The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-01


N cred by James
- w. Marshall. a
mechanic from Pennsylvania. in his mill
race at Coloma. on Suffers creek. Then.
Mineryalike. a state sprang into ex-
lstence whose subsequent history IL an
Integral part Of that OF our glorious
Union, Her inspiration dates from that
day.
This "ind" had a worldwide impress
sion. II caused the development of the
great Pacific slope 200 years in advance
of natural processes and added largely
TO the wealth OF the universe. The M
tieth celebration of any event-a mar
rage or a coronation-is called gold
EN- Jubilee" and hence the special sig
MITIGATION of this forthcoming joyous
day, for 1t IS one of gold.
The Klondike can only add to Call
fornia's greatness. No commonwealth
will ever be founded on an icenoe.
4 California's gold is not only In the Nils
J and streams, but in the sunshine. now
! ers, fruits, grains and wine-perenniai-
" and inexhaustively golden.
The Society of California Pioneers.
, having decided to celebrate the semi
I centennial of the first discovery OF gold,
will make herculean efforts to have the
event.
IT will he far more imposing than the
celebration which marked the fortieth
anniversary, seven years ago, of the
admission of California TO the Union.
All the state associations will share In
n San Francisco will be in gala at
tire and dressed in gay ribbons.
OF its importance to the individual In
many ways there can be no doubt. but
one OF the novel features Will be the
arousing of an intense interest in his.
toricaI data over which the veil OF OBJ
scurity has gradually been drawn
After Jan. "a, 1898, the rising genera
tion of the great Pacific commonwealth
will know more about the early mining
DAYS than even the numerous text books
of their schools have recorded.
Few OF them now could locate in the
modern geography the old time towns
of Bloody Flat. Poverty Bar. You Bet.
Moonlight Flat, Blanket End, Chivalry
Eill. Dads Gulch Greenhorn Bar, Hang
town, Last Chance. Happy Camp, Yuba
Dam. Mad Mule, Yankee Jims. Nip and
Tuck. Poker Flat. Roaring River, Noun
tain Brow. Piety Hill. Red Dog. Bone
yard. Dead Horse. Whisky Slide, Sub
Unity. Fiddetown. Hungry Hollow.
Two Cent Ranch, Jimtown, Dirty Bar,
Poor Mans Creek, Rough and Ready.
Nary Red Diggins and Sky High Dig
gins.
What an atmosphere OF Bret Harte
there is in this nomenclature OF the
Argonauts! What pages OF history are
unrolled! 1t is truth and poetry and
romance.
John A. Sutter, the son of a French
speaking Swiss. was born in Baden,
Germany i'm 1909. He came 70 New
York i'm 1884 soon went to Missouri.
and three years later C1ss7) was hasten
ing on his route. by way OF the Oregon
trail. arriving finally at Fort vancou-
ver, in British Columbia. After sailing
TO the Sandwich Islands and passing
through exciting adventures, he reach
Cd Yerba Buena, now San Francisco, on
July 2. 1899. He was, at last, allowed
by the Mexican governor. Alvarado, to
settle in the sacramento valley. agree
ing to build and maintain a fort. and
thus permanently established himself
on the American river, about two miles
above its junction with the Sacrament
TO. There he erected what was subse-
quently known as Suffers Fort" with
q colony in the beginning OF three
whites and eight kanakas, and located
the Mexican grant OF land that he had
obtained at the junction of the Ameri-
can and Sacramento rivers. embracing
the site OF the present city of Sacra-
mento.
The fort is now little more than a
memory. The adobe walls were pulled
down and used in making levees or FILL
ing in city lots and the only relic left
standing is the main building of the in
terror. 80 by 81 feet square and two
stories high. There Is plan to pur-
chase the original site and restore the
walls as they were when first built, aft
er which the rejuvenated historical mon
ument will be presented TO the munich
pal guardianship OF Sacramento
During the large emigration to Cali
fornla in 1886 many people settled In the
valley of the Sacramento under protec-
tion of Suffers Fort. There being a
large demand for lumber. General SUIT
ter decided to build n mill and for that
purpose entered into a contract with
Marshall. The first furnished the capi-
tai. and the latter was 10 have a share
OF tho lumber for his compensation.
Marshall vas eccentric. Though not a
millwrieht he was an ingenious me-
ohanic: but. aside from a genius for
tools" he was singular. He built a
good sawmill. but hts selection of a
site was strange because, for lumber
purposes. there were places nearer the
fort where better timber grew and
where roaas-cuuld be made cheaper.
There was no lack OF water power any.
where on streams winding through the
immense pine belt of the extensive
range OF mountains
Marshall intended 20 haul HE share
of the lumber down the banks OF the
creek TO- the river. there faston " int"
rslts and h"at them down to Sacra-