St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-04-16
vIolLANTEs OF CALIFORNIA.

uOSSU UNDERSTANDINGS
vIolLANTEs OF CALIFORNIA.
The First ce.nitsss q the Kisa h That
Oses Lavlsas Con0aalty.
In the month of November, 1850.
thefS were eight primitive houses situ-
ated ION the extreme point of little
penil sula far projecting into the Bay
Of San Francisco It was separated
from the surrounding country BY .
rocky mountain range. The eight
houses were occupied BY IN American
huntsr and seven French fishermen,
deserters from . French man-of-war.
On Che opposite side was another
French settlement Of five fishermen.
All o. the cattle owned BY the two Set
Elements was . single goat the loss Of
which would have proved . public
calamity. Its master had brought IL
from; France, around Cape Horn
Besides the hunting and fishing people.
there was beyond these settlements
also . regular farmer called the Irish
Captein. though he was neither Irish
nor = captain. He was . Dane BY
birt:H and . farmer all his life BY oc-
cupaiion. He possessed . valuable stock
Of imported cattled-a rare thing 1t
that kline. Farther into the interior.
on tie other side of the mountain range.
was lhe Cornelia Rancho. . California
constructed fof rough
beans, and surrounded BY mud and cat
tie. instead Of gardens parks, green
grass and flowers Cornelia was . ma
tive grandee. and claimed the right to
four hundred square miles of territory.
Although the Invasion of her country
by the gold-hunters had swept away
the greater part Of her herds yet there
still remained over . thousand head
In full dress adorned with
gold. chains pearls and jewels
she looked very magnificent seated in
! large wsgon drawn BY two oxen and
sixteen mules, roughing it over . coun-
try without roads This. however. was
upon. state occasions, and Of rare occur
renee. Her home dress was an old
broad brimmed straw hat leather
boots, . loose white shirt, and short
petticoat of coarse red flannel. She
ruled over thirty Indian servants be-
sides: her son-twenty-four years of age
and . homeless Portuguese adven.
ture., who. seeking . support, had
lriftcd to that Eden before the rude
gold hunters dispersed the charm of 81
lencs. simplicity. and ignorance that
rcigSed complete everywhere. The Ir-
sh captain was not slow 70 perceive his
over the sonora He there
lore proposed to her TO take charge
IF her cattle and sell to
he Uest advantage. ON condition. that
he should have one-half OF the
sum realized. which proposition was
accepted by the sonora
The Jrish captain now organized for
The common defense BY calling . gen.
.ral .neeting, and binding each BY .
,ovenant to take care of his neighbors'
property BY armed force when neces-
sssaSy. But short time thereafter .
boat laden with stolen beef from the
senosa's herds was captured, and the
sattE. thieves, taken prisoners BY the
of Low Point The thieves
wer< tied. put under . boat turned
ppsite down, and closely watched
rhes Irish captain himself escorted
he prisoners to San Francisco the
following morning, and delivered them
ntoNhe hands Of the civil authorities.
Instsad Of being punished for their
nw4ess crimes, they were set 1T liberty
~ tee civil authorities. aud retaliated
DpoI the Irish captain BY butchering
md tcarrying Oh all HIS nach-cowA
l'heee thieves and this system Of rob
berg received the countenance Of rich
md Influential butchers Of San Fran.
.isc,,. who furnished the means for
hes; predatory incursions, and the
mousy to retain influential counsel to
lefea nd and acquit through techni-
:ali6es Of the law, such Of the
thieses q should fall into the
AauSs Of the Irish captain and His
.ohc~ta Convinced that no redress
.oult b obtained from the civil IN.
Ihoslties 1t San Francisco. . second
rendral meeting was held, and Il was
resolved that the resi-
tents Of the peninsula should form
into permanent commit.
ZEE. and assume all the duties Of police
md courtmartiaL No suspected party
,hoeld Re permitted to land. Thieves
lnds,ther criminals should be tried be.
'oreSthe committee. and. II found gull
y. executed on the spot Thus was
IorrSed the Arst vigilanee committee
.hafever existed within. the limits Of
H. Clampitt in Harpers