USA > California > Tuolumne County > A history of Tuolumne County, California : compiled from the most authentic records > Part 17
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With the execution of Lyons, Poer and McCauley, eight men had so far paid the forfeit for their crimes with their lives in Sonora-two by mob-law, and six by legal process.
Columbia in 1857.
During the year 1856, and most likely at the beginning of it, a considerable amount of talk was expended in agitat- ing the question of the division of Tuolumne into two sep- arate counties-the northern portion to be detached and formed into a county whose seat should be Columbia. This proposition met with considerable support in that town for obvious reasons, but as there seemed no plausible excuse for such action other than the desire of politicians to form new offices which they might control, the matter was soon dropped, soon passing from the public mind.
Columbia's second great fire occured on August 25, 1857, and even exceeded the terrible conflagration of '54, in ex- tent of damage. Breaking out in a Chinese dwelling on
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the north side of Jackson street, the flames could not be stayed, and within a very short time the whole northern part of the town was burned. The burnt district was com- prised within the space between Pacific street on the north, Columbia street on the east, Main Gulch on the south, and bounded west by the west side of Broadway. Buildings which were supposed to have been fire-proof, disappeared like magic, shaking faith in brick walls.
During the fire a most fearful incident occurred: this was the explosion of a large quantity of gunpowder in the store of H. N. Brown, resulting in the instant death of five men, H. N. Brown, William Toomey, J. M. B. Crooks, Dennis Driscoll, and Captain Rudolph, and the serious injury of several others.
The well organized and efficient fire companies of Colum- bia, together with assistance from Sonora, did excellent service in saving property, until the water in the hydrants gave out, rendering their services useless.
The principal losses on this occasion were the following: I. Shotwell, $20,000; White and Wing, 18,000; J. A. Jackson, 13,000; Neal & Co., 8,000; P. G. Ferguson, 8,000; Donnell & Parsons, 20,000; H. N. Brown & Co., 25,000; William Daegener, (American Hotel), 8,000; C. Cardinell, (Terpsichore Hall), 13,000; Northrup & Marshall, 7,000; Colombo Restaurant, 5,000; Tim Lewis, 6,000; B. Harri- son, 6,000; O. P. Davis, 6,000. W. Wheeler, 5,000; I. Levy & Co., 15,000; Leavitt & Walker, 18,000; Dominique, 6,000; Mengendic, 20,000; C. H. Alberding, 10,000; Ras- pail, 10,000; Claverrie, 10,000; Geo. Morgan, 6,000; John Leary's Theatre, 4,000; Odd Fellows' Hall, 4,000; Chinese stores, 25,000. Together with minor losses, the total footed up a round half million of dollars.
Columbia was emphatically down; but she did not long remain down, for with an energy worthy of the early times,
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she proceeded to eradicate the traces of the fire. Brick buildings to take the places of frame ones, were commenced, and an air of bustle pervaded the place. From Sotrr & Marshall's corner, on Fulton street, up to Hilderbrand's bakery, a new and entire row of brick buildings were plan- ned to fill the void. From the Post Office to Brown's store a range of fire-proof buildings were erected. Really elegant structures these were, that now remain to grace the town at a later day.
The Town Trustees issued an order changing the grades of sidewalks and streets. Heavy teams constantly arrived loaded with goods for the new openings. The sound of the hammer rang out pleasantly, from daybreak until the close of day; and Columbia was soon an almost entirely new city, exulting in the hope of a prosperous future. It does not seem that the fire was an actual detriment. At least it did not detract from the enterprise of the citizens, but on the contrary stimulated it, for the newspapers of the succeed- ing months report a period of activity and energy far in excess of the two or three preceding years.
Shortly after the fire the Trustees took action against the Chinese element, debarring them from residing within the corporate limits of Columbia, and passed an order that it be the duty of the Town Marshal to notify those occupying tenements to remove at once. And furthermore, all Chi- nese refusing to remove were to be proceeded against as public nuisances, dangerous to the safety of the town, and injurious to the good character and public name of the cor- poration. The penalty attached to a violation of this order, for each offence, was a fine of not less than fifty, nor more than one hundred dollars.
One of the more pretentious structures which grew up after the fire was Cardinell's Theatre. It will be remem- bered that John Leary had erected in 1854 a so-called thea-
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tre in Columbia, but which, in the late fire, had been de- stroyed, giving place to the larger structure of Cardinell. This building was of wood, but stone foundations were laid, and the outside walls were so arranged as to be renew- able with stone or brick, when desired. The building was on Washington street, adjoining the Gillespie Block, and had a frontage of one hundred feet, with a depth of fifty. It was two stories in height, the lower portion to be occu- pied by stores, saloons, etc., while the theatre was in the second story. It contained a dress circle or gallery run- ning around three sides of the room, and was arranged with nearly every advantage of a first-class theatre. The space between floor and ceiling was twenty feet, and the stage was thirty feet deep. The seats in the pit were re- movable, thus allowing the use of the auditorium as a ball- room on occasion, furnishing the largest dancing hall in the mines. The largest theatrical companies were or could have been accommodated with plenty of room and every facility for the production of pieces in a style never before possible in the mines.
The next modern improvement which the growing im- portance of the town suggested was the introduction of lighting by gas. In the Tuolumne Courier of January 2, 1858, is to be found an account of the proceedings of the Company which introduced this valuable convenience.
The gas-works were situated on Gold street, in the rear of the Broadway Hotel. The price of the illuminating material to consumers was fifteen cents per each burner for one evening; and in consideration of the privilege of lay- ing mains through the streets, the Company agreed to fur- nish fifteen lights gratis to the city, besides lighting the churches, schools, and other public buildings. The street lamp-posts were to be of cedar, turned, and painted black. The account speaks of the work being pushed forward vigor-
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ously; but subsequent issues are dumb concerning gas, and it is only by personal recollection that it is ascertained that after several months' use, the works and the manufacture of gas were abandoned. The cause of the failure was the stoppage of the mains by the deposit of tar formed in the distillation of wood, which was used instead of coal, the material now in common use; added to which the light was of poor quality.
Columbia was incorporated as a city on April 9, 1857, her boundaries being as follows: Commencing at a post near the Catholic Church and near the road leading to Springfield ; running thence north five eighths of a mile over the old Columbia Gulch, along the western slope of Gold Hill, to a post west of the Gold Spring Road; thence east five eighths of a mile to a post in Corral Gulch; thence south the same distance to a post on the hill towards San tiago; thence to the place of beginning.
Under the new Act of Incorporation, the following of- ficers were elected: For Trustees-A. C. Goodrich, Patrick Smith, B. C. Northrup, C. H. Parsons, and Sylvanus Pitts; for Marshal-Robert Mullan; for Treasurer-A. E. Hooker; for Assessor- J. A. Poor.
Murder of McDonald and Leary.
Following next in the chronicles of Columbia's important events, came the murder of the above citizens, in November, 1858. On the 26th of that month Joel N. McDonald, pre- viously a police officer in Stockton, but at that time a resi- dent of Columbia, and who had been employed to ferret out certain desperate characters whose actions had been giving considerable alarm, was killed under these circum- stances: McDonald had succeded in ingratiating himself
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with the thieves, and had concerted and carried out with them the robbery of a cabin, and all were proceeding to McD.'s place of residence to divide the spoils, but perceiv- ing a light in the house as they approached, the robbers became suspicious, and assaulted him, striking him first with a heavy iron, and then shooting him through the head, when they made their escape, leaving their victim lifeless.
On the evening of the following Monday, another mur- der, quite as atrocious, was committed. Constable John Leary, a most respected and influential citizen, was mur- dered while in the discharge of his duty, no doubt by the same gang who were concerned in the other affair.
Mr. Leary, with Marshal Mullan, was watching some suspected characters, and while endeavoring to detect and arrest them on Waldo street, Mr. Leary was killed, having, it is supposed, come upon them while they were engaged in robbing a drunken man, and at the moment of seizing one, received a heavy blow upon the forehead, which frac- tured his skull, while another shot him through the body, the ball passing near the heart. The murderers escaped, though fired upon by Mullan.
Mr. Leary was one of the earliest settlers of Columbia, and was a most valuable officer and citizen. His death was universally lamented.
The next day, two men, Harrison Morgan and Richard Wallace, were arrested on suspicion of the latter murder, and were taken to the jail at Sonora. Two days later, they were removed to Columbia, to be examined by Justices Letford, Dodge and Hopkins.
Wallace confessed his complicity in the several robberies that had taken place, but denied that he was concerned in the murder on Waldo street.
Wallace's testimony, and that of the officers who made the arrests, was such as to produce a conviction of their
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certain guilt in the minds of all; and the Justices ordered the men to be remanded to the County Jail. The citizens were ordered to withdraw from within the bar, and the of- ficers present, viz., Sheriff Sedgwick, Deputy McFarland, Marshal Mullan, Constables Parker and Faughman, and ex-officers Carder and Palmer, prepared to leave the Court room with the prisoners, by the back entrance, the Sheriff and Mullan leading Wallace, and McFarland and Parker leading Morgan. The people were in great numbers out- side the Court, but no noise or commotion prevailed, and no difficulty seemed imminent, but as the party passed out a rush was made for both prisoners, the mob seizing the officers and holding them. Morgan was taken by the mob, but, by great efforts on the part of the officers, Wal- lace was preserved from the crowd and landed safely in jail in Sonora.
Morgan's life was short. Taken up Broadway and along the Gold Springs Road to the flume, a rope was put around his neck, and without a moment for prayer, he was run up.
There is a favorite incident in connection with this hang- ing which a decent regard for the feelings of the respect- able gentlemen who have often and kindly narrated it will not permit the writer to leave out: " At nightfall, a China- man, with a basket of vegetables on his head, proceeding to Gold Springs, brought up all standing against the life- less form of Morgan, which knocked off his load and nearly upset him. Looking up, the affrighted Celestial beheld with horror the pallid corpse, swinging to and fro in the night wind. He started off at a pace that made his pigtail assume a nearly horizontal position, and it is a matter of conjecture whether he has yet stopped."
For the succeeding years, Columbia presents the ap- pearance of a town gradually decaying with the decadence
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of her mines, and slowly sinking into the half-dead, half- living state which is the certain fate of every mining camp. Her glories, departing, have left but traces of the once prosperous and proud community whose history, replete with incidents, would, if fully written out, fill many a vol- ume, and which would contain truths more marvelous than any fiction. It would tell how five thousand men through the long years brought all the resources of which man is capable to fill up their lives, while they sought for gold within the scope of vision of the proud "Gem of the South- ern Mines." How they toiled, those who come after them can see. Casting an eye over the plains made desolate, the canons and gulches eroded to their very foundations, hills and elevations demolished, carried away piecemeal, that every particle of shining metal should come at length into the purses of the toilers, the mind reverts to the time when the waste was populous, when the solitude resounded to the blows of myriads, who came, toiled, died, and left the heritage of mines worked out, towns in decay, and for- ests devastated. The glories of her career passing from her, Columbia's decline commenced. Not much remains to tell of her history. Here and there through the suc- ceeding years a few events worthy of remark took place. A fire in the Summer of 1861, which destroyed buildings and goods to the value of twenty-three thousand dollars; the bursting of W. O. Sleeper's bank, in July, 1865, with liabilities of fifty thousand dollars or such a matter, after a dozen years of success in a small way; a ditch dispute; an occasional shooting scrape, or robbery; sum up the short and simple annals of her later existence, where she but lives in the shadow of the mighty past.
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Fire in Sonora in 1861.
On the seventh of August of this year a fire occurred in Sonora, which resulted in a loss of about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. This severe conflagration broke out in a house adjoining the Democratic Age office, corner of Washington and Yaney streets, involving the surrounding buildings, including the Placer Hotel across the street.
The following were the principal losses: J. and F. Faxon, Great Eastern Saloon, $7,000; Lane & Randall, Union Sa- loon, $9,000; O. L. Bemis, Placer Hotel, $15,000; L. Quint, building corner of Washington and Yaney streets, $4,000; C. Burden, furniture and store, $5,000; J. Hall, $10,000; H. P. Barber, law library, $4,000; Severance & McLean, Sonora and Empire Livery Stables, $2,500; W. E. Carder, Democratic Age, $1,000; Union Democral material and build- ing, $1,500; Dr. W. T. Brown, dwelling house, $2,500; I. Selling, dry goods, $3,000; Geo. Bush, saddlery, $2,500; John Sedgwick, Fashion Livery Stable, $2,500; Dr. Man- ning, $3,000; Dr. King, drug store and stock, $2,000.
Murder of Judge Brunton.
On December 2, 1860, the community was shocked by the news that Judge Thomas C. Brunton, an old and high- ly respected resident of Yorktown, had been murdered. The deed was discovered by Monsieur Pinchard of Sonora, and when examined the body was found to have received no less than ten wounds with a knife, three of which were each sufficient to have caused death. Besides the thrusts which caused these wounds, there were twelve others which had taken effect only in the clothes. The conclusion reached was that the old man had been reading some let-
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ters when attacked, and to have made a desperate resist- ance, for his heavy manzanita cane was found broken near by. He had last been seen about 8 A. M., going in the di- rection where found.
Judge Brunton had been a marked man for the assaults and outrages of villains ever since his settlement in Cali- fornia. As already mentioned in this volume, he was robbed in 1855 of a large amount of money, which robbery gave rise to the Worth-Kittering murder. Subsequently other outrages were inflicted upon him, presumably by the same set of villains, who, at last, put him out of the way to ensure their safety. As remarked by several who re- member these incidents, it was the most mysterious affair that ever took place within their knowledge. The poor old man was for years kept in a state of terror that would alone serve to speedily end his life, had not the guilty parties seen fit to interpose. Probably the mystery will never be unravelled, be the cause what it may, as a score of years has elapsed, and most of the prominent actors are doubtless dead.
Military and Political Affairs.
During the war times political feeling rose to a consider- able height in Tuolumne, though none of those unseemly scenes resulting in the loss of life or property, which were so common in other parts of the State, disgraced the county. The reason for this was doubtless the nearly equal strength of the peace and war parties. The enthusiasm of the peo- ple was perforce compelled to expend itself in the forma- tion of companies of troops, and the forwarding of money and supplies to the Sanitary Commission.
Several companies of volunteer troops, infantry and
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cavalry, were organized for service in the war, the history of whom is interesting. The first organized was the famous Tuolumne Rangers, who were recruited in Columbia and vicinity, and of whom many were well-known and respected citizens. The Rangers numbered at the time of their de- parture for service one hundred and nine men all told, and were officered thus:
Captain, D. B. Akey; First Lieutenant, R. Daley; Sec- ond Lieutenant, S. R. Davis; Sergeants, J. L. Merriam, S. R. Merston and J. McCune. These troops, which were cavalry, were enlisted for service on the Overland Route, but going to San Francisco in September, 1861, they were stationed for a time at Camp Alert, forming a part of Col- onel P. Edward Conner's Third Infantry Regiment, of Cal- ifornia Volunteers, afterwards being transferred to Co. E, Second California Regiment of Cavalry.
The Rangers did not take a very prominent part in the war, but rendered good service to the Government in keeping the Indians in order, being for a long time stationed in Humboldt County, on the coast of California, and for a portion of the years of 1862-3 at Red Bluff, Tehama County.
In the Fall of '61 recruiting offices were opened in Sonora, several companies, independent organizations were formed, the object of some of whom was to proceed to the theatre of warfare and engage in the defence of the Union, while others were simply Home Guards, whose object was to restrain the acts and expressions of disloyal people.
At the date mentioned Fred Faxon was engaged in or- ganizing an artillery company, while James Lane, Esq., was recruiting a company of sappers and miners. Captain Watson organized a company of Home Guards, who used the arms and equipments of the old Sonora Greys. Don
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Pedro Lepi formed a company of Mexican Home Guards, forty-eight in number, and an infantry company was formed at Jamestown, and another at Severance's Old Mill. in the mountains.
The Sigel Guard, of Sonora, organized in April, 1862, were Home Guards. Their officers were, H. K. White, Captain; S. B, Blaisdell, H. B. McNeil and J. C. Adams, Lieutenants; Theodore Lopez, K. McPherson and H. H. Sanford, Sergeants; W. S. Cooper, John Richardson, John Barry, D. O. McCarthy and Oliver Wolcott, Corporals. Armory in Street's building.
Chinese Camp, too, had her military company, which was commanded by Captain W. H. Utter, with Lieutenants C. Mann, G. H. Fisher and Dan Vedder; Sergeants T. Cutler, Dr. Alex. Dawson, T. Pierman, W. T. Birdsall and Ben Lincoln; Corporals Offman, Powell, Goodwin and Stair, and forty-odd privates.
In this connection mention of the " Tuolumne Home Guards," of Columbia, should not be omitted, who were organized in August, 1861, receiving uniforms and equip- ments from the Government, and fitting up for their ex- clusive use an armory in Nellis' building.
So much for the military organizations. In regard to the contents of newspapers, it is to be observed that they were almost wholly given up to the discussion of political subjects and to war news, and to vilifying their neighbors. Probably no more violent, incendiary utterances ever eman- ated from any sheet than those which appeared in the weekly newspapers of Sonora, during the war times. In- solent, overbearing and abusive to the last degree, it is quite remarkable that their language did not lead to more frequent displays of personal violence. Judging by the columns of these periodicals, their writers were selected mainly in accordance with their power to blackguard and
6.6. marshall
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recriminate; and whole pages were filled with the choicest specimens of shrewdly concealed insinuations, or open de- fiance and bullying, that the brain of any newspaper writer ever inspired. It would prove interesting reading at this date, a resuscitation of articles in the old American Flag, or its Democratic opponents, but perhaps good fellowship and patriotism will be better subserved by allowing such matter to rest in its present quiescent state.
On the other hand, the giving up of their space to un- profitable discussions of national affairs, and to the denun- ciation of political enemies, left the papers of that date lamentably bare of local news upon which the future reader might draw for the completion of his picture of the condi- tion of affairs in the mines.
Decadence of the Southern Mines.
Towards the end of the fifties, the Southern Mines had diminished so greatly in their output of the precious metal that the population began to decrease alarmingly. Instead of the thousands who worked in earlier years in the bed of the Tuolumne and the Stanislaus, but a few old miners and some Asiatics remained. Where in '55 hundreds delved in the plateau around Springfield and Columbia and Shaw's Flat, the small results scarce gave encouragement to the scores who had worked and re-worked the ground that their predecessors had gathered ounces from, in the palmy days. The towns were in their decadence. Tumble-down houses, adobes falling to ruin in the rain; sidewalks rotted away; doors off of hinges, and windows the absence of whose lights indicated that the liver too was gone; all these signs showed the departed glory of the Mines, and gave even more painful promise of a yet deader epoch. And that
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epoch came: by the end of the sixties but few placer claims were worked with good results; the enterprising gold-seek- ers had sought more productive fields; by the side of the Salmon River, or along the banks of the Gila and Colorado, or amid the canons of Montana they resumed their tasks, finding, let it be hoped, the reward that their enterprise deserved.
With the departure of the miners came dull times for the camps. The stores and saloons, no longer crowded with customers, put up their shutters and retired from a business no longer profitable. The professional gentlemen mostly withdrew from a country where there existed no demand for their services. The baker, the butcher, and the other tradesmen who ministered to the wants of an active popu- lation, sought in other and newer localities the golden harvest which had ceased in their former home.
Ditches and flumes were suffered to go to ruin, and all the thousand and one evidences of man's energy and per- severance gave token of the day of departed greatness. By the close of the next decade the resounding crash of the stamp mill had well nigh ceased, and now, in 1882, while one can not say that mining is entirely done-for yet many valuable quartz veins and much unprospected placer ground, and miles of concealed auriferous river-beds remain-yet gold extraction is comparatively at a painfully low ebb.
Later Events in Sonora.
The latter years have not been prolific in history. On the contrary, there is a dearth of interesting matter strongly opposite to the times whose chronicles have already been set down. There is to be found one incident of a partly personal, partly political vendetta, that made once a great
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stir. That was the killing of Davis, alias Keiger, by Mc- Carthy. This is its account, aside from doubts, from preju- dices and uncertainties: Davis was a merchant, or other business man, who had resided perhaps a dozen years among the Sonorans. McCarthy was another business man, who had pursued the calling of a livery-stable keeper, aad finally that of publisher of the American Flag, con- ducting that sheet in the war times, when its rabid Union- ism drew upon it the violent opposition of all the opposing political party. McCarthy counted his enemies as the hairs of his head, and of them Davis was one. It does not matter what insignificant affair their quarrel began in; it is enough to say that, after a season of newspaper de- nunciation, Davis suddenly met his death at his enemy's hands, the tragedy occurring in Steinmetz's restaurant, where McCarthy found his man dining. Whatever provo- cation was used by the deceased, it was thought sufficient to justify the act, for the assailant escaped the consequences of his act; and subsequent consideration seems to have de- cidedly leaned towards his justification.
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