San Mateo County Gazette News
June 4, 1859, Vol. 1 No. 9.
(Transcribed by Chris Havnar)

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