USA > California > San Luis Obispo County > History of San Luis Obispo County, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 47
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JAMES CULTER MCFERSON
Is one of the brave stock of '49ers whom fate and love of adventure brought to this coast the year follow- ing the discovery of gold in the race of Sutter's Mill. Mr. McFerson was born in Brown County, Ohio, August 5, 1824. In the home of his nativity he re- mained until he had reached the age of sixteen years, there attending school and preparing himself for his future contest with the world. He then moved into the adjoining State of Indiana, where he remained until 1847, when he returned to Ohio. In 1848 came the news which aroused the young men of the world to un- usual energy. This was the discovery of gold in Cali- fornia. Mr. McFerson was then in his twenty-fifth year, full of vigor and enterprise, feeling as if the new world of the West had opened especially for him. He was in the prime of young manhood, of sufficient age to have experience in business, and thus peculiarly fitted to become a pioneer in a new country. In the spring of 1849 he joined the throng for California, crossing the
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plains as a passenger, with sixty-one companions, in the passenger train of Turner, Allen & Co. The train was four and a half months making the journey, arriving safely in the mines, when each of the company started out to seek his fortune as he thought best. Mr. McFer- son engaged in mining until 1857, when he took a con- tract to supply wood to a quartz mill belonging to Fre- mont on the Mariposa estate. In this he was engaged for two years, when, in 1859, he removed to Tulare County and commenced farming. In December, 1865, he removed to San Luis Obispo County, locating upon a tract of Government land, where he now resides, two miles from the village of Cambria. A view of this pleasant and prosperous home, made through the indus- try of the owner, is given on another page. The ranch contains 370 acres, and is devoted to farming, dairying, bee-keeping, etc. Mr. McFerson is a man of enlarged views in public matters, a Democrat in politics, liberal in sentiment and practice, and highly respected by all. On numerous occasions he has been called to responsi- ble official positions. He was elected Supervisor of Tulare County while residing there, and since he came to live in San Luis Obispo County has been four times elected to the same office, being Supervisor at the pres- ent time. He is also a School Trustee, which position he has held for the past seven years, although he has no children to attend. The Independent Order of Odd Fellows classes him among its members, and all society feels his influence for good. Mr. McFerson was married August 5, 1855, at Indian Diggings, El Dorado County, to Mrs. Guegnon, neè Titus, a native of Ohio. They have no children.
JAMES D. FOWLER
Is distinguished as a brave and efficient Union soldier during the War of the Rebellion, and is descended from patriot soldiers, his father having served through the War of 1812, and his grandfather during the War of the Revolution. He was born in Chariton County, Missouri, April 25, 1837, being the seventh child in a family of nine of James D. and Martha (Davis) Fowler. In a log cabin school house of his native Mis- souri, he acquired a good practical education, qualifying him for the general business of life. When seventeen years of age he left Missouri for California, crossing the plains by the usual mode of making that long journey before the period of overland stages and railroads. His first location in this State was at San José, making his home in Santa Clara County until 1869. When the War of the Rebellion arose he returned to the East, espoused the cause of the Union, and joined the Ninth Missouri Cavalry. In this he served three years, principally en- gaged in running down "bushwackers," and participated in pursuit and conflicts that drove the army of General Price out of the State. The war for the Union being successfully closed, the brave soldier returned in 1866 to his home in Santa Clara and resumed his farming work. In 1869, Mr. Fowler removed into what is now San Benito County, and there remained until 1876, when he came to San Luis Obispo County, settling on a farm on
Willow Creek, near Cayucos, where he still lives. He is an active man in business, enjoying society, and takes a great interest in public affairs, being a strong Republi- can in politics, and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows; of the American Legion of Honor, and of the Order of Good Templars. He was elected Su- pervisor of the County in November, 1882. Mr. Fow- ler was married December 24, 1865, to Miss Sarah F. Pierce, a native of Virginia, and three children have been born to the happy pair.
R. M. BEAN
Is the Supervisor from the Salinas District, his home being in a pleasant valley on the northeastern slope of the Santa Lucia Range, where a perennial stream runs to the Santa Margarita and to the Salinas River. The district represented by Mr. Bean has an area as large as some States of the Union, and where the ranchos of some private citizens exceed some of the Dukedoms and Principalities of Europe. Lovely mountain potreros, rolling hills, rugged ranges, fertile river valleys, and broad plains comprise the region of the eastern part of the county, out of any portion of which it is usual to select a Supervisor. The present representative is Reu- ben Martin Bean, who is a native of Corinth, Penob- scot County, Maine, where he was born March 21, 1842. The father was Reuben Bean, and the maiden name of the mother was Nancy Smith, who were born in Sutton, New Hampshire, in the first decade of this century. They were descendants of the earliest settlers of New England, and their parents had taken an active part in the war against England for independence. Soon after marriage the father and mother of our Supervisor moved into Maine and located at Corinth, one of the chief towns of Penobscot, although twenty miles from the great river which gives its name to the county. The family was large, consisting of eight sons and four daughters, being Reuben M., Edward W., and Edwin P., twins, Augustus L., Charles H., Sumner S., and David H. (deceased), and Albert; the daughters being Clarissa, Diana, Ianthe, and Mary, all married and hav- ing families excepting the bachelor subject whose name heads this sketch. The father owned a farm and saw_ mill, which gave full employment to the sons as soon as they attained such age and strength as enabled them to be of service, and in thrifty New England the boys are set early at work, their home duties and their school duties keeping them too busily engaged to learn much mischief from the lessons of loafing and idleness. The long winters of Maine locked up both farm and mill, but opened the school, which all the youth at- tended, while the elders were in the pine forests getting out logs for the spring run of water. When the snows were melting and the mountain brook was a foaming torrent, then the boys could help about the mill,-not " making hay while the sun shone," but making lumber while the water ran. When this work was over the farm labors began, and thus the year was profitably put in, gaining an education and learning the lessons of life. In this way Reuben M. passed the years of youth and
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early manhood, and when twenty years of age came to California, leaving his home on the 11th of March, 1862, taking the steamer at New York for a passage by the Isthmus of Panama, and arriving in San Francisco May 6th of the same year. He at once sought the interior, going to Sacramento, which was even then partly under water from the great floods of the previous winter. There was distress and stagnation in business at Sacra- mento, and, finding nothing to do, he went to Willow Creek, Calaveras County, and engaged in a saw-mill, for which his early training well fitted him. A Mr. Dennis owned the mill, but the country had been so denuded of timber that the last lot that could be gathered was soon cut into lumber, and the mill closed up.
The Washoe mining excitement was raging, carrying all who wished for adventure and were "foot-loose " to the " eastern slope," and across the Sierra, in July, 1862, went young Mr. Bean.
The deep mines were not the only sources of wealth, and Mr. Bean was more familar with the saw, ax, and frow, than with the shovel, pick, and drill, and from the use of the former the product of the precious metal was more uniform and sure than from the latter, even if not so large at times. He therefore sought the work with which he was most familiar, and engaged with a man named Nelson in running a shingle-machine. This was the first shingle-machine ever set up in Nevada, and as he had had experience in managing one of the same kind in Maine, his services in this case were of great value. The machine was moved by hand power, and the toil was quite severe. For his labor Mr. Bean received his board and $75.00 per month, and the shingles sold at $12.00 per M. Owing to the hard labor and slow prog- ress with the machine, Nelson was induced to send to Bangor, Maine, for another, with which Mr. Bean was also familiar. This was brought out and set up to run by water power, and with it from eight to ten thousand shingles were made daily. The locality was in a little valley about four miles from Lake Tahoe.
After working for Nelson three years, Bean bought a one-third interest in the Rose saw-mill, of which he took the management and continued in it for six years. In this he became connected with W. S. Chapman, known as the great Minnesota land speculator, who bought an interest in the mill and a large lot of timber land. Chap- man continued as a partner in the mill for two years, when a company was formed called N. E. Bunker & Co., Bean being a member, buying Chapman's interest. The business was very prosperous, as the mill would cut from 16 to 24 M. of lumber daily, which was delivered at Virginia City for $28.00 to $30.00 per M. During the first year or two the lumber sold at from $60.00 to $70.00 per M. in Virginia City. They also had a shin- gle-mill which made from 12 to 16 M. shingles daily, for which a ready market was found.
In 1870, having accumulated some money, and tiring of the hard work and severe climate of the summit of the Sierra Nevada, he took a tour through the farming and grazing regions of California, visiting San Luis Obispo County and the San Joaquin Valley. He concluded he
would try farming, and taking some land belonging to his friend, Chapman, at Cottonwood, Merced County, in the San Joaquin Valley, cultivated 700 acres in wheat, but it being a very dry year in that section, nothing was raised, and he returned to his mill in Nevada. Being encouraged by Chapman, he tried farming the following year, cultivating in the same locality 1,500 acres in wheat, but with the same result as in the previous year. This was a succession of misfortunes enough to discourage almost any man. At that time the seed cost three cents per pound and had to be hauled forty miles, and hay cost $40.00 a ton, besides hauling it fifteen miles. In these enterprises he was connected with his brother, E. P. . Bean, who had joined him in Nevada. The two dry years of farming on the San Joaquin had exhausted the fortune made in the lumber business in Nevada; but Chapman gave them employment to look after his land interests in Tulare County, by the Tulare Lake. There they dug wells, fitted the land for occupation, and leased it to others. From that point Chapman wished them to go into San Luis Obispo County, on the Carrisa Plain, where he owned land. This was in 1873. In settling on the Carrisa Plain the first necessity is to find water. The locality chosen was near the center of the valley, near the great salt plain. Water was found at a depth of three feet, but it was exceedingly salt. Another locality was sought, and at six feet in depth an abundance of good water was found. Kept there a large band of sheep, which they subsequently removed to the land now owned by Adams and Hollister, near the head of the San Juan River. There, in 1876, they had 5,000 head of sheep, but during that year one-half died, and the remain- der were sold at seventy-five cents per head. After this backset, the Bean Brothers purchased the place now occu- pied by them, mentioned in the beginning of this sketch. This was purchased in 1877, and comprises an area of 183 acres, 60 of it being very fertile land fitted for culture or fruit growing, and the remainder grazing and timber. They now have an orchard of 800 trees of all varieties, some of the peach trees bearing the most luscious fruit as early as the middle of June, and yielding a revenue of $10.00 per tree. In the orchard are almonds, nectarines, apricots, cherries, pears, plums, apples, etc., of different varieties and luxuriant growth. Grapes, strawberries, and other similar fruit are grown in abundance. The locality is quite elevated, being about 800 feet above the sea, but is so sheltered by the hills that frost does not destroy fruit.
The principal road connecting the coast towns passes through the valley, and the Messrs. Bean Brothers have erected a large building and capacious stables for hotel purposes; also a large dancing hall, making their place one of pleasant resort for parties from the town of San Luis Obispo, or gathered in the surrounding country. It is also a favorite stopping place for farmers and teamsters hauling wood and produce to market, there being during the hauling season after harvest from 60 to 130 horses stopping at the place each night. There is used at the hotel from 250 to 300 tons of hay, and 50 tons of barley annually. The main road leads from San Luis Obispo
EIGHT MILE HOUSE, BEAN BROS. HOTEL, HALL AO RANCH, 8 MILES FROM SAN LUIS OBISPO CAL.
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north to Paso de Robles, San Miguel and the Southern Pacific Railroad at Soledad. Branch roads leads to Pozo (San José Valley) La Panza, Carrisa, Estrella, Cholame, and other localities north and east. The place was first settled upon as public land by a man named Brown, when it was a wild and uncultivated wilderness, in which condition it remained until after the purchase by Bean Brothers in 1877. They now have a hotel of two stories, 24x34 feet, with an L 16x20, a dancing hall in octavo form 61 feet in diameter, an arbor 100 feet in length covered by grape vines; and extensive stabling for the accommodation of teamsters.
This pleasant locality is also sought as a health resort by many people from the Tulare Valley, there being, at times, as many as fifty encamped in the vicinity. The climate partakes of mountain and valley, the ocean breezes which are sometimes quite severe on the west of the summit being broken by the intervening range, and blow gently down the valley. With the pure water and the genial climate of summer, it is a very desirable health resort for many classes of disease.
In this pleasant, healthful, and prosperous home, Mr. Bean now rejoices after many years of labor and vicissi- tudes. Besides the business of his hotel and farm he is not averse to lending aid in public matters, serving as School Trustee for several terms, and in November, 1882, was elected Supervisor of the county, which posi- tion he now fills.
THE PRESENT STATE OF FINANCES.
In February, 1883, the funded debt of San Luis Obispo County aggregated $157,000, and was created for various purposes. The old miscellaneous debt of $15,000, the„ Court House debt of $42,000, and the Cuesta Road debt of $20,000 drew interest at the rate of ten per cent. per annum, and the Special Road Fund debt of $70,000, and the Road Repair debt of $10,000, drew interest at the rate of eight per cent. per annum. The different debts were funded and bonds issued with various periods to run, and bearing interest as above stated. For building the Court House the Board of Su- pervisors authorized the issue in October, 1872, of $40,000 in bonds, but $42,000 were issued, which may involve a question of the legality of part of the debt. This debt was made due in fifteen years. For the con- struction of the Cuesta Road, crossing the Santa Lucia Range between San Luis Obispo and Santa Margarita, $20,000 of bonds were issued in 1876, due in 1886, and in the same year $20,000 more were issued for special road building, and payable in 1891, and $20,000 payable in 1896. In 1877 $30,000 more were issued, payable in 1901, and in 1878 $10,000, payable in 1898. In the aggregate there was found a large indebtedness bearing a very high rate of interest. To permit the debt to stand at such a rate of interest in days when capital was abun- dant, and by such a prosperous and substantial county as San Luis Obispo, would seem to show great deficiency in financial ability on the part of those to whom the busi- ness affairs of the county were intrusted. Every ten years the interest paid on the ten per cent. bonds equalled
the principal, and in twelve and a half years the eight per cent. called for their equal sum, and still the principal was unpaid. This state of affairs was very good for the bond-holders, but heavy on the tax-payers. In but few localities in the world could capitalists invest their money with unexceptionable security at such high rates of inter- est. United States Government bonds, paying an inter- est of but three per cent., are bought at a premium, and money in the great commercial centers goes begging for investment. To reap for the county some of the bene- fits of his plethora of capital had long been the desire of Supervisor Steele, and he in part accomplished it. The old debt of $15,000 drawing twenty per cent. was due in 1882. Bonds were issued for the amount to draw six per cent. interest and were advertised for sale. They brought a premium of six per cent., and the old bonds were redeemed, and enough money remained over to pay a year's interest. This issue succeeding so well, it was proposed to issue bonds bearing five per cent. inter- est to redeem the entire issue of high interest bonds. This was opposed by many on the ground of the improb- ability of success, as no one would surrender their ten per cent. bonds for five per cents., and some attorneys said the redemption could not be enforced. This opin- ion relates to the legal right to call in bonds without wait- ing for them to mature-a question of nice legal bear- ings which all center in the decision that the interest of such bonds may be stopped and they be redeemed at any time previous to their maturity, provided that there was no express stipulation to the contrary when they were issued. This, the opinion of eminent jurists, was applied to the case under discussion, and the attempt was made by offering in the market $20,000 of five per cents., which readily sold at one per cent. premium. The Cuesta Road bonds were called for and were at once surrendered. This was another grand success and bright evidence of the good credit of San Luis Obispo County. Later it was proposed to issue bonds for $42,000 at five per cent. and with the proceeds redeem the same amount of ten per cent. Court House bonds. There was no ob- stacle to the success of the measure, and very soon that debt, too, was placed at a low rate of interest. Finan- cially, the county is now considered as of the first class. With a fine Court House and jail, excellent free roads already constructed, one of the finest county hospitals in the State, school buildings of elegance, great capacity and comfort in nearly every school district, no costly bridges to maintain, and health and prosperity general, there are the best of reasons for its substantial credit. The five per cent. saved in interest will, in the twenty years the bonds will probably run, be just equal to the amount of the bonds, and if saved as a sinking fund will pay the debt without an increase of taxation for that purpose. The rates of taxation for State and county purposes, which were reduced from $2.30 on each $100 in 1881 to $1.95 in 1882, will, in all probability, be further reduced to $1.70 in 1883. Surely it may be said San Luis Obispo is "out of the wilderness" and well on the way to high prosperity.
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HISTORY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXII. FRATERNAL ORDERS.
A Masonic Poem-Fraternal Societies-The Order of Freemasonry -Speculative Masonry -- Masonry on the Pacific Coast -- Re- markable Masonic Display-Grand Lodge of California -- Masonry in San Luis Obispo-San Luis Obispo Lodge, No. 148-San Simeon Lodge, No. 196-King David Lodge, No. 209 -- Masonic Celebration-Opening Address-Masonic Ora- tion - Masonic Records- Royal Arch Masons - San Luis Obispo Chapter. No. 62.
A MASONIC POEM.
" We meet upon the level and we part upon the square;" What words of precious meaning those words Masonic are. Come, let us contemplate them, they are worthy of a thought, In the very soul of Masonry those precious words are wrought.
We meet upon the level, though from every station come, The rich man from his mansion and the poor man from his home, For the one must leave his greatness outside the Mason's door, While the other finds his level upon the checkered floor.
We part upon the square, for the world must have its due; We mingle with a multitude, a faithful band and true; But the influence of our gathering in maso.iry is green; And we long upon the level to renew the happy scene.
There's a world where all are equal; we are hurrying toward it fast; We meet upon the level there, when the gates of death are past. We shall stand before the Orient, and our Master will be there To try lhe blocks we offer with his own unerring square.
We shall meet upon the level there, but never thence depart. There's a mansion-'tis all ready for each trusting, faithful heart. There's a mansion and a welcome, and a multitude is there Who have met upon the level and been tried upon the square.
Let us meet upon the level, then, while laboring patient here. Let us meet and let us labor, though the labor be severe. Already in the western sky the signs bid us prepare
To gather up our working tools and part upon the square.
Hands round, ye faithful Masons, in the bright, fraternal chain; We part upon the square below to meet in Heaven again. O, what words of precious meaning those words Masonic are -- " We meet upon the level and we part upon the square."
RATERNAL societies and civilization are coeval, and as man advances in enlightenment the greater is the tendency to organize social orders. Govern- ment itself is a social order, and therefore organizations appeared on the earth while the human race were ad- vancing from barbarism to civilization; so it would be impossible to tell when the first society appeared. With the establishing of governments came the tyranny of rulers, and very probably secret societies were formed soon thereafter in self-protection.
THE ORDER OF FREEMASONRY.
The oldest secret organization now known is that of Freemasonry, the origin of which is wrapped in obscur- ity, though attributed to the workmen engaged in the building of King Solomon's temple, and this theory is now accepted as the fact. At that time the members were operative architects, and through a long period of years their skill was displayed in every important structure.
Operative Masons were known to Britain as early as the year 287 of the Christian era. During the invasion of Britain by the Danes, between the years 835 and 870, nearly all the convents, churches, and monasteries were destroyed, and with them the records and ancient docu- ments of the order, of which they were the repositories.
Fifty years afterwards King Athelstan desired his adopted son Edwin, who had been taught the science of archi- tecture, to assemble in the year 926, in the city of York, all the lodges of Freemasons scattered throughout the kingdom, that they might be reconstructed according to their ancient laws. This done, he confirmed to them all the privileges which they desired, and at the same time presented to the assembled Masons the immortal document known as the Charter of York. Thereafter Freemasonry flourished to an extraordinary degree in all civilized lands.
About the year 1649 the different lodges in England and Scotland, having admitted many honorary members into the society, generally for the influence wielded rather than for any qualification pertaining to the original design of the order they may have possessed, Masonry in its speculative character became a matter of earnest discussion. With the completion of St. Paul's cathedral in the city of London, the occupation of operative Masons seems to have been brought to a close; for we find that, in the year 1703; the Lodge of St. Paul, so named because the operative Masons engaged in the erection of the cathedral held their lodge in a building situated in the churchyard on its grounds, passed an im- portant resolution, the object of which was evidently to augment its numbers, and thereby enlarge the area for the bestowal of its benefits. That resolution was as follows:
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