Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-07-07

punish them If they interfered with the
settlement BY this time he had gathered
several white men around him, all of
whom worked either for him or on shares
on his land. When he received the
grant of land he transformed his farm
house i~to fort, which soon became
known all over the country as Suffers
Fort, and was the hating place for all
expeditions crossing the country. 1t was
here that Gen. Fremont was entertained
with the lavish hospitality of the frontier
at the time OF his expedition across the
Rocky Mountains The fort was sur
rounded with wall of brick 10 feet
high, and mounted with "a cannon pur-
chased from the Russians. 1t was Gen.
Suffers province to protect the entire
northern frontier of Mexico, not only
from the Indians, but from the maraud
ing bands of trappers and hunters who
visited the valley tor purposes of plumber,
and he did his work so we'll that the
Mexican Government felt perfectly Sc
charge In 1916, in recognition of his
eminent services, further grant Of %
leagues Of land was made to him.
Gen. Suffer was now at the height of
his power and glory. He was probably
the wealthiest msn on the Pacific coast,
his landed estate embracing, in round
mum hers, 100 900 acres. He was military
commander and Indian Agent of vast
territory. and almost literally monarch OF
all he surveyed. Houses, shops, mills, and
ether evidences of civilization had sprung
up around him, and he was the centre of
prosperous community. The Hudson
Bay Company endeavored to undermine
his credit with the Mexican Government,
in revenge tor his having encroached on
their trapping business, but the effort
failed, and after long investigation that
Government pronounced Gen. Suffer VIM
diCated completely, and trusted him more
implicitly than ever. From 1915 to 1S4S
he was veritable king, and feeling him.
self at last permanently established for
life, this rowing adventurer sent TO Swift
zerland for his wife and family, who soon
Joined him, and prepared to settle down
N the home which he had made. All
these plans were frustrated by the discov,
cry of gold on his land.
In the Fall of 1S47, Gen. Suffer was
building large mill at what is now Colo.
ma, on the American River. He had Ia
borers at work cutting logs, and early IN
the Winter of 1913 he set about construct
ing an extensive mill-race Among his
la0Orers was man named Marshall who
was engaged in experimenting the work.
In February, some children picked from
the dirt thrown from the race some
shining particles, and carried them
to Marshall to look at He
ed to the fort in state of intense
excitement 10 communicate the discovery
to Gen. Suffer. He warned the General
to keep the secret, bat with his charac-
teristic frankness aud generosity, he made
it known to several of his friends, and
through them it was published to the
world. In that same month of February,
1S4S, the Mexican war closed, and Cali
fornia was coded to the United States.
A tremendous rush for the new gold-dig.
gings followed. The soldiers of The two
years. war and Adventures from every
State IN the Union poured into the new
Ell Dorado. Gen. Suffer was unac-
quainted with our laws, or he might have
protected himself by taking up mining
claims, and realized from them more than
the original value of his property. In
stead of doing this, he sat still while the
army of gold seekers squated upon his
land. They staked off their claims, TAX
ing his houses, mills, everything that he
possessed, and he had absolutely 10 re-
Gress. They took his cattle tor food, de-
stroyed his crops digging for gold, and
in three short years this CIgsus of the
Pacific coast was almost IS poor as he
vas on the day when he first set his foot
the sell of Missouri.
During the Mexican war, the Mexican
government, realizing the advantageous
position of Suffers Fort, had sent an am
bassador to the General, offering him
100000 in cash, besides valuable lands
further south, for the establishment of
New Helvetia, including the fort. This
offer Was declined, because Gen. Suffer
had many Americans in his employ and
IN the settlement, whom he refused to
turn over to the tender mercies of the
Mexicans. His sympathies and active CO.
operation were on the side of tie United
States In the struggle, and his fort became
the nucleus for our military operations in
that section, so that Gen. Sherman had
good cause to say of him, as he did a
short time since, that "to him more than
to any single person are we indebted for
the conquest of California and all her
treasures" By the treaty of Guadalupe
Hidalgo, which coded California to us, il
was expressly stipulated that the owners
Of property therein should retain the same
without being subjected to any contribu-
ton, tax, or charge whatever. One board
of land commissioners, appointed for the
investigation Of land titles in California,
confirmed Suffers claim to the two tracts
granted him by Mexico. Tbs squatters
appealed to the United States District
Court, which affirmed the decision OF the
board. The squatters again appealed to
the Supreme Court, and that tribunal af
frmed the grant of eleven leagues, but
reversed the two previous decisions as to
the larger grant of twenty-five leagues.
Gen. Suffer, meantime, had sold much of
the large tract, giving warranty deeds,
and to make these good used up the
smaller grant, and he found himself ut
terly poverty. stricken. The state of Cali
fornia granted him an annuity of $4,000
and upon this he lived until it was with
drawn g few years ago. Since then his
friends have been trying to secure grant
of 5000 from Congress to indemnify
him for his losses, and 1t was this business
that called him to Washington,
Gen. Suffer left California in 1854, a
thOw oh hAa