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Collection: Books and Periodicals
A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) (713 pages)
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Page: of 713
588 HISTORY OF NORTHERN OALIFORNIA.
he was reared.
to Mississippi and engaged in the same buisness,
and he was twenty-two when his father returned
from the Mexican war.
Young Bradley and his brother, John F.,
decided to accompany their father to California,
so with four others they set out for this coast,
coming via the Southern route through New
Mexico. The Mexicans seemed friendly and
one evening some of them partook of supper
with the emigrants. The next morning the
party discovered that three of their mules, some
of their clothing and a number of guns had
been stolen. The custom with emigrants was
to notify the alcalde and claim restitution.
This they did, but that officer said he knew
nothing about the matter. They put him under
arrest and started to take him along, thinking to
intimidate him; but he gave the alarm anda
large number of Mexicans closed in on them.
Mr. Bradley accidentally discharged his gun.
No one was hurt, but there came near being
serious trouble. The whole party were made
prisoners and locked up in an adobe house. Our
subject’s father made it known that he wanted
an interpreter, and sent word to the alealde that
every hour they were detained it would cost
them $250, that they were American citizens
on their way to California and that they must
not be delayed. This officer sent them back
twelve miles toa higher alcalde, who was an
honorable Spanish gentleman, and who returned
their arms and allowed them to proceed.
Arriving in California, they began mining
operations at Foster’s Bar on the Yuba River.
They afterward went to the American River,
and then to Trinity County and mined on the
Trinity River. In eight months they made
$7,000 more than expenses. While on the
Trinity River the father kept store, the brother
mined and our subject packed, and all their
enterprises were successful. They bought a .
Spanish grant, a league of land, of J. F. Dye, .
in Tehama County, paying for it $1.75 per acre.
After remaining on it eight years and expendAt the age of twenty he went . the property. They tried hard to establish their
title, but were finally compelled to take $3,000
and give up the land. It is now one of the
finest ranches in Northern California. Then
they engaged in the sheep business in Shasta
County; traded their sheep for silver mining
stock at Copper City, and met with losses there;
went to Oak Run, rented land for two years;
and came to Chico in 1866. Since that time
he has been identified with the best interests of
this town. Here Mr. Bradley has been engaged
in contracting and building. He owns the property where he resides, and also has several
houses which he rents.
He was married, January 1, 1857, to Miss
Catharine R. Doherty, a native of Arkansas, and
descendant of an old Tennessee family. They
have had four children, two of whom are living,
namely: John P. and William Ira, both natives
of California. Mr. Bradley is a Royal Arch
. Mason, and while at Red Bluff was Junior
Warden of his lodge. He and his wife are
members of the Presbyterian Church.
Mr. Bradley is a well preserved man for a
Forty-niner. He is loaded with reminiscences
of the early settlement of this State, and he recounts in a most vivid and interesting manner
his experiences in the mines and his adventures
with the Indians. Indeed, his own experience
would make a book of no small proportions;
and it is with regret that our lack of space will
not permit us to publish a more extended
account of his life.
GS (RoHS D
FISHER was born in Pennsylvania in
1841, and there passed his youth and
? early manhood. When the dark warcloud overspread this country, and there was a
call for men to go to the front in defense of the
old flag, he was not slow to see his duty. He
enlisted in the Twenty-second Pennsylvania
Volunteer Cavalry, and served in that regiment
one year; he then re-enlisted in the Second IIliing about $30,000 on it, they were lawed out of . nois Cavalry, and was discharged at San Anto-