History of Santa Barbara county, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 61

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 61

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SEALS.

Owing, perhaps, to the presence of the immense kelp beds which afford food and shelter for all kinds of fish, the island offers the most remunerative hunt- ing and fishing on the coast, the presence of seals, sea-lions and other game depending ultimately on the small fish which harbor in the kelp. The sea- lions do not breed on the island, but visit it at cer- tain seasons of the year. They yield large quanti- ties of oil, which is rated somewhat less than whale oil, and which is used for the same purposes. The long bristles, or smellers, are highly valued by the Chinese, who will give 75 cents to $1.00 for each one of them. The leopard or spotted seals give birth to their young here, but remain only a short time, the young soon being able to paddle off. The black seals rear their young on the islands, though the young seals do not enter the water until three or four months old. The female seal remains all the year near by, but the males are said to emigrate, return- ing at stated seasons to make up their harem, in doing which they have terrible fights with each other. It is said that they are so fat on their return to the islands they have to carry ballast to enable them, or, to be able to swim with ease. That they have smooth round stones weighing many pounds in their stomachs there is no doubt-all the fishermen say it is for ballast. They usually make their appearance about the 1st

of June, remaining about two months, when they depart poor, weak and worn-out with the numerous fights and the care of their many wives. The females all remain, but the young males all leave before the return of the old patriarchs. A full-grown male will yield eight gallons of oil. The young pups are slaughtered in December and January by the hundred for their oil, furnishing about a gallon each.

FISH.

On a clear, calm day, when the waves permit it, one may get a glimpse below the surface at the myr- iads of finny inhabitants darting around and making food of each other. Occasionally a general stampede among all the fish indicates the presence of the pirate of the seas, the shark, which comes into view intent on business, to which he gives strict attention until his enormous maw is gorged. Occasionally these monsters will apparently contemplate for a moment the chance of tumbling the fisherman out of his little cockle-shell of a boat, and varying his daily meal with a diet of human flesh, and the observer may thank heaven that the shark is destitute of a knowledge of the helplessness of man, or he would oftener indulge his appetite for such a dainty. The edible fish are said to be practically inexhaustible, particularly since the partial destruction of the seals has left them to multiply in greater numbers.

The sea-weed, mosses and the other algo are much more perfect than those found on the main- land having been broken up less by the waves.

CAVE.

There is a large cavern on the island of unknown depth, which can be entered by a boat, though it is considered dangerous at times on account of the surf. In early days thousands of seal frequented this cave and made the entrance dangerous by tumbling down the rocks on to the boat. Tradition makes the cave the haunt of the old buccaneers, and locates an immense amount of treasure in the place. Whether any has ever been found there the writer is unable to say, as the finders, if any there are, are silent.

EXTINCT INHABITANTS OF THE ISLANDS.

The larger of these islands were once inhabited by a race of people now extinct, as the vast number of rancherias, shell heaps and mounds would indicate. When Cabrillo, the discoverer of California, and the first to visit these islands, made his memorable voyage along the coast in 1542 he spent the winter on them. Continuing his voyage to the north in the spring, he received a severe wound by aceident, returned to the islands and died and was buried there, but the place of his burial is now unknown. He described the inhabitants as comparatively white, with ruddy com- plexions. It must be remembered that this was 340 years ago. Some accounts pretend to explain the extinction of the aboriginal inhabitants. They all agree in saying that it was the custom of the inhab- itants of Alaska, or Russian America, to come to

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ISLANDS, CHANNEL, AND HARBOR.

hese islands in the beginning of this century for the then abundant sea-otter. These carpet-bagger Russians and Alents, paid no attention to the rights of the inhabitants, even shooting them like dogs, out of pure mischief. The padres of the old missions are authority for the statement that these abuses com- menced at least a hundred years ago, and men are said to be now living in Santa Barbara who have exchanged shots with the same marauders. George Nidever relates that once while hunting near the island in boats, they were chased by two boat loads of Aleutians, who were embarked from what appeared to be an English vessel. Nidever made for the shore at the only practicable landing on that side. They had a kind of fortified camp near the landing, which they concluded to defend, though numbers of the party were in favor of retreating into the mountains. They made the landing so dangerous that the Rus- sians, after losing a number of their men, abandoned the attempt. The missionaries state that the Rus- sians were in the habit of visiting the islands a hun- dred years ago for seal, and that the natives were

unmercifully plundered. They stood no chance of successful resistance against superior weapons, and took to the mountains for safety. It is stated on pretty good authority that as late as 1836 the Aleu- tians took possession of San Nicolas and appropriated not only the goods of the natives, but the women also, much as the Midianites were used by the Israelites, like them, slaughtering all the men and boys. When the Aleutians left, after the fur season was over, the missionaries at San Buenaventura removed all the natives remaining alive, except a single woman, who remained on the island eighteen years alone. Great numbers of skulls are found to this day, but when found broken it is apparently by a club or blunt instrument rather than a bullet.

Others say that a famine occurred, and that the natives were reduced to the necessity of eating each other. Some of the human remains have the appear- ance of being relics of food, the bones being cracked as if to extract the marrow. It is possible that the natives were cannibals, or had been visited by war parties of the cannibals of the far west islands, who were known to extend their depredations to a great distance. Altogether some twenty tons of relics have been found, consisting of spear-points, knives, axes, war-clubs made of hard sandstone, and in some instances of agate, which is found on the islands; also ollas, vessels made of a fine steatite, which exhibit knowledge of forms of beauty, the rim or mouth being ornamented with raised tracery of vines and leaves. These would stand fire and seemed to have been used for culinary purposes.

It is impossible to conceive how the natives could have perished from starvation, as the rocks are cov- cred with shell fish, enough, one would judge, to sus- tain a population of thousands.

Millions of dead land shells, as well as the dead

stumps and roots of trees, indicate a terrible drouth at some former time. This might have dried up all the fresh water on the islands and thus have exter- minated the inhabitants. At any rate not a soul is left to give the least idea of the forms, features or minds of the multitudes who lived on these rocky isles.

WHITTEMORE'S VESSEL.

In connection with the reference made to the out- rages by Russians upon the defenseless inhabitants, there is a bit of history in which an American ship captain had unwittingly a part in similar cruelties on the same island,

" In 1811 a ship owned by Boardman and Pope, of Boston, commanded by Captain Whittemore, trading on this coast. took from the port of Sitka, Russian America, about thirty Kodiac Indians, a part of the hardy tribe inhabiting the island of Kodiac. to the islands of the Santa Barbara Channel, for the purpose of killing sea-otter, which were then very numerous. Captain Whittemore, after landing the Kodiacs on these islands, and placing in their hands fire-arms and the other necessary implements of the chase, sailed away to the lower coast of Cali- fornia and South America. In the absence of the ship, a dispute arose between the Kodiaes and the natives of the islands, originating in the seizure of the females by the former. The Kodiaes possessing more activity, endurance, and knowledge of war, and possessing superior weapons, slaughtered the males without mercy, old and young. On the island of St. Nicholas not a male, old or young, was spared. At the end of a year, Captain Whittemore returned to the islands, took the Kodiaes on board, and carried them back to Sitka."

The account goes on to state that Captain Whitte- more's ship was captured in the Pacific in 1813, by the British frigate Phoebe (the same which, with another vessel, had the memorable battle at Valpar- aiso with the American ship Essex), and was carried a prisoner-of-war to England. In 1836 Captain Isaac Williams, late Collector of the port of San Pedro, visited San Nicolas, and removed all the natives except one, who was left in the mountains.

SANTA CRUZ.

The surface of Santa Cruz is much broken with hills which rise in some places to a height of 1.600 feet. Barley and other grains do well, and in some seasons of the year the island looks like a vast flower garden, so covered is it with wild flowers. There are few wild animals upon the island. A small variety of the fox, not having the fine fur of the foxes of the mainland, and therefore worthless, and lacking also the destructive qualities usually given to the fox family, is permitted to live and multiply. The skunk is also found here. Birds are numerous, and do not differ from those on the mainland. The town or rancheria of the Indians in its time must have been two miles in length and a half a mile wide, covering a point which jutted into the sea. This area is covered several feet in depth with shells

256

HISTORY OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY.

and food refuse, mingled with which were stone disks, arrowheads, mortars, pestles, and bone and shell ornaments.

The island exhibits indications of ancient upheav- als, having in some places a basaltic formation with protruding masses of diorite and syenite.

The island is irregularly shaped, averaging four and a half miles wide and twenty-one miles long. The surface is rough, with small valleys and a few tracts of level land. The hill-sides in 1850 were cov- ered with oaks, pines, and chaparral; the latter has several times saved the stock from starvation, serv- ing as browsing ground in the dry seasons. The owners have a fine wharf, with a safe harbor in every wind except a northeaster.

The pear, apple, cherry, plum, peach, fig, pome- granate, orange, and lemon flourish here; in fact, the climate is much the same as on the mainland, except that the ocean winds have a greater sweep. The rocks and bays abound with shell-fish, the abalone being an article of considerable commercial impor- tance. The island was formerly the resort of great numbers of seal, which have been slaughtered for the oil and captured for aquariums until but few now resort there.

Santa Cruz was only used by the Mexican Govern- ment as a penal station a sort of Botany Bay, in fact. Its first foreign population consisted of some dozen or so of cut-throats, thieves, and the like, who being transported to the island, and provided with live-stock and provisions, remained sufficiently long to eat up their subsistence, when they constructed a raft and made their way across the narrow channel to the mainland, and became neighbors or guests of the Mission Fathers, and their peaceful converts. Their actions were not such as to recommend them to their entertainers, however, and the unwilling hosts found immense trouble in providing for their wants, and preventing their ill example from contaminating the Indians.

The island next came into possession of Castillero, the discoverer of quicksilver at New Almaden. The Mexican Government, in reward for the discovery, gave him Santa Rosa, but afterwards substituted the neighboring isle, confirming the grant by special act. Castillero disposed of the property to the firms of Barron, Forbes & Co., and Jecker, Torre & Co., who finding the island to be well adapted for sheep-rais- ing, sent hither an overseer from Mexico to manage affairs. The island is rough, well watered and well wooded. The new owners took possession in 1852, placing 200 sheep on the island, which have now grown to immense flocks, sufficient in numbers for the full capacity of the pasturage which can sustain 40,000 head.

Fine cattle have also been bred upon the island, under the care of J. B. Shaw. The present owners constitute a corporation, and obtained possession in 1871, and have continued the business of sheep-grow- ing with great success. Two miles from the landing

is the main ranch, where the sheep are gathered for shearing, and from which the principal business is directed. The island is divided into six department>. each under its own administration, responsible to the Governor, J. B. Joyaux.

The principal dimensions of Santa Cruz are, extreme length, 223 miles; average breadth, 5} miles.

MATANZA.

The island becomes at some times overstocked, and may be said to be in that condition much of the time. The result is, that the grasses, being cropped so close, die out, and allow the loosened soil to be removed by the wind and rain. Popular opinion is, that the amount of fertile land is thns being gradu- ally lessened. In seasons of drouth, or when the sheep become too numerous for profitable keeping, large numbers of them are slaughtered for their pelts and tallow. A " matanza " is the designation of the huge slaughter-house where this is done. The opera- tion consists in killing and dressing the sheep, and putting the carcass in a closed boiler or steamer, where the parts are subjected to such a degree of heat that everything, even the bones, is softened. The mass is then subjected to an immense pressure, forcing out all the tallow and glue, which are sepa- rated and prepared for market. The dry residuum is fed to hogs. In this way all parts are utilized. The " matanza" in this place passed 12,000 sheep through in 1875, and 25,000 had to be sacrificed in 1877, from lack of feed. On the neighboring island of Santa Rosa, a " matanza " has been established which will be alluded to in its proper place.

The sole remaining article of interest to be alluded to, is thus noticed in the Santa Barbara paper :-

GREAT STORM.

" Wednesday, February 19, 1878, a terrific rain- storm at Santa Cruz Island raised the creek ten feet, so that it completely washed away the old Indian burying-ground, leaving not a trace behind. Rocks weighing two or three tons were carried along the stream. The rain-fall at Santa Barbara was moderate, so that the island was probably visited by a water- spout or a 'cloud-burst.' "

SANTA ROSA.

This island contains in the neighborhood of 50,000 acres of land, nearly all of which is adapted to graz- ing, and more than half to tillage. Like Santa Cruz, it is very uneven, but its elevations do not rise so high as those of its eastern neighbor, its highest peak be- ing perhaps 600 feet. In form it is nearly a quadri- lateral, approaching to a diamond shape, but with the sides somewhat indented. Its greatest length (between East Point and Sandy Point) is 16.4 miles; the distance from East Point to South Point is 9.15 miles. The average length of the island is 92 miles, the average width being about 7} miles. Thus the superficial area is about 73 square miles.

The Island of Santa Rosa passed into the joint

T. WALLACE MORE.

Whose portrait accompanies this article is one of a numerous and remarkable family that have made their influence so widely felt that a sketch of the family will be highly proper in a work of this charac- ter. The family is of Scotch origin, tracing their genealogy back many generations and including in its members such men as Sir Thomas More and others of note. The method of spelling indicates the nation- ality of the name, the Scotch spelling the name with one o, the Irish with two. The father of the " More family," Peter Alexander, was born in Scotland in 1797 and came to New York with his father in 1801. His father's name was Lawrence More, and he was the grandfather of the twelve children constituting the More family.

Peter Alexander More resided with his father in Pittsburg until about 1816, when they made a trip to Ohio, where a home was selected in what is now Medina County. This was the future home of the More family. The younger More returned, and April 19, 1820, married Martha Wallace Boggs, and lived in Pittsburg until about 1825, two of the children being born there. There were twelve children born to them who arrived at maturity, six being boys and six girls, as follows: Andrew B. More born March 22, 1822; Elinor H , February 22, 1824; Thomas Wallace, April 19, 1826; Alexander P., April 21, 1828; Henry II., January 15, 1830; Martha J., April 19, 1832; May R., January 4, 1834; Lawrence W., August 9, 1837; John F., August 19, 1839: Cornelia A., July 6, 1841; Eliza Y., August 11, 1844; Francis A., January 24. 1846. All of the brothers have operated in Cali- fornia. The eldest, Andrew B., came from Guadalax- ara, Mexico, where he had been connected with the army of conquest, to this State in 1848. T. W. and A. P. More came in 1849, and Henry H. came in 1850, the last three constituting the firm of the More Broth. ers. They commenced business by driving cattle from southern California to the mines. It was a dangerous business, however, and many a drover's bones were left to bleach on the plains between San Diego and the mines, his friends wondering what had become of him. But the More Broth- ers had plenty of nerve and carried on the business until they were able to make large purchases of land.

The first purchase was the Sespe or San Cayetano in 1854. The particulars of the purchase are related elsewhere in this volume. The Santa Paula y Sati- coy was purchased of Levi Parsons, Eugene Cas- serly, J. B. Crocket, David Mahoney and others, who purchased of Manuel Jimeno de Casarin, the former Secretary of Governor Alvarado. They also pur- chased the country now called the Camulos, which, ho vever, was afterwards included in the San Fran- cisquito grant, although the More Brothers never abandoned their claim to it.

At one time they had the undisputed title and pos- session to a strip of land extending from within one mile of the Pacific Ocean thirty-two miles up the Santa Clara River. They parted with a portion of this (15,000 acres) to G. G. Briggs. T. Wallace pur- chased a tract from Daniel Hill, containing about 1,300 aeres for a homestead, which tract, excepting 60 acres, is now in the family, being owned by John F. More.

This tract of land, even thirty years since, was famous for its beautiful situation. The bottom-land is sheltered from the sea by the mesa or table-land, which here rises to a sufficient height above the sea to afford a fine view of the whole Patera, the view extending to Glen Annie and Ellwood towards the west, with every canon and ridge of the Santa Bar- bara Mountains intensely outlined towards the north. On this place are some of the remarkable mud springs that have puzzled the naturalist. They throw out quantities of sediment, which forms a rich, black soil. These springs were formerly the homes of Indians in immense numbers. It is said eurious Russian coins a hundred years old have been found there. The surface of the mesa is made up to a great extent of shells, the kitchen refuse of the tribes who formerly resided there.

The island of Mescaltatan, also the site of an Indian village, belongs to A. P. More, who purchased it for the purpose of building a residence and other- wise improving it. It contains some sixty or seventy acres, and has been well dug over for Indian relies. The bay, or estero, forty years since, was quite a har- bor. Daniel Hill built a schooner and launched it there before the American occupation ; hence the

BIOGRAPHY OF T. WALLACE MORE,

name Goleta. The timbers were brought out of the eañous. The estero, if dredged out, might settle the harbor question, as it would be amply protected by the mesa from storms in any direction. It was quite a harbor until a cloud-burst, some twenty years sinee, sent a vast quantity of earth into it. The wharf, asphaltum bed, and island are but seven or eight miles from Santa Barbara, and form some of the attractions for visitors.

T. Wallace More also owned the Ortega Rancho, now owned by Jaques. The Mores also purchased, in several installments, the Rancho Lompoe and Viejo Missions, afterwards colonized by Hollister, Dibblee and others. In later times the More Brothers have somewhat divided their business. A. P. More owns the Island of Santa Rosa, more particularly described in another part of this work; also a large interest (1%) in the Island of Santa Cruz. These islands are mostly devoted to stock-raising, though other things are attended to incidentally. Deer, elk, and other game have been put on the island. It is also proposed to put ostriches on it.

The eldest More, Andrew B., is a miner in Galena City, Idaho, with a home in Martinez. Elinor H. lives in Ohio. T. Wallace More, dead, mentioned in the article entitled "The More Murder." Alexan- der P. More lives in the city of San Francisco, when

not on his landed property. Henry H. More died in Oakland. Martha J. (Mrs. Orcutt) resides in cen- tral Iowa, as also does Cornelia A. (Mrs. J. P. Baldwin). May R. (Mrs. Agard) resides in Oakland, as does Eliza Y. (Mrs. W. J. Miller). Francis A. died in Oakland. John F. and Lawrence W. More reside in Santa Barbara.

The Mores are from a long-lived family, although their history does not bear out the conclusion that they were always as prolific as in the last generation, the parents having but one or two brothers and sis- ters. The history of the Mores in Santa Barbara commenees with the early years of American occu- pation.

T. Wallace More was assassinated in the night, March 24, 1877, by some masked men, who set fire to his buildings to cause him to come out, when he was mercilessly shot down. He was married in June, 1853, to Susanna A. Hill, daughter of Captain Daniel A. Hill, one of the oldest American residents of Santa Barbara. He left four children, one of whom is the wife of the Hon. Charles A. Storke, member of the State Legislature.

All of the More family, including the grandfather and grandehildren, have visited California, either for business or pleasure.

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ISLANDS, CHANNEL, AND HARBOR.

possession of Carlos and José Antonio Carrillo, about the year 1834. Its subsequent history is connected with the marriage of the two daughters of Carlos to two Americans a few years subsequently. J. C. Jones was United States Consul at the Sandwich Islands, having received his appointment from President Tyler in 1841 or 1842. Making a eruise to the coast of California in a vessel commanded by Captain Wil- son, he met at Santa Barbara the beautiful daughter of Carlos Carrillo, and falling in love with her, sought her hand in marriage. At the same time, Capt. A. B. Thompson was courting the other blooming daughter of the family, and parental influence proving propi- tious, the young ladies were united to their gallant admirers, the weddings both occurring on the same day. The dowry of the two brides was the Island of Santa Rosa-a prineely gift if its value had then been fully appreciated.

The two grooms agreeing upon a partnership, went into sheep-raising, the venture proving extremely successful. Soon after the marriage, Jones returned to his post of duty at the Sandwich Islands, leaving Thompson in sole charge of their joint interests. In 1847, Jones went, with his wife and family, to Boston. In 1855, business complications arose between the brothers-in-law, and legal measures were resorted to in settling the dispute. Thompson repudiated the other as having no interest in the ownership of the property. In the contest which followed, Alfred Rob- inson, the first agent of the Pacific Coast Steamship Company, acted as the agent for Jones; and through the energetic assistance of their legal adviser, Judge Fernald, obtained judgment for the absent partner, with a full restitution of his share of the property, and an accounting of the proceeds of various sales of wool, etc., amounting to a total of $90,000-one trans- action alone bringing in $22,000. Thompson died in 1862, before the final settlement of the action, and Jones passed away about 1878, leaving the wife and family, who still reside in Jamaica Plains, near Boston, never having returned to California.

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History of Santa Barbara county, California, with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 61

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