GEORGE ALLEN
Is a native of the
city of
For
the first six years he followed the former business, and then engaged in the
lumber trade, which business he still conducts, having the only lumber-
yard in Sutter Creek. A good portion of the time he has several teams on the road, hauling lumber from his saw-mill, better known as Tarr's mill, situated about ten miles above Volcano.
He is largely interested in stock-raising,
dealing in and raising horses, mules, and cattle, extensively. Mr. Allen has in
the neighborhood of three thousand acres of land adjoining Sutter Creek, all
under fence, and well supplied with the necessary arrangements for the
prosecution of his business; has
numerous barns for the shelter of his stock. He also has some fifteen hundred acres of
mountain range, to which he drives his stock when the feed fails
around his home ranch. Taking into consideration his being left an
orphan when so young, Mr. Allen is a self-made man, and has accomplished what
many
others have failed to do. His honesty, integrity and punctuality have always been prominent features in his dealings with his fellow-men.
He was married
children, four of
whom, two boys and two girls, are still living, their oldest child, a daughter,
having died.
History of
By
Jesse D Mason
Thompson
& West,
Pp
299
Transcribed by: Martha A Crosley
Graham
Was born in Perry County, Pennsylvania,
when, with his
parents, he removed to
off by the great
and looking around awhile at
he moved to El
Dorado county, making that his home until 1876, being engaged in mining ditches
until 1856, when he bought into a saw-mill, which, in
connection with the selling and transportation of
lumber, he carried on until the year mentioned, when he finally located on the
present farm, which he had
previously purchased.
It is situated three miles north-east of
Mr. Baird was
married
now twelve years of age. He is a man trusted by his neighbors, and is
a member of the Board of School Trustees of his district.
History of
By
Jesse D Mason
Thompson
& West,
Pp
299
Transcribed by: Martha A Crosley
Graham
CHARLES BAMERT
Was born at
his first recollections are consequently
located in this country. Upon his
arrival in
until 1852. During that time he attended school and acquired a common school education.
In the year last named, he came to
trict, in Placer
county, where he experienced the trials and privations usually connected
with that kind of life in those
days. For eight years he followed that
business, and in 1860 settled on the
for the trade has manifested itself throughout
his years of experience and he ranks at the present time with the prosperous
and successful business men of the county.
He was married in 1876, to Miss Leah Shelburn,
and their union has been blessed with two children, now aged three and one
years respectively.
History of
By Jesse D Mason
Thompson & West,
Pp 299 - 300
Transcribed
by: Martha A Crosley
Graham
EDGAR BISHOP
The subject of the following sketch is a
native of
He was married in
History of
By Jesse D Mason
Thompson & West,
Pp 300
Transcribed by: Martha A Crosley Graham
J. 0. BLYTHER
Is a native of the State of
his parents to the city of
at which time ho came to
and his first occupation after reaching his
destination was consequently that of delving in the earth in search of the
precious nuggets. After a short time
in his first location, he sought other places
where it was believed dame fortune had deposited a larger supply of wealth for
him; and, possessing a rambling
nature, visited different parts of the State
during the succeeding eleven years. In
1861 Mr. Blyther concluded to settle down, as he was
a firm believer in the
old adage that
"a rolling stone gathers no moss," and in the last-named year located
on the ranch, where he is very pleasantly situated at the present time,
owning one of the best
places on the Mokelumne river; though containing but
two hundred acres, it is well cared for, and conducted on the true principle
that land in order to
be remunerative, must receive a certain amount of attention. He was married in 1866 to Mrs. Child, who bad
one child by a former
marriage, that now
lives with his parents, a bright, active young man of nineteen years. Mr. Blyther is a
courteous gentleman, and in connection with his reputation as a good
farmer, has the good-will and esteem of his neighbors, and is what might be
called a self-made man.
History of
By Jesse D Mason
Thompson & West,
Pp 300
Transcribed
by: Martha A Crosley
Graham
JOHN A. BROWN
Was born in the town of
of this Slate, and speaks volumes for the
country that but a few years since, was known only to the hardy pioneers and
the "dusky sons of the forest."
The first location of the family after reaching the land of promise, was on
soon after moved on to a
farm near Sutter creek, where they remained fourteen years.
The
subject of our sketch attended school until about twenty years of age, and at the
early age of twenty-two years was elected as a Justice of the
Peace, holding the office nearly two years. He was engaged in various kinds of business
after leaving school, and put in some time prospecting; he also
studied law for a couple of
years, but during this time he had an ambition to become a civil engineer and
surveyor, and accordingly fitted himself for that
profession.
In 1878 he received the
appointment of
appointing
him a "United States Deputy Surveyor. Since receiving his first
appointment as
present
time, and has dispatched the duties of his office with entire satisfaction to
his people and with credit to himself.
In 1879 he made a survey of all
the
public roads of this county, and is at present engaged in making an elaborate
county map. Mr. Brown is an accomplished
and thorough gentleman
in all
the associations of life, and also fully appreciates the fact that his
profession requires the attention, that be so readily gives to it.
He
was married
History of
By Jesse D Mason
Thompson & West,
Pp 300
Transcribed by: Martha A Crosley Graham
ANTHONY CAMINETTI
Was born at Jackson Gate, in
ten years of his life were passed in his native
place, and at that age he went to the city of
returned to
again went to
of Laura D. Fair. He soon
after entered the
to Jackson, and commenced rending law in the office of' J. T.
Parley. In May, 1877, he was admitted
to the Bar of California, and, during the same
year, was elected as District Attorney. During the Legislative session of 1875-7G,
Mr. Caminetti filled the position of Assistant
Journal Clerk of the Senate.
He was at once
recognized as a leader in politics, and in 1880 received the nomination as
alternate elector on the Democratic P residential ticket. In
social life he is o genial gentleman, enjoying a
large circle of friends, and though young in years, carries a well-balanced
head; and we may expect to see
him honored in a manner becoming his talents.
History of
By Jesse D Mason
Thompson & West,
Pp 300-301
Transcribed by: Martha A Crosley
Graham
W. W.
CARLILE
Was born in
lived until 1862. When but little past his majority he
discovered that it was not good for man to live alone, and took himself a wife,
Miss Phebe Smith,
who has blessed him with six children, four
girls and two boys; all but one girl now living, who bid fair to inherit the
virtues and industrious habits of both
parents.
that if hard work would
wrench good fortune out, of the
through the sands and climbing of mountains
terminated, and one evening they let their eyes feast on the green valleys of
lone, which formed such a con-
trast to the alkaline plains of the two thousand miles they had so wearily
traversed. They rented a farm and
orchard in the interior of the valley, and
sunrise and sunset saw him
either at work on his place or on the way to market. In those days all kinds of farm produce
brought a good price, and in
a few years he bad
accumulated several thousand dollars, enough, as he thought, to give him a good
start in the West, for like most early comers to
fornia he had not learned to consider
that
State his home. But, alas! he had not calculated for the cold winters. He did not like the idea of having his heels
freeze while his toes were toasting
at a fierce
fire; one winter of it was enough. The following Spring
he was on his way to
for this bit of
experience had made quite a hole in his little capital. But the word fail had no place in his
vocabulary. He was not long in getting
under way,
and soon bought the
place on which ho now resides, it being in the neighborhood of the noted Q
ranch, containing some of the best land in the famous lone valley.
In addition to farming his own place he has been engaged in threshing
for the many farmers in his vicinity.
His love for machinery and knowledge of mechanics
has enabled him to make many improvements in the
steam power and separators, one of which is likely to become extensively adopted. This is an attachment to the
engine to raise the grain to the separator without the aid of horses. As the machine is under the control of the
engineer, it makes a saving of
both horse and man power. It is needless to say that Mr. Carlile has secured a patent for the improvement, it being
the first in this direction. Our readers
will better understand the nature of the
improvement by consulting the engraving in the body of the work. Coal in considerable quantity is found on his
ranch, and the same stream of gravel that has
made good diggings on the Coffin place, also traverses his.
History of
By Jesse D Mason
Thompson & West,
Pp 301
Transcribed
by: Martha A Crosley
Graham
JAMES CUMMING
Few men have a more varied or extensive
experience than Dr. Cumming. A volume of
interesting incidents might be written without exhausting the
subject. He
is a, native of
duced so many
extraordinary men, such as Andrew Johnson and Parson Brownlow,
tion, both
classical and scientific, being a graduate of the
It was remarked that
the richest man had married the handsomest woman in four counties, this seeming
anomaly arising from the fact that the Dorsey
residence stood on the corners of four counties. Miss Dorsey made him an inestimable
companion, and still retains much of the beauty which forty years ago
made her the queen of all the prairie
flowers. They have had three children,
none of whom are living to inherit the beauty of the mother, or the
intellectual qualifications
of the father.
His extensive business operations carried
him to different parts of the Union, his longest stay being made in New Mexico,
near Santa F6, -where he
engaged in trade, and also in government contracts.
His knowledge of the Spanish language, and the character of the peons,
enabled him to render the
Government efficient service. His experiences
among the ignorant and prejudiced, but not by any means bad, natives would make
interesting and valuable
reading matter, if the doctor could be induced to
commit it to paper. In 1859, he so far
closed his business in
Territory and becoming a citizen of
after arriving in this State he purchased the
property known as the brick flour mills,
which be enlarged and otherwise improved, until he can do as good
work as is done in the State. The mill has both water and steam-power, the
water-power being obtained by a ditch which taps Sutter creek about
two miles above the town, the steam-power being
used when the water is low. Dr. Cumming
is a noted inventor, he having constructed the first plow
that would scour in the fat prairies of the
West. He has patented two important improvements in the turbine wheel, one of
which was to contract the
openings so as to utilize the whole fall with a
small head of water. He has also some
thirty other patents, which have been generally adopted. He has
occupied many positions of honor, such as army
surgeon, member of the Illinois Legislature, magistrate, etc.
He has not accepted any official position in
History of
By Jesse D Mason
Thompson & West,
Pp 301-302
Transcribed by: Martha A Crosley Graham
WILLIAM O. CLARK
A personal acquaintance with the subject of
this sketch enables the writer to give more of the history of this natural
orator than he would be likely to