New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-08-12

b
re difficulties ,s.wee5 Freml 4: mi 'ts -so".N'''
INST 10 bach aad give tr.ei .i:9'J u -s'
r.Des. Il iS.6 CT. Fremcl. rsqFerId sehA'
O. Larsin. United States Consul s, MonteIe!'
purchase a ranch for tim n California an" a y
bic near tie coast. Mr.. Larsln had DO "ppo.
tuni.y % make what be considered an advantageous
purchase un.il The ne1! year when be boueh'
Gov. Lysrado the Mariposa ranch, containing ee'eh
SQUARE e,gues, 0. y, o23 acres for s3,VoV. $40
Co. F,emo1t lad intmated preference iol
ranch On tie c0sst, and he Maf.posa ranch va. IL
the remote Interior, Mr.. Larkin informed Col. re-
mont ttat he nigh, lave he ranch Il be @lshed H.
bu. # not be (Mr. LarkD) would keep ,flr nili-
sef Fremont took il. The rancn had oee'
granted as place for keeping catte, and '.e Pel,'
Ton for the grsn. wss accompanied b. m:2 re-
presenting a tract in the shape OF very i'hs.
necked pear, the bulb including tie head Sa:ers o!
the Mar posa river, and me neck rIra,Dg down Oh
both sides Of the stream distance o. t,ir:y nAes;
The CAIN was finally confirmed oy tne oui'S"
States Courts, but when the survey wss q De nsle
the United States authorities refused ~ survey .ne
and rs granted, aid Insisted upon making We
survey so that be ranch Should be more cotnPscl
in form ard should have right angles. renon.
agent. the owner himself no; being present 81 me
time, demanded that the survey should be maze sc-
coraing TO the original grant, which rad been ~ ac
cordance with the msp accompanying TIE Pe'ition
there was very good reason why TINS delnah1
should b. made. The pear-saaped trac. included
all the good table land ia that ylcmity, ana "oal'
give the owner The complete command OF me r.'er
and ts waters both the land andthe water beioe ve!
valuable for farming purposes. The United States
Surveyor refused that demand, and requested tle
agent 10 say where he would have the ranch located
The agent then directed that the survey should De-
made go as Ia include the bulb Of the original tract
and thence run north 10 the MERGED River, covering
the rich quartz mines of Bear Valley. The United
States Surveyor consented to this: the survey was
made, the patent was issued, and the legal and
equitable title 10 the land covered by the survey IL
now vested in Col. Fremont.
Before the title was finally confirmed survey OF
the ranch had been made, az the instance OF Colonel
Fremont along the boundaries OF the original grant
and this survey was considered as notice by the
people in the vicinity that he laid no claim to any
land beyond the limits of that survey; and before
the final survey wac made, many miners and com
panies, including the MERGED Mining Company, had
located claims in Bear Valley. When afterward
Bear Valley was decreed with all their claims and
their improvements 10 be his property they felt them
selves aqCrieved. but instead OF attrbutng the
wrong 10 the United States Supreme Court, where
it belonged, they charged il upon Colonel Fremont
and the United States Surveyor, whom they accused
of various forms Of fraud in regard to the final oca-
ton Of the grant.
II is now more than four years since the title to the
Marposa ranch was finally confirmed TO Col. Ere
mont; but to this day he is in possession OF but a
small part of IT, He has been extremely liberal IN
his offers to the squatters but confident ~ their
numbers, and in the weakness of the Government,
they have set him at defisnce refused to pay him
rent or any portion Of the gold which they take
from his land, or even TO give him the barren ac-
Acknowledgement OF being his tenants. Through their
newspaper organs they have persstently and vllely
abused him: they have threatened 10 do hun vO-
lence If he should come upon his own land they
have attempted to rob him by levying enormous
taxes upon bis ranch, from which az the time he
could derive no profit.
At last an effort was made to eject the squatting
miners but the Supreme Court of the State, regard
less of all law, and intent only upon panderlng 10
Il rapacious rabbe whose votes make Supreme
Judges. decided that Col Fremont had no owner
ship in the gold on his ranch; that the precious met
ais, on land granted by Mexico, belong, under our
law to the Federal Government, and that the squat
tiers have a perfect right TO take as much Of the
gold as they can get undsturbed by the landowner
From that decision there was no appeal; but pre-
sumo il will be set aside in year or two, when we
have little more honesty and ability on the Supreme
bench
Col. Fremont, finding himself without hope Of
redress in the State Courts, brought suit in the
restrain the squatters from cutting his TIMBER and
the Injunction was issued. Now, as frewOod is n
necessity to the miners, particularly those engaged
in quartz mining and as II is very expensive for
them TO bring wood from beyond the limits OF the
ranch to Bear Valley the squatters have been con-
siderably hurt by this injunction. After chatting for
some weeks under the inconvenience they de-
ternlned, under the leadership of the MERGED
Mining Company Ia avenge themselves by taking
aft al
was working.
Accordingly at ali early hour on the 9th inst, Il
party of seventy armed men, under the command
Of George y. Shaw, President of the Nerced
Mining Company, and j. Boiling, ex.Sherii Of the
County, rode swiftly up to the tunnel OF the Pine
Tree Vein, expecting 10 find it unoccupied, and
intending to take possession of II. But Fremont 5
men were already at work, and, mining tunnel
is all almost impregnable ratification they easily
defied their enemies. The squatters, finding them
selves unable to dislodge the Fremont party by
arms, laid siege to the place TO starye out the gari
son. But in this, too, they were dIssppointed for
some d their own party passed provisions in TO the
besiegtd and, when that was stopped, brave
woman carried the food. She was told to stand
back, or she would be shot. and pistol was aimed
at her. She drew revolver of her own, and told
the threatening scrounde to get out of the way or
she would shoot him; and he made way for her.
This state of siege lasted four days. Col. Fremont
was outside, and with some friends, ready. in case
of hostilities 10 fight while the men in the tunnels
sngered by ng-stauding troubles, and knowing
themselves 10 be safe, were anxious that the fight
should commence, and they were somewhat ofend-
ed at Fremont for his very peaceable demeanor to-
ward the hostile party. On ore occasion, when he
went out 10 near the besiegers thirteen rifles We're
aimed al him, and he paid 10 attention Whatever TO
the threat did what he started TO do, and returned
unhsrlntd Meanwhile. the sheriff came upon the
ground and arrested the chief rioters, but this mad
no influence on the rank and file.
ON the 10Th inst, four citizens of Msriposs adj
dressed letter 10 Col. Fremont, stating that they
bad been appointed committe to prevent blood
shed. and they proposed that he should allow the