USA > California > Amador County > History of Amador County, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 38
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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 eopper 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 " Mcader, 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, ear 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 commeree) which was soluble in water. The water, being 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 eopper 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 eopper 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
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JACKSON.
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.
Reduction 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.
CHAPTER 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 Drytown 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 wintercd 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, there 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 three 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 Rancheria and Drytown, the other by way 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 R. 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, Steckler, Captain Dunham, and others, came soon after Evans. Levinsky had a large store for many years, as also did Steckler. 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), onc, 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 Reeves' (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
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HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
stablo and the Brandy and Sugar llotel. 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 ont 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 Aets 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 after the removal of the county seat, Joe Donglass, 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 affair. 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 publie 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 Ione 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, Hutchinson, 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.
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RESIDENCE AND RANCH OF 320 ACRES JEFFERSON BAIRD. 3 MILES N.E. FROM PLYMOUTH, AMADOR CO CAL .
LITH. BRITTON & REY J.F
RESIDENCE AND LUMBER YARD OF E.S. POTTER. PLYMOUTH, AMADOR C9 CAL.
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JACKSON.
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 scat.
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 theirlong 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.
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 was about all the preaching that Win- ter. Davidson and his three partners (of what was called the Minister Quartz Company, working at Amador), preached occasionally 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 Ione, especially, he won the enmity of saloon-keepers and gamblers. The first church was built in 1853 by subscriptions, costing two thousand dollars.
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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
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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 thein, induced them to go to school and otherwise cared for them. Geo. O. Ash, now a leading member of the Methodist Episcopal Church in this State, owes his. carly 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 cleeted. 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 for doing 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 nolle prosegui 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 opinion 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 publie places. The works were on the ground occupied by the rear of R. W. Palmer's stable. 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 cañon 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 be 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 sca.
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