Smyrna times., 1930-01-15
Suffers HEIRS BRING CLAIM
AGAINST j. s. GOVERNMENT
WRECK OF EMPIRE WHERE
GOLD WAS STRUCK IN CALF.
Discovery of Gold in 1S4S Brings
Poverty TO Gen. A. Suffers, Lur-
ed Fortune Hunters to His Door

his irOnic observations of the way
easy wealth has of destroying a
man by stultifying his virtues and
stimulating his empty pride and ex-
trayagance. But there is a story
also of how a discoyerer of gold
met misfortune, not from the psy-
Geological and moral forces from
within, but from forces outside his
control.
Such is the story of Gen. John
A. Suffer, builder and proprietor
of Suffers fort, of California gold
rush fame-a man of affluence and
high position in California before
the epic discovery of gold in 1S48.
ParadOXically enough, it was this
discovery which ruined him. 1t
brought to his door the horde of
maddened fortune hunters. the rab-
BILE which ate his substance, which
stole his cattle, which trampled his
vineyards, which confscated his
lands. He died in penury in a
little Pennsylvania town, where he
now lies in an obscure grave.
Presses $4,000, 900 Claim.
An echo of this ironic tragedy
has been brought to the ears of the
nation through the recent action
taken by Reginald Sutter, grandson
of the great pioneer, who, as an
nounced in recent news dispatches,
is pressing a claim against the
United States government for S50,-
100000, asserting this sum was due
to him and the other heirs be-
cause of an agreement made by
congress in 1879.
Bits Of reminiscence that have
been handed down from old resi-
dents of California and of Kansas
City, where he lived for a time,
afford an insight into the person
ality of the picturesque wanderer,
who, born in Germany of Swiss par
ents and schoOled in the army of
France, sought the American from
tier and founded a principality in
the West. Prominent Kansas City
residents of a quarter of a century
ago recalled the stories which, as
boys, they heard the dashing army
captain from across the sea tell
them of his little merchandise
store at WestpOrt avenue and Main
street. His store, where wagon
trains outftted for the Santa Fe
trail, prOspered, but the call of the
frontier could not be resisted. In
1888 he joined a trapping party and
made his way westward.
Arriving at Monterey, then the
capital of California, he was warm
" welcomed in 1893 by Gov. Juan
Alvaredo, WHO made him a general
and presented him with eleven
square leagues Of land, to be taken
from any section of the domain he
might choose. He set out from
Monterey, explored the San Fran
cisco, San Publa and Suisan bays;
cruised down the Sacramento and
San Joaquin rivers and finally
reached the present site of Sacra-
mentO, where a permanent settle
ment was made.
DWelt in Feudal State.
There he built the fort which
he named New Helvetia, popularity
known in history as Suffers fort.
He was made governor of the north
ern frontier by the Mexican gov
and became wealthy.
There he dwelt in feudal state, win
ming the surrounding Indians TO his
With their aid he built
his fort, cultivated large areas of
set out vineyards and raised
herds of cattle and horses.
Establishing stores, he traded
from Canada to Mexico and as far
east as st. Louis. Governor Michel
tOrena, successor to Alvaredo. gave
him an additional eleven square
leagues of land to encourage his
activities in agriculture. The vir-
tual owner of a quarter million
acres of land, he was monarch of
all he surveyed.
Then happened the event which
reduced him from afiiuence to
penury-the discovery of gold on
his own land. James w. Mar
shall, his foreman, made the find.
The date was January "a, 1S4S. He
told his employer and they kept
It a secret until the following
March 10, when a weekly newspa-
per of San Francisco, then town
Of 700 population, published the
story.
Sam Brennan of San Francisco
went out to investigate. He re-
turned with a bottle of gold dust.
That news depopulated San Fran
cisco. Crews deserted their ships
N the harbor. The rush was on.
Suffers fort was overrun, his crops
we're destroyed and his Indians
we're either killed or driven away.
Possessing none of the gold
miners instinct, the sturdy pioneer
vas forced before the year was end
ID to retreat before the roaring tide
IF humanity that surged about him.
He sold his fort, with all it con-
aimed, to the traders, gamblers,
'um sellers and boarding house
keepers who already had seized
lpon it. With the dreams of life
lime dispelled, he retired to the
luiet little farm on the Feather
liver.
Fort Wrecked in a Year.
When Bayard Taylor visited the
place in 1S49 every building in the
)nce well regulated fort was occu-
Died as hotel, a rum shop, gam
bling saloon or store. Great
holes had been broken through the
}uter walls to serve as doors and
the massive gates had