History of Santa Barbara county, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 45

Author: Mason, Jesse D; Thompson & West. 4n
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Oakland, Cal., Thompson & West
Number of Pages: 758

USA > California > Santa Barbara County > History of Santa Barbara county, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 45

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" No fumes can escape to injure the miners, unless the fan breaks, and even if that should happen, they have only to leave the vicinity until the fires die down.

" The road which leads from the principal furnace to the mine of Los Prietos impressed us as being the most admirable of all the sights we saw. We were told that Mr. Jones was personally responsible for this marvel of engineering. Imagine a rugged and almost perpendicular height, and 6,800 feet of splen- did carriage road to make 800 feet of ascent, with even grade and easy curves.

" The miners are now working in tunnels night and day. The main tunnel near the base of the mount- ain is now open 110 feet, and they expect to run about 100 feet more. The upper tunnel is in 185 feet, and near its entrance is a shaft to lower ore to the main tunnel. The miners claim that their mines are not only among the most extensive known, but the most easily worked. The Titanic force which broke through these mountains, opened a way for the Santa Ynez River below the vein of cinnabar, thereby allowing the mines to be worked by tunnels instead of by shafts. At this point a fall of 500 feet can be obtained.

"A CINNABAR CASTLE.

" At the mouth of the upper tunnel is a curious little castle, one of cinnabar ore, which the miners held as a fort during the late unpleasantness between the rival claimants to the mines. The question of rightful possession is now settled, and the legal own- ers have just taken possession of the upper Santa Ynez mines and furnace, which had been opened and built by the other claimants. The little cinnabar fort is now to be utilized as a blacksmith shop, and the company are just finishing their buildings near it,

to be used as quarters for the men employed about the mine.

"In one place, near the upper tunnel, a large mass of cinnabar ore crops out, some forty feet wide and thirty high, and very rich with the red sulphuret of mercury. One can rub off pure vermillion here from every bowlder. 'We send you herewith, to ornament your office, some specimens of the ore. The largest piece was taken from this mine, and contains fifty per cent. of pure quicksilver. If it were all like that, quicksilver would soon cease to be valuable. However, a large proportion of ore from this mine, I am told, contains from five to forty per cent. of metal, and the Superintendent says that it pays to work ore containing one per cent. The most inex- perienced observer cannot fail to see that these mines must be almost inexhaustible, and of incalcul- able value.

"THE SANTA YNEZ MINE

Is four and a half miles from Los Prietos, up the Santa Ynez River. Our day of exploration there was a memorable one, and we must crave space in your columns, and patience in your readers, for a special letter on that topic.

" From Los Prietos to the works at Santa Ynez the road lies mainly in the bed of the Santa Ynez River. We were driven four miles and a half, in a comfortable carriage, to the miners' camp, passing the new furnace, which is just completed, and will be tested this week.

"THE SANTA YNEZ FURNACE

Differs materially from that at Los Prietos, being a new invention, and built on the principle of an ordinary chimney, reducing the ore by means of a natural draft. The furnace is filled with mingled ore and wood. At the base is an opening, where the refuse is drawn off. The fire is started at this place, and the flames rush through the mass of ore and fuel, causing the fumes of quicksilver to pass over into the first condenser, and from thence through five others, all of brick, until the superfluous poison- ous fumes escape through a tall chimney at the end of the last condenser. These works are built on the steep side of a mountain, and present a curious appearance. At a distance the furnace, with its six condensers, looks like buge steps, built to accommo- date some gigantic race. Each condenser is in two compartments, with arched tops, and as the fumes pursue their winding course, gradually cooling, the liquid mercury is deposited and drawn off in the same manner as at the large furnace at Los Prietos. The entire structure is 140 feet high and 100 feet in length, and contains 125,000 bricks. The ore floor is on a level with the furnace proper and the wagon road leading from the mine runs over the first cou- denser. This road is cut out of the solid mountain at great expense. The rock is mostly slate, but is in some places of a tougher formation, which necessi- tates the use of drills and giant powder.

"Just beyond the furnace is the mining camp, which is composed of two or three little cabins. The work at this mine is done mainly by Chinamen, who make their own camp and board themselves. At the camp we left the carriage, and, with some trepidation, being unaccustomed to horseback exercise, niounted a little pony for a ride to the mines. But all our natural fear vanished when that pony began to climb the steep trail, for he so evidently knew the way, and stepped over things with such sure-footed precision, that fear became ridiculous. After ascending about

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three-quarters of a mile, we left the horses and pro- ceeded to explore the ledge on foot. It was gently intimated that we 'couldn't get over that ledge,' but we audaciously observed that we could if anybody could, and we did! Words fail us here to describe that

ENORMOUS MASS OF CINNABAR.

Actually lying on top of the ground. Our two guides averred that this one deposit could scarcely be ex- hausted in 100 years. The great red bowlders here lie piled one upon the other with the utmost prodigal reck- lessness, and we climbed over and around them, and under overhanging precipices, all of cinnabar, with a mingled sense of astonishment and awe at the lavish profusion of earth's features exposed to the sun. As we stood upon a pinnacle of cinnabar, on heights no woman had ever reached before, we could see over a wide and wild expanse of country; but when we began to ascend into raptures over the prospect, one of our comrades very quietly brought us to earth again by remarking that he 'didn't care about mountains unless there was cinnabar in them-that made them interesting.' The dimensions of this wonderful ledge we dare not attempt to give. Let some historian measure it. We did not-we could not-survey the half of it. The ore is scarcely so rich as that of Los Prietos, but the deposit is so large, so conveniently located, with plenty of wood and water at its very door, that it is perhaps the most valuable mine of the two. Descending the trail again on our sure-footed little pony, we reached the camp, where we found a dinner and a place to rest before retiring. Here the pioneer hunter of Santa Ynez lives, and he presented us with his pho- tograph, we being, as he said, the first lady who ever visited his camp. And the pioneer hunter makes an uncommonly picturesque picture. arrayed in his hunting-suit, with the deer's tail in his cap- an Indian sign that the wearer is on the war-path. After leaving the camp we interviewed in succession the miners who were blasting rock on the new road; visited the furnace described above, and just a short distance below it, near the river, a body of ore, which is ready for the retort. There are here about 150 tons of ore, with which the company expect to run the furnace until the road to the upper mine is fin- ished. We then re-entered the carriage, and finally reached Prietos, about 4 p. M., with our heads and pockets full of cinnabar.

The company's works have already cost them $100,000, and the Superintendent says he yet expects to see the Santa Ynez Valley filled with furnaces and alive with miners."

The mines were worked, or rather explored, for several years. The famous Thomas Scott was con- cerned in them. Several companies were formed to work them, some in San Francisco and some in Santa Barbara.

In October, 1874, a company was organized to work the quicksilver mines, consisting of E. L. Sulli- van, Ed. J. Pringle, Hon. J. P. Jones, D. D. Colton, Colonel Fry, Colonel McDowell, and J. S. Cassell. The first assessment was $25,000. The most serions want was timber with which to prop the mines, which would have to be drawn a great distance.

Sometimes as many as 400 men were engaged in the works. The Los Prietos mine run out ninety-

two flasks at one run. Several shipments were made, and between hauling timber, machinery, and provi- sions to the mines, and the quicksilver away, the San Marcos road was quite lively.

TITLE.

The title to the land was unfortunately imperfeet. The Najalayegua grant was claimed by some to cover the mines; by others it was denied. Captain Moraga, the discoverer, who was an old resident, had no idea that the grant for the little goat- ranch farther down the Santa Ynez Valley could include these mines, and had claimed a portion of the croppings, as any citizen might. Having no respect for the pretended claim under the Najala- yegua grant, he kept forcible possession. The rapid decrease in the price of the metal after the numerous discoveries in the northern part of the State, together with the uncertainty of title to the land, and the inconveniences of mining where the necessary tim- bers were inaccessible, caused the closing of the mines. The following article, written some years later, will explain the situation :-

" THE TERMINATION OF MINING.

" The Los Prietos Quicksilver Works are probably sixty miles from the mouth of the Santa Ynez and twenty-five or more from the head; so the river is nearly a hundred miles long. They are solidly built of brick and stone, capacious and convenient. They consist of a furnace with three retorts, with chimney corresponding, with the necessary tanks, forges, and other equipments, and must have cost nearly $100,000.

" The works have been silent since 1876, first, on account of a suit against the company for infringe- ment on a patent (Greene's), and also on account of the low price of quicksilver, and perhaps, to some extent, on account of lax management.

" There are large bodies of ore in sight and easily obtainable, and experts still believe the mines may be worked with profit. The secluded character of the place, which makes connection with tide-water difficult, and the scarcity of suitable mining timbers, will probably operate unfavorably on the value of the mines for some years to come.

" A few miles above these works are other works. which, under the superintendence of Wm. H. High, were continued some time longer."

This was the property of the Santa Ynez Mining Company, with a capital stock of 81,000,000, while the Los Prietos Company organized with a capital stock of $10,000,000. The last named eventually absorbed the former, and now the property is held by one company.

Mono Cañon is farther up the Santa Ynez, and takes its name from the fanciful resemblance of a rock to the monkey; but tourists have chipped it off so much that if it ever had any resemblance it is now lost.

Though the mines are now silent and deserted, and the costly machinery and buildings going to ruin, yet it is confidently believed by mining men that when a railroad up the Santa Ynez shall mak :

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HISTORY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY,

the place more accessible, the mines will again be worked with profit.

" SAD STORY.

[Press, February 5, 1876.]

"Some two weeks ago, during a heavy storm, word was brought in to our county authorities that a woman was lying ont in the open air with a child that had just been born. Accordingly Mr. Rynerson, one of the Supervisors, at once dispatched a hack to bring her in, and she was taken to the St. Charles Hotel. She gave her name as Mrs. Gertrude Ward. From what we can glean of her history it appears that she came from New York with her husband, and at Chicago, either intentionally or otherwise, she got sep- arated from him, and was several miles on her journey toward California before she missed him. At San Francisco she got on board a steamer coming south, with the intention, as she afterwards stated, of jump- ing overboard. She got off here and wandered off into the country, where she was overtaken by the storm and gave birth to the child. She appeared very despondent during her sojourn at the hotel, and yesterday afternoon ended her misery by taking a dose of poison. The story bears upon the face of it the case of a cruel desertion of a woman by the man who had sworn to protect and cherish her."

CHILD LOST AT THE PATERA.

[Times.]

" A little girl eight years old, daughter of Mr. Church, of La Patera, about 3 o'clock on Sunday last, went to the pasture and caught an old family horse and rode off a few miles to a neighbor's to visit some playmates. Becoming interested in the play, she forgot how rapidly time was passing, and played too long. It was dusk before she started home, and it became dark while she was still on her way. She could no longer see the road, but she had the wisdom to trust the affair to the horse, and he carried her to the pasture field. Unfortunately, however, his equine ambition extended no farther. He liked the pasture and remained there, and the girl, not daring to trust herself to find her home in the black darkness, thought it best to remain in the field until morning. Meantime her parents, becom- ing very much alarmed, summoned the neighbors for miles around and commenced the search for the lost child. Every one pictured to themselves the little one being devoured by wild cats, bears, or wild hogs, and pushed the search with all possible energy. When found she was sweetly sleeping under a tree, unconscious of danger."

THE CITY GOVERNMENT.

A municipal system had been established in 1851, by Act of the Legislature, giving the usual rights to the city authorities to maintain peace, repair streets, and raise taxes to pay the necessary expenses. The latter should have been small, and the managers of city matters would probably never have made themselves rich, nor would the municipal offices have been much sought but for the immense landed prop- erty which was at the disposal of the authorities. This was early disposed of in a manner not always satisfactory to the citizens, as much of it fell into the hands of speculators. The Haley survey, mentioned elsewhere, was several times the means of rivalry in

getting city offices. Later there was street grading to attend to, also the opening of streets. During the time of the triad of papers-Press, Times and Index -the citizens who were divided into parties called the Press party and Times party, "up town" and " down town" also came in for a share of the interest. The tickets and votes for Councilmen were :-

Candidates for Press party-E. Rundell, 225; J. M. Laureyro, 218; G. P. Tebbetts, 254; A. Porter, 297; and A. Janssens, 524.

Candidates for Times party-M. Cook, 149; J. E. Goux, 122; G. Oreña, 132; R. F. Stevens, 102; and C. C. Rynerson, 97.

Each party claimed to be a reform party. The Times claimed the ticket as the People's Reform ticket; called the first, the plunder, rule-or-ruin ticket. The Press denounced the opposition as Packard's ring.

The Times said :-

" What claim, we should like to know, have the authors of these acts of plunder upon the tax- payers ? Rather what unblushing effrontery for them to dare to offer themselves or their parasites for the suffrages of an outraged people! We have time and again pointed out actual robbery in the matter of street contracts and asked for an explana- tion. . . The ring has run the municipality on the rule-or-ruin principle. But the people of Santa Barbara have had enough of their pernicious rule. Oppressive taxes, swindling contracts, and the absorption of the splendid patrimony in lands belong- ing to the town by these miniature Tammanyites, constitute the sum of their stewardship. With suffi- cient valuable lands in her possession to have ren- dered her one of the most opulent little municipalities in the United States, and to have exempted the property of her people forever from town taxation, Santa Barbara has been plundered of her public domain, and her people oppressed with the burdens arising from municipal prodigality and corruption."

The last paragraph refers to the matter of the public lands of Santa Barbara, which were sold at nominal sums to actual settlers, as it was supposed. The most of them found speculative owners in a short time.

Mayor Richards, upon his retirement from the posi- tion of Mayor, made a valedictory address, contain- ing items of interest regarding his administration of city affairs.

When he entered upon his duties he found a float- ing debt of near $7,000. The last administration had found it necessary to borrow $10,000 at 1} per cent. per month. The bonded debt of the city seems to have been $16,302, leaving the whole amount at the close of his administration at abont $19,000. The City Council passed an ordinance making it necessary to have all corners, streets, and lots con- form to the Haley survey. He thought $50,000 was necessary for the completion of roads and drives in the vicinity of the city. He condemned the custom of appointing officers instead of electing them, and complained much of J. P. Stearns, Treasurer, in not

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responding to orders for money, and of Mr. Russell, Superintendent of Streets, for not removing obstruc- tions when requested to do so. The taxes remaining delinquent were but $50.

There was little inducement to hold office, as there were no salaries paid either to the Mayor or Coun- cilmen for service. The place of Mayor was one of honor rather than profit. It was generally forced upon a man, although when distinguished strangers came, as the duty of welcoming them to the city devolved upon him, the position was rather desirable. Most of the prominent men were at some time or other elected to this office. When Mortimer Cook was elected Mayor he made the following state- ment of finances :-

The administration which took charge in April, 1874, found the city free of debt. When their term of office expired in 1875 there were --

Outstanding registered warrants $ 2,061 73

Warrants not registered . 875 75 Due balance on carpenter work of City Hall

1,094 21

Weaver, Taylor & Co., S. F., for hose. 1,440 05

Total $ 5,471 74

Total indebtedness 10,528 72

Increase during the year 5,056 98

Of this amount $1,186.10 was paid in a warrant to R. K. Sexton, on award of damages by Supreme Court in the case of Sexton vs. Town of Santa Bar- bara. He recommended making no debt except for permanent improvements, such as a system of sewer- age, purchase of water-works, or similar projects.

On one occasion, when Cook was running against J. T. Richards, a little incident happened which showed the humor of the people. On the morning of the election several citizens, among whom were the two candidates for Mayor, also ex-Mayor Stearns, were waiting at the stand of a well-known bootblack for a shine. Stearns caught up the brushes and soon fitted Cook for the day's work by polishing him up nicely. Whether from the half hour he gained by this, the fine shine, or the friendship of such an active man as Stearns, Cook was elected. Richard's friends com- plained of the action of Stearns as an unfair proceed- ing; but the maddest man of all was the darkey, who wished that "gemplemen would mind their business and let de niggers alone."

FIRE ENGINE.

The first engine was purchased in 1874. Mayor Cook acted as agent in the purchase. When it was landed at the wharf the Pioneer Fire Company formed at Cook's Hall, and marched to Stearns' Wharf, where the engine was turned over to them. The ladies of Santa Barbara presented a handsome silk flag, Judge Maguire making the presentation speech, which was responded to by Clarence Gray. The procession was headed by a brass band. After

the engine was housed, a banquet was held; speeches by Jarret T. Richards, Judge Williams, and others.

SYCAMORE CANON ROAD.

The difficulty of opening roads has been men- tioned before. The road past Belmont (Judge Fer- nald's property) was a source of much trouble. The most practicable ronte was through a certain man's house, which as often as the road-makers approached, became an impregnable castle, compelling the work- men to seek safety in retreat. A way was finally found around, without destroying the house.

THE HALEY SURVEY.

In 1851 the anthorities of the city of Santa Bar- bara authorized Salisbury Haley a surveyor to lay out the city of Santa Barbara in blocks and streets, the blocks to be 450 feet square, and the streets to be sixty feet wide, excepting State and Carrillo Streets, which were to be eighty feet wide each. The initial point of the survey was, at the junction of these streets, marked by an iron pin. The city, as surveyed, made a nice plot. The blocks were marked by redwood stakes two inches square and eighteen inches long, six inches being above ground with the number of the block npon it. People built houses and fences, and planted trees and shrubbery according to the stakes set by Haley. After some years many of these rotted away, or were removed, and when the question of the location of the lots came up. recourse was had to the iron pin at the junction of State and Cannon Perdido, as a starting point. It was found that, though the plot of the city, as mapped out, was regular enough, the streets were of different widths, though none were less than the prescribed terms. The blocks, also, were irregular, some being 464 feet on a side, though all were of the required size. It was said in defense of the luches, if we may so call it, that land was cheap, and that a few feet more made nobody poor; but when the measurements were made from the initial point, it turned the whole city awry. Costly buildings had been put upon State as well as other streets, which would change owners if the survey was to be corrected from the initial point. The greatest variation seemed to have been in the streets in the southern part of the city, in the vicinity of Haley, Castillo, and Montecito Streets. On one of these R. K. Sexton had planted valuable trees, and otherwise improved the ground. When he found that a correct measurement would add something to the form of his lot, he set his fence sixteen feet into the street, and here commenced a contest partic- ipated in by the papers in their usual acrimonious style, that lasted for some years. The city officers were elected with reference to the Haley survey, sometimes in favor, and sometimes opposed to it. When the Haley party was in power, the fences were torn down, that is if the owners permitted it to be done, which was not always the case, for, in one instance the owner was behind the fence with a

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HISTORY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

double-barrelled shot-gun, with such a belligerent aspect that the constable and his posse, who were sent to remove the obstruction, come to the conclusion not to remove the fence that day. In the case of Sexton the fence was removed, and the matter carried from one court to another at a great expense.

TRUSTEES TAKE ACTION.

While an anti-Haley party was in power, the fol- lowing document was put in circulation :-

CONCERNING THE HALEY SURVEY.

" By the Act of the Legislature, organizing the town of Santa Barbara, Jose Maria Loureyro, Charles Fernald, Joaquin Carrillo, W. A. Streeter, and Octavi- ano Gutierrez were appointed a Board of Trustees for the town. In pursuance of the duties of their office, they passed the following

" ORDINANCE, NO. 11.

"Ordinance establishing a Street Committee and defin- ing their duties.

" SECTION 1. The President and the Board of Trust- ees of the town of Santa Barbara -

" By resolution passed in session of this day, 10th of March of the year 1868, was formed a Committee on Streets, composed of Mariano Lopez and G. Streeter.

" SEC. 2. The Street Committee shall have the gen- eral superintendence of all the streets of the town, as marked on the official map of the town; and also of all the alleys and highways acknowledged as such by the ordinance approved on the 23d of September, 1850.

"SEC. 3. Every person intending to crect any building or fence, or any other work, shall, before erecting such building, or fence, etc., procure from the Street Committee a certificate setting forth that such building, fence, etc., will not interfere with the line of the street. the public transit, the free passage, and in no way with the rights of the town.

"SEC 4. If any person shall erect any building. fence, etc., without having first procured such certifi- cate as mentioned in Section 3, from the Street Commissioners, he shall be liable to a fine of not less than five dollars, and no more than fifty dollars, after being convicted before the Town Recorder, said fine to be imposed at the discretion of the Recorder, and shall be entered on the city funds.

"SEC. 5. The Street Commissioners will have power to permit at their discretion, and when no detriment to the town interest is to be had, the fencing of part of the streets, the petitioner mentioning how long such fence will remain on such portion of the street, with the express condition that such portions of fenced streets shall not be included in the part of the town inside of the limits of ' Baño,' ' Victoria,' ' Santa Barbara,' and the seashore, and it shall be understood this permission shall not be given to fence all or part of the public streets marked on the official map, neither the public passages designated on the ordi- nance approved on the 23d of September, 1856, and situated in the space included between the streets of ' Baño,' ' Victoria,' 'Santa Barbara,' and the shore.

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History of Santa Barbara county, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 45

Author: Mason, Jesse D; Thompson & West. 4n Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Oakland, Cal., Thompson & West Number of Pages: 758

Author: Mason, Jesse D; Thompson & West. 4n
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Oakland, Cal., Thompson & West
Number of Pages: 758