The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-26

ginning when he landed at Cape San
Lucas. After the battle he came up to San
I Francisco. Some printers had brought up
the old Alta from Monterey. In those
days they had only the Spanish type and
they had to use twov's to make W. Well,
it was established in San, francisco when
Stevenson's regiment landed there. When
the boys were paid off Murray and an
other, who was also a printer, went to
work on the Alta setting type. 1t was a
queer-looking sheet; remember it well.
Presently Murray and his companions
ment. They finally settled on 160-acre
tract that now centers at the new City Hall
square. 1t was a very fertile valley in those
days and they filed on it as Government
land. They built shanty on the very site
of the present courthouse and they hired
Cinnamon to, plant and work vegetable
patch there while they were at work setting
type. They made a pretty good thing out
of it for while, because fresh vegetables
brought fancy prices in the market in those
days.
But presently Captain Folsom came
along and took a notion to that bit of land.
He sent for Murray and told him he must
prior claim on it. Murray demurred. He
declared it was Government land and that
he and his companions were the first set
tiers, and would not get off. The argu-
ment was carried along in this way for
few weeks and then one morning when
Murray got home from work he found his
shanty demolished and lot of bluecoats
in possession.
's1The gold excitement had broken out
about this time and Murray and some of
the other printers decided to go to the
mines. They got cart with those big
solid wheels. into which they put their
traps and kits, and then they started for
Tuolumne County. They crossed Sulli-
vans Creek just few days behind another
gold on the banks and in the bed OF the
creek. They PANIED out little of the
metal, but they gave it up for play
lead and went on into the Mormon Greek
and Table Mountain country. Some time
later several big fortunes were taken
good claims at Mormon Greek and were do
ing finely when the provisions began to run
short. Murray volunteered to replenish
them. He took enough dust with him to
bring what was needed and hid the rest
under rock in the creek. When he got
down to San Francisco and began to lay in
his stores he started by buying barrel of
visions. He went back with grub enough
for the whole camp, but he had ten times.
as much whisky as anything. else, and he
sold every drop of it for ten times the price
il cost him. When he went to look for the
can of dust he had hidden he found the
bed of the creek several feet higher and the
rock under which he placed the can was
washed away. But a week or SO later,
much further down the stream, he found
his can with all the dust he had burdened
it with. By and by, after some more sue
cessful mining, he went down to San Fran
cisco again for more provisions and whisky,
and this time he took his. gold with him.
ION his way back to the mines he was
overtaken by the rains. The roads became
impossible and he had about determined
to abandon his stores when he fell in with
another party of miners, who bought him
out at handsome price. Then Murray
went down to Stockton rich man. He
studied law and knocked around little,
and finally bought out small newspaper
inches square. 1t was called the Sonora
Herald. Murray was a clever writer and
good printer. He enlarged the paper at
once and threw all his energy and talent
into it, and soon had a splendid news
paper property for those days. When Gov
ernor Weller was trying to get the renom-
lnation he offered Murray almost any price
for his support, but Murray refused all of
fers, his political sympathies being the
other side of the fence DR.. Gwinon, at
that time United States Senator, who also
wished to succeed himself, united with
Governor Weller in trying to secure the
support of Murray's paper, but Murray
could not be bought.
FINALLY Weller and Gwin made Murray
handsome offer for the entire plant and
$4,000 as an inducement to sell. Murray
took the offer and sold out, his intention
being to go down to Mexico and settle
there. He had, meantime, married very
beautiful and well-to-do Chilean lady, who
could not speak word of English. In this
way Murray became interested in the
Spanish tongue. He could speak and write