History of Siskiyou County, California, Part 28

Author: Wells, Harry Laurenz, 1854-1940
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Oakland, Cal. : D. J. Stewart & Co.
Number of Pages: 440


USA > California > Siskiyou County > History of Siskiyou County, California > Part 28


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4-That the suit now pending in the County Court of Siskiyou county shall be withdrawn, and the Ditch Company shall pay the cost of said suit.


5-That the Ditch Company shall pay to this man, appointed to attend to the regulation of the water, a reasonable compensa- tion for his services.


6-That the miners of the banks of Greenhorn require no com- pensation for time lost during the progress of said suit.


WM. E. GREEN, Ch'n. CHAS. BOYLON, Sec'y.


We, the undersigned, members of the Middle Greenhorn Ditch Company, accept the above proposals on behalf of a majority of said company, the undersigned representing a majority of the company.


HUGH BRATTON, JOSEPH GREENWOOD, SAMUEL GEORGE, C. W. LEWIS.


Litigation was kept up for a number of years, the lawyers picking the bone pretty clean, and it was finally decided that the ditch company was entitled to as much water as the original capacity of the ditch, and the balance belonged in the stream.


THE MILLHOUSE MOB.


After the vital spark that animated the city gov- ernment of Yreka was extinguished by the Supreme Court, the citizens requested Sheriff Fair to deputize a man to act in the capacity of marshal, to be paid for his services by subscription. To perform this duty James H. Millhouse was appointed. The Fourth of July, 1856, was on Friday, and the ancient and honorable order of Eclampus Vitus cel- ebrated the day with a procession. Large crowds of miners from Greenhorn, Hawkinsville, Dead- wood, and Humbug, were in town, and whisky flowed as freely as water. Revehry ran higher and higher, and the jollity increased as the day advanced. In the afternoon a number of Greenhorn miners gave vent to their exuberance of spirit by making a raid through Chinatown, and kicking in the doors of their humble dwellings, as well as otherwise abusing the denizens of that delectable locality. Among these, young John Blunt made himself par- ticularly conspicuous, and the marshal undertook to arrest him. His companions interposed, and said that as it was the glorious Fourth the Marshal should allow considerable freedom of action and relaxation of spirit. The marshal assured them that he had done so, and so long as they had confined themselves to making a noise he had remained silent, but when it came to committing outrages upon persons and property he must put a stop to it. He then made another attempt to arrest Blunt, who was rescued by his friends, and ran down Third street, pursued by Millhouse. The marshal again undertook to arrest him, and a fight ocenrred, Blunt being advised by his friends to " whale him good." The fight lasted for some time, gradually working up to near the engine-house, where Blunt knocked the marshal down and began kicking him in the head. He was pulled away by some bystand- ers, and Millhouse, as he rose bleeding and almost blinded from the ground, pulled his revolver and, commenced shooting, the third shot striking Blunt in the neck, from the effects of which he died in a few minutes.


As soon as the shooting commenced the streets which were crowded with men were deserted in a trice, but as soon as the last shot was fired they


H. D. WRIGHT.


C. H. FLETCHER.


HENRY D. WRIGHT


Was born in Hancock county, Illinois, in Septem- ber, 1834. He is a son of Hickerson and Cynthia Wright. He worked at home with his parents on the farm until 1853. During that year his two elder brothers, who had gone to California in 1850, returned to the States and fitted out two wagons and thirty horses, and the three brothers crossed the plains. Mr. Wright says :- " Game was plenty on the route and we had a pleasant trip." They arrived at Placerville on the seventh day of August, 1853. He followed mining in different localities until the month of March, 1855, when he came to Siskiyou county. After remaining for a short time at what is known as the Forest House, he went on to David D. Colton's ranch, now the property of Samuel Ramage. In the fall of 1856 he removed to Scott Bar and mined until 1857, when he returned to Kidder creek and worked in Oliver & Prevost's saw-mill. From there he went to Oro Fino and engaged in working the Jackman claim. After sell- ing it, he bought the claim now owned and operated as Wright & Fletcher claim, one of the best in Siskiyou county. In this mine he worked by run- ning drain-tunnels and drifting for about ten years, but finally abandoned that method, and began the hydraulic process, which proved a success. He was married to Miss Mary C. Wood, daughter of John P. Wood, of Scott valley, on the thirtieth of December, 1872. By this union there have been two sons, viz .: Charles Henry, born January 11, 1875, and Walter A., born June 18, 1877. A view of the mine and portrait of Messrs. Fletcher and Wright will be found in this volume.


CHARLES H. FLETCHER


Is one of the most successful miners of Siskiyou county. His parents were Ezra and Mary A. Fletcher, of Somerset county, Maine; the former born in 1814, and the latter in 1819. Charles is the second child of a family of six, three brothers and three sisters. He was born on the fourth of July, 1845, and lived on a farm till he was nineteen years of age, when he emigrated to Wisconsin, and engaged in lumbering till the year 1870, after which, he went to inining on the east fork of the Scott river, at Kangaroo gulch, in this State. This venture was a success. He then invested in a claim on Patterson creek, in Scott valley. In November, 1876, he returned to Maine, his home, on a visit. While sojourning there, the Black Hills excitement became rife, so he came back to California, sold his claim on Patterson creek, and made a trip to the Black Hills. Not meeting with the success he anticipated, he soon returned to Siskiyou county, and bought into claims on the Klamath, where he worked one summer. He then bought into the quartz mine at Oro Fino, which he afterwards dis- posed of in the fall of 1880, as he had acquired a half interest in a hydraulic claim, of which there is a view on another page.


WRIGHT & FLETCHER'S HYDRAULIC GOLD MINE, ORO FINO. SISKIYOU CO., CAL. (LENGTH OF FLUME 3000 FEET. WIDTH 5 FEET, DEPTH. 34 INCHES.


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swarmed out from every doorway and began to shout, " Hang him," " Kill him," " Now for a vigi- lance committee." The sheriff's office was in the building now occupied by the Tribune, but a few yards from the scene of battle, and to this place of refuge the marshal was hastily taken by a few who desired to save him from the mob. A desperate struggle occurred before he was safely placed inside and the door closed. Sheriff Fair went to the win- dow and endeavored to pacify the angry crowd, but had no effect upon them. They called for Millhouse to come to the window and speak to them. The marshal went, but as soon as his head appeared in sight of the excited crowd that filled the street below, his ears were saluted by the ominous click of a hundred revolvers, and he quickly vanished again. The back part of the building was occupied by the Union, and all the windows on both sides had iron shutters upon them. These were securely closed and everything that could impede the defenders was removed to the center of the room. The miners sent word to Greenhorn, Deadwood, and Humbug that a miner had been killed and they wanted help to avenge him, and a great many flocked in from those places. The next day Dr. Ridgly held an inquest upon the body of Blunt, the jury being A. M. Quivey, J. Carroll, A. V. Gil- lette, W. Johnson, B. Porter, and J. H. Harper.


Close siege was maintained by the Greenhorn men for three days, the others having wearied of the affair and gone home. The Greenhorners took possession of the balcony of the Odd Fellows' Hall, now owned by the Masons, directly opposite the sheriff's office. On Monday, Millhouse was exam- ined before Justice George Waterman, in the court- room, which was then in the old Eclampus Vitus Hall on Fourth street, and was conducted thither by a body guard of citizens under Captain Goodall. The examination resulted in his acquittal on the ground that he had acted justifiably in defending himself from attack while in the discharge of his duty as an officer. He was advised by friends to leave town, as some one might assassinate him, and did so, disposing of his property and returning to Indiana. He is now living in Missouri. This step was an unnecessary one, as the passions of the dead man's friends had cooled, and no one would have risked his life by shooting the marshal after he had been fairly acquitted by a legal magistrate.


TWO INDIANS SHOT IN 1859.


On Sunday evening, June 26, 1859, a young son and daughter of Colonel R. S McEwan, of Table Rock, left Yreka to return home, and soon came back with the intelligence that they had been assaulted by two Shasta Indians, who wanted to steal the girl. A posse went out and caught the offend- ers, and they were lodged in the jail. Great indig- nation was felt in Yreka at what was considered a dastardly outrage on the part of the savages, and when they were let out of the jail the next Wednes- day night, some men quietly walked them to a vacant lot and shot them dead. There has always been considerable doubt about the guilt of the sav- ages, as many think the boy mistook their inten- tions when they spoke to him and his sister.


TWO INDIANS SHOT AT FORT JONES.


On Thursday, September 12, 1860, two Indians


who had imbibed enough fighting whisky to make them quarrelsome, went to Gee's ranch, on the stage road between Fort Jones and Yreka, and assaulted the hostler of the stage company, one of them knocking him down. They then departed in the direction of Fort Jones, soon meeting the stage, and refusing to give it the road. The driver struck them with his whip, when they both fired into the stage, luckily doing no damage. The hostler jumped on a horse, and rode hastily to Fort Jones by a cir- cuitous route, and related the conduct of the sav- ages, and a number of citizens armed themselves and started up the road in the direction of Yreka. Near the edge of town they met the two drunken Indians, who were sober enough to know that they had no business at the Fort just then. They started from the road in the direction of Indian creek, but were overtaken and shot just as they gained the ridge.


CHAPTER XVII.


SCENES AND INCIDENTS.


THERE have occurred in the thirty years of Siski- you's history many scenes, humorous, grave and tragic, that serve to illustrate the character of the times and the people. A large volume could be filled with such tales, and leave many untold. A few of them, most of which have never been pub- lished before in any form, have been gathered together in this chapter, while many others are scattered through the book as portions of topics treated of specially. The index will be an infalli- ble guide to those seeking to find any incident related in this volume.


NEGRO PREACHER AT JOHNSON'S BAR.


In 1855 a negro preacher came to Johnson's Bar, and discoursed one Sunday night to a small audience. The sporting men thought there was a chance for fun, and during the week notified the exhorter that he must prepare a good sermon for the next Sun- day, as he would have a large and intelligent audience. A large crowd went to see the fun, for the gamblers intended to throw potatoes and other vegetables at the head of the minister, whenever he lapsed into any of the peculiarities of the plantation orator. The man, however, was a good talker, and instead of throwing potatoes they took up a good collection for him. This continued several weeks, the hat receiving twenty-five or thirty dollars every time it went round, and all seemed serene and fair. The exhorter began to suspect that he was playing with fire, and one morning inquiry was made for "the preacher" and no one could tell where he was, nor has any one been able to tell since.


MOCK DUEL AT SCOTT BAR.


A little German barber at Scott Bar was once mortally offended by being called Baron Simbow- sky, and asserted to be a nobleman in disguise, by a fellow German who was seeking to get up a sham duel for the amusement of the boys. The duel was arranged, and they all adjourned to the hill above the town to speed the work of death. The only one in the crowd who did not know that the affair was all a sham was the little barber, and he took


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his pistol and stood up to be shot at with as much coolness as his big adversary, who knew that there were no bullets in the pistols. They fired, and the big man fell to the ground, staining his shirt-bosom red. The little barber ran up to render what assist- ance he could, but was told that the friends of the fallen man would shoot him, and that he had better run for the woods. He acted on their advice, and made a break for the timber on the mountain side, and never discovered the hoax till hunger drove him, under cover of darkness, to the house of a fel- low German for food.


ESCAPE OF BILL FOX.


Among the notorious characters of Siskiyou county was a desperate fellow named Bill Fox. He was one of the leaders in the Greenhorn riot in the spring of 1855, and in November of the same year killed a man named Hanna, at French Bar. With Sank Owens and Red-face Bill, two other characters on the river, Fox went to Johnson's Bar and induced a man named Hanna to come to French Bar to play cards. While the game Was progressing a difficulty arose and Hanna drew a knife, while Fox had a pistol. Jim MeKewen, a large, powerful man, seized Hanna in his arms and held him, so that he could do no harm with his knife. Red-face Bill then told Fox to shoot Hanna or he would kill him, and thus urged on, Fox placed bis pistol near Hanna's breast and shot him dead. He then went to Con- stable Hopkins and gave himself up, and irons were put on him. Afterwards, Fox thought it was a more serious matter than he had first supposed, and, with the aid of friends, made his escape in the night, stealing tools from a blacksmith shop to cut his irons with. The mountains were searched for him in vain, and he was given up, but a short time afterwards he was captured in San Francisco and brought to Yreka. His friends still interested themselves in his behalf and prepared for him a fine Christmas turkey, stuffed with a brace and bit, while soft feather pillows were sent for his cot, containing, besides the usual ingredients, a gimlet, fine saw, and file. At half-past one o'clock on the morning of January 3, 1856, the jailer heard a noise and investi- gated the cause. The first thing that fell under his observation was a hole in the foundation of the jail, under Fox's cell. He then went into the cell and found a hole cut through the double floor, also the irons which Fox had cut from his feet, and the tools with which the work had been done, but Fox was not to be found. He was tracked as far as Green- horn, and the Sheriff offered $1,000 reward, but no one ever claimed it. It was afterwards learned that he lay concealed a number of days in an old mining shaft near Deadwood, after which he made his way to San Francisco and sailed for Australia.


HAYES' WILD-CAT.


An Ohio man named Absalom Hayes, caught a wild-cat in the mountains, and brought him to Scott Bar for the people to look at. There was a sporting man there named Tom Smith, who had two bull dogs, and he prevailed upon Hayes to rent the theater and have a "drawing," something which those who have seen badger drawings in the States need not to have explained to them. The proposi- tion met with favor, the theater was engaged, and


everybody invited to come and bring his dog. When the time came about two dozen men, with dogs of all sizes, colors and breeds, were congregated before the theater, and between the yelping and snarling of the canines, and the proud boasts of the owners as to what " that thar doig kin do," the time passed away pleasantly till the show was ready. A man was stationed at the door to collect half a dollar from each man, but the dog owners refused to pay on the ground that they were part of the show, while the others, seeing it was fashionable to crowd by the door-keeper, went in without paying, and soon the place was full while the box-office receipts were only fifty cents. Hayes surveyed the motley crew of dogs and the large audience with satisfac- tion, and brought out the box containing the "var- mint," and placed it on the stage. A large, white dog that niade some pretensions to Newfoundland blood of a more or less muddy character, was selected to make the first draw, while the other brutes, made restless by the scent of the wild-cat, were with difficulty held by their masters just in front of the stage. The dog stuck his head into the box and drew out the cat the first time, and as soon as the beast appeared every dog was turned loose and made for the stage. There ensued a scene beyond description. Every dog set his teeth into the cat. They snarled, yelped, growled and fought till a little blood and fur was all that remained to tell Hayes he once owned a cat. The owners rushed in and gathered their dogs before they got to fight- ing among themselves, and then began to commis- erate with Hayes for the loss of his pet. The show- man had bought a new white shirt for the occasion, the first one he had worn in years, and Tom Smith blackened his hands at the stove and began to com- fort the proprietor of the vanished cat, who had also learned how slim the gate money was.


"It's too bad, old fellow," said Tom, as he stroked the white shirt sympathetically on the bosom. "It's too bad. There's a crowd of bilks here as would do anything, you know. When it comes to killing a man's cat in that way, you know, why, it's too bad, you know," caressingly drawing a black streak down the side of Hayes' face, while the crowd shrieked with laughter. When his shirt-bosom and face were well decorated with soot, Hayes began to real- ize that his business was done at that place and made a bolt for the door, while the others remained and " took suthin."


THE COSBY MURDER.


One morning in 1856 a quiet old Scotchman, named Cosby, was found dead in his cabin in Blue gulch, near Hawkinsville. He was tied with a sailor's knot, and had his throat cut. How much gold he may have had, or whether the murderer found any- thing to reward him for his horrible deed, was never known. A diligent search revealed thirteen dollars secreted in a hen's nest in the cabin, and this with the intelligence of the manner of the old man's death was sent to his relatives in Scotland. The mystery that surrounds this cold-blooded murder of an old man for his money has never been cleared away. There were some who supposed that Sailor Jim was the murderer, from the fact that Cosby was tied with a sailor's knot, but when the suspected man lay in jail under sentence of death for the mur-


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der of Burke, and was asked the day before his execution if he had any knowledge of the Cosby murder, he said, "No." There the matter rests till the truth shall be revealed in eternity.


MIDNIGHT RIDE OF PEMBROKE MURRAY.


" Listen, my chidren, and you shall hear Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere."


In ancient days there lived a Jew, who made Yreka his abiding-place, and engaged in the uncer- tain vocation of selling "dry goots and clodings sheep for cash." He rejoiced in the name of Jacob Ehrenbacher, which had been his from the cradle, but however mellifluous and euphonious this may have been in the owner's ears, it had to give way in the ordinary affairs of life to the more popular psen- donym of "Steamboat Jake." How this marvelous change was wrought and how a prominent justice of the peace fled from the wrath to come, it is the province of this chronicle to relate.


It was in the palmy days of Yreka, in the year 1856, that Mr. Enrenbacher felt his heart drawn towards the noble principles of Odd Fellowship, and sought to unite himself with that order. His actions in the matter led those to whom he applied to believe that he wanted to join for the purpose of becoming sick, apparently so, and enjoying the benefits devolv- ing upon one in that condition. It was resolved to punish him and give him such an idea of secret soci- eties as would banish from his mind all thought of joining one in the future.


There existed at that time in Yreka a lodge of the Most Ancient and Honorable Order of Eclampus Vitus, an order that existed solely and simply for the sport that could be had in initiating novices into its mysteries. The ceremonies were the most ludi- crous and awe-inspiring that the fertile brain of man could conceive. Into this order three practical jokers of the town, Pembroke Murray, Geo. W. Stilts, and Wiley Fox, proposed to induct the inquisitive and mercenary_Jew. They represented to him that for the modest sum of fifty dollars he could join the Odd Fellows, Masons, and Eclampus Vitus, and took his application and eash, having a royal good time with the latter.


The most appalling ceremonies of the Eclampus Vitus as well as all the means they could devise by which a man could be deceived and frightened, were arranged in one grand programine, as he was not to be indueted regularly into the order.


All the good fellows in town were posted on the affair, whether members of the order or not, and when the night came which was to remove the veil of mystery from before the eyes of the confiding Hebrew, the hall was crowded with eager spectators. The ceremonies commenced in the most solemn and impressive manner, and as they proceeded, ever and anon the whole assembly would give a sepulchral groan, to which, according to instructions previously given, the candidate responded "Timbo." As the evening wore on and he became more and more ter- rified, his pronunciation of the magic word became less distinct, until nothing could be made of it but "Steambo," and he became "Steamboat Jake" upon the spot. At one time it was represented to him that each of the three orders must brand him with a red-hot iron, and to fully impress him with the reality of the intended act they began to dispute


among themselves as to which order took precedence. Pembroke Murray dated the Masons back to Moses, but Stilts settled all dispute by conclusively proving that Adam was the first member of the Eelampus Vitus, and to that order was granted the privilege of first putting its brand upon the now thoroughly frightened man. Great demonstrations of heating an iron and of making other preparations were made, and when all was ready he was touched upon the bare back with a piece of ice. In his imagination he could feel the scorching iron burn deep into his flesh, and he bounded into the air, screeching and groan- ing in the intensity of his pain and fright. His yells and eries could be distinctly heard a block away by people in their houses.


For a long time he writhed and shrieked under the relentless deceptions of his persecutors, while all were convulsed with laughter.


Finally his nervous system gave way under the strain, and he fell down in a fit, frothing at the mouth. The merriment was suddenly changed to fear and apprehension. The unconscious man was borne to his store, where four physicians labored over him for an hour. No one expected to see him open his eyes to the light of day again, but he was at last resuscitated, and all danger was past. Before this Murray had gone home, leaving word with Stilts to come to the house and tell him the result. As soon as the good news was announced, Stilts said to John Loag, "John, have you got the old cayuse down at the stable?"


"Yes."


"Well, we'll have a good joke on Murray." "How so?"


"Why, I'll go down there and tell him the Jew is dead, and we must leave town to avoid arrest, and you send him the old cayuse to ride on."


The plan was well laid, and all the late revelers were in the secret. Stilts went to Murray's house and rapped softly on the door, which was opened by the anxious justice. Assuming a most lugubrious expression of countenance, he said :


"He's dead as a smelt, and I'm going to Oregon. Dave Colton is getting out the papers now to arrest us. I've told the boys we were going to Oregon, and Dave will hear of it, and ride to the Klamath ferry to capture us. Now there will be a horse here in a few minutes, mount him, and get to Shasta as quick as you can. I'm going to Oregon on foot, and I will be across the line by daylight."


Saying good-bye, he struck off in the direction of Oregon at a rapid pace. Soon a hor-e was led cau- tiously up to the door by George Waterhouse, who assisted Murray to mount, and charging him to get out of the country before daylight, bade him God- speed.


The old cayuse was a pack animal, to which any gait faster than a drowsy walk was an utter stranger. He took as long to pass any given point as a procession. In vain did the anxious fugitive on his back cluck, kick, and swear. He had no spurs nor whip to encourage him with. Riding up to a fence he broke off the top of a picket, and with this commenced a vigorous prodding, eliciting a spasmodie trot of half a dozen steps, and then the walk was resumed. Again and again was the brute prodded, and again and again did he respond




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