The Ebensburg Alleghanian. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1865-1871, 1868-01-23
DISCOVERY OF GOLD IN CALIFORNIA.

People Uften say what they would do
il they should find a gold mine, evidently
surprising that man who finds gold
mine Is made rich, of course. But this,
it appears, is not always the case. Nei-
ther The man who discovered gold In
California, nor the man upon whose land
is was discovered, has been benefited by
it, On the contrary, the discovery ru-
! iued them both, and both are to-day poor
men.
| John A Suffer, the son of Swiss pa
rents, was born in 1903, at Baden, where
| he was reared and expeusively educated.
Ia early life he obtained a commission In
the French army, in which he rose to the
rank OF caPtaia, and remained In the ser
vice until he vas thirty years of age. \
| number of his Swiss friends aud relations
in 1888 formed company with view to
emigration to some part of the Tinted
States suited TO wiEe-groHing, and they
elected Captain Sutter to go to America
| aad choose a location for the colony, He
arrived in New York, upon this erraud,
/ In July, 1884.
PrUcee ling to the State Of Missouri,
! he chuse place for the colony in z region
appropriated, if indeed it had been ex-
| piored, and he was making preparations
| for the Coming OF his friends, when Il sad
mishap frustrated the enterprise. Cap
/ tain Suffer brought with him consider
| able capital, with which he was tn begin
settlement. erect buildings, aud get q
piece Of land CndeT cultivation UufOr-
tunately, = steala beat loaded with inIple-
meCts and stores, timber, and oIher
materials for the projected establishments.
was sunk in the Mississippi, and proved 4"
total loss. BeIn. thus compelled 70 post
pone tie scheme uf colonization, and
being Of an adventurous turn Of mind, he
made a tour iu New Mexico. There he
met some hunters and trappers who had
visited Upper California, AID they gave
hlm such hatteriDg description OF that
beautiful and romantic country that he
determined TO 20 thither himself.
In March, 1888, he joined q party OF
toe American Fur Company, aud travelled
with them to the Rocky Mountains, ard
THENCE, with six mounted meu, he crossed
the Range, e"d made his way 10 FurI
Vancouver, IN Oregon. As there was no
ui. de Of getting do@n the coast to Cali
ioFnIa, he took pass - ~ vessel bound
10 the Sandwich Islands At Huao5uia
ne waited five months, duriug which TiDr
no: i single vessel sailed for San Francis
co. lie then accepted Il situation as su-
percargo In u vessel which was tn lanG
stores at Sitka, aa Island which Tor II,
par; cf what was till recently Russian
America, bur which, il Is presumed, will
soon rejoice in another name. Fron Sit
Ia, The vessel proceeded alpug The coast
aud wag driven into the port Of San Fran
cisco in distress.
! Captain Sutter announced his Intention
TO remain in the country TO the Mexican
Governor, from whom he obtained gIaGt
OF iaud. After many adventures aud tan
taliz n delays, he landed a scaoOBer-loa6
ut tiiecs un The SacramenIo river, neal
the -Ite OF the present city Ut Sacramento
aud there began to build the stockadS
afterwards so famous as Suffers Fort
lie was then thirty-six years of age, anC
had been Ia America five years. Hin
colony consisted OF SIX white men, adveu
turers from different parts of the world
aud eight Indians. IL the following
year, eight more white men joined him
~ tha. the population OF the district con
sisted of fourteen white men, ght friend
, lv Indians, and some hundreds of roVlns
savages. Every season, however, brough
10 a few recruits.
The colony prosPered. Besides cult
vatiug the suil, Captain Sutter aud hi
comrades sent hides IN San Francisco fo
exportatioH to lhe United States, aud tbs
port became depot of lurs purchased
irum the wandering trapYers aud hunters
The land granted to Captain Sutter con
sisted of clever square leagues, aud b.
, named his settlement New Heivetia.
Many a worn, starving baud of emf
grants from the Uoited States were re
Ilcved aud entertained at Capt. Suffers
! Que example of This hospitality tells u
of terrible story of the sutferings ennu
red aG that day in crossing the plains. /
man came in one morning aud reporte
that his comrades were some miles dlstan
: in the desert country, lying of starvation
: Sutter instantly loaded u few OF his bes
mules with provisions aud despatch {
4 them to tie relief of the Psrishiog banC