 of the gold excitement he embarked on the old sail 
 ing vessel Ontario, which carried him safely to Califor 
 nia, though the vessel was nine months on the way, 
 reaching San Francisco in 1850. After taking a look 
 at the chaos of people of all nations and colors, he 
 left for the mines, making his first efforts at mining 
 in Chinese Camp, in Tuolumne county. The follow 
 ing two or three years he alternated from Downie- 
 ville to the American river, and thence to Tuolumne 
 again, finally reaching Volcano, where his wandering 
 propensities were cured by meeting Miss Mary A. 
 Rawle, who, in 1856, became his wife, since which 
 time he has had a residence in Amador county. 
 40 
 
 During the year 1852 he made a flying visit to New 
 Orleans, but he had seen too many of the advantages 
 of California to remain in the older States, and soon 
 returned to the State to make it a permanent home. 
 At Volcano he engaged in mining, with varied suc 
 cess, until 1867, when he was elected to the position 
 of County Treasurer, which place he held for four 
 years, having been re-elected at the end of his first 
 term. He then engaged in quartz mining for four 
 years, when he was again elected to the position of 
 Treasurer, which he holds to the present time. He 
 has executed the duties of the office with marked 
 ability. He was the author of the proposition to 
 devote a portion of the county funds to the extin 
 guishment of the county debt, which, under the 
 operation of the law, has gradually been liquidated, 
 and bids fair to soon take its place among the events 
 of the past. He has operated quite extensively in 
 quartz mining, having been a stockholder in the 
 Kennedy, Monterichard, and other valuable mines; 
 also owns a large tract of gravel-mining ground near 
 Kennedy flat, and also a quartz vein called the Vol 
 unteer mine, east of the Kennedy. 
 
 He has had nine children, six of whom, four boys 
 and two girls, are living. 
 
 HIRAM C. MEEK 
 
 Is the patriarch of Amador county, dating his birth 
 as far back as 1792. He is a native of Virginia, a 
 countryman and neighbor of Washington, whom 
 he saw frequently, and remembers well. Since that 
 time and this, eighty years apart, what a change. 
 Then, Jefferson and Adams, Burr and Hamilton, 
 were engaged in the political strife, which led to the 
 death of one of the men, the political and social ruin 
 of another, the destruction of the old Federal party, 
 and the creation of a Democratic party, which, 
 through a nearly unbroken line of sixty years, 
 shaped the political character of the United States. 
 Well may one say with Everett, "Venerable man, 
 you have come down to us from a former genera 
 tion." The last of the Revolutionary soldiers de 
 parted long since. Soon the last of that century, 
 the last of those who were contemporaneous with 
 the great men of that age, will have vanished; and 
 the time is not far distant when to have seen a man 
 who had seen Washington will be a matter of pride. 
 Major Meek is perhaps the only man in California 
 who has seen the father of his country; the only 
 connecting link between this and the century just 
 passed. The Major is a brother of the famous trap 
 per, whose book has been read with such eagerness 
 by all the youth of America, and accompanied him 
 in nearly all his travels. He is now settled down 
 in comfortable quarters, surrounded by members of 
 his family, enjoying a serene old age. His portrait, 
 an excellent likeness, indicates an amount of vitality 
 that justifies the expectation of his reaching the 
 beginning of his second century. 
 
314 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 GEORGE MOORE, 
 
 Judge of the Superior Court of the county of Ama- 
 dor, was born in Danville, Boyle county, Kentucky, 
 February 14, 1850, and is, therefore, at this time 
 thirty-one years of age. His parents were W. I. and 
 Elizabeth C. Moore, the former being a native of 
 Pennsylvania, the latter a native of Kentucky. 
 Judge Moore was educated for the profession of law, 
 having graduated from Centre College, Kentucky, in 
 the year 1870, whereupon, after pursuing his studies 
 for two years in the law office of Durham & Jacobs, 
 at Danville, he attended the law lectures at Harvard 
 College, Cambridge, Massachusetts. When but 
 twenty-five years old he was appointed one of the 
 Tilden and Hendricks electors for the Eighth district 
 of Kentucky. In the Winter of 1877 he emigrated 
 to the State of California, and commenced the prac 
 tice of law in Amador county soon afterwards. 
 After the adoption of the New Constitution in 1879, 
 which brought about such important and extreme 
 changes in our judicial system, Judge Moore was 
 nominated and elected as the presiding officer of 
 the new Superior Court for the county of Ama 
 dor, being at the time of his elevation to the 
 bench one of the youngest judges of that court in 
 the State. Judge Moore is of a turn of mind pecul 
 iarly adapting him to the position which he occu 
 pies; logic, and its natural sequence, law, being 
 with him almost spontaneous growths. The writer 
 recently had an opportunity of witnessing his ability 
 in the great mining case involving the Empire 
 and Pacific mines of Plymouth. Some of the 
 most celebrated lawyers in the State, among whom 
 were Belcher, Estee, and Boalt, well known in San 
 Francisco, were present. His rulings and decisions 
 won the respect of the entire Bar. It is hardly 
 probable that Judge Moore will remain in the mount 
 ains when the cities offer such brilliant rewards for 
 men' of his ability. He is pleasantly situated, as the 
 sketch of his house in another part of the book will 
 show. 
 
 MATTHEW MURRAY, 
 
 The subject of the following sketch, is a native of 
 Ireland, born in County Cavan, September 15, 1834, 
 where he remained until, at the age of fourteen 
 years, he emigrated with his parents to the United 
 States, and settled in the city of St. Louis, Missouri, 
 where for seven years he was engaged in the grocery 
 business and in the cultivation of his mind, devoting 
 his leisure moments to the study of such branches as 
 are required in the interests of merchandising. 
 Desiring a richer and more extensive field for the 
 cultivation of his business talent, he decided upon 
 California as the proper place, and landed in San 
 Francisco on the second day of July, 1855. He soon 
 after located near Michigan Bar, in Sacramento 
 county, and was engaged in selling goods during the 
 succeeding three years. His aspirations did not lead 
 
 him into the mines in search of an immediate fortune, 
 but his ambitions were centered in the business he 
 adopted when he first arrived in America. In 1858 
 Mr. Murray removed to Lancha Plana, Amador 
 county, and still continued the mercantile business 
 until 1863, since which time he has been interested 
 as owner and superintendent of water ditches used 
 in working the mines. By strict application to bus 
 iness he has been successful in nearly all of his 
 business ventures. He is well known throughout the 
 county, and has held the position of Supervisor of 
 the First district for several years, and still remains 
 in that office,' performing the duties acceptably to his 
 fellow-men and creditably to himself. 
 
 Mr. Murray was married November 6, 1861, to 
 Miss Celia E. Murray, and their union has proved 
 fruitful, as the ten beautiful children, seven girls and 
 three boys now living, can testify. 
 
 JOHN NORTHUP 
 
 Was born in the town of Hamburg, Erie county, New 
 York, October 5, 1822, and remained there until he 
 reached the age of fifteen years. During that time 
 he attended school, and acquired a thorough knowl 
 edge of the common branches taught in the schools 
 to which he had access. His next location was in 
 Cass county, Michigan, where for fifteen years he 
 was a tiller of the soil. The knowledge acquired 
 during that time was of great advantage to him in 
 the succeeding years of his life. In 1852 Mr. 
 Northup came to California, and engaged in the 
 usual occupation of those days, that of mining, in 
 Amador county, and for about nine years followed 
 that pursuit, experiencing the ups and downs of fort 
 une peculiar to the early searchers for the golden 
 nuggets. At length, after his long experience in that 
 direction, he turned his attention to other pursuits, 
 and engaged in farming, and for the past four years 
 has been the " champion melon man " of the Pacific 
 coast, often planting as high as one hundred to one 
 hundred and fifty acres to that kind of fruit, and 
 shipping the melons to San Francisco and Oakland, 
 his sales sometimes running as high us two thou 
 sand melons per week. His " melon patoh " is in 
 San Joaquin county, and he was the first to ship fruit 
 direct to the city from his locality for the wholesale 
 trade, in which he has been successful. 
 
 His home place is almost a paradise, he having an 
 abundance of fruit trees and vines, which are care 
 fully cared for and " show their keeping." His house 
 is beautifully situated near the Mokelumne river, 
 and is one of the prettiest places in the county. 
 
 He was married in 1856, to Miss Ann M. Harmon, 
 and they have six children, two girls and four boys. 
 
 Mr. Northup has the reputation of being fair and 
 square in his dealings, and thoroughly wide awake 
 when any business is on hand, not often being- over 
 reached. * 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES. 
 
 315 
 
 R. W. PALMER 
 
 Is a native of Massachusetts; came around the Horn, 
 or rather through the Straits of Magellan, in 1849, 
 being among the first, and perhaps last of the Argo 
 nauts to make that interesting but perilous passage. 
 The adventures of the passengers among the sav 
 ages, as related by him, are among the marvelous 
 things of a marvelous age. He was engaged in 
 trade for many years at Sacramento, but in 1856 
 moved to Lancha Plana, engaging in merchandising 
 in company with the Hon. J. W. D. Palmer, with whom 
 he remained until the partial failure of that camp 
 as a mining region. The amount of goods sold and 
 exchanged for dust would astonish a merchant of 
 the present day. At that time the river, bluffs, and 
 hills, were all giving up their treasures, and thou 
 sands of dollars then were but as tens now; but all 
 things must have an end. Lancha Plana followed 
 the ordinary custom, and failed to pay. Upon 
 removing to Jackson, about 1865, he engaged in 
 the livery business, and still keeps first-class turn 
 outs for those who wish to explore the country on 
 business, or pleasure. He is married, and has an 
 interesting family; is pleasantly situated, and if not 
 acquiring riches, is in comfortable circumstances. 
 He is a public spirited man, ready to leave his own 
 business to benefit his neighbors; is generous and 
 hospitable, ready to entertain his friends with the 
 best in the house, or with the best of stories, of 
 which he keeps an inexhaustible supply always on 
 hand. 
 
 JAMES F. PARKS 
 
 Was born in Hooper county, Missouri, on the ninth 
 of September, 1835, where he remained until he was 
 six years of age, at which time he removed with his 
 parents, to Benton county. His early life was passed 
 in his native State, but as youth ripened into man 
 hood, he was not content to remain quietly at home 
 while other young men were exploring the much- 
 talked-of gold fields of the Pacific, and he accord 
 ingly bade adieu to those he loved and started out to 
 seek his fortune with the countless thousands that 
 were flocking to the Golden State of California. 
 
 In 1855 he reached his objective point, and at once 
 repaired to Kern river, during the great excitement 
 upon the discovery of those " diggins." He did not 
 find what he sought in that locality, and soon after 
 engaged in mining in Mariposa county, and after 
 wards in Nevada county. In 1861 he crossed the 
 Sierras to the Territory of Nevada, and for the suc 
 ceeding eight years was engaged in mining at 
 Virginia City. In 1869 he went to White Pine Dis 
 trict, and from there to Plumas county, California, 
 where he was appointed foreman of the Indian Val 
 ley mine. On the first day of April, 1873, he came 
 to Amador county, to accept the responsible position 
 of foreman of the Keystone mine, where he has 
 since been employed. As a foreman he stands second 
 
 to none in the State, always the same affable gentle 
 man, much esteemed by his employers and the 
 people generally. 
 
 His years of experience among the great mines of 
 Nevada, place him in the front rank as a practical 
 mining man, and, to add to his other accomplish 
 ments, he is a thorough practical surveyor and civil 
 engineer, and does all the work in that line for his 
 company. 
 
 Mr. Parks was married October 8, 1871, to Miss 
 Mary Phebey, of Sacramento, and they have four 
 children. 
 
 PALMER N. PECK, 
 
 The subject of the following sketch, is a native of 
 New York State, having been born in Yates, Orleans 
 county, December 23, 1831. During his youth he 
 removed with his parents to the State of Michigan, 
 where he remained until nineteen years of age. He 
 had durrng these years acquired a good education, 
 and after leaving school entered a plow factory at 
 Peru, Illinois, where he was employed about one 
 year. The western fever fastened itself upon him 
 and like thousands of others he took up a line of 
 march toward the setting sun, crossing the plains in 
 1852, and spending that Winter in Salt Lake City, 
 Utah. The following Spring he continued his jour 
 ney to California, arriving by the southern route in 
 San Bernardino on the 15th of May, 1853. 
 
 After a stay of about three months in that town 
 he removed to Stockton, San Joaquin county, where 
 he had a step-brother. For the next three years he 
 was engaged in business in that place, generally mer 
 chandising. He then became a trader in the southern 
 mines, and for two years did an extensive business. 
 Griving up this last enterprise he went to Tuolumne 
 county and engaged in mining operations, which 
 proved very unprofitable for him. 
 
 His next move was to Volcano, Amador county, 
 where he has since resided, and generally engaged 
 in mining, owning at the present time some thirty- 
 one acres of " mining ground," from which he will 
 undoubtedly realize a handsome fortune, as he fully 
 understands manipulating such enterprises. He is 
 also interested in flumes and mines in other places. 
 
 Mr. Peck is well and favorably known throughout 
 the mines of California as a man of experience and 
 worth, and is universally respected. He is still 
 a single man and his elegant home is without a 
 mistress. 
 
 A. PETTY 
 
 Was born at Circleville, Pickaway county, Ohio, 
 August 6, 1820. At the age of eight years he, 
 with his parents, emigrated to Missouri. In 1842 he 
 removed to the State of Wisconsin, and worked in 
 the lead mines of that State during the Winter and 
 followed his trade, that of plasterer, during the 
 Summer, for about seven years, In 1849 he located 
 
316 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 in the town of McGregor, Iowa, where he resided 
 until December 28, 1852, at which time he started 
 for California with ox-teams, accompanied by his 
 wife and two children. They crossed the State of 
 Iowa in winter, and arrived at Council Bluifs, 
 March 14, 1853, where they encountered a terrible 
 snow-storm. May 5th they crossed the Missouri 
 river, and were fairly on their long and tedious 
 journey, the incidents connected with which would 
 fill a large volume. The Indians were very trouble 
 some, and they had many thrilling adventures with 
 members of " Mr. Lo's " band. Finally they reached 
 California and settled at Volcano, Amador county, 
 September 15, 1853, having, while en route, remained 
 twenty-one days with the saints at Salt Lake, Utah. 
 
 Mr. Petty turned his attention to mining as soon 
 as his aifairs could be arranged, and for the succeed 
 ing sixteen months prospected the country without 
 finding his expected bonanza. He then gave up the 
 search for gold in the earth and looked in oiher chan 
 nels for his supply, opening a hotel which he con 
 ducted but a short time. He then, in connection 
 with Captain Richards, John James, and others, 
 farmed a company for the purpose of opening a bed 
 rock flume, or open cut, through the canon below the 
 town. They prosecuted this enterprise for about 
 two years, expending some sixty-five thousand dol 
 lars, which was a dead loss. Mr. Petty has occasion 
 ally followed mining since that time, and also his 
 trade, as circumstances required. 
 
 In January, 1880, he bought the St. George hotel 
 at Volcano, and has since been the proprietor thereof. 
 He full}' understands catering to the wants of the 
 traveling public, and is one of the few men who 
 know how to keep a hotel. In 1879 Mr. Petty was 
 elected County Assessor of Amador county, which 
 position he fills at the present time. 
 He was married in 1841 to Miss Ophelia Cooper, 
 and they have three children. 
 
 J. E. PETTITT 
 
 W as born in Licking county, Ohio, November 16, 1828, 
 which place was his home until 1853; engaged mostly 
 in farming and raising stock. In 1853 he came to 
 California via Panama, and immediately located on 
 Indian creek, in the northern part of the present 
 county, or in what then was El Dorado county, 
 making this county his home since that time. He 
 followed mining for several years, but in 1869 turned 
 to farming, locating on the place he now occupies. 
 Though making farming his principal business, he 
 has combined with it stock-raising and freighting, 
 the immense amounts of lumber used making that 
 business profitable. 
 
 He was married December 25, 1855, to Miss Chris 
 tina Cox, a native of Indiana, and his family consists 
 of himself, wife, three girls and two boys. 
 
 E. S. POTTER 
 
 Is a native of the famous Wooden Nutmeg State, 
 which has sent such a vast number of keen business 
 men into the commercial channels of the nation. He 
 was born in the town of Litchfield, Connecticut, 
 November 23, 1828, from which place he moved to 
 Platteville, Wisconsin, in 1847, coming overland to 
 Volcano, California, in 1852. After mining in that 
 vicinity for about a year, he moved to Drj^town, and 
 spent about one year in mining on Poor Man's creek; 
 thence to Arkansas diggings, near Michigan Bar, 
 where he kept hotel in company with Geo. W. Harris. 
 In 1860 he removed to Buckeye valley, where he 
 raised stock until 1863, when he went to Pokcr- 
 ville, in the vicinity of Plymouth. When the mines 
 failed at Pokerville he moved to Plymouth, then 
 beginning to attract attention as a quartz mining 
 region, where he has since remained engaged in 
 various kinds of business, mostly teaming and lum 
 bering. In 1873 he opened a lumber yard to sup 
 ply the demand consequent upon the rapid building 
 of the town. He was married, in 1858, to Miss Har 
 riet Louisa Howard, of Forest Home. They have 
 had fourteen children, six of whom are living. 
 
 HON. W. H. PROUTY. 
 
 The subject of this sketch is a native of the Buck 
 eye State. lie was born March 27, 1837, in Knox 
 county, Ohio, his early years being spent on a 
 farm. In 1846, in obedience to the general impulse 
 to go west, the family removed to Jasper county, 
 Iowa, being among the pioneers of that region. In 
 1852 they fell into the column of the California emi 
 gration and started across the plains. The emigra 
 tion of that year was perhaps the largest that ever 
 wended its way to the Golden State; and its march 
 resembled the retreat of an army more than a tri 
 umphal march of settlers to a promised land. The 
 grass was eaten off for miles away from the road, 
 making long detours necessary to keep the stock in 
 condition to travel. To add to these difficulties the 
 father of the family sickened and died near the 
 Devil's Gate. But the mother, picking up the reins of 
 authority, with the aid of her elder sons, succeeded 
 in reaching California, entering Volcano August 24th 
 the same year, which, considering the circumstances, 
 was a remarkably successful trip. After resting a 
 few days, and watching the operation of extracting 
 gold, the love for rural life asserted itself and the 
 family continued their journey, settling in the beau 
 tiful valley which has since been their home. The 
 younger child, W. H. Prouty, was early thrown on 
 his own resources, and divided his time between farm 
 ing and attending such schools as the county then 
 aiforded, spending considerable time in attending 
 school at Volcano. By the time he was twenty-one 
 he had mastered the common English branches and 
 accumulated a small capital of two thousand six 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES. 
 
 317 
 
 hundred dollars. It will be seen from this that he 
 firmly set his face against the prevailing dissipations 
 of those early days which swept so many young, and 
 even middle-aged men into the vortex of destruction. 
 
 Having arrived at man's estate the desire to see 
 more of the world before he settled down induced 
 him to visit the home of his childhood, and other 
 places in the West, or valley of the Mississippi, where 
 he remained about five years, engaged in various 
 kinds of business, mostly farming, however. While 
 here he became acquainted with his future wife and 
 companion, Miss Helen Charlesworth, whom he mar 
 ried July 26, 1859, by whom he has had seven chil 
 dren, six of whom are now living. 
 
 In 1863 the memory of the Golden State asserted 
 itself and he turned his steps to California, making 
 his way to the valley which had seen him while a 
 
 boy assume the duties and labors of manhood. Four 
 years later he purchased his present home, and set 
 about improving it with the design of spending his 
 remaining years here. His herds and flocks and 
 well-filled granaries attest his judgment and devotion 
 to his business. Like most successful business men 
 he has little time or disposition to dabble in politics, 
 but when a delegate to the Constitutional Conven 
 tion who understood the wants of the farming com 
 munity was wanted, the people instinctively turned 
 to him as one whose judgment and integrity could be 
 relied upon. His actions in the convention fully jus 
 tified the opinions of his neighbors, and he returned 
 to his home with unblemished honor. His farm and 
 home is one of the pleasantest as well as most valua 
 ble places in the county, as will be seen by the view 
 published in this work. 
 
 B. F. RICHTMYER 
 
 Was born in Conesville, Schoharie county, New 
 York, June 17, 1824, at which place he resided until 
 he was twenty-two years of age, receiving such edu 
 cation as the place' afforded. In 1844 he removed 
 to Delevan, Wisconsin, where for some years he was 
 employed in a flouring mill. In 1850, yielding to 
 the prevailing California fever, he crossed the plains 
 with the great emigration of that year, settling at 
 Drytown the Autumn of the same season. Here he 
 engaged in merchandising and mining, meeting with 
 the usual gains and losses in those days; gains in 
 large profits then customary, and losses by fires, 
 bad debts, and ill-luck in mining, which, as many 
 old Californians remember to their sorrow, were also 
 
 'CA/ 
 
 common enough to be called customary. During 
 his residence here, he was express agent for Wells, 
 Fargo & Co., telegraph operator and agent, etc. 
 He was associated with G. W. Seaton in the famous 
 Seaton mine, which, in its day, had the richest 
 quartz ever found in the county. It was a pocket 
 mine, however, and did not continue dividends any 
 great length of time. In 1871, Mr. Richtmyer was 
 elected County Clerk, his personal popularity carry 
 ing him much beyond the average ticket in the 
 election. He now removed to Jackson, the county 
 seat, which place he has since made his home. After 
 serving his term as County Clerk, he became the 
 agent again of Wells, Fargo & Co., this time at 
 Jackson, and soon after was made an agent for the 
 
318 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Western Union Telegraph Company, both of which 
 positions he has since filled. In addition to his 
 other duties, he has also filled the position of Notary 
 Public; was seven years agent for the Hme Mutual 
 Insurance Company of California. He is also pro 
 prietor and manager of the Jackson water-works, 
 and such is his methodical system of business that 
 he can do all these things justice, and still have time 
 to devote to society and domestic affairs. He was 
 married September 10, 1855, to Miss Celina Van- 
 netter. 
 
 As a man, Mr. Richtmyer is deservedly popular; 
 unswerving integrity, suavifer in modo, capability 
 and modesty, being united in a remarkable degree. 
 He is unexceptionable in his habits, and if possessed 
 of any faults at all, they are the amiable ones of 
 being too generous and unsuspecting. He will be 
 found equal to any trust the people of the county or 
 State may choose to repose in him. 
 
 J. H. RINGER. 
 
 The gentleman to whom this sketch refers is a 
 native of the State of Missouri, born in Ray 
 county, on the 14th of June, 1843. He remained in 
 his native State until he was eleven years of age, 
 and then, at that tender age, endured the hardships, 
 privations, and toil, consequent with a trip across 
 the plains to California, where he arrived sound of 
 limb, and located at Butte City, Amador county. 
 He remained there until 1855, and removed to Aque 
 duct City, where he resided about two years. He 
 then settled in Jackson valley ,and has since been 
 a resident thereof. As a farmer, Mr. Ringer is a 
 decided success, and is the owner of one of the finest 
 ranches in the valley, containing four hundred and 
 thirty-one acres, nearly all of which is under a high 
 state of cultivation, his improvements also being 
 very fine. Mr. Ringer was married April 23, 1873, 
 to Miss Emily E. Stamper, and is the proud father 
 of three interesting girls. He is one of the most 
 thorough and energetic business men in the county, 
 and is rapidly making himself wealthy. 
 
 JAMES ROBERTSON 
 
 Was born in the town of Ottawa, Canada, November 
 26, 1828, where he resided until 1854, engaged in 
 farming. Catching the prevailing California fever, 
 and perhaps tiring of the long and tedious cold 
 Winters, he turned his steps towards the land of 
 sunny hills and mild Winters, reaching San Francisco 
 by the Panama route, about the first of November. 
 He located on his present place in 1856, and has 
 pursued the even tenor of his way ever since, swerv 
 ing neither to the right nor left. His place is a beau- 
 liful location, overlooking Sacramento, Stockton and 
 i he adjoining plains, which places often come into 
 distinct view, as the atmosphere clears up after a 
 
 storm. His business has been chiefly stock-raising 
 and farming. He owns four hundred and eighty 
 acres of land about midway between Jackson and 
 lone, at the junction of the old Sutter Creek and 
 Jackson roads. Natural springs supply all the water 
 necessary for domestic and stock purposes. For a 
 view of the house and beauty of situation see engrav 
 ing in the body of the book. Mr. Robertson never 
 married, but has had all the care of a father in 
 helping to raise the younger members of the family, 
 and also to support a mother in her declining years, 
 the mother being spared to him until the Autumn of 
 1880. 
 
 BENJAMIN ROSS 
 
 Was born in Portland, Maine, February 19, 1822, 
 whore he learned the trade of mounting pictures 
 and mirrors; enlisted in Company E, Captain Charles 
 B. Crowninshield, First Regiment, Massachusetts 
 Mexican Volunteers ; served under General Taylor 
 on the Rio Grande until September; then under Gen 
 eral Scott until the close of the war, being promoted 
 during the time to the position of Sergeant Major. 
 After the close of the war he returned to Boston, 
 but started to California soon after by way of Fort 
 Smith, Santa Fee and Salt Lake, arriving at Weber- 
 town, El Dorado county, in September, 1850. In 
 1852 moved to Volcano, which place he has since 
 generally made his home except during a trip to 
 Idaho in 1862-63. Has at different times been en 
 gaged in mining, merchandising, banking and 
 surveying In 1872 he-was appointed United States 
 Deputy Surveyor for mines by Surveyor General J. 
 R. Hardenburgh, which position he still holds under 
 Surveyor General Wagner. In 1878 he was elected 
 Supervisor for District No. 2, and is now, by 
 virtue of seniority, chairman of the Board. He was 
 married December 6, 1865, to Miss Mclntyre, and 
 has a family of interesting children. 
 
 JONATHAN SALLEE 
 
 Was born in Lincoln county, Missouri, June 17, 1832, 
 where he resided until he was nineteen years of age, 
 when he crossed the plains with an ox-team, making 
 the trip in four months. His first halt was at Mud 
 Springs, now El Dorado, but he soon moved to Weber 
 creek, where he engaged in mining until 1859, when 
 he returned to Missouri, where ho remained until 
 1871, when he returned to California with his family; 
 for, however much we may think our State is played 
 out, a few years' residence in the Eastern States is 
 sure to make us long for the mild Winters and even 
 hot Summers of this State. He located on his pres 
 ent ranch, about one mile and a quarter from Plym 
 outh, on the road to Oleta, where he has since resided. 
 His place contains three hundred and twenty acres 
 of good land, favorably located for business and 
 health, it being in the elevated part of the county, 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES. 
 
 319 
 
 above the malarial region. He unites stock-raising 
 with the cultivation of the farm, the country around 
 being a fine range for cattle. 
 
 He was married April 25, 1861, while in Missouri, 
 to Miss Mary E. Beach, who died in the Spring of 
 1865. By this marriage there were two children, a 
 son and daughter. April 26, 1866, Mr. Sallee was 
 married a second time, making Miss Sarah Jane 
 Longfellow his wife. By this marriage they have had 
 two children, but one of whom is living, the family 
 now consisting of himself, wife, and three children. 
 
 ARTHUR B. SANBORN, 
 
 Of the firm of Turner & Sanborn, is a modest, indus 
 trious, and, consequently, promising young man. He 
 was born in 1856, and received such education as 
 could be obtained in the town of Jackson, until he 
 was fifteen years old. He made the most of his 
 opportunities, and, at the close of his school days, 
 commenced a regular course of reading, political 
 economy being a favorite study. He is steady and 
 reliable, never having been given- to the dissipations 
 so common to the young men in California, or, in 
 other words, he never took time to sow any wild 
 oats, but went directly to work improving his mind. 
 In 1879 he became connected with H. S. Turner in 
 the management of the Jackson Sentinel, and is now 
 part proprietor. He is a brilliant and forcible writer, 
 and has a promising future. 
 
 JOHN SANDERSON 
 
 Is a native of Ireland, and was born in the month of 
 June, 1830. He remained in the " Emerald Isle," 
 until he reached his seventeenth year, at which time 
 he came to America, and settled in the grand old 
 State of New York, where he remained three and 
 one-half years. He then removed to New Jersey, 
 and was a resident of that State until he came to the 
 Pacific coast in 1864. Having had experience on 
 the " briny deep " in his trip from his native country 
 to the United States, he naturally chose the steamer 
 as his mode of conveyance, and arrived in California 
 by way of the Isthmus of Panama in due time, sound 
 of limb and buoyant in spirits, seeking like all others 
 an easy fortune in the mines of this State. His first 
 location was at Sutter Creek, in Amador county, 
 where he followed the occupation of a miner for 
 about six years. From his savings he purchased the 
 beautiful ranch that is now his home, located about 
 one and one-half miles west of Sutter Creek. This 
 home place of Mr. Sanderson's is admirably situated 
 and contains 320 acres of choice land, which he is 
 cultivating in a manner that is bound to make it pro 
 ductive. 
 
 He was married on the 13th of February, 1863, to 
 Miss Katy Hughes, a native of New York, and their 
 
 union has been blessed with eight children, seven of 
 whom are living. The only son born to them was 
 called to the other world on Thanksgiving day, 1879. 
 
 BRUNO H. SCHACHT 
 
 Is a native of Germany, born about 1850. He is a 
 young man of thorough business habits, and has the 
 confidence of all with whom he associates. In 1879, 
 shortly after being naturalized, he was elected to 
 the position of Public Administrator, a situation 
 more responsible than profitable, which he fills with 
 eminent ability and integrity. He has a beautiful 
 residence in the town of Jackson, and evidently 
 intends making the place his permanent home. 
 
 ALEXANDER SHEAKLEY 
 
 Was born at Sheakleyville, Mercer county, Penn 
 sylvania, May 1, 1827. In this town he spent his 
 boyhood, and acquired the practical business educa 
 tion which has insured success in his many under 
 takings. In 1852 he followed the stream which set 
 with so strong a current to the Golden State, arriving 
 at Placerville, where he remained engaged in mining 
 until September, 1853, when he came to lone City, then 
 growing into notice in consequence of the rich lands 
 in the valley, and its being on the line of travel 
 from the mines to Sacramento. This place he made 
 his permanent home, and materially aided to 
 develop into its present prosperous condition. He 
 has been engaged in many kinds of business. For the 
 first ten years he carried on blacksmithing. Close 
 attention to his trade impaired his health, and dis 
 posing of the business, he engaged in hotel keeping, 
 becoming proprietor of the Arcade, then one of the 
 finest hotels in the State. Since then he has been 
 engaged in many things, always, however, retaining 
 the ownership of the fine tract of land containing 
 one hundred and eighty-four acres, which is his res 
 idence. This place is beautifully located, twenty to 
 fifty feet above the valley, which sweeps in a circle 
 around the elevation on which his house is built. 
 Someti mes twenty reapers can be seen cutting down the 
 fields of golden grain, which alternate with orchard 
 and vineyard. He has a fine residence, with all the 
 modern improvements, which is a prominent object in 
 whatever direction one may approach the valley. 
 His place is underlaid by a vein of coal, which is 
 likely to become valuable. Mr. Sheakley is one of 
 the solid men of the county, always reliable. He 
 was married, April 6, 1864, to Mrs. A. E. Mon- 
 tandon. No children have blessed the union, to 
 inherit and improve the fine property, though judg 
 ing from Mr. Sheakley's hearty appearance, he does 
 not contemplate retiring from the care of it for 
 many years to come. 
 
320 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 JAMES W. SHBALOR. 
 
 The subject of the following sketch is a native of 
 Virginia, having been born in Page count}^, August 
 24, 1830. At the tender age of six years he removed 
 with his parents to the State of Missouri, locating 
 at Springfield. The father of the present subject 
 was a foundryman, and James followed that business, 
 after leaving school, for some years. He also 
 engaged in farming, and was a tiller of the soil when 
 the western fever first laid hold of him. In 1853 he 
 moved with his father and mother to California, 
 coming by way of the plains, and experienced the 
 trials usually attending such a trip in those early days. 
 
 His first location was at Volcano, Amador county, 
 and his business for some years after reaching the 
 Pacific coast was varied, he being engaged in min 
 ing, teaming, ranching, milling, and other branches 
 of industry. 
 
 For the past seventeen years he has resided on his 
 present ranch, situated six miles north-east from 
 Volcano. He has three hundred and twenty acres 
 of fine land, and thoroughly understands the culti 
 vation thereof. On this ranch he has a saw-mill that 
 was erected in 1860, and which Mr. Shealor runs 
 about six months in the year, manufacturing pine 
 lumber for the people in his vicinity. 
 
 He was married February 4, 1853, to Miss Melinda 
 Simms, of Missouri. Their union has been blessed 
 with five children, four boys and one girl. 
 
 The father of our subject is still living, but his 
 mother died December 23, 1863. 
 
 D. B. SPAGNOLI 
 
 Is a native of Italy, having been born in the town of 
 Rooegro, Province of Novara, November 30, 1840. 
 He obtained his early education in the city of Pal- 
 lanza. In 1852, he went to the French college at 
 Vevey, remaining there until 1854, when, in company 
 with his parents and one brother, he came to Califor 
 nia. The names of the family were Deodato Spag- 
 noli and Maria Antoinette, father and mother, and 
 the two sons, Silvester and I). Benjamin. They 
 reached San Francisco August 1, 1854, coming to 
 Clinton, in Amador county, the following September. 
 The elder Spagnoli mined near Clinton for several 
 months and then bought a store and stock of goods, 
 consisting of general merchandise. D. B., the sub 
 ject of this sketch, at the breaking out of the Frazer 
 river excitement, went north with the crowd, and had 
 about as exciting experience of the dangers of navi 
 gating the Frazer river and of traveling among 
 the Indians, as any man that ever returned alive. 
 An interesting book might have been'written on the 
 subject, if book-making had been in his line of 
 business. After his return in 1858, he followed stock- 
 raising until the death of his father in 1863, when he 
 took charge of his father's estate, consisting of store, 
 mining interests and ditches, managing these until 
 
 1865, Avhen he was appointed Deputy County Re 
 corder, occupying the 'position two years. In 1867 
 he was appointed Deputy County Clerk. In 1869 
 the offices of Clerk and Recorder were merged in one, 
 and he received the nomination for the double office 
 at the hands of the Democrats, and in September 
 was elected, serving two years. At the expiration 
 of his term of office he formed a law partnership with 
 R. M. Briggs, having studied law and been admitted 
 to the bar while County Clerk. Mr. Spagnoli has 
 had a liberal education, speaking some four or five 
 languages with fluency. He belonged to a wealthy 
 and refined family in Italy, and started in life with 
 many advantages, which he has not failed to improve. 
 He has had great influence among his countrymen, 
 who would take his advice and trust their business 
 to his care. He was married January 12, 1870, at 
 Stockton, to Miss Rosa Isabella Bryant. In 1872 he 
 returned to Italy on account of business, visiting 
 London, Paris, Rome, Lyons, Milan, Turin and other 
 cities of the Old World. After his return from 
 Europe he became interested in the drug store at 
 Jackson, finally becoming sole proprietor. 
 
 His mother died in Amador county in 1873. He 
 lost his wife in 1874, who left two sons (now living), 
 two and three years of age, named respectively, Syl 
 vester Nelson D., and Urbono Giovani D. 
 
 SYLVESTER G. SPAGNOLI 
 
 Was born in the town of Rooegro, Italy; came to 
 California in 1854 in company with his parents, Deo 
 dato and Maria Antoinette Spagnoli, and a brother, 
 D. B. Spagnoli, now a resident of Jackson, and 
 settled in Clinton, Amador county, in the month of 
 September, 1854. In 1865 he wert to Owyhee, in 
 Idaho, on a mining excursion, returning the same 
 year. On the location of his brother in Jackson in 
 the Autumn of 1865, he took charge of the home 
 business, consisting of merchandising, mining, and 
 ditching, which he successfully managed. He was 
 married November 23, 1868, to Miss Minnie V. Bry 
 ant, by whom he has had four children: Stella M. S., 
 now eleven; Clotilde E. S., born in Clinton, and Min 
 nie R. S., aged three years, born in Harmon, county 
 of Penobscot, State of Maine. 
 
 Mr. Spagnoli enjoys the confidence and respect of 
 the community, having held the position of Justice 
 of the Peace three terms, once in 1876 by appoint 
 ment, and twice since by election. 
 
 ROBERT STEWART 
 
 Was born December 17, 1826, in Donegall county, 
 Ireland, and emigrated to the United States, after 
 reaching his majority, by way of New York. He 
 soon after wont to Freeport, Stephenson county, 
 Illinois, where he was engaged in farming operations 
 for eleven years. He started for California in com- 
 
^ ROSS. 
 
 PUB .OAKLAND CAf- 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES. 
 
 321 
 
 pany with Young and Johnson, March 19, 1850, and 
 reached Placerville the 4th of September following, 
 visiting the city of the saints while on his way. 
 He tried mining at Placerville (then bearing the 
 ominous name of Hangtown) for two weeks, and 
 removed to Rancheria creek, but in a few days 
 went to Volcano, which place he has, since October 
 16, 1850, made his home. He early b.egan to take 
 part in politics, and, in 1859, was elected to the position 
 of Supervisor from that district, serving two terms; 
 was then appointed Deputy County Clerk, under 
 T. M. Pawling, which position he held for two years. 
 In 1873 he was again elected Supervisor, and re- 
 elected again in 1876. When not engaged in his 
 public duties he has been engaged in mining, placer 
 and quartz, principally the latter, though during 
 the years 1876-78-79, he connected banking and 
 buying gold-dust with his mining operations. He 
 is still engaged in quartz mining, owning a mine and 
 mill on north fork of the Mokelumne river. 
 
 Ireland never gave birth to a more genuine, whole- 
 souled man than the subject of this sketch. Whether 
 in the mines or in the forum, as an officer adminis 
 tering the affairs of the county, or as a miner down 
 in the earth hammering out quartz, his genuine 
 Irish humor never left him. Though his education 
 was rather limited, his native good sense and wit 
 has always made him a fit companion for the highest 
 as well as the unassuming. His solid and substantial 
 qualities were appreciated by others than men, and 
 July 2, 1876, Miss Celia Cottingham, the acknowl 
 edged belle of Volcano, consented to accompany him 
 on the afternoon journey of his life, the silver threads 
 contrasting finely with the gold. He has a well- 
 stocked library of modern works, with which he 
 employs himself in his leisure hours, and is, in con 
 sequence, in the front ranks of the thinking portion 
 of the world. 
 
 J. D. STOLCKEN 
 
 Is a native of Germany, having been born at Han 
 over, September 7, 1838. He remained in his native 
 country until he reached the age of about fifteen 
 years, at which time he became interested in the 
 "briny deep," and left the scenes of las childhood 
 to become a sailor. His intelligence, and aptness 
 for his new calling soon manifested themselves, and 
 he was made an officer, and held the responsible 
 position of mate on several ships during the fourteen 
 years succeeding his first venture on the high seas. 
 During that time he visited many parts of the world, 
 and became familiar with the higher branches of 
 the principles of navigation. In 1870 he came to 
 California, desiring a change of occupation, and a 
 more lucrative field for his labors. His first year 
 in this State was passed in the mines of El Dorado 
 county. He then came to Amador county, and 
 located the Soto mine, at Pioneer creek, which he 
 worked for nine years, finally selling the claim to 
 41 
 
 an Eastern company. Desiring a change once more, 
 he, with the proceeds of the sale of his mine, bought 
 property at Volcano, and also a large stock of such 
 goods as is generally to be found in a variety store, 
 in which business he is at present engaged. His 
 store is well appointed, and conducted on the 
 "square" principle; and his stock is complete, con 
 sisting of fancy goods and notions, also "wet and 
 dry " groceries. He is a single man as yet. A view 
 of the residence of Mr. Stolcken will be found in this 
 volume. 
 
 A. A. VAN SANDT, 
 
 The subject of the following sketch, is a native of the 
 old " Buckeye " State, Ohio ; was born in Hamilton 
 county, April 22, 1832. His boyhood days were 
 passed in that county until, in 1844, when he removed 
 to Caldwell county, Missouri, where he acted in the 
 capacity of plow-boy on the farm owned by his 
 parents for some years. His facilities for obtaining 
 an education were somewhat limited, but being a lad 
 of more, than ordinary ability he succeeded in obtain 
 ing a thorough knowledge of the branches taught in 
 a district school. His next move was to Crawfords- 
 ville, Indiana, where he remained until the year 1852. 
 when he came to the Pacific coast, and entered the 
 mines of California, engaging in mining, which busi 
 ness in connection with ditching he followed with 
 varied success until 1868, at which time he settled on 
 his present ranch, where he has since resided. As a 
 farmer Mr. Van Sandt has proved a success, and is 
 to-day the possessor of a fine, large ranch, containing 
 six hundred acres, and adapted to the cultivation of 
 every kind of grain, hay, and fruits. The ranch is 
 situated on the Mokelumne river, and commands a 
 beautiful view of the surrounding country. He was 
 married in 1875 to Miss McCloucy, and their union 
 has been blessed with two children, both boys, aged 
 respectively four and one years. 
 
 In the possession of his interesting family, and 
 beautiful home, Mr. Van Sandt stands second to none 
 of the many farmers along the river, and being in 
 the prime of life bids fair to enjoy the fruits of his 
 labors for many years to come. 
 
 JAMES W. VIOLETT 
 
 Was born in Logan county, Kentucky, July 1, 1828, 
 residing there until 1849. He fell into the California 
 column in 1850, making his way to Sacramento, 
 where he followed the business of a carpenter until 
 1853, when he came to lone valley,. which place he 
 has made his home, with some slight interruptions, 
 ever since, engaged in farming, in some of its 
 branches, in which he has generally been successful. 
 In 1871 he purchased the famous Pardee orchard, 
 one of the oldest as well as largest in the county. It 
 contains one hundred and eight acres of, perhaps, as 
 productive land as can be found in California. The 
 
322 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 fruit from this place has always borne a high charac 
 ter. The writer of this article has seen bunches of 
 the Eschol or Palestine grape over two feet in 
 length, growing on the place. Twenty-one acres are 
 now planted in choice fruit trees numbering over 
 two thousand. 
 
 Mr. Violett was married September 7, 1871, to Mrs. 
 Martha Watkinson, formerly Miss Martha Gregory. 
 They have six children. Mr. Violett is an honest, 
 industrious, and intelligent man, having the confi 
 dence and respect of his neighbors, and is foremost in 
 every work calculated to improve schools, churches 
 or other beneficent projects. 
 
 JOHN VOGAN, 
 
 Whose name frequently appears in the body of our 
 history, was born in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, 
 May 7, 1822. He early began to "go West," his 
 first move being to Memphis, Tennessee. In 1849 he 
 came to California, making his first halt at San 
 Francisco, where he remained but a short time, his 
 next destination being Sacramento. Here he engaged 
 in staging, the business which afterwards developed 
 into extensive proportions, having lines to Marys- 
 ville, Auburn, Jackson, and Mokelumne Hill. In 
 1854 he moved to the Q ranch, and in company with 
 Charles Green still further extended its lines, one of 
 the longest being a daily from Sacramento to Sonora, 
 via Jackson and Mokelumne Hill, a distance of one- 
 hundred and twenty miles. These lines were all 
 well stocked, the horses and coaches being first-class. 
 The Forest line of stages were well known for com 
 fort, speed and safety, through the State. Though 
 the expenses were enormous, so were the profits, the 
 fare from Sonora to Sacramento being twenty dol 
 lars; from Jackson ten dollars. The lines were 
 afterward consolidated with the California Stage 
 Company, which proved a losing concern. After the 
 staging business had ceased to be profitable, Vogan 
 commenced the construction of a graded wagon 
 road from lone to Jackson. An experience of ten 
 or twelve years in staging over the rough roads, or 
 rather over no roads at all, enabled him not only to 
 appreciate the value of good roads, but also to plan 
 the grades and curves that would make a good road. 
 It was finished about the year 1863, and was, and 
 still remains, a' monument of skill and perseverance, 
 being one of the best roads considering the circum 
 stances, to be found in California. 
 
 He was elected Sheriff in 1876, and re-elected every 
 term since. 
 
 He was married July 19, 1860, to Miss Lucy 
 Green, at the Q ranch. They have six children, five 
 girls and one boy. He has a beautiful home and 
 twelve hundred acres of land at the well-known 
 Mountain Springs. 
 
 Mr. Vogan is liberal in his sentiments, genial and 
 pleasant in manner, with no disagreeable angles in 
 
 his character, and is always reliable for a first-class 
 anecdote of any and every prominent man of the 
 country. In his business operations he is a square 
 dealer, above reproach. As an executive officer he 
 has exceeded the expectations of his friends, making 
 one of the best detectives in the State, his quiet, 
 undemonstrative manner enabling him to ferret out 
 many transactions which would be successfully hid 
 den from a noisy man. 
 
 RICHARD WEBB 
 
 Is a native of England, born about the year 1841; 
 was naturalized in San Francisco in 1876, and made 
 his appearance in Amador county the same year, as 
 editor of a semi-weekly paper published at Sutter 
 Creek, which was soon consolidated with the Ledger 
 at Jackson, he becoming sole proprietor. Soon after 
 removing to Jackson he married a daughter of 
 Thomas Jones, Esquire, of the same place, thus com 
 pleting his identification with American interests. 
 His career as an editor has been more fully referred 
 to in connection with the newspapers of Amador 
 county. It may be added, however, that he has 
 paid particular attention to the administration of 
 county affairs, and has unearthed many irregulari 
 ties (a severer term might be used), and has in many 
 ways assisted in bringing about the present econom 
 ical management of financial matters. No crooked 
 official bears any good-will to Richard Webb. 
 
 CONRAD WELLER 
 
 Was born in the town of Helmstadt, in Germany, 
 December 14, 1832, living there until he was sixteen 
 years old, acquiring a good business education at the 
 schools for which Germany is so famous. Following 
 the tide of emigration, which was then beginning to 
 set heavily towards America, in company with an 
 elder brother, he landed in New Orleans in 1849, 
 going directly to St. Louis, where he completed the 
 trade of tinning and sheet-iron working, which he 
 had partially learned in Germany. From thence he 
 went to Belleville, Illinois, where his brother resided, 
 remaining there until 1853, when he crossed the 
 plains to California. He first located in Sacramento, 
 working at his trade, but finally came to Jackson 
 October 24, 1855, and three days afterwards opened 
 the store which he has since occupied, except when 
 interrupted by fires, the great fire of 1862 totally 
 destroying his goods and store. In addition to the 
 mamifacture of tin and sheet-iron ware, he has 
 always kept on hand the best stock of stoves and 
 other hardware to be found in the county. 
 
 He was married in 1861, to Miss Katie Griesbach, 
 of Volcano; have one child, a son, born August 3, 
 1862. 
 
 Mrs. Weller was born in Munich, March 3, 1845, of 
 Jacob and Catherine Griesbach. 
 
BIOGRAPHICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE SKETCHES. 
 
 Mr. Weller and wife are good samples of the emi 
 gration from Germany, who, by honest, persistent 
 industry which, satisfied with a fair prosperity, move 
 straight along without grumbling to competence and 
 wealth, and who have done so much to develop the 
 resources of the country, and establish the habits of 
 life so invaluable to a nation. 
 
 MATTHEW H. WELLS 
 
 Was born May 9, 1809, in Suffolk county, Long 
 Island, and is, therefore, a New Yorker. He resided 
 on the romantic island until he was seventeen, 
 obtaining a practical business education while there.' 
 His next residence was in New York City, where he 
 was engaged in an extensive grocery store for three 
 years. The desire to see the world being strong, he 
 enlisted in the service, going on the United States 
 ship Boston, where he remained four and a half 
 years. The next thirteen years were spent in New 
 York City in various kinds of business. Upon the 
 breaking out of the gold fever he took passage in the 
 brig Cordelia, leaving New York January 30, 1849, 
 reaching San Francisco July 15th, which, considering 
 the character of the vessel and ignorance of the 
 winds and currents in those days, was a remarkably 
 quick trip. He followed raining for a short time, 
 but soon engaged in butchering in Sacramento, which 
 he followed for some months. Then he tried a 
 boarding-house for awhile, and then a store, for in 
 those days lawyers sold peanuts and blacked boots, 
 and ministers occasionally dealt monte, no one fol 
 lowing his own trade, or indeed any one, long. In 
 1852 he came to Amador creek, where he kept a 
 store for eleven years, falling into the steady habits 
 of the New England life. In 1863 he located on the 
 ranch where he now lives, about forty miles east of 
 Sacramento, on the road to Jackson, Plymouth 
 and Oleta. He has large and commodious buildings, 
 making a comfortable residence for both man and 
 beast. His farm contains about seven hundred 
 acres of land. 
 
 He was married in 1838 to Miss H. M. Watts, who 
 lived with him, as companion and adviser, for forty- 
 two years, dying in June, 1880. A married daughter, 
 husband and family reside with him, sharing the 
 ownership and labors of the farm. 
 
 ISAAC W. WHITACRE 
 
 Is a native of Pennsylvania, having been born April 
 16, 1823, in Lycoming county. At the age of nine 
 years he removed with his parents to Logan county, 
 Ohio, where he resided until he was fourteen years 
 of age. In 1837 the family returned to Pennsylva 
 nia, where they remained two years, when they again 
 made a move west, this time going to Washington 
 county, Iowa, where the subject of this sketch resi 
 ded until 1853, when he made his way to California 
 with ox-teams, being one hundred and seventy-five days 
 
 on the road. They doubtless wondered if a railway 
 would ever be laid down over the interminable ter- 
 tory of sage-brush and alkali plains? He first 
 ocated in Nevada county, remaining there one year 
 engaged in mining ; from there to Fresno county 
 where he lived five years, engaged in teaming and 
 freighting. In 1858 he removed from Fresno to 
 Amador county, locating on his present ranch, about 
 two and one-half miles from Plymouth, on the road 
 to Oleta. The place contains two hundred acres of 
 land, which is pleasantly situated and convenient for 
 business. He was married in 1844 to Rachel Sim 
 mons, a native of Ohio. The family consists of Mr. 
 Whitacre, wife and two children, a son and daughter^ 
 the latter being married, the son residing with the 
 parents. 
 
 STEPHEN C. WHEELER 
 
 Is a native of Indiana, having been born November 
 14, 1828, at the town of Seymour, Jackson county, 
 where he resided until 1852, when he migrated to 
 California, traveling across the plains with an ox- 
 team, reaching Amador county, September 30th, set 
 tling in that portion of it which at that time formed 
 apart of El Dorado county. He followed mining 
 some fifteen years with varied success, making, how 
 ever, no big strikes. His experience in a gold-bear 
 ing lava bed was more interesting than profitable, 
 interesting to mineralogists at least, as throwing 
 some light on the method of the superficial deposit 
 of gold. Most of his mining was done in Amador 
 county, his family, during the time, living on the 
 ranch which he is now cultivating, about two miles 
 west of Plymouth. Since 1867 Mr. Wheeler has 
 paid more attention to agriculture as more sure, if 
 not so brilliant in its results, than mining. 
 
 He is also interested, with another party, in the 
 introduction of the " Asbestine Sub-irrigation Pipe," 
 which, it is thought, will be generally adopted, and 
 work a great revolution in the method of irrigation, 
 as agriculture, in many places, depends upon an 
 economical use of water. 
 
 He was married February 21, 1850, to Miss Mary 
 E. Thompson, a native of Indiana. His family con 
 sists of himself, wife and ten children, five sons and 
 five daughters, two of the daughters being married. 
 
 F. M. WHITMORE. 
 
 Flint Monroe Whitmore was born at Ashburnham, 
 Massachusetts, December 22, 1822. He remained 
 in his native Sfate until 1845, when he moved to 
 Baltimore, which place he made his home until 1849, 
 when he returned to Massachusetts, making his home 
 in Boston. Following the current of emigration he 
 embarked for California via the Isthmus, and arrived 
 in San Francisco in June, 1850, reaching Volcano in 
 November following, which latter place he has since 
 made his home. Mr. Whitmore engaged in both 
 
324 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 placer and quartz mining with varied success, some 
 times winning moderately, but not making himself 
 a millionaire. In 1862, he engaged in farming a few 
 miles above "Volcano, planting out quite an extensive 
 orchard; the climate, soil, and elevation, being pecu 
 liarly adapted to the production of fruit. Stock and 
 grain farming also received a share of his attention. 
 In 1862, he purchased a saw-mill and a tract of 
 timber land on Antelope creek, which have since 
 demanded the largest share of his attention. The 
 region in which he is located is one possessing many 
 attractions to the lovers of nature. The lofty pines, 
 the magnificent prospect overlooking the great Sac 
 ramento valley, the pure atmosphere, and cool water, 
 form a combination of pleasing objects which never 
 tires the beholder. Though Mr. Whitmore has drawn 
 around him many of the comforts and elegancies of 
 life, he remains a single man, a niece, Mrs. C. E. 
 Heath, doing the honors of his house. As a citizen, 
 Mr. Whitmore is conscientious, firm, and inde 
 pendent, possessing the confidence and respect of 
 the community, always maintaining the self-respect 
 and honor, characteristic of his place of birth. A 
 view of his mill and surroundings is given in another 
 part of the work. No artist can do justice to the 
 scenery, which must be seen to be appreciated. His 
 ranch contains three hundred and twenty acres of 
 land; his timber tract, one hundred and sixty. 
 
 N. C. WILLIAMS 
 
 Is a native of the State of Maine, having been born 
 at Embden, Somerset county, January 20, 1834. His 
 life was passed in the town where he first saw the 
 light, until he reached the age of sixteen years. He 
 had acquired a good education during these years, 
 and in 1850 left home and obtained a situation in the 
 city of Boston, Massachusetts, where he remained 
 about three years as clerk in a ship yard. 
 
 As youth ripened into manhood, he aspired to 
 something different from the old routine to which he 
 was accustomed, and fired with enthusiam from the 
 reports of people on the Pacific coast, he determined 
 to ascertain personally what Dame Fortune had in 
 store for him in that region; accordingly with the 
 thought came the action, and in 1855 he bade fare 
 well to his eastern friends and sought new ones in 
 California, arriving in San Francisco in due time, by 
 way of the Isthmus of Panama. 
 
 His first permanent location was in Amador county, 
 where he has since resided, with the exception of 
 one year, during which he visited his old home in the 
 States. His occupation for the firsften years of his 
 California life, was in the usual vocation of mining; 
 but upon his return from the States he engaged 
 in various kinds of business. 
 
 In 1871 he settled on his present ranch, which is 
 located on tho Pine Grove and Antelope toll-road, 
 fourteen miles east of Jackson. He is very pleas 
 antly situated, and is a gentleman esteemed by all 
 
 who have the honor of his acquaintance. He was 
 married May 13, 1874, to Miss Rosella Worley. 
 
 JOSEPH WOOLFORD 
 
 Was born at Ramsbure, Wiltshire, in England, Feb 
 ruary 7, 1832, where he resided until 1858, when he 
 went to Peru, in South America, by way of Cape 
 Horn, where he resided for four years. After this 
 he came to California and lived at the place then 
 called "Puckerville," about a half mile to the west 
 of the town of Plymouth. 
 
 Mr. Woolford is a blacksmith by trade, having fol 
 lowed it most of his life, being at present in the em 
 ploy of the Pacific Mining Company, though he has 
 at other times been employed by the Empire Mining 
 Company. He is a first-class mechanic, and has sug 
 gested and perfected many improvements in tools 
 and machinery. Among other things he has invented 
 a ratchet wrench which works equally well on round 
 as on square heads, for which he has obtained a 
 patent. 
 
 He is a single man, living with his brother, who 
 occupies his ranch. His experiences in the mines 
 and in South America, make an interesting narrative 
 when he can be induced to speak of them. 
 
 D. YOUNGLOVE 
 
 Was born July 13, 1833, at Great Barrington, Berk 
 shire county, Massachusetts, where he spent his 
 boyhood and acquired his education. In 1851, he 
 removed to Waushara county, Wisconsin, where he 
 engaged in farming until 1864, when he sought the 
 Golden State. Here he engaged in freighting from 
 Sacramento to the different mining towns of Ama 
 dor, making his home at first north of Volcano. He 
 followed this business until 1875, when he purchased 
 the highly improved Edward's property, for about 
 ten thousand dollars, which place he has since made 
 his home. This place contains two hundred and 
 thirty -three acres of lone valley land, than which 
 nothing better can be said. The orchards, buildings, 
 and approaches, are laid out in European style, with 
 drives and graveled walks, bordered with flowers 
 and fragrant herbs. It was for many years, and 
 probably is now, the most artistically improved place 
 in the county. The coal vein underlies a large por 
 tion of the place. The Gait & lone railroad passes 
 through the southern side of the place, the depot 
 being but a few hundred feet from his land, thus 
 affording ample market facilities for coal, or the 
 produce of the farm. The vein of coal is from three 
 to fifteen feet in thickness, lying nearly on a level 
 with the valley in the adjoining hills. The cost of 
 mining is less than one dollar per ton. The coal 
 burns freely, and is used for domestic purposes, and 
 also as a steam coal, being worth per ton about the 
 same as a cord of wood. The orchard contains 
 about sixteen hundred trees, bearing choice fruit. 
 
j. F. PARKS 
 
OF THE 
 
 (UNIVERSITY) 
 
 CALIFORNIA 
 
CHRONOLOGICAL 
 
 1513. 
 Discovery of the Pacific ocean by Balboa. 
 
 1518. 
 Invasion of Mexico by Cortez. 
 
 1519. 
 First Navigation of the Pacific by Magellan. 
 
 1534. 
 Discovery of Lower California by Cortez. 
 
 1535. 
 Further Exploration of the California gulf. 
 
 1537. 
 Explorations on the Western coast by Ulloa. 
 
 1542. 
 Expedition of Cabrillo. Cape Mendocino discovered. 
 
 1554. 
 Death of Cortez. 
 
 1577. 
 Sir Francis Drake's discoveries. 
 
 1579. 
 
 California taken possession of by Sir Francis Drake 
 in the name of Queen Elizabeth. 
 
 1596. 
 Viscaino takes possession of Lower California. 
 
 1602. 
 San Diego harbor discovered by Yiscaifio. 
 
 1683. 
 
 First attempt to colonize Lower California at La Paz 
 by Admiral Otondo and Friar Ktihn. 
 
 1697. 
 
 October 25. The first Jesuit Mission established at 
 Loreto, in Lower California, by Father Salvatierra. 
 
 1700. 
 The second Jesuit Mission established at San Xavier, 
 
 Lower California, by Father Ugarte. 
 First Expedition into the Interior by Father Kino. 
 
 1720. 
 Expedition of Father Ugarte to the river Colorado. 
 
 1766. 
 Expeditions of Father Wincestus Link. 
 
 1767. 
 
 The Jesuits expelled from Lower California, and the 
 Franciscans installed. 
 
 1768. 
 
 Caspar de Portala appointed Governor of Californias, 
 and Francis Junipero Serra, Missionary President. 
 
 1769. 
 Expeditions dispatched by land and water into Upper 
 
 California. 
 July 16. San Diego Mission founded. 
 
 1770. 
 June 3. Monterey Mission founded. 
 
 1771. 
 July 14. San Antonio Mission founded. 
 
 September 8. San Gabriel Mission founded. 
 Eeinforcements and supplies arrive at San Diego. 
 
 1772. 
 
 September 1. San Luis Obispo Mission founded. 
 Father Serra returned from Mexico with reinforce 
 ments and supplies. 
 
 1775. 
 
 Expedition of Friar Garzes through the upper terri 
 tory. 
 November 4. San Diego attacked by Indians. 
 
 1776. 
 
 June. San Diego Mission repaired. 
 October 9. San Francisco (Dolores) Mission founded. 
 November 1. San Juan Capistrano Mission founded. 
 
 1777. 
 January 18. Mission of Santa Clara founded. 
 
 1781. 
 September 4. Pueblo de Los Angeles established. 
 
 1782. 
 March 31. San Buena Ventura Mission founded. 
 
 1784. 
 
 Los Nietos tract granted to Manuel Nieto. 
 October 20. San Eafael tract granted to Jose Maria 
 Verdugo. 
 
 1786. 
 December 4. Santa Barbara Mission founded. 
 
 1787. 
 
 December 8. La Purissima Conception Mission 
 founded. 
 
 1791. 
 
 August 28. Santa Cruz Mission founded. 
 October 9. La Soledad Mission founded. 
 
 1797. 
 
 June 11. San Jose Mission founded. 
 June 24. San Juan Bautista Mission founded. 
 July 25. San Miguel Mission founded. 
 September 8. San Fernando Mission founded. 
 
 1798. 
 June 13. Mission of San Luis Key deFrancia founded. 
 
 1802. 
 Humboldt visits California. 
 
 1804. 
 September 17. Mission of Santa Inez founded. 
 
 1810. 
 Santiago de Santa Ana tract granted Antonio Yorba 
 
 * 1812. 
 
 December 8. Mission of San Juan Capistrano de 
 stroyed by earthquake. 
 December 21. Church of La Purissima destroyed by 
 
 earthquake. 
 
 1815. 
 
 W. Whittle claims to have arrived in Los Angeles, 
 being the first English-speaking settlerin California. 
 
326 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 1818. 
 
 Bouchard's privateer attacked the coast towns. 
 Joseph Chapman and Thomas Fisher captured and 
 taken to Los Angeles. 
 
 1819. 
 December 14. San Rafael Mission founded. 
 
 1822. 
 
 Mexican independence established. 
 Captain John Hall, of the British Navy, examined 
 and reported on the Pacific coast harbors. 
 
 1824. 
 
 Santiago McKinley settled in Los Angeles. 
 First Act of the Mexican Government toward secu 
 larization of the missions passed. 
 
 1826. 
 Jedediah S. Smith entered California overland. 
 
 1826. 
 Manumission of the Indians declared. 
 
 1827. 
 First Mexican school established. 
 
 Great drought. 
 
 1828. 
 
 Jesse Ferguson, Richard Laughlin, N. M. Pryor, 
 Abel Stearns, and Louis Bouchette, settled in Los 
 Angeles. Continued drought. 
 
 1829. 
 
 Michael White and John Domingo, settled in Los 
 Angeles. 
 
 1831. 
 
 Manuel Victoria became Governor. 
 J. J. Warner, William Wolfskill, Luis Vignes, Joseph 
 Bowman, John Rhea, and William Day, settled in 
 Los Angeles. 
 The schooner Eefugio built at San Pedro. 
 
 1833. 
 Death of Padre Sanchez. 
 
 1834. 
 August 9. Complete secularization of the missions 
 
 decreed. 
 
 Hijar's expedition. 
 Destruction of the mission property. 
 Luis Vignes plants the first orange orchard in Los 
 
 Angeles. 
 First soap factory established. 
 
 1835. 
 
 Hijar's insurrection. Death of Governor Figueroa. 
 R. H. Dana visits California. 
 
 Henry Mellus and Hugo Reid settle in Los Angeles. 
 The first lynching. 
 
 1836. 
 Census taken. 
 
 Graham's insurrection. 
 
 Los Angeles erected into a city. 
 
 1838. 
 
 Arrest of suspected persons. 
 Second Mexican school established in Los Angeles. 
 
 1840. 
 Isaac Graham and companions arrested and sent to 
 
 Mexico. 
 May 18. Grant of Arroyo Seco made to Theodosia 
 
 Yorba, by Juan B. Alvarado. 
 
 1841. 
 
 United States exploring expedition examined the 
 California coast. 
 
 1842. 
 
 Micheltorena Governor. 
 October 19. Seizure of Monterey by United States 
 
 Commodore Jones. 
 October 20. Its restoration. 
 Discovery of gold in Los Angeles county. 
 
 1843. 
 
 January 18. Commodore Jones visits Governor 
 Micheltorena at Los Angeles. 
 
 1844. 
 
 Great drought. 
 Lancasterian school established in Los Angeles. 
 
 1845. 
 
 Continued drought. 
 
 February 21. Battle at Cahuenga between Michel 
 torena and Alvarado. A mule killed. 
 1846. 
 
 March. Arrival of Fremont and exploring party. 
 
 Sutter sawed lumber on the divide between Sutter 
 and Amador. 
 
 April. The Donner party start for California. 
 
 May 11. War with Mexico declared by Congress. 
 
 June 11. First act of hostility by Fremont's party. 
 
 June 15. The Bear flag hoisted. 
 
 July 7. Monterey captured by Commodore Sloat. 
 
 July 8. Yerba Buena captured. 
 
 July 27. Fremont's battalion sent to San Diego. 
 
 July 28. Rev. Walter Colton appointed alcalde of 
 Monterey. 
 
 July 29. Commodore Sloat sailed for the East. 
 
 August 1. Stockton sails for San Pedro. 
 
 August 4. Stockton captures Santa Barbara. 
 
 August 6. Stockton arrives at San Pedro. 
 
 August 15. Los Angeles City occupied by Stockton. 
 
 August 15. The Californian issued, by Semple and 
 Colton, at Monterey. 
 
 September 4. First jury trial in California at Mon 
 terey. 
 
 September 23. Flores' insurrection against Gillespie. 
 
 Gillespie surrenders, and embarks at San Pedro. 
 
 B. D. Wilson's party captured by Varelas. 
 
 October 7. Captain Mervine landed at San Pedro, 
 and was defeated. 
 
 1847. 
 
 January 8. Battle of the Rio San Gabriel. 
 " 9. Battle of the Mesa. 
 " 10. Los Angeles re-occupied by Commodore 
 Stockton. 
 January 11. Proclamation by Stockton. 
 
 " 12. Treaty of peace agreed upon between 
 General John C. Fremont and General Andres 
 Pico at Cahuenga. 
 
 March 1. Stephen W. Kearney recognized as Gov 
 ernor. 
 April. Semi-monthly mails established between San 
 
 Francisco and San Diego. 
 May 31. Richard B. Mason became Governor. 
 
CHRONOLOGICAL. 
 
 327 
 
 1848. 
 
 January 19. Discovery of gold at Coloma. 
 February 2. Treaty of peace signed at Guadalupe 
 
 Hidalgo. 
 
 1849. 
 
 January 4. Alta California newspaper established in 
 San Francisco. 
 
 February 7. First Pacific Railroad bill introduced in 
 Congress. 
 
 February 28. Steamer California reached San Fran 
 cisco. 
 
 April 13. General Bennett Riley became Governor. 
 
 June 3. Governor Riley issued proclamation for a 
 Convention at Monterey. 
 
 October 13. Constitution signed. 
 
 November 13. Constitution ratified by the people. 
 
 December 15. First Legislature convened at San 
 Jose. 
 
 December 20. Governor Peter H. Burnett inaug 
 urated. 
 
 1850. 
 
 February 18. State divided into twenty-seven coun 
 ties. Calaveras county organized. 
 
 County seat captured at Double Spring and moved 
 to Jackson. 
 
 April 9. State Library founded. 
 
 May 4. Second great fire in San Francisco. 
 
 June 3. Third great fire in San Francisco. 
 
 Celebration of the Fourth at Jackson, McDowell 
 delivering an oration. 
 
 Colonel Collyer shot by Judge Smith. 
 
 September 9. California admitted into the Union. 
 
 September 17. Fourth great fire in San Francisco. 
 1851. 
 
 Second Legislature convened at San Jose. 
 
 February 14. Act approved removing capital to 
 Yallejo. 
 
 The Irving party massacred by the Cahuilla Indians. 
 
 Gregory's Atlantic and Pacific Express established. 
 
 November 12. Attempt to assassinate Benjamin 
 Hayes. 
 
 September 9. Grand Division Sons of Temperance 
 
 organized. 
 
 1852. 
 January 2. United States Land Commission met at 
 
 San Francisco. 
 
 January 5. Third session of Legislature at Vallejo. 
 September. Riot at Jamison's ranch, four Mexicans 
 
 being whipped. Arrest of Jamison and son by 
 
 posse comitatus from El Dorado. 
 County seat removed to Mokelumne Hill. 
 August. Whitehead murdered near Butler's, on the 
 
 road between Plymouth and Drytown. 
 August 4. Sacramento Valley Railroad Company 
 
 organized. 
 November 1. Claim four hundred and forty-one, for 
 
 Arroyo Seco, filed with Land Commissioners. 
 
 1853. 
 January 3. Fourth session of the Legislature met 
 
 at Vallejo. 
 
 February 4. State Capital removed to Benicia. 
 
 Tejon Indian reservation established. 
 
 June. A man named Smith died from the effects of 
 
 a rattlesnake bite near Fiddletown. 
 Portor, superintendent of the Willow Spring ditch, 
 
 murdered near the race-track, probably by Dutch 
 
 Chris, and Harry Fox, who murdered Beckman at 
 
 Volcano about the same time. 
 August. Eureka Hotel burned at Volcano. 
 November. A gambler, named Baldwin, shot and 
 
 killed by another of the same profession, named 
 
 Whitney. 
 
 Doctor Beck killed Norton at Lancha Plana. 
 Death of Joaquin Murietta. 
 December. H. A. Carter and E. B. Harris, citizens 
 
 of lone, learned the existence of the claim called 
 
 the "Arroyo Seco," while at Benicia, the then 
 
 capital. 
 
 1854. 
 
 January 1. California Stage Company began opera 
 tions. 
 
 January 2. Legislature convened at Benecia. 
 
 February 25. State Capital removed to Sacramento. 
 
 March 1. California Steam Navigation Company 
 organized. 
 
 March 23. Hanging of the Swede at Jackson. 
 
 April 4. Fire at Jackson, loss twenty-eight thousand 
 five hundred dollars. 
 
 May 13. Act approved establishing a State Agricul 
 tural Society. 
 
 June 17. Election to determine whether the county 
 of Amador should be formed out of a part of Cal 
 averas. 
 
 July 3. Commissioners appointed by Legislature 
 met to call election for county officers of the new 
 county. 
 
 July 17. First county officers elected. 
 
 August 3. G. F. Elliot killed in a difficulty by C. Y. 
 Hammond. 
 
 September 10. First Court of Sessions. 
 
 September 11. J. K. Payne allowed twelve dollars 
 and fifty cents for services in building a school- 
 house at Grass Valley. 
 
 E. P. Hunter killed at Lancha Plana by John Chap 
 man. 
 
 October 4. First State Fair held at San Francisco. 
 
 October. Joseph H. Antonio, Francis Munioz, sub 
 jects of Coroner's investigations. 
 
 George Simmons on trial for manslaughter. 
 
 November 9. Sacramento Valley Railroad Company 
 re-organized. 
 
 November. Messer hung by a mob at Volcano, for 
 the murder of McAllister. 
 1855. 
 
 January 1. First financial report of Amador county. 
 $10,532.50 in treasury, which on May 4th amounted 
 to $16,649.59; outstanding orders, 07,972.84, leav 
 ing a net of $8,876.75. 
 
 February 27. Claim four hundred and forty-one, for 
 
328 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Arroyo Seco grant, rejected by Land Commis 
 sioners. 
 
 May 5. Win. M. Seawell and J. T. King are 
 appointed Justices of the Peace. 
 
 May 8. Townships No. 5 and 6 organized. 
 1855. 
 
 May 9. E. B. Yates appointed Justice of the Peace 
 for Township No. 6. 
 
 May 15. William M. Seawell, Justice of the Peace, 
 resigned, and F. G. Hoard appointed in his place. 
 
 May 16. Four dollars road tax assessed on persons 
 between twenty-one and fifty. 
 
 May 19. Board of Supervisors allowed J. C. Ship- 
 man five hundred dollars for acting as County 
 Auditor, which he declined taking, deeming it in 
 sufficient. 
 
 June 21. Supervisors ordered the building of a 
 county jail, costing four thousand two hundred and 
 eighty dollars; Craft & Beale, contractors. 
 
 August 6. Killing of six persons at Lower Ranch- 
 eria by banditti. 
 
 August 7. Hanging of three Mexicans at the same 
 place. 
 
 General disarming of the Mexicans. 
 
 August 12. Death of Sheriff Phoenix at Chinese 
 Camp. 
 
 Burning of the church and other houses at Drytown. 
 
 Samuel A. Phcenix appointed Sheriff, in place of W. 
 A. Phcenix, deceased. 
 
 Hanging at Jackson of three Mexicans concerned in 
 Rancheria tragedy day uncertain. 
 
 Manuel Escobar was the last of the party hanged ; 
 he was also the last executed on the famous tree. 
 
 Supervisor Districts established. 
 
 August 24. First railroad train in California placed 
 on the track of Sacramento Yalley Railroad. 
 
 September. Board of Supervisors organized. 
 
 October 27. Amador Ledger commenced at Yolcano. 
 
 November 15. J. C. Shipman allowed three hun 
 dred and fifty-two dollars and fifty cents for 
 making out assessment roll and tax list. 
 
 December 21. Three professional robbers, camping 
 about three miles below Jackson, were attacked 
 by Sheriff Thorn, of Calaveras, detective Hume, 
 and J. W. Surface of lone, two being captured. 
 A large amount of burglars' tools found in the 
 camp. 
 
 1854 AND 1855. 
 
 Legislature set off territory of El Dorado as part of 
 the county of Amador. 
 
 1856. 
 
 January 8. killed by Cottrell, at Yolcano. 
 
 March. Survey of Arroyo Seco Grant. 
 
 April 6. Cottrell re-arrested at Placerville and 
 placed in Amador jail ; eventually tried and ex 
 ecuted. 
 
 May 16. Yigilance Committee formed in San Fran 
 cisco. 
 
 May 22. Caeey and Cora hung by Yigilance Com 
 mittee in San Francisco. 
 
 June 3. Governor Johnson issued a proclamation 
 calling out the State militia to suppress Yigilantes. 
 
 June 21. Arrest of Judge David S. Terry by Yigi 
 lance Committee of San Francisco. 
 
 July 29. Hetherington and Brace hung by Yigilance 
 Committee in San Francisco. 
 
 October 5. D. L. Wells, of the Gate, thrown from 
 his carriage while riding down the grade between 
 Mokelumne Hill and the river and killed. 
 
 October 6. Death of Thomas Hodges, alias Tom 
 Bell, the noted highwayman. 
 1857. 
 
 June 15. First stage on the wagon road, completed 
 round trip, Placerville to Carson Yalley. 
 
 September 18. Death of Chief Justice Hugh Murray. 
 
 September 29. State Fair held at Stockton. 
 
 November 7. M. Y. B. Griswold murdered by China 
 men. 
 
 November. Difficulty near Yolcano in which two 
 men were killed by Stevenson, who was tried and 
 executed. 
 
 1858. 
 
 April 16. Three Chinamen hung at Jackson for 
 the murder of M. Y. B. Griswold. 
 
 July 23. First overland mail via Placerville and Salt 
 Lake left Sacramento. 
 
 Frazer River excitement. 
 
 1859. 
 
 Discovery of the Comstock Ledge. 
 
 August. Survey made by Mandeville, locating Ar 
 royo Seco ten miles further west. 
 
 September 13. State Fair held at Sacramento. 
 
 September 14. Terry and Broderick duel, San 
 Mateo county; Broderick mortally wounded. 
 
 November. Large fire in Yolcano, burning St. 
 George Hotel and twenty-five other buildings. 
 1860. 
 
 April 26. Judge McAllister decided that the Arroyo 
 Seco Grant should be located west of the Lyons 
 and Martin mountains. 
 
 April. Pony express established, and first mes 
 senger left Sacramento. 
 
 May 12. Massacre of the Ormsby party near Pyra 
 mid lake. 
 
 September. Death of the Indian chief Captain 
 
 Truckle. 
 
 1861, 
 
 January 13. State Agricultural Society decided to 
 
 make Sacramento a permanent location. 
 Instrumental survey of the route for the Central 
 
 Pacific railroad over the Sierras made during this 
 
 year. 
 February 16. Meeting in Yolcano regarding the 
 
 building of a wagon road to Nevada. 
 February 19. Joseph Worthy killed by a slide of 
 
 earth at Irishtown. 
 February 23. Meeting in Jackson regarding the 
 
 building of a wagon road to Nevada. 
 May 15. Corner-stone of State House laid. 
 
CHRONOLOGICAL. 
 
 329 
 
 June 28. Articles of incorporation of Central Pacific 
 Railroad of California filed with the Secretary of 
 State. 
 
 1862. 
 
 January 23. Legislature adjourned to San Fran 
 cisco on account of flood. 
 
 July 1. Pacific Railroad Act approved by President. 
 
 August 8 and 9. First fair held in Amador county. 
 
 August 8 and 9. First bale of hops raised in Amador 
 county on exhibition at the county fair by J. D. 
 Mason. 
 
 August 23. Fire at Jackson, destroying the town. 
 
 Hanging-tree at Jackson cut down. 
 
 August. Mandeville's survey, on appeal from Dis 
 trict Court, confirmed by Judge Hoffman. 
 
 October. Fire at Volcano destroying the St. George 
 Hotel and other property. 
 
 November 4. Earthquake shock felt at Tarr's Mill. 
 
 November 14. Fitzgerald killed by the caving of a 
 bank at Lancha Plana. 
 
 November 18. William Golman found dead near his 
 residence; cause of death heart disease. 
 
 December 13. Western Pacific Railroad Company 
 incorporated. 
 
 1863. 
 
 January 8. Ground broken for the Central Pacific 
 
 railroad at Sacramento. 
 January 20. Beeson's store entered by masked men. 
 
 Beeson " bucked and gagged," and then robbed; 
 
 names of robbers unknown. 
 February 3. Appeal to United States Supreme 
 
 Court from the decision of Judge Hoffman in the 
 
 matter of locating the survey of the Arroyo Seco 
 
 Grant dismissed without a hearing. 
 February 9. Jerry Conley killed at Lancha Plana 
 
 by the caving of a bunk of gravel. 
 February 11. Harry Hatch, long known in Ama 
 dor county, died at the residence of D. C. White. 
 February 22. Construction of the Central Pacific 
 
 railroad commenced. 
 Act approved by Governor granting ten thousand 
 
 dollars per mile to the Central Pacific railroad. 
 April 25. A colored boy, aged eighteen, iatally 
 
 stabbed his father. 
 May. Capp killed on his claim at Pokerville by A. 
 
 Moore. 
 June 2. J. S. Porter appointed Justice of the Peace 
 
 for Township No. 4., vice II. Wood, resigned. 
 June 5. Conny Mahoney fatally stabbed by Jack 
 
 \Villson. 
 
 July 7. Precinct established at Copper Center. 
 July 7. Precinct established at Elliott's Ranch. 
 July 14. James II. Allen drowned in Sacramento 
 
 river. 
 
 July 20. House of Edward Dosh, lone valley, de 
 stroyed by fire ; loss, two thousand five hundred 
 
 dollars. 
 July 21. Philip Morgan fell two hundred feet in a 
 
 shaft of the Eureka mine, killing him instantly. 
 42 
 
 August 8. The Amador wagon road opened to the 
 public. 
 
 August 17. Fernandino Belliuomini kttled at French 
 Bar by the falling of a timber. 
 
 September 7. Three prisoners escaped from the jail 
 by making a hole through the brick walls. 
 
 September. Child of Sylvester Rogers, near Willow 
 Spring creek, crushed by the displacement and 
 rolling of a rock. 
 
 October. A. F. Northrup exhibited an apple weigh 
 ing thirty and one-half ounces, of the Glori Mundi 
 variety. 
 
 November 4. Frederick Fernsner, of Drytown, com 
 mitted suicide by shooting himself. 
 
 November 14. Charles K. Williams killed by a fall 
 in the shaft of the Plymouth mine. 
 
 November 15. A heavy wind blew down a tree on 
 the house of B. Henderson, near Yolcano, fatally 
 injuring him. 
 
 November 17. Stage stopped and express robbed of 
 two thousand dollars between Fiddletown and 
 Drytown. 
 
 December 16. Peter McCabe died from injuries 
 received by being thrown from a wagon. 
 
 December 31. Two teamsters robbed of five hun 
 dred dollars by highwaymen on the Carson grade. 
 
 Three cases for murder came before the District 
 Court. 
 
 Thomas Hodge found dead in Cook's Gulch. No clue 
 to i he murderer. 
 
 Thieves were plentiful around Jackson. 
 
 Nevada City destroyed by fire. Loss, five hundred 
 and fifty thousand dollars. 
 
 1864. 
 
 February 13. Samuel's store in Jackson robbed of 
 
 cash and clothing amounting to seven hundred 
 
 dollars. 
 February 21. David Armstrong died at Gold Hill, 
 
 Nevada Territory. 
 February 24. The dwelling of George Clark, in 
 
 New Yurk Gulch, destroyed by fire; loss, three 
 
 thousand dollars. 
 April 6. J. R. Blackwell and - - Sturtevant, near 
 
 Yeomet, got into an altercation in which the first 
 
 was killed and the latter severely wounded; cause, 
 
 a woman. 
 April 14. Chestnut's building and Crosson's saloon, 
 
 Oleta, destroyed by fire. Mr. Ford, jeweler, lost 
 
 his tools and a portion of his stock. 
 June 13. The wire suspension bridge over the 
 
 Mokelumne river, between Mokelumne Hill and 
 
 West Point, fell with sixty head of cattle, all of 
 
 which were killed. The bridge was about fifty 
 
 feet high. 
 August 20. Child of' Mrs. Lewis, near Newton 
 
 mine, burned to death by clothes taking fire. 
 September. Rattlesnake killed ne;.r M.iddle fork, 
 
 Jackson Creek, measuring eight feet and three 
 
 inches iu length, thirteen rattles. 
 
330 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 1864. 
 
 October 26. Writs of ejectment at the instance of 
 Benjamin 'Bellock issued against William Atkin 
 son, J. C. Fithian, Thomas Rickey, and others, 
 by Judge Field. 
 
 November 22. E. H. Chase and E. Rickey died at 
 lone City, as was believed, from small-pox. 
 
 November. An elderly man by the name of Mer 
 chant killed by Michael Doonan. 
 1865. 
 
 January 6. Daniel Kerrigan was crushed to death 
 in the Oneida mine, near Jackson. 
 
 January 8. C. N. W. Hinkson, Drytown, killed in 
 a difficulty with his son-in-law, a Mr. Hadsell. 
 
 February 11. Captain Starr, with seventy -five sol 
 diers, come into lone valley to dispossess the 
 settlers. 
 
 February 17. J. C. Fithian, William Scully, Charles 
 Black, Samuel Deardorff, and others, ejected from 
 their homes in Jackspn valley, by Captain Starr 
 and a company of United States troops, acting 
 under the directions of Herman Wohler. 
 
 February 19. Herman Wohler shot at lone. 
 
 March 6. Second body of soldiers enter lone valley, 
 making total number three hundred. 
 
 April 23. John Gaver arrested by Captain Starr for 
 "exulting over the assassination of Lincoln." 
 
 May 5. Fire in Volcano. Loss, twenty thousand 
 dollars. 
 
 May 8. L. P. Hall and W. M. Penry arrested by 
 Captain Starr of Company D, United States Cav 
 alry, and conveyed to Fort Alcatraz. 
 
 June 6. Chinaman shot by an Indian at Sutter 
 creek, for refusing to clean up his sluices for the 
 Indian's benefit. 
 
 June 11. Fire in Amador City, destroying several 
 buildings. 
 
 June 18. Herbertville quartz mill, near Amador, 
 totally destroyed by fire. Loss, thirteen thousand 
 dollars. 
 
 July 1. Fire in Jackson,; Congress Hall, Washing 
 ton Hotel, and Schlacter's building, being consumed. 
 
 Two men injured, one fatally, in the Eureka mine, 
 by the falling of a timber. Hayne bled to death 
 in a few minutes. 
 
 July 3. William Ritter, owner of ditch property in 
 Amador county, shot near Michigan Bar, by masked 
 persons. Sam. Marshall supposed to be one of the 
 party. 
 
 July 17. Lipker killed in the Keystone mine, by 
 the falling of a timber. 
 
 July 22. Earthquake shock felt through the county; 
 severest on the junction of the foot-hills and plains. 
 
 July 23. Andrew McClure fatally injured by pre 
 mature explosion of a blast in the Seaton mine. 
 
 July. Discovery of rich pock'et in the Hinkley mine, 
 Jackson. 
 
 August 10. Son of Mr. Raymond of Jackson, aged 
 two years, drowned in Silver lake. 
 
 August 20. Quarrel among a party of Mexicans* 
 
 near Aqueduct, in which one Francisco Vedall was 
 killed by Manuel Peralto. 
 
 August 31. Azariah Sollers committed suicide, by 
 shooting himself through the head. Cause, finan 
 cial embarrassment. 
 
 August. Central Pacific railroad purchased Sacra 
 mento Valley railroad. 
 
 October 8. Great fire in lone, destroying one entire 
 block. 
 
 October 12. Explosion of the steamer Yo Semite, in 
 which W. A. Rogers, and Senator-elect G. W. 
 Seaton, were killed. 
 
 October 26. James Casey, while intoxicated, was 
 run over by the stage in the night, near the sum 
 mit, and fatally injured. 
 
 October 27. Martin Collins killed in the Eureka 
 mine, at Sutter Creek. 
 
 October 29. Spaniard killed by Mr. Moore, in a 
 difficulty on Wilson's ranch. 
 
 October. J. W. -Bicknell vs. Amador County, in Dis 
 trict Court. Plaintiff recovered $1,362.19, for acting 
 as clerk of District and Probate Courts. 
 
 December 3. James Fagan killed near Drytown, 
 by a cave in the Potosi mine. 
 
 December 23. A. H. Rose elected Senator, to fill 
 the vacancy caused by the death of G. W. Seaton. 
 
 Cosumnes copper mine shipped four hundred tons 
 of ore during June, July, and August. 
 1866. 
 
 February 1. Attack made on a Chinese mining 
 camp near Upper Rancheria, in which two China 
 men lost their lives. Dan Myers, hearing the firing, 
 ran to the assistance of the Chinamen, receiving 
 a ball in his knee, after which the robbers left. 
 
 February 28. The body of L. L. Leonard found 
 west of the town of Enterprise, accidentally shot 
 by himself. 
 
 February. David Robinson, raining near Volcano, 
 picked up a nugget of pure gold, weighing five 
 and three-fourths pounds. 
 
 March 18. Nugget found near Clinton, worth six 
 hundred and thirty-five dollars and twenty-five 
 cents. 
 
 March. Titus Rowe shot and instantly killed, by 
 M. Tynan, who was acquitted at the June term 
 of the District Court, 1867. 
 
 April 2. Mexican, name unknown, found dead in 
 his claim, near Jackson. 
 
 April 3. Niel Toland killed near Irish Hill, by cav 
 ing of bank of earth. 
 
 May 16. Dr. Lund of Muletown, near lone, com 
 mitted suicide by cutting his throat with a razor. 
 Financial embarrassment. 
 May 20. Child of Mr. and Mrs. Galavia burned to 
 
 death at. Volcano. 
 
 June 2. Report of Supervisors, outstanding war 
 rants, exclusive of interest, $104,094.57$. 
 June 24. Anson Perry died from the effect of a 
 pistol shot, by a Chinaman engaged in robbing a 
 chicken roost. 
 
CHRONOLOGICAL. 
 
 331 
 
 June 25. Hoisting works of the Sorocco mine, near 
 
 Volcano, destroyed by fire. 
 June. Bank of California organized. 
 July 3. J. Weimbach killed by John Fridenburg, 
 
 with a billiard ball, during a quarrel at Volcano. 
 July 4. Pedro Koja, a native of Chili, murdered by 
 
 parties unknown, near Fiddletown. 
 Santa Nino, a native of Chili, killed at Jackson, by 
 
 Louis Robinson. 
 A woman, named Paublo Monaz, killed in her house 
 
 on Main street in Jackson, by a Spaniard known 
 
 as Jose G. Froile. 
 Three men, Fitzgerald, Branahan, and Faulkner, 
 
 burned to death while asleep, in a house at Copper 
 
 Hill. 
 July 7. Precincts under the new registration law 
 
 established by Board of Supervisors. 
 July 18. Otto Walther appointed Treasurer in place 
 
 of L. Rabolt, declared ineligible. 
 August 16. Harvey Lee, Assemblyman from Ama- 
 
 dor and Alpine counties, and Judge of the 16th 
 
 Judicial District, thrown from a wagon and killed, 
 
 in Sacramento. 
 August 18. J. H. Hammond robbed, and left tied 
 
 to a tree near Sutter Creek, where he remained 
 
 two days before he was released. 
 August 24. Water melon brought into Jackson from 
 
 Chaleur's ranch, Mokelumne river, weighing fifty- 
 six pounds. 
 August. Wash. Wright, formerly connected with 
 
 the press in the county, died at San Francisco of 
 
 delirium tremens. 
 September. Four cases of murder to be tried in 
 
 District Court. 
 October 10. M. Bates, near middle fork of Jackson, 
 
 lost his house and contents by fire. 
 December 24. Z. H. Denman found a thirty-three 
 
 ounce lump of gold, near Grass Valley. 
 December 25. A. B. Crawford died. 
 December 29. Stage stopped between Forest Home 
 
 and lone City, by robbers; no treasure. 
 
 1867. 
 January 5. Mrs. Church and child drowned in 
 
 Indian creek. 
 March 15. Nicholas Orleans killed in the Atchison 
 
 quartz mine. 
 
 March 31. Italian stabbed by countryman, at Sut 
 ter Creek. 
 May 5. James Rodda and Samuel Poglaise killed, 
 
 by falling down the shaft of the Plymouth mine. 
 June 3. Manuel Timothy killed at Volcano, by the 
 
 caving of his mine. 
 July 10. Philip Burger's brewery, near the Gate, 
 
 consumed by fire. Loss, two thousand dollars. 
 July 20. John Phillips of Fiddletown, fatally stabbed 
 
 during a quarrel, by W. T. Gist, formerly Deputy 
 
 Sheriff of the county. 
 August 4. Wagstaif, of Volcano, thrown from a 
 
 wagon going down the Sutter Creek hill, and 
 
 fatally injured. 
 
 August 6. James M. Hanford appointed Justice of 
 
 the Peace, vice H. T. Barnum resigned. 
 August 30. A. M. Ballard, a forty-niner, and for 
 
 many years a resident of Volcano, fell from a 
 
 bridge in Alamo, Contra Costa county, and sus 
 tained injuries from which he died in a few hours. 
 October 10. Amador Mining Company incorporated. 
 
 Trustees, Alvinza Hayward, L. A. Garnett, F. 
 
 Sunderland, A. H. Rose, and S. F. Butterworth. 
 October 22. D. R. Whitman crushed to death in 
 
 the Eureka mine at Sutter Creek. 
 October 23. Two men fell one hundred feet in the 
 
 Seaton mine, Dry town, and sustained no serious 
 
 injury. 
 October 31.- Large barn owned by O. N. Morse of 
 
 Q Ranch, with three horses and eleven hogs, 
 
 totally destroyed by fire. Loss, eight thousand 
 
 dollars; insured for three thousand five hundred 
 
 dollars. 
 November. 8. James C. McFarland, a fair-haired, 
 
 girlish looking boy, convicted of attempting to 
 
 commit murder by poisoning. A terrible natural 
 
 depravity was proved. Sentenced to four years 
 
 in State Reform School. 
 November 28. James Morgan, of the Oneida mill, 
 
 broke his leg. 
 November 30. A. M. Chappelle committed suicide, 
 
 by tying weights to his feet, and jumping into the 
 
 water. 
 
 December 3. First frost sufficient to kill melon vines. 
 December 10. Mrs. Foster, a widow lady at Sutter 
 
 Creek, was killed by a man called " Eureka John," 
 
 by a blow from his fist. 
 December 16. R. Bradshaw removed from the 
 
 office of Assessor and Collector, and James H. 
 
 Lowrey appointed to fill the vacancy. 
 December 17. Joseph King killed in the R. R. 
 
 mine by a cave, which lacerated the femoral artery, 
 
 producing death in a short time. 
 December 27. Big Bar bridge nearly destroyed by 
 
 high water; the loss falling mostly on Mr. Parrish. 
 December. Stage robbed near lone of ten thousand 
 
 dollars, which was recovered by detectives. 
 Forty-five thousand gallons of wine made in the 
 
 vicinity of Jackson. Estimate for county, two 
 
 hundred thousand gallons. 
 
 1868. 
 
 January 1. Robinson, of Fiddletown, drowned in 
 the Cosumnes river, near Yeomet. 
 
 January 4. Body of unknown man found on End- 
 sley's ranch. 
 
 January 7. Boundaries of school districts estab 
 lished. 
 
 January 18. Brinn and Newman's store at Sutter 
 
 ' Creek robbed of goods valued at one thousand 
 dollars. 
 
 February 15. Steckler's house at Jackson burned, 
 the inmates barely escaping. 
 
 February 25. Owen Fallen, a respectable man, 
 
332 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 being mistaken for an escape from Mokelumne 
 Hill jail, was shot by William Boj'd. 
 
 March 29. Isaac's store at Newtonville destroyed 
 by fire; supposed to be the work of an incendiary. 
 Loss, three thousand dollars. 
 
 April 3. First train of cars run on Western Pacific 
 railroad. 
 
 April 6. Stage robbed on the Mokelumne Hill road. 
 Wells, Fargo & Co.'s box rifled. Robbers caught 
 the same day. 
 
 April 19. Fire at Volcano, destroying Mooney's 
 saloon, and other property. Loss, twenty thou 
 sand dollars. 
 
 May 16. Fire at Sutter Creek, destroying Sheri 
 dan's harness shop, Myer's saloon, Cuppet's tin 
 shop, Grady's saloon, and Sutter Creek bakery. 
 Loss, ten thousand dollars. 
 
 May 26. Shoemaker shot in Sacramento by A. B. 
 Courtwright, formerly of lone. 
 
 May 27. Large fire in Jackson, originating in China 
 town. Loss, fifteen thousand dollars; mostly prop 
 erty of A. C. Brown. 
 
 June 2. Fire in Volcano, destroying Goldworthy's 
 saloon, Burleson's warehouse, and other property. 
 
 June 10. Amador wagon road leased to John Hosley. 
 
 June 13. William Moore tried several times for 
 murder; the jury in the cases disagreeing, he plead 
 guilt}^, and was sentenced for one year to State 
 prison. 
 
 June 16. Fire at Volcano, destroying Sorocco's store. 
 
 June 17. District Court decided that James Carroll 
 was the lawful Supervisor for District No. 1, 
 thereby ousting C. H. Ingalls. 
 
 June 25. A man by the name of Williams fell into 
 the Eureka shaft and was instantly killed. 
 
 June 27. Captain Richards shot by Levy Conley at 
 Volcano; did not terminate fatally. 
 
 July 12. Ed. Burns falls four hundred feet in the 
 Eureka mine, at Sutter Creek, and is instantly 
 killed. 
 
 August 25. Workmen killed in Eureka shaft at 
 Sutter Creek. 
 
 September 7. Kennedy mill started. 
 
 September 11. D. C. White's house, Jackson, burned. 
 
 September 12. Volcano burned from the St. George 
 to Casinelli's store, including Friden burg's saloon, 
 Nicholas' meat market and stable, George Shaffer's 
 saloon, and Other property. 
 
 September 23. Death of Mrs. A. II. Rose, at Ama 
 dor City. 
 
 October 21. Earthquake at San Francisco; sharp 
 shock along the foot-hills of Amador county. 
 
 November 28. Cuneo's house, about two miles from 
 Jackson, burned. 
 
 December 30. Fire in Jackson. Loss, fifteen thou 
 sand dollars. 
 
 Year of fires at Volcano, five having occurred. 
 1869. 
 
 January 1. Attempted murder of two children and 
 suicide, by J. R. Walker, at Zimmerman's ranch, 
 
 near Mokelumne river. One child, a son, died 
 January 13. 
 
 January 2. Stage robbed by four highwaymen, 
 between Fiddletown and Drytown. 
 
 January 21. Isaac Pierce killed by Joseph Damonti, 
 near the Newton copper mine. 
 
 February 10. High water; streams as full as in '61, 
 without doing much injury. 
 
 February 11. Chinaman found frozen to death on 
 the hill above the Jackson brewery. 
 
 March 14. Coblentz's store at Fiddletown partially 
 destroyed by fire. 
 
 March 22. Sanguinetti's store-house, at Jackson, 
 burned. Loss, one thousand dollars. 
 
 April 6. Stage line established to Gait, connecting 
 with the California Pacific railroad. 
 
 April 21. Mexican found dead near Fiddletown, 
 supposed to have been murdered by Chinamen. 
 
 April 29. Death of Judge S. W. Brockway, of con 
 gestive chills, in San Mateo county, at the house 
 of Alvinza Hay ward. 
 
 May 10. Union Pacific and Central Pacific rail 
 roads met at Promontory Point. 
 
 May 30. Frenchman near Volcano committed sui 
 cide by shooting himself. 
 
 Chinaman near Volcano committed suicide by hang 
 ing- 
 German, name unknown, near New York ranch, 
 committed suicide by taking strychnine. 
 
 June 24. Stage line to Gait established. 
 
 June 27. John Scandling killed at the Oneida mine, 
 by falling down the shaft. 
 
 August 1. Dwelling of A. P. Woods near Fiddle- 
 town destroyed by fire. 
 
 August 6. Fire at Jackson, destroying Martell's 
 blacksmith shop, Berry's livery-stable, Wells, Fargo 
 & Co.'s express office; supposed to be incendiary. 
 
 August 8. Attempted assassination of Phipps, engin 
 eer at Keystone mill. 
 
 August 21. Fire in Jackson, destroying the shop 
 of Edward Muldoon,andthe dwelling-house of San- 
 guinettti Caminetti. 
 
 September 6. John Fitz Simmons' store at Buena 
 Vista entered, safe abstracted and robbed. Loss, 
 slight. 
 
 September 11. John Cables, at Indian Diggings, 
 assassinated in the night time by unknown parties. 
 
 September 12". J. Foot Turner, of Jackson, attacked 
 with paralysis. 
 
 September 19. Sale of the Keystone mine and mill, 
 by A. H. Rose to a San Francisco company, for 
 one hundred and two thousand dollars. 
 
 October 8. Charles Curratto found dead near the 
 Court House, with the appearance of having fallen 
 from an upper window. 
 
 October 13. Union House at Jackson fired by Julia 
 Dorr, the cook. 
 
 November 6. Francis Tibbetts of Sutter Creek died, 
 aged forty-five years. 
 
 December 6. Lamb's bridge fell, instantly killing 
 
CHRONOLOGICAL. 
 
 333 
 
 George Kopp of Sutler, with seven of the eight 
 
 horses composing the team. 
 December 19. House of Joseph Zerga, at Clinton, 
 
 destroyed by fire. 
 California Steam. Navigation Company transferred 
 
 all their property to the Central Pacific Railroad 
 
 Company, sometime during the year. 
 
 1870. 
 
 February 7. Board of Supervisors passed a resolu 
 tion, requesting our delegation in the Legislature 
 to use their influence to get a law passed author 
 izing and compelling the Board of Supervisors to 
 set aside sixty cents on each hundred dollars, as 
 a sinking fund for outstanding registered warrants. 
 
 March 2. An Italian, name unknown, killed in his 
 claim by a cave of earth. 
 
 March 15. Thomas Leach killed by Joseph in a 
 quarrel. 
 
 March 18. Act approved to provide for the redemp 
 tion of outstanding warrants, and to prevent a 
 farther increase of the debt of said county. 
 
 April 10. Amador mine took fire on the seven-hun 
 dred-foot level, men all escaping. 
 
 April 18. Stage robbed between lone and Fiddle- 
 town of two thousand dollars; robbers arrested, 
 and money recovered. 
 
 The house of John Kelly, near Jackson, destroyed 
 by fire. 
 
 April 30. A son of Mr. Veley, living near Jackson, 
 fell from a tree, and was fatally injured. 
 
 May 15. School-house at Sutter Creek burned by 
 an incendiary. 
 
 May 20. Isaac Tripp, a highly respected citizen, 
 killed by a cave of earth in his claim at Butte City. 
 
 May 28. Fire at Sutter Creek, destroying McHenry's 
 saloon, Byrd's barber shop, Joyce's tin shop, Tib- 
 bett's pattern shop, Quinlan's saloon, Harris' vari 
 ety store ; supposed to be the work of an incendiary. 
 
 May 29. Snow fell at Pine Grove. 
 
 June 4. Hubert Pritchard, formerly a resident of 
 Volcano, committed suicide by shooting himself 
 in the head with a pistol. 
 
 June 20. Row in a camp of Indians, resulting in 
 the death of one, and seriously wounding several 
 more. 
 
 July 8. Tom Taylor, an Indian desperado, killed 
 with a dose of strychnine by another Indian, on 
 account of wounded honor in family matters. 
 July 29. Two Chinamen killed at Sutter Creek, by 
 
 the falling of a bank of dirt. 
 
 August 7. Stage stopped near Volcano, and Wells, 
 Fargo & Co.'s treasure box robbed of a bar of 
 gold worth five thousand dollars; four thousand 
 dollars was offered for the apprehension of the 
 robbers. 
 August 20. Larry Gannon killed in the Eureka 
 
 mine, by falling out of the bucket. 
 August. Laborers' Association established at Sutter 
 Creek. 
 
 September 8. Robert Buss' house, in lone City, 
 burglarized of coin to the amount of one hundred 
 and. seventy-five dollars. 
 
 1871. 
 
 March 7. Tax of the Arroyo Seco Grant company 
 reduced from $11,499.67 to $7,287.50. Assessed 
 value, $394.500. 
 
 Tax on Oneida mine reduced from the basis of 
 assessment of $100.000, to that of $76,800, making 
 the taxes $2,238.72. 
 
 July 23. Shooting affray at Sutter Creek, in which 
 Hugh McMenemy and E. W. Hatch lost their 
 lives. 
 August 28. Death of J. Foot Turner, County Judge, 
 
 at Jackson. 
 September 12. T. M. Pawling appointed Judge in 
 
 place of J. Foot Turner, deceased. 
 October 1. Indian killed by members of his tribe, 
 
 in a- drunken row. 
 
 October 4. Three Indians near lone lassoed a Mexi 
 can, and dragged him until he was dead. 
 October 7. House of Chas. Bennett, Sutter Creek, 
 
 destroyed by fire. 
 November 11. Giovanni Quirolo fatally injured in 
 
 the Paugh mine, near Clinton. 
 December 23. High water and dangerous traveling; 
 
 roads nearly impassable. 
 
 December. J. A. Eagon announced his intention of 
 acting with the Republican party. 
 
 1872. 
 February 5. Lamb's bridge fell, instantly killing 
 
 Larkin Lamb and John Kirk. 
 
 February 13. A Chileno killed a Mexican in Mur 
 derers' Gulch, near Drytown. 
 
 February 17. L. N. Ketcham, formerly State Sen 
 ator from Amador county, died at Yreka. 
 February 23. J. W. Holman fatally shot during a 
 quarrel, by W. Johnson, who was sentenced to 
 State prison for life. 
 March 1. Austrian killed in the Eureka mine> by 
 
 the falling of a stick of timber. 
 March 23. Hoisting works of the Summit mine 
 
 destroyed by fire; supposed to be incendiary. 
 March 24. A. McElrath instantly killed in the 
 
 Mahoney mine, by a swinging stick of timber. 
 March 25. Severe shock of earthquake felt all over 
 
 the county, 2:30 A. M. 
 
 May 1. Stage robbed between Pine Grove and Vol 
 cano, of ten thousand dollars. 
 
 May 11. The Marklee mine cleaned up thirteen 
 thousand dollars, after sixteen days' run with 
 twelve stamps. 
 
 June 13. Amador mine (Eureka) took fire; Tom 
 Frakes seriously injured during the efforts to con 
 trol it. Loss, one hundred thousand dollars. 
 June 15. George Parker, of Plymouth, thrown from 
 a horse while riding in Sutter Creek, and becoming 
 entangled in the stirrups, was dragged to death. 
 July. Kennedy mine in twelve days' run made 
 nine thousand dollars. 
 
334 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 August 25. August McLarnan thrown from a horse 
 
 and killed, near Jackson. 
 September 1. W. H. Bledso thrown from his. horse 
 
 and instantly killed. 
 September 12. Fire in Slitter Creek on Eureka 
 
 street, destroying several buildings. 
 September 13. A son of George Pregnall fell from 
 
 a wagon, near Mace's mill, and broke his neck. 
 September 19. Italian boarding-house at Sutter 
 
 Creek burned. 
 September 20. Fire in Sutter Creek, consuming 
 
 dwelling-house, and other property. 
 October 18. House of Clement Zeres, at Volcano, 
 
 destroyed by fire. 
 November 15. Richard Jackson thrown into the 
 
 Amador shaft (Eureka) by the swinging of the 
 
 hoisting tub, and precipitated to the bottom, thir 
 teen hundred feet, tearing his body to pieces. 
 November 18. Peiser's clothing store and Peck's 
 
 butcher shop, at Sutter Creek, burglarized. Loss, 
 
 one thousand dollars. 
 November 20. James Burke ran over by his team, 
 
 and fatally injured. 
 December 2. Store of S. Hanford, Yolcano, destroyed 
 
 by fire. Loss, forty thousand dollars. 
 December 5. George Howard's barn with contents, 
 
 near Jackson, destroyed by fire. 
 December 21. James Cole found dead in his cabin 
 
 near the Oneida. Excessive drink. 
 December 23. J. L. Howard, foreman of the Lincoln 
 
 Mining Company, Sutter, caught in the machinery, 
 
 and instantly killed. 
 December. Phoenix mill, at Plymouth, forty stamps, 
 
 put in operation. 
 
 1873. 
 
 January 6. Total indebtedness Amador county, 
 $208,884.58. 
 
 January 13. Attempt to poison four men with 
 strychnine, by putting it in the bread; James Avis, 
 John Yates, N. Rodovich, and an Austrian, par 
 taking were made sick, but recovered. 
 
 February 1. Shooting affray at the Lincoln mine, 
 on account of strike and change of time. No one 
 killed. 
 
 February 16, 17. Heavy snow-storm; several inches 
 at Jackson, two feet at Pine Grove, three feet at 
 Butterfield's. 
 
 February 18. Stabbing affray between George En- 
 field and Cal Dickens, the former being seriously 
 wounded. 
 
 February 21. John J. Watkinson, formerly of lone, 
 shot and killed I. S. Robinson at Vallejo. 
 
 Masquerade ball given by the B. B's at Jackson. 
 
 February 22. Fred Tardif shot and instantly killed, 
 by Abram S. Wooly. 
 
 March 1. Waterman H. Nelson, an old resident of 
 Amador, shot near Los Angeles, by a man named 
 Parker. 
 
 March 2. Harker's barn, near Yolcano, with fifty 
 tons of hay, burned. 
 
 March 7. Shooting affair at Plymouth between 
 Upton and Deakins, wounding Jackson, who 
 undertook to separate them. 
 
 March 8. George Chiradelli and Patrick Collier 
 instantly killed in the Mahoney mine, by the break 
 ing of the hoisting ropo, and the fall of the bucket 
 on the men who were working in the bottom of 
 the shaft. 
 
 March 16. J. S. Tanner's house, near Sutter, 
 destroyed by fire. 
 
 March 31. Masquerade ball at lone. 
 
 April 25. B. Traboca mysteriously killed in the 
 Oneida mine, while descending the shaft in a large 
 iron bucket. 
 
 April 28. Decision of Secretary of Interior averse 
 to the State of California, in the matter of title to 
 the school sections. 
 
 April. Prevalence of epizootic through the county, 
 nearly all the horses in the livery stables being 
 useless. 
 
 May 24. D. Maher's barn, two miles from Jackson, 
 burned with the contents, hay, grain, etc. 
 
 June 6. The body of John Ker found (formerly 
 working at the Oneida), having been exposed to 
 the weather and depredations of wild animals 
 during the winter. Supposed to have wandered 
 away in a fit of insanity. 
 
 June 7. John Everest killed in the Eureka (Amador) 
 mine by falling down the shaft. 
 
 June 20. The house of A. Sheakly burned in the 
 night time, the owner barely escaping with his 
 life. Supposed to be an incendiary fire. 
 
 John Collins instantly killed in the Amador mine 
 by falling down the shaft two hundred feet. 
 
 June. Bryant & Co. commenced the preliminary 
 work of floating lumber and wood in the Mokel- 
 umne river. 
 
 July 1. Amador Canal Company incorporated ; cap 
 ital stock five hundred thousand dollars. 
 
 July 12. George Hosenfelt instantly killed by the 
 explosion of a giant cartridge while fishing in the 
 Mokelumne river. 
 
 August 12. Jerry King thrown from his wagon near 
 Jackson and seriously maimed, losing both hands. 
 
 August 16. Residence of P. Grady, Sutter Creek, 
 destroyed by fire. 
 
 August 17. L. McLaine of Yolcano thrown from his 
 carriage, breaking a leg. 
 
 August 25. Death of Dr. Win. Ives, one of the old 
 est practicing physicians of Amador county. 
 
 August 30. Shooting affray between Silas Penry and 
 E. Turner, in Folger's saloon, Jackson. 
 
 September 5. Great disaster in Lincoln mine by 
 which nine persons lost their lives, namely, Patrick 
 Frazier, John Collier, Dennis Lynch, William 
 Coombs, W. H. Rule, G. B. Bobbino, Bartholomeo 
 Gazzolo, Antonio Robles, and Nicholas Balulich. 
 
 September 8. Death of E. Turner of Jackson from 
 effect of a pistol shot by S. Penry. 
 
CHRONOLOGICAL. 
 
 335 
 
 September 11. Death of J. H. Bradley at San Buena 
 ventura. 
 
 September 15. House of General McMurran de 
 stroyed by fire and two men severely burned, at 
 Ham's station. 
 
 September 20. House of John Van Dusen, near 
 Mountain Springs, destroyed by fire. Loss, two 
 thousand dollars. 
 
 October 3. B. Gardella fell down one of the shafts 
 of the Oneida and instantly killed. 
 
 October 18. The house of John Cook, near Lancha 
 Plana, entered by six masked men for the purpose 
 of robbery, failing because they could not keep the 
 children (John has a full dozen) from running out 
 and giving the alarm. 
 
 November 28. Mrs. Good's house at Buckeye burned. 
 
 December 2. Snow fell to the depth of several inches 
 on the plains around lone as well as in Stockton 
 and Sacramento. 
 
 December 7. Dennis Townsend, school teacher and 
 ex-School Superintendent, pronounced insane and 
 sent to Stockton. 
 
 December 9. Daniel O'Donnell killed by the falling 
 of rock in the Amador mine. 
 
 December 18. James Cyne murdered by John Can- 
 ifex near Forest Home, by stabbing with a knife, 
 Canifex being intoxicated. 
 
 December 20. George Shonat drowned in Sutter 
 creek, three miles above the town, while intoxica 
 ted. 
 
 December 21 . John Harker, living above Volcano, 
 mysteriously shot while in bed. 
 1874. 
 
 January 1. Estimated population of Amador county 
 ten thousand five hundred. Estimated assessment 
 roll two million seven hundred and thirty-eight 
 thousand seven hundred and seventy dollars. 
 
 January 23. Clement Zeres found dead in his room, 
 with the appearance of having committed suicide 
 by shooting himself through the head with a rifle. 
 
 January 25. Thomas Filmer found dead in his cabin 
 five miles from Jackson. 
 
 February 6. Dwelling-house of E. S. Schultz, near 
 Volcano, destroyed by fire while the family were 
 absent. 
 
 February 26. T. A. Springer, State Printer, and 
 j founder of the Amador Ledger, died at San Fran- 
 I cisco after several months' illness. 
 
 February 28. School-house at Sutter Creek burned. 
 Supposed to be an incendiary fire. 
 
 March 1. Cutting affray at Volcano, between G. 
 Cassinelli and A.Deluchi, in which the former was 
 instantly killed. 
 
 Cutting affray between two Chilenos, in which 
 Antonio Lopez was fatally stabbed. 
 
 March 2. G. W. Wagner, first Associate Judge of 
 Amador county and formerly a member of the Leg 
 islature, died in Jackson. 
 
 March 4. R. N. Smith killed by the premature ex 
 plosion of a blast on the line of the Amador canal. 
 
 April 1. A little daughter of James Grello drowned 
 in a flume at Volcano. 
 
 April 18. Joseph Largomarcino fell into the shaft of 
 the Lincoln mine and was instantly killed. 
 
 April 24. E. P. Gilliland, a native of Alabama, found 
 dead in his cabin. 
 
 April 25. Cutting affray between James Sibert and 
 Francis Bergoon , in which the former was instantly 
 killed. 
 
 May 28. Stephen Kenton found dead in his cabin 
 four miles above Amador City. 
 
 May 30. Terrible accident in Amador mine, caused 
 by the slipping of the reel on the shaft while hoist 
 ing the cage containing five men named Frank 
 Fallon, James Moyle, A. A. Corleiss, Samuel James, 
 and , all of whom were instantly killed. 
 
 June 11. Barn belonging to Mr. Chautelle, Sutter 
 Creek, destroyed by fire. 
 
 June 12. Death of James H. Hardy at San Fran 
 cisco. 
 
 June 27. Last issue of the Sutter Creek Independent. 
 
 August 1. Water turned into the Amador canal. 
 
 Contract between H. B. Platt, constructor of I. 
 and S. Eailroad, and Arroyo Seco Grant Company 
 filed in county records. 
 
 August 22. John Shearer killed by the fall of a rock 
 from the ascending bucket while working in the 
 Phoenix mine, Plymouth. 
 
 August 29. J. R. Hardenburg's house at the Casco 
 mine burned by an incendiary. 
 
 August. John Ratto killed by John Devoto. Seven 
 hundred and fifty dollars offered for Devoto's 
 apprehension. 
 
 September 2. Local option election in Township No. 
 2. On the same day also was held an election for 
 Supervisor in Supervisor District No. 1, including 
 Township No. 2. M. Murray was elected Super 
 visor. The election for or against license : lone, 
 for license, one hundred and seven, against, one hun 
 dred and nine ; Lancba Plana, for license, thirty- 
 nine, against, twenty-three. 
 
 September 18. Boarding house at the Kennedy 
 mine destroyed by fire. 
 
 October 13. Water run through the Amador canal 
 reaching the distributing reservoir. 
 
 O. B. Burton thrown from his horse near Butte 
 City, sustaining fatal injuries. 
 
 October 16. Barn at Tarr's mill destroyed by fire. 
 Loss, five thousand dollars. 
 
 October 25. Heavy snow-storm in the mountains, 
 causing considerable difficulty in getting the cattle 
 and sheep off the Summer pastures. 
 
 December 18. John 11. Kruger committed suicide 
 at the house of W. Atkinson, Jackson valley, by 
 shooting himself through the head. 
 
 1875. 
 
 /January 12. James Melody killed by falling rock 
 in the Phcenix mine, Plymouth. 
 
 January 24. Death of John B. Reyes at Sutter 
 Creek. 
 
33G 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 March 1. House of J. M. F. Johnston at Muletown 
 destroyed by fire. Loss estimated at ten thou 
 sand dollars. 
 
 May 1. M. E. Pearson fatally shot by David Ryal, 
 about three miles from Drytown. 
 
 May 2. Stage and passengers robbed on the Gait 
 road near lone, of about one thousand dollars. 
 
 May 8. Great robbery of county funds, amounting 
 to fifteen thousand two hundred and forty-eight 
 dollars, most of which belonged to the school fund. 
 
 June 17. Special meeting of Board of Supervisors, 
 to consider the matter of the loss of the county 
 funds. 
 
 June 20. David Ryal found guilty of murder in the 
 first degree, for killing M. Pearson, April last, near 
 Drytown. 
 
 June 21. Death of Rev. S. G. Briggs, for many 
 years Superintendent of Schools. 
 
 July 18. The residence of William Smith, in Sutter 
 Creek, destroyed by fire. 
 
 Daniel Moon killed while blasting logs, near Amador 
 City. 
 
 September 1. Thomas Andrews found dead, par 
 tially devoured by hogs, at Bledford's ranch on 
 Amador wagon road, in accordance with a dream 
 to that effect. 
 
 September 25. George Lafferty fatally injured by 
 being thrown from his horse, near Plymouth. 
 
 September 26. John Devoto acquitted of the charge 
 of murder in killing John Ratto, in 1874. 
 
 November 7. Frank Williams killed in a difficulty 
 with Peter Yaoan, near Drytown. 
 
 November 27. Thos. McCullough found drowned in 
 Jackson creek, near Filmer's ranch. 
 
 December 15. A Cornishman, named Rogers, while 
 ascending the ladder of the Amador mine, fell about 
 two hundred and fifty feet, and was instantly 
 killed. 
 
 December 18. Extensive fire in the Amador mine. 
 1876. 
 
 January 1. Masquerade ball by the K. A. C. 
 
 January 3. Francisco Yiannelli found dead in his 
 cabin, near the Zeile mine. 
 
 January 9. Stage robbed between Plymouth and 
 Fiddletown. 
 
 January 31. Attempted robbery of stage near Wil 
 low Springs. 
 
 March 18. Ca.pture of the noted stage robber, Joa- 
 quin Murietta,* who escaped from the cabin, below 
 Jackson, when two others were arrested. 
 
 March 18. Three persons, Mr. D. B. Baccigalupi, 
 Miss Carrie Payne, and Miss Louisa Periare, 
 drowned in attempting to cross the Mokelumne 
 river, below Lancha Plana. 
 
 April 13. Fire in Amador, destroying G. W. Kling's 
 saloon, W. Burn's drug store, P. Heisch's barber 
 shop, William Payton's saloon, M. Mooney's saloon 
 and dwelling, Kerr's livery-stable. 
 
 April 14. Samuel Mugford fell in the shaft of the 
 Garfield mine, and was instantly killed. 
 
 *Not the famous bandit of 18527" 
 
 May 2. Richard Webb arrested, at the instance of 
 
 the Board of Supervisors, for libel. 
 May 19. Mrs. Murphy's saloon and dwelling, near 
 
 Jackson, burned. 
 May 20. Snow at Jackson, and other mountain 
 
 towns, falling five inches deep at Yolcano. 
 May 23. Robbery of safe in Wells, Fargo and Co.'s 
 
 office in Amador. 
 May 26. G. W. Arthur, a patient at the hospital, 
 
 committed suicide by hanging. 
 June 2. Attempt to murder L. Largomarcini and 
 
 family, at Sutter Creek, with giant powder, by 
 
 which the building was seriously damaged, but no 
 
 lives lost. 
 June 18. Younglove's barn at lone burned, with 
 
 three mules and seventy-five tons of hay. Fire 
 
 supposed to be incendiary. 
 June 20. Indian killed by trap gun while robbing 
 
 Joseph Cuneo's sluices. 
 
 July 1. James Welch, Kennedy Flat, died from sun 
 stroke. 
 
 Arnold Slinghaide, Plymouth, died from sun-stroke. 
 July 4. Paolo Largomarcini, mentally deranged, 
 
 perished from sickness and exposure in Sailor's 
 
 Gulch, near Slabtown. 
 William Baker, of Jackson valley, thrown from his 
 
 horse near lone, and fatally injured. 
 July 18. Barn belonging to Mrs. Westfall, in Jack 
 son, destroyed by fire. 
 July 20. Edward Going fatally injured by a cave 
 
 in the Oneida, mine. 
 July 27. Miguel Doraneo found dead in his cabin, 
 
 evidently murdered some days before, by parties 
 
 unknown. 
 July 30. Death of Dr. J. A. Brown of Sutter Creek, 
 
 an old and highly esteemed resident of the town. 
 July 31. Yolcano Tunnel Company broke ground. 
 August 3. M. W. Gordon announced his return to 
 
 the Democratic party. 
 September 11. Stage robbed on the Drytown road 
 
 near Finn's ranch, by Chas. Thompson and 
 
 Chas. Tedeman, both of whom were subsequently 
 
 arrested and convicted. 
 September 26. Blass Thomas instantly killed in the 
 
 Oneida mine, by the falling of a timber down the 
 
 shaft. 
 October 21. Accident in the Oneida mine, instantly 
 
 killing two men and wounding two others. 
 November 3. Tournament at lone City. 
 November 11. Samuel Keller, of Sutter Creek, com 
 mitted suicide by shooting himself with a pistol. 
 November 26. Major Green's house, between lone 
 
 and Jackson, destroyed by fire. 
 December 7. Trains commenced running between 
 
 lone and Gait. 
 December 11. F. N. Hoss kicked by a horse, from 
 
 the effects of which he died on the following 
 
 morning. 
 December 14. House of Nicholas Radovich destroyed 
 
 by fire. Insured for sixteen hundred dollars. 
 
CHRONOLOGICAL. 
 
 337 
 
 Assessment roll of Amador county, two million five 
 hundred and sixty-three thousand three hundred 
 and seventy dollars. 
 
 1877. 
 
 January 15, 16, 17. Heavy rains, doing much dam 
 age to the Gait and lone railroad, one car-load of 
 passengers having to remain on the road all night. 
 
 January 21. Death of Hon. T. M. Pawling, County 
 Judge. 
 
 February 1. Butte Basin Mining Company incor 
 porated. 
 
 February 2. Incorporation of the lone Coal Com 
 pany by Mark Hopkins, D. D. Colton, C. E. Green, 
 F. S. Dougherty, and C. H. Redington. 
 
 February 4. Stage robbed of fifteen hundred dollars 
 near Mountain Springs House. 
 
 February 23. Boarding-house of Mrs. Hurley, at 
 Sutter Creek, destroyed by fire; adjoining houses, 
 owned by Burns and Hubbel, seriously damaged. 
 
 March 6. Wife and three children of A. Liversedge, 
 formerly of this county, burned to death at Colusi. 
 
 March 18. Three children of Jesse Rhodes, of Buck 
 eye valley, aged eight, six, and three years, died of 
 diphtheria about the same hour. 
 
 March 21. Coffin warehouse of Songer and Fagan, 
 Sutter Creek, consumed by fire. 
 
 March 31. Nichola Rossiggi fatally stabbed by 
 Dominico Caranza. 
 
 April 17. Doath of William II. Stowers, Superinten 
 dent of Schools, at Bartlett Springs, where he had 
 gone for his health. 
 
 May 6. A. Norton, of Jackson, nppointed to fill the 
 unexpired term of W. II. Stowers, deceased. 
 
 May 26. Laying of the corner-stone of the Presby 
 terian church at lone. 
 
 June 5. Dwelling-house of Antone Silva, Jackson, 
 destroyed by fire. Loss two thousand dollars. 
 
 June 10. Charles Cox, of Lancha Plana, found dead 
 near the suspension flume, with the appearance of 
 having fallen over the cliff of rocks, which at that 
 place is one hundred and thirty feet high. 
 
 June 13. Dwelling-house of Jones and Angore, 
 Buckeye valley, destroj'ed by fire. 
 
 June 21. New safe put into the County Treasurer's 
 office. 
 
 June 22. Dwelling of L. Rabolt, at Sutter Creek 
 destroyed by fire. Loss, three thousand dollars. 
 Dwelling of John Battiste, near Jackson, burned. 
 Loss, two thousand five hundred dollars. 
 
 August 7. John Baker, while in a fit of delirium tre- 
 mens, threw himself against a circular saw in rapid 
 motion, at Brannon's mill, receiving fatal wounds. 
 
 August. 25. Fire at Jackson, destroying Dr. Peter's 
 office. 
 
 September 1. Roy Chamberlain, a forty-niner and an 
 old resident of Amador county, found dead in his 
 chair at his home near the Newton Copper mine. 
 Coroner's verdict, " Death from disease of the 
 heart." 
 43 
 
 September 12. Cars ran off the track below lone, 
 fatally injuring W. F. Gury. 
 
 October 8. House of Jerry Donovan, Sutter Creek, 
 destroyed by fire. 
 
 October 17. James McGee, former engineer at the 
 Oneida, while in a condition of mental derange 
 ment jumped into one of the shafts of the mine, 
 falling a distance of six hundred feet, being 
 instantly killed. 
 
 October 22. Bucket fell in Oneida, killing John Gard 
 ner and John Luderman, and wounding James 
 Fore hey. 
 
 October 31. House of P. Dwyer, Clinton, burned. 
 
 December 2. James Arthur fatally injured in the 
 Amador mine bj the caving of the drift in which 
 he was at work. 
 
 December 7. Edward E. Stitt died at Drytown from 
 injuries received while taking down the old Loyal 
 mill. 
 
 December 22. Hon. John A. Eagon and W. L. 
 McKimm thrown out of a buggy near Jackson. 
 The former seriously and the latier fatally injured, 
 Mr. Mclvimm dying in two or three hours after. 
 1878. 
 
 January 23. Willow Springs school-house burned. 
 
 February 15. Death of the Hon. Robert Ludgate, 
 member of the Assembly for Amador county. 
 
 February 17. Mequel Vara found dead in his cabin 
 at Butte City. 
 
 High water at lone and all the western part of 
 the' county, destroying much property. 
 
 Highest water ever known in Amador City, de 
 stroying considerable property and flooding some 
 of the mines. 
 
 Great flood in Jackson, drowning seven persons 
 and carrying off and wrecking fifteen buildings. 
 Loss, thirty thousand dollars. 
 
 February 23. James Tippet killed in the Phoenix 
 mine by falling out of the bucket while ascending. 
 
 February 26. High wind, unroofing and blowing 
 down buildings; Catholic church at Butte City 
 blown down, steeple blown off Catholic church at 
 Jackson, trees, fences, barns, flumes, and other 
 things destroyed. 
 
 February. The name of Fiddletown changed to 
 Oleta, by Act of the Legislature. 
 
 March 20. II. Trueb and Louis Dabovich taken to 
 the asylum. 
 
 May 3. House of Mrs. Botto, Sutter Creek, destroyed 
 by fire. Loss, two thousand dollars. 
 
 Difficulty between E. ML Phibbs and Fred Varvigat, 
 lone, the latter being killed. 
 
 May 12. Big reservoir of the Amador Canal Com 
 pany blown up and destroyed. 
 
 June 5. Body of Giovani Arata found near Jackson. 
 
 June 8. Jackson and Sutter Creek united by tele 
 phone. 
 
 June 14. Largomarcini's hotel at Amador destroyed 
 
 by fire. 
 
338 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 June 19. Special election for delegates to Constitu 
 tional Convention; John A. Eagon and William 
 H. Prouty, elected. 
 
 July 3. Barn owned by Mr. Cox, near Whitmore's 
 mill, burned. 
 
 July 5. Shooting affray between George Harville 
 and Peter Smith, the latter being instantly killed. 
 
 July 10. McDonald's house, at Amador City, de 
 stroyed by fire. 
 
 August 22. Moore mine started up. 
 
 September 22. New York ranch house, blacksmith 
 shop and barn burned, with all the contents. 
 
 October 8. Mrs. Joseph Carreau, of Jackson, while 
 in a condition of mental aberration, committed 
 suicide by shooting herself through the head with 
 a shot-gun. 
 
 November 8. E. C. E. Vile, of lone, committed 
 suicide by cutting his throat with a pen-knife. 
 
 1879. 
 
 January 4. Henry Peck, County Clerk, died of 
 heart disease. He was a "49er," had been an 
 extensive traveler, having visited Australia, the 
 Amazon mines, Nevada, etc.; was a native of New 
 York. 
 
 January 6. Little daughter of Mrs. Hudson, near 
 lone, accidentally shot by a playmate. 
 
 February 1. Death of William H. Hooper, in Oak 
 land. He was formerly a proprietor of the Phoenix 
 mine at Plymouth. 
 
 February 5. Sorocco's store and adjoining build 
 ings, at Dry town, burned. 
 
 February 21. Hugh Ward killed in a hydraulic 
 claim at Irish Hill. 
 
 May 6. Johnson drowned in Mokelumne river, near 
 Clinton Bar. 
 
 May 10. 0. N. Morse's house, at the Q ranch, 
 destroyed by fire. This was one of the oldest 
 houses in the county, the Q ranch having been a 
 noted place since '49. It was originally claimed 
 by members of Company Q, United States Infantry. 
 
 May 25. Edward Phibbs killed in a difficulty with 
 Jesus Valles, near Jackson Gate. 
 
 June 18. lone connected with Jackson by telephone. 
 
 June 18. House of Mrs. Zeres, at Volcano, burned. 
 
 June 25. Amador Sentinel started. 
 
 September 1. Dr. Morse's fruit dryer, Q ranch, 
 destroyed by fire. Loss, fifteen hundred dollars. 
 
 September 4. The house of David Schuler, Jackson, 
 destroyed by fire, with all the contents. 
 
 September 19. R. H. Young, of Amador, committed 
 suicide by taking poison. 
 
 September 30. Five hundred feet of the Amador 
 Canal Company's pipe, near Clinton, blown up 
 by giant power; supposed to have been done by 
 parties damaged by the breaking of the reservoir, 
 February 17. 
 
 October 15. Boarding-house of Fopiano, at Key 
 stone mine, destroyed by fire. 
 
 October 19. Son of Ed. Wiley, at the Wiley station 
 
 on the Amador wagon road, fell into a deep well 
 
 and was drowned. 
 November 6. Two men, Richard Collict and John 
 
 Bachi, seriously injured, the latter fatally, by pre 
 mature explosion of blast. 
 November 9. Jesus Aguirra killed by S. Higuerra, 
 
 for alleged seduction of the latter's wife. 
 November 15. Lodge of I. O. G. T. organized at 
 
 Amador. 
 November 17. John Bachi died from the effect of 
 
 a premature blast in the Oneida mine. 
 December 6. A. Swithenbank caught in the machi 
 nery of the marble mill, near Plymouth, and torn 
 
 to pieces. 
 December 12. A Cornishman by the name of Moyle 
 
 fatally injured in the original Amador mine by the 
 
 fall of a rock down the shaft. 
 December 17. J. M. Myers robbed by highwaymen 
 
 near Jackson. 
 
 December 18. House of G. Bardaracco, near Jack 
 son, burned. 
 C. A. Cordell instantly killed by falling six hundred 
 
 feet down the shaft of the Phcenix mine. 
 December. Stewart and Gillick sold their mine for 
 
 twenty-five thousand dollars. 
 
 1880. 
 February 1. Difficulty in Jackson between C. Geno- 
 
 chio, John Mori, A. Galli, Robert Venglio, and John 
 
 Balles, resulting fatally to the two latter. 
 February 5. House of Joseph Carrara, Amador City, 
 
 destroyed by fire. 
 April 20. Flood at Drytown doing considerable 
 
 damage to the mines. 
 Flood in lone, the main streets being inundated, 
 
 also many of the ranches in the vicinity, thirteen 
 
 hundred feet of the railroad track being washed 
 
 away. 
 
 May 1. Last number of the lone Times issued. 
 May 4. House of William Sutherland, lone, dam 
 aged by fire. 
 
 May 6. Attempted robbery of stage near lone. 
 May 7. G. Clincinovich instantly killed by falling 
 
 down the Lincoln shaft. 
 May 22. Several hundred dollars' worth of harnesses 
 
 and wagons stolen from A. H. Palmer, Jackson 
 
 valley, of which no trace was" obtained. 
 May 27. House of William Marshall, Sutter Creek, 
 
 destroyed by fire. Loss, one thousand dollars. 
 May 30. Difficulty between William Cook and 
 
 Charles Tedeman at Buena Vista, the latter person 
 
 being shot through the body. 
 June 15. Joseph Anderson found dead near Dane's 
 
 ranch, Grass Valley. 
 July 31. A. D. McDonald fatally injured by a fall 
 
 from the balcony of a hotel at Amador. 
 August 3. Barn belonging to W. O. Clark, Drytown, 
 
 destroyed by fire. 
 August 18. Augustus Feine fatally injured by being 
 
 caught in the machinery of the Florence mills at 
 
 lone. 
 
CHRONOLOGICAL. 
 
 339 
 
 September 1. Charles Hutz found dead at lone. 
 
 Death said to have been caused by heart disease. 
 September 3. Charles Steckler of Jackson, an old 
 
 and much respected citizen, committed suicide by 
 
 hanging. 
 September 9. Celebration of admission day by the 
 
 pioneer society and citizens generally. 
 October 9. Chautauqua literary society organized at 
 
 Jackson. 
 November 5. Difficulty between William Frasier 
 
 and Charles McKinney in Volcano, in which the 
 
 latter person was fatally stabbed. 
 November 21. The residence of Mr. Clark, Plymouth, 
 
 consumed by fire with all its contents. 
 November 23. Dr. Charles Boarman died of small 
 
 pox. 
 December. 
 
 Small-pox prevailed extensively in Jack 
 
 son. 
 
 Extraordinary meeting of the Board of Supervisors 
 to consider the situation. Pest-house erected. 
 
PATRONS DIRECTORY. 
 
 TOWNSHIP NO 1, AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 NAME. 
 
 RESIDENCE. 
 
 BUSINESS. 
 
 NATIVITY. 
 
 Came to 
 State 
 
 Came lo 
 County. 
 
 POST OFFICE. 
 
 No. 
 Acr^s. 
 
 Aitken, Robert . ... 
 
 lackson . . 
 
 Butcher 
 
 Scotland 
 
 1850 
 ^56 
 1853 
 
 185S 
 1856 
 1853 
 
 Jackson .... 
 
 
 Andrews, E .* 
 
 [Wnship No. 1 .... 
 Clinton 
 
 ( '..rmer 
 7, inner. .. 
 
 England 
 Italy 
 
 lackson. . . . 
 Pine Grove. 
 Pine Grove. 
 Jackson. . . . 
 
 160 
 3lO 
 
 
 Anita Nicholas P 
 
 Clinton 
 
 Vineyard & mining . 
 National Hotel 
 farmer and miner . . 
 ''armer 
 J hysici;m & Surgeon 
 Superintendent .... 
 
 California 
 
 Askey, A . . ... 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 1J-50 
 1852 
 1852 
 1849 
 1876 
 1851 
 1855 
 1853 
 
 1850 
 1M54 
 1853 
 Ifc58 
 1876 
 1851 
 1855 
 1856 
 
 
 A vise, James 
 
 Township No. 1 .... 
 Township No. 1 .... 
 Jackson 
 
 New Jersey 
 
 lackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 fa. kson. . . . 
 Sutter 
 
 160 
 40 
 160 
 
 Bartlett S. H 
 
 Massachusetts 
 
 B >;uni;ui, Charles, M. D. 
 
 Virginia 
 
 
 AmadorCanal Resv'r 
 lackson 
 Jackson 
 
 Canada 
 
 Brown, A. C 
 Brown, C Y ... 
 
 Attorney-at-Law . . . 
 'hysician & Surgeon 
 \lini;ic 
 
 Missouri 
 Amador County, Cal 
 New York 
 
 Jacks 'ii. . . . 
 
 
 Jackson. . . . 
 
 
 Brown J Ward 
 
 Butte City 
 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 
 7 
 
 Brown, Jasper 
 
 New York Ranch. . . 
 
 Farmer 
 
 California 
 
 Caminetti, A .... 
 
 lacksou 
 
 District Att >rney. . . 
 Under Sheriff 
 
 Amad >r County, Cal 
 Ireland 
 
 
 
 Jackson. . . . 
 
 
 Coalon, Thomas 
 
 lackson 
 
 1854 
 1857 
 1869 
 18156 
 1852 
 1851 
 1849 
 1858 
 1852 
 1853 
 1847 
 1860 
 1852 
 1850 
 1850 
 1852 
 1850 
 1854 
 1853 
 1869 
 1852 
 1851 
 1850 
 1850 
 1851 
 1852 
 1853 
 1850 
 1852 
 1877 
 
 1854 
 1868 
 1872 
 1875 
 1852 
 1851 
 1849 
 1859 
 1852 
 1853 
 1854 
 1860 
 1852 
 1864 
 1850 
 1853 
 1852 
 1854 
 1853 
 1869 
 1861 
 1851 
 1854 
 1850 
 1851 
 1868 
 1853 
 1854 
 1854 
 1879 
 
 lackson. . . . 
 
 
 Cox, John H 
 
 Township No. 1. ... 
 lacks. m Gate 
 
 \madorCanal tend'r 
 Farmer . . 
 Miner.. 
 
 British America. . . . 
 Italy 
 Ohio 
 
 Pine Grove. 
 
 lackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jacks n 
 
 
 Devoto Autone 
 
 320 
 80 
 320 
 
 Driwitt, Isaac N 
 
 Murphy's Ridge . . . 
 
 Dick, John R. . . . 
 
 Township No. 1 .... 
 Jackson 
 Jackson.. . . 
 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Eagon, John A . : 
 Evans, Ellis 
 
 Attorney-at-Law . . . 
 National Hotel. . . . 
 
 Virginia 
 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 
 100 
 
 Foutenrose, L. J 
 
 Jackson 
 
 County Clerk 
 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 Freeman, E. G 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Saddlery and harness 
 Farmer 
 Retired 
 
 New York 
 
 Froelich, G 
 
 Township No. 1 .... 
 Jackson. . . 
 
 Germany 
 Germany 
 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 
 480 
 
 Froelich, Rosa 
 
 Fullen, George 
 
 Township No. 1 .... 
 Township No. 1 .... 
 Clinton District. . . . 
 Jackson 
 
 
 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Pine Grove. 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . 
 Lancha Pl'a 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . 
 
 160 
 160 
 160 
 8 
 480 
 160 
 160 
 1 
 
 Fullen, John 
 
 Farmer 
 
 Ireland 
 
 Ohio . ... 
 
 Gardner, Eli T . . . 
 
 Farming & teaming. 
 Attorney-at-Law . . . 
 Farmer 
 
 Gordon, Marion W. Sr 
 Heming, D 
 
 Tennessee 
 
 Towhship No. 1 .... 
 Jackson.. . . . . . 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Hoffman, Frank 
 
 Livery and ranching. 
 "Wood Ranch 
 
 Germany 
 
 Horton, William J 
 
 Camp Opera Districl 
 
 Clinton. 
 
 Kentucky. 
 
 Hutching, John W 
 
 
 Maine 
 
 Kay, Wallace 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Variety Store . 
 
 Massachusetts 
 
 Keeney, L. G 
 
 Township No. 1 . . . . 
 Jackson 
 
 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . , 
 
 140 
 
 Kent, Mrs. C. S. G 
 
 
 Illinois 
 
 Little, M. J 
 
 Jackson . . . 
 
 Farmer & orchardist. 
 Liquor dealer 
 
 Maine 
 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 
 120 
 
 Love, Thomas 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Ireland 
 
 Loveridge, H. L 
 
 Butte City 
 
 Ditch Agent 
 
 New York. . . 
 
 Jackson .... 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 
 5 
 120 
 20 
 50 
 20 
 
 McKay, Daniel 
 
 Township No. ] . . . . 
 Jackson 
 
 Farmer and miner. 
 Merchant and miner 
 Co. Treas'r & miner. 
 Postmaster 
 
 New Brunswick .... 
 
 McKinney, Abraham 
 
 Meehan, J 
 
 Jackson 
 
 
 Meek, C. M 
 
 Jackson.. . 
 
 Missouri . . . 
 
 Moore, George 
 
 Jackson 
 Township No. 1 .... 
 Township No. 1 .... 
 Jackson 
 
 Lawyer 
 
 Kentucky 
 
 Myers, Oscar 
 
 California 
 
 Jackson. . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson 
 
 160 
 320 
 
 Nichols, J. B 
 
 
 Wisconsin 
 
 1859 
 1857 
 1849 
 1850 
 1850 
 1853 
 1854 
 1850 
 1869 
 1852 
 1854 
 1854 
 1852 
 1855 
 1855 
 1849 
 1871 
 1849 
 
 1859 
 1864 
 1852 
 1850 
 1851 
 1853 
 1868 
 1850 
 1877 
 1873 
 1854 
 1854 
 1856 
 1855 
 1855 
 1852 
 1875 
 1849 
 
 Penry, William M 
 
 Ed. Amador Dispatch 
 Attorney-at-Law . . . 
 Farmer 
 
 Mississippi 
 
 Phelps, T. J 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Kentucky 
 
 Pitt, William - 
 
 Township No. 1. . . . 
 Township No. 1 . . . . 
 Sntter Creek 
 
 Connecticut 
 
 Jackson. . . . 
 SutterCreek 
 SutterCreek 
 SutterCreek 
 Jackson. . . . 
 
 160 
 
 Reaves, John E 
 
 Foreman Oneida mill 
 Forem'n Oneida mine 
 
 Forem'ii Oneida mine 
 
 * 
 
 
 Rees, H 
 
 W^ales 
 
 
 Richardson, L. C 
 
 Township No. 1 . . . . 
 Jackson 
 
 Maine . . 
 
 
 Richtmyer, B. F 
 
 New York 
 
 
 Schacht, B. H 
 
 Jackson ... 
 
 f 
 
 Prussia 
 
 Jackson. . . 
 
 
 Simmons, Thomas H 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 
 
 SutterCreek 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 Jackson. . . . 
 
 
 Spagnoli, D. B 
 
 Jack son 
 
 Attorney-at-Law . . . 
 Merchant and miner 
 Deputy Clerk 
 
 Italy 
 Italy 
 
 400 
 300 
 
 Spagnoli, S. G 
 
 Clinton 
 
 Turner, C. Helmer 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Michigan . . . . . 
 
 Vaudament, Eli P 
 
 Township No. 1 . . . . 
 Township No. 1 ... 
 Jackson . 
 
 Farmer and miner. . 
 Farmer and miner 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Pine Grove. 
 Pine Grove. 
 Jackson. . . . 
 
 170 
 
 Vaudament, W. B 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Vogan, John 
 
 Sheriff 
 
 
 1200 
 
 Webb. Richard 
 
 Jackson 
 
 Publisher 
 
 England 
 
 Wiley, William 
 
 Townsnip No. 1 ... 
 
 Pine Grove. 
 
 640 
 
 
 
 
 * Wells, Fargo & Co.'s agent, telegraph operator, and proprietor of Jackson Water- works. tDruggist, Coroner and Public Admst'r. 
 
PATRONS DIRECTORY. 
 
 341 
 
 TOWNSHIP NO. 2, AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 NAME. 
 
 RESIDENCE. 
 
 BUSINESS. 
 
 NATIVITY. 
 
 Oa"e to 
 State. 
 
 2ame to 
 bounty. 
 
 POST OFFICE. 
 
 No. 
 Acres. 
 
 Amick, A. J 
 
 )ry Creek 
 Dry Creek 
 
 farmer 
 
 tforth Carolina 
 
 1849 
 1855 
 1852 
 1858 
 1861 
 1856 
 1850 
 1850 
 1852 
 1852 
 1856 
 1850 
 1853 
 1852 
 1854 
 1870 
 1867 
 1854 
 1858 
 1863 
 1852 
 
 1874 
 1854 
 1853 
 1868 
 1852 
 1852 
 1863 
 1853 
 1868 
 1852 
 1852 
 1830 
 1853 
 1878 
 1857 
 1869 
 1858 
 1853 
 1849 
 1847 
 1862 
 1855 
 1852 
 1854 
 1855 
 1852 
 1849 
 1852 
 1856 
 1852 
 1852 
 1854 
 1852 
 1852 
 1852 
 1865 
 1849 
 1857 
 1853 
 1853 
 1852 
 1849 
 1873 
 1852 
 1850 
 1856 
 1850 
 1849 
 1854 
 1851 
 1850 
 1868 
 1856 
 
 1850 
 1855 
 1858 
 1858 
 1861 
 1856 
 I,s57 
 1850 
 1852 
 1852 
 1874 
 1852 
 1853 
 1855 
 1854 
 1875 
 1867 
 1855 
 1858 
 1864 
 1876 
 
 1876 
 1857 
 1853 
 1868 
 1853 
 1855 
 1863 
 1858 
 1878 
 1857 
 1852 
 1858 
 1853 
 1878 
 1857 
 1869 
 1858 
 1858 
 1849 
 1848 
 1862 
 1858 
 1852 
 1854 
 1858 
 1852 
 1849 
 1878 
 1856 
 1852 
 1865 
 1859 
 1852 
 1870 
 1853 
 1865 
 1850 
 185S 
 1866 
 1860 
 1852 
 1855 
 1873 
 1853 
 1851 
 1857 
 1854 
 1849 
 1854 
 1863 
 1850 
 1868 
 1858 
 
 
 718 
 160 
 840 
 360 
 
 Ainick, J. S 
 
 Banner. 
 
 
 B-.mest, Charles 
 
 \>wnship No. 2.... 
 Drench Camp 
 one City 
 
 Merchant & farmer. 
 Stock raiser. 
 jren. Merchaudise . . 
 Farming 
 
 
 Lancha Plana . . 
 Lancha Plana . . 
 
 Burnett, Susanna 
 Bishop, Ed_;ar 
 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 New York 
 
 Black, Charles S 
 
 Buena Vista 
 
 Ohio.. . 
 
 
 46 
 
 200 
 
 Blyther, J. C 
 
 \lokelumne River. . . 
 lone City 
 
 Farm'r & fruit gr'w'r 
 J hysii-iau & druggist 
 Funning 
 
 Maine 
 
 
 Brusie, L 
 
 Connecticut 
 
 
 Burris William 
 
 lone Valley 
 
 
 144 
 
 Button, 
 
 lone City 
 
 Teaming 
 
 New York 
 
 
 Clark, J. S 
 
 jancha Plana 
 lone City 
 
 Teacher 
 
 California 
 
 
 
 Coombs, W. S 
 
 Carpenter 
 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 
 
 Corneal, A 
 
 L>ne City. . 
 
 Miner 
 
 Kentucky 
 
 
 
 Crail, W 
 
 jancha Plana 
 
 Blacksmith 
 
 Ohio. . . 
 
 
 
 Dillian, H 
 
 Jackson Creek 
 
 Farming 
 
 Iowa 
 
 
 160 
 
 Diiinap, G. H 
 
 lone Valley 
 
 Drayman 
 
 W isconsin 
 
 
 Earle, S. B 
 
 Lone City 
 
 Laborer 
 
 Massachussetts . 
 
 
 
 Farn-swoith, J 
 
 one Valley 
 
 farming 
 
 Ohio 
 
 
 150 
 60 
 20 
 33000 
 
 Fischer. Bernhard 
 
 Forest HI une 
 
 Wine grower. . . 
 
 Germany . . 
 
 Forest Home . . . 
 
 Ford, H. \V 
 
 >iif na Vista 
 
 Teachiiio 1 
 
 Kentucky ... 
 
 Frutes, Frank 
 
 lone Valley 
 
 Mangr of lone Grant 
 & lone coal & ir'n Co 
 Kiigineer . . . . 
 
 Azores 
 
 lone Valley .... 
 
 Frates, J. C 
 
 lone City 
 
 Portugal 
 
 Gooddiug, J. A 
 
 Put's Bar 
 
 Ranohe r 
 
 Missouri 
 
 Lancha Plana . . 
 lone 
 
 250 
 320 
 
 Gregory, I. B. . 
 
 lackson Valley 
 
 Farming 
 
 Tennessee 
 
 Gregory, U. 8 
 
 lone 
 
 Sawyer 
 
 Texas 
 
 lone 
 
 Heffrnu, M 
 
 lone Valley 
 
 Farming 
 
 Ireland 
 
 lone 
 
 106^ 
 
 Hall, H. F 
 
 lone City 
 
 Miller 
 
 Connecticut 
 
 lone. . . 
 
 li;imrick, George K 
 
 lone City 
 
 Carpenter 
 
 Kentucky 
 
 lone 
 
 
 Horton, J. Q 
 
 Township No. 2. . . . 
 Michigan Bar . . . . 
 
 Farmer 
 
 Kentucky 
 
 Jackson 
 
 480 
 
 Johnson A M 
 
 Teaming 
 
 Maine 
 
 Michigan Bar 
 
 
 lone Township 
 
 Hotel 
 
 Missouri 
 
 lone 
 
 160 
 340 
 145 
 
 Kidd Stephen 
 
 Jackson Valley 
 
 Farming & mining. . 
 Farm'r& fruit gr'w'r 
 Hotel 
 
 England 
 
 lone 
 
 
 Mokelumne River. . 
 
 Germany 
 
 Lancha Plana. . 
 
 Kinsley M R 
 
 Illinois 
 
 Le (Jlair Joseph 
 
 Bueua Vista 
 
 Blacksmith 
 
 Canada 
 
 
 
 
 Jackson Valley 
 
 Farminf 
 
 lone, Cal 
 
 lone 
 
 130 
 
 Ludgate, Mrs. Mary H. . . . 
 
 
 Indiana 
 
 
 
 Butchering 
 
 England 
 
 lone 
 
 35 
 172 
 300 
 1000 
 30 
 30 
 
 Maroon, \V. Q 
 
 Lancha Plana 
 
 Fruit grower 
 Fanning 
 
 Ohio 
 New York 
 
 Lancha Plana . . 
 
 
 J ackson Valley 
 Sutter creek 
 lone Valley 
 
 Martin J P 
 
 Farmer & stock rais'r 
 Farmer & orchardist 
 Farming and mining 
 Express messenger. . 
 Farm'r & stock rais'r 
 Mining & ditching. . 
 Fruit grower 
 
 Virginia . . . . 
 
 
 McDonald A B 
 
 New York 
 
 lone 
 
 
 lone Valley 
 
 New York 
 
 lone 
 
 
 
 California 
 
 lone City 
 
 
 French Camp 
 
 Ireland 
 
 Lancha Plana . . 
 Lancha Plana . . 
 Lancha Plana . 
 Lancha Plana . . 
 
 320 
 300 
 80 
 
 
 
 Ireland 
 
 Northup John 
 
 Julien District . . . 
 
 New York 
 
 Palmer J W D 
 
 Lancha Plana 
 Irish Hill 
 
 Merchant 
 
 Vermont 
 
 
 Ditch agent 
 
 Kentucky 
 
 lone 
 
 
 Prichard F M 
 
 
 Store keeper 
 
 New York 
 
 lone 
 
 10 
 350 
 240 
 340 
 431 
 
 Prouty W H 
 
 Jackson Valley. . . . 
 Buckeye Valley. . . 
 
 Farmer 
 Teaming & farming . 
 Ranching & thrash 'g 
 Farming 
 
 Ohio... 
 Missouri 
 
 lone 
 
 
 lone City 
 
 Richey J H 
 
 New York 
 
 lone 
 
 
 
 Missouri 
 
 lone 
 
 
 
 
 Holstein, Germany. 
 Pennsylvania 
 Virginia 
 
 Forest Home . . . 
 
 
 
 Farmer 
 
 lone 
 
 184 
 160 
 
 Sibole I W 
 
 Mt Echo 
 
 Farmer 
 
 lone 
 
 Smith Frpfl P 
 
 
 Hotel 
 
 New York 
 
 lone Valley .... 
 
 
 
 Painter 
 
 Massachussetts 
 Maine . . . 
 
 lone 
 
 
 Slta \7pna T AT 
 
 Jackson Creek 
 
 Farm'r & stock rais'r 
 Undertaker . .' 
 Li very, notary public 
 Justice of the Peace 
 
 lone 
 
 3000 
 
 Strono 1 C B 
 
 Vermont 
 Missouri 
 
 lone 
 
 
 
 lone Valley. . . . 
 
 
 Swift H T* 
 
 
 New York 
 
 lone City 
 
 
 
 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 lone 
 
 
 Van Sandt, A. A 
 
 Vinlptt T \V 
 
 Mokelumne River . . 
 
 Farm'r & fruit rais'r 
 Farmer 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Camanche 
 
 600 
 107 
 
 Kentucky 
 
 lone City 
 
 A7i \rilii T? T 
 
 
 Ditching 
 Mining & clerking . . 
 Farm'r & stock rais'r 
 Farmer 
 
 England 
 Maryland 
 
 Lancha Plana . . 
 
 
 
 Lancha Plana . . 
 lone 
 
 80 
 240 
 320 
 
 TlTot/ai-a TT TT 
 
 
 Ireland 
 
 
 Township No. 2. . . . 
 
 Illinois 
 Indiaha 
 
 Jackson 
 
 WUitlof^V. T TT 
 
 lone Valley. . . . 
 
 Whittle, J. C 
 
 Willow Creek 
 
 Farm'r & stock rais'r 
 Lawyer 
 
 Canada 
 
 lone 
 
 1000 
 
 Winship, F. H 
 Woolsey, Goe 
 
 lone City 
 lone 
 
 Maine 
 
 NV>w .Tprspv . 
 
 lone 
 
 240 
 
 
 
342 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 TOWNSHIP NO. 3, AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 NAME. 
 
 RESIDENCE. 
 
 BUSINESS. 
 
 NATIVITY. 
 
 Came to 
 State. 
 
 Came to 
 County. 
 
 POST OFFICE. 
 
 No. 
 Acres. 
 
 Adams R J. ... 
 
 Aqueduct City 
 
 Lumberman 
 
 Canada 
 
 1868 
 1866 
 1853 
 1850 
 1851 
 1855 
 1854 
 1849 
 1852 
 1859 
 1850 
 1855 
 1850 
 1849 
 1849 
 1852 
 1853 
 1873 
 1854 
 1851 
 1850 
 1850 
 1851 
 1853 
 1852 
 1873 
 1853 
 1849 
 1849 
 1853 
 1856 
 1850 
 1870 
 1859 
 1856 
 1849 
 1850 
 1852 
 1851 
 1850 
 1850 
 1855 
 1850 
 
 1873 
 1866 
 1853 
 1850 
 1854 
 1855 
 1855 
 1854 
 1852 
 1859 
 1850 
 1855 
 1855 
 1849 
 1849 
 1852 
 1859 
 1873 
 1854 
 1851 
 1880 
 1856 
 1875 
 1858 
 1852 
 1873 
 1853 
 1879 
 1852 
 1863 
 1873 
 1850 
 1870 
 1859 
 1856 
 1849 
 1858 
 1852 
 1854 
 1850 
 1854 
 1855 
 1852 
 1860 
 
 Pine Grove 
 
 
 
 Pine Grove 
 
 
 Pine Grove, Cal .... 
 Indiana 
 
 Pine Grove. . . . 
 
 
 Boardiiiiin S B 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Miner and farmer . 
 Druggist 
 
 Volcano 
 
 30 
 
 Boydston D S 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Cleveland, F. J 
 
 Volcano., 
 
 Volcano water-wr'ks 
 Fruit grower 
 
 New York 
 
 Volcano 
 
 27 
 130 
 140 
 320 
 260 
 
 Clough, A. P 
 
 Pine Grove 
 
 New York 
 
 Pine Grove 
 Volcano 
 
 Foley J M 
 
 Shake Ridge 
 
 Ranching & mining 
 Farmer 
 
 Kentucky 
 
 Foster John A 
 
 Township No. 3. ... 
 Shake Ridge 
 
 New Hamphire .... 
 Illinois 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Foster, Margaret 
 
 Public House, Ranch 
 Blacksmith 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Goodrich C B 
 
 Volcano. 
 
 Maine 
 
 Volcano . . . 
 
 Hall James 
 
 Township No. 3. . . 
 Aqueduct City. . . 
 
 Miner 
 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 Volcano 
 
 40 
 500 
 160 
 
 Ham AC.. 
 
 Hotel and mining . . 
 Farming & timber'ng 
 Livery 
 
 Kentucky 
 
 Pine Grove 
 
 Marker, J. P 
 
 Harkers Ranch . . . 
 Volcano, 
 
 Salt Lake, Utah 
 Missouri 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Hinkson, J. M 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Hinkson Richard S 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Livery . ... 
 
 Missouri . . . 
 
 Volcano . . . 
 
 
 Jerome, Alex . . . 
 
 Volcano . . . . 
 
 Ranching . ... 
 
 New York 
 
 Volcano 
 
 160 
 
 Jonas, P 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Hotel 
 
 Germany 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Klamann, John 
 
 Pine Grove 
 
 Miner 
 
 Germany 
 
 Pine Grove 
 
 
 Lessley, James 
 
 Township No. 3 
 Pioneer 
 
 Ranching & teaming 
 Lumber & quartz mill 
 Laborer 
 
 Missouri 
 
 Volcano 
 
 240 
 
 Mace, F 
 
 Maine 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Marian, Chas. M 
 
 Volcano 
 
 New York 
 
 Volcano 
 
 6 
 8 
 320 
 
 Mattice, S 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Mining 
 
 Canada 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Miller, L. . . 
 
 Volcano . . 
 
 School supt & teach'r 
 Mining & farming . . 
 Hotel 
 
 Alabama 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Peck, Palmer N 
 
 Volcano 
 
 New York 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Petty, A 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Volcano 
 
 
 Petty Miss E. 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Housekeeper 
 
 Kentucky 
 
 Volcano .... 
 
 
 Petty, Solomon 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Inventor 
 
 Missouri 
 
 Volcano 
 
 
 Rank, J. B 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Milling and mining 
 County Surveyor. . . 
 Milling & ranching . 
 Loerrinsr 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Volcano 
 
 
 Ross Benjamin 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Portland, Maine .... 
 Virginia 
 
 Volcano 
 
 
 Shealor, James W 
 
 Shake Ridge 
 
 Volcano 
 
 160 
 
 Southard, L. W. . 
 
 Pioneer . 
 
 Missouri 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Stewart. Robert 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Mining ... 
 
 Ireland 
 
 Volcano 
 
 
 Stolcken, J. D 
 
 Pioneer Creeks 
 
 Miner 
 
 Germ an v . 
 
 Volcano 
 
 
 Tarr, Warren F 
 
 Tarr's Mills 
 
 Milling [Maine 
 
 Volcano 
 
 320 
 20 
 40 
 
 Toop, George W 
 
 Pioneer City 
 
 Mining ICalifornia 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Wheeler, J. T 
 
 Pine Grove 
 
 Merchant and miner 
 Quartz miner 
 
 New Hamphire . . . 
 
 Pine Grove . . . 
 
 Whitaker, Jacob 
 
 Volcano . . 
 
 Switzerland. 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Whitehead, W. H 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Carpenter & miner. . 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Volcano 
 
 
 Whiting, Samuel L . . 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Carp'r & millwright 
 Lumberman 
 
 Massachusetts 
 
 Volcano . . 
 
 
 Whitmore, F. M 
 
 Volcano 
 
 Massachusetts . . 
 
 Volcano 
 
 480 
 
 Whitney, I. W 
 
 Volcano ... 
 
 Mining . . 
 
 New York 
 
 
 Williams. N. C 
 
 Williams Station . . . 
 Wise Toll Road 
 Volcano 
 
 Hotel and ranch . . . 
 Ranching*. 
 
 Maine 
 
 Volcano 
 
 164 
 160 
 
 Wise, E 
 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 Sutter Creek . . . 
 Volcano 
 
 Zeras, Catherine 
 
 
 Missouri 
 
 TOWNSHIP NO. 4, AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 NAME. 
 
 RESIDENCE. 
 
 BUSINESS. 
 
 NATIVITY. 
 
 Came to 
 State. 
 
 Came to 
 County. 
 
 POST OFFIOE. 
 
 No. 
 Acres. 
 
 Allen, George 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 Lumber & ranching. 
 Catholic pastor .... 
 
 New York 
 
 1860 
 1855 
 1852 
 1855 
 1850 
 1849 
 
 1854 
 1862 
 
 1858 
 
 1878 
 1849 
 1859 
 
 1860 
 1849 
 1858 
 1861 
 1853 
 1852 
 1854 
 1861 
 1850 
 1855 
 1860 
 1853 
 1864 
 
 1860 
 1879 
 1862 
 1855 
 1851 
 1851 
 
 1854 
 1862 
 
 1858 
 
 1878 
 1849 
 1860 
 
 1860 
 1849 
 1858 
 1864 
 1876 
 1853 
 1854 
 1870 
 1852 
 1863 
 1860 
 1853 
 1864 
 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 2700 
 
 Bermingham, Rev. P 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 Ireland . . . 
 
 Breedlove, W. N 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 Saloon ... . 
 
 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 
 Brinn, Morris 
 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 Merchant 
 
 Germany 
 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 
 Brown, Jno. A 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 County Surveyor . . . 
 Supt Amador Canal 
 and Mining Co. 
 Farmer 
 
 Missouri 
 
 
 
 Cooledge, W. S 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 New Hampshire. . . 
 Missouri 
 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 
 Culbert, Thos. L 
 
 Amador City . . . 
 
 Amador City . . 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 800 
 
 Davies, D. T 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 Supt Con. Amador 
 mines. 
 Amalgamat'r Eureka 
 mill. 
 Catholic pastor 
 Supt. Down-'s mine . . 
 Prop. American Ex 
 change Hotel. 
 Drutrsist 
 
 England 
 
 Deacon, Hiram. . . 
 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 320 
 
 DeCarolis, R 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 Italy 
 
 Downs, R. C 
 
 Sutter Creek. . 
 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 
 Dudley, A. K 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 
 Dunlap, A 
 
 Amador 
 
 Ohio 
 
 
 
 Ellis, R 
 
 Township No. 4. ... 
 Sutter Creek. . 
 
 Farmer 
 
 
 Amador City . . 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 Amador City . . 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 80 
 140 
 240 
 
 Fagan, Peter 
 
 Livery 
 
 
 Furnanzo, Luigi 
 
 Township No. 4. ... 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 Farmer 
 Dentist 
 
 Italy 
 
 Gabbs, E. S 
 
 Harrington, A. W 
 
 Amador 
 
 Prop. Amador House 
 Blacksmith 
 
 
 
 
 Herman F 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 
 
 
 Hewitt, 0. C 
 
 Amador City 
 
 Supt. Keystone mine 
 Real estate 
 
 
 
 
 Howard F. A 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 Massachusetts 
 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 
 Keeney, W. F 
 
 Amador .... 
 
 Prop. Amador House 
 Livery. 
 
 
 Amador 
 
 
 Kerr, Thomas 
 
 Amador 
 
 Pennsyl vania 
 
 Amador 
 
 
 Kling, G. W 
 
 Amador 
 
 Mining . . 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Amador 
 
 
 Lepley, Isaac 
 
 Amador City . . 
 
 Builder. . , 
 
 Pennsylvania . . 
 
 Amador City . . 
 
 
TOWNSHIP NO. 4, AMADOR COUNTY Continued. 
 
 NAME. 
 
 RESIDENCE. 
 
 BUSINESS. 
 
 NATIVITY. 
 
 Came to 
 State. 
 
 Came to 
 County. 
 
 POST OFF1CB. 
 
 No. 
 
 Acres. 
 
 Martin, 0. E 
 Mavon T. H 
 
 Amador . . 
 Amador 
 
 Lumber 
 Physician & Surgeon 
 
 Maine 
 
 1873 
 1854 
 1849 
 1862 
 1856 
 
 1858 
 
 1853 
 1855 
 
 1857 
 
 1849 
 1855 
 1846 
 
 1862 
 1852 
 
 1868 
 1859 
 
 1859 
 1860 
 
 1875 
 1874 
 1855 
 1877 
 
 1873 
 1865 
 1850 
 1862 
 1856 
 
 1858 
 
 1857 
 1873 
 
 1857 
 
 1859 
 1855 
 1853 
 
 1862 
 1872 
 
 1868 
 1859 
 
 1859 
 1860 
 
 1875 
 1874 
 1872 
 
 1877 
 
 Amador 
 
 
 Mclntire, E. B 
 Mooney, M. G 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 Amador 
 
 Mining 
 Saloon 
 
 New Hampshire. . . . 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 320 
 
 Nickerson, C. J 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 Supt. Sutter Creek 
 sulphuret works 
 Supt. Bunker Hill 
 mine. 
 Millwright 
 Foreman Keystone 
 mine. 
 Foreman Lincoln 
 mill. 
 Justice of the Peace 
 
 Massachusetts 
 
 
 Palmer, John 
 
 Bunker Hill 
 
 Amador City . . 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 160 
 
 Palmer, Wilmer 
 
 Parlr T ~F 
 
 Sutter Creek. 
 
 New York 
 
 Peterson Arthur N 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 Missouri . 
 
 Amador City 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 Snt-ti-r rVoalr 
 
 5 
 
 Porter, J. S 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 
 Post, J. M., 
 
 Township No 4. ... 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 Township No . 4 .... 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 New Brunswick .... 
 Maryland 
 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 Snttpr Prpplr 
 
 80 
 
 Randolph, I. N 
 
 Insurance and collec 
 tion agent. 
 Farmer 
 
 Sanderson, John 
 
 
 Sutter Creek . . 
 
 Snttpr r*rpplr 
 
 160 
 
 Stewart, S. D. R 
 
 Supt. Lincoln and 
 Mahony mines. 
 Miner 
 
 
 Stone, John T 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 Vermont 
 
 Snttpr Crpplr 
 
 
 Taylor, B. F 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 Foreman Amador 
 mine. 
 Farmer 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Snttpr Crppt 
 
 
 Taylor, L. J 
 
 Bunker Hill 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Amador City . . 
 Amador City . . 
 
 160 
 
 8 
 
 Templeton, I. N 
 
 Amador City 
 
 Foreman Keystone 
 mill. 
 Engine'r Bunker Hill 
 mine. 
 Gen. mangr. Amador 
 Canal & Mining Co. 
 Supt. Spring Hill 
 mine. 
 Supt. Amador Re 
 duction Works. 
 
 
 Thompson, A. R 
 
 Bunker Hill 
 
 New York 
 
 Towns, H. H 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 New Hampshire. . . . 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 
 Tregloan, J. R 
 
 Amador City 
 Suttter Creek 
 
 
 
 Voorhies, E. C 
 
 Michigan 
 
 Sutter Creek 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 TOWNSHIP NO. 5, AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 NAME. 
 
 RESIDENCE. 
 
 BUSINESS. 
 
 NATIVITY. 
 
 Came to 
 State. 
 
 Came to 
 County. 
 
 POST OFFICE. 
 
 No. 
 Acres. 
 
 Ball, Reuben 
 
 Parson Bar . . 
 
 Ditch tender & ranch 
 Ranch & stock raiser 
 Teamster 
 
 Indiana 
 
 1853 
 1851 
 
 1853 
 1867 
 
 Forest Home . . 
 Forest Home . . 
 
 120 
 320 
 
 Bickford A 
 
 Forest Home Dis't . . 
 Willow Springs .... 
 Finn's Ranch 
 
 New Hampshire. . . . 
 Illinois 
 
 Cook, H 
 
 Finn, Catherine 
 
 Farm'g, public house 
 and wine grower . . 
 Farmer 
 
 Canada 
 
 1853 
 
 1853 
 1849 
 
 1853 
 
 1853 
 1849 
 
 Drytown 
 
 260 
 
 280 
 160 
 
 Ford, R. M 
 
 Township No. 5 .... 
 Township No. 5 
 
 Kentucky 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 Amador City . . 
 Drytown 
 
 Worley, Dan 
 
 Farmer and miner. . 
 
 TOWNSHIP NO. 6, AMADOR COUNTY. 
 
 NAME. 
 
 RESIDENCE. 
 
 BUSINESS. 
 
 NATIVITY. 
 
 Came to 
 State. 
 
 Came to 
 County. 
 
 POST OFFICE. 
 
 No. 
 Acres. 
 
 Aniya, M 
 
 Drytown 
 
 Saloon-keeper 
 Farming 
 
 Italy 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 1870 
 1850 
 1854 
 1849 
 
 1872 
 
 1852 
 1849 
 1865 
 1849 
 1862 
 1849 
 1850 
 1850 
 1866 
 1853 
 1868 
 1851 
 1864 
 1877 
 1853 
 1869 
 1856 
 
 1870 
 1873 
 1857 
 1873 
 
 1872 
 
 1869 
 1853 
 1866 
 1851 
 1862 
 1850 
 1860 
 1850 
 1879 
 1853 
 1878 
 1853 
 1878 
 1877 
 1854 
 1869 
 1873 
 
 Drytown .... 
 
 
 Baird, Jefferson 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Plymouth 
 Plym'uth&Oleta 
 Drytown 
 
 320 
 320 
 
 Ball, O 
 
 Shenandoah Valley. 
 Drytown 
 
 Farmer and miner. . 
 Mill superintendent. 
 Mill foreman Empire 
 mine. 
 Liquors, cigars, etc. . 
 Buddler Empire mill 
 Teami'gfe butcher'ng 
 General business. . . . 
 Miner 
 Justice of the Peace 
 Farming and mining 
 Farmer 
 
 Indiana 
 
 Barney, E. S 
 
 New York .... 
 
 Bawden, T. P 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Illinois 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Brace, M. T 
 
 Plymouth 
 Plymouth 
 
 Indiana . . 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Briggs, Eb. M 
 
 Missouri 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Burner, James. . . 
 
 Plymouth - . . 
 
 Virginia . ... 
 
 Plymouth 
 Oleta 
 
 160 
 
 Burt, James 
 
 Oleta 
 
 Vermont 
 
 Carraro, Joseph 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Italy 
 Connecticut 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Church, M. B 
 
 Drytown 
 
 Drytown 
 Oleta 
 Drytown 
 Plymouth 
 
 25 
 8C 
 200 
 
 Clark, G. W 
 
 Oleta 
 
 Kentucky 
 
 Clark, W. O 
 
 Drytown 
 
 Indiana 
 
 Clemens, John 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Miner 
 
 England 
 
 Cloudi, F W. 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Hoisting engineer. . . 
 Teaming & ranching 
 Farmer and miner. . 
 
 Amador Co. Cal .... 
 Ohio 
 
 Plymouth . ... 
 
 
 Coover, \Vm. . . . . 
 
 Plymouth . . 
 
 Plymouth 
 Oleta 
 
 120 
 120 
 
 Croff, J. W ' 
 
 Oleta 
 
 New York 
 
 Dabovich, Andrew 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Austria 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Plymouth 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 \Vales 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Davis Thompson 
 
 Livery stable 
 
 Illinois 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 
 Plymouth 
 Plymouth . . 
 
 Vlining 
 Eneine'r Empire mill 
 
 England 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Easton. G. W. . 
 
 Wisconsin . . 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
344 
 
 HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 TOWNSHIP NO. 6, AMADOR COUNTY Continued. 
 
 NAME. 
 
 RESIDENCE. 
 
 BUSISKSS. 
 
 NATIVITY. 
 
 Came to 
 State. 
 
 Came to 
 County . 
 
 POST OFFICE. 
 
 No. of 
 Acres. 
 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Miner 
 
 Wales 
 
 1850 
 1850 
 1854 
 1875 
 1856 
 1853 
 1850 
 1865 
 1855 
 1852 
 
 1849 
 1852 
 1854 
 
 1872 
 1853 
 1877 
 1880 
 1856 
 1853 
 1870 
 1865 
 1855 
 1854 
 
 1849 
 1856 
 1860 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Farnham H. C 
 
 Oleta 
 
 'Milling and ranching 
 Mason Empire mine 
 Mechanic. . 
 
 New York 
 
 Oleta. . . 
 
 280 
 
 Gerle, C. C 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Sweden 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Oilman John . 
 
 PI v mouth 
 
 Maine 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 
 Plymouth . iMill Tn.nr>Vnriist . . . . 
 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 Plymouth . ... 
 Oleta 
 
 
 Goff, D M 
 
 Oleta 
 
 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 Green Charles 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Forem'n Empire mill 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Gregg Louisa L 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Plymouth, Cal 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Greas S W 
 
 Plymouth ... 
 
 Teaming 
 
 Plymouth, Cal 
 
 Plymouth 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Hanks, Louis 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Blacksmith Empire 
 mill. 
 Livery stable 
 
 Bavaria 
 
 Hinkson, N. C 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Missouri 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Ranching & Teaming 
 Farming 
 
 Indiana 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 160 
 50 
 
 Inskeep Sarah 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Virginia 
 
 Plymouth .... 
 Drytown 
 
 Jennings Geo. C 
 
 Drytown 
 
 Book-keeper 
 
 California 
 
 Jones, W. T 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Foreman 
 
 Wales 
 
 1867 
 1850 
 1861 
 1849 
 
 1857 
 1849 
 1868 
 1852 
 1866 
 1870 
 1873 
 1854 
 1852 
 
 1850 
 1866 
 1871 
 1853 
 1860 
 1852 
 1873 
 1873 
 1873 
 1852 
 1849 
 1852 
 1853 
 1852 
 1853 
 1849 
 1850 
 1862 
 1849 
 
 1867 
 1859 
 1879 
 1854 
 
 1857 
 1849 
 1868 
 1852 
 1873 
 1876 
 1873 
 1854 
 1852 
 
 1855 
 1867 
 1871 
 1853 
 1862 
 1852 
 1873 
 187o 
 1875 
 1877 
 1852 
 1852 
 1858 
 1877 
 1853 
 1850 
 1850 
 1862 
 1850 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Kephart George 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Lawyer 
 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Keyes William 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Bucket-lander 
 
 Canada 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Lawson, P 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Painter and general 
 workman. 
 Blacksmith 
 
 Denmark 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 LeMoin, Geo. W 
 
 Drytown 
 
 Drytown, Cal 
 
 Drytown .... 
 
 
 Miller J H 
 
 Drytown 
 
 Blacksmith 
 
 Missouri 
 
 Drytown 
 
 
 Mitrovich Michael 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Miner 
 
 Austria 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Morris James 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Fireman 
 
 Utah 
 
 Plymouth .... 
 
 
 Muclge \Vm Hodge 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Miner 
 
 England 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 
 
 Miner 
 
 Austria 
 
 Plymouth 
 Plymouth .... 
 
 
 Perry Jno \V 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Mining 
 
 New York 
 
 Pettitt IE 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Farmer 
 
 Ohio 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 224 
 141 
 
 Potter E S 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Ranch 'ng and lumber 
 merchant. 
 Dit.nli owrif>r . . 
 
 Connecticut 
 
 Plymouth 
 Oleta 
 
 
 Oleta 
 
 Maine 
 
 Russell T N 
 
 Dry town I Mining 
 
 England 
 
 Drytown 
 
 
 Sallee Jonathan 
 
 Plymouth .. ..'Farmer.. 
 
 Missouri 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 3-JO 
 160 
 
 Schairer Fred 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Farmer 
 Snlpsinan . . 
 
 Bavaria 
 Michigan 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Thorns F H 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Townsend Mrs. E 
 
 Oleta .... Piihlin house 
 
 Illinois 
 
 Oleta 
 
 
 Vanderpool, Corrinne 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 School teaching .... 
 Miner 
 
 Iowa 
 Wales 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Venn Charles . ... 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Venn, Wm 
 Votaw, C. J 
 
 Plymouth 
 Williams District . . 
 Central House 
 
 Miner 
 Handling & teaming 
 Farming 
 
 Wales 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 
 Missouri 
 
 Plymouth . ... 
 Drytown . ... 
 
 135 
 700 
 H)5 
 200 
 LO 
 160 
 3i.O 
 50 
 
 Wells Matthew H 
 
 New York 
 
 Wheeler, Stephen C 
 
 Plym* >uth 
 
 Farmer 
 
 Indiana 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Whitacre, I. W 
 
 Whitacre Rranch . . 
 Plymouth 
 
 Kanchin ' 
 
 Pennsylvania 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Whitney N. P 
 
 Mining 
 
 Boston, Mass 
 
 Plymouth 
 
 Williams, Benjamin C .... 
 Williams, J. C 
 
 Williams District . 
 Drytown 
 
 Farming and teaming 
 Merchant 
 
 Mississippi 
 
 Plymouth . . 
 Drytown . ... 
 Plymouth 
 Plymouth 
 
 New Hampshire. . . . 
 Wisconsin 
 
 Wilson, A 
 
 Shenandoah Valley. 
 Plymouth 
 Oleta 
 
 Farmer 
 
 Woolford, Joseph 
 Yates, E. R 
 
 Blacksmith 
 
 England 
 
 Farmer 
 
 Virginia 
 
 Oleta 
 
 136 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS. 
 
 NAME. 
 
 RESIDENCK. 
 
 BUSINESS. 
 
 NATIVITY. 
 
 Came to 
 State. 
 
 L'ame to 
 County 
 
 POST OFFICE. 
 
 No. of 
 Aties. 
 
 Duhem, C 
 
 San Francisco 
 
 
 Paris 
 
 1 852 
 
 1880 
 
 San Francisco. . 
 
 
 Gaffney, Thos 
 
 Michigan Bar 
 
 Potter 
 
 New York 
 
 1875 
 
 1875 
 
 Michigan Bar . . 
 
 
 Hill, Samuel 
 
 Ventura County . . . 
 
 Stock raiser. . . 
 
 Kngland 
 
 1850 
 
 1850 
 
 Spi ingville 
 
 7000 
 
 Knox, Israel W . . 
 
 Oakland 
 
 
 
 1852 
 
 
 237 First st. S. F. 
 
 
 Monsees, H. H 
 
 Coyoteville... 
 
 Farminof and fruit 
 
 Hanover 
 
 1857 
 
 1859 
 
 Oieta 
 
 3^0 
 
 Wirts, G. D 
 
 Gait 
 
 raising. 
 Farming 
 
 Ohio 
 
 1859 
 
 1859 
 
 Gait 
 
 
 W r rigglesworth, Joseph 
 
 Bridgeport District. 
 
 Ranching & teaming 
 
 New York 
 
 1859 
 
 1859 
 
 Oleta 
 
 760