The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1859-08-25
From the Hssperisn.
SKETCHES OP THE
EARLY SETTLERS OF CALIFORNIA.
MRS. F E. DAY.
GEORGE C. YOUNr.


GEORGE C. YOUNT
The subject of this sketch was born in n
Carolina in the year / 794. aud. with his faith
er's family, emigrated to Missouri in the yea
1904. From thence-prompted solely By
spirit of enterprise and love of adventure
he set out for California. where he arrived
in February. 1881. He justly ranks amons
the earliest pioneers of civilization on th.
Pacific coast. being at the time of his arriva
and for some time after, the only white man
to be found from the Mission Of Sonoma tc
the quarters of the Hudson Bay Company
He found the country overrun by numerous
tribes of savage Indians-there being at tina,
time not less than ten or twelve thousand
ranging the country from Napa to the Clear
Lake. They were composed of various
tribes. which. perhaps. accounts in some de-
gree for their sudden and almost total disap-
pearance, as they frequently made war upon
and destroyed each other. Grizzly bears
were also found in great numbers; to use the
words of the venerable pioneer. ''they were
every where-upon the plains. in the valleys.
and on the mountains, venturlng even within
the camp grounds. that l have killed
as many five or six in day, and it was
not unusu Il TO see fifty or sixty within the
! twenty four hours
/ The only traces of civilization to be found
In the country at the time of Mr.. Yount S
arrival, were the Missions which had been
founded by the Old Padres. who were sent
from Spain for the purpose Of civilizing the
Indians, which object they accomplished by
attacking small parties of Indians, taking
them prisoners. and driving them into the
Mission; where they were put through such a
course of instruction best fitted them for
the duties they might be expected to per-
form.
Each Mission was supplied with five or six
Spanish soldiers, and when one band of In
dians became somewhat tame, they were sent
out under the command of Spanish sol
diers, to attack aud drive in more Indians,
who. in turn, had to go through course of
instruction civilization.
The soldiers wore coats made by pasting
one deer skin upon another, to the number
of seven. which admirably served the pur
pose Of coats of mail, as no arrow could pos.
sibly penetrate them. AS soon as one Mis-
sion was well filled, the Padres would take
some of the most civilized Indians, and, Sc
lecting another station, start n new Mission.
In this way the various Missions were es-
tablished, beginning at Sonoma. and extend
ing until every important point had its Mis-
sion.
In the fall of 1888 the Cholera broke out
in California, and ragged with terrible vio-
lence among the Indians so great was the
mortality that they were unable either to
burn or bury their dead, aud the air was ill-
ed with the stencil of decomposing human
ity. traveller who passed through the Sa-
cramento valley at this time. relates that
his way he passed by place where there
were about three hundred Indians with wo
men aud children, encamped; when he re-
turned, after an absence of three or four
days, the ground was literally strewed with
dead bodies, all having died except one little
Indian girl; she occupied the camp alone,
while around her lay the fostering bodies of
her dead companions. and the air was rea-
dered noxious by the disgusting stencil aris-
ing from the dead bodies which not alone in
this camp. but everywhere throughout the
valley. strewed the ground.
After Mr.. Yount's arrival in California he
continued his occupation of hunting and
trapping, together with catching sea otter up
to the year 1884; he then spent two years
in travelling from place to place, engaging
sometiemes in one occupation, and again in
another. At this time he frequently took
charge of the Sonoma Mission, while the
Padre went to San Rafael to look after mat
ters there.
In 1885 he retired to Napa Valley. for the
purpose of settling upon a large tract of land
that had been granted him by the Mexican
Government. Here the same spirit of enter
prise that prompted him to stray so far from
the land of his fathers, began to show itself
in the way of improvements. and in the fall
of 1886. he built the first log house ever
built on the Pacific coast, aud raised the first
chimney in California, from which ascended
the blue smoke to heaven
The Spanish Padres, when they saw the
cheerful fire blazing on the hearth, exclaimed
in alarm: '.Younte! it will make you grow
old to have fire in the house." And the
savage Indians looked on in wonder and
amazement, then Struggling their shoulders,
retired to ponder over the wonderful works
of the .swhite man." The house was con-
structed somewhat after the fashion of a
block house or fort, with one room below
about ighteen feet square, while above the
the walls extended so as to make a room
twenty or twenty-five feet square; where the
roof extended, port holes were made for the
purpose of protection against numerous tribes
of Indians, and through which Mr.. 1ount
was often called upon to defend himself by
firing many deadly shot upon the savages,
who from time to time came down from the
mountains to make war upon him.
At this time his only companion was an
old Frenchman, who had served in the war
with Bonaparte, and his only neighbors five
or six families of friendly Indians, who had
taken up their abode near by. With these
exceptions. there were no neighbors nesrner
than the Sonoma Mission the one side, and
the Hudson Bay Company on the other.
At one time. the Indians of Sonoma made
a great feast and dance. The Indians on Mr.
Yount's place took it into their heads to GO
to the feast; so young Indian came forward
and asked Mr. Yount if he mi III, go. at the
same time signifying that FIVE or six more Of
the tribe would also like to attend. Mr.. 1oun'
readily gave his consent; but the young In