The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1880-07-23
GEN. JOHN SUFFER-.
A short Autobiography Of the Man Who
Discovered Gold I'm CalIfOrn1a.

A short Autobiography OF the Man who
Discovered Gold I'm CalIrOrn1a.
Gen. Suffer, who died In Washington
not long ago, at an entertainment in that
city short time before his demise
tersely told bis life story to his entertainers
thus: So
was born in Switzerland in the year
1902; [ attended the military school at
Thun; / was classmate of Louis Ma
poleon, afterward Emperor of France: ]
emigrated to the United States in the
year 1884, and proceeded to Missouri,
where | engs yed in farming. My spirit
of adventure led me to make expeditions.
to New Mexico, and in 1848, in company
with six trusty companions, crossed
the plains and mountains to the Pacific
Ocean. In one sense am its pathfinder.
l then sailed for the Sandwich Islands,
and there purchased vessel, on which I
put a valuable cargo for Sitka, where the
Russian authorities received me in great
style, and the Princess Menschilkoff.
wife of the Governor, did me especial
honor. Thence I proceeded to San
Francisco, where / arrived with my
vessel almost wreck. After proceeding
to Monterey, I soon returned, and pur-
chasing some small craft I assembled the
Sacramento River on an exploring ex-
petition. I soon selected the site at the
junction Of the American and Sacramento
Rivers as suitable place to locate. It
was here constructed what was known
as Suffers fort, at place called "New
/ OF
supplies and came to own immense
herds Of cattle and sheep. When ques-
ton arose as to the British or American
forces taking possession of the territory
of California promptly pulled down the
Mexican standard, and hoisting the stars
and stripes defed the British Gen. Sey-
mour to dispute the right of my claiming
the territory on behalf of the United
States. AtColona, forty miles from my
fort and farm, I constructed my saw
mill. When the emigrants commenced
focking In from across the plains, half
.famished and worn out from fatigue, I
was the means of sending organized re-
lief parties, animals, and provisions to
relieve them. When Marshall discovered
the gold, I cautioned my hands at the
mill to keep the discovery secret for a
while, and they did for few days. But
I had a man and his family hired there.
He worked at the mill and the women
did cooking. Soon after it was known
that there was gold there, and, in fact,
all the hands had some, one of my white
teamsters came up with a load Of pro-
visions. The women told him there was
gold there, and he didn't believe it. but
they gave him some. Well, a man
named Smith, nephew of the Mormon
prophet, kept store in one of my out
houses at the farm, so when this teamster
got back he went to Smith and bought a
bottle of brandy, and offered him pay in
gold he had got at the mill. Smith came
to me and asked if it were gold, and I
had to tell him, and whew! the news
spread all over the country. People
poured in from everywhere. All nv
hands left me. L couldn't hire anybody.
no matter what offered, to save nv
crop. Emigrants came along and turned
their stock on my wheat and it was all
destroyed The people were wild They
didn't think wheat or anything else was
worth having but gold I made my
Sandwich Islanders go to work, but they
spent all the gold they got at the whisky
shops that followed the diggers every
where IF that gold discovery had just
come few years later I'd have been
millionaire. But it broke me up, for I
finally lost my Immigrant, and the
Supreme Court decided that the grant
wasn't good because it was not signed at
the Mexican capital. It was mere
technicality, but lost it. The govern
ment got $1.25 an acre for it, and that's
what Tn asking for now. When the
war took place out there I gave up my
fort and all my arms to the government,
and it is nothing but fair that the govern
ment should give me the money my land
brought.