USA > California > Santa Clara County > History of Santa Clara County, California : including its geography, geology, topography, climatography and description > Part 11
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" On the 19th of January, 1848, Marshall observed some glittering particles in the race, which he was curious enough to examine. He called five car- penters on the mill to see them; but though they talked over the possibility of its being gold, the vision did not inflame them. Peter L. Weimar claims that he was with Marshall when the first piece of ' yellow stuff' was picked up. It was a pebble weighing six pennyweights and eleven grains. Mar- shall gave it to Mrs. Wiemar, and asked her to boil it in saleratus water and see what came of it. As she was making soap at the time, she pitched it into the soap kettle. About twenty-four hours afterward it was fished out and found all the brighter for its boiling.
" Marshall, two or three weeks later, took the specimens below, and gave them to Sutter to have them tested. Before Sutter had quite satisfied him- self as to their nature, he went up to the mill, and, with Marshall, made a treaty with the Indians, buying of them their titles to the region round about, for a certain amount of goods. There was an effort made to keep the secret inside the little circle that knew it, but it soon leaked out. They had many misgivings and much discussion whether they were not making themselves ridiculous; yet by common consent all began to hunt, though with no great spirit, for the 'yellow stuff' that might prove such a prize.
" In February, one of the party went to Yerba Buena, taking some of the dust with him. Fortunately he stumbled upon Isaac Humphrey, an old Georgian gold-miner, who, at the first look at the specimens, said they were gold, and that the diggings must be rich. Humphrey tried to induce some
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of his friends to go up with him to the mill, but they thought it a crazy expedition, and left him to go alone. He reached there on the seventh of March. A few were hunting for gold, but rather lazily, and the work on the mill went on as usual. Next day he began 'prospecting,' and soon satisfied him- self that he had struck a rich placer. He made a rocker, and then com- menced work in earnest.
" A few days later, a Frenchman, Baptiste, formerly a miner in Mexico, left the lumber he was sawing for Sutter at Weber's, ten miles east of Coloma, and came to the mill. He agreed with Humphrey that the region was rich, and, like him, took to the pan and the rocker. These two men were the com- petent practical teachers of the crowd that flocked in to see how they did it. The lesson was easy, the process simple. An hour's observation fitted the least experienced for working to advantage."
Slowly and surely, however, did these discoveries creep into the minds of those at home and abroad; the whole civilized world was set agog with the startling news from the shores of the Pacific. Young and old were seized with the California fever ; high and low, rich and poor were infected by it; the prospect was altogether too gorgeous to contemplate. Why, they could actually pick up a fortune for the seeking it! Positive affluence was within the grasp of the weakest; the very coast was shining with the bright metal, which could be obtained by picking it out with a knife.
Says Tuthill: "Before such considerations as these, the conservatism of the most stable bent. Men of small means, whose tastes inclined them to keep out of all hazardous schemes and uncertain enterprises, thought they saw duty beckoning them around the Horn, or across the Plains. In many a family circle, where nothing but the strictest economy could make the two ends of the year meet, there were long and anxious consultations, which resulted in selling off a piece of the homestead or the woodland, or the choicest of the stock, to fit out one sturdy representative to make a fortune for the family. Hundreds of farms were mortgaged to buy tickets for the land of gold. Some insured their lives and pledged their
policies for an outfit. The wild boy was packed off hopefully. The
black sheep of the flock was dismissed with a blessing, and the forlorn hope that, with a change of skies, there might be a change of manners. The stay of the happy household said, 'Good-bye, but only for a year or two,' to his charge. Unhappy husbands availed themselves cheerfully of this cheap and reputable method of divorce, trusting Time to mend or mar matters in their absence. Here was a chance to begin life anew. Whoever had begun it badly, or made slow headway on the right course, might start again in a region where Fortune had not learned to coquette with and dupe her wooers.
" The adventurers generally formed companies, expecting to go overland or
371050
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by sea to the mines, and to dissolve partnership only after a first trial of luck, together in the 'diggings.' In the Eastern and Middle States they would buy up an old whaling ship, just ready to be condemned to the wreckers, put in a cargo of such stuff as they must need themselves, and provisions, tools, or goods, that must be sure to bring returns enough to make the ven- ture profitable. Of course, the whole fleet rushing together through the Golden Gate, made most of these ventures profitless, even when the guess was happy as to the kind of supplies needed by the Californians. It can hardly be believed what sieves of ships started, and how many of them actually made the voyage, Little river-steamers, that had scarcely tasted salt water before, were fitted out to thread the Straits of Magellan, and these were welcomed to the bays and rivers of California, whose waters some of them ploughed and vexed busily for years afterwards.
" Then steamers, as well as all manner of sailing vessels, began to be adver- tised to run to the Isthmus; and they generally went crowded to excess with passengers, some of whom were fortunate enough, after the toilsome ascent of the Chagres river, and the descent either on mules or on foot to Panama, not to be detained more than a month waiting for the craft that had rounded the Horn, and by which they were ticketed to proceed to San Francisco. But hundreds broke down under the horrors of the voyage in the steerage; contracted on the Isthmus the low typhoid fevers incident to tropical marshy regions, and died.
" The overland emigrants, unless they came too late in the season to the Sierras, seldom suffered as much, as they had no great variation of climate on their route. They had this advantage too, that the mines lay at the end of their long road; while the sea-faring, when they landed, had still a weary journey before them. Few tarried longer at San Francisco than was neces- sary to learn how utterly useless were the curious patent mining contrivances they had brought, and to replace them with the pick and shovel, pan and cradle. If any one found himself destitute of funds to go farther, there was work enough to raise them by. Labor was honorable; and the daintiest dandy, if he were honest, could not resist the temptation to work where wages were so high, pay so prompt, and employers so flush.
" There were not lacking in San Francisco, grumblers who had tried the mines and satisfied themselves that it cost a dollar's worth of sweat and time, and living exclusively on bacon, beans, and ' slap-jacks,' to pick a dollar's worth of gold out of rock, or river bed, or dry ground; but they confessed that the good luck which they never enjoyed, abode with others. Then the display of dust, slugs, and bars of gold in the public gambling places; the sight of men arriving every day freighted with belts full, which they parted with so freely, as men only can when they have got it easily; the testimony of the miniature rocks; the solid nuggets brought down from above every
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few days, whose size and value rumor multiplied according to the number of her tongues. The talk, day and night, unceasingly and exclusively of ' gold, easy to get and hard to hold,' inflamed all new-comers with the desire to hurry on and share the chances. They chafed at the necessary deten- tions. They nervously feared that all would be gone before they should arrive.
" The prevalent impression was that the placers would give out in a year or two. Then it behooved him who expected to gain much, to be among the earliest on the ground. When experiment was so fresh in the field, one theory was about as good as another. An hypothesis that lured men perpet- ually further up the gorges of the foot-hills, and to explore the canons of the mountains, was this: that the gold which had been found in the beds of rivers, or in gulches through which streams once ran, must have been washed down from the places of original deposit further up the mountains. The higher up the gold-hunter went, then, the nearer he approached the source of supply.
" To reach the mines from San Francisco, the course lay up San Pablo and Suisun bays, and the Sacramento-not then, as now, a yellow, muddy stream, but a river pellucid and deep-to the landing for Sutter's Fort: and they who made the voyage in sailing vessels, thought Mount Diablo signifi- cantly named, so long it kept them company and swung its shadow over their path. From Sutter's the most common route was across the broad, fertile valley to the foot-hills, and up the American or some one of its tribu- taries; on, ascending the Sacramento to the Feather and the Yuba, the com- pany staked off a claim, pitched its tent or constructed a cabin, and set up its rocker, or began to oust the river from a portion of its bed. Good luck might hold the impatient adventurers for a whole season on one bar; bad luck scattered them always further up.
* * " Roads sought the mining camps, which did not stop to study roads Traders came in to supply the camps, and not very fast, but still to some extent; mechanics and farmers to supply both traders and miners. So, as if by magic, within a year or two after the rush began, the map of the country was written thick with the names of settlements.
" Some of these were the nuclei of towns that now flourish and promise to continue as long as the State is peopled. Others, in districts where the placers were soon exhausted, were deserted almost as hastily as they were begun, and now no traces remain of them except the short chimney-stack, the broken surface of the ground, heaps of cobble-stones, rotting, half-buried sluice-boxs, empty whisky bottles, scattered playing cards and rusty cans.
" The 'Fall of '49 and Spring of '50' is the era of California history which the pioneer always speaks of with warmth. It was the free and easy age when everybody was flush, and fortune, if not in the palm, was only just
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beyond the grasp of all. Men lived chiefly in tents, or in cabins scarcely more durable, and behaved themselves like a generation of bachelors. The family was beyond . the mountains; the restraints of society had not yet arrived. Men threw off the masks they had lived behind, and appeared out in their true character. A few did not discharge the consciences and con- victions they had brought with them. More rollicked in a perfect freedom from those bonds which good men cheerfully assume in settled society for the good of the greater number. Some afterwards resumed their temperate and steady habits, but hosts were wrecked before the period of their license expired.
"Very rarely did men, on their arrival in the country, begin to work at their old trade or profession. To the mines first. If fortune favored, they soon quit for more congenial employments. If she frowned, they might depart disgusted, if they were able; but oftener, from sheer inability to leave the business, they kept on, drifting from bar to bar, living fast, reckless, improvident, half-civilized lives; comparatively rich to-day, poor to-morrow; tormented with rheumatisms and agues, remembering dimly the joys of the old homestead; nearly weaned from the friends at home, who, because they were never heard from, soon became like dead men in their memory; seeing little of women and nothing of churches; self-reliant, yet satisfied that there was nowhere any 'show' for them; full of enterprise in the direct line of their business, and utterly lost in the threshold of any other; genial compan- ions, morbidly craving after newspapers; good fellows, but short-lived."
Such was the mælstrom which dragged all into its vortex thirty years ago! Now, almost the entire generation of pioneer miners, who remained in that business has passed away, and the survivors feel like men who are lost and old before their time, among the new comers, who may be just as old, but lack their long, strange chapter of adventures.
In the Spring of 1848 the treaty of peace was signed by which California was annexed to the United States, and on the first day of September, 1849, the first Constitutional Convention was commenced at Monterey. The first Legislature met at San José, December 13, 1849, as we have elsewhere shown, while settlers commenced to arrive in that year in such numbers, and have since so steadily increased that it has been an utter impossibility to follow them.
As the histories of the different townships will exemplify the rapidity with which they have been settled so must it remain for the reader to cull to his own tastes.
With the establishment of American rule courts of justice were inaug- urated and the machinery of government set in motion; with the offices came the proper officials, since when Santa Clara county has flourished in a wonderful degree.
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As the history of San Jose necessarily contains most of actual county his- tory which could not be segregated thereform, we refer the reader to that portion of our work, while we conclude this chapter with the relation of the two following anecdotes told of prominent members of the community :-
The following tale, among many others, is told of Judge -, who unhappily was given to too frequent resort to the festive goblet. He was old and lame, and aside from his intemperate habits, was generally regarded as wholly incompetent for the position. It is related that the Bar became so thoroughly dissatisfied with this dispenser of justice, that on a certain occasion they sent him a request to resign, signed by every member in the county. As the Court was then in session, on the morning following the presentation of this request, every lawyer was present at the opening of the Court anxious to see what effect the petition would have upon the Judge. As the time arrived, the Judge entered the court-room, and perfectly sober. His countenance wore a sad and contrite expression. As he walked, with halting steps, down the aisle, he awakened a feeling of pity in the breasts of several who had signed the petition, and they sincerely regretted the steps they had taken. The Court opened with a "Hear ye," etc., and the vener- able form of the Judge rose from the Bench. After looking timidly around, he commenced in a faltering voice to address the Bar. "Gentlemen of the Bar," said he, "last night I received a petition from you, couched in respect- ful language, setting forth certain reasons why I should tender my resigna- tion as Judge of this Court. Conscious of my many infirmities, and realizing the necessity of a pure judiciary, throughout the silent hours of the past night I have had your petition under painful, and I may add prayerful, con- sideration." Here the eyes of some of the more sympathetic of his listeners were moistened with tears. The Judge continued: " I feel, gentlemen, that you have acted from a high sense of duty in this matter ; and in responding to your petition, requesting my resignation, I will simply say that "- straightening himself up and changing entirely his manner and his tone of voiee-" I will see you all in - first, and then I wouldn't. Mr. Clerk, call the next case." The effect was somewhat startling.
The other tale is of Judge -, who relates many anecdotes against himself, but the one about covering the old woman's house in 1847 he seldom touches upon. Now in those days there were not more than five or six houses in San José that were covered with shingles or shakes. The Judge one fine morning made his appearance in San Jose with his box of tools on his shoulder, looking for a job of work, and he soon heard of an old lady who had a house to be roofed. The Judge went to see her, and they soon made a bargain. The Judge went to work immediately, as the old lady had all the materials on hand. In due time the Judge finished the job, got paid and went on his way rejoicing, leaving the old lady in great glee to think that
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HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
she was living in a house covered with shingles. Now this old lady was a Californian woman, and had not seen many houses covered with shingles or shakes, and consequently did not know how they were to be put on, but thought that los Americanos did. The " roofer," however, had laid the shin- gles so that the thick ends pointed towards the highest part of the roof. Consequently the largest portion of the water that dropped on the house fell inside, and the old lady was therefore no better off than she would be if she had no roof at all. There happened to be living in this county then one William Gulnac. When Gulnac went to town from his place he had to pass the old lady's house, and if there should happen to be any one with him they would stop in front of the house and have a laugh. This hilarity at the expense of her house went on until the old lady took notice of it, and directed her children to tell her the next time Mr. Gulnac stopped in front of the house and laughed, as she had a curiosity to know how her mansion-a newly roofed one at that-could thus excite his risibilities. No more than a day or so had elapsed before the children came running into the kitchen and told her that Mr. G. and another man were in the street laughing, when she sent for him to come in. When he had come in she asked: " Why do you laugh every time you pass my house ? Is it because I have taken off the old grass roof and got a house like the Americanos that you are making fun of it ?" "No," said G., " did you ever hear of me making fun of any one, my dear madam ? Who did you get to put this roof on for you ?" "Oh," said the lady, " he was a long, lank Americano that said his name was Precam." " Why," said Mr. G., " you are no better off when it rains than if you lived in the street, for all the water that comes in contact with the roof will enter the house." To prove this he put a boy on the roof and passed up a bucket of water and told him to spill it on the house. Lo and behold ! all of it came down on the floor.
That may be the reason why the Judge left the carpenter business and became a lawyer; for as a roofer, in this one instance, at least, he did not. succeed in covering himself with glory.
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THE MEXICAN WAR.
THE MEXICAN WAR.
WHEN the present century had but come of age, Mexico ceased to be a portion of the Spanish realm, and plunged, by itself, into the undiscovered mysteries of Statecraft. Iturbide, under the title of August I., was elected Constitutional Emperor, May 19, 1822, and after reigning for a brief period was forced to abdicate; he however returned to the government of his Empire and lost both his head and his crown.
About this time California would appear to have found extreme favor in the jealous eyes of three great powers, namely: France, the United States, and Great Britain. In the year 1818, Governor Sola received a communi- cation from Friar Marquinez, of Guadalaxara, in Old Spain, wherein he informs His Excellency of the rumors of war between the United States and Spain, while, in February of the following year, Father Jose Sanchez, writes to the same official that there is a report abroad of the fitting out of an American expedition in New Mexico. Both of these epistles remark that California is the coveted prize. Great Britain wanted it, it is said, for several reasons, the chief of which was, that in the possession of so extended a coast- line she would have the first harbors in the world for her fleets. This desire would appear to have been still manifested in 1840, for we find in February of that year, in the New York Express, the following: "The Californias .- The rumor has reached New Orleans from Mexico of the cession to England of the Californias. The cession of the two provinces would give to Great Britain an extensive and valuable territory in a part of the world where she has long been anxious to gain a foot-hold, besides securing an object still more desirable-a spacious range of sea-coast on the Pacific, stretching more than a thousand miles from the forty-second degree of latitude south, sweeping the peninsula of California, and embracing the harbors of that gulf, the finest in North America."
In the meantime that epidemic so chronic to Mexico, a revolution, had broken out in the year 1836, but nothing of interest occurred in respect to the portion of California of which we write save the departure from San José of a few of the settlers to join the opposing factions. While this strife was going on Governor Alvarado was appointed to rule California, an office he held until December, 1842, before when the difference between the Government and the revolutionists had been arranged.
This adjustment, however, left misunderstandings rife between the two highest functionaries in the Department of California; the Civil and Mili- tary authority could not agree, each therefore complained of the other to the
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Central Government, who secretly dispatched General Micheltorena to assume the two-fold power of Civil and Military Governor in place of Governor Alvarado and General Vallejo. On seeing the turn which affairs had taken against them, these two officials agreed to lay aside their bickerings and make common cause against Micheltorena, whom they designated an usurper, and aided by General Castro, drive him from the soil they deemed he tainted. The triumvirate declared California independent, and declared war against the representative of Mexico. General Micheltorena having seen the guage of battle thrown in his teeth, took the field to bring to speedy end the insur- rection; he advanced to within twelve miles of San José, but discovering that this portion of the country was up in arms, he beat a retreat, and halted not until he reached San Juan Bautista which the insurgents carried in spite of Micheltorena's defense, in November, 1844. From this blow he never rallied, and at last, in February, 1845, he paid eleven thousand dollars for a passage on board the bark Don Quixote, Captain Paty, to be taken to San Blas. He joined this craft at San Pedro with about a hundred of his officers and men, and then proceeding to Monterey took the General's lady and several others and sailed for a more propitious shore. On the termination of strife, Pio Pico was immediately voted to the Gubernatorial Chair, and José Castro appointed General.
In the month of March, 1845, Brevet-Captain John Charles Fremont departed from Washington for the purpose of organizing a third expedition for the topographical survey of Oregon and California, which having con- cluded, he left Rent's Fort on or about April 16th, his command consisting of sixty-two men, among them being Kit Carson and six Delaware Indians. Passing through the Sierra Nevada in December, they arrived at Sutter's Fort on the 10th of that month, which, after a stay only of two days, they left, for Fremont was on the search for a missing party of his explorers. It is not possible here to follow him in his long tramps over mountain and through valley, on this humane undertaking. Not being able to discover the whereabouts of Talbot and Walker, and having lost and consumed most of his horses and cattle (forty head of the latter he had procured from Captain Sutter), he determined to retrace his steps to that hospitable haven, which he reached January 15, 1846. On the 17th Fremont left Sutter's Fort in a launch for Yerba Buena, where they arrived on the 20th; the 21st saw him and Captain Hinckley sailing up the Bay of San Francisco in a whale-boat to the embarcadero at Alviso, and on the 22d they proceeded to San Jose, where they received intelligence of the lost expedition being encamped on the San Joaquin whither he at once dispatched two companies under Kit Carson to guide them into Santa Clara valley. Fremont and Hinckley then visited the New Almaden mines, and returned to San Francisco. On the 24th Captain Fremont was once more on the move. He started from Yerba
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Buena and that evening halted at the rancho of Francisco Sanchez ; the following evening he passed near the San Jose Mission; the next night at the home of Don Jose Joaquin Gomez, in the Canada of San Juan, and on the morning of January 27, 1846, reached Monterey.
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