The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1886-10-21
THE GRAVE OF SUFFER-. x
The Burying-Grouud at Lititz-Discev
cry of Gold in California.

The Burying Ground at Lititz-Discev-
cry Of Gold in California.
In corner of the old Aforavian bury
ing ground at Lititz, eight miles from
Lancaster, there is stone which is al
ways the first to catch the eye of the
visitor. ALI the other graves are ex-
sctly like Ach other. little parallelo-
grams of earth about two feet by four
and raised about eight In ches above the
general surface mark the resting places
of the dead. There arr no winding
walks nor open bits of lawn to soften the
look of prime precision aSd economy of
space which pervades the place. The
graves are ranged in straightaines with
painful accuracy and they are so close
together that the dead can touch fra
ternai elbows at the resurrection.
The graves are precisely the same size,
whether of man or woman, elder or in
FAINT, and on each lies fiat square slab
of marble, about the size of a family
Bible. One stone is just like another,
except in the inscriptions and the dis
tinctions time and weather and the moss
have made. On many the names and
pious texts and dates running far back
toward the beginning of the last century
can still be traced. On many others the
inscriptions are as illegible and formless
as the features of the dead beneath.
There is no difficulty, however, in
identifying the solitary grave in the
corner. The mound above it is twice as
big as any of tho others and large
marble also covers it entirely. The in
scription tells that he who sleeps here
was Born February %, 1903, at Kan
dern Baden. Died June IS, 1880, at
Washington, d. c. Requiescat in Pacem.
There is long story of an eventful
life between those two dates. The name
inscribed above them is the name of
Gen. John Augustus Suffer, whose mill
race on the bank of the Sacramento was
the source of all the mighty stream of
gold that has flowed from California.
Once in possession of land now worth
500, 100000 he lived the last sixteen
years of his life dependent On an allow
ance from the state of California. He
made millionairss and died pensioner.
He was always wanderer. Born in
Baden in 1903, he graduated from the
military college at Berne at the age of
20 and enlisted in the Swiss Guard of
the French army, the successors of that
famous band of mercenaries who were SO
faithfully butchered in the marble halls
of Versailles thirty years before. After
seven years service he changed his COL
ors and entered the Swiss army, where
he served four years. Then he put off
his uniform and shortly came to this
country. In 1888, with six companions,
he went across the plains to Oregon and
down the Columbia river to Vancouver,
whence he sailed to the Sandwich islands.
There he got an interest in a trading YES
sci, with which he sailed to Sltka and
the Seal islands up toward Blessings sea.
Turning southwark after some profitable
trading he arrived in the bay of San
Francisco July 2, 1859. The appearance
Of the country pleased him and he de-
cided to remain.
He made a settlement some distance
up the Sacramento river, built grist-
mill, q tanhery and a fort, founded
colony and called it, for the sake of hav-
ing an Alpine murmur in his ears, New
Heivetia. His restless energy was still
unsatisfed. He took a commission as
captain il the Mexican service, and
afterwari served as q magistrate under
the same government. He took no act
i've part in the war against this coun-
try, and after the annexation he was AL
calde, Indian commissioner and member
of the California constitutional convaa-
vention.
In 1913 came tho discovery that en-
riched the world and impoverished him.
Marshall, laborer digging out new
race to Suffers MILL, picked curious
lump of something yellow, which
Suffer at once recognized as gold. The
mill race was never finished. The
laboTcr turned his pick to more am
bilious purpose and set out to dig him
self a fortune. The miller bought him
self shovel and went forth to take toll
of the yellow sand. The stream taat
was to turn the mill wheel became sud-
denly worth more than any grist that it
could grind. The sequel is well known.
The rushing tide of krgonauts over
whelmed the little colony of New
Helvetia and washed away Suffers i'm
perfect title to his land.
He made brave fight and long one.
He iaid claim to thirty-th ee square
leagues of land, including that on which
the cities of Sacramento and Marysville
now stand. After long delay the COM
missioner of public lands allowed the
claim and after more delay the supreme
court of the United states reversed the
decision. Then Gen. Suffer carried his
claim before congress, to go through the
tedious experience OF most people who
take claims there. He was still prose
cutting it in 1871, when he happened to
come to Lititz to drink the wholesome
waters of its spring. The quiet of the
place and the peaceful life OF its people |
appealed to the restless cd man, who
was beginning to get tired Of his long
battle, and he made his home there
until l get my claim through" he said.
He was at Washington, still getting
his claim through, when death overlook
him, in 1880. His Moravian nei 5hbors
made room for him in corner of their |
burying- ground, although, as he was
not a member Of their congrega
ton, he could not be buried |
with the trombone. When q 10 !
ravian dies, at whatever hour of the |
day or night, q man mounts the tower
Of the quaint, squat church and blows
doleful signal on the trombone. The |
trombone player also marches at the
head of the funeral procession, playing
solemn music, RaO Cor |