Idaho semi-weekly world. (Idaho City, Boise County, Idaho Territory) 1867-1868, 1868-08-12
geali MeekIy Morld.


Roland" Boston correspondent vi Ato ooC
ramento Union, furnishes the following account
of California pioneer--the first man who dis
PLAYED the American flag on the Sacramento
river: I vo 4syla aa4a. Aa@a4
A day or two ago I enjoyed a long CONVERSE
ton with Captain Phelps, who was the first to
display the American flag ON the Sacramento
river He was for many years in the Califor-
MIA trade, which was then mon0polised by two
Boston houses, and Is better acquainted with
the country several years before it's occupation
BY Americans than most men now living. lie
has led very adventurous life. AT the age OF
fourteen he went to sea, and was lett with SIX
others on the desolate Island of Prince Ed
wards, in the Indian ocean, to collect seal
skins and sea.elephant's OIL They had proVis-
ions for nine months Mt the end ot when tiine
their vessel was to relieve and take them of.
They remained there twenty-eight months De-
fore the ship came for them. They had acct
mulated thousands of seal-skns and nVe hCn-
dred bOpsheads of elephant oil, some oil W nlch
they had to leave. AS the voyage Was lhade on
shares. all the crew expected To realize some
thing handsome. But arriving ut the Cape of
Good Hope the Captain who Was great ras-
cal. sold ship. cargo aud all, and pockrting the
money skedaddled. And mere is a bit OF hsto.
nv. Making his way 10 China he conceived
brilliant idea: 1t was To procure mermaid to
take hume. The creature was easily made by
the ingenious Chsese; the Captain took il 10
England where the Royal College OF Surgeons
examined il with great interest aud pronounced
il a yertable mermaid. The Captain was OF
fered flU,OO0 ior his prize, but being greedy
he refused To sell it, The detrauded crew aud
the owner of the ship had tracked him, and
suddenly he found himself under arrest in Lon
don, and his mermaid attached. \ long trial
cnsued, which finally resulted in verdict
against the Cap.ain. But meanwhile IL was
discovered that the mermaid was Il humhug
and utterly worthless So Tor ns barren tlc-
tory aud the mermaid, the owner 81 the ship
paid out over f5 QUO expenses. Tins was the
real Felee mermaid that makes figure III his
tory Many years later during the Mexican
war Captain Phelps vessel WAS lying IN San
Francisco harbor. which COmmodore Stockton
had closed for the time. y good man! winters
were there, and many of their Captains used
10 come on board Of Captain Phelps vessel Ia
chat. Once he heard one OF these gentry tell
ing a comradc of his recent snip"reck GA
Pence Edwards lslaad-Aow be found wi.
dtnces that 1t had been Inhabited many years
ago, but whether by The present race of man
or antedlluvlans he couldn't tell. onc thing
particularly struck hun b. saw one day IN the
bank around the cave " here h. lived sDmeIhlng
shining; be investigated alid discovered juuk
bottle, which said he. was h!lcd with the most
glorious rum man ever tasted. Captain Phelps
heard hum through. and tnrn Told him " ho Mere
the unknown inhabitants OF that Island tw"nt!
eight years ago-tpd kIn evun tie history ~
that very bottle al ram. which the cooper ci
The Captains party had stolen ADD hidden
The Captain who was printer devil once.
helped Chaplain Cultou seG the hrst tIcs ever
used on the Paei6c coast, lie was one ui the
frat MOTT h..y sr4s If "a nm
led Captain Suffer at his rancho, And THIS
j. how It happened; cannot gse the exact
date. but it was eighteen months alter Suffer
had established himsrlt in California that
,trcr Boston ships-.hc Alert Capt. Phelps
shpl, the Stirling and Tic CAllura.a-werc ~
Santa Barbara or San Diego. While i Ing
there the three Captains frequently talked ui
exploring the Sacramento river. and finally
agreed Ia do il oil their return t" San Fran.
cisco. Each was 10 mt out and uan two boats
TOR the expedition. lLclps got nil ready. but
ID their arrival at San francisco thr othrrs
backed oat-thry had heard terrible stories
about indians, and were tul. of other vague
terrors Capt Phelps SIT of the nrNt morn.
ar alone. or rather with ou!y his o"n crew
Without notable adventure be- reached Sut.rr's
Fort aad found the whole rreIa4 around II
cOycrcd with wates To the depth Of sevcra!
teet the carTent rushing lke a mill race. To
get to the Fort BIZ didu't know hnw but he
finally wrote n"te and dispatched e By two
kanakas. whn succeeded in reaching the Fort
with great difficulty. asking ho.s h. shoni get
there himself. In Response, Capt SnltcT aent
two Indians with 4 skin canoe. Into THIS. with
fear and trembling. Phelps got and was ssirIy
landed ut the Fort. Pere he remained some
time, being treated with the kindsst hospitality
by Suffer. and receiving from hin multitude
Of curositics which bad been obtained from
the Indians. aud many Of which Capt Phelps
now has at hls hnu.. in Lexington. RcturninR
safely t" San Francisco, Phelps astonishcd his
amid friends with the story of his adventures.
a little later Commodore Wilkes expedition
came in to explore the Sacramento. and the
Ulcers thereof were greatly ctagriGsd to find
that somebody bad got ahead Of them. Some
years later. when California had become set
tied by Americans, Thoinas o. Larkin was in
Boston and talking hopefully about the great
city that was to be- built near Suffers Fort
Why" said Captain Phelps, who met nim
I've seen that country covered with three or
fJur feet OF water LarkIn thought that
could not be but think the Capta.n's ycraci
" has been yindieated. 1t is the COMMON iin.
preston at the East that Siiter has lost all bis
property in various ways, but CAP tain Phelps
sHys such il not the fact
-----a--@-
QUITE "CTvILIzEp." Mormon Bishop
thus describes bis experience IN one OF the
towns on the line oi the Union Pacific Railroad
"This town, with another on the other side
"a 4 L..