The Republican journal., 1885-04-16


There was that brave and intrepid Mis-
sourian, Captain Grenville 2. Swift, the
right hand man of Fremont's Battalion
A finer nobler specimen of manhood
could not be found than Captain Swift
1t was the good fortune of the writer to
know him from boyhood, and no nober
specimen of manhood could be found than
brave Swift. Another one of Fremont's
brave young Captains was Captain Ford,
who came next to Swift, was Frem0nt's
left bower. These two pioneers were
Fremont's chief support during his mem
orable campaign, and deserve more than
a passing notice in the history of the
country. There was also Major Jacob b
Snider, who, like GWinn, aided in framing
the first Constitution of our State Gov
eminent. and Graham and Black burn Of
Santa Cruz-aIl men Of giant frame and
towering intelects. They were Of the
Simon-pure Argonauts. Major Bidwell
Of Chico, their travelling companion
across the plains, still lives, and is an
Argonaut of the same class. There are
many of those hardy old fellows who were
instrumental in founding an empire on
the Pacific coast still living. Some are
dead, and conspicuous among them we
may mention d. Robert Semple, who was
the founder of Benica. What oid Cali
fornlan does not remember his attempt to
cross the Straits of Carquinez on a log,
before ferry boats were established. He
had been to Monterey to negotiate for the
printing press Of DR.. Cotton, which was
THE ONLY PRINTING PRESS
On the Pacific Coast. The doctor re-
TUNED to Bencia 10y land He was en-
gagged TO be married at this time To the
eldest daughter of Major Stephen Cooper.
and was ANXIOUS to see his intended. a
high wind was prevailing and the tlatboat
used for ferry could not be induced to
cross from the Benicia side to bring the
doctor over. The doctor was not to be
disappointed in seeing his lady love, Miss
Fanny Cooper. who was watching from
her window the doctors signals across
the bay The doctor was an old Mssis-
sippi ttat-boatman by experience, and
not having the fear of wind or water, and
with his lady love in sight, he seized on
the novel plan of crossing the straits on a
log, which be rolled into the water and
showed out into the turbid waves. He
managed well until the ebb tide, which
was very strong at the time, seemed about
to carry him to San Rafael bav. when a
small skitf' was seen to put out from the
opposite shore, urged by the doctors
inam0rata, and it reached the doctor and
his slender craft in time to prevent him
going outside the Heads This deter
mined effort of the valiant and gallant
doctor FASTENED the nuptials. and the
writer was one of the witnesses to the
happy union-Benicia's first wedding
ceremony. The ceremony was perform
ed by Ex-Governor Boggs, Alcalde Of the
Northern District of California Much
has been said and written about the Ar
gonauts Of 40. but the real Arg0nauts
have never been written up, and perhaps
never will be, as there are but few per
sons living who remember the men and
the principal events that occurred in
those days. \ personal acquaintance
with all that has been mentioned in the
foregoing enables the writer TO state free
ly that not the one hundredtL part of the
credit due to those early Argonauts has
been given by the Press or the writer's of
California history. In fact these very in
dlviduals had occupied and taken pos
session OF California and passed it into
the hands Of tie United States authori-
ties before the Government had 4 chance,
as 1t were, tn strike blow of any great
These ArgUnauts of the
plains had captured the country and
turned it over to the Government of the
United States almost free of cost. 1--WE"
ale heartily sick and tired of hearing
about '49ers all the time. especially when
there are a thousand who came here be
fore 10 in our midst. Right around Us
live
SURVIVORS, OF THE DONNFR PARTY,
one half of whom persisted in that III
fated SNOW bound camp. The writer can
look from his window into the family
residence Of one Of the survivors of that
party who is married to one Of the sur
vlvors Of the rescuing party. 4 dozen or
more Of the same party living in the Vi
entity OF Napa, and some of those who
yoIu 3teered to rescue the unfortunate
members of that party, who at one time
were attached to the emigrant train which
the writer Of these lines had the honor OF
conducting across the plains in 1916
Give the '49ers due credit for enterprise
and courage; but do not ignore those
who came prior to the discovery of gold
and made the way smooth and more con
venlent for those who came atterWard.
There are many reasons why these Old
Pioneers should not be forgotten, and
honor should be given to whom honor is
due. But very little Of the true history
ana carly events in the course Of the rise
and progress of California has been given
to the public, and but very little of the
correct account of the dor gs OF the en-
terprlslng Pioneers who first led the way
over the deserts, plains aud mountains
are preserved to history. There were
but three places inhabited by whites west
Of the Missouri State line in the year 1916.
The first was fort Laramie on the Platte:
Fort Hall, on Snake River and Suffers
Fort, On the SacramcntO-leaving out a
small settlement in the Willamette valley
in Oregon. What contrast with the
present time. And to whom do we owe.
the Fastening on Of these great changes?
10 those adventurous spirits of 1910 up
to 1916, and to the development of this
glorious field of enterprise and wealth the
energetic spirits of lS49. Let the Mexi-
can War veteran have his country's graf
ltnde also, for to them we owe world of
wealth. Let it not be said that the
country which owes so much to those old
veterans neglect to compensate them for
their services, but should honor them for
their valor and forbearance in waiting so
long to be recognized as valiant soldiers
whose shattered constitutions and
broken health bear witness to the endur-
ing marches and fatigue undergone by
them, to say nothing of the many hard
contested battle-t fields, over which they
fought under great disadvantages. Whe-
ther the Mexican was a just or unjust
war has nothing to do with the reward
ing of these old veterans. They obeyed
their country's call and preserved the
honor of their country's flag on every
battle field throughout Montezumas' en-
pire. W. NJ. B. in Alta California.
Queen Victoria has granted pension of
by Arabs in the Soudan, and pen
sion of fl00 to each of her two sisters.
The famous ''Cape Cod Folks" suit has been
settled by the defendants, Cupples. Upham &
Co.. paying sum said to be less than half the
amount of the verdict rendered against them.
Secretary Manning's new form of national
debt statement includes $4,000. 900 of Pacific
IA. i.