USA > California > Riverside County > History of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Volume I > Part 42
USA > California > San Bernardino County > History of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Volume I > Part 42
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was constituted reported for all of them. Our annual Citrus Fairs also gave opportunities for active work. Reports of other public meetings were always welcome. I was constituted and held the position for years as writer of the Farm and Orchard Work of the California Cultivator besides writing articles on special subjects. Then came up the Farmers Clubs and Farmers Institutes held in various places in Souther Cali- fornia to all of which I was made welcome at a time when railroad passes were plenty among newspaper men. In this connection I was a member of a Farmers Institute held at Imperial when there were only a few houses there-about 1901-when a ride in a hired conveyance across the desert from Old Beach to Imperial in a spring wagon was a feature. Coachella and Indio at the same time had their instiutes. All these new places with their promising future in new specialties and in early fruits and vegetables were all written up. All of the rising places and settlements were written up and reports made that were read on the newer California that was laying fuondations for the greater things that were coming. A horseback trip to Bear Valley under the guidance of F. E. Brown, of Redlands, with a special party of observation was one of the pleasures of my life and an opportunity to see 10,000 inches of water flowing out of Bear Valley before the dam was built to impound it. This was in a wet season, but that amount of water it was estimated flowed for three months in as great volume.
On that trip there was climbing through the snow, on foot and ford- ing on horseback the swollen and dangerous Mill Creek. My newspaper connection gave me privileges not accorded to the ordinary wayfarer. As a reporter with railroad privileges I could go where I wished cheaply. For a whole month I conducted the Editorial department of the River- side Enterprise in the absence of the editor with I hope no great detri- ment to that department of that paper. My connection with the Present Day Club for many years at first as reporter for the Enterprise was edu- cational and beneficial-of later years only as an active participating mem- ber. The years I was a member of the Board of Directors of the River- side Water Company was I hope not detrimental to the best interest of the Company At least my connection with it by suggesting paying the Directors a small sum for attendance made all meetings possible and punctual in place of a meager attendance or a postponed meeting for lack of a quorum.
In my official duties as Road Overseer the roads were benefitted by my labors and in case of the Box Springs boulevard I was able to intro- duce several beneficial innovations that save every traveller some time in his journey.
Through my connection with the newspapers and in other ways I was able to attend as a delegate to the National Irrigation Congress at Spokane and incidentally gained a flying glimpse of some Eastern States as far as New Orleans and Chicago with the result in my opinion that nothing east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains was equal to California in attractiveness.
All of these outings and connections with the Press were thoroughly enjoyed and made the most of and the special features of each inscribed on my memory with pleasing association with pleasant people, but all things considered, Riverside is my choice.
But time and tide wait for no man and Dr. Osler and his theories came up and as I am long past his prescribed time and the great (?) must have their downfall and new kings reign and the old must be laid on the shelf. The only mournful thing about it, or maybe the reverse is that in the place I helped and where I used to know everybody I am
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almost a stranger and about ready for burial, but while awaiting patiently albeit enjoying life as well as ever I did, as a member of the Pioneer His- torical Society of Riverside the subject of preserving the traditional and unwritten history of Riverside came up before the society a few years ago and I was honored with the title of Historian. I could not, however, enter into my duties at once, but the old pioneers were all dead or going fast and I could do nothing because of a sick wife and the care of a ranch. I was urged to start (I was gathering material) or I too would be likely to cross the silent river. My wife passed on over a year ago after a fellowship of 53 years and I was left alone. My six children (two of whom died a few years ago) all having homes of their own and doing for themselves. A year of loneliness on the place that once had been alive with the happy laugh of children and the home occupa- tions of the elders convinced me that there was another place and occupa- tion for me in the world after seventy years of active labor and so the first day of May, 1921, found me without a home of my own and a stranger installed and owner of everything and my bridges behind me all burned.
While all this was going on the Western Historical Society came round saying the Association wanted to write up a history of San Ber- nardino and Riverside counties telling me very flatteringly I was about the only one who was available that could write the history of Riverside County and here I am in a room by myself telling the reader some things in my life I have never told before. The primary history which is large and costly in comparison with the modern novel will first be published then will come later the very pleasing duty of complying with the request and duty of telling the pioneers and others interested how it was done.
I hope I will be able to meet the expectations of those I have met who have spoken so encouragingly to me. If I do not it will not be for lack of the desire to please them, but for lack of ability.
I have this much to say in favor of California that in all of my travels of more than fifty years in California that I have never carried arms of any kind and have never had any need of them.
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CHAPTER III
THE INDIAN AND SPANISH OCCUPATION
It is fitting in giving a history of Riverside County to begin at the beginning and say something of the Indian. Speculation has been rife as to his origin, but at the best it is speculative and partaking more of the nature of opinion than fact. It is rather unfortunate that what history the natives had-that is the more civilized races among them- were mostly destroyed by the Spanish conquerors in the mistaken notion that they were thereby serving God and that it would be in the interests of religion to do so.
The Spaniards started out with the idea that they had the only pure and unadulterated truth and that all other nations and peoples were there- fore necessarily in error. The Spanish conquerors found some resem- blances between their own customs and the beliefs and that of the people dwelling in the more civilized parts of this continent, but that wherever there was any coincidental resemblance that was a counterfeit taught by the devil, therefore by destroying any resemblance between the two they were thereby destroying the works of the devil.
However, as this narrative relates mainly to the local conditions in Riverside County, the more civilized portions of this continent and its inhabitants find no very fitting place in this history. On this continent. as in parts of the old world, there remain proofs of a civilization that cxisted ages ago, how long no one has ventured to say positively, at most it is only conjecture.
It is, however, asserted that the various races on this continent show such a uniformity in their general characteristics as to justify the opinion that they belong as a whole to the same great family and that if the theories of Darwin and other speculators and scientists are to be accepted the various races of the new world with the exception, perhaps of the Eskimo, originated on this continent. How they existed and spent their time all down through the unchronicled past is a prolific source of wonder to say the least. Tradition has it that on the first discovery of this coast it was comparatively thickly populated and that the people were inclined to be peaceable and dwell together in amity. Each little settlement was a center of its own and but little inclined to be migratory: The genial climate produced abundantly for their simple needs. Cultivation of the soil was not necessary and there was enough animal food and fish con- joined with seeds, acorns and nuts to satisfy all their simple wants. As for shelter, it was an easy matter to put up what simple dwellings they required of sticks and tule, which when they got too foul with dirt and" vermin could be burned and a new and clean place provided close at hand.
Their religious ideas were simple. The idea of a horrible hell with never ending punishment did not find any firm abiding place on this continent. The wild Indian of the plains had his Happy Hunting Grounds, to which he was translated by death and the Great Spirit was his conception of Deity. The medicine man was the priest as well, and was the go-between for the seen and the unseen. Their simple belief had a more or less fatalistic tendency-what was to be would be-and it was no use struggling against the inevitable. If sickness arose on account of unsanitary habits and surroundings it was borne with stoical indif- ference unless it was too severe, then the unsanitary place with its evil surroundings was abandoned for some other place where the curse would
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be mitigated or removed. Sickness and other calamities, if severe, were believed to be sent as a punishment for misdeeds and the medicine man who informed them of this fact was also appealed to, to intercede with the great spirit to mitigate or remove the chastisement.
As to the origin of the inhabitants of this continent, as the people as a whole, are said to be one, those who have been qualified by study of characteristics to pronounce an opinion, say they are homogenous and furthermore the fauna and flora have also a character by themselves. If we can lay aside the results of early education why not assume that there was more than one origin for the human family and that each great division had a separate origin? Even the Bible narrative would lead to the conclusion that there were other inhabited places on the earth than the Garden of Eden. Be that as it may, one opinion is about as good as another in the absence of facts to the contrary. On the other hand we can see even in our own country that physical and climatic char- acteristics produce their own types. East, West and South have their own types. Riverside and the Pacific Coast already begin to produce their own types of young men and women. It does not seem to be such a far- fetched conclusion to see already on our streets the peculiar type of the Pacific Coast and it does not appear to make very much difference what the origin, foreign or native born, the resulting progeny have a racial resemblance. So may we also assume in regard to our native races. But again on the other hand, why should the whole of the people of this great continent be given to itself a whole subdivision of the human family ?
There is, however, one anomaly that has puzzled not only the common observer, but the scientific man as well and that is why on this coast with its fruitful soil and genial climate, the Indians here should stand at the bottom of the list of all the people of this continent in progressive civilization. Even the wild Indians of the Western prairies are far away ahead of the native of this coast. The Digger Indian, as he has been called, seems to be incapable of progress. The Mission Indians in spite of the advantages they had of training by the Padres seemed to be worse off, if that were possible, after the secularization of the Missions, than they were before. It was the Indian who built the missions and who carried on the various trades necessary to provide for the wants of the Mission settlements, but just as soon as they are left to themselves they relapse to a worse condition than they were before contact with the white man. Early in the discovery of America this coast was visited and the condition of the Indians described. For two hundred years it was almost unvisited, but when again visited the Indians were just as they had been without any signs of progress. All of the inhabitants of this continent were living in what has been termed the Stone Age, none of them having attained to the use of iron as an aid to their daily life. Copper was known by some of them probably, but if it was, it has never been able to fill the place of iron. But, after all, by use of the few tools they had, wonders were accomplished. Their granite mortars, and pestles for grinding their food, were models in their way, and their soapstone pots and kettles for cooking with over the fire answered the purpose. It has been asserted and generally believed that the baskets made by the Indians were so well made that they were waterproof, but this is not so, for in order to make them waterproof they were coated with rosin, pitch or some other water- proof compound.
The Indians of the coast were not like the Hopis of the interior and the dwellers of the Pueblos, who were able to spin and weave and make blankets and other fabrics, for on the coast where they used anything
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for clothing or comfort it was mostly the skins of animals or in some cases the bark of trees. Nets such as were used in catching fish and small animals were made from the fibre of the nettle. Fish hooks, needles and such articles in common use were made of bone and in some cases of shell.
The discovery of California was beset with difficulties that, looking back from our day, with all the accessories of navigation, well nigh perfect, seem nearly insurmountable. When we look at Spain today. knowing the glories of her past, we are almost inclined to treat her with contempt. The discovery of a new world by Columbus, who although not a Spaniard, was in the employ of Spain, gave Spain a start that if it had been wisely used would have made her and her people the mightiest nation and people of the world. The whole purport of her discovery was turned to the acquisition of gold, nothing was left undone to accom- plish that purpose. Whole peoples were exterminated with that end in view and to gratify her greed, avarice and bigotry came in to destroy civilization which, according to Bancroft, in quoting Dr. Draper, "Might have instructed Europe," a culture wantonly crushed by Spain who therein "destroyed races more civilized than herself."
Considering there were, compared with the vast armies of modern times, but a handful of Spanish soldiers, we are justly amazed and sur- prised that these people, who were so numerous, did not simply over- whelm the Spanish soldiers. There were, however, two causes that helped the Spanish in their conquests, not only in overwhelming those natives, but in obliterating their civilization. The first of these was the comparatively peaceful nature of the peoples that the Spaniards con- quered. They might be cruel in many ways. It was said of them that human sacrifice was one of their religious ceremonies. However that may be, they were not what we Anglo Saxons would call a warlike race. The descendants of the old Norseman and Vikings were not only warlike, but they were conquerors and colonizers and those traits still follow them wherever they have gone. The Spaniards were conquerors, but they were, alas to some extent, exterminators and they were not colonizers as we understand the term. Where they intermarried with the natives the progeny was, if anything, if not inferior, no improvement. The great advantage the Spaniards had in the second place was the superior class of weapons they had. The bow and arrow or the stone weapon was no match for gunpowder and steel, and so the natives of this con- tinent were easily overcome. The greed for gold was never satisfied, it grew upon what it was fed and Spanish galleons sailed on every sea, rich prizes for marauders, buccaneers and pirates from every land. The treasures gained were immense and almost beyond our compre- hension. The church seemed to be indifferent, or too much engaged in saving the souls of these people, to put a stop to the spoliation that was carried on everywhere. Other nations also indulged in this mad search after gold, but not in a disastrous fashion. They had not such oppor- tunity, as Spain had possession of the major portion and the richest territories. The mineral wealth of Mexico and Peru were almost fabulous and still are today.
England, Holland, France and other countries were explorers and also colonizers and when they did colonize they took their women with them, but Spain was content where they did colonize, to intermarry with the natives, where the natives were not exterminated, the Spaniard was absorbed. But Spain, where is she today? In a measure lost to the world, and her colonies gone. Retribution was ample and severe. She got her gold and it is gone, and what she had in honor has pretty well
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gone with the gold. It is as true today as ever, it is an eternal law, with no escape, "Whatsoever thou sowest that shall thou also reap."
Considering the isolation of the Pacific Coast, the wonder is that so much was done in the exploration of the Pacific Coast. Cape Horn was an unknown land, and an inhospitable sea surrounded it. The Cape of Good Hope had just been rounded and the great Pacific Ocean with the largest portion of the globe was entirely unknown. It is even doubtful if the earth as a globe was fully understood. Columbus, however, had hopes that by sailing west he might find India. He was in a sense right, but the continent of America stood in the way of his ships, with no Panama Canal to sail through. However, most of the Spanish explora- tions were conducted from Mexico, shipbuilding yards having been estab- lished on the Pacific Coast. Disaster overtook them, mainly in the form of scurvy. Whole crews would be decimated by that scourge. The voyage from Mexico to California took at times months to accomplish. Some of the vessels that were sent from Mexico were never heard of again, scurvy probably taking the whole crew. Sir Francis Drake, who visited California by coming through Magellan Straits in 1577, started with five vessels with a view of raiding the Pacific Coast, and the rich galleons of Spain on their way from the Philippines to Mexico. He visited California and landing in order to repair his ship, had an inter- esting experience which is narrated by J. M. Guinn in his history of Southern California, as follows :
"For nearly seventy years the Spaniards had held undisputed sway on the Pacific Coast of America. Their isolation had protected the cities and towns of the coast from the plundering raids of the buccaneers and other sea rovers. Immunity from danger had permitted the building up of a flourishing trade along the coast and wealth had flowed into the Spanish coffers. But their dream of security was to be rudely broken. Francis Drake, the bravest and most daring of the sea kings of the 16th century, had early won wealth and fame by his successful raids in the Spanish West Indies, when he proposed to fit out an expedition against the Spanish settlements on the Pacific Coast. Although England and Spain were at peace with each other, he found plenty of wealthy patrons to aid him, even Queen Elizabeth herseif taking a share in his venture. He sailed from Plymouth, England, December 13, 1577, with five small vessels. When he reached the Pacific Ocean by way of the Straits of Magellan, he had but one, the 'Golden Hind,' a ship of 100 tons. All the others had turned back or been left behind. Sailing up the coast of South America he spread terror among the Spanish settlements, robbing towns and capturing ships, until in the quaint language of a chronicler of the expedition he "had loaded his vessel with a fabulous amount of fine wares from Asia, precious stones, church ornaments, gold plate, and so much silver as did ballast the 'Golden Hinde.' With treasure amount- ing to 866,000 pesos (dollars) of silver-100,000 pesos of gold-and other things of great worth, he thought it not good to return by the (Magellan) Straights-least the Spaniards should there wait and attend for him in great numbers and strength whose hands, he being left but one ship, he could not possibly escape." By the first week in March, 1579, he had reached the entrance to the Bay of Panama. Surfeited with spoils and loaded with plunder it became necessary for him to find as speedy a passage homeward as possible. To return by the way he had come was to invite certain destruction. So he resolved to seek for the fabled Straits of Anian, which were believed to connect the Atlantic and Pacific. Striking boldly out on the trackless ocean he sailed more than a thousand leagues northward. Encountering contrary winds and cold
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weather, he gave up his search for the straits and turning he ran down the coast to latitude 38 degrees, where "he found a harboron for his ship." He anchored in it June 17, 1579. This harbor is now known as Drake's Bay and is situated about half a degree north of San Francisco under Point Reyes.
Fletcher, the chronicler of Drake's voyage in his narrative, "The World Encompassed," says: "The third day following, viz., the 21st, our ship having received a leake at sea was brought to anchor nearer the shoare that her goods being landed she might be repaired; but for that we were to prevent any danger that might chance against our safety, our Generall first of all landed his men with all necessary provisions, to build tents and make a fort for the defense of ourselves and goods; and that
DON JUAN BANDINI
we might under the shelter of it with more safety (whatever should befall) end our businesse."
The ship was drawn upon the beach, careened on its side, caulked and refitted. While the crew was repairing the ship the natives visited them in great numbers. From some of their actions Drake inferred that the natives regarded himself and men as Gods; to disabuse their minds of such a false impression he had his chaplain, Francis Fletcher, perform divine service according to the English Episcopal ritual. After the service they sang psalms. The Indians enjoyed the singing, but their opinion of Fletcher's sermon is not known. From certain ceremonial per- formances of the Indians, Drake imagined that they were offering him the sovereignty of their country ; he accepted the gift and took formal possession of it in the name of Queen Elizabeth. He named it New Albion "for two causes; the one in respect of the white bankes and cliffes
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which lie towards the sea; and the other because it might have some affinitie with our own country in name which sometimes was so called."
After the necessary repairs to the ship were made, "our Generall with his company made a journey up into the land." "The inland we found to be far different from the shoare, a goodly country and a fruitful soyle stored with many blessings fit for the use of man; infinite was the com- pany of very large and fat deere which we saw there in thousands as we supposed in a heard." They saw also great numbers of small bourrowing animals which they called conies, but which were probably ground squirrels, although the narrator describes the animal's tail as "like the tayle of a rat, exceedingly long." Before departing, Drake caused to be set up a monument to show that he had taken possession of the country. His monument was a post sunk in the ground, to which was nailed a brass plate engraven with the name of the English Queen, the day and year of his arrival and that the King and people of the country had voluntarily become vassals of the English crown. A new sixpence was also nailed to the post to show her highness' picture and arms. On the 23d of July, 1579, Drake sailed away much to the regret of the Indians, who "took a sorrowful farewell of us, but being loathe to leave us pres- ently runne to the top of the hills to keepe us in sight as long as they could, making fires before and behind, and on each side of them, burning therein sacrifices at our departure." He crossed the Pacific Ocean and by way of the Cape of Good Hope reached England, September 26, 1580, after an absence of nearly three years, having encompassed the world. He believed himself to be the first discoverer of the country he called New Albion. "The Spaniards," says Drake's chaplain, Fletcher, in his "World Encompassed," "never had any dealings or so much as set foot in this country, the utmost of their discoveries reaching only to many degrees southward of this place." The English had not yet begun planting colonies in the new world, so no further attention was paid to Drake's discovery of New Albion, and California remained a Spanish possession.
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