Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1901-05-20
LETTER FROM CALIFORNIA.


Mr.. Editor:
The visitor on arriving at San Fran
cisco finds himself at once in busy
town; it was built mostly by Cyan
KEGS" will compare favorably with
our eastern cities, and has history
that will never grow less. 1t was
comparatively unknown, prior to the
discovery of gold by one Marshall at
Suffers Mills in 1848. Two years
later the state of California was ad-
mitted to the Union, and San Fran
cisco being the gateway to the mines,
sprung up like a mushroom from
little Spanish village of less than
1000 inhabitants, to a ''Yankee City"
to- day, of nearly 4OO,0 with a COM
mercial business that almost outrivals
New York.
A brief history OF the gold discovery
may interest some of your readers.
IN January 1873, man by the name
of John W. Marshall at Suffers Mill
discovered what he thought to be
gold. Very little attention was given
to this discovery at first, but IN few
months, even the most skeptical were
convinced of its Importance, and the
little village of San Francisco was
almost depopulated in the mad rush
for the mines; but some of those who
visited the mines realizing the increas-
ing demand for the necessities of life,
returned to the city and resolved to
profit by the impetus that would
naturally come to the city, and COM
merce off the bay. The city became
at once the dumping ground for the
best as we'll as some Of the worst
types of civilization, and in 1851 it is
said to have had population Of about
81 600, composed of people from every
nation on.the face of the earth, with
the American predominating The
contest for law and order was one
continuous struggle by the law
abiding against the baser elements of
society; the officers of the law were
either unable or unwilling to sup
press the lawless element; gambling
was at it's height; robberies and
murders were committed with little
fear of the law, and the future of the
city was jeopardized. In order to
remedy such state of affairs some
thing had to be done at once, and
the law abiding citizens resolved to
rid the city of these thieves and muir
derers who infested it. They formed
themselves into an organization to
suppress crime and punish the law
breakers. A few murderers after be-
ing given fair trial were hung and
the suspected ones were given $50
many hours" to leave, and in many
instances were put on board of out
going vessels with orders never to
return. There was nothing secret
about these vigilance committees;
they were composed of the leading
men of the city and soon proved
themselves terror to the evil l-doers,
and in very short time the city was
under control and comparatively free
from crime.
The greater part of the inhabitants
were sheltered in hastily constructed
houses or tents; gold dust was then
the circulating medium at $1,000 per
ounce; men who were here in those
turbulent days, would see very little
now TO remind them of the struggles
of from '49 to '52.
The San Franciscan to- day is very
proud of his city by the "golden gate"
and we'll he may be, as no city in the
United States is so we'll located to
reap the benefits of the new CONNER
cial harvest as San Francisco; it is the
metropolis of the Pacific Coast, and
to-day is the third importing city in
the United States.
San Francisco has several beautiful
parks and squares, Golden Gate Park
being the largest. The Cliff House,
Seal Rocks, and Sutro grounds, the
Museum, Menagerie, Stow Lake, and
Strawberry Hill are all attractive
features of the city, but the most
notable place is Portsmouth Square
or the Plaza. 1t was here Oh this Plaza
that the first American flag was rails
ed, and on this square were enacted
the exciting scenes of the vigilance