Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-03
THE ALLEGED ORIGIN OF CHILE'S
HATRED.

HATRED.
The San Francisco Chronicle and
other papers have ascribed the animos-
ity of the Chileans to the harsh treat
ment they received in the California
mines in 1S49, rather than to the un-
friendly stand taken by Harrison's ad-
ministration against the insurgents in
the recent revolution. We very much
doubt whether the events of the pioneer
period had SO deep-rooted place in the
Chilean rancor as to have been nursed
during all the intervening years. None
of the papers taking the Chronicles
view of the origin of the Chilean hatred
of Americans have given their readers
an account of the events that transpired
in the mines on the occasion referred to.
The story will not be found in any of the
pioneer annals, and we give below the
first succinct and accurate account of
the tragical episode ever published, to
our knowledge.
In November, 1S49, the river miners
were busy prospecting in the mountains
for winter diggings. Parties of these
found some rich prospects in the vicin-
ity OF Chilean camp, mining locality
situated on fiat between the Calaveras
river and Mokelumne Hill. DIR. Concha
was the chief man in this community,
and he had some sixty poems he had
brought from Chile working for him.
The American prospecto had located
claims in gulches some distance from
this camp; but when they attempted to
work them they were driven off by force.
The Americans thus ousted felt ag-
grieved. They did not believe that
under any fair construction of
the prevailing mining usages the Chile
ans had the right to hold tn ese gulches,
which they were not working and which
were remote from their camp. Their
grievances were made known to the
miners of the district, and after several
popular meetings had been held, the
Chileans, in retaliation, were notified to
leave the district. This notice was
served upon the Chileans by the assem-
bled miners en- masse, and day set on
which it should be enforced.
IN the meantime DIR. Concha pro.
ceeded to Stockton and procured from
Judge Reynolds, the Judge of the First
Instance, an order OF arrest OF the
miners who had served the notice to
quit upon himself and his poems. This
order was placed in the hands of the
courts baliff, who in turn, for a large
consideration, as was at the time be-
lieved, placed it in the hands of Concha
and his head-men to execute. OF course
the American miners knew nothing of
these proceedings.
On the night of the 23d or Oath of De-
cember, an armed band of fifty or sixty
Chileans visited the tents and cabins on
the Calaveras, seized their inmates,
bound their arms behind them and car
ried them off as prisoners. At one camp
they shot mi ner named Endicott dead
and severely wounded another named
Starr. These men were shot through
the door of their tent, and
Starr, although he was able with
help to walk over mile to the Iowa
cabins, was found dead the next MORN
ing In the bunk in which he had been
left. 1t was believed that the Chilean
had finished him, rather than leave him
behind in the possible condition to raise
an alarm.
The prisoners, to the number of about
thirty-fve, all securely bound, were
marched seven or eight miles that night
to the cabin of Alcalde Scollan on the mid
die fork of the Calaveras. Scollan would
have no official business with the Chill
cans, and refused to in any way recog-
nize their authority to make the arrests.
They were then marched to Chilean
camp, where council was held which
ended in the march being resumed, this
time on the Double Springs road and in
the direction of Stockton. On arrivin 6
at the lower crossing OF the Calaveras,
Mr.. Rainer, who owned ranch on the
road, was met, and the facts were made
known to him. Mr.. Rainer was bold,
impetuous man, and Notwithstanding
he was cautioned not to make any open
demonstrations when the prisoners were
marched past his place, he appeared in
front of the house with anumber of men
with rifles and saddled horses. This
demonstration caused the Chileans to
leave the open road with their captives,
and to march and countermarch, amidst
a drenching storm, between the Stanis-
laus and the Mokelumne rivers
all day. When night came, the
forces of the Chileans had greatly di-
minished. A fire was started and the
tired party, .captors and captives, slept
on the ground in the drenching storm.
But during the night, advantage was
taken of the drowsiness of the sentinels,
and the prisoners managed to relieve
themselves of their fetters, and by con-
certed action seized the guns OF the