ROES OF 
 TF0RNIA 
 
 
 I 
 
 ^ 
 
 GEORGE WHMTON JAMES 
 
HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
SIACING IN 1849, IN THE SIERRAS OK CALIFORNIA. 
 Reproduced by permission from the painting by Gutzon Borglum. 
 
 Page J.i6 
 
HEROES 
 
 OF 
 
 GAL I FO R NI A 
 
 THE STORY OF THE FOUNDERS OF THE GOLDEN 
 
 STATE AS NARRATED BY THEMSELVES OR 
 
 GLEANED FROM OTHER SOURCES 
 
 By GEORGE WHARTON JAMES 
 
 AUTHOR OF "THROUGH RAMONA'S COUNTRY," "THE OLD MISSIONS 
 OF CALIFORNIA," "THE WONDERS OF THE COLORADO DES- 
 ERT," "IN AND AROUND THE GRAND CANYON," ETC. 
 
 As one candle lighteth another and diminisheth not inflame, 
 so nobleness enkindletk nobleness 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 
 
 1910 
 

 Copyright, igio, 
 By Edith E. Farnsworth. 
 
 All rights reserved 
 
 Published, November, 1910 
 
 S. J. Parkhill & Co., Boston, U. s. a. 
 
 lC!.A:^75r>92 
 
TO THOSE 
 
 ^naic lEm anti SSIomcn 
 
 OF SAN FRANCISCO 
 
 WHO, AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE OF IQOG, AS THEY 
 GAZED UPON THEIR DEVASTATED HOMES AND BUSINESS 
 HOUSES, THEN AND THERE BEGAN TO PLAN FOR THEIR 
 IMPROVED RESTORATION, WHICH NOW, I9IO, IS MORE THAN 
 ACCOMPLISHED, THESE VARIED CHAPTERS OF CALIFORNIA 
 HEROISM ARE DEDICATED AS A SINCERE EXPRESSION OF 
 APPRECIATION AND ADMIRATION 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 "DRAVE and heroic deeds have always thrilled the 
 ■*^ minds of others to emulation. A great deed is 
 an inspiration for other great deeds. Bravery and 
 heroism are as contagious as cowardice and fear. 
 The habit of the mind should be towards right, re- 
 gardless of all consequences. The brave man knows 
 nothing of consequences; he does his duty and leaves 
 consequences to take care of themselves. 
 
 During all ages it has been recognized that nothing 
 stimulates most men to heroism and nobility so much 
 as the example of their fellows. From all time the acts 
 of the noble and brave have been recited to incite to 
 emulation those who listen. All war songs have this 
 origin, and Napoleon could think of nothing more 
 powerful to say, when his soldiers were about to fight 
 in the presence of the sphinx and p}Tamids of the Nile, 
 than: ** Forty centuries gaze down upon you." 
 
 This principle is recognized, also, in the Scriptural 
 records, where, to stimulate converts of the Christian 
 faith to live the new life demanded of them, the writer, 
 after recounting the wonderful deeds of the heroes of 
 the past, added these words: "Wherefore, seeing we 
 also are compassed about with so great a cloud of 
 witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin 
 which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with 
 patience the race that is set before us." 
 
vi HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 As all need constant inspiration to noble endeavor, 
 and as Californians especially have many " witnesses " 
 who proved themselves great and heroic souls in the 
 past, it has been my aim to present in these pages a 
 series of pictures of their heroism, hoping that my 
 readers may thereby be encouraged to emulate them 
 in spirit, if not in deed. 
 
 Wherever possible, the original narrators have been 
 allowed to tell the stories in their own words. I wish 
 to stimulate to a fuller reading and larger knowledge 
 of original sources. California has a greater wealth of 
 such literature than any other section of the United 
 States, and it should be better known. Parents are 
 urged to point out to their children, and teachers, also, 
 to their students, the pleasure and profit that can be 
 gained by further readings on the lines I have here 
 suggested. In the last chapter, references may be 
 found to books and magazines which give these fuller 
 particulars. The time will soon come, I hope, when 
 every school library in the State will possess the fol- 
 lowing books, which might be regarded as the Cali- 
 fornia classics: Palou's "Life of Serra," — a good 
 translation is needed and doubtless will be forthcom- 
 ing ere long; Parker Winship's translation of the 
 Castaiieda narrative of the Coronado expedition; a 
 good history of the California Franciscan missions; 
 my own *' In and Out of the Old Missions," until a 
 better book makes its appearance; Pattie's Narrative; 
 McGlashan's "History of the Donner Party;" the 
 " Story of Virginia Reed Murphy; " Manly's " Death 
 Valley in '49," and the various magazine articles on the 
 
INTRODUCTION vii 
 
 subject; Bonner's " Life of James Beckwourth," 
 Hittell's " Life of James Capen Adams," the " Life of 
 Kit Carson," with General and Mrs. Fremont's various 
 works; a good hfe of Thomas Starr King; Mrs. Carr's 
 " The Iron Way; " the " Life and Services of Judge 
 Field; " books on the Comstock Lode and the Sutro 
 Tunnel; " Ramona " and the "Life of Helen Hunt 
 Jackson;" Clarence King's "Mountaineering in 
 California; " a sketch of James Lick's Life; William 
 Smythe's " The Conquest of Arid America," the " Life 
 and Work of Stephen M. White; " Edwin Markham's 
 story of how he came to write " The Man with the 
 Hoe; " Muir's " Mountains of California; " Har- 
 wood's " Life of Burbank," and the Century Maga- 
 zine's series of articles on "• California Before and 
 After the Gold Discovery." 
 
 The neglect to provide these books is a proof of 
 imdifference to the wonderfully inspiring and thrilling 
 stories contained therein. Students will revel in them, 
 more than in novels, if they are led to see the spirit 
 in which they are written. How shall they read, how- 
 ever, when they are not even aware of their exis- 
 tence. 
 
 If the Native Sons and Daughters of the Golden West 
 would take hold of this matter with one-tenth of the 
 energy displayed by their pioneer ancestors, the thing 
 would be done in less than a year, and with this noble 
 aim these organizations w^ould do more good to the 
 rising generation than any other one thing they could 
 accomplish. 
 
 I trust it is not necessary to assure my readers that 
 
viii HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 I have no thought that I have exhausted the Hst of 
 Cahfornia's heroes and heroines. I have v^ritten of those 
 whose acts have impressed me, those who have stood 
 out as " beacon lights " in my reading. I doubt not, 
 however, that many readers will wish that this, or that, 
 or the other character who has loomed up as heroic to 
 them, should have found a place in these pages. So 
 that, were the list to be revised, possibly a hundred 
 more names, each as worthy as those I have selected, 
 could be added. In this is one of my great satisfac- 
 tions. I confidently hope some such awakening will 
 be the result of the publication of this book, and that 
 the columns of our newspapers will contain many 
 admirable stories of heroism that I have overlooked. 
 Thus the good work will go on, and the youth of our 
 Golden State be quickened to higher and nobler 
 endeavor and greater achievement because of the 
 emulation that will be stimulated by the recital of these 
 noble deeds of the past. 
 
 Many an interesting chapter might have been 
 written on the quiet and almost unknown heroism of 
 pioneer physicians, preachers, priests, sisters of charity, 
 nuns, and teachers of the early days. California's his- 
 tory is full of the deeds of heroic men who regarded 
 their own lives not at all in the face of every kind of 
 danger, — snow storms, sand storms, cloudbursts, floods, 
 falling trees, hostile Indians, wild animals and cruel 
 and bloodthirsty banditti. Bret Harte has given some 
 vivid pictures of them, which, creatures of his own 
 imagination though they be, were yet largely true to 
 fact and convey a generally accurate idea of the spirit 
 
INTRODUCTION ix 
 
 of the times. Books by the dozen might be written, 
 all worthy of careful perusal, telling of the incredible 
 hardships endured by patient and silent nuns and 
 sisters of charity as they engaged in their humanitarian 
 work of educating the young, relieving the distressed, 
 caring for the sick, and reclaiming the wayward in 
 those early days, before comfortable homes were 
 provided for themselves. And the pioneer priests 
 and preachers of all churches and creeds! "What an 
 army of self-sacrificing heroes were they, whose names 
 and histories will never be fully recorded on earth. 
 Riding to and fro over mountains, plains and desert, 
 their lives in constant jeopardy, preaching in the open 
 air, in saloons, in dance-halls, anywhere, so long as 
 they could get a hearing, fearlessly counselling men 
 against the vices they loved and urging them to live 
 the virtues they hated, the pioneer minister of the gospel 
 performed tasks which were not for weaklings. Only 
 men strong, physically, mentally and spiritually, were 
 capable of doing their work, and doing it well, for 
 scepticism and infidelity often went hand in hand 
 with profligacy and vice, and it was no uncommon 
 thing for men inflamed with evil passions and intoxi- 
 cated with liquor to threaten the lives of those who 
 dared rebuke their vices and incite them to purer and 
 holier living. 
 
 The pioneer teachers, too, who endured poverty, 
 isolation, and weary heart- longings in their zeal to 
 educate the growing youth of the new California, — 
 what a debt the State and country owes to them. 
 
 It will be noticed that I have no chapter on John 
 
xii HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 of his own faith. In Beckwourth's book there are 
 statements in regard to his sale of Hquor to Indians. 
 If Beckwourth were aHve to-day and were to do busi- 
 ness in the manner there described, I would hasten to 
 the nearest court and swear out a warrant for his 
 arrest, and urge the officials to see that he received 
 severe punishment. Yet his bravery is worthy of emu- 
 lation; as also is that of James Capen Adams, whose 
 hunting instincts do not seem at all commendable to 
 me. Pattie was a braA'e and heroic character, yet his 
 trapping of animals for their fur I regard as inhuman 
 and cruel, and I believe such trapping should be sup- 
 pressed by law. I also think that he showed too great 
 a readiness to shoot Indians, and to take revenge upon 
 all Indians for the crimes of some. I look up with great 
 respect to the commanding genius of Judge Field, yet 
 some of the decisions which he rendered do not meet 
 my sense of justice; and I can see in the acts of the 
 " Big Four," who created the Central Pacific Railway, 
 many things that lay them open to censure and con- 
 denmation. 
 
 So, my young and older readers, do not take my 
 praise as indiscriminate. Look for the good in men, — 
 as I have done in the examples here presented — and 
 extol, honor and emulate that; the things that are 
 weak or evil ignore and avoid. 
 
 I do not claim that all the extracts I have made 
 are literature, — that they possess that pure literary 
 quality which sets them above the common wTiting of 
 ordinary men, — but I do claim that none of them are 
 bad, from the literary standpoint; and, what to me is 
 
INTRODUCTION xiii 
 
 better than the mere choice and arrangement of the 
 words is that they are all good from the standpoint of 
 the spirit. They contain the fire, the energy, the life, 
 the sparkle of living men. In them is no conjuring up 
 of fictitious emotion while quietly seated in a comfort- 
 able library, surrounded by every luxury. The men 
 and women who wrote the stories from which these 
 extracts were taken, lived the life, and therefore are 
 entitled to all the respect and attention which the human 
 heart natiurally confers upon the actual doer of things, 
 as differentiated from the mere dreamer or writer about 
 them. 
 
 If this book helps to arouse thought, excite desire for 
 further study of the lives of the pioneers, builders and 
 heroes of the State, and stimulate longing to be filled 
 with their heroic spirit, so that the rising generation 
 may bring to the problems that will confront them, 
 and the work they must accomplish, the same energy, 
 bravery, self-sacrifice, self-discipline, high endeavor 
 and exalted purpose shown in the past, then, indeed, 
 will the time, thought and energy spent in its arrange- 
 ment be more than repaid, and its author fully grati- 
 fied. 
 
 Pasadena, August, 1910. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PACK 
 
 I. The Dauntless Hero-Explorer, Alar- 
 
 90N I 
 
 II. The Watchful Hero-Commander, Mel- 
 
 CHIOR Diaz 4 
 
 III. The Self-Sacrificing, Self-Disciplining, 
 
 Pioneer Missionary Hero, Junipero 
 Serra 7 
 
 IV, The Indefatigable Hero, Captain de 
 
 Anza 16 
 
 V. The Faithful Hero, Padre Sarria 24 
 
 VI. The Unterrified Hero-Trapper, James 
 
 O. Pattie ....'... 28 
 
 VII. The Hero of the Sierras, Jedediah 
 
 Smith 4° 
 
 VIII. The Typical Hero of Early Gold Days, 
 
 John Bidwell 45 
 
 IX. The Great-Hearted Hero of the Snows, 
 
 Charles T. Stanton .... 56 
 
 X. The Midnight Heroine of the Plain, 
 
 Virginia Reed 64 
 
 XI. The Generous Heroes of Death Valley, 
 
 Manly and Rogers ']t, 
 
 XII. The Unknown Heroes of Death Valley 86 
 
 XIII. The Watchful Hero Scouts, Carson 
 
 and Beale 94 
 
 XIV. Sailor Heroes of Pioneer Times . 104 
 
xvi CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XV. The Reckless Hero of Indian Fame, 
 James P. Beckwourth .... 
 
 XVI. The Daring Heroes of the Pony Express 
 AND the Overland Stage 
 
 XVII. The Street-Preaching Hero of 'Forty- 
 Nine," William Taylor .... 
 
 XVIII. The Fearless Civic Hero of San Fran- 
 cisco, James King of William 
 
 XIX. The Eloquent Hero of Patriotism 
 Thomas Starr King .... 
 
 XX. The Heroic Hunter of Grizzly Bears 
 James Capen Adams .... 
 
 XXL The Mail-Carrying Hero of the Snow- 
 Crowned Sierras, Snow-Shoe Thomp- 
 son 
 
 XXII. The Mountain-Climbing Heroes of the 
 Sierras, Clarence King and Richard 
 Cotter 
 
 XXIII. The Engineering Hero of the Sierras, 
 
 Theodore D. Judah .... 
 
 XXIV. The Building Heroes of the Cen- 
 
 tral Pacific, Huntington, Stanford, 
 Crocker and Hopkins .... 
 
 XXV. The Brilliant Hero of Intellect, 
 Stephen J. Field 
 
 XXVI. The Saving Hero of Philanthropy, 
 James Lick 
 
 XXVII. The Tenacious Hero of the Comstock, 
 Adolph Sutro 
 
 XXVIII. The Far Sighted Hero of the Orange 
 Colony, John Wesley North 
 
 XXIX. The Outspoken Hero of the Public 
 Service, J. W. Powell 
 
 109 
 123 
 
 U7 
 154 
 171 
 
 180 
 
 195 
 
 207 
 
 231 
 
 245 
 261 
 
 273 
 292 
 
 309 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 XV 11 
 
 CHAPTEK PAGB 
 
 XXX. The Practical Hero of Invention, 
 
 Andrew Smith Hallidie . . . Z^l 
 
 XXXI. The Intrepid Heroes of a Gentle 
 Science, John Gill Lemmon and Sara 
 Plummer Lemmon 322 
 
 XXXII. The Studious Hero of the Mountains, 
 
 John Muir 33^ » 
 
 XXXIII. The Tender Heroine of Indian Priend- 
 
 ship, Helen Hunt Jackson . . 361 
 
 XXXIV. The Persistent Hero of a Great His- 
 
 tory, Hubert Howe Bancroft . 374 
 
 XXXV. The Patient Hero of Agriculture, 
 
 Luther Burbank 385 
 
 XXXVI. The Sympathetic Hero of Land Reform, 
 
 Henry George A-oi 
 
 XXXVII. The Inventive Hero of Mount Lowe, 
 
 Thaddeus S. C. Lowe . . . 4^7 
 
 XXXVIII. The Reclamation Heroes of the Colo- 
 rado Desert, Wozencraft, Rockwood 
 AND Chaffey 437 
 
 XXXIX. The Poet Hero for Humanity, Edwin 
 
 Markham 451 
 
 XL. The Honest Hero of the Free Harbor, 
 
 Stephen M. White .... 459 
 
 XLI. The Executive Hero of Irrigation, 
 
 William Ellsworth Smythe . . 465 
 
 XLII. The Pioneer Heroes of California. An 
 
 Address by Judge David Belden . 482 
 
 XLIII. Bibliography 494 
 
 Index 503 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Staging in 1849, in the Sierras of California Frontispiece i^' 
 
 FACING 
 PAGE 
 
 On the Colorado River which Alarfon Ascended . . 4 
 
 Mud Volcanoes in the Colorado Desert .... 4 
 
 A Chemehuevi mother and child 5 
 
 A Chemehuevi basket maker 5 
 
 Statue of Father Junipero Serra, Golden Gate Park, 
 
 San Francisco 22 
 
 Junipero Serra 23 
 
 Indians on the Colorado Desert; descendants of one 
 
 of the tribes met by MeJchior Diaz .... 36 
 The Colorado River near vphere Diaz had his fight vpith 
 
 the Indians 37 
 
 A group of California Indians, descendants of those 
 
 missionized by Padre Serra and his co-workers 37 
 
 A Chemehuevi Madonna 50 
 
 Chemehuevi maidens making mesquite drink . . 50 
 
 On the road that Serra traveled coming up to San Diego 
 
 from 'La Paz 51 
 
 The fort at Tubac, Arizona, from which De Anza 
 
 brought some of his soldiers 51 
 
 A Yuma Indian, descendant of one of those who guided 
 
 Juan Bautista de Anza 64 
 
 An Indian camp near Tumacacori 65 
 
 The mission of Tumacacori, from which place De Anza 
 
 marched to the founding of San Francisco ... 80 
 
XX LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 FACING 
 PAGE 
 
 A Mohave mother and child 81 
 
 Yuma Indian water carrier 81 
 
 The Rancho Chico, 1854, John Bidwell's home . . 96 
 
 John Bidwell's first cattle brand 96 
 
 Juan Bautista de Anza's house, Tubac, Arizona . . 97 
 Donner Party memorial cross, near Donner Lake, Cal- 
 ifornia 97 
 
 Donner Lake, California 1 12 
 
 General View of the Colorado Desert . . .112 
 
 A Glimpse of the slope of Death Valley, the Funeral 
 
 Mountains in the distance 113 
 
 A bucking horse in the heart of the Colorado Desert 126 
 
 Ten miles south of Furnace Creek, Death Valley . . 126 
 
 Alexander Majors 127 
 
 William Taylor 144 
 
 Virginia Reed Murphy 144 
 
 San Francisco in 1849, from the head of Clay Street 145 
 Pioneers lined up for their mail at the Post Office, corner 
 
 of Pike and Clay Streets, San Francisco, in 1849 . 145 
 
 Thomas Starr King 172 
 
 John Bidwell. Taken in 1880 172 
 
 James Capen Adams 173 
 
 John A. Thompson 196 
 
 Snow shed in the Sierras 197 
 
 Theodore D. Judah 212 
 
 The High Sierra, California, crossed by the Central 
 
 Pacific Railway 213 
 
 The High Sierras surveyed by Theodore Judah . . 213 
 
 The Palisades of the Humboldt River, Nevada, through 
 
 which the Central Pacific Railway runs . . . 226 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xxi 
 
 FACING 
 PAGE 
 
 Snow plow on the Central Pacific Railway, in the High 
 
 Sierras 227 
 
 " Driving the last spike " 242 
 
 James Lick 243 
 
 The Summit, Lick Observatory, Mt. Hamilton, Cali- 
 fornia 268 
 
 Main Building, Lick Observatory, Mt. Hamilton, Cal. 268 
 Thirty-six inch refractor. Lick Observatory, Mt. Hamil- 
 ton, Cal 269 
 
 Monument, City Hall Square, San Francisco . . 269 
 One of the mines of Virginia City, Nevada, on the cele- 
 brated Comstock Lode . . . . . . . 278 
 
 Sutro Baths, looking east. May i, 1896 .... 279 
 
 Adolph Sutro 288 
 
 J. W. North 288 
 
 Flower vases and main gate, Sutro Heights, San Fran- 
 cisco 289 
 
 Mission arches at the Glenwood Mission Inn, River- 
 side, Cal • . . . . 294 
 
 Cross dedicated to Fra Junipero Serra, Rubidoux 
 
 Mountain, Huntington Park, Riverside, Cal. . . 295 
 Parent Washington navel orange tree, court of the 
 
 Glenwood Mission Inn, Riverside, Cal. . . . 304 
 
 Orange Grove, Riverside, California .... 305 
 
 John W. Powell 314 
 
 J. G. Lemmon 315 
 
 S. A. Plummer Lemmon 315 
 
 John Muir and John Burroughs discussing animal 
 
 sagacity 330 
 
 Yosemite Valley, from Artist's Point, California . . 331 
 
 John Muir, resting by the side of a High Sierra lakelet 350 
 
xxli LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 FACING 
 PAGE 
 
 Hubert Howe Bancroft's Historical Library, San Fran- 
 
 •,cisco 351 
 
 Hubert Howe Bancroft 374 
 
 Luther Burbank 374 
 
 Luther Burbank's Birthplace, Lancaster, Mass. , . 375 
 
 Luther Burbank's Old Home, Santa Rosa, Cal. . . 392 
 Luther Burbank's New Home, side view, Santa Rosa, 
 
 Cal 392 
 
 Professor and Mrs. T. S. C. Lowe 393 
 
 The Great Incline on the Mount Lowe Railway . . 432 
 Circular Bridge on the Mount Lowe Railway overlooking 
 
 Pasadena and the San Gabriel Valley .... 433 
 
 Alpine Tavern, Mount Lowe 446 
 
 A camp of ditch-makers in Imperial Valley, 1901 . . 447 
 
 Egyptian Corn, Imperial Valley, in 1907 . . . 447 
 
 Edwin Markham 452 
 
 A " playa " or bed of a dry lake in the Colorado Desert 453 
 
 A beet field in Imperial Valley, 1907 .... 453 
 Edwin Markham at his cottage, where he wrote " The 
 
 Man with the Hoe," Oakland, California . . . 460 
 The wharves, interior of San Pedro Harbor, Los Angeles, 
 
 Cal 461 
 
 The Atlantic Fleet sailing into San Pedro Harbor, 
 
 Los Angeles, Cal 464 
 
 Combined harvester and thrasher on ranch of H. M. 
 
 Kinney, Imperial Valley 465 
 
 One of the irrigating ditches which have made the change 
 
 in the Imperial Valley 465 
 
 Judge David Belden 484 
 
 William Ellsworth Smythe 484 
 
HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 THE DAUNTLESS HERO - EXPLORER, ALARCON 
 
 TWO names are intimately associated with the 
 discovery of the mouth of the Colorado River, 
 which forms the boundary line between the southern 
 portions of Arizona and California. These names are 
 Ulloa and Alarfon. The stories of their respective 
 voyages have often been told, yet the important differ- 
 ence in the spirit of the two explorers Jhas not been 
 emphasized as it should be. 
 
 Fearful of losing his hard-earned power, Cortes, the 
 conqueror of Mexico, desired to extend his explora- 
 tions and incidentally his conquests. His successes 
 had aroused the jealousy of several eminent men, 
 among others, IMendoza, the Viceroy of New Spain, 
 who was doing his best to surpass Cortes in achieve- 
 ment. Accordingly, he equipped three vessels and 
 sent them forth from Acapulco, Mexico, under the 
 command of Francisco de Ulloa, with instructions to 
 sail north, and take possession of all new lands dis- 
 
2 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 covered, for God and the King of Spain, During 
 this voyage Ulloa discovered the Peninsula of Cali- 
 fornia and the Gulf of California, which he named the 
 Sea of Cortes. While at the head of this gulf he found, 
 as he says: " the sea to run with so great a rage into 
 the land that it was a thing much to be marvelled at ; 
 and -v^-ith the like fury it returned back again with the 
 ebb, during which time we found eleven fathom of 
 water, and the flood and ebb continued from five to 
 six hours." 
 
 The following day, Ulloa and the ship's pilot went 
 to the ship's top, and saw the land circling around 
 to the west; and they speculated upon the cause 
 of the ebb and flow of the day before. Lakes were sug- 
 gested, and some one thought " that some great river 
 there might be the cause thereof." 
 
 Instead of exploring this inlet and finding out for 
 himself, Ulloa was content to sail away south. He 
 thus p^o^'ed himself either incompetent for the task 
 that Cortes had given him, in that he did not realize the 
 possible importance of following up the current ; afraid 
 lest he might wreck his vessels; or too lazy to undertake 
 what he knew might require hard work. 
 
 It should need little or no comment to show that 
 Ulloa was not possessed of the true spirit; that he was 
 unworthy the high trust reposed in him. 
 
 Now let us see the spirit in which Alargon accom- 
 plished his task. He was ordered by the Viceroy 
 Mendoza to sail northward with two vessels, and 
 cooperate, as far as possible, with the great land ex- 
 pedition of Coronado, which was being sent out to 
 
THE EXPLORER, ALARgON 3 
 
 the discovery of what we now know as Arizona and 
 New Mexico. 
 
 In due time he reached the same place described 
 by Ulloa, where the great tide had courted investiga- 
 tion. At once he decided that, as he wrote afterward, 
 " even though I had known I should have lost the 
 ships," he would discover the secret of the Gulf. Ac- 
 cordingly boats were lowered and sent ahead to find a 
 channel, and the ships were taken up until the current 
 was so strong and the shoals so numerous that all 
 three vessels went aground, and were placed in great 
 danger. But even this did not daunt Alarfon. The re- 
 turn of the tide freed the vessels from the sands, and 
 they were anchored in a place of safety. Then he 
 prepared to ascend the river in two of his small boats. 
 Here was a true explorer. Bold yet cautious, deter- 
 mined yet not reckless, full of foresight yet resolute 
 and daring! He prepared for hostile Indians and 
 hardships of every conceivable kind, and, thus equipped, 
 pushed forward up the river for the great distance of 
 eighty-five leagues. 
 
 It is needless for our purpose to study his ad\'entures 
 further. His name and memory will always be hon- 
 ored by true Californians as the man who dared, 
 and who, as the result of his daring, is entitled to the 
 honor of being called " the discoverer of the Colorado 
 River." 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 THE WATCHFUL HERO-COMMANDER, MELCHIOR DIAZ 
 
 ANOTHER member of the Viceroy's exploring 
 party was Melchior Diaz, who had gone with 
 Coronado into the heart of the country. After Coronado 
 had reached his destination, he despatched Diaz across 
 country to find Alarfon. In due time Diaz reached 
 the Colorado River, followed it down to the Gulf, 
 found that Alarfon had sailed, and then returned up 
 the river to see if any messages had been left by the 
 latter, intending finally to report to Coronado at 
 Cibola. He had several interesting experiences, but 
 the one which I wish were better known is as follows: 
 
 While he was on his way up the river, he wished to 
 cross from the Arizona to the California side. He had 
 but twenty-five men and here is the way the historian 
 Castafieda tells the story: 
 
 " After they had gone five or six days, it seemed to 
 them as if they could cross on rafts. For this purpose 
 they called together a large number of the natives, who 
 were waiting for a favorable opportunity to make an 
 attack on our men, and when they saw that the strangers 
 wanted to cross, they helped make the rafts with all 
 zeal and diligence, so as to catch them in this way on 
 the water and drown them, or else divide them so that 
 they could not help one another. While the rafts were 
 
■^;>^»s^^^-^m:fs^ 
 
 
 
 
 ,W?4; 
 
 jM' 
 
 ON THE COLORADO RIVER WHICH Al.ARCON ASCENDED. 
 
 Page 3 
 
 MUD VOLCANOES IN THE COLORADO DESERT. DIAZ LANDED 
 NEAR HERE. 
 
 Page i 
 

 "^"^^^IM 
 
 ^^^p\ 
 
 J^^- ^^ 
 
 ^^■r ^ 
 
 ^-s— 
 
 
 %,^ 
 
 
 ■^J^^ _ 
 
MELCHIOR DIAZ 5 
 
 being made, a soldier, who had been out around the 
 camp, saw a large number of armed men go across to 
 a mountain, where they were waiting till the soldiers 
 should cross the river. He reported this, and an Indian 
 was quietly shut up, in order to fmd out the truth , . . and 
 he told all the arrangements that had been made. These 
 were, that when our men were crossing and part of 
 them had got over and part were on the river and part 
 were waiting to cross, those who were on the rafts 
 should drown those they were taking across and the 
 rest of their force should make an attack on both 
 sides of the river. If they had had as much discretion 
 and courage as they had had strength and power, the 
 attempt would have succeeded. 
 
 " When he knew their plan, the captain had the 
 Indian who had confessed the affair killed secretly, 
 and that night he was thrown into the river with a 
 weight, so that the Indians would not suspect that 
 they were found out. The next day they noticed that 
 our men suspected them, and so they made an attack, 
 shooting showers of arrows, but when the horses began 
 to catch up with them and the lances wounded them 
 without mercy and the musketeers likewise made good 
 shots, they had to leave the plain and take to the moun- 
 tain, until not a man of them was to be seen. The 
 force then came back and crossed all right, the Indian 
 allies and the Spaniards going across on the rafts and 
 the horses swimming alongside the rafts." 
 
 Diaz showed himself a watchful and a prudent cap- 
 tain. He knew he was in a place of danger, and this 
 made him unusually cautious, both for himself and his 
 
6 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 men. He was alert and thoughtful, and there is little 
 doubt that the soldier who went around the camp and 
 discovered the large force of Indians on the other side, 
 was sent out as a scout by him. The brave and cour- 
 ageous man is not the man who is reckless and indiffer- 
 ent, but the man who, knowing the dangers that sur- 
 round him, is alert, cautious, watchful and prudent. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 THE SELF-SACRIFICING, SELF-DISCIPLINING, PIONEER 
 MISSIONARY- HERO, JUNIPERO SERRA 
 
 TN these days of material progress, and with our whole 
 -■■ nation regarding the acquisition of riches as the 
 clearest proof of success, it seems to me that it is well 
 for our youth to look closely into the lives of those men 
 who constructed the foundations upon which our State 
 is built. 
 
 Serra was a very simple-hearted man, yet in three 
 special realms he claims the reverent attention of the 
 youth of the State of which he was the first and greatest 
 of a large army of pioneers. 
 
 Without entering into tedious details, it is well to 
 recall that Serra was born in 1713, at Petra, in the 
 Island of Majorca — one of the islands of the Mediter- 
 ranean, under the control of the King of Spain. When 
 he was seventeen he became a noxitiate of the Fran- 
 ciscan Order, and when he took the final vows he 
 assumed the name of Junipero, after the friend and 
 companion of St. Francis of Assisi, who was the 
 founder of the Order of Franciscans. 
 
 In due time, he became a professor in one of the 
 colleges and a Doctor of Divinity, He then began 
 to preach, and the simple-minded fervor of so learned 
 a man, combined with his clear-headed way of looking 
 
8 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 at things, soon brought him great fame as a pulpit 
 orator. He had the wonderful faculty of satisfying the 
 educated and refined as well as the illiterate and 
 vulgar. He reached rich and poor alike. As a teacher 
 he was equally successful. The pathway to fame and 
 honor was clearly open to him. AU he had to do was 
 to continue as he had begun, and there was little he 
 might not have attained. The Church of Rome has 
 never been niggardly in its gifts to its able sons, and 
 here was one who was worthy of her greatest gifts and 
 highest honors. Yet he wilfully and cheerfully turned 
 away from this glowing and alluring pathway, and 
 begged to be sent away over a new, dark, and unknown 
 road — the road to the missionary field among savages, 
 where trials, dangers, difficulties, and possibly death 
 awaited him. 
 
 Serra dared to do the thing that appealed to the 
 very highest in his nature. He dared to fling himself 
 in absolute and perfect trust upon God. He had 
 but one aim, — to serve God in blessing the savages to 
 whom he asked to be sent. He dared to be free! 
 
 The theology of Dante was a terrible reality to Serra. 
 Only to such an absorption of belief was his work 
 possible. Hell, the awful, material hell Dante so 
 vividly and powerfully portrays, burning with flames 
 of inconceivable torture forever and forever, with 
 all its dire circles of horror for those who were unbe- 
 lievers in the Christ he worshipped, yawTied, as he 
 thought, before the feet of these untamed and rude 
 natives. If they should be trained into a knowledge 
 of the Church and its saving ordinances by an apostolic 
 
JUNIPERO SERRA 9 
 
 guide, they could attain a new hereafter. Purgatory was 
 open, and from thence, duly purged from their sin 
 and ignorance, they might climb into the blessed regions 
 of Paradise. Felicity untold, then, to that man who 
 would brave their savagery, dare their treachery, love 
 them even in their unlovableness, and thus lead them 
 into the fold of the Church. 
 
 Who should do it? Should he, Serra, with his soul 
 athirst for great deeds for God, stand by, in order to 
 listen to the applause of the civilized world as his words 
 of burning eloquence pleased their cultured ears, 
 and let some half-hearted, half- in-earnest priest go 
 out to these degraded and needy savages? No! The 
 greater their need and danger, the greater the necessity 
 for speed, power, and earnestness in the one who should 
 go to them. So, begging permission to leave the world 
 and its vain applause, society and its caresses, civihza- 
 tion and its luxurious comforts, casting all these things 
 behind him, he gladly, joyfully set forth to do his 
 chosen work as missionary. 
 
 Such was his burning zeal that four of his close 
 college companions were dominated by the same desire, 
 and in due time these five — ■ Serra, Palou, Crespi, Verges, 
 and Vincens — found themselves at Cadiz ready to 
 ship for Vera Cruz, en route to the City of Mexico, 
 where the College of San Fernando, the head house 
 of the Franciscan Order in the new world, was 
 located. 
 
 On the voyage, Serra's boundless devotion and 
 enthusiasm would not let him rest. He recited the 
 mass daily, and then incited the sailors and others 
 
lo HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 to come and confess to him, and during long hours into 
 the night he was engaged in this pious duty. 
 
 Water was very scarce. Instead of complaining and 
 making matters worse, he took the deprivation as a 
 means of training, and naively remarked, when asked if 
 he did not suffer from thirst : 
 
 " Not specially, since I have found out the secret of 
 not feeling thirsty, which is to eat Httle and talk less, 
 so as not to waste the saliva." 
 
 On their arrival at Vera Cruz, the officials had pro- 
 vided saddle animals to carry the whole band of mis- 
 sionaries over the three hundred mile stretch between 
 that city and the City of Mexico. Few people would 
 have seen in this anything but the most reasonable 
 provision for their safe transportation. But Serra, 
 with an eye absolutely single to the work he wished 
 to do, and to which he had sacredly devoted his life, 
 found in it an opportunity for self-discipline. He 
 talked with his companion, Palou, persuaded him into 
 agreement, and then begged his superiors to allow them 
 to walk! When asked for his reasons, he explained 
 that he was sent to labor among the most degraded and 
 hostile of savage tribes, where hardship and severe labor 
 would be his daily experience. He desired that every 
 act of his life should be an act of conscious self-dis- 
 cipline, preparation, training for everything that might 
 be before him. 
 
 Permission was given, and he and his colleague, 
 without provisions or guide, started forth on that long 
 tramp, determined to rely solely on Providence and the 
 goodness of the people whom they should meet. 
 
JUNIPERO SERRA ii 
 
 Of his life in Mexico prior to the time he was sent 
 forth as the padre presidente of the Cahfornia missions 
 there is not room here to speak. Sufifice it to say that 
 he did his highest duty with earnest enthusiasm and 
 fervent zeal. In a later work I hope fully to present the 
 whole life and labors of Serra. 
 
 When the Jesuits were expelled from the missions of 
 Lower California in 1767 Serra was put in charge of 
 the Franciscans who were sent in their places. Then 
 the onward and upward move to the colonization and 
 missionization of Upper California was decided upon 
 and Serra was required to take charge of this work. 
 Hence he became the first of the army of California 
 pioneers to whom the Golden State never tires of doing 
 honor. 
 
 It is hard for us of to-day to realize what it meant for 
 Serra to come to California. He left congenial work, 
 devoted associates, loving friends, honor, applause, 
 fame and advancement in the eyes of men, to bury 
 himself in the unexplored wilds of a new coun- 
 try. 
 
 In his own land he had been one of the most popu- 
 lar and appreciated preachers, honored and beloved. 
 Here, the best that can be said is that he received the 
 half adoring reverence of a part of the ignorant, 
 though rudely affectionate aborigines to whom he came 
 to minister, while the remainder bore him open hostility 
 and bitter hatred. Even those who gave him their 
 allegiance did not have the faintest comprehension 
 of what he was endeavoring to do for them, and he had 
 to humor their whims and caprices, their prejudices and 
 
12 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 superstitions, as a mother humors her petulant and 
 self-willed child. 
 
 Here was a pioneer, indeed, in that he had no home 
 to come to. His home had to be in his own soul. In 
 one sense, he had not where to lay his head, for there 
 were no homes — in the way in which we use the 
 word — in the land to which he came. There were 
 only the rude, open, wicker-work or tule shacks of 
 the aborigines, full of filth and vermin, and foul with 
 the accumulated odors of the uncleanness of many sea- 
 sons. The hard but hospitable bosom of Mother Earth 
 became his pallet; like Jacob, he used a stone for a 
 pillow; the open air was his coverlet, and the ineffable 
 blue of the sky, pictured with moon, planets, stars and 
 Milky Way, his ceiling; the howling of coyotes, the wild 
 shriek of the panther, the growl of the grizzly, the hoot 
 of the owl, the soft cooing of the mourning dove, and 
 all the queer, soothing, startling, conflicting night 
 sounds of trees, shrubs, insects, birds and beasts be- 
 came the varied orchestra that sang him to sleep, or 
 quickened his waking hours. 
 
 He was a pioneer, indeed, in that he came to no 
 settled community where materials for the erection of 
 homes and churches were to be purchased. Everything 
 was in the raw state. He had to hew the trees, saw 
 the lumber, make the bricks, follow every shift and 
 device that necessity became the mother of, ere he 
 could begin to build, and then, — who was to build 
 for him. He became his own architect, contractor and 
 master-mason, and the human material he had to 
 work with and train to do his bidding was even worse 
 
JUNIPERO SERRA 13 
 
 than the raw physical material of which the structures 
 were to be erected. Untrained, uncouth, undisci- 
 plined savages, who, for centuries, had followed their 
 own will, were practically all upon whom he could call. 
 They were unused to control, impatient of restraint, 
 incompetent to use their hands and eyes in strange 
 labor, unable to see the necessity for care in doing 
 what they were told to do, shiftless, unreliable and 
 crafty in escaping from work they disliked. It is not 
 easy for the ordinary man to imagine the sublime and 
 exalted faith, the fearless and urgeful courage, the 
 tireless and undaunted energy that could' undertake 
 the building of such majestic missions under these 
 disadvantageous conditions. And it must be remem- 
 bered that Serra and his coadjutors did not come to a 
 people who were in sympathy with his beliefs, his 
 faith, his Church. With even a small band of believing 
 adherents to rely upon, the fight would not have been 
 so hard, but he had to instruct, convert, win his people 
 while they were working for him, or even before they 
 would begin to work, and in either case this added a 
 gigantic obstacle to anything like rapid progress. 
 
 To make even nominal Christians of these conserva- 
 tive and superstitious Indians was in itself a great 
 achievement, but to do it, and at the same time lead 
 them to perform steady labor and become reliable 
 workmen in the face of their dislike to confining work 
 and teach them obedience and submission to restraint, 
 was a task requiring genius and tact of a very high 
 order. Such genius and tact Serra must have possessed, 
 for he achieved the results, and not, as many believe, by 
 
14 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 sheer force of arms and the exercise of miHtary control. 
 It is true that he had a small band of soldiers as escort 
 and guard, but what was such a handful compared 
 with the thousands of brave, fearless and warlike 
 aborigines, had they been driven by cruel treatment 
 to open hostility and defiance of an authority they had 
 not yet learned to fear? 
 
 Brave is that pioneer who goes into a new land where 
 there are no corn-fields, no orchards, no gardens; 
 where one must carry with him the seeds to plant for 
 food, and wait until after the clearing, the plowing, the 
 sowing, for the coming of the harvest. 
 
 This bravery was Serra's, for he and his co-workers 
 took so little food with them that in their first year at 
 San Diego the missionaries would have starved, had 
 it not been for the hospitality and generosity of the 
 Indians, who gave freely of their rude provisions 
 to the strangers who had come to live among 
 them. 
 
 Herds of cattle, sheep and horses there were none; 
 stores of supplies and manufactories were unknow^n. 
 There were no roads, no means of conveyance. Nothing 
 was provided. Every article needed had to be brought 
 up that long, weary desert and mountainous peninsula, 
 or by sea, or over the Arizona and Colorado Deserts, 
 or else it must be created on the spot. These, then, 
 were the conditions under which Serra began and 
 carried on his labors. For years he journeyed, on foot, 
 up and down the coast from San Diego to San Fran- 
 cisco, for the rules of his Order required him to walk 
 when possible. Several times he traveled, either by 
 
JUNIPERO SERRA 15 
 
 sea or land, back and forth to confer with the State 
 and Church officials in Mexico. 
 
 In view of these facts, the work of Serra becomes 
 nothing less than marvelous. He lived to see ten 
 missions established, — San Diego, San Carlos, San 
 Antonio de Padua, San Gabriel, San Luis Obispo, 
 San Francisco de Asis, San Juan Capistrano, Santa 
 Clara, San Buenaventura and Santa Barbara, as well 
 as the presidios of San Diego, Monterey, San Francisco 
 and Santa Barbara. He died and was buried in the 
 mission of San Carlos Carmelo, where his ashes still 
 rest,. 
 
CHAPTER TV 
 
 THE INDEFATIGABLE HERO, CAPTAIN DE ANZA 
 
 "\X /"HEN President McKinley wished to send a 
 ' message to General Garcia of the Cuban forces, 
 the question arose as to who could be found to under- 
 take the task. No one knew exactly where Garcia 
 was; he was surrounded by Spaniards who sought his 
 life, and by Cubans who were jealously guarding it. 
 It was necessary that the message be sent secretly, 
 for the United States did not wish to inform Spain 
 beforehand that she had decided to take up the cause 
 of Cuba. 
 
 A man, however, was found in Lieutenant Rowan, 
 who asked no questions, raised no objections, but, 
 with a glint in his eye and determination in his voice, 
 when asked if he thought he could reach Garcia, re- 
 plied, "I think so! I'll try!" The world knows of 
 his success, 
 
 Juan Bautista de Anza was a man of the Rowan 
 type, and every true Calif ornian should know all about 
 his two historic trips from Northern Mexico to San 
 Francisco. 
 
 When the early Franciscan missions and the first 
 presidios (San Diego and Monterey) were established 
 in California, the Spanish officials decided that it would 
 be an advantage to have a means of direct communica- 
 
CAPTAIN DE ANZA 17 
 
 tion overland from Northern Mexico to Alta or Upper 
 California. Hitherto all travel to California had been 
 either by sea, or across the Gulf and then up the pen- 
 insula, — a long, wearisome journey, even after the 
 Gulf had been crossed. It was also decided to establish 
 missions about midway between Sonora and San Ga- 
 briel, on the Colorado River, thus affording travelers 
 a place where they could rest and recuperate. 
 
 The responsibility of finding this road was placed 
 upon Captain de Anza, a brave and honorable soldier, 
 whose father was also an officer of repute. At this 
 time he was the commander of the presidio of Tubac, 
 in Sonora, a little settlement now on the United States 
 side of the Mexican border, and some fifty miles south 
 of Tucson. 
 
 The route to be traversed was over the inhospitable 
 desert region to the Gila River, down its course to its 
 junction with the Colorado River, and thence over an- 
 other and unknown desert to the Mission San Gabriel. 
 
 It is interesting to recall the fact that a quantity of 
 " red tape " had to be gone through in those days before 
 Captain de Anza could start upon his journey. Padre 
 Serra first petitioned the Viceroy of Mexico and the 
 King of Spain; the petition was favorably endorsed by 
 the former, and then duly considered by the king and 
 his Council at Madrid, granted, and a license issued, 
 allowing and authorizing the expedition. This was 
 probably in September of the year 1773. 
 
 With two priests, a dozen men and twenty soldiers, De 
 Anza was prepared to start, when he received a fore- 
 taste of what he might expect on his trip. The Apache 
 
i8 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Indians made a raid on his camp, killed some of his 
 men and stole a number of his horses. 
 
 Now a brave man does not allow danger to deter 
 him from his purposes, but it makes him cautious and 
 careful. De Anza knew that he was liable to attack 
 all the way along from these murderous Apaches, who 
 hated the sight of the white men. His route lay over a 
 hot and sandy desert, that wearies the people of to-day 
 when they speed over it in an elegant Pullman car, 
 sheltered from all danger, and provided with every 
 luxury. The piercing rays of the sun, scant and vile 
 water, little or no forage for horses, no food for human 
 beings, wild animals and poisonous reptiles, mile after 
 mile of cruel cactus, acres of blinding alkali, whirlwinds 
 of hot sand, fearful heat at noonday and, at times, 
 fearful cold at midnight, — these were some of the 
 obstacles and terrors he knew he would have to meet 
 and overcome. 
 
 Yet, without waiting for reinforcements, his handful 
 of soldiers made nervous and fearful by the sudden 
 death of their close companions, he struck out over 
 the pathless desert, laughing at fierce heat, mocking 
 mirage, blinding alkali, choking sand-laden air, in the 
 strong conviction that the spirit of a man overcomes 
 everything that can come against him, even to the Gates 
 of Death, if he keeps his soul clean and his hands pure. 
 Accompanying the party were sixty-five cattle and 
 one hundred and forty horses for the use of the officials 
 and missions in California. 
 
 Before they reached the Colorado River, they v/ere 
 met by a Papago Indian, who warned them that some 
 
CAPTAIN DE ANZA 19 
 
 of the Yumas were decidedly unfriendly and had 
 threatened to " loot the whole outfit." But when the 
 Yumas were finally reached, Palma, their chief, who 
 was well known to one of the padres of the party, 
 welcomed them and gave every assurance of hospi- 
 tality and trustworthiness. 
 
 From now on the journey became more arduous 
 than before. The scarcity of pasture and water for the 
 animals rendered it impossible to take them along, 
 so they were left in charge of a few men and the Indian, 
 Palma, while the rest faced the perils of the Colorado 
 Desert. It took them twenty days to reach the newly- 
 founded Mission of San Gabriel, with their clothing 
 in tatters, and out of supplies of every kind. Here the 
 party became somewhat divided, one of the padres with 
 some of the men going to San Diego, the other and 
 more men back to the Yumas, while De Anza, with but 
 six men, hurried on to Monterey and almost immedi- 
 ately returned to San Gabriel. In eight days more he 
 was with the padre at the Colorado River, and fifteen 
 days later he was back at his starting-point, his own 
 presidio of Tubac. 
 
 The whole of this several-hundred- mile journey, 
 it must be remembered, was made on horseback, and 
 everything the party needed had to be taken along 
 on pack-animals. 
 
 When I hear people speaking of being " exhausted " 
 by a five hundred, or a thousand, mile ride on the cars, 
 where every comfort is provided and all hardships 
 are eliminated; when I see the young men of to-day 
 riding a few blocks on the street car to avoid the exer- 
 
20 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 tion of walking, and see them taking " bracers " to 
 overcome the effects of some shght labor that should 
 be a pleasure to a healthful person, I wish that we 
 might have a few Captain de Anzas to set a fresh 
 example of tireless energy, total disregard of hardships, 
 and ready accomplishment of the severest duties. 
 
 But De Anza's first trip was merely to ascertain if 
 a route could be found. He had proven that it was 
 feasible, and was therefore empowered to gather colo- 
 nists and recruit soldiers for a settlement and presidio 
 to be established on the newly discovered bay of San 
 Francisco. His party started out just one year before 
 the signing of the Declaration of Independence, — in 
 the year 1775. Doubtless on account of the success 
 of his first trip, De Anza had been promoted from 
 captain to lieutenant-colonel. Three priests started 
 with the expedition, two of whom left diaries, from 
 which most of our details of the trip are gleaned. The 
 party was composed of four officers besides the lieuten- 
 ant-colonel, three priests, eighteen veteran soldiers, 
 twenty recruits, twenty-nine wives of soldiers, and one 
 hundred and thirty-six persons of both sexes — the 
 colonists. Then there were twenty muleteers for the 
 three pack-trains, seven servants and three Indians, 
 making a grand total of two hundred and forty persons. 
 There were six hundred and ninety five mules and 
 horses, and three hundred and fifty-five cattle. 
 
 Imagine this expedition starting out and journeying 
 day by day. Dr. Coues, the translator of Padre Garcds' 
 diary, tells of the daily order : 
 
 " At the proper hour in the morning the order was 
 
CAPTAIN DE ANZA 21 
 
 given to round up the horses and mules, the soldiers and 
 servants going for the horses and the packers for the 
 mules. While these people were packing and saddling, 
 Padre Font used to say mass, as there was plenty of 
 time. As soon as the three pack-trains were ready 
 to start, the commanding officer gave the order to 
 mount — Vayon suhiendo! and they all mounted, 
 forming a column in this wise: Four soldiers went 
 ahead as scouts. De Anza led off with the ^•anguard. 
 Font came next, and after him came men, women, and 
 children, escorted by soldiers; then the lieutenant 
 brought up the rear-guard. Behind these followed the 
 three pack-trains, with the loose horses, and last of all 
 the beef-herd. As soon as they started. Font would 
 strike up a hymn, the Alabado, to which all the people 
 responded. The column, as may be easily seen, was a 
 very long one, even when well closed up. On making 
 camp, when they had dismounted, the lieutenant came 
 to report to the commanding officer whether they were 
 all up, or any had been left behind, and receive his 
 orders. At night the people recited their beads, each 
 family by itself, and finished by singing the Alabado 
 or Salve, or something of that sort, every one for 
 himself, and Font remarks that the variety had a 
 very pleasing effect. There were so many people 
 that when they encamped it looked like a regular 
 settlement, with the shelters that the soldiers made 
 with their cloaks and blankets on boughs, and with 
 the thirteen tents of the company — nine for the 
 soldiers and the others for the officers and com- 
 mandante." 
 
22 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 It was a wonderful trip over the desert, and it re- 
 quired no little courage, leadership and knowledge to 
 get such a party over the sandy wastes. It was mid- 
 winter, and the cold was intense, for, in marked con- 
 trast to De Anza's former trip, they were met day after 
 day with storms of hail, snow and rain. And when it is 
 cold on the desert, it seems colder than anywhere else. 
 The thinned blood feels it more, and the absence of 
 moisture makes the heat radiation so rapid that it is 
 not surprising to read in De Anza's diary that the people 
 suffered cruelly. There was much sickness but no 
 fatalities. About a hundred head of stock were lost, 
 as water was so scarce that the fevered animals could 
 not be restrained from breaking away in search of it. 
 The party often had to be divided, so that all should 
 not reach the water-holes, with their poor and scant 
 supply, at the same time. Wells were dug in many 
 places. The scarcity of feed for the animals was another 
 source of great discomfort. 
 
 On reaching San Gabriel, they were delayed for a 
 time by news of the uprising at San Diego, when the 
 Indians murdered Padre Jayme, and De Anza himself 
 went down to the scene of the trouble. It was not 
 until February of 1776 that they started for the north. 
 This was a weary journey, for the winter rains made 
 the roads almost impassable, and even the women and 
 children had to walk. Yet on the tenth of March they 
 all arrived safely and happily at Monterey, where Serra 
 himself was in waiting to congratulate and welcome 
 them. 
 
 Worry or overwork or something had upset De Anza, 
 
STATUE OF FATHER JUNIPERO SERRA, GOLDEN GATE PARK, SAN 
 FRANCISCO. 
 
 Page 7 
 
JUNIPERO SERRA. 
 
 From the painting in the Hotel del Monte, Monterey, Cal., after the 
 original painting in the City of Mexico. 
 
 Page 7 
 
CAPTAIN DE ANZA 23 
 
 and for a few days he was confined to his bed in Mon- 
 terey; then, contrary to the advice of his physicians, 
 he rode to San Francisco — for upon his decision largely 
 depended the choice of the site where the San Francisco 
 mission was to be established — explored the region 
 pretty thoroughly, and finally chose the place where the 
 old Dolores Mission now stands. It was not until 
 September 17, however, that the presidio was estab- 
 lished, and the mission on October 9. But, his work 
 done, De Anza delayed not an hour. He returned 
 south, reported to Governor Rivera, and on the second 
 of May started back for Sonora, where he safely ar- 
 rived on the eighteenth day of June. 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 THE FAITHFUL HERO, PADRE SARRfA 
 
 'T^^HE romance of the Missions has never been 
 -■■ written. Possibly, as the years go by, the writers 
 of fiction will see more and more the possibilities af- 
 forded by the lives of the old padres, the play of wit 
 between the intellectual and educated Spaniards and 
 the keen, shrewd, uneducated Indians, the solitude and 
 isolation of the padres' lives, the temptations of the 
 flesh, all the passion and emotion, the joy and sorrow 
 that compass the lives of human beings whether rude 
 and illiterate or refined and sensitive, out of which to 
 weave their stories of '' fiction more true than life." 
 Helen Hunt Jackson in Ramona, preceded by Bret 
 Harte in several of his short stories, Mary Austin in 
 Isidro, Marah Ellis Ryan in The Soul of Rafael, Con- 
 stance Goddard Du Bois in^ Soul m Bronze, and Mrs. 
 A. S. C. Forbes in her Mission Tales in the Days of 
 the Dons have all done good work in this line, but the 
 days to come vdll see much more A'VTitten on the same 
 subject. When a library of books shall have been 
 accumulated, each one dealing with this epoch of 
 California life, there will be not one containing more real 
 pathos, real power than the simple truth told about 
 Padre Francisco Vicente de Sarria, who died of starva- 
 tion at the Mission Soledad in 1835. 
 
THE FAITHFUL HERO, SARRIA 25 
 
 Sarria came to California in June, 1809, and in 
 18 1 2 he was elected Comisario prejecto of the missions. 
 By this office he was made superior to the president 
 of the Missions in all temporal affairs, and was the 
 delegate of the Franciscan Commissary General of 
 the Mother House in the City of Mexico. He entered 
 into this work with quiet dignity and a solemn recog- 
 nition of the responsibilities of the office. In 1813 
 he addressed a letter to all the missionaries of the 
 State, which in every way is a model. In spirit it 
 breathes true devotion and anxiety for the care of the 
 souls of both Indians and Spaniards; in composition 
 it is clear, forceful and well expressed, and in hand- 
 writing it is regular and beautiful. A copy in his ovm 
 hand is to be found in the archives at San Carlos Mis- 
 sion, Monterey. In this letter he enjoined a strict 
 compliance with the rules of St. Francis (the founder 
 of the Order), and especially urged the padres to 
 acquire the Indian language so as to be able to teach 
 the catechism and give other religious instruction in the 
 native tongue. He bade them not to forget their duties 
 to the Spaniards, and alluded to the management of 
 the temporal affairs as a duty which must not divert 
 their attention from their more important spiritual 
 obligations. 
 
 Sarria lived during that very trying period in Mexican 
 history when Mexico threw off the yoke of Spain and 
 became, in 1821, an independent empire under Itur- 
 bide. The new empire, however, did not last long, for in 
 March, 1823, Iturbide was compelled to abdicate and 
 flee the country, and on his surreptitious return in 
 
26 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 1824 was captured, tried, sentenced and shot. The 
 country now became a republic, and California was 
 made a province of the new federation. While the 
 change of government practically affected California 
 very little, all the officers and the missionaries were 
 required to take oath that they would be loyal to the 
 new powers. Padre Sarria was a Spaniard, full of 
 love for his native country, conservative to a high 
 degree, and, while a missionary in a foreign land 
 which he sincerely accepted as his home so long as his 
 superiors required him to do so, still regarded Spain 
 as " home," and himself as one of its loyal sons. Hence 
 it was impossible for him to swear allegiance to any 
 foreign power, and especially when that power had 
 come into existence through revolt to the Spain of his 
 love and devotion. Again and again, year after year, 
 he was called upon to " swear," and each time, calmly 
 yet positively, he gave the same reply. He was so 
 beloved by the Spanish people and soldiers as well as 
 by the Indians, that the governors, one after another, 
 felt it would be dangerous to punish him in any way, or 
 to do as they were authorized to do, — namely, banish 
 him or send him as a prisoner to Mexico, So, salving 
 their official consciences by reporting the case with its 
 difficulties to the Federal officials in Mexico, they did 
 nothing. Thus Sola, Arguello and Echeandia in turn 
 were required to place him under arrest, and send him 
 to Mexico, yet each evaded the orders; and while, 
 ostensibly, he was under arrest for several years, and 
 liable to be exiled at any moment — for the order was 
 thrice renewed — he lived on viith his beloved Indians, 
 
THE FAITHFUL HERO, SARRIA 27 
 
 calmly and quietly discharging his duties, and paying 
 no attention to the excitement of politics which seemed 
 of so great importance to others. 
 
 Gleeson, the historian, thus tells the story of Padre 
 Sarria's last days: 
 
 " Soledad, of which Padre Sarria was pastor, was 
 once a flourishing Christian settlement, possessing its 
 hundreds of converts and thousands of cattle. Want had 
 never been known there from the time of its foundation 
 up to the moment of confiscation. Immediately upon 
 the change, however, so great was the plunder and 
 devastation of everything belonging to the Mission 
 that the Father who remained at his post with a few of 
 the Indians was unable to obtain the ordinary neces- 
 saries of life. Yet, reduced as he was to the greatest 
 extremity, he would not abandon the remnant of his 
 flock. For thirty years he had labored among them, 
 and now, if necessary, he was ready to die in their 
 behalf. Broken down by years and exhausted by 
 hunger, one Sunday morning in August, the holy old 
 man assembled in his little church the few converts that 
 remained to him. It was the last time that he was to 
 appear before these natives. Hardly had he com- 
 menced the holy sacrifice of the mass when his strength 
 completely failed him; he fell before the altar and 
 expired in the arms of his people, for whom he had 
 so zealously and earnestly labored. Noble and worthy 
 death for a Spanish missionary priest! " 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 THE UNTERRIFIED HERO-TRAPPER, JAMES O. PATTIE 
 
 'nr^HERE are some men who are born adventurers 
 -■- and explorers. The quiet, calm, uneventful life 
 of ordinary dwellers in towns and villages is distasteful 
 to them. They are men of the open, of activity, of 
 resolution, of intrepidity, of courage, — men to whom 
 adventure is as the breath of their nostrils. To keep 
 such men in the monotony of civilized existence is 
 impossible. They are destined to be wanderers, and, 
 in the past, had their faculties been trained and they 
 themselves encouraged to make due reports of their 
 wanderings, the world at large might have received 
 much benefit from the knowledge they could have 
 communicated. Fortunately, here and there, a man 
 with a literary turn of mind did wTite and publish the 
 account of his travels; in other cases, literary men 
 transcribed and published them. One of the most 
 interesting of such accounts ever published in the 
 United States, dealing (amongst other regions) with 
 California, is that of James O. Pattie, a trapper of 
 Kentucky, who for six years journeyed from St. Louis 
 across the plains into New Mexico and Upper and 
 Lower California. He and his companions came dovm 
 the Colorado River almost to the Gulf, then crossed the 
 peninsula to two of the Jesuit Missions of Lower Call- 
 
JAMES O. PATTIE 29 
 
 fornia, reached the Pacific, were taken as prisoners to 
 San Diego, and there kept in prison for several months. 
 Here his father died and was buried. Pattie was re- 
 leased on his undertaking to vaccinate the Spaniards 
 and Indians of California, — which he did, claiming 
 to have inoculated in all twenty-three thousand five 
 hundred persons. He finally returned to the United 
 States by way of Mexico, 
 
 To give a mere resume of Pattie's adventures would 
 be impossible, but to show the spirit of the man, and 
 to incite in the youth of California a desire to familiarize 
 themselves with these interesting records, I propose 
 to make a few extracts which serve as samples of the 
 three hundred pages of which his Narrative is com- 
 posed. To this man adventure was an every-day ex- 
 perience; what to most men would be hardships un- 
 endurable was his daily life. Almost indifferent to 
 danger, yet watchful and cautious; full of energy and 
 restlessness; wearied in a few days or weeks with the 
 ordinary life of a settlement; of a buoyant disposition 
 that speedily rebounded from disappointment, and 
 that could never long be despondent no matter how 
 serious the evils that had befallen him, his narrative 
 bears the stamp of truth. Contemporary history in 
 the main confirms his story, so that it may be accepted 
 as truthful and genuine. 
 
 Dr. R. G. Thwaites, in his Introduction to a recent 
 edition of Pattie's Narrative, says : 
 
 " For three generations the Patties had been fron- 
 tiersmen. Restlessly they moved onward as the border 
 advanced, always hovering upon the outskirts of civ- 
 
30 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 ilization, seeking to better their condition by taking 
 up fresh lands in untilled places, and remorsely fight- 
 ing the aborigines who disputed their invasion. They 
 longed unceasingly for new adventures in the mysteri- 
 ous West, that allured them with its strange fascination. 
 Brave, honest, God-fearing, vigorous in mind and 
 body, dependent on their own resources for food, and 
 for defence chiefly dependent on the familiar rifle, the 
 Patties belonged to that class of Americans who con- 
 quered the wilderness, and yearly pushed the frontier 
 westward." 
 
 Pattie and his father joined a noted trapper, Bernard 
 Pratte, of St. Louis, in an expedition composed of one 
 hundred and sixteen persons. The father was made 
 military commander of the caravan, which journeyed 
 across the plains and mountains into New Mexico. 
 
 " Pattie was surprised at the primitive life and cus- 
 toms of the inhabitants of New Mexico, of which in 
 a few unadorned sentences he gives us a vivid picture. 
 Passing on to Santa Fe, the ancient capital, our ad- 
 venturers were just in time to join a primitive expedi- 
 tion against a hostile band of Indians, wherein the 
 junior Pattie had the good fortune to rescue from 
 the hands of the savages a charming young Spanish 
 maiden, daughter of a former governor of the province. 
 The gratitude of the fair captive and of her father was 
 profoundly expressed, and their friendship proved of 
 lasting value to the gallant narrator." 
 
 Trapping on the Gila River, fighting Indians, ad- 
 ventures with bears, a visit to the copper mines at 
 Santa Rita, and the return to Santa F6 occupied five 
 
JAMES O. PATTIE 31 
 
 months. The party then returned to the Gila to secure 
 the furs they had buried there, only to find their cache 
 rifled by the Indians. Again, at Santa Rita, when 
 fighting Apaches, they made a treaty with them, and 
 Pattie's father leased the noted mines which he suc- 
 cessfully worked for some time. But the son was seized 
 with " an irresistible desire to resume the employment 
 of trapping," and wandered off again, with a few com- 
 panions. For eight months he rambled down the Gila 
 and Colorado Rivers, up to the Grand Canyon region, 
 thence over the mountains to the Yellowstone, return- 
 ing to Santa Fe and Santa Rita. After three days* 
 rest, he took another trip into Mexico, and the fol- 
 lowing spring, his father having been compelled to give 
 up his mine, owing to the treachery and embezzlement 
 of a trusted employe, another expedition was started, 
 which led him down the Gila and Colorado and into 
 California, as I have before related. 
 
 To the Californian, the most interesting portion of 
 the narrative is that which deals with his reception in 
 California, and his report of the conditions he found 
 and events that transpired. " According to his account, 
 he and his companions were at first treated with severity, 
 being imprisoned at San Diego for lack of passports, 
 and there detained for many months. The elder 
 Pattie died in his cell, without being permitted to see 
 the son for whose presence he had piteously pleaded in 
 his latest hours. Young Pattie's hatred for the Mexican 
 governor (Echeandia) was not urmatural; but the 
 consequent bitterness of expression quite distorts his 
 narrative." The people in general treated him with 
 
32 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 kindness, which he gratefully acknowledges, but the 
 suspicion of the governor, the action of the padres at 
 the mission, and the final refusal to pay him for his 
 work done in vaccinating so many people unless he 
 would settle in the country and become a Catholic, 
 aroused his resentment to the highest degree. Upon 
 leaving California, he thus reflects: 
 
 " Those who traverse it (the CaUfornia coast) , . . 
 must be constantly excited to wonder and praise. 
 It is no less remarkable for uniting the advantages 
 of healthfulness, a good soil, a temperate climate, 
 and yet one of exceeding mildness, a happy mixture 
 of level and elevated ground, and vicinity to the sea." 
 
 Even in those days, we see, men could not help being 
 " boosters " for California. From the plethora of 
 interesting matter Pattie gives, it is hard to select ex- 
 tracts. Every page is interesting. Here is a naive 
 story of a bear-shooting near the Gila River: "We 
 passed a cave at the foot of the cliffs. At its mouth 
 I remarked, that the bushes were beaten down, as 
 though some animal had been browsing upon them. 
 I was aware that a bear had entered the cave. We 
 collected some pine knots, split them with our toma- 
 hawks, and kindled torches with which I proposed 
 to my companion that we should enter the cave to- 
 gether and shoot the bear. He gave me a decided 
 refusal, notwithstanding I reminded him, that I had, 
 more than once, stood by him in a similar adventure; 
 and notwithstanding I made him sensible that a bear 
 in a den is by no means so formidable as when ranging 
 freely in the woods. Finding it impossible to prevail 
 
JAMES O. PATTIE 33 
 
 on him to accompany me, I lashed my torch to a stick, 
 and placed it parallel with the gun barrel, so as that 
 I could see the sights on it, and entered the cave. I 
 advanced cautiously onw^ard about twenty yards, seeing 
 nothing. On a sudden the bear reared himself erect 
 within seven feet of me, and began to growl, and gnash 
 his teeth. I levelled my gun and shot him between the 
 eyes, and began to retreat. Whatever light it may 
 tlirow upon my courage, I admit, that I was in such a 
 hurry, as to stumble, and extinguish my light. The 
 growling and struggling of the bear did not at all con- 
 tribute to allay my apprehensions. On the contrary, 
 I was in such haste to get out of the dark place, thinking 
 the bear just at my heels, that I fell several times on 
 the rocks, by which I cut my limbs, and lost my gun. 
 When I reached the light, my companion declared, and 
 I can believe it, that I was as pale as a corpse. It was 
 some time before I could summon sufficient courage to 
 re-enter the cavern for my gun. But having re-kindled 
 my light, and borrowed my companion's gun, I en- 
 tered the cavern again, advanced and listened. All was 
 silent, and I advanced still further, and found my gun, 
 near where I had shot the bear. Here again I paused 
 and listened. I then advanced onward a few strides, 
 where to my great joy I found the animal dead. I re- 
 turned, and brought my companion in with me. We 
 attempted to drag the carcass from the den, but so 
 great was the size, that we found ourselves wholly un- 
 able. We went out, found our horses, and returned to 
 camp for assistance. My father severely reprimanded 
 me for venturing to attack such a dangerous animal in 
 
34 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 its den, when the failure to kill it outright by the first 
 shot, would have been sure to be followed by my death. 
 
 " Four of us were dispatched to the den. We were 
 soon enabled to drag the bear to the light, and by the 
 aid of our beast to take it to camp. It was both the 
 largest and the whitest bear I ever saw. The best 
 proof, I can give, of the size and fatness is, that we 
 extracted ten gallons of oil from it. The meat we dried, 
 and put the oil in a trough, which we secured in a 
 deep crevice of a cliff, beyond the reach of animals of 
 prey. We were sensible that it would prove a treasure 
 to us on our return." 
 
 Here is the recital of an experience with the Mohaves, 
 who live on the banks of the Colorado: 
 
 " We raised a fortification round our camp every 
 night, until we considered ourselves out of their reach. 
 This evening we erected no breast-work, placed no 
 other guard than one person to watch our horses, and 
 threw ourselves in careless security round our fires. 
 We had taken very little rest for four nights, and being 
 exceedingly drowsy, we had scarcely laid ourselves 
 down, before we were sound asleep. The Indians 
 had still followed us, too far off to be seen by day, but 
 had probably surveyed our camp at night. At about 
 eleven o'clock this night, they poured upon us a shower 
 of arrows, by which they killed two men, and wounded 
 two more; and what was most provoking, fled so 
 rapidly that we could not even give them a round. One 
 of the slain was in bed with me. My own hunting 
 shirt had two arrows in it, and my blanket was pinned 
 fast to the ground with arrows. There were sixteen 
 
JAMES O. PATTIE 35 
 
 arrows discharged into my bed. We extinguished our 
 fires, and it may easily be imagined, we slept no more 
 that night. 
 
 " In the morning, eighteen of us started in pursuit 
 of them, leaving the rest of the company to keep camp 
 and bury our dead. We soon came upon their trail, 
 and reached them late in the evening. They were 
 encamped, and making their supper from the body of a 
 horse. They got sight of us before we were within 
 shooting distance, and fled. W^e put spurs to our horses, 
 and overtook them just as they were entering a thicket. 
 Having every advantage, we killed a greater part of 
 them, it being a division of the band that had attacked 
 us. . . . We then returned to our company, who had 
 each received sufficient warning not to encamp in 
 the territories of hostile Indians without raising a 
 breast-work round the camp." 
 
 That Pattie's perilous life was not a singular one 
 is evidenced by a reference he makes to the fate of 
 the one hundred and sixteen companions, with whom 
 he originally started from Santa Fe. He met with 
 some of them once in New Mexico, and inquired what 
 had become of the others: 
 
 " Some had died by lingering diseases, and others 
 by the fatal ball or arrow, so that out of one hundred 
 and sixteen men, who came from the United States in 
 1824, there were not more than sixteen alive. Most 
 of the fallen were as true men, and as brave as ever 
 poised a rifle, and yet in these remote and foreign 
 deserts found not even the benefit of a grave, but left 
 their bodies to be torn by the wild beasts, or mangled 
 
36 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 by the Indians. When I heard the sad roll of the dead 
 called over, and thought how often I had been in 
 equal danger, I felt grateful to my Almighty Bene- 
 factor, that I was alive and in health. A strong per- 
 ception of the danger of such courses as mine, as 
 shown by the death of these men, came over my mind, 
 and I made a kind of resolution, that I would return 
 to my home, and never venture into the woods again." 
 
 The continuation of his narrative is proof that he 
 did not keep to his resolution. Here is an experience 
 he had mth some Yumas who led him to tramp over 
 the desert to the peninsula missions. 
 
 " At our encampment upwards of two hundred of 
 them swam over the river and visited us, all appar- 
 ently friendly. We allowed but a few to approach our 
 camp at a time, and they were obliged to lay aside 
 their arms. In the midst of these multitudes of fierce, 
 naked, swarthy savages, eight of us seemed no more 
 than a little patch of snow on the side of one of their 
 black mountains. We were perfectly aware how 
 critical was our position, and determined to intermit 
 no prudence or caution. 
 
 " To interpose as great a distance as possible be- 
 tween them and us, we marched that evening sixteen 
 miles, and encamped on the banks of the river. The 
 place of encampment was a prairie, and we drove 
 stakes fast in the earth, to which we tied our horses in 
 the midst of green grass, as high as a man's head, 
 and within ten feet of our own fire. Unhappily we had 
 arrived too late to make a pen for our horses, or a 
 breast- work for ourselves. The sky was gloomy. 
 
Gco>i;c Wharton James, Photo. 
 
 THE COLORADO l.IVER NEAR WHERE DIAZ HAD HIS FIGHT WITH 
 
 THE INDIANS. 
 
 Page i 
 
 George IVharton James, Photo. 
 
 A GROUP OF CALIFORNIA INDIANS, DESCENDANTS OF THOSE 
 
 MISSIONIZED BY PADRE SERRA AND HIS CO-WORKERS. 
 
 Page 13 
 
JAMES O. PATTIE 37 
 
 Night and storm were settling upon us, and it was too 
 late to complete these important arrangements. In a 
 short time the storm poured upon us, and the night 
 became so dark that we could not see our hand before 
 us. Apprehensive of an attempt to steal our horses, 
 we posted two sentinels, and the remaining six lay 
 down under our wet blankets, and the pelting of the 
 sky, to such sleep as we might get, still preserving a 
 little fire. We were scarcely asleep before we were 
 aroused by the snorting of our horses and mules. We 
 all sprang to our arms, and extinguished our little fire. 
 We could not see a foot before us, and we groped about 
 our camp, feeling our way among the horses and mules. 
 We could discover nothing; so concluding they might 
 have been frightened by the approach of a bear or 
 some other wild animal, some of us commenced re- 
 kindling our fires, and the rest went to sleep. But the 
 Indians had crawled among our horses, and had 
 cut or untied the rope by which each one was bound. 
 The horses were then all loose. Then they instantly 
 raised in concert their fiendish yell. As though heaven 
 and earth were in concert against us, the rain began 
 to pour again, accompanied with howling gusts of 
 wind, and the fiercest gleams of lightning, and crashes 
 of thunder. Terrified alike by the thunder and the 
 Indians, our horses all took to flight, and the Indians, 
 repeating yell upon yell, were close at their heels. 
 We sallied out after them, and fired at the noises, 
 though we could see nothing. We pursued with the 
 utmost of our speed to no purpose, for they soon reached 
 the open prairie, where we concluded they were joined 
 
38 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 by other Indians on horseback, who pushed our horses 
 still faster; and soon the clattering of their heels and 
 the yells of their accursed pursuers began to fade, and 
 become indistinct in our ears. 
 
 " Our feelings and reflections as we returned to 
 camp were of the gloomiest kind. We were one thou- 
 sand miles from the point whence we started, and 
 without a single beast to bear either our property or 
 ourselves. The rain had past. We built us a large 
 fire. As we stood round it we discussed our deplorable 
 condition, and our future alternatives. Something 
 was to be done. 
 
 " Driven from the resource of our horses, we happily 
 turned our thoughts to another. We had all the requi- 
 site tools to build canoes, and directly around us was 
 suitable timber of which to make them. It was a 
 pleasant scheme to soothe our dejection, and prevent 
 our lying down to the sleep of despair. But this alter- 
 native determined upon, there remained another ap- 
 prehension sufficient to prevent our enjoying quiet 
 repose. Our fears were, that the unsheltered Indians, 
 horse- stealers and all, would creep upon us in the 
 night, and massacre us all. But the night passed 
 without any disturbance from them." 
 
 From this point they finally succeeded in starting 
 vdth two canoes, and floated dovm the Colorado River. 
 When they neared the Gulf, the bore or tide nearly 
 swamped them, and as they were unable to return 
 up the river, they buried their traps and skins, and 
 then started on that frightful journey across the desert 
 
JAMES O. PATTIE 39 
 
 to the nearest of the Lower California Missions. It 
 came near to finishing them, — crossing the desert, — 
 and they were ill prepared for their reception at the 
 Spanish settlement. As before related, they were 
 taken to San Diego and placed in confinement. 
 
 It is to be hoped that these few extracts are sufficient 
 to indicate to the youth of California that the whole 
 story of this adventurer's experience is of an un- 
 usual character and well worth careful perusal. 
 
CHAPTER MI 
 
 THE HERO OF THE SIERRAS, JEDEDL\H SMITH 
 
 r' might be natural to infer that all the pioneers of 
 a given epoch in the history of California would 
 ha\e somewhat similar experiences in reaching the 
 land of their desire, but doubtless even the brief refer- 
 ence to their personal adventures given in these chap- 
 ters vaU dispel such an inference. Their experiences 
 were as "uidely different as their indi\idual character- 
 istics and leading motives. 
 
 Jedediah Smith was one of the band of trappers 
 engaged by General W. H. Ashley at St, Louis, who, 
 in 1824, or thereabouts, estabhshed a trading and 
 trapping post near the Great Salt Lake. Two years 
 later he started out with fifteen companions to explore 
 the countT}-, more for the benefit of future operations 
 than to trap, though he necessarily took the implements 
 of his trade with him. There is no way of kno\^■ing 
 exactly the route he took except that it was a general 
 southwesterly course, for in due time he reached the 
 Rio Mrgen • and followed it down to the Colorado 
 River, and thence do-^m the Colorado to the !Mohave 
 Lidian \'illages. At these places he appears to have 
 been weU received, for he remained fifteen days, and 
 when he left was furnished with two Indian guides, 
 plenty of fresh pro\'i5ions, and horses stolen from the 
 
JEDEDIAH SMITH 41 
 
 Spaniards. He struck off across the Colorado Desert 
 on the trail of Captain de Anza, and in December 
 reached the Mission of San Gabriel. 
 
 Here, on account of the suspicion with which all 
 strangers were received, the party was practically placed 
 under arrest, and Smith was sent down to San Diego, 
 — where Governor Echeandia had established his 
 headquarters, — to explain the object of his mission. 
 He appears to have got along with the governor more 
 easily than did Pattie a little later, as his passport was 
 \ouched for as correct by Dana, Cuimingham and 
 other Americans who were there at the time. He 
 was, therefore, permitted to purchase supplies, and, 
 on explaining that it was practically impossible for 
 him to return the way he came, to start eastward by a 
 new route. He ^^■ished to go north by way of the 
 Russian settlements to the Columbia River, but Ech- 
 eandia would not permit that. He started in good 
 spirits, and for a month or more nothing was heard of 
 him. He then reappeared at San Bernardino with 
 the story that he had traveled about three hundred 
 miles, keeping at a distance of one hundred and fifty 
 to two hundred miles from the coast, where he had 
 found many naked Indians, a very fertile region, and 
 some beavers, but that when he tried to cross the 
 mountains — which he called !Mount Joseph — the 
 snow was so deep that five of them died of hunger, 
 and he was compelled to return to save the life of 
 himself and his comrades. 
 
 .\11 this had to be reported to the governor, who sent 
 back orders to have the whole party detained; but 
 
42 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 in the meantime Smith had departed. This was late 
 in February. Wliere he went is not known, but in May 
 he was in the upper part of the San Joaquin VaUey, 
 friendly with the Indians, and accused by Padre 
 Duran, of Mission San Jose, of enticing his neophytes 
 to desert. On the nineteenth of May, Smith wrote 
 a frank and full statement to Padre Duran, explaining 
 who and what he was, reciting his failures to cross the 
 mountains, and that he was compelled to wait until 
 the snow had gone. He was far from home, destitute 
 of clothing and all the necessaries of life, save only 
 game for food. He needed horses, and concluded his 
 letter: " Though a foreigner, unknown to you. Rever- 
 end Father, your true friend and Christian brother, 
 J. S. Smith." 
 
 Perhaps becoming suspicious that his failures to 
 cross the mountains might be construed into a violation 
 of Mexican law, he started the very next day, with 
 but two companions, and succeeded in crossing the 
 Sierras. As this is the first record of any white man's 
 accomplishing the feat, it is well to give Smith's own 
 account, which, though brief and meagre, is inter- 
 esting. He says: 
 
 " On May 20, 1827, with two men, seven horses, and 
 two mules laden with hay and feed, I started from the 
 Valley. In eight days we crossed Mount Joseph, 
 losing on this passage two horses and one mule. At the 
 summit of the mountain the snow was from four to 
 eight feet deep, and so hard that the horses sank only 
 a few inches. After a march of twenty days eastward 
 from Mount Joseph, I reached the southwest corner 
 
JEDEDIAH SMITH 43 
 
 of the Great Salt Lake, The country separating it 
 from the mountains is arid and without game. Often 
 we had no water for two days at a time; we saw but 
 a plain, without the slightest trace of vegetation. 
 Farther on I found rocky hills with springs, then hordes 
 of Indians, who seemed to us the most miserable beings 
 imaginable. When we reached the Great Salt Lake, 
 we had left only one horse and one mule, so exhausted 
 that they could hardly carry our light luggage. We had 
 been forced to eat the horses that had succumbed." 
 
 What a journey, and what a record! From his 
 standpoint, what he had done was an ordinary, every- 
 day affair. Hardships were the regular fare of trappers, 
 and nothing was made of it. Civilization may do many 
 things for us, but it has not yet produced a set of men 
 as hardy, brave, and defiant of hardship as Jedediah S. 
 Smith and others like him. 
 
 To prove how little he thought of the dangers and 
 perils he had escaped, he returned to California with 
 eight men, arriving some time about October of the 
 same year. For, it must be recalled, he had started 
 away with but two men, and consequently some of his 
 band were still in the territory of the Mexicans, who 
 did not view their presence with favor. After gathering 
 them together, he had a band of seventeen men, and 
 late in October went to San Jose and Monterey, where 
 Captain Cooper signed a bond, pledging his person 
 and property for their good behavior and that they 
 were not hostile to the country. 
 
 This bond is now in the Bancroft Library, at the State 
 University in Berkeley, and sets forth that Smith and 
 
44 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 his companions are honorable citizens of the United 
 States, and are to be treated as friends, and furnished 
 with arms, horses, and provisions at fair prices, so 
 that they can return to their homes by way of Mission 
 San Jose, the Straits of Carquinez and Bodega. They 
 must not delay en route, and must not visit the coast 
 south of latitude 42°, nor extend their inland operations 
 farther than specifically allowed by the latest treaties. 
 Smith then writes: "I acknowledge this bond. 
 Jedediah S. Smith," after which Governor Echeandia 
 gives the party permission to return, with one hundred 
 mules, one hundred and fifty horses, a gun for each 
 man, and divers bales of provisions and other effects. 
 A guard of ten soldiers escorted the trappers to a point 
 a little beyond San Francisco Solano, and then some- 
 thing must have happened, though we do not know 
 what, for on the eighteenth of November, Smith and 
 his whole company arrived in San Francisco on the 
 vessel Franklin, from Monterey. Then they pro- 
 ceeded leisurely northwards, possibly by way of the 
 Russian settlements, but, when crossing the Umpqua 
 River, they were attacked by Indians, and fifteen were 
 killed and all their property lost. Smith and three 
 others barely escaped with their lives, and were next 
 heard of at Fort Vancouver. Smith eventually re- 
 turned to Salt Lake in 1829, and was killed two years 
 later bv Indians in New Mexico. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 THE TYPICAL HERO OF EARLY GOLD DAYS, JOHN 
 BID WELL 
 
 np^HE most typical of all the pioneers who emigrated 
 ■*- to California and settled there prior to the gold 
 discovery, and whUe the country was under Mexican 
 rule, was John Bidwell. He arrived in California in 
 October, 1841, in the first wagon-train of emigrants, 
 for several years was General Sutter's assistant, finally 
 settled on the Rancho Chico, some ninety-six miles 
 north of Sacramento, and there died, April 3, 1900. 
 
 There was nothing dramatically heroic in Bidwell's 
 life similar to the chief events in the lives of some of the 
 pioneer heroes herein recounted, but the whole of his 
 career was of the unconsciously heroic type and is well 
 worthy of a more extended study than can here be 
 accorded it. 
 
 He was born August 5, i8i9,at Ripley, Chautauqua 
 County, New York, and moved with his parents first 
 to Pennsylvania and then to Ohio. It was when in his 
 twentieth year, living in the western part of Ohio, that 
 he conceived a desire to see the great prairies of the 
 West. He started on foot to walk to Cincinnati, ninety 
 miles distant, and though conscious that traveling in 
 that wild country was considered dangerous, took no 
 weapon along. 
 
46 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Arrived at Cincinnati, he went down the Ohio River 
 to the Mississippi, and thence up to St. Louis, finally 
 reaching Burlington, Iowa, which then had a popula- 
 tion of about two hundred inhabitants. This region 
 not suiting him, he struck across country, without 
 road or trail, determined to see Missouri. 
 
 It is well to note this spirit of independent initiative 
 in a youth not yet twenty-one years of age. This makes 
 his later career more comprehensible, and denotes 
 that strength of character which would have enabled 
 him to become a controlling force wherever he had 
 found himself. 
 
 He settled in the Platte Purchase, a fertile region 
 that recently had been purchased by the United States 
 from the Indians, and he extolled its fertility and beauty 
 in glowing language, showing how^ great an impression 
 its natural advantages made upon him. Here he began 
 to teach school in the coimtry, about five miles from 
 Weston, — this was in June, 1839, — and in the fall 
 of the year he located on a piece of land, intending 
 to send to Ohio for his father. When the settlers first 
 came to Platte County the land was unsurveyed, and 
 each family being entitled to about half a square mile 
 of land, they endeavored to locate about half a mile 
 apart. So long as this guesswork location was the only 
 method it was perfectly satisfactory and every one was 
 content, but when the surveyors came the exact lines 
 made by their instruments turned everything into chaos. 
 The boundaries sometimes ran through a man's house, 
 or cut his barn into triangles, and there had to be much 
 giving and taking to adjust matters ^^'ithout trouble. 
 
JOHN BIDWELL 47 
 
 Here and there excess patches would exist, and on one 
 of these Bidwell made his location. 
 
 The following summer, 1840, however, on a vacation 
 trip to St. Louis, a bully " jumped " his claim, and 
 refused to either vacate or divide. As Bidwell was not 
 yet quite of age, and the law required this, and also 
 that he reside upon the land, which, strictly, he had 
 not done, he decided not to contest the claim but to 
 go elsewhere when spring came. 
 
 This was the turning point in his life. That winter 
 he came in contact with Robidoux, a French trapper 
 and trader (brother to the man who afterwards gave 
 his name to Rubidoux Mountain at Riverside, Cali- 
 fornia), who had visited California on a trapping expe- 
 dition from Santa Fe. He gave enthusiastic descriptions 
 of the country until he had turned the heads of all the 
 people for miles around. As a result a company was 
 organized the members of which pledged themselves to 
 properly outfit and meet the following May at Sapling 
 Grove, Kansas, ready to cross the plains and the Rocky 
 Mountains to the new El Dorado. In a month, five 
 hundred people were pledged; but when May came, 
 owing to the opposition of the merchants (who did not 
 wish to see their customers emigrate in a body), and 
 the newspapers, only sixty-nine men, women, and 
 children met at the rendezvous. In Weston Bidwell 
 was the only man who carried out his pledge. He saved 
 up money enough and bought a wagon, a gun, and 
 provisions, but the man who had agreed to go along 
 with him and provide the horses backed out, and for a 
 time left him in despair. Just at the last moment an 
 
48 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 invalid, George Henshaw, rode into town on a fine 
 black horse, and with fifteen dollars in his pocket, 
 ready to risk the trip in a hope that he might thereby 
 regain his health. Bidwell persuaded him to become 
 his partner, but to do this he had to trade his horse 
 for a yoke of steers for the wagon, and a sorry-looking, 
 one-eyed mule which he could ride. 
 
 The party was ready to start, ignorant of the road, 
 without a guide, with less, possibly, than one hundred 
 dollars in the pockets of the entire crowed, and having 
 elected as captain a man who vowed if he were not so 
 elected, he wouldn't go. Just before they started, 
 however, they were joined by the distinguished Jesuit 
 priest, Father De Smet, two other priests, a guide named 
 Captain Fitzpatrick, and three men, w^ho were going 
 out to the Flathead Indians in what is now Idaho. 
 The emigrants were thus guided over half their journey. 
 
 It is not necessary to recount their many and varied 
 experiences on the long and wearisome march. Bid- 
 well kept a journal, and later wrote in the Century 
 Magazine a graphic description, which every Cali- 
 fornia resident, young or old, should read. For it is 
 the true narrative of the first emigrant train which 
 crossed the plains, the deserts, and the mountains from 
 the middle west to California. 
 
 The emigrants, many of them, were insanely afraid 
 of the Indians. On one occasion a man came into 
 camp from a hunt, without gun, pistol, or mule, and 
 lacking most of his clothes, declaring, with great ex- 
 citement, that he had been surrounded by Indians and 
 robbed. Bidwell says: 
 
JOHN BIDWELL 49 
 
 " The company, too, became excited, and Captain 
 Fitzpatrick tried, but with httle effect, to control and 
 pacify them. Every man started his team into a run, 
 till the oxen, like the mules and horses, were in a full 
 gallop. Captain Fitzpatrick went ahead and directed 
 them to follow, and as fast as they came to a bank of 
 the river he put the wagons in the form of a hollow 
 square, and had all the animals securely picketed 
 within. After a while the Indians came in sight. There 
 were only forty of them, but they were well mounted 
 on horses, and were e\idently a war party, for they had 
 no women except one, a medicine woman. They came 
 up and camped within a hundred yards of us on the 
 river below. Fitzpatrick told us that they would not 
 have come in that way if the)^ were hostile. Our hunter 
 in his excitement said there were hundreds of them, 
 and that they had robbed him of his gun, mule, and 
 pistol. Wlien the Indians had put up their lodges, 
 Fitzpatrick and John Gray, an old hunter, went out to 
 them and by signs were made to understand that the 
 Indians did not intend to hurt the man or take his 
 mule or gun, but that he was so excited when he saw 
 them that they had to disarm him to keep him from 
 shooting them; they did not know what had become 
 of his pistol or of his clothes, which he said they had 
 torn off. They surrendered the mule and the gun, 
 thus showing that they were friendly." 
 
 At Soda Springs, where Father De Smet left them, 
 thirty-two of the party, becoming discouraged, decided 
 not to venture without path or guide into the trackless 
 region toward California, but concluded to go with the 
 
50 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 missionary party to Fort Hall and thence find their 
 way down Snake and Columbia Rivers into Oregon. 
 
 The other thirty-two decided to remain firm to their 
 original purpose and proceed to California. Says Bid- 
 well : " We were now thrown entirely upon our own 
 resources. All the country beyond was to us a veritable 
 terra incognita, and we only knew that California lay 
 to the west." But they pushed on. " Unavoidable 
 delays were frequent ; daily, often hourly, the road had 
 to be made passable for our wagons by digging dov^ni 
 steep banks, filling gulches, etc. Indian fires obscured 
 mountains and valleys in a dense, smoky atmosphere, 
 so that we could not see any considerable distance in 
 order to avoid obstacles. The principal growth, on 
 plain and hill alike, was the interminable sage-brush 
 (artemisia), and often it was difficult, for miles at a 
 time, to break a road through it, and sometimes a 
 lightly laden wagon would be overturned. Its monoto- 
 nous dull color and scraggy appearance gave a most 
 dreary aspect to the landscape. But it was not wholly 
 useless: where large enough it made excellent fuel, 
 and it was the home and shelter of the hare — generally 
 known as the jack-rabbit — and of the sage-hen." 
 
 After reaching the western side of Salt Lake, travel 
 with wagons became so arduous that they decided to 
 abandon them: " On Green River we had seen the 
 style of pack-saddles used by the trapping party, and 
 had learned a little about how to make them. Packing 
 is an art, and something that only an experienced moun- 
 taineer can do well so as to save his animal and keep 
 his pack from falling off. We were unaccustomed to 
 
Of 
 
 o 
 ■z 
 
 < 
 
 2 '^ 
 < 
 
 
George Wharton James, Fhoto. 
 
 ON THE ROAD THAT SERRA TRAVELED COMING UP TO SAN 
 DIEGO FROM LA PAZ. 
 
 Page 1!, 
 
 George IVharton J 
 
 THE FORT AT TUBAC, ARIZONA, FROM WHICH DE ANZA BROUGHT 
 
 SOME OF HIS SOLDIERS. 
 
 Page n 
 
JOHN BIDWELL 51 
 
 it, and the difficulties we had at first were simply in- 
 describable. It is much more difficult to fasten a 
 pack on an ox than on a mule or a horse. The trouble 
 began the very first day. But we started — most of 
 us on foot, for nearly all the animals, including several 
 of the oxen, had to carry packs. It was but a few 
 minutes before the packs began to turn; horses became 
 scared, mules kicked, oxen jumped and bellowed, and 
 articles were scattered in all directions. We took 
 more pains, fixed things, made a new start, and did 
 better, though packs continued occasionally to fall off 
 and delay us." 
 
 Their captain proved a poor leader, and twice or 
 thrice abandoned them, but he either got lost or scared 
 and each time before long returned to the party. 
 
 The straits to which they were reduced as they de- 
 scended into California can better be imagined than 
 described from the following quotation: " We went on, 
 traveling west as near as we could. WTien we killed 
 our last ox we shot and ate crows or anything we could 
 kill, and one man shot a wild-cat. We could eat any- 
 thing." The ascent and descent of the range was 
 equally dift'icult, and ever\- day and night saw new and 
 fresh hardships. 
 
 The party finally reached the edge of the San Joaquin 
 Valley but did not know they were yet in California. 
 They saw the Coast Range beyond and deemed that it 
 had to be climbed before the promised land was reached. 
 " The evening of the day we started down into the 
 \alley we w^ere very tired, and when night came our 
 party was strung along for three or four miles, and 
 
52 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 every man slept right where darkness overtook him. 
 He would take off his saddle for a pillow and turn his 
 horse or mule loose, if he had one. His animal would 
 be too poor to walk away, and in the morning he would 
 find him, usually within fifty feet. The jaded horses 
 nearly perished with hunger and fatigue." 
 
 A few days later, however, they met an Indian who 
 guided them to the home of Dr. Marsh, located about 
 four miles from San Jose, and thus their weary pil- 
 grimage as emigrants came to an end. 
 
 Bidwell wrote two other articles in the Century 
 Magazine of great personal and historic interest, viz., 
 " Life in California before the Gold Discovery," and 
 " Fremont in the Conquest of California," but of 
 greater interest to us now is his Diary, written and sent 
 back to Missouri. It is dated " Bodega, Port of the 
 Russians, Upper California, March 30, 1842," and 
 gives the detailed account of his journey to California, 
 at the close of which he gives some " Observations 
 about the Country." These show the clearness of his 
 mind and the keenness of his judgment, and also in- 
 clude shrewd observations on Captain Sutter, and 
 some strong words of censure about Dr. Marsh, whom 
 he denounces as " perhaps the meanest man in Cali- 
 fornia," recounting incidents that confirm this censure. 
 
 His earliest occupation was to assist Captain Sutter, 
 who sent him to dismantle Fort Ross, which he, Sutter, 
 had just purchased from the Russians. When returning 
 from the accomplishment of this work Bidwell had 
 his horses stolen from him, and in their recovery, made 
 " his first exploration of the Sacramento Valley, during 
 
JOHN BIDWELL 53 
 
 which he named all the streams coming into the Sacra- 
 mento from the east between Butte Creek and Red 
 Bluff. He also made a map of the valley from his ob- 
 servations on horseback, which served as the standard 
 map of that country until the actual surveys were made 
 in later years. Thus, two years before Fremont's first 
 explorations, did Bidwell traverse and explore the 
 primeval wilderness of Northern California at a time 
 when there was not a white settler north of Sacra- 
 mento." 
 
 In October, 1844, Bidwell was accepted to Mexican 
 citizenship and was granted a ranch known as Ulpinos, 
 on the Lower Sacramento, in what is now Solano 
 County, but when the settlers raised the Bear Flag, 
 in 1846, he was one of the committee which drafted 
 the plan of organization, and himself wrote the agree- 
 ment, which all signed, to the effect that: The under- 
 signed hereby agree to organize and remain in service 
 as long as necessary for gaining and maintaining the In- 
 dependence of California. " From this time until the 
 close of the struggle with Mexico," writes Mr. C. C. 
 Royce, " Bidwell was in active service in various ca- 
 pacities, holding successively the rank of lieutenant 
 captain and quartermaster, with the rank of major. 
 He was also appointed by Fremont alcalde at the 
 Mission of San Luis Rey, and commanded that post at 
 the time of the Flores revolt in the fall of 1846, during 
 which he had some thrilling and hazardous experiences." 
 
 He was the first man to carry the news of the dis- 
 covery of gold to San Francisco; was a member of 
 the first State Senate; the committee man who named 
 
54 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 most of those counties whose names are not of Spanish 
 origin; and was sent to Washington with the block 
 of gold-bearing quartz which was used as California's 
 contribution to the George Washington monument. 
 While there he heard the discussions against the ad- 
 mittance of California into the Union, and voiced the 
 discouragements of the Californians to a lady whom he 
 was commissioned to bring back to her husband in 
 San Francisco. She had been a schoolmate of Senator 
 Seward, and invited him to a farewell dinner before 
 she left for California. This afforded Bidwell the op- 
 portunity to present to Seward the cogent reasons for 
 the immediate admission of California. This won 
 not only a new vote for California, but an earnest and 
 eloquent advocate of her claims, with the result that 
 on August 13, 1850, the bill passed in the Senate, on 
 September 7th, in the House, and two days later was 
 signed by President Fillmore. Bidwell immediately 
 sailed, bearing the glad tidings, arrived in San Fran- 
 cisco from Panama, on the steamer Oregon, on Octo- 
 ber 18, being the first to bring the full news of Cali- 
 fornia's completed statehood. 
 
 A Democrat in politics until the Civil War, he spoke 
 in no uncertain voice at the time of the nation's peril, 
 and was appointed brigadier general of the California 
 militia. Mr. Royce claims that " to his intense loyalty, 
 military alertness and efficiency on the one hand, 
 coupled with the unrivaled and convincing eloquence 
 of Rev. Thomas Starr King, is due, more than to any 
 other individual influences, the decision of California to 
 remain loyal to the Union, despite the desperate efforts 
 
JOHN BIDWELL 55 
 
 of the powerful Southern element led by Gwin, Terry 
 and others." 
 
 In 1892 he was made the candidate of the Prohibition 
 party for president, and in no measured terms declared 
 his opinion of the liquor traffic. 
 
 He gained more votes for his party than has ever 
 been knowm before or since, and even his political 
 enemies had nothing but kind words to speak for him, 
 so open, honorable, and fair was his course against 
 them. 
 
 His treatment of the Indians found on his ranch 
 has been at wide variance with that of most landed 
 proprietors. Not one has ever been ejected, all who 
 wished to work were given work and paid in food, 
 clothes and w-ages. He set apart for them a tract 
 about half a mile northwest of his own house, aided 
 them in substituting permanent frame houses for their 
 own rude and temporary structures, afforded them 
 constant and efficient protection from the intrusion, 
 insolence and outrage of lawless whites, and in every 
 way became a father and friend to them. Their love 
 and devotion to him and Mrs. Bidwell demonstrate 
 their appreciation. No other person has ever been 
 necessary to settle their little or big disputes, and now 
 that he has " gone " Mrs. Bidwell takes her husband's 
 full place in their regard and confidences. 
 
 At the age of eighty years, after a brave and heroic 
 life, filled with useful and beneficial labors, General 
 Bidwell laid down his earthly task, April 3, 1900, and 
 passed on to his reward. 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 THE GREAT - HEARTED HERO OF THE SNOWS, 
 CHARLES T. STANTON 
 
 THE Stories of pioneer days are full of acts of in- 
 dividual heroism, each one of which should be 
 preserved. Some of these undoubtedly have been 
 forgotten and never will be recorded on earth. Others 
 have been buried in volumes, the existence of which 
 is forgotten. This volume is written in the hope that 
 for generations to come, it, or a better book of like 
 character, will keep alive the memory of some of these 
 heroes, until an awakened people erect to them more 
 substantial and enduring monuments. 
 
 Elsewhere is given a brief outline of the history of 
 the Donner Lake party. When that party met with its 
 second great disaster in the loss of Mr. Reed's oxen on 
 the Great Salt Lake Desert, it was then discovered that 
 their provisions were so low as almost to shut out the 
 hope that they could reach California without an addi- 
 tional supply. To go back was impracticable, as the 
 advancing column would be marching further and 
 further away each day from any aid thus gained. The 
 road ahead was untraveled and unknown. The dis- 
 tance was largely conjectural, as far as actual travel 
 was concerned. The hardships were certain, the 
 dangers unescapable, the risks many. Hostile Indians, 
 
CHARLES T. STANTON 57 
 
 wild animals, perils from storms, quicksands, sun- 
 stroke, scarcity of water, cold, heat, loss of way, and 
 a thousand and one known and imaginable trials all 
 upreared their unpleasant forms to prevent any thought- 
 ful man from undertaking the mission. 
 
 Yet in spite of all the obstacles, knoA\Ti and unknown, 
 two men volunteered to go on ahead to California, 
 without money to purchase aid, and by the simple 
 statement of the needs of the party attempt to secure 
 from strangers the required help. One of these vol- 
 unteers, William McCutcheon, had a wife and daughter 
 in the party; the other, Charles T. Stanton, was alone, 
 and could have had no other motive in seeking relief 
 for the party than a disinterested one. 
 
 It was a solemn occasion when these two men, 
 each on horseback, with a small quantity of provi- 
 sions, carrying a letter to Captain Sutter, of Sutter's 
 Fort, in which the sad plight of the party was set 
 forth, said their farewells and left their companions. 
 As they were watched until they disappeared from sight, 
 what emotions stirred in the souls of those left behind. 
 Naturally every one felt that McCutcheon would re- 
 turn, ■ — his wife and daughter were a sufficient magnet, 
 — but how about Stanton ? He had no family ties, no 
 social obligations; nothing but his plighted word, his 
 honor and his humanity. 
 
 Of their trip over the deserts of Utah and Nevada, 
 and the climb of the Sierras we know practically noth- 
 ing. But we do know that they safely passed through 
 all dangers, and reached Sutter's Fort. Here Mc- 
 Cutcheon was taken sick, but not before he and Stanton 
 
58 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 had laid the case of the party before the generous- 
 hearted Sutter and had received his promise of help. 
 Consequently Stanton was compelled to return alone. 
 Sutter gave him five mules, laden with flour and dried 
 beef, and the aid and assistance of two Indians, Lewis 
 and Salvador, who were to accompany him and return 
 with the party. 
 
 We can imagine the brave man starting joyously 
 on the return journey. He knew the dangers now, 
 as he did not before, for he had seen the stern barrier of 
 the Sierras, had camped on its dangerous slopes, and 
 had seen how its trails and poor roads would be oblit- 
 erated with one fall of a heavy snow. Yet joy filled his 
 manly heart, for he was returning to give help, com- 
 fort and succor to the needy. 
 
 And how they welcomed him on his arrival! They 
 were reduced already to sad straits. Many were walk- 
 ing, and they were almost out of food. None of them 
 would ever have survived had he not come so oppor- 
 tunely. The party had reached the Truckee River, 
 beyond where Reno now stands. Snow had already 
 fallen on the high summits of the Sierras, and every- 
 thing foreshadowed a severe storm. Stanton urged 
 the wearied people on. He pointed out their dire 
 danger, and he made clear to them that if the snow 
 trapped them on this side of the summit there would 
 be little or no hope of their escape. But, if they would 
 push on and reach the summit at once, the descent 
 into the valleys of California would be comparatively 
 easy. He knew pretty well that their lives depended 
 upon following this course. 
 
CHARLES T. STANTON 59 
 
 Frantic at the thought of the danger thus made 
 clear to them, each selfishly strove to do the best he 
 could for himself, and considerable energy was wasted 
 in these endeavors. "At last, one day, a determined 
 and systematic attempt was made to cross the summit. 
 Nearly the entire train was engaged in the work. The 
 road, of course, was entirely obliterated by the snow. 
 Guided only by the general contour of the country, 
 all hands pressed resolutely forward. Here, large 
 boulders and irregular, jutting cliffs would intercept 
 the way; there, dizzy precipices, yawTiing chasms, 
 and deep canyons would interpose; and anon, a bold, 
 impassable mountain of rock would rear its menacing 
 front directly across their path. All day long the men 
 and animals floundered through the snow, and at- 
 tempted to break and trample a road. Just before 
 nightfall they reached the abrupt precipice where the 
 present wagon-road intercepts the snow-sheds of the 
 Central Pacific." ' 
 
 There, wearied and tired, they stopped for a confer- 
 ence. They were thoroughly frightened now. Some 
 of the party wished to bribe the Indians to go ahead 
 with them, but Stanton kept them with him. He 
 wanted them all to make one more desperate at- 
 tempt. 
 
 Yet when some of the tired ones declared they could 
 not take another step (and they doubtless believed it was 
 true, though some of them afterwards showed that they 
 could have traveled twice as far as they had come that 
 day) and insisted upon resting all night, he and the 
 
 ' " History of the Donner Party," C. F. McGlashan, p. 57. 
 
6o HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Indians did not leave them to their fate, but remained 
 behind to share whatever Fortune had in store for 
 them. 
 
 " That night came the dreaded snow. Around the 
 camp-fires under the trees great feathery flakes came 
 whirling do\\-n. The air was so full of them that one 
 could see objects only a few feet away. The Indians 
 knew we were doomed, and one of them wTapped his 
 blanket around him and stood all night under a tree." ' 
 
 Even then, had Stanton and the Indians chosen, 
 they could have gone on ahead and escaped. He could 
 have made a good excuse (as many a man's conscience 
 has allowed him to do for worse things), by pleading 
 that, as the party would not press forward when he 
 assured them their lives were in danger, he could not 
 jeopardize his o\\ti life by remaining. But no! he 
 had come to their relief, and even in their folly he 
 would stick by them and do the best he could to aid 
 them. 
 
 The party now returned to the lake which afterwards 
 bore the name of " Donner," built cabins, and settled 
 down to make the best of it until the snow ceased. 
 
 " Many attempts were made to cross the mountains, 
 but all who tried were driven back by the pitiless 
 storms. Finally a party was organized, since known 
 as the ' Forlorn Hope.' They made snow-shoes, 
 and fifteen started, — ten men and five women." 
 
 Stanton, dauntless and hopeful, declared: "I will 
 bring help to these famishing people or lay dovm my 
 
 ' Mrs. Virginia Reed Murphy in T/ie Century Magazine. July, 
 1891, p. 421. 
 
 I 
 
CHARLES T. STANTON 6i 
 
 life." The two Indians were of the party, and a 
 brave- hearted, jovial Irishman, named Patrick Dolan. 
 
 Imagine them as they started from that place of 
 suffering and woe. Snow! snow! snow! everywhere! 
 They took a supply of provisions that, with the utmost 
 care, would last them only six days. They had also 
 matches, a gun, a hatchet and a thin blanket apiece. 
 They wore snow-shoes which they had made from the 
 packs brought over by Stanton. That night they 
 camped within sight of the lake and the cabins they were 
 leaving. They had traveled only four miles. 
 
 " The next day they traveled six miles. They crossed 
 the summit, and the camp was no longer visible. They 
 were in the solemn fastnesses of the snow- mantled 
 Sierras. Lonely, desolate, forsaken apparently by 
 God and man, their situation was painfully, distressingly 
 terrible. The snow was wrapped about cliff and forest 
 and gorge. It varied in depth from twelve to sixty 
 feet." 
 
 The third day they walked iive miles. It had snowed 
 during the night. 
 
 " Starting almost at dawn, they struggled wearily 
 tlirough the deep drifts, and when the night shadows 
 crept over crag and pine and mountain vale, they were 
 but five miles on their journey. They did not speak 
 during the day, except when speech was absolutely 
 necessary. All traveled silently, and with downcast 
 eyes. The task was beginning to tell upon the frames 
 of even the strongest and most resolute. The hunger 
 that continually gnawed at their vitals, the excessive 
 labor of moving the heavy, clumsy snow-shoes through 
 
62 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 the soft, yielding snow, was too much for human en- 
 durance. They could no longer keep together and 
 aid each other with words of hope. They struggled 
 along, sometimes at great distances apart. The fatigue 
 and dazzling sunlight rendered some of them snow- 
 blind. One of these was the noble-hearted Stanton. 
 On this third day he was too blind and weak to keep 
 up with the rest, and staggered into the camp long 
 after the others had finished their pitiful supper. 
 Poor, brave, generous Stanton! He said little, but in 
 his inner heart he knew that the end of his journey 
 was close at hand. 
 
 " Who was this heroic being who left the beautiful 
 Valley of the Sacramento to die for strangers? See 
 him wearily toiling onward during the long hours of 
 the fourth day. The agony and blindness of his eyes 
 wring no cry from his lips, no murmur, no word of 
 complaint. With patient courage and heroic fortitude 
 he strives to keep pace with his companions, but finds 
 it impossible. Early in the morning he drops to the 
 rear, and is soon lost to sight. At night he drags his 
 weary limbs into camp long after his comrades are 
 sleeping 'neath the silent stars. It must be remembered 
 that they had been accustomed to short allowance of 
 food for months, while he had been used to having 
 an abundance. Their bodies had been schooled to 
 endure famine, privations and long, weary walks. For 
 many days before reaching the mountains, they had 
 been used to walking every day, in order to lighten 
 the burdens of the perishing oxen. Fatigues which 
 exhausted them crushed Stanton. The weather was 
 
CHARLES T. STANTON 63 
 
 clear and pleasant, but the glare of the sun during the 
 day had been like molten fire to their aching eyes, 
 
 " On the morning of the fifth day, Stanton was sitting 
 smoking by the smouldering fixe when the company 
 resumed its journey. Alary Graves, who had a tender 
 heart for the suffering of others, went kindly up to 
 him, and asked him if he were coming. ' Yes,' he re- 
 plied, ' I'm coming soon.' Was he answering her, or 
 the unseen spirits that even then were beckoning him 
 to the unknown world? 'Yes, I'm coming soon!' 
 Those were his last knowTi words. His companions 
 were too near death's door to return when they found 
 he came not, and so he perished. 
 
 " He was a hero of the highest, noblest, grandest 
 stamp. No words can ever express a fitting tribute 
 to his memory. He gave his life for strangers who had 
 not the slightest claim to the sacrifice. He left the 
 valleys where friends, happiness and abundance pre- 
 vailed, to perish amid chilling snow drifts — famished 
 and abandoned. The act of returning to save the 
 starving emigrants is as full of heroic grandeur as his 
 death is replete with mournful desolation. 
 
 " In May, 1847, W. C. Graves, in company with a 
 relief party, found his remains near the spot where he 
 had been left by his companions. Wild animals had 
 partially devoured his body, but the remains were easily 
 identified by means of his clothing and pistols." ^ 
 
 ' McGlashan in his "History of the Donner Party." 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 THE MIDNIGHT HEROINE OF THE PLAINS, VIRGINIA 
 
 REED 
 
 THE Story of the Donner Lake party is well known. 
 The chief facts are that in 1846, while California 
 was still a foreign country — being then a province 
 of Mexico — a party of home-seekers left Springfield, 
 Illinois. The chief organizer of the expedition was 
 James T. Reed, and two families of the name of Donner 
 were among the first to join him. Owing to circum- 
 stances that afterwards occurred, the party became 
 known by their name instead of by Reed's. When they 
 reached Independence, Missouri, many others joined 
 them, and a large band of men, women and children 
 finally left that then frontier town with their faces ear- 
 nestly set towards the Sea of the Setting Sun. When they 
 reached Fort Bridger they were urged to take a cut-off, 
 which, it was said, would save them three hundred 
 miles. A large majority decided to go by the old road, 
 which they did, and ultimately reached California with 
 comparative ease and safety. Eighty-four persons, led 
 by the Reed and Donner families, took the cut-off and 
 thereby entangled themselves in great difficulties, and 
 occupied so much of their time that they were eventually 
 caught in the snow on the eastern slope of the Sierras. 
 But before they reached this point, several disasters of 
 
Copyitght, I'JOi, by George Wharton James. 
 
 A YUMA INDIAN. DESCENDANT OF ONE OF THOSE WHO GUIDED 
 
 JUAN BAUTISTA DE ANZA. 
 
 Page n 
 
VIRGINIA REED 65 
 
 great moment occurred. Mr. Reed suffered a great 
 loss in that, when crazed for want of water in crossing 
 the Salt Lake Desert, his oxen rushed off beyond con- 
 trol, and were never seen again; and, a couple of weeks 
 later, while at the sink of the Humbolt, more head of 
 oxen were stolen from the party by the Indians. 
 
 When finally caught in the snow, over forty of the 
 party perished, and such were the dire straits to which 
 the survivors were reduced for food, that they were 
 compelled (all save the Reed family) to partake of the 
 flesh of their companions who had died. Ultimately 
 succor came to them, and they were conveyed by 
 different relief parties to safety and California. 
 
 Shortly after crossing the Humbolt River in Nevada, 
 however, a tragic incident occurred which led to the 
 act of heroism here related. 
 
 The party arrived at a short but sandy hill, and as 
 the oxen were all wearied it had been the custom at 
 such places to " double up " teams and one driver 
 with his oxen help another up the hill, when both teams 
 would return for the second wagon. A driver named 
 Snyder, for some unaccountable reason, decided to 
 go up alone. His oxen could not accomplish it, and 
 the driver became angry and began to abuse his ani- 
 mals. Mr. Reed, who had been on ahead, seeking out 
 the best road, happened to return at this juncture, 
 and in trying to calm the excited man aroused his ire 
 to a point of frenzy. He jumped upon his wagon tongue 
 and struck Mr. Reed with the butt end of his whip, ma- 
 king three ugly gashes in his scalp, from which the 
 blood streamed. Mrs. Reed, with a good woman's 
 
66 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 impulse, rushed in between the two men, and the blow 
 descended again, but this time upon her devoted head, 
 cutting it as it had done her husband's. As the crazy 
 man raised his whip to strike again, Mr. Reed drew 
 his hunting knife and thrust it into Snyder's side, killing 
 him almost instantly. 
 
 That afternoon the party sentenced Reed to banish- 
 ment, under conditions which can only be deemed 
 cruel and wicked. He was to go forth into the trackless 
 desert without food, water, bedding, guns or ammuni- 
 tion, and even without one of his own horses to ride. 
 At first he refused to obey the sentence, but finally the 
 pleadings of his wife prevailed, and at her urgent 
 request a horse was allowed him. 
 
 What now follows is a chapter from the story of 
 Mrs. Virginia Reed Murphy, Mr. Reed's daughter, 
 who was then a child of twelve years of age.' 
 
 Who can conceive the sad loneliness that flooded 
 the hearts of the forsaken family, as they ate their 
 scant meal that night in their isolated wagon ? EUiott 
 and a few of the others were as kind as they could be, 
 but they saw that it was wise to be as unostentatious 
 as possible, for awhile at least, in what they did for the 
 family of the unfortunate Reed. As the darkness of 
 night came on, Virginia, who had been doing her best 
 to comfort her heart-broken mother, spoke to her with 
 calm determination: " Mama, I'm going out to find 
 my father and take him some food and his gun and 
 pistols and ammunition." Startled out of her over- 
 
 '" The Story of Virginia Reed Murphy, one of the Donner Party," 
 by George Wharton James, soon to be published. 
 
VIRGINIA REED 67 
 
 whelming sorrow by the words of her daughter, Mrs. 
 Reed exclaimed: "What do you mean, child? You 
 cannot find your father!" But Virginia had fortified 
 herself on all points. She replied : " I'm not going 
 alone. I've asked Milt, and he says he'll go with me." 
 So while her mother lay in silent agony of mind, the 
 child began to gather together the things she knew her 
 father needed. The party had already been put on 
 short provisions, but Virginia found some crackers, 
 a small piece of bacon, some coffee and sugar. Then 
 she secured a tin cup or dipper for her father to make 
 coffee in, and placed his gun, pistols and ammunition 
 with the food. Now she got a lantern, saw that there 
 was a piece of candle in it, and then put a number of 
 matches in her pocket — most of which she intended 
 to give to her father. 
 
 All this had to be done silently and after the other 
 children were fast asleep, for both mother and child 
 knew that the feeling was so strong she would not 
 have been allowed to go had any suspicion of her inten- 
 tion entered the minds of the rest of the party. Milton 
 had been cautioned by the thoughtful maiden not to 
 come near their wagon until the whole camp was quiet 
 and asleep, and then to approach only in the most 
 stealthy manner. 
 
 When everything was ready, Virginia resumed her 
 place by her suffering mother's side: "How will you 
 find your father this dark night ? " the latter questioned 
 in a whisper. " I shall look for his horse's tracks and 
 follow them," was the instant response. Breathlessly 
 the two waited for the arrival of Milton. Soon he was 
 
68 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 heard. Then, after a fond but silent farewell and a 
 heartfelt "God bless you, my brave daughter!" the 
 mother sank back upon her couch, while the twelve- 
 year-old girl and her companion started out on what, 
 to me, was one of the bravest expeditions of all history. 
 Out into the darkness they creep. Stealthily they 
 hide themselves in the shadows cast by the wagons 
 in the flickering light of the dying camp-fire, which 
 makes them dance and leap like hideous and misshapen 
 monsters. They cautiously approach the unsuspicious 
 sentinel, who wearily tramps back and forth, and 
 hold their breath with anxiety as he suddenly stops, 
 watches the sleeping camp and peers into the mysteri- 
 ous darkness of the desert. Lying down upon the 
 ground, they crawl and silently drag their bodies along 
 until out of his hearing, and then, feeling with their 
 feet lest they fall into unseen danger, now and again 
 startled by some sudden noise that suggests to their 
 excited senses the presence of wild animals or wilder 
 men, they slowly increase the distance between them- 
 selves and the camp. At last Virginia whispers: 
 " Stop, Milt. Let us light the lantern! " and, stooping 
 down, she spreads out her skirts, so that not the slight- 
 est flash of match or beam of light can reach the senti- 
 nel or any other member of the camp. Elliott lights 
 the lantern, which she then takes in her own hand 
 and covers with her scant skirts, so that its beams 
 illuminate only the small circle in which she stands. 
 Now, carefully looking, she searches eagerly for the 
 footprints of her father's horse. To and fro, back and 
 forth, she peers. Though feverishly anxious and ready 
 
VIRGINIA REED 69 
 
 to fly on the wings of the lightning, there is no careless 
 haste in her search. She is thoughtful and deliberate. 
 She even completely circles the camp in her intelligent 
 determination to find those tracks. At last her keen 
 search is rewarded. She starts forward, a half-sob, 
 half-cry of gratitude and thankfulness escaping from 
 her lips. She turns to Milton, points to the tracks, and 
 then eagerly follows them. With all her senses made 
 keen by agonizing love, she refuses to trust the first 
 assurances of her vision. Again and again she kneels 
 and examines the tracks until she is finally convinced 
 she is right. Then confidently, but with no relaxation 
 of caution — for an inadvertent flash from the lantern 
 might bring a death-dealing shot from the rifle of the 
 sentinel — she follows where they lead, Milton close 
 behind with the gun and provisions. On and on they 
 go, — for hours it seems to the impatient child. Mile 
 after mile the tracks lead. Now they have lost them. 
 They carefully circle and eagerly search to find them 
 again. What an agony Virginia sufi'ers in those few 
 moments ! 
 
 Listen! Suddenly on the midnight air the wild 
 and fearful howl of coyotes makes the darkness hideous 
 and horrible. From the distance comes an even more 
 appalling and to be dreaded cry — that of the maraud- 
 ing panther, seeking for prey. At that cry it is no fig- 
 ment of the imagination to say that Milton's hair 
 stands on end. But on they go for a few moments. 
 Again they halt. With her hand held tightly to her 
 breast, as if to still the fearful beating of her heart, 
 Virginia gazes with wild eyes into the darkness, while 
 
70 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Milton, strong and brave though he is, seems paralyzed 
 with fear. What has so frightened them ? We cannot 
 see, but we can conjecture that they have heard a few 
 sounds that are more weird and sinister than those of the 
 wild and ferocious desert animals. For they are sug- 
 gestive of human tigers, whose lust for blood they have 
 already had too sad evidence of, — the Indians of 
 her childish fears. All the terror of the past years of 
 her life seem to be condensed iato the awful power 
 of one dread moment. Can she possibly go on with 
 that unspeakable fear clutching at her heart? Child 
 though she is, she silently calls upon God and summons 
 Him to help her. She dare not be afraid when her 
 father is in need and in danger. Is she not going to 
 minister to him when no one else can ? 
 
 Nothing must be allowed to deter her from the 
 successful accomplishment of this mission. So, forget- 
 ful of her own weariness, steeling her heart to withstand 
 all fears, and resolutely calming herself when panic 
 grips her heart-strings at the thought of a possible 
 horrible death if captured by the Indians, she reso- 
 lutely goes forward. At length her persistence and 
 bravery are rewarded. She sees in the far-away dis- 
 tance the faintest gleam of light. Her heart leaps up 
 with joy and she whispers to Milton: " There is papa! " 
 
 The next moment the startling thought springs 
 into being: "What if it is an Indian fire?" Then 
 her reason asserts itself. " You are on the track of 
 your father's horse. Follow that, and it will be all 
 right, and if — " And then for a moment her heart 
 stops beating again, for the suggestion enters her mind 
 
VIRGINIA REED 71 
 
 that if — ah if — her father has fallen mto the hands 
 of a band of treacherous Indians, what might not that 
 fire reveal to her ? 
 
 "But, anyhow" — comes the next thought, "it 
 matters not what I find, I can only know by going 
 on." So, saying nothing to Milton of the fear that al- 
 most paralyzes her, she steadily marches on. How 
 slowly they go! How far away the light is! Will they 
 never reach it ? It seems as if the more they walk the 
 farther away it gets, until, glad moment, in its dim 
 rays the eyes of discerning love at last recognizes the 
 the beloved form, and with a cry of almost maternal 
 yearning Virginia sobs out : " Oh, papa, my papa," 
 and the next moment is convulsively clutched to the 
 heart of the despairing father. 
 
 " My child, my Virginia, you should not have come 
 here," he cries, when the first transport of happy sur- 
 prise is over. 
 
 " I've brought you some food, and your gun, and 
 a blanket, and a little coffee and some crackers. And 
 here's a tin cup, too, father, and your pistols and some 
 powder and caps. Oh, and here are some matches! " 
 replies the little maiden, laughing and crying in her 
 joy, as, one by one, she spreads the articles out on 
 her wondering father's knees. 
 
 " Is this a dream ? or is it an angel visitation sent 
 from God ? " breathlessly queries Mr. Reed. But 
 Virginia soon convinces him of her personal presence, 
 and as he takes the gun and other things she has 
 brought, he resoh^es with a new and deeper resolve 
 than ever, that, God helping him, he will hurry on to 
 
72 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 California, and secure for his brave little daughter, 
 with her sister and baby brothers and their loved 
 mother, the help and succor they need. 
 
 Then his arms enfolding her to his heart, with 
 Milton near by, all three sit and cry, until, their emotion 
 subsiding, they talk of the mother, back in camp, and 
 of Patty and James, and the baby. Two or three hours 
 thus speedily pass, until the first sentinels of dawn 
 silently make their presence kno\vn. Then the fond 
 father sadly arises and bids his daughter say good-by 
 and go back to her mother. 
 
 " Go back ? " she cries, as if the idea were ridiculous: 
 "I'm not going back, father; I'm going with you. 
 Milt will go back, but I'm going on with you. Oh, 
 papa, papa, don't send me back, for I cannot bear to 
 see those cruel men. Let me go with you! " 
 
 " You know, Virginia darling, I want you badly 
 enough, but it cannot be. Don't make it harder for 
 me than it is by trying to go with me." And then, he 
 gently unfolds the arms that convulsively chng to him, 
 and kissing her again and again, he places her in Elhott's 
 arms, with the words: " Here, Milt, take her back to 
 her mother." The next moment, gathering up the 
 precious articles she has brought to him — articles 
 ten fold more precious because of that fact —he 
 mounts his steed and rides out into the solitude of the 
 western desert. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 THE GENEROUS HEROES OF DEATH VALLEY, MANLY 
 AND ROGERS 
 
 THE heroism of Manly and Rogers is on a par 
 with that of Stanton, whose story has already 
 been told. The horrors of Death Valley, and how it 
 came by its name are told in the next chapter. 
 
 In studying the history of the pioneers of the State 
 of California, one cannot help being impressed by the 
 stories of unconscious heroism that, in the most simple 
 and ingenuous way, have been recorded by their 
 unpractised authors. It cannot be denied that there 
 are few pioneer stories that can stand the test of aca- 
 demic criticism. Few of them are grammatically con- 
 structed, and they nearly all reveal ignorance of the 
 science of rhetoric. Poorly written, wretchedly punctu- 
 ated, badly constructed, they yet contain epics as 
 thrilling as those of Homer, recitals as dramatic as 
 those of Caesar, adventures as startling as those 
 of Marco Polo, achievements as brave as those of 
 Napoleon. But the world, for many centuries, has 
 been led to believe that heroes are military men, that 
 great achievements are only to be looked for from men 
 wearing a uniform, and that the acts that thrill the 
 soul are generally to be expected during the physical 
 conflicts called war. We have been blinded to the 
 
74 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 achievements of real bravery and true heroism by 
 the glare of the false, the meretricious, the sensational. 
 The time has come when men will see more clearly, 
 understand more fully, and when actions will more 
 nearly be relegated to their proper altitude in the 
 esteem of the race. Hence we are beginning more and 
 more to take notice of the deeds of such men as those 
 whose names head this chapter, the story of whose 
 heroism is told by one of the participants in his record 
 of Death Valley, * with the simple ingenuousness of a 
 chUd. 
 
 Of the early experiences of the Death Valley party 
 space forbids more than the barest mention. It was 
 one of those combination parties that met at Salt 
 Lake City, and, as in the case of the Donner party, 
 they were induced to take a " cut-off " that led them 
 into woeful trouble. After numerous adventures 
 and hardships, they arrived near the eastern side of 
 what is now known as Death Valley. There were 
 seven wagons in the party. The oxen were so exhausted 
 and poor that they could travel no further, and it was 
 decided that the party must return a little distance to 
 where there was a good spring and wait while some 
 one went ahead and explored a road to the nearest 
 California settlements and brought back relief. 
 
 Manly himself and a strong, burly Tennessean 
 finally volunteered for the service. An ox that had 
 nearly " given out " was slain to provide food for the 
 two, and the condition of the poor creature can be 
 understood when it is told that seven-eighths of its 
 
 • "Death Valley in '49," W. L. Manly. 
 
MANLY AND ROGERS 75 
 
 flesh, dried, was packed into the knapsacks of the two 
 men. Manly writes: 
 
 " I consented, though I knew it was a hazardous 
 journey, exposed to all sorts of things, Indians, climate 
 and probably lack of water, but I thought I could do it." 
 
 They journeyed over the valley, crossed the range, 
 following In the track of a party that had gone on ahead. 
 In two or three days they came upon the dead body 
 of one of them, who had died In a rocky place where 
 it was impossible to make a grave. Soon they caught 
 up with this party, who were already growing despond- 
 ent, as another member had died. Then, pushing on 
 ahead, the two went on their errand, and, in due time, 
 reached the San Fernando Valley over the Soledad 
 Pass, where peace and plenty abounded. Here they 
 met with a man named French, who took them to the 
 San Fernando Mission, where they were kindly treated, 
 and provided with two horses, provisions, pack-saddles 
 and ropes, and shown how to pack their animals 
 properly. Then Manly bought a little, one-eyed mule, 
 and Rogers purchased a horse, — a snow-white mare. 
 
 At once they started on their way back. At first 
 it was easy; then they came to the desert over which 
 they had crossed before with so much difficulty, and 
 finally to a range of mountains on the other side of 
 which they knew their comrades were anxiously await- 
 ing them. They had already been longer than the 
 time appointed, and were they to go the route they 
 had come — around the range to the north — they 
 would occupy several days longer. So they decided 
 to cross the range. Their pack and saddle-horses 
 
76 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 were now almost exhausted, and only the little mule 
 seemed able to pick up enough scant living to keep 
 up his strength. At last they came to a place where 
 they were compelled to leave the horses and go on, 
 the mule being able to go where the horses could not 
 follow. Here let Manly tell the story: 
 
 " We removed the saddles and placed them on a 
 rock, and after a few moments' hesitation, — mo- 
 ments in which were crowded torrents of wild ideas 
 and desperate thoughts that were enough to drive 
 Reason from her throne, we left the poor animals to 
 their fate and moved along. Just as we were passing 
 out of sight the poor creatures neighed pitifully after 
 us, and one who has ne\'er heard the last despairing, 
 pleading neigh of a horse left to die can form no idea of 
 its almost human appeal. We both burst into tears, but 
 it was no use, — to try to save them we must run the 
 danger of sacrificing ourselves and the little party 
 we were trying so hard to save. 
 
 "We found the little mule stopped by a still higher 
 precipice or perpendicular rise of fully ten feet. Our 
 hearts sank v\ithin us and we said that we should 
 return to our friends as we went away, with our knap- 
 sacks on our backs, and the hope grew very small. The 
 little mule was nipping some stray blades of grass, and 
 as we came in sight she looked around to us and then 
 up the steep rocks before her \vith such a knowing, 
 intelligent look of confidence, that it gave us new cour- 
 age. It was a strange wild place. The north wall of 
 the canyon leaned far over the channel, overhanging 
 considerably, while the south wall sloped back about 
 
MANLY AND ROGERS 77 
 
 the same, making the wall nearly parallel, and like a 
 huge crevice descending into the mountain from above in 
 a sloping direction. We decided to try to get the con- 
 fident little mule over this obstruction. Gathering 
 all the loose rocks we could, we piled them up against 
 the south wall, beginning some distance below, putting 
 up all those in the bed of the stream and throwing 
 down others from narrow shelves above; we built a 
 sort of inclined plane along the walls, gradually rising till 
 we were nearly as high as the crest of the fall. Here was 
 a narrow shelf scarcely four inches wide and a space 
 of from twelve to fifteen feet to cross to reach the level 
 of the crest. It was all I could do to cross this space, 
 and there was no foundation to enable us to widen it 
 so as to make a path for an animal. It was a forlorn 
 hope but wc made the most of it. We unpacked the 
 mule, and getting all our ropes together, made a leading 
 line of them. Then wc loosened and threw down all the 
 projecting points of rocks we could above the narrow 
 shelf, and c\ery piece that was likely to come loose 
 in the shelf itself. We fastened the leading line to 
 her, and with one above and one below we thought 
 we could help her to keep her balance, and if she 
 did not make a misstep on that narrow way she 
 might get over safely. Without a moment's hesi- 
 tation the brave animal tried the pass. Carefully 
 and steadily she went along, selecting a place before 
 putting down a foot, and when she came to the 
 narrow ledge leaned gently on the rope, never making 
 a sudden start or jump, but cautiously as a cat moved 
 slowly along. There was now no turning back for her. 
 
78 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 She must cross this narrow place over which I had 
 to creep on hands and knees, or be dashed down fifty 
 feet to a certain death. When the worst place was 
 reached she stopped and hesitated, looking back as well 
 as she could. I was ahead with the rope, and I called 
 encouragingly to her and talked to her a little. Rogers 
 wanted to get read}- and he said, ' holler ' at her as 
 loud as he could and frighten her across, but I thought 
 the best way was to talk to her gently and let her 
 move steadily. 
 
 " It was a trying moment. It seemed to be weighed 
 down with all the trials and hardships of many months. 
 It seemed to be the time when helpless women and 
 innocent children hung on the trembling balance be- 
 tween life and death. Our own lives we could save by 
 going back, and sometimes it seemed as if we would save 
 ourselves the additional sorrow of finding them all dead 
 to do so at once. I was so nearly in despair that I could 
 not help bursting into tears, and I was not ashamed 
 of the weakness." 
 
 I would have my readers note carefully the words 
 italicized, for the italics are mine, not Manly's. Here 
 is a clear evidence of the presence of the temptation 
 to go back and abandon the attempt at relief, and even 
 the specious argument with which it was forced upon 
 his attention, as well as a candid and frank recognition 
 of the desire to yield to the temptation, — " and some- 
 times it seemed as if we would perhaps save ourselves 
 the additional sorrow of finding them all dead to 
 return at once." Yet the brave fellows manfully faced 
 death for themselves and went on. 
 
MANLY AND ROGERS 79 
 
 To resume Manly's story: 
 
 " Finally Rogers said, ' Come, Lewis! ' and I gently 
 pulled the rope, calling the little animal to make a trial. 
 She smelled all around and looked over every inch of 
 the strong ledge, then took one careful step after an- 
 other over the dangerous place. Looking back, I saw 
 Rogers with a v^ery large stone in his hand, ready to 
 ' holler ' and perhaps kill the poor beast if she stopped. 
 But she crept along, trusting to the rope for balance, till 
 she was half way across, then another step or two, when, 
 calculating the distance closely, she made a spring 
 and landed on a smooth bit of sloping rock below, 
 that led up to the highest crest of the precipice, and 
 safely climbed to the top, safe and sound above the 
 faU." 
 
 What a picture ! Some day I hope one of California's 
 artists will paint it, so that a copy may be placed in 
 every school in the State, as a reminder of the golden- 
 hearted heroism of the men and the courage of the 
 brave little mule. 
 
 As they neared the camp, they came upon the dead 
 body of one of the men they had left when they started 
 on their California journey, so it was with some trepida- 
 tion that they finally reached the wagons. There they 
 found that several members of the party had grown 
 impatient and had determined to go on ahead, some 
 of them declaring that " If those boys (Alanly and 
 Rogers) ever get out of this cussed hole, they will be 
 'tarnal fools if they ever come back to help anybody." 
 But they had kept their pledges^ and had brought new 
 life and hope to the almost discouraged ones, so that 
 
8o HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 now they were ready once again to endure the hard- 
 ships that were before them, and to journey on to 
 the Cahfornia of their desire. 
 
 The story of that journey is fascinating to the reader, 
 though arduous and heart-breaking to those who made 
 it, but we have space here for pictures of two only 
 of their experiences. As the horses were unable to 
 get through, arrangements were made to carry the 
 women and children on the oxen. Let Manly tell 
 the story of their plans: 
 
 ** They had selected two oxen for the women to ride, 
 one to carry water, and one to carry the four children. 
 There were no saddles, but blankets enough to make a 
 soft seat, and they proposed to put a band or belt 
 around the animals for the riders to hold on by, and 
 the blankets would be retained in place by breast 
 and breeching straps which had been made. They 
 had found out that it was very difficult to keep a load 
 of any kind upon an ox, and had devised all this harness 
 to meet the trouble." 
 
 To carry the smaller children a kind of " pannier," 
 had been made by taking two strong shirts, turning the 
 sleeves inside, sewing up the necks, and then sewing 
 the two tails together. When this was placed across 
 the ox a pocket was formed on each side large enough 
 to carry a small child. It took them some time to 
 select from their wagons what they should take, and 
 what leave. 
 
 " Mrs. Arcane was from a city and had fondly con- 
 veyed thus far some articles of finery, of considerable 
 value and much prized. She could not be persuaded 
 
_■*<',•» >,'l;'' <!¥' 
 
 s«f'^~ if 
 
 
MANLY AND ROGERS 8i 
 
 lo leave them here to deck the red man's wife, and 
 have her go flirting over the mountains with, and as 
 they had Httle weight she concluded she would wear 
 them and this would perhaps preserve them. So 
 she got out her best hat and trimmed it up with extra 
 ribbon, leaving some with quite long ends to stream 
 out behind. Arcane brought up his ox, Old Brigham, 
 for he had been purchased at Salt Lake and named in 
 honor of the great IVIormon Saint. 
 
 " Mrs. Arcane also dressed her little boy Charlie 
 in his best suit of clothes, for she thought he might 
 as well wear them out as to throw them away. 
 She made one think of a fairy in gay and flying ap- 
 parel. In the same way all selected their best and most 
 serviceable garments, for it was not considered prudent 
 to carry any load, and poor clothes were good enough 
 to leave for Indians. . . . High overhead was the sun, 
 and very warm indeed on that day in the fore part of 
 February,* 1850, when the two children were put on Old 
 Crump to see if he would let them ride. The two small 
 children were placed in the pockets on each side, 
 face outward, and they could stand or sit as they should 
 choose. George and Melissa were placed on top, and 
 given hold of the strap that was to steady them in 
 their place. I now led up Mrs. Bennett's ox, and 
 Mr. Bennett helped his wife to mount the animal, on 
 whose back as soft a seat as possible had been con- 
 structed. Mrs. Arcane, in her ribbons, was now helped 
 to her seat on the back of Old Brigham, and she care- 
 fully adjusted herself to position, and arranged her 
 dress and ornaments to suit, then took hold of the 
 
82 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 strap that served to hold on by as there were no bridles 
 on these two. 
 
 " Rogers led the march with his ox ; Bennett and I 
 started the others along, and Arcane followed with 
 Old Crump and the children. Bennett and Arcane 
 took off their hats and bade the old camp good-by. 
 The whole procession moved, and we were once more 
 going towards our journey's end, we hoped. The road 
 was sandy and soft, the grade practically level, and 
 everything went well for about four miles, when the 
 pack on one of the oxen near the lead got loose and 
 turned over to one side, which he no sooner saw thus out 
 of position, than he tried to get away from it by moving 
 side wise. Not getting clear of the objectionable load in 
 this way, he tried to kick it off, and thus really got 
 his foot in it, making matters worse instead of better. 
 Then he began a regular waltz and bawled at the top 
 of his voice in terror. Rogers tried to catch him, but 
 his own animal was so frisky that he could not hold 
 him and do much else, and the spirit of fear soon 
 began to be communicated to the others and the 
 whole train seemed to be taken crazy, 
 
 " They would jump up, and then come do\Mi, stick- 
 ing their fore feet as far as possible into the sand, after 
 which, with elevated tails, and terrible plunges, they 
 would kick and thrash and run until the pack came off, 
 when they stopped, apparently quite satisfied. 
 
 " Mrs. Bennett slipped off her ox as quick as she 
 could, grabbed her baby from the pocket on Old 
 Crump, and shouting to Melissa and George to jump, 
 got her family in safe position in pretty short order. 
 
MANLY AND ROGERS S3 
 
 Arcane took his Charlie from the other pocket and 
 laid him on the ground, while he devoted his own atten- 
 tion to the animals. Mrs. Arcane's ox followed suit, 
 and waltzed around in the sand, bawled at every turn 
 fully as bad as any of the others, but Mrs. Arcane 
 proved to be a good rider, and hard to unseat, cling- 
 ing desperately to her strap as she was tossed up and 
 down, and whirled about at a rate enough to make any 
 one dizzy. Her many fme ribbons flew out behind 
 like the streamers from a mast-head, and the many 
 fancy ' fixins ' she had donned fluttered in the air in 
 gayest mockery. Eventually she was throwTi however, 
 but without the least injury to herself, but somewhat 
 disordered in raiment. When I saw Bennett he was 
 half bent over laughing in almost hysterical convulsions 
 at the entirely impromptu circus which had so suddenly 
 performed an act not on the program. Arcane was 
 much pleased and laughed heartily when he saw no 
 one was hurt. We did not think the cattle had so much 
 life and so little sense as to waste their energies so 
 uselessly. The little mule stepped out one side and 
 looked on in amazement, without disarranging any 
 article of her load." 
 
 Thus tragedy and comedy elbowed each other on 
 this wonderful journey. The little party soon got 
 over their excitement, and in due time reached the 
 place where Manly and Rogers had left the two 
 horses. It was with much trepidation they approached 
 this precipice, and a halt was made to enable a careful 
 examination to be made. They finally decided to 
 attempt it. Says Manly: 
 
84 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 " We men all went down to the foot of the fall, and 
 threw out all the large rocks, then piled up all the sand 
 we could scrape together with the shovel, till we had 
 quite a pile that u^ould tend to break the fall, 
 
 " Early in the morning we took our soup hastily, and 
 with ropes lowered our luggage over the small preci- 
 pice, then the children, and fmally all the ropes were 
 combined to make a single strong one about thirty feet 
 long. They urged one of the oxen up to the edge of the 
 fall, put the rope around his horns, and threw down 
 the end to me, whom they had stationed below. I was 
 told to pull hard when he started so that he might not 
 Hght on his head and break his neck. We felt this 
 was a desperate undertaking, and we fuUy expected 
 to lose some of our animals, but our case was critical 
 and we must take some chances. Bennett stood on one 
 side of the ox, and Arcane on the other, while big 
 Rogers was placed in the rear to give a regular Tennes- 
 see boost when the word was given. ' Now for it,' said 
 Bennett, and as I braced on the rope those above gave 
 a push and the ox came over, sprawling, but landed 
 safely, cut only a little by some angular stones in the 
 sand pile. ' Good enough,' said some one, and I threw 
 the rope back for another ox. * We'll get 'em all over 
 safely,' said Arcane, ' if Lewis, down there, will keep 
 them from getting their necks broken.' Lewis pulled 
 hard every time, and not a neck was broken. The sand 
 pile was renewed every time and made as high and 
 soft as possible, and very soon all our animals were 
 below the fall. The little mule gave a jump when they 
 pushed her, and lighted squarely on her feet all right. 
 
MANLY AND ROGERS 85 
 
 With the exception of one or two slight cuts, which 
 bled some, the oxen were all right and we began loading 
 them at once. 
 
 " Bennett and .\rcane assisted their wives do^^^l along 
 the little narrow ledge which we used in getting up, 
 keeping theu: faces towards the rocky wall, and feeling 
 carefully for every footstep. Thus they worked along 
 and landed safely by the time we had the animals 
 ready for the march. We had passed without disaster 
 the obstacle we most feared, and started dowTi the 
 rough canyon with hope revived, and we felt we should 
 get through. After winding around among the great 
 boulders for a little while, we came to the two horses 
 we had left behind, both dead and near together. 
 We pointed to the carcasses, and told them those were 
 the horses we brought for the women to ride, and that is 
 the way they were cheated out of their passage. The 
 bodies of the animals had not been touched by bird or 
 beast." 
 
 While they still had an arduous and weary journey 
 ahead of them, the worst of it was over, and they 
 reached Los .\ngeles in safety and happiness, there to 
 agam scatter and mingle with the life of the new State, 
 and become a part of its future activities. 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 THE UNKNOWN HEROES OF DEATH VALLEY 
 
 IN the story of the Donner party, the horrors of 
 snow and cold were revealed, m that out of the more 
 than eighty people who camped there, but forty es- 
 caped and reached the promised land of California. 
 
 Manly and his party crossed Death Valley, and 
 various members of his and preceding parties perished, 
 but they were blessed in the fact that the winter, which 
 brought cold and snow to the Donner party in the 
 north, made their passage over the desert possible. 
 For, in summer, only the most heat-hardened and 
 experienced rriay dare attempt to cross Death Valley. 
 
 It is known, however, that another party endeavored 
 to accomplish this impossible journey in the heat of 
 summer, and were caught in its merciless furnace so 
 that not a single person escaped to tell the sad tale. 
 Robert E. Rinehart, in the Los Angeles Times for 
 Sunday, August i6, 1908, gives a graphic description, 
 from which the following account is taken. 
 
 " Three errors of judgment furnished Death Valley 
 with the party that gave it its name. The lost wagon- 
 train attempted to cross the desert and the valley in 
 the height of summer. 
 
 " Reaching the valley, the emigrants, ignorant of 
 the preternatural dryness of the spot in summer. 
 
HEROES OF DEATH VALLEY 87 
 
 entered the hot hollow with only an ordinary supply of 
 water; and last and most fatal of all, instead of going 
 south as the Jayhawkers had done, they went north. 
 Yet their mistakes, outside the ill-chosen summer, were 
 excusable. In truth their mistakes would normally 
 have occurred to any party in the same position. The 
 two serious errors had a large element of bad luck, a sort 
 of Nemesis. The party was doomed. 
 
 " But who were the members of this wretched party? 
 Whence did they come? What friends and relatives 
 had they abandoned in the East at the lure of California 
 gold? 
 
 " These are unanswered questions. A few names, 
 alleged victims of this party, have been preserved by 
 Death Valley tradition; but who can say tradition 
 has been accurate? It has run riot with the number 
 of victims. Sometimes the death toll is thirty; again 
 it is thirteen. Indeed, little is known about the doomed 
 wagon-train beyond its wretched climb of the Funeral 
 Range, its pitiful, plucky progress dowTi Furnace Creek 
 Canyon, its dreadful death march up the furnace-like 
 valley and the horror of the end up among the desolate 
 sand dunes of Death Valley. Overland history, bitter 
 as it is with desert hardship and suffering, has no equal 
 to this last chapter of the death party that named Death 
 Valley. 
 
 " Uncertainty shrouds the early movements of the 
 ill-fated wagon-train. It probably set out from Salt 
 Lake City some time in the early summer of 1850. 
 Manifestly it was ill-advised and under poor guidance 
 or it would never have attempted the southern trail 
 
8S HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 at that time of year. To all appearances no seasoned 
 desert man was with it. But it had courage. This 
 courage and its desert ignorance carried it far in face 
 of great hardship and handicap — carried it to Death 
 Valley and death. 
 
 " Vague as was the early travel of these emigrants, 
 their later trail is plain. In the great heat of the 
 summer they reached Ash Meadows and the Amargossa 
 Wash. Probably they had been drawn from the regu- 
 lar trail by the wheel marks of the Jayhawkers and their 
 followers. At Ash Meadows they found plenty of 
 water, and in good condition and good spirits, still 
 following the Jayhawker wagon ruts, set out for the 
 divide over the Funeral Range clearly apparent ahead 
 on the western horizon. 
 
 " During this trip began their distress. The journey 
 to the summit proved longer and steeper than it looked. 
 The rough trail taxed the oxen cruelly, plodding along 
 with the great lumbering wagons. The midsummer 
 desert sun blazed hotter with every pull. It was a 
 good forty-mile drag uphill. The last half was a bitter 
 trail. 
 
 " Here the doomed emigrants began to write their 
 tragedy on the desert floor. The oxen from sheer 
 exhaustion could not draw the heavy wagons. To 
 lessen the loads, household articles were cast along the 
 trail. Women as well as men walked beside the wagons. 
 
 " In a deplorable state the party reached the summit 
 from which the trail leading downward gave an easier 
 way. But it had been on short water supply for many 
 an hour, because since leaving Ash Meadows no water 
 
HEROES OF DEATH VALLEY 89 
 
 was to be had. Water-famished, the emigrants toiled 
 down Furnace Creek Wash. To add to their trials a 
 band of Indians waylaid them at a bend in the wash 
 and killed a number of their oxen. The emigrants 
 beat off their assailants and plodded on down the 
 trail, arriving finally at Furnace Creek Canyon; and 
 at last, none too soon, at the rippling, rushing little 
 Furnace Creek. The water was very hot, but it was 
 good spring water and good Samaritan water to the 
 distressed wagon-train. 
 
 " That the party stopped a few days at Furnace 
 Creek to recuperate is certain. From its scouts it 
 learned that the canyon opened into a valley white-hot. 
 It must have appreciated that the worst lay ahead, for 
 which was needed every ounce of strength and forti- 
 tude. It could not go back. It had to go forward into 
 the unforbidding unknowTi. So one morning it stood 
 at the Furnace Creek Canyon gateway and gazed out 
 into the bowl-like Death Valley, red, fiery-red around 
 the rim; white, withering- white at the bottom's dip. 
 
 " The emigrants had the choice of the south or the 
 north, safety or death. No Jayhawkers' wagon ruts 
 were there to mark the way to the south and safety. 
 That trail had been buried beneath the rocky spew 
 flushed down Furnace Creek Canyon by the spring and 
 summer cloudbursts. To the south lay the long length 
 of the valley, with its glaring, ominous salt marsh. 
 Banked on the other side was a seemingly unsurmount- 
 able mountain range. To the north, around the rim 
 of the valley, ran what seemed level ground for the 
 wagons. True, far up in the north the hollow ended 
 
90 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 with an embankment of buttes. This was more or less 
 discouraging, but beyond them the barricading 
 mountain range appeared to break and give a passage 
 out to the west. Moreover, the north way avoided the 
 salt marsh. This way promised release. They chose 
 the north, and death. 
 
 " Appreciating the long burning road ahead, the 
 emigrants filled every available keg, bucket, camp pot 
 and kettle with water from Furnace Creek. They 
 feared that water might run low in the toil up the valley. 
 They reasoned that perhaps that water supply might 
 have to hold over until the next day. With such a gen- 
 erous store of it, however, they were more than hopeful 
 of withstanding even the thirst attacks of two days. 
 They reasoned well, for how could they know the 
 deadly, sinister character of that deep hot hollow 
 ahead ? 
 
 " To understand the torture of that last day's travel, 
 the unlooked-for vanishing of that generous supply 
 of water, and the mysterious exhaustion of man and 
 beast, one must know Death Valley in summer. One 
 must know that this furnace spot, the lowest dry land 
 in the western hemisphere, perhaps in the world, is 
 also the most arid. The hot, withering desert winds, 
 dry as an oven blast, blow into the south entrance 
 of the valley and sweep northward as up a chimney. 
 They blow over the surface of the sizzling salt marsh. 
 These winds, already low in moisture, as they slip 
 over the griddle-like marsh, are roasted. By the time 
 they reach the north end of the valley they are destitute 
 of moisture as a cinder. It is asserted that in August 
 
HEROES OF DEATH VALLEY 91 
 
 the air at the north end of Death Valley has less than 
 five per cent, humidity. When one considers that 
 seventy per cent, humidity is pleasantly normal, the 
 terrible strain of Death's Valley's five per cent, humidity 
 can be rated for all its evil. A pedestrian cannot walk 
 half a mile through this blasting atmosphere without 
 several generous draughts of water. Desert nomads, 
 seasoned desert travelers — for no others venture 
 on a Death Valley tramp in summer — have drunk a 
 gallon of water in going two miles. The arid air when 
 drawn into the lungs fairly licks the moisture from the 
 body's tissues. 
 
 " Picture, then, the anguish of the day and night 
 after the band of doomed emigrants set out from the 
 mouth of Furnace Creek Canyon on their death march 
 around the northeast segment of Death Valley. Along 
 the broiling rocky floor the tired oxen, stumbling, 
 dragged the wobbly wagons. Men and women in 
 anguish tramped a trail so blistering that in these days 
 a desert man wraps his feet in moistened sacks before 
 he trusts himself to the same scorching way. The evil 
 sun poured down its heat rays upon the travelers and 
 shriveled their very skin. The withering desert air, 
 breathed into their lungs, inflamed their tissues. Mental 
 and bodily lassitude seized them. In helpless horror 
 they saw their water store dwindling before the unre- 
 strainable call of man and beast. Yet, driven by 
 despair, that death party pushed on more than twenty- 
 five miles through sun and sand, and at night camped 
 beyond the North Buttes among the sand dunes. They 
 reached their journey's objective point as planned in 
 
92 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 the morning, and found ahead of them the divide 
 through the Panamints. To this day they call the place 
 Emigrants' Pass. But the emigrants never passed 
 over it. 
 
 " Wonderful was the persistent pluck of that doomed 
 party. With an order worthy of bright promise rather 
 than impending destruction, the men made their last 
 camp. Wagons were backed into the regulation circle, 
 their tongues pointing outward, and chains and ox- 
 yokes laid out in approved overland fashion. The 
 cattle were turned loose to rustle. Camp fires were Ht, 
 built from the scant desert fuel. Supper was cooked 
 and eaten, but it was a supper without water, for the 
 supply was practically gone, and near the camp were 
 no signs of water. Then all lay down in the mystery 
 of the desert darkness. 
 
 " In the gamut of desert hardship there is no horror 
 such as the horror of a camp without water. Horses 
 whine pitifully, and cattle bawl hoarsely in their efforts 
 to make known the unspeakable thirst torture they do 
 not understand. Fantasy plays with the restless nerves 
 and minds of men and women, and drives them to 
 delirium. Thirst- maddened, men and women shriek 
 for water. On that dreadful night Death Valley's 
 christening party drank the bitterest cup of human woe. 
 
 " Wretched as was the night, the dawn that broke 
 on the luckless camp was worse. Madness, thirst 
 madness, had set in. Men and women in frenzy fled 
 the camp, and scattered at random over the trackless 
 sand waste in search of water. Some too weak to leave 
 the wagons, abandoned by their fellows, perished 
 
HEROES OF DEATH VALLEY 93 
 
 miserably in camp. Bookish altruism had vanished 
 with the water. Fugitives flying in vain, a foe within 
 them, scoured the sun-scorched sand of Lost Valley. 
 The strongest reached the canyons of the Panamint 
 Mountains, and found water, only to die of starvation 
 in the valleys and mountains beyond. Others, crazed, 
 came to the bitter ripples of Salt Creek and in their 
 delirium gulped down the brackish, poisonous water. 
 They died beside the stream. Lone wanderers, lost 
 among the sand dunes, dropped in their steps and 
 passed over the Great Divide. All round the sombre 
 site of that last camp were strewn the shining skeletons 
 of man and beast — skeletons, for the watchful coyotes 
 saw to that." 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 THE WATCHFUL HERO SCOUTS, CARSON AND BEALE 
 
 THERE are few more vivid pictures of the diffi- 
 culties experienced in reaching CaHfornia in the 
 early days than some of those published in the United 
 States government reports of Lieutenant- Colonels W. 
 H. Emory and P. St. George Cooke, and Captain A. R. 
 Johnston, who marched from Santa Fe, via the Colo- 
 rado Desert, as part of Kearny's Army of the West. 
 With the earlier part of that journey we have nothing 
 to do, except to state that, on the sixth of October, 1846, 
 they met Kit Carson, the noted scout, who, with fifteen 
 men, was on his way to Washington, bearing despatches 
 from Colonel Fremont in California. 
 
 Knowing Carson's ability as a guide and scout. 
 General Kearny prevailed upon him to allow the 
 despatches to be sent on by another messenger, in 
 order that he might return with the invading army, 
 which he accordingly did. 
 
 As they came down the Gila River, and neared the 
 Colorado, they discovered a band of five hundred 
 horses being taken to Mexico, which they captured. 
 Colonel Emory gives an interesting account of the 
 way the native Californians handle these horses. " The 
 captured horses were all wild and but little adapted 
 for immediate service, but there was rare sport in 
 
CARSON AND BEALE 95 
 
 catching them, and we saw for the first time the lasso 
 thrown with inimitable skill. It is a saying in Chi- 
 huahua that ' a Californian can throw the lasso as well 
 with his foot as a Mexican can with his hand,' and 
 the scene before us gave us an idea of its truth. There 
 was a wild stallion of great beauty which defied the 
 fleetest horse and the most expert rider. At length a 
 boy of fourteen, a Californian, whose graceful riding 
 was the constant subject of admiration, piqued by 
 repeated failures, mounted a fresh horse, and, followed 
 by an Indian, launched fiercely at the stallion. His 
 riata darted from his hand with the force and precision 
 of a rifle ball, and rested on the neck of the fugitive; 
 the Indian, at the same moment, made a successful 
 throw, but the stallion was too stout for both, and 
 dashed off at full speed, with both ropes flying in the 
 air like wings. The perfect representation of Pegasus, 
 he took a sweep, and, followed by his pursuers, came 
 thundering down the dry bed of the river. The lassos 
 were now trailing on the ground, and the gallant young 
 Spaniard, taking advantage of this circumstance, 
 stooped from his flying horse, and caught one in his 
 hand. It was the work of a moment to make it fast 
 to the pommel of his saddle, and, by a short turn of 
 his own horse, he threw the stallion a complete somer- 
 sault, and the game was secure." 
 
 Less than two weeks later, more mules and horses 
 were captured, but, like those captured near the 
 mouth of the Gila River, they were mostly unbroken, 
 and not of much service. On the fifth of December, 
 1846, they met Captain Gillespie, Lieutenant Beale 
 
96 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 and thirty-five men, sent from San Diego with a des- 
 patch to General Kearny, and the following day, at 
 San Pasqual, they had an engagement with the Cali- 
 fornians, in which eighteen officers and men were 
 killed, and thirteen wounded. 
 
 In the Life oj Carson, wTitten by Lieutenant-Colonel 
 Dewitt C. Peters, there is a full account of this disas- 
 trous struggle and the specific actions that induced me 
 to give to Carson and Beale a chapter in this California 
 Hero Book. Let me quote: " After being thus badly 
 cut up, and with not more than one or two officers 
 left who had not been wounded, while the men had 
 been handled with equal severity, the Americans were 
 obliged to take refuge at a point of rocks which chanced 
 to be near where their advance had been defeated. A 
 rally was made at this place. The Mexicans, however, 
 did not venture to attack them. Both sides were ap- 
 parently weary of fighting for that day. The firing 
 ceased, and, soon after, night closed over the scene 
 of the battle-field, 
 
 " General Kearny's care now was to attend to the 
 wounded. There was no rest for his command that 
 night, as, during the hours of darkness, his men were 
 busy interring their dead and looking after the wants of 
 the sufferers. A sharp lookout, also, was kept on 
 the movements of the enemy, who were continually re- 
 ceiving reinforcements. A council of war was held 
 in the American camp, when General Kearny, after 
 taking the advice of his remaining officers, decided to 
 move on early in the morning, with the hope of meeting 
 reinforcements. He had despatched three men as 
 
THE RANCHO CHICO, 1854, JOHN BIDVVEXL's HOME. 
 
 Pages Ji'>-55 
 
 
 acrcL^rt^-'-t 
 
 aui^ct '^vt^ ir^^^<^ ^cy>^^'^^ 
 
 ^p^^ ^.£rt ^'^^^t^*"^ 
 
 JOHN BIDWELL S FIRST CATTLE BRAND. 
 
George U'haiton Jinncs. Phot . 
 
 JUAN BAUTISTA DK ANZA's HOUSE^ TUBAC, ARIZONA. 
 
 Page n 
 
 DONNER PARTY MEMORIAL CROSS, NEAR DONNER LAKE, 
 CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Pages 56-73 
 
CARSON AND BEALE 97 
 
 bearers of despatches to Commodore Stockton at San 
 Diego before the battle; but, whether they had been 
 successful or not in reaching the commodore, the 
 general did not know. Just before the late fight, they 
 had returned to within sight of their friends, when they 
 were taken prisoners by the Mexicans. 
 
 " The order of the march on the following day was 
 as follows: Kit Carson, with a command of twenty-five 
 men, proceeded in the advance, while the remainder of 
 the now very much crippled band of soldiers followed 
 after on the trail made by their guide. Steadily and 
 compactly these brave men moved forward, being 
 continually in expectancy of a charge from the enemy, 
 who would show themselves, from time to time, on the 
 neighboring hills, and then again, for a time, disap- 
 pear. 
 
 " During the previous day, a Mexican lieutenant 
 had his horse shot from under him, and he himself 
 had been taken prisoner. On a favorable opportunity 
 occurring. General Kearny ordered the ' halt ' to be 
 sounded, when, through a flag of truce, he asked a 
 parley. It being granted, he succeeded in making 
 an exchange of the lieutenant for one of his des- 
 patch-bearers. He gained nothing by this, for the 
 man stated that he and his companions had found it 
 impossible to reach their point of destination, and 
 hence they had turned back. 
 
 " The manceuvTing on the part of the Mexicans, 
 which we have alluded to as consisting of making 
 temporary stands on the hills, and then changing 
 their positions as the Americans drew near to them. 
 
98 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 continued for the greater part of the day. Finally, 
 as General Kearny and his men were approaching 
 the water, where they intended to camp, and were not 
 over five hundred yards from it, down came the Mexi- 
 cans, divided into two separate commands, for the 
 purpose of making a charge. Tl-rey were at first 
 warmly received by the Americans, who, after a time, 
 were obliged to give way to superior numbers; but, 
 in doing so, they retreated in good order to a hill about 
 two hundred yards to their left. Here they halted, 
 and determined to decide the battle; but the wary 
 Mexicans, on seeing the strength of the position taken 
 by their foes, declined to attack them, and drew off 
 to a neighboring height, from which they commenced 
 and maintained a deadly fire on the Americans, Cap- 
 tains Emory and Turner, with all the available dragoons, 
 were sent to dislodge them. This they did in splendid 
 style, after a sharp encounter, and, when their com- 
 panions saw them take possession of this position, 
 General Kearny, with all his wounded and luggage- 
 trains, joined them there. Here a permanent resting- 
 place, for the time being, was made. In fact, the men 
 had no other choice, as they were now pretty effec- 
 tually used up from fighting, severe loss, and fatigue. 
 The Americans found on this hill water barely suffi- 
 cient for their own use, and were obliged to exclude 
 the idea of sharing it with their animals. Although 
 within sight of abundance of this much-needed article, 
 yet they did not dare to drive the latter to it, for they 
 were too weak to defend them from the assaults of 
 the enemy. 
 
CARSON AND BEALE 99 
 
 " The situation of General Kearny's force was 
 now critical in the extreme, as, besides the dangers 
 that surrounded him, the men were reduced to living 
 on their mules. That afternoon, another council of 
 war was called, at w^hich desperate efforts to be made 
 for immediate relief were discussed. When every 
 spark of hope had almost died within them, and w^hen 
 they were in a dilemma as to what still remained for 
 them to do. Kit Carson . . . arose and said he was willing 
 to make the attempt of creeping through the Mexican 
 lines. Should he succeed, he pledged his word that 
 he would carry information to Commodore Stockton 
 at San Diego, and thus bring them succor. No sooner 
 had he made this proposition than he was seconded by 
 Lieutenant Beale, then of the United States Navy, 
 who, equally as brave and daring as Carson, volun- 
 teered his services in the undertaking. 
 
 " General Kearny at once accepted the noble and 
 generous offers of these two men, knowing that if he 
 waited until the following day and then attempted to 
 leave the hill, the consequences w^ould be most dis- 
 astrous; for, in so doing, a sanguinary battle must 
 certainly ensue, with the chances greatly against him. 
 Having made the few preparations necessary, Kit 
 Carson and Lieutenant Beale waited the setting in of 
 night, under the cover of which they had both resolved 
 to succeed in the performance of their mission or die 
 in the attempt. Having got well under way, and while 
 stealthily crawling over the rocks and brush, they found 
 
loo HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 their shoes would often, even with the greatest prevent- 
 ative care bemg taken, strike agamst the various im- 
 pediments to their progress and make sounds which 
 might lead to their detection. To avoid this they took 
 them off and pushed them under their belts. Slowly, 
 but surely, they evaded the vigilant guard of the Mexi- 
 can sentinels, whom they found to be mounted and three 
 rows deep, evidehtly being determined not to be eluded. 
 So near would they often come to these Mexican 
 sentinels, that but a few yards would measure the 
 distance between them and their enemies, yet, with 
 brave hearts, they crept along over the ground foot by 
 foot; they were almost safe beyond these barriers, 
 when all their hopes came near being dashed to pieces. 
 This alarm was caused by one of the sentinels riding 
 up near to where they were, dismounting from his 
 horse and lighting, by his flint and steel, his cigarette. 
 On seeing this, Kit Carson, who was just ahead of 
 Lieutenant Beale, pushed back his foot and kicked 
 softly his companion, as a signal for him to lie flat 
 on the ground as he (Carson) was doing. The Mexican 
 was some time, being apparently very much at his 
 leisure, in lighting his cigarette; and, during these 
 moments of suspense, so quietly did Kit Carson and his 
 companion lie on the ground, that Carson said, and 
 always after affirmed, that he could distinctly hear 
 Lieutenant Beale's heart pulsate. 
 
 " Who can describe the agony of mind to which 
 these brave hearts were subjected during this severe 
 trial ? Everything — the lives of their friends as well 
 as their own — so hung on chance, that they shud- 
 
CARSON AND BE ALE loi 
 
 dered; not at the thought of dying, but for fear they 
 would fail in accomplishing what w-as dearer to them 
 than life, the rescue of the brave men whose lives 
 hung on their success. After quite a long time, the 
 Mexican, as if guided by the hand of Providence, 
 mounted his horse and made off in a contrary direc- 
 tion from the one where these bold adventurers were 
 biding their time to accept either good, if possible, or 
 evil, if necessary, from the wheel of Fortune. For a 
 distance of about two miles, Kit Carson and Lieutenant 
 Beale thus walked along on their hands and knees. 
 Continually, during this time, Kit Carson's eagle 
 eye was penetrating through the darkness, ever on the 
 alert to discover whatever obstacle might present itself 
 on which was stamped the least appearance of danger. 
 Having passed the last visible image in the shape of a 
 sentinel and left the lines behind them at a suitable 
 distance, both men regained their feet, and once more 
 breathed freely. Their first thought was to look for 
 their shoes, but, alas, they were gone. In the excite- 
 ment of the journey, they had not given them a thought 
 since depositing them beneath their belts. Hardly a 
 word had hitherto passed between these two compan- 
 ions in danger, but now they spoke hurriedly and con- 
 gratulated each other on the success that had so far 
 attended them, and thanked God in their hearts that 
 He had so mercifully aided them. There was no time 
 for delay, as they were by no means free from danger, 
 though they thought the worst was over. Kit Carson 
 was familiar with the country, and well knew the 
 necessity of avoiding, for fear of being discovered, 
 
I02 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 all the well-trodden trails and roads which lead to San 
 Diego, every one of which was closely watched by the 
 enemy. He chose a circuitous route, over rocks, hills 
 and vdld lands. The soil was lined with the prickly 
 pear, the thorns of which were penetrating, at almost 
 every step, deep into their bare feet, which, owing to 
 the darkness and thickness of the plants, they could 
 not avoid. The town of San Diego was located many 
 miles in a straight line from the point from whence they 
 had started, but, by the roundabout route they were 
 obliged to travel, this distance was much lengthened. 
 All the following day they continued their tramp and 
 made as much progress as possible. Their mental 
 excitement kept them in good spirits, though, from 
 previous fatigue, the want of food during this time, 
 and by the rapid pace at which they were traveling, 
 they were putting their physical powers to their full 
 test. Another night closed in around them, yet ' on- 
 ward ' was their watchword, for they thought not of 
 rest while those behind them were in such imminent 
 peril. Kit Carson's only compass was his eye, which 
 served him so well that soon the dark outlines of the 
 houses of San Diego could just be discerned. Both 
 men were ready to leap for joy. They were challenged 
 by the American sentinels about the town, and an- 
 swered in pure English, ' Friends,' which same English 
 was unmistakable proof to the guard from whence they 
 came. On stating their important business, they 
 were conducted into the presence of Commodore 
 Stockton, to whom they related what we have tried 
 to describe. Commodore Stockton, with his usual 
 
CARSON AND BEALE 103 
 
 promptitude, immediately detailed a command of about 
 one hundred and seventy men to make forced marches 
 in order to reach and relieve their besieged country- 
 men. With as much despatch as possible, this force set 
 out, taking with them a heavy piece of ordnance, which, 
 for want of animals, the men themselves were obliged 
 to draw, by attaching ropes to it. Kit Carson did not 
 return with them, for it was considered that he had 
 seen service enough for the present; besides, his feet 
 were badly swollen and inflamed from the rough usage 
 they had recently been obliged to submit to. He 
 graphically described the position of General Kearny, 
 so that the relief party could have no difficulty in 
 finding him. He remained to recruit in San Diego. 
 . . . Unused then to such hardships and mental excite- 
 ments on land, as was his more experienced companion. 
 Lieutenant Beale, from the trials of the service per- 
 formed, became partially deranged; and for treatment 
 was sent on board the frigate Congress, which ship lay 
 in the harbor, being one of the vessels attached to the 
 commodore's fleet. Two long years elapsed before 
 the gallant lieutenant fully recovered from the effects of 
 this adventure, which, for the bravery and unselfishness 
 evinced in its planning, and the boldness with which it 
 was carried out, without mentioning the good results 
 it produced, was not excelled by any feat performed 
 during the Mexican War." 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 SAILOR HEROES OF PIONEER TIMES 
 
 IN the days of '48 and '49, when gold seekers were 
 pouring into California by every possible route 
 and method, many came by sea. There were no float- 
 ing palaces then upon the Pacific Ocean, whatever 
 may have been the style of the steamers coursing up 
 and down the Mississippi River. And the sailing 
 vessels that rounded Cape Horn were often the victims 
 of storms and other perils that not only endangered 
 the lives of the voyagers, but often destroyed them. 
 
 In Dana's Two Years before the Mast, — a classic 
 which every California boy and girl should not only 
 read but possess in his or her o\\ti private library — 
 are some vivid pictures of perils suffered on the sea 
 voyage to California. When Dana returned to New 
 England, he went in the Alert, and on September 21, 
 1836, he arrived in Boston, There he published his 
 book, containing his diary of the trip. 
 
 In 1840, under another captain, W. D. Phelps, the 
 Alert again arrived in Monterey, and continued to sail 
 back and forth between New England and California, 
 so that, when Fremont arrived and needed help, 
 Phelps was able to render it in a most effective manner. 
 Captain Phelps kept a diary, in several manuscript 
 volumes, and these are now in my possession. From 
 
SAILOR HEROES 105 
 
 them I extract the following description of a storm 
 which struck the Alert near Santa Barbara. It is a 
 nautical man's description of an experience which 
 was often visited upon the pioneers, and which demon- 
 strates that the Pacific Ocean was not (and is not) always 
 as pacific as is its name. 
 
 " At 4 P. M. tacked ship to the south and west. At 
 8 the weather looked favorable for a moderate 
 night. Tacked inshore. At 10, perceiving a sudden 
 and considerable fall of the barometer, wore ship 
 immediately and stood off shore, carrying all possible 
 sail to make an offing, as the signs of a coming gale 
 were now too strong to be neglected. The ship was 
 under double reef topsails, fore and main courses, top- 
 mast staysail, and a main spencer. At a quarter past 
 eleven the gale was fast increasing, the sea making 
 a breach over fore and aft and the ship straining hard; 
 took in the mainsail as it was impossible to carry it 
 any longer. As heaving the ship to at this time would 
 cause her to drift dead on a lee shore and her fate (if not 
 that of all hands) would be sealed before morning, I de- 
 termined that the remaining sail must be kept on her until 
 we had gathered sufficient offing to give her a clear drift, 
 or the sails and spars must be allowed to blow away. 
 At a quarter before midnight, the gale was very severe, 
 the squalls and wind so violent that it was impossible 
 to look to windward. The ship was madly driving and 
 plunging into a frightful sea, but still making good 
 progress from the land. All hands were stationed 
 at their posts to act as occasion required, and many an 
 inward prayer was breathed that the sails and spars 
 
io6 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 would outlive the violence of the gale, or at least until 
 they had placed us in a safe position. They performed 
 their duty as well as expected but not so well as hoped 
 for. A few minutes before twelve the fore topsail 
 yard broke in the middle, and while securing the sail, 
 which was also split, a fearful noise of tearing accom- 
 panied with a loud report as of a gun told us that the 
 main topsail had also taken leave of the yard. 
 
 " After about two hours' severe toil the remnants 
 of the two topsails were secured, and the broken yard 
 lashed aloft; the mizzen topsail was safely furled. 
 The topmast staysail had blown to fragments. At 
 this time (2 A, M.) the gale had increased to such a 
 height that it seemed impossible for it to blow harder. 
 The sea also was tremendous. Still the foresail and 
 and maiil spencer held on, the ship rolling, and plung- 
 ing and drifting dead to leeward. We had done all that 
 could be done to ensure the safety of the ship, and now 
 all we could do was to let her drift and anticipate the 
 fearful result. Part of the crew and officers were 
 now sent below to secure the casks, boxes, etc., which 
 had broken loose and were in commotion under deck, 
 while the rest were looking out for the breakers of a 
 lee shore. At this time I retired to the cabin to deter- 
 mine the position of the ship with regard to the land, 
 and found that my passengers were silently and with 
 great anxiety, no doubt, preparing themselves for the 
 worst. Ungrateful indeed was the task of setting off 
 the ship's place on the chart and painful the discovery 
 that we had not over twenty miles drift in the direction 
 we were now rapidly going. I knew that the passengers 
 
SAILOR HEROES 107 
 
 were anxiously watching my every loolc. I controlled 
 my feelings as much as possible, but dared not look them 
 in the face lest they might read something there that 
 would not add to their comfort. To their inquiries of 
 our prospects, I could only say that we must hope for a 
 favorable change. We were heading S. W. and with the 
 lee way and variation were making a N, W. course. 
 In this direction and at the distance of about 15 or 18 
 miles lay Pt. San Pedro, a high headland with dan- 
 gerous rocks near it, to the west of which the barred 
 entrance of San Francisco denied us entrance on ac- 
 count of the tremendous sea which was now rolling 
 over it, threatening destruction to any ship that should 
 approach it. W. N. W. of us were the rocky islets of 
 the Faralloncs — which are dangerous to approach 
 even in fine weather — and should we fortunately drift 
 clear of these, a few miles further we must bring up 
 on the ragged headland of Punto-de-los Reyes. I 
 returned to the deck after recommending ourselves 
 to the protection of Him who alone ' rides on the tem- 
 pest and directs the storm,' and making what arrange- 
 ments the occasion seemed to require, as calmly as 
 possible, awaited the results, expecting to hear the 
 dreadful breakers any moment. Until that appalling 
 event should occur, I deferred informing the crew 
 of their situation. But, oh the intense agony of feel- 
 ing produced by a dark stormy night and the horrors 
 of a lee shore — none can know like him on whom 
 rests the sole responsibility of managing the ship 
 in which are many precious lives. It is at such a time 
 that a single night will do the work of years in a man's 
 
io8 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 age. At 6 A. m. the day broke, but the gale still raged 
 in all its fury; the land could not be seen, as the gloom 
 was thick and the rain descended in torrents. Our 
 first object was to get down the fragments of the main 
 topsail and bend a new one. This we accomplished, 
 and at 8 o'clock a close-reefed main topsail brought the 
 ship more head to the sea, and relieved her very much. 
 After the refreshment of some hot coffee and a slight 
 breakfast — of which I could not partake — we again 
 turned to and sent down the wTeck of the fore topsail 
 yard and sail, and as all this work had to be done in 
 the teeth of a severe gale, it occupied us until noon. 
 
 1 now judged that it was impossible to be more than 
 
 2 or 3 miles from the land, and I imagined every 
 moment I could ' hear the warning voice of the lee shore, 
 speaking in breakers,' when, of a sudden, we were 
 taken hard aback by the westerly wind, blowing off 
 shore, and shortly a clear sky showed us that we were 
 distant from the breakers about ten miles, but that 
 the direction in which we were drifting would have 
 enabled us to keep off shore about 12 hours longer, had 
 the gale continued. Thanks to a merciful and prayer- 
 hearing God, we were preserved from wreck, and in 
 the afternoon got up a new topsail yard, bent new sails, 
 and, at sunset, when the sea had subsided, bore away 
 with fair wind and an unclouded and beautiful evening, 
 for Monterey. At midnight hove to, to wait for day- 
 light." 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 
 THE RECKLESS HERO OF INDIAN FAME, JAMES P. 
 BECKWOURTH 
 
 TTIGH up in the list of pioneer scouts must be 
 ^ -■■ placed the name and fame of James P. Beck- 
 wourth. Of reckless daring and undaunted courage, 
 he won a recognized position in his own day and a 
 fame which time will not dim. There is some doubt 
 as to his birth, but it is sure that there was some negro 
 blood in his veins, and this gave him enough of an 
 Indian appearance to enable him — whenever he 
 wished to do so — to pass himself off as an Indian. 
 The extent and character of his adventures were such 
 that many people have been inclined to doubt them, 
 but Leland, who edited an English edition of his Life, 
 says : 
 
 " My own honest opinion of the work is that it is 
 true in the main, simply because it was impossible 
 for its hero to have lived through the life which other 
 sources prove that he experienced, and not have met 
 with quite as extraordinary adventures as those which 
 he describes. Life is, even to this day (1891), as excit- 
 ing and as full of peril in some parts of America as is 
 possible," and he tells a story which was given to him 
 by a reliable eye witness, which Beckwourth had not 
 related in his memoirs. The story is as follows: 
 
no HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 " I do not think that Beckwourth was ever head chief 
 among the Crow Indians, though I dare say he made 
 himself out to be such ; but that he was really a sub-chief 
 is true, for I myself was on the ground when they made 
 him one — and a strange sight it was. Beckwourth 
 was a very powerful man — he had been a blacksmith 
 
 — and he certainly was a desperately brave fighter. 
 
 " A very large grizzly bear had been driven into 
 a cave, and Beckwourth asked of a great number of 
 Crows who were present whether any of them would 
 go in and kUl the creature. All declined, for it seemed 
 to be certain death. Then Beckwourth stripped him- 
 self naked, and ^vrapping a Mexican blanket around 
 his left arm, and holding a strong, sharp knife, he en- 
 tered the cave, and after a desperate fight, killed the 
 bear. I came up to the place in time to see Beckwourth 
 come out of the cave, all torn and bleeding. He looked 
 like an evil demon if ever man did. The Crows were 
 so much pleased at this that he was declared a sub- 
 chief on the spot." 
 
 Beckwourth was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, 
 in 1798. In 1854-1855 T. D. Bonner — a wanderer 
 in the mountains of California — found him there, 
 became interested in his story and wrote it. In his 
 preface Bonner says: 
 
 " After ten thousand adventures, Beckwourth finally 
 became involved in the human stream that set toward 
 the Pacific, and, almost unconsciously, he established 
 a home in one of the pleasant valleys that border on 
 Feather River. Discovering a pass in the mountains 
 
 — now incorrectly known as Beckwith Pass — that fa- 
 
JAMES P. BECKWOURTH iii 
 
 cilitated emigrants in reaching California, his house 
 became a stopping-place for the weary and dispirited 
 among them, and no doubt the associations thus pre- 
 sented have done much to efface his natural disposition 
 to wander and seek excitement among the Indian 
 tribes." 
 
 I have heard Miss Ina Coolbrith, the poet, tell the 
 story of the meeting between the party in which were her 
 father and his family (herself of the number), and Beck- 
 wourth. The party had traveled for months over the 
 plains and now, tattered in garments, wearied in body, 
 harassed in mind, sun-burned and weather-beaten, 
 they had reached the place where the plains ended and 
 the steep mountain chain of the Sierras towered before 
 them. Indians were dogging their footsteps, and the 
 little girl, supposed to be asleep in the wagon, heard 
 the men talking of the possibility of attack ; and there, 
 wide-eyed and full of alarm at danger, the full extent 
 of which she did not begin to comprehend, she lay and 
 trembled, watching such shadows as were cast and 
 imagining them the outward signs of the horrors she 
 felt within. Then Beckwourth came to their relief. 
 He offered to guide the party through his recently 
 discovered pass to Spanish Ranch in Plumas County. 
 Well does she remember his coming. Like a picture 
 that one is not sure one has seen or only dreamed of, 
 he appears to her mental vision now. A dark-faced 
 man, something like a mulatto, with long, braided 
 hair reaching down to his shoulders, dressed in beaded 
 buckskin, with moccasins on his feet, and no hat upon 
 his head, he rode into the camp. His horse was half- 
 
112 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 saddled, as Indians used to ride in that day. His voice 
 was strong and masterful but pleasant to the ears of 
 the child, for, as soon as he saw there were children 
 in the train, he took sweetmeats from his pockets and 
 a bag he had on his saddle, and began to distribute 
 them, saying words that cheered the youngsters and 
 made his appearance and dress only the peculiarities 
 of a hero. When he saw Ina and her two little brothers, 
 the boys in their short dresses, tears came into his eyes 
 and he said, " God! they're the sweetest things in 
 life." Then he began to talk to Airs. Pickett (Miss Cool- 
 brith's mother) of the great attraction children were to 
 him. What a romantic figure he made riding ahead 
 and leading the train, and how happy the little Ina felt 
 to have him by and by come back to her father's wagon, 
 reach over and lift her up to a place in front of him on 
 his saddle, and then go on again to the front. 
 
 No romance can be more interesting than the record 
 of Beckwourth's life on the border in the early day, and 
 it belongs peculiarly to young Californians to read 
 and enjoy it. Of all Beckwourth's early adventures, 
 I have no room here to speak. He was once paid an 
 annual salary by the United States government (it is 
 said two thousand dollars) to keep the Crow tribe 
 from molesting the whites who were crossing the plains. 
 Several times he was on the United States pay-roll as 
 a scout. For a time he was an Indian trader. He was 
 about fifty years old when he reached California and 
 settled down. The following is a part of his story: 
 
 " I was now inactive for some time again, and occu- 
 pied my leisure m ramblmg about the environs of 
 
, ..V'-., rMU^ 
 
 k 
 i 
 
 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 
 -4 
 
 
 
 ttM 
 
 1^^ _^ r^^.-^Mim 
 
 
 
 ^F 
 
 1 
 
 
 ■S 
 
 ■/.■ 
 
 ^.: 
 
 DONNER LAKE, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Pogc (.'^ 
 
 ■ ■■' > ■ ;.' . I '. McnJcnhall. Photo. 
 
 GENERAL VIEW OK THE COLORADO DESERT. 
 
X 
 
 X Q 
 
JAMES P. BECKWOURTH 113 
 
 Monterey. I then engaged in the service of the com- 
 missariat at Monterey, to carry despatches from thence 
 to Captain Denney's ranch, where I was met by another 
 carrier. On my road lay the mission of San ^Miguel, 
 owned by a ]Mr. Reed, an Englishman; and, as his 
 family was a very interesting one, I generally made his 
 home my resting-place. On one of my visits, arriving 
 about dusk, I entered the house as usual, but was 
 surprised to see no one stirring. I walked about a little 
 to attract attention, and no one coming to me, I stepped 
 into the kitchen to look for some of the inmates. On 
 the floor I saw some one lying do^^•n, asleep, as I sup- 
 posed. I attempted to arouse him with my foot, but he 
 did not stir. This seemed strange, and my apprehen- 
 sions became excited; for the Indians were very 
 numerous about, and I was afraid some mischief had 
 been done. I returned to my horse for my pistols, 
 then, lighting a candle, I commenced a search. In 
 going along a passage, I stumbled over the body of a 
 woman; I entered a room, and found another, a mur- 
 dered Indian woman, who had been a domestic. I was 
 about to enter another room, but I was arrested by some 
 sudden thought which urged me to search no farther. 
 It was an opportune admonition, for that very room 
 contained the murderers of the family, who had heard 
 my steps, and were sitting at that moment with their 
 pistols pointed to the door, ready to shoot the first 
 person who entered. This they confessed subsequently. 
 " Thinking to obtain farther assistance, I mounted 
 my horse and rode to the nearest ranch, a distance of 
 twenty-four miles, where I procured fifteen Mexicans 
 
114 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 and Indians, and returned with them the same night to 
 the scene of the tragedy^ On again entering the house, 
 we found eleven bodies all throwoi together in one pile 
 for the purpose of consuming them; for, on searching 
 further, we found the murderers had set fire to the 
 dwelling; but, according to that Providence which ex- 
 poses such wicked deeds, the fire had died out. 
 
 " Fastening up the house, we returned immediately 
 back to the ranch from which I had started with my 
 party, making seventy-two miles I rode that night. 
 As soon as I could obtain some rest, I started, in com- 
 pany v^th the alcalde, for San Luis Obispo, where, it was 
 believed, we could get assistance in capturing the mur- 
 derers. Forty men in detached parties, moving in dif- 
 ferent directions, went in pursuit. It was my fortune 
 to find the trail, and with my party of six men I man- 
 aged to head off the suspected murderers so as to come 
 up vdth them in the road from directly the opposite 
 direction from Reed's. When I came opposite, one of 
 the men sang out, ' Good day, senors.' I replied, but 
 kept on riding in a lope. 
 
 " The bandits, thro\\Ti entirely off their guard, 
 insisted upon .entering into conversation; so I had a 
 fair opportunity of marking them all, and discovering 
 among them a horse belonging to the unfortunate 
 Reed. I then rode to Santa Barbara, a distance of 
 forty miles, and, with a party of twenty men, started 
 boldly in pursuit. After much hard travel, we finally 
 came upon the gang, encamped for the night. Without 
 a moment's hesitation, we charged on them, and gave 
 a volley of rifles, which killed one, and wounded all 
 
JAMES P. BECKWOURTH 115 
 
 the others, save an American, named Dempsey. The 
 villains fought like tigers, but were finally mastered 
 and made prisoners. 
 
 " Dempsey turned State's evidence. He stated that, 
 on the night of the murder, his party stopped at Reed's ; 
 that Reed told them that he had just returned from 
 the mines, whereupon it was determined to kill the 
 whole family and take his gold, which turned out to 
 be the pitiful sum of one thousand dollars. After the 
 confession of Dempsey, we shot the murderers, along 
 with the ' State's evidence,' and thus ended the lives 
 of fourteen villains, who had committed the most 
 diabolical deed that ever disgraced the annals of 
 frontier life." 
 
 For four months he engaged in this messenger 
 service and then traded in the mines at Sonora for 
 awhile, then in Sacramento, and finally proceeded to 
 Greenwood Valley, in the Sierras, to establish his 
 winter quarters. Unfortunately, he was seized with 
 rheumatism, and this gave him a great deal of trouble 
 that winter; yet it did not diminish his love of adven- 
 ture, as the following story proves: 
 
 " Before I was able to get about, I was called on by 
 the inhabitants to go several miles to shoot a grizzly 
 bear, and as I was unable to walk the distance, several 
 of them volunteered to carry me. The bear was in the 
 habit of walking past a row of cabins every morning 
 on his return to his den, he having issued forth the 
 preceding night to procure his evening meal. They 
 had fired several shots at Bruin as he passed, but he 
 had never deigned to pay any attention to the molesta- 
 
ii6 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 tion. I mounted a horse, and rode some distance along 
 his customary path, until I came to a tree which offered 
 a fair shelter, to await his approach. I placed my 
 back against it as a support while I awaited his coming, 
 the neighbors drawing off to a safe distance to witness 
 the sport. By and by grizzly came in sight, walking 
 along as independently as an alderman-elect. I allowed 
 him to approach till he was within twenty paces, 
 when I called out to him; he stopped suddenly, and 
 looked around to ascertain whence the sound pro- 
 ceeded. As he arrested himself, I fired, and the ball 
 entered his heart. He advanced ten or fifteen paces 
 before he fell; the observers shouted to me to run, 
 they forgetting in their excitement that I had not 
 strength to move. The bear never stirred from where 
 he fell, and he expired without a groan. "When dressed, 
 he weighed over fourteen hundred pounds." 
 
 After recounting, with many details, one of his 
 experiences in trading with a demoralized band of 
 Indians, he concludes: 
 
 " This trading whisky for Indian property is one 
 of the most infernal practices ever entered into by man. 
 Let the reader sit down and figure up the profits on a 
 forty-gallon cask of alcohol, and he will be thunder- 
 struck, or rather whisky-struck. When disposed of, 
 four gallons of water are added to each gallon of al- 
 cohol. In two hundred gallons there are sixteen hun- 
 dred pints, for each one of which the trader gets a 
 buffalo robe worth five dollars! The Indian women 
 toil many long weeks to dress these sixteen hundred 
 robes. The white trader gets them all for worse than 
 
JAMES P. BECKWOURTH 117 
 
 nothing, for the poor Indian mother hides herself and 
 her children in the forests until the effect of the poison 
 passes away from the husbands, fathers, and brothers, 
 who love them when they have no whisky, and abuse 
 and kill them when they have. Six thousand dollars 
 for sixty gallons of alcohol. Is it a wonder that, with 
 such profits in prospect, men get rich who are engaged 
 in the fur trade? Or is it a miracle that the poor 
 buffalo arc becoming gradually exterminated, being 
 killed with so little remorse that their very hides, 
 among the Indians themselves, are known by the ap- 
 pellation of a pint of whisky? " 
 
 As a matter of record, it is well to preserve Beck- 
 wourth's own account of the discovery and history 
 of the pass that bears his name. He was going from 
 American Valley up to the home of the Pitt River 
 Indians at the time. Says he: 
 
 " While on this excursion, I discovered what is now 
 known as ' Beckwourth's Pass ' in the Sierra Nevada.' 
 From some of the elevations over which w^e passed 
 I remarked a place far away to the southward that 
 seemed low^er than any other. I made no mention of 
 it to my companion, but thought that at some future 
 time I would examine into it farther. I continued on 
 to Shasta with my fellows-traveler, and returned after 
 a fruitless journey of eighteen days. 
 
 " After a short stay in the American Valley, I again 
 started out with a prospecting party of twelve men. 
 We killed a bullock before starting and dried the meat, 
 in order to have provisions to last us during the trip. 
 
 ' It is marked on the maps and locally known as Beckwith's Pass. 
 
ii8 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 We proceeded in an easterly direction, and all busied 
 themselves in searching for gold; but my errand was 
 of a different character ; I had come to discover what I 
 suspected to be a pass. 
 
 " It was the latter end of April when we entered 
 upon an extensive valley at the northwest extremity 
 of the Sierra Range. The valley was already robed 
 in freshest verdure, contrasting most delightfully with 
 the huge snow-clad masses of rock we had just left. 
 Flowers of every variety and hue spread their variegated 
 charms before us; magpies were chattering, and gor- 
 geously-plumaged birds were carolling in the delights 
 of unmolested solitude. Swarms of wild geese and 
 ducks were swimming on the surface of the cool, 
 crystal stream, which was the central fork of the Rio 
 de las Plumas, or sailed the air in clouds over our heads. 
 Deer and antelope fiUed the plains, and their boldness 
 was conclusive that the hunter's rifle was to them 
 unknown. Nowhere visible were any traces of the 
 white man's approach, and it is probable that our steps 
 were the first that ever marked the spot. We struck 
 across this beautiful valley to the waters of the Yuba, 
 from thence to the waters of the Truchy (Truckee), 
 which latter flowed in an easterly direction, telling 
 us we were on the eastern slope of the mountain range. 
 This, I at once saw, would afford the best wagon-road 
 into the American Valley approaching from the east- 
 ward, and I imparted my views to three of my com- 
 panions in whose judgment I placed the most confidence. 
 They thought highly of the discovery, and even proposed 
 to associate with me in opening the road. We also 
 
JAMES P. BECKWOURTH 119 
 
 found gold, but not in suflEicient quantity to warrant 
 our working it; and, furthermore, the ground was too 
 wet to admit of our prospecting to any advantage. 
 
 " On my return to the American Valley, I made 
 known my discovery to a Mr. Turner, proprietor of 
 the American Ranch, who entered enthusiastically 
 into my views; it was a thing, he said, he had never 
 dreamed of before. If I could but carry out my plan, 
 and divert travel into that road, he thought I should 
 be a made man for life. Thereupon he drew up a 
 subscription list, setting forth the merits of the 
 project, and showing how the road could be made 
 practicable to Bidwell's Bar, and thence to Marysville, 
 which latter place would derive peculiar advantages 
 from the discovery. He headed the subscription with 
 two hundred dollars. 
 
 " When I reached Bidwell's Bar and unfolded my 
 project, the town was seized with a perfect mania for 
 the opening of the route. The subscriptions toward 
 the fund required for its accomplishment amounted to 
 five hundred dollars. I then proceeded to Marysville, 
 a place which would unquestionably derive greater 
 benefit from the newly-discovered route than any other 
 place on the way, since this must be the entrepot or prin- 
 cipal starting-place for emigrants. I communicated 
 with several of the most influential residents on the 
 subject in hand. They also spoke very encouragingly 
 of my undertaking, and referred me before all others 
 to the mayor of the city. Accordingly, I waited upon 
 that gentleman (a Mr. Miles), and brought the matter 
 under his notice, representing it as being a legitimate 
 
120 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 matter for his interference, and offering substantial 
 advantages to the commercial prosperity of the city. 
 The mayor entered warmly into my views, and pro- 
 nounced it as his opinion that the profits resulting 
 from the speculation could not be less than from six to 
 ten thousand dollars; and as the benefits accruing 
 to the city would be incalculable, he would ensure my 
 expenses while engaged upon it. 
 
 " I mentioned that I should prefer some guarantee 
 before entering upon my labors, to secure me against 
 loss of what money I might lay out. 
 
 " ' Leave that to me,' said the mayor; * I will attend 
 to the whole affair. I feel confident that a subject 
 of so great importance to our interests will engage the 
 earliest attention,' 
 
 " I thereupon left the whole proceeding in his hands, 
 and, immediately setting men to work upon the road, 
 went out to Truckee to turn emigration into my newly- 
 discovered route. While thus busily engaged I was 
 seized with erysipelas, and abandoned all hopes of 
 recovery; I was over one hundred miles away from 
 medical assistance, and my only shelter was a brush 
 tent. I made my will, and resigned myself to death. 
 Life still lingered in me, however, and a train of wagons 
 came up, and encamped near to where I lay. I was 
 reduced to a very low condition, but I saw the drivers, 
 and acquainted them with the object that had brought 
 me out there. They offered to attempt the new road 
 if I thought myself sufficiently strong to guide them 
 through it. The women, God bless them! came to 
 my assistance, and through their kind attentions and 
 
JAMES P. BECKWOURTH 121 
 
 excellent nursing I rapidly recovered from my linger- 
 ing sickness, until I was soon able to mount my horse, 
 and lead the first train, consisting of seventeen wagons, 
 through ' Beckwourth's Pass.' We reached the American 
 Valley without the least accident, and the emigrants 
 expressed entire satisfaction with the route. I returned 
 with the train through Marysville, and on the intelli- 
 gence being communicated of the practicabiHty of my 
 road, there was quite a pubhc rejoicing. A northern 
 route had been discovered, and the city had received 
 an impetus that would ad\'ance her beyond all her sisters 
 on the Pacific shore. I felt proud of my achievement, 
 and was foolish enough to promise myself a substantial 
 recognition of my labors. 
 
 " I was destined to disappointment, for that same 
 night Aiarysville was laid in ashes. The mayor of 
 the ruined town congratulated me upon bringing a 
 train through. He regretted that their recent calamity 
 had placed it entirely beyond his power to obtain for 
 me any substantial reward. With the exception of 
 some two hundred dollars subscribed by some liberal- 
 minded citizens of Marysville, I ha^•c received no 
 indemnification for the money and labor I have ex- 
 pended upon my discovery. The city has been greatly 
 benefited by it, as all must acknowledge, for the emi- 
 grants that now flock to Marysville would otherwise 
 have gone to Sacramento. Sixteen hundred dollars 
 I expended upon the road is forever gone, but those 
 who derive advantage from this outlay and loss of time 
 devote no thought to the discoverer; nor do I see 
 clearly how I am to help myself, for every one knows 
 
122 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 I cannot roll a mountain into the pass and shut it up. 
 But there is one thing certain: although I recognize 
 no superior in love of country, and feel in all its force 
 the obligation imposed upon me to advance her inter- 
 ests, still, when I go out hunting in the mountains a 
 road for everybody to pass through, and expending my 
 time and capital upon an object from which I shall 
 derive no benefit, it will be because I have nothing 
 better to do. 
 
 " In the spring of 1852 I established myself in 
 Beckwourth Valley, and finally found myself trans- 
 formed into a hotel-keeper and chief of a trading-post. 
 My house is considered the emigrant's landing-place, 
 as it is the first ranch he arrives at in the Golden State, 
 and is the only house between this point and Salt Lake. 
 Here is a valley two hundred and forty miles in circum- 
 ference, containing some of the choicest land in the 
 world. Its yield of hay is incalculable; the red and 
 white clovers spring up spontaneously, and the grass 
 that covers its smooth surface is of the most nutritious 
 nature. When the weary, toil-worn emigrant reaches 
 this valley, he feels himself secure; he can lay himself 
 down and taste refreshing repose, undisturbed by the 
 fear of Indians. His cattle can graze around him in 
 pasture up to their eyes, without running any danger 
 of being driven off by the Arabs of the forest, and springs 
 flow before them as pure as any that refresh this ver- 
 dant earth." 
 
 Since this chapter was written I note that the Western Pacific 
 Railway is built through the pass discovered by Beckwourth, and that 
 the officials of that railway, with wise and enlightened desire to pre- 
 serve historic accuracy, are denoting it as Beckwourth, instead of 
 Beckwith, on their maps and literature. 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 THE DARING HEROES OF THE PONY EXPRESS AND THE 
 OVERLAND STAGE 
 
 'T^HIS is not so much the recital of individualistic 
 -■■ exploits of heroism and bravery, as of collective 
 acts of great daring and courage, in which extraordinary 
 heroism was the daily experience of all the active 
 participants. No man could e\er have engaged in 
 the work of the old overland stage, or the pony express, 
 unless he were at least physically brave. And, when 
 one comes to analyze acts, or especially a life, of physical 
 bravery, it is sometimes hard to draw the line and say 
 where that ends and moral heroism begins. 
 
 To fully realize these preliminary words, it is but 
 necessary to recall the conditions under which the over- 
 land stage was started and the circumstances that sur- 
 rounded its daily operation. California was seized 
 for the Union by Commodore Sloat, on Tuesday, 
 July 7, 1846. Gold was discovered by Marshall in 
 January, 1848. The news speedily reached Salt Lake 
 by means of the Mormons, and Oregon by way of 
 Honolulu, and immediately an influx of gold-seekers 
 began. But it was not until the end of the year 
 that the East fully awoke to the importance of the 
 discovery. There were no rapid means of communica- 
 tion, — no regular methods of any kind. The con- 
 
124 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 vention called by General Riley to frame a civil con- 
 stitution for the new State convened on September 3, 
 1849, and on October 13 the work was accomplished 
 and the constitution signed. The first election • took 
 place November 13, when Peter H. Burnett was 
 elected first governor, and the constitution was ratified 
 by a vote of twelve thousand and sixty-four against 
 eight hundred and eleven. Burnett was installed on 
 November 20, and on December 15 the State legislature 
 met at San Jose and elected Fremont and Gwin United 
 States Senators. 
 
 Here, then, was a State practically three thousand 
 miles away from the seat of federal government, and 
 without means of speedy communication between them, 
 save by special despatch at enormous expense. The 
 mail was carried via Panama and came once a month. 
 In 1 85 1 this was extended to twice a month, at a cost 
 of between seven hundred thousand and eight hundred 
 thousand dollars a year. This state of affairs continued 
 until 1858, when the Butterfield route from San Fran- 
 cisco to St. Louis was established via Los Angeles, 
 Yuma, Tucson, and over New Mexico, Texas and 
 Arkansas. Nothing, however, was gained in time by 
 this change, for it required about as long as to come 
 by the steamers. The fastest time made at this period 
 from San Francisco to New York was twenty-one days. 
 The only advantage was that the overland stage went 
 twice a week, whereas the steamers sailed only twice a 
 month. 
 
 At this time (1858) Messrs. Russell, Majors and 
 Waddell were running a daily stage between St. Joseph, 
 
HEROES OF PONY EXPRESS 125 
 
 Missouri (then the terminus of the railway lines) and 
 Salt Lake City, as well as transporting large quantities 
 of government stores by freight wagons over the same 
 line. This route for some time had engaged the atten- 
 tion of Senator Gwin, He realized how much shorter it 
 was than the Butterfield route, but every attempt to get 
 his colleagues in the United States Senate to consider 
 the construction of such a route, by subsidy or other- 
 wise, was met with their assurances that such a route 
 was not feasible during a large part of the year. The 
 Sierran barrier, they urged, would effectually prevent 
 any regular stage from running, even were a road con- 
 structed, and therefore it was a waste of time to con- 
 sider such a project. Senator Gwin, however, was not 
 so easily daunted, and in 1859, meeting Mr. Russell 
 in Washington, he used his most eloquent endeavors to 
 persuade him to start such a line. He assured the 
 stage man that if he would demonstrate its feasibility 
 he would guarantee a large subsidy for carrying the 
 mail that would more than indemnify his firm for the 
 large outlay, but that it was useless to ask his colleagues 
 for their vote for a subsidy until the route had actually 
 been opened and operated during the winter months. 
 Enthusiastic over the idea, Mr. Russell came west 
 to confer with his partners. On looking at it from the 
 purely commercial standpoint, these practical men 
 threw cold water upon the scheme, but when Russell 
 urged it afresh, on the ground of its national importance, 
 the benefit it would be to the northern States in case 
 of any conflict with the South, and further, because it 
 would gain them an influential friend in Senator Gwin, 
 
126 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 they finally decided to accede to his wishes and go 
 ahead. 
 
 Accordingly, five hundred of the fleetest horses of the 
 country were purchased, and the services of over two 
 hundred competent men secured, eighty of whom were 
 chosen, because of their slimness, as riders. The 
 lighter the man the better for the horse, as in some 
 portions of the route the scheduled time required 
 a speed of twenty miles an hour. 
 
 The stage company already had stage stations some 
 ten to twelve miles apart, located between St. Joseph 
 and Salt Lake City, but an entirely new set of stations 
 had to be built between Salt Lake City and Sacra- 
 mento. These were located at a distance of about 
 seventy-five miles apart, and through a country that 
 none but heroes would have engaged to work in. It 
 was infested with wild animals, hostile Indians, and 
 occasionally with abandoned whites, who were more 
 cruel and bloodthirsty than either. It was wild and 
 desert country, totally uninhabited, except for the roving 
 Indians and desperadoes, who valued human life less than 
 they valued that of a buffalo or an antelope. In the sum- 
 mer, the hot, dusty, alkali plains were as dangerous and 
 trying as were the rocky Sierras, deeply covered with 
 snow, in the winter. None but brave men, experienced 
 scouts, Indian fighters, plainsmen, inured to hardship 
 and ready for any adventure, would have dared under- 
 take the work. They were paid one hundred and 
 twenty to one hundred and twenty-five dollars a month 
 for their services, and were engaged because of their 
 vigilance, bravery, agility and determination to " get 
 
A BUCKING HORSE IN THE HEART OF THE COLORADO DESERT. 
 
 L". S. Geological Siiricy, F. B. irccks, Photo. 
 
 TEN MILES SOUTH OF FURNACE CREEK, DEATH VALLEY. 
 
ALEXANDER MAJORS. 
 Founder of the Pony Express. 
 
 Page 132 
 
HEROES OF PONY EXPRESS 127 
 
 through," Their romantic story has never fully been 
 told. 
 
 The day of the first start was April 3, i860. It 
 was an epoch-forming day in transcontinental trans- 
 portation, for not only did it cut down the time to ten 
 days, but it clearly demonstrated that the central route 
 was feasible, and thus prepared the congressional mind, 
 as well as that of the pubhc, for the building of the 
 Central Pacific Railway. 
 
 Harry Roff was the first rider. Mounted on a spirited 
 bronco, he left Sacramento and covered the first twenty 
 miles, including one change, in fifty-nine minutes. On 
 reaching Folsom, he changed again and started for 
 Placerville, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, fifty-five 
 miles away. Here a rider named " Boston " took the 
 mail-pouch and dashed on to Friday's Station, crossing 
 the Sierra, where pack-trains and mules were kept 
 constantly moving back and forth to tread down the 
 snow, which in some places was over thirty feet deep. 
 Sam Hamilton relieved " Boston," and took the ride 
 through Genoa, Carson City, Dayton and Reed's 
 Station to Fort Churchill, — seventy-five miles. So far, 
 one hundred and eighty-five miles, the time consumed 
 was fifteen hours and twenty minutes, in spite of the 
 crossing of the snow-covered range. At Fort Churchill, 
 Robert H. Haslam — better known as '' Pony Bob," — 
 took the sack and carried it one hundred and twenty 
 miles through the country of the hostile and warlike 
 Paiutis to Smith's Creek. From this point Jay G. 
 Kelley rode to Ruby Valley, Utah, one hundred and 
 sixteen miles; thence H. Richardson carried the pre- 
 
128 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 cious mail one hundred and five miles to Deep Creek. 
 The last rider, George Thatcher, took it to Rush Valley 
 (Old Camp Floyd), eighty miles, and on to Salt Lake 
 City, — fifty miles. 
 
 The westward mail from St. Joseph, Missouri, 
 started at the same time and passed from rider to rider 
 by way of South Pass, Salt Lake, Humbolt River and 
 Carson Valley over the Sierras to Sacramento, which 
 it reached on April 13. The news of its coming caused 
 great excitement and enthusiasm; crowds went out 
 to meet it, and both houses of the State legislature 
 then in session adjourned to welcome it and do honor to 
 the occasion. The carrier came in time for the regular 
 afternoon steamboat for San Francisco, and with his 
 horse and the precious mail-bag, just as he had ar- 
 rived, was put on board, and conveyed to San Fran- 
 cisco, where he arrived at one o'clock on the morning 
 of the fourteenth. That city already had telegraphic 
 communication with Sacramento, so the whole city 
 was on hand to welcome the solitary rider with brass 
 bands, torches and all the acclaim of a great public 
 event. A procession was formed, the music struck up, 
 and the crowd, enthusiastically cheering, conveyed the 
 mail-carrier and his precious pouch to the post-office. 
 
 Thus was inaugurated the celebrated Pony Express, 
 which continued in active operation for only about 
 two years. There were two mails a week, each way, 
 but only about two hundred letters could be carried 
 each time. Tissue paper ordinarily was used for the 
 correspondence, and the postage was fixed at five 
 dollars for each half ounce. 
 
HEROES OF PONY EXPRESS 129 
 
 " Pony Bob " thus describes some of his experiences, 
 which may be regarded as fairly typical of those of his 
 compeers : 
 
 " About eight months after the Pony Express com- 
 menced operations, the Paiuti War began in Nevada, 
 and as no regular troops were then at hand, a volunteer 
 corps, raised in California, with Colonel Jack Hayes 
 and Henry Meredith — the latter being killed in the 
 first battle at Pyramid Lake — in command, came over 
 the mountains to defend the whites. Virginia City, 
 Nevada, then the principal point of interest, and hourly 
 expecting an attack from hostile Indians, was only in 
 its infancy. A stone hotel on C Street was in course of 
 erection, and had reached an elevation of two stories. 
 This was hastily transformed into a fort for the pro- 
 tection of women and children. 
 
 " From the city the signal fires of the Indians could 
 be seen on every mountain peak, and all available 
 men and horses were pressed into service to repel the 
 impending assault of the savages. When I reached 
 Reed's Station, on the Carson River, I found no change 
 of horses, as all those at the station had been seized by 
 the whites to take part in the approaching battle. 
 I fed the animal that I rode, and started for the next 
 station, called Buckland's, afterward knowTi as Fort 
 Churchill, fifteen miles down the river. This point 
 was to have been the termination of my journey (as I 
 had been changed from my old route to this one, in 
 which I had had many narrow escapes and been twice 
 wounded by Indians), as I had ridden seventy-five 
 miles, but, to my great astonishment, the other rider 
 
I30 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 refused to go on. The superintendent, W, C. Marley, 
 was at the station, but all his persuasion could not 
 prevail on the rider, Johnnie Richardson, to take the 
 road. Turning then to me, Marley said : ' Bob, I'll 
 give you fifty dollars if you make this ride.' 
 
 " I replied: ' I'll go you once.' 
 
 " Within ten minutes, when I had adjusted my 
 Spencer rifle — a seven-shooter — and my Colt's 
 revolver, with two cylinders ready for use in case of 
 an emergency, I started. From the station onward 
 was a lonely and dangerous ride of thirty-five miles, 
 without any change, to the sink of the Carson. I 
 arrived there all right, however, and pushed on to 
 Sand Springs, through an alkali bottom and sand 
 hills, thirty miles farther, without a drop of water 
 all along the route. At Sand Springs I changed horses, 
 and continued on to Cold Springs, a distance of thirty- 
 seven miles. Another change, and a ride of thirty 
 miles more, brought me to Smith's Creek. Here I was 
 relieved by J. G. Kelley. I had ridden one hundred 
 and eighty-five miles, stopping only to eat and to change 
 horses. 
 
 " After remaining at Smith's Creek about nine hours, 
 I started to retrace my journey with the return express. 
 When I arrived at Cold Springs, to my horror I found 
 that the station had been attacked by Indians, the 
 keeper killed and all the horses taken away. What 
 course to pursue I decided in a moment — I would go 
 on. I watered my horse — having ridden him thirty 
 miles without stop, he was pretty tired — and started for 
 Sand Springs, thirty-seven miles away. It was growing 
 
HEROES OF PONY EXPRESS 131 
 
 dark, and my road lay through heavy sage-brush, high 
 enough in some places to conceal a horse. I kept a 
 bright lookout, and closely watched every motion of 
 my poor horse's ears, which is a signal for danger 
 in an Indian country. I was prepared for a fight, but the 
 stillness of the night and the howling of the wolves 
 and coyotes made cold chills run through me at times, 
 but I reached Sand Springs in safety and reported 
 what had happened. Before leaving I advised the 
 station-keeper to come with me to the sink of the Carson, 
 for I was sure the Indians would be upon him the next 
 day. He took my ad\icc, and so probably saved his 
 life, for the following morning Smith's Creek was at- 
 tacked. The whites, however, were well protected 
 in the shelter of a stone house, from which they fought 
 the Indians for four days. At the end of that time 
 they were relieved by the appearance of about fifty 
 volunteers from Cold Springs. These men reported 
 that they had buried John Williams, the brave keeper 
 of that station, but not before his body had been nearly 
 devoured by wolves. 
 
 " When I arrived at the sink of the Carson, I found 
 the station men badly frightened, for they had seen 
 some fifty warriors, decked out in their war-paint and 
 reconnoitering the station. There were fifteen white 
 men here, well armed and ready for a fight. 
 
 " The station was built of adobe, and was large 
 enough for the men and ten or fifteen horses, with 
 a fine spring of water within ten feet of it. I rested 
 here an hour, and after dark started for Buckland's, 
 where I arrived without a mishap and only three and a 
 
132 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 half hours behind schedule time. I found Mr. Marley 
 at Buckland's, and when I related to him the story of the 
 Cold Springs tragedy and my success, he raised his 
 previous offer of fifty dollars for my ride to one hundred 
 dollars. I was rather tired, but the excitement of the 
 trip had braced me up to withstand the fatigue of the 
 journey. After a rest of one and a half hours, I pro- 
 ceeded over my own route, from Buckland's to Friday's 
 Station, crossing the western summit of the Sierra 
 Nevada. I had traveled three hundred and eighty miles 
 within a few hours of schedule time, and surrounded 
 by perils on every hand." 
 
 Alexander Majors, one of the founders of the Pony 
 Express, in his Memoirs says: " Two important events 
 transpired during the term of the Pony's existence. 
 One was the carrying of President Buchanan's last 
 message to Congress, in December, i860, from the 
 Missouri River to Sacramento, a distance of two thou- 
 sand miles, in eight days and some hours. The other 
 was the carrying of President Lincoln's inaugural ad- 
 dress of March 4, 1861, over the same route in seven days 
 and, I think, seventeen hours, being the quickest time, 
 taking the distance into consideration, on record in 
 this or any other country, as far as I know. 
 
 " One of the most remarkable feats ever accom- 
 plished was made by F. X. Aubery, who traveled the 
 distance of eight hundred miles, between Santa F^, 
 New Mexico and Independence, Missouri, in five days 
 and thirteen hours. This ride, in my opinion, in one 
 respect was the most remarkable one ever made by 
 any man. The entire distance was ridden without 
 
HEROES OF PONY EXPRESS 133 
 
 stopping to rest, and ha\'ing a change of horses only 
 once in every one hundred or two hundred miles. 
 He kept a lead-horse by his side most of the time, so 
 that when the one he was riding gave out entirely, 
 he changed the saddle to the extra horse, left the horse 
 he had been riding, and went on again at full 
 speed. 
 
 " At the time he made this ride, in much of the terri- 
 tory he passed through he was liable to meet hostile 
 Indians, so that his adventure was daring in more ways 
 than one. In the first place, the man who attempted to 
 ride eight hundred miles in the time he did took his 
 life in his hands. There is perhaps not one man in a 
 million who could have lived to finish such a journey." 
 
 Another rider, J. G. Kelley, thus tells some of his 
 own experiences. He was appointed assistant to the 
 station-keeper at Sand Springs: 
 
 " The war against the Paiuti Indians was then at its 
 height, and we were in the middle of the Paiuti country, 
 which made it necessary for us to keep a standing guard 
 night and day. The Indians were often seen skulking 
 around, but none of them ever came near enough for 
 us to get a shot at them, till one dark night, when 
 I was on guard, I noticed one of our horses prick up 
 his ears and stare. I looked in the direction indicated 
 and saw an Indian's head projecting above the wall. 
 
 " My instructions were to shoot if I saw an Indian 
 within shooting distance, as that would wake the boys 
 quicker than anything else; so I fired and missed my 
 man. 
 
 " Later on we saw the Indian camp-fires on the 
 
134 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 mountain, and in the mornuig saw many tracks. They 
 evidently intended to stampede our horses, and if 
 necessary kill us. The next day one of our riders, 
 a Mexican, rode into camp with a bullet hole through 
 him from the left to the right side, having been shot by 
 Indians while coming down Edwards Creek, in the 
 quaking-asp bottom. This he told us as we assisted 
 him off his horse. He was tenderly cared for, but 
 died before surgical aid could reach him. 
 
 " As I was the lightest man of the station, I was 
 ordered to take the Mexican's place on the route. My 
 weight was then one hundred pounds, while I now 
 weigh two hundred and thirty. Two days after taking 
 the route, on my return trip, I had to ride through the 
 forest of quaking-asp trees where the Mexican had been 
 shot. A trail had been cut through these little trees, 
 just wide enough to allow a horse and rider to pass. 
 As the road was crooked and the branches came to- 
 gether from either side, just above my head when 
 mounted, it was impossible to see ahead more than 
 ten or fifteen yards, and it was two miles through the 
 forest. 
 
 " I expected to have trouble, and prepared for it by 
 dropping my bridle reins on the neck of my horse, put 
 my Sharp's rifle at full cock, kept both spurs in the 
 flanks, and we went through that forest like a ' streak 
 of greased lightning.' 
 
 " At the top of the hill I dismounted to rest my horse, 
 and looking back, saw the bushes moving in several 
 places. As there were no cattle or game in that vicinity, 
 I knew the movements must be caused by Indians, 
 
HEROES OF PONY EXPRESS 135 
 
 and was more positive of it when, after firing several 
 shots at the spot where I saw the bushes moving, all 
 agitation ceased. Several days after that, two United 
 States soldiers, who were on the way to their command, 
 were shot and killed from the ambush of those bushes, 
 and stripped of their clothing, by the red devils." 
 
 These stories are but typical. Others could be told 
 equally interesting of adventures " by flood and field," 
 — fording dangerous streams, sinking into quicksands, 
 swallowed up by floods and cloudbursts, caught in 
 sandstorms, perishing in snow-drifts, scorching to 
 death in alkali flats that reflected the fierce rays of 
 the summer sun, bewildered by mirages, tormented by 
 thirst, etc., etc. These gallant men deserve a monu- 
 ment to their memory and work, for every day saw 
 them do brave and heroic deeds. 
 
 Equally meritorious was the profession of stage- 
 driving in those early and Indian-threatening days. 
 Most of the old-time " knights of the whip " were 
 true heroes. 
 
 Regardless of all obstacles, they resolutely endeav- 
 ored to get through " on time." Attacks by Indians, 
 " hold-ups " by " road agents," blockings of the road 
 by snow, mud or drifted sands, the flooding of streams 
 that must be forded, the breaking of bridges, accidents 
 to themselves, stock, or coaches, — anything, every- 
 thing must be overcome and the wheels roll into the 
 station on " schedule time." Many a time have I 
 ridden with these old knights of the whip, for thirty 
 years ago, when I first came to the West, though the 
 Central Pacific Railway had ousted the overland stage, 
 
136 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 there were many side routes in California, Nevada and 
 Arizona over which stages still ran. 
 
 This chapter cannot better be concluded than by 
 a quotation from a novel, one of the first written by 
 a Californian, which gives a true account of a portion 
 of a stage-ride over the Sierra Nevada: 
 
 " The brake w^as left untouched, and the vehicle 
 pushing upon the horses sent them flying down the 
 grade with fearful rapidity. It was not driving that 
 Jack now did. It was too dark to drive. He could 
 only hold the lines in his hand and let the horses follow 
 their own instinct. True, they would not go over the 
 precipice of their own accord; but they might go so 
 near the edge at any moment as to let the coach fall 
 over. . . . 
 
 " And so they thundered along the narrow shelf cut 
 in the mountain- side, at the rate of sixteen miles an 
 hour, trusting all to the instinct of six mustangs. 
 
 " At each half minute a gleam of lightning would blaze 
 forth, and show them the yawning gulf, fifteen hundred 
 feet deep, along the very edge of which they were madly 
 rushing. So, round and round, they twisted and curved 
 with the spurs and angles of the mountain, at times 
 running out upon a projecting point, at the end of 
 which, seemingly, nothing but wings could rescue 
 them from the fearful plunge that lay beyond; but, 
 just as the leap was to be taken, the jaunty lead horses 
 would turn a sharp corner of the projecting wall, fol- 
 lowed by the others, and at last the coach itself would 
 sway over the abyss, and then, with a roll and a swing, 
 follow the flying horses along the ledge, still in safety." 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 
 THE STREET- PREACHING HERO OF " FORTY- NINE," 
 WILLIAM TAYLOR 
 
 "O EGARDLESS of differences of opinion in the- 
 ■■•^ ology and churches, every person can recognize 
 courage, bravery and heroism in actions prompted by 
 religious behef. InteUigent Methodists appreciate the 
 spirit of the work of Padre Serra as much as do the 
 CathoHcs, and good Christian Scientists can see the 
 bravery and courage of Livingstone as well as the 
 Scotch Presbyterians. Whatever a man's belief, it 
 certainly requires faith, bravery, courage of a high 
 order — in a word, heroism — to preach a pure and 
 simple religion in all its rigor to men of openly wicked 
 lives. It will not be denied by any student, and cer- 
 tainly not by any pioneer, that there was much open 
 wickedness in California, both in San Francisco and 
 the mines, in the early days after the discovery of 
 gold. While it is not true, as some have rashly as- 
 serted, that the greater part of the pioneers were men 
 of irreligious and immoral lives, it must be confessed 
 that for many years certain phases of wickedness 
 were rampant, open and defiant. Senator Wilson 
 Flint says that in 1850 three sides of Portsmouth Square 
 in San Francisco " were mostly occupied by buildings 
 which served the double purpose of hotels and gambling- 
 
138 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 houses, the latter calling being regarded at that time 
 as a very reputable profession." 
 
 A writer in 1876 says: " Gambling! It is not 
 strange that, to-day, San Franciscans are so fond of 
 speculative sports and businesses. Twenty and twenty- 
 five years ago they all gambled. The finest and most 
 substantial houses in the city were the ' gilded palaces 
 of chance.' Faro, roulette, monte, and rondo were all 
 favorite games. Gold was so easily obtained and so 
 abundant, that everybody had money to stake on the 
 game. Sometimes these stakes were enormous. Twenty 
 thousand dollars were risked on the turn of a single 
 card. Such large bets were, of course, rare; but one 
 thousand, three thousand, and five thousand dollars 
 were almost nightly lost and won as single stakes. 
 
 " So popular was the game, that men who had quit 
 the pulpit, the deaconship, the Sabbath- school teach- 
 er's place, to come to California, as naturally drifted 
 into the gambling-house and took their turn at play 
 as the most hardened gamester. The gambling- 
 houses were the only places of resort. Every lodging- 
 house was full and overflowing; hotels were crowded, 
 and as there were no homes in this strange community, 
 the restless people must needs seek shelter in the 
 barrooms where the games went on. These places 
 were comfortable at least; they were well lighted at 
 night, there was that other subtle attraction, that 
 exciting and intoxicating amusement that, once in- 
 dulged in with success, becomes fascinating." 
 
 The writers of the Annals of San Francisco state 
 that: "The general population of San Francisco 
 
STREET -PREACHING HERO 139 
 
 in 1852, with shame it must be confessed, in those 
 days — as is still the case in 1854, to a considerable 
 extent — drank largely of intoxicating liquors. A 
 great many tippled at times, and quite as many swore 
 lustily. They are an adventurous people, and their en- 
 joyments are all of an exciting kind. They are bold 
 and reckless, from the style of the place and the nature 
 both of business and amusement. Newcomers fall 
 naturally into the same character." 
 
 Again they say: "There is a sad recklessness of 
 conduct and carelessness of life among the people 
 of California, and nearly all the inhabitants of San 
 Francisco, whatever be their native country, or their 
 original pacific disposition, share in the same hasty, 
 wild character and feeling." 
 
 I have quoted these passages, but deem them all, 
 except that of Senator Flint, exaggerated. The open- 
 ness of vice was so glaring that it obstructed the vision 
 of the ordinary observer, and prevented him from seeing 
 and knowing the large number of good men the city 
 possessed. But it was bad enough, and honest, true, 
 sober, and Christian men of every faith, Catholic 
 and Protestant alike, felt that somethmg should be 
 done to check the open spirit of profligacy, vice and 
 immorality. 
 
 A common expression of those early days to palliate 
 man's open indulgence in wrong-doing was " God 
 doesn't hold any man responsible for his conduct after 
 he crosses the Missouri River," and another: "It is 
 impossible to live religion in California, and there- 
 fore it's no use to trv." 
 
I40 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 These quotations, even though exaggerated, show 
 that drinking, gambling, sensuaUty and carousing 
 generally were openly indulged in, and both palliated 
 and tolerated by many people. Nearly every man 
 went fully armed. The revolver and bowie knife 
 were almost as common possessions as an ordinary 
 pocket-knife is to-day. Hence it can well be seen 
 that a timid and hesitating soul would have deemed 
 it the risk of his life to enter the stronghold of this 
 class of men and boldly tell them of their lawlessness. 
 But among the earliest arrivals in San Francisco after 
 the gold discovery became known was a man who 
 knew no fear, who had no timidity, who was bold 
 to temerity, and outspoken to apparent recklessness. 
 This man was William Taylor, a Methodist preacher 
 from Baltimore, Maryland, who for seven years 
 preached every Sunday in the streets of San Francisco, 
 and afterwards wrote a book, entitled Seven Years 
 Street-Preaching in San Francisco, from which most 
 of the statements in this chapter are taken. 
 
 He arrived in San Francisco September 22, 1849, 
 and on December 3, 1849, ^^ announced at the little 
 Methodist church " on the hill," that he would preach 
 in the open air, in Portsmouth Square, at three p. m. 
 
 Says Taylor: "It was regarded by most persons 
 present, if not all, as a very dangerous experiment; 
 for the gamblers were a powerful and influential party 
 in the city, and the Plaza was their principal rendez- 
 vous, and Sunday the best day of the seven for their 
 business. The Plaza was nearly surrounded by 
 gambling and drinking- houses. The gamblers oc- 
 
STREET - PREACHING HERO 141 
 
 cupied the best houses in the city, and had them 
 furnished in the most magnificent style. 
 
 " The walls of these houses (the gambling and 
 drinking-saloons) were hung with splendid paintings; 
 * the tables ' contained ' piles ' of gold and silver ; the 
 musicians occupied a high platform in the rear end 
 of the saloon; the ' needful ' was served out by ' a 
 gentleman of the bar,' in one corner, near the en- 
 trance, where many a jolly circle drank to each other's 
 health the deadly draught. These places, especially 
 at night, all night, and on Sunday, were crowded 
 with moving masses of humanity, of every age and 
 complexion. So powerful was this class of men in 
 the city, that I do not remember of ever hearing of one 
 of them, in those days, being arrested, even for mur- 
 der." 
 
 Here it was that William Taylor, his wife and another 
 lady seated near by, took his stand on a carpenter's 
 work-bench, and, after singing an old-fashioned Meth- 
 odist hymn, began to preach to an immense crowd. 
 To be a successful street- preacher requires genius of 
 a peculiar order, and Taylor's introductory remarks 
 at least foreshadowed his possession of this genius. 
 He said: " Gentlemen, if our friends in the Atlantic 
 States, with the views and feelings they entertained 
 of California society when I left there, had heard that 
 there was to be preaching this afternoon in Portsmouth 
 Square, in San Francisco, they would have predicted 
 disorder, confusion, and riot; but we, who are here, 
 believe very differently. One thing is certain, there 
 is no man who loves to see those Stars and Stripes 
 
142 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 floating on the breeze " (pointing to the flag of our 
 Union), " and who loves the institutions fostered under 
 them; in a word, there's no true American but will 
 observe order under the preaching of God's word 
 anywhere, and maintain it, if need be. We shall have 
 order, gentlemen." He then proceeded with his 
 address, and this " proved to be the first of a series 
 of nearly six hundred sermons preached in these 
 streets, the confluence of all the various creeds, and 
 isms, and notions, and feelings, and prejudices of the 
 representatives of all the nations, Christian and 
 heathen." 
 
 This shrewdness in introducing the subject to his 
 peculiar audience was but one proof of his especial 
 fitness for the work he had chosen. Other qualities 
 were equally essential to success. He must be able 
 to seize upon any passing or trivial circumstance, and 
 turn it to advantage; he must be witty and skilful at 
 repartee; he must be good-natured, patient and gentle- 
 manly under diversely irritating and provoking cir- 
 cumstances, yet firm and insistent upon the mainte- 
 nance of good order; fearless in speech and conduct; 
 honest, sincere and simple in his daily life; and he 
 must also be a devotee to that which he declares. 
 
 Scores of forceful instances might be related showing 
 Taylor's power to seize and happily turn the passing 
 circumstance to his advantage. He once preached, 
 on the Pacific Street Wharf, with a barrel of whisky 
 as a pulpit, and thus prefaced his discourse: " Gentle- 
 men, I have for my pulpit to-day, as you see, a barrel 
 of whisky. I presume this is the first time this barrel 
 
STREET -PREACHING HERO 143 
 
 has ever been appropriated to a useful purpose. The 
 ' critter ' contained in it will do me no harm while 
 I keep it under my feet. And let me say now to you 
 all, to sailors and to landsmen, never let the ' critter ' 
 get above your feet. Keep it under your feet, and you 
 have nothing to fear from it." 
 
 The following Sunday his pulpit was a barrel of 
 pork, and this led to the following introduction: "I 
 see my pulpit of last Sabbath, the barrel of whisky, is 
 gone, and I am very much afraid that my timely 
 warning, as is too often the case, was not heeded, and 
 that its contents have ere this gone down the throats 
 of some of our fellow-citizens. I have in its stead to- 
 day, as you see, a barrel of pork, literally less of the 
 spirit and more of the flesh." He then proceeded to 
 discourse upon the necessity of keeping under the lusts 
 of the flesh if a man would attain to the happiness of 
 wisdom. 
 
 A shrewd, homely wit aided this turning of circum- 
 stance to fortuitous advantage. One Sunday two 
 fruit vendors, thmkuig to turn to profit the large 
 crowds that Taylor always gathered around him, set 
 up their movable stands, one on each side of his barrel 
 pulpit. Appearing not to notice their presence, Taylor 
 — as he quaintly terms it — began to " sing up " his 
 congregation, and soon had a circle about twenty deep, 
 standing as close as possible, with the Spanish and 
 French fruit-dealers in the centre. He then cried out : 
 " Grapes, pears, and oranges! Gentlemen, you must 
 not suppose that I have any interest in this Sunday 
 traffic in calling you together around it. I hope you 
 
144 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 will not patronize these Sabbath- breakers. You are not 
 so grape-hungry but that you can wait until to-morrow, 
 and then during the six days in the week lay in a 
 supply for Sunday. These fellows have set up here, 
 expecting to make a fine speculation out of my audi- 
 ence this morning; but they will find that they have 
 brought their fruit to the wrong market." 
 
 By this time the fruit- dealers were very uncom- 
 fortable, and would gladly have escaped, but they 
 were so com[)letely hemmed in that they were com- 
 pelled to take the preacher's raillery, and then stand 
 while he preached a longer sermon (doubtless) than 
 usual, without the sale of a dime's worth of their fruit. 
 
 On another occasion, to quote from IVIr. Taylor: 
 
 " Once, when a lean- looking man, driving a poor 
 horse, was trying to urge his way through the crowd, 
 I said : ' Look at that poor man ! Working seven days 
 in the week is bringing him rapidly down to his grave! 
 A man cannot break the law of the Sabbath without 
 violating a law of his own constitution. Look at his 
 sunken, sallow cheeks, and his dim eyes! How the 
 sin of Sabbath- breaking is telling on him! He'll die 
 soon if he doesn't reform. Look at his poor old horse! 
 The Lord ordained a Sabbath for that horse, but his 
 merciless master is cheating him out of it. See there, 
 how he beats him. After all, I had rather be the horse 
 than the man, if he dies as he lives.' 
 
 '* On another occasion a wag, thinking to have a little 
 sport, tried to ride through the crowd on a burro. 
 His animal refusing to go through, I said : * See there, 
 that animal, like Balaam's of the same kind, has more 
 
J3 C3 
 U 
 
 a fe 
 

 m 
 
 SAN FRANCISCO IN 1840, FROM THE HEAD OF CLAY STREET. 
 From old wood-cuts. 
 
 Pages 137153 
 
 PIONEERS LINED UP FOR THEIR MAIL AT THE POST OFFICE, 
 CORNER OF PIKE AND CLAY STREETS, SAN FRANCISCO, IN 1849. 
 
STREET - PREACHING HERO 145 
 
 respect for the worship of God than his master, who 
 only lacks the ears of being the greater ass of the 
 two.' " 
 
 Reference has ah-eady been made to Mr. Taylor's 
 attacks upon what he conceived to be Sabbath-break- 
 ing. He "was equally fearless in attacking other evils. 
 Naturally the rum-seller came in for his share of these 
 denunciations. " Look at that rum-seller. The house 
 in which he lives, and from which are the issues of 
 death, once belonged to a man of property and respect- 
 ability. He lived there with his happy family; but 
 the wily ' gentleman of the bar ' took ad\antage of 
 the moral imbecility of his victim, just as the high- 
 wayman takes advantage of the physical imbecility 
 of the man he murders and robs. He has long since 
 sent his victim's shattered, bloated carcass to a drunk- 
 ard's grave. His family are in the poor house, daily 
 shedding fountains of tears more bitter than death." 
 
 Once he was called upon to preach a funeral dis- 
 course over a gambler who had been shot in a quarrel 
 with a fellow-gambler. A habitue of the gambling- 
 house went to Mr. Taylor, saying: " I think it would 
 be a pity to bury the poor fellow without any kind of 
 religious ceremony, and it will be a comfort to his 
 friends." 
 
 Surrounded by gamblers, Mr. Taylor preached to 
 them of the evil of their profession. Among other 
 remarks, he said: " What are you about? What are 
 you doing here in California? Look at that bloody 
 corpse! Wiiat will his mother say? What will his 
 sisters think of it? To die in a distant land, among 
 
146 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 strangers, is bad; to die unforgiven, suddenly, unex- 
 pectedly, is worse; to be shot down in a gambHng- 
 house, at the midnight hour — Oh, horrible! And 
 yet this is the legitimate fruit of the excitement and dis- 
 sipation, chagrin and disappointment, consequent 
 upon your business; a business fatal to your best 
 interests of body and soul, for time and for eternity. 
 
 " Again, look at its influence upon society. The 
 unwary are decoyed and ruined. Little boys, charmed 
 by your animating music, dazzled by the magnificent 
 paraphernalia of your saloons, are enticed, corrupted, 
 and destroyed, to the hopeless grief of their mothers." 
 
 He was scathing in his denunciation of the land- 
 sharks who preyed upon the poor sailors. In an elab- 
 orate and especially prepared address, he completely 
 exposed their nefarious methods, and his book contains 
 a chapter entitled " ' Shanghaing ' the Sailors." His 
 sympathy with the sailor is shown on every page and in 
 every line. He truthfully says: " The history of the 
 sailor, his isolation from domestic society and the 
 refinements and luxuries of home, his spirit of adventure, 
 courage, patience, toils, sufferings by starvation, cold, 
 shipwreck, confinement in foreign hospitals, adven- 
 tures among savages and cannibals, his imprisonments 
 and slow tortures, his death by the violence of war 
 and piracy, by the violence of the hurricane that sweeps 
 the ocean, and by the more dreadful tortures of wasting 
 famine, has been written in detached fragments on 
 every page of the history of commercial nations, and 
 especially of our own country." 
 
 He defines "shanghaing" as follows: "The term 
 
STREET - PREACHING HERO 147 
 
 * shanghaing ' is of Californian origin, and was intro- 
 duced in this way. A few years ago it was very diffi- 
 cult to make up a crew in San Francisco, especially 
 for any place from which they could not get a ready 
 passage back to this land of gold. Crews could be 
 made up for Oregon, Washington Territory, the Is- 
 lands, and the ports of South America; for from any 
 of these places they could readily return. Even from 
 Canton, they could stand a pretty good chance of a 
 direct run back; but from Shanghai, there were 
 seldom ever any ships returning to California. To 
 get back, therefore, from Shanghai, they must make 
 the voyage around the world. That was getting quite 
 too far away from the ' placers ' of our mountains. 
 Hence, to get crews for Shanghai, they depended 
 almost exclusi\ely on drugging the men. Crews for 
 Shanghai were, therefore, said to be ' shanghaied ' ; 
 and the term came into general use to represent the 
 whole system of drugging, extortion and cruelty." 
 
 The preacher went on to show how a perfect system 
 existed for swindling and oppressing the sailor, so 
 that he was robbed on every hand, often maltreated, 
 shipped against his will, kept in a state of abject sub- 
 jection, drugged and poisoned, and even sometimes 
 brutally murdered if he dared resist the oppressions 
 of these fiends in human form. "To drown men's 
 souls in rum, to poison, enervate, and destroy their 
 bodies, and rob them of all their hard earnings, and 
 leave their widowed mothers, wives, and children, 
 who are dependent upon them, to beg or starve, is 
 perfect sport for the ' land-shark.' The great man- 
 
148 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 eater of the deep is satisfied to get the stray carcass of 
 a sailor occasionally, but these dry- land monsters 
 must have soul, body, and estate of all the sailors, if 
 possible." 
 
 He was equally fearless in his impeachment of duel- 
 ling. It is interesting here to note that he was an in- 
 timate friend of James King of William, and, of course, 
 heartily approved of the latter's brave and courageous 
 stand on the subject of " the code." He it was who 
 nursed King, day and night, after he was shot by Casey, 
 and was with him when he died. Hence it can well 
 be imagined that he would have no " soft words " to 
 utter when, in 1854, he was asked to preach the funeral 
 sermon of Colonel Woodlief, who had been killed in 
 a duel by a man named Kewen. While offering 
 all the consolation and sympathy he could to the be- 
 reaved widow, he expressed his sincere regrets that the 
 husband had not had the moral courage to do as James 
 King had done, viz., to refuse to meet the challenger, 
 whom he called a moral coward. His arraignment 
 of the " code " was bitter and severe. He showed that 
 those who participated in duelling were law-breakers, 
 both in the sight of God and man, and that the sooner 
 men abandoned their ideas of stich false " honor " 
 the better it would be for them and the country. 
 
 One Sunday he preached on the subject " King 
 David's Fool." His text was " The fool hath said in 
 his heart, There is no God." In the plainest, most 
 direct and simple fashion he thrust home these plain 
 words of the psalmist, and contended that lives speak 
 louder than words. He asserted that the lives of the 
 
STREET -PREACHING HERO 149 
 
 gamblers, rum-sellers, sensualists and others proclaimed 
 more loudly and certainly than words their belief in 
 the statement of King David's fool. Then he showed 
 the folly of the belief, and contended for the wisdom 
 that recognized the moral control of the universe to 
 which every human being is subject, and to which, 
 sooner or later, he must bow. 
 
 One thing it is well to note in this street-preaching 
 work of Mr. Taylor. Though he conducted about 
 six hundred services, he never took up a collection 
 for his own personal needs. Several times his enthu- 
 siastic auditors started to take up a collection — and 
 it is well known that the miners and sailors who often 
 comprised a large part of his audiences were most 
 liberal and generous men — but he always restrained 
 them. He positively refused to have his street serv- 
 ices trammeled by collections. He determined that no 
 man should be able to impugn his moti\es and say 
 that he preached for money. 
 
 It is an important historical fact that should not be 
 forgotten that to William Taylor California owes its 
 great eucalyptus forests and plantations. After this 
 chapter was written, I came across his own statement 
 as to how the eucalyptus was introduced. He says: 
 " There were no such trees on that coast when I went 
 there in 1849. I sent the seed from Australia to my 
 wife in California in 1863. Her seed-sowing made 
 such a marvelous growth that a horticulturist neighbor 
 of otirs wrote me to send him a pound of the seed — 
 the smallest of all seeds — • and the nurseries, thus 
 seeded, dotted the whole country with great forests 
 
150 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 of evergreen, the most prominent floral landmarks 
 of the Pacific Coast." 
 
 It is interesting to note the conditions of things when 
 Mr. Taylor settled in San Francisco. The Reverend 
 O. C. Wheeler, the Baptist minister, was paying five 
 hundred dollars a month rent for a five-roomed house. 
 The newcomer was aghast at such prices, and soon 
 decided that the only way for him to live would be 
 to build a house. But how? Lumber was selling at 
 from three to four hundred dollars per thousand feet, 
 and the members of his little church*, were so poor 
 that a subscription raised only twenty- seven dollars 
 — about enough to buy nails and hinges. He then 
 decided to cross the Bay to the redwoods, and cut out 
 enough lumber to serve for the building of a house. 
 He was neither a sawyer, a carpenter, or a builder, but 
 already he was possessed of that spirit of California 
 that enables a man of spirit to turn his hand to anything 
 and accomplish results. A friend accompanied him. 
 Passage was taken in a whaleboat, and fortunately 
 another friend lived up the mountain, five miles 
 away, whither the two walked. In two weeks they 
 secured enough lumber for the house. Here is Mr. 
 Taylor's own account: ** My scantlings, which I bought 
 in the rough, split out like large fence rails, I hewed 
 to the square with my broadaxe. I made three thou- 
 sand shingles, and exchanged them with a pit-sawyer 
 for twenty-four joists, each seventeen feet long. I 
 bought rough clapboards six feet long, and shaved 
 them about as regularly and as smoothly with my 
 draw-knife as if with a plane. These were for the 
 
STREET - PREACHING HERO 151 
 
 weather-boarding. I used similar boards, slightly- 
 shaven, for roofing, which were waterproof and very 
 enduring. I bought the doors from a friend at the 
 ' reduced price ' of eleven dollars per door; the 
 windows for one dollar per light, twelve dollars for each 
 window. Hauling my stuff from the redwoods to the 
 landing cost me twenty-five dollars per thousand feet. 
 The regular price for transport thence to San Fran- 
 cisco was forty dollars per thousand feet, but by hiring 
 a boat and working with my own hands, I got the work 
 done for less than half that price." 
 
 He bought a lot on Jackson Street, above Powell, 
 for twelve hundred and fifty dollars (on time), and 
 under the instruction of a brotherly house-builder set 
 to work. He hired a few carpenters at twelve dollars 
 a day until the house was roofed in, and then com- 
 pleted the work himself with such casual help as 
 friends could afford to give. The result was a com- 
 fortable, two-story house, sixteen by twenty-six feet, 
 built at a cash outlay of $1491.25. 
 
 He also enclosed the back part of the lot, and started 
 a garden. It was the second garden planted in San 
 Francisco, and was a great surprise and pleasure 
 to passers-by. A restaurant-keeper one day asked if 
 he might purchase some of the growing green-stuff, and 
 was told he might do so at his own price. He gathered 
 a pailful and offered ten dollars for it, and came again 
 for more. Three chickens were bought for eighteen 
 dollars, and though a house was built, with a secure 
 lock, for their protection, some thief pulled a board 
 off the back of the house and robbed the roost of its 
 
152 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 contents. This was exasperating, especially as eggs 
 were selling at six dollars a dozen, wholesale, to be 
 retailed at nine dollars. To provide milk for his 
 little girl, Mr. Taylor went to Sacramento and bought 
 a cow for two hundred dollars. Before this he had been 
 paying a dollar a quart, and this was supposed to be 
 a reduced rate. 
 
 As we have seen, for seven years he preached in the 
 streets and elsewhere, in San Francisco, and this was 
 the beginning of an active career of missionary en- 
 deavor that spread over many lands, carried on with 
 characteristic energy for over fifty years. Whatever 
 one may think of his theology, his preaching had won- 
 derful effect in bringing men to see the folly of their 
 evil lives, and in leading them into paths of sobriety, 
 honesty, truth and religion. Shortly before he left 
 California, he went with a gentleman and his wife 
 and two children for a holiday in the mountains. When 
 Sunday came some one suggested that he preach to 
 the couple. With his usual directness, fearlessness and 
 frankness, and his avowed principle of always adapt- 
 ing his sermon to his hearers, he gave the two a most 
 searching and admonitory address. He called the 
 wife's attention to her forgetfulness of former religious 
 professions, and censured his host for his harsh 
 speech to his little boy, and his profanity. At the close 
 of his address the husband grasped him by the hand and 
 remarked: "I thank you for your candor and your 
 kindness." 
 
 In October, 1856, he and his family returned east, 
 where he preached for three years; then he established 
 
STREET - PREACHING HERO 153 
 
 missions in Australia, South Africa, India and South 
 America. In 1884 he was suddenly and unexpectedly 
 made Missionary Bishop of Africa for the Methodist 
 Church, and continued at this work until his death. 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 THE FEARLESS CIVIC HERO OF SAN FRANCISCO, JAMES 
 KING OF WILLIAM 
 
 "True to your God, you were to your country true, 
 And we will love God more for knowing you." 
 
 THE Vigilance Committees of San Francisco have 
 been discussed all over the civilized globe, and it 
 is well that young Californians should have a clear 
 idea of what these committees were, and the facts 
 that brought them into existence. In the appendix will 
 be found references to those works that give a full 
 history. The purpose of this chapter is to show 
 the heroism of the life of James King of William, 
 whose murder caused the organization of the most 
 important of the Vigilance Committees, viz., that of 
 1856. 
 
 He was born in Georgetown, District of Columbia, on 
 January 28, 1822. When a young man " he assumed the 
 term 'of William,' which was found to be necessary 
 in order to distinguish him from a number of other 
 James Kings then living at Georgetown. William was 
 his father's name. Some men distinguish themselves 
 from others of the same name by using the word 
 ' senior ' or * junior ' * ist,' ' 2nd,' and so on. The 
 same end was attained in this instance, by adopting the 
 
JAMES KING OF WILLIAM 155 
 
 affix ' of William.' It is a custom in some parts of the 
 United States, and particularly m Maryland, thus to 
 take the father's given name as a portion of the 
 son's." 
 
 He had an elder brother who was a member of 
 Fremont's expedition of 1846, which crossed the Rock- 
 ies to California, and who was with his second expedi- 
 tion of 1848. This brother so filled the mind of James 
 King with glowing pictures of the future possibihties 
 of the land by the Sunset Sea that he decided to emi- 
 grate there. This was before gold was discovered 
 and while California was still an integral part of 
 Mexico. Accordingly, in 1848, he left Washington 
 for New York, intending to set sail at once. While 
 waiting for a vessel he received a letter from his brother 
 which intimated the change of government which had 
 just taken place and is interesting reading: 
 
 " You must recollect that society is not formed yet 
 properly in California, and as the population in- 
 creases they will gradually form laws, adapted to 
 their own peculiar circumstances. I think it would 
 be well to inform yourself of the situation of the country 
 and of the rights of the people, for as soon as the treaty 
 is ratified, public attention there will be at once turned 
 to the establishment of a civil government. ... I 
 think it would be best to invest your money, or a portion 
 of it, in a good rancho, and if you can purchase Joachim 
 Estrada's, near the mission of San Luis Obispo, 
 anyways reasonable, with the stock, do it by all means. 
 Only, have the title examined. This last advice I give 
 you upon the supposition that you would like an agri- 
 
156 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 cultural life. If you can buy a lot or a few yards of the 
 Quicksilver Mine, you had better do it. The best one 
 is about six miles from the Pueblo San Josd, near 
 Mr. Cooke's rancho. If you travel by land betvi^een 
 San Francisco and Monterey, you will pass through 
 San Jose, and it is but a short ride to the mine. Visit 
 it by all means, if you are in the neighborhood." 
 
 He left New York on May 24, 1848, crossed the 
 Isthmus of Panama, and sailed for Valparaiso, hoping 
 there to find a vessel going to California. On his arrival 
 he found Chile excited by the news of the discovery 
 of gold. Purchasing some goods, he hired nine Chilenos 
 to proceed with him to work in the mines. Upon their 
 arrival in San Francisco, six of his workmen deserted 
 him. He and the other three at once hurried to Hang- 
 town (as Placerville was then called) and in three weeks 
 time secured enough gold to pay for his goods and 
 his expenses from Valparaiso. Then he went to Sacra- 
 mento and engaged for awhile in business, but, as he 
 was a banker by training, he decided to go East, secure 
 capital, and open a bank in San Francisco, which he 
 did on December 5, 1849. He was a man of sterling 
 integrity, and soon became known throughout the 
 whole State, doing a large and thriving business. His 
 wife and four children joined him in 1851, and his 
 home was one of the hospitable mansions of the new 
 city. 
 
 Owing to a diversion of a large sum of money which 
 he had entrusted to one of his agents in the mines for 
 the purchase of gold dust, he became saddled with 
 a speculation. This distressed him, and led him to 
 
JAMES KING OF WILLIAM 157 
 
 invest more than he felt his business would warrant, 
 and such was the high and noble principle of the 
 man that, immediately he felt in the slightest degree 
 insecure, he turned over everything he possessed, 
 including his beautiful home, to another large bank- 
 ing firm, on their undertaking to pay in full all his 
 creditors. 
 
 This sensitiveness of honor and scrupulous honesty 
 added to the high esteem in which he was already held. 
 For it must be remembered that, while among men of 
 honor the standard of business morality was quite as 
 high then as it is now, the public sentiment of San 
 Francisco was more liable to be a ^'ariable quantity. 
 The early population of this city was not only cosmo- 
 politan, but woefully varied. While there were many 
 men of the highest integrity and purest life, there were, 
 says Hittell, " thieves and ruffians from all parts of the 
 world, and particularly from the British penal colonies 
 of New South Wales and Van Dieman's Land," This 
 criminal element was present in such large force that 
 " outrages, ever increasing in atrocity, were committed 
 by them. There was hardly a crime, from pocket- 
 picking to murder, that was not common; and in the 
 presence of so many and such bold desperadoes no one 
 was secure of his property or even of his life. Thefts, 
 robberies, arsons, and assassinations were of almost 
 daily occurrence, and of late months (1851) fearfully 
 on the increase; while the courts, being conducted 
 by judges and officers who, if not corrupt, were at least 
 inefficient, afforded no relief." 
 
 In 1849 the city had been cleared of notorious ruf- 
 
158 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 fians, but in 1851 matters were again so bad that a 
 Vigilance Committee was organized, and another 
 clearing out took place. 
 
 In 1853, King of William was foreman of the grand 
 jury, and was thus publicly called upon to do something 
 to suppress the moral and social abominations and the 
 political corruptions which were again swamping the 
 community. So fearlessly did he proceed with this 
 work that his name became a synonym for courage, 
 purity and integrity. 
 
 Then came the change in his fortunes and the transfer 
 of his business. A little later, to his intense distress, 
 the banking firm to whom the transfer had been made 
 and with which he had allied himself, as well as other 
 prominent houses, failed, and in their failure brought 
 the usual suffering and loss to many others. While there 
 has never been the slightest doubt in the minds of all 
 best qualified to know that King's course was prompted 
 by the highest principles, and while it is confessed 
 that not a single person lost financially through him, 
 it can well be understood that he would be the object 
 of attack at this time. His replies to his enemies show 
 a frankness, a candor, and ingenuousness, and disposi- 
 tion to have the world know all the facts that are abso- 
 lutely incompatible with anything but imimpeachable 
 integrity. But, as a necessary consequence, this placed 
 others in a less enviable light, and one of these — 
 a prominent citizen, by name Alfred A. Cohen — 
 felt himself aggrieved by what King had both wTitten 
 and said. Three days later they met on Montgomery 
 Street, and in the encounter that took place Cohen 
 
JAMES KING OF WILLIAM 159 
 
 considered himself insulted. That afternoon he sent 
 to King, by the hand of John K. Hackett, a challenge 
 to fight a duel. To this challenge Mr. King replied 
 with the following letter in the newspapers, a letter 
 that should be well digested by every young student 
 of the history of moral progress. 
 
 " San Francisco, July 18, 1855. 
 
 " Mr. John K. Hackett, 
 
 " Sir: I now proceed to give you my reply to the 
 note you handed me last night. At first, waiving other 
 insuperable objections to the mode indicated of settling 
 such difficulties, I could not consent to a hostile meeting 
 with Mr. Cohen. The public have already been fully 
 advised of my estimate of his character. The relative 
 positions of Mr. Cohen and myself are entirely unequal 
 in worldly fortune, and domestic relation. He is un- 
 derstood to be possessed of an abundant fortune. In 
 the event of his fall, he would leave ample means for 
 the support of his wife and child. Recent events have 
 stripped me entirely of what I once possessed. Were I 
 to fall, I should leave a large family without the means 
 of support. My duties and obligations to my family 
 have much more weight with me than any desire to 
 please Mr. Cohen or his friends in the manner pro- 
 posed. I have ever been opposed to duelling on moral 
 grounds. My opinions were known to Mr. Cohen, and 
 when he addressed me the note which you had the 
 impudence to deliver, he was well aware that it would 
 not be accepted or answered affirmatively. That fact 
 is sufiicient to demonstrate his contemptible cowardice 
 
i6o HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 in this silly attempt to manufacture for himself a 
 reputation for ' chivalry.' 
 
 " Whilst nothing could induce me to change my 
 principles upon the subject of duelling, my conscience 
 is perfectly easy as to my right and the propriety of 
 defending myself should I be assaulted. 
 
 " Do not flatter yourself, sir, that this communi- 
 cation is made out of regard either to yourself or to Mr. 
 Cohen. I write this for publication in the newspapers. 
 I avow principles of which I am not ashamed, and 
 shall abide the result. 
 
 " James King of Wm." 
 
 Here was the gauntlet flung with dignity and power 
 in the very face of the " chivalry." It was the first 
 time in the history of California that any one had had 
 the moral courage to refuse to fight a duel when chal- 
 lenged. Expressions of sympathy and gratification 
 at Mr. King's course at once began to pour in upon 
 him, among others the following, signed by seventy 
 of the most prominent and honored men of the city: 
 
 " Your fellow citizens, whose names are subscribed 
 to this letter, desire to express to you their admiration 
 of the moral courage and sound principle manifested 
 in your refusal to accept the challenge of Mr. Cohen to 
 meet him in a duel. We believe that the so-called 
 code of honor which requires all who consent to be 
 governed by it to submit every injury, insult, misrepre- 
 sentation or misunderstanding to the decision of the 
 pistol or the knife, and to be in violation of the law 
 
JAMES KING OF WILLIAM i6i 
 
 of God, and of the laws of this State, and of those 
 sacred obligations which a man owes to his family, 
 his relatives and dependents, and to society. 
 
 " We are convinced that if an expression of the senti- 
 ment of this community could be had upon this subject, 
 a very large majority would be found to view with ab- 
 horrence the risking of life for insufficient cause, and 
 often upon a mere punctilio; and that we express the 
 feeling common to them, as well as ourseh-es, when we 
 thank you for the bold, manly and uncompromising 
 manner in which you have refused to sanction the 
 practice. With the expression of an earnest hope, 
 that if no higher principle should gOA'ern our fellow 
 citizens, a regard for their interest may soon induce 
 them to see to it that good laws well administered 
 shall in future save us from violence and bloodshed; 
 and with assurances of our high esteem and regard, 
 we remain, 
 
 " Your obedient servants." 
 
 Hittell says: " King's stand upon the subject (of 
 duelling), on account of its accordance with the law 
 and its being recognized as dictated by enlightened 
 principle, was considered as doing him great credit, 
 and gained him very great applause. Nearly all the 
 newspapers of the day heartily praised it; and no one 
 dared openly to disapprove obedience to the constitu- 
 tion and statutes. Though some duels have since taken 
 place and some men still adhere or profess to adhere 
 to the code, few or no duels between otherwise respect- 
 able men have taken place for a number of years; and 
 
i62 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 James King of William, more than any other man, is 
 entitled to the praise of having started the movement 
 that put a stop to the barbarous practice." 
 
 We now come to the part James King of William 
 played in exposing municipal corruption, his assassina- 
 tion, and the resulting formation of the great Vigilance 
 Committee of 1856, 
 
 Owing to his financial troubles and those of the 
 firm of Adams and Company, he was called upon to 
 make several defences and explanations in the public 
 papers. " His success in these and a consideration of 
 the effect produced by his plain, direct, incisive, Anglo- 
 Saxon sentences upon the public mind seem to have 
 suggested to himself and some of his friends the feasi- 
 bility of starting a newspaper. Accordingly he made 
 the proper arrangements, and on the e\^ening of Monday, 
 October 8, 1855, issued the first number of the Daily 
 Evening Bulletin, a small sheet of four pages, ten by 
 fifteen inches in size. In his salutatory, he said that 
 necessity, not choice, had driven him to the experiment, 
 and that no one could be more fully sensible than him- 
 self of the folly of a newspaper enterprise as an invest- 
 ment of money. " But," he continued, " we invest no 
 money of our own (for we have none) ; and only a few 
 hundred dollars, generously advanced us by a few 
 friends, is all that we have risked in the enterprise. 
 If successful, we shall be able to feed, clothe and shelter 
 our family in San Francisco, where the school facili- 
 ties are such as in justice to those who have claims upon 
 us, we are unwilling to forego." 
 
 Then began a series of attacks of the most fearless, 
 
JAMES KING OF WILLIAM 163 
 
 direct, open and manly character upon every person, 
 firm, institution, judge, senator, congressman, called 
 by name, whom he regarded as guilty of dishonest, 
 corrupt, wicked or fraudulent acts. He spared no one. 
 " His language was not choice, nor his denunciations 
 as well rounded and rhetorical as they might have 
 been! But he was an honest man, a true patriot, and 
 deadly in earnest to save the city and State he loved 
 from being made the playthings of corrupt men, who 
 desired nothing but their own unholy gain and ambi- 
 tions." 
 
 The result was the people had faith in him, and his 
 paper bounded into a success and popularity that was 
 as instantaneous as it was remarkable. As stated by 
 himself: " Would the San Francisco public sustain a 
 truly independent journal — one that would support 
 the cause of morality, virtue and honesty, whether 
 in public service or private life, and which, regardless 
 of all conseqences, would fearlessly and undauntedly 
 maintain its course against the political and social evils 
 of the day?" 
 
 " The answer Yes! was soon and loudly made, and 
 enthusiastically echoed from every town and mining 
 camp in the country." 
 
 "A notorious and professed banking house, but which 
 was virtually a political institution (that of Palmer, 
 Cook and Co.), that had long overridden the constitu- 
 tion, and made and unmade — against the will of the 
 people, and by the most disreputable means — nearly 
 every officer of the city and State, was assailed by the 
 Bulletin in regular form; and its corruption, its inso- 
 
i64 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 lent and dangerous usurpation, and at the same time its 
 inherent weakness, exposed. The wrongers and swin- 
 dlers of the unfortunate creditors of Adams and Com- 
 pany (the bankers with w^hom he had been connected), 
 were pitilessly attacked and held up to the scorn and 
 detestation of the people. The demoralizing system 
 of bestowing Federal, State and city appointments 
 chiefly on professional gamblers, duellists, rowdies and 
 assassins — on the debauched, illiterate, idle, criminal, 
 and most dangerous class of the mbced population of 
 the country — was forcibly pointed out and indig- 
 nantly condemned. A high standard of honesty was 
 laid down for all public men. The law's cruel delay, 
 the baseness and corruption of its ministers, the dis- 
 honorable professional conduct of leading pleaders 
 in the courts, all were made plain to the honest and 
 unsuspecting, and properly stigmatized. In short, 
 the glaring evils of the body politic, the denial and 
 perversion of justice, and the unworthy personal char- 
 acter and incapability of the general class of men who 
 held office, or who were connected with the courts of 
 law, were loudly and unsparingly denounced. Mr. 
 King did not waste his energies by uttering smooth, 
 general homilies on evil doings; he struck directly 
 at the evil-doer. If a man whose conduct required to 
 be publicly exposed were really a swindler, a gambler, 
 or a duellist, a common cheat, a corrupt judge, or a 
 political trickster, the Bulletin, standing alone in this 
 respect among the timid, time-serving, or bribed city 
 press, dared so to style him. But not only did Mr. 
 King, in his paper, expose scoundrelism, vice and crime, 
 
JAMES KING OF WILLIAM 165 
 
 and smite their votaries wherever he detected them; 
 he also endeavored, and not in vain, to aid in whatever 
 could restore and strengthen the moral tone of society. 
 He urged the decent observance of the Sabbath; he 
 recalled public attention to the plainest and most 
 necessary dictates of religion; he encouraged the es- 
 tablishment of public schools, and dwelt on the bless- 
 ings of a sound and liberal education; he frowned on 
 gambling, duelling, and wilful idleness; he sought to 
 soothe and reinspire the desponding who had the desire 
 but lacked the opportunity, and especially the energy 
 and perseverance, to earn a li\'ing by the sweat of their 
 brow; he strove to free the city from the unblushing 
 presence of the lewd who had so long assumed inso- 
 lently to follow, if not often to lead, the \irtuous and 
 decent portion of the community. The political knave, 
 the dishonest oflEice-holder, the gambler, swindler, 
 loafer, and duellist, the base class of lawyers — in 
 brief, the vicious, lewd and criminal of every kind, were 
 in consternation; their unhallowed practice and gains 
 were disappearing." 
 
 Hittell declares: "No such new-spaper, or anything 
 like it, had appeared in the city or country, and per- 
 haps not in any other country before. It was an ideal 
 fighting journal. It was heroic. Whatever might be 
 its mistakes and its errors, it was sincere and it meant 
 right. ... It was exactly what the people wanted and 
 they responded unreser\'edly. In the fearful condition 
 of public affairs, with fraud and corruption and crime 
 and immorality of every kind and nature on every 
 side, it formed a rallying point, towards which all the 
 
i66 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 elements of law, order, honesty, and integrity could 
 converge, and around which they could arrange them- 
 seh^es," 
 
 Things thus continued until on Saturday evening, 
 November 17, only a little more than a month after 
 the Bulletin was started, the city was startled by the 
 cowardly assassination of William H. Richardson, 
 United States marshal for the district of California, 
 by a gambler named Charles Cora. It cannot be denied 
 that Richardson was not altogether an ornament to 
 his high ofhce, but the murder was so flagrant, so 
 cowardly, so despicable, that public feeling ran high, 
 and there was an instant demand that the city officials 
 do their duty. 
 
 But Cora had protectors of financial strength in the 
 class to which he belonged, and also in the fact that 
 a dissolute woman of great wealth was his paramour. 
 It soon became rumored that the most eloquent and 
 able lawyers had been retained in his defense, and also 
 that a corruption fund had been raised. At this, 
 King's voice rang out clear. He demanded a full trial 
 and a speedy one, and that if the officials failed in their 
 duty the people should arise again in their majesty 
 as the source of political power and with full observ- 
 ance of justice duly try and punish these recreants and 
 betrayers of the public trust. He mentioned the keeper 
 of the city jail and the sheriff by name, and placed the 
 responsibility for the murderer's safe-keeping where 
 it belonged. 
 
 The trial was had, the facts of the murder were clearly 
 established, yet, as the public anticipated, the jury 
 
JAMES KING OF WILLIAM 167 
 
 was hung, seven voting for a \'erdict of murder, one 
 for manslaughter, and four for acquittal. The Bulletin 
 that afternoon came out with a terrific onslaught on 
 the disreputable element, on trickery of the law, and 
 the veniality of the lawyers. Day after day, his sledge- 
 hammer blows continued. People who professed to 
 despise his paper, who had cause for fear, were in 
 hourly dread lest their misdeeds should be made kno\Mi. 
 King became the most powerful man in the State, 
 because of his simple, direct, unpurchasable honesty, 
 his fearlessness and his determination to expose those 
 who were ruining the city he loved. 
 
 There was but one result to be anticipated. Even 
 in our day, with all the officials of our large cities 
 ostensibly enrolled on the side of the cause of civic 
 righteousness, it would be dangerous for a man to 
 call by name those who were in high position and en- 
 gaged in criminal or immoral pursuits. Whether a 
 conspiracy was formed, as was alleged, or not, there 
 is no doubt but that the forces of evil combined and 
 it was determined to " put King out of the way." The 
 occasion arose four months later, when King opposed 
 the appointment of one Bagley to the position in the 
 United States Custom-house, on the ground that he 
 had, shortly before, engaged in a pistol fight with James 
 P. Casey, one of the supervisors. But while Bagley 
 was attacked, Casey was not spared, for the editorial 
 continued (and it must be remembered that King's 
 statements were true) : "It does not matter how 
 bad a man Casey has been, nor how much benefit it 
 might be to the public to have him out of the way, we 
 
i68 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 cannot accord to any one citizen the right to kill him, 
 or even beat him, without justifiable personal provo- 
 cation. The fact that Casey has been an inmate of 
 Sing Sing prison in New York is no offense against the 
 laws of this State; nor is the fact of his having stuffed 
 himself through the ballot-box, as elected to the board 
 of supervisors from a district where it is said he was 
 not even a candidate, any justification why Mr. Bagley 
 should shoot Casey, however richly the latter many 
 deserve having his neck stretched for such fraud on 
 the people." 
 
 The upshot of this attack on Casey was that, after 
 an interview between himself and King, when the 
 latter ordered him out of his office, Casey shot him 
 with the same cold-blooded deliberation that Cora had 
 displayed in the murder of Richardson. For while 
 King lingered six days, it was feared that his wound 
 was fatal. This murder drove the city wild. The 
 populace was now aroused, and woe betide any lawyer 
 or official or judge who would dare, in the slightest, 
 to obstruct the path of speedy justice. King was still 
 in the hands of the physicians, when it was quietly 
 rumored that the call for the gathering of the Vigilance 
 Committee had been sent out. This rumor was prema- 
 ture, but it was made a fact the following day. The 
 next few days saw the committee reenroUed, fully 
 organized in companies of one hundred, well-armed, 
 in perfect control and under efficient leadership, and 
 on the following Sunday morning, at noon, San Fran- 
 cisco witnessed the quiet and orderly assembling of 
 several companies of the Vigilantes, who, at a given 
 
JAMES KING OF WILLIAM 169 
 
 moment, silently and solemnly marched to the old 
 Broadway jail under the shadow of Telegraph Hill. 
 " They came together," says Hittell, " with admirable, 
 almost mathematical precision; and, as they fell into 
 position, they of course understood what was intended. 
 It was an extraordinary spectacle. The whole place was 
 closely invested by armed men, not indeed in uniform, 
 but with muskets and bayonets flashing in the brilliant 
 sunlight. Some few had hunting rifles or shot-guns, 
 and one tall Nantucket whaleman, besides a navy 
 revolver in his belt, carried a harpoon and several 
 fathoms of rope on his shoulder. Around and, as it 
 were, hemming in all, crowding the streets, co\'ering 
 the summit and vacant slopes of Telegraph Hill and 
 the neighboring roofs, and filling the porticoes and 
 windows, were dense masses of people, eager to see 
 what was to be done, and hushed in expectation." 
 
 The leaders of the Vigilantes demanded from Sheriff 
 Scannell the surrender of the jail, and also the persons 
 of the two prisoners, — Cora (who was being held for 
 a new trial) and Casey. In due time they were both 
 forthcoming, and were lodged in an impromptu jail 
 provided by the Vigilance Committee at their head- 
 quarters. 
 
 The day of Cora's trial was set for Tuesday, the 
 20th of May, and soon after it began the marshal an- 
 nounced the death of King, which had just occurred. 
 Cora was found guilty. Then Casey's trial took place, 
 with the same result. Both men were sentenced to 
 death, and, on Thursday, the twenty-second, at the 
 time King's funeral was taking place, Cora and Casey 
 
170 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 were hanged at the Vigilance Headquarters on Sacra- 
 mento Street. King was buried at Lone INIountain, 
 while Cora and Casey were both entombed in the old 
 Mission Dolores Cemetery, where their elaborate 
 tombstones are still objects of interest to the curious. 
 
 King was dead, but his memory still lives, and 
 though corruption has since flourished in the city for 
 which he gave his life, there can be no question but 
 that the good he accomplished has continued to seed 
 and will in the years yet to come bring forth good fruit. 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 
 THE ELOQUENT HERO OF PATRIOTISM, THOMAS STARR 
 
 KING 
 
 IT will be difficult for almost every young reader 
 of this sketch of Thomas Starr King to realize 
 to the full the significance of the statement that, during 
 our Civil War, this Unitarian clergyman was, without 
 question, the foremost citizen of California. To under- 
 stand this term aright, even in a limited measure, it 
 is necessary to make clear the condition California was 
 in at the dawn of the rebellion. There was a large 
 Southern population, and some of the important offices 
 were held by open Southern sympathizers. Prior to 
 i860 it might be said with truth that a large number of 
 Californians were in favor of slavery and Southern 
 principles in general. In the presidential campaign of 
 i860 John B. Weller delivered a speech for the Breck- 
 enridge, or so-called " chivalry " Democrats, in which 
 he said: " I do not know whether Lincoln will be 
 elected or not, but I do know that, if he is elected and 
 if he attempts to carry out his doctrines, the South will 
 surely withdraw from the Union. And I should con- 
 sider them less than men if they did not." 
 
 The Democrats of the State were widely divided 
 in the i860 election, but there can be little doubt that, 
 had they stood together, they would have carried the 
 
172 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 State by an overwhelming majority, the combined vote 
 of the two sections of the party totalling about seventy- 
 two thousand, while the Republican vote was only 
 about thirty- nine thousand. And had the State had a 
 Democratic governor and officials, there is no knowing 
 what a struggle the loyalists would have had thrust 
 upon them. As it was, the fight was sharp and severe, 
 for while Governor Downey was a professed Unionist, 
 he was " still hampered with old-time doctrines when 
 slavery ruled unquestioned, and he did not receive and 
 welcome soon enough the new light of freedom which 
 had arisen in the land," The military commander of 
 the Department of California was Brigadier- General 
 Albert Sidney Johnston, a native of Kentucky, and a 
 strong Southern champion. But he was relieved in 
 favor of a Union general, went immediately South, 
 and was killed while leading the secession army at the 
 battle of Shiloh. Yet in July, 1861, — over three 
 months after Fort Sumter had been fired upon, and 
 the war was fairly begun, — a prominent lawyer named 
 Edmund Randolph, who had been thought to be a 
 staunch Unionist, made a speech at a Democratic 
 convention in Sacramento in which he said: '* My 
 thoughts and my heart are not here to-night in this 
 house. Far to the east, in the homes from which we 
 came, tyranny and usurpation, with arms in its hands, 
 is this night, perhaps, slaughtering our fathers, our 
 brothers, and our sisters, and outraging our homes in 
 every conceivable way shocking to the heart of humanity 
 and freedom. To me it seems a waste of time to talk. 
 For God's sake, tell me of battles fought and won. 
 
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THOMAS STARR KING 173 
 
 Tell me of usurpers overthrown; that Missouri is 
 again a free State, no longer crushed under the armed 
 heel of a reckless and odious despot. Tell me that 
 the State of Maryland lives again; and oh! let us read, 
 let us hear, at the first moment, that not one hostile foot 
 now treads the soil of Virginia! If this be rebellion, 
 then I am a rebel. Do you want a traitor ? Then am I 
 a traitor. For God's sake, speed the ball; may the 
 lead go quick to his heart, and may our country 
 be free from the despot usurper that now claims the 
 name of President of the United States." 
 
 Not so much was thought or said of this, as it was 
 put down to the extravagance of excitement, but when, 
 the following month, the leading Presbyterian clergy- 
 man of San Francisco, who had come from New 
 Orleans, began to preach secession to his congrega- 
 tion (in which were many Unionists as well as Southern 
 sympathizers), and to pray for " presidents and vice- 
 presidents," the city and State were up in arms. 
 
 Out over the tumult of the city at once was heard a 
 trumpet call to duty that thrilled every heart. It was 
 a comparatively new voice in California, and that of a 
 man only about thirty-five years of age, yet it had al- 
 ready been heard by delighted thousands on various 
 topics of spiritual and ethical value. It was that of 
 Thomas Starr King. He had already clearly shown 
 his position in regard to the rebellion by lectures on 
 Washington, Daniel Webster and the Constitution of the 
 United States, Lexington and Concord, and by preach- 
 ing a rousingly patriotic sermon entitled " The Great 
 Uprising." In this sermon, " after emphatically de- 
 
174 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 daring that it is the duty of a Christian minister to 
 feel no personal animosity to any human being, he 
 distinguished between a wTong done to himself and a 
 wTong done to the community. He illustrated the 
 distinction in this reference to the President of the 
 Confederate States: ' He is a representati\'e to my soul 
 of a force of evil. His cause is pollution and a horror. 
 His banner is a black flag. I could pray for him as 
 one man, a brother man, in his private, affectional, 
 and spiritual relations to heaven. But as President 
 of the seceding States, head of brigand forces, organic 
 representative of the powers of destruction within our 
 country, — pray for him ! — as soon for Antichrist ! 
 Never! ' It would, he added, be as incongruous for 
 him as he prayed for Abraham Lincoln, as it would be 
 for an English churchman, during the Sepoy rebellion, 
 to have prayed for Queen Victoria and Nana Sahib 
 in the same breath." The close of his sermon solemnly 
 echoed the tone that rang through the paragraphs 
 preceding it: " God bless the President of the United 
 States, and all who serve with him the cause of a common 
 country! God grant the blessing of repentance and 
 return to allegiance to all our enemies, even the traitors 
 in their high places! God preserve from defeat and 
 disgrace the sacred flag of our fathers! God give us 
 all the spirit of service and sacrifice in a righteous 
 cause! " 
 
 The effect of such clean-cut, direct patriotism was 
 soon felt, not only in San Francisco and the State of 
 California, but throughout the whole nation. In Cali- 
 fornia, besides the large number friendly to the South, 
 
THOMAS STARR KING 175 
 
 and the Unionists, there was a considerable army of 
 the timid, the lukewarm, the " temporizers," • — those 
 who doubted the wisdom or prudence of using force 
 against the rebels. 
 
 To convince these of their duty to the Union became 
 Starr King's passion, and he went up and down the 
 State, into cities, towns, lumber and mining camps, 
 agricultural settlements, tiny villages and hamlets, 
 anywhere, everywhere he could secure an audience, 
 and cried aloud his message of patriotism and loyalty. 
 In the words of a former president of the State Univer- 
 sity, his own son-in-law, Horace Davis: "His power 
 and influence were soon felt, and strong measures 
 were used to force him out of the field. He received 
 anonymous letters hinting at assassination. He was 
 openly threatened with personal violence, and pistols 
 were actually drawn on him in rude interior camps; 
 but no persuasion, either of love or fear, could turn 
 him from what he deemed his high privilege of defend- 
 ing his country." 
 
 After the elections had made all secure as far as 
 official loyalty was concerned, he set forth with equal 
 earnestness, vigor and eloquence to call upon the people 
 of his adopted State to give real and practical, visible and 
 tangible help to the cause, as well as their sympathy. 
 The East was sending men and money. California 
 was sending neither. He cried: "If the government 
 thinks it best not to call on us for men, we can at least 
 send our money for the wounded, the sick and the 
 suffering." 
 
 In Mr. Davis's words: " Mr. King entered into 
 
176 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 his movement with intense energy, for it appealed to 
 his whole nature. . . . He traversed the State in its 
 length and breadth, appealing to their love of country 
 and their pity for the sick and wounded soldiers, or- 
 ganizing committees everywhere to carry on the work, 
 o\'er the Siskiyou Mountains by stage into Oregon, 
 and on north to Puget Sound and Vancouver's Island. 
 You know the result, the inestimable mercies and 
 comforts that came to our soldiers from these gifts. 
 The Pacific Coast gave nearly one and a half million 
 dollars; and its gifts came at the most critical period, 
 when they could do the greatest good. 
 
 " The money thus raised was the ' Sanitary Fund,' 
 supplying the * ammunition ' for the work of the 
 Sanitary Commission, which cared for the sick and 
 wounded soldiers and their wives and children; and 
 California and the Pacific Coast, aroused by Starr 
 King's stirring eloquence, raised for this work almost 
 as much as the rest of the United States combined. 
 He showed us it was our duty to do this, owing to our 
 not sending any soldiers to participate actively in the 
 conflict." 
 
 At his death, one of our California poets and phil- 
 osophers, James Linen, thus wrote: " Although physi- 
 cally weak, Thomas Starr King was mentally strong, 
 and the deep-toned thunders of his voice made the 
 formidable fabric of political corruption tremble to its 
 base. No man could wield intellectual weapons more 
 vigorously, or like him carry by storm the convictions 
 of an audience. By his warm and powerful appeals, 
 stubborn prejudice melted away. His was never a 
 
THOMAS STARR KING 177 
 
 puerile conflict, but a battle of moral strength. It 
 was a warfare enlisted on the side of grand patriotic 
 principles, which he proudly refused to compromise. 
 His glowing eloquence threw a charm and splendor over 
 all his controversies. His mind was liberal and com- 
 prehensive. Free from arrogance and pride, he was 
 affable and courteous in his manner. He was plain 
 in appearance and gentle as a lamb among his friends. 
 He was terrible, however, in his grand philippics 
 against rebels and the abettors of treason. Viewing 
 slavery as a moral, withering evil, an enemy of free 
 institutions, and the cause of all his country's troubles, 
 he sought its overthrow as a national curse, and con- 
 sequently directed all the energies of his mental power 
 against the demoralizing system. He lo\ed his country, 
 and glorified in its starry flag, which gives assurance of 
 protection to millions. 
 
 " No one could question the lofty purity of his pa- 
 triotism. While he regretted the existing rebellion, 
 he nobly ad\'Ocated its speedy repression. His warmest 
 sympathies were with the sacred cause of freedom, 
 which he looked upon as the cause of God. His feelings 
 were entirely on the side of Liberty and her brave de- 
 fenders, the gallant soldiers of the North." 
 
 Tireless in his efforts, sparing not himself in the great 
 cause that was so dear to his heart, his feeble body felt 
 the fearful strain. As one of his Eastern friends WTOte : 
 
 " The soul of this Christian patriot seemed to kindle 
 into an ever- increasing blaze with the fuel which the 
 events of the war supplied, and it constantly broadened 
 as it blazed. Indeed, the only question started by 
 
178 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 his admiring friends was this: How long will this un- 
 wearied inward fire continue before it begins to con- 
 sume the frail body which contains it ? " 
 
 It was not long before the question was answered. 
 Attacked by a throat disease, supposed to have been 
 diphtheria, he was carried away so rapidly that his 
 physician, when the distinguished patient demanded to 
 know his condition, was compelled to answer that he 
 did not think he could live another half hour. With 
 bravery and calmness he heard this death-sentence, 
 dictated and signed his will, sent messages to his East- 
 ern friends, bade a loving adieu to his loved ones, 
 and quietly and fearlessly took the hand of Death, 
 and went into the presence of God. 
 
 The Rev. William D. Simonds thus tersely states 
 the effect of his life upon his own and succeeding gen- 
 erations: " Scarcely forty years of age, a Californian 
 only from i860 to 1864, he had in this brief period 
 so won the hearts of men that jn honor of his funeral 
 the legislature and all the courts adjourned, the na- 
 tional authorities fired minute guns in the bay, while 
 all the flags in the city of San Francisco and on the 
 ships hung at half-mast. How Californians loved this 
 man we can but dimly understand, the feeling was so 
 tender, strange and deep. Men of the most diverse 
 creeds, agreeing in little else, were united in calling 
 Starr King the ' Saint of the Pacific Coast.' Not all 
 the years that since have passed — years so fatal to 
 many reputations — have hidden from the thought of 
 the people the story of that saintly life. One of the 
 giant sequoia trees of the INIariposa Grove bears his 
 
THOMAS STARR KING 179 
 
 name, and a dome of the High Sierras near the Yosem- 
 ite Valley is called Mount Starr King. Loving hands 
 have made his grave under the shadow of that church 
 which is his monument, and Golden Gate Park contains 
 a splendid statue of the preacher and patriot — the 
 man ' who saved California to the Union.' " 
 
 WHITTIER ON THOMAS STARR KING 
 
 " The great work laid upon his two score years 
 Is done, and well done. If we drop our tears 
 Who loved him as few men were ever loved, 
 We mourn no blighted hope nor broken plan 
 Wiih him whose life stands rounded and approved 
 In the full growth and stature of a man. 
 Mingle, O bells, along the western slope. 
 With your deep toll a sound of faith and hope ! 
 Wave cheerily still, O banner, half-way down, 
 From thousand-masted bay and steepled town I 
 Let the strong organ with its loftiest swell 
 Lift the proud sorrow of the land, and tell 
 That the brave sower saw his ripened grain. 
 O east and west, O morn and sunset, twain 
 No more forever I — has he lived in vain 
 Who, priest of freedom, made ye one, and told 
 Your bridal service from his life of gold." 
 
CHAPTER XX 
 
 THE HEROIC HUNTER OF GRIZZLY BEARS, JAMES CAPEN 
 ADAMS 
 
 IN the early '50's and '6o's one of the picturesque 
 figures of San Francisco was James Capen Adams, 
 well known over the whole continent as hunter and 
 tamer of grizzly bears, who had taught two great 
 grizzlies to carry his packs for him when he went on 
 his mountaineering trips. Indeed, so remarkable were 
 his adventures, that Theodore H. Hittell, one of Cali- 
 fornia's historians, wrote a dignified book of nearly 
 four hundred pages giving a graphic account of his 
 experiences. From this book the following extracts 
 are made. 
 
 Adams was born in Medway, Massachusetts, in 1807. 
 He was whole-souled in whatever he undertook, so 
 when he grew tired of shoe-making and engaged himself 
 to capture wild animals for a company of showmen, he 
 entered into his new enterprise with a will. While still 
 a young man, the rash daring of his character revealed 
 itself in his determination to conquer a Bengal tiger 
 that had hitherto proven intractable. After entering 
 its cage several times, he began to pride himself upon his 
 success, when the treacherous creature fell upon him, 
 swept him to the ground and drove his teeth and claws 
 into him. He was rescued with the utmost difficulty. 
 
JAMES CAPEN ADAMS i8i 
 
 This disaster put a stop to Adams's hunting for some 
 fifteen or more years; and for a time rendered it prob- 
 lematical whether he would ever recover. 
 
 When the California gold excitement broke out, 
 Adams joined the great army of pioneers and reached 
 the Golden State by way of Mexico in the fall of 1849. 
 He had various experiences, until, in the fall of 1852, 
 to use his own words, " disgusted with the world and 
 dissatisfied with myself, I abandoned all my schemes 
 for the accumulation of wealth, turned my back upon 
 the society of my fellows, and took the road towards 
 the most unfrequented parts of the Sierra Nevada, 
 resolved henceforth to make the wilderness my home 
 and wild beasts my companions." 
 
 He became friendly with a near by band of Indians, 
 and they helped him in various ways, showing him their 
 method of tanning the skins of the animals he shot. 
 He made for himself a complete suit of buckskin, and 
 ever after this was his costume. When the Indians 
 moved down the river to avoid the winter, Adams re- 
 mained alone, and for months he did not see a human 
 being. Yet he declares these to have been the happiest 
 months of his life. He thus describes the grizzly king 
 of the mountains: 
 
 " The mountains are the favorite haunts of the 
 grizzly bear, the monarch of American beasts, and, 
 in many respects, the most formidable animal in the 
 world to be encountered. In comparison with the lion 
 of Africa and the tiger of Asia, though these may ex- 
 hibit more activity and blood-thirstiness, the grizzly 
 is not second in courage and excels them in power. 
 
i82 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Like the regions which he inhabits, there is a vastness in 
 his strength which makes him a fit companion for the 
 monster trees and giant rocks of the Sierra, and places 
 him, if not the first, at least in the first rank of all quad- 
 rupeds. 
 
 " The grizzly bear of California, in the consciousness 
 of strength and magnanimity of courage, alone of all 
 animals, stands unappalled in the face of any enemy, 
 and turns not from the sight of man. He may not 
 seek the conflict, but he never flies from it. He may 
 not feed upon royal meat, nor feel the flow of royal 
 blood in his veins; but he is unapproachable, over- 
 whelming. The lion and the tiger are like the desert 
 with its fiery simoons and tornadoes; the grizzly bear 
 of California like the mountains with their frosts and 
 avalanches. . . . 
 
 " He sometimes weighs as much as two thousand 
 pounds. He is of a brown color, sprinkled with grayish 
 hairs. When aroused, he is, as has been said before, 
 the most terrible of all animals in the world to en- 
 counter; but ordinarily will not attack man, except 
 under peculiar circumstances. It is of this animal 
 that the most extraordinary feats of strength are re- 
 corded. It is said, with truth, that he can carry off a 
 full-grown horse or buffalo, and that, with one blow 
 of his paw, he can stop a mad bull in full career. When 
 roused, and particularly when wounded, there is no 
 end to his courage; he fights till the last spark of life 
 expires, fearing no odds, and never deigning to turn 
 
JAMES CAPEN ADAMS 183 
 
 his heel upon the combat. It is to him that the appella- 
 tions of science, ursus jerox and ursus horribilis are 
 peculiarly applicable." 
 
 Adams thus describes his camp : "It consisted 
 merely of a con\'enient spot, where wood, water and 
 herbage were near at hand. There we would unpack 
 our mules, turn them out to graze, and build a large 
 fire, which was seldom allowed to go down. In the day, 
 this fire served for culinary purposes; at night, for 
 warmth and protection. I slept invariably in my blan- 
 kets, upon the ground; never in any house, or within 
 any inclosure, unless the weather was rainy, when a 
 few boughs, disposed into a kind of booth, would con- 
 stitute all my shelter from the elements. On a few 
 occasions, a blanket was spread to keep off the rain 
 or dampness; but, as a general rule, my bed was 
 entirely exposed." 
 
 When Adams entered the mountains, it was with no 
 intention of becoming a hunter of bears. This change 
 came about owing to the fact that his brother dis- 
 covered his whereabouts, came to see him, and finally 
 urged him to enter into a partnership, by the terms 
 of which he was to capture wild animals alive, or 
 secure their skins, send them to his brother and 
 receive a certain share of the proceeds. About this 
 time he fell in with a man named William Sykesey, 
 who for some time became a' sharer in his perils and 
 dangers. 
 
 One of his first experiences was to shoot a grizzly 
 bear and then capture her two year-old cubs, both of 
 which he tamed, and one of which became his insep- 
 
i84 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 arable companion and friend for many years, — the 
 celebrated Lady Washington. 
 
 After slaying the mother, he thought he could easily 
 secure the cubs. Says he: " As I rushed at them, they 
 retreated; as I pursued, they broke away, and, doub- 
 ling, shot past with a rapidity of motion which de- 
 fied all my skill. I chased a long time without success; 
 and, finally, when they and I were nearly worn out, 
 they suddenly turned and made so violent an attack 
 upon me that I was compelled, for my personal safety, 
 to betake myself to a tree, and was glad to find one to 
 climb. Although but little more than a year old, I saw 
 that they had teeth and claws which were truly formi- 
 dable." 
 
 For half an hour they kept him treed and then, not 
 " understanding the art of starving an enemy " — 
 as an older bear does — they went away. But he was 
 now bent on their capture, and with the aid of some 
 Indians finally succeeded in doing so by lying in wait 
 for them at the spring where they came to drink. While 
 awaiting their coming and a good opportunity to 
 capture them, he shot and killed another grizzly, which 
 supplied him with meat. Here is his account of his part 
 of the capture. When the animals came he pursued 
 one and the Indians the other: " My cub, which proved 
 to be a female, bounded into the plain, and required a 
 long chase. She ran quite a mile before it was possible 
 for me to throw the lasso, which was no sooner over 
 her head than she poked it off, and started on again. I 
 followed several miles, and threw the lasso over her 
 again and again, as many as seven times, before it kept 
 
JAMES CAPEN ADAMS 185 
 
 its place; but it did finally retain its hold, and she was 
 mine. I immediately sprang from my horse, and, 
 whipping out a muzzle and cords from my pockets, 
 soon had her bound head and foot. She was so beau- 
 tiful that I had to stop and admire her some time 
 before going to see what my comrades had done. 
 
 " They had been equally successful, though they 
 had not come off so easily in the combat, having been 
 pretty well scratched." 
 
 Adams gives a long account of his experiences in 
 taming Lady Washington and Jackson, as he respect- 
 ively named his two cubs, and he contends that if 
 the bear be taken early enough — even the dreaded 
 grizzly — "he grows up a devoted friend, exhibiting 
 such remarkable qualities of domestication as almost 
 to lead one to suppose that he was intended, as well as 
 the dog, for the companionship of man." 
 
 Be this as it may, it certainly was not long before 
 he had these cubs well-trained, and in the course of 
 his narrative he tells us of Lady Washington's accom- 
 panying him on his trips, carrying his packs, warning 
 him of the presence of foes, sleeping by his side and 
 saving him from cold, and of Ben Franklin — another 
 grizzly which he captured later — saving his life, for 
 he had taught Ben to go hunting with him. 
 
 On one occasion he and Sykesey built a bear trap oppo- 
 site a precipitous hill which was covered with chaparral, 
 and appeared entii^ely overgrown with a thick and 
 vigorous vegetation of creeping and branching vines 
 which had become interwoven. Here let Adams tell the 
 storv. 
 
i86 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 " One evening as we were about gi\'ing over work 
 for the day, my attention was attracted by a noise 
 on this hUl; and, upon casting my eyes upward, I 
 beheld a large grizzly bear coming down, back fore- 
 most, allowing her weight to carry her, while she re- 
 tarded what would otherwise have been too rapid a 
 descent by holding on to the rocks and bushes with her 
 claws. So ludicrous was this mode of progression, — 
 if coming down tail foremost can be called progression, 
 and so droll her movements in catching at every twig 
 and branch in her course, that, but for the danger of 
 my situation, I could have laughed outright. As, how- 
 ever, laughing or any other noise, under the circum- 
 stances, might have exposed us to immediate peril, 
 I kept perfectly silent, and beckoned Sykesey to reach 
 me my rifle, which was leaning against a tree near where 
 he stood. As he did so, I whispered that we were in a 
 dangerous situation, and that it would require all our 
 coolness and nerve to escape destruction. At the same 
 time, I cautioned him to reserve his fire and be ready 
 in case my shot should prove ineffectual; and, at all 
 events, to stand by me in case of extremity. I spoke 
 thus, because the fellow seemed frightened; but this 
 solemn talk frightened him still more; he, however, 
 promised to obey my instructions, and stand by me like 
 a man. 
 
 " By this time the bear had slid down within shoot- 
 ing distance; but, her position not presenting so fair 
 a mark as was desired, and there not now being light 
 enough to procure good aim, I was loath to fire; never- 
 theless, feeling that it would be the only opportunity, 
 
JAMES CAPEN ADAMS 187 
 
 and trusting to good fortune, I blazed away. The smoke 
 hardly lifted, and the echoes were hardly still, when, 
 crack! went Sykesey's rifle too; and, upon looking 
 around, I saw that he not only had fired, but had also 
 taken to his heels, and was running as fast as his legs 
 would carry him, leaving me to take the chances alone. 
 There was, however, no time to reprove this cowardly 
 conduct, for the bear now came down with a tumbling 
 plunge, and I drew my bowie-knife in the expectation 
 of an immediate conflict. Indeed. I braced myself for 
 a deadly encounter, when, very unexpectedly, the 
 bear rushed past, perhaps not seeing me, and bounded 
 away for the dense thicket in the ra\ine below. Her 
 motions, and a few drops of blood which stained her 
 course, showed that she was badly wounded. Catching 
 up my rifle, and reloading as quickly as possible, I 
 pursued, in hopes of obtaining another shot and finish- 
 ing the business; but before I was able to overtake 
 her she gained the thicket, which was too dense, and 
 it was now too dark, to attempt to enter." 
 
 The following day, as they passed the spot where 
 the bear disappeared in the chaparral, Adams taunted 
 Sykesey and declared that if he would exhibit a little 
 more courage than he had done on the preceding eve- 
 ning he would enter the chaparral and look for the 
 animal. On Sykesey protesting that he would " stand 
 by him to the last drop of his blood," they entered the 
 thicket and followed the track of the bear, only to find 
 her dead in her den. 
 
 Soon after this they saw several large black wolves 
 in a ravine, while they were on the top of a high preci- 
 
i88 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 pice almost over them. Adams shot, killing two and 
 wounding another in the shoulder. He says: 
 
 " Having no thought of any difficulty, I dropped 
 my rifle, drew my knife, climbed down the precipice, 
 and gave the wounded wolf chase. Upon overtaking 
 him I seized him by the tail and threw him upon the 
 ground, with the object of stabbing him; but, by an 
 unexpected turn, he snapped at my right forearm and 
 completely penetrated it with his fangs, and so potent 
 was the bite that the knife dropped from my unnerved 
 hand. For a few moments the pain was excessive; 
 but when the first paroxysm was a little over, I drew 
 my revolver, and finished the beast by a shot in the 
 heart. Upon turning up my buckskin sleeve, the 
 blood flowed profusely, and the wound showed itself 
 to be severe; one of much less severity, received from a 
 coyote bite since my return from the wilderness, and 
 the help of three surgeons, kept my arm in a sling eight 
 months, and came near costing me my hand. 
 
 " But, in the mountains, I acted as my own doctor, 
 and practised the water-cure system with great success. 
 I therefore merely directed my Indian, when he had 
 loaded his rifle, and came up, to wet my handkerchief 
 in cold water and wTap it tightly about the wound. In 
 civilized life, when an injury of this kind is received, it 
 is poulticed and bandaged; sometimes probed and 
 lanced; and, frequently, very bad work indeed is the 
 result; but experience has taught me that cold water 
 and nature are apt to be better than salves and doctors ; 
 and I would undertake to cure almost any bite, not 
 poisonous, by simply dressing it with cold water. A 
 
JAMES CAPEN ADAMS 189 
 
 simple cut of the finger by nature heals rapidly, but, 
 if plastered up, remains sore many days." 
 
 While thus wounded he had to walk to his camp, 
 several miles through an almost unexplored region, 
 and on the way killed a coyote and had a good scare 
 from a panther. The next morning, after more water 
 treatment, his wound was free from soreness and soon 
 healed. 
 
 One day, as he was returning home, he gave his rifle 
 to one of his companions, and with Lady Washington 
 started to go alone. Tempted to shoot some antelope 
 with his pistol, he got into thick chaparral, then sud- 
 denly bethought himself that it might be dangerous, 
 as there were signs of numerous grizzlies around. 
 He finally decided to return and began backing out. 
 " Suddenly," he says, " Lady Washington gave a 
 snort and chattered her teeth. I wheeled around at this, 
 and directly behind the Lady, full in sight, standing 
 upon his hind legs and wickedly surveying us, stood a 
 savage old grizzl)'. That he had hostile intentions, 
 all his actions clearly showed; and there I was, almost 
 without arms, and with the Lady as well as myself to 
 take care of. 
 
 " In this emergency, I seized the chain with which 
 the Lady was usually tied, and which was now wrapped 
 about her neck, and unwound it as noiselessly as pos- 
 sible. I was then about to move to a tree which stood 
 near, when the enemy dropped upon his all fours, came 
 a little nearer, and rose again. Here was a dilemma. I 
 knew from the nature of the beast that if I moved now, 
 I was to expect him either to instantly attack or pre- 
 
ipo HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 cipitately fly, — but the former much more probable 
 than the latter. I did not wish to hasten an unforeseen 
 determination on his part, however, and therefore 
 stood stock-still, with my pistol in my hand; and thus 
 we both, motionless as stone, eyed each other. It is 
 difficult to tell how long the bear w^ould have gazed 
 without acting, — not long, probably ; but seeing his 
 indecision, I resolved to turn it to my advantage; and 
 suddenly discharging the pistol, rattling the iron chain, 
 and at the same time yelling with all my might, I had 
 the gratification of seeing the enemy turn tail and run, 
 as if frightened out of his wits. Not satisfied with 
 this, I follow^ed after him yelling and shouting, with the 
 Lady growling, and the chain clanking. It seemed as 
 if a thousand evil ones had sprung up all at once in the 
 wilderness, and the old bear tore through the bushes 
 as if each particular one was after him." 
 
 One da}' he was chasing some buffaloes, when they 
 dashed into a marsh. " Seeing them fairly in the mud, 
 we sought low places in the bank, and rode after them; 
 but, as the soil grew less and less firm, we soon dis- 
 mounted, and pursued on foot. The animals plunged 
 deeper and deeper, and, being hampered with their 
 great bodies, completely mired; so that we easily 
 reached them, and in a few minutes slaughtered four. 
 
 " There was one lying in the mud a little further 
 distant, and, as my rifle was discharged, I resolved 
 to kill him with my bowie-knife. ... I approached 
 without sufficient caution, for, upon getting close, with 
 my knife drawn ready to plunge into his nei:k, he sud- 
 denly made a mighty effort, lunged against me, and 
 
JAMES CAPEN ADAMS 191 
 
 laid me sprawling before him. He then, with his 
 crooked horns, butted against my prostrate form, 
 and pressed me deeply into the mire; so that I was in 
 great danger from being drowned. The mud was soft 
 and yielding, and my body sank deeply; but this turned 
 out to be a fortunate circumstance; for, had the ground 
 been harder, I should certainly have been ground to 
 pieces. While thus going down into what threatened 
 to be my grave, Kimball ran up, and, just as I was 
 disappearing, sent a ball into the bull's body, which 
 made him throw up his head. In this moment, I sprang 
 to my feet, with the knife still in my hand, and stabbed 
 the beast to the heart, and he soon expired." 
 
 About a week later the whole camp was aw^akened 
 by the presence of a grizzly which, however, retreated 
 before a pistol shot. " This adventure excited the whole 
 camp, and particularly Foster, who was of a chivalrous 
 and impulsive character, and wished to go after the 
 beast, even in the darkness. Such madness I would 
 by no means allow; but, in the morning, we had hardly 
 started upon the hunt, when we came upon a large 
 grizzly with two large cubs. She was probably the 
 visitor of the previous night; and Foster was almost 
 beside himself for a shot. I cautioned him to go around 
 with the rest of us to a wooded knoll beyond the animal ; 
 but he thought he could kill a bear as easily as a buck, 
 and determined to advance from where he was. 
 
 " Seeing that he w^as bent upon his self-willed resolu- 
 tion, we exacted only a promise that he would not 
 fire until we reached the knoll; but, before getting upon 
 the top of it, we were startled by the report of his rifle. 
 
192 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 and, at the same time, one of those terrific roars which 
 the grizzly makes when it rushes for a man. I knew, 
 in an instant, there was danger, and sprang forward; 
 but only in time to witness poor Foster's death. He 
 had wounded the brute, and then ran for a tree; but, 
 before he could climb out of reach, the bear seized his 
 feet in her mouth, and dragged him to the ground, 
 and later, with one blow, dashed out his life." 
 
 Another time, in the Yosemite, — that grand moun- 
 tain valley that stands unique as one of the most pic- 
 turesque and varied in the world, and whose name, 
 in the Indian, Yo-ham-e-te, signifies Grizzly Bear, — 
 he waited for three days for a bear to come out of her 
 cave, and when he grew impatient, went in, determined 
 to bring the adventure to a close. " Before putting my 
 plan into execution, I stuck my cap full of green twigs, 
 and stationed myself in such a manner in the bushes 
 that it would take a nice eye to discern my form, even 
 though looking directly towards me. Having thus 
 disposed myself, cocking and drawing my rifle, I uttered 
 one of those terrific yells with which I have so often 
 started a grizzly to his feet. It echoed like the roar of a 
 lion up the canyon; and in a moment afterwards there 
 was a booming in the den like the puffing and snorting 
 of an engine in a tunnel, and the enraged animal 
 rushed out, growling and snuffing, as if she could belch 
 forth the fire of a volcano. She rose upon her hind 
 feet, and exhibited a monster form, — limbs of terrible 
 strength. She looked around in every du-ection; but 
 in a few moments, seeing nothing to attack, she sat 
 down upon her haunches, with her back towards me 
 
JAMES CAPEN ADAMS 193 
 
 and her face towards the opposite side of the canyon, 
 as if her enemy were there. 
 
 " During these few minutes I stood as motionless as a 
 statue, hardly breathing, waitmg and watching for an 
 opportunity to fire. Had I met such an animal un- 
 awares, in an unexpected place, her ferocity would have 
 made me tremble; but after my long watch I was 
 anxious to commence the. attack, and felt as steady 
 as a piece of ordnance upon a battery. As I watched, 
 I saw her turn her head towards the den, and, fearing 
 she would retire, I gave a low, sharp whistle, which 
 brought her to her feet again, with her breast fronting 
 directly tow^ards me. It w^as then, having my rifle 
 already drawn, that I fired; and in an instant, dropping 
 the rifle, I drew my pistol in one hand and my knife 
 in the other. The bear, as the ball slapped loudly 
 in the fat of her body, staggered and fell backwards, 
 and began pawing and biting the ground, — a sure 
 sign of a deadly hurt. . . . The work was nearly done; 
 but so anxious was I to complete it at once that I com- 
 menced leaping over the bushes; when, gathering her 
 savage strength, she arose, and, with one last, desperate 
 effort, sprang towards me. The distance between us 
 was only thirty feet, but, fortunately, full of brush, 
 and she soon weakened with the prodigious energy 
 requisite to tear her way through it. I discharged the 
 six shots of my re^'olver, the last of which struck under 
 the left ear, and laid her still for a moment; when, 
 leaping forward, my knife gave the final stroke." 
 
 Later, Adams captured a young grizzly cub, which 
 he called Ben Franklin, and which he afterwards 
 
194 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 brought to San Francisco where it became as well- 
 known as Lady Washington, It was not until he had 
 had many years of such exciting adventure that he 
 finally settled down, giving to others some of the pleas- 
 ure that he himself enjoyed in the friendship and com- 
 panionship of his tame grizzly bears, and telling 
 with quaint humor the stories the historian has pre- 
 served for those who will come to live in our State 
 when a wild bear will be as rare as it now is in England. 
 
CHAPTER XXI 
 
 THE MAIL-CARRYING HERO OF THE SNOW-CROWNED 
 SIERRAS, SNOW-SHOE THOMPSON 
 
 THERE are those whose daily deeds, if performed 
 by men in a different sphere of life, would be 
 heralded as worthy of the world's praise. Yet the men 
 who engage in such occupations perform them without 
 a thought of outside considerations, regarding the dis- 
 charge of their duty as the chief thing to be considered. 
 Doubtless many and various motives could be found 
 which have induced such men to enter upon their 
 adventurous careers, and where the desire to benefit, 
 or bring comfort to their fellow men is a prime motive, 
 disinterestedness must be added to the heroism they 
 display. 
 
 Such was the characteristic of " Snow-shoe Thomp- 
 son," one of the pioneer heroes of California, who, 
 though well-knowTi fifty years ago, is now almost 
 forgotten. To William Wright, a compeer of Bret 
 Harte, Mark Twain, Joaquin Miller, and the earlier 
 writers of California, who wrote under the nom de 
 plume of Dan de Quille, in the Overland Monthly of 
 October, 1886, I owe the following interesting story. 
 
 " The most remarkable and most fearless of all 
 our Pacific Coast mountaineers was John A. Thomp- 
 son, popularly known as ' Snow-shoe Thompson.' 
 
196 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 For over twenty years he braved the winter storms, as 
 both by day and by night he traversed the high Sierra. 
 His name was the synonym for endurance and daring 
 everywhere in the mountains, where he was well- 
 known, and was famous in all the camps and settle- 
 ments. He was seldom seen in the valleys, or any of 
 the large towns except Sacramento, where he only 
 went when business called him. Notwithstanding 
 that he seldom left his mountain home, there are but 
 few persons of middle age on the western side of the 
 continent who have not heard of ' Snow-shoe Thomp- 
 son,' or who have not in times past read an occasional 
 paragraph in regard to some of his many wonderful 
 exploits. Before the completion of the Central Pacific 
 Railroad, when he was regularly crossing the Sierra 
 Nevadas during the winter months, with the mails 
 strapped upon his back, more was heard of him, 
 through the newspapers and otherwise, than during the 
 last few years of his life, yet every winter up to the 
 last he lived, he was constantly performing feats that 
 excited the wonder and admiration even of his neigh- 
 bors and friends, though for years they had been 
 familiar with his powers of endurance, and his un- 
 daunted courage. 
 
 " These feats would have been heralded far and wide 
 had they been performed in a more accessible or popu- 
 lous region. He, however, thought lightly of the daring 
 and difficult things he did. They were nearly all done 
 in the course of his regular business pursuits. It was 
 very seldom that he went out of his way to do a thing 
 merely to excite astonishment, or elicit applause." 
 
JOHN A. THOMPSON. 
 
 (" Snow-Slioe " Tliompson.) 
 
 Page I'M 
 
SNOW-SHOE THOMPSON 197 
 
 Thompson was born at Upper Tins, Prestijeld, Nor- 
 way, April 30, 1827. Ten years later his parents 
 moved to the United States, and for a year lived in 
 Illinois, before pushing on further into Missouri. 
 Then in 1841 they moved to Iowa, remaining there until 
 1845, when they returned to Illinois. In 185 1 John, 
 then twenty-four years of age, was allured by the 
 gold call, and came overland to HangtowTi (now 
 Placerville), at which place, and also at Coon Hollow 
 and Kelsey's Diggings, he worked as a miner. He 
 soon became dissatisfied with the labor of mining, so, 
 in 1854-1855, he went to.Putah Creek, in the Sacra- 
 mento Valley, and set up as a rancher. But his eyes 
 were constantly turned to the mountains, which he 
 ardently loved, and he waited, longing and hoping for 
 the time when he could return. 
 
 " Early in the winter of 1856, while still at work on 
 his Putah Creek ranch, Mr. Thompson read in the 
 papers of the trouble experienced in getting the 
 mails across the snowy summit of the Sierra Nevada 
 Mountains. At the time he was engaged in cutting 
 wood on his ranch. What he heard and read of the 
 difficuhies encountered in the mountains, on account 
 of the great depth of the snow, set him to thinking. 
 When he was a boy, in Norway, snow-shoes were ob- 
 jects as familiar to him as ordinary shoes are to the 
 children of other lands. He determined to make a 
 pair of snow-shoes out of the oak timbers he was en- 
 gaged in splitting. Although he was but ten years of 
 age at the time he left his native land, his recollections 
 of the shoes he had seen there were in the main correct. 
 
198 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Nevertheless, the shoes he then made were such as 
 would at the present day be considered much too heavy, 
 and somewhat clumsy. They were ten feet in length, 
 were four inches in width behind the part on which 
 the feet rest, and in front were four inches and a quarter 
 wide, 
 
 " Having completed his snow-shoes to the best of 
 his knowledge, Thompson at once set out for Placer- 
 ville, in order to make experiments with them. Placer- 
 ville was not only his old mining camp, but was also the 
 principal mountain town on the ' Old Emigrant Road ' 
 — the road over which the. mails were then carried. 
 Being made out of green oak, Thompson's first shoes 
 were very heavy. When he reached Placerville, he 
 put them upon a pair of scales, and found that they 
 weighed twenty-five pounds. But their owner was 
 a man of giant strength, and he was too eager to be up 
 and doing to lose time in making another pair out of 
 lighter wood. 
 
 *' Stealing away to retired places near the town, 
 Thompson spent several days in practising on his snow- 
 shoes, and he soon became so expert that he did not 
 fear letting himself be seen in public on his snow-shoes. 
 
 " When he made his first public appearance, he was 
 already able to perform such feats as astonished all 
 who beheld them. His were the first Norwegian snow- 
 shoes ever seen in California. At that time, the only 
 snow-shoes known were those of the Canadian pattern. 
 Mounted upon his shoes — which were not unlike 
 thin sled runners in appearance — and with his long 
 balance-pole in his hands, he dashed down the sides 
 
SNOW-SHOE THOMPSON 199 
 
 of the mountains at such a fearful rate of speed as to 
 cause many to characterize the performance as fool- 
 hardy. Not a few of his old friends among the miners 
 begged him to desist, swearing roundly that he would 
 dash his brains out against a tree, or plunge over some 
 precipice and break his neck. But Thompson only 
 laughed at their fears. With his feet firmly braced, 
 and his balance-pole in his hands, he flew down the 
 mountain slopes, as much at home as an eagle soaring 
 and circling above the neighboring peaks. 
 
 " He did not ride astride his guide-pole, nor trail it 
 by his side in the snow, as is the practice of other snow- 
 shoers when descending a steep mountain, but held 
 it horizontally before him, after the manner of a tight- 
 rope walker. 
 
 " Having satisfied himself in regard to what he could 
 do on his snow-shoes, Thompson declared himself 
 ready to undertake to transport the mails across the 
 mountains. His first trip was made in January, 1856. 
 He went from Placerville to Carson Valley, a distance 
 of ninety miles. With the mail bags strapped upon 
 his back, he glided over fields of snow that were in 
 places from thirty to fifty feet in depth, his long Nor- 
 wegian shoes bearing him safely and swiftly along upon 
 the surface of the great drifts. 
 
 " Having successfully made the trip to Carson Valley 
 and back to Placerville, Show- shoe Thompson became 
 a necessity, and was soon a fixed institution of the moun- 
 tains. He carried the mails between the two points 
 all that winter. Through him was kept up the only 
 land communication there was between the Atlantic 
 
200 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 States and California. No matter how wild the storms 
 that raged in the mountains, he always came through, 
 and generally on time. 
 
 " The loads that Snow-shoe Thompson carried 
 strapped upon his back would have broken down an 
 ordinary man, though wearing common shoes and 
 traveling on solid ground. The weight of the bags he 
 carried was ordinarily from sixty to eighty pounds ; but 
 one winter, when he carried the mails for Chorpenning, 
 his load often weighed over one hundred pounds. 
 
 " In going from Placerville to Carson Valley, owing 
 to the great amount of uphill traveling, three days were 
 consumed; whereas, he was able to go from Carson 
 Valley to Placerville in two days, making forty-five 
 miles a day. Not a house was then found in all that 
 distance. Between the two points it was a Siberia of 
 snow. 
 
 " While traveling in the mountains, Snow-shoe 
 Thompson never carried blankets, nor did he even 
 wear an overcoat. The weight and bulk of such articles 
 would have encumbered and discommoded him. Ex- 
 ercise kept him warm while traveling, and when en- 
 camped he always built a fire. During the first year 
 or two after he went into the business, he carried a re- 
 volver. Finding, however, that he had no use for 
 such a weapon, and it being of the first importance 
 to travel as light as possible, he presently concluded 
 to leave his pistol at home. 
 
 " All that he carried in the way of provisions was a 
 small quantity of jerked beef, or dried sausage, and a 
 few crackers or biscuits. The food that he took into 
 
SNOW-SHOE THOMPSON 201 
 
 the mountains was all of a kind that could be eaten as 
 he ran. For drink he caught up a handful of snow, 
 or lay down for a moment and quaffed the water of 
 some brook or spring. He never took with him liquor 
 of any kind. He was a man that seldom tasted liquor. 
 
 " ' Snow-shoe ' never stopped for storms. He always 
 set out on the day appointed, without regard to the 
 weather, and he traveled by nights as well as in the 
 daytime. He pursued no regular path — in a trackless 
 waste of snow there was no path to follow ■ — but kept 
 a general route or course. By day he was guided by 
 the trees and rocks, and by night looked to the stars, 
 as does a mariner to his compass. With the places of 
 many stars he was as familiar as ever was Hansteen, 
 the great astronomer of the land of his birth. 
 
 " At the time Thompson began snow-shoeing in the 
 Sierras, nothing was known of the mysteries of ' dope ' 
 — a preparation of pitch, tallow, and other ingredients, 
 which being applied to the bottom of the shoes, enables 
 the wearer to lightly glide over snow softened by the 
 rays of the sun. Dope appears to have been a Cali- 
 fornia discovery. It is made of different qualities, and 
 different degrees of hardness and softness. As Thomp- 
 son used no dope, soft snow stuck to, and so clogged 
 his shoes, that it was sometimes impossible for him to 
 travel over it. Thus, it frequently happened that he 
 was obliged to halt for several hours during the day, 
 and resume his journey at night, when a crust was 
 frozen on the snow. 
 
 " Snow-shoe's night camps — whenever the night 
 was such as prevented him from pursuing his journey, 
 
202 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 or when it was necessary for him to obtain sleep — 
 were generally made wherever he happened to be at 
 the moment. He always tried, however, to find the 
 stump of a dead pine, at which to make his camp. 
 After setting fire to the dry stump, he collected a quantity 
 of fir or spruce boughs, with which he constructed a 
 sort of a rude couch or platform on the snow. Stretched 
 upon his bed of boughs, with his feet to his fire, and his 
 head resting upon one of Uncle Sam's mail bags, he 
 slept as soundly as if occupying the best bed ever made; 
 though, perhaps, beneath his couch, there was a depth 
 of from ten to thirty feet of snow. 
 
 " When unable to find a dry stump, he looked for a 
 dead pine tree. He always selected a tree that had a 
 decided lean. If he could avoid it, he never made 
 his camp beside a tree that was perfectly straight. 
 For this there was a good reason. It very often hap- 
 pened that the tree set on fire in the evening was burned 
 through, and fell to the ground before morning. When 
 he had a leaning tree, at the foot of which to encamp, he 
 was able to make his bed on the safe side; but when the 
 tree stood perfectly erect, he knew not on which side 
 of it to build his couch. It not infrequently happened 
 that he was aroused from sleep in the morning hours 
 by the loud cracking of the tree at the foot of which 
 he was reposing, and he was then obliged to do some 
 fast as well as judicious running, in order to save his 
 life. This was a bit of excitement that he did not 
 crave when wearied with a hard day's travel. 
 
 " However, he did not always camp by trees and 
 stumps. He sometimes crawled under shelving rocks, 
 
SNOW-SHOE THOMPSON 203 
 
 and there made his bed of boughs, building a small fire 
 on the bare ground in front of it. At a place called 
 Cottage Rock, six miles below Strawberry Valley, he 
 had a small, dry cavern, in the shape of an oven, in 
 which he was in the habit of housing, as often as he 
 could make it convenient to do so. There, his bed of 
 boughs was always ready for him. Curled up in his 
 cavern — which was but little larger than an ordinary 
 baker's oven — with a fire of blazing logs in front, he 
 slept in comfort and safety. He only camped when he 
 felt the necessity of obtaining sleep, and when suffi- 
 ciently refreshed by his slumbers was in the habit of 
 arising and pursuing his journey, whatever the hour of 
 the day or night, provided that a blinding snowstorm 
 and utter darkness did not prevail." 
 
 In all of his experiences, through darkness and storms, 
 fog and blizzard, he was never once known to have lost 
 his way. He accounted for this by an intuitive sense. 
 He used to affirm, not boastingly, but as a matter of 
 fact: " I was never lost — I can't be lost. I can go 
 anywhere in the mountains, day or night, storm or 
 shine. I can't be lost." Then tapping his forehead 
 with his forefinger, he continued: " There's something 
 in here which keeps me right." 
 
 It has often been remarked that " republics are 
 ungrateful," and in Thompson's case the aphorism was 
 well justified. As Mr. Wright says: 
 
 " Snow-shoe Thompson was one of those unfortunate 
 persons whose lot in life is to do a great deal of work 
 and endure many hardships for very little pay. For 
 twenty vdnters he carried the mails across the Sierra 
 
204 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Nevada Mountains, at times when they could have been 
 transported in no other way than on snow-shoes. 
 After he began the business he made his home in the 
 mountains, having secured a ranch in Diamond Valley, 
 when for five winters in succession he was constantly 
 engaged in carrying the mails across the snowy range. 
 Two years he carried the United States mails when 
 there was no contract for that service, and he got 
 nothing. On both sides of the mountains he was told 
 that an appropriation would be made and all would 
 come out right with him; but he got nothing except 
 promises. 
 
 " When Chorpenning had the contract for carrying 
 the mails, Thompson turned out with the oxen from 
 his ranch and kept the roads open for a long time; 
 and when there at last came such a depth of snow that 
 the road could no longer be broken, he mounted his 
 snow-shoes and carried the mails on his back. Chor- 
 penning failed, and Thompson never received a dime 
 for his work. 
 
 " First and last, he did a vast deal of work for noth- 
 ing. Some seasons our overland mail would not have 
 reached California during the whole winter, had not 
 Thompson turned out on his snow-shoes and carried 
 the sack across the mountains. He took pride in the 
 work. It challenged the spirit of adventure within him. 
 It was like going forth to battle, and each successive 
 trip was a victory. This being his feeling, he was all 
 the more readily made to believe that in case he turned 
 in and did the work, he would eventually be paid. 
 As Mr. Thompson approached his fiftieth year, he 
 
SNOW-SHOE THOMPSON 205 
 
 began to thdnk that in his old age he ought to receive 
 something from the government in reward for the 
 services he had performed. He asked but six thousand 
 dollars for all he had done and endured during the 
 twenty years. His petition to Congress was signed by 
 all the State and other officials at Carson City, and by 
 everyone else that was asked to sign it. In the winter 
 of 1874 he went to Washington to look after his claim, 
 but all he got was promises. 
 
 " Thompson was a man of splendid physique, stand- 
 ing six feet in his stockings and weighing one hundred 
 and eighty pounds. His features were large, but regular 
 and handsome. He had the blond hair and beard, 
 and fair skin and blue eyes of his Scandina\ian an- 
 cestors, and looked a true descendant of the sea-ro\ing 
 Northmen of old. Although he spoke English as well 
 as a native-born American, one would not have been 
 surprised to have heard him break forth in the old 
 Norse. Had he lived in the days when his ancestors 
 were carrying terror to all the coasts of Europe, he 
 would have been a leader, if not a king, among them. 
 On the sea he would have been what he was in the 
 mountains — a man most adventurous, fearless, and 
 unconquerable. 
 
 " He died at his ranch in Diamond Valley, thirty 
 miles south of Carson City, Nevada, May 15, 1876, 
 after an illness of but a few days, and when he was 
 but forty- nine years and fifteen days old. His tomb 
 is in Genoa, where a stone, on the top of which 
 is carved a pair of snow-shoes, was erected by his 
 widow. 
 
2o6 HEROES OE CALIFORNIA 
 
 " He was the father of all the race of snow-shoers 
 in the Sierra Nevadas; and in those mountains he was 
 the pioneer of the pack-train, the stage-coach and the 
 locomotive. On the Pacific Coast his equal in his 
 particular line will probably never again be seen. 
 The times and conditions are past and gone that called 
 for men possessing the special qualifications that made 
 him famous." 
 
CHAPTER XXII 
 
 THE MOUNTAIN-CLIMBING HEROES OF THE SIERRAS. 
 CLARENCE KING AND RICHARD COTTER 
 
 TN a certain library is one whole shelf of large books 
 -*- in reddish binding titled Annual Reports of the 
 United States Geological Survey. At the head of the 
 row is a small — and compared with the others, insig- 
 nificant — volume. It has no great intrinsic value, and 
 yet, to some people, that volume is more interesting 
 than any of the others, for the reason that it is the First 
 Annual Report of the Geological Survey, and bears 
 the name of a different director from any of the others. 
 Clarence King was the first director of the great scien- 
 tific institution that was afterwards fully organized 
 by that one-armed science- hero of Gettysburg — Major 
 J, W. Powell; and he is intimately associated with 
 California and dear to Californians because, in 1871, 
 he published a volume — Mountaineering in the Sierra 
 Nevada — that is one of the classics of English literature. 
 But, different from many classics, this book is pulsating 
 with fresh life. It is full of red blood, and out-of-doors 
 and climbing and riding and adventure that thrills one 
 as he reads. One of California's living authors of 
 renown says there is but one book in her library that 
 she cares to read every year, and that book is King's 
 Mountaineering. This book, to some readers, is full of 
 
2o8 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 that unconscious heroism, where the true hero writes 
 simply and naively of great deeds, dismisses them with- 
 out a word of comment, and leaves you to discover 
 them for yourself. Hence, some parts of it are worthy 
 of being read many times a year, as a few quotations 
 may prove. 
 
 The Geological Survey of California came into ex- 
 istence in 1 86 1, under the guidance of Professor Josiah 
 Whitney. It worked for about eleven years and was then 
 practically given up, — nor has it since been resumed. 
 
 One morning in 1864 Professor Brewer and his 
 assistant, Hoffman (after whom two majestic moun- 
 tains in the Sierra are named), attempted to reach the 
 highest point in the range. They returned at night, 
 terribly fatigued. " For eight whole hours they had 
 worked up over granite and snow, mounting ridge 
 after ridge, till the summit was reached about two 
 o'clock," \vrites Clarence King. 
 
 " These snowy crests bounding our view at the east- 
 ward we had all along taken to be the summits of the 
 Sierras, and Brewer had supposed himself to be climbing 
 a dominant peak, from which he might look eastward 
 over Owen's Valley and out upon leagues of desert. 
 Instead of this, a vast wall of mountains, lifted still 
 higher than his peak, rose beyond a tremendous can- 
 yon, which lay like a trough between the two parallel 
 ranks of peaks. Hoffman showed us on his sketch- 
 book the profile of his new range, and I instantly 
 recognized the peaks which I had seen from Mariposa, 
 whose great white pile had led me to believe them the 
 highest point in California. 
 
KING AND COTTER 209 
 
 " Their peak, as indicated by the barometer, was 
 in the region of thirteen thousand, four hundred feet, 
 and a level across to the farther range showed its 
 crests to be at least fifteen hundred feet higher. They 
 had spent hours upon the summit scanning the eastern 
 horizon, and ranging downward into the labyrinth of 
 gulfs below, and had come at last with reluctance to the 
 belief that to cross this gorge and ascend the eastern 
 wall of peaks was impossible. 
 
 " Brewer and Hoffman were old climbers, and their 
 verdict of impossible oppressed me as I lay awake think- 
 ing of it; but early next morning I had made up my 
 mind, and, taking Cotter aside, I asked him in an easy 
 manner whether he would like to penetrate the terra 
 incognita with me at the risk of our necks, provided 
 Brewer should consent. In a frank, courageous tone 
 he answered, after his usual mode, ' Why not ? ' Stout 
 of limb, stronger yet in heart, of iron endurance and 
 a quiet, unexcited temperament, and, better yet, de- 
 voted to me, I felt that Cotter was the one comrade 
 I would choose to face death with, for I believed 
 there was in his manhood no room for fear or 
 shirk." 
 
 Brewer finally gave his consent, though not with- 
 out reluctance, and the trip was successfully made. 
 Several times, both on the ascent and the descent, they 
 came to the places which try men's souls. They had 
 lively work in crossing King's Canyon and came at 
 last to a spot where, " Looking down over the course we 
 had come, it seemed and I really believe it was, an 
 impossible descent; for one can climb upward with 
 
2IO HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 safety where he cannot downward. To turn back was 
 to give up in defeat ; and we sat at least half an hour, 
 suggesting all sorts of routes to the summit, accepting 
 none and feeling disheartened. About thirty feet over 
 our heads was another shelf, which, if we could reach, 
 seemed to offer at least a temporary way upward. On 
 its edge were two or three spikes of granite; whether 
 firmly connected with the cliff, or merely blocks of 
 debris, we could not tell from below. I said to Cotter, 
 I thought of but one possible plan : it was to lasso one 
 of these blocks, and to climb, sailor-fashion, hand 
 over hand, up the rope. In the lasso 1 had perfect 
 confidence, for I had seen more than one Spanish bull 
 throw his whole weight against it without parting a 
 strand. The shelf was so narrow that throwing the 
 coil of rope was a very difficult undertaking. I tried 
 three times, and Cotter spent five minutes vainly whirl- 
 ing the loop up at the granite spikes. At last I made a 
 lucky throw, and it tightened upon one of the smaller 
 protuberances. I drew the noose close, and very gradu- 
 ally threw my hundred and fifty pounds upon the rope; 
 then Cotter joined me, and for a moment we both hung 
 our united weight upon it. Whether the rock moved 
 slightly, or whether the lasso stretched a little we were 
 unable to decide; but the trial must be made, and I 
 began to climb slowly. The smooth precipice- face 
 against which my body swung offered no foothold, and 
 the whole climb had therefore to be done by the arms, 
 an effort requiring all one's determination. When about 
 half-way up I was obliged to rest, and, curling my feet 
 in the rope, managed to relieve my arms for a moment. 
 
KING AND COTTER 
 
 211 
 
 In this position I could not resist the fascinating tempta- 
 tion of a survey downward. 
 
 " Straight down, nearly a thousand feet below, at 
 the foot of the rocks, began the snow, whose steep, 
 roof-like slope, exaggerated into an almost vertical 
 angle, curved down in a long, white field, broken far 
 away by rocks and polished, round lakes of ice. 
 
 " Cotter looked up cheerfully, and asked how I was 
 making it; to which I answered that I had plenty of 
 wind left. At that moment, when hanging between 
 heaven and earth, it was a deep satisfaction to look 
 down at the wild gulf of desolation beneath, and up 
 to unknown dangers ahead, and feel my ner\es cool 
 and unshaken. 
 
 " A few pulls hand over hand brought me to the edge 
 of the shelf, when, throwing an arm around the granite 
 spike, I swung my body upon the shelf, and lay down 
 to rest, shouting to Cotter that I was all right, and that 
 the prospects upward were capital. After a few mo- 
 ments' breathing I looked over the brink, and directed 
 my comrade to tie the barometer to the lower end 
 of the lasso, which he did, and that precious instrument 
 was hoisted to my station, and the lasso sent down 
 twice for knapsacks, after which Cotter came up the rope 
 in his very muscular way, without once stopping to 
 rest." 
 
 They reached the dividing ridge up which they had 
 hoped to go to reach the summit, and found it impracti- 
 cable. There seemed but one way open to them. 
 That was to descend into Kern Canyon and make the 
 ascent that way. 
 
212 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 " One look at the sublime white giant decided us. 
 We looked down over the precipice, and at first could 
 see no method of descent. Then we went back and 
 looked at the road we had come up, to see if that were 
 not possibly as bad; but the broken surface of the 
 rocks was evidently much better climbing-ground than 
 anything ahead of us. Cotter, with danger, edged his 
 way along the wall to the east and I to the west, to see 
 if there might not be some favorable point; but we 
 both returned with the belief that the precipice in front 
 of us was as passable as any of it. Down it we miist 
 
 go. 
 
 " After lying on our faces, looking over the brink, 
 ten or twenty minutes, I suggested that by lowering 
 ourselves on the rope we might climb from crevice 
 to crevice; but we saw no shelf large enough for our- 
 selves and knapsacks too. However, we were not 
 going to give it up without a trial; and I made the 
 rope fast around my breast, and, looping the noose over 
 a firm point of rock, let myself slide gradually down 
 to a notch forty feet below. There was only room be- 
 side me for Cotter, so I made him send down the knap- 
 sacks first. I then tied these together by the straps 
 with my silk handkerchiefs, and hung them off as far 
 to the left as I could reach without losing my balance, 
 looping the handkerchiefs over a point of rock. Cotter 
 then slid down the rope, and, with considerable diffi- 
 culty, we whipped the noose off its resting-place above, 
 and cut oflf our connection with the upper world. 
 
 " ' We're in for it now, King,' remarked my com- 
 rade, as he looked aloft, and then down; but our blood 
 
THEODORE D. JUDAH. 
 
 Page 223 
 

 U1 
 
 
 
 
 
 THK HIGH SIERRA, CAI IFORNIA, CROSSED BY THE CENTRAL 
 PACIFIC RAILWAY. 
 
 Page 223 
 
 IHE HIGH SIERRAS SURVEYED BY THEODORE JUDAH. 
 
 Page 223 
 
KING AND COTTER 213 
 
 was up, and danger added only an exhilarating thrill 
 to the nerves. 
 
 " The shelf was hardly more than two feet wide, 
 and the granite so smooth that we could find no place to 
 fasten the lasso for the next descent; so I determined 
 to try the climb with only as little aid as possible. Ty- 
 ing it around my breast again, I ga\e the other end 
 into Cotter's hands, and he, bracing his back against 
 the cliff, found for himself as firm a foothold as he 
 could, and promised to give me all the help in his 
 power. I made up my mind to bear no weight unless 
 it was absolutely necessary; and for the first ten feet 
 I found cracks and protuberances enough to support 
 me, making every square inch of surface do friction 
 duty, and hugging myself against the rocks as tightly 
 as I could. When within about eight feet of the next 
 shelf, I twisted myself round upon the face, hanging 
 by two rough blocks of protruding feldspar, and look- 
 ing vainly for some further hand-hold; but the rock, 
 besides being perfectly smooth, overhung slightly, and 
 my legs dangled in the air. I saw that the next cleft 
 was over three feet broad, and I thought possibly I 
 might, by a quick slide, reach it in safety without en- 
 dangering Cotter. I shouted to him to be very careful 
 and let go in case I fell, loosened my hold upon the rope 
 and slid quickly down. My shoulder struck against the 
 rock and threw me out of balance; for an instant I 
 reeled over upon the verge, in danger of falling, but, 
 in the excitement, I thrust out my hand and seized a 
 small Alpine gooseberry-bush, the first piece of vege- 
 tation we had seen. Its roots were so firmly fixed 
 
214 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 in the crevice that it held my weight and saved 
 rae. 
 
 " I could no longer see Cotter, but I talked to him, 
 and heard the two knapsacks come bumping along till 
 they slid over the eaves above me, and swung down to 
 my station, when I seized the lasso's end and braced 
 myself as well as possible, intending, if he slipped, to 
 haul in slack and hel}) him as best I might. As he came 
 slowly down from crack to crack, I heard his hobnailed 
 shoes grating on the granite; presently they appeared 
 dangling from the eaves above my head. I had gath- 
 ered in the rope until it was taut, and then hurriedly 
 told him to drop. He hesitated a moment, and let go. 
 Before he struck the rock I had him by the shoulder, 
 and whirled him down upon his side, thus preventing 
 his rolling overboard, which friendly action he took 
 quite coolly. 
 
 " The third descent was not a difficult one, nor the 
 fourth; but when we had climbed down about two 
 hundred and fifty feet, the rocks were so glacially pol- 
 ished and water- worn that it seemed impossible to get 
 any farther. To our right was a crack penetrating 
 the rock, perhaps a foot deep, widening at the surface 
 to three or four inches, which proved to be the only 
 possible ladder. As the chances seemed rather des- 
 perate, we concluded to tie ourselves together, in order 
 to share a common fate; and with a slack of thirty feet 
 between us, and our knapsacks upon our backs, we 
 climbed into the crevice, and began descending with 
 our faces to the cliff. This had to be done with un- 
 usual caution, for the foothold was about as good as 
 
KING AND COTTER 215 
 
 none, and our fingers slipped annoyingly on the smooth 
 stone; besides, the knapsacks and instruments kept a 
 steady backward pull, tending to overbalance us. But 
 we took pains to descend one at a time, and rest where- 
 ever the niches gave our feet a safe support. In this 
 way we got down about eighty feet of smooth, nearly 
 vertical wall, reaching the top of a rude granite stairway, 
 which led to the snow; and here we sat down to rest, 
 and found to our astonishment that we had been 
 three hours from the summit. 
 
 " After breathing a half minute we continued down, 
 jumping from rock to rock, and having, by practice, 
 become very expert in balancing ourselves, sprang 
 on, never resting long enough to lose the aplomb; 
 and in this manner made a quick descent over rugged 
 debris to the crest of a snow-field, which, for seven or 
 eight hundred feet more, swept down in a smooth, even 
 slope, of very high angle, to the borders of a frozen lake. 
 
 " Without untying the lasso which bound us to- 
 gether, we sprang upon the snow with a shout, and 
 glissaded down splendidly, turning now and then a 
 somersault, and shooting out like cannon-balls almost 
 to the middle of the frozen lake; I upon my back, and 
 Cotter feet first, in a swimming position. The ice 
 cracked in all directions. It was only a thin, trans- 
 parent film, through which we could see deep into the 
 lake. Untying ourselves, we hurried ashore in different 
 directions, lest our combined weight should be too 
 great a strain upon any point." 
 
 There was plenty more of excitement before they 
 reached the summit. When they did so. King says: 
 
2i6 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 " I rang my hammer upon the topmost rock; we 
 grasped hands, and I reverently named the grand peak 
 Mount Tyndall." 
 
 Now came the descent. At one place " the rock 
 was so steep that we descended in a sitting posture, 
 clinging with our hands and heels. I heard Cotter say, 
 ' I think I must take off these moccasins and try it bare- 
 footed, for I don't believe I can make it.' These words 
 were instantly followed by a startled cry, and I looked 
 round to see him slide quickly toward me, strugghng 
 and clutching at the smooth granite. As he slid by, 
 I made a grab for him with my right hand, catching 
 him by the shirt, and, throwing myself as far in the 
 other direction as I could, seized with my left hand a 
 little pine tuft, which held us. I asked Cotter to edge 
 along a little to the left, where he could get a brace 
 with his feet and relieve me of his weight, which he 
 cautiously did. I then threw a couple of turns with the 
 lasso round the roots of the pine bush, and we were 
 safe, though hardly more than twenty feet from the 
 brink. The pressure of curiosity to get a look over 
 that edge was so strong within me that I lengthened 
 out sufficient lasso to reach the end, and slid slowly 
 to the edge, where, leaning over, I looked down, getting 
 a full view of the wall for miles. Directly beneath, a 
 sheer cliff of three or four hundred feet stretched down 
 to a pile of debris which rose to unequal heights along 
 its face, reaching the very crest not more than a hundred 
 feet south of us." 
 
 There was still excitement ahead. They came to a 
 place where King's River dashed, " a broad, white 
 
KING AND COTTER 217 
 
 torrent, fretting its way along the bottom of an im- 
 passable gorge. ... To the south of us, a little way 
 up stream, the river flowed out from a broad, oval lake, 
 three-quarters of a mile in length, which occupied the 
 bottom of the granite basin. Unable to cross the tor- 
 rent, we must either swim the lake or climb around its 
 head. , . . 
 
 " Around the head of the lake were crags and prec- 
 ipices in singularly forbidding arrangement. As we 
 turned thither we saw no possible way of overcoming 
 them. At its head the lake lay in an angle of the vertical 
 wall, sharp and straight like the corner of a room; 
 about three hundred feet in height, and for two hun- 
 dred and fifty feet of this a pyramidal pile of blue ice 
 rose from the lake, rested against the corner, and 
 reached within forty feet of the top. Looking into the 
 deep blue water of the lake, I concluded that in our 
 exhausted state it w^as madness to attempt to swim it. 
 The only alternative was to scale that slender pyramid 
 of ice and find some way to climb the forty feet of 
 smooth wall above it. . . . 
 
 " We found the ice-angle difficultly steep "... 
 but finally reached its top. There " we found a narrow, 
 level platform, upon which we stood together, resting 
 our backs in the granite corner, and looked down the 
 awful pathway of King's Canyon, until the rest nerved 
 us up enough to turn our eyes upward at the forty feet 
 of smooth granite which lay between us and safety. 
 Here and there were small projections from the 
 surface, little, protruding knobs of feldspar, and 
 crevices riven into its face for a few inches. 
 
2i8 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 " As we tied ourselves together, I told Cotter to hold 
 himself in readiness to jump down into one of these 
 in case I fell, and started to climb up the wall, succeed- 
 ing quite well for about twenty feet. About two feet 
 above my hands was a crack, which, if my arms had 
 been long enough to reach, would probably have led 
 me to the very top; but I judged it beyond my powers, 
 and, with great care, descended to the side of Cotter, 
 who believed that his superior length of arm would 
 enable him to make the reach. 
 
 " I planted myself against the rock, and he started 
 cautiously up the wall. Looking down the glare front 
 of ice, it was not pleasant to consider at what velocity 
 a slip would send me to the bottom, or at what angle, 
 and to what probable depth, I should be projected into 
 the ice-water. Indeed, the idea of such a sudden bath 
 was so annoying that I lifted my eyes towards my com- 
 panion. He reached my farthest point without great 
 difficulty, and made a bold spring for the crack, reaching 
 it without an inch to spare, and holding on wholly by 
 his fingers. He thus worked himself slowly along the 
 crack toward the top, at last getting his arms over the 
 brink, and gradually drawing his body up and out of 
 sight. It was the most splendid piece of slow gymnas- 
 tics I ever witnessed. For a moment he said nothing; 
 but when I asked if he was all right, cheerfully re- 
 peated ' All right.' 
 
 " It was only a moment's work to send up the two 
 knapsacks and barometer, and receive again my end 
 of the lasso. As I tied it round my breast, Cotter said 
 to me, in an easy, confident tone, ' Don't be afraid 
 
KING AND COTTER 219 
 
 to bear your weight.' I made up my mind, however, 
 to make that cHmb without his aid, and husbanded my 
 strength as I climbed from crack to crack. I got up 
 without difficulty to my former point, rested there a mo- 
 ment, hanging solely by my hands, gathered every 
 pound of strength and atom of will for the reach, then 
 jerked myself upward with a swing, just getting the tips 
 of my fingers into the crack. In an instant I had 
 grasped it with my right hand also. I felt the sinews 
 of my fingers relax a little, but the picture of the slope 
 of ice and the blue lake affected me so strongly that I 
 redoubled my grip, and climbed slowly along the crack 
 until I reached the angle and got one arm over the edge 
 as Cotter had done. As I rested my body upon the 
 edge and looked up at Cotter, I saw that, instead of a 
 level top, he was sitting upon a smooth, roof-like slope, 
 where the least pull would have dragged him over the 
 brink. He had no brace for his feet, nor hold for his 
 hands, but had seated himself calmly, with the rope tied 
 around his breast, knowing that my only safety lay 
 in being able to make the climb entirely unaided; 
 certain that the least waver in his tone would have dis- 
 heartened me, and perhaps made it impossible. The 
 shock I received on seeing this affected me for a mo- 
 ment, but not enough to throw me off my guard, and I 
 climbed quickly over the edge. When we had walked 
 back out of danger we sat down upon the granite for 
 a rest. 
 
 " In all my experience of mountaineering I have never 
 known an act of such real, profound courage as this 
 of Cotter's, It is one thing, in a moment of excitement, 
 
220 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 to make a gallant leap, or hold one's nerves in the iron 
 grasp of will, but to coolly seat one's self in the door 
 of death, and silently listen for the fatal summons, 
 and this all for a friend, — for he might easily have 
 cast loose the lasso and saved himself, — requires as 
 sublime a type of courage as I know." 
 
 It was in this fashion and by such men that the 
 exploring of the mountains of California was accom- 
 plished, and to read Clarence King's book is to bathe 
 one's self, not only in the largeness of the wide land- 
 scapes of California's out-of-doors, but also in the large- 
 ness of heart of extraordinary men. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII 
 
 THE ENGINEERING HERO OF THE SIERRAS, THEO- 
 DORE D. JUDAH 
 
 IN a gigantic enterprise there is often scope for the 
 widest exercise of several varieties of genius. As 
 the next chapter will show, the building of the Central 
 Pacific Railroad developed a commanding genius of 
 finance, — ^ Huntington; a genius of equal calibre as a 
 constructor, — Crocker; another genius as a politician 
 to remove obstacles, — Stanford; and still another, as 
 a watch- dog of its own treasury, — Hopkins. Each 
 man stands out conspicuous; and Huntington, Stan- 
 ford and Crocker especially are more than local char- 
 acters. They loom large as celebrities, and their names 
 are already uTitten boldly and broadly in the nation's 
 autograph album of great men. 
 
 But another name, though less known, is equally 
 entitled to this honor, in connection with the work of 
 organizing the Central Pacific Railroad. The work of 
 this man was earlier, and in many respects more exact- 
 ing, more arduous, and required greater knowledge 
 and greater skill in handling men. Not only that; 
 it must also be recognized that his was the far-seeing 
 vision, the prophetic soul that fired into life the com- 
 mercial instincts of the other four geniuses who bore 
 the burden of actually achieving what he had the 
 
222 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 daring to conceive, the ability to plan, and the wisdom 
 to urge. This man, who for all time should stand as 
 a moral hero to young Californians, was Theodore D. 
 Judah. He was young when he died, for the toll of his 
 years was but thirty-seven. Thirty-seven, and yet he 
 had accomplished so much! Born in Bridgeport, 
 Connecticut, he was induced to come to California in 
 1853 to superintend the selection of a route and con- 
 struction of a railroad from Sacramento to the northern 
 mines. Sacramento, as the chief city at the head of 
 navigation, was to be the starting-point, and the rail- 
 way was to cross the Sacramento valley, strike the 
 foot-hills of the Sierra Nevadas, and then proceed north 
 to the mines. In the face of the great cost of labor — 
 who was going to work making railroad grades for a 
 few dollars a day when he might work at the mines 
 and perhaps become a millionaire ? — and the equally 
 great cost of materials, all of which had to be trans- 
 ported from the East either around Cape Horn, or 
 across the Isthmus, the first twenty-three miles was 
 constructed to Folsom, and, with much rejoicing, on 
 February 22, 1856, the opening ceremonies were 
 held. But it stopped there! By 1856 the mines were 
 less profitable than they had been in 1848, 1849 ^.nd 
 1850, and the new railroad was not doing the business 
 its promoters anticipated. 
 
 In the meantime Mr. Judah was studying the field. 
 In his native Connecticut he had never seen such moun- 
 tains as these California Sierras. How they shouldered 
 their way up to the sky! How they dominated the 
 valley! How proudly their snow-crested summits 
 
THEODORE D. JUDAH 223 
 
 fellowshiped with the sun! What a barrier they were 
 between the here and the — what was beyond. By 
 and by, their very presence became a challenge to 
 Judah, and he determined to solve their mysteries, 
 and to know what was beyond them; then his engi- 
 neering pride was aroused, and he determined to find 
 a way to scale them with a railroad. 
 
 One day he secured a holiday and took a stage ride 
 over to Nevada. He was such an indefatigable worker 
 that his trip was a surprise to people. They wondered 
 at Judah — of all men — taking a rest. But there was 
 a great purpose in this seeming holiday. Several times 
 Judah came near being left. He would leave the stage 
 and take " short cuts," or would wander from the road 
 to get outlooks from higher points. It was clear to 
 an observer that he was a much interested man. On 
 his return, the results of his trip became apparent in 
 that new interests had been awakened in his soul. 
 He began to talk of a rail way across the Sierras. Then — 
 with his essentially practical mind — he began to work 
 to find the route for it. He was only about thirty 
 years old, but it was not long before he saw clearly 
 that a railway could be built, and as soon as that was 
 determined he threw himself, heart and soul, into the 
 work of its accomplishment. Week after week, month 
 after month, year after year, he tramped up and down 
 canyons, slid down or wearily climbed up steep slopes, 
 visited every possible pass, stood on every available 
 summit, suffered heat and cold, rain, sleet, snow and 
 storm, until he knew the Sierras, by heart. 
 
 In 1859 — -September 20 — a railroad convention 
 
224 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 was held in San Francisco, of which John Bidwell 
 was chairman, with delegates from California, Oregon, 
 Washington and Arizona, for the purpose of taking 
 such steps as should ensure the building of a trans- 
 continental railway. Judah was present, and it is 
 universally conceded that he was the best posted and 
 most efficient delegate. Called upon for information, 
 he freely poured forth his stored- up knowledge. An 
 older man might have withheld much, for fear that 
 others might forestall him and reap the advantage of 
 his labor. Rut Judah never seemed to have had any 
 fear of anything of this kind. He was too large-hearted 
 to put a national scheme upon the basis of a proposition 
 for personal profit. He was unanimously selected, 
 therefore, to go to Washington as the representative 
 of this convention, see the President of the United 
 States, the heads of the various departments, the leaders 
 of Congress and all others he might deem desirable, 
 to the end that, by his influence, legislation would be 
 set in motion for the furtherance of the transcontinental 
 railway. 
 
 With fidelity, knowledge and zeal he accomplished 
 his part of the Washington mission, and I would that 
 every reader of this sketch could read Judah's report 
 of his labors. He failed in his mission, owing to the 
 sectional jealousies between North and South, raging at 
 their height, but his report is a model of clear, dis- 
 passionate statement of facts, without prejudice or dis- 
 couragement, and reaffirming his faith in the feasibility 
 and practicability of the project and its ultimate con- 
 summation. And then — lesson for the grafters of 
 
THEODORE D. JUDAH 225 
 
 to-day — he enclosed a bill of expenses for forty dollars! 
 His actual expenditures for stage fare, hotel bills, 
 carriage hire, etc., had amounted to twenty-five hundred 
 dollars, but that he would pay himself. The bill was 
 for necessary printing, which was all he expected the 
 convention officials to pay. 
 
 During these years of hard and unremunerative 
 work Judah attracted the attention and engaged the 
 interest of the Sacramento men who afterWEtrds became 
 the " Big Four " of the Central Pacific Railroad. If 
 this young engineer from Bridgeport was so sure of the 
 feasibility of building a railroad, why were they not 
 interested? Leland Stanford was a dealer in groceries 
 and pro\'isions, Crocker a dry-goods merchant, and 
 Huntington and Hopkins sold hardware. None of 
 them was rich, but they were "big" men, though 
 neither they nor any one else knew it at the time. 
 
 The building of a great railroad is a tremendous 
 project; and its financing a great problem. When 
 one considers the way millions are spent — loca- 
 ting the route, surveying, grading, blasting, sho\'el- 
 ing, filling, tunneling, bridging, cutting, the cost of the 
 rails, transporting them from the mills to the road-bed, 
 laying them, keeping them in order, the rolling stock, 
 engines, passenger and freight cars, stations, depots, 
 freight- houses, switches, side-tracks, offices, etc., • — 
 the mind of the ordinary man is bewildered. To 
 others, however, these matters are simple. They grasp 
 the problems, see the needs, the compensations for the 
 expenditures, and then, if they can but convince others 
 that they see clearly, their success is assured. 
 
226 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Judah had seen these things very early, and he soon 
 made the " Big Four " see them. They went into 
 politics. Stanford was nominated for governor of 
 California on the Republican ticket, and ten days later, 
 June 28, 1861, the Central Pacific Railroad Company 
 of California was organized, with Stanford as presi- 
 dent, Huntington vice-president, Judah engineer, 
 Hopkins treasurer, and James Bailey, a Sacramento 
 jeweler, secretary. The capital stock was named as 
 eight million five hundred thousand dollars, divided 
 into eighty-five thousand shares of one hundred dollars 
 each. The " Big Four " and Judah each subscribed 
 for one hundred and fifty shares, and paid into the 
 treasury ten dollars per share as a working fund. Judah 
 was at once sent back to the mountains to complete 
 his surveys and make a final determination of routes. 
 
 What a history- making epoch! What an honored 
 position and high responsibility for a young man! 
 How much depended upon his wisdom and judgment, 
 his care and thoroughness! 
 
 Judah's report of 1861 (October i) should be re- 
 garded a^ one of the Classics of California Historic 
 Literature. It ought to be read by every intelligent 
 man and woman, who to-day is enjoying the results 
 of his thorough and careful work. 
 
 Eleven days after the report was submitted, Judah 
 was on the steamer, going to Washington, by way of 
 Panama, as the Railroad Company's representative 
 to Washington. A man who was to be of great service 
 to the cause was on the steamer with him, and Judah 
 at once set to work, with the same zeal that had won 
 
Q u 
 
THEODORE D. JUDAH 227 
 
 him the passes of the Sierras, to win his adherence and 
 helpfulness. This was Representative A. A. Sargent, 
 who had just been elected and was on his way to take 
 his seat in the House. Before he reached Washington, 
 Judah had pumped him full of knowledge in regard 
 to routes, costs per mile, tunnels, probable amount of 
 tonnage freight, of passengers and everything else a 
 Congressman ought to know, so that when the bill 
 finally 'came before the House, he was able thoroughly 
 and properly to present it. 
 
 In New York he met United States Senator James 
 A. McDougall, at whose request he prepared a bill 
 for presentation to the Senate. 
 
 Then he himself entered into the campaign of edu- 
 cation in Washington. In this he was materially helped 
 by both the gentlemen above named, and when the 
 bill came up for action, they did valiant service in both 
 the House and the Senate, and on July t, 1862, they 
 had the pleasure of knowing that it had become a law. 
 
 As soon as the bill was passed, Judah prepared 
 and filed in the office of the Secretary of the Interior a 
 map and designation of the route of the Central Pacific 
 Railroad through California; whereupon, as provided 
 by the act, lands to the distance of fifteen miles on each 
 side of the route were withdrawn from private enter- 
 prise, preemption or sale. He then proceeded to New 
 York and began making provisional contracts for 
 iron and equipments for the first fifty miles of the road. 
 On July 21, having successfully accomplished the 
 objects of his mission, he took the steamer from New 
 York, carrying with him a testimonial from a large 
 
228 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 number of senators and representatives in Congress, 
 thanking him for his assistance in aiding the passage 
 of the bill, assuring him that his examinations and 
 surveys had settled the question of the practicability of 
 the route and enabled many of them to vote confidently 
 on the great measure, and bearing witness to the value 
 and effectiveness of his indefatigable exertions and 
 intelligent explanations. He had indeed succeeded 
 admirably; and, so far as seen, his success was due 
 almost entirely to himself and achieved without soiling 
 his hands or leaving a stain upon his name. 
 
 Immediately upon his return to California, he began 
 to show to the people the great advantages the govern- 
 ment had conceded and the wisdom of aiding the work 
 in every possible way. At the same time he bent his 
 marvellous energies to the proper launching of the 
 engineering end of the enterprise. The road to Folsom 
 was abandoned, and he conclusively showed the reason 
 why, so that even those who protested against it were 
 left without argument. He also called especial atten- 
 tion to every detail of the requirements of Congress, 
 with a conscientious anxiety to meet every promise, 
 and to keep all pledges made to the State of Nevada. 
 Not only this, but he had experts at w^ork examining 
 the minerals and rocks along the route, and these 
 he exhibited with their reports. 
 
 In October, 1863, Judah again started for Washing- 
 ton, in order to be present at the sessions of Congress 
 when new and additional railroad legislation was 
 proposed. On the way he was stricken with fever, 
 and died in New York on November 2, 1863, Hittell 
 
THEODORE D. JUDAH 229 
 
 says: " In him perished a genius — one of the greatest 
 in iiis important Hne — without whom the way over 
 the Sierra would not have been found perhaps for many 
 years. Like many other men of genius, his reward 
 consisted chiefly in his own activity and the conscious- 
 ness and satisfaction of doing noble work thoroughly 
 and well. He made for others, or enabled them to 
 make, uncounted wealth and to occupy places of 
 first-class prominence in the world; but, for himself, 
 he made in the way of money comparatively nothing; 
 and in name and recollection, as new and inferior men 
 took his place and easily continued in the path he had 
 found and so clearly pointed out, he was in a short 
 time substantially forgotten. While the railroad in 
 its completed state, and its offspring and imitations, 
 which now span the continent, ha\e changed the face 
 of the globe, and engrossed to a greater or less extent 
 the attention of courts and cabinets in almost every 
 quarter of the earth, it is only in old records and reports 
 that the name of Judah, the bright spirit that called 
 them into being, is to be found. But whether remem- 
 bered and recognized or not — and it is only to posterity 
 and not to him that it can make any difference — his 
 admirable work is his monument, and it must and will 
 forever remain so." 
 
 Can anything be added to these generous words? 
 The fact that in the few short years since 1863 the 
 name of Judah is almost forgotten, and his work is 
 known to but few, is proof of the need of the proper 
 instruction of our youth in the lives and work of such 
 heroes of peace as he. To be a civil engineer, and 
 
230 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 personally conduct the sur\'eys; a practical builder 
 of railways, so that he could intelligently estimate 
 the cost of a new road; a superintendent of operation, 
 so that he could equip and organize a force to run the 
 railroad; a business man, so that he could let con- 
 tracts; a promoter, so that he could — as Hittell says, 
 " without soiling his hands or leaving a stain upon his 
 name " — push a bill for such a gigantic undertaking 
 and involving such \'ast millions, such princely gifts 
 of the public domain, and affecting so many millions 
 of people, through the halls of Congress; a financier, so 
 that he could induce capital to help forward the plans; 
 a conciliator, so that he was able, more than any other 
 man the Central Pacific Railroad Company e^^er had, 
 to calm the jealousies, soothe the opposition and con- 
 vert the obstructionists who were determined to put 
 every possible obstacle in the way of the project, — 
 to be all these things and more, was to be abundantly 
 blessed of God. And then, to use all these divinely 
 bestowed powers — not to make wealth for himself, 
 not to snatch at the paltry honors of the hour, but to 
 devote them earnestly, consistently, sincerely and 
 constantly, up to the hour of his death, for the benefit 
 of his fellows, — this was to have lived the life of a 
 hero and to have fully earned the hero's crown. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 THE BUILDING HEROES OF THE CENTRAL PACIFIC, 
 HUNTINGTON, STANFORD, CROCKER AND HOPKINS 
 
 T X 7ITHOUT railroads, what would California be 
 " ^ to-day, as far as material prosperity is concerned ? 
 When we think of the immense activity of all the differ- 
 ent railways that now operate in California, the millions 
 of tons of freight, both for the State and " in transit," 
 and the hundreds of thousands of passengers carried 
 each year, the mind is incapable of conceiving the 
 chaos that would arise were the railroads to vanish at 
 a word. 
 
 And yet it is not long — comparatively speaking ■ — 
 since there was not a mile of railway in California. 
 Only forty years ago (May lo, 1869) the last spikes 
 were driven that wedded the Union Pacific and Central 
 Pacific Railways in the Salt Lake Desert near Prom- 
 ontory, and that gave to the Pacific Coast its first 
 transcontinental railway. 
 
 " In this day of perfected transportation, with the 
 civilized earth conquered and bound by innumerable 
 cords of steel and wire, where the base of supplies 
 is not so very far from the place of consumption, few 
 can realize the problem before those intrepid men 
 who, with little money and large hostility behind them," 
 Started to build from the Pacific Coast back to the 
 
232 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 East. They had no base of supplies near at hand. Every 
 pound of raib-oad steel and general supplies had to 
 come nineteen thousand miles by water, around Cape 
 Horn, from New York, and when, later, the Union 
 Pacific Railway was built over Nebraska and Wyo- 
 ming into Utah, they had to haul " their strenuously 
 obtained subsistence and material over a thousand 
 miles of poorly equipped road. They fought moun- 
 tains of snow as they had never before been fought. 
 They forced their weak, wheezy little engines up tre- 
 mendous grades with green wood that must sometimes 
 be coaxed with sage-brush gathered by the firemen 
 running alongside of their creeping or stalled iron 
 horses. There were no steel rails. Engineers worked 
 unhelped by the example of perfected railroad building 
 of later times. No tracks or charts of the man-killing 
 desert! No modern helps, no ready, ever-eager capital 
 seeking their enterprise! Only scepticism, hatred from 
 their enemies, and ' You can't do it!' flung at them 
 from friend and foe." 
 
 So writes Mrs. Sarah Pratt Carr, whose father was 
 Charles Crocker's principal reliance in the field, and 
 who, herself, saw the daily fight against Nature and 
 Time and Space. Yet what she here describes was the 
 difficulty of the work years and years after the enter- 
 prise had begun, and had received the official endorse- 
 ment and financial help of the United States govern- 
 ment. What of the time before this aid was secured? 
 The whole story is one of bravery, daring, heroism, 
 persistence and pluck that, in spite of whatever 
 fault may be found with the railroad for some of 
 
THE BUILDING HEROES 233 
 
 its acts, should never be forgotten by the youth of the 
 State. 
 
 And here, before I proceed further, let me make 
 clear that while I am personally opposed to the system 
 of land and bond grants that made the building of the 
 transcontinental railway possible (as will be revealed 
 in a later chapter), I do not condemn those who, at 
 this early date, held a different opinion. Nor does this 
 mental attitude render me indifferent to the exhibition 
 of heroism the building of the railway manifested, as 
 the remainder of this chapter will prove. 
 
 As far back as 1836 John Plumbe, a Welshman by 
 birth, an American by education and feeling, a civil 
 engineer by profession, began to agitate, at Dubuque, 
 Iowa, a project for a railroad from the Great Lakes 
 across the Territory of Oregon to the Pacific Ocean. 
 Other far-seeing men — some of our wiser statesmen — 
 early recognized the possibilities, and one, Lewis 
 Gaylord Clarke, in the Knickerbocker Magazine, 
 prophesied its ultimate fulfilment. But neither the 
 government, nor the country, at that early day, was 
 prepared to undertake so gigantic a task, and even 
 after the United States had acquired California, in 
 1846, Asa Whitney's project to aid the construction 
 of a Pacific Railway by a grant of alternate sections 
 of land, for a width of thirty miles on each side, found 
 few earnest advocates, though it must be confessed it 
 attracted almost universal attention. 
 
 When gold was discovered, things changed somewhat. 
 The sea voyage, via Cape Horn, was too long and toodan- 
 gerous. Even when the trip was broken at the Isthmus, 
 
234 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 and a railway built there to speed the traveler, the time 
 consumed was enormous; while the overland stage 
 was equally objectionable, besides being tedious, expen- 
 sive, and dangerous. Hence Congress, in March, 1853, 
 made a first appropriation of one hundred and fifty 
 thousand dollars to defray the expenses of searching 
 for a practicable route. The War Department under- 
 took the fitting out and equipment of six surveying 
 parties, and, to Calif ornians, there are few papers issued 
 by the Government that are so interesting as the thir- 
 teen large volumes of Railroad Survey Reports, pub- 
 lished between the years 1855-1860, when Jefferson 
 Davis was Secretary of War, giving the results of these 
 various explorations. 
 
 The subject was agitated constantly by the Cali- 
 fornia legislatures, one after another, that of 1853 
 making quite an elaborate report and urging its im- 
 mediate consideration upon the Federal go\-ernment. 
 It called attention to the fact that " the distance from 
 San Francisco to Washington, by way of Cape Horn, 
 was nineteen thousand miles, or more than the entire 
 circumference of the globe in latitude thirty-eight de- 
 grees, the parallel of San Francisco, and that the 
 distance by way of Panama or Nicaragua was as 
 long as a direct line from Washington to Pekin. It 
 urged the necessity of the road, not only in a 
 business and social, but also from a military point of 
 view." 
 
 As the State most interested, California had the right 
 to urge her claims. Later on she showed that her 
 gold had contributed a wonderful stimulus to railroad 
 
THE BUILDING HEROES 235 
 
 building in all the Eastern States, where the number of 
 miles in operation increased from eight thousand five 
 hundred and eighty-eight, in the year 1850, to thirty 
 thousand five hundred and ninety-eight in i860. She 
 showed how she was discriminated against by the lack 
 of a railroad, in the fact that the money it would cost 
 a family to reach her borders would settle them on a 
 good farm in what was then called " the West." The 
 transmission of a single letter by mail for a long time 
 cost forty cents. But not until 1861 was anything 
 practical in the way of actual preparation for real 
 building accomplished, and that was done in Cali- 
 fornia, as related in the preceding chapter. Stanford, 
 Huntington, Crocker, Hopkins, Judah and a few others 
 organized the Central Pacific Railroad Company, and 
 in the most practical way proceeded to get the railway 
 there had been so much talk about. 
 
 Not one of these men had much money, — all told 
 they were not worth half a million dollars, — and 
 none of them was supposed to have much influence. 
 Stanford, however, had just come into the lime- 
 light, and revealed unsuspected power, by having 
 gained the Republican nomination for governor. This 
 latter fact helped considerably, but even that did not 
 stop the torrent of abuse and ridicule that was poured 
 out upon them for their audacity, their daring, their 
 impudence, etc. But Judah's calm and serene con- 
 fidence in his plans staggered the objectors, and Stan- 
 ford's forceful conduct of public affairs after his elec- 
 tion, in 1 86 1, soon began to demonstrate that these 
 men knew what they were doing. They had power, 
 
236 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 and regardless of all opposition they went forward to the 
 consummation of their plans. 
 
 Unfortunately — in one sense — these men were all 
 Sacramentans, and San Francisco felt slighted. INIrs. 
 Carr, in her Iron Way, makes Governor Stanford 
 give expression to the following: "Poor San Fran- 
 cisco! She sits on her shifting hills, snubbing Cali- 
 fornia, tyrannizing Nevada, scorning the world. She 
 thinks she's Earth's only golden daughter, that she 
 has no need of the iron thread we ' shopkeepers ' are 
 stringing across the Sierras. But our thread of iron 
 shall become her chain of steel. The ' shopkeepers ' 
 shall be the arbiters of her fate. Poor, short-sighted 
 city! She shall see her trade divided, her r'wsih pros- 
 perous. Where she should have been queen, she shall 
 be vassal. Her children might be millions, — they will 
 be only thousands. To-day she fights us, and throws 
 away the chance of becoming America's greatest city." 
 
 There is no denying that for a while the governor's 
 remarks about San Francisco's attitude were justified, 
 and it was long before the foolish opposition ceased. 
 In time, howe\'er, wiser counsels prevailed, and San 
 Francisco did her share nobly to help on the great 
 work, which was to make her the gateway to the 
 Orient. And yet perhaps the very fact that the bankers 
 and capitalists of San Francisco were sceptical as to 
 the ability of the " Big Four " to carry on their project 
 and refused them financial help, led them to seek the 
 specific aid of the government by subsidies of bonds. 
 The land grants were all right as far as they went, but 
 no one wanted to buy land that as yet was unknown and 
 
THE BUILDING HEROES 237 
 
 unreached, and immediate help was required. Here 
 the genius of Huntington came into play. It was no 
 doubt owing to his financial ability that bonds were 
 suggested. The government was prevailed upon to 
 give, for every mile of road completed, sixteen one 
 thousand dollar bonds, bearing six per cent, interest, 
 and falling due in thirty years. 
 
 Then Huntington in the East, and Stanford in Cali- 
 fornia, bent their energies to raising the money neces- 
 sary to meet the weekly pay-roll of graders, scrapers, 
 drivers, engineers, track-layers, bridge-builders, tun- 
 nellers, carpenters, blacksmiths, and the hundreds who 
 were doing the actual work of reaching and scaling the 
 Sierras. Acts were passed in the State legislature em- 
 powering the various counties — Placer, San Francisco, 
 Sacramento, San Joaquin — to issue bonds, when voted 
 upon by the citizens, for the purpose of aiding the road. 
 Then the State was to help with a contribution of half 
 a million dollars. But enemies were at work. An at- 
 tempt was made to repeal this latter act, and San 
 Francisco placed obstacles in the way of the payment 
 of its quota, which the courts did not remove until 1856. 
 
 Never was there a great enterprise that had more 
 opposition than did the Central Pacific Railroad. 
 There is, perhaps, a doubt as to whether even the 
 power of the Big Four could have coped vaih the ob- 
 stacles, had it not been for Judah's wondrous capacity 
 and serene confidence. He rendered it possible for 
 Huntington to go to Congress with his later requests 
 and secure what was absolutely essential for the life 
 of the undertaking. And while, in the struggles that 
 
238 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 came after Judah's death, it must freely be confessed, 
 the Big Four all developed into wonderful men, it is a 
 question whether they would have had the opportunity 
 so to develop had it not been that Judah's work car- 
 ried them forward in the first arduous hours of the fight. 
 
 Huntington found he could not raise the money fast 
 enough for the needs of operation, — as the govern- 
 ment had put a time limit upon the completion of the 
 road. So another financial move was determined upon. 
 A bill was presented in Congress, which finally passed, 
 giving to the railroad the power and right to issue 
 first mortgage bonds to the extent of its mileage, of the 
 same amount and character as those that the govern- 
 ment had issued or was to issue. This act doubled the 
 bonding power of the road, gave the railway company's 
 bonds the first claims, and thus made them more easily 
 negotiable, and, at the same time, while in a measure 
 lowering materially the security of the government 
 bonds, did not prevent their being sold at about the 
 same rate as before. 
 
 Immediately a change took place in the finances of 
 the company. Money now became as plentiful as 
 hitherto it had been scarce, and the work was pushed 
 with renewed vigor. The same act also increased the 
 land grant from fifteen miles to twenty-five miles, 
 alternate sections, on each side of the railway, and ex- 
 tended the time for the building of the first fifty miles 
 of road, and required only twenty-five miles to be 
 built each year thereafter, provided, however, that the 
 whole distance to the State boundary be finished in 
 another four years. 
 
THE BUILDING HEROES 239 
 
 The whole of the construction work in the field was 
 relegated by Stanford, Huntington and Hopkins to 
 Crocker. Indeed, the directors of the railway (of 
 which Crocker ^^•as one) let the contract for the building 
 of the railway to Charles Crocker and Company (of 
 which firm they were the " Company "). 
 
 From the counter and office of a small dry-goods store 
 to the superintendency of a great railway building con- 
 tract was a change that few men could safely undergo, 
 but Charles Crocker made it as if by magic. He disap- 
 peared from the one position to reappear fully equipped 
 for the other. He seemed to have an eye instantly to 
 detect or discover the superintendent of construction, 
 foremen and bosses needed. Between himself and Pratt, 
 the man he placed in charge of the w^ork in the 
 field, there was a perfect understanding. Pratt was an 
 Eastern man, who, with his wife and baby daughter, 
 came west in time to enter into this work. With his 
 whole heart and soul he bent his energies to it, devoting 
 himself to Crocker and his interests with a fidelity that 
 never swerved, and making the success of the Central 
 Pacific his passion and his delight. His daughter, in 
 her Iron Way, has done good service in her day and 
 generation in picturing some of the scenes she lived 
 among as a little girl. For her father, while retaining 
 a home in California, was desirous of having his family 
 with him, so he established them in a temporary, but 
 comfortable home, which, as the work of building the 
 railway progressed, was moved on along the right of 
 way. 
 
 At one time the " enemy " sent its emissaries into the 
 
240 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 working camps and persuaded the laborers that the 
 " iron " — the rails — was being delayed, and that, if 
 they pushed the work on, they would be laid off until 
 it arrived. They were thus craftily urged to idle, to 
 shirk, to " old soldier," and delay the progress. Men 
 were bribed to wreck trains of supplies, for which the 
 workers were waiting, and every conceivable obstacle 
 that devilish cunning and craft could devise and fiendish 
 ingenuity and coiirage execute. Was set in motion to 
 harass, delay and dishearten those who had the work 
 in hand. The modern-day strike was not then in- 
 vented, but men were bribed to desert by wholesale. 
 Rumors were diligently spread abroad, at times, of 
 new and rich strikes in mining camps at far-away dis- 
 tances, and laborers were thus inveigled to desert their 
 work. Before they could find out they had been 
 swindled, a week or two, or a month had gone by. 
 Think of the heart-break of the railroad builders who 
 were tied to time by their contract with the govern- 
 ment, the State and the various counties. 
 
 It was these tactics, and not because they wished it^ 
 that led the Central Pacific officials to the use of Chinese 
 labor. As early as 1862, in Governor Stanford's in-' 
 augural, he had openly proclaimed against further 
 Chinese immigration. Their presence in the mines had 
 already demonstrated their undesirability, — accord- 
 ing to his opinion, — and he urged the repression of the 
 influx of the Asiatic into California, Yet, when white 
 labor was found to be so unreliable, and the work was 
 pressing, Stanford vv^as soon to learn that where the dfevil 
 drives there is little choice. Crocker played a great 
 
THE BUILDING HEROES 241 
 
 trick upon him in which he was compelled to acquiesce. 
 Five hundred Chinamen were secretly marched from 
 an incoming ship, loaded on a train and sent to the 
 front before either they — the Chinamen — or any one 
 else knew their destination, and when once they were 
 set to work and their ability and reliability had been 
 proved, there was no more talk against Chinamen on 
 the part of railroad men who knew. 
 
 Day after day, week after week, month after month, 
 Crocker and Pratt went up and down the line like rest- 
 less Lucifers, fired with that everlasting urge and push 
 that drove the demons of laziness and inertia out of 
 thousands of men. What a tribute to the power of soul 
 over body that two men could so enliven, encourage, 
 compel thousands that they would work to the utmost 
 of their physical power, in order to accomplish the will 
 of their leaders. 
 
 Slowly but surely, the road crept up the western slope 
 of the Sierras. Cape Horn was reached and fmally the 
 summit. Then the down grade was begun — past 
 Donner Lake, Truckee to Reno — and finally Ne- 
 vada was happy in having rail connection with the 
 Pacific Coast. Then the race across Nevada began. 
 
 Two companies were to build the railroad from the 
 Missouri to the Pacific, one working eastward, — the 
 Central Pacific, — the other working westward, — 
 the Union Pacific. Each was to be paid in bonds 
 according to the miles of road built, and while the 
 Union Pacific had the advantage of comparatively 
 level country (fully five hundred miles) over a large 
 part of its route to start with, the Central Pacific had 
 
242 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 to surmount the Sierras at the outset. The former 
 road began at Omaha, Nebraska. When the North- 
 western Railway reached Omaha, in December, 1866, 
 the Union Pacilic was in direct railroad connection 
 with its base of supplies, while the Central Pacific had 
 to have its supplies transported nineteen thousand 
 miles around Cape Horn. 
 
 In spite of these terrific obstacles, work was pushed 
 with tremendous energy. By midsummer of 1867 the 
 Central Pacific was completed to the summit of the 
 Sierras; fifteen tunnels, embracing a length of sk 
 thousand two hundred and sixty-two feet, were being 
 rapidly bored through the almost adamantine granite; 
 while ten thousand men and thirteen hundred teams 
 were working on the down grade of the eastern 
 slope. Chinamen were now used by the thousands, 
 and Charles Crocker was their general. They were 
 organized into companies, with their officers, and 
 drilled to obey the word of command exactly as do 
 troops. 
 
 As the road progressed, it began to do business on 
 the completed portion. This brought in large sums 
 of money from freight and passenger receipts to aid 
 the building fund, hence no reasonable expense was now 
 spared to push the railway ahead as fast as men and 
 money could accomplish it. The rivalry between the 
 Union and Central became keener and keener as the 
 gap grew smaller, and when, at the end of 1867, the 
 Central Pacific reached Reno, there was great rejoicing 
 in its councils, for the race would now be far more to 
 its advantage than to its rival. The Union was far 
 
JAMES LICK. 
 
 Page 262 
 
THE BUILDING HEROES 243 
 
 ahead, but it had four or five hundred miles of the 
 Rockies to overcome, while the Central had only the 
 comparatively smooth ground of the Nevada plateau 
 to cross. 
 
 What an exciting chapter could be wTitten on that 
 race across Nevada, — hov^^ the enemies of the Central 
 Pacific did not hesitate to resort to deception and fraud 
 and even worse to hinder its progress ! But the impetus 
 gained was now too great to be stopped. 
 
 Over the desert the army of workers slowly pushed 
 their way. The route was bustling with life. Thousands 
 of employes built up numerous small towns as they 
 advanced, some of which have totally disappeared, 
 while others became the nuclei of permanent places, 
 such as Wadsworth, Winnemucca, Palisade, Carlin, 
 Saw mills were started in the Sierras to supply ties and 
 lumber for buildings. Scores of axes echoed in the 
 mountain forests, as they bit into the great trees. 
 Where there were streams they were used to float the 
 logs to the nearest available points. The excitement 
 grew as the two gangs neared each other. One day the 
 Central Pacific actually laid seven miles of track. 
 Its directors were desperately anxious to reach Ogden 
 at least, and the Union Pacific directors equally anxious 
 to reach Monument Point, — west of the Salt Lake — 
 though at one time they had declared it their intention 
 to reach the California State line. But ultimately, on 
 May 10, 1869, a clear, cloudless, glorious Nevada day, 
 the "laurel" tie was placed, amid ringing cheers, the 
 connecting rails were laid, the golden spike set, and 
 the trans- American telegraph wire was adjusted. 
 
244 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 The prayer of thanksgiving had been offered. Then, 
 amid breathless silence, Governor Stanford, with a 
 special silver hammer, gave the gentle ticks that sent 
 the news flashing across the continent — the Atlantic- 
 Pacific railway is completed; one may now ride in 
 comfort from one side to the other of our great country. 
 It was a heroic achievement, a grand and glorious 
 consummation of a sublime idea, and in its enjoyment 
 the true Californian will never forget the silent tribute 
 of his thanks and admiration to Judah and the Big 
 Four whose pluck and heroism accomplished it. 
 
CHAPTER XXV 
 
 THE BRILLIANT HERO OF INTELLECT, 
 STEPHEN J. FIELD 
 
 THERE are heroes and heroes. All are not of 
 the same kind, or in the same class. One is a 
 hero of physical courage, another of religious zeal, 
 another of bravery in facing political corruption, an- 
 other in preventing wrong to the helpless. Yet the 
 study of the life of each one is of use to us. We can- 
 not look upon the life of any true hero without being 
 profited. 
 
 In the case of Stephen J. Field we have the heroism 
 of a man who devoted his gigantic intellect, with single- 
 ness of purpose, to the arduous task of fitting the laws 
 of the United States to an alien civilization incorpo- 
 rated into our own, and where social and business con- 
 ditions were entirely different from those found in any 
 other part of the country. 
 
 The Field family is a noted one, Stephen Johnson 
 Field's three brothers all having attained honor and 
 fame, — David Dudley, equally great with his younger 
 brother as a jurist ; Cyrus West, as the sagacious, ener- 
 getic and triumphant conqueror of space and ocean 
 by his Atlantic cable; Henry Martyn, as a traveler, 
 preacher and editor. 
 
 Stephen reached California December 28, 1849, 
 
246 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 " with hardly any funds, and with no resources except 
 untiring energy and capacity for work, great intellec- 
 tual ability, natural and cultivated, the well-laid foun- 
 dation of legal learning, and the high hopes of opening 
 manhood." He went to Marysville, was its first al- 
 calde, and one Monday in January, 1851, took his seat 
 in the assembly of the State legislature as the member 
 from his county. In this assembly he demonstrated 
 his high heroic patriotism by devoting the whole of his 
 energies to the formulation of most important laws, the 
 chief of which were in connection with the mining in- 
 terests. Here was no wire-pulling pettifogger seeking 
 his own advancement, no " log-roller," looking for 
 financial gain in his legislati^•e action, but a hard- 
 working, conscientious patriot, giving freely of his 
 superlative mental powers that the chaotic condition 
 of the mining industry might be changed to an orderly 
 and legal method. 
 
 It is hard for us, in this day of calm, settled, peaceful, 
 community life, to realize the wild and confused con- 
 dition of affairs during the first years after the discovery 
 of gold. In the great rush there were a few men of high 
 character, education and culture who were capable 
 of being leaders. " A larger number were of less edu- 
 cation and culture," says Judge Pomeroy, " but still 
 were full of energy, and, coming from the United States, 
 were inclined to be law-abiding, possessing at least 
 some of the American feeling of respect for the law and 
 love of justice. A third, and it must be confessed, a 
 large class, consisted of the worst characters of the 
 older communities, — rogues, knaves, gamblers, and 
 
STEPHEN J. FIELD 247 
 
 professional criminals, acknowledging no laws, and 
 defying all. 
 
 "The law of the country was itself chaotic. The 
 civil law, as formulated in Spanish codes, and modified 
 by Mexican legislation, was in operation prior to the 
 cession of California to the United States. Large 
 tracts of land were held as grants under the Mexican 
 law, and — when confirmed — gave rights of absolute 
 possession to their owners. 
 
 '' The mixed mass of immigrants had brought with 
 them their own ideas of law, — ideas as diverse as 
 were their facial characteristics, and naturally they 
 wished to base their conduct upon the laws with which 
 they had hitherto been familiar. The first legislature of 
 the State of California had adopted as the fundamental 
 law of the State the Common Law of England. But 
 this did not meet the peculiar conditions existent 
 here. It left the mining interests in as confused 
 a condition as if there were no law. And these in- 
 terests, it must be remembered, in those early days 
 overshadowed all others in their magnitude and im- 
 portance. 
 
 " The mineral lands, as a whole, belonged to the 
 United States, as a part of the public domain; but dif- 
 ferent opinions prevailed with respect to the ownership 
 of the minerals themselves while still remaining in the 
 soil. Some persons maintained that they belonged to 
 the United States, others that they were owned by the 
 State; but the conviction was universal that neither 
 the national nor the State government should assert 
 any right of ownership, and that its assertion would 
 
248 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 greatly impair the development of the mineral wealth 
 of the country." 
 
 Some miners had taken advantage of the " State 
 ownership " doctrine, and they asserted their right 
 to carry on their mining, not only in the public lands, 
 but also in all land. They even asserted this right 
 with respect to private lands which were actually 
 occupied by their owners, and were used by them for 
 other purposes than mining, — for agriculture, for 
 grazing, for residence. " This claim was not an empty 
 theory; it was carried into actual operation. The 
 miners entered upon private lands at will, used and 
 occupied for farms, cattle-ranches, vineyards, etc., in 
 search for silver and gold, heaving up the soil and doing 
 great damage." 
 
 In this condition of the country, the better class of 
 miners had taken some important steps. They held 
 meetings and passed rules and regulations which, to 
 their own practical sense of right and justice, were 
 feasible, — rules about priority of claims, extent of 
 ground each person might appropriate, how he must 
 work to keep it, and the like. These rules, once adopted, 
 were enforced with that primitive A-igor and strictness 
 with which Bret Harte has made us familiar. Short was 
 the shrift and severe the penalty on all violators, yet 
 seldom could it be charged that, in the main, injustice 
 was done. Naturally the rules slightly differed in the 
 different camps, yet there was a general similarity 
 in them all. 
 
 When elected to the State legislature, Mr. Field 
 set himself to reduce this system to law. His keen and 
 
STEPHEN J. FIELD 249 
 
 logical mind, and his personal observations among the 
 miners had shown him the wise, proper and judicial 
 thing to do. Casting aside all precedents, going right 
 to the heart of the difficulty in a manly and fearless 
 manner, based upon common sense and justice, he — 
 in effect • — introduced a bill which, when passed, made 
 into laws all the rules and regulations that the miners 
 had voluntarily imposed upon themselves. 
 
 When he was elected to the judicial bench, many 
 cases came before him for settlement where the old 
 codes were relied upon, and when rude, rough, danger- 
 ous and desperate men, by force, even to the point of 
 murder, were determined to gain their ends, right or 
 wrong. As Professor Pomeroy has well said: " On the 
 whole, the California judges were confronted by a task 
 enormous in its difficulty and importance; wholly 
 unprecedented in the legal and judicial history of the 
 country; with little aid from the doctrines of juris- 
 prudence prevailing in other States; and requiring to 
 be grappled with, adjusted, and settled without delay, 
 upon a just and solid basis. Their difficulties were 
 enhanced by the character and dispositions of a large 
 portion of the population. As was inevitable, the ab- 
 sence of legal and social restraints had induced great 
 numbers of persons to engage in the most extensive 
 schemes of fraudulent acquisition, of grasping and 
 accumulating property through an open disregard of 
 others' rights, of asserting the most unscrupulous and 
 unfounded claims, of overriding law, order, equity and 
 justice in every possible manner, having the semblance 
 of legal sanction. These persons were often influential, 
 
250 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 and could control the newspapers and other organs 
 of temporary public opinion. When their projects 
 were thwarted by judicial decisions, they attempted 
 to coerce the court by public attacks of the most bitter 
 nature upon individual judges, attacks such as have 
 ne\-er been known, and would never for a moment be 
 tolerated in the Eastern States, but which the court was 
 powerless either to prevent or punish. The most able 
 and upright members of the court were made the 
 objects of virulent abuse, the extent and fierceness of 
 which we can hardly realize at the present day. It is 
 true that, in course of time, the truth gradually asserted 
 its power, the public mind appreciated the justice and 
 integrity of the decisions, perceived their wisdom, and 
 acknowledged their beneficial results." 
 
 Taking the most independent and fearless course, 
 Judge Field was perhaps the most often the victim 
 of these unprincipled attacks. More than once was he 
 threatened, and his life placed in actual jeopardy, 
 yet it can truthfully be said, so far as a careful study 
 of many of his decisions entitles me to speak wdth 
 authority, that ne\'er once was he sw^erved from his 
 sense of justice by threats or danger of any kind. When 
 subtle bribes (and in many cases gold was almost 
 openly used) w^ere placed before him, he adhered to 
 his duty. This element of fearlessness will be referred 
 to later in reference to another phase of his work. 
 
 During his Assembly career, we ow^e to him another 
 important and beneficent law. In the statutes of 
 almost every State there have been trivial exemptions of 
 personal property of debtors from execution, seizure 
 
STEPHEN J. FIELD 251 
 
 and sale. He felt that, in the new State, a scheme of 
 exemption should be provided that was more generous, 
 beHeving that even the strictest justice and the claims of 
 creditors would be better subserved thereby. Not only 
 should a debtor have his bedding, clothing and house- 
 hold effects preserv^ed to him, but the tools and imple- 
 ments with which he worked. With these he might be 
 able to secure employment and pay his debts; without 
 them he was plunged into a morass of despair, which 
 not only effectually prevented the payment of his debts, 
 but possibly rendered him a burden to the community. 
 Accordingly, he introduced a measure, which became 
 law, exempting the implements, wagons, and teams 
 of a farmer, the tools of a mechanic, the instruments 
 of a surveyor, surgeon and dentist, the professional 
 library of a lawyer and a physician, the articles used 
 by the miner, the laborer, etc. 
 
 As a judge, the same qualities of statesmanship soon 
 became apparent. New conditions existed in Cali- 
 fornia, and old legal methods could not be made to 
 apply. Judge Field at once showed that he had the 
 moral courage, the daring, to do what is most unusual 
 and rare in a lawyer or a judge. He dared to strike 
 out entirely new paths, enunciate fundamental and 
 living principles as the basis of his decisions and relegate 
 to the lumber heap all the accumulated trash of the 
 centuries, which, under the awful name of " prece- 
 dent," ties the hands, blinds the eyes, befogs the judg- 
 ments of nearly all the men who sit upon our legal 
 benches. His gigantic intellect, his ready grasp of 
 principles, his persistent determination to get at all 
 
252 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 the facts in the case, his indomitable energy and capacity 
 for hard work enabled him, when backed up by his 
 upright soul and fearless courage, to do the thing that 
 to a lesser man would ha\e been impossible. 
 
 For it cannot be denied that some of the men who 
 were elevated to judicial positions in the early days 
 of the State were totally unfit — from e\ery moral 
 standpoint — to occupy their high and lofty places. 
 Some of them were criminals and desperadoes, and 
 hafl it not been for their high intellectual attainments 
 they could not ha\e been imposed upon any com- 
 munity for a single hour. Among such men Justice 
 Field stood out preemmently in the isolation of his 
 nobleness of character and purity of life. 
 
 These qualities of soul soon began to reveal them- 
 selves in some of the important decisions which he 
 rendered. In litigation that affected but a few individ- 
 uals it is comparatively easy to ignore the ill will of the 
 defeated parties to the suit, but where a whole com- 
 munity, a county, a State is involved, the temptation 
 to temj)orize is much enhanced. It is well known that 
 in California the Chinamen had few friends, especially 
 in the days prior to, and at the time of the passing of 
 the Exclusion x\cts. Judge Pomeroy declares that this 
 State prejudice against the Mongolian has led to the 
 enactment of both State and municipal legislation that 
 violates the constitution and contravenes the treaty 
 made between the United States and China. 
 
 On several occasions Judge Field took occasion 
 to show that the prejudiced and hostile acts of Cal- 
 ifornia asainst the Chinese were neither good law 
 
STEPHEN J. FIELD 253 
 
 nor good morals, and regardless of the stir his de- 
 cisions provoked, calmly went on the e\cn tenor of 
 his way. 
 
 In 1874 a case came before him in which it was pro- 
 posed to return to China a certain woman who had 
 been denied entrance in accordance with the terms 
 of the State law of 1872. The woman took out a \mt 
 of habeas corpus, contending that she did not come 
 under any of the classes that could justifiably be ex- 
 cluded. In his decision Judge Field said, among many 
 other good things: "I am aware of the very general 
 feeling prevailing in this State against the Chinese, and 
 in opposition to the extension of any encouragement 
 to their immigration hither. It is felt that the dissimi- 
 larity m physical characteristics, in language, in man- 
 ners, religion and habits, will always pre\cnt any 
 possible assimilation of them with our peoi)le. Ad- 
 mitting that there is ground for this feeling, it does not 
 justify any legislation for their exclusion, which might 
 not be adopted against the inhabitants of the most 
 favored nations of the Caucasian race and of the Chris- 
 tian faith. If their further emigration is to be stopped, 
 recourse must be had to the Federal Government, 
 where the whole power over this subject lies." 
 
 It was pleaded against the woman that she was 
 immoral, but no proof was offered upon the subject, 
 and only the commissioner's opinion was taken as 
 sufficient justification to exclude her on that ground. 
 Judge Field at once riddled that doctrine and defended 
 the honor of the woman — even though a Chinese — 
 against any but the most positive and legal proof. 
 
254 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Accordingly the woman won her suit and was duly 
 discharged. 
 
 In July, 1870, an ordinance of the city and county 
 of San Francisco was passed for the regulation of 
 lodging-houses. It was confessedly an attack on the 
 Chinese, and in 1873 a large number of them were 
 arrested and lined ten dollars each. The j)arties 
 fined in most cases preferred to go to jail rather than 
 pav the fme. By a law of the State, each day's im- 
 prisonment discharges two dollars of the fine. The 
 jails were crowded, and it was declared that the refusal 
 to pay the fines was ordered by the heads of the Chinese 
 Companies in order to make the city " sick " of feeding 
 the Chinese in the city prisons. 
 
 The city authorities thereupon enacted a new or- 
 dinance, two provisions of which were avowedly against 
 the Chinese, — though of course their name was not 
 mentioned. These provided, first, that any person duly 
 committed to the jail should have the hair of his head 
 cut or clipped to the uniform length of one inch from 
 the scalp, and second, that no person should remove or 
 cause to be removed, from any cemetery or grave- yard 
 wuthin the limits of the city and county, the remains of 
 any deceased person or persons without the ^^Titten 
 permit of the coroner. 
 
 There was a great deal of discussion about this 
 ordinance, and much opposition on account of its 
 manifest injustice and discrimination against the 
 Chinese. That it was " smart " and " clever " no 
 one denied. In 1876 the State legislature was drawn 
 into the matter and passed an act which, with a re- 
 
STEPHEN J. FIELD 255 
 
 enactment of the hair-cutting ordinance, ^vas to "do 
 the trick." 
 
 A Chinaman, Ah Kow, was arrested under the ordi- 
 nance, ordered to pay a fine of ten dollars, which he 
 refused, was jailed and there had his queue cut ofif by 
 the sheriff. Whereupon he sued the sheriff for ten 
 thousand dollars damages. 
 
 The case came before Judge Field. His decision 
 is most interesting and instructive reading, and I com- 
 mend it to the youth of the State as a model of clean-cut 
 justice, vigorous though legal English, and pure mo- 
 rality. Here are a few extracts: 
 
 " The second objection to the ordinance in question 
 is equally conclusi\e. It is special legislation, on the 
 part of the super\isors, against a class of persons who, 
 under the Constitution and laws of the United States, 
 are entitled to the ecjual protection of the laws. The 
 ordinance was intended only for the Chinese in San 
 Francisco. This was a\'Owed by the Supervisors on 
 its passage, and was so understood by every one. The 
 ordinance is kno\\Ti in the community as the ' Queue 
 Ordinance,' being so designated from its purpose to 
 reach the queues of the Chinese, and it is not enforced 
 against any other persons. The reason advanced for 
 its adoption, and now urged for its continuance, is 
 that only the dread of the loss of his queue will induce a 
 Chinaman to pay his fine. That is to say, in order to 
 enforce the payment of a fine imposed upon him, it is 
 necessary that torture should be super-added to im- 
 prisonment. Then, it is said, the Chinaman will not 
 accept the alternati\e, A\hich the law allows, of work- 
 
256 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 ing out his fine by imprisonment, and the State or 
 county will be saved the expense of keeping him during 
 his imprisonment. Probably the bastinado, or the 
 knout, or the thumbscrew, or the rack, would accom- 
 plish the same end; and no doubt the Chinaman would 
 prefer either of these modes of torture to that which 
 entails upon him disgrace among his countrymen and 
 carries with it the constant dread of suffering and mis- 
 fortune after death. It is not creditable to the hu- 
 manity and civilization of our people, much less to 
 their Christianity, that an ordinance of this kind was 
 possible. 
 
 " The class character of this legislation is none the 
 less manifest because of the general terms in which 
 it is expressed. The statements of Supervisors in 
 debate on the passage of the ordinance, cannot, it is 
 true, be resorted to for the purpose of explaining the 
 meaning of the terms used; but they can be resorted 
 to for the purpose of ascertaining the general object 
 of the legislation proposed, and the mischiefs sought 
 to be remedied. Besides, we cannot shut our eyes to 
 matters of public notoriety and general cognizance. 
 When we take our seats on the bench we are not struck 
 with blindness, and forbidden to know as judges what 
 we see as men ; and where an ordinance, though general 
 in its terms, only operates upon a special race, sect, 
 or class, it being universally understood that it is to be 
 enforced only against that race, sect, or class, we may 
 justly conclude that it was the intention of the body 
 adopting it that it should only have such operation, 
 and treat it accordingly. . . . The complaint in this 
 
STEPHEN J. FIELD 257 
 
 case shows that the ordinance acts with special severity 
 upon Chinese prisoners, inflicting upon them suffering 
 altogether disproportionate to what would be endured 
 by other prisoners if enforced against them. Upon the 
 Chinese prisoners its enforcement operates as * a cruel 
 and unusual punishment.' 
 
 " Many illustrations might be given where ordi- 
 nances, general in their terms, would operate only upon 
 a special class, or upon a class with special severity, 
 and thus incur the odium and be subject to the legal 
 objection of intended hostile legislation against them. 
 We have, for instance, in our community, a large 
 number of Jews. They are a highly intellectual race, 
 and are generally obedient to the laws of the country. 
 But, as is generally known, they have peculiar opinions 
 with respect to the use of certain articles of food, which 
 they cannot be forced to disregard without extreme 
 pain and suffering. They look, for example, upon the 
 eating of pork with loathing. It is an offense against 
 their religion, and is associated in their minds with 
 uncleanness and impurity. Now, if they should, in 
 some quarter of the city, overcrowd their dwellings, and 
 thus become amenable, like the Chinese, to the act con- 
 cerning lodging-houses and sleeping-apartments, an 
 ordinance of the Supervisors requiring that all prisoners 
 confined in the county jail should be fed on pork, would 
 be seen by every one to be leveled at them; and, not- 
 withstanding its general terms, would be regarded 
 as a special law in its purpose and operation. 
 
 '' During various periods of English history, legis- 
 lation, general in its character, has often been enacted 
 
258 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 with the avowed purpose of imposing special burdens 
 and restrictions upon Catholics; but that legislation 
 has since been regarded as not less odious and obnoxious 
 to animadversion than if the persons at whom it was 
 aimed had been particularly designated. 
 
 " But, in our country, hostile and discriminating 
 legislation by a State against persons of any class, sect, 
 creed, or nation, in whatever form it may be expressed, 
 is forbidden by the Fourteenth Amendment to the 
 Constitution. That amendment in its first section 
 declares who are citizens of the United States, and then 
 enacts that no State shall make or enforce any law 
 which shall abridge their privileges and immunities. 
 It further declares that no State shall deprive any 
 person (dropping the distinctive term citizen) of life, 
 liberty or property, without due process of law, nor 
 deny to any person the equal protection of the laws. 
 This inhibition upon the State applies to all the instru- 
 mentalities and agencies employed in the administra- 
 tion of its government ; to its executive,legislative, and 
 judicial departments; and to the subordinate legis- 
 lative bodies of counties and cities. And the quality 
 of protection thus assured to every one while within 
 the United States, from whatever country he may have 
 come, or of whatever race or color he may be, implies 
 not only that the courts of the country shall be open 
 to him on the same terms as to all others, for the se- 
 curity of his person or property, the prevention or 
 redress of wTongs, and the enforcement of contracts; 
 but that no charges or burdens shall be laid upon him 
 which are not equally borne by others, and that in 
 
STEPHEN J. FIELD 259 
 
 the administration of criminal justice he shall suffer for 
 his offenses no greater or different punishment." 
 
 Then, speaking of the hostility to the Chinese, he 
 says: " Thoughtful persons, looking at the millions 
 which crowd the opposite shores of the Pacific, and 
 the possibility at no distant day of their pouring over 
 in vast hordes among us, giving rise to fierce antago- 
 nisms of race, hope that some way may be devised to 
 prevent their further immigration. We feel the force 
 and importance of these considerations ; but the remedy 
 for the apprehended evil is to be sought from the 
 general government," 
 
 In concluding his decision he affirmed: " Nothing 
 can be accomplished by hostile and spiteful legislation 
 on the part of the State, or of its municipal bodies, 
 like the ordinance in question — legislation which is 
 unworthy of a brave and manly people." 
 
 As soon as this decision was rendered, the press and 
 public of the State began a storm of abuse against 
 Justice Field that was fierce and virulent. " It seemed 
 as though, for the time, reason had fled from the minds 
 of the people of the State." But regardless of it all, 
 Mr. Field adhered to the principles he had laid down, 
 and few lawyers of to-day will be found who will dissent 
 from them. That it required moral courage to do this 
 no one will doubt, when I assert what was well known 
 at the time, viz., that had it not been for that decision 
 and the " fierce opposition and hatred it engendered 
 among the lowest and most ignorant of the political party 
 with which he was connected," he would have re- 
 ceived the support of his own State and undoubtedly 
 
26o HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 the nomination of the National Democratic Conven- 
 tion for president. 
 
 These are but some of the causes with which the 
 name of Justice Stephen J. Field is inseparably con- 
 nected. His life and work throughout were character- 
 ized by the same devotion to principle, the same 
 high sense of honor, the same fearless heroism in 
 the discharge of his duty, hence it is well that he 
 hold a high place on the roll of " the heroes of peace," 
 who have added lustre to the fair fame of the State of 
 his choice. 
 
CHAPTER XXVI 
 
 THE SAVING HERO OF PHILANTHROPY, JAMES LICK 
 
 THE term " miser " is one of opprobrium and 
 obloquy, which no man of sensitive nature 
 could wish to have apphed to himself. 
 
 At the outset let it be distinctly understood that 
 James Lick was not a miser of the usurer type. Instead, 
 as will be shown later, he was at times so extravagant 
 as to lead his neighbors to denounce his reckless ex- 
 penditures. He was a strange mixture of penuriousness 
 and open-handedness, and being a man of strong 
 character, marked personality, unbending will, ap- 
 parently caring for no friendships, almost morose and 
 sullen in the presence of women, and confining his 
 energies to his various business enterprises, there is 
 little wonder at the many and conflicting statements 
 current in regard to his life and its purposes. 
 
 He was born at Fredericksburg, Lebanon County, 
 Pennsylvania, August 25, 1796. As a youth he worked 
 with an organ builder named Aldt, in Hanover, Penn- 
 sylvania, and in 1819 found employment with Joseph 
 Hishey, a prominent piano manufacturer of Baltimore. 
 He was working there one day, when a young man came 
 in seeking employment. Lick interested himself on 
 his behalf, gave him breakfast, and secured him a 
 
262 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 position, thus forming a friendship which practically 
 lasted for life, with Conrad Meyer, afterwards the 
 noted piano maker of Philadelphia. 
 
 In 1820 Lick left Hishey's and went to New York 
 to start in business on his own account, but as things 
 did not shape themselves to his liking, he left the 
 United States, and for ten years engaged in piano- 
 making at Buenos Ayres. In 1832 he surprised Meyer 
 by returning with a forty thousand dollar cargo of 
 hides and nutria skins, which he speedily dis- 
 posed of at a profit, but, soon growing restless for 
 the larger life and freedom of the newer country, he 
 returned to South America. Here he wandered about 
 somewhat, from Buenos Ayres to Valparaiso, Callao, 
 and Lima. Working with his usual industry and 
 energy, he accumulated a fortune. He remained 
 eleven years in Peru, but the last two years of his stay 
 his mind was much taken up with California. He 
 purchased and read everything he could find descriptive 
 of the land, and became well informed as to its advan- 
 tages. The inopportune seizure of California by 
 Commodore Jones was an act which called the atten- 
 tion of the world, and especially of South America, 
 not only to California, but also to the possibility that, 
 some day, the United States might seize and firmly 
 hold it. And when the news spread that Commodore 
 Sloat had placed the United States flag upon the public 
 buildings of Monterey — the capital city of California 
 — James Lick came to the conclusion that it was there 
 to stay, and decided that he would embark for the new 
 country. To get away he had to sacrifice his stock, 
 
JAMES LICK 26, 
 
 
 
 which inventoried nearly sixty thousand dollars, for 
 thirty thousand dollars. This sum was paid to him in 
 doubloons, and to transport it in safety, he bought 
 an old safe, embarked with it, and landed in San 
 Francisco in the ship Lady Adams in the end of 1847. 
 His first purchase in San Francisco was of the large lot 
 and an adobe house on the northeast corner of what 
 are now Montgomery and Jackson Streets, for which 
 he paid five thousand dollars. 
 
 It will be recalled that, in the spring of 1848, San 
 Francisco contained a population of barely a thousand 
 inhabitants. Upon the discovery of gold came an 
 unprecedented influx of population from all parts of 
 the globe. The majority, both of the newcomers and 
 of the older inhabitants of the town, flocked to the 
 mines, while a sagacious and shrewd minority stayed 
 behind. Of this latter class was James Lick. Even 
 then he foresaw the possible growth of San Francisco, 
 and determined to profit by it. In those days the 
 waters of the bay reached up as far as the site of the 
 Palace Hotel and Montgomery Street, and the southern- 
 most street was California Street. Where Market 
 Street now is was a high ridge of sand, and all the way 
 from California Street to Happy Valley, Montgomery 
 Street wound and straggled through irregular and 
 various-sized sand dunes. The rude wharves ran up 
 to Sansome Street on the east; Telegraph Hill was 
 dotted over with tents and shanties; and passengers 
 were " dumped " rather than landed, almost as the 
 skipper of the vessel willed, anywhere from Clark's 
 Point to the Potrero. 
 
264 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Lick carefully went over the ground, determined 
 what seemed to him to be the natural direction for 
 the new city's growth, and then quietly expended a 
 large part of his capital in the purchase of sand hills, 
 chaparral-covered dunes, and so-called city blocks, 
 which even the most sanguine scarcely deemed worthy 
 of acceptance as a gift. 
 
 In 1852 he bought a fine property near San Jose, 
 and erected thereupon the flour mill which made his 
 name world-famed. Hitherto his expenditures had 
 been so carefully made, and he was so scrupulous about 
 every cent in a transaction, no matter how large, that 
 he had gained a reputation for parsimoniousness, yet 
 in the erection of this mill, he was most extravagant. 
 He finished it throughout with solid mahogany, polished 
 with the same care and skill that he used to bestow 
 upon the piano cases of his earlier days, and it is 
 affirmed it cost him fully two hundred thousand dollars. 
 It was known as the " Mahogany Mill " and also as 
 " Lick's Folly." Yet, as it turned out the finest flour then 
 made in California, it was a paying investment, and 
 its product commanded the market of the whole 
 coast. Around the mill he planted an orchard of fruit 
 trees with his own hands, and this, in itself, soon 
 proved to be a fortune. It was owing to his peculiar 
 and individualistic ideas as to fruit culture that another 
 story of his miserliness became current. He had a 
 theory that all trees were materially improved by the 
 presence of bones around the roots. Accordingly 
 he went around the town, to the restaurants and 
 private houses, securing all the stray bones he could 
 
JAMES LICK 265 
 
 find, which he then carefully buried around the roots 
 of his trees. As he offered no explanation of his peculiar 
 request, all kinds of stories were spread as to the uses 
 to which the bones were placed. 
 
 But he had other and larger interests in San Fran- 
 cisco, and was also interested in the work of the Paine 
 Memorial Society of Boston, so he donated the mill 
 and orchard on January 16, 1873, to this society, one- 
 half of the proceeds of the sale to be used for building 
 a Memorial Hall, and the other half to sustain a lecture 
 course. It scarcely needs to be added that he was highly 
 disgusted when an agent of the Boston society came to 
 California, sold the property, without consulting him, 
 for eighteen thousand dollars cash, and returned with 
 the money to the city of culture. 
 
 To this day the older residents of San Jose tell of 
 Lick's careful mode of living, while owning the palatial 
 mill. He lived in a small cottage, meagrely and simply 
 furnished, and drove an old rattletrap wagon, tied 
 together with rope, and with a harness that could only 
 be called leather through a courteous remembrance of 
 its early days. He was careless about his clothing, 
 unsociable in his nature, and never entertained man 
 or woman at his own table. Naturally such a man 
 was regarded as " queer," and his indifference to dress 
 and general appearance was put down to miserliness. 
 Yet James Lick proceeded on the even tenor of his 
 way, planting rare and beautiful trees, which he im- 
 ported from all parts of the world at great expense, and 
 as the result of large correspondence. Indeed, it can 
 safely be affirmed that to him, more than to any other 
 
266 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 person up to the day of his death, California owes its 
 wealth of imported trees and shrubbery. 
 
 As soon as San Francisco began to grow, Lick erected 
 what was, in its day, the most elaborate, magnificent 
 and palatial — in the truest sense of that much abused 
 word — hotel in the world. It was ahead of its time, 
 yet in a city of such marvellous growth and profligate 
 expenditure as San Francisco, it was soon surpassed. 
 The dining-room was fashioned after that of the palace 
 of Versailles, the floor alone being composed of many 
 thousands of pieces of inlaid rare and costly woods, 
 all polished like a piano case. With his own hands he 
 carved some of the rosewood frames of the mirrors, 
 and he engaged the leading California artists to paint 
 their best pictures for panels around the room. 
 
 At the age of seventy-seven he found himself in failing 
 health, possessed of several millions of dollars, with 
 practically no one dependent upon him. For some time 
 he had contemplated giving to the California Academy 
 of Sciences a piece of land on Market Street, for the 
 erection of a building for a museum and office pur- 
 poses. This gift was largely brought about through 
 the wise suggestions made to Mr. Lick by William H. 
 Knight, then in charge of the California books of the Ban- 
 croft store, a member of the Academy, and later the presi- 
 dent of the Southern California Academy of Sciences. 
 Professor George Davidson, of the Coast Survey, then 
 president of the Academy, called to thank him for 
 his gift, and in the conversation that followed, Mr. 
 Lick disclosed his intention of leaving a large sum of 
 money for the erection of the most powerful telescope 
 
JAMES LICK 267 
 
 yet constructed. His ideas were unformed, his knowl- 
 edge of the science exceedingly limited, and he was self- 
 willed to a degree. Yet so earnest was he in his de- 
 termination to found the Observatory that Professor 
 Davidson held many conferences with him from Feb- 
 ruary, 1873, to August, 1874, in regard to the subject. 
 Of these he says: 
 
 " James Lick originally intended to erect the Ob- 
 servatory at Fourth and Market Streets (San Francisco). 
 His ideas of what he wanted and what he should do 
 were of the very vaguest character. It required months 
 of careful approaches and the proper presentation of 
 facts to change his views on location. He next had a 
 notion of locating it on the mountains overlooking his 
 mill-site, near Santa Clara, and thought it would 
 be a Mecca, — but only in the sense of a show. 
 
 " Gradually I guided his judgment to place it 
 on a great elevation in the Sierra Nevadas, by placing 
 before him the results of my experimental work at 
 great elevations, as well as the experience of other high- 
 altitude observers. At the same time, by my presenta- 
 tion of facts and figures of the cost and maintenance 
 of other observatories, he named the sum of one million, 
 two hundred thousand dollars in one of his wills, as 
 the sum to be set aside for founding the James Lick 
 Observatory, and for its support." 
 
 On July 16, 1874, he made an agreement, or really 
 a deed of trust, turning over to certain well-known 
 citizens of San Francisco, the California Academy of 
 Sciences, and the Society of California Pioneers, his 
 vast estate, to be by them used for the various scientific 
 
268 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 and philanthropic purposes specified. The gifts to his 
 relatives in all amounted only to twenty-four thousand 
 dollars, but for the Observatory he set aside seven hun- 
 dred thousand dollars, the same to contain a " powerful 
 telescope, superior to and more powerful than any 
 telescope ever yet made," which was to be located on a 
 site he had already purchased on the borders of Lake 
 Tahoe, Placer County, California. 
 
 The trustees named took possession of the property 
 in accordance with the trust deed, sold some of the 
 property and were duly proceeding to carry out the 
 provisions of the deed when Mr. Lick changed his 
 mind and wrote them the following letter. It was dated 
 San Francisco, March 24, 1875. 
 
 " When I executed the instrument in which you are 
 named as my trustees, I supposed I had a very short 
 time to live, and that if my intentions of founding an 
 observatory and other public institutions were ever to 
 be carried out, it would be through you. I was there- 
 fore induced, hastily and without due and proper con- 
 sideration, to execute the instrument referred to. It is 
 still my intention, and ever will be, to carry out the 
 general purposes therein expressed, but I now find 
 upon a cool and careful study of the provisions of that 
 instrument which my improved health has enabled 
 me to make, that there are many and serious mistakes 
 and errors of detail in it which ought to be corrected. 
 One of the most serious of these is, that by the terms 
 of the said instrument, the execution of the great works 
 which I have contemplated is virtually postponed until 
 after my death — a result that I certainly never in- 
 
THE SUMMIT, LICK OBSKRVATORY, MT. HAMILTON, CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Page 270 
 
 MAIN BUIl.DINC;, LICK O liSL RVATORV, MT. HAMILTON, CAL. 
 
3= r: 
 
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JAMES LICK 269 
 
 tended. Another serious objection is that some of the 
 beneficiaries (whose claims upon me I perhaps did not 
 sufficiently consider) have declined to accept its terms, 
 and this fact, as I am advised, will indefinitely delay, 
 if not entirely prevent, the carrying out of the plans, 
 for the execution of which you were appointed my 
 trustees and agents, 
 
 " Under the circumstances, and as I desire while I 
 still live to see the works contemplated at least started, 
 and as I am advised and am entirely satisfied that the 
 instrument referred to does not and cannot accomplish 
 the purposes desired by the public, as well as myself, 
 I respectfully ask you, and each of you, to resign or to 
 revest in me the subject of the trust, so that by the exe- 
 cution of other papers better calculated to carry out 
 my plans, the works contemplated from the beginning 
 may at once be commenced and carried on to com- 
 pletion without delay." 
 
 I have thus quoted this letter in full for two important 
 reasons. One is that it shows that James Lick was 
 willing, openly, to confess that he had been too hasty; 
 and the second is, that he saw clearly that the way to 
 have his wishes carried out was to get them well started 
 while he was alive. 
 
 Three days after the date of this letter the board 
 of trustees acceded to his request, and a complete revo- 
 cation of the trust deed was filed with the recorder. 
 
 This action caused a vast amount of unfavorable 
 comment by those who were not willing to believe 
 in Mr. Lick's good faith, but it made no difference 
 whatever to him. He called conferences with his 
 
270 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 heirs, finally settled with them as to their wishes, and 
 received signed releases against his estate and pledges 
 that they would not contest his will. Then, free from 
 all fear of disturbance, he conferred afresh with scien- 
 tists, men of affairs, philanthropists and others, made 
 a fresh trust deed (dated September 21, 1875), ap- 
 pointing five new trustees, of which his son, John H. 
 Lick, was one. There were a few minor changes in 
 the benefactions, but in the main they remained as he 
 originally wrote them. 
 
 But this second board was not entirely satisfactory, 
 and a third one was selected in 1876. On the first of 
 October of this year he passed away, and though 
 several legal complications hampered the carrying out 
 of the provisions of the trust for some three years, 
 they were ultimately set in motion and have all been 
 successfully completed. 
 
 The chairman of this third board, Captain R. S. 
 Floyd, and the vice-chairman, Mr. J. S. Sherman, 
 afterwards placed in my hands many letters and papers 
 of James Lick, from which some interesting facts were 
 gleaned. The Tahoe site for the Observatory was given 
 up on account of the winter cold. Mount St. Helena 
 was considered, but it was not until his old henchman 
 and confidential man of business, Thomas E. Fraser, 
 assured him that Mount Hamilton, overlooking his 
 former home at San Jose, was over four thousand feet 
 high, that he decided to locate it there. In impetuous 
 haste he sent Mr. Fraser that same day to ride or climb 
 to the summit and see whether it was possible to 
 build an observatory there, and on his return with a 
 
JAMES LICK 271 
 
 crude plan, showing that after certain leveling was 
 done it would be a very favorable site, and would still 
 be over the stipulated height, he made a proposition 
 to the Board of Supervisors that if they would build a 
 good wagon road to the summit, he would pledge himself 
 to erect there the great Observatory that should contain 
 the largest telescope yet made. 
 
 This road, twenty-six miles long, was built in 1876 
 at a cost of seventy-eight thousand dollars, and the 
 Observatory duly established there, and many thou- 
 sands from all parts of the world have since visited it. 
 It should not be forgotten, however, that Mount Hamil- 
 ton was on government land, therefore, in June, 1876, 
 an act was passed by Congress, granting the site to the 
 University of California. 
 
 His greatest benefactions are those which have 
 helped the poor and needy; the free baths, where not 
 only all may " wash and be clean," but where laundries 
 with drying grounds and rooms are provided for the 
 poor, where they may do their laundry free of expense, 
 and thus remove the discomfort of it from their small 
 homes; the Old Ladies' Home, where women with few 
 or no friends may spend their declining years at least 
 free from sordid cares; gifts to the orphans of San 
 Francisco and San Jose; to the Society for the Pre- 
 vention of Cruelty to Animals; and the School of 
 Mechanical Arts, which has aided thousands of 
 youth of both sexes to gain practical knowledge 
 giving them an upward step in life. 
 
 That James Lick was an eccentric man none will 
 deny. That his gifts were the result of varied and mixed 
 
272 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 motives is also true. But the main facts of his life 
 stand out boldly and clearly. These are, first, that he 
 was indifferent to the ill will of those who assumed 
 that he was a miser, and, second, that he bore them 
 no malice for this false assumption. He gave of his 
 vast fortune for the benefit of the people, many of 
 whom, doubtless, had cast animadversions upon him. 
 These two facts denote him a man of large soul and of 
 heroic character, and one whom the youth of California 
 and elsewhere may well admire and emulate. 
 
CHAPTER XXVII 
 
 THE TENACIOUS HERO OF THE COMSTOCK, 
 ADOLPH SUTRO 
 
 'nr^O further any large and legitimate enterprise which 
 -'- engages the labor of a great number of people 
 and confers benefits on many is a praiseworthy under- 
 taking, but to father an enterprise by new and hitherto 
 untried methods, which produce these beneficent 
 results, is heroic. Such was the work of Adolph Sutro, 
 one time mayor of San Francisco, the creator of Sutro 
 Heights, the planter of the Sutro Forest, the builder 
 of the Cliff House and the Sutro Baths; and the pro- 
 jector of the San Francisco which is now growing up 
 in that immediate neighborhood. The work to which 
 I refer was the planning and construction of the Sutro 
 Tunnel, in connection with the celebrated Comstock 
 mines in Nevada. Few people of this generation can 
 recall the heroic battle fought by Mr. Sutro, but as it 
 was a turning point in his own life and led to his be- 
 coming a leader in good work for the benefit of the com- 
 mon people, it is worthy of an important place in this 
 California Hero book. 
 
 Born in Aix-la-Chapelle, Germany, April 29, 1830, 
 of well-to-do parents, whose house, still standing, is an 
 indication of their prosperous position, young Adolph was 
 
274 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 given a fair education and early set to work. At six- 
 teen he was superintendent of his father's cloth factory, 
 and at eighteen was sent to estabUsh and then manage a 
 branch factory at Memel, in Eastern Prussia. In 1847 
 his father died, leaving a large family of young children. 
 The Revolution of 1848 ruined his business. x\s all of 
 his sons were too young to cope with the great diffi- 
 culties that arose, Mrs. Sutro decided to come to the 
 United States, where she thought her boys would have 
 a better chance in life. She accordingly left for Balti- 
 more, but, on the arrival of the family in New York, 
 that city was found to be in the exciting throes of the 
 first news of the California gold discovery. This 
 decided young Adolph, so leaving his mother and the 
 rest of the family to proceed on their way, he immedi- 
 ately reembarked for San Francisco, where he arrived 
 November 21, 1850, with a fortune which consisted 
 solely of " health, hope, courage, ambition and in- 
 domitable energy." To this category should be added 
 character, for without that he never could have attained 
 to what the future had in store for him. 
 
 The first nine years of his life on the Pacific Coast were 
 devoted to petty trade, — the buying and selling of 
 anything that assured a profit. In 1856 he married. 
 Three years later he felt a similar thrill to that which 
 had allured him to California, caused by the discovery 
 of the afterwards world-celebrated Comstock lode in 
 Nevada. 
 
 Immediately the mining and speculative world ran 
 to the scene, and the activity displayed was marvelous. 
 Shafts ^vere dug, mines opened, mills erected, with all 
 
ADOLPH SUTRO 275 
 
 the necessary camp accompaniments, with incredible 
 speed, and when the silver and gold began to pour into 
 the mints and markets of the country, the excitement 
 and exodus Nevada ward increased. Among those 
 caught in this enlarged flood was Adolph Sutro. He 
 went to Virginia City, and in a very short time his 
 practical and trained mind saw that the clumsy and 
 old-fashioned methods being followed in mining were 
 both inadequate to the needs and frightfully expensive. 
 The shafts of the mines were deep, as low as fifteen 
 hundred feet; the temperature in the lower levels high, 
 ranging even to 110° Fahrenheit; great volumes of 
 water were encountered, and pumping fifteen hundred 
 feet was expensive; the air was foul and poisonous, 
 and like an inspiration the thought flashed through the 
 visitor's mind: Why not drain and ventilate those 
 mines ? 
 
 That was the beginning of a new era, not only in the 
 Comstock mines, but in Adolph Sutro's life. Before 
 this is considered, however, let us take a survey of the 
 field and learn somewhat of the interesting history of 
 this noted mining region. 
 
 Silver had possibly been mined on Mount Davidson 
 before the discovery of the Comstock lode, though 
 it is not certain. Two brothers, Hosea B. and Edgar 
 Allen Grosch, sons of a Universalist minister of Utica, 
 New York, as early as 1852 mined, or at least pros- 
 pected, for silver, and there seems to be an impres- 
 sion that they found it, though the Groschs were very 
 reticent about their doings. They did not associate 
 with the other prospectors, and seem to have been of 
 
276 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 a very superior class, rumor crediting them with an 
 extensive Hbrary in their cabin, which stood near where 
 Sih-er City later was located. 
 
 In January, 1859, H. T. P. Comstock and others, 
 among whom was a man named John Bishoj), went 
 prospecting from Johnstown, and reached a hillock in 
 Gold Canyon, where they found a little gold in the 
 quartz. Their prospect pans gave them gold as fme 
 as flour and only small amounts, but as there was plenty 
 of water near by to work the placers with, they decided 
 to locate the area, and call it Gold Hill. Among these 
 miners were Peter C Riley and Pat McLaughlin. They 
 located well up at the head of the ravine, but their 
 " diggings " did not " pan out " quite as well as those 
 lower down, — only about one dollar and a half to 
 two dollars per day, and they soon began to feel dis- 
 couraged. Water was scarce, so they decided to dig 
 a hole to make a reservoir. At a depth of about four 
 feet they struck into the rich decomposed ore of 
 what afterwards was known as the Ophir mine. It was 
 queer looking stuff, — a great bed of black sulphurets 
 of silver filled with spangles of native gold. The gold, 
 however, was of a much lighter color than that hitherto 
 found, and for awhile they were uneasy lest it were 
 not pure metal. But they were glad for any kind of 
 a " change of luck," and now they found the bottoms 
 of their rockers covered with gold as soon as a few 
 buckets of the new dirt had been washed. Soon they 
 were taking out a thousand dollars' worth of gold a day, 
 with the rockers alone. Then they took the harder 
 lumps left on the screens, and pounded them in a com- 
 
ADOLPH SUTRO 277 
 
 mon hand mortar, and one of them thus took out one 
 hundred dollars a day in gold. 
 
 The day the disco\-ery was made, Comstock hap- 
 pened upon the scene, and on seeing the unusual quality 
 of the ore coolly told the two miners that they were 
 working on his land, — that he had " taken up " one 
 hundred and sixty acres as a ranch, and that he also 
 owned the water they were using. There seems to have 
 been some doubt expressed later whether Comstock 
 had posted up the notices required by the law before 
 he could legally claim the one hundred and sixty acres 
 and the water, but, at the time, he thoroughly con- 
 vinced the two miners and refused to allow them to 
 work unless he and his friend Penrod were admitted 
 to an equal share in the claim, with an additional 
 hundred feet for the use of the water. After some 
 haggling, his terms were agreed to, and these four men, 
 and another named J. A. Osborne, commonly known 
 as " Kentuck," became the recorded locators of the 
 world-famed Ophir mine, which in about ten years 
 yielded nearly five millions of dollars' worth of gold and 
 silver. 
 
 These original miners, however, had no idea that 
 the blue-looking, heavy rock, which sank to the bottom 
 of their pans and bothered them so, was of any value. 
 They cursed it, and wished the gold were not found 
 in such unworkable company. Not only did they not 
 save this rock and its shattered particles, but they most 
 conscientiously got rid of it as rapidly as possible. 
 Its worth was not discovered until a gentleman from 
 the Truckee meadows visited the spot, and picking up 
 
278 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 a piece of this " cursed blue rock," took it with him, 
 merely as a curiosity. He gave it to Judge James Walsh 
 of Grass Valley, who took it to the assay office of 
 Melville Atwood, which happened to be not far from 
 his own. To the blank astonishment of all concerned, it 
 was found that this ore yielded at the rate of several 
 thousand dollars per ton in gold ami silver. As soon 
 as this fact was known, excitement took full possession 
 of the town, and in less than twenty-four hours there 
 began an exodus from California to these new mines, 
 the locators of which were quietly washing out the 
 gold, and throwing away the silver, perfectly content 
 that they had the " biggest thing on earth " as it was. 
 
 When the newcomers arrived, they began to swarm 
 over the hills like grasshoppers. Soon the original 
 prospectors were so lost in the crowd that they were 
 hardly known or recognized. But the reports of the 
 new finds soon brought men of understanding, and 
 under their direction the mining began to be done 
 in a more scientific manner, and the world learned that 
 a real " bonanza " had been found. 
 
 The location of these mines is on Mount Davidson, 
 a forbidding peak of a range of hills that runs east of, 
 and parallel with, the Sierra Nevada. The country 
 slopes down to the valley of the Carson River, and it 
 was this slope towards the Carson that led Adolph 
 Sutro to formulate his Tunnel Plan for working the 
 Comstock mines. As we have seen, he visited the 
 mines soon after the discovery of their great wealth, 
 and had seen some of the ore brought out. Says he: 
 " I had expected to see an extraordinary deposit, but 
 
o I 
 
ADOLPH SUTRO 279 
 
 I was astonished at the magnitude and importance of 
 the discoveries that had been made. At that time only 
 forty tons of ore had been taken from the mines and 
 sent to San Francisco. Their reduction yielded a sum 
 in the gross of one hundred and sixty thousand dollars, 
 or an average of four thousand dollars to the ton — • 
 the most profitable forty tons that have ever been 
 worked from that lode." This was in March, i860. 
 On the twentieth of April a letter that he had \\Titten 
 appeared in the San Francisco Alta Calijornia, in 
 which he said: 
 
 *' The working of the mines is done without any 
 system as yet. Most of the companies commence 
 without an eye to future success. Instead of running a 
 tunnel from low down on the hill, and then sinking 
 a shaft to meet it, which at once insures drainage, ven- 
 tilation, and facilitates the work by going upwards, 
 the claims are mostly entered from above and large 
 openings made, which require considerable timbering, 
 and expose the mine to all sorts of difficulties." 
 
 Here was the inception of the idea of the Sutro 
 Tunnel. In 1861 Mr. Sutro erected a mill for the 
 reduction of the ores, so that it would not be necessary 
 to ship them to San Francisco, and then he began to 
 work for the tunnel. In 1864 he went to the State 
 Legislature of Nevada and petitioned it to do all that 
 could legally be done to give him a right of way for the 
 tunnel, which was done, section two of the act defi- 
 nitely stating " that the object of the said tunnel is 
 for the purpose of draining the Comstock lode, and 
 all other lodes along its line of direction or course, 
 
28o HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 and for the discovery and development of other lodes 
 through which the same may pass." 
 
 In spite of the fact that the Nevada legislature passed 
 this act, many of the members thought Mr. Sutro was 
 hopelessly insane to propose anything of the kind, and 
 that it could never be accomplished. They seemed to 
 act upon the theory that as he could not possibly use 
 the franchise, it could do no harm to grant it, and 
 anyway they would get rid of him and his importu- 
 nities. 
 
 But they did not know their man. With this franchise 
 he organized a company, the president of which was 
 United States Senator Stewart, — a man of great 
 force of character as well as shrewd business ability. 
 He now began to make contracts with the mines on 
 the Comstock lode, but was met on every hand with 
 the indifference of men who were used to mining in 
 one fashion, and who could see neither sense nor 
 reason in any new plan. With tireless energy, and 
 never-flagging faith in his scheme, howe\er, he worked 
 on, and at last succeeded in closing a number of con- 
 tracts by which the Mining Companies bound them- 
 selves to pay the Tunnel Company two dollars a ton 
 on each and every ton of ore that might be extracted 
 for all time to come. This royalty at the time was 
 deemed a small sum, if the advantages Mr. Sutro 
 promised were actually manifested. 
 
 With these contracts in hand, it should now have 
 been an easy matter for the Tunnel Company to have 
 raised all the money they needed for the construction 
 of the tunnel. But to their amazement a sudden hos- 
 
ADOLPH SUTRO 281 
 
 tility, secret and powerful, seemed to have developed, 
 and capitalists fought shy of the project. 
 
 An Act of Congress was now applied for, granting 
 to !Mr. Sulro the right to construct the tunnel through 
 government territory, and to enjoy the profits from any 
 mines that might be discovered in the dri\ing of the 
 tunnel. It also gave the privilege of buying some land 
 at the mouth of the tunnel, and confirmed the royalty 
 rate of two dollars per ton to be paid by the Mining 
 Companies, and made the patents of companies there- 
 after obtained subject to the payment of the same 
 royalty. It was thought necessary by all concerned 
 to have these two latter clauses made compulsory, 
 or else it might be possible that after the tunnel was 
 built, at tremendous expense, and the mines drained 
 and ventilated thereby, some company would rei)udiate 
 its contract, and thus get all the benefits, while refusing 
 to share in any of the expense. 
 
 Now began a fight that for virulence and persistency 
 has had no equal on this coast. The most powerful 
 monied interests of California and of Nevada, led by 
 the Bank of California, determined to prevent the 
 building of the tunnel. Mr. Sutro openly claimed their 
 opposition arose because they were now alive to its 
 importance, and to the financial return that would 
 come from it, which they were determined to secure 
 for themselves, and history clearly supports his con- 
 tention. A lesser man would have given up the fight 
 in disgust, and have died broken-hearted. But not so 
 Adolph Sutro. He proved " a born fighter," and with 
 a simple directness that looked like folly, and yet 
 
282 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 could not have been bettered by a political genius, he 
 began to tight his opponents right on their own ground, 
 where their authority was supreme, their word law, their 
 acts unquestioned, and their arrogance and insolence 
 unbounded. 
 
 He had worked on his plan for several years, ex- 
 pended all his own money and all the capital he could 
 interest in securing Congressional action, had been 
 several times to Washington and to Europe at great 
 expense, and now found the most powerful interests 
 of California and Nevada blocking his further progress. 
 They stopped his credit throughout the banking world, 
 going so far as to send disparaging telegrams to New 
 York and European banks; and they owned or con- 
 trolled all the newspapers on the coast and in Nevada, 
 so that he could not print any explanation or appeal 
 about the tunnel, even though he paid for it. They 
 were sure they had him cornered. The very perfection 
 and completeness (apparently) of their plans was the 
 secret of Sutro's ultimate success. He had a large 
 number of sensational announcements printed, and 
 thoroughly distributed simultaneously through every 
 street of Virginia City and all the adjacent mining 
 camps, calling a mass-meeting of the miners, and tell- 
 ing that he wished to lay before them the whole of his 
 plans and ideas in regard to the Sutro Tunnel. When the 
 hour arrived, the miners were there en masse. They 
 admired the pluck of the man ; they knew the power of 
 the interests he was fighting, and they were well aware 
 that it was " on the cards " that Sutro was to be crushed, 
 and the Sutro Tunnel then built by his opponents. 
 
ADOLPII SUTRO 283 
 
 I have the speech that Mr. Sutro delivered on that 
 occasion before me now as I \\Tite. How it rings with 
 the natural oratory of pure democracy. How plain and 
 outspoken it was. Here was no political trimming, no 
 straddling the fence, no vagueness, no uncertainty, 
 no temporizing. The speaker used Christ's own 
 method: " Let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay." 
 He said exactly what he meant, and meant what he said 
 to be understood by his hearers exactly as he said it. 
 And they accepted it in that same spirit. Of course his 
 enemies called it the speech of a demagogue, and 
 claimed that he had tried to incite his hearers to vio- 
 lence. In a hearing of the Sutro Tunnel Commission, 
 afterwards appointed by Congress, quotations were read 
 from this speech to prove this claim. Here is one of the 
 quotations so used: 
 
 " Rouse up, then, fellow citizens. You have no 
 Andrew Jackson among you to crush out the bank 
 which has taken your liberties, but you have the power 
 within yourselves. I do not mean to incite you to any 
 violence; I do not mean to have you assert your rights 
 by riot, force and threats. That would be unwise, un- 
 necessary, and would only recoil upon yourselves. But 
 I do mean to say that you can destroy your enemy by 
 simple concert of action. Let all of you join in together 
 to build the Sutro Tunnel ; that is the way to reach them. 
 They do already tremble lest you will act; they know 
 you will form a great monied power, and that you will 
 own the mines; they know it will cement you to- 
 gether." 
 
 The whole speech is a document that should be 
 
284 HEROES OE CALIFORNL'X 
 
 preserved. It is full of historic and scientific data in 
 regard to these and other mines that are invaluable 
 to the student. But most of all is it useful as a revela- 
 tion of the spirit of a man of growing power; a man, 
 who, unconsciously, was preparing himself to be a 
 Voice for the common people. True! there are times 
 when liis indignation asserts itself, and this indignation 
 is exercised against those who would crush out his 
 great plans, — or absorb them for their own private 
 advantage. Yet one cannot but admire the pluck, 
 the courage, the daring that nerved this one man, 
 single-handed, in the very stronghold of the enemy, to 
 say such words of them as these : 
 
 " It became evident to me that the ring entertained 
 the opinion that their combined efforts must soon 
 crush me out and use me up financially, physically and 
 mentally in such an unequal contest. But they had 
 got hold of the uTong man; I was not so easily to be 
 disposed of. When I found that these traitors, after 
 having signed contracts, after having urged and helped 
 me on to expend mine and my friends' money, after 
 having induced me to labor almost day and night for 
 several years, which I did with zeal and enthusiasm — 
 I say, when I found that they were determined to rob 
 me of my labors, I made up my mind that they should 
 not succeed in their efforts. I was determined that this 
 base, unscrupulous and mercenary combination should 
 not carry out its purposes, and made a sacred vow that 
 I would finish this work if I had to devote the whole 
 balance of my life to it, and defend my rights as long 
 as the breath of life was in me." 
 
ADOLPH SUTRO 285 
 
 But he did not stop here. While he was about it 
 he determined to become aggressi\e, as well as de- 
 fensive. He took the war right into their own camp 
 and attacked them where he knew they would feel it 
 worse than anywhere else, viz., their pockets. He 
 exposed what every miner present knew full well, — 
 their nefarious business methods, as well as their 
 absolutely dishonest and wicked gambling system, and 
 the amazed miners listened as he unfolded in clearest 
 English plots and schemes that, as a rule, were never 
 referred to, save in whispered tones. Here is a small 
 part of this expose. 
 
 " There is still another way by which you are vic- 
 timized. Supposing the superintendent and foreman 
 of a mine are pliable tools in the hands of these cormo- 
 rants, how easy it is, when a rich body of ore is dis- 
 covered, to keep it secret, and instead of taking it out 
 start the miners going in the wrong direction, taking out 
 inferior ore or bed-rock, sending it to the mills, in- 
 volving the mine in debt, necessitating assessments, 
 and thus depreciating the stock. And how simple is it 
 for the ring to gobble it all up again quietly, while it is 
 down, and after a large amount of it is secured, to set 
 all the men to work that can find room and take out 
 the good ore, make a great noise over it, declare large 
 dividends, send up the stock, and then quietly sell out 
 and pocket a million or so. 
 
 " How many of you have been bitten in this manner ? 
 What show have you when the cards are thus stacked 
 on you ? Have you ever seen a cat play with a mouse ? 
 It lets it run a little piece and then catches it again, 
 
286 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 and repeals the experiment a number of times, to its 
 great delight and amusement; but did you ever know 
 it to fail that the cat ate up the mouse in the long run? 
 
 " A few of you make a good strike once in awhile 
 by sheer accident; that keeps up the excitement, and 
 so you keep on gambling in stocks, pay your assessments, 
 and in the end you will all be eaten up like the poor 
 mouse. There is no guess-work about it; it is a sure 
 thing." 
 
 The results of this address were many. It gained 
 for him the confidence, respect, adherence and financial 
 support of the miners, so that he was enabled to go ahead 
 on the work in a modest way, regardless of the so-called 
 " financiers." It naturally gained for him the in- 
 creased enmity and hostility of those opposed to his 
 projects, and he was startled and doubtless somewhat 
 alarmed, soon after, to receive a telegram from Wash- 
 ington urging him to hasten there, as the agents of the 
 Bank of California were seeking to persuade Congress 
 to repeal the bill granting certain rights and concessions 
 to the Tunnel Company. He went at once, and there, 
 as elsewhere, found strong men ready to stand behind 
 him. General Blair, of Michigan, in the House of 
 Representatives, declared that a representative of the 
 Bank of California " took me in his buggy and carried 
 rae to his crushing mills, and showed me the line of the 
 new railroad he was building, or rather had got the 
 people to build for him. He took me to his mines, to 
 the very bottom of them, showed me all about them, and 
 told me he was determined this Sutro Tunnel business 
 should be stopped." Then, closing his speech, he 
 
ADOLPH SUTRO 287 
 
 said: " Sir, this bank has waved its hand over the 
 Comstock lode and ordered Sutro away. That is the 
 whole of this transaction, as it seems to me." 
 
 A full discussion of the matter in Congress led to the 
 appointment of a Commission. Before this Commission, 
 Mr. Sutro acted as his own lawyer, examining and 
 cross-examining witnesses, and more than holding his 
 own against the clever and skillful lawyer sent by the 
 Bank of California to harass and defeat him. 
 
 More than this, it showed how earnestly he had gone 
 to work thoroughly to master the subject in which he 
 was interested. The opposition had the superintendents 
 of two of their mines present, and they sought to 
 confuse the Commission and Mr. Sutro with their 
 superior knowledge. But they had misjudged their 
 man. Sutro proved himself to be a thorough engineer ; 
 he had the laws of force and motion " at his finger 
 ends;" in figures his calculations were accurate and 
 made with lightning-like rapidity; he demonstrated his 
 familiarity with geology, orology, topography, metal- 
 lurgy, hydrostatics, mechanics, and engineering, and 
 convinced the Commission that he knew more about 
 the ventilation and drainage of mines than either the 
 theoretical experts or the " practical men." The 
 report of the meetings of this commission is fascinating 
 in the extreme. Every page shows the watchfulness, 
 the vigilance, the resourcefulness, the eternal per- 
 sistence of this man of new and large ideas. For once 
 money could not purchase mental power enough to 
 dominate and control. This one man was more than 
 a match for them all. 
 
288 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 The whole story in detail should be told, but there 
 is not a tenth part room in this book for that purpose. 
 The enemies of the Tunnel were indefatigable and 
 powerful. It seemed as if they could never be defeated. 
 They bought up senators and representatives, but Mr. 
 Sutro's clear course had won him so many friends in 
 Washington that when these hirelings sought to intro- 
 duce bills that would nullify his work for the Tunnel, 
 they invariably detected the nefarious plots, and suc- 
 ceeded in having amendments passed to these bills 
 providing "that nothing herein shall be construed to 
 affect the rights of the Sutro Tunnel Company." 
 
 This was one of the first great fights by an individual 
 against corporate greed and corruption. Sutro's was 
 the voice of common humanity against the man who 
 would ride upon its shoulders and exploit it for his own 
 financial advancement. It was an epoch-forming 
 fight, for from that day to this, more earnestly than 
 ever before, graft, greed, corporate selfishness and 
 corruption ha\'e been attacked and punished. The 
 fight is not yet ended. Many a year's battles are yet 
 to be fought, but each year the common people are 
 learning more and more about their " inalienable 
 rights," and clear-eyed, pure-souled teachers, prophets 
 and warriors are arising from their ranks to educate, 
 inspire, and battle for their fellows. For his work in 
 this regard on the Comstock, Adolph • Sutro deserves 
 the heartfelt thanks of all the generations that will 
 come after him on the Pacific Coast, and not only in 
 this limited area, but throughout the world. His fight 
 was successful. His fearless firmness and bulldog 
 
ADOLPH SUTRO 289 
 
 persistence ultimately won. " He fought the bank to 
 a finish," , — as a Nevada State official recently ex- 
 pressed it, and the tunnel was finally completed in 
 October, 1878. Three years later I went through it, 
 and from that day to this my admiration for its creator 
 has increased. The tunnel is ten feet high, twelve 
 feet wide, twenty thousand five hundred feet long, with 
 north and south branches having one thousand two 
 hundred feet in the aggregate, making its entire length 
 more than five miles. 
 
 And there is one important thing that must not 
 be forgotten. Not only did Mr. Sutro battle for his 
 tunnel in Congress, and in Virginia City, not only did 
 he meet experts, and lawyers, and commissioners, and 
 "politicians, not only did he go to Europe and learn 
 of engineers and scientists and political economists, 
 not only did he finance this great project by interesting 
 the capitalists of Europe in his undertaking, but, 
 when work was to be done at the Tunnel he was there, 
 ready, if necessary, to do his share side by side with the 
 common man. As Hittell well says: " As a pusher of 
 tunnel construction he was something like Charles 
 Crocker as a driver of railroad building; he threw off 
 his coat, rolled up his sleeves and took right hold, 
 wherever he could help, encourage or hasten the work. 
 He did not hesitate to strip and go to the front. Flying 
 dirt and smoke, heat and foul air, dripping slush over- 
 head and sticky mud underfoot had no terrors for -him. 
 He went in with the grimy, half-naked miners; and, 
 while he was with them, he was of them — a man of 
 immense will power, of extraordinary executive ability, 
 
290 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 the right sort of a man for the place and the labor while 
 it lasted." 
 
 Soon after the tunnel was completed Mr. Sutro 
 disposed of his interests to his associates and retired 
 to San Francisco. He arrived at a time of great de- 
 pression. People were losing faith in the " destiny " 
 of the city by the Golden Gate. Mr. Sutro at once 
 gave practical evidence of his state of mind. He 
 bought land by the hundreds, nay thousands of acres. 
 He purchased the place now known as Sutro Heights 
 and the region overlooking the world-famous Seal 
 Rocks. He built the Cliff House, enlarged the old 
 house on the hill and made it most homelike and 
 comfortable, and then proceeded to fashion the garden 
 that has added to his fame and carried the name of 
 Sutro Heights to the ends of the earth. To hold the 
 sand from blowing to and fro, and thus convert it 
 into sites for future homes, he introduced the Bermuda 
 and Bent grasses, and planted the Sutro Forest, at the 
 same time collecting the great Library which he placed 
 so generously at the disposal of students of every 
 class, character, and nationality. Then he took upon 
 himself the leadership in the great fight made against 
 the Funding Bill of the Central Pacific Railway by 
 which it is claimed he saved to the people of the United 
 States upwards of a hundred millions of dollars. Next 
 was a fight for a five cent fare, with transfers, for the 
 city of San Francisco, which he triumphantly won. 
 This led the people to elect him to the office of mayor, 
 which office he honorably filled in the interests of all 
 the people. 
 
ADOLPH SUTRO 291 
 
 Thus his life stands, a monument of pluck, persever- 
 ance, fighting against wTong, upholding the cause of 
 the people, seeing great things, dreaming great visions, 
 accomplishing great things, a truly heroic character, 
 one whose memory true-hearted men and women will 
 never let die. 
 
CHAPTER XXVIII 
 
 THE FAR SIGHTED HERO OF THE ORANGE COLONY, 
 JOHN WESLEY NORTH 
 
 ^TT^O go into a strange country, take a barren and 
 -■- almost useless tract of land, experiment and dis- 
 cover new methods or objects of agriculture and horti- 
 culture and in less than forty years transform the 
 desert into one of the richest cities — per capita — in 
 the world, establishing upon a firm and permanent 
 foundation a new industry, is an achievement sufficient 
 to justify the enrolment of any man's name upon the 
 list of his State's or nation's heroes. Such a man was 
 John Wesley North, a native of New York State, 
 who, on March 17, 1870, issued a circular from Knox- 
 ville, Tennessee, where he then resided, entitled A 
 Colony jor Calijornia. 
 
 Before I proceed to give the history of the develop- 
 ment of this colony, let me draw a rapid picture of it 
 as it appears to-day, — in the year 1910. Stand with 
 me on the top of Mount Rubidoux, which is located at 
 the western boundary of Riverside. We reach this 
 summit in an automobile, up a specially constructed 
 road, built by the people of Riverside and Henry E. 
 Huntington, the railway magnate. It is one of the best 
 pieces of automobile mountain-road in the world. 
 At the foot of the mountain is the ancient Indian trail, 
 
J. W. NORTH 293 
 
 over which Indians traveled prior to the advent of the 
 Caucasian race, and where, later, the venerable Junipero 
 Serra passed, with others of his Franciscan band, as 
 they journeyed from San Diego to the Mission of 
 San Gabriel the Archangel, The striking cross, near 
 which we stand, was erected as a memorial to the 
 pioneer Franciscan. 
 
 Before us, reaching for miles and miles, stretch the 
 orange groves of the city of Riverside, and the thousands 
 of acres of the rich farming land of the Santa Ana 
 valley. On the one hand, an ocean of rich, deep green, 
 tinged with the vivid gold of the orange, and lashed 
 into sparkling foam \^ith the exquisite cream of the 
 myriads of blossoms, the odor from which rises as 
 sweet-smelling incense to the very heavens. On the 
 other, the many varied lighter greens of the fertile 
 fields, while surrounding all as a massive and rugged 
 frame for a perfect picture are the majestic mountains, 
 with their snow-clad summits piercing the blue, at 
 altitudes ranging from ten to thirteen thousand feet. 
 
 Now let us seek to obtain a more /intimate view of 
 the details. The municipal limits embrace a large 
 proportion of the orange groves, about fifty-sLx square 
 miles in extent. The city was incorporated in 1883. 
 Churches and schools are prominent, there being 
 twenty-five of the former and fifteen of the latter, be- 
 sides a kindergarten and a good business college. 
 Many of these buildings are of a superior order of 
 architecture and substantially built. The striking 
 building, from whose tower sweet chimes ascend, is 
 the Glenwood Mission Hotel, one of the noted hotel 
 
294 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 structures of the world, and close by is the Carnegie 
 Library, in similar style of architecture. In the near 
 future a Federal building of the same style, to cost 
 one hundred and ten thousand dollars, will be erected 
 opposite to it, and on another corner, the City Hall. 
 Not far away is the new Young Men's Christian Asso- 
 ciation building, and all are surrounded by elaborate 
 grounds, where lawns of richest emerald vie wdth the 
 varying greens of the tropical shrubbery to delight 
 the eye and rest the senses. 
 
 Railway trains of three great transcontinental sys- 
 tems shuttle back and forth in every direction, as well 
 as electric cars. The long avenue is the world-famed 
 Magnolia Avenue, a double drive, shaded by euca- 
 lyptus, palm, and other majestic trees, and extend- 
 ing for miles through the orange groves. On this 
 avenue, about six miles from the civic centre, is Sher- 
 man Institute, the government Indian school — the 
 largest in the United States. Here, many hundreds of 
 the Indian youth of both sexes are being educated, 
 and Sherman is to the West what Carlisle is to the East. 
 
 Near by is the newer Victoria Avenue, equally 
 beautiful, also a double drive, with its surrounding 
 groves and cultivated lands. Winding around from 
 the mountains to the Pacific is the Santa Ana River, 
 from which is drawn, in numerous radiating canals, 
 the life-giving water, without which, in a short period 
 of time, all these richly cultivated acres would revert 
 to primeval desert. 
 
 The population of this city is in the neighborhood 
 of fifteen thousand people. Its assessed valuation is 
 
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J. W. NORTH 29s 
 
 about twelve million dollars. In the orange season 
 of 1 908- 1 909, it shipped nearly six thousand car-loads 
 of oranges and lemons, which brought back to the pro- 
 ducers three million dollars. These people, both in the 
 city and country, are so averse to the saloon, that for 
 many years there has not been a know^n liquor-shop, 
 and the orderly character of the city, and its small 
 criminal business in the Superior Court of the county, 
 is proof of the wisdom of their action in thus banishing 
 the saloon from their borders. 
 
 The domestic water supply of the city is secured from 
 artesian wells, supplied to the consumer under heavy 
 pressure, and the canals of two great systems supply 
 the irrigation water for the orange groves. 
 
 For years the city operated its own electric light and 
 power plant by water power, but a short time ago it 
 sold forty thousand dollars' worth of four per cent, 
 bonds at a premium, with which it put in a new steam 
 plant to supplement the water-operated plant. 
 
 This, in simplest outline, is the city that sprang from 
 the modest circular, issued by Judge North, in 1870, 
 Part of this circular read as follows : " Appreciating 
 the advantages of associative settlement, we aim to 
 secure at least one hundred good families who can 
 invest one thousand dollars each in the purchase of 
 land; while at the same time we invite all good, 
 industrious people to join us who can, by investing 
 a smaller amount, contribute in any degree to the 
 general prosperity." The advantage of co-operative 
 over individual settlement was thus forcefully ex- 
 pressed. " Experience in the West has demonstrated 
 
296 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 that one hundred dollars invested in a colony is worth 
 one thousand dollars invested in an isolated locality." 
 The circular also stated: 
 
 " We do not expect to buy as much land for the 
 same amount of money in Southern California as we 
 could obtain in the remote parts of Colorado or Wy- 
 oming ; hut we expect it will he worth more in proportion 
 to cost than any other land we could purchase in the 
 United States. 
 
 " We expect to have schools, churches, lyceum, 
 public library, reading-room, etc., at a very early 
 date, and we invite such people to join our colony as will 
 esteem it a privilege to build them." 
 
 In the summer of 1870, Judge North, together with 
 Dr. James P. Greves of Marshall, Michigan, Judge 
 E. G. Brown of Belle Plaine, Iowa, and other gentlemen 
 interested in the proposed colony, visited Southern 
 California and examined various locations offered as the 
 site for the proposed colony. San Bernardino County 
 was not then considered as possessing many attractions 
 to settlers. It was the largest county in the State, con- 
 taining over twenty-three thousand square miles, and 
 contained but one town, San Bernardino, which was the 
 county seat and was but little more than a village. 
 That which is now Riverside was then included within 
 the limits of San Bernardino County, but the entire 
 county did not contain more than a fraction of the 
 population, or of the assessed valuation, now contained 
 within the municipal limits of the city of Riverside. 
 There was no railroad within four hundred miles of 
 San Bernardino, except a short road leading from Los 
 
J. W. NORTH 297 
 
 Angeles to San Pedro, and practically all the travel 
 to San Bernardino County was by steamer from San 
 Francisco to San Pedro, and by team from Los Angeles 
 to San Bernardino. The chief business of the county 
 was the raising of sheep and cattle, and such general 
 farming as provided for the necessities of the settlers 
 themselves. 
 
 The Riverside plain was then a dry, uncultivated 
 mesa, which had never seen a civilized habitation, nor 
 been disturbed by the hand of man. Over it ranged 
 herds of cattle, and its sole product was the natural 
 growth of alfilerilla upon which the stock fed. In ap- 
 pearance it was much like the great stretches of desert 
 the transcontinental traveler sees in passing through 
 Arizona. The lands had a valuation of seventy-five 
 cents an acre, and the Mexican who owned them 
 laughed in his sleeve at Judge North's folly in purchas- 
 ing them, for the Southern California Colony Asso- 
 ciation, at two dollars and a half and three dollars and 
 a half an acre, while he pocketed his receipts with de- 
 light. 
 
 And certainly it required the greatest faith, the 
 clearest ideas, and a large amount of real moral her- 
 oism to induce scores of people to leave their Eastern 
 homes, take the long transcontinental journey — it 
 was not as easy nor as cheap then, as now — and 
 settle on this barren land. What if the plan should 
 fail? What if the pessimistic prophecies of those who 
 had owned the land for three-quarters of a century did 
 come true ? It is easy enough now to see that the colo- 
 nists were acting wisely, — wiser even than they knew, — 
 
298 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 but it was not clear then, save to the one or two brave 
 and fearless souls, whose courage, enthusiasm, brains, 
 foresight and practical common sense had to keep the 
 rest in countenance while the experimenting was still 
 going on, and the results were somewhat in doubt. 
 
 Rightly to understand the success of Riverside, it is 
 essential that we grasp at least a reasonably satisfactory 
 idea of the character and personality of Judge North, 
 and of the life behind this new experience, that led so 
 many people, of such a superior order, to throw in their 
 fortunes with him. 
 
 His parents were old-fashioned Methodists, who 
 lived on a farm, and who brought up their boy — 
 named after the great founder of Methodism, John 
 Wesley — in the strictest and most orthodox fashion. 
 He worked hard as a farm hand for nine months in the 
 year, and the other three he spent in the district school. 
 
 He began to teach school himself at fourteen, and 
 at sixteen he entered the Wesleyan University, at 
 Middletown, Connecticut. Before he had reached the 
 years of manhood, his soul was fired with the wrongs of 
 the helpless slave, and he took their cause upon his heart 
 and tongue with all the courage, fervor and intensity 
 of his strong nature. He allied himself with the two 
 Tappans (Arthur and Lewis), H. B. Stanton, William 
 Goodell, William Lloyd Garrison, Gerritt Smith, 
 Samuel J. May, and the good Quaker poet, John G. 
 Whittier, He lectured in every town (save one) in 
 Connecticut, going to and fro as a flaming brand, 
 debating the question with any and all who disputed 
 his facts or opposed his conclusions. 
 
J. W. NORTH 299 
 
 When he was thirty years old he entered the legal 
 profession, but his nature was not suited to monotony 
 of office routine. He was essentially a pioneer, and 
 in 1849, the year after his marriage, he took his young 
 wife with him and settled at the Falls of St. Anthony, 
 in the territory of Minnesota. From his cabin on 
 Hennepin Island, he saw the first house erected on the 
 site where now stands the wonderful city of Minneapo- 
 lis. St. Anthony (now a part of Minneapolis), soon 
 after his arrival, was a prosperous town of some three 
 thousand inhabitants. Here North gained a good repu- 
 tation and excellent practice as a lawyer, but he was 
 not content long. With a few others he moved to a 
 location sixty miles south, and founded the town of 
 Fairbault, and, as soon as the mills, etc., were well 
 at work, he sold out, moved again, and this time, un- 
 aided and alone, founded what is now the prosperous 
 city of Northfield. 
 
 So far, everything had gone well with him; what- 
 ever his hand touched seemed bound to succeed. But 
 now came adversity. The financial panic of 1857 
 swept over the whole country. The Minnesota boom 
 fell as flat, as, twenty years later, did that of Southern 
 California. Town lots were valueless, for, with the 
 absence of ready money, immigration into the country 
 practically ceased. From being accounted a rich man, 
 Judge North found it difiicult to pay his debts, but 
 before he left Northfield every obligation was met, 
 though to do this meant the sacrifice of all the property 
 he held. 
 
 He was an enthusiastic Republican and entered 
 
300 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 heartily into the Fremont and the Lincoln campaigns. 
 His fierce anti-slavery principles, his absolute famil- 
 iarity with the subject, gained in his earlier years while 
 lecturing, and his marvellous power as a debater, made 
 him both hated, feared and respected by his opponents, 
 and almost adored by his followers. He was made 
 chairman of the Minnesota delegation to the RepubHcan 
 Convention of i860 that nominated Lincoln, and was 
 one of the notifying committee. When Lincoln was 
 elected, he appointed Judge North to the position of 
 surveyor-general of the Territory of Nevada, then in 
 the very whirl of the excitement consequent upon the 
 discovery of the Comstock lode. With the remarkable 
 adaptability he afterwards displayed in such wonderful 
 degree, he soon erected a stamp mill, and then, when 
 his office was abolished, he returned to the practice of 
 law, until the Bar of the territory recommended him 
 to a Judgeship of the Supreme Court, to which Presi- 
 dent Lincoln appointed him. This office he held until 
 Nevada became a State. He was also president of the 
 first Constitutional Convention of Ne^'ada. 
 
 Then, at the close of the war, in 1865, his restless 
 energies sent him down into the South to help in the 
 work of reconstruction. He believed that Northern ideas 
 and Northern capital would aid the South materially, 
 and he had some of both, for his life and work in 
 Nevada had been remunerative. February, 1866, there- 
 fore, found him at Knoxville, Tennessee, owner of an 
 iron foundry and machine shop. He knew nothing of 
 the business, but that was no real difficulty, for he soon 
 learned it. One thing, however, he could not learn, — 
 
J. W. NORTH 301 
 
 and that was to keep his Northern tongue from ex- 
 pressmg his Northern ideas. This to the Tennesseans 
 was so objectionable that they not only made living 
 with them unpleasant, but they added to the obstacles 
 which the whole South was suffering from, as the imme- 
 diate result of the war, and he was finally compelled, by 
 the loss of all his capital, to abandon the enterprise and 
 look elsewhere. 
 
 It was at this time that he issued his famous Southern 
 California Colony circular. He had never been in 
 Southern CaUfornia, but had read much about it, had 
 talked about it with Governor Fremont and others 
 familiar with its climatic charms and horticultural 
 possibilities. 
 
 From what has already been shown of Judge North's 
 career and character, the reader can now understand 
 how he was able to secure such a high class of settlers 
 to go with him into a country not one of them knew 
 anything about. The repHes were numerous and 
 speedy, and that same year saw him in San Francisco, 
 seeking to engage capital to carry on his new enter- 
 prise. His plan was to buy a large tract, divide it 
 into blocks of two and a half acres, and farm lots of 
 twenty acres, and then sell, with the right to water 
 for irrigation from the ditches to be constructed by 
 the owners. Even his own friends thought the plan 
 chimerical, and, while not openly opposing it, they did 
 nothing to help it along. Yet with fahh unbounded, 
 the indefatigable and optimistic pioneer camped on the 
 trail of the capitalists, until — possibly to get rid of 
 him and his persistency — the Hon. Charles N. Felton 
 
302 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 agreed to furnish the money to buy the land and put 
 in the irrigation canals. Full of joy, he started for 
 Southern California, speedily investigated and decided 
 upon the purchase of portions of the Jurupa Rancho 
 and Rubidoux Rancho. These comprised the original 
 Riverside colony, but in later years the bounds of 
 the city have extended far beyond these limits. 
 Riverside was laid out and surveyed and was 
 then known as Jurupa, ' a name soon changed, 
 however, to Riverside, as more euphonious and 
 having reference to the Santa Ana River, from which 
 the water supply of the new colony was derived. 
 The construction of an irrigating canal was immedi- 
 ately begun, and was completed as far as the town 
 site in the summer of 1871. 
 
 But what were the new colonists to engage in as a 
 profitable business ? Here Judge North's foresight and 
 sagacity stood the infant settlement in good stead. 
 He carefully investigated the orange orchards of the 
 old mission San Gabriel and the asistencia of San 
 Bernardino. He found that oranges thrived with few 
 setbacks, and, knowing the value of the fruit, saw 
 a large commercial future for it. At that time there 
 was so small a demand for oranges, nearly all large 
 ranches having their own trees, that the industry may 
 be said to have had no existence. A few orange trees 
 had been raised from seed (in addition to those 
 growing at the Missions), and were producing fruit 
 
 ' Jurupa is an Indian name, and was given to the " seven 
 leagues of grazing land ; a little more." granted to Juan Bandini 
 on September 28, 1838, by Juan B. Alvarado, Mexican Governor 
 of California. 
 
J. W. NORTH 303 
 
 ill a few isolated localities, usually upon low lands and 
 not upon the high mesas, the irrigation of which was 
 more difficult and costly, and which have since proved 
 the best for orange-growling. The early settlers of 
 Riverside met with many discouragements. They were 
 remote from markets where they could either buy or 
 sell to advantage; there were no adequate means of 
 communication or transportation, and the country 
 was necessarily of slow growth. There was no money 
 to be had upon any kind of security or at any kind of 
 interest. Those who had lived longer in the country, 
 and had brought into bearing the few seedling trees 
 referred to, insisted that the enterprise upon the River- 
 side mesa could not possibly be successful; that the 
 mesa land was not fit for cultivation; that it certainly 
 would not produce oranges; that even if orange trees 
 would grow upon it, they would not bear anything; 
 and that even if they should bear, the hundreds of 
 acres, which it was then expected to plant, would so 
 overstock the market that oranges would not sell at 
 any price, and orange gro\'es w^ould be worthless. 
 
 Under these discouragements but cheered by the 
 clear view^s of Judge North, the handful of people at 
 Riverside worked steadily on. They knew nothing 
 at that time of any of the improved or budded varieties 
 of oranges, and knew of no way to produce the fruit 
 except by bringing the seedling trees into bearing. 
 There were no young trees in nursery nearer than Los 
 Angeles, and a few were brought from there and 
 planted. By far the greater number, however, were 
 raised from the seed at Riverside. Decayed Tahiti 
 
304 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 oranges were purchased at San Francisco by the barrel 
 and shipped to Riverside, where the seed was separated 
 from the pulp by hand and planted in seed beds, finally 
 making nursery and orchard trees. 
 
 The Australian blue-gum, or eucalyptus, was then 
 being introduced into California, and, thinking to raise 
 some of these trees for the use of the settlement, an order 
 was sent to a San Francisco seedman for five pounds 
 of the seed. The answer was returned that there were 
 not five pounds of the seed in the United States, but that 
 one ounce of the seed would be sent for five dollars. 
 That quantity was purchased, and from this ounce of 
 seed the first eucalyptus trees of the colony were grown. 
 
 It was not known at that time that a seedling lemon 
 root was not a healthy or fit root for any citrus fruit, 
 and great quantities of lemon seeds were planted and 
 seedling lemon trees raised. These were found, after 
 coming into bearing, to be so inferior and unhealthy 
 that they were finally cut down and destroyed. The 
 China lemon also, a very inferior variety, was raised 
 from cuttings, making a tree or bush so wholly useless 
 that it also was destroyed. Limes were raised from 
 seed, and many extensive lime orchards were brought 
 into bearing, only to find the fruit unprofitable; these, 
 too, in turn were destroyed. 
 
 Many acres of raisin vineyard were planted, and 
 were so successful that large sums were realized by the 
 settlers from the raisins. In fact. Riverside laid the 
 foundation for the raisin industry in California. In 
 later years, however, it was found that in the warmer 
 valley of the San Joaquin, where the nights were warm 
 
PARENT WASHINGTON NAVEL ORANGE TREE, COURT OF THE GLEN- 
 WOOD MISSION INN, RIVERSIDE, CAL. 
 Transplanted by President Roosevelt. 
 
 Page 305 
 
J. W. NORTH 305 
 
 and the grape reached its maturity much earlier than 
 in Riverside, the raisins could be cured before the 
 beginning of the rainy season. Raisin growers found 
 the true home of their industry in that region, and the 
 Riverside raisin vineyards were almost entirely rooted 
 out and replaced with more profitable fruit. 
 
 In the early seventies occurred an incident which 
 created slight interest at the time, but which proved 
 to be fraught vdth incalculable good, not only to 
 Riverside, but to the entire orange-growing industry 
 of California. This was the receipt, by one of the 
 settlers at Riverside, from a friend in the city of Wash- 
 ington, of two orange trees, which had been brought 
 to the Agricultural Department from the city of Bahia 
 in Brazil. These were of the variety then knov/n as the 
 Bahia orange, but which by reason of its peculiar 
 appearance, remarkable success, and wide propagation 
 in Riverside, has been since known as the Riverside 
 Navel Orange. Buds were taken from these trees and 
 inserted in the stocks of then growing orchards, and the 
 variety has since been propagated from tree to tree until 
 it is the best known, most extensively raised, and most 
 profitable variety of orange produced in the United 
 States. It is entirely seedless, and can only be propa- 
 gated by budding or grafting. 
 
 Perhaps the greatest discouragement in the whole 
 history of this industry was that arising from the in- 
 troduction and ravages of those small insects known as 
 the red scale, and the white, or cottony cushion scale. 
 These small insects multiplied so rapidly, and their 
 presence upon the tree and effect upon the fruit was so 
 
3o6 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 disastrous, that the orange growers saw ruin staring 
 them in the face. At that time, however, science came 
 to their aid. Scientific men were sent to remote parts 
 of the globe in search of insect enemies of the red and 
 white scale. Such enemies were found, were brought 
 from Australia in small numbers, were colonized in 
 the infected groves and orchards of Southern California, 
 and their energetic and faithful work has proved a 
 great protection against the scale insects. 
 
 The whole growth of the industry which has made 
 Riverside famous has been a long continued, earnest 
 and persistent struggle to produce the finest fruit, 
 to produce it in large quantities, to seek extended 
 markets, to secure paying prices, to protect those mar- 
 kets by adequate tariffs from foreign competition, and 
 to provide, by means of co-operative packing and mar- 
 keting associations and exchanges, for returning to the 
 producer the largest possible share of the proceeds. 
 It can be safely said that no industry in the country 
 affords a better example of intelligent and thorough 
 co-operation and complete success. 
 
 At the same time it must not be understood that the 
 whole project was carried out on the co-operative basis, 
 as originally planned by Judge North. The initial 
 expense of the irrigation works was so great that, as 
 we have seen, a private company was compelled to 
 take over both the land and the water. It spent some 
 fifty thousand dollars on the first canal, and then, with 
 water actually on the land, sold it to the colonists at 
 twenty-five dollars an acre. This included the right 
 to purchase a certain amount of the water, at a small 
 
J. W. NORTH 307 
 
 annual charge, which originally was about a dollar 
 an acre. As the demand for water grew, requiring the 
 enlargement of the irrigation facilities, this annual 
 charge grew to ten dollars an acre. But, at the same 
 time, the value of the land thus irrigated leaped into 
 figures hitherto undreamed of. In a few years the 
 sheep ranch of Jurupa, still unimproved, save for the 
 presence of the water, sold for from three to five hundred 
 dollars an acre, while the growing orange orchards 
 could not be purchased for less than one to two thou- 
 sand dollars an acre. 
 
 Devoting his energies unselfishly and energetically 
 to the upbuilding of the community, Judge North was 
 too busy helping others and directing municipal affairs 
 to become a money-maker. He who founded the 
 colony, and started the enterprise, had every oppor- 
 tunity to " get in on the ground floor " and make great 
 wealth, but resolutely turned his face in the other di- 
 rection. He had learned years ago, in the old Methodist 
 homestead, — and his many years of association with 
 every class of men had confirmed the truth of the Christ 
 statement, — that "Ye cannot serve God and mam- 
 mon." He regarded faithful service to the people as 
 service to God, and refused to be a money-getter for 
 himself. Hence in none of his ventures did he reap a 
 large pecuniary reward. When he left Riverside in 1880 
 to go to Fresno County, he took very little money with 
 him, though his wisdom and foresight had enabled 
 many other people to accumulate competencies. 
 
 In the later years of his life, I knew him well. He 
 had seen that vast areas of land in the San Joaquin 
 
3o8 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Valley, owing to its longer period of summer heat, were 
 better adapted for the growth and curing of raisins 
 than was Riverside. Accordingly he had established a 
 colony there, near Fresno, in which he lived. Just as 
 he had seen Riverside spring into a prosperity that no 
 necromancy ever surpassed, so he saw Oleander and 
 its surrounding colonies become one of the greatest 
 raisin- producing centres of the world. 
 
 Could he not, in his declining years, look out over 
 the battle-fields of his life, and see where he had 
 grappled with the forces of nature, and conquered and 
 subdued them for man's benefit ? Could he not see 
 where he had met an army of his fellows, grappled 
 with their prejudices, their ignorance, their pessimism, 
 their indifference, and routed these evils, and then, by 
 the clear light of his own practical wisdom, steady 
 foresight and boundless enthusiasm, guided his en- 
 lightened friends into prosperity, happiness, content ? 
 As he faced the setting sun, and its beams kissed the 
 hoary locks of his honored old age, he entered upon 
 his new adventure, fearless and unafraid, as he had 
 worked on earth, as true and brave a hero as ever re- 
 ceived the plaudits of his fellow men. 
 
CHAPTER XXIX 
 
 THE OUTSPOKEN HERO OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE, 
 J. W. POWELL 
 
 MUCH is said and written about the veniality of 
 men in high official positions, yet there are many 
 heroes of truth and honor among them, and there is no 
 doubt but that the great mass, both of the superior 
 ofhcials and the rank and file, are honest, true and 
 patriotic. Once in a while, however, public officials 
 are brought face to face with large temptations, and, 
 if there is promise of financial profit without fear of 
 detection or any great loss of self-respect, there is 
 reason to fear that too many yield their consciences 
 and accept the emolument. To their honor, also, be 
 it said with gladness, there are those to whom such 
 temptations have no power. Such an one was Major 
 John Wesley Powell, the organizer and director of those 
 two great branches of the scientific work of our United 
 States government, viz., the Geological Survey and the 
 Bureau of American Ethnology. While Major Powell 
 was not a Californian, he was essentially Western 
 in his spirit and methods, and as this event transpired 
 in California, and pertained as much to this State as 
 almost any other, it seems appropriate that it should 
 find place in this volume. 
 To those of this and succeeding generations who are 
 
3IO HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 familiar with the gigantic irrigation schemes of the 
 United States Reclamation Service, and the wonderful 
 constructive work they have engineered and carried 
 through, it will seem almost impossible to realize that 
 it is only within a couple of decades that this marvelous 
 reclamation work has been accomplished. 
 
 The active propaganda of the benefits of irrigation 
 had already been taken up, as elsewhere related in 
 these pages, by Mr. William E. Smythe and others. 
 These men were conscientiously working for a desirable 
 end, and honestly seeking to improve the condition 
 of the common man, but the land speculators were 
 carefully watching their actions, and preparing to 
 use their honest enthusiasm in innocently furthering 
 plans by which they could financially profit in a most 
 extravagant manner. Major Powell believed that 
 these plans depended entirely upon blinding the peo- 
 ple as a whole, and the national legislators espe- 
 cially, to the available amount of water for irrigation 
 purposes. Through extensive researches conducted 
 under Major Powell by the experts of the United States 
 Geological Survey, — men of trained observation and 
 scientific deduction, — he had come to the conclusion 
 that while immense areas of the arid lands could be 
 reclaimed, there was only a certain amount of water, 
 under any circumstances and after the most rigid con- 
 servation, available for this purpose. He saw that 
 immense tracts of land, in the aggregate amounting to 
 hundreds of millions of acres, had already passed from 
 the government into the hands of private (or cor- 
 porate) parties, who, naturally, would wish to sell 
 
J. W. POWELL 311 
 
 this land, when the time arrived, at as large a price 
 as possible. He also saw that, with the limited available 
 water supply, there was not enough water to irrigate 
 these private lands and at the same time have water 
 sufficient to irrigate the arid lands that still remained 
 in the government'' s possession, and which, alone, were 
 open to homesteading or other preemption by the 
 common people for actual occupancy. 
 
 He saw, therefore, that if the national government 
 could be induced to spend millions upon millions of 
 dollars for the building of immense dams, securing 
 all the water and snow-fall of vast localities, instituting 
 reservoir systems and conservation plans over immense 
 areas, constructing hundreds of miles of canals and 
 laterals for the supply and distribution of the life- 
 giving fluid to the arid lands, and that if the great land 
 speculators could then control this irrigation and con- 
 servation work so that the water could be diverted 
 upon their lands instead of upon the arid govern- 
 ment lands, the former would be marvelously en- 
 hanced in value, while the latter would be left in their 
 original barren and almost valueless condition. 
 
 Then, with prophetic eye, this servant of the people 
 looked into the future. He saw, what these conscience- 
 less speculators also saw, that the population of the 
 United States was rapidly increasing and that in a 
 comparatively short space of time hundreds of thou- 
 sands of families of financially poor people would be 
 seeking farms for homes. But while financially poor, 
 he knew that the majority of these seekers were rich 
 in energy, rich in industry, rich in morality, rich in all 
 
312 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 the virtues that go to make up the very best parts of a 
 great nation's citizenship. He therefore determined 
 that if there were to be any conflict in this tremendous 
 work of conservation and irrigation (which he clearly 
 saw the government would be compelled soon to 
 undertake and carry to a completion at a fabulous 
 expenditure of money), he would ally himself on the 
 side of the poorer, common people, rather than on 
 the side of the land speculators who wished to fur- 
 ther exploit the common people to their own enrich- 
 ment. 
 
 The plan of the speculators, as Major Powell under- 
 stood it, was to allow the honest and enthusiastic 
 conservationists and irrigationists to go ahead in their 
 convention soon to assemble in Los Angeles and urge 
 the government to carry out their plans, while they 
 themselves stood aside until the work was well ad- 
 vanced, then they intended to step in and assume control 
 and so shape legislation that they could divert the water 
 thus conserved, at the expense of the nation ^ to their 
 own lands, and to their own vast enrichment. 
 
 It appeared that their only hope to accomplish this 
 was to silence Major Powell. They knew that the 
 enthusiastic workers for irrigation were too honest to 
 see their schemes, and not politicians enough to sus- 
 pect anything, or circumvent them if they did, but they 
 had had experience enough to know that Major Powell 
 could not be hoodwinked or blinded. He was as keen- 
 eyed to detect a political " job," as he was to grasp 
 a scientific principle. They therefore determined that 
 there was but one thing to do, and that was to bribe 
 
J. W. POWELL 313 
 
 him. How should this be done and by whom? An 
 open bribe they knew would be scorned. A mere sug- 
 gestion that he cease his watchfulness would be tread- 
 ing upon dangerous ground. They knew his honor, 
 they knew his vigilance, and yet they thought they 
 could " reach " him, as they had done many a public 
 official before. Their offer would have to be a sugar- 
 coated pill ; they would have to wrap the alluring sweet 
 of sophistry around the bitter dose of bribery ere they 
 couJd induce Major Powell to swallow it. Could they 
 do it? They determined to try. They would offer 
 him, at a low price, a share in a syndicate they had 
 already organized, in order that they might have the ad- 
 vice and counsel of his farseeing intellect. Then, once 
 in the syndicate, they intended to prevail upon him, not 
 openly to further their plans, but, not to do anything. 
 He was simply not to do, to remain passive, to keep 
 his hands off, and say nothing. They would shape 
 matters as they desired them. His business was to see 
 that all the available water supply of the United States 
 was conserved. It was none of his business how those 
 waters were used, or where they went to, upon whose 
 lands they were conveyed. And they intimated that, 
 just as soon as the work was begun, and legislation 
 shaped their way, that they — the syndicate — -would 
 — if he desired to convert his holdings into cash — 
 repurchase his interests at a price that would net 
 him over a million dollars. The one thing they feared, 
 however, was that he would enlighten the world, and 
 the legislators, upon this matter of water supply, and 
 thus render the defeat of their schemes certain. They 
 
314 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 particularly wished him to be silent on this point at the 
 national convention, and urged his absence. 
 
 The offer was made, but in so careful and subtle a 
 manner that even Major Powell's clear brain did not, 
 at first, perceive the moral delinquency it implied on 
 his part. Some of those nearest and dearest to him, 
 to whom he communicated the offer, and his rising 
 scruples and suspicions concerning it, ridiculed the 
 latter and urged his immediate acceptance. Here was 
 a life's competence; men of high position and who were 
 regarded as models of integrity were making fortunes 
 in less scrupulous ways; why should he be so particular ? 
 
 Then, in telling me this story himself, — and Major 
 Powell asserted at the time that his soul's battle had 
 never before been revealed to a human soul, — he 
 said: " I was tempted for a while to let the thing go. 
 I wanted to do the best I could for my friends and 
 family. I didn't want to be quixotic and tilt at a 
 windmill. I didn't want to hamper my future work 
 by making an army of such powerful enemies, but what 
 was it my duty to God and the people to do ? My 
 men were working up in the Sierra Santa Monica, 
 some twenty miles from Los Angeles. I said to myself : 
 ' I'll go up there and leave these politicians to fight it 
 out by themselves. I'll neither approve nor disapprove! ' 
 I went, but that night I could not even go to bed, much 
 less sleep. Conscience and brain alike were extra 
 alert. Both were as clear as was the California sky 
 above me, which made the stars seem close and so 
 penetrating that I felt they were peering into my 
 very soul, and their purity demanding a like purity 
 
JOHN W. POWELL. 
 
 Page 309 
 
S t; 
 
J. W. POWELL 315 
 
 of me. I got up and marched back and forth. The 
 sweat poured from m}' face in the agony I suffered 
 and I learned to believe that a man can sweat 
 blood in his soul's struggles. But I could not 
 stifle either my mind or my conscience. My duty 
 was clear. I was not only the head of a great 
 government department to do my scientific work and 
 let others determine what the outcome of it should be, 
 but I was there as the representative of the people, — 
 the poor, the homeless, the struggling, the helpless, — 
 who did not know, and could not know, and would be 
 helpless even if they did know, — of the assault that 
 was being made upon the land, which, in reality, 
 should be theirs. I could not stand it any longer. 
 Without breakfast, or a word to my men, I hurried down 
 to Los Angeles, and kept the appointment that had been 
 made me, — to speak on this subject at a certain hour. 
 Those who had approached me fully expected me to 
 avoid the dangerous line of thought I had suggested. 
 But — you know all the rest." 
 
 I was present and heard his address, and I heard 
 and saw the hubbub and uproar that followed. The 
 good men and true of the convention did not believe 
 his statements — and the conspirators knew they 
 would not — so even the honest and unbribable ele- 
 ments of the convention (which were in a large majority) 
 innocently joined the scheming minority in their con- 
 demnation. They shouted and stormed and even sought 
 to prevent his continuing his address; for a time it 
 seemed as if the convention had become a howling 
 mob, showing by face, gesture, action and word their 
 
3i6 HEROES OE CALIEORNIA 
 
 desire to down the one-armed man, who, now thai his 
 own battle of soul was fought and won, stood calmly 
 and indifferently facing them, as long before he had 
 faced the armies of the South, and the dangers of the 
 unknown Grand Canyon. In vain the chairman bat- 
 tered with his gavel. For a long time uproar reigned, 
 but finally he was allowed to proceed, and he said his 
 say. During the remainder of the convention he was 
 openly and covertly attacked. His ideas were denied 
 and ridiculed. To this day there are some members who 
 honestly believe that his ideas were wrong. Be that 
 as it may Major Powell firmly believed them; so much 
 so that he deliberately threw away the equivalent of a 
 million dollars in defence of them. His expose blocked 
 the plans of the schemers. They were silenced, at 
 least for the time. The principles laid down by Major 
 Powell have been carried out, in the main, and, what- 
 ever the future has in store, he kept his soul pure. 
 His active work on earth is ended, and he, brave war- 
 rior for the highest morality in public life, has gone to 
 his reward in the wonderful advancement that all 
 souls receive when thev are victors in life's conflicts. 
 
CHAPTER XXX 
 
 THE PRACTICAL HERO OF INVENTION, ANDREW SMITH 
 HALLIDIE 
 
 /^NE of the essential features of the California spirit 
 ^^ is the ability to think for oneself, to refuse to be 
 held by the thoughts and methods of the past, to meet 
 new problems in new ways. This spirit was well exem- 
 plified by the way A. S. Hallidie, of San Francisco, 
 grappled with the transportation problem. The city 
 of the Golden Gate is a very hilly city, and yet some 
 of the finest building sites are on the steep slopes or 
 summits of these hills. Even to-day, when millions of 
 dollars have been spent in cutting and paving streets 
 on these hills, it would be almost an impossibility to use 
 many of the best sites if there were no cheap and easy 
 means of public transportation. The ordinary horse- 
 car could never have scaled these steep grades, and 
 even had horses been found capable of ascending them, 
 it is doubtful whether passengers could have been found 
 brave enough to risk their lives in making the descent. 
 Something had to be invented to meet the necessity, for, 
 as yet, the powers of electricity were not applied to the 
 street-car as they are to-day. At this juncture Mr. 
 Andrew Smith Hallidie turned his inventive energies 
 to the problem, and those who knew him realized that 
 it was as good as settled, for both he and his father were 
 natural inventors, and both were interested in the solving 
 
3i8 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 of just such problems. As early as 1835 his father had 
 patented his invention of making ropes and cables 
 from iron and steel wire, and in 1855, when Andrew 
 himself was but nineteen years old, he had shown his 
 own power by designing and constructing an aque- 
 duct, suspended on a wire, with a span of two hundred 
 and twenty feet, across the middle fork of the American 
 River. In the mines there was a growing demand 
 for wire rope, and Andrew determined to supply it. 
 In June, 1856, he extemporized hand machinery for 
 making wire rope, and produced the first wire cable 
 made on the Pacific Coast. The following year he es- 
 tablished a manufactory for wire ropes in San Fran- 
 cisco. 
 
 Then, for several years, he built wire suspension 
 bridges, as well as made cables for use in the mines, — 
 where it was found far more reliable than ordinary rope 
 to haul up the cars loaded with ore and miners from the 
 depths. In 1867 he took out a patent for a rigid sus- 
 pension bridge, and the same year invented and put 
 into use another contrivance for conveying freight over 
 a mountainous country by means of an overhead con- 
 tinuous wire rope. This was soon known as the " Hal- 
 lidie Rope- way," and is largely in use throughout the 
 country. By its means timbers, fuel, tools, provisions 
 and all kinds of supplies are transported to the mines, 
 and in the returning cages or buckets ore is sent to the 
 mill. Mr. Hallidie's genius had many problems to 
 solve in making this rope- way the complete and satis- 
 factory thing it is to-day, one of the chief of which was 
 the grip pulley. By means of this pulley, — which, 
 
ANDREW SMITH HALLIDIE 319 
 
 as its name implies, grips the cable, — power is ap- 
 plied to move the cable, and then, if its speed becomes 
 too great, the same power becomes a brake to restrain 
 it. Another important feature is the gearing, which 
 allows the heavy loads of ore descending to pull up the 
 supplies, etc., ascending, in this way utilizing all the 
 natural power possible. 
 
 One of the longest rope-ways in use is four miles 
 long, between stations two miles apart. At Mineral 
 King the stations are six thousand feet apart, and the 
 mine is one thousand nine hundred feet above the mill. 
 In one place the span is seven hundred feet between 
 posts, and the cable crosses a canyon six hundred feet 
 above the bottom. 
 
 While thus busy constructing these rope- ways, Mr. 
 Hallidie was daily seeing the need of improved street 
 railway transportation in San Francisco. Horse-cars 
 were in use up some of the lesser inclines, and almost 
 daily his heart was wrenched by witnessing the painful 
 efforts of the struggling horses to drag their loaded cars 
 up these hills. Accidents happened with alarming 
 frequency, for sometimes the horses would lose their 
 footing and the brakes being unable to hold the load, 
 the cars would either rush forward upon them, or drag 
 them back as their weight took them to the foot of the 
 hill. But an endless cable, carrying moving cages of 
 rock, in the country, was an entirely different thing from 
 an endless cable, carrying moving cars, filled with 
 human passengers, suspended in the streets of a city 
 The feature of suspension must be eliminated, and the 
 principle of the endless wire cable applied to a railway 
 
320 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 on the street level. It was in 187 1 that the idea was 
 clear to Mr. Hallidie how it might be done. A model 
 was made and patented. Then came the long, tedious, 
 and often disheartening time spent in experimenting 
 and perfecting his invention. Three capitalists in San 
 Francisco generously came forward and supplied the 
 needed funds for the purpose, by subscribing twenty- 
 two thousand dollars each, and in two years' time, a 
 cable was successfully laid in an underground conduit, 
 propelled by powerful machinery at a fLxed station, and 
 street cars moved by it. This was the Clay Street Gable 
 Railroad. The grips are quite common now, but they 
 required many months of trying experiment before they 
 were perfected. It is no light strain to have a grip 
 attached to a street-car, heavily loaded with passengers, 
 even on a level track, much less up a steep incline, 
 suddenly seize a moving cable, fasten on to it, and thus 
 overcome the inertia and take the car along. Grips 
 used to break and cables wear out with alarming 
 rapidity before the present method was adopted. On 
 August I, 1873, the Clay Street Railway was set in 
 successful operation, and at once demonstrated a 
 success. The Hallidie method became known and was 
 used throughout the world. It worked a complete 
 revolution in street-car service, and indeed was the 
 most important of all inventions applied to street 
 transportation until the electric car came upon the 
 scene. 
 
 When Professor Lowe constructed the Mount Lowe 
 Railway, the question arose as to how the steep sixty- 
 two per cent, grade of the incline should be overcome. 
 
ANDREW SMITH HALLIDIE 321 
 
 Here Mr. Hallidie's genius, combined with that of Pro- 
 fessor Lowe, designed the balanced cars on the endless 
 cable and the grip sheave, with its seventy jaws, each of 
 which automatically seizes the cable as it revolves. 
 The result is a perfectly successful and safe device 
 which has now been in operation, without the faintest 
 suggestion of an accident, since 1893. The operation 
 of this cable incline is entirely different from that of 
 a cable street railway. In the latter the cable is gripped 
 from the car, and the movement of the car depends 
 upon the security of the grip's hold upon the cable. 
 On the Mount Lowe incline, on the other hand, the 
 cable and the car are built together, — the one firmly 
 fastened to the other; the machinery above merely 
 moves the cable, the latter taking the two cars along 
 as it moves. 
 
 As Mr. Hallidie's invention w^as designed to meet 
 peculiar California necessities, and it is in most suc- 
 cessful operation, with a variety of local adaptations, 
 in the State, I have thus preferred to take and use it 
 as an example of inventive skill used for the benefit 
 of the people, rather than some other and more general 
 application of inventive power. 
 
CHAPTER XXXI 
 
 THE INTREPID HEROES OF A GENTLE SCIENCE, JOHN 
 GILL LEMMON AND SARA PLUMMER LEMMON 
 
 A T first thought, there might not appear anything 
 ■^^ of the heroic about the hfe and work of any 
 botanist. How can a mere gatherer of flowers be a 
 hero ? 
 
 Yet one has but to read the Ufe and work of such 
 men as Fremont (who did not despise his work as a 
 botanist), Douglas, who early studied California's 
 trees and flowers and after a most heroic life died tragi- 
 cally in the Hawaiian Islands, John Muir, whose 
 studies of the trees and flowers of the high Sierras 
 often led him into great danger, and many others, to 
 realize that even in the mere gathering of plants there 
 may be a high purpose which can be carried out only 
 by a truly heroic soul. 
 
 Such heroes undoubtedly were John Gill Lemmon 
 and his noble wife, formerly Miss Sara A. Plummer, 
 whose herbarium in Oakland, California, has long 
 been the Mecca of visiting botanists from all parts of the 
 globe. 
 
 Professor John Gill Lemmon first saw the light of 
 day in a large, comfortable log cabin in the forest- 
 bordered wilds of Lima, Michigan, January 2, 1832, 
 and was carefully reared by wise parents. In time he 
 
J. G. AND SARA P. LEMMON 323 
 
 was sent to the best public and private schools, then 
 to the Michigan State Normal School, from whence, 
 well equipped for his work as a teacher, he went forth, 
 soon, however, to be made superintendent of schools. 
 His ambition not yet being satisfied, he entered 
 the State University of Michigan, but before gradu- 
 ation, stirred by the deeply patriotic impulse of 
 a true-hearted man, he dropped pen and books 
 and volunteered for three years or as long as 
 the strife should last. He entered the Fourth 
 Michigan Cavalry June 8, 1862, and served with 
 honor in thirty-six engagements in Kentucky, 
 Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia, until captured, 
 August 26, 1864. He was thrust into Andersonville 
 and Florence prison-pens and kept there during the 
 last sLx months of the war, and w^as one of the hundred 
 and thirty-five who could stand alone, out of the five 
 thousand prisoners, when release came. But he was 
 almost a physical wreck, and his mother, with her 
 family, brought him to California in 1865, with the 
 mournful expectation of merely making his few last 
 days as peaceful and comfortable as possible. His 
 home was made in a little cottage in Sierra Valley, and 
 here he slowdy began to revive to an interest in the 
 things of this life. 
 
 One day, as he lay in the shadow of his cottage, 
 scarcely able to move, he saw in the near distance an 
 odd little clover. Not all his strenuous experiences in the 
 war, and the cruel hardships of his prison life had been 
 able to kill his love for the amiable science of botany, 
 and the sight of this quaint and strange clover aroused 
 
324 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 afresh in his soul all his interest. Slowly he rolled 
 over and crept towards the strange flower. He gathered 
 it with a quickly beating heart, for he had never seen 
 just such a clover before. Near by were other strange 
 flowers, and his delighted eyes feasted upon them 
 as he eagerly gathered them and returned to his 
 cot. Then he plucked up strength and courage 
 enough to write to good Asa Gray, the great Har- 
 vard botanist, who wrote back : " You have discovered 
 seven new plants — new to science. Good ! Send some 
 more! " 
 
 This letter was like new wine to the worn out 
 man. His soul revived under the stimulus of the 
 kindly encouragement. In time he enlarged the 
 scope of his daily walks, and soon was able 
 to go out for a whole day's ramble. He found 
 enough new specimens to keep him constantly inter- 
 ested, and his collection of California flora rapidly 
 grew in size and importance. Scarcely a month passed 
 without his contribution of some valuable addition 
 to the knowledge of the Eastern and European botan- 
 ists in regard to the flora of the Golden State. 
 
 Though never again to be the strong man that, in 
 the full glory of youth, had taken up arms for the good 
 of his beloved country, he recuperated sufflciently to 
 feel that he had a life's work ahead of him. He began 
 systematically to explore, not only California, but the 
 adjoining states and territories, from Alaska down 
 to Old Mexico, and as far east as the western base of the 
 Rocky Mountains. 
 
 It was on one of these explorations, nearly twenty- 
 
J. G. AND SARA P. LEMMON 325 
 
 five years ago, that I first met him, and was immediately 
 attracted by his lovable, gentle nature. How fascinat- 
 ing were the stories of his experiences : climbing snowy 
 mountains, dodging hostile Indians, camping with 
 friendly ones, sliding down canyon precipices where 
 only the mountain goat had hitherto trailed, sleeping 
 beneath the giant redwoods and sequoias, scorched on 
 the alkali flats of the below-sea-level areas of our west- 
 ern deserts. Pathos and comedy, tragedy and humor 
 rubbed elbows with each other during those years of 
 happy labor, made sweeter and more precious by the 
 companionship and dear comradeship of his wife. It 
 was the love of botany and nature science that brought 
 these two spirits together, and they were married in 
 Oakland in 1880, after an acquaintance of four years, 
 during which they were fellow members of a botanical 
 club in Santa Barbara, organized by Mr. Lemmon. 
 
 Henceforth these two traveled together. Their 
 wedding journey was into the wilds of Arizona and New 
 Mexico, and the habit once formed was kept up through 
 life. Year after year they went, with their ponies, or 
 wagon, or burros, happy in themselves and in their 
 w^ork. 
 
 Nothing in the floral line escaped their eager search : 
 cactuses of a hundred varieties, yuccas by the score, 
 the tiny creeping gilias, and the giant suaharos and 
 sequoias, trailing seaweeds, floating lilies, and the 
 shrinking orchids of the dense forests where sunlight 
 seldom enters. Year after year added to their store 
 of plants and knowledge. These botanists lived with 
 the objects of their study; they watched them grow 
 
326 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 from seed, slip or bud, and visited them again and 
 again in their wild, almost inaccessible natural habitats, 
 until they were able to speak of them with authority. 
 Every new trip gave them new triumphs for their 
 flower-presses laden wdth new species of plants. Each 
 of them, husband and wife, has had the highest honor 
 accorded them that can befall botanists, viz., the 
 dedication of a new genus of plants to them. These 
 are known throughout the world as the Lemmonia and 
 Plummera. For more than a quarter of a century Mrs. 
 Lemmon took her water colors and sketch pad along 
 and made field sketches, in color, of the plants in their 
 native haunts. 
 
 In the year 1881 Arizona was not the peaceable, 
 quiet, hospitable country it now is. In those days 
 Apache raids and massacres were frequent. Even the 
 most hardened Indian campaigner knew that an order 
 to advance into the Apache country meant no tender- 
 foot's picnic, and yet, in this year, this gentle-hearted 
 student of the plants, accompanied by his wdfe, urged 
 only by the desire to hunt down the so-called " Irish " 
 potato in its native habitat, hitched up the team to their 
 camping wagon, and aimed right for the Indian region. 
 Two years previously Colonel Charles D. Poston had 
 assured them that he was confident wild potatoes could 
 be found in Southern Arizona. With eager zeal Pro- 
 fessor Lemmon and his wife had searched for two 
 seasons, but in vain, and now they were going to try 
 again. They arrived at Fort Bowie, in the famous 
 Apache Pass, just after the summer rains had brought 
 forth a most abundant and interesting flora, but their 
 
J. G. AND SARA P. LEMMON 327 
 
 hearts were bent on finding potatoes, so they pushed 
 forward into the Chiracahua Mountains, where one 
 of the most feared bands of Apaches had long had its 
 stronghold. When every one else was fleeing the 
 country, these scientists boldly went, with sublime 
 unconsciousness, where all expected they would meet 
 their death. Instead of that they found what they had 
 so eagerly been seeking — the wild potato. But here 
 let Professor Lemmon tell the story himself. 
 
 " One day in September, while searching for ferns 
 in the clefts of one of the highest peaks north of the 
 Pass, there was discovered, under a tangle of prickly 
 bushes and cacti, a solitary little plant perceived at 
 first glance to be a Solanum; but query: Was it bulb- 
 bearing? Carefully the little stranger was uprooted, 
 when lo, a tuber! an undoubted representative of the 
 true potato family. 
 
 " The plant proved to be a specimen of Solanum 
 Jamesii, of Torrey. Great was my disappointment 
 when, after diligent search day after day in that lo- 
 cality of various features of plain, canyon, and peak, 
 not another plant was to be detected. Time and again 
 the little scrap of a plant was examined, but it was so 
 meagre and dejected by age that it had but few char- 
 acteristics which reminded one of the rank potato vines 
 of our gardens. With great care and kindling interest 
 I dissected its organs and compared its characters with 
 the meagre descriptions at hand. How much more 
 my emotions would have been aroused, had I then 
 knovni that it was probable that from this very species, 
 rather than from any other of the thirty-six known, our 
 
328 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 first potatoes sprung, according to the researches and 
 reasonings of Humboldt. 
 
 " We were prevented from making a thorough ex- 
 ploration of the southern portion of the Chiracahuas 
 — to which we removed in September — by the rumors 
 that reached us day by day of Indian outrages in the 
 mountains to the north of us; culminating at last in 
 the startling intelligence brought us by a friendly 
 cowboy, who rode all night to warn us, that Juh and 
 his whole band of Chiracahua Apaches had broken 
 out of the San Carlos Reservation at four o'clock the 
 morning before, and were fleeing directly towards 
 their old haunts, the very valley in which we were 
 peacefully botanizing. 
 
 " We took refuge in the cabin of a queer old hermit, 
 Dr. Monroe, who had been there for four years, and 
 who had prepared for such emergencies by digging a 
 tunnel one hundred and twenty feet long through the 
 sharp point of a long ridge projecting into the valley 
 between two creeks. Midway of the ridge the tunnel 
 was constructed with a double elbow, enlarged to 
 eight feet by ten, and six feet high, to which one could 
 retreat with his supplies and weapons, and could shoot 
 out towards either end of the tunnel at his foes in the 
 light, while himself shrouded in the darkness by the 
 elbow. In case of overpowering numbers, he could 
 light a fuse leading to a magazine concealed in the 
 cobbles at each end of the tunnel, which, when ignited, 
 must blow everything to atoms in the vicinity. 
 
 " The mouths of the tunnel, opening out on the sides 
 of the ridge, were each artfully concealed by a cabin 
 
J. G. AND SARA P. LEMMON 329 
 
 made of shakes and brush, one of which was generously 
 assigned to us. While we were there for eleven days, 
 in momentary expectation of attack, Juh and his band, 
 split up into squads of half a dozen to fifty warriors, 
 scoured the country, torturing and killing all the whites 
 in their path. 
 
 " One large band passed along by the mouth of 
 Rucker Valley, and no one knows why they did not 
 ascend to their familiar haunts, as there was not the 
 slightest obstacle to such a course, although the full- 
 garrisoned Fort Bowie was but forty miles away, and 
 the Apaches passed near it on the way; followed, to 
 be sure, two days later, by two companies of well- 
 mounted cavalry, majestically marching along by twos, 
 accompanied with baggage wagons and other com- 
 fortable military equipage. 
 
 " In October we returned to Oakland to pass the 
 winter in closet-work over our varied treasures from 
 Arizona. Last May (1882) we again joyfully prepared 
 our simple outfit for an extended exploration of the 
 other mountains of Southern Arizona, determined 
 that we would find more of that wild potato if it took all 
 summer — and it did." 
 
 Professor Lemmon then recounts the long and ardu- 
 ous search for the potato. After being duly settled in a 
 tent at Fort Huachuca, kindly provided by the com- 
 manding officer: 
 
 " Every third day, equipped with flower press, 
 pick, and luncheon, I climbed slowly and wearily, as 
 perforce I must, over one ridge after another, and up 
 to spur upon spur of the high peaks; hastily culling 
 
330 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 the rare flowers and ferns by the way, and putting 
 them, carefully displayed, into the portable press; 
 taking note of habitat and peculiarities to be recorded 
 on return. Generally the unseen peril of rattlesnakes 
 and centipedes, together with the open attacks of cacti 
 and yucca, were added to the intense heat of the sun, 
 jeopardizing life and limb. The level rays of sunset 
 usually found me at the top of a mountain ten to twenty 
 miles from camp. Fortunately the declivity favored 
 the return trip. You slid perhaps for rods at a plunge, 
 down with splintered shales and volcanic cinders, knee- 
 deep, to a bush-covered landing, where you must pass 
 along the side of the mountain until another shat- 
 tered vertical ledge of slate or trachyte is reached. 
 When the moon favored, late returns by her lovely aid 
 were always calculated upon. 
 
 " Whenever Mrs. Lemmon could not accompany 
 me on these extra laborious trips, she was busily 
 occupied in making paintings of the flowers in the 
 vicinity of the camp, or in changing dryers within the 
 many packages of plants collected on previous explora- 
 tions. 
 
 " Sometimes we took long journeys on our horses, 
 going round the bases of dividing ridges between 
 canyons, or climbing by perilous zigzag trails over 
 them. From the highest points, the peculiar features 
 of a flat, desert country, interspersed with island 
 mountains dancing in a heated atmosphere, bounded 
 our horizon. 
 
 " These long trips occupied from three to five days' 
 time, and often included the circuit of half the range; 
 
J. G. AND SARA P. LEMMON 331 
 
 at times we passed across the Mexican boundary at the 
 risk of being deprived of our animals by Mexican 
 officials, little better than Italian bandits; or worse, 
 being cut off altogether by Apaches, several tribes of 
 whom were again on the war-path under the notorious 
 chieftain, Juh, still at large. During one of these trips 
 we passed over the locality where recent massacres 
 had occurred; and, as appeared afterward, while on 
 one of the high southern ridges, near Cave Canyon, 
 an Apache massacre was being perpetrated upon two 
 Americans and three Mexicans, only five miles below 
 us — a fate which we narrowly escaped by happening 
 to choose the upper trail." 
 
 But heat, cacti, yucca, rattlesnakes, Gila monsters, 
 Mexican bandits, and the criminals of the United States 
 and Mexico who plied their nefarious business on both 
 sides of the border, and Apaches combined could not 
 restrain the search or dampen the ardor of these two 
 devoted servants of science, and finally their efforts 
 were triumphantly rewarded. Three species were 
 found, the last of which required longer search than 
 the others: 
 
 " The third kind of wild potato of Arizona was not 
 so easily found. It was only after a long day's climb 
 ... that I reached the summit of the highest peak 
 of the Huachuca, a little over ten thousand feet alti- 
 tude. This peak is steep and rugged, besides being 
 beset with a dense clothing of thorny bushes covering 
 most of its surface. In the shade of the north side 
 a spire of timber, sharply defined at the sides, ascends 
 to the very top. Here, in this very highest point, under 
 
332 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 the shade of fir, pine, and poplar trees, kept moist by 
 mehing banks of snow for a great part of the year, 
 were found several plants of this little species. 
 Widely scattered among the rank herbage, they were 
 bravely lifting their mostly simple and nearly orbicular 
 leaves and nodding balls of seed from under the golden- 
 rods and brilliant asters." 
 
 Every reader of these pages should finish the whole 
 story, which well might be termed " The Romance of 
 the Irish Potato." It may be found in The Overland 
 Monthly, for April and May, 1883, and is well worthy 
 a place among the true classics of California literature. 
 
 A later Overland — that of September, 1888 — con- 
 tains an exquisitely written, graphic and vivid descrip- 
 tion of the San Francisco Moimtains, near Flagstaff, 
 Arizona, and of a visit Professor and Mrs. Lermnon 
 paid to the Grand Canyon, by way of Peach Springs 
 and Diamond Creek, a route now almost forgotten 
 since the railway to El Tovar was built. They aimed 
 to reach the height of Agassiz, the extinct volcano that 
 forms the highest peak of this beautifully chiseled 
 mountain-range. 
 
 " On the way our noiseless vehicle allowed us often 
 to approach quite near herds of graceful antelope 
 feeding in the secluded parks, before their watchful 
 sentinels, stamping the earth with heavy strokes, started 
 the herds off with long bounds. 
 
 " The peak, nearly devoid of timber for its upper 
 three thousand feet, was furrowed by several ravines 
 yet partially filled with snow, and their dazzling white- 
 ness, lit up by the declining sun as we approached, 
 
J. G. AND SARA P. LEMMON 333 
 
 contrasted very effectively with the variegated tints 
 of red, yellow, brown, and black scoriae displayed in 
 stripes and blocks on the bare projecting ribs; while 
 beneath all the supporting meadow of rich grasses held 
 up long reaches to the very banks of melting snow. 
 
 *' We pitched our tent for the night near the spring 
 and cabin of a sheep-herder. Next morning we were 
 occupied till late, as usual after a day's travel in such 
 a rich botanical region, in drying out the botanical pads; 
 several of the plants, too, were strangers and tempted 
 examination, so it was ten o'clock before we got off for 
 the peak. 
 
 " The first three or four miles being a gradual rise 
 covered with grass, we decided to drive the wagon up to 
 a convenient spot near the snow and picket the mules 
 for the day, while we prosecuted the further ascent on 
 foot, — designing to return and make camp at that 
 point for the night and go on eastward next day. 
 
 " But no water could be found for the mules. In 
 vain we searched an hour among the ravines; the 
 water from the melting banks sank at once into the 
 scoriae and volcanic ashes; so we were forced either 
 to abandon the trip altogether, or to hasten up, leaving 
 the animals securely tied to suffer a little for water 
 until our return, when we would hurry down to the 
 herder's spring. 
 
 " We chose to make the ascent,' — in fact the nearness 
 and detail of the monster cone piercing the sky a mile 
 or so above us was simply irresistible." 
 
 Then follows a graphic description of the ascent 
 and the view from the summit. Professor Lemmon 
 
334 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 here seems to have been inspired. His prose-poems 
 can only be compared to those equally inspired pro- 
 ductions of the poet-geologist, Clarence Button, written 
 on the brink of the Grand Canyon at Point Sublime. 
 A touch of solid prose, however, ends the poetic 
 rhapsody. Here it is: 
 
 "Is it any wonder that we did not leave the spot 
 until the scene-shifter shut off the light ? Ah ! but that 
 was almost a fatal delay for us. 
 
 " Hastening down the steep by long strides and 
 slides in the loose scoriae, we found our animals pull- 
 ing at their ropes in great fright. No doubt a brown 
 bear — somewhat plentiful in the region — had visited 
 our camp, and of all wild beasts a bear will give most 
 alarm to a mule. Hurriedly attaching the mules to the 
 wagon, w^e mounted, put on the brakes, and began the 
 descent towards the light in the herder's camp. 
 
 " But in the darkness the large boulders and blocks 
 of scoriae, large as modern stove-ranges, that were 
 easily seen and avoided on the up-trip, were unseen 
 now, and the way seemed full of them. The mules, 
 tleeing from a frightful spot, refused to obey the curb- 
 reins, though I drew upon them with all my strength. 
 
 " Over the obstacles we bounded; now this side of 
 the vehicle w^as elevated nearly to the point of over- 
 turning, now the other. My wife threw herself into 
 the bottom of the wagon, and resigned herself silently 
 to her fate; while I wrapped the lines about my hands, 
 pressed the brake-bar hard down, and steered the 
 frightened animals, now at full speed, directly down 
 the steep. As the mules flew along, the little wagon 
 
J. G. AND SARA P. LEMMON 335 
 
 seemed to be almost upon their backs; the wheels 
 hitting only the tops of the rocks, and veering from 
 side to side as the mules dodged the larger boulders. 
 
 " By the most marvelous series of accidents the 
 occupants of that little wagon escaped, for a few min- 
 utes of this breakneck speeding brought them safely 
 to the camp of the frightened herder, who held his 
 lantern up to their blanched faces, but could only 
 wring from them the exultant explanation of the clat- 
 tering sound, that they had been to the top of the peak 
 and had looked over into the Grand Canyon." 
 
 An adventure of quite a different character befell 
 Professor and Mrs. Lemmon on one of their earlier 
 visits to the Canyon. They reached " Peach Spring at 
 two o'clock in the night, and experienced a reception 
 characteristic of new railroad towns of the period. We 
 were conducted by a brakeman to Farley's tent, the 
 only habitation known as a hotel in the town, and were 
 quartered in a portion of it curtained off by cheap 
 calico. 
 
 " Scarcely had we lost consciousness, when pistol 
 shots were heard, and a loud, querulous female voice 
 outside announced that two gamblers in an adjoining 
 saloon had been quarreling, and that ' Jem Smith 
 was shot full of holes.' 
 
 *' Some of the bullets passed through and over our 
 tent, causing us to lie awake shivering until daylight, 
 while thinking of the then unrealized safety we en- 
 joyed when in the hermit's tunnel of the Chiracahua, 
 and the miner's stone cabin of the Huachuca." 
 
 After twenty years of such arduous and yet delightful 
 
336 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 explorations, Professor Lemmon was appointed botan- 
 ist by the California Board of Forestry, and his wife was 
 made botanic artist. This gave them a great oppor- 
 tunity to do pioneer work in California in such a way 
 as to give a strong impetus to the study of forestry. Their 
 work was so excellent that the Department of Botany, 
 at Washington, D. C, in one of the Annual Reports, 
 states that the written results of Professor Lemmon's 
 labors and the illustrations which accompanied them 
 were by far the best that had ever been recorded. 
 
 Indeed, it may safely be affirmed that this pair of 
 pioneer botanists were the first forestry conservationists 
 of the State, for as early as 1882 they fought for the 
 preservation of our noble forests. In 1 886-1 889 the 
 State published their reports, in which the conservation 
 of the forests is urgently insisted upon ; and later, at their 
 own expense, they issued books and pamphlets, illus- 
 trative of the subject, educative and informing in the 
 highest degree. In those days only the very few in the 
 land saw the dangers that are now so well understood, 
 and only here and there, like voices crying in the wilder- 
 ness, could those be found with courage and persistence 
 to protest against the destruction of our never-to-be- 
 replaced forests for mere commercialism. 
 
 Mrs. Lemmon was as earnest and energetic as her 
 husband. For three years she was Chairman of the 
 Forestry Committee of the California Federation of 
 Women's Clubs, and with pen and voice never ceased 
 pleading for the noble trees she loved so well. One of 
 her pleas was an eight-page brochure, Some Hints on 
 Forestry, and this was followed by a seventy-page 
 
J. G. AND SARA P. LEMMON 337 
 
 booklet, with many illustrations, entitled How to tell 
 the Trees, in which her husband wTOte an admirable 
 chapter on the grand forest endowment God had be- 
 stowed upon California. 
 
 Thus, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, these 
 sweet-spirited, amiable, and devoted heroes have lived 
 and worked, quietly benefiting a people, many of whom 
 were never even aware of their existence. In November, 
 1908, the beckoning fmger called Professor Lemmon to 
 new and better fields of labor, leaving his loving com- 
 rade to issue the book upon which his latest energies 
 were spent, — a work describing and fully illustrating 
 all the native trees of California, — a fitting and appro- 
 priate closing chapter in memory of the flowering 
 pathways they trod together for fully thirty years. 
 
CHAPTER XXXII 
 
 THE STUDIOUS HERO OF THE MOUNTAINS, 
 JOHN MUIR 
 
 IN an earlier chapter has been given the story of 
 Clarence King's mountaineering and the heroism 
 of his endeavors. Soon after the time that Clarence 
 King did the work there recorded, a young man, whose 
 name was to be even more inseparably connected with 
 the mountains of California, was working his way from 
 Madison, Wisconsin, through the South towards the 
 Pacific Coast, though when he started he had no inten- 
 tion to make that the end of his journey. His name was 
 John Muir, — a well-known Scotch name, but as yet 
 almost unknown in American annals. Now, by the life 
 and work of this one man, the name of Muir is known 
 throughout the world. 
 
 Rightly to understand and appreciate this life, one 
 should read an article in The Outlook, of June 6, 1903, 
 in which Ray Stannard Baker shows how the lad 
 Muir prepared himself unconsciously and unknow- 
 ingly for the work of the man Muir. It is a wonderful 
 example of that self- discipline I have endeavored 
 to inculcate in the chapter on Junipero Serra. Here 
 are a few quotations to show the spirit of the lad; 
 
 " This one of the boys of the Muir family was am- 
 bitious, often taking his mathematical problems with 
 
JOHN MUIR 339 
 
 him to the fields and working them out on chips from 
 the trees that he felled; and though he knew that his 
 father's rules were like those of the Medes and Per- 
 sians, never changeable, and that he could not hope 
 for more time to read in the evening, he was finally 
 told that he might get up as early as he liked in the 
 morning. Though accustomed to sleep ten hours every 
 night, he now broke off sharply to live hours by sheer 
 force of will. 
 
 " ' It was winter,' he said; ' a boy sleeps soundly 
 after chopping and fence-building all day in frosty air 
 and snow; therefore I feared I would not be able to 
 take any advantage of the granted permission. For 
 I was always asleep at six o'clock when father called, 
 the early-rising machine was not then made, and there 
 was no one to awake me. Going to bed wondering 
 whether I could compel myself to awake before the 
 regular hour and determined to try, I was delighted 
 next morning to find myself early called by will, the 
 power of which over sleep I then for the first time 
 discovered. Throwing myself out of bed and lighting a 
 candle, eager to learn how^ much time had been gained, 
 I found it was only one o'clock, leaving five hours all 
 my own before the work of the farm begun. At this 
 same hour, all winter long, my will, like a good angel, 
 awoke me, and never did time seem more gloriously 
 precious and rich. Fire was not allowed, so to escape 
 the frost I went down cellar, and there read some 
 favorite book or marked out some invention that 
 haunted me.' 
 
 " John Muir's career may be said to have had its 
 
340 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 beginning on the day that he set forth, a raw country 
 boy, to conquer the world, hope in his heart and an 
 odd bundle of whittled wooden machinery on his 
 shoulder. He had made a thermometer out of the 
 end rod of his father's wagon, so fastening it to the side 
 of the house that the expansion of the iron in varying 
 degrees of heat was indicated on a large dial. He had 
 invented and built an automatic saw-mill, and several 
 wooden clocks, one of them in the form of a scythe 
 hung on a burr-oak sapling, representing the scythe 
 of old Father Time — a good timekeeper, indicating 
 the days of the week and month, and having at- 
 tachments for other inventions — for lighting fires and 
 lamps, a bedstead that set the sleeper on his feet at 
 any desired time, and so on. He had also invented an 
 automatic arrangement for feeding horses, a bathing- 
 machine, barometer, pyrometer, hydrometer, safety 
 locks, etc., all original, even the clocks, he never at 
 that time having seen the works of any sort of time- 
 keeper." 
 
 In i860 his neighbors prevailed upon him to exhibit 
 his wonderful inventions at the Wisconsin State Fair, 
 to be held at Madison. Since he had come to the farm 
 from Scotland (when he was eleven years old) he had 
 never been more than six miles from home and had not 
 ridden on a railway, yet a glimpse at his sackful of 
 machinery so interested both conductor and en- 
 gineer that they allowed him to ride on the engine. 
 When he reached Madison the superintendent of the 
 Fair was " only too pleased at the prospect of exhibiting 
 his marvels, and they soon occupied a prominent 
 
JOHN MUIR 341 
 
 place in the fine- arts hall, where Muir, too shy to pose 
 as the inventor, mingled with the crowd and heard 
 the admiring comments of the spectators. Though 
 suddenly finding himself a celebrity, he refused, 
 quaintly enough, to read the accounts of his inven- 
 tions which appeared in the newspapers, for his 
 father had always warned him of the deadly poison of 
 praise." 
 
 " For four years he was a student (at the State 
 University), supporting himself largely by working in 
 the harvest-fields, by teaching school, and doing all 
 manner of odd jobs." 
 
 " It is related that where he once taught school he 
 fitted up a machine which lighted the fire for him every 
 morning, so that he did not have to reach the school- 
 house so early." 
 
 Thus he was unconsciously preparing himself to 
 begin his real life work. Through what battlings and 
 strugglings a man attains. In 1866, when he was 
 twenty-seven years old, he writes: 
 
 " I have been keeping up an irregular course of 
 study since leaving Madison but with no great success. 
 ... A lifetime is so little a time that we die ere we get 
 ready to live. I would like to go to college, but then 
 I have to say to myself ' you will die ere you can do 
 anything else.' I should like to invent useful machin- 
 ery, but it comes ' you do not wish to spend your life- 
 time among machines and you will die ere you can do 
 anything else.' I should like to study medicine that I 
 might do my part in lessening human misery, but again 
 it comes ' you will die ere you are ready, or able to do 
 
342 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 so.' How intensely I desire to be a Humboldt, but 
 again the chilling answer is reiterated. But could we 
 but live a million of years then how delightful to spend 
 in perfect contentment so many thousand years in 
 quiet study in college, so many amid the grateful din 
 of machines, so many among human pain, so many 
 thousands in the sweet study of Nature among the 
 dingles and dells of Scotland, and all the other less 
 important parts of our world. Then perhaps might 
 we, with at least a show of reason, shuffle off this mortal 
 coil and look back upon our star with something of 
 satisfaction. ... In our higher state of existence we 
 shall have time and intellect for study. Eternity with 
 perhaps the whole unlimited creation of God as our 
 field should satisfy us, and make us patient and trust- 
 ful, while we pray with the Psalmist: ' So teach us to 
 number our days that we may apply our hearts unto 
 wisdom.' . . . What you say respecting the littleness of 
 the number who are called to * the pure and deep com- 
 munion of the beautiful all-loving Nature ' is particu- 
 larly true of the hard-working people with whom I now 
 dwell — in vain is the glorious chart of God in nature 
 spread out for them. ' So many acres chopped ' is their 
 motto, so they grub away amid the smoke of magnifi- 
 cent forest trees black as demons and material as the 
 soil they move upon. ... In my long rambles last 
 summer I did not find a single person who knew any- 
 thing of botany, and but a few who knew the meaning of 
 the word; and wherein lay the charm that could con- 
 duct a man who might as well be gathering mammon, 
 so many miles through these fastnesses to suffer hunger 
 
JOHN MUIR 343 
 
 and exhaustion was with them never to be discovered. 
 . . . That ' sweet day ' did, as you wished, reach our 
 hollow, and another is with us now. The sky has 
 the haze of autumn and excepting the aspen not a tree 
 has motion. Upon our enclosing wall of verdure new 
 tints appear. The gorgeous dyes of autumn are too 
 plainly seen, and the forest seems to have found out 
 that again its leaf must fade. Our stream too has a less 
 cheerful sound and, as it bears its foam-bells pen- 
 sively away from the shallow rapids in the rocks, seems 
 to feel that summer is past." 
 
 Let us now go back to the earlier portion of this letter 
 and reread it. Here are four distinct aims that moved 
 Muir's soul at this time. Study of nature, machinery, 
 the healing work of the physician and to be a Humboldt. 
 He bitterly regretted the shortness of human life that he 
 could not take up and master all four departments. 
 An accident soon after this date for the time being 
 injured his eyesight so severely that he feared he had 
 lost sight in his right eye for ever. Here is what he 
 wTOte at the time. His letter is dated April 3, 1867. 
 " I felt neither pain nor faintness, the thought was so 
 tremendous that my right eye was gone, that I should 
 never look at a flower again. The sunshine and the 
 winds are working in all the gardens of God, but I, I 
 am lost. I am shut in darkness." 
 
 Three days later he writes: " I believe you that 
 * nothing is without meaning and purpose that comes 
 from a Father's hand,' but during these dark weeks 
 I could not feel this, and as for courage and fortitude, 
 scarce the shadows of these virtues were left me. The 
 
344 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 shock upon my nervous system made me weak in mind 
 as a child." 
 
 Little by little his sight began to return and on June 
 gth he writes: " I am thankful that this affliction has 
 drawn me to the sweet fields rather than from them." 
 As soon as he was able he started, with a plant press 
 on his back, and three books in his pocket, — the New 
 Testament, Burns and Milton, — for a tramp through 
 the South. Glad and thankful to be out-of-doors, he 
 tramped, often footsore, weary and hungry, over a 
 thousand miles, to Florida. Then he crossed to Cuba 
 and botanized there. 
 
 On this trip he slept out-of-doors most of the time, 
 both as a matter of preference and economy, but it was 
 unwise, for in the Florida swamps he contracted a 
 a fever which again brought him to despair — but the 
 accident to his eyesight and the fever were blessings in 
 disguise. 
 
 Here are parts of two letters he wTOte while on his 
 Southern trip. " Among the Hills of Bear Creek, 
 seven miles southeast of Burkesville, Kentucky, 
 Sept. 9th. I left Indiana last Monday and have 
 reached this point by a long, weary, roundabout 
 walk. I walked from Louisville, a distance of one 
 hundred and seventy miles, and my feet are sore, but 
 oh, I am paid for all my toil a thousand times over. 
 . . . The sun has been among the tree tops for more 
 than an hour, and the dew is nearly all taken back and 
 the shade in these hid basins is creeping away into 
 the unbroken strongholds of the grand old forest. I 
 have enjoyed the trees and scenery of Kentucky ex- 
 
JOHN MUIR 345 
 
 ceedingly. How shall I ever tell of the miles and miles 
 of beauty that have been flowing into me ? These lofty 
 curving ranks of rolling, swelling hills; these concealed 
 valleys of fathomless verdure and these lordly trees 
 with the nursing sunlight glancing on their leaves upon 
 the outlines of the magnificent masses of shade em- 
 bosomed among their wide branches. These are cut 
 into my memory to go with me forever. 
 
 " I am in the woods on a hill top with my back 
 against a moss- clad log. I wish you could see my last 
 evening's bedroom. 
 
 " It was a few miles south of Louisville where I 
 planned my journey. I spread out my map under a 
 tree and made up my mind to go tlirough Kentucky, 
 Tennessee, and Georgia to Florida, thence to Cuba, 
 thence to some part of South America. But it will be 
 only a hasty walk. I am thankful, however, for so 
 much." 
 
 The second letter is dated Cedar Keys, November 
 8th. 
 
 " I am just creeping about, getting plants and 
 strength after my fever. I do not yet know which point 
 in S. America I had better go to." 
 
 Then suddenly his purpose changed. California was 
 suggested. He decided to accept the suggestion. He 
 came by way of the Isthmus of Panama, and in April of 
 1868 stood in the streets of the active, bustling, exciting, 
 gold-loving San Francisco. One would have supposed 
 this new and stirring city of the Pacific shore would have 
 aroused his curiosity and desire to know all of its 
 wonders and mysteries. But not a nerve thrilled 
 
346 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 to any call the wonderful city made. Far to the south 
 and east were the Sierra Nevada — those peaks of the 
 great snowy range that separate California from Nevada 
 — with their deep canyons, glacier-formed domes, 
 fearsome precipices, dense forests, all sending out 
 thrills of allurement. He knew next to nothing about 
 what he was going to see ; he anticipated nothing of the 
 great discoveries that were to make him famous, yet 
 the mysteries and wonders of this portion of great 
 Nature called to him with many voices that could not 
 be withstood, and, with but one day given to the at- 
 tractions of the city, he fled to the mountains. 
 
 It was the ^'oice of his fate, his love, calling to him. 
 He could not have resisted it had he tried, and he did not 
 try. He went, he saw, and was conquered. Since then 
 he has wandered over many thousands of miles of the 
 earth's varied surface, yet he has never lost his first love 
 for the Sierra Nevada. 
 
 With all this after knowledge before us, it is inter- 
 esting to read in a letter dated " Near Snelling, Merced 
 Co., California, July 26th, 1868. Fate and flowers 
 have carried me to California and I have reveled and 
 luxuriated amid its plants and mountains nearly four 
 months. I am well again. I came to life in the cool 
 winds and crystal waters of the mountains, and were it 
 not for a thought now and again of loneliness and 
 isolation, the pleasure of my existence would be com- 
 plete. I will remain here eight or nine months." 
 
 That was in 1868. It is now 1910; forty-two years 
 later, and John Muir is still within sight and reach and 
 smell of his beloved Sierras. 
 
JOHN MUIR 347 
 
 But at this distance it is more than interesting to read 
 a few passages from Ms first letter descriptive of the 
 wonders of CaUfornia. 
 
 " After a delightful sail I arrived in San Francisco 
 in April, and struck out at once into the country. I fol- 
 lowed the Diablo foothills along the San Jose valley 
 to Gilroy — thence over the Diablo Mountains to the 
 valley of San Joaquin by the Pacheco pass, thence 
 down the valley opposite the mouth of the Merced 
 River, thence across the San Joaquin, and up into the 
 Sierra Nevadas to the mammoth trees of Mariposa, 
 and the glorious Yo-Semite — thence down the Merced 
 to this place. 
 
 " The goodness of the weather as I journeyed towards 
 Pacheco was beyond all praise and description — 
 fragrant, and mellow, and bright, the sky was perfectly 
 delicious. Sweet enough for the breath of angels, every 
 draught of it gave a separate and distinct piece of pleas- 
 ure. I do not believe that Adam and Eve ever tasted 
 better in their balmiest nook. The last of the coast range 
 foothills were in near view all the way to Gilroy; their 
 union with the valley is by curves and slopes of in- 
 imitable beauty, and they were robed with the greenest 
 grass and richest light I ever beheld, and colored and 
 shaded with myriads of flowers of every hue, chiefly 
 of purple and golden 3'ellow, and hundreds of crystal 
 rills joined song with the larks, filling all the valley 
 with music like a sea, making it Eden from end to end. 
 
 " The scenery too, and all of nature in the pass is 
 fairly enchanting, — strange and beautiful mountian 
 ferns, low in the dark canyons, and high upon the 
 
348 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 rocky sunlit peaks, — banks of blooming shrubs, and 
 sprinklings, and gatherings of garment flowers, precious 
 and pure as ever enjoyed the sweets of a mountain 
 home. Oh what streams are there beaming, glancing, 
 — each with music of its own, singing as they go in 
 shadow and light, onward upon their lovely changing 
 pathways to the sea. And hills rise over hills, and 
 mountains over mountains, heaving, waving, swelling, 
 in most glorious overpowering, unreadable majesty — 
 and when at last stricken and faint like a crushed in- 
 sect, you hope to escape from all the terrible grandeur 
 of these mountain powers, other mountains, other oceans 
 break forth before you, for there, in clear view, over 
 heaps and rows of foothills is laid a grand, smooth, out- 
 spread plain, watered by a river, and another range 
 of peaky, snow-capped mountains a hundred miles in 
 the distance. That plain is the valley of the San Joa- 
 quin, and those mountains are the great Sierra Ne- 
 vadas. The valley of the San Joaquin is the floweriest 
 piece of world I ever walked — one vast, level, even 
 flower-bed — a sheet of flowers — a smooth sea, rufifled 
 a little in the middle by the tree- fringing of the river, 
 and here and there of smaller cross streams from the 
 mountains. Florida is indeed a land of flowers, but 
 for every flower creature that dwells in its most de- 
 lightsome places, more than a hundred are living here. 
 Here, here is Florida. Here they are not sprinkled 
 apart with grass between as in our prairies, but grasses 
 are sprinkled in the flowers ; not as in Cuba, flowers piled 
 upon flowers, heaped and gathered into deep glowing 
 masses, but side by side, flower to flower, petal to 
 
JOHN MUIR 349 
 
 petal, touching but not entwined, branches weaving 
 past and past each other, but free and separate — 
 one smooth garment, mosses next the ground, grasses 
 above, petaled flowers between. 
 
 " Before studying the flowers of this valley, and their 
 sky, and all of the furniture, and sounds, and adorn- 
 ments of their home, one can scarce believe that their 
 vast assemblies are permanent, but rather that, actu- 
 ated by some great plant purpose, they had convened 
 from every plain, and mountain, and meadow of their 
 kingdom, and that the different coloring of patches, 
 acres and miles, marked the bounds of the various 
 tribe and family encampments." 
 
 In 1876 he joined the United States Coast and 
 Geodetic Survey in order to know something of the 
 deserts and mountain ranges on the other side of the 
 Sierras, For three years he worked, mainly in Ne- 
 vada and Utah, enlarging his knowledge, and coming 
 into contact with many interesting and unconven- 
 tional people in the States of Sage Brush and Mor- 
 mons. 
 
 Then he went back to his glacier studies in the 
 Sierras, and in 1879 determined to explore the glaciers 
 of Alaska. There he discovered the great glacier that 
 bears his name, as well as Glacier Bay, into which it 
 flows. He traveled thousands of miles up and down 
 the streams of Alaska, often alone, sometimes with 
 Indians, many hundreds of miles in the company of 
 Rev. S. Hall Young, a Presbyterian missionary. In 
 1 88 1 he was a member of the Cor win expedition which 
 went in search of De Long and the ill-fated Jeannette, 
 
350 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 and thus was afforded another opportunity of extend- 
 ing his glacial studies in the Behring Sea and along the 
 coast of Siberia. The continuity and persistence of his 
 interests may be seen from the fact that he personally 
 explored and studied the most notable ice-rivers of 
 North America, as well as the work of the ancient 
 and extinct glaciers, and then, in 1893, went to Norway 
 and Switzerland in order to compare what he had seen ' 
 on this continent with the conditions there. 
 
 In person he is tall, wiry, of slight build, but pos- 
 sessed of the muscles, nerves and sinews of a trained 
 athlete. Dressed in black conventional costume, he 
 looks more like a minister than the hero of moun- 
 tain climbing adventures and daring glacier- explor- 
 ing. 
 
 Muir's later work has been mainly in the West. 
 He has been a persistent and tireless worker. Hun- 
 dreds of pages in magazines, scientific journals, news- 
 papers testify to his indomitable energy, and his two 
 books, The Mountains of Calijornia and Our National 
 Parks, are prose poems full of meat for scientist, orator 
 and wTiter. Everything he writes is worth reading. 
 He always has something to say and says it well, be- 
 cause he writes unaffectedly and simply. But when his 
 heart is bounding with joy he does not refram from 
 expressing it, — he pours it out with enthusiasm and 
 thus communicates the same delightful emotions to 
 his readers. He has written only one other book, — 
 a beautiful story of a dog, Stickeen. 
 
 To give a little of Muir's flavor, his literary style, 
 as differentiated from his letters, let me quote an ex- 
 
JOHN MUIR 351 
 
 perience from the iirst- named book, in the chapter 
 entitled, " A Near View of the High Sierra." 
 
 " I made my bed in a nook of the pine-thicket, where 
 the branches were pressed and crinkled overhead like a 
 roof, and bent down around the sides. These are the 
 best bedchambers the high mountains afford — snug 
 as squirrel-nests, well ventilated, full of spicy odors, 
 and with plenty of wind- played needles to sing one 
 asleep. I little expected company, but, creeping in 
 through a low side- door, I found five or six birds 
 nestling among the tassels. The night-wind began to 
 blow soon after dark; at first only a gentle breathing, 
 but increasing toward midnight to a rough gale that 
 fell upon my leafy roof in ragged surges like a cascade, 
 bearing wild sounds from the crags overhead. The 
 waterfall sang in chorus, filling the old ice-fountain 
 with its solemn roar, and seeming to increase in power as 
 the night advanced — fit voice for such a landscape. 
 I had to creep out many times to the fire during the 
 night, for it was biting cold and I had no blankets. 
 Gladly I welcomed the morning star." 
 
 His objective point was Mount Ritter — one of 
 the glorious snow-clad peaks of the Sierras. 
 
 " There, immediately in front, loomed the majestic 
 mass of Mount Ritter, with a glacier swooping down 
 its face nearly to my feet, then curving westward and 
 pouring its frozen flood into a dark blue lake, whose 
 shores were bound with precipices of crystalline snow; 
 while a deep chasm drawn between the divide and the 
 glacier separated the massive picture from everything 
 else. . , . After gazing spellbound, T began instinctively 
 
352 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 to scrutinize every notch and gorge and weathered 
 buttress of the mountain, with reference to making 
 the ascent. The entire front of the glacier appeared as 
 one tremendous precipice, sHghtly receding at the top, 
 and bristHng with spires and pinnacles set above one 
 another in formidable array. ... I could not dis- 
 tinctly hope to reach the summit from this side, yet 
 I moved on across the glacier as if driven by fate. 
 Contending with myself, the season is too far spent, 
 I said, and even should I be successful, I might be 
 storm-bound on the mountains; and in the cloud- 
 darkness, with the cliffs and crevasses covered with 
 snow, how could I escape? No; I must wait till next 
 summer. I would only approach the mountain now, 
 and inspect it, creep about its flanks, learn what I 
 could of its history, holding myself ready to flee on 
 the approach of the first storm-cloud. But we little 
 know until tried how much of the uncontrollable there 
 is in us, urging across glaciers and torrents, and up 
 dangerous heights, let the judgment forbid as it may. 
 
 " I succeeded in gaining the foot of the cliff on the 
 eastern extremity of the glacier, and there discovered 
 the mouth of a narrow avalanche gully, through which 
 I began to climb, intending to follow it as far as pos- 
 sible, and at least obtain some fine wild views for my 
 pains. Its general course is oblique to the plain of the 
 mountain-face, and the metamorphic slates of which 
 the mountain is built are cut by cleavage planes in such 
 a way that they weather off in angular blocks, giving 
 rise to irregular steps that greatly facilitate climbing 
 on the sheer places. I thus made my way into a wilder- 
 
JOHN MUIR 353 
 
 ness of crumbling spires and battlements, built to- 
 gether in bewildering combinations, and glazed in 
 many places with a thin coating of ice, which I had 
 to hammer off with stones. The situation was gradu- 
 ally becoming more perilous; but, having passed several 
 dangerous spots, I dared not think of descending; for, 
 so steep was the entire ascent, one would inevitably 
 fall to the glacier in case a single misstep were made. 
 Knowing, therefore, the tried danger beneath, I be- 
 came all the more anxious concerning the developments 
 to be made above, and began to be conscious of a 
 vague foreboding of what actually befell; not that I 
 was given to fear, but rather because my instincts, 
 usually so positive and true, seemed vitiated in some 
 way, and were leading me astray. At length, after 
 attaining an ele\ation of about eight hundred feet, I 
 found myself at the foot of a sheer drop in the bed of 
 the avalanche channel I was tracing, which seemed ab- 
 solutely to bar further progress. It was only about 
 forty-five or fifty feet high, and somewhat roughened 
 by fissures and projections; but these seemed so slight 
 and insecure, as footholds, that I tried hard to avoid 
 the precipice altogether, by scaling the wall of the 
 channel on either side. But, though less steep, the walls 
 were smoother than the obstructing rock, and repeated 
 efforts only showed that I must either go right ahead 
 or turn back. The tried dangers beneath seemed even 
 greater than that of the cliff in front; therefore, after 
 scanning its face again and again, I began to scale it, 
 picking my holds with intense caution. After gaining 
 a point about half-way to the top, I was suddenly 
 
354 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 brought to a dead stop, with arms outspread, clinging 
 close to the face of the rock, unable to move hand or 
 foot either up or down. My doom appeared fixed. 
 I must fall. There would be a moment of bewilder- 
 ment, and then a lifeless rumble down the one general 
 precipice to the glacier below. 
 
 " When this final danger flashed upon me, I became 
 nerve-shaken for the first time since setting foot on 
 the mountains, and my mind seemed to fill with a 
 stifling smoke. But this terrible eclipse lasted only 
 a moment, when life blazed forth again with preter- 
 natural clearness. I seemed suddenly to become pos- 
 sessed of a new sense. The other self, bygone ex- 
 periences. Instinct, or Guardian Angel, — call it what 
 you will, — came forward and assumed control. Then 
 my trembling muscles became firm again, every rift 
 and flaw in the rock was seen as through a micro- 
 scope, and my limbs moved with a positiveness and 
 precision with which I seemed to have nothing at all 
 to do. Had I been borne aloft upon wings, my 
 deliverance could not have been more complete. 
 
 " Above this memorable spot, the face of the moun- 
 tain is still more savagely hacked and torn. It is a 
 maze of yawning chasms and gullies, in the angles of 
 which rise beetling crags and piles of detached boulders 
 that seem to have been gotten ready to be launched 
 below. But the strange influx of strength I had received 
 seemed inexhaustible. I found a way without effort, 
 and soon stood on the topmost crag in the blessed 
 light." 
 
 There are five things in John Muir's career that stand 
 
JOHN MUIR 355 
 
 out with boldness as landmarks for the guidance of 
 young men who would attain in their sphere, as he 
 has attained in his. These are: i. His determinate 
 and careful selection of the work he deemed worthy 
 the energy of his life. In John Muir, the author of 
 that much praised book — The Simple Life — would 
 find a living example of his teaching. No man can love 
 Nature as Muir does and not become simplified in tastes, 
 requirements, needs. And thus it is that a man lives. 
 Muir knows no policy, no diplomacy ; follows no man- 
 made charts of life, has no fear as to what other 
 people think, feel, act or do. He does his own chosen 
 work bravely, fearlessly, reverently, and knows, with 
 Emerson, that God's Spirit within a man will never 
 guide him far wrong. Here is a short extract from one 
 of his own frank expressions upon this subject: "I 
 am glad to know by you and Emerson, and others, 
 living and dead, that my unconditional surrender to 
 Nature has produced exactly what you have foreseen • — 
 that, drifting without human charts through light 
 and dark, calm and storm, I have come to so glorious an 
 ocean." 
 
 2. The result of this selection was a concentration 
 of power that was bound to produce results. Muir 
 eliminated all distracting influences. He subordinated 
 his desires for lesser good to the good he deemed 
 highest for himself, — his complete abandon to a study 
 of Nature. 
 
 3. Everything he did, he did thoroughly. He was a 
 born questioner. What people said and believed was 
 " so " did not necessarily make it so. Muir was a phi- 
 
356 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 losopher. He reasoned that as errors have been made 
 by taking things for granted in the past, such errors 
 will continue to be made, and, therefore, in his moun- 
 tain and glacier work he would question everything, 
 and then demand an answer. This meant a steady, 
 persistent thoroughness, a resolute patience that tries 
 and tests men. It does more, too. If they stand the 
 test it develops them. And so Muir was developed. 
 You cannot determine the flow of glacial ice in a day, 
 or a week, or a month, or a year. You cannot resolve 
 questions of geology in an hour. Theories are not 
 changed into scientific certainties by chance. Let 
 Muir tell in one of his letters how he studied glaciers 
 and came to his conclusions. Says he: " Although I 
 was myself thus fully satisfied concerning the real 
 nature of these ice masses I found that my friends re- 
 garded my deductions and statements with distrust, 
 therefore I determined to collect proofs of the common 
 measured arithmetical kind. 
 
 " On the 2ist of August last, I planted five stakes in 
 the glacier of Mt. McClure, which is situated east of 
 Yosemite Valley near the summit of the range. Four 
 of these stakes were extended across the glacier in a 
 straight line, from the east side to a point near the 
 middle of the glacier. The first stake was planted 
 about twenty-five yards from the east bank of the 
 glacier, the second ninety-four yards, the third one 
 hundred and fifty-two, and the fourth two hundred and 
 twenty- five yards. The positions of these stakes were 
 determined by sighting across from bank to bank past 
 a plumbline made of a stone and a black horse hair. 
 
JOHN MUIR 357 
 
 On observing my stakes on the sixth of October, or 
 in twenty-six days after being planted, I found that 
 stake No. i had been carried down stream eleven inches, 
 No. 2 eighteen inches, No. 3, thirty- four. No. 4, forty- 
 seven inches. 
 
 " As stake No. 4 was near the middle of the glacier, 
 perhaps it was not far from the point of maximum 
 ^'elocity, forty-seven inches in forty-sLx days or one inch 
 per day. 
 
 " Stake No. 5 was planted about midway between the 
 head of the glacier and stake No. 4. Its motion I found 
 to be in forty-six days forty inches. Thus these ice 
 masses are seen to possess the true glacial mo- 
 tion. Their surfaces are striped with bent dirt bands. 
 These surfaces are bulged and undulated by inequal- 
 ities in the bottom of their basins causing an up- 
 ward and downward swedging corresponding to the 
 horizontal swedging as indicated by the curved dirt 
 bands. 
 
 " The Mt. McClure Glacier is about one- half mile 
 in length and about the same in width at the broadest 
 place. 
 
 "It is crevassed on the southeast corner; the crev- 
 asse runs about southwest and northeast and is several 
 hundred yards in length. Its width is nowhere more 
 than one foot in width. 
 
 " The Mt. Lyell Glacier, separated from that of 
 McClure by a narrow crest, is about a mile in width 
 by a mile in length." 
 
 4. From this and other of his letters it is evident that 
 no second-hand knowledge was ever of service to him. 
 
358 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 He learned everything at first hand. The world is 
 deluged to-day with Nature books. But no man knows 
 Nature who only reads about her. He must live with 
 her, personally commune with her. Muir having done 
 so for many years, his words, when he either writes 
 or speaks, have weight. When he first began to tell 
 of what he had discovered of the living glaciers in the 
 Sierra Nevada, the scientists laughed at the presump- 
 tion of a " sheepherder " to question the determina- 
 tions of such great scientists as Whitney, King, Le 
 Conte, and Hoffman. These men knew there were no 
 living glaciers in the Sierras. They knew the Yo- 
 semite Valley was formed by a great cataclysm which 
 had split open three thousand feet of solid granite 
 and yawned so vastly that the bed of the valley had 
 dropped in to that depth. Who was Muir, that he dare 
 challenge these long-accepted theories of the scientists? 
 Muir was nothing, save in that he w-as the human in- 
 strument of careful observation, thorough reflection, 
 and accurate recording of the facts; and he lived to see 
 every scientist in the world hastening to declare his 
 belief that he was right and his fellow- scientists of the 
 past wrong, 
 
 Muir never would have changed the knowledge of 
 the world from error to truth had he been content to 
 accept other people's ideas. He must know for him- 
 self. And thus must every person do who would really 
 know. This lesson Muir learned early and has taught 
 grandly to the world. The slow accumulation of facts, 
 the resolute hunting down of an idea, the persistent 
 determination that things must prove themselves ere 
 
JOHN MUIR 359 
 
 he accepted them, ultimately made of him a great 
 scientist, 
 
 5. Nor is this all that Nature made of Muir. She 
 made him a poet and a man of power. To many people 
 these two things do not harmonize — poetry and power. 
 Yet every true poet is a man of power. The poet is 
 one who sees and knows, who understands and inter- 
 prets. Power is not always measured by pounds and 
 tons, kilowatts and other material indications. The 
 power of initial thought can seldom be measured or 
 estimated, yet one thought properly given has some- 
 times changed the whole current of history. The power 
 of thought is well seen in the lives and works of such 
 men as Luther, Mahomet, Patrick Henry, Lincoln, 
 Herbert Spencer, Darwin and Muir. And in no way 
 does one lose power in becoming a poet. The poet is 
 one who sees below the actual or material surfaces 
 of things, and understands their spirit, then has the 
 ability to tell what he sees in the most perfect way, so 
 that you also see. The poet, then, is an enlarger of other 
 people's visions. He broadens, widens, deepens, 
 heightens their outlook upon the things that surround 
 them. Is this an occupation unworthy the energies of 
 the manliest of men? Nay, but rather should all men 
 seek to be poets if thereby they might heighten the joy 
 of living in themselves and their neighbors. It is the 
 poet in them that makes of men artists, painters, 
 sculptors, architects, writers. And according as they 
 get their inspiration so is their power. The man who 
 gets his inspiration from Nature, from the basic things, 
 from the primitive sources, is filled with a basic, primi- 
 
36o HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 tive power that is dominating, overwhelming. Such 
 was the power of Michael Angelo, of Shakspere, of 
 Millet, of Rodin. Such is the power of Muir. Such 
 power is for all time; it lasts as long as man lasts. It is 
 permanent, because the good in human nature is 
 permanent, persistent, divine. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIII 
 
 THE TENDER HEROINE OF INDIAN FRIEND- 
 SHIP, HELEN HUNT JACKSON 
 
 T T 7HEN the pioneers came to California, they found 
 ' ^ many Indians living in dug-outs in the sides of 
 the mountains, or in the rudest kind of mud houses, 
 so they called them Diggers and wTOte home that they 
 were the most degraded and worthless human beings 
 they had ever seen or known. Even those who thought 
 they knew something of them, and studied them, came 
 to the conclusion that they were a good-for-nothing, 
 wretched, useless race, cumbering the earth, and that 
 the sooner they could be gotten rid of the better. In 
 time a saying became as common here as it was else- 
 where, viz., " the only good Indian is the dead In- 
 dian," and many white people quoted this as a justifi- 
 cation for all kinds of evil and dishonest treatment 
 of the Indian. Throughout the whole country there 
 were but few to defend this helpless race, and those 
 who did were berated for their waste of sympathy. 
 The cruelties of the Indians in warfare were brought 
 up, their occasional outbreaks, and the murder, with 
 atrocious details, of helpless women and children. But 
 it was overlooked and forgotten that these outbreaks 
 were caused, in every case, by the wicked and cruel 
 treatment the Indians had received at the hands of 
 
362 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 white men. On every hand this treatment was common. 
 From the government down to the meanest hunter, 
 miner and squatter, no one felt that the Indian had 
 any rights that needed to be respected. We wanted 
 the land the Indians roamed over, we wanted the forests 
 they lived in during the summer, we wanted the game 
 they hunted for food, we wanted the streams in which 
 they fished, we wanted springs, especially in the desert 
 and arid regions, from which they secured water 
 for themselves and their flocks and herds; indeed 
 we wanted everything they possessed that we thought 
 we could use, for were we not " the superior race," 
 and had not God given to us this great country to use 
 simply and solely for our own benefit? 
 
 What to us was the doctrine of the Fatherhood of 
 God? What cared we about the brotherhood of man? 
 Those doctrines applied only to our own race, our 
 own people; and these Indians were bronze- skinned 
 and only " savages." Because they were bronze- 
 skinned and wore the rude robes of their forefathers, 
 the dressed pelts of animals; because they did not 
 herd themselves in cities, in crowded streets and tene- 
 ment and apartment houses, and build hotels and 
 court-houses and churches in which to live and practise 
 " law " one upon another, and have some one teach 
 them " religion," they were necessarily " heathen " 
 and lawless and religionless. Hence why spare them? 
 They were dreadfully insistent at times that they had 
 " rights." They didn't like to have their springs 
 taken away; they resented being told that they must 
 no longer hunt over the plains where their ancestors had 
 
HELEN HUNT JACKSON 363 
 
 hunted before ever a white man trod the continent; 
 they resisted when they were driven from their corn- 
 fields by civilized white men. They had the impu- 
 dence to be angry when members of this great, noble, 
 and Christian white race corrupted their wives and 
 daughters. They were foolish and simple-hearted 
 enough to expect white men — especially officers of the 
 army and government — to speak the truth when they 
 pledged their words of honor, even in solemn treaty, 
 that they — the Indians — should be protected in all the 
 rights they had enjoyed from time immemorial. Their 
 old men thought they were patriotic when they pleaded 
 with the representatives of the white race to prohibit 
 the selling of alcoholic liquors to their young men and 
 their women; they saw the havoc the deadly fire- 
 water was causing and wished to stay its insidious 
 influence; but we were a great commercial nation and 
 could not interfere with the vested interests of our 
 brewers and whisky distillers, simply to please a few 
 " brutal, ignorant savages." What did the ruin 
 of the bodies — never mind the souls — of a few 
 thousands of Indians amount to, compared with the 
 commercial interests of " our great and wonderful 
 country ? " The Indians had a kind of an idea that the 
 land they had used for centuries belonged to them, 
 but it was left for a California court of justice — 
 confirmed by the Supreme Court of the State and 
 afterwards by the Supreme Court of the United States 
 — to show them the foolishness of such an idea. 
 
 Helen Hunt Jackson saw all these things, and being 
 a good and noble woman, with red blood coursing 
 
364 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 through her heart, and ability to use her own brain, 
 regardless of what others said, she came to the con- 
 clusion that no matter what we called oursehes, or the 
 Indians, our conduct towards them was not Christian, 
 was not honest, was not true, was not civilized, was not 
 anything, in fact, that was good, decent, honorable 
 and commendable, but, on the other hand, was fiendish, 
 monstrous and cruel in the extreme. 
 
 In this she was not alone. There were large num- 
 bers of men and women in the land who had discovered 
 the same things, and some of them were trying to stem 
 the tide of evil treatment of our helpless wards. But 
 Mrs. Jackson had not only a large heart, she had a 
 clear brain and a determined soul, and she swore a 
 large oath that, God helping her, she would do some- 
 thing that should help stop these great wrongs. 
 
 First she wTOte a book entitled The Century oj Dis- 
 honor, which recited our government's wicked treat- 
 ment of the Indian in the open and cruel violation of 
 treaties; and she gave " chapter and verse " of these 
 treaties and quoted government officials' reports to show 
 the grievous wrongs that constantly were being com- 
 mitted. 
 
 This book produced somewhat of a sensation, but 
 it was as a handful of sand thrown into the ocean. 
 This aroused her to see that something more must be 
 done. Enough had been said to prepare the country 
 for her message, and she began to give it in clear, 
 womanly tones, yet insistently, forcefully, and relent- 
 lessly. Her mind was keenly logical; she was an 
 indefatigable and tireless worker; she saw what the 
 
HELEN HUNT JACKSON 365 
 
 people ought to know, and her literary gift enabled 
 her so to set things forth that she had the open sesame 
 to many powerful and influential papers. Her en- 
 thusiasm was unbounded, and she compelled atten- 
 tion by the seriousness of her charges, the logical 
 ability with which she prepared them, and the per- 
 sistence with which she pressed them. Evaded on a 
 point, she brought the evader's attention to it from 
 another standpoint. She compelled a complete reve- 
 lation of the hands of the officials; they shuffled and 
 quibbled, shirked and tried to elude, but, with a power 
 no one ever dreamed her to possess, she led them on 
 to unmask their batteries, disclose their secret pol- 
 icies, and either defend or abandon them. Her con- 
 troversy with Carl Schurz, the Secretary of the Interior, 
 is as interesting as the combat between an able lawyer 
 and an equally able witness; and when she had forced 
 him clearly to declare his attitude, she did not hesitate, 
 with equal clearness, either to condemn or have it 
 condemned by the leaders of the New York press. 
 
 Here, then, is the woman, who, in 1882, came to 
 Southern California to study on the ground itself the 
 Franciscan Missions and the Indians for whom they 
 had been founded. Her careful researches made in 
 the Astor Library, New York, in 1880, had informed 
 her of some of the wrongs perpetrated upon them, 
 and with a heart fired by the constant injustices done 
 to Indians generally, who were denied by " the powers 
 that be " any standing in court, and were therefore 
 at the mercy of all the hangers-on and politician- 
 vultures who sought to fatten on their very flesh and 
 
366 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 blood, she was ready to take up their case just as soon 
 as its urgency was made clear to her. 
 
 The Century Magazine had given her a commission 
 to wTite a series of articles, — what, they hardly knew, 
 save that they were to be on the Missions and the 
 Indians of California, and with characteristic energy 
 and clear-sightedness she began to go right to the 
 heart of the subject. 
 
 She secured letters to the Catholic bishop and 
 priests who might be able to help her ; she made friends 
 with old Spanish families and sought their aid; she 
 visited the Missions themselves, and in the spell of 
 their presence sought to live again in the time of their 
 greatest activities. She consulted original records 
 and gathered a vast fund of information, which she 
 transmitted into delightfully interesting literature in 
 her Century articles. First she wrote about Junipero 
 Serra and the Missions he and his successors founded 
 and conducted. Then she took up the existent con- 
 ditions of the Mission Indians. 
 
 What she then saw led her to resolve to attempt 
 to move the government to do something, honestly 
 and really, not by mere resolutions and reports and 
 red tape and verbal flimflam, but by action, to preserve 
 to these poor creatures some portion of the homes that 
 were " legally " being wrested from them. 
 
 Accordingly, on July 7, 1882, she was instructed 
 by the Indian Department, " to visit the Mission 
 Indians of California, and ascertain the location and 
 condition of the various bands; whether suitable 
 land in their vicinity, belonging to the public domain, 
 
HELEN HUNT JACKSON 367 
 
 could be made available as a permanent home for 
 such of those Indians as were not established upon 
 reservations, and what, if any, lands should be pur- 
 chased for their use." 
 
 She visited the various tribes in company with the 
 Hon. Abbott Kinney, — later known as the founder 
 of Venice, a beautiful seaside resort near Los Angeles, 
 — and made her report to the government, but, to her 
 amazement, next to nothing was done. Then she saw 
 that her appeal must be a direct one to the hearts of 
 the American people. She realized that politicians 
 would do little or nothing unless compelled to act by 
 the direct demand of their constituents, so, fired to 
 the very depths of her heart, she determined to write a 
 novel, — a book that should compel attention and teach 
 Americans that Indians were human beings as capable 
 of high emotions, of beautiful ideals, of noble lives as 
 they themselves were. November 8, 1883, she wrote 
 the following letter from Colorado Springs (her home), 
 to two of her Spanish friends in Los Angeles, who had 
 taken her to their hearts and aided her in her research 
 work among the Indians: 
 
 " My dear Friends, Mr. and Mrs. Coronel: I send 
 you herewith the very bad picture of myself, which I 
 think you will wish you had never seen. If you do, 
 you are quite at liberty to burn it up. 
 
 " I had forgotten that I paid you the five dollars 
 for the work done by the Indian woman. Keep it, if 
 you please; there may be something to come from 
 Father Ubach to pay expressage on, or there may be a 
 
368 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 box to be made to hold all my stone mortars, etc., 
 which Mr. Bliss is going to get for me one of these years. 
 It may be well for you to have a little money of mine 
 on hand to meet these possible charges. I have asked 
 Father Ubach to send to me in your care the old 
 looking-glass frame which I forgot to put into the box 
 he sent here; it was really one of the things I cared 
 most for of all the relics promised me, and I was ex- 
 ceedingly sorry to forget it. He, however, did much 
 to atone for this by putting into the box a piece of one 
 of the old olive trees from the San Diego Mission. I 
 shall present part of it to Archbishop Corrigan. I 
 think he will value a piece of one of the fruit trees 
 planted by Father Junipero. I am sure you will have 
 rejoiced at the removal of Lawson from the agency of 
 the Mission Indians. I hope the new man will prove 
 better; he hardly can prove worse, I wish we could 
 have selected the new agent ourselves; but it was a 
 political appointment, of which we knew nothing until 
 it was all settled. Our report has been favorably 
 received, and its recommendations will be incorporated 
 in a bill before Congress this winter. I hope the bill 
 will pass. But I know too much of Washington to be 
 sanguine. However, if we had accomplished nothing 
 more than the securing the appointment of Brunson 
 & Wells, Los Angeles, as United States attorneys, to 
 protect the Indians' rights to lands, that would be 
 matter of gratitude. I suppose you have heard of 
 that appointment. I hope through their means to 
 save the Saboba village, San Jacinto, from being 
 turned out of their home. Now, I am as usual asking 
 
HELEN HUNT JACKSON 369 
 
 help. I will tell you what my next work for the In- 
 dians is to be. 
 
 " I am going to write a novel, in which will be set forth 
 some Indian experiences in a way to move people's 
 hearts. People will read a novel when they will not 
 read serious books. The scenes of the novel will be 
 in Southern California, and I shall introduce enough of 
 Mexicans and Americans to give it variety. The thing 
 I want most, in the way of help, from you, is this: I 
 would like an account, written in as much detail as you 
 remember, of the time when you, dear iSIr. Coronel, 
 went to Temecula and marked off the boundaries of 
 the Indians' land there. How many Indians were 
 living there then ? What crops had they ? Had they a 
 chapel? etc. Was Pablo Assis, their chief, alive? 
 I would like to know his whole history, life, death, and 
 all, minutely. The Temecula ejectment will be one 
 of the episodes in my story, and any and every detail 
 in connection with it will be of value to me. I shall 
 also use the San Pasquale Pueblo History, and I have 
 written to Father Ubach and to Mr. Morse, of San 
 Diego, for their reminiscences. You and they are 
 the only persons to whom I have spoken of my pur- 
 pose of wTiting the novel, and I do not wish anything 
 said about it. I shall keep it a secret until the book 
 is about done. 
 
 " I hope very much that I can succeed in writ- 
 ing a story which will help to increase the interest 
 already so much aroused at the East in the Indian 
 question. 
 
 " If you think of any romantic incidents, either 
 
370 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Mexican or Indian, which you think would work well 
 into a story of Southern California life, please write 
 them out for me. I wish I had had this plan in my 
 mind last year when I w^as in Los Angeles. I would 
 have taken notes of many interesting things you told 
 me. But it is only recently, since writing out for our 
 report the full accounts of the different bands of Indians 
 there, that I have felt that I dared undertake the 
 writing of a long story. 
 
 " I am going to New York in a few days, and shall 
 be busily at work there all winter on my story. My 
 address will be, ' The Berkeley,' corner Fifth Avenue 
 and Ninth Street. 
 
 " I hope you are all well, and enjoying the same sun- 
 shine as last year. Mr. Jackson is well, and would 
 send his regards if he were at home. 
 
 " Yours, always cordially, 
 
 " Helen Jackson." 
 
 When once this thought of writing a novel had 
 entered her mind, she was totally absorbed by it. Every 
 energy was bent towards its accomplishment. All 
 her fervor, literary ability, powers of research, observa- 
 tion and enthusiasm were harnessed in the one cause. 
 Her researches had given her a wonderful familiarity 
 with all the details, so picturesque, so unusual, so 
 pathetic, so romantic, for the details of the book, and 
 her life of travel and \^Titing about what she had seen 
 rendered her peculiarly fitted to set forth the exquisite 
 beauty and grandeur of Southern California as the 
 background of her story. Then, too, so many real 
 
HELEN HUNT JACKSON 371 
 
 incidents were ready to her hand to fit into the novel. 
 These she gathered from every available source, Don 
 Antonio Coronel and his noble wife opened up the 
 rich treasure-house of their well-stored minds, and re- 
 vealed the deep and loving sympathies of their profound 
 natures and poured forth facts and suggestions innumer- 
 able. 
 
 From Miss Sheriff, who had for years been a teacher 
 at Saboba, Mrs. Jackson heard the story of the slaying 
 of the Indian, Juan Diego, in the mountains near by, 
 by Sam Temple, who accused him of stealing his horse. 
 Mrs. Sheriff, now Mrs. Fowler, still lives at San Jacinto. 
 From Mrs. Jordan, who was personally familiar with 
 all the facts, she heard the corroboration of the story, 
 learned the absolute truth of Juan Diego's attacks of 
 " loco," the taking of Temple's horse, and gained the 
 character of Aunt Ri. 
 
 From Juan Diego's wife, whose actual name is 
 Ramona Lubo, she heard the story of how Temple 
 came and shot down her husband at close range as he 
 came out of their little cabin, and of Ramona's flight 
 to Cahuilla. 
 
 From Don Antonio and certain Los Angeles lawyers 
 who were interested in the Indians, as well as from 
 the government records and the lips of the Indians 
 themselves, she heard of the evictions at Temecula 
 and San Pasqual. 
 
 With her literary friends, chiefly Mrs, Jeanne C. 
 Carr, of Pasadena, she consulted freely about the 
 story, and no one will ever be able to estimate the 
 influence IVIrs, Carr's clear mind, artistic conceptions^ 
 
372 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 and deep loving nature, fully given over to the In- 
 dians, exercised upon the gro^\'ing novel. 
 
 All that was now needed was her framework, the 
 skeleton of the story, the plot. She had studied the 
 ^lissions, the old Spanish days, the Indians in their 
 humble homes, Southern California in general, as no 
 other person had ever done. 
 
 She created the plot and little by little the story 
 assumed shape. Mrs. Jackson had seen enough of 
 Southern California to have absorbed its spirit, its 
 sunshine, its glo-^ing atmosphere, and now, filled 
 vnth. facts about the Indians over which she had 
 deeply brooded, until they had become vivid pictures 
 engraved upon her very soul, she began to ^^Tite. 
 Once the pen was in her hands, a divine frenzy seized 
 her. She A^TOte as one possessed. Indeed she ^^TOte 
 to her publisher that it was only the physical impos- 
 sibility that prevented her from finishing it at a sitting, 
 for, said she: "I have the whole story at my finger 
 ends." 
 
 Its publication formed an epoch. When it appeared, 
 in 1884, many critics hailed it " the great American 
 novel." Throbbing ^^•ith emotion, palpitant with 
 life, vivid in its picturing of all the scenes, whether of 
 inanimate or animate nature, realistic in its delinea- 
 tions of human character, sympathetic in its dealings 
 with the despised and dov,-ntrodden Indians, outspoken 
 in its denimciation of the wrongs perpetrated upon 
 them; recognized at once as an authoritative picture 
 of the Spanish California life of the time, it sprang with 
 a bound into public favor. It was not widely heralded 
 
HELEN HUNT JACKSOX 373 
 
 by advertising as a great novel, but it won its way by 
 its ovm. power. Few, indeed, of the popular novels that 
 are " the greatest sellers " for a few ueeks or months 
 are remembered after a year or two are gone, but 
 Ramona is as widely read, and almost as widely pur- 
 chased to-day, as when it was in the full da^^•n of 
 its first popularity. Only the other day I stood by 
 the desk of a " baggage smasher " in one of the bag- 
 gage rooms of a railway depot. In one of the pigeon- 
 holes, ready at hand for a spare moment or at lunch- 
 time, was a well- worn copy of Ramona. " That's 
 the buUiest story I ever read in my life," said the rude- 
 handed son of toil, in response to my comment. And 
 I could not help but feel : How is it possible for one to 
 read this story and not feel its humanizing influence ? 
 Thus the good work goes on. The book is a constant 
 missionary, ever silently, but potently, preaching the 
 beautiful doctrine of the humanity of all men, regard- 
 less of the color of their skin, and the Universal Father- 
 hood of God, 
 
CHAPTER XXXIV 
 
 THE PERSISTENT HERO OF A GREAT HISTORY, 
 HUBERT HOWE BANCROFT 
 
 CALIFORNIA and the Pacific Coast region have a 
 history more varied, more strange, and more ro- 
 mantic, perhaps, than that of any country in the world. 
 Speaking for Cahfornia alone, during the sixty 
 years of its existence, its history is unequaled, full 
 of dramatic surprises, changes and evolutions. Origi- 
 nally occupied by two classes of Indians, — the peace- 
 able fishers, trappers, hunters and basket-makers of 
 the coast and interior valleys, and the more warlike 
 tribes of the mountains, — prior to its entry into the 
 sisterhood of the United States, it had several important 
 epochs. First came that of Spanish discovery, then its 
 missionization by the Franciscan padres, when the 
 striking mission buildings were erected, followed 
 by its separation from Spain, its government as a 
 province of Mexico, and a rather large influx of Ameri- 
 can hunters, trappers, shippers and coast traders. 
 Then came the military invasion of Fremont, Sloat, 
 and Kearny's " Army of the West," the seizure from 
 Mexico, the discovery of gold, and the establishment 
 of a State government. It saw its mines add to the gold 
 supply of the world fabulous amounts in a short space 
 of time, and had barely settled down to a recognition 
 
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 ^^0mt% 
 
 F:^-'" . 
 
 
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 lI Vfc. 
 
 i% 
 
 . '^'^^F ^B-ilf 
 
 
 
 ¥ 
 
 
 iK 
 
 
HUBERT HOWE BANCROFT 375 
 
 of its own life when it was again thrilled through and 
 through by the discovery of the mines of the Comstock 
 Lode in Nevada. It occupied a unique position during 
 the Civil War, and developed the overland stage lines 
 and pony express to a higher degree of efficiency than 
 had ever before been known. It started an epidemic 
 of railroad building all over the country by the com- 
 pletion of its transcontinental railway, and quickened 
 rapid transit in many cities by the development of its 
 cable street-railways. It has had its heroic epoch — 
 the days when cattlemen were its kings — and its 
 pomological and agricultural developments. Its growth 
 in irrigation has been a revelation to the world, and its 
 transformed deserts are now among the garden spots 
 of Western America. Its oil discoveries, and the use of 
 oil for fuel in houses, manufactories, and steam engines 
 have revolutionized the fuel problem on the Coast, 
 and made possible wonderful advancement in manu- 
 facturing. Its scenic and climatic environment has 
 been an increasingly potent factor in its attractiveness 
 to settlers from all parts of the world, and, in con- 
 clusion, it has developed a civilization peculiarly its 
 own, which is destined to influence the future history 
 of the world far more than its most far-seeing prophets 
 realize. 
 
 Naturally the written records of a country grow 
 scarcer and more valuable the further Time carries 
 back the hour of their occurrence, while the unwTitten 
 history of the participants in any particular epoch can 
 be obtained only while they are still alive. 
 
 To undertake to gather these ^vritten records, pub- 
 
376 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 lished and unpublished (the latter found in private or 
 official documents, often of the highest value), and to 
 collect the many personal and unwritten stories, vi^as 
 a task that might have engaged the undivided attention 
 of a government bureau, w^ith unlimited means at 
 its disposal, and a large band of trained experts under 
 its control. 
 
 But this work was left for an ordinary business man, 
 a publisher and seller of books, a man who made no 
 pretension to expertness in gathering historical material 
 and who had no literary training, but who had the 
 perspicacity to clearly perceive the urgent need of the 
 case, and who had the daring and patriotism to say: 
 " Since no one of the many who are qualified, financially 
 and intellectually, to accomplish this needful work 
 seem disposed to undertake it, I will do my best at it, 
 even though I fail in the attempt," Failure, however, 
 was not destined for such men as Hubert Howe Ban- 
 croft. He called upon his subordinates to gather every- 
 thing bearing upon California history of every nature. 
 Nothing was too great, nothing too small to be ignored. 
 Slowly and then more rapidly the material grew. The 
 area of the field also grew, for it was found that Cali- 
 fornia was inextricably connected with Mexico, the 
 north Mexican States, the Pacific States, Arizona, New 
 Mexico, and Utah, until, instead of covering one State, 
 twenty had to be considered. 
 
 Look well at this man, at the time of this determina- 
 tion, and see if he is not a true hero. An ordinary 
 business man, with little or no literary training or ex- 
 perience, whose whole life had been spent in the ardu- 
 
HUBERT HOWE BANCROFT 377 
 
 ous labors of guiding and directing a rapidly growing 
 bookselling, printing and publishing business, for 
 which he had to make the capital as he went along. 
 Even had he done the work poorly and inadequately 
 he would have deserved the laurel wreath with the 
 applause not only of his compeers but of the studious 
 of his State and nation for all time. But he did not 
 do it poorly. The necessities of the case led him to 
 innovations in history-writing that have subjected 
 him to much and severe criticism, yet the prime purpose 
 was accomplished and well accomplished. He gave 
 to the world as the result of his efforts and those of his 
 co-workers thirty-nine volumes, which present in read- 
 able, historic form — and much of it with literary 
 fluency and grace — the varied and stirring history of 
 this great region. As the years go by, the stupendous 
 vastness of his work and the wisdom of his methods 
 in its accomplishment will be the more recognized 
 and appreciated. 
 
 Hubert Howe Bancroft was born in Granville, Ohio, 
 May 5, 1832, of x\shley Bancroft and Lucy Howe, the 
 fourth in a family of six children. To the hard work 
 of the farm as well as to an excellent heredity he freely 
 attributes the sturdy physique and ability to work hard 
 that has been his endowment through life. 
 
 When the California gold excitement broke out, 
 Bancroft's father left for the gold fields, and a year 
 later, December, 1851, the future historian decided to 
 follow him, with a consignment of bocks and station- 
 ery, with which he would enter into business. There 
 was no intention in his mind at this time to make Call- 
 
378 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 fornia his permanent residence, but though he jour- 
 neyed back and forth eleven times over the Panama 
 route, prior to the building of the transcontinental rail- 
 way, he always returned to the land with which he 
 was afterwards to become so remarkably identified. 
 
 When he finally decided to settle down to business 
 in California it was not long before he began to build 
 up the great business which afterwards afforded the 
 sinews of war for the life-work in which he engaged. 
 As a business man and money-maker he was a 
 marked success, and in sixteen years it was acknowl- 
 edged that his business, which now included the manu- 
 facturing and publishing as well as the selling of 
 books, was one of the largest not only in the West 
 but in the world. 
 
 He was not yet forty years old; he had acquired a 
 competency, and it was natural that with his restless 
 and unconsciously ambitious temperament he should 
 turn his attention to some larger and more important 
 field. For ten years or more this field had slowly been in 
 a state of preparation for him. It all arose from a re- 
 quest by one of his employees, Mr. William H. Knight, 
 for certain books on California and the West, which he 
 needed for a Handbook he was then engaged in pre- 
 paring. These books were placed by Mr. Knight on 
 shelves near his desk, and as they accumulated, the idea 
 of forming a collection of Western material slowly 
 evolved itself in Mr. Bancroft's mind. Herein was the 
 germ of the great library that afterwards made possible 
 the greater history. Begun casually, it soon became 
 a hobby, a personal pastime, though in it all, at first, 
 
HUBERT HOWE BANCROFT 379 
 
 was a business man's idea, held vaguely, that, as a col- 
 lection, it could readily be sold to some library or other 
 institution. 
 
 In 1862 it amounted to about a thousand volumes, 
 and Mr. Bancroft began to feel satisfied that he had 
 about completed his labors, when he made a visit to 
 Europe. Here his eyes were opened, and he discovered 
 that when he had multiplied his books by five instead 
 of completing his collection he had but begun. Then 
 the real passion took hold of him, and in 1866 he 
 returned to Europe, made a historical survey of the 
 field, and, for the first time, realized that a collection of 
 books on California must necessarily include Mexico 
 and all the larger Pacific Coast territory, including 
 Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and 
 the whole Northwest. 
 
 London, Paris, Burgos, Madrid were in turn visited 
 and explored for treasures. The search continued 
 through Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Holland 
 and back to Paris and London. " Everywhere I found 
 something and seized upon it, however insignificant, 
 for I had long since ceased to resist the malady. Often 
 have I taken a cab or a carriage to drive me from stall 
 to stall all day, without obtaining more than perhaps 
 three or four books or pamphlets, for which I paid a 
 shilling or a franc apiece. Then again I would light 
 upon a valuable manuscript which relieved my pocket to 
 the extent of three, five, or eight hundred dollars." 
 
 When ten thousand volumes had been collected, 
 he felt sure his collection must be reasonably complete, 
 when one day there came a pamphlet in his mail, which 
 
38o HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 proved to be a catalogue of seven thousand books direct 
 from Mexico. " A new light broke in upon me. I had 
 never considered that Mexico had been printing books 
 for three and a quarter centuries — one hundred years 
 longer than Massachusetts — and that the earlier works 
 were seldom seen floating about book-stalls and auction- 
 rooms." The history of this particular collection was 
 romantic in the extreme, and the value of the books 
 no less marked than their story was interesting. It 
 was impossible for Mr. Bancroft to reach Leipsic, 
 where they were to be sold, in time for the auction. 
 Says he: " Shutting my eyes to the consequences, I 
 telegraphed my agent in London five thousand dollars 
 earnest money, with instructions to attend the sale and 
 purchase at his discretion." The result was that three 
 thousand of the volumes offered were bought and 
 shipped to San Francisco. 
 
 That same year another valuable collection was 
 bought, and this was but the beginning of library 
 buying on a large scale. The list of important pur- 
 chases alone would fill every page of this chapter and 
 yet be incomplete. In 1880 he bought at one sale — 
 that of the Ramirez library — nearly thirty thousand 
 dollars' worth of most valuable books, without which 
 his later work would have been impossible. 
 
 The gathering of the personal material was equally 
 fascinating and far more romantic. The story of how 
 it was accomplished reads like a novel, but with the 
 thrill of actuality in it. The jealousies to meet, the 
 apathy to overcome, the suspicions to allay, the egotism 
 of would-be historiographers to dispel, the vanity of 
 
HUBERT HOWE BANCROFT 381 
 
 every kind of human nature to satisfy — what a story 
 it is. Vallejo, Alvarado, Sutter, Bandini, Arguello, 
 Pico, Sepuh^eda, Hayes, Wilson, Ubach, Robinson, 
 Warner, Coronal, Widney, and a host of others to in- 
 terview, interest, and then settle down to the actual writ- 
 ing or dictation of their experiences. Thousands upon 
 thousands of pages of manuscript were thus obtained by 
 incalculable labor, incredible devotion, and no incon- 
 siderable expense. Then there were the archives of 
 all the Missions and towns, all of which had to be copied 
 on the spot, as no one would allow them to be removed. 
 
 The San Francisco archives alone, gathered from 
 all parts of the State, bound in nearly four hundred 
 volumes of from seven to nineteen hundred pages each, 
 would have required the work of an ordinary copyist 
 about a hundred years, working continuously and faith- 
 fully. Under the direction of an expert, fifteen Span- 
 iards were set to work, told what and how to copy, and 
 in a year, at a cost of eighteen thousand dollars, all 
 that Mr. Bancroft needed was placed in his library 
 ready for his reference. 
 
 In no brief chapter like this can anything more than 
 the merest suggestion of the incredible labor and travel 
 undertaken be given. And yet when all of this was 
 done it can readily be seen that only the first step had 
 been taken towards the preparation of a history of 
 California and the whole Pacific region. Any other than 
 a master mind, a natural genius for organization would 
 have simply sat down dazed and baffled by the very 
 immensity of the material that had been brought to- 
 gether. 
 
382 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Little by little, however, while the library had been 
 collecting, Mr. Bancroft and his able and devoted as- 
 sistants had been formulating a system — evolved 
 out of many systems — of indexing, cataloguing and 
 preparing all this chaotic mass for literary purposes. 
 At the same time Mr. Bancroft had been preparing 
 himself for the task of writing and superintending the 
 writing of others. 
 
 It required heroism of a peculiar sort to make the 
 library, but how much more heroic was the daring that 
 led to the writing of the history must be left to those 
 of poetic imagination and some literary experience to 
 estimate. 
 
 Let it be freely granted that Mr. Bancroft had de- 
 voted help from his able lieutenants, Oak, Nemos, 
 Savage, Cerruti, Mrs. Victor and others. Give them 
 each all the credit they claim, justly or unjustly, and 
 then the achievement stands forth as the conception, 
 the work of a genius, a general, a great director. 
 
 But Mr. Bancroft's work did not end here. The 
 library gathered, the history written, who would dare 
 undertake the printing and publishing of so elaborate 
 a work ? Thirty-nine volumes of almost eight hundred 
 pages each, full of names that must be correct and notes 
 that must be verified was of itself a task to stagger the 
 best established publishing house in the world. Then 
 to publish and circulate — sell — such a work was an 
 added task before which ordinary courage would falter. 
 Yet, after various experiments, the historian shouldered 
 the whole of this work himself and, what is more, car- 
 ried it through to a successful and triumphant issue. 
 
HUBERT HOWE BANCROFT 383 
 
 There was a time, however, when it seemed as if 
 an adverse fate would triumph and arrest the work when 
 it was but half completed. Mr. Bancroft and his wife 
 were in San Diego when he received a telegram that 
 his store was burning. Half an hour later came another 
 saying that absolutely nothing had been saved but the 
 account books. " Twenty volumes had been issued, and 
 the firm was still two hundred thousand dollars behind 
 on the enterprise. There was not a book left ; there was 
 not a volume of history saved; nine volumes of history 
 plates were destroyed, besides a dozen other volumes 
 of plates; two carloads of history paper that had just 
 come in, and twelve thousand bound volumes were de- 
 voured by the flames. There was the enterprise left, 
 and a dozen volumes of the history plates in the library 
 basement, and that was all." 
 
 It took time to find out whether the firm could go 
 on or not, and what anguish in the waiting, what re- 
 grets, what retrospections 1 Had he been content 
 merely to make money one-fourth the energy ex- 
 pended on the history had made him ten times a mil- 
 lionaire, for money always came to him easily. And 
 to face not so much financial failure, as the loss of 
 twenty or more years of life spent in the most arduous 
 and brain-racking of labors was enough to have dis- 
 couraged even so dauntless a soul as Mr. Bancroft 
 had proven himself to be. But, rising to the situation, 
 his unconquerable soul asserted itself. The firm was 
 reorganized, the store rebuilt, a separate structure 
 erected for the prosecution of the work on the History, 
 and the wheels set in full motion again. 
 
384 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 And they continued until success crowned his ef- 
 forts. The great work was accompHshed, and in many 
 a library there stands upon the sheh^es the product of 
 Mr. Bancroft's indefatigable and unprecedented ef- 
 forts, — a monument alike to his remarkable fore- 
 sight as an observer, indomitable energy and courage 
 as a collector, sagacity and genius as a historian, and 
 daring as a publisher. The West owes him a debt 
 it can never pay; the world will reap where he has 
 sown for all time. To me, personally, Hubert Howe 
 Bancroft stands forth as the greatest historian the 
 world has ever known, not only because of what I have 
 here so inadequately recounted, but because of the 
 fearless impartiality, the just integrity and the al- 
 together honest methods followed in presenting facts 
 to the world. His footnotes alone are the positive evi- 
 dences of his truth and integrity. They point ex- 
 actly to all his sources of information, thus giving 
 to the readers a check upon his every statement, his 
 every conclusion. No other historian has ever at- 
 tempted to do what he has done, and because of this 
 great achievement and the spirit in which it has been 
 accomplished, Hubert Howe Bancroft is one of the 
 California heroes we should delight to honor. 
 
CHAPTER XXXV 
 
 THE PATIENT HERO OF AGRICULTURE, LUTHER 
 BURBANK 
 
 THE year 1849 was a memorable year in California 
 history. It was the year of the great influx of the 
 gold pioneers from all parts of the world, and it was also 
 the year of the birth of Luther Burbank. 
 
 He first saw the light in Lancaster, Worcester County, 
 Massachusetts, March 7, in that memorable year. 
 He was the thirteenth (lucky number) of fifteen chil- 
 dren, born to Samuel Walton Burbank by three mar- 
 riages. He came to California in 1875, — deliberately 
 chose it as his future home, and ever since then has 
 been in every sense of the word a true and devoted 
 Calif ornian. 
 
 It is not my purpose here to enter into any explanation 
 of Burbank's wonderful horticultural, floricultural and 
 pomological achievements. These have been fully 
 written about by Harwood, De Vries, David Starr 
 Jordan, Professor Wickson, and the experts of the 
 Carnegie Institution. It is of his moral heroism, ex- 
 ercised quietly, unseen, unnoticed through a long and 
 active life, — until the electric glare of the past few 
 years, — that I wish particularly to write. Emerson 
 and Goethe, and other philosophers, often called at- 
 tention to the fact that the things a man unconsciously 
 
386 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 writes into his life, paints into his pictures, erects into 
 his buildings, carves into his statues, are by far the 
 most important of all the things that he does. Anyhow 
 they are the things that reveal, that betray the real 
 man, be the things revealed good or bad. It is this 
 unconsciously written story whose lines are here re- 
 traced. 
 
 In his earliest years Luther Burbank was a quiet, 
 shy lad, making playmates of plants rather than of 
 other children. His doll — strange prophecy — was 
 a cactus plant, fondly carried about until an accident 
 shattered the plant and a young heart at one operation. 
 
 As a boy he was put to work in the shops of the Ames 
 Plough Company. Though he longed for the open air, 
 and the companionship of the trees, the plants, the 
 flowers, the clouds, the sky and the free open, such 
 was his conception of duty that he suppressed all his 
 longings and doubly concentrated his mind with de- 
 liberate purpose upon the work he was set to do. 
 
 When the time came, however, Burbank gladly left 
 the shops for the fields, discovered his vocation and 
 the Burbank potato, and soon thereafter circum- 
 stances, not gold, forced him to California. 
 
 He reached Santa Rosa in 1875. Then misfortune 
 came to him in the shape of illness, which quickly 
 robbed him of his small hoard of dollars. He was glad 
 to take refuge in an empty chick en- house, and accept 
 whatever odd jobs he could get. One day, as I drove 
 with him from Santa Rosa to his proving grounds at 
 Sevastopol, we passed a buggy driven by a man who 
 responded very elaborately to Mr. Burlmnk's friendly 
 
LUTHER BURBANK 2>^^ 
 
 nod and simple salutation. After we had passed, with 
 a whimsical smile upon his face, he turned to me and 
 said: " I never see that man but I am reminded of an 
 incident of those days of my poverty and distress, when 
 I was glad to do anything that came to hand. One day 
 I heard that that man was building a house. I went 
 to him and asked him for the job of shingling it. He 
 asked me what I would do it for. The regular price 
 was two dollars and a half a thousand, but I was so 
 anxious for the work that I offered to do it for one 
 dollar and seventy-five cents. ' All right,' he said, 
 ' come and begin to-morrow.' But I had no shingling 
 hammer and all the cash I had in the world was sev- 
 enty-five cents, which I at once expended in purchasing 
 the necessary hammer. Next morning when I reached 
 the job, my new hammer in hand all ready to go to work, 
 I was surprised and — what shall I say — dismayed, 
 to find another man already at work, while the owner 
 calmly came to me and said: ' I guess you'll have to 
 let that job go, as this man here has undertaken to do it 
 for one dollar a thousand.' 
 
 " How disappointed I was! I had spent my last cent, 
 had a hammer that was no use to me now, and no job. 
 But I kept a stiff upper lip and work soon came, and 
 I've never been quite so hard up since." 
 
 Harwood, in speaking of this period of Burbank's 
 life, graphically says: " The man who was to become 
 the foremost figure in the world in his line of work, and 
 who was to pave the way by his own discoveries and 
 creations for others of all lands to follow in his foot- 
 steps, was a stranger in a strange land, close to starva- 
 
388 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 tion, penniless, beset by disease, hard by the gates 
 of death. And yet never for an instant did this heroic 
 figure lose hope, never did he abandon confidence in 
 himself, not once did he swerve from the path he had 
 marked out. In the midst of all he kept an unshaken 
 faith. He accepted the trials that came, not as a matter 
 of course, not tamely, nor with any mock heroics, but 
 as a passing necessity. His resolution was of iron, his 
 will of steel, his heart of gold; he was fighting in the 
 splendid armor of a clean life." 
 
 Slowly he regained his health, doing odd jobs as he 
 was able, and at last had money enough to secure a 
 small plot of ground, begin a nursery, and, at the same 
 time, carry out the plan formed years ago, — become 
 an improver and creator. 
 
 Yet, in all his experimenting he was innately modest. 
 There was no blare of trumpets. Note this well, young 
 men and women. He went his own way; followed the 
 vision that he alone saw; but he did it reverently, re- 
 spectfully, modestly. There were no loud declarations 
 as to the ignorance of the horticulturalists of the past ; 
 no open defiance of the horticulturalists of the present ; 
 but simply a quiet, calm, silent, modest sailing of his 
 own ship over the unknown sea. Too often the young 
 want to do as Burbank did, but they spoil their lives 
 by the blatancy of their methods, the immodesty of their 
 self-conceit, and the rudeness of their criticisms of 
 those whose lives have demonstrated that they were 
 real benefactors to the race. In a speech made at the 
 banquet in Luther Burbank's honor, given by the 
 California Board of Trade in San Francisco, California, 
 
LUTHER BURBANK 389 
 
 John P. Irish beautifully referred to this quality in 
 Burbank's character: 
 
 " Mr. Burbank has conferred upon California the 
 imperishable honor of association with his name and his 
 work. That work has been prosecuted by him with a 
 devotion that thought of no personal gain. The fame of 
 it has gone forth to the world. His life has been so 
 quiet, his absorption so complete, that Californians 
 know him only by his creations, whose benefits they 
 enjoy. A gentleman who is here tells me that when 
 in London, entertained hospitably by an English 
 gentleman, his host talked only of Luther Burbank, 
 and the Californian was ashamed to admit that he had 
 never met Mr. Burbank and did not know the location 
 of his wonder-working efforts. When he left he asked 
 his host what he could do to repay his great hospitality, 
 and the Englishman said: ' Send me a branch from 
 one of Luther Burbank's plums, from his own nursery, 
 that I may graft it on a stock in my garden, and you 
 will more than repay all.' " 
 
 And, while it is somewhat running ahead of the story, 
 it is appropriate that it should here be noted that, in the 
 words of one of his own neighbors. Judge Burnett: 
 " It is pleasing to reflect that the distinction which 
 has come to him unsought has not disturbed the splendid 
 equipose of his nature. The current of his life flows 
 on with the same serenity, purity and sweetness that 
 characterized his youth and early manhood." 
 
 Note well, then, his modesty when he began his 
 work, and also when, success attained, that work 
 brought him world-wide fame, honor, wealth, and 
 
390 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 the plaudits of the great minds of earth. When I first 
 visited him in his home, this was the earliest impression 
 I received. As I then wTOte: 
 
 " Though honored by kings and princes, by scientists 
 and leaders of men the world over, he is the simplest 
 kind of man at home. There is none of the haughtiness, 
 or pride, or self-conceit that would have taken pos- 
 session of a smaller man, and that would ha^'e shown 
 itself in his daily intercourse with his subordinates. 
 While they all revere and respect him, honor and 
 obey him, they all feel his simplicity of character, the 
 pure democratic soul within him, and one and all speak 
 to him, and of him, in the everyday name of ' Boss.' 
 But it is when you hear the sweet intonation of the 
 voices of the maids in the house and the men in the 
 fields as they thus speak, that you feel and compre- 
 hend the friendliness of the man. 
 
 " His neighbors in Santa Rosa (where he lives) and 
 Sevastopol (where his testing grounds are), and on the 
 seven-mile drive thither, have the same warm, kindly, 
 democratic feeling towards him, and he responds as 
 cheerily to the salutation of the wood-hauler and the 
 potato-digger as he does to that of the banker or rail- 
 way magnate, and we met all kinds as we drove from 
 Santa Rosa to Sevastopol and back." 
 
 On the occasion of my visit referred to, I wTOte: 
 
 " When night-time came, he invited the ' help ' to 
 the lawn at the rear of the house that I might tell them 
 a few experiences among the Indians, and as we sat 
 there the telephone bell rang. He answered it, and 
 on returning, called out as he approached : ' I've 
 
LUTHER BURBANK 391 
 
 prevented that thing from annoying us again by taking 
 off the bell.' Then, as happy and joyous and free as a 
 boy, he threw his hat on the grass, went down on his 
 hands and knees, and came to us turning a somer- 
 sault." 
 
 Here is an unspoiled king, the true democrat, the 
 man who actually lives his belief in the brotherhood 
 of man. Here is no false dignity, no pomp, no cere- 
 mony. His dignity is in his life. He commands respect 
 by his inherent power, and needs none of the haughtiness 
 of the factitious dignity that is not sure of its position. 
 His humble attitude is the sign of his soul's self-con- 
 scious supremacy, — a supremacy which sees the 
 dignity of every other soul. 
 
 Early in his nursery career in California, he dis- 
 played that daring of mind, and audacity of execution 
 that are inseparably connected with the independent 
 thinker — another manifestation of the true California 
 spirit. Harwood tells an illustrative story: 
 
 " One day there came to the young nurseryman 
 an order . , . from a man who was going to start a 
 large prune ranch. He wanted twenty thousand young 
 trees to set out. It would take, in the ordinary course 
 of events, from two and a half to three years for a 
 nurseryman to raise the trees, but this was a hurry-up 
 order; if it was to be filled, it must be filled in nine 
 months. 
 
 " He took the order. With all haste he scoured the 
 country for men and boys to plant almonds. It was 
 late in the season and the almond seed was the only one 
 which would sprout at that time among all the trees 
 
392 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 that were suitable for his plans. It grows very rapidly, 
 too, and this was taken into account. In a compara- 
 tively short time the young shoots were big enough for 
 budding. Twenty thousand prune buds were in 
 readiness, were budded into the growing almonds, and 
 the young trees started forward in their race for the 
 prize. When the nine months were up, the twenty 
 thousand prune trees were ready. Nature had been 
 outwitted, or, better put, had been led to outdo herself ; 
 the fruit-grower was delighted; the young nurseryman 
 was a good many dollars in pocket. To-day, twenty 
 years afterward, one of the finest prune orchards in 
 California or the world is growing from these trees." 
 
 Another of the marked characteristics of Luther 
 Burbank is his readiness to acknowledge his ignorance. 
 I have heard questions put to him again and again, 
 to which the questioners undoubtedly expected the 
 answer of knowledge. Without any more hesitation 
 or consciousness than when he is able to answer, he 
 promptly replied: "I do not know!" "I cannot 
 tell," and thus, again, revealed the innate greatness of 
 his soul. 
 
 While he was able to make money rapidly, and did so, 
 he was absolutely uninfluenced by any monetary con- 
 sideration in the carrying out of his larger plans. As 
 a nurseryman he had a keen eye to business, as any 
 honest man ought to have. But when it came to his ex- 
 periments, even his few friends who knew, deemed him 
 reckless almost to the point of censure. For instance, 
 he personally assured me that he had burned over half 
 a million plum trees in the production of the wonderful 
 
LUTHER BURBANK S OLD HUME, SANTA ROSA, CAL. 
 
 Page 391 
 
 LUTHER BURBANK S NEW HOME, SIDE VIEW, SANTA ROSA, 
 CALIFORNIA. 
 
 Page 392 
 
PROFESSOR AND MRS. T. S. C. LOWE. 
 
 Page ilO 
 
LUTHER BURBANK 393 
 
 trees that bear his name. Most of these trees could 
 have been sold, and they were passably good trees. 
 But passably good was not good enough. His aim was 
 high, and he would not, for mere money, lower that 
 aim in any one thing, for if lowered at all, the standard 
 necessarily was lowered, and to keep that standard at 
 its maximum of elevation was the meaning of life itself 
 to Luther Burbank. 
 
 Perhaps at this point some curious reader may ask: 
 " How does Mr. Burbank actually determine what trees 
 he will keep and what destroy ? " As I have had the 
 gratification and pleasure of seeing him at work in this 
 very task, I will explain. It must be borne in mind that 
 the process of weeding out, of selection, takes years 
 to complete. For instance: Out of a thousand trees 
 examined this month, a hundred may be retained, the 
 others destroyed. Of this hundred, the weeding out 
 process next year may leave only ten, and the year later, 
 only one, or perhaps not even one. Two assistants fol- 
 lowed us, as we passed down the row. Before we 
 began, he rapidly suggested to me what he was aiming 
 at. First of all the tree as a whole must be shapely — 
 it must look well. Its leaves must be possessed of 
 certain qualities, for thus he determined its climatic 
 hardihood. The skin of the fruit must be of good color, 
 perfect and suitable shape, and of the proper strength. 
 The inside of the fruit must be firm, juicy, sweet and 
 of good flavor. 
 
 One glance, and all the first requirements were 
 examined into. A representative plum was plucked, 
 perhaps two or three, and while I was tasting, Mr. 
 
394 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Burbank had decided all he wanted to know. One 
 glance determined the skin qualities, a feel, and a taste 
 the interior fruit qualities, and almost as quickly as 
 I can write it, he passed the trees one after another 
 saying, after testing the fruit, "Kill!" "Kill!" 
 "Keep!" "Kill!" etc. A white string tied to the 
 tree by the assistant signified " Keep!" a black one 
 "Kill!" 
 
 While watching this process, I learned another of 
 Mr. Burbank's California characteristics. He is the 
 man of absolute authority. He does not delegate to 
 any one what he himself has to determine. He knows 
 what he is doing, and he does it, with fearless self- 
 confidence. As his long-time friend, Professor Wick- 
 son, says, speaking of his innate modesty and how easy 
 it is for the casual observer to misunderstand this: 
 " Those who meet ^Ir. Burbank but casually are . . . 
 apt to magnify his reticence until they see in it timidity, 
 self-depreciation, inexperience, embarrassment, and 
 the like. All these forms of weakness are absent from 
 the man. He is self-confident but not self-assertive. 
 He is fearless and not to be easily turned from the way 
 he expects to go, but he does not insist that others 
 shall go his way. He seldom errs in his judgment of 
 men and he usually gives the loud and effusive visitor 
 the right of way in conversation, studying him mean- 
 time with a wondering eye." 
 
 His reticence is really the reticence of genius. How 
 can he talk with those who do not understand? 
 
 Another revelation came to me as we walked through 
 the proving-grounds at Sevastopol. I noticed that 
 
LUTHER BURBANK 395 
 
 none of his men smoked or used tobacco in any form, 
 and commented to Mr. Burbank upon the fact. 
 " That," said he, " is imperative in our work. The 
 processes of Nature sometimes are so delicate and 
 fine that, if we would aid her, the nerves must be of 
 the steadiest, and under the most perfect control. 
 This, I speedily found out in the beginning of my work, 
 was impossible with the tobacco user. I have never 
 used the weed myself, and it cannot be used by any of 
 my helpers! " 
 
 I scarcely deem it necessary to say that this heroic 
 soul is inflexible in his honor and truthfulness. No 
 one ever bought a single plant from him and was con- 
 sciously deceived by him as to its qualities or name. 
 Here was no sharp practitioner, willing to sell anything, 
 even his own honor, if he could get a price. It is too 
 well known that in California, as elsewhere, nursery- 
 men (and others) have sold inferior stock, or ^^Tong 
 varieties rather than lose a sale. Never once, in Bur- 
 bank's whole career, was such a thing knowingly done. 
 
 It was by such faithfulness to principle that he ulti- 
 mately built up his business so that it was paying him 
 an annual income of not less than ten thousand dollars 
 a year. Here was an abundant fortune for a man of 
 his modest requirements. Why not retire and take 
 an easy time, travel, see the world, see what other 
 horticulturalists have done, visit Kew and other noted 
 gardens? Some men might have done this, but not 
 Luther Burbank. Though constantly experimenting 
 as far as his time and opportunities allowed he was ever 
 looking forward to the day he could give up his purely 
 
396 HEROES OF CALIEORNIA 
 
 commercial work as a nurseryman and devote the 
 whole of his life to the one work to which he was so 
 earnestly consecrated. He knew the price he would 
 have to pay, but he resolutely faced that. Herein, 
 again, he showed his possession of that long-patient, 
 never- wearying California spirit, that sees its object far, 
 far ahead, and unswervingly works, through every 
 difficulty, over every obstacle, towards it. 
 
 He sold his business and resolutely set to work to 
 carry out his experiments at the expense oj his fortune. 
 He not only used up all the interest he got from his 
 invested money, but he soon began to eat into the prin- 
 cipal. Year after year he worked, steadily sticking to 
 his costly experiments, and seeing his fortune dwindle 
 and melt like snow in the afternoon sun, but never for a 
 moment did he falter. He determined to keep on as 
 long as his money held out, then, said he, in talking to me 
 about this period: " I was willing to begin over again. 
 I felt sure I could then earn enough to live on, and if 
 not, — if I had grown too old and feeble, the good God 
 would see that I was cared for in some way." And he 
 said it reverently, for, though he no longer holds to the 
 old Puritan faith of his childhood as far as creeds and 
 doctrines are concerned, his nature is essentially rev- 
 erent and religious. 
 
 It was while he was thus unselfishly and quietly using 
 up his fortune, though scarce any one knew what 
 he was doing, for he never told of his work for the 
 benefit of the world, that the recognition from the 
 scientific world came that ultimately led to the placing 
 of his fortunes on a solid financial footing. 
 
LUTHER BURBANK 397 
 
 It has often been said that Burbank is no scientist. 
 Nonsense! Listen to the judgment of one of the great- 
 est of America's pure scientists, David Starr Jordan: 
 " It seems to me that Mr. Burbank, while primarily 
 an artist, is, in his general attitude, essentially a man 
 of science. Academic he doubtless is not, but the 
 qualities we call scientific are not necessarily bred in 
 the academy. Science is human experience, tested and 
 set in order. Within the range of moulding plants, 
 Mr. Burbank has read carefully, and thought carefully, 
 maturing his own generalizations and resting them on 
 the basis of his own knowledge. Within the range of 
 his own experience, he is an original and logical thinker, 
 and his conclusions are in general most sound. . . . 
 In his field of the application of our knowledge of 
 heredity, selection and crossing in the development 
 of plants, he stands unique in the world. No one else, 
 whatever his appliances, has done as much as Burbank, 
 or disclosed as much of the laws governing these phe- 
 nomena. Burbank has worked for years alone, not 
 understood and not appreciated, at a constant financial 
 loss, and for this reason, — that his instincts and pur- 
 poses are essentially those of a scientific man. . . . 
 In his own way, Burbank belongs in the class of Farady 
 and the long array of self-taught great men who lived 
 while the universities were spending their strength 
 on fine points of grammar and hazy conceptions of 
 philosophy." . . . 
 
 Then Dr. Jordan closes with these strong words: 
 " If his place is outside the temple of science, there are 
 not many of the rest of us who will be found fit to enter." 
 
398 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Other recognized scientists, like Hugo de Vries 
 and Professors E. J. Wickson, Loeb and Vernon L. 
 Kellogg, confirm Dr. Jordan's assertions, after pro- 
 longed studies of Burbank and his methods, hence any 
 charge of charlatanism is both ungenerous and untrue. 
 He is a practical, as opposed to a theoretical, scientist. 
 
 Herein is another of the elements of the California 
 spirit, through and by which the academic world is to 
 be influenced. Crystallization in a living organization 
 is the precursor of death. The California spirit is 
 full of life. It refuses to crystallize, — to state finals, 
 to assert definite, fixed ultimates. Life is tentative, 
 changeable. The settled of to-day (in the minds of 
 men) is proven to be the unsettled of to-morrow. The 
 academic spirit, however progressive, too often is cock- 
 sure. The California spirit says " Wait awhile! It is 
 not necessary to state ultimate conclusions yet!" In 
 this spirit Burbank has done his work. Therefore he 
 has transcended the conservatives. Yet such has been 
 his thoroughness, his skill, his well-balanced judgment, 
 his results, that, in spite of themselves, the narrow- 
 minded and jealous, even among academicians, have 
 been compelled to recognize his scientific mastership. 
 
 And here let me call attention to another result of 
 Burbank's work. Though his methods have been 
 known to scientists for years, and practised in a measure 
 by many, his achievements have so directed the popular 
 attention to the subject that he has awakened more 
 minds to the possibilities of plant mutation than all 
 the scientists of the world combined. This, surely, is an 
 object to be desired, to awaken, to stimulate, to broaden 
 
LUTHER BURBANK 399 
 
 the intellect of the masses. The California spirit is 
 essentially democratic. It believes in no other special 
 privileges than those that come to a man by natural 
 inheritance or hard work. It would have all men enjoy 
 all there is to enjoy, — know all there is to know, — 
 be all man can be. The knowledge of what Burbank 
 has done, spread abroad among the children of the poor, 
 has done more to quicken the general intellect of the 
 race, to produce those soul- visions that lead to mental 
 and spiritual uplift, than time can ever tell. The benefit 
 is as far-reaching as the life of the race. 
 
 And yet few know or dream that all this outer work 
 of Burbank's has only been the preparation for a larger 
 work upon which, in early life, his heart was intensely 
 set. Plants and flowers have been the means to that 
 end. His real object has been to fmd out ho^v the 
 great God worked for the improvement of plant life, 
 and then, when those secrets were discovered, he hoped 
 he could find the ear and attention of his fellow- men 
 to show how these same principles could be applied 
 to the improvement of the human race. 
 
 He felt that if he became an acknowledged expert — 
 recognized throughout the world as a practical master 
 of the laws governing the development and improve- 
 ment of plants, he could " speak as one having au- 
 thority," and the world would listen and heed in regard 
 to the improvement of the human race. 
 
 During the years of his life the cries of the ill-born 
 have been sounding in his ears, the groans of the sick, 
 the moans of the crippled and diseased, the deformed, 
 the lame, the halt, the palsied, the blind. He knew 
 
400 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 that these groans and cries of anguish, these wails of 
 agony and despair were not part of the plan of the Al- 
 mighty and Loving Father of men. He knew it was 
 never the intention of the Allwise that so many innocent 
 children should be born to a few months of speechless 
 agony and then a horrible death. So, with a heart full 
 of love to humanity, with his ears ever open to the 
 cry of the poor and suffering, he determined to do all 
 he could to teach men that such pain and suffering were 
 unnecessary and unnatural, that they could be pre- 
 vented, and that the first care of humanity was the 
 breeding of a healthy, strong and happy race. 
 
 When the California Board of Trade tendered him 
 a complimentary banquet in San Francisco, where 
 governors, United States senators, college presidents, 
 judges and other notables assembled to do him honor, 
 this was the theme upon which he spoke. His words 
 were a great surprise. Up to that time not even his 
 intimate friends had known what was in his thought. 
 But the words then spoken will continue to echo around 
 the world, quickening the hearts of men and women to 
 a higher idealism in the cultivation of the human plant. 
 
 Here, then, to me, is Luther Burbank's greatest 
 proof of heroism and deep spirituality. He has not 
 worked for fame, for honor, for applause, for wealth. 
 He has worked for his fellow- men, and particularly for 
 the child, the unborn child, that, when it was born, 
 it might have the joy, the happiness, the perpetual 
 pleasure of being welcome to this life, and as well born 
 as knowledge, science and love combined could accom- 
 plish. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVI 
 
 THE SYMPATHETIC HERO OF LAND REFORM, 
 HENRY GEORGE 
 
 /^NE may count upon the fingers all the religionists, 
 ^^ scientists, lawmakers or philosophers who have 
 materially changed the current of the thought of the 
 world. To those, even of powerful intellect, the task of 
 giving a new trend to the thoughts and actions of men 
 must appear either hopeless or impossible. First the 
 reformatory, revolutionary idea must be found, and 
 then it must be so presented that it takes possession 
 of the mind of the world. If a man declares that he 
 has such a thought, he is liable to be charged by his 
 fellows with an overweening vanity, an arrogance 
 that stamps him with a great moral weakness. On the 
 other hand, if he have such an idea and fails to give it 
 to the world, it can have no reformatory effect, 
 
 Henry George was born September 3, 1839, in Phila- 
 delphia, Pa., but it was not until he had become a 
 printer and was working in San Francisco that the 
 " flaming idea " took full possession of his soul, though 
 for years he had been pondering the subject. When only 
 eighteen years of age the question had been aroused 
 in his mind in conversation with an old miner, who had 
 suggested that as the country grew in population and 
 material prosperity, the condition of those who had 
 
402 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 to work for a living would grow, not better, but worse. 
 Or, later, as he himself states it: "Like a flash it 
 came upon me that . . . with the growth of population, 
 land grows in value, and the men who work it must pay 
 more for the privilege." 
 
 This was the beginning of the thought that was to 
 grow and expand until it changed the destinies of 
 nations. In the year 1868 he wrote an article for the 
 newly founded Overland Monthly, of which Bret 
 Harte was editor, entitled " What the Railroad Will 
 Bring Us." It is a ten-page article, some seven 
 thousand words in length, and reveals the student and 
 thinker. Here, in his first notable contribution to 
 literature, he shows the growing power of his idea. 
 In stating what the building of the Union and Central 
 Pacific Railways will bring to California, he says: 
 " The sharpest sense of Americans — the keen sense 
 of gain, which certainly does not lose its keenness in 
 our bracing air — is the first to realize what is coming 
 with our railroad. All over the State land is apprecia- 
 ting; fortunes are being made in a day by buying and 
 parcelling out Spanish ranches; the government 
 surveyors and registrars are busy; speculators are 
 grappling the public domain by the hundreds of thou- 
 sands of acres, while for miles in every direction around 
 San Francisco, ground is being laid off into homestead 
 lots." 
 
 In concluding his article, which, in the main, is a 
 wise appreciation of the good the railroad would do, 
 he still reverts to the theme that was ultimately to 
 take full possession of his soul, for he declares: " The 
 
HENRY GEORGE 403 
 
 truth is, that the completion of the raihoad and the 
 consequent great increase of business and population 
 will not be a benefit to all of us, but only to a portion. 
 As a general rule (liable of course to exceptions), 
 those who have, it will make wealthier; for those who 
 have not, it will make it more difficult to get. Those 
 who have land, mines, established businesses, special 
 abilities of certain kinds, will become richer for it, 
 and find increased opportunities; those who have only 
 their own labor will become poorer, and find it harder 
 to get ahead — first because it will take more capital 
 to buy land or to get into business; and second, be- 
 cause, as competition reduces the wages of labor, this 
 capital will be harder for them to obtain. 
 
 "What, for instance, does the rise in land mean? 
 Several things, but certainly and prominently this: 
 that it will be harder in future for a poor man to get a 
 farm or a homestead lot. In some sections of the State, 
 land which twelve months ago could have been had 
 for a dollar an acre, cannot now be bought for less 
 than fifteen dollars. In other words, the settler who 
 last year might have had at once a farm of his own, 
 must now either go to work on wages for someone else, 
 pay rent, or buy on time; in either case being com- 
 pelled to give to the capitalist a large proportion of the 
 earnings which, had he arrived a year ago, he might 
 have had all for himself. And as proprietorship is 
 thus rendered more difficult and less profitable to the 
 poor, more are forced into the labor market to compete 
 with each other, and to cut down the rate of wages — ■ 
 that is, to make the division of the joint production 
 
404 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 between labor and capital more in favor of capital 
 and less in favor of labor," 
 
 Other effects of the centralization of wealth are 
 forcefully presented, and it is clear to see that the 
 young writer by no means regarded the incoming of 
 the railway as an unmixed good. When, a little later, 
 he saw the actual results he had prophesied and, in 
 addition, realized that the railroad was becoming more 
 grasping and determined upon absolute control of the 
 State, he began to speak out even more clearly against 
 the system which made this possible. While he could 
 see clearly enough that the railway builders had un- 
 dertaken herculean labors, and that they were striving 
 with bravery even to heroism to accomplish them, 
 he also saw that the land grants and subsidies of both 
 State and nation were incorrect in principle, for they 
 saddled the people of the future with burdens they had 
 no right to bear. Accordingly, as he had already 
 graduated from the typesetter's case to the editorial 
 chair, and was sending out forceful articles both East 
 and West, he began to attack the railroad policies 
 with characteristic energy and determination. This 
 required a courage and independence rare in young 
 men, — he was but thirty years of age. For, as his 
 son well states in his Life of Henry George: " The 
 Central Pacific had become the overshadowing in- 
 fluence in California. It owned or controlled most 
 of the press, swayed the legislature, bent the courts, 
 governed banks, and moved as a mighty force in 
 politics. It was quick to recognize talent, and as 
 quick to engage or reward it. Out of imperial coffers 
 
HENRY GEORGE 405 
 
 it had fortunes to bestow. With a word it could make 
 men, and so far as the masses were concerned, could 
 as easily break men. Of those who could not, or would 
 not serve, it asked only silence, merely immunity from 
 attack." 
 
 But George could neither be bought nor silenced. 
 For a time he edited an Oakland paper, and then he 
 was made editor and given a fourth interest in the 
 Sacramento Reporter. Into the work of this paper he 
 threw himself heart and soul. The Central Pacific 
 Railway had already received from State and nation 
 large grants of lands, bonds, and subsidies, but they 
 were calling for more. Viewing things as he did, 
 George could do no other than oppose them, which 
 he did forcefully and constantly. Finding he could 
 not be silenced, the railway quietly bought control of 
 the paper, thus taking away from him the organ in which 
 he expressed and disseminated his ideas, compelling 
 him to sell out his interest and seek a new method 
 of sending his surging thoughts broadcast. For some 
 time past he had ceased to take his opinions unques- 
 tioned from books. He had learned to do his own 
 thinking. Ideas were rapidly formulating themselves 
 into a clear philosophy. 
 
 He saw the public lands of the United States, which 
 seemed so vast as to be practically illimitable, being 
 given away with a reckless disregard of the future. 
 He saw that the ultimate result of this would be that 
 in a comparatively short time much land would be in 
 few hands. This he regarded as unjust and contrary 
 to true political economy. The result was that as 
 
4o6 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 soon as his thought became clarified in his own mind, 
 — after several pubhc lectures upon the subject, — 
 he issued the first of a series of works that were ma- 
 terially to influence the thought and political action 
 of the larger part of the civilized world. This pamphlet 
 is composed of forty-eight pages and cover, printed in 
 small type, and bears the title: Our Land and Land 
 Policy, National and State, and its date is 187 1. An 
 original copy of this brochure is now worth its weight 
 in gold. 
 
 In this pamphlet Henry George discusses the ex- 
 tent of the public domain, the prospective value of land, 
 the land policy of the United States, public sale and^ 
 private entry, and donations of public lands, especially 
 with relation to the railroads. 
 
 He then proceeds to a statement of the specific 
 conditions that existed in California at that time in 
 regard to the monopolization of land, first through the 
 Mexican land grants, then the railroad grants, and 
 the private entry and scrip locations. He fearlessly 
 exposes the manifest injustice to the great masses of 
 the people in these monopolizations, and then pro- 
 ceeds to an arraignment of the State for its manage- 
 ment of State lands, swamp lands, etc., and makes 
 specific charges against certain land grabbers who, he 
 claims, by fraud secured from twenty thousand acres 
 to over one hundred thousand acres each. Then, 
 after giving a short list of those who own some " two 
 million acres apiece," others three or four hundred 
 thousand acres, one firm four hundred and fifty 
 thousand acres, " around one patch of which, 
 
HENRY GEORGE 407 
 
 alone, they have one hundred and sixty miles of 
 fence," and so on, down to those who hold but the 
 small amount of from eighty thousand to twenty 
 thousand acres, he says, speaking of this latter 
 class: " They are so numerous, that, though I have a 
 long list, I am afraid to name them for fear of making 
 invidious distinctions." Then he continues: "These 
 men are the lords of California — lords as truly as 
 ever were ribboned dukes or belted barons in any 
 country under the sun. We have discarded the titles 
 of an earlier age, but we have preserved the sub- 
 stance. . . . They are our Land Lords just as truly. 
 If they do not exert the same influence, and wield the 
 same power, and enjoy the same wealth, it is merely 
 because our population is but sLx hundred thousand, 
 and their tenantry have not yet arrived. Of the mil- 
 lions of acres of our virgin soil which their vast domains 
 enclose, they are absolute masters, and upon it no 
 human creature can come, save by their permission 
 and upon their terms. From the zenith above, to the 
 centre of the earth below (so our laws run), the uni- 
 verse is theirs." 
 
 That ]Mr. George was not a blatant demagogue 
 closing his eyes to facts is proven by the concluding 
 paragraphs to this portion of his argument. He says: 
 " Let me not be understood as reproaching the men 
 who have honestly acquired large tracts of land. As 
 the world goes they are not to be blamed. If the 
 people put saddles on their backs, they must ex- 
 pect somebody to jump astride to ride. If we must 
 have an aristocracy, I would prefer that my children 
 
4o8 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 should be members of it rather than of the common 
 herd. While as for the men who have resorted to 
 dishonest means, the probabilities are that most of 
 them enjoy more of the respect of their fellows, and 
 its fruits, than if they had been honest and got less 
 land." 
 
 The balance of his pamphlet is then devoted to the 
 philosophical discussion that later eventuated in his well- 
 known land theories, which it is not my purpose to 
 discuss in these pages, save, later, to state merely 
 their broad, general principles. 
 
 His theories once given to the world, he was called 
 upon frequently to expound and enlarge upon them, 
 both in public and private, by voice and pen. His 
 first formal speech on the subject was given in August, 
 1876, at Dashaway Hall, San Francisco, when he was 
 thirty-seven years old. He saw therein another en- 
 larged opportunity for propagating his ideas, and from 
 that time forward deliberately trained himself as a 
 public speaker. The following year he was invited 
 to lecture at the University of California on Political 
 Economy. He steered clear of all unsettled questions, 
 and stated that what he had to say was more suggestive 
 than didactic. Yet he did not hesitate, in his direct 
 and unmistakable fashion, to condemn the writers 
 of text-books on political economy for their conscious 
 or unconscious upholding of the whole capitalistic 
 system, thus antagonizing the feelings and prejudices 
 of those who had most to gain by a study of such 
 books. 
 
 Said he: " The name of political economy has been 
 
HENRY GEORGE 409 
 
 constantly invoked against every effort of the working 
 classes to increase their wages or decrease their hours 
 of labor. . . . Take the best and most extensively 
 circulated text-books. While they insist upon freedom 
 for capital, while they seek to justify on the ground 
 of utility the selfish greed that seeks to pile fortune 
 on fortune, and the niggard spirit that steels the heart 
 to the wail of distress, w^hat sign of substantial promise 
 do they hold out to the working man save that he 
 should refrain from rearing children? 
 
 " What can we expect when hands that should 
 offer bread thus hold out a stone? Is it in human 
 nature that the masses of men, vaguely but keenly 
 conscious of the injustice of social conditions, feeling 
 that they are somehow cramped and hurt, without 
 knowing what cramps and hurts them, should wel- 
 come truth in this partial form; that they should 
 take to a science which, as it is presented to them, 
 seems but to justify injustice, to canonize selfishness 
 by throwing around it the halo of utility, and to present 
 Herod rather than Vincent de Paul as the typical bene- 
 factor of humanity ? " 
 
 Speaking of the simplicity of the science, he must 
 have made the learned professors feel quite uncom- 
 fortable : 
 
 " For the study of political economy you need no 
 special knowledge, no extensive library, no costly 
 laboratory. You do not even need text-books nor 
 teachers, if you will but think for yourselves. All 
 that you need is care in reducing complex phenomena 
 to their elements, in distinguishing the essential from 
 
4IO HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 the accidental, and in applying the simple laws of 
 human action with which you are familiar. Take 
 nobody's opinion for granted; ' try all things; hold 
 fast that which is good.' In this way the opinions of 
 others will help you by their suggestions, elucidations, 
 and corrections; otherwise they will be to you but 
 as words to a parrot. . . . All this array of professors, 
 all this paraphernalia of learning, cannot educate 
 a man. They can but help him to educate himself. 
 Here you may obtain the tools; but they will be useful 
 only to him who can use them. A monkey with a mi- 
 croscope, a mule packing a library, are fit emblems of 
 the men — and unfortunately, they are plenty — 
 who pass through the whole educational machinery 
 and come out but learned fools, crammed with knowl- 
 edge which they cannot use, all the more pitiable, all 
 the more contemptible, all the more in the way of 
 real progress, because they pass, with themselves and 
 others, as educated men." 
 
 This university address was followed by a Fourth 
 of July oration devoted to " Liberty," which, in view 
 of his later teachings, can only be regarded as one of 
 the opportunities offered him for clearer formulation 
 of his thought. It was a scathing denunciation, though 
 veiled to many who heard it in the flowers of rhetoric, 
 of those who apostrophized Liberty with their tongues, 
 but in their lives worshipped only that god that gave 
 them liberty to tyrannize over their fellows. 
 
 Now occurred a period of great financial depression 
 throughout the whole country, and California felt it 
 keenly. To Henry George it brought distress and 
 
HENRY GEORGE 411 
 
 poverty for a time, yet out of that distress was born 
 the book Progress and Poverty that was to give an 
 upHft to the political morals of the world. He began 
 to write in September, 1877. His original intention was 
 to prepare a magazine article dealing with the fact 
 that, as humanity progressed materially, it seemed 
 unable to prevent increasing poverty. Writing about 
 the thoughts of his heart with a daring courage, he 
 attacked the " most gigantic vested right in the world," 
 — land monopoly. At the same time he seemed bathed 
 in an atmosphere of his own creation which carried 
 sympathy for his fellows wherever he went. As his 
 biographer says; " Sympathy was, perhaps, Henry 
 George's predominant trait of character. It had made 
 him heartsick at sight of the want and suffering in the 
 great city; it had impelled him to search for the cause 
 and the cure. In the bonds of friendship it carried 
 him into the other's thoughts and feelings. Intuitively 
 he put himself into the other man's place and looked 
 at the world through those other eyes. . . . He had 
 not studied man from the closet. He had all his rugged 
 life been at school with humanity, and to him the type 
 of humanity was the common man. Civilization built 
 up from the common man, flourished as the common 
 man flourished, decayed and fell with the common 
 man's loss of independence. He himself had climbed 
 out on swaying yards like the commonest sailor, car- 
 ried his blankets as a prospector and common miner, 
 felt something of the hardships of farming, tramped 
 dusty roads as a pedlar, had every experience as a 
 printer, and suffered the physical and mental tortures of 
 
412 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 hunger. Learning and pride and power and tradition 
 and precedent went for little with him; the human 
 heart, the moral purpose, became the core thing." 
 
 For a year and a half he thought and studied, wrote 
 and rewrote. None knew that he was working on a 
 book that should shake the greed of the world; he 
 himself only knew that he was declaring what he felt 
 was a higher truth than man had yet seen; and to 
 not a soul did he explain that his writing was the result 
 of a vision and a vow to which his soul demanded that 
 he be true. When the book was finally completed, he 
 flung himself upon his knees in his solitude and wept like 
 a child, committing the results to God. This was learned 
 after his death from a letter he wrote to a religious friend. 
 
 Now came the task of finding a publisher. The 
 Appletons, Harpers and others refused it on various 
 grounds, but mainly because it was too revolutionary. 
 So at last he and his friends went to the cases and set 
 it up themselves, had plates made, and the first edition 
 was printed in San Francisco under the title : Political 
 Economy of the Social Problem. An interesting fact 
 in connection with this home-made edition is that 
 his closest friend and helper, both at the type stand and 
 the desk, was Dr. Edward Robeson Taylor, poet and 
 humanitarian, later the reform mayor of San Fran- 
 cisco after the downfall of Schmitz. Mr. James H. 
 Barry, for many years the editor of the San Francisco 
 Star, also helped him set type and print this edition. 
 
 Two weeks after he sent a copy of the San Francisco 
 edition to his father in Philadelphia, the Appletons wTOte 
 that they were now ready to publish it on a royalty basis. 
 
HENRY GEORGE 413 
 
 Among letters received from notable men to whom 
 he sent his first edition was one from Sir George Grey 
 of New Zealand, the country which afterwards based 
 its land policies entirely upon the principles George 
 had enunciated. Sir George wrote: "I have already 
 read a large part of the book. I regard it as one of the 
 ablest works on the great questions of the time, which 
 has come under my notice. It will be of great use to me. 
 ... It has cheered me much to find that there is so able 
 a man working in California, upon subjects on which I 
 believe the whole future of mankind now mainly hangs." 
 
 While the book is a large book of over five hundred 
 pages, it is mainly an exemplification of the matter 
 presented in "his pamphlet of 1871 — Our Land and 
 Land Policy — already discussed. Poverty and its 
 causes, the present distribution of wealth, and the 
 effect of material progress upon such distribution, 
 bring the reader to the presentation of the remedy. As 
 he says in his Introduction: "This identification of 
 the cause that associates poverty with progress points 
 to the remedy, but it is to so radical a remedy that I 
 have next deemed it necessary to inquire whether there 
 is any other remedy. Beginning the investigation again 
 from another starting-point, I have passed in examina- 
 tion the measures and tendencies currently advocated 
 or trusted in for the improvement of the condition of the 
 laboring masses. The result of this investigation is 
 to prove the preceding one, as it shows that nothing 
 short 0} making land common property con permanently 
 relieve poverty and check the tendency 0} wages to the 
 starvation- point, ' ' 
 
414 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Whatever one may think of this conclusion, the book 
 is a wonderful book. It is a classic as cogent and 
 powerful as Adam Smith's Wealth oj Nations, or John 
 Stuart Mill's Political Economy, with far more of 
 red blood, human sympathy and democratic principle. 
 Some chapters, especially the last, on " The Problem 
 of Individual Life," are thrilling in the extreme, and 
 call upon the laggards, the selfish and the indifferent 
 with trumpet tones for higher, nobler, better living. 
 
 At first it won its way slowly into public favor, and 
 then with bounds and leaps. It was later followed with 
 other contributions upon the same subject, and as 
 George himself grew more sure — not of his subject, 
 but of his method of public presentation • — he became a 
 platform propagandist of great power. 
 
 It was some time before the common people knew 
 their prophet, and the truth he had enunciated for 
 their deliverance, but when they did learn it, their 
 confidence and affection knew no bounds. 
 
 It needed that some one of themselves, not trained 
 in the schools and universities, not warped by the 
 ideas of divine right, superior class, and preservation 
 of the existing order, not imbued wdth the wholly 
 materialistic idea of the survival of the fittest, or logical 
 corollary that the strong physically or intellectually, 
 have the right, because they have the power, to control 
 the weak, one who did not accept Pope's dictum that 
 " Whatever is, is right," but one who believed in the 
 teaching of Him who said: " All things whatsoever 
 ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so 
 to them; " I say it needed that some one who had 
 
HENRY GEORGE 415 
 
 not been brought up to regard wealth and its con- 
 sequent luxury as his " divinely ordered " right, but 
 one who was poor and lowly and a worker should 
 become their champion. How else could their cause 
 be presented save by one who knew it as his every-day 
 life ? No man can knowingly wTite on all the phases 
 of political economy who does not himself belong or 
 has not belonged to the great working masses of the 
 people. 
 
 Henry George was truly one of the masses. His great 
 heart throbbed as did that of the Master's to the woes 
 of the needy and oppressed, and when they knew him 
 " the common people heard him gladly." 
 
 There is not space in this chapter to record his 
 journeyings and lecturings to and fro in America, 
 Canada, England, Ireland, Australia, and " around 
 the world." He li\ed to see thousands of philosophers 
 and statesmen converted, in the main, to the doctrines 
 he had enunciated, and to-day the governments of 
 New Zealand, New South Wales, and other English- 
 speaking peoples are largely conducted on those prin- 
 ciples. The great political conflict that raged in England 
 in the winter of 1909-1910 was practically upon the same 
 ideas, and the speeches of Lloyd George, the English 
 Chancellor of the Exchequer, were thought for thought 
 on the lines laid down by his great American name- 
 sake. 
 
 Writing, lecturing, and entering the political arena 
 that he might further propagate his truth, Henry 
 George used up his vitality and power, until, in the 
 mayoralty campaign in New York, in 1897, he was 
 
4i6 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 stricken with apoplexy, October 28, and passed on 
 to his reward. 
 
 At once, from all parts of the world, came words of 
 appreciation, — none truer than these from one of the 
 New York City papers that had strongly opposed his 
 candidacy: " He was a tribune of the people, poor for 
 their sake, when he might have been rich by merely 
 compromising; without official position for their sake, 
 when he might have had high offices by merely yielding 
 a part of his convictions to expediency. All his life 
 long he spoke and wrote and thought and prayed and 
 dreamed of one thing only — the cause of the plain 
 people against corruption and despotism. And he 
 died with his armor on, with his sword flashing, in the 
 front of the battle, scaling the breastworks of intrenched 
 corruption and despotism. He died as he lived. He 
 died a hero's death. He died as he would have wished 
 to die — on the battlefield, spending his last strength 
 in a blow at the enemies of the people. Fearless, 
 honest, unsullied, uncompromising Henry George! " 
 
 On the tablet that covers his grave in Greenwood 
 Cemetery are placed these words from Progress and 
 Poverty, that he had written years before: 
 
 " 'T'HE truth that I have tried to make clear 
 will not find easy acceptance. If that 
 could be, it roould have been accepted long ago. 
 If that could be, it would never have been ob- 
 scured. But it will find friends — those who 
 will toil for it; suffer for it; if need be, die for it. 
 This is the power of Truth." 
 
CHAPTER XXXVII 
 
 THE INVENTIVE HERO OF MOUNT LOWE, 
 THADDEUS S, C. LOWE 
 
 TN this age of wealth- worship it is a great thing for 
 -*- a man of inventive genius to devote his wonderful 
 powers to the good of his fellow- men; to bring to them 
 at a small cost added comfort, joy, ease, content. It 
 is a greater thing to so control his inventions that rich 
 corporations cannot monopolize them and thus use 
 them for their own enrichment. A man who can and 
 does achieve both these results is surely one whom the 
 great world should delight to honor. And such an one 
 is Professor Thaddeus S. C. Lowe, who, from a child- 
 hood of hardship and poverty, won his way to a place 
 ot honor in the world's regard by his inventive genius, 
 the results of which he resolutely devoted to the good 
 of the common people. 
 
 It is given to but few men to do as much for their 
 fellows in so many ways as has fallen to the lot of 
 Professor T. S. C. Lowe, now of Pasadena, California. 
 Born August 20, 1832, at the little town of Jefferson 
 Mills. New Hampshire, he endured a greater share of 
 hardships than most poor suffered in those early days. 
 He was one of several children, and his father, owing to 
 untoward circumstances over which he had no control, 
 was compelled to leave the brave and stout-hearted 
 
4i8 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 mother lo bring up the Httle flock. With a love as 
 wise as it was tender she did all she knew how to keep 
 the wolf from the door and to train her children in 
 virtue and honest labor. But the struggle was too 
 hard to be maintained alone, so, after many bitter 
 tears on her part, it was decided that Thaddeus must 
 be " bound out " to a near by farmer. Thaddeus, a 
 sturdy, thoughtful, fearless youngster, zealously anxious 
 to relieve his mother of any extra burden, made light 
 of her fears and anxieties and refused to see any great 
 hardship in having to leave home and go out to work for 
 a neighbor. But he rested too much in the expectation 
 that others would treat him with the same gentle and 
 kindly consideration that his noble mother had ac- 
 corded him. It was a rude awakening to the high- 
 strung lad to find that honest work was not all that 
 some men required of their " hands." Abuse and 
 rudeness must be expected and quietly suffered, for 
 kindness and sympathetic friendliness were opposed, 
 in the minds of such men, to good discipline and to a 
 preservation of the proper distance that should exist 
 between " master " and " servant." But such ideas 
 were as poison to the clear brain of the democratic 
 young Thaddeus. He punctured the claims of caste 
 as readily as he was ultimately to puncture the old- 
 fashioned claims of certain scientists, for one early 
 morning, after talking the matter over with his bosom 
 friend, Nathan Perkins, afterwards recognized as one 
 of New Hampshire's distinguished and noble sons, he 
 started away from his native village, his whole worldly 
 possessions wrapped up in a handkerchief, and his 
 
THADDEUS S. C. LOWE 419 
 
 whole fortune of eleven cents hidden deep in his 
 pocket. 
 
 To recount all his early struggles, failures and tri- 
 umphs is here impossible. His early history reads like 
 a romance, and is full of instructive lessons to the 
 growing youth of our land. Step by step, in the face 
 of great obstacles, he worked his way upward and 
 onward. Nothing daunted him. Ever alert, ever will- 
 ing to do any good and honest work, he was not content 
 to do things as others did them, and early revealed 
 that inventive genius that has since been turned to such 
 good use for the benefit of mankind. Every available 
 moment outside of the time required for his duties 
 was expended in study, and soon his knowledge of 
 herbs, of chemistry and anatomy, and of practical 
 surgery learned from his wise old grandmother, was 
 called upon by the simple-hearted neighbors, and he 
 gained quite a reputation as a healer of disease and 
 a mender of broken bones. 
 
 Before his twentieth year he had saved enough to 
 gratify his desire for seeing more of the world than or- 
 dinarily falls to the lot of a poor lad; and for his wedding 
 trip — he married young — he journeyed from Zanes- 
 ville, Ohio, down the Muskingham and Ohio rivers, 
 into the Mississippi and to New Orleans, Louisiana, 
 giving lectures on the way, and incidentally studying 
 the country and people of the South. 
 
 When he returned to New England, it was to resume 
 his studies of chemistry with greater fervor than before, 
 and in connection with this study he soon saw an op- 
 portunity to gratify a desire that was one of the earliest 
 
420 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 emotions of his young and active mind. Even as a young 
 child the wonderful movements of the clouds, and the 
 changes of the weather had ever interested him. Born 
 right in the heart of the White Mountains, Mount 
 Washington and all the Presidential Range being in 
 sight from his mother's door, he watched the floating 
 clouds of both winter and summer, saw them at times 
 sail away, at another hang like banners to the mountain 
 summits, then again, discharge their contents as hail, 
 sleet, snow or rain, while at still other times they were 
 dissipated into impalpable mist by the heat of the 
 summer sun ; and he came to the conclusion that there 
 were wonderful secrets of the upper air that he would 
 like to penetrate, that would doubtless explain these 
 wonderful, though common and everyday phenomena. 
 As a chemist, he learned the properties of gas and saw 
 how a balloon could be best constructed and filled, 
 and, no sooner was his vivid imagination stirred by vis- 
 ions of ascending into the upper atmosphere and study- 
 ing the conditions he found there, than he proceeded 
 to the construction of a balloon. Soon he was making 
 regular ascensions. Then the failure of the Atlantic 
 Cable gave him another inspiration. Why not use 
 the balloon to cross the Atlantic, and thus give to mer- 
 chants and others the news they so urgently needed. 
 Distinguished people in Philadelphia, whom he had 
 interested, including such men as George W. Childs 
 and Professor John C. Cresson, suggested that he apply 
 to Professor Joseph Henry, of the Smithsonian Institu- 
 tion, for aid in furthering this laudable and practical 
 project, and in a number of interviews the distinguished 
 
THADDEUS S. C LOWE 421 
 
 savant made himself fully cognizant of young Lowe's 
 far-reaching ideas. He saw that here was a mind 
 different from the ordinary, and found great delight 
 in drawing him out. He discovered that the young 
 aeronaut had already learned some things of the upper 
 atmosphere, and that he believed there existed a steady 
 upper air current that invariably moved eastward, no 
 matter how diverse, opposite or complex the wind 
 movements on the earth's surface might be. 
 
 " Prove to me the existence of that eastward current, 
 without risking your life on the Atlantic ocean," said 
 Professor Henry, " and I'll find you the means of 
 crossing the Atlantic in your balloon." 
 
 "How shall I do it to satisfy you?" queried the 
 urgent young student. 
 
 " Go a thousand miles inland, wait until all the earth 
 currents are blowing westward. Then make an ascent 
 in a small balloon, and travel eastward and I'll be 
 satisfied," responded the savant. 
 
 Young Lowe didn't wait an hour. He went to 
 Cincinnati as quickly as he could go, taking with him 
 a balloon of the size needed for the experiment. The 
 telegraph ser\'ice was placed at his disposal and reports 
 of wind conditions regularly made to him. The balloon 
 was filled with gas and anchored ready to make the 
 ascent at a moment's notice. Day after day passed. 
 One evening he was at a banquet given in his honor by 
 Mr. Potter, the owner of the Cincinnati Commercial, 
 at which Murat Halsted, the distinguished editor, 
 and many of Cincinnati's notable men were present, 
 when the welcome news was brought that the wind cur- 
 
422 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 rents were all blowing weshuard. Without waiting to 
 change his society clothes for those more appropriate 
 for a balloon ascent, and still wearing his silk hat, he 
 hurried down to the balloon, accompanied by his fellow 
 banqueters, Mr. Halsted bringing down with him 
 a large demijohn filled with hot coffee. At Mr. Potter's 
 request, Mr. Halsted \^TOte a brief notice of the ascension 
 and Professor Lowe waited until three o'clock in the 
 morning to allow the pressmen to insert this notice 
 in the Commercial and run off two or three hundred 
 copies which he could carry away in the balloon. It was 
 fortunate for him that this was done, as a few hours 
 later it sa\'ed him from being shot as a Federal spy, 
 as I will soon relate. 
 
 In the meantime, when the Cincinnati people read 
 their morning papers, they were amused by the state- 
 ment that " Professor Lowe's balloon, which had as- 
 cended to prove the existence of a perpetual current 
 blowing to the east, w^hen last seen was rapidly traveling 
 westward.^' 
 
 But the darkness of the early morning didn't allow 
 the newspaper men to see long enough. While the 
 balloon did travel very rapidly to the west when it 
 first ascended, it was not long before it reached the 
 eastward current, and then Professor Lowe made the 
 historic trip for which he will ever be remembered. 
 When he struck the Alleghany Mountains he bounded 
 over a mile into the upper air, and then, striking the cur- 
 rent between this range and the Blue Ridge, he was 
 drawn slightly to the south and descended at noon on 
 the coast of South Carolina, having traveled a distance 
 
THADDEUS S. C LOWE 423 
 
 of eight hundred miles in nine hours. Returning inland 
 a little distance, by means of a westerly current, he 
 landed among some of the " Clay Eaters," who, as the 
 war had just broken out, vowed he was a spy from Fort 
 Pickens. It required both nerve and persuasive power 
 to convince those people of their error, but they finally 
 consented to take him to Unionville, twenty-five miles 
 away, which was the nearest railway point. When the 
 wagon came it was drawn by sbc mules. Professor 
 Lowe asked why they brought six animals for so small 
 a load, and they said that when they saw the balloon 
 (in its inflated condition) they thought it would require 
 at least that number of animals to draw so ponderous a 
 thing. They were wonderfully surprised to see it in its 
 collapsed condition. Seated on the balloon (to ease 
 the jolting of the rough roads), wdth his silk " tile " 
 upon his head, Professor Lowe began to laugh at his 
 own comical appearance, but laughter soon ceased when 
 a dozen or more men, each armed with a revolver and 
 Winchester rifle, grimly and silently surrounded the 
 wagon. He saw he was still regarded as a spy and that 
 any suspicious movement would mean instant death. 
 On his arrival at Unionville, however, he fell among 
 friends. One of them, seeing the newspapers which 
 Professor Lowe finally handed to him, explained. 
 " This settles it all right. This paper is still damp from 
 the press. It's a strange story. Eight hundred miles 
 in nine hours, but we're compelled to believe it." Ac- 
 cordingly the " spy " was released and sent on his way 
 to Columbia. Here he was again arrested and jailed, 
 and would have had an awkward time had it not been for 
 
424 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 the friendly interference of the president and professors 
 of the college, who were acquainted with the purely 
 scientific nature of Professor Lowe's work, and knew 
 that it had absolutely nothing to do with the war. 
 
 His adventures, however, at this time, were thrilling 
 and exciting enough to stir the blood of the most slug- 
 gish, and they undoubtedly turned his active brain into 
 the very direction for which the southern men had 
 arrested him. It was now that his dominant genius be- 
 gan to assert itself. He was but twenty-eight years old, 
 yet while the fires of hatred were being fanned by the 
 wild utterances of men who did not realize the horrors 
 of such a fratricidal war, he, with a soul full of zeal for 
 the preservation of the Union, began to exercise his 
 intellect to the utmost to formulate a plan whereby his 
 knowledge of ballooning might be made of service to his 
 beloved country. For he was a patriot, in the larger, 
 truer sense, from his birth. Every fibre of his being 
 thrilled with the joy of true democracy. He was him- 
 self of the common people; he believed in them, if they 
 had a fair chance; he saw that if the principles of the 
 founders of this country were carried out, the poor and 
 lowly would here have as large and good opportunitesfor 
 improvement as the high, the educated and the rich, if 
 they chose to work hard to utilize them, hence he burned 
 with an intense, zealous earnestness to do his part in 
 helping preserve the Union, to which his whole heart 
 and mind were so devotedly attached. Professor Henry 
 and President Lincoln sent for him as soon as his return 
 to Cincinnati was known, and the upshot of their con- 
 ferences was that this young man, self-taught and self- 
 
THADDEUS S. C. LOWE 425 
 
 reliant, was given power to organize the first Balloon 
 Corps for military operations in the field that the world 
 had ever seen. For months he operated for the different 
 commanding generals under the direct auspices of Presi- 
 dent Lincoln, making daily and nightly ascents, witness- 
 ing many skirmishes and battles and gi^'ing most valu- 
 able information as to the movements of the enemy that 
 could not possibly have been gained from any other 
 source. He invented and set into successful operation 
 methods by which he could telegraph from his balloon 
 to the tent of the commanding general in the field below, 
 thus giving accurate and detailed description of events 
 actually transpiring at the moment the news was re- 
 ceived. 
 
 His chemical studies and inventive powers also came 
 into most valuable play. He soon realized that the 
 old and antiquated methods of generating gas for filling 
 his balloon were absolutely impossible, if it were to 
 become a practical and feasible instrument of aid in 
 active warfare. The exigencies of war demanded that 
 the balloon be transferable at will to any part of the 
 field, or even to distant parts. To transfer it, filled with 
 gas, was impracticable, yet to empty it, transfer it and 
 then generate the gas for refilling was equally im- 
 practicable. So many hours were required to generate 
 gas by the old methods that any ordinary conflict would 
 begin, be fought out and the armies moved, before so 
 large a balloon could have been filled. So Professor Lowe 
 invented and constructed retorts on wheels, which 
 could be drawn anywhere, and by means of which 
 the making of sufficient gas was the work of but a few 
 
426 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 minutes. Thus he was able to make ascensions almost 
 at will and in many and diverse parts of the scene of 
 operations. At all hours of the day and night he was 
 ready. Many a time the movements of the enemy were 
 detected by this novel and vigilant watcher, and the 
 Confederate generals made desperate efforts both to 
 destroy the balloon and either kill or capture the bal- 
 loonist. Consequently Professor Lowe was given 
 extraordinary powers by his commanding officers, and 
 he and his balloon also became objects of great interest 
 to the enemy. Time and again their sharp-shooters, 
 both of the infantry and artillery, directed their fire 
 upon him, but while they were getting his range he 
 went on coolly making his observations, knowing that 
 he was perfectly safe for some time, and that the mere 
 pulling of a string would release the gas valve, and allow 
 him to descend a little, or that the throwing out of a bag 
 of sand ballast w^ould send him up higher, the changed 
 position in either case putting him out of range of the 
 enemy's guns. 
 
 He operated thus, working day and night at the be- 
 hest of the commanding generals, until the overwork, 
 the hardships of the field and the malaria combined 
 to produce a condition of ill health, which drove him 
 home and well-nigh killed him. Even to this day, 
 in spite of his well spent and abstemious life, he still 
 suffers from physical ailments fastened upon him during 
 that time. With that keen foresight, however, which 
 is one of his most marked characteristics, he had pre- 
 pared for just such an event by carefully training his 
 subordinates to carry on his work. This they did to the 
 
THADDEUS S. C. LOWE 427 
 
 best of their capacity, so that, while Professor Lowe 
 lay on his bed of pain and affliction, his mind was at ease 
 with the assurance that the plans he had so carefully 
 formulated were being carried out with a reasonable 
 measure of success. 
 
 Before he had recovered his health the war was 
 brought to a successful close. He immediately turned 
 his inventive genius to work, and built and equipped a 
 floating refrigerator, the first steamship in the history 
 of the world designed for the purpose, which made sev- 
 eral trips from Galveston, Texas, to New York, loaded 
 with Texas beef, etc. This was the origin of the re- 
 frigerator in actual commerce, and the benefit to the 
 people of this invention can never be estimated. By 
 it meats and fruits and other perishable food products 
 are now transported from one part of the world to 
 another, either by land or sea, without injury or detri- 
 ment. The surplus cattle of Texas are converted into 
 beef and shipped wherever needed, the strawberries 
 of Georgia are sent to the North, and the oranges of 
 Florida and California to every town and hamlet in 
 in the country, as well as to ports all over the civilized 
 globe. 
 
 And yet this invention was, at the time of Professor 
 Lowe's presentation of it to the world, so far in advance 
 of people's knowledge of its value, that he personally 
 not only derived no benefit from it, but actually suffered 
 most heavy financia'l loss. 
 
 It was equally so with his valuable invention for the 
 making of artificial ice. He set in operation several of 
 these machines, on the same principle that they are 
 
428 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 now working, viz., the compression of ammonia, etc., 
 and thus made it possible for the housewife in her small 
 refrigerator, as well as the chefs of the most luxurious 
 hotels, to keep milk sweet, butter hard and fresh, meats 
 and vegetables cool and pure, no matter how hot the 
 weather might be. It seems impossible to measure the 
 benefit this invention has been to the human race, yet 
 I feel that the world should know that, owing to its being 
 in advance of its time, when Professor Lowe figured 
 up his profits and losses on the giving of this product 
 of his genius to the world, he was eighty-seven thousand 
 dollars in debt, independent of his long months of time 
 and exhaustive labor, and this debt was subsequently 
 paid by him out of the profits of one of his later inven- 
 tions. 
 
 It is this invention to which attention is now called. 
 Disappointed and chagrined at his experiences in trying 
 to bring the commercial and home w^orld to a realization 
 of the benefit of his refrigerator and ice inventions, 
 he vowed he would never again invent things ahead of 
 his times, so he turned his attention to the improvement 
 of present methods of gas supply. In this field he is the 
 recognized master of the world. His varied inventions 
 for the making of gas alone entitle him to the undying 
 gratitude of his fellow men. For not only has it light- 
 ened the labor of millions of the toiling women of earth; 
 not only has it reduced the heating of a room, the making 
 of a fire for the cooking of a meal to the mere turning of a 
 gas cock and striking a match, but it has been done 
 in such a way that, while immense fortunes have been 
 made by thousands of men as the result of investments in 
 
THADDEUS S. C. LOWE 429 
 
 the invention, it has brought down the prices of this 
 useful and necessary commodity so that the poorest of 
 the poor can now practically have light and heat suffi- 
 cient for all purposes. 
 
 Allured by the " glorious climate of California " 
 Professor Lowe now settled down in the beautiful home 
 city of Pasadena, but his restless energy soon compelled 
 him to another enterprise which has endeared him to 
 hundreds of thousands of tourists and travelers, as well 
 as to the nature lovers of his own state. In sight of the 
 magnificent home that he had built on Orange Grove 
 Avenue are the beautiful peaks of the Sierra Madre 
 range of mountains, reaching from five thousand to 
 eleven thousand feet in snow-clad majesty from the foot- 
 hills to the clear blue of the Southern California sky. 
 Save for a few steep and almost impracticable trails all 
 these glorious heights were inaccessible to the majority 
 of people. Knowing their sublime beauty and re- 
 membering the enjoyment of the thousands who yearly 
 ride up the railway of his native Mount Washington, he 
 resolved to scale, with a railway, the most salient of 
 the higher peaks near Pasadena. With characteristic 
 energy his surveyors were sent into the field. Three 
 different parties reported it impossible by any ordinary 
 or known method of engineering — except at prohibitive 
 expense — to build a railway to the peaks he had chosen. 
 But to Professor Lowe, as to Napoleon, the word " im- 
 possible " is unknown. He determined the impossible. 
 He took one of the surveys that reached from Altadena 
 into the heart of the most picturesque canyon of the 
 range and graded and built the railway to a natural 
 
430 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 amphitheatre, where he completely bridged the canyon, 
 erected a novel structure, which combined hotel, dan- 
 cing pavilion, offices, banquet hall, etc., and then made 
 a mile or more of the canyon accessible by means of 
 plank walks and stairways, leading to fernbeds, moss 
 grottos and several exquisite and charming waterfalls. 
 The next desired elevation was thirteen hundred 
 feet above, on the summit of Echo Mountain. How to 
 reach it was the question. The engineers said " im- 
 possible," unless Professor Lowe w^as willing to spend 
 a fortune in cutting out a winding shelf to and fro 
 on the steep slopes. But this determined and clear- 
 sighted man, taking the problem into his own hands, 
 did the same as the great Alexander of Russia, when, 
 dissatisfied with the engineers' survey, he took a ruler 
 and drew a straight line on the map from St. Petersburg 
 to Moscow, exclaiming: " There is the route of my 
 railway. Now proceed to build it." Professor Lowe 
 instructed his engineers to grade an incline up the almost 
 perpendicular slope from Rubio Pavilion to the top 
 of Echo Mountain. They knew nothing of his plans, 
 but simply obeyed orders. When the grade was com- 
 pleted he ordered ties laid, wide enough for three rails, 
 except midway up the incline, where a wider track 
 would be required for a short distance. While the 
 grading had been going on he had planned a three- 
 railed track, upon which two balanced cars should ride, 
 one ascending, the other, descending, with an auto- 
 matic and fixed turnout in the centre, and this was now 
 put in place. A perfect hoisting machine had been 
 designed, which, as it revolved, gripped the inch and a 
 
THADDEUS S. C. LOWE 431 
 
 half steel wire cable to which the two cars were built, 
 and thus the Great Cable Incline became an assured 
 fact, and for seventeen years it has been operated, with- 
 out the stoppage of a single day, and without accident 
 or injury to any person whatsoever. 
 
 Still interested in his meteorological researches, Pro- 
 fessor Lowe now secured and placed upon Echo 
 Mountain the largest search light in the world, intend- 
 ing to use it for purposes of study of cloud movements 
 and wind currents. Then, a few hundred feet higher 
 up, he built and thoroughly equipped the Lowe Astro- 
 nomical Observatory, which he placed under the charge 
 of the eminent astronomer, Dr, Lewis Swift, who has 
 discovered and recorded more nebulae than any other 
 astronomer since the Herschels. 
 
 To give to thousands the enjoyment of the expansive 
 view from Echo Mountain he built two fine hotels, the 
 Chalet, and Echo Mountain House, and here guests 
 were entertained and privileged to gaze upon one of the 
 most beautiful and varied scenes in the world, including 
 the orange, lemon and other orchards of the San Gabriel 
 Valley, with the score of towns and villages that dot its 
 surface, the mountains, foot-hills, further valleys, sea- 
 beach, islands and placid-faced ocean. 
 
 Now his genius determined to reach greater heights, 
 and the Alpine Di\-ision of the Mount Lowe railway 
 was cut out of the solid granite mountain sides, 
 equipped and set in operation. This division opened 
 up to public enjoyment the great canyons of the Sierra 
 Madre and reached an elevation of five thousand feet 
 on the shoulders of the mountain that the officers 
 
432 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 of the Geological Survey decided should be named 
 Mount Lowe. Here, another large, picturesque and 
 well- equipped hotel, Alpine Tavern, was erected, in 
 the heart of a forest of pines, spruces and sycamores. 
 
 From this point it was Professor Lowe's intention 
 to extend the railway about three more miles, to the 
 summit of Mount Lowe, six thousand one hundred 
 feet above sea-level, where another hotel, built of the 
 solid granite of which the mountain itself is composed, 
 would have been erected. He also expected to estab- 
 lish an institution for the furtherance of pure and com- 
 mercial science, parts of which would have been an- 
 other astronomical observatory, with the largest tele- 
 scope which could be made, and a chemical laboratory 
 equipped fully for every department of analytical and 
 experimental work. Then, over the deep and mile wide 
 canyon separating Mount Lowe from the San Gabriel 
 (or Observatory) peak, a swinging cable railway was 
 planned. Timid and doubtful people could not realize 
 that such a railway is both practical and safe. From 
 suggestions and plans furnished by Professor Lowe 
 several of such aerial railways are now in successful 
 operation. Perhaps the most wonderful of them all is in 
 California, plying over the great canyon of the American 
 River, which passengers on the Central Pacific Railway 
 will remember as the abyss they gaze into as the 
 trains round Cape Horn. Here, cars loaded with logs, 
 weighing scores of tons, are hourly swung across the 
 canyon, where trains are made up and the logs drawn 
 to the saw-mill. The empty cars are returned by the 
 same method. 
 
THE GREAT INCLINE ON THE MOUNT LOWE RAILWAY. 
 
 Page 1,^2 
 
THADDEUS S. C. LOWE 433 
 
 These latter plans, however, were arrested by the 
 financial panic of 1893, at which time Professor Lowe 
 relinquished control of the railway. 
 
 Since then he has devoted himself to the perfect- 
 ing of another great invention, now successfully 
 installed in a working plant and more than fulfill- 
 ing his most sanguine expectations. By means of 
 this plant he takes the heavy crude petroleums 
 and refines them for practical uses. Thirty-five 
 per cent of the crude oil is thus made to pay the 
 original cost of the whole amount and the working 
 expenses of the refining process. The residue is now 
 made to yield an amount of asphaltum which more 
 than again pays the original cost of the whole 
 amount of oil. In the processes of refining, large 
 amounts of tar and lamp-black are extracted, and 
 these have hitherto been regarded as almost worth- 
 less. By this new process a mixture of these worth- 
 less by-products is converted, in nineteen hours, to 
 the most hard, solid and perfect metallurgical coke 
 known. Here then is one plant performing three 
 successive operations with the same crude product (in 
 diilerent stages of manipulation), each one of which 
 pays the whole cost of the operations and of the original 
 product, viz., refining the oil, the making of asphaltum, 
 and the production of coke. But in these various 
 processes another product of great value has been 
 generated in vast quantity. To produce the results 
 aforementioned a terrific heat has had to be created 
 and maintained. At this great temperature not only 
 are the gases in the oil decomposed, but also the gases 
 
434 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 of the water that is injected into the ovens. These gases 
 are collected, forced through a washer which retains 
 the heavy carbons, known as lamp-black, and through 
 the scrubber, which removes the tar. They are then 
 condensed and purified and thus become the purest 
 and best of illuminating and fuel gas ready for distribu- 
 tion through mains and pipes to the various consumers 
 of a large or small city. The gas is thus practically 
 a free gift to the operators of the plant. 
 
 But this is only a part of the story. In all coke- 
 oven systems and other similar plants, where immense 
 heat must be secured and maintained, it has been found 
 impossible hitherto to prevent a large loss of heat 
 through the flues and chimneys necessary for the draft, 
 without which the heat could not be obtained. By an 
 ingenious, practical and thoroughly well-tested system, 
 Professor Lowe has now arrested this loss of heat, and 
 turns it to good account by generating steam which 
 operates large engines, produces electric power, runs 
 an ice-making and also a refrigerating plant, and also 
 gives to the operators a large amount of steam and 
 electric power for sale. 
 
 By means, therefore, of this plant, a large or small 
 city can make its own hard fuel (Lowe anthracite coke), 
 asphaltum, ice, refrigeration and gas, and supply all the 
 steam and electric power needed, and the whole thing 
 be run under one management, under one roof and at 
 one expense. 
 
 Hence, in looking over this one man's life, we find 
 he has invented and given to the world the following 
 beneficial and useful inventions and institutions. 
 
THADDEUS S. C. LOWE 435 
 
 1. The use of balloons during war for observations 
 upon the movements of the enemy. 
 
 2. Artificial refrigeration of steamships, and rail- 
 v^ay cars for the transportation of perishable food 
 products. 
 
 3. Artificial Ice. 
 
 4. Cheaper and better illuminating gas. 
 
 5. The Mount Lowe Railway. 
 
 6. The Lowe Observatory. 
 
 7. A later invention, which reduces the cost of 
 illuminating and fuel gas to the minimum. 
 
 Is it any wonder then, that, in his native village of 
 Jefferson Mills (now Riverton, New Hampshire) his 
 seventy- fifth birthday was made the occasion of a 
 wonderful demonstration in his honor. The selectmen 
 and citizens of the town extended invitations to the 
 whole countryside, and on August 20, 1907, a salute of 
 seventy- five guns was fired from a battery under 
 the control of the veterans of Lancaster and neigh- 
 boring cities. After appropriate exercises, when a 
 great flag, twenty by thirty feet, sent by Professor 
 Lowe, was presented to the town, and raised upon 
 the newly erected flagpole, the enthusiasm was 
 immense among the many thousands who were as- 
 sembled. Thus New Hampshire royally honored 
 its distinguished native son. Though a native of 
 New Hampshire, Professor Lowe is essentially a 
 Californian in spirit. For over twenty years he has 
 made it his own State. His noble and cultured 
 wife, who, as a scientist, is almost as well-known 
 as her husband, has borne him thirteen sons and 
 
436 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 daughters, nine of whom are still living. He is 
 many times a grandparent and his sons are markedly 
 men of affairs. 
 
 Favored with opportunities to know Professor Lowe 
 and his work in most intimate fashion, I regard him as 
 one of the world's great heroes. His chief character- 
 istic has been and is a desire to benefit and bless the 
 common man. He is now working upon plans for an 
 airship outlined while he soared in the upper air 
 during his balloon experiences in war times. Were 
 he thirty or even twenty years younger, one might 
 well prophecy that in six months he would be roam- 
 ing from one capital of the world to another, travel- 
 ing at will in the upper heavens, carrying not one or 
 two solitary passengers, but taking twenty, thirty or 
 more, in as great comfort as is now enjoyed by pas- 
 sengers on the most palatially-appointed trains, and 
 with less risk of accident. 
 
 A hero of war, he has been no less a hero of peace, and 
 in the years to come his fame will increase as the world 
 becomes better acquainted with his beneficent achieve- 
 ments. 
 
CHAPTER XXXVIII 
 
 THE RECLAMATION HEROES OF THE COLORADO 
 DESERT, — WOZENCRAFT, ROCKWOOD AND CHAFFEY 
 
 ^"P^HERE have been few changes in Cahfornia — 
 -"- that landof remarkadleand wonderful changes — 
 so remarkable and wonderful as that which, in less than 
 a single decade, has changed a portion of the arid, 
 desolate, awe-inspiring solitudes and wastes of the 
 Colorado Desert into a great empire, forming a new 
 county, proudly bearing the suggestive name — Im- 
 perial. In other chapters the marvels of irrigation have 
 been presented, but thgre is nothing in the whole 
 history of the subject that deals with such dramatic 
 changes as those that concern the Colorado Desert 
 and Imperial County. 
 
 A few hundred years ago this desert was an arm 
 of the Gulf of Cahfornia. Let the reader glance at a 
 good map of California and endeavor to see the salt 
 waters of this gulf extending northward to the San 
 Bernardino range of mountains and covering all the 
 country now occupied by Yuma, Imperial, etc., up to 
 Indio and Palm Springs. The beaches of the gulf 
 shore line are still in evidence, and may be followed for 
 hundreds of miles. 
 
 The Colorado River was the instrument that changed 
 this arm of the sea into a desert. Every year it brought 
 
438 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 down millions of tons of sand, silt and rock-debris in its 
 swirling and swiftly flowing waters and ejected them 
 from its mouth to settle and sink and slowly fill up 
 the contiguous sea-bottom. In one year recently, scien- 
 tific calculations were made, and it was found that, 
 in that short time, about one hundred and twenty mil- 
 lions of tons of sand and silt were thus carried in solu- 
 tion and suspension by the Colorado River ; and this did 
 not take into account the small rocks and pebbles that 
 were rolled along on its bottom. With this suggestive 
 fact as a basis of calculation, the mind soon staggers 
 under the burden of figuring what ten, twenty, fifty 
 centuries have accomplished. Millions of millions of 
 tons removed bodily by the storms, cataclysms, world- 
 making throes from the plateaus of Wyoming, Utah, 
 Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona to be redeposited in 
 the bed of the gulf, and thus build up new land for 
 the occupancy of man in ages yet to come. 
 
 This is the process, and it is even now being carried 
 on. The mouth of the Colorado each year is slowly 
 being forced further south, the body — the banks — 
 of the river being elongated to correspond to the south- 
 ward movement of the mouth. 
 
 In leaving the country high and dry, however, certain 
 singular conditions were brought about. For instance, 
 a little below vv'here Yuma is now located, the river made 
 a sudden bend to the west. The result was it ejected its 
 sand and silt transversely across the gulf to the great 
 mountain range, which rose abruptly from the waters 
 and formed the backbone of the peninsula of Lower 
 California. In course of time, this portion of the gulf 
 
THE RECLAMATION HEROES 439 
 
 was so filled up that at low water one could walk across 
 the ridge formed by the deposits from Yuma to the 
 mountains. This detached the portion of the gulf above 
 this ridge from the main body, and thus made an 
 inland salt lake, that reached up to the foot of the San 
 Bernardino range to the north. Little by little, this 
 lake filled up and evaporated, until, in the course of 
 many years, it became dry land, only a small part of it 
 remaining below sea-level. 
 
 Thus it was when the eyes of the white man first 
 saw it. When Melchior Diaz and Juan de Ohate — 
 old Spanish explorers — gazed upon it, they doubtless 
 expressed the feeling of countless later thousands when 
 they declared it " God- forsaken." So, too, undoubtedly 
 felt Captain Juan Bautista de Anza, who conquered its 
 tracklessness and took the colonists for the soon-to-be- 
 founded San Francisco over its sun-scorched horrors. 
 But fifty years ago a man of vision saw it. His eyes 
 closed, and he looked fifty years — a hundred ■ — 
 ahead, and dreamed the dreams that such men often 
 dream, while the prosaic and wide-awake world looks 
 on and calls them " impractical fools." Then this 
 dreamer began to set in motion the wheels that he 
 hoped might help to make his dream come into the realm 
 of the practical. He appealed to the State legislature 
 and received a grant of all the State's interest in the 
 lands named. The State legislature also instructed 
 California representatives and senators in Congress to 
 support a bill granting sixteen hundred square miles 
 to him and his associates in consideration of their 
 reclaiming the same by means of water diverted from 
 
440 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 the Colorado River, The House Committee on Public 
 Lands, in reporting favorably on this bill, said in part: 
 
 " This tract embraces (according to Lieutenant 
 Brigland) about sixteen hundred square miles in the 
 basin of what is now and must remain, until an ener- 
 getic and expensive system of reclamation is inaugu- 
 rated, and brought to successful completion, a valueless 
 and horrible desert. . . . 
 
 " From the report of the several reconnoitering parties 
 sent out by the government, from United States sur- 
 veyors Avho have made extended government surveys 
 over it, and from the reports of army officers, who have 
 frequently traversed it, comes the concurrent and uni- 
 versal testimony of its utter aridity and barrenness." 
 
 This dreamer was Dr. O. M. Wozencraft, of San 
 Bernardino, California, and his plan was to take the 
 stream that had made the desert and compel it to 
 nourish and sustain the desert by irrigation, until it 
 would fulfil the Biblical prophecy and blossom as the 
 rose. This gentleman was a practising physician of 
 culture and refinement, for a while the Indian agent 
 of Southern California, who died in the nineties hon- 
 ored and respected. His great desert plan, however, 
 while gaining the sanction of Congress, was swept aside 
 by the turmoil of the Civil War, and it was left for 
 others to carry it to ultimate success. 
 
 In 1892, John C. Beatty, a company promoter, and 
 described as " of the Colonel Sellers type of man," took 
 up the project and formed the Colorado River Irriga- 
 tion Company, securing the services of Mr. C. R. 
 Rockwood as engineer to make surveys and report 
 
THE RECLAMATION HEROES 441 
 
 on the feasibility of the undertaking. Rockwood made 
 surveys in 1892 -1893 from a proposed heading on the 
 Colorado River known as Pot Holes, situated about 
 twelve miles north of Yuma, and a mile below the spot 
 where the United States Reclamation Service has since 
 built the great Laguna Dam. Beatty interested a large 
 number of people, from a member of the Cabinet 
 to hotel bell boys, in purchasing the stock of his com- 
 pany, but no actual construction work of any kind 
 was done. 
 
 For three years Beatty struggled, then practically 
 abandoned the project. But Rockwood had now 
 become interested, and he determined to try to carry it 
 through to success. He organized a company, with 
 the aid of others, and continued to endeavor to interest 
 capital to carry it through to completion. 
 
 But to most men it seemed too chimerical, too prob- 
 lematic, too risky, to venture large sums of money 
 upon. " Capital " is always conservative, unless it 
 is practically assured of large and certain return. 
 And gigantic schemes of this nature never would be 
 carried out, unless there were a few men in the world 
 who have, in addition to the poet's vision, sufficient 
 capital to enable them to carry out their plans. 
 
 Such a man w^as now found to actualize what others 
 had dreamed about, in the person of George Chaff ey, 
 a Canadian, born in the year of the California gold ex- 
 citement (1848), whose experiences especially fitted 
 him for just such a work. Mr. Chaffey was a practical 
 engineer ■ — one who had actually done things, who had 
 come to Southern California in 1880, and the following 
 
442 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 year had purchased one of the old Spanish ranches 
 a few miles from San Bernardino. With his brother, 
 W. B. Chaff ey, he constructed a water system, which 
 brought the water from the near-by mountain canyon 
 and conveyed it to the ten-acre lots into which he sub- 
 divided the land. These watered lots were then sold 
 to settlers, and the town of Etiwanda started. This 
 was one of the first of the settlements of Southern Cali- 
 fornia that have since changed the country from a vast 
 cattle ranch into contiguous groups of successful fruit 
 farms. 
 
 Etiwanda was such an instantaneous success that 
 the following year the Chaffey brothers purchased a 
 portion of the old Cucamonga Rancho; subdivided it 
 as before; named it Ontario, after their native prov- 
 ince; and placed it on the market. 
 
 In the meanwhile he had done other useful public 
 services, which it is not out of place to mention here. 
 First, in far-reaching importance, was the perfecting, 
 in association with ]\Ir. L. M. Holt of Riverside, of the 
 mutual-company system of water distribution, which 
 has since formed the basis of all methods. Hitherto 
 each land-owner claimed a certain amount of water 
 from a certain stream or supply. If a ditch had to be 
 constructed, all he cared about was to see that the 
 water, in sufficient quantity, reached his land. In 
 early days, when there were few claimants for water, 
 this plan was fairly successful, but when a hundred 
 claimants were clamoring for water, and found its use 
 imperative to make their lands cultivable and preserve 
 their newly planted orange and lemon trees alive, some 
 
THE RECLAMATION HEROES 443 
 
 more generally efficient system was found necessary. 
 For it can readily be seen that if there were, say, forty 
 claimants to the water, those that were near to the 
 source, or to the distributing ditch, would have a great 
 advantage over the others who were further away. 
 If the first class received all the water their lands needed, 
 they would not be apt to care very much about those 
 of the second class. Hence, if the ditch banks broke, or 
 the service was in any way impeded, it became a case 
 of each man caring for himself and the " de'il caring 
 for the hinder mdst," 
 
 By the mutual method devised and put into practical 
 operation by Messrs. Chaffey and Holt at Etiwanda 
 and Ontario, the company as a whole became respon- 
 sible for the distribution of water to the lands of the 
 most remote and inaccessible as well as to those near by. 
 
 In that same year of 1882, Mr. Chaffey started the 
 first electric light plant run by water power in Southern 
 California, and also installed an electric light system 
 in Los Angeles, making that city the first municipality 
 in the United States exclusively lighted by electricity. 
 Some of the high masts then erected by Mr. Chaffey 
 are still standing in Los Angeles, shedding their light 
 over the new conditions as they did thirty years ago 
 over the old. 
 
 These things are referred to as showing the active 
 and practical bent of Mr. ChafTey's mind and his 
 ability to seize upon the unapplied forces of nature and 
 utilize them for man's benefit. 
 
 Ontario grew rapidly. Euclid Avenue — a magnifi- 
 cent road that stretched across the entire valley — 
 
444 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 was planted out, a college endowed and started, and 
 another innovation, the first tunnel for water, was con- 
 structed under the bed of San Antonio Canyon to tap 
 the underground flow of water which was found to exist. 
 This was another idea that has revolutionized the con- 
 servation of water in Southern California, such towns 
 as Pasadena securing the major portion of their water- 
 supply by this tunneling method. Ontario was soon 
 covered with a system of cement and iron pipes for the 
 delivery of water, so that irrigation could be system- 
 atized and thorough, and thus render fruit culture 
 independent of rainfall. 
 
 Such thorough and practical work soon made On- 
 tario known as the " model colony." Its success was 
 heralded far and wide. It barred out saloons and fos- 
 tered only the progressive and helpful, and when, in 
 1904, the United States government wished to exhibit 
 to the world what it regarded as a model colony, On- 
 tario was the one selected. Hundreds of thousands of 
 people saw that model exhibit, and saw the concrete 
 results of Mr. Chaffey's foresight, skill and practical 
 endeavor. 
 
 But he was not yet prepared to undertake the great 
 task Dr. Wozencraft had in mind. Though the " vi- 
 sionary " urged him to take it in hand, it, as yet, seemed 
 utterly impracticable. So, as if in unconscious working 
 out to an unseen and divine plan, in 1885, a royal com- 
 mission appointed by the government of Victoria, 
 Australia, visited California for the purpose of studying 
 and reporting on irrigation methods. In due time they 
 reached Etiwanda and Ontario, and came in touch 
 
THE RECLAMATION HEROES 445 
 
 with Mr. Chaffey. They were so impressed with what 
 they saw, and the man who had been chiefly instru- 
 mental in achieving it, that they immediately made 
 arrangements with him and his brother to under- 
 take certain reclamation projects by irrigation in 
 Australia. The history of the colonies of Mildura 
 in Victoria, and Renmark in South Australia, read like 
 a fairy tale, which I should much like to recount in 
 these pages, but which can only briefly be touched 
 upon because they gave to Mr. Chaffey the personal 
 experience of the perfect practicability of reclaiming 
 desert land in the hottest kind of a climate, which led 
 him ultimately to revise his earlier adverse decision 
 about the reclamation of the lands of the Colorado 
 Desert. 
 
 Riches and honor in full measure were assured to 
 him in this land of his latest endeavor, had he cared 
 to remain, but the allurements of his beloved California 
 were too great to be long resisted, and as soon as he 
 saw the early fruition of his labors in Australia and 
 found his brother willing to superintend them, he 
 returned to the Golden State. 
 
 Now he was ready for the greatest achievement of 
 all. Mr. Rockwood and his associates were almost in 
 despair. Financiers fought shy of their plan because 
 of the great initial expense, and the altogether unprom- 
 ising appearance of the land to be reclaimed. All the 
 surveys and estimates hitherto made had placed the 
 first cost of the canals at not less than one million 
 dollars, and it seemed a hopeless task to raise so large 
 a sum. At last Mr. Chaffey was appealed to by Messrs. 
 
446 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Rockwood and Ferguson, as twenty years before he 
 had been called upon by Dr. Wozencraft. But now 
 his eyes were opened. He made a thorough examina- 
 tion of the water supply and the soil of the desert, 
 taking into consideration all the physical and climatic 
 conditions. He now saw the merit of the proposition, 
 and his mind leaped to the gigantic nature of the task. 
 He threw himself, soul and body, into its accomplish- 
 ment. At the outset he determined to abandon all the 
 surveys that had hitherto been made and follow a 
 new line which he saw was feasible. Given a free hand, 
 with characteristic push and energy, guided by his 
 large experience, he went to w^ork. Morning, noon 
 and night he was personally in the field, directing 
 operations and seeing that they were carried out 
 as he desired. Thus the heading was built and 
 the main canal constructed. Yonder in the desert 
 Mr. Rockwood was surveying laterals, distributing 
 canals, and getting them dug ready for the water that 
 Mr. Chaff ey promised in a few months. In May, 1901, 
 water was on the desert. Settlers began to pour in. 
 The land was government land, free, or nearly so, for 
 the taking, by those who were willing actually to live 
 upon it. The water only was charged for, and a number 
 of mutual-water companies were organized, each to 
 control its own district, and each to have a certain 
 amount of responsibility and control of the parent 
 company w'hich supplied water to them all. But all 
 did not go with proverbial smoothness. And, while it 
 is not my purpose to enter into any dispute or argument, 
 it does seem to me necessary to a clear understanding 
 
A CAMP OF DITCH-MAKERS IN IMPERIAL VALLEY, I90I. 
 
 Page .'fSO 
 
 EGYPTIAN CORN, IMPERIAL VALLEY, IN igO/. 
 
 Page i,r,l 
 
THE RECLAMATION HEROES 447 
 
 of Chaffey's heroic character that I state a few of the 
 extra difficulties he had to overcome in addition to those 
 necessarily incident to his great undertaking. 
 
 When Mr. Chaffey contracted to construct the head- 
 ing and canals, and supply water to the Imperial 
 Valley (Colorado Desert) lands, he was made president 
 of the California Development Company, and given full 
 control, both of the company's finances and its engi- 
 neering. But the books of the company were in New 
 York, and he was not fully aware of the actual condi- 
 tion of affairs as was later revealed. 
 
 At this time he was under the impression — which 
 his contract clearly justifies ■ — that the company owned 
 one hundred thousand acres of land in Mexico, through 
 which the water alone could be conveyed to the dis- 
 tributing canals in the Imperial Valley, and also owned 
 an option for the purchase of the necessary land at the 
 site chosen for the heading on the Colorado River, where 
 it was now determined to divert the water. The con- 
 trol or ownership of these two pieces of property was the 
 key to the situation, and supposing that the company 
 controlled them, Chaffey began work and called for 
 settlers to come and take the land he would soon make 
 valuable. Realizing what he had done at Etiwanda, 
 Ontario, Mildura and Renmark, many people came 
 and took up land, actually preparing to settle upon it 
 and cultivate it as soon as the water commenced to 
 flow. Then, to his chagrin, Chaffey found that his 
 company did not own the Mexican land, that the option 
 had expired on the land needful for the Colorado River 
 heading, and also that the Attorney General of New 
 
448 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Jersey had commenced suit against the company 
 for the annulment of its charter on the ground that it 
 had not paid its annual tax. That, in fact, the Cali- 
 fornia Development Company was in a moribund 
 condition, on the verge of legal dissolution, and that all 
 connected were on the point of abandoning it to its fate. 
 
 A weaker man would have thrown up his contract 
 and washed his hands of the whole affair. But not so 
 Chaff ey. On the strength of his representations and 
 because of his reputation for honorable dealing and 
 accomplishment of his undertakings, innocent men 
 and women had invested their little all and made the 
 great move of their lives upon the Imperial lands. 
 He practically began at the beginning again — secured 
 the Mexican lands and the land for the head -gates 
 on the Colorado River by actual purchase, and freed 
 the charter from jeopardy by payment of the unpaid 
 taxes, thus putting the company upon a sound finan- 
 cial basis. He also accepted a burden of liabilities 
 to the amount of four hundred thousand dollars, 
 principally in the form of script, interchangeable for 
 water rights at its face value, which had been dis- 
 posed of by the earlier promoters of the company at 
 a ridiculously small percentage, every cent of which 
 had been swallowed up in promotion expenses. Not 
 a spadeful of earth had been turned, or any other 
 work done, save the making of the surveys some 
 of which he had been compelled to abandon on ac- 
 count of the prohibitive expense of carrying them out. 
 
 These were some of the difhculties that Mr. Chaffey 
 overcame. The water was given to the Imperial Valley 
 
THE RECLAMATION HEROES 449 
 
 and its reign begun. With his later relationship to the 
 project it is not necessary here to speak. 
 
 But a few words must be said descriptive of the 
 County of Imperial, which is made up entirely of this 
 land, that less than ten years ago was virgin desert. 
 
 The new county was formed in 1906. It is practi- 
 cally the whole western end of what was San Diego 
 County, and embraces an area of four thousand square 
 miles. As already shown it is a part of the great basin 
 into which the sand and silt of the Colorado River was 
 emptied for centuries, hence is composed of a soil whose 
 richness, fertility and depth no man can estimate. And 
 as if to provide for all future ages the Colorado River 
 — the Nile of America — continues to bring down in its 
 waters rich fertilizers, which the government experts 
 claim have a market value of about $3.50 per acre 
 foot. As the actual cost of the water to ranchers, for 
 irrigation purposes, is about fifty cents an acre, the 
 value of the river to the settler can well be understood. 
 
 It may be stated without fear of contradiction, that 
 the Imperial Valley is one of the fertile spots of the 
 world. There is scarcely anything that can be grown 
 anywhere that does not thrive and do well here. Even 
 bananas and dates — those fruits that require great 
 heat to ripen them, and plenty of water to soak their 
 tree roots — do remarkably well, and such crops as 
 sweet potatoes, Bermuda onions, Smyrna figs and canta- 
 loupes are already bringing large returns. Kaffir, 
 Indian and Egyptian corn, sorghum, and alfalfa are 
 raised, not by the hundreds of acres, but by the hun- 
 dreds of thousands of acres, as feed for stock. Alfalfa 
 
450 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 regularly gives from six to nine crops annually, and 
 yields from a ton to a ton and a half at a cutting. 
 Grapes, oranges, and all citrus fruits, as well as apri- 
 cots, peaches, and other deciduous fruits, thrive as well 
 as in any part of California, and scores of car loads, 
 both green and dried, are shipped from the valley every 
 season. Last year, 1909, a successful experimental 
 farmer had one thousand acres of cotton come to 
 maturity, and after thorough testing it is found to be of 
 the finest quality the United States has yet produced. 
 Among some of the finest samples is one grown from 
 Egyptian seed, which repeated experiments have dem- 
 onstrated will not grow in the South. Here it has de- 
 veloped even better than in its original habitat, and 
 large quantities are already planted for next season. 
 
 The close proximity of the Imperial Valley to San 
 Diego and Los Angeles renders transportation and 
 sale of all its commodities comparatively easy, and, 
 as there are satisfactory indications that the oil field — 
 which has revolutionized the fuel and manufacturing 
 problems of Southern California — extends into the 
 Colorado Desert and practically surrounds Imperial 
 County, it is a reasonably safe prophecy that ere long 
 mills will be established in the very heart of the new 
 cotton belt and thus use up the product on the spot. 
 
 The growth of this remarkable young county — al- 
 ready full-fledged, powerful, thriving and with a recog- 
 nized influence — is no less a testimony to the heroic 
 work of George Chaffey than to the foresight of Dr. 
 Wozencraft and the persistent promotion of C. R- 
 Rockwood. 
 
CHAPTER XXXIX 
 
 THE POET HERO FOR HUMANITY, EDWIN 
 MARKHAM 
 
 ^~1~^HE world has ever honored the bravery of the 
 -*- warrior. Its plaudits and favors have been show- 
 ered upon those it has been pleased to call its " heroes." 
 Indeed so wedded has heroism become with militarism 
 in the minds of the masses that if one speaks of a hero 
 he is almost immediately asked: What battle did he 
 fight ? What victory did he win ? 
 
 Yet, while physical courage should be commended, 
 it is only the lowest order of which man — the living 
 soul — is capable, — there is mental courage, and, 
 higher still, spiritual courage. It is of this latter quality 
 that Edwin Markham in writing and publishing his 
 poem, The Man with the Hoe, gives us a noteworthy 
 example. At the time this poem was published, Mark- 
 ham was the principal of a grammar school in Oakland. 
 He had worked his own way up from the plow and the 
 forge to an honored position in one of California's 
 largest cities. Naturally he was ambitious, and his 
 poetic gifts were slowly coming to be recognized. Being 
 a man of discernment, he knew full well that those who 
 have favors, wealth and patronage to distribute do not 
 like to be criticized, and they resent any attack made 
 upon the manner in which they have gained their 
 
452 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 wealth, or the system under which they Hve that has 
 made its accumulation possible. Hence he was aware 
 that if, in any way, he attacked, or even seemed to 
 attack, the wealthy and their methods of gaining 
 wealth, he would become a strong candidate for their 
 disfavor and a direct object for their disapproval and 
 rejection. If, in addition to attacking the present 
 selfish method of accumulating great fortunes, he took 
 up the cause, and allied himself with those who were 
 trodden under foot by the inordinately rich, he would 
 add insult to offense and put himself decidedly beyond 
 the pale of those who could confer large and desirable 
 favors. 
 
 To do this required a pure soul, a clear vision and 
 manly courage, and these qualities I claim for Edwin 
 Markham in the writing and publishing of 
 
 "THE MAN WITH THE HOE"» 
 
 " God made man in His own imagfe, 
 
 in the image of God made He him." — GeTiesis. 
 
 Bowed by the weight of centuries he leans 
 Upon his hoe and gazes on the ground, 
 The emptiness of ages in his face, 
 And on his back the burden of the world. 
 Who made him dead to rapture and despair, 
 A thing that grieves not and that never hopes, 
 Stolid and stunned, a brother to the ox? 
 Who loosened and let down this brutal jaw? 
 Whose was the hand that slanted back this brow? 
 Whose breath blew out the light within this brain? 
 
 Is this the Thing the Lord God made and gave 
 To have dominion over sea and land; 
 
 1 Reprinted by kind permission of Mr. Markham and his pub- 
 lishers, McClure and Co., New York. 
 
J^cf^r.iJiiCiJ hy pcniiissioii. 
 
 Cotynght, J'JUa, by A. E. Biajlcy. 
 
 EDWIN MARKHAM. 
 
 Page ^53 
 
.-■ ■■;,■■; 
 
 
 A PLAYA OR BED OF A DRY LAKE IN THE COLORADO DESERT. 
 
 Page li'iZ 
 
 A BEET FIELD IN IMPERIAL VALLEY, I907. 
 
 Page Ji52 
 
EDWIN MARKHAM 453 
 
 To trace the stars and search the heavens for power; 
 
 To feel the passion of Eternity? 
 
 Is this the Dream He dreamed who shaped the suns 
 
 And marked their ways upon the ancient deep? 
 
 Down all the stretch of Hell to its last gulf 
 
 There is no shape more terrible than this — 
 
 More tongued with censure of the world's blind greed — 
 
 More filled with signs and portents for the soul — 
 
 More fraught with menace to the universe. 
 
 What gulfs between him and the seraphim! 
 Slave of the wheel of labor, what to him 
 Are Plato and the swing of Pleiades? 
 What the long reaches of the peaks of song, 
 The rift of dawn, the reddening of the rose? 
 Through this dread shape the sufifering ages look; 
 Time's tragedy is in that aching stoop; 
 Through this dread shape humanity betrayed, 
 Plundered, profaned and disinherited, 
 Cries protest to the Judges of the World, 
 A protest that is also prophecy. 
 
 O masters, lords and rulers in all lands, 
 
 Is this ithe handiwork you give to God, 
 
 This monstrous thing distorted and soul-quenched? 
 
 How will you ever straighten up this shape ; 
 
 Touch it again with immortality; 
 
 Give back the upward looking and the light ; 
 
 Rebuild in it the music and the dream; 
 
 Make right the immemorial infamies, 
 
 Perfidious wrongs, immedicable woes? 
 
 O masters lords and rulers in all lands. 
 How will the Future reckon with this Man? 
 How answer his brute question in that hour 
 When whirlwinds of rebellion shake the world? 
 How will it be with kingdoms and with kings — 
 With those who shaped him to the thing he is — 
 When this dumb Terror shall reply to God 
 After the silence of the centuries? 
 
454 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Immediately on its publication the fierce fires of 
 controversy and condemnation began to rage. Mark- 
 ham was bitterly assailed and the assertion made that 
 his poem was an insult to labor. He finally made reply, 
 and from this reply I cull the following. 
 
 After showing that his poem does not refer to all 
 farm-toilers and laborers, those who are well-paid, 
 happy and contented, those who know the poetry of the 
 farm, he tells of his own boyhood experiences and then 
 continues: 
 
 " These things are deep and sweet in memory, but 
 I know also the prose of the farm. I know the hard, 
 endless work in the hot sun, the chilling rain; I know 
 the fight against the Death-clutch reaching to take the 
 home when crops have failed or prices fallen. I know 
 the loneliness of the stretching plain, with the whirl of 
 the dust underfoot and the whirl of the hawk overhead. 
 I know the dull sense of hopelessness that beats upon 
 the heart in that monotonous drudgery that leads no- 
 where, that has no light ahead. 
 
 " Fourteen years ago "(this was ^vritten in 1900), " I 
 came upon a small print of Millet's picture of The- 
 Hoeman; and it at once struck my heart and my im- 
 agination. It was then that I jotted down the rough 
 'field notes ' of my poem. For years I kept the print 
 on my wall, and the pain of it in my heart. And then 
 (ten years ago) I chanced upon the original painting 
 itself. 
 
 " For an hour I stood before the painting, absorbing 
 the majesty of its despair, the tremendous import of 
 its admonition. I stood there, the power and terror 
 
EDWIN MARKHAM 455 
 
 of the thing growing upon my heart, the pity and the 
 sorrow of it eating into my soul. It came to me with a 
 dim echo of my own Hfe — came with its pitiless pathos 
 and mournful grandeur. 
 
 " I soon realized that Millet puts before us no chance 
 toiler, no mere man of the fields. No; this stunned 
 and stolid peasant is the type of industrial oppression 
 in all lands and in all labors. He might be a man 
 with a needle in a New York sweat-shop, a man with 
 a pick in a West Virginia coal-mine, a man with a hod 
 in a London alley, a man with a spade on the banks 
 of the Zuyder Zee. 
 
 " The Hoeman is the symbol of betrayed humanity, 
 the Toiler ground down through ages of oppression, 
 through ages of social injustice. He is the man pushed 
 away from the land by those who fail to use the land, 
 till at last he has become a serf, with no mind in his 
 muscle and no heart in his handiwork. He is the 
 man pushed back and shrunken up by the special 
 privileges conferred upon the Few. 
 
 " In the Hoeman we see the slow, sure, awful degra- 
 dation of man through endless, hopeless, and joyless 
 labor. Did I say labor? No — drudgery! This man's 
 battle with the world has been too brutal. He is not 
 going upward in step with the divine music of the 
 world. The motion of his life has been arrested, if not 
 actually reversed. He is a hulk of humanity, degraded 
 below the level of the roving savage, who has a step 
 of dignity, a tongue of eloquence. The Hoeman is 
 not a remnant of prehistoric times; he is not a relic of 
 barbarism. He is the savage of civilization. 
 
456 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 " The Hoeman is the effigy of man, a being with 
 no outlet to his Ufe, no upHft to his soul — a being with 
 no time to rest, no time to think, no time to pray, no 
 time for the mighty hopes that make us men. 
 
 " His battle has not been confined to his own life: 
 it extends backward in grim and shadowy outline 
 through his long train of ancestry. He was seen of 
 old among the brickmakers of Egypt, among the mil- 
 lions who lifted wearily the walls of Ilium, who carved 
 the pillars of Karnak and paved the Appian Way. 
 He is seen to-day among the stooped, silent toilers 
 who build London and beautify her tombs and palaces. 
 
 " These were some of the memories and agitations 
 that pressed upon my soul as I stood in the presence 
 of this dread thing — the Accuser of the world. So I 
 was forced to utter the awe and grief of my spirit for 
 the ruined majesty of this son of God. So the poem 
 took shape. It sprang from my long purpose to speak 
 a word for the Humiliated and the Wronged. I have 
 borne my witness. It is said; it is truth; let it stand." 
 
 There you have the poet's own fearless declaration. 
 There are those who deny that any of humanity has 
 ever been wronged, but Markham saw with clearer 
 vision, and when he saw, he at once ranked himself 
 with all the power of his genius on the side of the down- 
 trodden, the lowly, the despised, the friendless. As 
 Joaquin Miller eloquently wTOte of him: " Consider 
 what Markham put aside, as putting aside a crown, 
 to take his place with the poor and the despised. 
 Wealth (enough, at least), books and a great knowl- 
 edge of books, high honors and the esteem of great 
 
EDWIN MARKHAM 457 
 
 and good men; the love of men and the idolatry of 
 women. We scribes used to call him ' Jove ' in his 
 stately young prime when speaking of him, so majestic 
 was his presence. Yet he put it all by and became a 
 blacksmith, a mighty sledge in his strong right hand 
 to batter down the prison doors, and break the chains 
 of blind men in prison grinding at a mill." 
 
 He saw that some men were being forced by dire 
 necessity to work too hard, that other men might have 
 ease; they were not having any opportunity to think 
 of anything save the grinding toil of the field, the 
 foundry, the mill, the shop. So he voiced his protest 
 against such inhumanity and unbrotherliness. And how 
 the blows rang ; how the iron struck fire ; how the heat 
 burned and seared. The world felt the blows, and 
 men and women who had been asleep in their own 
 selfish comfort and pampered luxury awoke to the 
 sorrows, sufferings and needless woes of others. His 
 direct questions were sharp-pointed arrows that pene- 
 trated the joints of the selfish armor of men. 
 
 It matters not what answer the lords and rulers 
 of the lands throughout all the ages give; what ex- 
 cuses fall from their ready tongues; what salves the 
 prophets of soft things apply to their consciences; 
 there is no ignoring the fact that millions of human 
 beings to-day know none of the joys, the delights, 
 the blessings of mental and spiritual elevation and in- 
 spiration. They have had no chance. They have 
 been kept too busy doing the hard work of the world, 
 and some day the query from the very lips of God will 
 startle the luxurious and selfish and greedy of this 
 
458 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 world with the question asked in the earlier ages of 
 mankind : What hast thou done to thy brother ? 
 
 Since his removal to the East other injustices to 
 the helpless, defenseless and championless have 
 aroused his indignation and led to his entering the 
 arena on their behalf. There are few things in 
 American literature more calculated to stir the heart 
 than his tremendous appeals for the working children 
 of our land. He made a personal study of child 
 labor in the factories, mills, work-shops, etc., through- 
 out the country, and embodied the results, with all 
 the power of his genius and sympathetic humanity, in 
 a series of articles in the Cosmopolitan Magazine. 
 With the flaming Sword of Right and Justice he cut 
 away the glittering tinsels of sophistry and attempted 
 justification the " rulers of this world " wrapped 
 around their cruel inhumanity, and in clear and 
 trumpet tones called upon all true men, who believed 
 in the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of 
 Man, to come to the rescue of these helpless and out- 
 raged little ones. 
 
 Only a man of spiritual power and intense reliance 
 upon the God of justice would have dared so openly 
 and so boldly to demand justice and love for his needy 
 and helpless brother. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 THE HONEST HERO OF THE FREE HARBOR, STEPHEN 
 M. WHITE 
 
 YOU will meet with the idea prevalent in the 
 world that a man has a right to be selfish, to 
 look at every proposition and ask : " What is there in 
 it for me ? " and that the acquisition of money is the 
 desirable thing. This is certainly a mistake. The men 
 who are regarded as moral heroes, even by selfish and 
 wicked men, are those who are unselfish and who ad- 
 here to high and noble principle. Money is not the 
 test of success. Neither is fame. Yet when fame and 
 the honor and respect of the world come as the re- 
 sult of fidelity to principle when seeming self-interest 
 beckoned into other paths, fame and honor and respect 
 alike are to be estimated as high rewards and valued 
 accordingly. 
 
 These remarks find their illustration in the career 
 of Stephen M. White, United States Senator from 
 California during the years 1893 to 1899. I would 
 that every young man and woman in the State might 
 read and know his history and some of his most power- 
 ful speeches. Not only would they be fired thereby 
 to a higher zeal, a truer patriotism, a nobler principle, 
 but they would also acquire a knowledge of the battles 
 that a community often has to fight to gain its expressed 
 will, when opposed by persons or organizations that 
 
46o HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 own or control large monetary power. It is well that 
 every future citizen of California should know how the 
 United States government came to spend millions of 
 dollars in the construction of a harbor at San Pedro, 
 and how near, at one time, it came to spending those 
 millions at Santa Monica. The history of that great 
 conflict is intimately woven into the life of Stephen 
 M. White. Here is what his biographer says of it: 
 
 " No record of this strong, brave man's career 
 would be complete without especial reference to his 
 tireless and successful contest for the establishment 
 of a free harbor at the port of San Pedro on the coast 
 of Southern California. ... In all the history of 
 American legislation never was there made a more 
 bitter, relentless and uncompromising fight on both 
 sides. On one side the people, knowing their rights 
 and daring to maintain them, on the opposing side one 
 of the most powerful corporations on the Continent 
 led by one of the most adroit, capable and stubborn 
 of men. The corporation was the Southern Pacific 
 Company, of Kentucky — a corporation wholly Cali- 
 fornian, and Kentuckian only in name; its intrepid 
 leader and president was Collis P. Huntington; the 
 leader in the people's cause was Stephen M. White, 
 United States Senator from California. 
 
 " Successive Boards of Engineers representing the 
 government of the United States had selected San 
 Pedro as the site for a deep-sea harbor, and the con- 
 struction of a breakwater, whose cost would run into 
 the millions of dollars. Mr. Huntington, for reasons 
 sufficient unto himself, and probably apparent to every 
 
« < 
 
 ^ 9 
 
 X < 
 
STEPHEN M. WHITE 461 
 
 one having no more than a superficial knowledge of 
 the conditions surrounding the selection of a harbor site, 
 decided that the government must and should locate 
 the harbor several miles further up the coast at Santa 
 Monica in an (almost) open roadstead. Certain of the 
 examining board of engineers considered both sites, and 
 all of them who did so decided against the Santa Monica 
 proposition and in favor of San Pedro. But Collis 
 P. Huntington, with his powerful corporation behind 
 him, stood fast. The case seemed hopeless. The 
 forces of money, position, daring and determination 
 were in combination for the Santa Monica project. 
 On the other side stood the reports of honest and com- 
 petent governmental engineers, the people — and 
 Stephen M. White. 
 
 " The battle was on. And how it raged for five long 
 years, no resident in the southern portion of California 
 is likely to forget. Doggedly, determinedly, bitterly, 
 Mr. Huntington and his powerful array of attorneys 
 hung to the cause of Santa Monica with the grip of tiger 
 jaws. Washington swarmed with lobbyists. Hunting- 
 ton himself went to the capital to appeal to Senators and 
 Representatives with the power of his millions and 
 the promises of the great things that could be accom- 
 plished by his influence. 
 
 " As has been said, when Senator White entered 
 upon this task for the people, the case seemed hopeless 
 — the force on one side seemed so powerfully mighty, 
 that on the side of the people so pitifully weak. 
 
 " But the race is not always to the swift nor the 
 battle to the strong. The people won. Congress sup- 
 
462 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 ported the reports of the engineers and made appropri- 
 ation for the construction of a deep-sea harbor at San 
 Pedro. 
 
 " Then there was a further contest in opposition to 
 the construction of the harbor, even after Congress had 
 definitely made a location thereof and authorized 
 and instructed the commencement of the work." The 
 Secretary of War, purely on his own responsibility, 
 " held up " the work. But he had Stephen M. White 
 to count with, and again the people won. The War 
 Secretary was driven from the false position he had 
 assumed, and the contract was let. 
 
 " At this writing (June, 1903) the great harbor at 
 San Pedro is well along toward completion. And there 
 it will remain forever a monument to the sagacity, 
 cleverness, adroitness, audacity, and unswerving loyalty 
 of Stephen M. White! 
 
 " During the pendency of that strenuous contest, 
 and upon the occasion of one of Mr, Huntington's 
 many visits to the national capital, the magnate of 
 many millions met Senator White at a hotel in which 
 they were mutual guests. One evening Mr. Huntington 
 requested Senator White to come to his rooms. The 
 story of that interview has been told by a MTiter in the 
 Los Angeles Times as related by Senator White him- 
 self. Said the Senator in telling of some incidents 
 of the great harbor contest : * He (Mr. Huntington) 
 asked if there was no way for us to get together on the 
 harbor business. I said that I did not see any way 
 to do so — that I did not think that he would give up, 
 and I knew I would not. 
 
STEPHEN M. WHITE 463 
 
 " ' Said he (Mr. Huntington), " I don't see why. It 
 might be to your advantage not to be so set in your 
 opinion." I then said to him: " Mr. Huntington, if 
 that harbor were my personal possession, and you 
 wanted it, there would be an easy way for us to gel 
 together and one or both of us make some money. But 
 as that harbor belongs to the people, and I am merely 
 holding it in trust for them, and have no right to give 
 it away, I do not see how w^e can come to any under- 
 standing." 
 
 " * "Certainly," said Mr. Huntington, " that is very 
 high moral ground to take, but a little quixotic. The 
 people will think no more of you in the end. Many 
 will think less of you." I said, " Mr. Huntington, I am 
 not taking your view of that matter either. It is my 
 own self-respect I am looking at now." So the matter 
 closed.' 
 
 " After it was all over and the fight was won for the 
 people, the millionaire came to the Senator, and in the 
 course of conversation said: * White, I like and respect 
 you. You are almost always against me, but it is not 
 for what you can make out of us to come over. You 
 have a steadfast principle and you fight like a man, in 
 the open and with clean weapons. I cannot say that 
 of all the public men I have had to deal with.' 
 
 " The man who could wring that tribute from Collis 
 P. Huntington had won a greater victory than the mere 
 act of winning a contest for a cause of the people. It 
 was a tribute to manhood. It was a laurel wreath of 
 immortality, not because it came from a millionaire, but 
 because it was an acknowledgment of honesty and 
 
464 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 loyalty and of the respect those qualities must earn 
 from the most bitter and relentless opponent." 
 
 The concluding paragraphs of IMr. White's speech 
 in the United States Senate on this subject are well 
 worth pondering: 
 
 " The struggle which I have made here may seem 
 stubborn to some, but it is maintained in the conscious- 
 ness and belief that I am acting for the public interest. 
 No demagogical appeal — notwithstanding intimations 
 to the contrary — has influenced or ever will influence 
 me. I have been able to maintain myself in my con- 
 servative methods without condescending to belittle- 
 ments. I experience natural pride in my presence here, 
 but I would willingly sacrifice that honor rather than 
 yield my maturely formed judgment to any senseless 
 clamor, to threats or flattery, to condemnation or ap- 
 plause, and I might say, IMr, President, that I would 
 rather be a lawyer whose word was as good as a rich 
 man's bond, and whose opinion upon an intricate 
 question of judicial science was valued by the master 
 minds of my profession, than to hold in my hand all the 
 honors that ever were won by appeals to the passions 
 or prejudices of men." 
 
L 
 
COMlilNKO HARVHSTKR AND THRASHER ON RANCH OP" H. M. 
 KINNEY, IMPERIAL VALLEY. 
 
 Page iriZ 
 
 ONE OF THE IRRIGATING DITCHES WHICH HAVE' AIA©E THE 
 CHANGE IN THE IMPERIAL VALLEY. 
 
 Page l,n 
 
CHAPTER XLI 
 
 THE EXECUTIVE HERO OF IRRIGATION, WILLIAM 
 ELLSWORTH SMYTHE 
 
 "1 X 7"E have seen, in a preceding chapter, the wonderful 
 ' ^ effect of irrigation in certain localities, such as 
 the Imperial Valley and Riverside. We have seen the 
 barren, desolate, lizard- occupied rancho of La Jurupa, 
 and the sun-baked, thrice-heated, below-sea-level-area 
 of the Imperial Valley converted into rich, prosperous 
 and beautifully fertile regions by the wise introduction 
 of water. But the problems of irrigation are many 
 and various, and those who have educated the people 
 to a proper understanding of the possibilities existent 
 in this method of farming, have had to do, at the same 
 time, a large amount of studying and experimenting 
 to rightly use it to the best advantage. The educators 
 of the people in irrigation, therefore, have had to be 
 pioneers, — pioneers of peace, happiness, home- mak- 
 ing, content for men, women and children. It is an 
 honored and blessed occupation to show a struggling 
 man how he may make a comfortable home without 
 struggle, with nothing but ordinary and reasonable 
 labor. It is a power to be thankful for, to be able to take 
 men from the ranks of the hopeless and place them 
 where happiness and peace again smile upon them. 
 Why should not a man who can do this be regarded 
 
466 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 and acclaimed as a hero, a real hero, as much as the 
 man who guides a number of his fellowmen on a 
 slaughtering expedition? Why should not a man who 
 leads such a forlorn hope as this, and who brings the 
 joy of content to thousands, be hailed as a hero as 
 well as he who leads the volunteers to the forlorn hope 
 of the battle-field? 
 
 Such a hero is William Ellsworth Smythe, one of the 
 generals (if we must have military terms) of the Irri- 
 gation Movement. The history of this movement 
 reads like a fairy tale. All the elements of marvel 
 are in it, with the " lived happy ever after " at the 
 end, applying itself actually to millions of lives. In 
 America it practically began with the work of Major 
 J. W. Powell, a hero of the highest type, the subject 
 of a chapter elsewhere in this book. His was the pro- 
 phetic eye, the large vision, the devotion of misunder- 
 stood work for the general benefit of humanity. But 
 he was a careful scientist, though a far-seeing humani- 
 tarian, and a long-visioned prophet. As the Director 
 of the United States Geological Survey he was able 
 to make a thorough study of conditions throughout 
 the arid West, and pave the way for the accomplish- 
 ment of the dream he had dreamed. Rudely outlined, 
 his plan contemplated the securing by the national 
 Government of all the natural sites for vast reservoirs, 
 the scientific impounding of waste waters of streams, 
 springs and rainfall, the conveying of this water in the 
 most effective manner to the soil of the arid regions 
 that was practically worthless without it, the establish- 
 ment of experimental farms in the different localities, 
 
WILLIAM E. SMYTHE 467 
 
 so that experts could guide settlers in their choice of 
 crops, and then the calling of the people to occupy, 
 the lands, make their homes upon them, become actual 
 owners of the soil, tillers of it, and thus develop hith- 
 erto useless territory into powerful and prosperous 
 communities. 
 
 But to accomplish all this work required several 
 important preliminaries. The cost would be enormous. 
 How was it to be met ? The legislators who handle the 
 money of the nation do not always see with the far- 
 seeing eye of the keen-brained scientist. They, there- 
 fore, must not only be educated, but the people must 
 also be educated to see the possibilities — nay, the 
 absolute certainties of the project — or they would 
 condemn the wholesale expenditures required to bring 
 them to pass. 
 
 Here is where the hero volunteered, and sprang into 
 the breach. Here is where the standard bearer raised 
 the flag on high, shouted Follow me! and daringly 
 rushed to the battle. And it is no mere figure of speech 
 to use such words. It was — if not a forlorn hope — 
 a gigantic task to educate the people; it was an 
 onslaught upon ignorance and prejudice. It was a 
 philanthropic campaign that only a generous-hearted, 
 clear-brained, impulsive-souled volunteer could have 
 undertaken and carried to success. If a cold-blooded 
 man had stepped forward and undertaken the work, 
 it would never have been done. It required fervor, en- 
 thusiasm and verve to inspire the people with faith, 
 to convince them of the possibilities, and lead them to 
 desire to enjoy them. 
 
468 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 William Ellsworth Sraythe was the man, prepared 
 of God, for this especial work. Born in Worcester, 
 Massachusetts, December 24, 1861, he missed, only 
 by one day, being the Christmas gift of blessing to his 
 parents, which he has since become to his race and 
 people. He has been, indeed, a messenger of peace and 
 glad tidings to many. When he was about twelve 
 years old his father suffered one of those financial 
 reverses that seem to be great adversities and burdens 
 at the time, but that later developments show to have 
 been great blessings in disguise. IVIr. Smythe, Senior, 
 was a wealthy manufacturer, of Pilgrim and Revolu- 
 tionary stock, and had he not met with this reverse, 
 there is no doubt but that his son would have grown up 
 in the easy circumstances and consequently easy life 
 of many another son of equally well-to-do parents. 
 At sixteen the growing lad had to leave the home nest, 
 and cast about for the future. He had just read Par- 
 ton's Life 0} Greeley, and was crammed full of "Old 
 Horace," his enthusiasm for agriculture, for the West, 
 his broad humanitarianism, bordering upon socialism, 
 and was fired with his presentation of Fourierism and 
 the new institutions of benefit and blessings to be de- 
 rived from the building up of colonies. It would be 
 interesting to the world that is to-day reaping the 
 benefit of Mr. Smythe's active life could all the subtle, 
 and at the same time powerful, influence of that book 
 of Parton's be made manifest. It is self-evident to the 
 outsider that to this day he is pouring out through 
 his own mental filter the ideas poured into it in those 
 days of his boyhood. Indeed, I make the bold assertion 
 
WILLIAM E. SMYTHE 469 
 
 that had Horace Greeley lived a generation later, in 
 Smythe's environment, he would have undertaken 
 exactly the same work that Smythe has done. 
 
 In due time Smythe heeded the great journalist's 
 advice, and came West. After an unsuccessful attempt 
 at book- publishing, he set his face westward, and in 
 1888, when he was twenty-seven years old, settled 
 at Kearney, Nebraska, which was being boomed by 
 a New England syndicate, and for two years edited 
 the daily paper they established. Here was the be- 
 ginning of his education for his larger work. The 
 bottom dropped out of the boom and he went to the 
 Omaha Bee. While there he felt the full, dire, awful 
 force of the Great Drought of 1890. 
 
 Only those who have actually seen and felt it can 
 know the terrible calamity a drought is in these Western 
 regions. The Eastern mind cannot conceive it. Where 
 rain falls abundantly and grass is always green, there 
 is no comprehension of the entirely different condi- 
 tions of the West. Panic speedily entered the hearts 
 of thousands. The drought spelled absolute ruin. 
 There was no hope. Starvation for themselves and 
 families drove some men to insanity, others to suicide. 
 
 Now was the time for the launching of the irrigation 
 movement. Despair would compel attention, and 
 enthusiasm combined with reason would inspire new 
 hope. Let Mr. Smythe tell his own story from a 
 chapter of his book, entitled The Conquest 0} Arid 
 America. 
 
 " In 1890 I was an editorial writer on the Omaha 
 Bee, under that strong and able leader of Nebraska 
 
470 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 public opinion, Edward Rosewater. During the pre- 
 vious summer I had made a brief trip to the Maxwell 
 land grant in New Mexico, and for the first time saw 
 men engaged in turning water upon land to make good 
 the deficiencies of rainfall, I suppose I had heard or 
 read the word ' irrigation,' though I have no recollec- 
 tion of it. Certainly, the word meant nothing to me 
 until the drought struck Nebraska a year later. Then 
 the thought occurred to me that the several fine streams 
 flowing through the State might be employed to excel- 
 lent advantage. Men were shooting their horses and 
 abandoning their farms, within sight of these streams. 
 There were the soil, the sunshine, and the waters, but 
 the people did not understand the secret of prosperity, 
 even with such broad hints before their eyes. 
 
 " I thought of the thrifty orchards and gardens 
 I had seen on the Las Animas and the Vermejo, a 
 few hundred miles farther southwest, and when Mr. 
 Rosewater directed me to write editorials urging the 
 public to contribute money, food and seed for the 
 drought-stricken farmers of Nebraska, I suggested 
 that these should be supplemented by a series of papers 
 dealing with the possibilities of irrigation. He gave 
 me permission to do so, on condition that I would sign 
 the articles myself, as it was then considered little less 
 than a libel to say that irrigation was needed in that 
 part of the country. 
 
 " How many lives those articles influenced, or are 
 even yet to influence through the forces they set in 
 motion, I do not know; but they changed my life 
 completely. I had taken the cross of a new crusade. 
 
WILLIAM E. SMYTHE 471 
 
 To my mind, irrigation seemed the biggest thing in 
 the world. It was not merely a matter of ditches and 
 acres, but a philosophy, a religion and a programme 
 of practical statesmanship rolled into one. There was 
 apparently no such thing as ever getting to the bottom 
 of the subject, for it expanded in all directions and 
 grew in importance with each unfoldment. Of course, 
 all this was not realized at first, yet from the beginning 
 I was deeply impressed with the magnitude of the work 
 that had fallen to my hand and knew that I must cut 
 loose from all other interests and endeavor to rouse the 
 nation to a realizing sense of its duty and opportunity. 
 
 " The first result of the articles in the Bee was a 
 series of irrigation conventions in western Nebraska, 
 beginning with the one at Culbertson, the seat of 
 Hitchcock County. These county gatherings led to 
 a State Convention at Lincoln, and the State Conven- 
 tion made me chairman of a committee to arrange for 
 a National Irrigation Congress, which was held a 
 few months later at Salt Lake, within sight of the 
 historic ditch on City Creek, where English-speaking 
 men began the conquest of the desert. 
 
 " I resigned my comfortable place on the Bee, 
 launched the Irrigation Age (the first journal of its 
 kind in the world, so far as I know), and went forth 
 to do what I could. It was my rare good fortune to find 
 a life-work, while yet on the sunny side of thirty, to 
 which I could give my heart and soul with all a young 
 man's enthusiasm." 
 
 The ball was thus set rolling, and it has rolled 
 on ever since. The second Congress was held in Los 
 
472 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Angeles, in 1893 (this was the memorable Congress to 
 which reference is made in the chapter on Major 
 Powell). The third was in Denver, in 1894, and there 
 have been subsequent ones at Albuquerque, New Mex- 
 ico, in 1895; at Phoenix, Arizona, in 1896; at Lincoln, 
 Nebraska, in 1897; at Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 1898; 
 at Missoula, Montana, in 1899, etc. 
 
 In 1897 a wonderful impetus was given to the move- 
 ment by the publication of Captain Hiram M. Chit- 
 tenden's Reservoirs in the Arid Region. Trained in 
 the United States Corps of Engineers, formerly in 
 charge of the government works in the Yellowstone 
 National Park and on important Western rivers, and 
 then assigned to the study of reservoir problems on 
 certain rivers of the West, he brought to the subject 
 the powers of a scientific mind well able to grasp the 
 subject with a thorough comprehension. He "recom- 
 mended that the government should acquire full title 
 to and jurisdiction over any reservoir site which it 
 might improve, and full right to the water necessary 
 to fill the reservoir; also that it should build, own, and 
 operate the works, holding the stored waters abso- 
 lutely free for public use under local regulations." 
 
 The question as to whether the public lands to be 
 irrigated should be ceded to the different States had 
 been already practically disposed of by Major Powell's 
 attitude, and the public interest that had followed the 
 dissemination of his ideas. It was seen that such a 
 cession would soon amount to nothing more than the 
 control of it all by private wealthy owners, who would 
 use it for their own selfish monetary gain. 
 
WILLIAM E. SMYTHE ' 473 
 
 Now that Captain Chittenden suggested the pro- 
 cedure for the conducting of the reservoirs, light upon 
 the whole problem seemed to be at hand. 
 
 In the meantime two other Californians had become 
 interested in the Irrigation Question and all it implied. 
 Mr. George H. Maxwell, a young lawyer, with energy, 
 power and foresight, organized the National Irrigation 
 Association, and Mr. C. B. Boothe, a Los Angeles 
 merchant, threw himself heart and soul into the move- 
 ment. In 1900 the political parties took it up, and the 
 issue was thus made national and put squarely before 
 the people. The results are generally well known. 
 The irrigation works of the United States Reclamation 
 Service already completed rival the seven wonders of 
 the ancient world in their magnitude; and in the 
 influence they have had upon the people, they surpass 
 them ten thousand fold. It gives a patriotic American 
 a thrill of pride to see the Laguna Dam on the Colorado 
 River, the Roosevelt Dam and that at Granite Reef, 
 on the Salt River in Arizona, the Carson- Truckee Dam 
 in the Sierras, that of Yakima, and all the others. 
 
 And who is able to estimate the far-reaching results 
 of these colossal works ? Think of what it means, — 
 the influx of such vast and active populations in these 
 once barren and desolate regions! The building up of 
 new communities. The establishment of thousands of 
 new and prosperous homes, for ever free from the fear, 
 the dread, the overhanging pall of the possibility of 
 years of drought. Who would not rather be the man 
 who materially aided in bringing this beneficent result 
 to pass than wear all the honors of Napoleon? So 
 
474 ■ HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 we hail thee, WilHam E. Smythe, as one of the great 
 heroes of peace, for we are realizing more and more 
 each year the truth of Milton's great statement in his 
 Sonnet to Cromwell: 
 
 " Peace hath her victories 
 No less renowned than War." 
 
 In the forepart of his book Mr. Smythe has the fol- 
 lowing, which but states the facts: 
 
 Emancipation 
 
 The Nation reaches its hand into the Desert, 
 And lo! private monopoly in water and in land is 
 scourged from that holiest of temples, — the place where 
 men labor and build their homes! 
 
 The Nation reaches its hand into the Desert. 
 The wasting floods stand back, the streams obey 
 their master, and the stricken forests spring to life again 
 upon the forsaken mountains! 
 
 The Nation reaches its hand into the Desert. 
 The barred doors of the sleeping empire are flung 
 wide open to the eager and the willing, that they may 
 enter in and claim their heritage! 
 
 The Nation reaches its hand into the Desert. 
 That which lay beyond the grasp of the Individual 
 yields to the hand of Associated Man. Great is the 
 Achievement, — greater the Prophecy ! 
 
 It is literally true that, as the result of the work 
 of education begun by Major Powell and so success- 
 
WILLIAM E. SMYTHE 475 
 
 fully carried on by Mr. Smythe, the people of the United 
 States are, in the main, aroused to the need of con- 
 servation of our national resources, and not only otir 
 own nation, but the world, for an International Con- 
 ference is soon to be held at The Hague upon the sub- 
 ject. 
 
 To William E. Smythe, more than to any other 
 man, is entitled the credit for two things in this irriga- 
 tion movement: He created the popular literature 
 upon the subject, and put a soul into it. While Powell's 
 work was comprehensive, it reaches only the scientist 
 and statesman. It was preliminary work, — the deep 
 concrete work of the foundation; necessary and essen- 
 tial, but not seen and known of the masses. Smythe 
 popularized the subject, and throwing his very soul 
 into the work, vivified it so that the world lifted its head 
 and listened. With a voice of eloquence and power, 
 he toured the country, lecturing with Western vim and 
 enthusiasm upon the theme that had so fully taken pos- 
 session of him. 
 
 He wrote convincing and enthusiastic articles which 
 gained admission into the Century, Atlantic Monthly, 
 North American Review and all sorts of publications. 
 The first paper in the Century evoked a two-column 
 leader from the New York Sun, which treated the 
 matter almost as the discovery of a new empire. Then, 
 too, his book. The Conquest 0} Arid America, contains 
 three elements of value, which have given it a real and 
 permanent acceptance. 
 
 I. It is scientific. It discloses the real economic 
 character of aridity and of irrigation and of our climate. 
 
476 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 II. It is historical. It sketches the unfoldment of 
 Western life and institutions, and shows how later de- 
 velopments have depended upon irrigation. 
 
 III. It is practical. It gives reliable, definite in- 
 formation for the home seeker. Personally I know of 
 scores throughout this great Western empire who have 
 come here purely on the strength of this book, and 
 the comfort and content of these men and their families 
 is more than honor and fame. Is not this a making of 
 history more worthy of record than the chronicle of 
 bloody battles, fought for the furtherance of selfish ends, 
 and those that deal only with the horrible, the mean, the 
 reprehensible traits of human nature? Here has been 
 a warfare for the public good, and not for selfish 
 purposes. Mr. Smythe's labors have been at the cost 
 of much personal sacrifice, of consecrated devotion, 
 of financial loss. Had he bestowed the same amount of 
 thought, energy and ability to the public lecture plat- 
 form and thought only of his own financial good, he 
 could have made himself independently rich long 
 ere now. But he has resolutely kept his face to the 
 stars. Even in his practical projects, — which have 
 made money for others, — he has labored only until 
 success was assured, and then stepped out to further 
 his larger plans elsewhere. In Idaho, in 1895, he and 
 Benjamin P. Shawhan established New Plymouth, 
 in the Payette Valley, twelve miles from the town of 
 Payette. The pioneers of this settlement were of rather 
 unusual quality, being drawn largely from urban 
 business and professional life, yet they entered enthusi- 
 astically and successfully upon the work of making 
 
WILLIAM E. SMYTHE 477 
 
 homes on sage-brush land, twelve miles from a 
 railroad, in a remote and undeveloped part of the 
 West. 
 
 " The Plymouth industrial programme aimed at 
 complete independence of the people by the simple 
 method of producing the variety of things consumed, 
 on small, diversified farms; of having surplus products, 
 principally fruit, for sale in home aild Eastern markets; 
 and by combining the capital of the settlers, by incor- 
 poration of a stock company, to own and develop the 
 town-site, and to erect and operate simple industries 
 required in connection with the products of the soil. 
 On the social side, the plan aimed to give these farmers 
 the best advantages of town life, or at least of neighbor- 
 hood association. This was accomplished by assem- 
 bling the houses in a central village, laid out, in accord- 
 ance with a beautiful plan, with residences grouped 
 on an outside circle touching the farms at all points. 
 This plan brought the settlers close together on acre- 
 lots — " home acres " — thus preventing isolation, 
 and giving them the benefit of school, church, post- 
 office, store, library, and entertainments. 
 
 " The Plymouth settlers have been contented and 
 prosperous from the first, and have had less than the 
 usual share of early trials and disappointments. They 
 testify that the social advantages of the colony plan, as 
 compared with the drawbacks of individual and iso- 
 lated settlements, are alone sufficient to warrant its 
 use. Availing themselves of a favorable opportunity, 
 they acquired the irrigation system and other valuable 
 property by purchase from the Eastern bondholders, 
 
478 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 on terms which went far to enrich them as a commun- 
 ity." ' 
 
 This was an important work, but as soon as it was 
 well on its feet, Mr. Sraythe's boundless energy re- 
 quired a new field for its manifestation. 
 
 The question has often been asked: How much 
 land is necessary to enable a man and his family to 
 live healthfully and* comfortably ? All kinds of answers 
 have been given to this question, and the quantity of 
 land has been variously estimated from a few acres to 
 as high as sixty or more. No one, however, who has 
 seen the small holdings of the farmers of Brittany, and 
 made himself aware of their productiveness under care- 
 ful cultivation, needs to be told that a large acreage is 
 not essential to comfort, happiness and content. 
 
 In the sunny climate of California, with fertile soil 
 and crops controlled by irrigation, everything is favor- 
 able to the development of the small landholder. Mr. 
 Smythe's knowledge, both of California and the prac- 
 tical needs of the farmer, were now brought into play 
 in what might be regarded as by far the most important 
 work of his life. He enunciated the bold doctrine that 
 a family can find true independence on one acre, and 
 that when this fact is understood, the great West can 
 meet the material, social, intellectual and spiritual 
 needs of millions of people. 
 
 To put his ideas into concrete form, as he had the 
 colony idea in Idaho, he interested land owners and 
 others, and after careful and thorough study selected 
 
 ' The Conquest of Arid America, by Wm. E. Smythe, Macmillans, 
 p. 192. 
 
WILLIAM E. SMYTHE 479 
 
 a large tract of land some seventeen miles from San 
 Diego, on a line of railroad, and there organized the 
 " Little Landers," This was in July 28, 1908. 
 
 Colonists pay on an average five hundred dollars, 
 which includes their acreage, a lot fifty by one hundred 
 and fifty in the beautiful village, and a share in all the 
 improvements. These improvements include water 
 piped in village lot and acre, land graded for irrigation, 
 park laid out and improved (each home will front upon 
 the park), street graded, side- walks, curbs and sewer- 
 age installed, and village hall built and ready for use. 
 When the improvements are completed and the entire 
 acreage sold and brought under cultivation, all public 
 works will be turned over to the landowners, by means 
 of a local corporation of which they will be the stock- 
 holders. The mutual water company will maintain the 
 park. Thus we have public ownership of those things 
 used by the public, and private ownership of those 
 things (town lot and acre) used by the individual. 
 
 No land whatever is sold for speculation. Every 
 purchaser must be an actual settler, in person or by 
 proxy, and his title to the land is made contingent upon 
 his beginning to improve his " acre " within six months 
 of the date of purchase. 
 
 Already a large settlement has demonstrated the 
 truth of the proposition. As a speaker recently de- 
 clared in the village hall of the "Little Landers:" 
 " Your fundamental proposition, that one acre of 
 land in this climate, intelligently tilled, with a market 
 direct to the consumer, will support a family in com- 
 fort, is absolutely true. I know it to be true — have 
 
48o HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 known it for years. But William E. Smythe is the 
 only man in the United States who would have dared 
 to proclaim this truth and proceed to put it into action," 
 
 In commenting on this statement, Mr. Smythe says: 
 " Sometimes I wonder if mine is a case of 'fools rush 
 in where angels fear to tread ! ' Every man who has 
 really studied the subject, at home or abroad, knows 
 the possibilities of ' a little land and a living.' You 
 may be sure that I studied it very thoroughly before 
 launching the Little Landers. I studied it with the aid 
 of Bolton Hall, of Prince Krapotkin, and other writers 
 who have brought together the experience of the world, 
 but most of all I studied it in California, and especially 
 in San Diego. 
 
 " Given water, soil, climate, transportation, market, 
 industry and intelligence, and there is no other oppor- 
 tunity in the world so certain to yield a generous living 
 to the average man as the acre farm. Oh, make it two 
 or three acres if you will, but when you have done your 
 best on your two or three acres, I will show you men who 
 are getting better results on less land. What this nation 
 needs is landed proprietors working for themselves. 
 What we want at San Ysidro is land lovingly tilled 
 by the hands of its owners, not land grudgingly tilled 
 by the alien hands of hired labor. And the man who 
 tries to till lovingly much more than an acre will find 
 the job too big for him. Of course, there are certain 
 crops which do not require close attention, and if a 
 man has sufficient capital to indulge in the luxury, he 
 can use land in that way, but I would rather see an 
 independent family living on every acre." 
 
WILLIAM E. SMYTHE 481 
 
 As soon as the men and women in our cities, who are 
 what Jack London calls " The People of the Abyss," 
 learn what this " Little Landers " movement means 
 to them, and true philanthropists are found who will 
 place these helpless creatures upon the land, it will 
 soon be found that this is one way out of social 
 bondage. It will become the refuge for great elements 
 of our population. 
 
 To have accomplished so great a result, — to have 
 set in motion such beneficent forces, is indeed to have 
 been a hero, a leader, a standard-bearer, and as such 
 California and the nation will ever honor and revere 
 William Ellsworth Smythe. 
 
CHAPTER XLII 
 
 THE PIONEER HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 (An address by Judge David Belden) 
 
 David Belden came to California in 1855, for a short time 
 was engaged in mining, became a lawyer, and was finally elected 
 Judge of the Superior Court of Santa Clara County. He died in 
 San Jose, May 14, 1888. He resided in Nevada City, Nevada 
 County, when he decided to embrace the profession of law. Though 
 he had been in the State but -two years, his personality and attain- 
 ments had so impressed themselves upon his fellow-citizens that they 
 invited him, in 1857, to deliver the Fourth of July address in Nevada 
 City. He consented to do so, but, to his amazement, he learned that 
 it was the intention of the Committee to organize a burlesque pro- 
 cession which should caricature the events that occurred at the 
 nation's birth. He remonstrated with earnest eloquence against such 
 a desecration of the day, and tried to stem the tide of buffoonery 
 which seemed to be swamping the patriotic intelligence of his friends. 
 But they outvoted him, and went on with their preparations. Under 
 such circumstances, most men would have assumed an air of offended 
 dignity and resigned from the position offered, lest they be deemed 
 party to, and in a measure responsible for, the transgressions against 
 the national feeling of others. But not so with Mr. Belden. He 
 was made of sterner stuff. He occupied the position of " orator of 
 the day," and delivered a rebuke, keen, sarcastic and scathing, that is 
 remembered to this day. He, himself, was a pioneer, and also a hero, 
 hence it is appropriate that his oration on the Pioneer Heroes of 
 California should find place in this volume. 
 
 ** I ^HERE have been many orations delivered upon 
 -*- the pioneers, and many of them are well worth 
 careful perusal. But those that were delivered by men 
 who were themselves pioneers, and were spoken to 
 pioneers while the memories of pioneer days were still 
 fresh, have a vigor and a personality about them that 
 the orations of later days do not possess. Even less 
 
THE PIONEER HEROES 483 
 
 than thirty years after the great gold excitement flooded 
 the coast with men from all parts of the world, — as 
 early as 1876, — Judge Belden, in his oration at San 
 Jose, expresses the feeling that the event was far away 
 and growingly remote in the past. As perhaps the best 
 of the early day orations, it merits a place in this book. 
 It was not a prepared and polished address. Those 
 who heard it, and Judge Belden's friends, claim that 
 it was a purely extemporaneous effort. If so, it stands 
 forth as a model of vigorous English, of wonderful 
 construction, of vivid power, as well as a truthful pano- 
 rama of the scenes of the pioneer's life and experi- 
 ences. After a few preliminary remarks, Judge 
 Belden said: 
 
 " For thirty years, not only over this State, but in 
 many of the principal cities of the East, the pioneers 
 of California have commemorated their advent to this 
 coast. At each gathering, gifted speakers, with what- 
 ever of genius, eloquence, poetry and pathos they could 
 command, have told the story and illumined the lives and 
 ways of the early pioneers. The paths of the men of 
 Forty-nine lie before me, a beaten thoroughfare, a 
 harvested field, its golden grain long since garnered, 
 and to which I come at the eleventh hour a late and 
 loitering gleaner. That a new generation has arisen 
 since the event and the era we are celebrating, 
 that there may be those to whom the story of 
 that time may not sound like a thrice-told tale, 
 that to these as new auditors this may come with 
 any seeming of novelty, is an illusion by which, 
 however willing, I cannot deceive myself; too many 
 
484 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 pens have been busy with the history of our pioneers. 
 Harte, Mulford, and a score of others, with whatever 
 of imagination might most embellish fact, have told 
 to these newcomers far more than the one could ever 
 have known or the other ever believed. Fact and fancy 
 have been alike exhausted, and repeating with the wise 
 King of Israel that there is no new thing under the sun, 
 I must bring forth, from a sparsely filled storehouse, 
 what I know to be old. 
 
 "It is over thirty years since the report reached the 
 East and flashed around the world of the discovery of 
 gold in boundless quantities upon the banks of the 
 American River. Exaggerated by repetition and mag- 
 nified by distance, the El Dorado of the Pacific was 
 represented as aland where, to any who chose to gather 
 it, the fortune could be made in a month that elsewhere 
 required the labor of a lifetime. Who does not recall 
 the manner in which these marvelous reports were re- 
 ceived and discussed on every hand and in every com- 
 munity ? Who has not heard of the gatherings at the 
 village store, the resolve of the restless and the ad- 
 venturous, the reports each day of new parties who were 
 selling out, sacrificing everything for the gold-fields by 
 the Pacific; the fear that it might all be dug before they 
 could reach the mines. How the contagion spread 
 until the staid and contented felt an unwonted fever 
 in their veins, and looked restlessly and longingly after 
 these who were starting. Of the companies organized, 
 in which the village Rothschild shared in the equip- 
 ment for an interest of one-fourth or one-half the gains 
 acquired. Of the thousands of machines invented and 
 
THE PIONEER HEROES 485 
 
 constructed, equally ingenious, equally elaborate and 
 alike worthless, by which gold mines were to be found, 
 and worked when found. Of the counsels and ex- 
 hortations of those who stayed and the promises of those 
 who went; of the amount with which each resolved to be 
 content, and the exact time he allotted to himself for 
 acquiring it, and returning home. Of the diaries to be 
 kept, the letters written ; of the notice in the local paper 
 of each party as it departed, with the editorial assur- 
 ance that, whoever else might fail, such men as that 
 village sent forth must conquer success and make their 
 mark in the world. Of the making up of trains for the 
 plains, the gatherings of the men, the trades, the pur- 
 chases of equipments, the bickerings, the misunder- 
 standings. Of the men that every one wanted to secure 
 because they were rough and more accustomed to out- 
 door life, and w'hose presence must make the journey 
 successful and secure, and who as a rule proved the 
 most worthless and inefficient vagabonds in the camp. 
 Of the rotten ships that went from Eastern ports laden 
 with precious lives and were heard of no more. Of the 
 diaries kept for a few days or weeks with scrupulous 
 care and diligence, then the omission, first of a day or 
 two, then of longer intervals, and then wholly aban- 
 doned. Of the new surprises that awaited them on 
 every hand, when the worn and wearied voyagers by 
 sea and by land finally reached the end of their jour- 
 neyings. Of the reports, bewildering in their con- 
 tradictions, as to where the best mines were to be found; 
 of those who paraded sacks of gold and lauded to 
 the skies Northern or Southern mines, Mokelumne 
 
486 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Hill, Hangto-wTi, and told of fortunes to be had for the 
 
 picking them up; while back from the same place 
 came a horde, ragged, foot-sore and hungry, cursing 
 the State and the day they saw it, and especially the 
 localities thus loudly commended. Of the grave de- 
 liberation of the newcomer as to whether he should 
 look for coarse or fine gold diggings, one day yielding 
 to the fascination of a pile of nuggets, and resolving to 
 look for mines with lumps about the size of a hen's egg, 
 wavering as he saw the sacks of fine dust from the Yuba, 
 and finally concluding that, as gold was purchased by 
 weight and not by bulk, he would take his fortune in the 
 finer dust; of his journeyings to the mines, his failures, 
 his disappointments and disgust. Of the letters home, 
 written at first with methodical punctuality, but finally 
 taking the road of the abandoned diary. Of the num- 
 berless companies formed and expeditions planned to 
 fmd some mine of marvelous richness, of which but one 
 man knew the location ; of the senseless explanation he 
 gave for not having at least a specimen of these hidden 
 treasures, — sometimes Indians, want of provisions, 
 or the like, — and the uniform credulity with which 
 we swallowed it all and fitted out trains, and sent 
 parties with this fraud, only to know we had been 
 deceived, and ending generally in an unsuccessful effort 
 to hang the deceiver. Of adventures by the Yuba, the 
 forks of the American River, of Gold Bluff and Gold 
 Lake, and the numberless golden mirages that danced 
 before the adventurers of those days and lured them 
 on to disappointment and disaster. Of the much that 
 was noble and grand and self-sacrificing, and much 
 
THE PIONEER HEROES 487 
 
 too that was wild and wicked and weird in those men 
 and in those fitful, feverish times. 
 
 " We remember oiir feelings as we left the j^omes of 
 our nativity and fancied we could never be contented 
 elsewhere, until, as new interests, associations and 
 affections grew up around us, the distance seemed im- 
 perceptibly at first to widen between us, and when we 
 recalled the friends and scenes of former d^ys they 
 presented themselves with a vague, distant mistiness, 
 almost as though they were the recollections of another 
 and not of ourselves. 
 
 " These are recollections common to us all, the rem- 
 iniscences alike of the wanderer from Pike County, 
 Missouri, Posey County, Indiana, the native of New 
 England and the emigrant from the Rhine. And to the 
 old pioneers, with these recollections of thirty years 
 pressing upon us, how feeble must appear any attempt 
 at portraiture in words. While I speak, like the whisper 
 that wakes a hundred sleeping echoes, Memory is 
 marshalling before each of us the events of his Cali- 
 fornia career. Like a panorama, the years of our 
 pioneer life are passing in retrospect before us — the 
 kindred that we left behind; the hopes that buoyed us 
 up and lured us onward; the fortunes for good or for 
 evil that have befallen each and that made up the check- 
 ered warp and woof of the years that are but a memory. 
 Could one but paint in words this picture as each now 
 beholds it for himself ; could I indeed describe what we 
 all feel and know, the story of the pioneers could indeed 
 be told, their memories fittingly enshrined for all time 
 to come. 
 
488 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 " This task, grateful though it would be, is alike 
 beyond either the capacity I bring or the time I have 
 allotted io myself for these remarks. There is, however, 
 a feature of pioneer life, one class of the great flood-tide 
 that 1849 cast upon this coast, that has been but little 
 considered. It is a foible of humanity ever to worship 
 at the shrine of success, and to follow with blind lauda- 
 tions the favorites of fortune; the unsuccessful, equally 
 or more deserving though they may be, find little place 
 either in the memories of men or the chronicles of his- 
 tory. The stories of the pioneers are no exception to 
 this rule. The successes and the achievements of the 
 few are blazoned to the world ; of the many who fought 
 and fell in the vanguard of our heroes in the battle 
 of life, the story of their struggle ended with them. 
 
 " Who does not recall, in the adventures of the early 
 days, the thousands that, smitten by disease, essayed 
 the voyage round the Cape, the perils of the plains, 
 with the cry ' Health or a speedy grave.' To not one 
 in a score of these came the coveted boon of health. 
 Their resting-places mark the pathway of our empire 
 from the banks of the Mississippi to the shores of the 
 Pacific, and until the sea shall give up her dead none 
 may know of those pioneer hosts that found their 
 resting-places in the dark depths of the ocean. Suffer- 
 ing and disease were their companions as they journeyed 
 hither. Pestilence and hardship welcomed their ar- 
 rival. By the rivers whose golden sands had lured them 
 from peaceful homes and loving friends, they fell by 
 thousands, unknown and unremembered. 
 
 " Who does not remember, in his own camp, or that of 
 
THE PIONEER HEROES 489 
 
 his neighbor, the delicate boy, the pet of the company, 
 wholly unfitted for the hardships of the mines, but am- 
 bitious and hopeful, scorning the thought that he was 
 not equal to any exertion and every position, bearing his 
 part in the rugged work of his comrades, and pretending 
 not to feel that day by day his powers were wasting 
 away; the gentle strategy which gave to the failing boy 
 the easiest of the labors of the camp; and, finally, the 
 kindly counsel and the generous aid that returned him 
 to die amid the scenes of his youth and the friends of his 
 childhood ? 
 
 " Who among the miners of those days has not scores 
 upon scores of times given prodigally that some one, 
 a stranger, perchance, whom he had never seen, might 
 close his eyes in his old distant home? We are told 
 that by such deeds treasures are laid up in heaven. If 
 this be so, many a noble pioneer has the fortune awaiting 
 him in the hereafter that was denied him here. 
 
 " Then there was one who delayed his going till 
 disease pressed so fiercely upon him that the journey 
 could not be made, and he knew that he must die 
 amid strangers in a strange land. What feature of 
 pioneer life presents more noble characteristics than the 
 cabin of the sick and dying miner? Brave and un- 
 complaining was the sufferer, kind and gentle his 
 watchers. When the last letters were dictated to loved 
 ones, the last directions given, as he looked upon the 
 familiar faces, while the shadows darkened about him, 
 there came to these, his tried and faithful comrades, 
 his last words — they were the last utterances of 
 thousands — ' I am going, boys. You have been very 
 
490 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 kind to me. God bless you all.' * God bless you, old 
 boy,' would be the sobbing response, the last whispered 
 benediction to the ear of the dying man. And then, 
 beneath some lordly oak or stately pine, they fashioned 
 his grave, and upon a rough board, or a fragment of 
 stone, they scrawled his name and the place of his birth 
 and the day of his death, and placed it above — and the 
 pioneer's history was ended. All over the world there 
 are thousands of loving, hoping hearts that have waited 
 through all these long and weary years for the coming 
 of these slumberers by the rivers, these dead of our 
 early pioneers. Green be their memories and peace to 
 their ashes, these our brothers gone before us. 
 
 " Another and a more numerous class are those who 
 have failed of success, and are counted among the 
 fallen in the battle of life. They are that class upon 
 whose every effort some malign influence ever casts 
 a blight. Energetic and industrious, possessed of every 
 quality that should command and does merit success, 
 their pathway is one of unbroken disaster and mis- 
 fortune. Born to disaster, flood and lire, casualties of 
 every form make these hapless ones their sport. Un- 
 lucky the world terms them, and if by this is meant 
 Fortune that only sees that she may smite, the term is 
 well applied. Nowhere was this class more largely 
 represented than in the mining regions and in the days 
 of 1850. We can to-day, each of us, recall, perhaps, 
 some of us in our own experiences, the fields and the 
 efforts of these hapless adventurers. Such we have seen 
 locate a mining claim, where upon either hand fortunes 
 had been found, and every indication that human 
 
THE PIONEER HEROES 491 
 
 judgment or foresight could suggest showed that the 
 same was before them. We have seen them enter wdth 
 strong hands and buoyant hopes upon a work that may 
 well-nigh task the patience and the resource of a State. 
 We have seen the tunnel that was to unlock their 
 golden treasure driven year after year, for hundreds 
 and thousands of feet, through the flinty rock, steadily, 
 persistently and untiringly; against obstacles and 
 embarrassments that might well have brought hopeless 
 discouragement, they struggled on, and at last, prema- 
 turely aged with the labors and hardships of this toil, 
 with the best years of their lives gone, maimed and 
 crippled by the casualties of their enterprise, financially 
 beggared, they learned that there was nothing before 
 them, that their work was worthless, their lives wasted, 
 and, broken alike in body and in mind, they must seek 
 elsewhere new fields for toil, must begin again the 
 battle of life. 
 
 " What wonder that when long years of such exertion 
 bring to the toiler but Dead Sea apples, bitterness and 
 ashes, when he sees upon every hand wealth that recom- 
 penses efforts but a tithe of his own — what wonder 
 that in bitterness of heart he arraigns the Providence 
 that permits all this ; that he looks wdth scorn and loath- 
 ing on a world where Fortune proves thus partial and 
 unkind; what wonder that among the many that have 
 met but successive misfortunes and unbroken adversity, 
 there should be many discouraged, misanthropic and 
 reckless men. And when I see one of these worn and 
 broken men still clinging to the scene of his former 
 labors, if much of the manhood and nobleness of his 
 
492 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 early years seems lost or obscured, I reflect what hopes, 
 what purposes, what affections may not have been in 
 him crushed out in these withering disappointments, 
 and, in the language of the Master, I say that to him 
 that has suffered much, much should be forgiven. 
 
 " I have spoken of the pioneers of thirty years ago, 
 for it is their advent to this coast we to-day commem- 
 orate; of the miners and the mountains, for it was 
 there my own early associations were had. Of the 
 pioneers in the valleys and the builders of the cities, 
 we only know that they shared fully the measure of 
 disappointment that befell their brothers in the mines. 
 Where to-day are the cities and their founders that in 
 1850 lined the Bay of San Francisco — paper creations 
 that were to rival London in magnitude, Paris in beauty, 
 and New York in growth and prosperity ? Who to-day 
 can recall the name of either town or founder of these 
 cities? What hopes and expectations vanished with 
 them we may never know, for their projectors have 
 disappeared as completely as the builders of the mounds 
 in the valleys of the West. 
 
 " I have spoken thus far of the failures and misfor- 
 tunes of these former times. The successes have been 
 many, and have been marked. They are known and 
 need not be repeated. The spirit of the old Argonauts 
 still survives. Bold, fearless explorers, they are still 
 searching for the golden fleece. From California to 
 the frozen zone, not a river, a stream, or a mountain 
 that has not been tested and tried by these hardy 
 adventurers. And the deserts of Arizona and New 
 Mexico equally attest their energy and enterprise. 
 
THE PIONEER HEROES 493 
 
 Nor do the boundaries of the nation place any barrier 
 to their progress; they are pouring in a resistless flood 
 upon the land of the Aztec, and Mexico wakes from the 
 slumber of centuries at the trampling of our peaceful 
 cohorts. 
 
 " The pioneer adventures of to-day will be the success- 
 ful enterprises of the future, and the golden fleece 
 that could not be won in the mountains will be found 
 in our teeming valleys, our vine-garlanded hillsides. 
 Wherever enterprise or inclination may guide their steps, 
 the hope and the benediction that accompanied us to 
 this new land go forth with them. And if, like many of 
 us, they shall fall or shall fail in the field that is before 
 them, may they ever merit success though they find 
 but adversity. 
 
 " Pioneers of 1849, ^^ the thirty years of our Cali- 
 fornia life, much of the time allotted to man has passed 
 away. For many of us the shadows are to-day length- 
 ening eastward. The crest on the waves of a sea that 
 beats in ceaseless cadence on the shores of Time each 
 year sees many known and honored among us swept into 
 the still depths of the hereafter. Ours be it to know 
 that, whether remembered or forgotten, the work of 
 our hands shall outlive the names of its founders, and 
 that the empire we leave behind us, the nation's bul- 
 wark by her western sea, shall endure for all time, the 
 handiwork and the monument of the Pioneers of the 
 Golden State." 
 
CHAPTER XLIII 
 
 BIBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 '"T^HE foregoing chapters have been gleaned during 
 -■- a careful study of California literature extending 
 over the past thirty years. Many of the later chapters 
 are the result of personal intercourse with the heroes 
 named. Hence it is impossible, in every case, to give 
 original sources. The following list, however, will 
 be an excellent starting-point for those who wish to 
 study these men and women of California's nobility. 
 
 At the outset it may generally be stated that the his- 
 tories of Hubert Howe Bancroft can be consulted, with 
 advantage, on all the earlier chapters of this book. 
 
 Poolers Index will also suggest many interesting 
 magazine articles to those who wish to study the subjects 
 further in a general way. Every high school student 
 should be made familiar with Poolers Index to Periodical 
 Literature and the great uses to which it can be put. 
 Every good library is provided with it, and students will 
 find it of incalculable help. 
 
 Chapter I. Alargon. The original story of Alargon's 
 journey up the Colorado River may be read in Hak- 
 luyfs Voyages. In Stories of Adventure, by Edward 
 Everett Hale (Little, Brown, and Co.), on page 102, 
 explanation is given of the origin of the name " Call- 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 
 
 495 
 
 fornia," but it should not be forgotten that the reference 
 there is to the peninsula which UUoa had discovered, 
 and not to the State we to-day know as one of the United 
 States. Hubert Howe Bancroft, in Volume I of History 
 of California (Volume XVIII of Works), gives a chapter 
 on " The Discovery of California " and the origin of the 
 name, pages 64-109. The Romance oj the Colorado 
 River, by F. S. Dellenbaugh (Putnam's), contains two 
 good chapters on Ulloa and Alargon, and the title of 
 the book is no misnomer for the rest of the contents. 
 
 Chapter II. Melchior Diaz. The vast story of 
 Coronado's expedition is to be found in the original 
 historian's narrative: Account 0} the Expedition to 
 Cibola which took place in the year 1540, in which all 
 those settlements, their ceremonies and customs, are 
 described. Written by Pedro de Castaneda, oj Najera. 
 The original is translated, with notes and an illumina- 
 tive introduction, by George Parker Winship, in Part I, 
 Fourteenth Annual Report 0} the Bureau oj Ethnology 
 (1892-93). 
 
 There is also a chapter in Stories oj Adventure, by 
 Edward Everett Hale, on Era Marco and Coronado's 
 expedition. 
 
 Chapter III. Junipero Serra. Palou's Lije oj Serra 
 has been poorly and partially rendered into English 
 by Eather Adam. This, however, is out of print and 
 hard to obtain. If enough schools and others w^ould ask 
 for its translation and publication, it could be speedily 
 done in a satisfactory manner. Charles E. Lummis 
 in Volume 16 of Out West publishes his translation 
 of Serra's hitherto unpublished Diary oj Servo's trip 
 
496 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 from Loreto to San Diego, March 28 — June 30, 1769. 
 Missions and Missionaries of California, by Zephyrin 
 Englehardt, the official historian of the Franciscans in 
 California, is an excellent work. It may be obtained by 
 writing Father Englehardt at Watsonville, California, 
 or at any Franciscan establishment in the State. In 
 my own In and Out of the Old Missions of California 
 (Little, Brown, and Co.) there is much of Serra and his 
 work, and Bancroft's Histories contain more. 
 
 Chapter IV. Juan Bautista de Anza. The best 
 account of the heroic captain's exploits is found in 
 On the Trail of a Spanish Pioneer, Garces' Diary, 1775, 
 1776. Translated by Elliott Coues and published by 
 Francis P. Harper, New York, 1900. 
 
 Chapter V. Padre Sarria. Bancroft's Histories, and 
 Shea's History of the Catholic Missions among the 
 Indian Tribes of the United States, 1 529-1854. 
 
 Chapter VI. Pattie. The Personal Narrative of 
 James O. Pattie of Kentucky. Reprinted in 1905, in 
 Early Western Travels, by A. H. Clark Co., Cleveland. 
 
 Chapter VII. J. S. Smith. Bancroft's Histories. 
 
 Chapter VIII. John Bidwell. A Journey to Cali- 
 for?iia, being Bidwell's diary of the trip across to Cali- 
 fornia, May 18 to November 6, 1841. John Bidwell, 
 by C. C. Royce, Chico, California, 1906. Articles by 
 Bidwell in The Century Magazine on " The First 
 Emigrant Train to California-" (November, 1890); 
 " Life in California before the Gold Discovery " 
 (December, 1890); "Fremont in the Conquest of 
 California " (February, 189 1). 
 
 Chapter IX. Charles T. Stanton. McGlashan's 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 497 
 
 History of the Donner Party (A. L. Bancroft, San Fran- 
 cisco, 1 881). This is the most rehable account of this 
 party yet written. Mrs. Houghton, George Donner's 
 daughter, is now writing her story, and she is expending 
 great care upon it. 
 
 Chapter X. Virginia Reed. McGlashan's Donner 
 Party (as above) and " Across the Plains in the Donner 
 Party " in Century Magazine (July, 1891), by Virginia 
 Reed Murphy. I also have in preparation the Story of 
 Virginia Reed Murphy, which I hope to publish in 
 1911-12. 
 
 Chapter XI. Manly and Rogers. Death Valley in 
 '49, by W. L. Manly. Now out of print. I can supply 
 copies, however, so long as they last, for $1.75 each. 
 
 Chapter XII. Many fugitive newspaper articles 
 have been written on the subject of this chapter. See 
 also Bancroft, and Illustrated Sketches of Death Valley, 
 by John R. Spears (Rand, McNally and Co., Chicago, 
 1892). 
 
 Chapter XIII. Carson and Beale. There are several 
 " Lives " of Kit Carson. A good one is by Mrs. Jessie 
 Benton Fremont. The one I have used is Kit Carson'' s 
 Life and Adventures, by Col. D. C. Peters (Dustin, 
 Gilman and Co., Hartford, 1874). Poolers Index will 
 also give many references to the great scout. 
 
 Chapter XIV. Consult Poole's Index and books on 
 pioneer times. 
 
 Chapter XV. /. P. Beckwourth. In 1854, 1855, T. 
 D. Bonner visited Beckwourth in California and there 
 wrote, from his own dictation: The Life and Adven- 
 tures of James P. Beckwourth, Mountaineer, Scout, 
 
498 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Pioneer, and Chief of the Crow Nation oj Indians. 
 Charles G. Leland edited this for T, Fisher Unwin 
 (London, 1892), and this EngHsh edition is the one that 
 I have used. 
 
 Chapter XVI, The Pony Express and Overland Stage 
 Lines. Bancroft's, Hittell's and other Cahfornia his- 
 tories, and numerous magazine articles (consult Poole), 
 will give a much larger conception of these great under- 
 takings than I have given in this brief chapter. In- 
 man's Santa Fe Trail, and Seventy Years on the Fron- 
 tier, by Alexander Majors (Rand, McNally and Co., 
 1893). There are also two excellent articles entitled 
 " Knights of the Lash," by Major Ben C. Truman, in 
 Overland Monthly (March and April, 1898), and two 
 others entitled " Overland Staging on the Thirty- 
 second Parallel Route in the Fifties," by Jesse Edward 
 Thompson, in Overland (August and September, 
 1888), I do not know of anything in American 
 literature that gives so graphic, vivid and truthful a 
 description of the overland stage as does Mark Twain 
 in Roughing It. (Harpers & Bros., New York). 
 
 Chapter XVII. William Taylor. The three follow- 
 ing works are all written by Bishop Taylor: Story oj 
 My Life (Hunt and Eaton, New York, 1895), California 
 Life Illustrated (New York, 1858) and Seven Years'* 
 Street Preaching in San Francisco (New York, 1857). 
 
 Chapter X\TII. James King of William. Bancroft's 
 and Hittell's Histories, and Representative and Leading 
 Men of the Pacific, by Oscar T. Shuck (Bacon and Co., 
 San Francisco, 1870). 
 
 Chapter XIX. Thomas Starr King. See Poole's 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 499 
 
 Index for magazine articles, Shuck's Representative 
 Men (see above), A Tribute to Thomas Starr King, by 
 R. Frothingham (Ticknor and Fields, Boston, 1865), 
 and Memoir of King by Edwin P, Whipple in Chris- 
 tianity and Humanity (Houghton, Mifflin and Co., 
 Boston, 1897). There is also an interesting reference 
 to King and Bret Harte in Overland Monthly. 
 
 Chapter XX, James Capen Adams. The Adven- 
 tures of James Capen Adams, Mountaineer and Grizzly 
 Bear Hunter 0} Calijornia, by Theodore H. Hittell, 
 1861. In July, 1910, Mr. Hittell writes me that C. 
 Scribner's Sons (New York) are preparing to issue a 
 new edition of this most interesting and romantic 
 book. 
 
 Chapter XXI, Snow-Shoe Thompson. See Dan de 
 Quille's article in Overland Monthly (February, 1881), 
 from which all the quotations of the chapter are 
 made. 
 
 Chapter XXII. Clarence King and Richard Cotter. 
 Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada, by Clarence King 
 (C. Scribner's Sons, New York). 
 
 Chapter XXIII. Theodore D. Judah. The Reports 
 of Legislative Proceedings in the California Legislature, 
 and Theodore H. Hittell 's History of California. 
 
 Chapter XXIV. The Builders of the Central Pacific 
 Ry. Hittell's and Bancroft's Histories. Also see Poole's 
 Index for many fugitive articles, and The Iron Way, by 
 Sarah Pratt Carr (A. C. McClurg and Co,, Chicago, 
 1907), 
 
 Chapter XXV. Stephen J. Field. The California 
 Law Reports contain Judge Field's Decisions, My 
 
50O HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 chief work of reference was Judge Pomeroy's Some 
 Account of the Work oj Stephen J. Field, published 
 privately in 1881. 
 
 Chapter XXVI. James Lick. Bancroft's and Hit- 
 tell's Histories. Consult Poole's Index for magazine 
 articles, especially those in Overland Monthly. E. S. 
 Holden's Handbook to the Lick Observatory. 
 
 Chapter XXVII. Adolph Sutro. The Mineral Re- 
 sources oj the United States, and the Importance and 
 Necessity of Inaugurating a Rational System 0} Mining 
 with Especial Reference to the Comstock Lode and the 
 Sutro Tunnel in Nevada (Baltimore, John Murphy 
 and Co., 1868). Report of the Commissioners and Evi- 
 dence, etc. (Washington, 1872). 
 
 Chapter XXVIII. J. W. North. Consult Poole's 
 Index for articles on Riverside. 
 
 Chapter XXIX. J. W. Powell. Report of the Sec- 
 ond Irrigation Congress, held in Los Angeles. Report 
 of the Land of the Arid Regions of the United States, 
 by J. W. Powell (Washington, 1879); Also, as 
 evidences of Powell's great work for science and 
 humanity, see Reports of United States Geological 
 Survey, and Reports of Bureau of American Ethnology. 
 
 Chapter XXX. A. S. Hallidie. Consult Poole's 
 Index. 
 
 Chapter XXXI. John Gill Lemmon and Sara P. 
 Lemmon. Overland Monthly (April and May, 1883, 
 and September, 1888); California State Forester's 
 Reports, 1 886-1 889. 
 
 Chapter XXXII. John Muir. Consult Poole's 
 Index, The Mountains of California, by John Muir 
 
BIBLIOGRAPHY 501 
 
 (N. Y. 1894, The Century Co.), Our National Parks, 
 Stickeen, The Story of a Dog, The Outlook (June 6, 
 
 1903)- 
 Chapter XXXIII. Helen Hunt Jackson. Consult 
 
 Poolers Index. Mrs. Jackson's three books dealing 
 
 with Indians are: A Century of Dishonor, Ramona, 
 
 and Glimpses of California and the Missions, all by 
 
 Little, Brown, and Co., Boston. Also see Through 
 
 Ramona's Country, by George Wharton James (Little, 
 
 Brown, and Co.). 
 
 Chapter XXXIV. H. H. Bancroft. See his His- 
 tories and especially his Literary Industries (Harper's, 
 1891). 
 
 Chapter XXXV. Luther Burbank. Consult Poolers 
 Index. New Creations in Plant Life, by W. S. Harw^ood 
 (MacMillan's, 1905), is the story of Burbank's life 
 and work, intelligently and sympathetically told. 
 
 Chapter XXX\T;. Henry George. Progress and 
 Poverty, by Henry George, Life of Henry George, by 
 Henry George, Jr. Also consult Poole's Index. MX 
 of Henry George's Works (Doubleday, Page & Co.). 
 
 Chapter XXXVII. T. S. C. Lowe. Harper's Weekly 
 and Leslie's Weekly during war times. Consult Poole's 
 Index, and Scenic Mount Lowe, by George Wharton 
 James. 
 
 Chapter XXXVIII. Wozencraft, Rockwood and Chaf- 
 fey. The Wonders of the Colorado Desert, George 
 Wharton James (Little, Brown, and Co.). Local 
 newspapers from 1900. 
 
 Chapter XXXIX. Edwin Markham. Consult Poole's 
 Index, The Man with the Hoer and other Poems, and 
 
50 2 HEROES OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 Lincoln and other Poems, by Edwin Markham (Mc- 
 Clure's, New York). 
 
 Chapter XL. Stephen M. White. Stephen M, 
 White, by L. E. Mosher and R. W. Gates, 2 volumes 
 (Times Mirror Co., Los Angeles, 1903). 
 
 Chapter XLI. William E. Smythe. Read articles 
 by W. E. Smythe in Out West; also Irrigation Age, 
 which he founded and edited. Consult Poole's Index. 
 Also The Conquest of Arid America, Constructive De- 
 mocracy, both by W. E, Smythe (MacMillan). 
 
 Chapter XLII. Judge David Belden. Life oj 
 David Belden (Belden Bros., New York, 1891). 
 
INDEX 
 
INDEX 
 
 Adams, James Capen, hunting 
 instincts condemned, xii ; a 
 picturesque figure, i8o; life 
 by Hittell, i8o; birth of, i8o; 
 attacked by tiger, i8o; ar- 
 rival in California, i8i ; 
 takes to wilderness, i8i ; de- 
 scribes grizzly bear, i8i ; his 
 camp, 183 ; an early experi- 
 ence, 184; thrilling adven- 
 tures, 186-192; companion 
 killed, 192 ; adventure in the 
 Yosemite, 192, 193 ; settles 
 down, 194. 
 
 Alargon, Hernando de, sent by 
 Mendoza to cooperate with 
 Coronado, 2 ; discovers and 
 explores Colorado River, 3 ; 
 cautious and determined, 3. 
 
 Annals of San Francisco, quo- 
 tation from, 138-139. 
 
 Anza, Juan Bautista de, in 
 command at Tubac, 17; to 
 establish road to Upper Cal- 
 ifornia, 17 ; attacked by 
 Apaches, 17 ; dangers sur- 
 rounding, 18; crosses desert, 
 18, 19; party divided, 19; 
 reaches Monterey, 19 ; re- 
 turns to Tubac, 19; to estab- 
 lish settlement on San Fran- 
 cisco Bay, 20; promotion of, 
 20; his party, 20; Garces' 
 diary of expedition, 20, 21, 
 suffering of party, 22; 
 reaches San Gabriel, 22 ; goes 
 to San Diego, 22 ; resumes 
 journey north, 22; arrives at 
 Monterey, 22 ; illness of, 23 ; 
 arrives at San Francisco, 23; 
 returns to Sonora, 23. 
 
 Apache Indians, attack de 
 Anza's party, 17. 
 
 Army of the West, 94, engage- 
 ment with Mexicans, 96 ; in 
 great danger, 99; relieved by 
 Stockton, 103. 
 
 Ashley, Gen. W. H., engages 
 Jedediah Smith as one of 
 band of trappers, 40; estab- 
 lishes post near Salt Lake, 
 40. 
 
 Aubery, F. X., Pony Express 
 rider, 132; remarkable ride 
 of. 133- 
 
 Austin, Mary, pictures of old 
 Mission life in Isidro, 24. 
 
 B 
 
 Bailey, James, elected first 
 secretary of Central Pacific 
 R. R. Co., 226. 
 
 Baker, Ray Stannard, article on 
 John Muir, 338. 
 
 Bancroft, Hubert Howe, the 
 collecting of material for his- 
 tory, 376; his birth, 377; set- 
 tles in California, 378 ; the 
 beginning of his library, 378, 
 379 ; its growth, 380, 381 ; re- 
 verses, 383 ; the work com- 
 pleted, 384. 
 
 Beale. Lieutenant, carries des- 
 patches to Kearny, 96; vol- 
 unteers with Carson to go 
 for aid, 99; gets through 
 Mexican lines, lOi ; reaches 
 San Diego, 102; illness of, 
 103. 
 
 Beatty, John C, promotes plan 
 to reclaim the Colorado Des- 
 ert, 440; abandons scheme, 
 441- 
 
5o6 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Beckwourth, James P., methods 
 condemned, xii ; Leiand's 
 Life of, 109; encounter with 
 grizzly bear, 1 10; birth of, 
 no; Bonner's story of, no; 
 Ina Coolbrith's story of, in; 
 her impressions of him, 112; 
 discovers murder of Reed 
 family, iit,; trails murderers, 
 114; captures them, 114; 
 story of murder, 114; exe- 
 cutes murderers, 114; hatred 
 of liquor traffic with Indians, 
 116; discovery of Beck- 
 wourth's Pass, 117, 118; de- 
 scription of country, 118; 
 plans for building road, 119; 
 construction begun, 120; ill- 
 ness of, 120; recovery, 121; 
 leads first train through 
 Pass, 121 ; his losses by ven- 
 ture, 121 ; chief of trading- 
 post, 122. 
 
 Belden, David, sketch of, 482; 
 address on Pioneer Heroes 
 of California, 483-493. 
 
 Bibliography, 494-502. 
 
 Bidwell, John, settles on Ran- 
 cho Chico, 45; birth of, 45; 
 walks to Cincinnati, 45 ; ad- 
 venturous disposition, 46; 
 settles on Platte Purchase, 
 46; teaches school, 46; his 
 claim "jumped," 47; joins 
 Robidoux's party, 47 ; secures 
 outfit, 47 ; the party strength- 
 ened, 48; his journal, 48, 52; 
 fear of Indians, 48; party 
 divided, 49; difficulties of 
 road, 50; reaches California, 
 51 ; assistant to Captain Sut- 
 ter, 52 ; dismantles Fort Ross, 
 52 ; in Sacramento Valley, 
 52 ; makes map, 53 ; becomes 
 a Mexican citizen, 53; joins 
 movement for independence, 
 53 ; C. C. Royce's account of, 
 53; appointed alcade by Fre- 
 
 mont, S3 ; carries news of 
 discovery of gold, 53; his 
 work for Statehood, 54; his 
 politics, 54; efficient service 
 during Civil War, 54; Pro- 
 hibition candidate for Presi- 
 dent, 55 ; his treatment of the 
 Indians, 55; his death, 55. 
 
 "Big Four" (Huntington, 
 Stanford, Crocker, Hopkins), 
 methods often condemned, 
 xii ; Judah attracts attention 
 of, 225 ; their various call- 
 ings, 225 ; subscriptions to 
 stock, 226. 
 
 Bonner, T. D., Life of James 
 P. Beckwourth, no. 
 
 Books Recommended, vi, vii. 
 
 Boothe, C. B., works for irri- 
 gation, 473. 
 
 " Boston," rider on first Pony 
 Express Route, 127. 
 
 Burbank, Luther, his birth, 
 385; settles in California, 
 385; early life, 386; illness, 
 386; disappointments, 387; 
 characteristics, 387-389; a 
 large order and a daring ex- 
 periment, 391, 392; his sys- 
 tem of selection, 392-394; his 
 integrity, 395 ; experimental 
 work, 396 ; recognition of its 
 value, 396; opinion of by 
 Jordan, 397 ; his influence on 
 the popular mind, 398, 399; 
 work for humanity, 400. 
 
 Burnett, Peter H., elected first 
 Governor of California, 124. 
 
 California, History of, books 
 
 bearing on, vi, vii. 
 Carr, Sarah Pratt, quotations 
 
 from, 231, 236. 
 Carson, Kit. on way east with 
 
 Fremont's despatches, 94 ; 
 
 turns back with Kearny's 
 
INDEX 
 
 507 
 
 Army of the West, 94; vol- 
 unteers with Beale to go for 
 aid, 99; gets through Mexi- 
 can lines, loi ; reaches San 
 Diego, 102. 
 
 Casey, James P,. duel with 
 Bagley, 167; attacked in 
 Bulletin by King, 167 ; alter- 
 cation with King, 168; mur- 
 ders King, 168; Vigilance 
 Committee recalled, 168; 
 taken from jail, 169; trial of, 
 by Committee, 169; execu- 
 tion of, 170. 
 
 Castaiieda, account of Diaz's 
 adventures, 4, 5. 
 
 Central Pacific Railroad Co., 
 conceived and organized by 
 Judah, 221 ; convention for 
 organization, 224; first at- 
 tempt fails, 224; magnitude 
 of task, 225 ; organization 
 perfected, 226 ; national aid 
 granted, 227 ; work begun, 
 228; connected with Union 
 Pacific, 231 ; difficulties of 
 building, 232; opposition to, 
 237; finances improve, 238; 
 obstacles to construction, 
 240; Chinese labor on, 241; 
 Sierras crossed, 241 ; pay- 
 ment for completed road, 
 241 ; rivalry with Union 
 Pacific, 242 ; the last spike, 
 243- 
 
 Chafifey, George, settles in Cali- 
 fornia, 441 ; developes water 
 system at Etiwanda and On- 
 tario, 442 ; developes the 
 mutual-company idea, 442, 
 443; electric lighting, 443; 
 Ontario a " model colony," 
 444; Australian work. 444, 
 445; return to California, 
 445 ; appealed to by Rock- 
 wood, 446; takes up plan to 
 reclaim Colorado Desert, 
 446; difficulties and litiga- 
 
 tion, 446-449; Imperial Val- 
 ley, 449; prosperity due to 
 him, 450. 
 
 Chaffey, W. B., constructs 
 water system at Etiwanda 
 and Ontario, 442; Australian 
 work, 444, 445 ; return to 
 California, 445; appealed to 
 by Rockwood, 446; takes up 
 plan to reclaim Colorado 
 Desert, 446. 
 
 Chittenden, Hiram M., Reser- 
 voirs in the Arid Region, 
 472. 
 
 Coolbrith, Ina, meeting with 
 Beckwourth, iii; her im- 
 pressions of him, 112. 
 
 Cora, Charles, kills Wm. H. 
 Richardson, 166; trial de- 
 manded by King, 166 ; trial 
 of, 166; disagreement of 
 jury, 167; taken from jail by 
 Vigilantes, 169; trial of, by 
 Committee, 169; execution 
 of, 170. 
 
 Coronado. See Vasquez. 
 
 Cortes, Hernando, ambitious to 
 extend his power, i ; ap- 
 points Ulloa to command 
 expedition of discovery, 
 I. 
 
 Cotter, Richard, joins Clarence 
 King in mountaineering trip, 
 209; thrilling experiences as- 
 cending Mount Tyndall, 209- 
 216; the dangerous descent, 
 216-220; his coolness and 
 bravery, 219. 
 
 Coues, Dr., gives account of de 
 Anza's routine, 20, 21. 
 
 Crespi, Juan, companion of 
 Serra, 9; sails from Cadiz, 
 9; arrives at Vera Cruz, 10. 
 
 Crocker, Charles, in charge of 
 construction of Central Pa- 
 cific Railroad, 239; his abil- 
 ity, 239; secures Chinese 
 labor, 241. 
 
5o8 
 
 INDEX 
 
 D 
 
 Dana, R. H., Jr., Two Years 
 Before the Mast, 104. 
 
 Davidson, George, quotation 
 from, on James Lick, 267. 
 
 Davis, Horace, comments on 
 Thomas Starr King, 175, 176. 
 
 Death Valley Party, 74-93. 
 
 De Smet, Father, joins party 
 with Bidwell, 48; leaves 
 party at Soda Springs, 49. 
 
 Diaz, Melchior, with Coronado, 
 4; sent to find Alargon, 4; 
 reaches gulf of California, 
 4; Castaiieda relates story of, 
 4; foils Indian plot, 4; 
 watchful and prudent com- 
 mander, 5. 
 
 Dolores Mission, selected by 
 de Anza as site of San Fran- 
 cisco Mission, 23. 
 
 Du Bois, Constance Goddard, 
 pictures of old Mission life 
 in A Soul in Bronze, 24. 
 
 Duran, Padre, accuses Smith 
 of enticing neophytes to des- 
 ert, 42; Smith's explanation 
 to, 42. 
 
 EcHEANDiA, Mexican Governor, 
 Pattie's hatred of, 31 ; harsh 
 treatment of Pattie, 31 ; per- 
 mits Smith to purchase sup- 
 plies, 41 ; tries to detain 
 Smith, 41 ; Smith gives bond 
 to, 44- 
 
 Etiwanda, town started by 
 Chafifey, 442; its great suc- 
 ce_ss,_ 442; Australian Com- 
 mission at, 444. 
 
 Field, _ Stephen J., decisions 
 questioned, xii ; settles in 
 California, 245; alcade, 246; 
 in State legislature, 246; 
 
 fearlessness as judge, 250- 
 259; devotion to principle, 
 2O0. 
 
 Fitzpatrick, Captain, joins 
 party with Bidwell, 48; tries 
 to calm fears of party, 49; 
 goes to meet Indians, 49. 
 
 Flint, Wilson, quotation from, 
 137- 
 
 Forbes, A. S. C, pictures of 
 old Mission life in Mission 
 Tales in the Days of the 
 Dons, 24. 
 
 Fremont, John Charles, no spe- 
 cial chapter on, x; fully 
 treated in all State histories, 
 X ; his career commended, x ; 
 appoints Bidwell alcade of 
 San Luis Rey, 53 ; sends des- 
 patches by Carson, 94; 
 elected United States Sena- 
 tor, 124. 
 
 Garces, Julian, diary of de 
 Anza's expedition, 20, 21. 
 
 George, Henry, birth, 401 ; con- 
 ception of his idea, 401-403; 
 courage and independence, 
 404; editor of Sacramento 
 Reporter, 405 ; opposed to 
 Central Pacific Railway Co., 
 policy, 405 ; Our Land and 
 Land Policy, 406-408; his 
 speeches, 408-410; Progress 
 and Poverty, 411-414; diffi- 
 culties of publication, 412; 
 its popularity, 414; lecturing 
 tours, 415 ; New York may- 
 oralty campaign, 415; his 
 death, 416; appreciation of 
 him, 416. 
 
 Gold, discovery of, in Califor- 
 nia, by Marshall, 123. 
 
 Graves, W. C. finds body of 
 Charles T. Stanton, 62,- 
 
 Grey, Sir George, quotation 
 
INDEX 
 
 509 
 
 from letter to Henry George, 
 
 413- 
 Gwin, William M., elected 
 United States Senator, 124. 
 
 H 
 
 Hallidie, Andrew S., his in- 
 ventive genius, 317-319; the 
 cable road, 320; the Mount 
 Lowe railway, 321. 
 
 Hamilton, Sam, rider on first 
 Pony Express Route, 127. 
 
 Harte, Bret, vivid pictures of 
 California life, viii; quota- 
 tion from, xi. 
 
 Haslam, Robert H., " Pony 
 Bob," rider on first Pony 
 Express Route, 127; narra- 
 tive of, 129-132. 
 
 Hayes, Colonel Jack, com- 
 mands volunteer corps in 
 Paiuti War, 129. 
 
 Hittell, Theodore H., quota- 
 tion from, on James King, 
 161, 165; life of James 
 Capen Adams, 180; tribute 
 to Theodore P. Judah, 229; 
 on Adolph Sutro, 289. 
 
 Holt, L. M., developes, with 
 Chaffey, the mutual-company 
 water system, 442, 443. 
 
 Hopkins, elected treasurer of 
 Central Pacific R. R. Co., 
 226. 
 
 Huntington, Collis P., elected 
 vice-president Central Pacific 
 R. R. Co., 226; ability as fi- 
 nancier, 237; opposes San 
 Pedro harbor, 460 ; contro- 
 versy with White, 461, 462; 
 meeting with White, 462; 
 opinion of White, 463. 
 
 Irish, John P.. tribute to 
 Luther Burbank, 389. 
 
 J 
 
 Jackson, Helen Hunt, pictures 
 of old Mission life in Ra- 
 ■mona, 24; espouses the cause 
 of the Indian, 364; The Cen- 
 tury of Dishonor, 364; con- 
 troversy with Schurz, 365 ; 
 commissioned by Indian De- 
 partment, 366; plans her 
 novel, 367-372; Raniona, 372; 
 its influence, 373. 
 
 Jayme, Padre, murdered by 
 Indians, 22. 
 
 Jordan, David Starr, tribute to 
 Luther Burbank, 397. 
 
 Judah, Theodore D., birth of, 
 222; arrives in California, 
 222; builds short railroad 
 from Sacramento, 222 ; plans 
 transcontinental line, 223 ; as 
 delegate to Washington in its 
 interest, 224; mission fails, 
 224 ; the " Big Four," 225, 
 226; Central Pacific Railroad 
 Co., organized, 226 ; elected 
 engineer of road, 226 ; second 
 mission to Washington, 226; 
 bill enacted, 227 ; files plans 
 for road, 227 ; return to Cali- 
 fornia, 227 ; educates people, 
 228; starts for Washington, 
 228; death of, 228; Hittell's 
 tribute to, 229. 
 
 K 
 
 Kearny, General Philip, com- 
 mands Army of the West, 
 94; prevails on Carson to 
 join him, 94; engagement 
 with Mexicans, 96 ; critical 
 condition of army, 99; Car- 
 son and Beale go for aid, 99; 
 army relieved by Stockton, 
 103. 
 
 Kelley, Jay G., rider on first 
 Pony Express Route, 127; 
 thrilling experiences of, 133- 
 135- 
 
5IO 
 
 INDEX 
 
 King, Clarence, first director of 
 U. S. Geol. Survey, 207 ; his 
 Mountaineering in the Sierra 
 Nevada, 207 ; extracts from, 
 208, 209; thrilling experi- 
 ences ascending Mount Tyn- 
 dall, 209-216; the dangerous 
 descent, 216-220. 
 
 King, James, of William, birth 
 of, 154; letter from his 
 brother, 155; arrives in Cali- 
 fornia, 156; opens bank, 156; 
 his integrity, 157; foreman 
 of grand jury, 158; business 
 reverses, 158; challenged to 
 fight, 159; his reply, 159; its 
 reception, 160; starts news- 
 paper, 162; its success, 163; 
 denounces wrong-doing, 163- 
 165; demands trial of Cora, 
 166; a power in the State, 
 167; opposes appointment of 
 Bagley, 167; attack on Casey, 
 167; altercation with Casey, 
 168; murder of, by Casey, 
 t68; efifect of on citizens, 
 168; Vigilance Committee re- 
 called, 168; trials of Cora 
 and Casey by Committee, 
 169; execution of murderers, 
 170; burial of King, 170; 
 good he accomplished, 170. 
 
 King, Thomas Starr, promi- 
 nence during Civil War, 171 ; 
 powerful sermon for Union, 
 173; tours State for cause, 
 175; life threatened, 175; ap- 
 peals for funds for Sanitary 
 Commission work, 176 ; trib- 
 ute to, by James Linden, 176, 
 177; illness and death, 178; 
 tribute to, by William D. 
 Simonds, 178; Whittier's 
 poem on, 179. 
 
 L 
 
 Leland, Life of James P. 
 Beckwourth, 109. 
 
 Lemmon, John G., his birth, 
 222; early life, 323; enlists 
 for war, 323 ; in Anderson- 
 ville, 323 ; health broken, 323 ; 
 removes to California, 323; 
 discovers new plants, 324; 
 encouraged by Asa Gray, 
 324; his botanical researches, 
 324 ; marriage, 325 ; his wife 
 an enthusiastic botanist, 325 ; 
 the wild potato, 326; danger 
 from Indians, 328; arduous 
 trips, 329-332; ascent of 
 Mount Agassiz, 332-335 ; 
 work for conservation, 336 ; 
 his labor appreciated, 336; 
 his death, ^27- 
 
 Lemmon, Sara Plummer, mar- 
 riage, 325 ; an enthusiastic 
 botanist. 325 ; her sketches of 
 plants, 326; a dangerous trip, 
 326-329; hostile Indians, 328; 
 ascent of Mount Agassiz^ 
 332-335 ; pioneer conserva- 
 tionist, 336; authorship, 336, 
 337 ; edits husband's last 
 book, 337. 
 
 Lick, James, birth of, 261 ; in 
 New York, 262; to Buenos 
 Ayres, 262; at Lima, Peru, 
 262 ; arrives in San Fran- 
 cisco, 263 ; real estate invest- 
 ments, 264 ; the " Mahogany 
 Mill," 264; his peculiarities, 
 265; builds hotel, 266; gift to 
 Academy of Sciences, 266; 
 plans for Observatory, 267; 
 the deeds of trust, 267-270; 
 his death, 270; Observatory 
 established, 271 ; his bene- 
 factions, 271. 
 
 Linden, James, tribute to 
 Thomas Starr King, 176, 177. 
 
 Lowe, Thaddeus S. C, birth of, 
 417; early life, 417-419; 
 chemical researches, 419, 420; 
 balloon ascensions, 420; 
 agreertient with Professor 
 
INDEX 
 
 5" 
 
 Henry, 421 ; discovers east- 
 ern current of air, 421-424; 
 ballooning experiences dur- 
 ing the war, 424-427 ; experi- 
 ments in refrigeration, 427, 
 428; invention of gas making 
 machinery, 428; settles in 
 California, 429; inclined rail- 
 ways, 429-431 ; builds Ob- 
 servatory, 431; Mount Lowe 
 Railway, 431, 432; refining 
 petroleum, 433, 434; his in- 
 ventions, 435 ; his fame, 436. 
 
 M 
 
 McCuTCHEON, William, one of 
 Donner party, 57 ; volunteers 
 with Stanton to go for aid, 
 57 ; carries letter to Captain 
 Sutter, 57; safe arrival, 58; 
 illness of, 58. 
 
 McGlashan, C. R, History of 
 the Donner Party, 59. 
 
 Majors, Alexander, joint-pro- 
 prietor of stage route, 124; 
 establishes first Pony Ex- 
 press, 126; Memoirs of, 132. 
 
 Manly, W. L., one of Death 
 Valley Party, 74; volunteers 
 with Rogers to seek aid, 74; 
 reaches San Fernando Mis- 
 sion, 75; returns with suc- 
 cour, 75 ; suffering in the 
 desert, 75 ; abandons animals, 
 76; regains the party, 79; 
 party goes forward, 81 ; 
 amusing episode, 82; reaches 
 Los Angeles, 85. 
 
 Man with the Hoe, The, 452. 
 
 Markham, Edwin, teaching 
 school, 451 ; The Man zvith 
 the Hoe, 452 ; its reception, 
 454; the author's defense of 
 the poem, 454-457 ; a cham- 
 pion of the helpless, 458. 
 
 Marley, W. C, superintendent 
 of Pony Express station, 130. 
 
 Maxwell, George H., organizes 
 
 National Irrigation Associa- 
 tion, 473. 
 
 Mendoza, endeavors to surpass 
 Cortes, I ; appoints Alargon 
 to command of expedition to 
 cooperate with Coronado, 2. 
 
 Mohave Indians, Pattie's excit- 
 ing encounter with, 34; pur- 
 sues and defeats them, 35. 
 
 Muir, John, early life, 339; in- 
 ventive genius, 340; reflec- 
 tions, 341, 342; temporary 
 loss of sight, 343; through 
 the South, 344; illness, 345; 
 in California, 345; in the 
 Sierra Nevada, 346; descrip- 
 tion of country, 347-349 ; 
 with Coast and Geodetic Sur- 
 vey, 349; to Alaska, 349; 
 rnember of Corwin expedi- 
 tion, 349; visits Norway and 
 Switzerland, 350 ; personal 
 appearance, 350; his literary 
 style, 350-354; five land- 
 marks in his life, 355-360. 
 
 Murphy, Virginia Reed. See 
 Reed, Virginia. 
 
 N 
 North, John W., issues circu- 
 lar for colony, 292 ; Riverside 
 to-day, 292-295; the plan, 
 295, 296; the land selected, 
 297; his early life, 298; prac- 
 tice of the law, 299; ap- 
 pointed judge, 300; colony 
 formed and land purchased, 
 301, 302; starting the or- 
 chards, 302-304; the first 
 navel oranges, 305 ; starts 
 new colony, 308. 
 
 O 
 
 Ontario, town started by 
 Chaffey, 442; its growth, 
 443; system of water supply, 
 444- 
 
512 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Palou, companion of Serra, 9; 
 sails from Cadiz, 9; arrives 
 at Vera Cruz, 10; walks to 
 Mexico City, 10. 
 
 Papago Indians, warn de Anza 
 of danger from Yumas, 18. 
 
 Pattie, James O., trapping of 
 animals, cruel, xii ; a trapper 
 of Kentucky, 28 ; travels in 
 Lower California, 28; taken 
 prisoner, 29; vaccinates in- 
 habitants, 29; Thwaites' story 
 of, 29; joins Pratte, 30; im- 
 prisoned at San Diego, 31 ; 
 his father's death, 31 ; hatred 
 of Governor Echeandia, 31 ; 
 his narrative, 32-38 ; bear 
 hunting on the Gila, 32; at- 
 tacked by Mohaves, 34; death 
 of his companions, 35 ; horses 
 stolen by the Yumas, ■;>)'j ; 
 builds canoes, 38; crosses 
 Colorado Desert, 38. 
 
 Peters, Dewitt C, Life of Car- 
 sort, 96. 
 
 Phelps, Captain W. D., in com- 
 mand of the ship Alert, 104; 
 of assistance to Fremont, 
 104; diary of, 105-108. 
 
 Pomeroy, Judge, quotation 
 from, 246, 249. 
 
 Pony Express, The, first con- 
 sideration of, 125 ; establish- 
 ment of first route. 126; first 
 arrival in San Francisco, 
 128; tariff for letters, 128; 
 dangers for messengers, 129. 
 
 Powell, John W., his ideas on 
 Reclamation, 310-312; the 
 speculator's plan, 312-313; his 
 temptation, 314; his speech 
 and its reception, 315, 316. 
 
 Pratt, assistant to Charles 
 Crocker, 239; loyalty to the 
 Central Pacific Railroad, 239. 
 
 Pratte, Bernard, a noted trap- 
 
 per, joined by James O. 
 Pattie, 30. 
 
 R 
 
 Randolph, Edmund, violent 
 speech for slavery, 172. 
 
 Reed, James T., organizer of 
 the Donner Party, 64; kills 
 Snyder in altercation, 66; 
 banished by party, 66. 
 
 Reed, Virginia, account of 
 Donner Party, 60; daughter 
 of organizer of Donner 
 party, 66 ; takes aid to father, 
 67; dangers of the journey, 
 68-71 ; finds her father, 71 ; 
 returns to party, y2. 
 
 Richardson, H., rider on first 
 Pony Express Route, 127. 
 
 Richardson, William H., assas- 
 sination of, 166. 
 
 Rinehart, Robert E., story of 
 the Death Valley party, 86- 
 93- 
 
 Rivera, Governor, receives de 
 Anza's report, 23. 
 
 Robidoux, French trapper, 
 joined by John Bidwell, 47; 
 organizes party, 47 ; varied 
 experiences, 48. 
 
 Rockwood, C. R., makes sur- 
 veys for reclaiming the Colo- 
 rado Desert, 440, 441 ; ap- 
 peals to Chaffey Brothers, 
 446; their interest enlisted. 
 446; work taken up, 446; 
 successful conclusion, 446 ; 
 Imperial Valley prosperity 
 largely due to him, 450. 
 
 Roff, Harry, rider on first Pony 
 Express Route, 127. 
 
 Rogers, one of Death Valley 
 party, 74; volunteers with 
 Manly to seek aid, 74; 
 reaches San Fernando Mis- 
 sion, 75 ; '•eturns with suc- 
 cour, 75 ; jufferings in the 
 desert, 75 ; abandons animals. 
 
INDEX 
 
 513 
 
 76; regains the party, 79; 
 party goes forward, 81 ; 
 amusing episode, 82; reaches 
 Los Angeles, 85. 
 
 Royce, C. C, quotation from, 
 on Bidwell, 53. 
 
 Russell, joint-proprietor of 
 stage route, 124 ; enthusiastic 
 for Pony Express, 125 ; es- 
 tablishes first Route, 126. 
 
 Ryan, Alarah Ellis, pictures of 
 old Mission life in The Soul 
 of Rafael, 24. 
 
 St. Joseph, Missouri, first 
 westward Pony Express 
 started from, 128. 
 
 San Antonio de Padua Mis- 
 sion, founded by Serra, 15. 
 
 San Buenaventura Mission, 
 founded by Serra, 15. 
 
 San Carlos Mission, founded 
 by Serra, 15; copy of Sar- 
 ria's letter in archives of, 25. 
 
 San Carlos Carmelo Mission, 
 Junipero Serra buried in, 15. 
 
 San Diego Mission, established 
 by Serra, 15; division of de 
 Anza's party arrives at, 19; 
 de Anza goes to, 22. 
 
 San Francisco de Asis Mission, 
 founded by Serra, 15. 
 
 San Gabriel Mission, founded 
 by Serra, 15; on road from 
 Lower to Upper California, 
 17; de Anza arrives at, 19. 
 
 San Juan Capistrano Mission, 
 founded by Serra, 15. 
 
 San Luis Obispo Mission, 
 founded by Serra, 15. 
 
 San Luis Rev Mission, Bidwell 
 appointed alcade of, 53. 
 
 Santa Barbara Mission, founded 
 by Serra, 15 
 
 Santa Clara Mission, founded 
 by Serra, 15. 
 
 Sargent, A. A., meets Judah on 
 
 trip to Washington, 227 ; aids 
 in Central Pacific R. R. Co., 
 legislation, 227. 
 
 Sarria, Francisco Vicente de, 
 arrives in California, 25; 
 elected Comisario prefecto, 
 25 ; letter to missionaries, 25 ; 
 his loyalty to Spain, 26 ; 
 Gleeson's account of, 27; 
 death of, 27. 
 
 Serra, Junipero, spirit extolled, 
 xi ; birth of, 7; joins Fran- 
 ciscan Order, 7; fame as a 
 preacher, 8; influenced by 
 Dante, 8; becomes a mission- 
 ary, 9; his companions, 9; 
 sails from Cadiz, 9; suffer- 
 ings on voyage, 10; arrives 
 at Vera Cruz, 10 ; walks to 
 Mexico City, 10; Jesuits ex- 
 pelled from Lower Califor- 
 nia, II ; appointed prcsidcnte, 
 11; a pioneer, 11; revered by 
 natives, 11 ; simplicity of life, 
 12; ability of, 12, 13; his 
 genius and tact, 13; his bra- 
 very, 14; results of labors of, 
 15; Missions established by, 
 15; death and burial, 15; pe- 
 titions for road to Upper 
 California, 17; welcomes de 
 Anza, 22 ; memorial cross to 
 
 293- 
 Simonds, Rev. William D., trib- 
 ute to Thomas Starr King, 
 
 Slavery, sentiment in Califor- 
 nia for, 171-173. 
 
 Sloat, Commodore, seized Cali- 
 fornia for the United States, 
 123. 
 
 Smith. Jedediah. Joins Gf'neral 
 Ashley's band of trapners, 
 40: on Rio Virgen and Colo- 
 rado River. 40; crosses Colo- 
 rado Desert. 41 ; reaches San 
 Gabriel, 41 ; arrested. 41 ; re- 
 leased by Echeandia, 41; 
 
su 
 
 INDEX 
 
 writes Padre Duran, 42; 
 crosses the Sierras, 42; re- 
 turns to California, 43 ; bond 
 signed by Captain Cooper, 
 43; returns to Salt Lake, 44; 
 killed by Indians, 44. 
 
 " Snow-shoe " Thompson. See 
 Thompson, John A. 
 
 Smythe, William E., birth of, 
 468; in Nebraska, 469; The 
 Conquest of Arid America, 
 469, 475; editorials on irriga- 
 tion, 469-471 ; popularizes 
 movement, 475; his book 
 scientific, historical, practi- 
 cal, 475, 476 ; quotation from, 
 477; the "Little Landers," 
 478-480; a great benefactor, 
 481. 
 
 Soiedad Mission, Padre Sarria 
 dies at, 24; Sarria pastor of, 
 27. 
 
 Stanford, Leland, nominated 
 for Governor, 226 ; elected 
 president Central Pacific R. 
 R. Co., 226; elected Gov- 
 ernor, 235 ; efforts to raise 
 funds, 237 ; announces com- 
 pletion of road, 244. 
 
 Stanton, Charles T., one of the 
 Donner party. 57 ; volunteers 
 with McCutcheon to go for 
 aid, 57; carries letter to Cap- 
 tain Sutter, 57; safe arrival, 
 57; illness of McCutcheon, 
 57; returns with Indian com- 
 panions, 58; rejoins party, 
 58; urges speed, 58; Mc- 
 Glashan's history, 59; efforts 
 to escape, 59 ; retvirn to the 
 Lake, 60 ; the " Forlorn 
 Hope," 60; sufferings of ad- 
 vance^ party, 61-63; his death, 
 62,; his body found, 63. 
 
 Stockton, Commodore. Carson 
 offers to seek aid of, 99; des- 
 patches aid to Army of the 
 West, 103. 
 
 Sutro, Adolph, birth of, 273; 
 early years, 274; arrival in 
 America, 274; settles in Cali- 
 fornia, 274; the Comstock 
 lode, 274-278 ; formulates 
 plan for tunnel, 278, 279; se- 
 cures State aid, 279; national 
 aid granted, 281 ; tunnel op- 
 posed, 281 ; mass meeting of 
 miners, 282; his speeches, 
 283-286; congressional inves- 
 tigation, 286; tunnel com- 
 pleted 289; Hittell's view of, 
 289; retires from corpora- 
 tion, 290; real estate inter- 
 ests, 290; elected mayor, 290. 
 
 Sutter, Captain, joined by Bid- 
 well, 52 ; orders Fort Ross 
 dismantled, 52; letter from 
 Donner party, 57; sends aid 
 to, 58. 
 
 Taylor, William, arrival in San 
 Francisco, 140 ; preaches first 
 sermon, 141 ; shrewdness and 
 wit, 142-144; denunciation of 
 gambling, 145 ; origin of 
 " Shanghaing," 147 ; labors 
 for seamen, 146-148; preaches 
 against duelling, 148; sends 
 first eucalyptus seed, 149; 
 builds his house, 150; high 
 cost of living, 152; his suc- 
 cess, 152; establishes mis- 
 sions, 153; appointed Mis- 
 sionary Bishop, 153. 
 
 Thatcher. George, rider on first 
 Pony Express Route, 128. 
 
 Thompson, John A. (" Snow- 
 shoe"), bravery and endur- 
 ance of, 195, 196; birth of. 
 197; arrival in California, 
 197; makes his first snow- 
 shoes, 197; agility surprises 
 friends, 199; begins carrying 
 mails, 199; travelled light, 
 200; method of camping. 
 
INDEX 
 
 515 
 
 202; working without pay, 
 204; his claims rejected, 205; 
 death of, 205. 
 Thwaites, R. G., Introduction 
 to Patties' Narrative, 29-31. 
 
 U 
 
 Ulloa, Francisco de, sails from 
 Acapulco by order of Cortes, 
 I ; discovers peninsula and 
 gulf of California, 2; incom- 
 petency of, 2. 
 
 Union Pacific Railroad Co., 
 connected with Central Pa- 
 cific, 231 ; payment for com- 
 pleted road, 241 ; rivalry with 
 Central Pacific, 242; the last 
 spike, 243. 
 
 V 
 
 Vasquez de Coronado, in serv- 
 ice of Mendoza, 2; Alar- 
 gon sent to cooperate with, 
 2; sends Diaz to find Alar- 
 gon, 4. 
 
 Verges, companion of Serra, 9; 
 sails from Cadiz, 9; arrives 
 at Vera Cruz, 10. 
 
 Vigilance Committee (of 1856), 
 reorganized upon murder of 
 James King, 168; take Cora 
 and Casey from jail, 169; 
 trial of, 169; execution of, 
 170. 
 
 Vincens, companion of Serra, 
 
 9; sails from Cadiz, 9; ar- 
 rives at Vera Cruz, 10. 
 
 W 
 
 Waddell, joint-proprietor of 
 stage route, 124; establishes 
 first Pony Express, 126. 
 
 Weller, John B., speech for 
 Breckenridge, 171. 
 
 White, Stephen M., the strug- 
 gle for San Pedro harbor, 
 460-462; meeting with Hunt- 
 ington, 462, 463; Hunting- 
 ton's opinion of, 463 ; conclu- 
 sion of speech in Senate, 
 464. 
 
 Whittier, John G., poem on 
 Thomas Starr King, 179. 
 
 Wozencraft, Dr. O. M., secures 
 aid of State and national au- 
 thorities, 439, 440; plan for 
 reclaiming the Colorado Des- 
 ert, 440; interfered with by 
 Civil War. 440. 
 
 Wright, William, account of 
 " Snow - shoe " Thompson, 
 195-206. 
 
 Y 
 
 Yuma Indians, reported un- 
 friendly to de Anza, 19 ; give 
 aid to his party, 19; division 
 of his party return to, 19; 
 stampede and capture Pat- 
 tie's horses, 2>7- 
 
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