USA > California > Solano County > History of Solano County...and histories of its cities, towns...etc. > Part 10
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The variegated marble in the quarry, occurs in disconnected masses in the debris, which, although facilitating, on account of its looseness, the quarry- ing work, predominates to an extent, and is in itself so worthless as to outweigh the advantage mentioned.
These detached blocks of variegated marble would probably lead ulti-
* The sketch referred to above, is, unfortunately, not procurable.
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mately to a continuous main deposit. This, I think, would be found some- what higher on the slope, or farther east, and prove to be a continuation of the marble vein, which is found abruptly eut off or dislocated, near the boulders and eliffs forming the brow of the hill adjoining on the north.
Following our course, we find on the west slope of the hill, the dense, red- rish-yellow limestone No. 2. This will burn pretty white, and make a good mortar lime.
On the point of the north-west slope of the hill, we find the dense, cream- colored limestone No. 3, distinguishable from a distance by its marked light color. This is certainly the best limestone found by me on the whole ground. It burns very white, slaeks very readily, and makes a rich lime.
The value of the limestones, Nos. 2 and 3, is enhanced by the fact that, in them is situated the well defined ledge or vein of variegated marble No. 4. This, together with the situation on the slope of the hill, would make it possible to combine the quarrying of the two, and, therefore, render the operation, more profitable than if they were apart.
The vein of variegated marble above spoken of, runs in a line from there to the top of the hill in a south-easterly direction, dipping No. 3, and is two- fourths feet thick. It is distinctly defined for a distance of several hundred feet, and, I have no doubt, reaches to a considerable depth. The marble, when polished, is of great beauty, and would be made of considerable value in countries where labor is cheap. It is only fit, however, for inside ornamental purposes, such as mantles for fire-places, etc .; is a fissured struct- ure, favoring destruction by atmospheric action. At the marble works of Mr. Heverin, on Jackson street, between Montgomery and Lawrence, in this city (San Francisco), specimens of finished work from this marble can be seen in form of a fire front, and a block for the Vienna Exposition, both of which show the peculiarities and great beauty of this marble to the best advantage.
At the top of the hill this marble vein strikes the sandstone strata, which then forms the wall-rock of another smaller vein of the same marble, strik- ing in from the north-east. This vein cuts off or dislocates, the main vein ; at any rate, they are both lost in the boulders and precipitous cliffs forming the south side of the brow of the hill. It is probable, however, their con- tinuation will be found on the south-west slope, and that the quarry marble is from this continuation. The dislocation is also apparent in the sandstone and limestone strata.
Crossing the sandstone in an easterly direction, we find on the east slope of Quarry Hill a number of soda springs. One of these- the highest up on the hill - shows an oily scum floating on top of the water. This is the only acknowledged indication of the presence of coal that I have found on the premises. That this indication is too indefinite to be of any value, needs, I think, no explanation to any one at all acquainted with the origin,
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fibrous powder, assuming, at the same time, a permanent brownish-gray color. This powder, when treated with water, shows no sign of slacking. These reactions would indicate the mineral to be dolomite ; but this is belied by its form, its inferior hardness, and the readiness with which it emits its carbonic acid and dissolves in coal muriatic acid. It may be classed, there- fore, a dolomitic, calcite or magnesian limestone.
It has been satisfactorily proven that certain magnesian limestones make excellent hydraulic mortar and cement, particularly adapted for salt water work. I, therefore, at once tested the mineral for its qualities in this direc- tion, but with unsatisfactory results. It is lacking in the proper proportion of magnesia. With the discovery of a magnesia deposit of suitable nature, the rock could be made valuable-not otherwise, to my knowledge.
It is needless for me to express my opinion in regard to the mineral or soda springs in this section of your premises; anyone who has seen them and tasted the water must bear witness to their good qualities.
As regards its practical value, I can form but an imperfect opinion. It seems to me its best day is past, and that now it is merely a question of successful competition and, perhaps, attraction of locality. The experience of European springs of note, has shown that after their situation, other chance circumstances determine their fate, ahead of their intrinsic qualities. I cite Carlsbad, Ems, Wiesbaden, Baden-Baden. In dreams of the future and its possibilities, I cannot indulge.
Following our course of examination in a southerly direction, the extent of the deposit of dolomitic limestone was evident, from the pieces of it strewn over the hills, within the boundaries of the limestone strata, for a distance of over a quarter of a mile. Crossing, then, the limestone going east, there is found on the southern slope of the hills, a top-ground of decomposed limestone containing, however, considerable clay. This, on account of its softness, would probably make excellent material for agricul- tural purposes, to mix with soils requiring lime-tule lands, for instance. No. 11.
My attention was then drawn by Judge Swan to lumps of the radical fibrous mineral, No. 12, which, at first sight, I thought might be fibrous gypsum. This, however, was at once disproved by its hardness; gypsum yielding to the nail, this barely to the knife. It is arognite-a peculiar quality of carbonate of lime-and of no value except for a mineral collec- tion.
The further examination elicited nothing more of interest.
The third day's course of examination began at about D, and was made with a particular view to the discovery of coal indications.
Following up the creek bed, from the point where it is claimed specimens of coal were found in 1862, I crossed the limestone, sandstone, and clay shale strata, common to the locality, without discovering in the drift any-
7
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thing new except specimens of hornblendic rock-a peculiar conglomerate- and some new varieties of argillaceous limestone or marl, similar to those found on marble-quarry hill; Nos. 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, are specimens from both places, having, more or less, the characteristics of what is termed cement rock than any other found. My examination of it has shown it to be such, of serviceable quality. All of the other rocks, of the same class enumerated, could be made serviceable for the manufacture of cement, though it would probably need judicious mixture of different varieties to attain good results. Nothing but experiments on a large scale could settle these points satisfactorily, since it is a well-known fact to cement manu- facturers of experience, that a material may contain all the necessary constituents of cement in proper quantity, and yet not make good cement.
My course was thence taken to the east, as far as the road, to visit another point, where coal is claimed to have been found in digging a well; thence up the ravine to the north, going west, crossing the sandstone and shale strata both ways. The course, from the top of the hill, was taken south- ward, down the deep ravine, forming the main branch of the creek in which the coal was found. At the head of this ravine are found thick beds of a sandy shale, in their distorted laminæ, No. 20, indicating an irruptive action in the vicinity. Further down was found the bed of peculiar conglomerate before mentioned, No. 21. I speak of this because such conglomerates, of the most varied kind, are oftenest met in the coal formations, and are valuable as giving a clue to the nature of the rocks of the less immediate vicinity. The shells in this specimen are not perfect enough to be deter- mined, otherwise they would be a clue.
Farther down, I found boulders of synite, and the solid rock itself, protruding on the east side of the ravine. This explains the distortion of the strata in the vicinity-Nos. 22 and 23.
Part of this synite is exceedingly rich in hornblende; more so than the small piece attached. May not such massive hornblende have been mista- ken for coal, since the latter seems to have been found (12) only in the vicinity of this hornblendic rock ? I, at least, can find no indication of its presence than the vagueness mentioned.
Cinnabar, or other quicksilver ore, will not be found, I think, on your land.
The examination developed nothing more of interest.
Resumé .- The materials on your premises, which may be considered in the question of value, are: The limestones, Nos. 2 and 3; the variegated marble, No. 4; the soda springs, and some of the varieties of cement rock mentioned.
In considering the cost of burning limestone, it may be mentioned that Santa Cruz lime, of superior quality, is sold here (San Francisco) at the rate of $2 per barrel of 250 pounds, gross-say 230 pounds, net.
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In regard to the cost of production, I have tried to obtain notes on the experience in this State, but, as might be expected, did not succeed. I can only give the following :
In the best kilns at present used in Germany, the results are :.
For 32 tons lime, 1} cords wood, (kind not given) or 1 ton of good coal.
Production about 10 tons per day in kilns of the largest build. As much as 32 tons of lime is burned in some places with the above proportion of fuel.
Kilns of the foregoing kind, as were generally used, burn only 6-7 tons lime per twenty-four hours.
A somewhat different kind-simpler-kiln used near the Rhine, is only about half as large, and turns out per day one and a half and one and three quarters tons of lime, with a consumption of say one cord of good, dry pine wood.
The patent furnaces of Hoffman & Licht, such as are used by the Patent Brick Company of San Francisco, to burn brick, will.turn out 6-8 tons lime per day, consuming only 2,900 to 3,900 pounds good coal.
These furnaces are all expensive to build, especially the first and last mentioned .
A cheap form of kiln is also much used, in which the fuel is mixed with the limestone, as in burning cement at Benicia. It will turn out 5-52 tons lime, with a consumption of two tons of coal.
Taking the last form of kiln as a basis, an approximate calculation of the total cost of delivering lime to market, I calculated it to be 50 to 60 dollars for five tons, or, say 40 barrels. This makes $1.25 to $1.50 per barrel. Santa Cruz lime, as above, selling at $2.00, it would not be safe to count on more than $1.75.
From this I judge that with the use of coal as fuel, and a good kiln, lime burning could be carried on with good profit on your premises at the point specified. I do not think it would be more than a profitable business.
In respect to the value of marble, I can give the following :
Italian marble, per cubic foot. $3 00 to $12 00
Vermont 5 00 “ 5 50
Variegated foreign marble, per cubic foot. 3 00 “ 5 00
Suisun marble, per cubic foot. 1 00 " 1 50
I have been to a number of marble yards in this city, but could get no offer or estimate out of anyone for the Suisun marble, though they all admitted that it was a fine stone, etc. Mr. Heverin seems to be the only one that takes any interest in the matter, and he will therefore be best able to determine what can be done with the marble. The marble, it seems, is more difficult to work than the imported, and the preference of the product to others is a matter of taste, and therefore a high price asked. These con-
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siderations limit the market for it, and make its intrinsic value more ques- tionable than in the case of a large deposit of a less rare material. As I said before, Mr. Heverin is at present best able to give positive information on this.
Although the material is abundant for the manufacture of Portland cement, it would be difficult at present to compete with the factory at Benicia, I think, since they have also found an abundance of rock near their factory."
We will now draw this already lengthy chapter to a close ; it has been impossible to follow every outline of the settlement of Solano county up to its present state of prominent prosperity, while it has been a hard task to verify the dates of the earlier arrivals. All would appear to have gone through the earlier toils of pioneer life without any special regard to the flight of time, save wherein it was to bring them to their desired goal ; hence it has been no easy task to arrive at the information we now lay before the reader. In bidding adieu to the subject of settlement, therefore, the sad story of the Donner party may not be uninteresting, especially as some of the survivors are well known to residents of Solano.
Tuthill's History of California tells us: " Of the overland emigration to California, in 1846, about eighty wagons took a new route, from fort Bridger, around the south end of Great Salt Lake. The pioneers of the party arrived in good season over the mountains; but Mr. Reed's and Mr. Donner's companies opened a new route through the desert, lost a month's time by their explorations, and reached the foot of the Truckee pass, in the Sierra Nevada, on the 31st of October, instead of the 1st, as they had intended. The snow began to fall on the mountains two or three weeks earlier than usual that year, and was already piled up in the Pass that they could not proceed. They attempted it repeatedly, but were as often forced to return. One party built their cabins near the Truckee Lake, killed their cattle, and went into winter quarters. The other (Donner's) party, still believed that they could thread the pass, and so failed to build their cabins before more snow came and buried their cattle alive. Of course these were soon utterly destitute of food, for they could not tell where the cattle were buried, and there was no hope of game on a desert so piled with snow that nothing without wings could move. The number of those who were thus storm-stayed, at the very threshold of the land whose winters are one long spring, was eighty, of whom thirty were females, and several children. The Mr. Donner who had charge of one company, was an Illino- isian, sixty years of age, a man of high respectability and abundant means. His wife was a woman of education and refinement, and much younger than he.
During November it snowed thirteen days ; during December and Janu- ary, eight days in each. Much of the time the tops of the cabins were below the snow level.
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It was six weeks after the halt was made that a party of fifteen, includ- ing five women and two Indians who acted as guides, set out on snow-shoes to cross the mountains, and give notice to the people of the California settlements of the condition of their friends. At first the snow was so light and feathery that even in snow-shoes they sank nearly a foot at every step. On the second day they crossed the "divide," finding the snow at the sum- mit twelve feet deep. Pushing forward with the courage of despair, they made from four to eight miles a day.
Within a week they got entirely out of provisions; and three of them, succumbing to cold, weariness, and starvation, had died. Then a heavy snow-storm came on, which compelled them to lie still, buried between their blankets under the snow, for thirty-six hours. By the evening of the tenth day three more had died, and the living had been four days without food. The horrid alternative was accepted-they took the flesh from the bones of their dead, remained in camp two days to dry it, and then pushed on.
On New Years, the sixteenth day since leaving Truckee Lake, they were toiling up a steep mountain. Their feet were frozen. Every step was marked with blood. On the second of January, their food again gave out. On the third, they had nothing to eat but the strings of their snow-shoes. On the fourth, the Indians eloped, justly suspicious that they might be sacrificed for food. On the fifth, they shot a deer, and that day one of their number died. Soon after three others died, and every death now eked out the existence of the survivors. On the seventeenth, all gave out, and concluded their wanderings useless, except one. He, guided by two stray friendly Indians, dragged himself on till he reached a settlement on Bear river. By midnight the settlers had found and were treating with all Christian kindness what remained of the little company that, after more than a month of the most terrible sufferings, had that morning halted to die.
The story that there were emigrants perishing on the other side of the snowy barrier ran swiftly down the Sacramento Valley to New Helvetia, and Captain Sutter, at his own expense, fitted out an expedition of men and of mules laden with provisions, to cross the mountains and relieve them. It ran on to San Francisco, and the people, rallying in public meeting, raised fifteen hundred dollars, and with it fitted out another expedition. The naval commandant of the port fitted out still others.
The first of the relief parties reached Truckee Lake on the nineteenth of February. Ten of the people in the nearest camp were dead. For four weeks those who were still alive had fed only on bullocks' hides. At Donner's camp they had but one hide remaining. The visitors left a small supply of provisions with the twenty-nine whom they could not take with them, and started back with the remainder. Four of the children they carried on their backs.
Another of the relief parties reached Truckee Lake on the first of March.
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They immidiately started back with seventeen of the sufferers; but, a heavy snow storm overtaking them, they left all, except three of the children, on the road. Another party went after those who were left on the way; found three of them dead, and the rest sustaining life by feeding on the flesh of the dead.
The last relief party reached Donner's camp late in April, when the snows had melted so much that the earth appeared in spots. The main cabin was empty, but some miles distant they found the last survivor of all lying on the cabin floor smoking his pipe. He was ferocious in aspect, savage and repulsive in manner. His camp-kettle was over the fire and in it his meal of human flesh preparing. The stripped bones of his fellow-sufferers lay around him. He refused to return with the party, and only consented when he saw there was no escape.
Mrs. Donner was the last to die. Her husband's body, carefully laid out and wrapped in a sheet, was found at his tent. Circumstances led to the suspicion that the survivor had killed Mrs. Donner for her flesh and her money, and when he was threatened with hanging, and the rope tightened around his neck, he produced over five hundred dollars in gold, which, probably, he had appropriated from her store."
In relation to this dreary story of suffering, this portion of our history will be concluded by the narration of the prophetic dream of George Yount, attended, as it was, with such marvelous results.
At this time, (the winter of 1846) while residing in Napa county, of which, as has been already remarked, he was the pioneer settler, he dreamt that a party of emigrants were snow-bound in the Sierra Nevadas, high up in the mountains, where they were suffiering the most distressing privations from cold and want of food. The locality where his dream had placed these unhappy mortals, he had never visited, yet so clear was his vision that he described the sheet of water surrounded by lofty peaks, deep-covered with snow, while on every hand towering pine trees reared their heads far above the limitless waste. In his sleep he saw the hungry human beings ravenously tear the flesh from the bones of their fellow creatures, slain to satisfy their craving appetites, in the midst of a gloomy desolation. He dreamed his dream on three successive nights, after which he related it to others, among whom were a few who had been on hunting expeditions in the Sierras. These wished for a precise description of the scene foreshad- owed to him. They recognized the Truckee, now the Donner Lake. On the strength of this recognition Mr. Yount fitted out a search expedition, and, with these men as guides, went to the place indicated, and, prodigious to relate, was one of the successful relieving parties to reach the ill-fated Donner party.
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THE POLITICAL HISTORY OF SOLANO COUNTY.
EARLY POLITICAL HISTORY-FIRST CIVIL OFFICER COMMISSIONED-GOVERNOR BOGGS AND STEPHEN COOPER APPOINTED ALCALDES-PEOPLE OBJECT TO A MILITARY GOVERNMENT-PROCLAMATION OF BRIG .- GENERAL RILEY-THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION-SUPERIOR TRIBUNAL OF CALIFORNIA IN 1849 - APPOINTMEET OF JUDGE OF FIRST INSTANCE - FIRST ELECTION TICKETS -- FIRST ELECTION IN SOLANO COUNTY-ELECTION MATTERS FROM 1850 TO 1877-TABLE OF OFFICERS FROM 1850 TO 1877.
The early political history of Solano county is enveloped in considerable mystery. Prior to the acquisition of California by the Government of the United States, the large District of Sonoma, which included all the territory between the Sacramento river and the ocean, and Oregon and the Bay of San Francisco, was under the rule of the Mexican Government, who pro- mulgated their laws after the year 1835, when General Vallejo took command, from Sonoma. The District was apportioned into Prefectures, amenable to a grand council at that town, the holders of office being known as Alcaldes.
The first civil officer commissioned, after the American occupation, was John Nash. He had a very exalted idea of the dignity of his office ; assumed ministerial as well as judicial powers; signed himself "Chief Justice of California," and otherwise made himself and his office ridiculous. Squire Nash, as his neighbors called him, was a good-natured, illiterate, but honest man, who was employed by several persons to proceed to the mines on the discovery of gold in 1848. He returned with gold dust to the value of eight hundred dollars, and shortly after, going to Mormon Island with a company of Sonoma miners, he died there during the winter. He was succeeded in office by Lilburn W. Boggs, Ex-Governor of Missouri, in the office of Alcalde; a like appointment being made for Benicia City, as will be seen by the accompanying commission :
" Know all men by these presents, that I, Richard B. Mason, Colonel 1st Regiment of Dragoons, United States Army, and Governor of California, by virtue of authority in me vested, do hereby appoint Stephen Cooper an Alcalde at Benicia City, at present in the District of Sonoma.
" Given at Monterey, the Capital of California, this third day of January, A. D. 1848, and of the Independence of the United States the 72d.
(Signed)
[OFFICIAL SEAL.]
" R. B. MASON, "Col. Ist Dragoons,
"Governor of California."
Let us see what was the state of the political horizon at that time. According to Tuthill-as to civil law, the country was utterly at sea. It had a governor in the person of the commandant of the military district it belonged to, but no government. While the war lasted California, as a
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conquered province, expected to be governed by military officers who, by virtue of their command of the Department, bore sway over all the territory that their Department embraced. But after peace had come and the suc- cession of military governors was not abated, a people who had been in the habit of governing themselves, under the same flag and the same constitu- tion, chafed that a simple change of longitude should deprive them of their inalienable rights.
General Persifer F. Smith, who assumed command on arriving by the California, the first steamship that reached San Francisco (February 28, 1849), and General Riley, who succeeded him (April 13, 1849), would have been acceptable governors enough, if the people could have discovered any- where in the Constitution that the President had power to govern a territory by a simple order to the commandant of a military department. The power was obvious in time of war; but in peace it was unprecedented. Left en- tirely to themselves, the people could have organized a squatter sovereignty, as Oregon had done, and the way into the sister-hood of States was clear.
They felt that they had cause for complaint, but in truth they were too busy to nurse their grievance and make much of it. To some extent they formed local governments, and had unimportant collisions with the mili- tary. But, busy as they were, and expecting to return home soon, they humored their contempt for politics, and left public matters to be shaped at Washington. Nor was this so unwise a course under the circumstances, for the thing that had hindered Congress from giving them a legitimate con- stitutioual government was the ever-present snag in the current of American political history, the author of most of our woes, the great mother of mis- chief on the Western continent-Slavery.
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