The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-11-16

HISTORY BUILDERS.
A Philosopher Despite Adverse Cir
cumstances.

Writtea expressly for The Washington Herah.l
By DIR. T.. j. EDWARDS,

(Wrfttea expressly for The Washington Herad)
By DIR. f. }. EDWARDS.
II probably would be impossible to
change the traditional estimate of the
late Gen. John /. Suffer. for that has
become too firmly established to make
any modification of IL possible. Gen.
Suffers name will remain traditionally
as that OF the man upon whose mill
race in California the first discovery
OF gold was made in January. 1S4S.
The popular understanding has been
and still is that Gen. Suffer was a
pioneer who lived from hand to
mouth after establishing himself in
California in a time when Mexico still
possessed sovereignty over California
Many persons have pictured him as a
solitary pioneer struggling with some
thing like poverty.
Gen. Suffer was a man of education,
Of very attractive personality. and, al
though born in Germany. was of
Swiss parentage. being distinguished
by many of the characteristics of the
Swiss. His was a Furnishing business.
and his sawmill was only an incident
to II. 1t is true that the discovery OF
gold upon his place was n misfortune. He
gained no benefit from it, but lost
substantially all that he possessed IN
California. 1t was not a day when
law prevailed. but. instead, violence.
and predatory hordes thronged his
place and practically drove him out
of II.
1 was talking with several citizens
of California who came to Washington
in 1883 about some of the early fea-
lures of the establishment of govern
ment in California, and in that con-
versation the name of Gen. Suffer
was mentioned.
"Sutter had the highest kind of
courage. tpr it was both moral and
physical" said one of these men. He
fought in such courts as there were
at that time. and fought persistentIy
for the protection of his rights. He
spent practically everything he had in
defense of his possessions. l have
heard that his legal expenses cost
him over 100000 but they were prac-
tically fruitless. California, which
owed so much to Suffer. and with
some sense of the injustice which had
been his lot. granted him a pension.
which was his only means of support.
But. although he fought desperately
and constantly. nevertheless no one
fortunes. He knew that the discov-
cry of gold upon his place had ruined
him, while IL had directly or indirectly
enriched others. but there never was
murmur from him. He was a true
philosopher. and l can illustrate that
by telling you something that was mar
rated to me.
"A friend went to see him at a time
when Gen. Suffer was living in
house which he himself built on
small piece of land which remained in
his possession. The friend was re-
ceived with hospitality and courtesy.
He was shown into the house. 1t was
built of hardened mud, with possibly
some stone. In it were books and
other evidences of refinement The
friend was amazed to see the thick
ness of the walls. He measured them
and found that they were between
three and four feet thick. and he
asked Gen. Suffer IL there was any
reason for constructing a house of
such massive proportions. In reply.
the general said that there were the
best of reasons. for he had learned
that II the walls of a house were three
feet or more thick in summer the
heat would be kept out. whereas in
winter the cold would be kept out and
the warmth kept in, and it was for that
reason he had built his house in that
manner"
Copyright, 1915. by Z. J. Edwards All rights re-
seryed.D