San Mateo County Gazette Redwood City, San Mateo County, California Saturday Morning, June 4, 1859, Vol. 1 No.9 MARRIED At Alviso, Almeda county, on the 31st, ult., by. P.P. Young, J.P., Mr. William JOHNSON to Miss Mary Jane HILL, all of Woodside. HOME SUMMARY On the 31st, ult., forty men, armed and equipped left, San Francisco for Petaluma, in company with the sheriff of Sonoma county, to be used as a posse in aiding that officer to place the owners of the Bodega grant in possession of their property, a patent having lately issued in their favor. It is expected that force will be necessary to eject the settlers, and if so, that blood will be shed. The posse were all armed with guns, revolvers, etc. The news from the seat of war is said, by the San Francisco papers, to be awaited with much anxiety. A chase after two of the escaped convicts, supposed to be GALLAGHER and LAWRENCE, was had near San Francisco a few days ago, without success, by the sheriff and others. They were last seen on the sea shore, evidently making their way towards the south. It will be well for our citizens to be on the watch for them, as they are almost certain to pass through this county, if not soon arrested. The society of "Dashaways," in San Francisco, is increasing rapidly in numbers, and is said to be doing a great deal of good in restraining the intemperate, etc. It is said two more of the escaped convicts have been arrested, near Napa. A horrible murder was lately committed in Contra Costa county. A man named MOHR cut his partner's head open with a scythe. The victim's wife witnessed the deed, but could not prevent it. No reason is given for the act. The Call has just commenced its sixth volume. Its proprietors are justly proud of its success. It is a good paper, and must be extensively patronized while conducted as it now is. The Mormon imbroglio bids fair to be speedily and permanently settled. It appears that Brigham Young has submitted a proposition to a company of capitalists to sell all their right, title, and interest to Utah Territory, for a reasonable sum of money, and to leave the Territory within a specified time. The contract for carrying the mail from New Orleans to San Francisco via Nicaragua, was awarded to Daniel H. JOHNSON, of New York for $162.000. The contract is for nine months, from the first of October, and requires a semi-monthly service. ** IMPROVEMENT - J.V. DILLER, esq., has commenced the erection, opposite his old location, of a substantial, fire-proof brick building, thirty-five by seventy-five feet, intended for a store. ODD-FELLOWS - The members of this benevolent institution met last Sunday in this place, and made preliminary arrangements for the speedy organization of a Lodge of the Order, to be located in Redwood City. MARINE - We this week commence the publication of the arrivals and departures of vessels at this port, which we shall continue hereafter. The reports are furnished by Master Jerome TURNER. This new feature of our paper will have a tendency to still further illustrate the business and facilities of out community. MARINE NEWS Arrived May 28 - Schr Harp, Warren, 4 hrs from San Francisco, mdse. May 30 - Sloop Julia, Hanson, 4 hours from San Francisco, lime and laths. May 31 - Sloop Red Fish, Johnson, 5 hours from San Francisco June 1 - Schr Emily, Maine, 18 hours from Benica, Sloop Caroline, Hughes, 3 ½ hours from San Francisco, fencing, mdse. June 2 - Schr Angelena, Baker; Schr Harp, Warren; Sloop Roman, Mine, grain, ice, etc. Sailed May 31 - Sloop P.A. Owens, Brooks, for Stockton F. and A.M. Members of the Fraternity of Free and Accepted Masons, desirous of joining in the organization of a Lodge of the Order to be established in Redwood City, are requested to meet in the Courthouse on Sunday, June 12th, 1859, for the purpose of making the preliminary arrangements. LETTER FROM WOODSIDE Woodside, May 31, 1859 Taking it for granted that an occasional communication from Woodside would be acceptable, and having looked in vain throughout your paper to find a correspondence from someone, at least, of the many literary gentlemen in this thriving section of the county, I have concluded to fill up the gap myself, hoping to elicit thereby a better epistle from some of my more capable neighbors. Woodside might properly be called a halfway place - that is, it is about half-way from the Redwoods to your city; and being situated at the foot of the Redwood mountains, it is perforce the stopping place for numbers of teamsters - who, on alternate days, make their trips from this place to the Redwoods and to Redwood City. The principal occupations here are farming and teaming. Our "settlement consists (in the vicinity of Woodside) of about thirty families, besides the usual quantum of the "balance". The teamsters of this section, who may be truthfully termed the "bone and sinew" of the community, deserve especial notice, as they are remarkable for their industry and also as good members of society; I notice that a number of young men in this occupation are wealthy, although they still continue to drive their own teams - the very best indication of their permanent prosperity. We have numerous boarding houses here, where all who desire it can be accommodated with "the best the market affords." We also have a store, where the public are furnished with almost any article they desire. An excellent school is here, of about thirty-five regular scholars, including young men, who are studying some of the higher branches of learning . Our library, which I believe is the only one of its kind in the county, is a very popular and useful institution, and consist of about two hundred volumes. According to the report of the President, at the last regular meeting, there were taken out during the three months ending March 31st, 1859, one hundred and eighty-four volumes, of which forty-three were biographies, thirty-six travels and voyages, twenty-nine histories, twenty-six scientific, twenty-six useful knowledge, nine poetry, and nine were fiction, etc. This will give a very good idea of the literary taste and acquirements of our community - a people who read such works as those enumerated above, cannot but be intelligent. The Division of the Sons of Temperance at this place, numbers about eighty members, and is in a very health condition. Divine service is had once a week regularly, and frequently oftener. The view from the spot where I am sitting while writing this, is truly grand. Before me, towering towards the blue heavens, their summits partly obscured by fleecy clouds; and stretching far to the southward are the Redwood mountains, their rugged sides clothed abundantly with the timber from which they derive their name; while skirting their base lie fertile valleys dotted here and there with rich fields of golden cereals, the farmer's pride and wealth. Upon the mountain side, appearing occasionally between the clustered trees, may be seen the roads winding down the precipitous slopes to the valley below. The danger hourly encountered by the teams upon these heights, is only known to those who experience them - it cannot be realized by others - with a load of, say fifty thousand shingles, or its equal in weight of other freight, should an accident occur, a lock-chain break, for instance, instant destruction overtakes wagon, oxen, load, and perhaps, unless very watchful, the driver also. I will now close, promising more anon. Yours, MARLINSPIKE To see other old newspapers, visit http://www.newspaperabstracts.com/index.php