Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1850-01-15
D EFFERSON.
SPIRIT @
"REMINISCENCES.

Es-I14E SfaIA=EE-- -
~. a3;s.aaal is one of the remarkable men
Il his day, forshe seems never to hre INNS pro-
nsnsity for wild speeulations. His nane IS ia
miIiar to lie people Of our Valley ana 70 many
he has be.en the means of stripping mem OF pos
.sss;or. { which no other person could eYerhave
secn,od s,,ct 1 foothold. His.immenseFspecaia7
,ion a. ca,,la and his consequent failure TO an
amount unprscedented in Virginia, are lresns IN
he yscoIlect;on5 ofour readers. From Virginia
he wen,to the city Of New York, erected a mar
ble naIscst fot fbis dwelling, and a store-house on
Broadway equal q any thing. ever Delore pun up
in the city-ptocmed an immense STOCK oigoo1S
on tick. and alter giourisbing in magnIheence Tor
a season or two. again failed, leaving his credi-
tors 1inustwoo firee hundredthousand. When
war was declaredbetweenthe United States and
Mexico. steinbeTer in no-wise dauntcd by his
former disasters, eceived the Government con-
tract TO furnish ts Army with Beef. What his
success, insthis bayy undertaking, we have not
been able to leIsn The next Intelligence We
have of him IL hi operations in California,
where, according = a recent letter of Bayard
Taylor'si in the NssEerk Tribune, he has been
specializing inihe Miss Lands, Of that coan=
Try, of whichlhete aresods eighter ten dlstlnet
t!narcels, and said % be tho choicest gr1cuiturai
Esites from San Diego to the District north OF
San Francisco Bay. These Missions were as
signed TO tho Padres, who enjoyed the immense
profits arising from their cultivation. In the
wear 1916, the Mexican Government annulled
these Mission" rights, and directed most ofthem
to be sold. But the Governor having postponed
the day of sale until after the American Govern
ment had taksn possession of the country, the
deeds of sale, we're antedated, so as TO preclude
the rights of this Government TO the immense
portion Of Territory contained within their limits.
Among those who had become purchaser Of
these Missions from the MEXICAN Governor
and whosetdeed had been antedated to secure bis
purchase twas Mr., steinberger, of whom the let,
Ter beforetuls, 10 referring to an investigation o.
the %factsfin the case before Capt. Westcott, ("hc
had beer Commissioned by Gen. Kearney to try
the Iegtlity of the claimant,) says:
"ItAppeared from the investigation which this
officer made, that a lease was actually granted
Lon th 18th of July by Padre Real and Padre
| AMIR. President OF the Missions ofthe North, tC
Mr.. John b. Stcinberger of San Francisco, Civ
inghim possession for five years of all the pro
ne3v belonging 10 the Missions of Santa Clara
| a nj san JOst COI tbIot pm IlCSC AAts OASAAoS
nSr-bound himself to pay the sun of $4,000, IL
1ree instalments, the first OF which was to be
maid on the Let OF September. Under the lease
nossession had already been given to MIR. Stein
berger OF the orchards and vineyards, and his
agents had sold large quantities OF fruit and vege'
tables. This gentleman (better known oy the
soubriquet of Baron Steinberger) is one of the
half milIionatres of San Francisco, whohas made
immense sums by bold speculations in town lots
He is also known by some extensive cotton ope'
rations in New Orleans, where he failed some
time since for 100000. When 1t ia known
that the produce OF the Mission gardens this yeal
alone, is worth $4,000, the advantages he would
have derived from the lease are very evident
or course it is totally Illegal and will not be al
lowed to go into effect.
al have endeavored TO obtain some statistics
of the laud, cattle and other property belonging
to the yarious missions. The data on record,
however, partake of the same indefinite charac-
ter as the descriptions Of land for which grants
are asked. The lands are described as lying be.
tween certain hills aud rivers, or embracing cor.
tain plains. Sometimes they are spoken of as
canaAas or Hdn0s only. Some are of great ex.
tent: the mission lands of San Antonio contain
225 snrare LEAGUES, 80 those of San Miguel
gao Pba others .sz2oEto 100 square
IeaGues. Al ro1gN guess, l should compute
the original mission lands at about S,OOO,OOG
$cres, probably four 10 five millions of which
have since been disposed of by sales and grants,
The remaining three millions OF acres, comprls
ing some. ofthe finest lands in California, are the
property of the United States. As much - of ii
has been cultivated, or is capable of immediate
adaptation for the planting of orchards. gardens
and vineyards, the sale or disposal of would seen
to require different regulations from those which
govern other portions of the public domain. The
whole subject of land titles and public lands will
doubtless be provided for by action Of Congress
and the sooner it is done the better for the int,
| rest of this State
Statistics of Population ana Revenue.
A very interesting document was communists
al Ia 10 LInnsnnf nnIenatns IN NNndnesdsx LAST