BIG VALLEY GAZETTE – BIEBER, LASSEN COUNTY, CAL.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1898
Edith Babcock was a sufferer last week from throat trouble.
George H. Bean paid the mill company $150 for the first sack of flour, and
says he considers it the cheapest sack of flour he ever purchased in the
valley.
The skeleton of B. F. Roberts, who disappeared nearly two years ago, was
found a week ago last Sunday morning on Pit River. It was identifies by the
clothing and papers found in the pockets.
Wm. Arnett, who was on trial before the Superior Court for an attempt to
murder his wife, was found guilty of an assault with a deadly weapon and
sentenced to two years imprisonment in state prison.
Mrs. Sally Cook is visiting her son Albert in Yolo County.
J. Hockman has been suffering for sometime from inflammation of the stomach.
The verdict rendered by the jury in the case of the People vs Frank Miller,
on trial for murder in the Superior Court of this county, was as follows:
“We, the jury in the above entitled action, find the defendant guilty of
murder in the first degree, and fix the punishment at imprisonment at the
state prison for life.”
BORN
SMITH – Near Bieber, Cal., Dec. 3, 1898, to the wife of F. A. Smith, a son
LOOKOUT NEWS
We can hear the whistle of the Bieber flouring mill at this place – that is,
when it whistles.
We have been informed that Mrs. H. S. Brown has purchased the Mark Brown
ranch in Gouger Neck.
Our teacher, Mr. English, is laid up today with la grippe, and in
consequence there is no school. This disease is quite prevalent here.
Peter Lorenzen of Little Hot Spring stopped here for dinner on his way back
from Alturas, where he went to do grand jury duty. Mr. Lorenzen was
disqualified on account of being postmaster at Day.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1898
The grand jury was in session this week: J. H. Holl and Jas. Snell being in
attendance from this part of the county.
Our young folks had considerable sport skating last week. The ice was very
fine and some twenty or more skaters took advantage of it and could be seen
gliding gracefully on its smooth surface. Fires were built on the banks of
the river evenings and many spectators were attracted to the scene. It is
only once in every two or three years that there is good skating on the
river, but when the time arrives, our young folks are quick to take
advantage of the opportunity.
J. R. Myers and son, Grayson, were here from Lookout yesterday. The former
was consulting Dr. Bradshaw for some ailment with which he had been troubled
a couple of weeks or more.
The Directors of the Bieber Flour Milling Company met last Thursday and
formally accepted the flour mill plant from the manufacturers. The mill has
fulfilled all requirements; in fact, the capacity of the mill is ten barrels
more than was guaranteed by the company.
The Supreme Court has reversed the judgement rendered in the Superior Court
of this county in the Roberts case, and the case has been sent back for a
new trial.
BARN DESTROYED BY FIRE
Our people noticed a large fire burning in the lower end of the valley
Sunday afternoon and it was located to be at M. C. Watson’s place, and
parties familiar with the premises said that the old barn was on fire. The
surmise proved correct for on the following day it was learned that the old
barn together with its contents, some forty tons of hay, were entirely
destroyed.
The fire was caused by Mr. Watson’s little boy, who ignited the hay in the
barn with matches, which he had in his possession. After the fire started
the boy ran to his father and told him about it; Mr. Watson tried to smother
the fire, but without success. Neighbors soon gathered at the scene and
prevented the flames from spreading to the new barn, which stood near the
burning structure. The loss is a severe one to Mr. Watson, as he could ill
afford to lose the property.
BORN
WHITNEY – In Susanville, Cal., Dec. 3, 1898, to the wife of M. W. Whitney, a
son
DIED
McGRANAHAN – In Susanville, Ca., Dec. 5, 1898, George L. McGranahan, a
native of Iowa, aged about 60 years.
KEENER – At Susanville, Cal., Dec. 2, 1898, Mrs. Nancy J. Keener aged 38
years and 19 days.
Word was brought here that Morg Ralls died at Sisson a short time ago.
Miss Leila Knox will leave for Alameda County tomorrow, where she will visit
her sister for several months.
LOOKOUT NEWS
Ed Horton and Ed. Cummins of Tule Lake are out in the lava bed country
trapping for bear. They set a bear trap, then Ed. Cummins took up his gun
and started out to hunt. Horton lingered back to fix his gun and while at
this forgot the trap and stepped backward into it. The woods rang with his
stentorian voice until Cummins came to his relief. It took Cummins two
hours and a half to relieve Horton. Had it not been for thick pants and a
felt boot, his leg would have been broken.
FROM OUR SUSANVILLE EXCHANGES
Advocate, Dec. 8th
Yesterday was the anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. H. Sifford’s marriage. It was
the fiftieth, and therefore worthy of note. The worthy old couple is still
hale and hearty.
The sentence of J. W. Arnett, for “assault with a deadly weapon” will be
delayed for a time by divorce proceedings and the determination of certain
property rights as between the Defendant and Mrs. Belinda Arnett.
SOME RUMORS
It is rumored here, though how much truth there may be in the report we are
unable to say, that Judge Sweeney is ambitious to secure the appointment of
Supreme Court Commissioner, the place recently made vacant by the death of
Judge Belcher, and that M. P. Rose is laying his plans to step into Judge
Sweeney’s shoes, in the event of a vacancy. While we wish Judge Sweeney
only the best of luck in whatever he may undertake, we should hate to see
him vacate his present position, for Shasta County can ill afford to lose
him.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1898
J. F. Faust, father of Mrs. F. J. Brown of Little Valley, died at his home
in Tulare on the 7th inst., at the ripe age of 75 years.
The Fall River Tidings says that an Indian, named Jim Rowe, while being
employed to burn off the tulles on the Madden & McArthur swamp in Fall River
Valley, was surrounded by the flames and burned to death.
A. Carberry, well known throughout this northern country as the keeper of
the Carberry Station on Hatchet Creek Mountain, died a week ago last Monday.
Dr. Bradshaw was called out yesterday to see Joe Richardson, who is reported
quite sick.
I. W. Holcomb was reported much worse yesterday and Dr. Bradshaw was hastily
summoned to his bedside.
Tom Crowley, an old resident of this valley, but now of Washington, was
shaking hands with his old friends here last Thursday.
Harv Paulk returned home on the stage last evening. Harv enlisted in the
6th Cal. Regt. On the breaking out of the war with Spain, and his company
was stationed at Benicia until last Thursday, when his regiment was mustered
out of service.
Sheriff Church and Fred Hall left for San Quentin Saturday morning having
the charged prisoners, Miller and Arnett. The former to serve a life
sentence for the murder of Chas. Saling at Amedee and the latter to serve
two years for assault with a deadly weapon.
DEATH OF JACOB HOCKMAN
Jacob Hockman, an old and respected resident of this valley, died at the
home of his daughter, Mrs. M. P. Woodin, Sunday morning at five o’clock
after an illness of four weeks.
The remains were laid at rest in the Hillside cemetery Monday afternoon, to
which place, they were followed by a host of old friends; Rev. DeWitt Welty
conducting the funeral services at the house and grave.
Deceased was born of German parents, who settled in the valley of the
Shenandoah, Rockingham County, Virginia, in the first settlement of that
section. When he was about nine years of age his parents removed to the
central part of Ohio. There, his boyhood and early manhood was spent, and
there he married his wife, Martha A. Davis.
A few years after their marriage they removed to Brunswick, MO., and three
years later went to Indiana, where the greater number of their children were
born. In 1859, they removed to Minnesota, where the deceased owned some
land, but not liking that country very well, started across the plains to
California in the spring of 1860, and upon arrival in October of that year,
settled in Healdsburg, Sonoma County, where they remained until 1877, when
they came to this valley, and here they have since lived,
Jacob Hockman was a man of few words, but big and generous heart, ever
ready to help when he could, and bearing his own suffering silently;
patiently looking on the bright side of every cloud and trying to make
sunshine in shady places. His kindly voice and gently presence will long be
missed by his loved ones.
At one time he was a member of the Baptist Church, but owing to the fact
that he joined the Masons, some trouble arose, as that sect opposed secret
societies at that time. He withdrew from the church and never afterwards
untied with any. After coming to California, he neglected his dues in the
Masonic lodge, and was not well known among the brotherhood, though always
thinking well of that organization.
He leaves an aged wife and four children to mourn his loss – Mrs. L. J.
Fitch, of Oakland; Mrs. M. P. Woodin, of this valley; Mrs. A. M. James, of
Willits, Mendocino County; and T. P. Hockman of Egg Lake – and to them the
sincere sympathy of the community is extended in their bereavement.
ANOTHER VICTIM OF THE CIGARETTE
J. W. Southard lost his two-horse wagon recently by a peculiar accident.
He had sent his two boys to the Stanley place after a load of straw. On
their return home the boys concluded to smoke a cigarette and on striking a
match to light same, the match broke in pieces, the burning end falling into
the straw and setting fire to it. In an instant, the whole load was ablaze,
the boys’ barely succeeding in unhitching the horses. The wagon was
entirely destroyed, nothing but scraps of iron remaining in the road as
evidence of the mishap.
BORN
SUMMERS – In Bieber, Cal., Dec. 17, 1898, to the wife of James T. Summers, a
ten-pound boy.
DIED
HOCKMAN – Near Bieber, Cal., Dec. 18, 1898, Jacob Hockman, a native of
Virginia, aged 77 years.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1898
W. A. Wood was on a visit to his mother in San Luis Obispo County last week.
Dr. Bradshaw was called to Hayden Hill last evening to attend Miss Sue
Loveland, oldest daughter of Mrs. C. F. Loveland, who is critically ill.
The Misses Alice Fulcher and Hattie Thompson passed successful examinations
before the Board of Education last week and have been granted certificates.
A. Hopkins came in from his Sisson drive last week to spend the holidays
with his family. Mr. Hopkins favored us with some young radishes and
onions, which he raised on his place west of town. It is quite remarkable
for this time of year and proves that the timber on the West Side is the
warm belt of the valley.
The rain let up Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, was so frosty and
clear that it froze the handle off the schoolhouse pump, and John Marx
states that even the smoke from the butcher shop fireplace got stuck in the
chimney and he had to go to Billy Hefilefinger’s blacksmith shop and borrow
a big auger to bore a hole through the smoke so the fire could burn. John
is willing to swear to this on a stack of beefsteaks a yard high.
From our Susanville exchanges, we learn that E. V. Spencer has been
seriously ill for several days.
The thermometer was down to 14 below zero in Alturas one night last week.
D. M. Gloster, well-known here, while on a sight seeing trip in San
Francisco recently, was enticed into a saloon on Grant Avenue one evening by
May Johnson, a notorious pick pocket and relieved of his purse containing
$55. Gloster discovered his loss in time to raise an outcry and have the
woman arrested.
SURGICAL OPERATION
Dr. Cadwallader came over from Fall City last Saturday and with Dr.
Bradshaw performed a surgical operation on Mathiew Habert, the sixteen-year
old son of Mr. and Mrs. S. Habert. The young man sprained his left ankle
some three weeks ago, but at the time it was not thought to be serious and
he was enabled to continue at school for two days afterwards. On the third
day however, it began giving him considerable pain, which grew worse from
day to day, and Dr. Bradshaw was called to his aid; but necrosis of the bone
had set in and the disease had made such progress that he could only afford
temporary relief, and it was decided to perform an operation and if
necessary, amputate the leg. Upon examination last Saturday, it was found
that the bone was diseased to the knee joint, and amputation at that point
was decided upon and successfully accomplished. The patient stood the
ordeal well and is getting along nicely.
MARRIED
MARKS –HUGHES – At the residence of the bride’s parents in Susanville, Dec.
21st, 1898, Harry L. Marks and Miss Eva Hughes.
DIED
CHASE – At the Lassen County hospital, Dec. 16, 1898, George P. Chase, a
native of Illinois, aged 46 years.
~~~~~~
Billie C. & Anita 'Jean' Reynolds
(Our Family Genealogy)
http://www.rh2o.com
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