BIG VALLEY GAZETTE – BIEBER, LASSEN COUNTY, CAL.
THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 1906
TRIED TO BLOW IT OUT
Tuesday night, about 10 o’clock, an explosion accompanied by a slight
vibration was noticed in Susanville. An hour later a louder report and a
more pronounced concussion formed the topic of speculation. Wednesday
morning, when James Branham, came down from his lighting plant, it became
known that an attempt had been made to blow out the old Bremmer dam about a
mile above town. The damage done to the structure was comparatively slight
and indicates that, the effort was made by someone unaccustomed to the use
of explosives. A similar attempt was made last year. It is understood
generally that this old dam is a useless obstruction in the river, that it
can no longer by used with safety as an ice pond and in case of a flood or
freshet constitutes a serious menace to property below it. It might be well
for the owners, if they would enlarge the aperture made by the powder
Tuesday night. – Lassen Advocate
Dr. Houston was called to Hayden Hill Monday to attend the little son of Mr.
and Mrs. O. P. Holcomb, who was suffering from pneumonia. He returned
yesterday and reports the child improving.
On Tuesday last, Gee Wah, a Chinaman, who had been at the Long ranch, above
town, for several years, was arrested on complaint of J. C. Lewis, charged
with assault. Wah had a fearing first, as to his mental capacity, that being
determined as normal, his trial for the attempted use of a shovel in an
angry and unusual way, was set for next Monday, in Justice Court. – Lassen
Mail
MARRIED
HELMS – CONERY – At Redding, Cal., March 27, 1906, Dr. J. L. Helms and Mabel
Frances Conery
Mrs. George Loomis is suffering from inflammatory rheumatism and is attended
by Dr. Houston.
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1906
Sam Watson left yesterday for Hayden Hill, where he has accepted a position
with the Lassen Mining Company. Sam has lots of friends here who will miss
his geniality.
Anton Gerig has been laid up with a painful attack of rheumatism, but is now
improving.
Mrs. J. K. Packwood is ill this week, suffering from a severe cold.
Georgie Herrick, son of Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Herrick, still lies in a critical
condition and little hopes are held out for his recovery.
Edgar Dunlap and wife left this morning for Anderson, where they go to bring
back Edgar’s mother and sister, Miss Daisy, who will spend the summer here.
R. H. Conley and family arrived here Sunday last and have taken up their
residence in S. Kresge’s house. Mr. Conley has accepted a position with
George H. Knight in his General Merchandise store. – Argus
BORN
ANNIS – At Bieber, Cal., April 11, 1906, to the wife of A. Annis, a son
GRIDER – At San Leandro, Cal., April 7, 1906, to the wife of R. L. Grider, a
ten-pound son
WILL OF THE LATE FREDERICK COX
The will of the late Frederick Cox has been filed for probate in the
Superior Court accompanied by the petition of Mrs. Jennie A. Cox, widow and
George W. Peltier, son-in-law of deceased, they having been named, with W.
E. Gerber as administrators without bonds. The hearing of the petition has
been set for April 13th before Judge Hughes.
After certain specified bequests are discharged, one-half of the estate is
to go to the widow and one half to the two daughters of the deceased –
Jennie A. Peltier and Freda Maxwell. The declaration is made that the
decedent adopted his grandson, Frederick Cox Jobson as his child and
provision is made for rearing and educating him in addition to his legacy.
The legacies for his grandchildren, Elsie Cox, Crawford W. Cox, and Hattie
A. Cox, are to be held in trust for them by their mother, Mrs. Hattie A.
Cox.
The value of the estate is said to be fully $1,000,000, although it is
probable that it will greatly exceed that sum. Some of the more important
items of the estate follow:
Undivided half of Bannon ranch, Sacramento County, $50,000
The Kern ranch, 36,000 acres, in Kern County, $350,000
The Spanish ranch, Sutter County 1840 acres, $40,000
Modoc County ranch, containing 1650 acres, $16,500
Undivided half of the X L ranch of Clarke & Cox, about 20,000 acres decedent’s
interest estimated to be worth $100,000
Stock and personal property on X L ranch, decedent’s interest estimated to
be $17,500
Stock and personal property on Kern ranch, estimated, $50,000
Undivided half interest in cattle, horses and other personal property in
Sacramento County, $10,000
The following shares of stock in companies: California State Bank, 763
shares, $100,000; 170 shares, Buffalo Brewing Company, $17,000; 90 shares
John Breuner Company, doing business in Sacramento, $13,000; 25 shares of
same Company in Reno, $2500; 10 shares of same Company in Stockton, $1000;
promissory notes and mortgages, $15,000; household furniture and personal
effects, $5000.
THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1906
MARRIED IN WILLOWS
W. H. Gardner of Butte City came to Willows this morning and without making
any announcement to his friends, was married to Minerva R. Mock of Woodland.
The wedding occurred in the courthouse, where the ceremony was performed by
Judge Finch. The groom is one of the best known citizens of this section of
the County and holds the position of Justice of the Peace of Butte City
Township and made such a good record that he has no opposition for
re-election. Mr. and Mrs. Gardner departed today for Woodland, where they
will visit before returning to their home in Butte City. – Willows Journal
Mrs. Mock is the daughter of the late I. W. Bassett and was raised in this
valley. Her many friends’ here extends congratulations.
GREAT HAVOC FROM EARTHQUAKE
The most appalling disaster of modern times has undoubtedly taken place in
San Francisco and surrounding cities from the earthquake which happened
yesterday morning at about 5 o’clock. Few particulars are given in
dispatches received here owing to wires being down, but says, ferry boats
are discontinued, no one allowed to enter city. Among buildings destroyed
are the San Francisco Examiner, Chronicle, Call, Palace Hotel, Grand Phelan
Building, Anglo Cal. Bank, Bank of California, Merchants Exchange Building
and buildings in both Oakland and San Jose. Both Universities wrecked and
Agnews Asylum with inmates killed in latter. It is reported that the Pacific
Squadron is sunk. The dispatch states further that the city is on fire, with
little or no water to fight the flames. People are fleeing from the city in
terror. Word was received this morning that another shock occurred at 7:30
last evening, with no further particulars.
The shock was plainly felt at this place, but not severe enough to do any
damage.
Alturas new Era: We are pleased to learn that, Mrs. F. A. Smith, who has
been very ill for sometime is now improving rapidly.
Melvel Williams and family arrived here Friday from Houston, Missouri and
will make this their future home. Mr. Williams lived in this valley for
fifteen years and left here eleven years ago for the East and his return
indicates that Big Valley is still all right.
We learn that recently an effort was made to blow out the dam at the
Grasshopper reservoir, the property of Anton Gerig. The damage done was
considerable, and will cause an outlay of several hundred dollars to repair
it. Mr. Gerig has an idea, who the culprit is likely to be prosecuted.
While splitting wood one day last week Henry Jones, son of Mr. and Mrs. W.
R. Jones, at the Hillside Station, cut his hand severely about the wrist and
it was with considerable difficulty getting the blood to stop; but not until
the boy became very weak from loss of blood. He has now entirely recovered.
BORN
WOODMANSEE – In Adin, Cal., April 6th, 1906, to Mr. and Mrs. Robert
Woodmansee, a daughter
THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 1906
We learn by private letter that N. Bieber and family, escaped injury in the
great disaster to San Francisco and are well and hearty; and the Mrs. Bieber
and two children will go to Grass Valley to visit Mrs. Bieber’s mother. Mr.
B. will remain I the city for a time.
Arthur Traugh and wife drove down from Adin Tuesday evening and met Lem
Traugh and Miss Johnson, daughter of Park Johnson of Providence, who arrived
from San Francisco on the Redding stage.
All were pleased to see Mr. Babcock return on the stage Monday evening from
stricken San Francisco. Mr. Babcock was rooming on Market Street at the time
of the earthquake and being in the worst damaged portion of the city,
considerable alarm was felt for his safety. He says the damage done by the
earthquake was slight compared to that done by fire.
STORY OF TERRIBLE CONFLAGRATION
From Nevada State Journal’s Special Correspondent
From the ferry to Golden Gate Park, from the Presidio to North Beach, San
Francisco today is a piled up mass of desolate ruins. Once the fairest city
on the western side of the great American continent, is now a smoldering
charnel house, a vast dark gray canopy of smoke and cinders apparently
trying to hide from the heavens the scene of death and desolation that lies
below. Perhaps one-fourth of the city remains standing, but in nearly every
instance the houses that have withstood the flames were practically ruined
by the earthquake of last Wednesday morning. Nearly everyone must be
rebuilt.
Every park in the city is crowded with homeless, hungry people. Though food
and clothing is pouring in from every side the excellent methods of
distribution adopted by both the military and police authorities is
necessarily slow. Friday morning long lines of persons gathered at the
relief stations and in some instances, it was long after noon before some of
the hungry ones reached the place where a half loaf of bread, some coffee
and a piece of meat was doled out to them. Naturally, there is suffering and
much of it and there will be sickness, too.
Golden Gate Park is filled almost to overflowing; even the cemeteries are
crowded with the homeless, hundreds, some, of whom have erected blanket
tents on burial plots or within shelter of the big vault.
It is conservatively estimated that 350,000 persons in San Francisco are
existing in this way at the present time. A week ago, many of them were
rated among the wealthiest citizens of California. The others were
apparently beyond the pale of want and few, indeed, were in actual need.
Yesterday, all were on an equal footing – penniless helpless and hungry.
No one seems to have taken time to count the dead. Perhaps a thousand lives
were lost as a result of the terrible catastrophe. This is a conservative
estimate, for persons who have been assisting in the work of recovering the
bodies make the claim that 5, 000 will express the loss nearer than the
first figure. Some effort has been made to identify the dead, but hundreds
have already been buried in trenches before the result of dissolution would
add horror to the already terrible scene and carry disease and more death to
an already sorely afflicted people.
From the Journal of the 24th
The 14-year old boy of Bieber, Jim (Indian) died Monday morning of
consumption.
J. H. Weaver came over from Fall River Friday. He was accompanied by Clint
L. Walker and from here went to Adin on business and on returning, Mr.
Walker hurriedly left for San Francisco, where he had relatives who were in
the great disaster.
O. W. Whiting left yesterday for Plumas County to be gone indefinitely.
Mrs. E. B. Brownell has been seriously ill for the past week.
Miss Esther Cannon, daughter of Ira Cannon and a nephew of Mr. Cannon, came
in on the Redding stage Tuesday evening from San Francisco.
Georgie Herrick died last night at 9 o’clock. The young man has been in a
critical condition for several months and his death was not unexpected. An
obituary notice will appear next week. (5:3)
Fred Meyers arrived here Sunday evening from San Francisco. Mr. Meyers
informs us that he was sleeping in the Terminus Hotel, not far from the
waterfront, Wednesday morning when the great earthquake occurred. He says it
would be difficult to relate the scenes enacted during the time and that a
short time after his escape from the hotel, the structure collapsed and
considers his escape narrow. Mr. Meyers went west into the residence portion
of the city before leaving and found little or no damage done there. He
says, Mr. Bieber and family and others well known here, residing near the
Park, escaped with little loss.
The town of Willits in Mendocino County was almost totally destroyed by the
earthquake.
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Billie C. & Anita 'Jean' Reynolds
Modoc County, California
"The Last Frontier"
www.rh2o.com/modoc
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