Imperial Valley press., 1916-09-05

n Placergille Au6p.n. Naliposa ant
Eureka.
News items ana advertisements 're-
,garding slaves have been found by Coy
in many California newspapers of the
sos. Now in the county archives at
Placerville he has found three docu-
men recording the sale or gift to ne
groes of liberty already rightfullJ
theirs BY the California constitution.
Ees2yaed :, 1isr;p?sa 10y discovered
I20 a,rcemeat IS which Thomas T2o."i
on February {, 1883, declared himself
"the Iightfui owner Of the negro man,
Peter Green, and entitled to his serv-
ices as a slave during his life" but
agreed to release him from further
service az a slave provided Peter Green
would pay him a thousand dollars or
serve him until April !. 1854. And o..
August !, 1855. James Givens, justice
C the peace, certified that Pete.
Green had complied with the agreement
and legally discharged him from slav-
cry.
That Indians were sometimes held in
virtual slavery in early day California
through system of "indenture' has
also been proved by MIR. Coy. In a
bundle Of cid papers in the court house
la Eureka Mr.. Coy found an indenture
iof August IA, 1860, setting forth that
Austin Wiley (later superintendent Of
Indian affairs in California, who did
much to settle satisfactorily relations
between the settlers and the natives)
'had in his possession and under his
control certain Indian boy named
Smoky" 8 years old, obtained from his
FaleitS III Mdttpie NaliSy, tlCHAooiue
county, with. their consent. County
Judge A. ]. Heustis then certifies that
OF August IA, 1860, Austin Wiley had
applied to him to "bind and apprentice
the said 10Y, Smoky, to Austin Wiley
according to Law, to learn the art Of
and domestic duties about h s
premises, until he shall arrive at law
fol majority, the age Of 25 years" The
application was granted and Smoky in
dentura3 to Wiley for seventeen years,
Wilsy "to have the care, GUS
toiy, control and earnings of said boy
during said period" The document
further sets forth that Wiley agreed to
clothe and provide the neces-
series Of life for the boy and. "in all
respects 70 treat him in g humane man
rer," and "in al respects to carry out
tha provisions Of the law that contem-
p.ate the satisfy and well-being Of said
10y"
$50 great was the desire to inden-
tire Indian boys during the times when
labor was scarce, as it was during the
gold rush." says Mr.. Coy, that inden-
ture was applied not only to Indian
children bat 70 vagrant adult Indians
who might Ly legal process be given
irto the custody Of the white settlers
n February, 1861, the county judge Of
Humboldt county published notice in
the local papers complaining Of the ex-
TIA work thrown upon him by those de-
string to have such indenture papers
drawn up, and asking them to have the
matter attended to by competent law
yer before appearing before The judge.
M. Coy found at Eureka no less than
i05 original legal documents record
i, such transactions The system was
capable Of grave abuse, and many COM
plants we're made by the Indian agents
and newspaper editors Of the period
These discoveries regarding slavery
end the indenture Of Indians in Cali
fornia are but one phase Of many his
t, rical discoveries made by Coy during
an exploration in behalf Of the commits
YALDEil DYE WORKS
.lost complete cleaning
and pressing plant in the
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