The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-07-28
Cal IFORNIA FORTY YEARS AGO.
The Story Of a Pioneer.

The following story of an old Califor-
MIA pioneer, appears in the San Francisco
Bulletin:
John Gilroy, after whom the town Of
Gilroy, Santa Clara county, is named,
and who is probably the oldest living
foreign settler of California, is just now
visiting San Francisco, and has paid his
respects to the Bulletin Office. His story,
though not very eventful, is an interest
ing one. He is a native of Glen Urqu-
hart, Invernesshire, Scotland, where he
was born in 1894, and is, consequently,
now in the seventy-second year of his
age, yet still hale and hearty, and fond of
relating his "reminiscences. His real
name is John Cameron His father wore
kilts-which are now seldom seen off the
stage, except as military costume-and
he had aunts who only spoke Gaelic. He
would hardly recognize the old Highland
haunts and communities if he were to
visit them now. Impatient of parental
restraint, he ran away from home, i'll
1906, when he was about eleven years
old, and went to sea, taking his mothers
name, which was Gilroy. and which he
has retained ever since.
After cruising for several years before
the mast, he found himself at Rio de ia
metro in 1914, where and when he shipped
rs cooper on board the English ship Isaac
Todd, bound for Oregon with supplies
for the Hudson's Bay Company. This
vessel stopped at Monterey, California,
after o voyage of seven months. There
was much sickness on board, and Gilroy
was left ashore, being unable to finish
his voyage. Monterey, although the
capital of California, was then place of
two or three buildings, besides the bar
racks. The country was still under the
jurisdiction of Spain, and Gilroy became
a Spanish citizen Joaquin Arriega, the
Governor, resided at Monterey. He died
a year or so after Gilroy's arrival, and
was then succeeded in 1916 by Don Pablo
Sola, who remained there till 1921 or
1922.
The Spanish or Mexican Inhabitants
of California were very few in numbers,
and mostly confined to the southern por-
tions of the state, in the vicinity Of the
various missions, and their pursuits and
customs were unambitious, patriarchal
aud simple. Gilroy, being something of
q mechanic, was considerable acquisi-
ton to their society, and continued at
Monterey, working at his trade, as he
says, land doing the best hecould among
the missions" He wantedlto leave, for
he was alone of his race and tongue, but
no other vessel touched at the port for
six OF seven years, and the Padres used
their influence to prevent his departure,
when at last he had an opportunity
The first vessel he saw after his arrival
was bark from Lima, which took tai
offered. These two articles were then,
and for many years atterward, the only
exports of California.
The years from 1914 to 1921 were quiet
enough in California, and there were no
opportunities for adventure, except in
voluntary explorations or hunting expe
ditiops. Gilroy remembers only one no
ticeable occurrence about these times
He came to San Francisco OF Yerby Blu
ena. rs this locality was then called, for
the first time in 1921. At the Preside
here there was stationed company of
troops, under command of Captain Louis
Arguello. Governor Sofa having been ill.,
formed by Indians that an American es-
adjustment was being made somewhere
about the hay or northern country ordered
Arguello to form an expedition to look
into the matter, and sent Gilroy to act as
interpreter. There was then no house
at Yerba Buena-
The expedition consisted of seventy
two men, including the Indians who
accompanied it, and the journey occu-
pied forty-two days, during which the
Sacramento Valley was explored to its
head, and Gilroy says he went far enough
north to see the mountains of the Column
bia river. No settlement of Americans
was found, and no other civilized settle.
ment north of the San Rafael Mission.-
The Indians were numerous and I'M
friendly, and several conflicts were had
with them, in the course of which the
savages lost six killed and the expedition
none. Arguello's party were armed
with old Spanish muskets, and carried
on muleback wonderful piece OF artil-
Jerry that threw pound ball When
needed in action it was mounted on o
small truck This formidable weapon
was the means Of Staying one poor Dig
ger. The Indians of ceuse, were only
armed with bows and arrows. Hun
slreds of them were easily kept at safe
distance with firearms. Game of all
sorts abounded in the northern part of
State-including elk, antelope. deer,
geese, ducks, etc, aud the land lay qui-
etly in its virgin beauty, like the en-.
cbanted princess in the tale, waiting on
" the ardent kiss of enterprise to wake
it into life
Gilroy was the first Alcade of Monterey
under the Republic, and was continued
in this position by Commodore Stockton,
after the American occupation As he
was the only magistrate in that district,
his decisions were final, and were prob
ably often quite original in character,
conforming more to the simple. principles
Of abstract Justice than to legal forms and
precedents. He made q visit to Yerba
Buena ct long intervals, and in 1893 saw,
On Whist we now call the Plaza, the FIRST
house ever built there. This was the
structure erected by Captain William
Behardson, an Enelishman, who had .
farm at, sSaucolito. and stored his wheat
Aece f6fade with the Rnssian settle
2ents DIP the coiek whose vessels ocea-
equally enterod tlfo lonely bry, that was
3hen uneo9eSio nsly swsiting such abusy
- tnlost1et fhtufe.