USA > California > Santa Barbara County > History of Santa Barbara county, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 52
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roads and other necessary accessories of the great city.
DRY SEASON.
The season of 1876-77 was termed a dry season, though not so disastrous as the season of 1863-64. Many of the fields sown to grain remained brown the entire winter. the grain hardly sprouting. It was estimated that one-half of the sheep disappeared from the county; many died, but more were driven away never to return. The fruit trees were much confused and hesitated to bloom. The same condi- tion of aridity prevailed in Ventura County.
DEPRECIATION IN REAL ESTATE.
Whether in consequence of the dry season, the hard times which had swept across the continent, taking Santa Barbara in its course, or the want of railroads, there was a sensible depreciation in real estate. Some good judges estimated the depreciation as high as $2,000,000.
" Lands of every description are now on the mar- ket at one-half what they were two years ago. . · Fruit lands that have had a value of $100 per acre are now offering for $40 or $50. One farm, for which $11,000 was offered two years since, is now offered for $6,000. Another held at $75 per acre is now offered for $35. A handsome residence costing $21,000 is offered for $12,000."
SIZE OF THE CITY.
The returns of the election for the Mayor and other officers will show the size of the city as far as a voting population was concerned. In 1850 the vote of the county, then inelnding Ventura County, was only about 300, or less than one-half what the city alone cast in 1876.
Votes by wards-First Ward, 57; Second Ward, 239; Third Ward, 251; Fourth Ward, 178; Fifth Ward, 64. Total, 789.
The improvements in 1877 were estimated at $192,000.
PROJECT OF A NEW COUNTY.
The western part of the county began to entertain ideas of becoming a corporate body, under the name of the County of Santa Maria, as early as 1876.
The voters in the third township were estimated, in the spring of 1877: at Las Cruces, 40; Ballards, 30; Lompoc, 175; Guadalupe, 175; Santa Maria, 120; La Graciosa, 125. Total, 665.
Sherman, according to the Lompoc Record, was said to have promised his aid to the project, when he was running for the Legislature. When eleeted he did not urge the matter to any extent, whereupon some of the disappointed new-county men proceeded to burn him in effigy. The Republicans denied any connection with the matter.
SQUIRRELS.
California, from Siskiyou to San Diego, from the ocean to the Sierra Nevadas, is afflicted with squir-
rels. Whether one is on the plains, or in the mont- ains, the little rodents are always with him. He will see them a hundred yards away, busy tearing down grain, shelling corn, or devouring the acorns; but as he draws near, they give a sharp toot and plunge into their holes out of sight. If the person keeps quite still, he will see them cautiously put out their heads for observation, to be withdrawn if danger is near. In some of the coast counties, they destroy n fourth of the grain, taking some fields entirely clean. All kinds of plans for their destruction have been in- voked-guns, poison and dogs; but the rascal flour- ishes, and seems, for a time at least, to have thrived best under persecution. This was owing, to some ex- tent, to the destruction by the settlers of the wildeat, fox, coyote, and hawk, his natural enemy. It has been proposed to utilize their skins for the manufac- ture of gloves. The squirrel is good for the table when properly dressed and cooked. In spite of all these possible cures for the squirrel pest, he continues to destroy the erops of grain. Miles of ground are perforated with their galleries. The few who made attempts to destroy them with strychnine, phospho- rus, bisulphide of carbon and other poisons, made very little progress, as the holes were soon filled by others, who made good the places of the dead.
In 1878, J. C. Benton came forward with a diseov- ery that promised to exterminate the pest with little expense. Ten cents an aere was the estimated cost of ridding the fields of them. Extraordinary stories were told of the effieaey of the poison. The propri- etor, J. C. Benton, offered to remove them from the Jonata ranch at ten cents per acre. R. T. Buel, the proprietor, ridiculed the idea as preposterous; but offered to give four eents a head for all killed on the ranch. Mr. Benton went to work, and after a few days, gathered in the dead, and had four wagon-loads of the poisoned squirrels. Mr. Buel drew a check for $500 as a compromise. In some instances the poison seemed to be very effective; and the Board of Super- visors undertook the work of exterminating them.
SQUIRREL POISONING.
J. C. Benton proposed to poison the squirrels of Santa Barbara County. The Board had the county divided off into twenty-four squirrel distriets, and Benton was to furnish the poison to the amount of 2,000 pounds for 8804, the poison to be ready by the 15th of August, 1877. The following Squirrel Com- missioners were appointed: Rincon District, F. S. Colby; Carpenteria, J. R. Thurmond; Ocean, B. S. Sutton; Montecito, J. Snell; Santa Barbara, W. P. Sprout; Mission, P. L. More; Hope, A. J. Bryant; Cathedral Oaks, S. Dorling; Rafaella, J. E. Martin; La Patera, E. Towne; Dos Pueblos, E. B. Boust; Lompoc, L. Friell; Pine Grove, J. T. Martin.
Particular instructions were given the Commis- sioners as to the time and manner of putting out the poison, so not to endinger domestic anim.ils. Reports were required of the amount of poison used, the prob-
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able number of squirrels killed, and also an estimate of the number remaining unkilled!
Principal squirrel-poisoners were to receive $2.00 per day; assistants $1.50.
A warrant on the squirrel fund for $402 was drawn in favor of Blood & Orr, for poison furnished.
The Squirrel Fund accumulated until it amounted to near $4,000, when it was ordered, May 13, 1879, to be transferred to the General Fund, as the results did not seem to justify any further expenditure.
The squirrels still hold sway over numerous tracts of land, and all efforts to exterminate them seem to be unavailing. Hundreds of dollars are expended by some farmers for poison, but the squirrel holds his own.
COAL MINE EXCITEMENT.
During the winter of 1876-77, the public were some- what excited about a coal mine in the Unga Island, Alaska; latitude 55°, longitude 156° west. J. P. Stearns and Captain Kimberly were the chief pro- moters of the enterprise, which was intended to be carried on by a joint stock company.
Stearns and Kimberly with others made several trips to the island and expended considerable money in uncovering a vein of eoal which promised to be extensive. For several reasons the project was sus- pended. Coal mines were discovered in several places along the coast, mueh nearer the market; and then-who wanted to mine in Uuga, latitude 55°, in snow, sleet, and fog, after having lived in Santa Barbara ?
THE SARGENT-" CHRONICLE" AFFAIR.
When the prosecution of the San Francisco Chron- ic'e, by Sargent and Page, was being tried at Placer- ville, the trial of the same was likely to occur in any county in the State where the Chronicle was circu- Jated.
B. F. Thomas, in response to a letter from De Young & Co. asking whether Surgent & Co., if disposed, could prosecute for libel in this eounty, replied: " If Sargent & Co. desire to prosecute you, they must do so in a place other than Santa Barbara County. They cannot impose upon the people of this county the enormous expense of vindieating their character, if they have any."
TROUBLE WITH THE SHERIFF.
Covarrubias had been able to hold his office against all combinations. When the citizens' tieket was made up, with the intention of overpowering Thompson and Covarrubias, the latter was elected notwithstand- ing. It was charged against him that he traded everything for Nick; also that he had agreed to re- tire at the end of the third term, and much more.
A new turn was taken on him. The charge made against him was for malfeasance in office. In the suit of J. O. Williams vs. N. A. Covarrubias, in Distriet Court, plaintiff avers that Covarrubias has been guilty of malfeasance in office, in that he employed a dep-
uty jailer at $75.00 per month, and by compounding with him, retained part of his wages, paying him but $45.00 per month; and prays that the said Covar- rubias be deprived of his office. Dated September 26, 1877. Covarrubias was eited to appear October 24, 1877.
STRANGE DECISION.
The matter was presented to the Grand Jury, and an indictment was found against Covarrubias by that body. This was set aside by Judge Maguire on the ground that the juror had formed an opinion before the session of the jury. According to the papers, the Judge questioned ea h one of the jury as to having formed an opinion. In this instance the bias of one juror was towards or in favor of Covarrubias; for this opinion the finding was set aside. Parties informed in the matter of law were of the opinion that the function of a Grand Jury was to bring out of one body of the county parties who might know something of any unlawful act that had been com- mitted. The course of Judge Maguire was severely criticised.
In the suit for ousting Covarrubias, Richard Dow- ell swore as to being employed at 845.00 per month, drawing $75.00 of the Board of Supervisors, the differenee going to Covarrubias.
October 29, 1877, in the suit of J. O. Williams vs. N. A Covarrubias, Sheriff of Santa Barbara, the plaintiff was awarded $100 damages, and the Sheriff was deprived of his office. Sentence was pronounced by Judge Fawcett as follows :-
" The duty imposed upon the Court is an unpleas- ant one, the most unpleasant that it, as at present constituted, has been obliged to discharge. The per- son who is not confronted with such a duty cannot fully understand how unpleasant it is; but this is of no consequence. The law must nevertheless be exe- cuted. The judgment of the Court will be that the defendant be removed from the office of Sheriff of the County of Santa Barbara, and that be pay the plaintiff the sum of $100 and the co-ts of this pro- eeeding."
N. A. Covarrubias having been deprived of his position as Sheriff, the Supervisors were restrained from taking measures to appoint a successor until a further hearing, which was appointed at Sacramento November 19, 1877, before the Supreme Court. The writ of prohibition was issued by W. T. Wal- lace. He held that the appeal was a stay of proceed ings; that consequently Covarrubias was still Sheriff. While these proceedings were in progress his term of offiee expired, and he again became Sheriff by virtue of re-election.
CONTESTED ELECTION.
Covarrubias received for Sheriff, 1,027 votes; Lourey received for Sheriff, 1,005 votes. The latter contended that twenty-four illegal votes were cast for Covarrubias in township 2, and in township 3, sixty-one, leaving Covarrubias but 942 votes, and
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instituted suit in the County Court, before Judge Fawcett, for annullment of the certificate of election, and to obtain a certificate of his own election.
Covarrubias was declared elected, his former affair not working against his holding the office again.
ELECTION TRICKS.
Sharp practice was undoubtedly the rule in polit- ical matters. It was not peculiar to Santa Barbara. We only hear of strict honor in such matters in far- off countries or in past ages, and if Covarrubias spared some of his friends in the matters of license, it cannot be called an unpardonable sin; if so, " who shall be able to stand ?"
Among the things charged as campaign tricks was that an order to collect licenses for the sale of' liquors was postponed until after election that it might not hurt Covarrubias. The order caught one old Demo- crat who had not paid a license for years on account of voting the Covarrubias ticket. Back license and a $50.00 fine worked so much anti-cordiality that it was deemed best to suspend the order.
SEWERS.
Spasmodic efforts were made from time to time to have sewers constructed. The Advertiser thus dis- coursed on the subject :-
" We have no clogged sewers, and we may thank our lucky stars that no grim, ghastly, ghostly, weird wrappings of the sepulchre can come upon us from clogged sewers, of which we are quite free. But whence comes the fœtid, fearful, parched, and pesti- lential vampire that first suffocates us with his noi- some breath, tears our livers with relentless greed, dries up our blood and burns up our brains, and, once fastened on us. holds us until only death can wrest us from his destroying embrace ? He is the VAMPIRE OF THE CESSPOOLS-overflowing cesspools, through every one of which he breathes his destroy- ing breath, and feeds and fattens upon human blood and life! Gentlemen, fathers of Santa Barbara, un- less you provide drainage, the VAMPIRE OF THE CESS- POOLS will sap the life-blood of many of our best citizens. The ground has drank the sewerage until about the cesspools it fairly reeks with pestilence."
NEW YEAR'S DAY OF 1878
Was opened with a farce at Lobero's Theater, which was a kind of burlesque on what it had been, was, and had hoped to be. The play was entitled " Santa Barbara in 1878 and 1900." The scene opens with an imaginary meeting of the Mayor and City Council of 1900. The Press, with its heading large enough to be read a mile, was a feature in the proceedings. The daily was represented as having 200,000 paying subscribers, the weekly a half million. The Mayor refers to the time when the town had six apple stands and 300 saloons; now it has ten lines of rail- roads; the harbor to Santa Rosa Island is filled with steamers and sailing vessels; residences have filled the valley and climbed the hills around until the inhabitants number millions. The members of the committees on festivals make their reports, and speak
of a half million for fire-works as though it were a mere bagatelle. In the course of the play it came out that Colonel Hollister had put colonies on all his lands and had made several millions of dollars. Ell- wood Cooper had bought the Santa Rosa Island and covered it with eucalyptus trees. Mortimer Cook had flooded the world with oil and piled up millions. Stearns' Unga Island was supplying the world with coal and paving his house with gold dollars from the transaction. Each of these worthies had given the Santa Barbara College a quarter of a million for pocket money. Professor Neumyer had ciphered all the inhabitants into inexhaustible wealth, which they had been generous enough to divide with him. These worthies were present, and laughed with the rest at the clever burlesque.
ROADS.
As in times past, there was found much difficulty in getting the necessary roads through the county. The road up the Sycamore Canon had been located for some time. but some of the parties whose lands it crossed positively refused to have the road opencd. Thompson, whose land it crossed, refused to receive the $250, and evinced so much hostility that the Board of Supervisors made a personal inspection of the route, and ordered the road to be opened on the line of the survey.
CASSITAS PASS.
The only connection between the country north and south of Santa Barbara was by way of the Rin- con and along the shore. The water at high tide dashed prone against the cliffs, often preventing the connection of stages with the lower country. The Cassitas Pass road being in Ventura County, was built by the sale of Ventura bonds; but the road was as much to the benefit of Santa Barbara as Ventura.
September 10, 1878, it was opened with a Union picnic of people from Santa Barbara and Ventura. Mayor Chamberlain of Santa Barbara, Judge Murray of Ventura, Hon. Caleb Sherman and others made speeches. It was complained afterwards that Santa Barbara profited the most by it.
ROAD TO THE CINNABAR MINES.
This was asked for by C. E. Huse. The petition contains a good description of the country north of Santa Barbara :-
"PETITION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
" There is no road from the coast to the portion of this county lying north of the Santa Barbara range of mountains, except through the Gaviota Pass and over the San Marcos Toll-road. To reach a point seven miles due north of the city of Santa Barbara, it is necessary to go thirty-seven miles by the toll-road or more than fifty miles by way of the Gaviota Pass. In the rainy season, as at present, the route up the river Santa Ynez is wholly impracticable, by reason of the quick-sands which exist in the bed of the river. Between the point where the toll-road strikes the river on the north side of the Santa Ynez range of mount-
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HISTORY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.
ains and the upper mine, at which some work is now carried on, the road crosses the river thirty-eight times, and many of the fords are washed out every winter when much rain falls.
" All supplies for the mines during the rainy season are sent on the backs of pack-animals over a very circuitous, rough and almost impassable trail over the mountains. The trail is about fifteen miles long, starting in at the Mission Canon. Being so much out of repair, only half a load can be carried by a pack- animal. A new trail can be made up the Cold Spring Canon, in the Montecito, which will shorten the dis- tance about five miles. Less than two miles needs to be worked through the redwood chaparral in order to strike the old trail leading east at the top of the mountain. The expense of making this trail cannot be more than a few hundred dollars. If this work is done by the county, the city of Santa Bar- bara, the Carpenteria and the Goleta can be supplied with lime from the interior cheaper than it can be brought here from Santa Cruz, which heretofore has furnished nearly all the lime used here. This will keep the money in the county instead of sending it abroad, and it will afford labor at remunerative prices to many men now out of employment. The quality of the lime from the interior is better than that brought from Santa Cruz. It is whiter and stronger, making a much superior mortar.
" In all the territory north of the Santa Ynez range of mountains and east of the San Marcos Toll- road, and south of the boundary of Kern County, embracing an area of about 900 square miles, this county has never spent a single dollar for roads or trails, or for any other object whatever. This region forms at least a quarter part of the territory of the county and merits some attention; wherefore the petitioners asked that a trail might be constructed over there."
SPIRITUALISM.
The belief in the communication with spirits of the departed comes down to us from the oldest people that have left any record. The three ancient peoples, the Chinese, the Egyptians and the Hindoos, all have their literature permeated with it; indeed, the belief seems to run parallel to the belief in a Deity. There are, according to these old chronicles, millions of souls or existences, some good, some bad, and some of indifferent character, wandering through space or condemned to torments in caves, solitudes and hor- rible places. All of these peoples had magicians or sorcerers who could by incantations call up the spirits of the departed. Perhaps the Hindoos carried the science of spiritualism further than any other people, as they did the arts of magic, alchemy and astrology. It is said the magicians among them showed, more than 2,000 years ago, the phenomena of modern spiritualism. The Chinese still retain the belief of communication with departed persons. With the Egyptians the belief was also universal, and formed one of the cardinal elements in their religion. The Christians incorporated the belief in spirits and devils into their creeds. What was known as witch- craft is a form of spiritnalism and has its foundation in the Scriptures, the witch of Endor being described as much like the modern witches, which worked such havoc in Europe and America something over a hun-
dred years ago. The earlier Christians not only believed in the communication with the spirits of departed persons, but such men as St. Bernard vis- ited the celestial regions and talked with the old prophets, and even had interviews with the Virgin Mary, who was also said to visit the earth. These things were almost universally believed a thousand or even three hundred years since. Among the most prominent of the modern believers in the migration of spirits was Emanuel Swedenborg. He was the Superintendent of the Swedish mines until he was fifty-five years old, and performed his duties with the greatest fidelity and judgment. At the age named he resigned his position and became a leader of a new sect calling themselves Swedenborgians. He was said to be a man of extraordinary powers. It is asserted of him that he saw a fire in the city of Stockholm sixty miles distant, and described its progress and the efforts which finally arrested it.
He was in the habit of telling his servants that he was going away and did not wish to be disturbed, after which he would lie on his bed for a week in a cataleptic state. When he aroused he would relate that he had been visiting the spirits of Socrates, Plato, or some other of the wise men who had long since died. He published several volumes of descrip- tions of the people in the other world, their employ- ment and residences.
One of the most singular forms of mental phenom- ena was seen in Paris at the church-yard of Saint Medard. All the laws of nature seemed violated with impunity. The subjects were invulnerable to fire, swords or clubs. Nothing related in the history of spiritualism equals the phenomena witnessed there by thousands in open daylight from 1731 to 1790. No attempt was made to conceal anything. No machinery or other accessories were necessary for the phenomena, which appeared to be wholly invol- untary on the part of the subjects.
The spiritual phenomena of the present century were ushered in by what is called mesmerism, Roch- ester knockings, clairvoyance, and other things. Andrew Jackson Davis was one of the great lights in this progress. The Eddy family of Vermont are also noted for peculiar phenomena. All of these forms of morbid mental operations, as some have chosen to call them, have ripened into modern spirit- ualism, and now every town and city, almost every neighborhood has its mediums performing inexpli- cable things. How much is charlatanism and jug- glery, how much is imagination, and how much is reality, none can tell. There may be truth in the matter, for the limits of the mind in its operations are yet unknown.
The best writers on mental philosophy character- ize the so-called spiritual phenomena as a mental epidemic, a sort of unconscious cerebration, and refer to the fact that every century has had its peculiar epidemics, which have spread much like the diseases that once decimated the world every few years. The
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remedy suggested is a more general study of natural science, a knowledge of the well-ascertained natural laws.
The devotees claim that they have the threads of wonderful truths in the table-tapping, slate-writing, and trance-speaking. Whatever the future may be, the past has been barren of profit. When such scientists as Huxley, Hamilton, Mill, and others, whose minds are powerful enough to grasp the sub- ject, undertake it, something valuable may be learned.
Spiritualism or spiritism was for several years a prominent topic of conversation and reflection. Whether from the stimulating and inspiring air which promoted susceptibility to ethereal influences or other causes, the belief spread with great rapidity, until it was a common topic in every family. The Spiritual Association was organized in October, 1874. Mrs. Virginia F. Russel was chosen President, Dr. Crane, Vice-President, Mrs. Josephine Walcott, Sec- retary, and H. K. Winchester, Secretary. The Index, of which Mrs. Russel was one of the joint editors, became the organ of the society or of the spiritual- ists generally. Most of the famous mediums who visited the coast, also paid a visit to Santa Barbara, and most of the people, educated or ignorant, made some . efforts to investigate the phenomena. By many the phenomena were pronounced genuine man- ifestations of the spirits of the departed. By others the whole matter was denounced as fraud and the silliest drivel. The Rev. Dr. Bowers, before a crowded house, denounced it as promoting fornica- tion, adultery, suicide, desertion of families, divorces, dementia, prostitution, abortion, and insanity. He denied that a single, important, or valuable fact had been revealed, or made known by them. The Press, which since Johnson's retirement, had been edited by Col. H. G. Otis, was unsparing in the ridicule it heaped upon the so-called spiritual manifestations. The Index of April 13, 1876, came out with an arti- cle headed
SPIRITUALISM IN SANTA BARBARA-WONDERFUL MANI- FESTATIONS -- THE DEAD SPEAKETH TO THE LIVING.
Then followed a long article detailing the results of a spiritual seance at Mr. J. W. Orr's, with Mrs. M. C. Smith as medium. Every one of the circle, eight in number, received communications from departed friends, which communications usually came through a tin horn. The voices spoke in Dutch, Spanish, and French as well as English. One spirit, speaking Dutch, seemed determined to monopolize the horn. These manifestations were all in the dark. As a sample of the matters which engaged, at least, a portion of the community at this time the following is copied directly from the Index of that date :-
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