USA > California > Merced County > History of Merced County, California with biographical sketches of prominent citizens > Part 34
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Messrs. Buffum & Stockton were the first in this section to engage in the breeding of Angora goats, and we believe have found the business profitable. They have a reputation for fair dealing, and do not misrepresent the grade of their stock.
They sold in January, 1880, a lot of goats of high grade to parties in Butte County. They were eighty in number and bred on their farm. They were large, fat, and clad in fine fleeces of nearly a year's growth,
The Goat ranch consists of 640 aeres of grazing land, 200 acres nnder fence and sixty in crops of barley and wheat. Hay yields two tons per acre. There is a small orchard of a vari- ety of trees and about forty grapevines. Some two years ago they sold their cattle, and now keep only two milch cows, but of hogs 500 head, horses fourteen, and mules same number. The chief feature is their large hierd of 1,700 goats.
The have also a farm in Merced County, seven miles south of Merced, consisting of 640 acres, devoted to wheat. They man- age the farm themselves. Neither of them were ever married.
JOHN HAWKINS.
Hawkins' Ferry was established many years ago hy John Hawkins, He was a native of St. Lonis. He married a young lady who had been six months a captive among the Comanche Indians, Some fifty had been taken captive and William Bent purchased her freedom and that of two other girls.
He started for California in 1849 with several others under the guidance of the celebrated Captain Joe Walker. In June 1852, Hawkins moved to and located on the right bank of the Merced River abont three miles from its month. He died in 1858 leaving a widow, three sons and four daughters.
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY.
NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISES.
First Newspapers. Failures and Triumphs. The "Argus," "Express " and " Star" firmly established.
FIRST NEWSPAPER IN MERCED.
THE first newspaper ever printed and published in Mereed County was the Merced Banner, with Robert J. Steele as editor and publisher, and Mrs. Rowena Granice Steele as assistaut editor. The press and material which had been purchased by Mr. Steele, was that which had been used in the office of the Stanislaus Inde.c, at Knight's Ferry, Stanislaus County. After arrangements had been made, such as seeuring a good list of subscribers at five dollars each, and a respectable number of ads, a room for an office and a dwelling for the family, the next thing was to get the press and type over that thirty miles of road between Knight's Ferry and Snelling, then tbe couuty seat of Merced.
JOYFUL RECEPTION GIVEN THE PAPER.
Mr. Peter Fee, Sr., a highly respectable Norwegian gentle- man, who lived two miles from the town of Suelling, stepped forward and offered to bring it over with his ox-team. His offer was gladly accepted, and on the twenty fifth of June, 1862, a large number of people gathered in the little town, and with nervous expectation watched the coming of the bovine proces- sion. They were not kept loug in suspense, for before the sun sank on that bright June day, the horns of the oxen were seen, then the whole team and wagon, with its precious freight and brave driver, came winding down the bluff, and as the proces- sion neared the town shouts loud and strong went up, and their sound mingled with the dust, and the cheering was kept up until the tired oxen stopped in front of the office. Strong men volunteered to lift and carry, and in a short time everything belonging to a country printing office was safely landed inside the door. Then of course they all adjourned to the hotel to celebrate.
The next day Mr. Steele, with his little step-sons, Harry and George Granice, aged respectively nine and twelve years, set to work in good earnest to get out the first issue. Mr. Steele had promised the people that they should have the Banner, the morning after the glorious Fourth. So with his little type- setter and roller-boy he divided his time between the type and his pen, while Mrs. Steele plied tbe pen and scissors in the
interest of her department. And true to promise, the paper went forth on the fifth of July, 1862. Copies of the paper were sent gratuitously to one or more post-offices in all the Western and Southern States.
Mr. and Mrs. Steele had come to Merced to stay, and they meant to use their best endeavors to herald to the world the resources of Mereed County, and do all in their power with pen and type, to bring people from afar, who would develop the riehness of the land, thousands of aeres of which was at that time lying idle, and supposed by many to be worthless and unproductive. And for a short time their efforts were appre- ciated.
Then eame discord and political broils of a local nature; one wanted the paper edited in one way, to suit him, and another wanted it edited some other way, to suit his partieular fancy; but Mr. Steele could not accommodate all, so he went on in his own way for nearly two years.
The Banner was a Democratic paper, but not disloyal. It was not Democratic enough for some. Things were getting so unpleasant that Mrs. Steele withdrew her name from the paper as editress; still she continued to write domestic stories and pleasant locals.
DESTRUCTION OF PRESS AND TYPE.
But a change came! One morning in February, 1864, at about eight o'clock, while Mr. Steele was engaged in printing cards, the office door was thrown open and he found himself surrounded by a band of men dressed in blue and armed to the teeth. Four of them leveled their guns and requested him to step out into the street. " What is your business, gentlemen?" he said. " We have come to destroy this press and type," was the reply. Mr. Steele walked out, and then commeneed the lestruction. Mrs. Steele, who was busy preparing breakfast in a back room, hearing the terrible noise, eaught up her iufant son and run to the office door, but was ordered back. The scene was one of terror and confusion for about ten minutes, then the work was done; the type seattered, the press broken in pieces and the stove, which was full of fire, was upset, and the office was in a blaze. The brave fellows (?) twenty-eight in number, then rode off, calling out, " We are a band of broth- ers on our own hook."*
The fire was extinguished by Mrs. Steele and her little sons. Hundreds of men gathered in town as the news spread of the destruction, and by noon the Court House yard was filled with exeited people. But like many other things the excitement
*It was afterwards ascertained that this ruthless set of fellows were a com- pany of United States Cavalry, who had been sont from Benicia to Visalia under Captain Starr but had become so unruly that tho Captain had sent a request to headquarters to have them exchanged for a company of Infantry, and they were on their way back to Benicia and had reached Hill's Ferry, when they proposed to cross over to Suelling and "bust up the Banner office." Captain Starr refused to accompany them, and being defenseless wich twenty. eight armed mon on a desert, he could not detain them, The excuse of the ruffians was that certain articles reflecting upon them as soldiers had appeared in the Bunner, and they would have their revengo.
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VARIOUS NEWSPAPER ENTERPRISES.
died away, and no one was injured save Mr. Steele and his family. But even with this dark prospect Mr. Steele soon pieked up the type and got the press mended and went on with the paper. So with the aid of half a dozen little boys who volunteered, the type was all put into pans and Harry and George Steele commenced distributing. Mr. Steele, with the assistance of some friendly neighbors, got the press up on a : wooden leg, and the week following a very small Bunner came out of the chaos.
A few weeks later, a man by the name of Pieree came to Snelling, and by his bland manners and smooth tongue induced a wealthy gentleman, a resident of the county, to advance hin the money to purchase the good-will and remnants of the office. The arrangement was completed, and the paper eame out with a flashy name and bold and boasting editorials, But its life was short, for in less than a month the man was arrested and taken to Aleatraz. Then the paper was run a short time uuder a new name, with the late Free Lawrence as editor.
WEEKLY MERCED HERALD.
The following year, 1865, James W. Robertson and P. D. Wigginton assumed the proprietorship of the material and edited it at Snelling, under the name of the Merced Herald. In an introdnetory article they say: "Despite repeated efforts to permanently establish a newspaper in Mereed County, we have undertaken the publication of the Herald. Measuring our prospeet for sueeess by that of those who have preceded ns in this eounty, we bave little to induee us to tbe undertaking. We have ever believed that a newspaper properly eondueted could be made to live in Sneliing."
Six months after, P. D. Wigginton sold out to Robertson, who continued to run it till some time during the year 1867, wben he sold out to L. W. Tollott, wbo ran it for three months.
In August, 1868, Robert J. Steele returned to Snelling and rented the office and material from Tollott, and ran it still as the Herald, and during the year he met with suthieient sueeess to induee him to purchase au entire new office.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY ARGUS.
On the twenty-second of August, 1869, tbe San Joaquin Valley Argus made its first appearance from the new press. It was issued weekly until the twenty-ninth of March, 1873.
The county seat having changed, Mr. Steele found it to his interest to move his office to Mereed, and Saturday morning after mailing the issue of the twenty-ninth, the office was packed and taken to Mereed, a distance of eighteen miles; and on Satur- day, the fifth of April, the San Joaquin Valley Argus made its second bow to the residents of Merced City; where, until December, 1875, it was published in the interest of the Inde- pendent party. At that time financial troubles caused the type and press to fall into the hands of other parties. And in April,
1876, Mr. Steele purchased the old wooden-legged press and the original type from Mr. Tollott, of Snelling, and again the San Joaquin Valley Argus lived. But it was destined to another ehange.
On the second of April, 1877, the Argus office was attaelied on pretense of a belief that it was owned by another party, and, strauge to say, was falsely and fraudulently held by the Con- stable, Ed. Parker, for one year, and then as mysteriously returned to, as it was taken from, its rightful owner, Robert J. Steele.
Notwithstanding the office was closed, Mrs. R. G. Steele determined to start the paper, and on the fifth of January, 1878, The San Joaquin Valley Argus made its first appearance, with Mrs. Steele as editor and proprietor. It was wholly printed in San Francisco until April 5, 1879, when the press, type, and material were returned to the office, where it still does good service, with Mrs. Rowena G. Steele, publisher, and Robert J. Steele, editor.
The history of the press, type, and the indomitable owners, editors, and publishers of The Sun Joaquin Valley Argus, if given in full, would doubtless be the most astonishing history of curious events ever published.
THE MERCED PEOPLE.
This paper was started in Mereed City, March 23, 1872, with Harry H. Graniee as publisher and editor. It was a six- column paper, published in the interest of the people of Merced without regard to politics. Mr. Granice was a Republican in principle, but he felt that the time had not come for the suc- eessful publieation of a Republican paper in Merced. With the assistance of a young boy by the name of Nenman Jones, son of L. F. Jones of Mariposa, now a prosperons young lawyer of Mariposa, this energetic young man, twenty-two years of age, issned promptly every week a neat paper for fourteen weeks. In the meantime a Democratic paper was started, and young Mr. Granice very julieiously eame to the eonelusion that Mereed County at that time could not support three newspapers, so with a well-written valedictory he bowed himself out of the editorial ehair.
June 22, 1872, the editor says: "It is with feelings of regret, cireuinstances over which we have no control compel us to suspend the publication of the Merced People. Some three months ago we commenced its publication as a business enter- prise, * * but we have not received that support which would justify us in continuing its publication longer. We have been its editor, printer, proof-reader, canvasser, and 'devil' sinee the first number of our little paper was presented to the publie."
THE MERCED TRIBUNE.
The Merced Tribune was started at Mereed City, March, 1872, with L. F. Beekwith as editor and proprietor. It was
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY.
extremely Democratic in its principles. Mr. Beckwith was an experienced journalist, and gave to the public a good, readable paper. He bad purchased a house and lot and brought his family to Merced, with a desire to make it his future home. But the leaders of the party became dissatisfied with him because they could not inold him to their will. He was heard to say, "Gentlemen, in politics I can be very bitter and vin- dictive, but when you wish me to attack private character and think that I will, you are mistaken in your man." Mr. Beck- with left many warm friends at Merced. The paper continued to be published as the Tribune until December, 1875. It then changed bands, becoming the property of the Stoneroad Broth- ers, and was called the Merced Express.
MERCED EXPRESS.
In the year 1875, the residents of the little town of Merced, California, had cast over them a cloud of sorrow by the sad news of the untimely death of Edward Madden, Esq, the editor and proprietor of a paper published in this county known as the Merced Tribune.
Soon after the occurrence of this dleath several enterprising citizens of the county, viz., Messrs. P. D. Wiggington, Patrick Carroll, A. J. Meany, E. M. Stoddard aud Samuel C. Bates, Esqrs., purchased the material of the late Tribune office and forming themselves into a company, known and styled as the Merced Publishing Company, commenced the publication of the subject of this sketch, of which the first number appeared on the twenty-third day of January, A. D. 1875, in a neat dress and creditable to its publishers.
The young enterprise was, by its proprietors, steadily carried on under the guidance of the company until March 20, 1875, when Frauk H. Farrar, Esq., a young gentleman of liberal ability and good business qualifications, was retained by the company as the future editor and business manager, and on that day appears the first number of the Express under Mr. Farrar's editorship, a brilliant, newsy and very attractive number.
Under Mr. Farrar's management the paper prospered and continued until the seventeenth day of April, A. D. 1875 when Mr. Farrar purchased the young enterprise, and on that date it was issued to its patrons as the sole property of its former manager. In this gentlemau's salutatory address he promised his patrons that under its new ownership it would continue, as it had in the past been, second to no paper in the San Joaquin Valley, as a local newsy sheet. And well did he redeèin his promise. .
The new proprietor found the Express quite remunerative, and its numerous patrons looked impatiently for the issuing of eacli number, as they soon realized it to be an indispensable weekly visitor.
Mr. Farrar for some months continued the business alone, but.
finding bis labors too great, he disposed of a half interest in the business to Mr. W. P. Stoneroad, a young gentleman well and favorably known in this county. Ou the twenty-seventh day of November, 1875, the first issue appeared under the new firm name and style of Farrar & Stoneroad, Mr. Farrar continuing the editorial department, and Mr. Stoneroad attending to the gene- ral business of the paper.
As time passes off we find many changes, and among others, we find on record another change in the ownership of the Express. On March 3, 1877, we find issued the sixth number of Volume Third of the Merced Express, under the proprietor- ship of W. P. Stoneroad & Company, Mr. N. B. Stoncroad Esq., one of the pioneers of Merced County, and a brother of W. P. Stoneroad, having purchased the interest of Mr. Farrar in the Express. In retiring from the editorship of the paper, Mr. Farrar left a position which he had successfully filled for more thau two years, with the best wishes of his former partner, a host of friends, all of whom extended him their lasting gratitude for the manner in which he had filled the position.
Under the uew firm, J. W. Robertson Esq., occupied the edi- torial chair until the paper once more chauged hands, this time Mr. N. B. Stoneroad, the junior member of the firm, disposiug of his interest to Mr. W. L. Howell, a gentleman long and favorably known in San Joaquin County as a fine printer, and an exemplary citizen.
The first number of the Express, under the new firm, ap- peared in entire new dress, a favorable change in the " make up," aud iu a much improved condition throughout. The Express since its birth and through the many changes it has undergone, in politics has been uncompromisingly Democratic. Its local department has impartially presented the local news of the county. Tbe editorial page always preseuts able and interesting editorials. And the paper, from its first appearance to the present time, through the many changes it has under- gone, has beeu and is now all that could be desired of a local weekly paper. It has a large circulation, is prospering, and bids fair to live to a good old age, under the supervision of its present able proprietors, Messrs. Stoneroad & Howell.
MERCED STAR.
The first number of tho Mereed Star was issued June 17, 1880, and is still published by Harris Brothers. It has aimed to promote the progress and welfare of the county and of the great San Joaquin Valley. In politics the Star is Republicau, and in general principles upholds that party, but shields no one who proves false to publie pledges. Messrs. Thomas and Charles Harris, the publishers and proprietors, are both prac- tical printers. The Stur is neat in typographical appearance, and has a good circulation. It is a seven-column paper, and is as bright as the name it bears, and gives promise of a long and successful career.
RES. OF THOMAS PRICE, PLAINSBURG, MERCED CO. CAL.
E
RES. OF ELI FURMAN 3 MILES NORTHEAST OF PLAINSBURG, MERCED CO. CAL.
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THE GREAT SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.
THE GREAT SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY.
Its Extent, Population, Productiveness, Re- sources, and Water Supply.
THE San Joaquin valley may be said to possess no picturesque scenery. Like the prairies of the West, it is a vast undulating plain or dead level, with an occasional tree, or park of oaks, to ; an altitude of three thousand feet above the level of the sea. diversify the general monotony.
The land in the northern portion is nearly all adapted to tillage, with or without irrigation, and is moderately well watered by numerous perennial streams, and by the San Joa- quin river. It is level or slightly undulatory, only a few feet above tide-water, with an occasional low, gravelly knoll and sink or depression, to diversify the general monotony of the landscape. Little timber occurs even along water-courses, and that of a poor character except for fuel. This northern portion embraces the finest lands for the cereals and plants of temperate climes witbin the valley, which will approximate half its ara- ble extent.
The southern portion of the valley presents a more arid sur- face and sterile soil, broken up by fresh-water lakes, extensive swamps, alkaline deserts, and detached groups of hills and mountains. The river bottoms are extremely fertile, but con- tiguous to the San Joaquin river and Tulare lake, extensive swamps exist, that require reclamation before they become adapted to tiltb, when the fertility is exuberant. The San Joaquin river meanders its tortuous course nearly centrally through over one-half the length of the valley, and from the eastern slope receives all of its tributaries of any moment, the low elevation of the Coast Range giving origin to only a few small winter streams.
AN IMMENSE BASIN.
This vast region of country comprises the immense basin drained by the San Joaquin river and its tributaries. This water-shed reaches from the summit of the Sierra Nevada mountains on the east to the summit of the Coast Range on the west and south, and to the divide separating the waters of the tributaries of the San Joaquin from those of the Sacramento on the north. Its shape is a parallelogram, whose greatest length running from north to south is about two hundred and fifty miles, and greatest width from east to west, about one hundred and fifty miles, with a total area of some twenty-five thousand square miles, or sixteen million acres. Of this amount it is estimated that teu million acres are adapted to cultivation and pastoral purposes, that five million acres are mineral and
mountain lands, mueh of which is covered by a fine growth of timber, and one million aeres are swamp and overflowed, but generally susceptible of reclamation.
The San Joaquin valley proper embraces less than one-half of this territory, the other portions being hilly and mnouutaiuous, although in the foot-hills, and even in the more rugged and mount- ainous districts there are occasional valleys susceptibleof cultiva- tion, while the hill-sides and table-lands of the foot-hill regions are peculiarly well adapted to horticulture, the finest fruit in the known world being produced in the greatest profusion along the western slope of the Sierras, many varieties being raised at
EXTENT AND RESOURCES.
The large extent, varied resources, and known capabilities of the lands of the San Joaquin valley give assurance that at an early day it will become densely populated by a prosperous people. The cultivation of the soil will always be the principal industry, yet there are numerous opportunities for the estab- lishment of such others as are required to make a community truly independent aud self-sustaining.
This valley is destined to eventually become one of the most prosperous and favored regions on the continent. Its vast area, favorable elimate, fertile soil, and varied mineral and agricultural resources, must necessarily attract the attention of the immigrant and capitalist, and they will unite to develop its latent wealth. Thus far the great work has been barely commeneed. Immense tracts of overflowed land that might be reclaimed and made to produce extraordinary erops of wheat, or which could be devoted to the cultivation of other valuable produets, are as yet unimproved. Thousands of acres of virgin soil remain uncultivated, although capable of returniug rich returns for the labor expended upon it. There is room for a much larger population, and uo possibility that the labor market can be overstocked for years to come. Manufactories are required to utilize the various products that are now allowed to go to waste; eanals are to be dug for irrigating the arid plains ; railroads construeted to furnish cheaper transportation; mines and quarries are to be opened, that their products may be ren- dered available, and numerous new industries inaugurated in order that the resources of this vast region of country may be fully developed. Nearly every necessary or luxury required by man can be here produced, and the inhabitants of this valley will have all the advantages of a ready access to the principal markets of the world, either for the disposal of their surplus products or for the purchase of necessary supplies.
A SMALL POPULATION.
The total population of the San Joaquin valley basin at this time does not exceed one hundred and fifty thousand, and the statisties published show that the productions per capita are
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HISTORY OF MERCED COUNTY.
very remarkable. Taking the wheat product as one example. and it is proven that in 1880 there were one hundred bushels of wheat raised for every inhabitant of the whole basin, includ- ing the mountain counties as well as the agricultural counties. If the estimate were made for the valley counties alone the amount per capita, would be very much greater. When to this is ad led the products of wool, barley, wine, fruits, bullion, etc., it will be seen that the value per capita of the annual products of this region of country is probably greater than that of any other portion of the known world. While this is accomplished by the present population, there is ample room for three times the number, and an opportunity for all to do equally well.
INDUCEMENTS OFFERED SETTLERS.
This valley offers superior inducements to those persons who are desirous of engaging in agricultural pursuits, and it is doubt- ful whether there is another locality on the continent where thorough and systematic farming is more profitable. Notwith- standing the occasional droughts which have been disastrous to the careless, unsystematic farmer, repeated experiments have demonstrated the fact that with thorough tillage and summer- fallowing, crops can be raised in the driest seasons. The time is coming, however, when the farmer of this valley will have little cause to fear seasons of drought. A complete system of irrigation will be adopted, and canals constructed to lead the water of the numerous streams over the land to furnish the requisite moisture to secure the growth of crops in the driest season. This object will be effected in some portions of the valley by artesian wells. A number have been bored, and flowing water obtained at depths ranging from one hundred and twenty-five to two hundred feet, and the cost of the well, including piping, does not exceed two dollars per foot. Some of these wells furnish sufficient water to irrigate one hundred and sixty acres of land, and by this means it is made capable *of growing a great variety of products, and two crops can often be raised the same year. When the land is sown to alfalfa three, and sometimes as many as five crops are cut- this depending upon the strength of the soil.
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