USA > California > El Dorado County > Historical souvenir of El Dorado County, California : with illustrations and biographical setches of its prominent men & pioneers > Part 29
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The 61/2 and II A. M. trains from Latrobe also con- nect with the Pioneer and other stage lines at Latrobe. All trains from Latrobe run into Sacramento as well as Freeport.
Freight will be taken on all trains except the 11 A. M. train from Latrobe and the midnight train from Freeport.
F. A. BISHOP, J. P. ROBINSON, Sup'ts.
The completion of the P. &. S. V. R. R. to Shingle Springs took place about the middle of June, 1865 ; on the 16th of that month a free excursion was given to all who wished to see the place. Being on Sunday a large crowd took advantage of a free ride, and wan- dered for several hours through heat and dust about the picturesque locality, which was then and is still the terminus of the Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad. The whole length of the extension from Folsom to Shingle Springs is twenty-seven miles. Eighteen and three-quarters of a mile of it is located in El Dorado county. Notwithstanding the citizens of Placerville had granted the appropriation with the un- derstanding and in good faith that the terminus of the railroad should be at Placerville, as the name of the road says ; but it seems there never was any earnest intention on the part of the railroad company to come up to their promise. The grade of the railroad track was pushed onward from Shingle Springs for about a mile or two, but that's all that has been done in that direction.
The company soon got embarrassed, financially too ; the interest on the bonds did not get paid according to the promise, and about five years after the finish- ing of the road up to Shingle Springs, on July 2d, 1859, at noon, Sheriff Griffith, of El Dorado county, as commissioner, in accordance with notice published, offered the Placerville & Sacramento Valley Rail- road for sale at public auction. It was purchased by William Alvord, of San Francisco, for $227,659,75, but was transferred on August 4th, 1871, to the Cen- tral Pacific Railroad Company. Under this new man- agement all things went on lively for the first few years, and it would seem that the people of El Do- rado had been benefited with the change, and the lat- ter themselves thought so. They held several meet- ings, resolutions were adopted and the Central Pacific Railroad Company was petitioned to complete the Placerville and Sacramento Valley Railroad, in accor- dance to the charter of said road; but there they found out that nothing was to be expected from that side for El Dorado county.
The case dragged along, the old debts still unpaid, until on January the 28th, 188r, an order was made by Judge Hunt, of the Fifth Department of the Su-
I34
HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
perior Court, at San Francisco, that the railroad com- pany deposit in Court, to abide the event of the ac- tions pending therein, the sum of $377,500 within thirty days, or surrender the possession of the road to Louis McLane, who had been previously appointed a receiver by Judge Dwinelle of the old District Court, in the case of McLane vs. the Railroad company.
Instead of depositing the money, the company at the expiration of the time specified in the order, re. moved its rolling stock and left the possession of the road to the receiver.
It will be remembered that the road from Folsom to Shingle Springs never owned any rolling stock, and consequently the receiver was left with a road on his hands, and without any stock with which to operate it.
Considering the disastrous effect the stoppage of trains on the road would have upon the interest of the people the Board of Supervisors of El Dorado county employed Judge Irwin, of this county, and Hon. John C. Burch, of San Francisco, to, if possible, obtain a modification of the order made by Judge Hunt, so as to permit the company to operate the road or to com- pel the receiver to do so. These gentlemen succeeded in getting the parties into Court, when an application was made by the receiver for authority to purchase the necessary rolling stock with which to operate the road, and to mortgage the same to secure the payment therefor. Such an order was subsequently made by the Court, and Mr. McLane had contracted already for an engine.
At that occasion it elicited from Mr. Leland Stan- ford's deposition that it was the understanding of him- self and co-purchasers, Huntington and Hopkins, when they paid to Wm. Alvord $166,400 for his title, obtained under a foreclosure of the second mortgage on the road, that the payment thus made by then, was to be appropriated to the liquidation of all exist- ing claims against the road, and that they acquired the property free from all liens and incumbrances.
The people of El Dorodo county, however, were thrown back to the time before the railroad, in- stead of enjoying the blessings of the cheap fare, which by an order of the Railroad Commissioners, from February 18th, 1881, had been reduced from $4.00 to $1.90, from Sacramento to Shingle Springs.
train of cars made its first regular trip to the old ter- minus, Shingle Springs.
CHAPTER XXVII.
JOURNALISM.
The reading matter in the mining districts, as in California in general, in the first years after the dis- covery of gold, was quite scarce ; many of the young, intelligent and enterprising men, making up the emi- gration to California, had started with a selection of books or other reading matter, but hardly one in five hundred had been able to bring them through toil and fatigue to the land of their destination, on account of overladen and exhausted teams, and most all the ballast, of no value for the moment, had been sacri- ficed to save that which was the most necessary. And now the adventurous gold-hunter did sorrowfully look back on the road over the deserts, or down in the dark hold of some vessel, or even down on the bottom of the sea, where he had lost forever what now he would estimate his greatest friend and his big- gest treasure ; but no regretting could make up for the loss, and the American character not disposed to long grief, soon found himself contented with the irregular coming news from "the States," brought by the expressman, the exclusive dependency in those early days. A great many of the energetic young men were not satisfied with the reading of the stale home news, their ambitious characters would have liked more to take an active part in the occurences of the social or national life, and not being able to ac- complish their wishes in the life of the far, old home, then the time became active too, soothing the constant thought and longing of home, and advising the more thoughtful to settle down and build up a society in the new country, where every talent had so much better chance to prove his ability. This view once taken, what was nearer than to start a newspaper to tell all around what occurred in this new society and to relieve the society from the monotonous dependency on the expressman.
THOMAS A. SPRINGER
Was the first man to take up the idea to deliver to this new society an organ which would communicate the events of the day. He was the pioneer of newspaper- men not only in this county, but of the whole min- ing district of California ; the press started by him at Placerville was the first one in the interior of Cali- fornia, outside of Sacramento. The
Finally, on July 3d, 1882, Judge Hunt gave judg- ment for the plaintiff in the case of Kittle against the Placerville and Sacramento Railroad; $26,000 on ac- count of bonds held by Kittle, and upwards of twenty thousand dollars for costs, attorneys' fees, expenses and salary of the receiver. The defendants took an appeal and gave a bond for $70,000, whereupon the receiver was discharged and the road turned over EL DORADO REPUBLICAN, to the company. And.on, the 10th of July, 1882, the | Published weekly at Placerville, was the pioneer news-
PRINCIPAL WORKINGPLACE > FRENCH MINING CLAIM GREENWOOD . ELDORADO, CO-CAL.
RESIDENCE OF SIMON DESMARCHAIS .GREENWOOD.
I35
JOURNALISM.
paper throughout the mining camps of the Sierra Ne- vada; it made its first appearance early in the summer of 1851, and was continued regularly until February 18th, 1854, when selling out, Mr. Springer disposed of the whole printing establishment, etc., to D. W. Gelwicks & Co., who in the place of the defunct Re- publican started
THE MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT,
An enterprise which in spite of all the changes El Dorado county has undergone, from the time of its first appearance up to this day, has been managed with strong but skillful hands, cautiously and pru- dently taking care of the interest of its patrons and the public interest of the county in general. Always faithful to the true democratic principles it has kept its place as the leading newspaper of the county up to this day. The Mountain Democrat, published and edited by D. W. Gelwicks and Wm. A. January, appeared for the first time as a weekly paper on Sat- urday, February 25th, 1854, at Placerville, and con- tinued to do so uninterruptedly, except for four weeks after the big Placerville fire of July 6th, 1856, which had destroyed the office with most all its contents. On Wednesday, August 22d, 1860, it was changed into
THE SEMI-WEEKLY MOUNTAIN DEMOCRAT,
took place about one year after, in 1881, E. A. Smith sold his half interest to W. R. Selkirk, to be repur- chased by W. A. Selkirk.
There is one incident in the history of the Moun- tain Democrat of which we have to make reference, because it gives an idea of the importance it was credited for by the government; it was in November, 1862, when the war was going on East, that the com- mander of the military department of the Pacific cost, General Wright, issued an order prohibiting the transmission of the Placerville Democrat through the mails and express companies. This was done on account of exercising the right of every free man and citizen of this Republic to utter his own opinion, though differing from that of the ruling power.
Of the proprietors and editors of this paper, D. W. Gelwicks has filled the office of State printer, while Wm. A. January is the present Secretary of State. Thos. A. Springer also held the office of State Printer once.
THE MINERS' ADVOCATE
Was issued for the first time in the Summer of 1851, at Coloma, James R. Pile & Co. proprietors, D. W. Gelwicks editor and D. G. Waldron, business agent. The Miners' Advocate being the second newspaper of the county, and of the whole mining district of California, appeared weekly, representing the Whig party in politics. After about two years from the time of the first issue, the printing office, with presses, etc., was purchased by John Conness and T. M. Reed, who commenced in the Summer of 1853 to issue in place of the Miners' Advocate,
And some time about January, 1860, the beautiful pen of Geo. Pen. Johnson had been added to the editorial staff, on account of Wm. A. January being elected County Clerk, at the general election of the fall of 1859. Old habits, however, are often stronger with human beings than the best efforts of innovators, thus with the semi-weekly Mountain Democrat ; THE EMPIRE COUNTY ARGUS, patrons and newspaper men both had been used to the A weekly like its predecessor, edited by N. W. Fuller. The Miners' Advocate, however, was transfered to Diamond Springs, from where it made its reappear- ance a short time after having been discontinued at Coloma, being edited by Fred. A. Snyder up to July 23d, 1854. old style of a weekly paper for too long a time that it was not surprising at all to see its reappearance in the familiar dress of the old weekly on January 5th, 1861, to which it has stuck all the time since. And the only change that has to be chronicled about the Mountain Democrat from that date to the present Fred. A. Snyder died on an excursion at Lake Bigler. He had crossed the plains in 1849, and had been elected a member of the Legislature from San Francisco, in 1852 to 1853; but resigned his seat in that Honorable body and broke with his party on ac- count of principle difficulties. He was born in Mon- roe county, Ill., and graduated from McKendree col- bar when only 19 years. Hon. Wilson Flint gave the following account of F. A .. Snyder's last resting place near Lake Bigler : "Passing down the valley we saw the grave of Major Snyder. It is a solitary place, the long pine boughs above mourn with a lonesome wail, and shaken by the desert breeze fall sadly as mourners time, is the change in the proprietorship. D. W. Gel- wicks and Wm. A. January, in 1867, sold their interests respectively to George O. Kies and T. J. Caystile. W. A. Selkirk then on December 20th, 1872, bought from the last named gentleman his half interest, together with one-third of the other half from Mr. Kies, who remained a partner in the lege, studied law thereafter and was admitted to the ownership of the Mountain Democrat, but disposed of the balance of his interest, selling out to W. A. Selkirk, 1874, leaving the latter sole proprietor of the newspaper. In 1880, W. A. Selkirk sold the whole of his title and interest in the Mountain Democrat to W. R. Selkirk and E. A. Smith. The next change
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HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
upon the little mound that contains what was once a warm and noble heart."
The Miners' Advocate, having made regular issues until December, 1855, changed hands again, and be- came the property of Dr. Bradley, of Placerville, who took hold of it from the quoted date and published it from January Ist, 1856, as the
EL DORADO COUNTY JOURNAL,
A weekly paper like the former, and representing the same political principles as that paper. The press that has been used to print both these papers on, is said to be still in activity, serving the same old pur- pose at Folsom.
The Empire County Argus, representing the Brod- erick wing of the Democratic party, D. P. Tallmage editor, continued under the same proprietorship up to the end of 1855, when it became the property of Messrs. Forbes* and Woods, who conducted it as one of the best newspapers of the State, but becoming em- barrassed, were compelled to discontinue the issue of the Argus; on November 8th, 1856, they bade fare- well to the patrons of the paper, closing their vale- dictory in the following beautiful language:
"Coloma is a pleasant place to live: beautiful and picturesque in itself and scenery surrounding, and boasting a population of brave and generous men and women as ever breathed God's mountain air; and now that business pursuits constrain us to seek some new field for usefulness, we feel like one who quits the scenes and associations of youth to go out into the cold world, looking in new lands for fortune and for smiles in strange faces. But it must be so, and we shake off for the time these pleasant reflections, and go forth to do and bear what the fates have in store for us. We
leave Coloma as we have left a hundred places before, with a brass rule in our pocket, and a light heart in our vest, bearing away little of malice or lucre, but priding in the good will of those among whom we have been sojourning. Long years from now, if life be spared, we shall still turn back to memory's page where are written the bright lines of to-day's experi- ence; and as we now quit it with regret we shall ever return with pleasure to Coloma, feeling in the heart's quickened throb as we look down the hills which stand sentinel around the golden valley, that merry tingle of the jubilant blood which thrills the soul as we draw near home."
Coloma thus would have been without a newspaper, and to prevent this the people of old Coloma went in for the deficiency, which again brought to light The Empire County Argus, and enabled it to reappear
thereafter regularly until July 23d, 1857, when it was sold to H. F. Smith & Co., who removed it to Placer- ville, where it came out after three weeks' suspension on Thursday, August 13th, as the Tri-Weekly Argus, Capt. W. Frank Stewart, editor. The Tri-Weekly Argus was succeeded on February 13th, 1858, by the Tri-Weekly Index, published by Langard & Phelps; the Tri-Weekly Index, by the Tri-Weekly Register, and this by the Semi-Weekly Register, but their career getting shorter and shorter. Finally the property came into the hands of Messrs. O. L. C. & J. D. Fair- child, who started the publication of the
SEMI-WEEKLY OBSERVER,
Which made its first appearance at Placerville, on Feb- ruary 2d, 1859, being published twice a week; it was printed on the same press-used by the above named papers ; it was independent in politics and had Capt. W. Frank Stewart for editor also. After having been published regularly for one year the Observer was discontinued, and took leave from its patrons on Feb- ruary 4th, 1860.
The first newspaper of Georgetown was the
GEORGETOWN NEWS,
A weekly paper that appeared for the first time on Thursday, October 12th, 1854, J. Wing Oliver, editor and proprietor. The News was a Whig paper; Georgetown always had been the stronghold of the Whig party and afterwards became that of the Repub- lican party in the county. On Thursday, February Ist, 1855, the ownership of the News passed into the hands of Theo. Platt, Jr., J. W. Oliver as editor ; with the issue of May 24th, 1855, Mr. Oliver ceased his connection with the News, and J. G. McCallum took his place, and a half interest in the paper, which was published until October 15th, by McCallum & Platt. The next issue appeared on November 8th, 1855, and was published by Platt & Shaw. But its lifetime was counted : a few months later, already it belonged to those things that are gone by.
At Placerville Messrs. Childs & Wadsworth, about July Ist, 1855, undertook to publish a weekly paper ; the Placerville American made its appearance a short time after, Richard Cole, editor, but it seems it did not make a success, and its existence was but limited.
The year of 1860 brought new life in the newspaper enterprise ; and Coloma took the lead with the issue of The Coloma Times, published by George O. Kies and S. B. Weller. The first number appeared in March, 1860, and thereafter continued with regular weekly issues until October, 1861, when it was trans- fered to Placerville, where it appeared as The El Do- rado Times, published by George O. Kies ; the first
. W. J. Forbes, editor and publisher of The Empire Connty Argus in 1854 to 1856, died at Battle Mountain, Nevada, in November r875
RESIDENCE OF JOHN GE YOUGH, MA . GARDEN VALLEY. EL DORADO Cº·CAL.
SMITHBROS GENERALSTO
RESIDENCEAPPSTORE ./ THOMAS SMITH . GREENWOOD . CALA.
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SECRET SOCIETIES, ETC.
issue being dated November 30th, 1861 ; the Times being Union Democrat in politics.
At Placerville Hon. J. G. McCallum started a semi-weekly paper, The Central Californian, that made its appearance on August 4th, 1860. It was started as a campaign paper, advocating the election of Douglas and Johnson. Richard Cole was the editor, who was succeeded from January Ist, 1861, by O. D. Aveline. The El Dorado County Union was the next thereafter, being issued first as a weekly, on Wednesday, June 28th, 1861, but changed into the El Dorado County Daily Union with its issue of Thursday, July 20th, and appeared as a daily to the end of the month, when it ceased without taking leave. Richard Cole was the editor of the Union, which represented Democratic principles. The press and other property of the Union then became the property of Messrs. Fumerton & Yarnell, who began to publish The Placerville Weekly News, a Union Democrat paper, issued for the first time on Wednes- day, August 14th, 1861.
The Semi-weekly Placerville Republican, pub- lished by D. DeGolia, was first issued on Wednesday, August 7th, 1861. Mr. Bowman, of San Francisco, was its editor, and he was succeeded sometime later by Thomas Fitch. The Republican, however, had but a brief existence, its last number was issued not quite a year after it made its first appearance, on June 26th, 1862. After a sound slumber of about ten years Mr. B. F. Davis revived the Republican, pub- lishing it as a weekly, under the name of
THE PLACERVILLE REPUBLICAN.
Its management has proved the clever business hand of the owner, from the first issue in 1872, to this day, according to its name advocating the principles of the great Republican party:
The Gem was the name of a small publication, 61/2 by 9 inches in size ; the first number appeared at Georgetown, on April 12th, 1872, owned and edited by E. L. Crawford, who took leave from his patrons after a regular weekly issuance of five years, on April 6th, 1877. Thereafter Georgetown was again without a newspaper, until April 9th, 1880, when Mr. Horace W. Hulbert, who had a great deal of experience in the newspaper enterprise, came here and started the Georgetown Gazette, a weekly paper intended to in- terpret Republican ideas.
The last one out is the Lotus Press, published every Tuesday by G. W. Gallanar, at Uniontown .(Lotus). The Press in its first issue of June 27th, 1882, explained its stand-point, saying : "We have the success of El Dorado county at heart, and intend to do our mite towards its advancement."
CHAPTER XXVIII. SECRET SOCIETIES, ETC.
Masonic Directory in El Dorado county :
El Dorado Lodge, No. 26, F. and A. M., located in Placerville, meets every Monday in their Lodge room, White's Building, Main street.
Georgetown Lodge, No. 25, F. and A. M., located in Georgetown, meets on Saturday evening preceding the full moon.
Diamond Lodge, No. 29, F. and A. M., located in Diamond Springs, meeting on Saturday evening preceding the full moon.
Hiram Lodge, No. 43, F. and A. M., located in El Dorado city, stated meetings held on Monday pre- ceding full moon.
Indian Diggings Lodge, No. 85, F. and A. M., located in Indian Diggings, meets on the second Saturday of each month.
Acacia Lodge, No. 92, F. and A. M., located in Coloma, holds meeting on Thursday of or preced- ing the full moon.
Mount Zion Lodge, No. 114, F. and A. M., lo- cated in Diamond Springs, meeting on Friday of or preceding the full moon.
Palmyra Lodge, No. 151, F. and A. M., located in Placerville, meets on Thursday preceding the full moon in the Odd Fellows' Hall.
El Dorado Chapter, No. 4, Royal Arch Masons, located in Diamond Springs, meeting on the rst and 3d Fridays of each month.
Saint James Chapter, No. 16, Royal Arch Masons, located in Placerville, meets on each rst Wednes- day of the month in White's building, Main street.
Pilot Hall Lodge, No. 160, F. and A. M.
Acacia Lodge, No. 92, Coloma ; chartered by the Grand Lodge sitting at Sacramento May 8th, 1856. Alex. G. Abell. . Grand Secretary
Addison Martin . Grand Treasurer
W. H. Howard. Grand Master
J. H. Raymond .. Sen. Grand Warden
T. A. Thomas Deputy Grand Master
Samuel A, Merritt, Jr. . Grand Warden
Petitioning Members-Thomas M. Reed, Thomas Robertson, Thomas H. Williams, J. Morris, J. N. Sanford, James Darant, A. W. Cullum, D. S. Smith, J. L. Chapman, C. J. Rackliff, Thomas Wren and others. Dispensation was granted October 8th, 1855.
The first meeting held was November 1st, 1855.
The charter members were, in addition to Thomas Wren and others, as copied above, Wm. M. McCon- nell, C. N. Noteware, M. Barowsky, C. G. Anderson J. Hedrick, H. S. Herrick, A. A. Van Guelder, Henry Mahler, A. Lohry, G. D. Hurlbert.
138
HISTORY OF EL DORADO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
First officers-T. M. Reed, W. M .; Thomas Robert- son, S. W .; Thomas H. Williams, J. W .; J. L. Chap- man, Treasurer pro tem; A. A. Van Guelder, Secre- tary pro tem ; C. N. Noteware, S. D. pro tem; M. Ba- rowsky, J. D. pro tem; H. S. Herrick, Tyler pro tem.
The first business of the meeting was to elect officers and the following persons were elected :
William McConnell. Treasurer
A. A. Van Guelder Secretary
C. N. Noteware
Senior Deacon
J. L. Chapman
Junior Deacon
A. W. Cullum Steward
M. Barowsky Steward
H. S. Herrick Tyler
D. C. Mckinney was the first person made a Mason. Newell Grace was the first petitioner and first to take a degree.
The Masters have been : Thomas M. Reed, 1855- '56 ; A. W. Cullum, 1857-'53; George H. Gilbert, 1859 ; A. W. Cullum, 1860-'61 ; J. B. Maxley, 1862; George H. Gilbert, 1863; Robert Chalmers, 1864- '65-'66-'67-'68 ; A. J. Christie, 1869-'70; H. B. Newell, 1872-'73-'74'-75 ; C. P. Young, 1876-'77- '78-'79; Frank Nicholls, 1880-'81-'82.
The membership is about 35. Meet in the I. O. O. F. hall. The Lodge is out of debt and in good financial condition.
ODD FELLOWS' LODGES IN EL DORADO COUNTY.
The following are the names of lodges of Odd Fel- lows in this county, the time and place of meeting of each, and names of the principal officers installed at the commencement of the term, July rst, 1871 :
Diamond Springs Lodge, No. 9-Diamond Springs. Matthew Lind, N. G .; M. S. Gilbert, V. G .; E. Brad- bury, E. and P. S .; E. Willow, Treasurer. Night of meeting-Wednesday.
Morning Star Lodge, No. 20-Placerville. Organized February 9th, 1854. Whit. H. Hill, N. G .; Wm. Kemp, V. G .; J E. Dean, R. S .; I. Glynn, Treasurer ; J. M. Anderson, P. S. Night of meeting-Saturday.
Coloma Lodge, No. 27-Coloma. * James Cockbill, N. G .; G. D. Endress, V. G .; Ernest Mortensen, R. and P. S .; Robert Chalmers, Treasurer. Night of meeting-Saturday.
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