The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1876-02-18
AN OLD CALIFORNIAN
GEN. SUFFER-, THE PACIFIC Pic
NEER.

E Il " >
NEER. go
An Interview with the Veteran at His
Home at L.iliz
SPEcTAI CORRESPONDENCE OF THE TIMES.
LANCASTER, Jan. 27.-Your correspond
ent has just returned from the old Moravi-
an village of Litiz, nine miles north OF this
city, where he enjoyed q very agreeable hour
with General John A. Suttef, who has re-
sided there for about nine years past. lie
will be 73 years old next March and enjoys
good health, except occasionally suffering
from rheumatism, though not severely. In
appearance he so strongly resembles Enpe-
ror Wilhelm, of Germany, that the photo
graph of either would readily pass for the
other. He is native of Switzerland, and
came To- this country, landing in New York,
IN 1885, H. I'D
tsThe gold was discovered about thai
time, and on your land, was it not p
eyes. While building a mill on Ameri-
can river man employed by me, by the
name Of Marshall, discovered yellow spots
in the mill-Eece. He procured some Of the
yellow stuff, and remarked to several men
that he believed it was gold, but they only
laughed at him aud called him crazy. lie
came to my Office next day, and seeing that
he wanted to speak to me alone, and, sus-
pecting that he was under some excitement
7 asked him, whats the NATTER? and he
insisted upon seeing me alone. we went
into a room and locked the door. He want
ed to be very sure no listeners were about,
and, satisfied, he gave me the stuii TO ex-
anime he had wrapped it up IN piece OF
paper. During our interview had occa-
sion to go to the door, opened it and neg
lected to lock it again, and whilst handling
the open package my clerk unexpectedly
came in, when Marshall quickly put it IN
his pocket. After the clerk had retired the
door was again locked and the specimen
closely examined. Several tests that
knew of applied as we'll as | could, ana
satisfied myself that it was really gold. one
of these tests was with aqua forts ana the
other by weighing in water. l told him 1t
was gold and no mistake, and hoped the
discovery could be kept secret for SIX weeks
until certain mills would be finished and
preparations made for large additional
popu1ation. then had about eighty white
mechanics employed. But the secret soon
leaked out-was told by a woman employed
as cook-of course she could keep no such
golden secret. Then excitement and con-
fusion. and even anarchy, followed. The
men then on the ground, and others soon
followed, seemed to care for nothing but
gold. By-and-by the scum of the world
came. They cared nothing for law, proper
ty or anything They took from me what
they wanted and was powerless. Five
butchers took my cattle, and each OF them
made $60 900 out of that job. Aftera year
or so civil authority was established, but in
the meantime my stock had been taken and
my lands occupied by squatters. Bear IN
mind that the lands were mine, and that
up to the time of gold discovery both Mex
leo and the United States had recognized
my proprietorship. OF course, | claim and
shall continue to claim damages until sue
ceed. Two tribunals-one the U. 5. Land
Commission and the other the q. S. District
Court-decided in my favor, but when it
came before the u. S. Supreme Court the
decision was in favor Of the squattcrs not
because the land was not mine, but because
of a mere technical point. And SO the mat
ter stands to-day"
tfI believe the State of California has
recognized the justice Of your claim in a
manner Am correct9'a 2sza
s"California has for years past paid me a
pension, OF in the shape of pension, III
part. or on account of what the State con-
sidered my just due. On the very same
land which was taken from me / had paid
between thirty three and thirty -four thous-
and dollars taxes, and then when the su-
preme Court had made its decision most of
the land was sold at S1.25 per acre, ibub5l
was never refunded even the taxes which
had paid. Among the Californians who be-
came very wealthy and Influential, and who
were in my employ or under my military
command, are Gen. Bidwell, formerly mem
ber of Congress Maj. Reading. very wealthy
now dead Maj. Hensley, a millionaire, now
dead DIR. George MeKinstry, Mr. Locker,
now a wealthy banker Of St. Louis /; Mr..
Weber, of Stockton, who is also very rich,
and others. 'f slf5a t- l''{e 'iiis
In answer to question the old General
stated that the Supreme Court either eli
reetly or indirectly decided that the thirty
three thousand dollars which he had paid
as taxes on the lands taken from him were
clearly his due, but that this was never
paid they never could get the matter into
shape. He appears confident that as his
case is being better understood Congress
win delay justice'no longer. lie says, also,
that he asks for no charity from the gov
ernment, utsimply his clear and nnques-
tionable right.
Two of General Suffers granddaughters
are at I.itiz, one Of them in Linden Hall
Young Ladies' Seminary, and the other re-
siding 1T home with the General One of
his sons-tIe father of these two young la- |
dies--resides id Acapulco, Mexico, one |
other son in Now York city, and two sons
and daughter in California.
Construction of Railroads.
The Railroad Gazette publishes tsannnal
statistics Of construction from which it ap- |
pears that the number of miles of railroad |
built ID the United States during the year
1876 was ! ,4s33, against 2, 2,os5 miles ii 1874,
n eee IN 1879 .,,.l II adll miles ii, 1879 aaA