Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-28
Pioneer Laufkotter Refers to Some That
Have Not Been Explained.

Pioneer Laufkotter Refers to Some That
Have Not Been Explained.
EDS. SUNpAy-UNIoN: In the Century
Magazine for this month appears paper
written by John Bidwell, abou. the early
history Of California, in which he gives us
very fair description, disagreeing in many
important points with prior historians.
According to Mr.. Bidwell, John A. Suffer
came to California in 1910. This statement
is confederation of what / have asserted
from the beginning. Now, what is to be
said of the persons who made affidavit that
be arrived on the I'd of July, 1899; of the
historians who put his arrival in the same
year; of the official map of Sacramento on
which the Suffer ditch is marked 1889, and
of the decision of the Supreme Court of the
United States, which, if l mistake not, also
placed the date of his arrival the same year,,
This contradiction plainly proves that
Suffer had no grant. The land was in the
possession of the Russians, whom he
bought out, taking possession of the land
with its Improvements on the Sacramento
river. The Russians acquired the same
by charter.
Mr. Bidwell says: "Sutter had not vet
actually received the grant, he had simply
taken preliminary steps and had obtained
permission to settle and proceed to colo
niZe. This was before he had begun the
fort, much less built it."
This must have been in 1912, but his
story tells US that a year after his arrival
| lin 1887 he had received his grant from
Governor Alvarsdo. How does this CORE
spond with modern history? This is the
| key to the whole situation. In order to
make good impression ON the Courts and
| to gain time to perfect his copies, since he
| had no original, the time Of Suffers arrival
had to be extended year ahead. Mr.. Bid
we'll says:
Every year after the arrival of our COM
pany in 1S41 immigrant parties came
across the pains to California, except in
| 1912, when they went to Oregon
| Now, l attended a meeting in St. Louis
in 1910, where lawyer WAS the leader,
and this was the first company that went
in 1910 to Oregon. He further says:
'.Sutter had peculiar traits (indeed he
had. His necessities compelled him to
take all he could buy, and he paid all be
could pay, but he failed to keep up with
his payments, and so he found himself i'm
mensely-almost opelessly-involved in
at first to something near 100000
Now, the historians have told us that
every year he paid thousand bushels OF
wheat to the Russians. This is only the
usual fabrication. He paid nothing. The
Russians had raised wheat on this land
long before Suffer, who, an impractical
farmer, with ignorant hands and poor i'm.
tplements, could never have paid his debt
by raising wheat. This buying out the
Russians was exactly counterpart of buy.
ing Westport. He would have bought the
whole of California with the idea, if be
failed, to seek another country.
Mr.. Bidwell again says: Every yeal
found him worse of; but it was partly hi:
own fault"
Certainly It was wholly his own fault
because he was inexperienced in any kline
of business. The story Of Pablo and the
Wooden Bowl is only myth.
] Mr.. Bidweli says further that the for
, was begun in 1912, and finished in 1874
and again he tells as that he went to thu
, fort in 1S41, and also mentions the travel
, ers who came here before 1s44 Now
where was the fort ? 1t must have beer
the dwelling house; because every trading
building in the wilderness was called ,
fort. But here rises the question, CoulC
Suffer build such house in the first yea
after his arrival, without means, help O
proper tools Consequently it must hav,
been built by the Russians-this hay,
| ever asserted. But this fact had to be sup
] pressed, lest it would be vantage grount
for the squstters, who were considered
band of robbers, and treated with cen
tempt by almost everyone. 1t was felt t
be great indignity to be called squatteI
, but, at the same time, they were the oni,
lawful owners Of the land.
T. A. LAuFKOrTER