Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-07-01

building q large mill at what is now
Coloma, on the American river He
had laborers at work cutting logs, and
early in the winter of 1648 he set about
constructing an extensive mill-race.
Among his laborers was man named
Marshall, who was engaged in superin-
tending 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 recognized them as gold, and
rushed to the fort in state of intense
excitement to communicate the dis
covery to General Sutter He warned
the general to keep the secret, but with
his characteristic frankness and geneI-
osity he made it known TO several Of his
| friends, and through them it was pub
hshed to the world. In that same
month of February, lS49, the Mexican
war closed, an1 California was ceded to
the United States. a uenendJus rush
for the new gold-diggings followed.
The soldiers Of the two years war and
adventures from every State in the
Union poured into the new Ell Dorado.
General Sutter was unacquainted with
our laws, or he might have protected
himself by taking up mining claims, and
| realized from them more than the origi-
nal value of his property. Instead of
doing this he sat still while the army
of go1d-seekers squatted upon his land.
They staked off their claims, taking his
houses, mills, everything that he pos
sessed, and he had absolutely no redress.
| They took his cattle for food, destroyed
| his crops digging for gold, and in three
short years this Cresus of the Pacific
coast was almost as poor as he was on
the day when he first set his foot on the
soil of Missouri.
| During the Mexican war, the Mexi-
can government, realizing the advan-
| tageous position of Suffers fort, had
sent an ambassador to the general,
Offering him 100000 in cash, besides
valuable lands further south, for the
estab blishment of New Helvetia, includ-
| ing the fort. This offer was declined,
because General Sutter had many
Americans in his employ and in the
settlement, whom he refused to turn
over to the tender mercies of the Mexi-
cans. His sympathies and active CO.
operation were on the side of the United
States in the struggle, and his fort be-
came the nucleus for American military
operations in that section, so that Gen
eral Sherman had good cause to say OF
/
'E 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
ceded California to the United States
it was expressly stipulated that the
owners of property therein should re-
tain the same without being subjected
30 any contribution, tax or charge
| whatever One board of land c0mm1S-
sioners, appointed for the investigation
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 ofthe board.
The squatLers again appealed to the
supreme court, and that tribunal af-
| firmed the grant of eleven leagues, but
reversed the two previo.s decisions as
| to the larger grant of twenty-five
leagues. General SuGter. 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 utterly poverty-strick9 The
| State of California granted him an
annuity of So 900, and upon this he lived
until it was withdrawn q few years
ago. Since then his friends have been
trying to secure grant OF $50, 900 from
Congress 20 indemnify him for his losses,
and it was this business that called him
to Washington.
General Sutter left California in 1854,
thoroughly heart-broken man, and
retired with his family to Litiz, Penn !,
where he has resided with his aged wife
and two grandchildren ever since. He
has been president for many years of the
Old Californians," who celebrated the
discovery of gold in California by an
annual dinner in New York city.