USA > California > Del Norte County > History of Del Norte County, California : with a business directory and travelers guide > Part 4
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Orleans Bar, the new county seat, was the scene of un- usual activity. Hundreds of pack mules passed through the place, destined for the upper Klamath and Salmon. Traders were driving a brisk business, miners were doing well, several new buildings were in course of construction, and competition among the business men ran very high. Goods were plenty and cheap, and good living could be had at a lower rate than at any other place on the coast.
Mines were also discovered in the Bald Hills, about six miles from Crescent City, and during the summer the miners there went to great expense in sinking shafts, building flumes, etc, A town was laid out and named Vallardville, after a prominent French citizen, A. Vallard. A company from San Francisco were operating at this place with hydraulic power, probably the first attempt of the kind ever made in the county.
At the 2d session of the 33d Congress an appropriation was made for the erection of a light-house at Crescent ('ity. The sum appropriated was $15,000. A site was selected for the structure in June of the same year.
The first difficulty between the whites and the Chinese occurred in the latter part of June. A company of Chi- nese had abont nine months before purchased a claim on the North Fork of Salmon River of a party of white men. They worked it without much suceess until the latter part of June, when they struck rich pay dirt, and the parties who had sold it to them, discovering that they (the Chinese) were making money, jumped the claim. The Chinamen sued the white men and recovered judg-
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HISTORY OF DEL NORTE.
ment for the possession of the claim. The Sheriff of the connty proceeded under the judgment and put them in possession of it, and thinking all was right, returned to Orleans Bar. As soon as he had left, the same parties again jumped the claim, and drove the Celestials off. The local officers summoned a posse of citizens to reinstate the Chinamen, but were resisted by the party claiming pos- session, whereupon they opened fire upon them, killing one man. The rest of the jumping party were arrested by the citizens, and held to answer for their misconduct.
Whether they were punished or not the records do not show; but ten chances to one they were not, for justice in Klamath county, in districts remote from Crescent City, especially, was administered in the rudest and most prim- itive way. The Justices of the Peace, as a rule, knew more of " bean poker " than of Blackstone, and it was sel- dom that their decisions were given according to the law and evidence.
To illustrate the scenes which often occurred in these courts of justice, the following is related of a certain Jus- tice's court. It must be premised that the Justice was noted for being irritable and passionate, and consequently, that the " boys " were in the habit of playing jokes upon him.
The defendant, who was brought up for breaking furni- ture, etc., in a house of rather delicate reputation, had made himself particularly obnoxious to the Justice by his practical jokes. The scene is given as it is said to have occurred, and readers are advised as all pious people should do, to skip the "cuss " words.
The defendant is brought into Court, whereupon. the Justice rising and arranging his spectacles to give him a better view, addresses him, " Well, you d-d long, slab- sided scoundrel, you're here, are you? I have been look- ing for you a long time, and now I've got you."
Counsel for the prisoner ---- " If the Court please, I appear
-
47
A GAME OF " KEARDS."
as counsel for the defendant, and would request that you address yourself to me."
Justice ---- " You be d-d; you must be a blacker hearted villian than he is to come here backing him up in such performances as this."
Counsel- -- " But, Uncle Robert, you must not decide this case without hearing it. You must have some proof."
Justice ---- Proof, h- 1, haint I been there myself?"
It is needless to add that the defendant was committed for trial.
At another time the prosecuting attorney in a certain case went on to state, "That on such a night, at such a place, in such a county and State, Ben Strong did, in a quiet game of "keards" called euchre, with Joe Short, with malice aforethought and evident intention to rob, steal and swindle, 'turn up' a point more than he had made, thereby unlawfully taking the plaintiff's money."
Ben was also accused of "renigging." Two witnesses were examined as to the character of the opposing parties. Each of the attorneys made a speech and put the case in as strong a light as possible. Then came the " charge:"
" Gentlemen of the jury," commenced the Squire very gravely, "the pints in this here case, like angels visits are few and far betwixt. The Court knows nothing about euc bre, and never did, but she knows a few about law, gentlemen of the jury The Court has went through Blackstone, on law, twice, and she has read Snugg's ' seven-up;' and, gentlemen of the jury, she bas picked up a good many pints on 'poker'; but she aint nowhere in 'euchre,' and never was. But, gentlemen of the jury, the Court thinks she understands the pints in this case. Ben Strong and Joe Short they played at ten dollars ante, and Ben he won. Will you, gentlemen of the jury, fine Ben for winning? Who wouldn't like to win? Not even the Court herself. But you kin do as you please about it. Then the . opposit ' attorney says that Ben he cheated.
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HISTORY OF DEL NORTE.
But, gentlemen of the jury did he prove that pint? No, he didn't begin to do it. Ben Strong plays a fair game at 'keards.' The Court has played 'old sledge' and 'whiskey poker' with Ben for the last two years, and he never catched him stocking the papers or turning the Jack from the bottom. But, gentlemen of the jury, you kin do as you please with Ben. The pints in the case, then, gentle- men of the jury, are, first: Ef you find that Ben Strong won Joe Short's money, it is clear that Ben hilt the best keards. Second: Ef you find that Joe lost his money, it is clear that Joe was in d-d bad luck. These, gen- tlemen of the jury, are all the pints in the case, and you kin retire ---- and don't be out long, for Ben is going to treat the whole court."
The jury, without leaving their seats rendered a verdict of " not guilty," after which the winning side, headed by the Court, adjourned to a saloon to imbibe. The "oppo_ sit " side, headed by Joe Short, left in disgust.
The Board of Supervisors of Klamath county met at Orleans Bar, the county seat, on the first Monday in Au- gust, and found that the affairs of the county were in a very bad condition. The Treasurer's books had not been properly made up, and according to the books of the Au- ditor, a large amount of money had been unaccounted for by the Sheriff. In view of these facts, the Boar I refused to levy any county tax for that year. The Sheriff had already reported that no property taxes had been collected for the past year.
All this may have been very pleasing to the tax payers, but it was certainly the means of involving the county in a maze of financial difficulties, which it required years to set right.
New and rich mines were discovered on Elk Creek, a stream which empties into the Klamath abont one half a mile below Happy Camp. Men were rushing there from all points ---- numbers having even left the far famed Scott's
49
CRESCENT CITY ROAD COMPANY.
Bar. It was estimated that three hundred men were at work, and none of them making less than from $10 to $20 per day. The diggings were very extensive, in fact the whole surrounding country so far as it had been pros- pected proved to be rich.
In December the Crescent City Plank Road and Turn- pike Company perfected their preliminary organization by electing W. A. Hamilton President of the Company; T. S. Pomeroy, Secretary; Henry Smith, Treasurer. Three gentlemen were selected to examine and report the most favorable route for a wagon road. Two years before a company had been formed to construct a wagon road from Crescent City to Illinois Valley, and a survey was made. A large portion of the stock had been taken, when the derangement of business caused by the failure of Adams &: Co., Page, Bacon & Co., and many other San Francisco houses of less importance, caused an abandonment of the project.
The new company was formed with the same end in view, but with the advantage of having a new route, over which a road could be built for much less money than over that selected by the old company. The estimated cost of the new road was $50,000, and the estimate of revenue expected to be derived from it was $40,000 a year.
The Legislature of 1857- 8 passed a bill providing for the division of Klamath county, an I for the creation of the new county of Del Norte. It was first named "Buchanan, " but the Committee on Counties and County Boundaries, to whom was referred a bill to establish the new county and detine its boundaries, reported it back with the amendment, the name of the county, " Buchanan," be struck out and that " Del Norte " be inserted in its stead.
Mr. Cofforth moved to amend the Committee's amend- ment by striking out " Del Norte " and inserting " Alta."
Mr. Merritt suggested " Altissima," as it was the farthest county north.
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HISTORY OF DEL NORTE.
Mr. Cosby suggested " Rincon."
Mr. Westmoreland moved to strike out "Del Norte" and insert " Del Merrit."
The question being taken on these amendments, they were all lost, and after a little more sparring, the amend. ment " Del Norte " was substituted for " Buchanan," by a vote of 14 to 6, and the bill passed.
It located the seat of Justice at Crescent. City, and ordered an election held in May, 1857, for the election of county officers. For Senatorial purposes Del Norte was attached to Klamath, and for Judicial purposes to the 8th Judicial District. The bill also provided that Del Norte pay one third of the indebtedness of Klamath county, and that it was to issue bonds therefor, bearing ten per cent. per annum interest, to Klamath county. Twenty per cent. of the taxes and other monies received by the Treas- urer of Del Norte was ordered to be set aside as a sinking fund for the redemption of said bonds; and the sum arising from this twenty per cent. was to be appropriated annu- ally to the redemption of said bonds. The Board of Supervisors of Del Norte county were authorized to levy a special tax, not to exceed twenty-five cents on each one hundred dollars of valuation of taxable property in said county; the fund arising from said special tax to be ap- plied, in addition to the twenty per cent. above mentioned. to the liquidation of the debt due to Klamath county.
The boundaries of Del Norte county were declared to be as follows: "Commencing at a point in the Pacific Ocean. three miles from shore, on 42d parallel of north latitude, and running thence southerly three miles from shore to a point one mile south of the mouth of Klamath River; thence easterly, on a line parallel with said Klam- ath River, to a point one mile south of the mouth of Blue Creek; thence in a north-easterly direction to the summit of the Siskiyou Mountains; thence in an easterly direction, following the ridge that divides the waters of Clear Creek
51
.
DEL NORTE COUNTY CREATED,
from the waters of Dillon's Creek, to the Klamath River, at a point equi-distant from the mouth of said Dillon's Creek and the mouth of said Clear Creek; thence across Klamath River, and in an easterly and northerly direction to said Klamath River, at the head of the canon, (said canon being about five miles above the mouth of Indian Creek, and between Eagle Ranch and Johnson's Ranch,) following the ridge of the mountains, and heading the waters that flow into said Klamath River, on the south side, between the two points last beforementioned; thence crossing the river, and in a northerly direction following the ridge dividing the waters that flow into the river above from the waters that flow into the river below the place of crossing, to a point on the 42d parallel of north latitude, due north from the head of said canon; and thence west to the place of beginning."
As may be seen from the above, the boundaries em- braced all the country on both sides of the Klamath River as high as a point five miles above the month of Indian Creek, and as far down that river as a point half-way be- tween Clear Creek and Dillon's Creek, taking in Elk Creek and the mining country thereabouts; in fact includ- ing the points of Happy Camp, Elk Creek, Wingate's Bar, Spanish Bar, Clear Creek, Indian Creek, Forks of Smith's River, and Crescent City and the adjoining country,
U. B. Freaner, J. T. Bayse, Peter Darby, R. B. Morford and P. H. Peveler were appointed a Board of Commis- sioners to divide the county into three Supervisor Districts, to designate election precincts, to appoint officers of elec- tion, to receive the returns, and to issue certificates of election to those entitled to the same.
The month of April, 1857, brought the heaviest immi- gration to Del Norte that had ever been known during the same length of time. Over 450 passengers were landed at the port of Crescent City within three days.
On Monday, May 4th, 1857, the election for county offi-
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HISTORY OF DEL NORTE.
cers for the new county of Del Norte took place, and the officers elected were: County Judge, F. E. Weston; County Clerk, Ben. Reynolds; Sheriff, N. Tack; District Attorney, Jno. P. Haynes; Treasurer, E. Y. Naylor; As- sessor, Solon Hall; Coroner, Jasper Houck; Surveyor, D. C. Lewis; Public Administrator, Jno. T. Boyce. The Supervisors elected were: First District, Wm. Saville; 2d, Ward Bradford; 3d, P. H. Peveler.
The Democratic party in Del Norte county was first organized at the Excelsior Saloon, Crescent City, May 16th, 1857. Jno. P. Haynes, on behalf of a Committee of three appointed to select a County Committee, submitted the names of the following persons to form such County Committee: Crescent City, T. S. Pomeroy, Pat McManus and Peter Darby; Smith's River Valley, Isaac Warwick; Indian Creek, P. H. Peveler; Happy Camp, Mr. Lippard; Klamath River, R. Humphreys.
Pursuant to notice, the stockholders in the Crescent City Plank and Turnpike Company met in the theatre in Crescent City, on the evening of the 4th day of June, for the purpose of electing officers of said Company. W. A. Hamilton was elected President, T. S. Pomeroy, Secretary, and Henry Smith, Treasurer, to hold office for the term of one year. Messrs. J. W. Stateler, John A. Baxter, F. E. Weston, David Price, D. C. Dewis, E. Y. Naylor and J. G. Wall were elected Directors of the Company for one year.
An assessment of $10 on each share of stock was levied, and Marney & Davis, of Jacksonville, Jacob Mendenhall, of Illinois Valley, and J. R. Sloan. of Kirbyville, were ap- pointed agents to collect the same in their respective vicinities. Through the untiring exertions of the Presi- dent, W, A. Hamilton, all the stock in the enterprise had been subscribed for, to the amount of $50,000.
The summer of 1857 found Del Norte county in a pros- perous condition. And in taking a retrospective view of
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DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION.
their situation the people of Del Norte had much to con- gratulate themselves upon, and had good reason to expect a great increase in population, business and wealth during the years to come. The division of Klamath county had been accomplished and the new county of Del Norte cre- ated; and above all, the determination showu by the Ju- dicial officers of the new county to punish, and thereby prevent crime, augured a new era in the administration of county affairs, and an improvement in the moral tone of the community. Another object, the building of the wagon road across the mountains, could now be considered as certain of success.
During the months of March, April and May, the first business months of the year, there were landed at Crescent City 1278 tons of freight, and 1717 passengers. And the above may be taken as a fair criterion of the average bus- iness of the town in 1857.
The mines were also paying as well if not better than formerly. The miners on the Klamath were making good wages. On Indian Creek the miners were making an ounce per day to the hand.
The Crescent Hook and Ladder Company gave their third annual ball on July 3d. There was nothing remark. able about the ball, except the fact that the price of tickets was placed at $10 each; which would certainly be a remarkable occurrence in these days,
The Democratic Convention to nominate a Senator from this district, which was then composed of the coun- ties of Del Norte, Klamath and Siskiyou, met at Happy Camp on the 29th of July, 1857, and organized by electing Jno. P. Haynes, of Del Norte, President, and R. Haden, ofSiskiyou, Secretary. The number of votes allowed each county was as follows: Siskiyou, ten; Klamath, four; Del Norte, three.
On the first ballot D. J. Colton, of Siskiyou, was nomi- nated unanimously.
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HISTORY OF DEL NORTE.
Afterwards, the delegates from Klamath and Del Norte went into convention for the nomination of a candidate to represent those two counties in the Assembly, and nomi- nated R. P. Hirst, of Klamath county, for that office.
On Wednesday, September 2, a murder occurred that caused great excitement throughout this county and Sou- thern Oregon, and led to the belief that an organized band of cut-throats and robbers were plying their vocation in this part of the State.
Max. Rothenheim, a prominent merchant of Crescent City, was murdered and robbed in broad daylight on the trail leading from that place to Illinois Valley. The cir- cumstances, as detailed by Mr. Lewis, who was traveling with him at the time, are as follows: Rothenheim and Lewis stopped at Elk Camp (thirty miles from town) on the 1st of September, they being on their way from the mining districts to Crescent City. They took an early breakfast on the morning of the 2d, and started on. They had got about a mile on their way, when Lewis, who was in advance, heard someone order them to " halt," and looking up saw a man standing ahead of them in the trail, masked, and with a shot-gun presented at him. He sang out to Rothenheim to shoot him, and jumped from his horse. As he touched the ground the man fired, and Lewis' horse was struck by several buck-shot. He seized the bridle of his horse and ran down the trail with him some twenty-five yards, when he heard another shot and saw Rothenheim fall. As he fell someone said, "you're safe," and he then saw another man, also masked, and with a revolver. Rothenheim's mule was running, and the first man he saw cried out, " never mind the mule, shoot the man." Lewis' horse had fallen dead and he continued his flight, and by a circuitous route returned to Elk Camp, where he remained until the Express train came along, and accompanied it in to town. On arriving at the scene of the murder they found the dead horse, but
55
MURDER OF MAX ROTHENHEIM.
could not see anything of the body of Rothenheim, the murdered man.
As soon as the news reached town the excitement was intense, and Coroner Houck and Deputy Sheriff Riley with a party started at once to search for the body. It was found some twenty yards from the trail, where Ro- thenheim had apparently laid down himself, as his attitude was perfectly easy and natural, and there were no marks of his being taken there by violence. The body had been robbed of everything valuable. The amount of money Rothenheim had is not known, but it is known that he had made some collections in the mines, and that he also had about $700 belonging to another person.
The body was taken to Crescent City, where an inquest was held, after which it was shipped to San Francisco for interment. At the inquest to enquire into the cause of the death the following verdict was found:
"The jury empaneled to enqire into the cause of Max Rothenheim's death find as follows, viz: That the said Max Rothenhein came to his death by a gun-shot wound inflicted by some person or persons to the jury unknown. That said killing was committed in the county of Del Norte, State of California, about one mile from Elk Camp, on the road from Crescent City to Illinois Valley, and oc curred on the 2d day of September, 1857. We are also of the opinion that the crime of murder was committed with the design of robbery, by two or more persons, and we have reason to suspect Bill Judd and accomplices of the perpetration of the crime."
Many different theories were advanced as to how and by whom the murder of Max Rothenheim was committed, but through all the contradictory opinions expressed, one conviction forced itself into the minds of all-that this portion of the State, which had before been free from the drepredations of the gangs of highwaymen who had in- fested other parts of it, could no longer be exempt from
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HISTORY OF DEL NORTE.
their rascally deeds. It was thought by many that an organized band of robbers and murderers had their haunts in Northern California and Southern Oregon, and that these bands had friends and agents everywhere. That all parties coming to Crescent City from the interior, who were known or supposed to have money with them, were watched there can be no question. Besides the murder of Rothenheim on the trail, there had been, within a week previous to it, two robberies committed, one in Crescent City and one in Smith's River Valley. Men known to be bad and desperate characters had been seen in various parts of the county, though fortunately perhaps for them- selves, they did not remain.
Ely Judd and Bill Judd, two brothers, were supposed to be the murderers, and one of them, Ely, was arrested by the citizens of Happy Camp and kept a prisoner for three days. He then managed to make his escape. He was followed some distance up the river by Henry Doolittle and others, but was uot recaptured at the time.
The " Metropolitan Theatrical Company," from San Francisco. made their first appearance in Crescent City on Monday evening, September 28th, 1857. The plays se- lected were " Perfection " and " Loan of a Lover." The circumstance making the " Metropolitan's" worthy of no- tice in these pages is, that among them was one who was destined to receive the homage of the world; whose acting would some day delight and amuse thousands upon thous- ands of people; whose lightest word and slightest gesture upon the stage would hold countless audiences spell-bound, and bring hundreds of admirers to her feet.
All history has shown that the greatest men and women of any age rose from the lower walks of life, and step by step, mounted the ladder of fame, until they reached the . topmost round. And they have sprung from the most unexpected and unlikely places; from hot-beds of vice and crime, they have passed unscathed to a higher and a better
57
LITTLE LOTTA.
1
life; from the lowest and most degrading surroundings, they have risen to be shining lights in the constellation of dramatic, literary and scientific celebrities. In the words of the poet:
" All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in hi- time plays many parts."
And it is not surprising that upon the stage of a small theatre in a far off California town, one of the most cele- brated actresses of modern times " made her entrance" into public notice, and laid the foundation for a great suc- cess upon the stage.
This member of the " Metropolitan" troupe was no other than the now famous Lotta -- - whose naive ways, sweet, childish voice, and nimble feet were even then giving promise that she might, with careful training, achieve a high position in her profession. She had already becomo a capital little actress, but it was on this tour through Northern California and Southern Oregon that she first gained a secure hold on the good-will and admiration of the public. The troupe played through the week in Cres- cent City to full houses, afterwards leaving for the interior, where they met with equally large and enthusiastic audi. enees
The Board of Examiners appointed under the provisions of the Act of the Legislature of 1856 -7 dividing Klamath county and creating the new county of Del Norte, con- sisting of Messrs. Lewis, Peveler, McDonald and Buel, met at Orleans Bar on the third Monday in September, and proceeded to the discharge of their duties. They first went to work to ascertain the indebtedness of Klamath county prior to the 4th day of May, 1857, and finding it impossible to do so in any other way, fixed upon the pro-
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HISTORY OF DEL NORTE.
ceedings of the Funding Commissioners of Klamath county as the basis of said debt, notwithstanding a large number of bill's had been audited by the Supervisors of that county since the organization of Del Norte, the most of which were audited at a special term in June, 1857. The whole of this bill was $5,534.85.
It was problematical whether Del Norte was properly responsible for any portion of this amount, in the auditing of which she had no voice; but taking into consideration the distracted condition of the county government of Klamath prior to May, 1857. the death of her Treasurer, the resignation of her Assessor, the default and abscond- ing of her Sheriff, and the necessity that existed of having all claims against her audited before the funding of her debt, the Examiners thought it best to take the amount funded by Klamath as the amount of her debt previous to May 4th, deducting from it, however, the debts incurred by Klamath during the month of May, That amount, making allowances for back licenses collected by Klamath, and also for warrants redeemed by her from her own funds, was in all $26,843.54. This then, was the amount to be divided between the two counties.
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