The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1876-04-29
THE PACIFIC
Commercial AOOtrtistr.
Saturday. APRIL %.
From The Philadelphia TmasI
The Jason OF the Pacific Slope.

{ AA4AE 44A4[5 I'LL ~ VI tAA- NAky nAEAE At NA-ICrE@ q
very agreeable hour with General John a.
Suffer, who has resided there for about nine
years past. He's a native Of Switzerland, aged
70, and came 70 this country, landing in New
York in 1894. Now, General, be good enough
to tell US, briefly, the story Of your travels, and
adventures and public services since"
Well, | Travelled westward all the way across
the continent TO Oregon and down the coast 10
California, then ! sailed TO the Sandwich Islands;
from thence to Vancouver Island and Alaska and
down again to California, then belonging to
Mexico. And during these movements many
hardships were endured, and one shipwreck.
When we landed at Ierba Buena (now San
Francisco) l dropped my anchor in the anne
spot which Is now well known as the corner of
Montgomery and Clay streets, city of San Fran
cisco, all that part Of the city being artificial
made by filling up"
What kind Of 4 vessel had you, and who did
it belong to?''
sit was the brig Clementine, and belonged to
me. When | had anchored, as stated, | was
ordered away by the Mexican authorities, be-
cause that was not a port of entry. But | told
them | was in distress, and presented letters
from prominent traders on the Sandwich Islands
and others in trade along the coast, and they
allowed me to receive all needlul supplies. Mon
terey was then the capital of California, and l
happened to be there on July 4th, 1889. A
number of Americans celebrated the day, and
they invited me to participate, but | could not
accept the invitation on account of other duties
dL III INT. 1IG 4IGAlCdn NONGIuLuCuk UGU dD- {
pointed me to 60 north to look after The Indians
and do what was necessary, and then come down
at the end Of the first year and become Il regular
citizen of Mexico. l accepted the appointment,
ranking as Captain. l was also commissioned a
civil officer to administer Justice
e." And that gave you a good deal of authority,
| suppose 2"
"Oh, yes, authority enough to shoot, hang, or
do just what was necessary to be done. Bear
me in mind, my headquarters were at Sacramento,
- - T.
and ] provided it with twelve cannon and two
field pieces, all supplied at my own expense.
Three of the guns L took with me, and the others
| procured afterward."
What was your force-how many men had
your"
: S. At first 1 had only twelve, but more came.
many more, including yagabonds yet some of
these became good, useful men Many were
Indians, who found it to their advantage to be
on friendly terms.''
Ibid you ever cultivate the soil? l think
somebody told me you We're also q farmer"
81 had quite an extensive farm. In one year
L harvested forty thousand bushels of wheat, and
all of 1t was cut with sickles, and to do this
labor l employed from five to six hundred In
dams to cut, gather and thresh the crop. And
it took a good deal of beef to feed these and
money to pay them. When the wheat was cut
and gathered, threshing was next in order.
This we did by preparing a piece Of dry-clay
bottom, so as to be solid then the threshing
was uOnS DY the IFedu OF horses anu the CtElu
and wheat were separated by the blowing of the
wind. L had then between eleven and twelve
thousand head of cattle"
" Were you not also a participant in the Mex
lean revolution, shortly before the war with the
United states? p
q" In the year 1845 | marched down to Mon
terey with 400 men to operate with other troops
against the insurgents. We pursued them down
the country as far as San Fernando, where an
engagement took place, resulting in our defeat,
and l was taken prisoner. Next day they wanted
to shoot me. Fortunately my prison was a fine
house, belonging to an American gentleman by
the name of Stearns, who interested himself in
me. Ascertaining the fact that l was not a
volunteer against the insurgents, but acted under
from the Government, Mr.. Stearns thought
would save my life, and so it did. The new
administration or Government then honored me
with a disappointment to the same positions
L held under the former Government.
Some time after my return to Sacramento a
Senator with a Military escort came to s
my headquarters to purchase my fort, lands and '
Offering me 81 ,000, 900 In cash, which
was n very large sum of money at that time, l
Ind in addition thereto large tracts of what was c
,alled mission lands, such as L might select. | q
with some Of the men about me and a
a strong wish on their part that | T
hould refuse the offer, as they feared their own q
interests would suffer for want Of law and order. t
Next day a still more liberal offer was made by
COLONEL Prudon, of Mexico, and [ again refused"
bIu JOu CfSI lASSl Will u 6Sc LHG II6LuOuG
Exploring expedition ?'
sob, yes. Fremont, with his party, arrived s
,are-footed and in great distress, having for some a
previously lived chiefly on mule meat. 1 n
ent a schooner down to Yerba Buena (San a
'ranciseo), and procured an abundance of all II
hey needed. Then General Kearney came, and r
e appointed me Indian agent; Commodore g
appointed me Alcalde, and Colonel fl
lontgomery appointed me Military Commander, Il
Vhich was about the same office which l held n
hove Lrh1lof To1iEOrnIa ho1o,-nl 70 ATov;ao 81 4
had plenty of work to do and business to 81
ransact. | drilled Indians and whites-alto- y
ether and in English. While Colonel Mason ii
Tas Military Governor of the Territory, General lie
then Lieutenant) Sherman was his Aid te
1.-The gold was discovered about that time, L
nd on your land, was it not?" &c
d" Yes. While building a mill on the Ameri- cl
an river, a man employed by me by the name of oil
Iarshall discovered yellow spots in the milI-race. tt
lie procured some of the yellow stuff, and re- a
larked to several men that he believed it was IN
old, but they only laughed at him and called at
i'm crazy. lie came to my Office next day, and N
that he wanted to speak to me alone, and sr
he was under some excitement, | w
,ked him, : What's the matter p and he insisted Oh
pom seeing me alone. We went into a room
nd locked the door. He wanted to be very sure
lat no listeners were about, and satisfied, he IT
I'VE me the stuff to examine he had it wrapped "
p in a piece of paper. During our interview, ~
had occasion to 60 to the door, opened it and ~
,glected to lock it again, and whilst handling or
lie open package my clerk unexpectedly came in, az
hen Marshall quickly put it in his pocket. tu
the clerk had retired the door was again ~
cked and the specimen closely examine Sew f. =,
al tests that L knew of l applied as well as 1 ;S g
uld, and satisfied myself that it was really
Id. One of these tests was with aqua f%ortis, :,
ID the other by weighing in water. 1 told him ~ 10
was gold and no mistake, and hoped the dis "
very could be kept secret for six weeks-until IF Il
rtain mills would be finished and preparation -
1Ia for n LARGO additional pOrI,1o tiOn then "
d about eighty white mechanics employed. co
1t the secret soon leaked out-was told by a -
oman employed as a cook; of course she could 20
ep no such golden secret. Then excitement ID
= So "a W aS 80: the
IN EnllnMnd seemnd to carn for nothing but