San Mateo County Gazette Redwood City, San Mateo County, California Saturday Morning, January 7, 1860, Vol. 1 No.40 MARRIED At San Mateo, Jan. 1st, 1860, by Judge B.F. Fox, Charles N. Fox of this place, to Miss Lucy Taylor, of Ann Arbor, Michigan. DIED At Piscadero, Santa Cruz county, Dec. 25, 1859, Mrs. Mary Walker, wife of Eugene Walker, aged 30 years. (Mrs. W. was formerly from McKean County, Pa.) TAX SALES - INJUNCTION - We last week omitted to mention that the sales of property of delinquent tax-payers was regularly made by John Ames, Esq., Under Sheriff, with the exception of the property of Horace Hawes, who enjoined the sale, so far as his advertised real estate was concerned. The Court having been asked for, and having granted this specific injunction, the sale of his other property was not restrained. By this oversight, which could scarcely be believed to have occurred in a legal matter so interesting to Mr. H., his personal property was left unprotected by legal barriers, and a number of his cattle were seized. Before they were sold, however, Mr. H. payed his taxes, "under protest." REV. THOMAS STARR KING - It is stated in the Boston papers that the Rev. Thomas Starr King, of that city, has received from the Unitarian Church in San Francisco a loud call to become their pastor, in the shape of an offer of $6000 salary per annum. Sheriff's Sale By Virtue of a Judgment of Foreclosure of Mortgage, and order of sale issued out of the District Court of the Twelfth Judicial District of the State of California, in and for the County of San Mateo, in the suit of J. MORA MOSS vs. AUGUSTIN HARASZTHY and J.R. SNYDER, and to me duly directed and delivered, by which I am commanded to make the sum of fifteen hundred and ninety-five 60-100 dollars ($1595.60.100) with interest from the date of said judgment, at the rate of one per cent per month, and sots of suit, amounting to the sum of one hundred and eight dollars and five cents, ($108. 5-100) also the sum of forty-nine dollars and forty-four cents, ($19.44-100) for taxes paid thereon for and on behalf of said plaintiff; also, the sum of seventy-seven dollars and seventy-seven cents, ($77. 77-100) counsel fees, together with the costs and charges of making such sale, I am commanded to sell the following described piece or parcel of land, to wit: All that certain tract, piece or parcel of land situate, lying and being in the County of San Mateo, and forming a portion of the rancho commonly know known as and called the Domingo Feliz Rancho, and bounded and described as follows: commencing on the western bank of the south branch of the San Mateo Creek, in the valley known as the Canada Raymundo, at the northeast corner of the three hundred and eight-four acre tract owned by said party Augustin Harazthy (courses by true meridian, magnetic variation fifteen degrees seventeen minutes east,) thence along the said side of said creek, as follows, North thirty-eight degrees forty-five minutes west, eighty chains forty-three links; thence north forty-five degrees fifteen minutes west, six chains seven links, thence, north thirty-seven degrees east, two chains eight links, thence due north twelve chains fifteen links, thence north fifty degrees forty-five minutes west seventeen chains seventy-two links; thence north twelve degrees thirty minutes west, fifteen chains eighty-five links, thence, south, eighty-two degrees east, three chains fifty-five links; thence north sixteen degrees thirty minutes west, five chains and seventy links, thence leaving said creek at angles thereof due east, forty chains; thence at right angles due north, forty chains; thence at right angles due west forty chains, to the top of the mountain, thence along said top of said mountain, as follows; due south sixty chains south fifteen degrees twenty-five minutes east, twenty-four chains forty-one links; south ten degrees twenty minutes west, twelve chains seventeen links; south fourteen degrees ten minutes east, seven chains thirty-six links to the northwest corner of the aforesaid three hundred and eighty-four acre tract, thence at right angles , and descending the mountain due east one hundred chains seventy-two links along the northern line of said former tract to the place of beginning, containing six hundred and forty-five 53-100 acres of land. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that on MONDAY, the 30th day of January, A.D. 1860, in front of the Courthouse doors, at Redwood City, at 2 o'clock P.M., I will sell the above described piece or parcel of land to the highest and best bidder, to satisfy said judgment and all costs. SILAS HOVIOUS Sheriff San Mateo County By John Ames, Under Sheriff Dated, Redwood City, Jan. 7, 1860 ** MAHONEY ARRESTED - Monday last, the notorious Lewis Mahoney was arrested, near Searsville, on suspicion of having a stolen horse in his possession. He was brought before Justice Teague, and upon the examination, it was shown that the horse answered the description of one which had been stolen in San Francisco a few days previously. The prisoner was then committed to the jail of San Francisco, where he was delivered by Wm. Krysher and assistant. The evening after his arrest, the thief led some of our citizens on a chase to Mayfield, after an imaginary accomplice, who he said was to have met him there, that evening. On arriving there, of course no such person could be found. It was Mahoney's old ruse, hoping to effect his escape. On his previous visit to this place he was conducting two police offices from San Francisco on a like errand with like result. This notorious individual lately escaped from the Napa jail, with three fellow criminals, and has just "turned up" in this adventure. He appears to escape all other officials to be retaken by those of San Mateo. A NEW SAW MILL - We are informed by Mr. Jones, senior in the firm who owned the gang-mill in the Redwoods, which was lately destroyed by fire, that another excellent mill is being erected by the firm, near the site of the former one. The machinery for the new mill will arrive from San Francisco in a few days. A new engine, of about the same power as that which was burned, and entirely new machinery throughout, will be used, including a new patent feeding apparatus. The saws will consist of an upright, a large circular, and an edger. These, it is believed, will turn out nearly as much lumber as the old gang-mill, as under the new arrangement, the increased speed secured by modern inventions in gearing, etc., will nearly compensate for the disparity in the number of saws - it being remembered that the old gang of saws were necessarily run very slow. The new structure will be, in point of strength, etc., quite as good as the former, if not a better, and will cost but a trifle more than one-third the price of the old one. When it is recollected that but a few weeks ago this firm sustained a loss of over thirty thousand dollars by the destruction of their mill, the indomitable spirit of enterprise exhibited by Jones & Co., elicits the admiration of all. It is of such men that energetic communities are formed. We wish them entire success. THE RETROSPECT The County of San Mateo is the smallest county, in the strictest sense of the word, in extent, and perhaps in population, in the State. It was formed out of territory originally comprised in the southern portion of the County of San Francisco, and was first organized under the Act of the Legislature of 1856, known as the "Consolidation Act" - an Act repealing all the charters of the City of San Francisco, reducing the County of San Francisco to about one-fourth its original extent, and consolidating the Government of that city and county, and providing for the organization of the County of San Mateo. Horace Hawes, esq., we believe, was the author of that bill. Mr. H. enjoys an enviable reputation as a close and careful draftsman, and he certainly displayed much ability in getting up this law. Still, it was too great a work to be made perfect in the first attempt, and while, in its general working, it has been found highly beneficial, weak spots have been found in it, which from time to time, have needed repairing. Such, particularly, was the case with reference to that portion of the law which related to the organization of this county. The bill provided for the election of county officers on the second Monday in May 1856, and that the officers should immediately assume their duties, and by another section the act was to take effect on the first of July, following. In compliance with the terms of the bill, an election was held in May 1856, for the election of county officers, and for the choice of a county seat. At this election, ballot-boxes were stuffed and every species of fraud perpetrated, to such an extent that when the returns came in it seemed that there had been nearly two thousand votes cast in a county where there were less than one thousand inhabitants. According to those returns, Belmont was chosen as the county seat. B.F. Fox was elected County Judge, W.T. Gough, District Attorney; Robert Gray, County Clerk; Barney Mulligan, Sheriff, William Rogers, Treasurer; Charles Fair, Assessor, John Johnson, Charles Clark and Benj. Fenwick, Supervisors. Immediately after this election, steps were taken by B.G. Lathrop and others to contest it. Five separate cases were made up, and on the 10th of June1856, in the County Court sitting at Belmont, with Joseph Porter acting as County Clerk, the case of Ackerson vs. Mulligan was called, with all the cases depending on the same points. All were decided by the trial of this one. Messrs. Duer and Lake appeared for the contestants, and Mr. Richards for the defendants. After a full hearing, the votes from three precincts were thrown out. The result was to place the county seat at Redwood City, instead of at Belmont, and to declare the following named persons county officers: County Judge: B.F. Fox; District Attorney, W.T. Gough; Clerk, B.G. Lathrop; Sheriff, John W. Ackerson; Treasurer, Curtis Baird; Assessor, S.B. Gordon; Supervisors, John Johnson, Charles Clark and James Berry. We believe the other offices were not contested. These persons immediately took possession of their offices, and the records and courts were removed to Redwood City. Soon after this, a case was made upon the relation of John McDougall against John Johnson, to test the election upon another point, the defect in the law, above referred to. This case was decided at the October term, 1856, of the Supreme Court, and resulted in declaring the whole election void. Meanwhile, the whole machinery of a county government had been in full operation - assessments made, taxes collected, courts held; judgments, civil and criminal, rendered, and upon the rendition of this judgment, our officers found themselves in a rather critical position. They, however, put on a bold front, and continued in the execution of their duties as officers de facto, and at the general election in November, without any proclamation, and without law, except the general law of the State, strained to meet the purpose, a few votes were cast for county officers, and the same persons again declared elected, except Messrs. Johnson and Clark. No votes were cast for Supervisors in those townships - the First and Second. Thereupon the Clerk, believing that vacancies existed in these two offices, called a special election to fill them. This election was held early in January 1857, and at it David S. Cook and D.W. Connelly were elected, and immediately took their seats in the Board. When the Legislature of 1857 assembled, it found our county in full operation, but without legal organization; a condition of affairs which demanded from that body immediate attention. More than this, there was in the county treasury about four thousand dollars, which had been collected for the State, and that Government were very anxious to get hold of it, but there was no law by which the State could legally claim it, not could the county be compelled to pay it over. In this dilemma, the Legislature promptly passed an act legalizing all the acts of our officers, and confirming them in office until their successors should be legally chose, and the officers of the county them paid over to the State the money of which it them stood in need. Soon after this, Hon. T.G. Phelps, Senator from the Fifth District, and a resident of this county, introduced an "Act to re-organize and establish the County of San Mateo," which, with some amendments, became a law on the eighteenth day of February 1857. Under this act another election for county officers was held in May, 1857, which resulted in the re-election of all the former incumbents except Mr. Gordon, who, we believe, was not a candidate. C.E. Kelly was elected assessor in his place. Under this organization the county has ever since been in successful operation. Some doubts were entertained for a time, as to the duration of the terms of the officers then elected, and particularly as to the office of the County Judge, owing to which, in September, 1858, under a proclamation of the Governor, another County Judge was elected - Horace Templeton, Esq. - and the right to the office contested between him and Judge Fox. This contest resulted in favor of the latter, and we believe that question is now definitely settled. In September 1857, Mr. Gough having resigned the office of District Attorney, C.D. Judah Esq., was elected in his place, and Hon. S.B. Gordon was chosen to the Assembly, a position which had been held the previous year by Hon. Rufus Murphy. In 1858, Hon. D.W. Connelly was elected to that position, and M. Wolf, R.S. Thornton, and J.V. Diller, Supervisors. In December, 1868, Mr. Judah resigned, and C.N. Fox was appointed District Attorney. In September, 1858, another general election for county officers was held, when several of the former officers were elected, and the following new ones: Member of Assembly, Hon. W.B. Maxson; Sheriff, Silas Hovious; Treasurer, C.E. Kelly; Assessor, J.D. Rose; Surveyor, A.I. Easton - the latter position having been, till that time, held by Alex. Garbi. Since the organization of our county, it has probably doubled in its population, trebled in the number of its families, and has gradually, steadily increased in the amount of its taxable property. Its taxes have ever been the lightest in the State, its government has been in good hands, and has been safely and economically conducted, and it is now the only county in the State whose warrants are worth one hundred cents on the dollar - and hard to find at that. In 1858 the first brick building, the courthouse, was erected, at a cost of ten thousand dollars - a price so low, considering the character of the work, and the usual cost of public buildings in California, that is has excited the wonder of every stranger that has visited it. In 1859, four brick building were erected by private enterprise, each of which has been heretofore noticed in this paper. On the ninth day of April, 1859, the first number of the San Mateo County Gazette, the pioneer paper of the county, was issued. The undertaking was one of some risk, but thus far it has prospered beyond the expectations of its most sanguine friends, and, thought it will be some time yet before a newspaper can become a money-making institution in the county, yet the Gazette is a fixed fact. Such is a brief outline of some of the leading incidents in the early history of our county, put in a form which if it does not amuse, will aid in preserving them for reference in the future. To see other old newspapers, visit http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/index.php