Collection: Books and Periodicals

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Title: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Publisher: Lewis Publishing Company Published: 1891 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Source(s): Google Books # of Pages: 713 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-22 00:25:09 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:11:29 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 06:30:36

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 713  

HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. 229 settled on his Shasta County rancho, but in 1848-49 engaged extensively in mining on the Trinity River, where Reading Bar bore his name. In 1849 he had a store at Sacramento, in company with Hensley & Snyder, besides taking a part in political affairs. In 1851 he was candidate for State Governor, barely missing election. Subsequently he devoted himself to agriculture in Northern California. He died in 1868, at the age of fifty-two years, leaving a widow and five children. Major Reading was a man of a well-balanced mind, honorable, energetic and courteous. The late Chief Justice, Royal T. Sprague, came to Shasta in September, 1849. He with others came overland from Ohio, torded the Sacramento River at Moore's rancho and built a log house just north of the Potter place, where they spent the winter, and in the spring and summer of 1850 he moved on Clear Creek at Grizzly Gulch. The late General Joseph Lane was also a Shasta County miner. He mined in the vicinity . of Olney Creek and Oregon Gulch. He was an agreeable and intelligent man, with strong, practical common sense. He returned to Oregon in the fall of 1850. The Mexican land grant in Shasta County was that o: San Buenaventura, 26,632 acres, patented to E. D. Reading in 1857. WEBB AND THE DUNOAN BROTHERS. In 1852 Colonel A. H. Webb was living in Harristown, in Shasta County, where he kept a sture. He shrewdly preserved the good people from Indian depredations. During that period three brothers named Duncan, apparently of the Caucasian race but really one-quarter Indian blood and identified with the Cherokee nation, were causing much trouble in the community. They were large and stout, and very rough in manners and morals. One day two of these brothers, mounted upon half-broken mustangs, rode into and out of every house in the village, apparently on a wager, but making an exception of Mr. Webb’s store, as the proprietor said he could not afford to have his goods damaged. They respected him. But the next day, having been taunted by a boon companion with the failure to fully complete the stipulations of the bet, the two men determined to do 80, come what would. Mr. Webb gave no more thought to the matter and was upon the second day busy about the store, when with a clatter and crash the younger of the two Duncans forced his foaming and struggling mustang directly into the store. Mr. Webb turned toward the intruder in astonishment and anger, and Duncan, noticing his indignation and immediately giving rein to his natural insolence, exclaimed with an oath, “ Perliaps you do not like my riding in here?” Irritated beyond endurance, Webb stepped rapidly behind the desk, snatched a loaded revolver and covered the des}erado in an instant, while he answered with stern emphasis, “ No, 1 don’t like it; and you have just twenty seconds to ride out of here before you get this bullet in your brain. Go!” Duncan saw the merchant’s deadly purpose, and, wheeling his horse, dashed out of the store in an instant. The news that Mr. Webb had driven one of the Duncans out of the store at the muzzle of a. pistol soon spread about, and while it increased his popularity with a majority of the inhabitants it changed the feeling of careless friendliness with which the desperado brothers had hitherto regarded him to one of bitter hatred, which every one predicted would speedily culminate in a tragedy. But more than a year elapsed without anything of that nature happening, and Webb moved to Bald Hill, in the same county, where he continued in the same business. The Duncans were as frequently seen there as at Harristown. Ata local election soon held at that place the three Duncans were, as usual, aking themselves the most conspicuous figures in the large assemblage, drinking and carousing. The polls were across the street from Webb’s store, and Webb, being one of the judges of the election, left the store in charge of his partner. He eaw young Duncan in the