Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1880-07-08

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1 here that Gen. Fremont was entertained
with the lavish hospitality OF the frontier
I at the time OF his expedition across the
1 Rocky Mountains The fort was sur
rounded with wall Of brick II feet
| high, and mouated with a cannon pur-
, chased from the Russians. II was Gen
! Suffers province 10 protect the entire
! northern frontier OF Mexico, not only
| from the Indians but from the msrsud
/ ing bands of trappers and hunters who
visited the valley tor purposes OF plumber,
! and he did his work so well that the
! Mexican Government tell perfectly Sc
! cure in that part OF the State under his
| Charge. In 1915, in recognition Of his
eminent services, a further grant of %
/ leagues Of land was made to him.
/ Gen. Suffer was now at the height of
/ his power and glory. He was p,ohsbly
the wealthiest man on the Pacific coast,
[ his landed estate embracing, in round
/ mum oers, $50 900 acres, He was miiitsry
commander and Indian Agent oi a vast
territory, and almost literally monarch OF
all he surveyed. Houses, shops, mills, ana
ether evidences Of civilization had sprung
up around him, and ne was the centre OF
a 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 a long investigation that
Government pronounced Gen. Sutter VIM
dicated completely, and trusted him more
implicitly than ever. From lS40 to lS4S
he was a vertabe king, snd feeling HIM
self at last permanently established for
life, this rowing adven,urer sent TO Swift
I To- IA, Nuif 70 fa yyh IN
| Joined him, and prepared to settle down
IN 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. Sutter was
building large mill NJ what is now Colo.
ma, on the American River. lie had la
| bOrers at work cutting logs, and early IN
| the Winter OF 1913 he set about construct
| ing an extensive mill.raCe, Among his
| laborers was a man named Marshall who
was engaged in experimenting the work.
| la February, some children picked from
the dirt thrown from the race some
shining particles, and carried them
to Marshall to look at He
recognized them as gold, and rush
Cd to the fort in a state OF intense
excitement TO communicate the discovery
to Gen. Suffer. He warned the General
to keep the secret but with his charac-
teristiC frankness and generosity, he made
it known to several of his friends, and
through them IL was published to the
world In that same month OF February,
| lS4S, the Mexican war closed, and Cali
fornia was ceded 10 the United States.
A tremendous rush for the new gold.dlg
| gings followed. The soldiers OF The two
| years war and adventures from every
! State in the Union poured into the new
| Et 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 squatted upon mis-
| land. They staked off their claims, TAX
| ing his houses, mills everything that he
possessed, and he had absolutely no re.
Gress. They took his cattle Tor food, de-
stroyed his crops digging for gold, and
ia three short years this CinSus of the
! Pacific coast WAS almost as poor AS he
| e rs on the day when he first set his foot
, n the soil OF Missouri.
During the Mexican war, the Mexican
! government realizing the advantageous
position of Suffers Fort had sent an am
! bassador to TIE General, Offering him
! 500 600 In cash, besides valuable lands
! further south, for the establishment of
| New Hevetis, including the fort. This
! offer was declined, because Gen. Suffer
! hsd 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
/ itNf nctr fr1n nd 10
the nucleus for our military operations 10
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, 1t
was expressly stipulated that the owners
of property therein should retain the same
without being subjeceI 10 any cOntribu-
ton, tax, or charge whatever. One board
OF land commissioners, appointed for the
Invest CATION OF land titles in California,
confirmed Suffers claim TO the two tracts
granted him by Mexico. The squatters
appealed to the United States District
/ Court, which affirmed the decision OF the
/ board. The sq1atters again appealed TO
! the Supreme Court, and that tribunal af.
firmed the grant of eleven leagues, but
reversed the two previous decisions as to
the larger grant of twenty-five leagues,
! Gen Sutter, meantime, had sold muck OF
the large tract, giving warranty deeds,
and 10 make these good used up the
| smaller grant, and he found himself Ut.
! terly poverty. stricken. The state of Cali
| fornis granted him an annuity Of s. 1000
aud upon this he lived until it was with.
/ y,r, Gfpro thay d Ia