Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-11-16
on SUNDAYS:
THE SORROW OF JOHN A. SUFFER-.
The Discovery of Gold Was an Actual
mIzfortuus to Htm.

SUI Luxe IbUiS.
When Marshall in his excitement rode
from the ~tailracs Of the famous mill down
to Sutton's Fort, and taking the old SSit.
ger into a private room aud locking the
door, producing frcm his pocket the 6rst
few ounces OF gold washed from the plsceTs
OF California, Bancroft tells how the old
man did nat sleep at all that night, SO torn
WAS he with excitement aud unrest. And
10 his lite's end he declared he locked upon
the news when it was told him and upon
the gold When it WA shoHn him, a3a mis-
fortune. We Suspect, too, that Il wa
true. He had made a hens 10 the beauti
fal Sacramento valley; he had great tracts
of laud and vast herds; he Was a King
amCng liz rude n~eighEOrs, and
was content with his kingdom.
He knew tnorgh of the character IF tire
eagar mca who would rush h CaliOr0la
under the excitement Of gold bULt'Tg 20
know that scoa his rule would end, aud I g
might Justly have felt premOnitlcns that
he would be de5FOilsd Of his fIir possessiCn1,
ii not by Cpe1 rGpine by just Us certain an
agency, the turning of the exact sCierce Of
law noon the titles which he honestly held,
bat through COavsyances 30 irregular that
the law couli easily pick laws in their in.
tegrity. He knew, too, that without sny Of
thase agencies he was not squipped with the
kind Of brain that would hold It's own In
competition with the race that wsst to Come.
All his fOretOiiDgs were realized. For
the Iirst few years he was given q pecu-
liar Gi4tiuc'iOD, ard bis home at Hook
farm on Feather river, was one OF the st
fractions Of the new State. In the ample
one-stcry above re presided with perfect
esss and with 3 stately, g'ntle dignity
which much became hin. Ia these days
be was geu,r0us to o fault, and was To-
csssantly pressed upon by sharpsrs to
whom he stesdrly lent = credulous ear.
A he gcew steadily poorer he tricl with
mere and NOE re- kiessGess TO recover
some portion of his fortune, aud fusl'y
went do IN in poverty to the grave. There
Gever was q more pathetic romance
on the coast than the rise, the deClire
and tbs fall of John A. Sutttr
HIS soul WAS lull o. lOI SlukS, SouSAOdo
and high; he had q bodily endurance and
physical courage Sufficient hor any call that
torI5 ne might make, but he lacked sagac-
ity aad executive ability, and was but q
child in the hands al the intensely acute
race that ssarmeiin upon him, and while
vet he was dreaming OF whist he would do
changed and transfigured everything
around him; laid the foundation OF a
State; rsng the Joy bills as that State WAS
made part Of the UR:o0; startled the
streams with tie hiss of stsam; built
thriving cities all around him; opened
trails and smoothed roads ID and through
the blue Siertas; within eight years star
tied the Guiet Of the spot on which he
had built his fort for SAFETY with the
whistle ofthe locomotive; and within only
a score of years brought over the track OF
iron tie trains from that East which be
hsd turned his steps from aud had never
looked back toward until he had Flscei
; coo miles of wilderness between him snd
1t. No wonder he was swept away lnthat
ghirl; DO wonder ne was lost in that mp.
heaysl. snd that the ssdntsJ which drove
sleep fIom mis- pillow on the night that he
head Cf the great discovery sha7owed his
life ever after, and finally closed around
him in clouds OF gloom which never lifted
until tine fusl reet was sent him.