Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-05-09

n. ITO BE CoErINUEDO
CAPTAIN SUrTER.--The following pr,phic ske,cb
OF Captain Suffer, and Suffers Fort, is from an en-
celIen letter from California in the last number of
the Home Journal
VIII give, as you have requested, the readers Of
the Home Journa! sketch Of Captain Suffer. (pro-
nounced by himself Sooter) his means the f,r,
bearing his name, and few facts i'm relation TO the
gold regions. He is about fifty two years of age. of
iniddilng height, straight form and possesses that
symmetry and smallness of hand and foot which
Lord byron sets down as sure evidence of gentle
blood In manners and conversation, CAIN Suit
ter is perfect Chesterfield; he is well educated.
ana speaks different languages uently he is ma
tive OF Switzerland, and one Of the officers of
the Swiss Guard in the Revolution ofJuly, DURING
the reign OF Charles X. After this Revolution. he
emgrated to the u. States, became naturalized and
resided several years in Missouri thence i'm 1880
he came to California and obtained grant of nine
~ miles square ofland from the Mexican authorities
ms Ute Is conditional one, and may hereafter
create trouble for him. In his private character
Captain Suffer is kind, hospitable and generous. In
iact' his generosity frequently lays him open TO be
preyed upon by the idle and worthless When ask
ed why he permitted such large demands upon his
hospitality without Iecompense, he replied =
IVY hat can do, Sir-they come here, eat drink
ana steep ana sometimes without even thanking me
but what can do? cannot turn them out in
the wild forest" Surrounded as he was ON his
lrst settling IN this country, by tribes of wild Ind-
ans he mas, by kindness and just dealing attached
lhem TO his interest," and he now has from three TO
iour hundred OF these Indians devoted to him and
ms; lhey, for their food and pay, from four to six
dollars per month, man his fort, work his farms and
i'S' ana 40 al me labor generally required in
settlements. Capt Suffer, with all his landed and
9tner property, is subjected to many annoyances
When the Russians, through necessity abandoned
Their settlements at Ross and Bodega, Capt Suffer
purchased their stock, cannon, furniture, ect. and
transported them, with great labot to his new set
Elements at New Helvetia. This purchase was eff
iected Tor a consideration of $50 600 TO he maid in
an annual lnstalment of wheat, deliverable TO one
OF the Russian Fur CompNny's vessels. The in
siaimenS, owing To the unfortunate seasons have
lalo over Tor some years, and should Russian YES
sci appear at this juncture, his large crop will b,
swept away at mere nominal value.
suffers Fort now called Fort Sacramento, is sit
ua'ed short distance from the southern bank of TN
American Fork, on one OF the tributaries of IT.
Sacramento, five miles from its mouth and 20 mile
from san Francisco The fort is in form of a pa1
aileiogram, 3OO feet in length and $50 in breadth.
The walls and houses are built of the oft-me,,
TONED mud brick or adobe. Bastions at The angles
win cannons mounted, protect all sides, and numer
Gus guns project from the mud walls On the i'm
her SIDE, facing the court, are numerous building
occupied as store houses, dwellings, and barrack
Tor the garrison. The main store house was rented
during the fever of gold digging, at $4,000 DC
month. The garrison of the fort being more trust
men, are better fed and clothed than The farm Ind
ans
The crop Of wheat raised by Capt Suffer, 70
the year 1913, was upwards of 10000 bushel:
which is valued at the round sum ofSSO 600. Thi
Is the proceeds from the labor of one hundre
and twenty five rude Indians. He has also erecte
mills for grinding wheat aud saving timber, and
was IN the construction of dam and race for sa
mill, that one Of the persons in his employ dscove
ed the gold.