USA > California > Amador County > History of Amador County, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 48
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The main branch of Sutter creek where Halsted, Bryant, and Henry W. Jones had their ranches, was also immensely rich in places. The Italians mostly worked this, some of whom carried away twenty-five thousand dollars each. Red gulch, for- merly called Hines gulch, along the eastern side of the limestone, has also been rich. Recently large machinery was fitted up on this place to run dirt up an inclined plane to a dump box, but the great ex- pense of raising the dirt, and the amount of water to contend with, induced the proprietors, Moyle & Co., to change their plan of working.
VOLCANO TUNNEL.
A joint-stock company was formed, nearly all the ground on the flat on the south branch as well as on the main creek purchased, and a tunnel started.
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HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
This was a bold project; its length is two thousand three hundred and fifty feet and strikes the flat forty- two feet lower than the present outlet. The opening or dimensions are eight feet square, with a grade of two inches to the rod. In other days this would have been impracticable, but with the aid of modern machinery it has been comparatively casy. The compressor drill will strike two hundred and fifty times a minute, and requires but one man to manage it. It takes but little room, makes no mistakes, and though apparently spiteful, is more subject to control than horse, mule or man power. The tunnel was commenced four years since, working from both ends; the workmen met about the first of January, 1881. The work is estimated to have cost nearly two hundred thousand dollars. Like all projects of this kind it has its prophets of good and evil. It will take a year or more to carry the works up to Red gulch, where the heaviest pay is expected. It is to be hoped that the investment may pay.
FORMER PROJECTS FOR LOWERING THE OUTLET.
In 1854 J. W. Bicknell, William Grubb, Odell, Davis, and Harmon, ran a bed-rock flume up the Volcano cañon. The intention was to make only a straight channel for a flume and make the pay out of the waste from the claims above. This did not pay, and in 1857 Thomas and John Goodwin, Cap- tain Richards, McGrath, and others, commenced blasting up through with the intention of lowering the outlet fifteen feet. The work was more expen- sive than was calculated, on account of the hardness of the rock, which would require a fresh drill every inch; and the work was abandoned by the company, and was finished by Gonan for the Amador Canal Company, to aid the sale of water. The channel was narrow and rough, and did not have the carry- ing capacity to convey the water in a rise, and it was found impracticable to keep it open, and was aban- doned.
About the same time that the last project was started, Judge Black, a lawyer of Volcano, organized a company to tunnel through the cañon, much like the present tunnel project, making a shorter tunnel with less depth for outlet. A few hundred dollars exhausted the resources of the projectors, who, not being practical miners, could not obtain the con- fidence of capitalists, and the project was soon abandoned.
The largest population was in 1855, the place cast- ing nearly one thousand two hundred votes in that season. The population was by no means permanent, having been attracted to the place by the reports of rich mines that would pay down an indefinite depth. It remained at about that figure until the Table Mountain excitement in Tuolumne county, in 1856. That drew away a great many, and the Frazer River boom a year or two later, drew off a still greater number. Notwithstanding some discoveries in quartz and many good claims which continued to pay, the place showed a steady decrease in population until
abont 1876, when, in consequence of some important discoveries in quartz, notably the Hanford and Downs mine, the Golden Gate and the Pioneer, a reaction set in. Volcano may now be reckoned as a promis- ing town again. Some new buildings are being erected and old ones repaired and enlarged.
FIRES.
Volcano has had rather a large share of destruc- tion in this way. The first large fire occurred in August, 1853, commencing in the Eureka Hotel, kept by Myers. This occurred near midnight. The house had just been built, was a two-story building, costing perhaps five or six thousand dollars. There was no bell or other means of arousing the people, and the first alarm was the shooting of revolvers like fire-crackers, the progress of the fire being so rapid that the boarders had not time to remove their personal property. The building being of a light and combustible material, was soon consumed. The flames spread north towards the National Hotel, and south towards the creek, consuming several buildings, Myers and Duke (the latter owning the store at the junction of the old streets, near the present St. George, which is on the site of the old Eureka,) being the principal losers. But for the fact that there was a deep hole of water in the vicin- ity, the whole town would have burned. A line of buckets was quickly formed and a stream of water poured upon the adjacent buildings, and the fire stayed.
THE LARGEST FIRE
Occurred in November, 1859. This commenced in a bakery on the corner of Consolation and Main streets, about seven o'clock in the morning. The buildings were very dry, no rain having yet fallen. The hook and ladder company, the only organized fire company, attempted to arrest it by pulling down buildings, but without success, as the ruins could not be dragged out of the way in time to keep them from taking fire, and the buildings down the street as far as Thurston's store were all consumed. Dur- ing the early part of the fire it progressed towards the lower end of town against a gentle breeze from the south-east; but the wind soon freshencd and drove it back on its first course, burning the build- ings on the back streets that had been saved in its first movement. The Mahoney Hall and the build- ings north of Consolation street were saved by covering them with wet blankets. There is no recorded list of losses obtainable, but the following are among some of the larger ones, the aggregate being about sixty thousand dollars :-
Henry Fredericks $ 3,000
J. Goldsworthy. 2,000
Else Estate 1.000
Ballard's National House (built in 1851)_
Gerhard Spohn & Co. 2,000
3,000
Fridenburg's Saloon and Bakery 4,000
B. F. George's Empire Hotel (formerly Eureka) 10,000
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VOLCANO AND VICINITY.
The losses numbered about twenty-five, the build- ings being partially insured. It was late in the season, but by the first of January most of the burned district was rebuilt. The goods saved were stored in Clute's and Handford's stores until new ones were built. The town quickly recovered from this fire.
FIRE OF 1862.
This occurred in October, and commenced in the St. George Hotel (formerly Empire, Eureka), in the kitehen roof, burning the whole block on which it stood. The fire was arrested by tearing down Je- rome's livery stable.
Partial list of losses :-
B. F. George $10,000
Fridenburg's Saloon. 4,000
G. Spohn & Co. 3,000
FIRE OF 1865.
This commeneed in a building north of Hanford's store, burning all on that side as far as Whiting's shop; all the wooden buildings across the street, including the old Volcano Hotel, built by Gemmil in 1851, several residences, also several China stores. This part of the town was the first built, and con- tained many old landmarks, such as Mahoney Hall, Philadelphia House,* etc. Aggregate losses, twenty- five thousand dollars.
LOYAL FLAG.
Mahony Hall had been used as an armory by the Volcano Blues, an intensely loyal company. The flag was flying when the building took fire, and in the hurry and confusion was overlooked when they were compelled to leave the building, mueh to the regret of the Blues. The old flag refused to. burn or to fall, and waved in triumph until the tall fiag- staff burned off, when it fell beyond the fire, and was saved by the boys, who made a rush for it.
YEAR OF FIRES.
The year 1868 was called the year of fires, no less than five having occurred. Most of the buildings burned had been insured when property was high, and the town prosperous. When the town began to deeline, and property depreciate, the amount for which the buildings were insured was often greater than any sum for which they could be sold; hence a suspicion that the fires were not altogether acci- dental. The locality of the next fire was a matter of speculation based on the notoriously high insur- ance. The first fire was in Fabian's store, near the post-office, burning all ou that side of the street to Hanford's store, six or eight buildings being destroyed. By extraordinary efforts of Robert Stewart, Q. Mason, Pettis Williams, and Isaae Wbit- ney, who stood on Goldsmith's saloon and kept it wet, the fire was prevented from crossing the street. Some of these men fought the fire so closely that
their clothes were charred on them. The losses were about fifteen thousand dollars. Two or three weeks after, eleven o'clock at night, the fire broke out in a saloon and bakery, on the corner of Consola- tion and Main streets, owned by George Schaffer, burning all on that side down to Burleson's store. The flames reached over the store, setting fire to the next building, but by courageous efforts the fire was stayed at that point. Losses, about six thou- sand dollars. The next fire was in the bend south of the creek, burning Sorrocco's store, with the con- tents. Loss, about twelve thousand dollars. The next, two weeks after, at eleven o'elock at night, commenced in the stable belonging to Nicolas & Wendal, butehers, communicating to Fridenburg's saloon and bakery, and Mrs. Hemlin's dwelling- house. Losses, about eight thousand dollars, all insured. Fulton's dwelling-house was burned the same season. The fire commenced in the night, and was quelled, as it was thought, but soon after the house was found to be again in flames, and was soon destroyed.
HANFORD'S STORE.
One of the oldest and most expensive structures in town was burned in 1872. A kerosene lamp fell into the hatehway of the cellar, about nine o'clock in the evening, breaking in pieces and setting fire to the goods in the vicinity. The flames were extin- guished and no further trouble was apprehended, but the fire had unexpectedly communicated to the extensive stock of liquors, and flames were soon bursting out all over the cellar. A few minutes' attempt to put out the flames showed the doom of the building, and the hatchway was closed down, and as many goods removed as was possible, about four thou- sand dollars being saved. The removal of the goods, by as many as could work, was kept up until the floor commenced sinking, when all hands were ordered out and the doors closed. Soon after this the liquors, being raised to a boiling point by the great heat in the cellar, exploded, blowing out the rear of the store and raising the floors and roof a few feet, which fell in as they settled back, and the work of destruction was completed in a few minutes.
As there are some reports in circulation to the effect that this fire was contemplated to get the insurance, the author has taken some trouble in getting the true history of the matter. The stories that the goods had been secretly removed and empty boxes substituted; that the eords on which the lamps were suspended had been arranged so as to burn off; that a train of combustibles had been laid so as to connect with the inflammable liquors, may be true, but considered in connection with the known facts, that ten thousand dollars had recently been added to the stock; that Hanford seriously risked his life in saving the goods, being almost dragged out of the building after the floor had commenced sinking; that he left his watch and many valuable relics in his 'desk, which were destroyed, they seemed so improb-
"The writer had a residence for some time in one of these hotels in 1853, and begs leave to say if they were as densely populated as in that day, the destruction of life was inevitably enormous.
.
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HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
able that the insurance companies did not consider then worth notice.
The careful reader will notice that the site of the present St. George, owned by A. Petty, has been burned over three times, as well as the ground adjoining on the north. The first hotel, the Eureka, was burned in Angust, 1853; the second, by the same name, B. F. George proprietor, in 1859; it was next called the Empire, with the same proprietor, and was burned in 1862. B. F. George seemed to rise with the necessities of the occasion and twice raised it over the ashes, each time better than before. It still lives, perhaps the best hotel in the county.
MINER'S JOKE.
In an early day, Major Shipman, a favorite of the public and several times a County Clerk and other- wise honored with office, was mining in a tunnel in Volcano. One day he was rather unfortunate, a piece of steel from his pick breaking off and cutting him severely over the eye. The wound was more frightful than dangerous, and it occurred to him to sell some of his friends. He first called on the Good- win boys. They were alarmed at his appearance, the blood running freely over his face, and inquired how he got hurt. He told them he had a difficulty with a man by the name of Steel, whom he found in his tunnel; further inquiry elicited the fact that the man was still in the tunnel, and was likely to stay there until he was brought out. They thought it a matter of prudence to take the body ont of the tun- nel, for if found there it might make trouble when the miners found it out, and actually started off to remove the body, but returned when they found they were sold. They went to Jim Farley, known to be a warm friend of the Major's, and told him that Shipman had got into a serious difficulty. Far- ley immediately responded, and advised Shipman to leave the country, as the miners might lynch him if they got enraged, " if, as you say, every miner in the camp is a friend of Steel's." "Have you any money ?" says Farley. "None to speak of," replies Shipman. " Well," says Farley, " I have but little. I can get you two hundred dollars and a horse, and the sooner you are off the better." The Major's heart began to relent at the part he was playing, as Jim seemed to be quite alarmed, and the Major was obliged to explain. "Few and short were the prayers " Farley said, as he turned on his heel. " Oh, h -- 1!"-nothing more.
PLEASANT NOCTURNAL VISITOR.
Some time in the fifties, a showman, traveling with a tame bear, gave an exhibition at Mahoney Hall. During the following night, the bear escaped from its keepers, and started out in search of adventures. The rear part of the hall opened on the roofs and balconies of several buildings, and the bear made his way into a chamber occupied by a shoemaker, by the name of Poole, an odd, irascible character, who had been made the butt of many practical jokes.
When he felt the bed-clothing being dragged off, he thought the boys were at their old tricks again. He made a grab for the intruder, and was lucky enough to catch him by the scalp. The supposed boy mak- ing no resistance, Poole's courage rose to the occa- sion, and he determined to light a match, and see who had so often disturbed his slumbers. Now, Poole was considered the ugliest man in all those parts, his face, according to judges of physiognomy, indicating a decided progression, or divergence, towards the catfish type of animals. When the German match flashed into a bright flame, revealing the parties to each other, their astonishment was mutual. If Poole was terrified, so was the bear, which gave a horrible howl, and tumbled out of the window with all possible dispatch.
MURDER OF BECKMAN IN 1853.
This was attended with such unmitigated atrocities that the community was thoroughly aroused. Beck- man, a German, kept a store nearly in front of Mahoney Hall, and by his straightforward character had won the good opinion of all his acquaintances. One morning he did not open the store as usual. On examining the premises the rear door was found partly open, though not broken, and Beckman in his bunk alive, but speechless and insensible from a ter- rible cut with an ax, which had cleft his skull; the bloody ax, the broken safe or chest, in which he was known to keep his money, and other circum- stances, revealing the details and motives of the murder. It was ascertained that Chris, a German, mining on Mokelumne river in company with Harry Fox, an Englishman, had been in the habit of sleep- ing in the store on his occasional visits to the town; that he had been there at a late hour the previous evening. Other circumstances also pointed towards Chris and Harry as the criminals.
After a fruitless search for several days it was learned that they had left the State by the emigrant road. They were afterwards recognized on a Nica- ragua steamer by an eastern bound passenger, who had them apprehended and sent to California by a return vessel. On their way up, Chris threw himself overboard and was drowned. Fox was carried to Mokelumne Hill, and placed in jail to await his trial. He soon after escaped, the ten thousand dollars of which Beckman was robbed, being, possibly, a fac. tor in the matter. The fugitives had made their way towards the East as far as Salt Lake, where, fancying they were pursued, they turned towards Mexico, and made their way towards where they were arrested.
LYNCH LAW.
The only execution in Volcano under this code occurred in November, 1854. A young man from Arkansas, by the name of Messer, had, during the Summer, evinced a very bloodthirsty spirit, evi- dently desirous of " getting away with his man" as soon as convenient. He wore a knife in a conspicu-
RESIDENCE BRANCH OF J.H. HOLMAN, NEAR PLYMOUTH, AMADOR C, CAL.
LITH, BRITTON & REY S.P.
RESIDENCE AND RANCH OF S. C.WHEELER, NEAR PLYMOUTH, AMADOR C9 CAL.
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VOLCANO AND VICINITY.
ous manner, and often boasted of his ability to cut his way with it. He had already crippled for life a young man by the name of Byrne, in a trifling dis- pute over a game of eards, and, when the final offense was committed, there was no sympathy for him.
In the Autumn of that year a family by the name of McAllister had located in the town. The father and mother were ignorant, uncultivated people, and felt rather flattered than otherwise with the numer- ous visits to their house, the chief attraction being a girl of perhaps fourteen ycars. One evening, Messer and his three or four companions were refused admission. By listening at the door they had ascer- tained that several men were already in the house, and Messer's companions urged him to clean them out, promising to " baek him up." The door was fastened on the inside with a pin inserted in the door- post, a usual method of securing doors in new countries. Messer, familiar with this kind of lock, succeeded in prying the pin out with the point of his knife, and, opening the door, entered with his com- panions. The old man expostulated with him, begged that he would make no disturbance, and it seemed, put his hand on Messer's shoulder, though with- out using any force, or trying to eject him. Messer drew his ever-ready knife, and, with a baek-handed thrust, plunged it into the old man's bowels, com- pletely severing the liver from the body. The wound was of course fatal, the pallor of death com- ing over his features in an instant. This seemed to have satisfied Messer and his companions, who left immediately. Several young men in the house witnessed the affair, which was so sudden and uncx- pected that they could offer no resistance. They were, apparently, too astonished to raise an alarm, and could hardly give a coherent account of the mur- der. Mrs. McAllister raised the neighbors by yelling at the top of her voiee: " ____ , - jiminy, send for a doctor! " with a persistency that under less serious circumstances would have been quite laughable.
A general pursuit of the parties commenced, and Messer was apprehended in a short time and taken past the scene of the murder. He was now bellowing like a baby, his courage having failed at the sight of danger. The crowd passed over the bridge toward the town. At the Miners' restaurant they halted a moment. In answer to the question-" What shall we do with hin? " the ery was " Hang him! hang him!" A proposition was made to do something for the widow, but no response was made. Up through the main street, every house helping to swell the stream, no voiees, no sound but the dull tramp, tramp of hundreds of feet, the crowd made their way. At Consolation street they turned toward the Methodist church. Up that street, no one knew whither, to the foot of the hill, thence to the left, halting in a ravine to the north of the church where there was a leaning oak tree, the top of which was broken off twenty or thirty feet from the ground.
There was no consultation, no form of a trial; every- thing seemed to be done by common consent. Here an unsuccessful attempt was made, by Constable Scott, to arrest the lynching. Messer seemed to have partially recovered his self-command, gave some directions as to the disposal of his property, and the payment of a few dollars he was owing in the town. His last words were to this effect: " If I was right in killing him, God will forgive me; if I am wrong, I hope God will punish him," evidently referring to himself. There was so little noise that persons sleeping in houses a little way off heard nothing of the affair, and were much astonished, when they awoke in the morning, at seeing a dead man hanging so near them. There was no frantic excitement or rage, usually manifested on such occa- sions. The hanging seemed a foregone conclusion from the start.
Had this murder been committed by an influential man a quarter of a century later, a plea of hereditary insanity would probably have saved him from execu- tion or any other serious punishment. Messer was not insane; he was simply acting his ideal of man- hood. He had been edueated in that way; was taught that a gentleman must "get away with his man." Though the murder was of the most atro- cious character, without the motive of anger, revenge or lust, purely wanton, some might say thoughtless, he placed himself on trial before his God. " If I was right in killing him God will forgive me. If I was wrong I hope he will punish me."
Men ought not to be punished for acting up to their instincts or convictions. Crime is the result of moral and physical infirmities, modified by education and eircumstances, and to a great extent, is inevitable. Punishment is an absurdity, an impossibility. It does not restore the victim to his family or to society. The right to take the life of a criminal must rest on the broader ground of self-protection; that whether from choice or necessity, his further existence is not consistent with the security of life and property, and must cease. The present insecurity of life does not result so much from the want of law as from its refine- ments. The upper, not the lower classes, are now setting law at defianee.
Substantial justice had been done without the forms or delays of the law. No friends claiming the body for burial, it was taken by the doctors and skeletonized, some of the attending circumstances being revolting. Portions of the body were said to have been devoured by hogs, which had discovered the pool of water into which the remains were placed to disintegrate the flesh from the bones. The skel- eton was used to illustrate public lectures on anatomy and physiology. All the circumstances were such as to strike those criminally inclined with terror, if such a thing were possible. Mark the result. Among the most prominent of the volunteer executioners were Dr. Goodwin, who was shot in a row at Snelling's ranch; Si Maynard, who was hanged by a mob for
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HISTORY OF AMADOR COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
stealing cattle, and Johnson, who was hanged in Sierra county for murder. Mansur, who assisted, died shortly afterwards of consumption. These results are not related as retributive justice, but to show the frequent inutility of lynch law as a means of reform. or deterring others from committing crime. It often happens that in new countries like California crime precedes the organization of courts, compelling the community to fall back on the first principles of gov- ernment, by organizing in self-defense; but when it is necessary to anticipate courts, or supplement their inefficient anthority by "Judge Lyneh's" code, it should be done by those whose motives in undertak- ing it are unquestionable ; who look upon the pro- ceeding as a deplorable necessity, rather than as an act of vengeanee.
STAGE ROBBERIES.
This place has become noted for the stage rob- beries occurring in the vicinity. The hill was usually selected for the operation, the early morning bour at which the stage started for Sacramento also favoring the robbers. The largest robbery occurred May 1, 1872. A suspicion that an attack was contemplated caused the agent of the express company to send through a corresponding weight of rocks for several days, which went without disturbance. One morn- ing the bullion, worth about ten thousand dollars, was started. It was thought that no one had a knowledge of the affair, but when near the top of the bill the driver, Diek Hipkins, was confronted by two masked men with revolvers, who ordered him to dismount, which he did. One of the men mounted the box, took the lines and drove the team a short distance into the timber where the horses were unhitched from the coach. The men then proceeded to detaeh the treasure box from the wagon, after which it was broken open with an ax. After having taken out the treasure, the robbers told Hipkins to proceed on his way, the robbers taking the road to Voleano. John N. Boardman was arrested for the robbery, tried and acquitted. Several prominent men were suspected, but no other arrests were made. The express agency was disestablished and the ship- pers of dust have experienced mueh inconvenience in eonsequenee.
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