Volcano weekly ledger., 1856-04-19
A Story with a Moral.


penditure Of great amount of money and
more i'll feeling, triangularly conducted by
the Government of the first part, Colonel
Fremont Of the second, and the squatters of
third part the vast tract of land known in
California as the "Mariposa Grant"-a tract
which consists mainly Of boulders, Jagged
rocks of exceeding height and steepness,
spurs of mountains, deep canons, percipitous
slopes, arid plains, swift streams (when it
rains) impossible gulches, unsightly looking
swamps, stunted oaks, tallpines, a little gold
some silver aud any quantity of selix-has
been fully confirmed to the adventurous and
iudomitable Fremont. As it stands, or rath-
er as it stood at the date of its purchase
May 10th, ls46, from Alvarado, then (by
usurpation,) Governor Of California, and
who had no right whatever to dispose of it
under color of either Spanish or Mexican
law, it is or was, 1--WE are not particular
which, worth more millions Of dollars Eve
include in this valuation the undiscovered
gold) than the Colonel or his father-in-law
the Great Pronoun," could possibly expend
in the course of one generation, and build,
beside. railroad on the buffalo plan" to
the Pacific
The tract is large one, of quite respecta-
bic size for farm, containing more square
acres than the State of Delaware, is "eligibly
situated" and vauable-too valuable for one
gentleman to spread his parchments over ;and,
which, notwithstanding he is the legal pro-
proprietor thereof, by consent of President
Pierce and the Supreme Court at Washing
ton, is also owned by several beligerent
squatters, who knowing their rights, "ddrs
maintain them;" and from their Improve
ments" the present owner we apprehend will
have some trouble in driving them.
We know not the course Colonel Fremont
intends adopting in the disposal of his i'm
mcnse tract Of land, but we sincerely hope it
will be just one--credible alike to his hui
manity and the indomitable spirit which has
conducted him thus far through SO many per-
lis to his final triumph, Let him not take
advantage of those who, believing, when
they entered the tract known as the Maripo-
sas, that it was public domain, which at some
period would be subject to entry, like other
public land, and invested their fortunes and
skill in improving what was improvable of it,
and demand exorbitant sums for that which,
without their presence, would be worthless.
The patentee Of this immense estate is on
ticklsh ground-let US hope that cupidity
will not prevent him from doing what is right.
Or, like Tantalus, who, for his barbarity was
plunged up TO the chin in lake of hell, and
doomed to everlasting hunger and thirst, al
most within the reach Of cooling waters and
tempting fruits, be may arouse the indigna-
tion of the squatter gods Of the Mariposas,
and be doomed never to pocket dollars
worth Of the immense property Alvarado,
("for and in consideration of three thousand
dollars paid in hand") the Supreme Court
and the President Of these United States
have confirmed to him.
Looking at this matter in another and gra-
yer point of view, we seriously protest against
this aggregation of hundreds Of thousands Of
acres Of Gods domain in the hands Of any
one man. No precedent no act of govern.
ment, no custom, rule or proceeding, however
ancient the instance, can make that right
which is inherently wrong; and no wrong is
or can be more injurious to the prosperity Of
any community than the control Of the earth
upon which that community rests. 1t para.
yses every effort Of industry, it checks pro
gress, destroys art and makes those depend
ent upon soil thus monopolized slaves to It's
proprietor. Perhaps no country in the world
has been for extensiveuess of land claims
more cursed in this respect than California
Some dozen of men claim the entire valley oi
the Sacramento, two or three others the
country bordering on Feather river, its
branches Bear and Yuba rivers; about TWEEN
ty assume to own the valley of the Sar
joaquin, three or four Sonoma and Napa
valleys, and dozen of grants take up the
entire available area of the southern portion
of the State In fact, if we include the
Mission lands and the. lands held under every
decree Of color, the entire available area o
our Pacific State--ineluding lSS,9S square
miles, or 1870, 100000 acres-if their titles
were allowed, would be in the hands of some
two or three hundred men.--mostly unscru.
pulous adyenturers and spectators.
A CROOKED RAHRoAD.--T PotfSrtlle Jour-
nal says that one dark night last week, an
engineer Of Il lengthy freight train on the
Catawissa railroad, to his horror, perceiy-
ed light rapidly approaching as he thought,
upon the track. He sounded the alarp, and
the brakes were at once applied, when he
discovered that it was the sign0l upon the
rear ear of his own train, which, from the
great curvature of the road, shone full upon
him. 1t is related of railroad somewhere
in Virginia. that the engineers gave them
selys no uneasinsss when they run off the
track. confident that they will come upon it
again before they 60 dozen rods. Perhaps
this is TIE same road.
A LETTER from Florence says: This is the
L -. ,.Ionn "a li..o L., L hn... 49,. L