The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1876-02-14
HOW IT WAS FOUND.


Thc Discovery al tnld In tnlliorhin. -l.uES Of
nn Original land Own rr.
\ letter from Lancaster, Pa, TO the
Philadelphia Times gives an interesting
sketch Of General john A. Suffer, now a
resident there, on whose land in Cali
fOrSiH gold WAS originally found. He
is now sGvonty.three ycnrs old, and
strikingly resembles the Emperor Viii
liam OF Prussia. He WAS born in Switz-
eriand and landed ut New York in 1884.
Travelling across the continent he reach
cd Oregon and went down the coast to
California. The Mexican government
sent him to look after the Indinng, Wit!
headquarters where Sacramento low
stands. Here he cleared farm and in
one year harvested forty thousand bush
OILS OF wheat, employing several hundred
indians. He says that in 1915 a Mexi.
can senator offered him 81, 600, 900 for
his estate, but he refused the offer, part
ly because the men about him feared
that their interests would suffer by the
change. His own account of the dis
covery o! gold andoi his wrongs is given
rs follows:
While building n mill on American
river, Il man employed by me, by the
name OF Marshall, discovered yellow
spots i'll the millracc. lie procured some
Of the yellow stull, md remarked tOscy
erAl men that he believed il was gold;
but they only laughed ut him and called
him crazy. He came to E:y office noxt
day, and seeing that he wanted to speak
to me alone, and suspectiug tina. he was
under some excitement, 1 asked him:
"What's the matteri" We went into Il
room and locked the door. He wanted
to be very sure that no listeners were
about, and when satisfied, he gave nc
the stuff to examine; he had it wrapped
up in piece of paper. During our in
to:vicw | had occasion to go to the door,
opened it and neglected to loci; it again,
nnl while handling the open package my
clerk unexpectedly came in, when Mar
shall quickly put it in his pocket. After
tile clerk had retired the door was again
locked aud the specimen closely exam.
ined. Several tests that l knew Of |
applied rs well rs l could, and satisfied
myself that it WAS really gold. Ono of
theSe tests was with aQua-fortis and the
other by weighing in water. l told him
it was gold aud no mistake, and hoped
tho discovery would be kept secret for
six werks-until certain mills would be
tinishcdnnd preparation made for large
additional population. | then Ind
about eighty white mechanics employ-
cd. But the secret soon leaked out
told by II woman employed ms n cook.
Then excitement and confusion, and
even anarchy, followed. The men then
on the ground, and others soon follow.
ed, seemed to care for nothing but gold.
By'and'byc the scum of the world came.
They cared nothing for law, property or
anything. They took from me what
they wanted, and was powcrless. Five
butchers took my cattle, and each of
them made 100000 out Of that lob.
After year or so civil authority was cs.
tablishcd, but in the meantime my stock
had been taken aud my lands occupicd
by squatters. Bear III mind that the
lands were mine, and TINT up to the time
OF gold discovery both Mexico and the
United States had recognized nv pro.
prietorship. OF course, I claimed and
shall continue to clnim damages until |
succeed. Two triTunals-one the Uni
ted States land commission and the
other the United States district court
decided in my favor, but when it CAME
before the United States supreme court
tho decision was in favor OF the squat.
ters; not because the lind did not be.
long to me, but because Of mere tech.
nical point. And 50 the matter stands
to-day.
California has for years paid me n
pension, or in the shape OF pension,
Oh account Of what the State considered
my lust due. On tho very same land
which was taken from me- lad paid be,
tween th;rty-three and thirty.iour thou.
SAND dollars faxes, nnd then when the
supreme court had made its decision
most Of the land was sold Mt $l.25 Fer
acre, but | was never refunded even the
taxes which | had paid.