Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-08-20
Ell DORADO PIONEER DAYS.
Data Concerning Early Timers and Their
! Subsequent Whereabouts

Subsequent Whereabouts
EDS. RECORD UNION: / read with sorrow
and deep regret your historical sketch of
the life and death of that early pioneer and
friend of my early pioneer life, J. W. Mar
shall. / feel that it is disgrace TO the
State, and also to the Federal Government,
that this distinguished pioneer in his old
age should be so neglected, and suffered to
languish and die in cabin, deprived of all
the comforts which should have surround
ed his dying bed How dark and dismal
must have been the closing scenes in hfes
vision to his weary spirit, with no kind
hand to wipe deaths damp moisture from
his brow. think that a suitable monu-
ment should mark the place of his burial.
to commemorate the historical fact that the
first gold was discovered by him near the
spot where his ashes have found their last
resting place. Many an old pioneer will
make pilgrimage to Marshalls tomb and
drop silent tear over the old pioneers
grave.
Resuming the history of the early days
of Ell Dorado county, as given in my pre-
vious letter: The first election for county
officers was held on the first Monday in
April 1880. At that election Ninal Daniels
was elected County Judge, William Rogers
Sheriff, J. G. johnson Treasurer. Lucien
Foote County Clerk and NJ 5. Latham
District Attorney. Foote resigned in the
summer of 1850, and Governor Burnett
appointed to fill the vacancy Leslie H. Nc
Kinney. Foote returned Immediately after
his resignation to the States Ell Dorado
county then sent two members 10 the lower
house OF the Legislature, and the success
full candidates for legislative honors at that
election were Gavin ID. Hail. now, and for
many years a memberof the San Francisco
bar, and Col. kendrick, afterwards Indian
agent in San Diego county, and also mem
Der of Assembly from the same county.
At the present time few persons, unless
it is the old pioneers, have any idea of the
difficulty at that time of procuring sup
plies to run an hotel. There was plenty of
flour and excellent beef, but no vegetables
Oliver Warner, Methodist minister, hada
small vegetable garden at Uniontown, one
and half miles below Coloma, and ped
died few vegetables in our town Cab
bage was 10 cents per pound onions, 81
per pound, or even more. | recollect that
my wife gave our hotel steward one dollar
to buy onions with in the fall of 80, and
he bought one onion for the dollar. Hay
was $500 per ton, and barley % cents per
pound.
The cost of living was high, but to offset
that, gold dust was plenty, and the Indians
often exchanged one pound Of gold dust
for one pound of raiSinS with our mer-
chants. Poor Lo was swindled on every
side by those who pretended to be his
friends; and as far as / know in this State
the Indian has always been miStreated and
abused by those who should have defended
his personal rights. Oliver Warner was
more of politician than minister. He
was one of the Presidential Electors on the
Republican ticket when either Lincoln or
Grant ran for the Presidency. He was al
ways, while | knew him in Ell Dorado
county, standing candidate for some of
fetal position
There was one barber-shop in Coloma in
1850, which was kept by George Kallen-
berg, who was in North San Juan, Nevada
county, the last time | visited that place.
kallenberg had a family-his wife and
sister-in law, who married in 81 to Nico-
laus, proprietor of Nicolaus place on
Feather river. Peter Weimer and family
left Coloma in 81, and settled at San
Simeon Bay, in San Luis 0bispo county.
Weimer, think, is dead.
William f. Stewart was Deputy Treas
urer and transacted the business of the
office. He was gentleman of high social
and literary attainmepts, brave and hon
orable man, and carried the banner of the
Indiana regiment when old Zach TAYLOR
stormed the walls of Monterey. He was
known as Professor Stewart, and died re-
Gently in the city of Boston. Stewart col
lected the State and county taxes in 1S50-5l.
1t was very difficult 10 collect n tax from
such floating population, and in lS5O-5I
there was not half enough collected to paw
the county officers for their services. That
was probably the reason that the members
g.fr ~ | D Il
by the passage of the Act " making the
masters of steam and sail vessels response
Gle for the tax if they should carry away
from the State any passenger who could
not produce receipt showing that he had
paid the State and county tax We bad in
those days Legislature whose members
thought they possessed legislative powers
superior TO the organic law of our Union.
In 40 and 80 Brooks, Clark IL Co. built
saWmill on the South Fork of the Ameri-
can, about one mile above Coloma on the
south bank of the river. The firm sold
large quantities of lumber at Uniontown.
Colona, Cold Springs and Hangtown. The
same firm built the Natoma canal, and also
the North Fork canal Francis d. Clark
one OF that firm, is now Secretary of the
Society of California Pioneers in the city of
New York. Colonel w w. Gift was Under
Sheriff, with Rogers. Colonel Gift was a
man of unblemished reputation of the old
political school in politics. Colonel Gift
settled i'll Contra Costa county. and died
about two years since He left Coloma in
81. George Gift, son of W. w. Gift. was
clerk in the Sheriff's office in 80 and 81
and was proprietor and publisher of a
newspaper in Napa City, and died several
years since
When the county of FL Dorado was or
gained, there was no Recorders Office.
John A. Reichert, afterwards County Re-
corder, was Deputy County Clerk under
Leslie II. MckcKinney. On the death of
Mckinney, John A. Reichert retired FROM
the Clerk s office, and Joe Gordon was ap-
| pointed by the Governor 10 fill the vacancy.
In the session of the Legislature at San
Jose in 80 and 81, Hon. Gavin D. Hall in
| troduced a bill to create the office of Coun-
ty Recorder, which passed the Legislature.
At the general election in 81 John A.
, Reichert was elected to that office: Joe
| Gordon, County Clerk; Buchanan, called
the infant, Sheriff; William H. Stone,
| County Treasurer; and General Thomas II .
Williams, District Attorney.
John a. Reichert died in the city of Oak
land fifteen years since. He had been con-
| nected with several law firms as partner in
San francisco, and | think. was member
| OF law firm at the time of his death In
| u private
| clearinghouse kept in the lower part of
the town, opposite Suffers saw mill, by a
German gentleman named Mailer, who
| has since, | believe, been State Senator and
! IS now residing i'll Coloma. Thomas Nc
| Connell, long resident in the southern
part OF your county, resided in 80 and 81
at Garden Valley, on the road to George
town. Lathrop Dunn mined in so and 81
near Coloma, but i'll the summer of 81
purchased large ranch of the heirs of
Sheldon, on the Costumes river, ten miles
below the Slough House. in company with
Crooks, who had been his mining partner.
1t was known as Crooks & Dunn's ranch.
Whitock, now of Elk Grove, mined little
below Coloma III 80, and boarded with US
in the fall and winter Of 80 and 81. Whit
ock also purchased ranch adjoining Crooks
q Dunn's, and for more than thirty years
has been q resident of your county. Whit
ock sold his ranch on the Costumes fifteen