Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-06-28
GENERAL UTTER.
Eulogy Adopted by the Pioneers Of saera-
mento.

citation held on Saturday evening at their
hall, the following eulogy upon General John
A. Suffer was adopted:
Pioneers of Sacramento: We cannot if we
would subdue the sadness which comes upon
us at this time. We have long known that
| the event we mourn was in the near future;
| that our most cherished brother, John A.
Suffer, would soon, in conformity with the
great law of nature, pass out OF this world
He died at the city of Washington on the
18th of this month, in the 18th year of his
age. His life for nearly sixty years was an
| eventful one. Born in 1903, in Baden, the
| son of clergyman, he received good civil
and military education. After some military
service, in which he held the rank of Captain,
both in France and Spain, he emigrated to
| the United States when he was 81
years of age, and Immediately proceeded
TO the frontiers of Missouri, where he
remained several years. In 1883, ne
| Joined a party of trappers bound for Ore
gon. He parted with this company in the
Rocky Mountains, and after much adventure
| and hardship. reached Fort Vancouver with
| six men, His destination from the time he
| left Missouri was the valley OF the Sacra-
| mento river, some knowledge of which he
had gained from the stories OF hunters and
trappers. From Vancouver he sought to
reach Yerba Buena by sea, and was obliged
1 to sail nrSC TO the O1uuWlCu 1sIfhos, IHSACc
to Sitka, from whence he reached California
soil at Monterey in July, 1889 lie hastened
to explore the Sacramento river. He found
| its mouth after a long search, and went up 1t
as far as Feather river. Returning he en-
tered the mouth of the American, and landed
on the 10 of August, 1882 not far from
where he afterwards built his fort Here he
| at once commenced the establishment OF
his colony He had obtained permits
| at
terey, to settle anywhere in northern
California The Indians were numerous and
| hostile but he conquered peace with them
| by his prowess and his skill and kindness
in dealing with them. In August, 1910. his
colony numbered seventeen white men, be- |
sides KanaEas and Indians In 1871 the
Mexican Government granted him the lands |
upon which he had settled to the extent of
eleven square leagues. From this time his |
colony increased rapidly. He was encouraged |
and trusted by the Mexican Governors of
California and he rendered them valuable |
aid in administering and unfolding their
authority. both civil and military. Ia 1915 |
Governor Micheltoreno made him an addi |
tononal grant of % leagues of land. His |
possession extended from Sas Ives Pico's, in
latitude 49, AZ 40" on the north to latitude |
9S' 4J' 80 on the south, and were bounded |
rather indefinitely by the margins
Rio Sacramento and the g Ris de los
Plumas" He purchased all the property
of the Russian Fur Company at Fort Ross,
on the coast, contracting to pay for it IL !
wheat, and transported all of it available for |
his uses to New Helvetia.
On the 18th of July, 1916, four days after
Commodore Sloat raised the American flag |
at Monterey, Captain Suffer hoisted the |
vetia. He continued to prosper, and to i'm
prove his colony and lands. He had large |
tracts under cultivation, and was successfully !
engaged in all the enterprises and improve
ments which his situation and the conspicu- |
Gus figure he occupied demanded. The fort, |
originally erected as defense against all who !
might be enemies, and to overawe and subdue |
the Indians, was now a hive of trade and |
mechanical industry. One of Captain SUIT
south fork of the American river,
about forty miles above the fort.
While engaged in enlarging the tail-race of the
mill james W. Marshall, employed to man
age the business, on the 10Th CT January,
1913. made the discovery which revolutionized |
affairs in California and electrified the world.
The effects of this discovery upon the for
tunes Of the founder of New Helvetia, upon
California. which was then governed by mill
tary officers, and upon the whole people of
the United States. as well as the people of
other countries, were instantaneous and are
sufficiently well known to the current history
OF those times.
= General Suffer was endowed with genius
for enterprise. He had all the qualities of a
pioneer in the highest sense. Had not his
plans been frustrated by the discovery of
gold it is not to be doubted that his opera
tions in the valley. of the Sacramento
would have laid the foundations of a
State even within his own time.
1t was not within the scope of
human genius to control the forces that were
evoked into activity by that potential event.
His arm could not stay the avalanche that
overwhelmed him, that left his saw-mill at
Coloma, his tlouring-nill at Brighton, his
fort and embarcadero at New Helvetia in
ruins His plows were left TO rust in their
burrows, and his cattle were slaughtered to
feed armies of golG-hunters. He had
bulded for far different purposes, and the
fnstrumentalities which he had provided in
order to conquer and reduce to civilization
remote, unknown and savage region were
untitled for the change which was wrought
bv the sudden burst upon these shores Of the
emigration IF 1919. Nevertheless he way cred
not but was steady to his original idea. He
sought not mere gold, and never thought
to apply his splendid opportunities in the
search for that idol which seemed to craze
tie brain of all by whom he was surrounded.
His nature was generous; his aims were high.
No sordid sentiment ever had Judgment for a
moment in his breast. He was an educated
and tried soldier and man of great personal
dignity Of character. He was the rightful
lord of a broad domain. He felt himself COM
petent to administer assistance to all who
needed it on a scale of liberality equal to the
impulses and tastes Of great heart. He
thought he had penetrated future full OF
voluntary hoDors and rewards from nation
to which he had transferred his services and
his flag He regarded the hosts OF weary en-
igrants as they descended from the noun
tains and pitched their dusty tents within his
boundaries, and the storm-swept argonauts,
who landed at his embarcadero, with no
Jealous eye, but received them with
open arms, and an overlooking hospitality. /
He looked upon them as his guests and over
taxed his own great resources IN assisting /
them.
Soon after passing through the scenes Of /
1913, 1919 and 1880, eventful and full OF
chang to him, lie retired to Hook Farm, on .
the Feather river, where he was Joined by /
his wife and a part of his family, who had mp I
to that time remained in Europe. Here he
sought rest The plans, the ambitions of the !
pioneer, were no longer possible. His occu-
patton was gone. Ills financial difficulties |
were such that he could not retain even this /
remnant of his once large estates. In 1873 /
he removed to Litiz, in Peunsy ivauia. where |
he spent the remainder OF MS days with the /
partner Of his youth, his aged WIFE, who sur
wives him. 1t is proper that this Society, |
which always observes the decease Of any of (
It's members, should take some appropriate /
action to attest its appreciation of the hfe, !
character and services OF one who was its /
most distinguished and houored member, and /
the foremost OF piorAArs.
SOCIETY ELEcTIoNs.-At the regular meet |
ing Of Union Lodge No. y, a. o. U. w, !
held on Saturday evening, the following were
elected officers for the ensuing term: J. n. /
Young, p. NJ W; J. L. Jackson, NJ. w;
s. a. Wolfe, F; S. Roth, o; c. Cooley,
Recorder; g. B. brennan, Financier; j.
Judd. g.; +. Dunn, L. W; w. |. Wallace. /
o. W: G.. Blue. Trustee. At meeting of
Columbia Lodge No. ~, X. of p, held Sat |
urdsy evening, the following officers were
elected for the ensuing term: Chancellor |
Commander, George w. Loreuz; Nice-Chan- /
cslor, T. Lavine Prelate, John Hantzman;
Director, Richard Brown. 5. l.. Terry, of /
stockton, will visit the Lodge officially on |
next Friday evening The following have
been elected officers of Red Jacket Tribe, /
Imp O. r. Nj: Sachem, +. SAME; Senior /
Sycamore, J. X Berey Junior Sycamore,
Z L = 4 = Loci