Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • Page 15

EBDTfto'-RD AIL (Tribune VOL. CXXXV OAKLAND. CALIFORNIA. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 1941 NO. 69.

OVERNOR'S Day at the Sacramento State Fair, this as in rjrior vears. State Fair, this year as in prior years, QUX RedWood StOrV Story of Alcatraz workers. An et fort may be made to reconstruct the mill, itself. At the time' the monument was my relatives had their houses built-in Contra Costa County. The Victor Castro adobe, now called Rancho San Pablo, is one of the many.

That of my great-grandfather, Don Ygnacio i Martinez, was built much earlier." Sonoma in 1848 On April 1, ,1848, the California Star, a weekly journal published by Samuel Brannan and edited by Edward C. Kemble, saw fit "to republish from our notes of travel north of the bay, the annexed description of the town of drew politicians from every section of the State, and they were all busy as 'bees trading information on the strength of various candidates in the campaigns which will be made next year. Governor's Hallj, where the luncheon for some 1200 guests was spread, became the trading post for political gossip of-every kind. Much of it, of course, centered on the forthcoming race for Governor, and there was a wide variety of opinions expressed concerning the strength of Governor Olson. State' Senator.

Rtfbert Kenny has already cut into the Governor following in the south in the preliminary contacts he has made during the past few weeks, but he, is leaving the way open to step from the gubernatorial campaign Into the race for attorney general when it becomes certain that Earl Warren will run for Governor. Speaker of the Asv' sembly, Gordon Garland has also been active in the South, and two new Democratic candidates were spoken of in the gossip sessions which preceded and followed the luncheon. Roger Jessup and John Anson Ford, both members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, are said to be making quiet canvasses of the field. One story had it that JessUp hasgone so far as to have some campaign literature printed, although it will not be circulated until he makes an official announcement that he is in the contest. Sentiment Shifts Those from the central part of the State, including the Bay area, regarded the Governor as the strongestTDemocratic contender and seemed to take it for granted that he would come oul(of the primary election as the party's nominee.

In the extreme northern part of the State the picture was again Tainted in different hues, and a strong anti-Olson feeling, appeared to prevail. Most of the talk revolved as" a matter of course about the Democratic candidates becausehe lunch- XI I A 1- V. Sonoma." Agltfn, I thank L. M. Ver Mehr for showing me the -old paper and for the chance to quote: we learn to have been named from a4V( Indian chief of some one bf the Tulare tribe! and of considerable notoriety.

Intelligent arid brave, there were probably none from the neighboring tribes more renowned or revered. Sonoma was founded in 1833 by Gen-eal Mariano Vallejo, and held as a military post. With the superlative attractions of an advantageously and, prettily located inland town, mild and delightful climate, it is justly commanding a liberal share of the attention of our countrymen, and bids fair to flourish henceforth in the excess of American enterprise, if not to outstrip many of the venerable seaports of, our southern coast. Sonoma now contains probably not less than 40, principally adobe, houses, and has an estimated population of 260 souls. Here is the mission of Solano, once flourishing and grand, now time-worn and crumbling.

A public house upon an extensive planhas been reared of late, and when finished will be one of the finest features of the placed In every direction can be traced the almost magic progression of enterprise in its' might, new lands under cultivation, and continuous building on street and square. Only a few miles from Sonoma a serviceable sawmill is in cdn-stant operation." A Following this, Brannan and Kemble turned their attention to San Francisco and announced: "Tlxe preltent white population of the place exceeds 800 souls: Male (adult), 575; female adults, 177; chifdren-'of ages proper to. attend -school, 60. This-raascer, tained by the Board of School Trustees', indecently canvsing the town, is correct. Scarcely eight months since, thetotal number of whites was 375.

There has A request from a reader of the Knave for' information concerning the days when redwoods were cut on our hills and sent to the mills has brought me a number of interesting interviews. Dr. John S. Engs tells me he received the following information from a Mr. Closson, who then lived wtth his wife in a house on the crest of the ridge at the base of Redwood Peak.

"He was the owner of a rather large tract of land adjoining. On this tract grew many second- growth redwood trees. Back of his house was a frUit orchard which had been planted in a deep depression of the hilltop. He told me that in early days the. area covered by his orchard had been a mill pond.

The water had been impounded by a dam at the lower nd. Many years ago the dam broke, releasing the He said, 'I have many fine second-growth trees on my place, and some day they will be worth At that time his place was a popular Sunday rendezvous for hikers and. horseback riders throughout the year. For the small sum' of 25 cents Mrs. Closson served a bountiful luncheon of bread and butter, ham and eggs and coffee.

For thosebringing their own food she would furnish hot tea or coffee. I used to ride to their place nearly every Sunday morning for sevetal years following the earthquake. Old Logging Road "A few years later I heard that a group composed of his regular Sunday visitors, with Judge Snook at the head, organized an outing" club and purchased the property, including the houset I think their intention was to develop the place as a sort of fire destroyed the house soon after. In those days there still remained portions of an old road which joined the JoaquhMiller road just back of Dimond Scouf Camp. I was told it was part of an old logging road leading to Redwood Peak.

Oh it logs were carted down and dumped into the creek at the head of Dimond Canyon from there in the rainy season they were floated down to mill. I understood Mr. Closson to say that there had been a sawmill just below his place before the dam broke, emptying the water from the mill after that, of course, therci remained no power to operate the sawmill." Early Sawmills Going on with the story, Albert E. Norton, who has been digging into the records, just as Harry Noyes Pratt once did for The Tribune, offers this "Our history tells us that just be- the Skyline Boulevard, after you have passed down the old Redwood Road about 4 miles, you turn left into a ravine which had sometime been given the name of Sawmill Creek. 'There you will find these, large stumps which the early pioneer lumberman left after cutting a beautiful grove of redwood trees.

In 1854, Thomas Eager entered the San Antonio redwoods, where he engaged in partnership -with a Mr. Brown and started a steam sawmill. Others had preceded him there T. B. and Wil-- liam Prince, Spicer, Thorn and Plumme'r.

Altogether, they produced about 12,000 feet of lumber per day, which was hauled to LaRue's Wharf at the foot of Commerce Street (14th Avenue), inEast Oakland. This lumber was sold from $251 to $35 per thousand, most of it being taken toBan Francisco to erect her earliest buildings, mst ofewhich were 'soon destroyed by fire that ravaged the several times within a few years. These trees were as large 13.9 feet in diameter. The grqye was about one and one-half miles long and three-quarters a muVwide. These trees -were all cut by- J858.

In 1849, a Frenchman started a sawmill, but later abandoned it. It passed into the hands Harry Meiggs. He in turn sold it-to-Volney Moody, and in 1853 it was again sold to A. Plummer. In 1852, William and Thomas Prince and a man by the name of Brown erected two peon, as me uuveniui pui in- jus a.

"(t-itVioriniT nf mu nrinrinal vpII IpaHprs Whptl- been over 100 per cent -increase -within this time. The first school to be kept in the pubhTQnce Health ReSOrt school of the town of San Francisco wilNJ commence on AprM 3 under the superintend- J'The Spanish-American War 'and its 'after-onri nf Mr. Themas Douelass. a eraduate ov math," Warden Johnston continues? produced How old is Alcatraz, not as an island, but as a place, of confinement? Nature planted the rock and men adapted it to their purposes. To many Americans, Alcatraz, "the grim fortress," is associated with the moderns Al Capone and other desperates confined in spot from which they cannot escape.

The old rock has a lot of history, and no one knows it better than James A. Johnston, the warden. In "Prison World," official publication of the American Prison Association, Johnston has pictured Alcatraz to his fellows in penology and to the country. Since the days of the Civil War, he says, the place has been used as a prison. It was established as a military reservation in 1859, and from, that early date offenders were there confined Those early prisoners were in the lists of "occasional offenders" on a far coast.

Gradually Alcatraz became a "military prison, a disciplinary barracks, and a Federal Says Warden Johnston: "The history of California records that during the heated political campaign of 1864, several participants were sequestered in Fort Alcatraz until released on bond to bear true alleriance to the United States GoVernment." In 1868 the War Department designated Alcatraz as a pjace of confinement for prisoners having long sentences. Post com- manders began transferring those that could net be held in reservation guard houses, The first received under the order were 20 from Fort Point, and during the first year over 100 arrived. In the early '70's the Government com- menced the practice of sending troublesome Indians from the Territory of Arizona and from Alaska. Barncho and Sholuck, two of the Indians involved Jin the murder of General Canby in 1873, were sentenced to life in Alcatraz. Others committed were thelndian scdlits who were in the mutiny of Cibicu Creek, Arizona Territory, August 30, 1881, in which Captain E.

C. Hentig and six privates of the Sixth Cavalry were killed. Also, Indian scouts who mutinied at San Carlos, Arizona Territory, in June, 1887. Several Indian chiefs were confined, the most noted of whom was" Kae-t-na, aide and friend of the then troublesome Apache Chief uerommo. He was tried by-a jury of his own- tribe for fomenting a disturbance on the Sarf" Carlos Reservation in 1884, sentenced to-.

confinement -for three yearsrandGeneral Crook sent him to Alcatraz for greatarsecurity. more offenders. In 1900 a great manyfris were sent from the Philippine Islands'lo brought 126, and in April 270 arrived, and tthe nprmal capacity. It is interesting to. note', that in 1900 Alcatraz was regarded and used as a health resort.

Many soldiers aeturned from the Islands suffering from dysen tery and diseases of the At first, they were sent to tne general nospija. at tne rre sidio. Whife convalescing they, were organized into companies, and convalescent company No. 2 was sent to Alcatraz; When the earthquake and fire were destroytffg" San Francisco in 1906, the officials of that city moved, 176 prisoners from the, jail to "Alcatraz. During all the yeats that Alcatraz was a fortification it was also a military prison.

Frpm time to time the Army'methods were modified, and in 1907 Alcatraz was designated as Pacific branch of the United States Military Prison, but subse- quently the name was changed to Disciplinary Barracks. It continued to confine, discipline and train those sentenced by court-martiat for military offenses, such as desertion, mutiny, disobedience of orders, also for manslaughter, burglary, embezzlement and other felonies. In 1933 the War Department decided to abandon Alcatraz, having reacheeUthe conclusion it was nojo'rlger necessary as a military fortification." The story'since' is in all. of 6trr memories, Site of Gold Discovery Of course, we have the Marshall up at Coloma, and a beautiful little park on the top of the hill. But California does not own the actual site of the Sutter sawmill, where James Marshall discovered gold.

Something is going to be done about the situation. It was in the trailrace of Marshall's mill at the" American River, that flecks of gold were discovered in Januarv. 1848. The discovery started the flobd of gold-seekers that reached -its crest in-1849 and 1850rThe StateTar'k- Com mission has negotiated years for site, but resorted to condemnation proceedings two years ago when negotiations failed. Hearings in the suit are scheduled to begin so6n at Placer- yille, the county seat of EL Dorado County, in which Marshall's mill was located.

move to acquire the site was started by Newton B. Drury, now director of the National Park Servr ice, when he was connected with the' State Park Commission. State acquisition will mean the tltt "will be Imprwed by. Bttfc park constructed, parts of the mill were and more remain in the river bed, according to Deputy Attorney" General who has been handling the case for the 'State." Tha'' site has a history somewharparallel to that of its first owner. The land was so torn by gold-seekers in the early days that it was considered worthless for many years, and at least once was sold for unpaid taxes.

Marshall himself made no gain, from his discovery. He never mada another strike, and died penniless. However, modern mining methods recently have brought land into demand again. Until several 'montha ago a dredging company also was seeking possession of the site to resift. the once golden soil with hydraulic equipment.

The site is owned by Perley Monroe, a janitor at the State Capitol in Sacramento, who bought it 10 years ago on speculation. Alisalr the Sycamores Wry Goodrich who lives at Pleasanton one who finds pleasure in digging into her coro "-unity's historic background well as into the, larger story of; her whole State. I am privileged to pass along some of the facts she has unearthed alongwith some present appreciations. anion was not always so caiiea. urigmaiiy tne frame ui tuc iuxci in miiauvi' any was the Spanish word which means the Syca- mores and, though' few ot the residents know it, the old historians give the fact a brief and unsatisfactdry mention.

For two reasons the spotlight has recently been directed exclusively on county fair to which it played host and, second, the naming of a new dahlia after Pleasanton, but giving it the old name Alisal. Charles Garrity, the dahlia king of San Leandro, perfected it and Ernest Schween' suggested the picturesque name. Many years ago when Nature held a free hand in the there was a generous sprinkling of tall sycamores and even road called that. Sycamora' Roads one of the chief beauty spots. Other trees are at their perfection and nothing in that Piass 4nunA disown a i v.n irr, 0ne often hears the proud claim thafchav poes from there to every racing center in the United States.

For more than 100 years horses, have been brought to run on the Pleasanton flats. The track is on soil is almost waterproof, an alluvial silt on eobleSttmes that was once an ancient river bed. jfhere is now a new grandstand, a new mile track and a half mile one for harness racing. The history of the past is curi- sly interwoven with the presenji-thnamei of the original settlers appearing in roads, sec-' tors, a lake andVpass. Gravel deposits -hava called the attention of the defense board to tha spot and the modern housing and construction.

we can modern is appearing rapidly. But changeshave not encroached over much on tha areas of old and beautiful trees, nor the spirit of the people-Pleasanton, nee Alisal, need not bow out. Certainly its claims are not disputed delighted tourists." Railroad of the Seventies i Up Freshwater way, in Humboldt County, th Pacific Lumber Company has finished remov- ing traces of an old-time logging railway that played its important part in carrying logs from an ea of virgin timber to Humboldt Bay. In, Eureka there have been expressed some senti mental regrets at the disappearance of a landmark, and one that I pass along is this: "Thla railroad was built in the late seventies by th fixcelsior' Redwood Company," whose wu on Gunther Island, iust across the bav- from the foot oflF Street. JThe roadbed was built by Chinese lalsorers, there being a large colony ot Orientals living here at the time.

In 1885 tha Chinese were driven out of Eureka and boldt County, and about the only thing they left were the old shacks at Fourth and Street and. the roadbed of the Freshwater railroad; Now all that remains, is the memory of those? early days. The railroad recently removed was first built from McCreedy Creek to. Freshwater Slough, about a mile bridge that Is now being replaced with a morq modern structure. The logs- front Freshwater Were transported by, the railroad to Freshwater Slough where they were dumped into tha "water and then towed or rafted to the mill on Gunther's Island.

The mill was operated for a number of years, and manufactured many millions of feet of lumber which were shipped to all quarters of the globe. The office of the companj was in Eureka on Street, near th Vaterf rontrand-way presided "over bytfrrfcrtC David Evans. The late Thomas Richmond, Henry Deering and others were employed there tOn Jhe railroad and in the woods were manjt early day Humboldters, most of them from New Brunskick and Nova Scotia, or the timberlanda of the Middle Among those -who employed in early days on the' railroad who ar still residing in Eureka Were Reg. Young and Ed Armstrong." 1 TIIE Yale Collece. Connecticut.

Mr. D. has had mnra Vion in vears' etffiVvWirp in tht instruct tion of academics and high schools in the In February of 'that year oho' transport and he has testimonials which speak of him as a a skillful1 and successful teafher and well quali- prison part of the fdrt 'Pesi-fied for the soon the. number' to fied ever there was mention made of Republican opposition, it always centered around the name of Earl Warren as the most, logical contender. r-Therejjever wasany doubt expressed about his ability to win the Republican nomination.

The only debate was about his ability to defeat Olson. 'Keeping in mind the fact that practically -all of participants in the gossip exchange were; Democrats of one shade or another, the net result was a general acknowledgment that Warren vould be a formidable candidate and the JJemo-crats would be faced with a terrific job if they hoped to defeat him. There was not much talk about the race for Lieutenant Governor, although two of the announced candidates were at the speakers 'table. Lieutenant Governor Patterson was introduced by title-pnly, and h'is name was not mentioned. George Batchelder, chairmanf the Alameda County Democratic Central Corn- mittee, whose candidacy has been spoken of in a limited circleof friends, "also given a brief introduction.

There were some reports from southern observers that Assemblyman Lee Bashore, who has been whooping it tip for the Republican nominatioaor Lieutenant Governor, has become wary during the last few weeks and is keeping one foot on the Assembly seat. Congressional Race Looms Formation'of a new congressional district composed of Imperial, Riverside and Orange Counties brings with it the promise of a spirited K- conTest with two State Senators as the- chief contenders for the honors. It is reported that oenaior jonn r-mnips 01 Banning, ieaaer 01 relief battles in the last three legislative sessions at Sacramento, will seek election as the Rer publican nominee for Congress. Senator E. George Luckey of "Imperial will be the Demo 1 T-i 1 1 1 I.

cratic contender. Both Phillips and Lu elected to four-year terms only last year, so they will both be able to make the race without endangering their present positions. In the. case of Senator Phillips whq represents Riverside County, his candidacy is presenting a problem for Assemblyman Nelson Dillworth, Republican as of D. ereujnills in the redwoods.

Tupper newspaper goes on to say that "the undersigned trustees, therefore, cheerfully commend his school to the patronage of the citizens pf the town and vicinity, confident he will do. all in his power to import a thorough education to pupils committed to his care." 'Those who signed were: V. J. Forgeaud, C. L.

Ross, John Townsend, John Shrine and William Davis. Another Howitzer Having a personal interesfn a howitzer, J. K. Burnett of Orland has been reading with interest theories of the gun Frerhont hauled up. Sierran slopes and abandoned when the, job became too arduous.

Says Burnett: "Here is a howitzer item from San Luis Obispo: I was b'orn in San Luis Obispo County in .1862, lived in the city of San Luis Obispo from 1902 to 1917. "While there I became very well acquainted" with John A. Dunbar, the authority on all matters pertaining to the ancient history of that town and vicinity. He ran a second-hand store. One day I was in, hjs store and saw, "among other junk, what' looked like a howitzer ball.

I asked him wfia't it was; he replied 'that is likely a howitzer ball, it was picked up in San Luis creek about 20 years back by Jose Castro and turned over to me; it was picked up on a direct line between Fort Fremont and the old and was probably fired by Fremont's men at or over the mission. You can have it if you want So I took it, That been about .35 years ago. Fort Fremont in San Luis Obispo is about a block northwest of the old Courthouse. I was there a few years ago when a monument was dedicated there to the memory of Fremont. The breastworks thrown up by.Fre-mont when he helped towin California for the.

United States were still in good condition. tiasitthat Fremont had his howitzer with-him at San Luis Obispo. AndTbelieve that a shot was fired over the mission to scare the, Mexicans who were gathered the're to resist the Americano, who was fortified on the knoll called Fremont Heights, about a quarter of a mile away, and that thi ball turned over to me by John A. Dunbar 35 years ago was actually fired' from Fremofit's at San. Luis Obispo.

I have always intended to and still intend to turn it over to some historical society, 1 believe it to genuine." l4metaber from Hemet. He would like to take "'Phillips' place in the State Senate, but he will be unable to run for the office because there will be no vacancyuntil Phillips is elected to Congress and resigns the Senate. There is noih-. ing much be can do ibout it except to run for re-election to the Assembly and take the chance that the Governor elected, next year will call a special senatorial election in Riverside County Hamilton put another one up, as did a man named Spicer; which was the farthest one up the canyon. Even our legislators took note, of these redwoods, for in 1853, when theyscreated Alameda County and set up the survey of same, their description read in part'as follows; 'Thence westwardly along the middle of said ridge crossing the gulch one-half mile below Princess Mill, thence to "and running upon the dividing ridge between the redwoods known aS San Antonio and Princess Days of the Adobes Indeed, some of the timbers used in the con-.

woods on the hills back of Oakland. Anna Ten- nent Burns, descendant a pioneer. ofJ48, can tell us somethini? about iU "Mv father. Dr. Samuel J.

Tennent (the pioneer of '48)rwas called frpm his home in the Pinole Valley to" attend an outbreak of cholera at the sawmill in the redwoods. The lumber from these trees' was used in the construction of the adobe houses that were built in the surrounding country. Most likely the timbers were hauled by oxen, WbJola war sd im Ihet dyt- A number ef 'taLfillJhevacaM -Phillips winning -in the -contest wiihLuckey, but th6se who are clost to the political Situation i'ln the three counties makine up the coneres- sional district' report that the chances are best for; election of a Republican. "Riverside and Orange Counties in particular have a cbnserva-tive -electorate and Republicans have' had little difficulty in winning there. Luckey, during his first session in the Senate last year, turned out to be a strong supporter of the administration 2iaU Governor OIkhi..