The record-union., 1891-04-19
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
Thrilling Events that Preceded the
Beginning of the War.
Fatal Result of an Attempt to Shoot
the American River Rapids
Steamboat Racing.


IN the South-that is, no blood had been
shed-but the seceders were raising
armies, building gunboats, occupying
forts which Buchanan's traitorous Secre-
tary of War ordered abandoned by Fed
eral troops, and otherwise making vigor-
Gus preparations for war. On the other
hand, the Government was shipping
small bodies of soldiers on vessels at New
York, destined for-nobody knew where.
The stars and stripes were still flying
from the battlements of Fort Sumter, in
Charleston harbor, but the old forts days
were numbered. Major Anderson and
1ais brave little band were watching, from
day to day, the preparations that were
going on around them-Of the construc-
tiOn NQf breastworks and batteries along
the sll0re and could almost hear the
voices Of the COnfederateS whom they
saw so distfactly-so painfully distinctly
at their work on the beach. And yet
the guns of Fort Sumter remained dumb,
although they could at that time have
swept the shore line of its halt-cOnStruct-
cd works and batteries. But even then
the Government and the North had not
given up the fond hope that war would be
averted, hence Major Anderson's hands
were tied, and was not permitted to
strike the blow that might have changed
the whole current Of events that were so
soon to follow. The North was reckon
ing without its host. While the people
there were holding up their hands in
horror at the prospect of civil war, the
leaders in the South were firing the
Southern heart" with their incendiary
utterances and appeals to the passions of
OF men. Young SOutheTners who had
been educated III military tactics at West
Point, or holding places in the Federal
army, were daily reSigning their posi-
tionS and returning to their respective
States with the purpose Of taking up
arms against their country. Most of the
young officers on the frontiers were of
Southern birth, and they were abandon
ing their regiments to the mercy Of the
Indians and tiocking back to their own
people. Lincoln was but just taking up the
reins of government, and was spending
his days and most of his nights in select
ing members of his Cabinet and gather
ing about him advisers on whose judg-
ment he felt he could rely for counsel if
the war-clOudS that were Oyerspreading
the country should finally burst into the
threatened storm. 1t was indeed time
that called for the wisest craftsmanship
ana coolest judgment Of which the Gov
ernment and the North was capable, and
the arrival of the pony express from
across the continent, with the latest news
of the thrilling events that were trans
piring beyond the wide-stretch-
ing plains and lofty mountain
ranges that separated California from
the scene OF activity, was daily watched
for with not only the deepest interest but
the most painful anxiety. No one knew
what day the threatened storm might
burst upon the country in all it's fury of
internecine bitterness engendered dur
ing long years OF partisan hatred and sec
tiOnal prejudice, ana the older and wiser
Golden nF ha
Pacific were already fearful that the old
dag was to go down in the dust and tur-
moil of battle. not to be resurrected-at
least during their day-and that the eX-
jstence of the republic itself hung as if by
a frail thread in the armament of nations.
Taken all in all, the year 1861 was one of
the most trying through which the coun-
try has passed, for the awful suspense at
tendant upon the expectancy and fear Of
a bloody war was far more trying upon
the energies of the people than actual
participation in the activities of the strife
that followed.
........Thirty years ago a. G.. Scott and
three other men, whose names were not
given, started from Georgetown to 90 to
Mormon Island, near Folsom. They con-
structed a tlatboat and launched it on the
boiling waters of the Middle Fork of the
American River, at Maine Bar. They
got along pretty well until they came to
the rapids, about two miles from their
starting point, where the boat became un-
manageable and was swamped Two
of the men managed to struggle to the
shore, but their companions, one of
whom was Scott, were drowned. There
Is no record of any person having since
undertaken the perilous journey; but
Colonel Cummings, Superintendent of
the American River Land and Lumber
Company, has recently received big
and stout canoe intended for shooting the
rapids OF the American River. Lots will
probably be drawn to determine who
Shall constitute the crew that first at
tempts the task.
Siskiyou had in 1861 a citizen
named Tom Bantz. He was a mem
ber of the Grand Jury of that county,
and was not quite satisfied with the re-
port returned by the majority. So he
wrote out and presented another report,
and signed it TON Bantz. Foreman Of
the Minority" 1t read: I'VE also most
respectfully recommend that the present
Grand jury system be abolished by the
Supervisors, and that the present Board
OF supervisors be abolished by the pres
ent Legislature, which in turn should be
abolished by the Governor, who is in no
danger Of being reelected. We also re-
turn our most sincere acknowledgements
for the numerous observation-disclosures
ing of lager beer and numerous cigars
which were not received by US from the
and their attaches"
Those were the days of steamboat
racing on the route two and from Sacra-
mento and San Francisco. A few days
after the Nevada was placed on the route
as an opposition boat, the California
Steam Navigation put on the Antelope.
and these vessels did some great racing.
Hundreds of people visited the river
front on the days the boats left for San
Francisco to see them off. Leaving here
at 2 o'clock P. NJ, they frequently landed
their passengers in San Francisco by
o'clock, both making the trip in about
Ghe same time. II was not an unusual
thing for either of these boats to have
from three hundred to four hundred
passengers each trip.
.........L Long distance races were of quite
frequent occurrence in early days. The
horses generally used were the native
mustangs which were capable of great
endurance, while some of them were
very speedy. On the 10th of April qSGI,
thirty race came off in Santa Clara
county, between horses of Augustin AL
Ylso and Guadalupe Selaya, for g, 800 a
SIDE. The race was from Washington
corners, Alameda County, to three miles
peyond San Jose and return. Selaya's
morse won, making the distance in one
hour and forty-three minutes-an aver
age OF 2:5l8 per mile.
..;......Ihe ton-road between the city
and Liste's bridge, over the American
RiYer, was SO bad during the spring of
1851 that a number of accidents occurred
there. one day a teamster's freight
wagon went over into the muddy water
and 500 worth Of fine goods was ruined.
n few days later Frederick Myers. of
this city, was plotting a six-horse team
over the road, when several of his horses
sunk almost out OF sight. In attempting
10 rescue them he was caught between
I,n jgaAo