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that they held a mass meeting, and declared the state government unlawful and the authorities not to be obeyed. Two of their number were arrested, charged with rebellion, and lodged in the prison brig. On the day above mentioned forty armed men, under a mounted leader, marched through the streets down to the prison brig for the purpose of releasing the prisoners, and also to recover certain lumber of which one of their number had been dispossessed.

Arrived at the levee they found close at their heels a large crowd hooting at them, and making warlike demonstrations. The mayor, sheriff, and other officials were on the spot. Closely pressed by the populace, the squatters wheeled and fired. The mayor, assessor, and a dozen others were struck, several mortally. The fire was returned by the sheriff and his supporters, and continued for about an hour. The leader of the squatters was killed and the band finally dispersed. Thus far five or six only were dead. Next day the sheriff with about twenty men set out in the direction of the fort for the purpose of arresting such squatters as they could find. Stopping at a saloon to drink, the sheriff's party was fired upon by squatters concealed in an adjoining room, and a general melée ensued, in which three, including the sheriff, were killed, several wounded, and four squatters taken prisoners. On receipt of the news, the governor, then at San José, ordered a brigade of militia to proceed to Sacramento and assist in quelling the riot. This uprising of the squatters was condemned on all sides; a torrent of public indignation burst upon them from all parts of the state. For taking up arms against the constituted authorities, there appeared no justification, no palliation. California was not yet a state; the titles to public lands and Mexican grants were ill understood, but a resort to arms was not the way to settle them.

Such, briefly, was the great Sacramento squatter riot of 1850. The squatter party was composed

chiefly of immigrants from the western states, where Spanish grants were unknown. Schooled in the doctrine that all unoccupied American soil is free, they knew and cared to know nothing of the land laws other than the laws of preemption; and to be driven from their lots by speculators claiming under the Sutter title was unbearable tyranny.

The trouble had long been brewing. Much feeling prevailed during the winter of 1849-50, and the squatter element then lacked only a leader openly to resist. Such a spirit at length appeared under the name of Dr Robinson, who was seconded by one Mahoney. One of the squatters had been ejected by the authorities, and two arrested as before mentioned. Meanwhile the squatters had been collecting arms and ammunition with which to oppose the execution of the law. Robinson was arrested, passed the form of trial, and was released. Not long after he was elected to the legislature from Sacramento county, an act on the part of the people significant of their sympathy.

An organized band of squatters, some eighty in number, who had taken up claims on an island in Feather river, known as the Jimeno grant, told the deputy United States marshal, who in May, 1853, was attempting to serve certain summons, that they had contributed $3,000, with which to defend the suit, that they were now carrying it to the supreme court, and if they lost it there they should then fight. They told the officer, moreover, that if he attempted to serve his summons they would kill him. The marshal retired and took the boat for San Francisco. Stopping at a wood-yard, he learned that the proprietor, Holiday, was one of the persons for whom he had a summons. The marshal delivered the writ and began to read the summons, when he was interrupted with, "Waal, I suppose I may as well kill you now as any time," at the same time receiving on his arm, which he had thrown up to protect his head, a blow

which, had it not missed its aim, would have killed him. Being unarmed, and unable to procure a weapon on board, the officer was obliged to return without having accomplished his purpose.

In May 1853, one of the frequent disputes arose as to the possession of a certain piece of land at Santa Bárbara. Jack Powers had settled upon a tract about two miles from town, which Nicholas Den claimed to have leased for a number of years from the government. The case was decided in Den's favor in the district court, and afterward in the supreme court. Nevertheless, Powers refused to give up possession, claiming that as it was government property, it was free to all American citizens. Sheriff Twist determined to eject him by force. Powers then collected fifteen of his friends, and formed a sort of barricade on the rancho, by felling trees, piling up logs, and arranging wagons for the purpose. They had liquors and food provided for a number of days, and several pieces of music to enliven the time. Well armed with revolvers, rifles, and shot-guns they were prepared to resist the officers. Three of Powers' adherents, on the way to his place, encountered the sheriff and others, who were trying to take out the spikes that had been put in the cannon the previous night. Words ensued as to their intended use of the cannon, which resulted in a serious melee with several wounded and some killed on both sides.

Not less than 200 men, squatters on the Fitch, the Peña, and the Berreyesa grants, situated about Healdsburg on Russian river, banded for mutual protection in movements defensive and aggressive. Sonoma and Santa Rosa valleys in common with almost all parts of the state covered with Mexican grants, have been the scenes of repeated assassinations and outbreaks, of which I give n instance. In April 1858 fifty armed men attacked the government surveyor, Tracy, then acting under instructions issued by Mandeville, surveyor general, seized and tore in

pieces his papers, and informed him if he valued his life he would drop that business and go home, which Tracy was very glad to be able to do. The band then rode to the house of Peña, where Lugo, one of the owners of a large tract, was stopping and forced him under threats of hanging to sign an article of release of title to certain lands, and also to immediately and forever retire from those parts. Next the mob proceeded to Healdsburg, distant from the former frolic about six miles, in search of Dr Frisbie, a landholder whom they proposed to force into the relinquishment of his title to a portion of his lands. The citizens rallied to the support of law and government, and though the squatters threatened to burn the town, held their ground, and the free-land men retired.

At Suisun in December 1862 certain squatters against whom John B. Frisbie had obtained judgment, and a writ of restitution, refused to vacate when ordered to do so by the sheriff; whereupon that officer summoned to his aid a posse, and marched against them when they yielded.

The original proprietors of Boisé city, Idaho, bought the town site from ranchmen who had settled there, surveying it and laying it out in town lots; to every one who wished to build a dwelling they gave a piece of ground. Business lots they sold. All went well until in the autumn of 1864, a judge and two lawyers dropped upon the place and then began lot-jumping and litigation.

In some way the sentiment got abroad that the proprietor's title was valueless, that the ground on which the city was built was public domain, and that any one might settle on any unoccupied spot. Then the two lawyers revelled in fat. Those who had taken possession of their neighbor's property, hoping to get something for nothing, after submitting to expensive litigations were obliged to step down from their position and leave the land to its original occupants and their successors.

Thief and no

LOVELY San Quentin! Saint thief! saint. Saint and the dwelling place of thieves and other malefactors. The name and the naming were eccentric and mongrel, though, as it turned out, suitable enough, even considering that to Spanish "San" was given a foreign "Quentin."

To explain. Round that bright corner of San Francisco bay, where under the shadow of Tamalpais nestle the coves of Corte de Madera and San Rafael, with Punta de Quintin, as the point was called in Spanish times, between them, there once roamed with his people a native chieftain, who, on allowing himself to be sprinkled on the head, and made a son of the church, as well as an humble vassal of the Spanish crown, was honored by the padre with the name of Quintin, after one of the saints. Now, this Quintin, like others we have known possessing Christianity, was very far from a Christian's ideal in his raids and other immoral practises, inasmuch as stealing and killing formed parts of his programmes.

It has been claimed that the point was called San Quintin in remembrance of a victory won by the Spaniards over the French in 1547, in front of the city of San Quintin, the ancient Augusta Veromandorum; but there is no evidence of that being a fact; nor for placing San before Quintin. aboriginal non-sanctus after whom it

It was the was named.

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