San Andreas independent., 1856-11-15
How Sam Brannan got Rich.


The following letter from that noble old Pi-
oneeri General John A. Sutter, viii explain, in
part, how Sam Brannan came by his great
wealth. 1t is an unpublished chapter, not in
" the annals of San Francisco" How many of
our modern millionaires, have became suddenly
rich in a similar manner, time only will develop
The confding nature of these kind old Pioneers
were imposed upon by sharpers and unprinci-
pied lawyers This letter tells touching sto-
ry,--but it does not tell the hundredth part of
the rascality with which they have been VIC
timised
Hook FARM, Oct. 3, 1856.
MEssRs. EDITORS In yor issue of the
lst inst, have read the article, "Mesick
VS.. Sunderland" At the end of it you
remark: If John A. Sutter, Jr., had
been paid once for this property, and
then sold it the second time, he must be
man lost to all sense of honor and honesty"
And in your issue of yesterday, headed,
" The Mesick Case again. I find the fol-
lowing remark s'After paying the
money, why did not Bruce & Co., see that
deed, containing full description of the
lots, was made from Sutter, Jr, to them?
If they paid the money, they could have
compelled Sutter, Jr., to give clear deed,
as the conditions of the deed would then
have been complied with. The equities
of the case are all on the side of Bruce,
Brannan & Co., and we are at loss to see
why Sutter, Jr., could not now, if in this
State, be compelled in equity to make
good deed, if he has received the sum
stipulated in the first conveyance"
1t seems that it is very little known that
my son, j. A. Sutter, Jr, who sold his
interest in this property to Bruce, Brannan
4 Co., for one hundred and twenty-five
thousand dollars, has received not more
than twelve or thirteen thousand dollars on
account of this large sum promised in
1880. Out of the remaining sum he has
been swindled It was in vain that he
wrote to these men-he never could get
dollar more from them. Several years
past my son took much trouble to employ
some lawyers, on various occasions, in San
Francisco and Sacramento When he
came here, once, he found one; but he
was bought by the company, and would
have nothing to do with this affair. Others
refused their services to him because he
was poor, and had no money to pay these
heartless lawyers in advance; and another
class of lawyers were afraid, or did not
like to Brannan, and his three associates
in this affair.
At last one had the courage to under
take this work 1t was VIM. S. Mesick,
who studied this transaction, through and
through, and made trip to Acapulco, to
see sutter Jr.-made him propositions,
which were accepted and agreed upon,
and SO the matter stands now; and, thank
God in heaven, the Courtsi in California are
just in these days.
[ have nothing to do with this transac-
tion, and am not interested whatever-only
| consider it my duty to make the truth
known to the public about this great
swindling transaction.
In a short time the whole history will
certainly be exposed to the public, under
what circumstances and influences my son
had been pursuaded by his advisers to con-
sent and agree to the propositions made
him. 1t will astonish the world.