USA > California > Amador County > History of Amador County, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 41
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BLACK GULCH
Is the continuation of Murphy's gulch 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
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 aseended 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 eart-load. Madame Pantaloon, a woman dressed in man's elothing, 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, R. 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
* 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. + Boynton's nom de plume.
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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 eom- pany, under the superintendence of C. W. Tozier, an experienced miner, sunk one hundred and forty fect. 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 mueh 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 volcanie 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' 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 a bridge 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. He 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 ereek, 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 eorpse 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
LITH. BRITTON & REY, S. A.
RESIDENCE AND PROPERTY OF S.D.R. STEWART, SUTTER CREEK, AMADOR COUNTY, CAL.
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JACKSON.
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 placc 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 Huffaker'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 somc 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 Robinson, 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 usc for years, and particularly in a mill owned by Tupper and others, in a certain town in Vermont, 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, " Rather 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.
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HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
CHAPTER XXXI. IONE VALLEY AND VICINITY.
First White Men in Ione Valley-First House-First Ranches- Judge Lynch-Starkey's Case-First Mill-Fun with Griz- zlies-Origin of Name lone-First Sehool-First Flour Mill -First Brick Store -- Methodist Church-Centennial-Pres- ident's Address-Extraets from Poem-Extracts from Ora- tion-Ione in 1876-Railroad-Stockton Narrow-Guage- Galt Road-Overflows-Fires-Buena Vista-First Settle- ment-Mining-Arroyo Sceo Grant-Dispossession of Settlers -l'resent Appearance-Buckeye Valley-Irish Hill-Quiney -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 junetion of Dry ereek, Sutter ereek, and Jackson creek, soon after they leave the mountains.
Who has not heard of Ione valley. Whether one rides over the dusty plains from Sacramento, or deseends from the pine-clad hills of the Sierras, Ione eomes on his view like the realization of a dream. None ever saw but to admire. When the plains are sweltering in heat, when the seanty herbage is with- ering under a seorehing sun, Ione is green and delightful. The tall oaks send their long, flexible limbs to the ground, reminding one of tropical seenes. The wild grape-vine elimbs to the topmost bonghs, 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 aere; but the melons, forty or fifty pounds in weight, wild oats half an ineh 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 Seeo 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 prospeeting 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
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 Ione on his way to Big Bar, on the Mokelumhe river, in 1848. At that time a man was mining on a gulch emptying into the ereek on the north side of the town, this being soon after Hicks opened his store near Judge Carter's residence. It is said that the man made seven thousand dollars with a roeker in a short time. There was but one house in Jackson, a Spanish eart doing duty as a house near where the National Hotel now stands. The first mining of which any knowledge can be obtained, was by a Mexiean early in 1848, before Hicks had pastured eattle here. The Mexican told Indian Tom that the oro (gold) would buy beef and sugar, which indneed 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 prospeeting 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 Hieks and Moses Childers, who erossed 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 exeursion to the mountains, and eamped 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 erowd 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 stoek busi- ness, buying eattle 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 Hieks 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 eart. They sold all sorts of trinkets to the Indians, such as beads, jewsharps, ealieoes, and-whisky. They received gold-dust in exchange. Extravagant prices ruled. A bottle of
*This chapter is largely made up from the Centennial address of the Hon. C. B. Swift. When practicable, his own words are used.
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IONE VALLEY AND VICINITY.
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. Robert 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 raneh 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 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 Ione Harnett by its parents, who then resided on the place now owned by the Winters brothers. The 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 Courtright, who won back the entire proceeds of the collection.
It may be proper to state that the present represen- tatives of the cloth in Ione 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 Hieks' 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 eutting 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 eattle 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 preseribed 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, Robert Reed, voted no. The crowd turned fiercely upon him, demanding his reasons for voting against the sentenee, and for awhile it seemed as if he also might be lynehed. He said that no man eould 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 eruel deliberation, for the greaser had feelings of his own to satisfy.
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