The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1855-06-09
Gen. Sutter.


I'VE missed the kind and welcome face
of Gen. Sutter at the celebration yesterday
He usually joins our citizens on public oc-
casions. The ill-treated old pioneer and
phianthropist has no heart to visit us any
more. He has been waiting for decision
upon his land claim until the delay has near
ly ruined him. Will not the commission
decide his claim before long? 1t is cruel
thus to torture and ruin by inches, the best
hearted man in California. Better decide
the claim against him than keep him eter-
nally in supense, while his expenses are fast
reducing him to poverty"
The above extract from o California pa
per, contains hint at one of the saddest
histories it has been our fortune to encoun-
ter. Colonel Sutter the old pioneer Califor-
nian, the friend of the Indians, the confidant
of the Mexicans and the interpreter, agent
and go-between of the Americans, was, in
lS46 one Of the happiest and most cheerful
of men. With an ample fortune in lands,
enjoying the perfect respect and love of all
10 whom his isolated life permitted an ac-
quaintance, he was spending the evening of
his days in an unostentatious, benevolent
and kindly manner. The first gold found in
California, was discovered in the race of his
mill, and soon, thousands Of squatters had
prospccted upon his possessions, and
turned the soil of his broad domain. Ever
willing to assist the wanting, the hungry or
the weary, his fort" became the centre of
a vast circle of dependents, and during the
scarce times in the land Of Ophir his
magazines and granares furnished food and
comfort to the INDECENT whites, as they had
for years before been freely opened to the
poor Indians. But unlike the ignorant saw
ages, the Americans fed upon the old mans
bounty, only to repay the kindness with in
gratitude, The aged patriarch, guileless as a
child, and totally wanting in commercial
tact, unsuspectingy confided his secrets, his
business, even his property, to any who, by
an affectation of interest, or a hypocriticaI
show of assistance, offered themselves to his
friendship. One after another thousands of
his broad acres slipped from his grasp; he
placed his affairs in the hands of an agent
who deceived, deluded, and finally robbed
him of some hundreds of thousands Of hard
dollars; his property dwindled down to
merely tithe of what it had been, and the
old mans sorrows were heavy upon him.
But he still had large property remain
ing which, by careful husbandry and strict
business management might have brought
him a competency for his declining years.
He placed this remnant of his stupendous
fortunes i'll the charge of his son, and retired
10 Hook Farm his pleasant homestead, to
await the result. The son proved traitor to
his fathers interests, and by cruel act, as
base and uniilial as those which stripped
poor old Lear of home and shelter, this last
remaining portion was diverted from the
possession of the fond foolish parent, and
he finds himself now, with one foot in the
grave, houseless, wanderer over the great
teritory that once was his, and doubly
cursed in mans ingrattude and his off
springs cruelty. Such has been the history
of this simple, trusting, kindly man; we
learned it from those who had right to
know the facts.-lBuff. Democracy.