oc-plain-dealer 1921-01-27

S. A. MAN WRITES OF PIONEER DAYS The Easterner who gets his idea of the west from the movies and sagebrush magazine stories thinks that California today is just about as rough as J. J. Roper of Santa Ana found it when he arrived in this state in 1863. Roper knows what it means to carry gold dust thru mountains infested with highways. He knows what it feels like to have a revolver shoved close to him. Arriving in California, Roper lived for two years in Indian valley, in the northern part of the state. In 1865 he went to Santa Clara, where his brother, H. H. Roper, pioneer of Santa Ana who died a few months ago, then lived. Three years later he returned to his old home in Belvedere, Ill., where he farmed for 11 years. He was then in business in Jamestown, N. D., before coming to Santa Ana in 1898. Roper's harrive, written by himself, of some of his travels in California in 1863 follows: In the years of 1863 and 1864 I was working for a man named Huff who with a brother owned a large ranch in the Indian valley in No. Cal. Aside from farming, he kept several big freighting rigs on the road taking oats, flour and provisions over the mountains th Virginia City, Nevada, and bringing up groceries, merchandise, etc., from Marysville, Cal. In the fall of 1864 arrangements were made to send teams to Oroville, as a railroad had just been built from Marysville to that place and goods were being shipped there. So one Sunday morning two six-horse rigs and three four-horse rigs were made ready and one of the Hurrs had charge. They had been gone about half an hour when Huff came back. Stepping into the room, he took a bag of money from his pocket, laid it on the table, and said: "Roper, you will have to take my place, I am sick." The "boss" turning to me said: "Will you go?" "Sure I will," I replied. "Well," he said: "I have a wagon our boy watch he said 'Just what I give that watch to me.' I obeyed at once and felt wonderfully relieved that he let me go without asking for money. I felt pretty nervous after I left him and kept looking back, doing some tall walking for a while. I reached the intersection quite a long time before the teams got there. We put up the first night at the mountain house, and as it come on very dark and quite cool, the hotel man invited me to sleep in the office. I accepted his invitation. The teamsters slept in their blankets under the trees. In the morning as I looked out I was tickled to see them completely covered with snow. The next night we got to Buck's ranch, but before we got there the Sheriff had come out from Marysville to collect miner's tax from a lot of uninamor who were mining on the Feather river. They had refused to pay so he had made them pack up a lot of stuff from the river and lay it beside the road and as we came along he asked me if I would carry it to Oroville for him and he would pay us. As he began to throw some bags of rice into one of our wagons, the Chinese decided to settle. The Sheriff gave me $3.50 and the boys smoked his good health later on. I left Buck's ranch in the morning, riding a large mule to Marysville, a distance of about 65 miles. I harried along all day, but it was 10 o'clock before I got there. I was very tired and as soon as I got something to eat, went right to bed. In the morning I went out to hunt for my wagon. After finding it and settling the bill, I learned that the railroad was still in the hands of the construction company. I went out to see the superintendent who lived a little way from the station. He agreed to carry the wagon, mule and me for $4, to leave at 2 o'clock. A little before that time I got a drayman to haul the wagon to the station. The superintendent was there and ordered a flat car sent in and had some men load on the wagon. I was going to lead up the mule but the superintendent said "yet the men take care of his and you come into the passenger car." I handed the halter strap to an right and the boy tion to meet me all there. We loved that afternoon read the morning. One article I h was a barrow of sum pounds. We had barrels of whiskey ceries, etc. The boy raised the whiskey barrel in so that with a of the contents ce was later led to a little must have for before we delibes boys put two gall the barrel. The trip over it something very tthe steep grades we putting on two o Our six-horse pounds and the five pounds. We crossed the Bidwell's Bar on bridge. We had A great deal of still being carried mostly by China. We were gone livered our load at Taylorville, in boss collected a freight charges. A few days afI I concluded to qul join my brother, carpenter and I Santa Clara, Cal over the mountain valley about 30. I took the Quincy, county for Marysville, about 8 o'clock beside the drive horses and their them until they seat and called go." And they did I expected ever dash against a driver kept th right. There was no young Spanish myself. We ve To Bilwel's Bar we crossed a b from Marysville to that place and goods were being shipped there. So one Sunday morning two six-horse rigs and three four-horse rigs were made ready and one of the Hurfs had charge. They had been gone about half an hour when Huff came back. Stepping into the room, he took a bag of money from his pocket, laid it on the table, and said: "Roper, you will have to take my place, I am sick." The "boss" turning to me said: "Will you go?" "Sure I will," I replied. "Well," he said, "I have a wagon it Marysville that has been repaired and when you get to Buck's ranch on your way down you will take a horse and ride on down to Marysville and ship that wagon on the train to Oroville, paying for the repairs. The bill will be $120. You will pay all hotel bills and toll charges. I guess there is money enough in the bag for all bills." So with a few instructions I took my coat and started out. Going up the valley about a mile I took the trail up the mountains to where it came into the wagon road about five miles. I had gone about a mile up this trail when making a sharp turn. I met a man with a gun on his shoulder. As he came up to me he brot the gun down and said: "Hello, partner, what day of the week is this? What time is it?" As I took railroad was still in the hands of the construction company. I went out to see the superintendent who lived a little way from the station. He agreed to carry the wagon, mule and me for $4, to leave at 2 o'clock. A little before that time I got a drafter to haul the wagon to the station. The superintendent was there and ordered a flat car sent in and had some men load on the wagon. I was going to lead up the mule but the superintendent said "yet the men take care of his and you come into the passenger car." As I handed the halter strap to an Irishman I said "Look out for him, he is a little frisky sometimes." "Well, sure," says he, "don't I know how to handle a fool mule?" So he began to pull and "hauloo" at the mule which got the mule a little excited. Finally the mule was on the car and tied to the rear end of the wagon. And as the Irishman went to leave the car he passed his hand along the mule's back. Now, of course, he didn't know the mule was loaded, but he was and went off just in time to strike that fellow amidships. The man came off that car in a hurry and as he got up and picked up his hat the superintendent said, "what do you think or him for a lively mule, Casey?" "Sure, he is a divil, sur." We got to Oroville (30 miles), all Calling Your Attention to Our Bargains Never will good second-mighty bump. This has OFFERS YOU AN OPEN that are in reach of your vantage of this great sale any special price induce --if You want a Car, we have one that will suit you Terms--- made to satisfy you—not us THE ORANGE COUNTY PLAIN DEALER, ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA right and the boys were at the station to meet me and the goods were all there. We loaded up our wagons that afternoon ready for a start in the morning. One article I had on my wagon was a barrel of sugar weighing 1200 pounds. We had all kinds of goods, barrels of whiskey and brandy, groceries, etc. The trays raised a hoop on one of the whiskey barrels and bored a hole in so that with a large straw some of the contents could be elevated. I was later led to believe that quite a little must have been so elevated, for before we delivered the goods the boys put two gallons of water into the barrel. The trip over these mountains was something very trying. At some of the steep grades we would double up, putting on two or four extra horses. Our six-horse rigs had on 6000 pounds and the four-horse rigs 4000 pounds. We crossed the Feather river at Bidwell's Bar on a fine suspension bridge. We had to pay quite a toll. A great deal of placer mining was still being carried on at this place, mostly by Chinamen. We were gone seven days and delivered our loads to the merchants at Taylorville, Indian valley, and the boss collected a little over $600 as freight charges. A few days after making this trip I concluded to quit Indian valley and join my brother, H. H. Roper, in the carpenter and building business at Santa Clara, Cal. So I made my way over the mountains to the American valley about 80 miles on horseback. I took the four-horse stage at Quincy, county seat of Plumans-co, for Marysville. We left the hotel at about 8 o'clock and it took two men beside the drives to hitch up those horses and then the men held on to them until the driver got into the seat and called "All right, let 'em go." And they did go, on a dead run. I expected every minute we would dash against a rock or a tree, but the driver kept then in the road all right. There was only one passenger, a young Spanish, in the coach beside myself. We went along fine and got to Bidlwel's Bar about noon, where we crossed a branch of the Feather robber. The driver said he didn't think they were shooting at him but at the horses for if they succeeded in laming one of the horses that would bring the stope to a halt. They were currently after the rich Chinnaman. That is the way the driver sized up the situation. We got to Marysville about 7 o'clock. There we drove up to the hotel. The driver handed me my satchel from the top of the stage and the Spaniard grabbed it and ran with it into the hotel and handed it to the clerk. Before going in to super I went to the clerk and told him that was my satchel and not to let any one have it. I noticed the Spaniard at the table seemed to be in a hurry. He finished the meal before I did. When I went out I saw a different clerk was in the office. My grip was gone. The Spaniard had asked him for "his grip" pointing to my satchel. I rushed out after the man and caught him before he had got half a block away. He offered all kinds of excuses, mostly lies. However, I decided to let him go and that was the last I ever saw of him. He was a pretty good sort of a chap after all and I think I was lucky to get off that way. I had $200 worth of gold dust in my satchel, a Colt's revolver and other plunder that I certainly did not want to lose. I remained that night in Marysville and next morning took the six-horse coach for Sacramento, and got there in time to take the boat for San Francisco. After looking over the city a few hours went on my way to my brother's home in Santa Clara. LA HABRA HUNTERS BRING HOME DUCKS LA HABRA, Jan. 26—F. E. Proud has returned from a business and pleasure trip to Imperial valley last week. Mr. Proud was accompanied by J. G. Sargeant, Logan Jackson and Frank Bryan. Between the four, 64 ducks were bagged. Two new homes are almost ready for the occupancy of the owners. CHALLENGE SALE Bargains---Greatest Bargains Ever Offered USED CARS ever will good second hand automobiles be as cheap as they are today. Prices have hit the bottom city bump. This has forced an unfortunate condition upon the dealer, but this cloud has a silver limBERGS YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THAT AUTOMOBILE that you have been wanting a are in reach of your pocketbook and at-terms that you may yourself dictate. Don't fail to talage of this great sale offered by the Taggart Motor Co. It is the first time that they have ever special price inducements and they are going to make this event well worth remembering. COST HAS NOT BEEN CONSIDERED—THE CARS MUST GO BUICK ever will good second hand automobiles be as cheap as they are today. Prices have hit the bottom, hitty bump. This has forced an unfortunate condition upon the dealer, but this cloud has a silver line. FERS YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET THAT AUTOMOBILE that you have been wanting and are in reach of your pocketbook and at-terms that you may yourself dictate. Don't fail to tage of this great sale offered by the Taggart Motor Co. It is the first time that they have ever special price inducements and they are going to make this event well worth remembering. COST HAS NOT BEEN CONSIDERED—THE CARS MUST GO BUICK 17 Buick Six. Cord Tires. Special Top, the glass and sides. Hartford sidewings, fect mechanically. A fine buy at a price 0.00 below normal. Easy terms on this. 20 "490" Touring Car. Rebuilt and new. $250 down, balance $40.00 monththirty day guarantee on defective parts. 20 "490" Touring. In perfect mechancondition. Used only a few hundred s. Spare tire. Thirty day guarantee on defective parts on this car. During sale— 0.00. 1917 "490" Touring car. One of the fam25 miles to the gallon cars. Two new age tires. In very fine mechanical conbon. We recommend this one very highly. SPECIAL —To make it more interesting we have arranged to have a new 1921 Sheridan Roadster on display during these two days of Used Car Sales. THE BIG DAYS Friday and Saturday, January 28-29 THE PLACE Our U Los Angeles Taggart Motor Co. CALIFORNIA PAGE FIVE Fernando for a few days this week. Mrs. Linsey stepped out with her husband to a dinner in the Metro-police, and the theatre on Thursday. Mrs. Frank Dernbeaugh is visiting at the ranch home of her parents. Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Anstley, Mrs. Chester Schebaugh also entertained Mrs. Dernbeaugh. Mrs. Frank I. Coltrin meted down from Arlington with her husband on Friday. Mrs. Coltrin has greatly improved in health since her residence on the ranch. PROBE CHARGES OF MACHINISTS WASHINGTON, Jan. 26—The interstate commerce commission today inaugurated an investigation of charges made by machinists organizations that railroads are having repair work done in "outside shops" at high costs. Here's to the faculty: Long may they live. Even as long As the lessons they give. If it's from Witman's, it's good! Ahlswede's W. Centér — Anaheim, Cal. NEXT TO POST OFFICE We Give W. Green Trading Stamps Phopher Traps Celebrated California No. her Trap - the Sure Catch Galvanized Pails 8 qt. Size Galvanized Pail, extra well made; reg. 60c - Sale Price opher Traps cebrated California No. her Trap - the Sure Catch for $1 Galvanized Pails 8 qt. Size Galvanized Pail, extra well made; reg. 60c - Sale Price 35c Wash Basins Size Grey Granite, 75c Value, Special 35 Cents GE er Offered RS have hit the bottom with a loud has a silver lining. IT have been wanting at prices Don't fail to take ad- at they have ever offered remembering. OVERLAND have hit the bottom with a cloud has a silver lining. IT have been wanting at prices Don't fail to take ad- at they have ever offered membering. OVERLAND —1917 Overland Touring Car, model 75, at a very low price. Completely rebuilt by us. —1920 Chevrolet Baby Grand. Practically new—out only 3 1/2 months. Hundreds of dollars below new price. FORD —1916 Ford with delivery box on rear. Good shape and ready to go. $75.00 down. STUDEBAKER —1912 Studebaker 5-Passenger, $75.00. —1920 "490" Touring Car with $120.00 set Houk white wire wheels. New spare tire. Cambria bumper, all ready to go and nearly new. Several hundred dollars less than new car price. Our Used Car Auto Park Los Angeles and Cypress Streets