The weather during the next 10 days would permit of no outside work, so it gave us an opportunity to acquaint ourselves with our surrounding which we did in a most thorough manner. Preparing ourselves with lunches, we would leave camp reasonably early and tramp up the coast or the opposite direction up the river. I remember on one of our tramps we were headed up the river, when on rounding a bend in the road we suddently [suddenly] came upon a large camp of wood cutters clearing river bottom land. The camp was inhabited at the time by only a few of what I thought was the smallest men I had ever seen. The shanties I concluded, evidently housed a large force of men by the number of them I saw, but where they were were of no interest to me, but the few I saw about the hovels interested me very much. Their size and color was of a race l never before had seen, they were no larger than a 12 year old boy, but developed like mwn of a matured age and upon accosting one it was found he was unable to speak in any language I had ever heard. We fell to guessing their nationality, but arrived at no satisfactory solution. While scrutinizing their camp we were attracted by a yelling further up the river which at times would die almost out then suddintlty [suddenly] the dim would be a perfect bedlam; it did not take us many minutes to decided that we should investigate this uproar, breaking into a run we soon arrived at one of what proved to be almost laughing sight after we found what was causing the excitement, Around a large pool in the river were something like 30 of these strange little men, running backward and foreword, first into the water then out and up the river over rocks and around clumps of brush, out of sight of us. Then back down the river pell mell when suddently {suddenly} two or three would run waist deep into the water and bury his head an shoulders out of sight into the stream, suddently [suddenly} some one of them would let out an unearthly yell and down the river again they would go. Presently on both sides of the pool they would be seen running and yelling back again.

They passed this time on up stream yelling at the top of their voices and on glancing toward their camp we perceived two men running toward us with large bundles which proved to be, when they arrived blankets and bed clothing, which they began hurriedly to tie together and stretch across the stream weighing the loner edge of the blankets with large rocks forming a dam or barrier across the river. When our laughter had subsided somewhat our questions flew fast, “What were they doing?”

Someone advanced the idea that it was a religious rite, another thought it was an open air play or theatrical proformance [performance].

As our discussion grew warm, our entertainers grew warmer even if soaked to the skin. Three men now had taken their hand at the net across the river armed with clubs and large rocks while the mob in general was still carrying on their antics now almost under the bank on which we stood, but for the life of us we could not agree upon what it all meant.

It probably continued at this place for 5 minutes when sundently [suddenly] they turned as one man and beating the water with their clubs and throwing rocks, they ran toward the net yelling like mad. The men at the net caught the spirit of yelling almost as soon as their comrades started toward them. This seemed to be the final climax, for they were closing in an their imaginary enemy, as we thought, and so close did they stare; or march that it grew into a solid compact mass of yelling stamping wild men suddently [suddenly] all went down completely submerged except their backs still fighting and churning the water into a foam for many feet around, but in a moment out of the jungle of human bodies arose one fellow holding as high as he could reach with both hands a salmon. The show was over and they were Japanese, a fact we learned several days later and as we had no doubt everyone of us read of, but few had ever seen.

In the state, at that time, a Japanese was a curiosity, numbering scarcely in the hundreds, while this writing they reach nearly 80,000.


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The mouth of the Sur river and the adjacent surroundings for several miles each way is adapted to stock raising and dairing, being one of the best all year round ranches on the coast. Many young stock roam the range while the cows are supplying the milk for three cheese factories, famous now for the celebrated Monterey cheese.

One afternoon l was out for awalk up the river to look in our curious little men, the Japs. The road ran bordering on the river bank under and through groves of beautiful redwoods, curving and winding in and out many times, within the distance of a mile making a most delightful exhilarating stroll. I was bent on no particular mission, in fact was idling away an afternoon, thoroughly enjoying the many strange trees, shrubs and flowers which grew here abundantly, thinking of the calmness that can prevail among such giants as those redwoods are, it really seems impossible the silence which one finds among the forest when it is silent.

I was just rounding a sharp turn in the road almost a half circle which would bring me out from the deep shade into the bright sunlight for possibly 20 yds before the road again ran into the shadows of another clump of dark trees.

When I was attacked by an unusual roar which seemed to be coming in my direction, but l could not make out whether, the sound was coming by the road or out of the timber paralleling the road it being so crooked at this point. The roar came suddently [suddenly] and with such rapidity that I had no time to decide upon any coarse of action except the thought I wonder what is God’s name it could be.

If I had been in Central Africa I would have at once prepared to mill [see ?] a herd of elephants, but in a fairly civilized community and to be confronted with such a roar and smashing it was bewildering. Thinking did not lesson the uproar, it must be action with me, at that quick, perceiving a small tree about 10 feet from the road I made haste to put my self many feet up it out of harm’s way, and luckly l did and when l did, for l had no more that sprang for its lower branches than a dark brownish mass swung into road coming through a heavy redwood picket fence from out of the timber on the mountain side of the road. Before l could get securely settled I was smothered in a cloud of dust and the forest fairly trembled with the force of the rushing herd. I had been treed by a stampede of buffalo.

After l could here [hear] no more of my roaring herd and it appeared safe to descend I immediately crossed the river at this point and climbing up a steep mountain through a thick tangle of under-brush l made camp nearly in an opposite direction from which l started.

The buffalo I had seen was a domestic herd running on the range with the common cattle having been brought down from the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco several years previous as an experiment for breeding purposes. They had so far given very little trouble but on this occasion they were lead by a very large and vicious bull buffalo, who had been confined in a high and strong log corral as he was too unruly to run the range, his influence would put the rest in an uncontrollable temper, consequently he was never let out, but this day the cowboy whose duty it it was to water and feed him lost control of him and he had broken out and started for the range at a full gallop bellowing and roaring only as a buffalo can and it was he who had stampeded the younger herd where I finally found them. Later the cowboys succeeded in roping the bull and after several, hours of exciting and dangerous work landed him back at the corral securely tied with a log chain.


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The weather calming down some permitted us to few days later to pull out again for a hunt. This proved to be our lucky day, as we came in about 11 a. m. with our otter, he was a medium size and very beautiful measuring about 5 ft.6 inches in length with the most hansome [handsome] fur I ever saw, the fur was about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches deep and grew so compacted that the skin was invisible even when the fur was parted for the purpose. With the hand smoothing it in any direction it would follow and lay as stroked, the ends were jet black but near the hide it was of a silkey [silky] gray color and soft as cotton to the touch.

It now required some skill and experience to dress or cure it.

Everyone was quite willing in taking a hand at this work. The carcass was first hung up by the flippers, head downward and the process of taking off the skin was new and interesting to me. When it finally lay on the grounds it had not been touched with a knife except to start the hide which was done by splitting the soles of the flippers and pulling the hide over the body simply turning him wrong side out; the bullet hole which had killed him was now sewed up with silk thread while the fur was on the inner side.

The hide now was put upon a stretcher and stretched taut until every point of the skin was tight, the work began now of a scraping nature cleaning off every particle of blubber and fat until the hide became like glassy rawhide, this was then treated with a rubbing and drying process without the aide of the sun and in fact all of the entire job was done in the shade. The washing with water and rubbing continued for prehaps [perhaps] 2 or 3 days until the skin was perfectly dry. Then it was returned with the fur out and neatly packed being now ready for market netting us $400.00.


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About 4 miles north of camp was situated the Pt. Sur light house, its unique location made it a very interesting place to visit.

The approach to the light was over a low stretch of sand so low that at extreme high tide the light house and keepers dwellings were cut off from the main land, leaving them on an island. This island consisted of an immense rock, probably covering 20 acres about 300 ft. high and very steep, in fact you had to mount to the light by means of a flight of stairs, 336 steps without a landing making it an impossible climb for a great many visitors. All supplies used by the lighthouse attendants were hoisted up from the sand below by a cable run by a large hoisting engine located at the top. The light was placed at the opposite side of the rock from the keepers dwellings, a distance of some 250 yds. A trail lead from the dwellings to the light, well guarded by hand railings and fence.

Approaching the light house from along this trail only the top of the tower could be seen and then only when you was [were] with a few hundred feet of it.

The trail ended in a foot bridge which lead [led] directly into the light chamber, the highest point in a light house tower, this curious arrangement was caused by the height of the rock on which the tower was built. This side of the rock was about 300 ft. from the water and almost perpendicular. The foundation for the tower was cut down and leveled out of solid rock, bringing the tip of the tower almost on a level with the bank above; there was no necessity of erecting the customary funnel shaped high tower as the rock gave sufficient height, if not too high as was proven many times while I was there for I have heard the fog-signal sounding for hours while we were near the waters levels enjoying a beautiful clear day, but at the light house they were developed [enveloped] in a blanket of fog which only hovered around the top of the rock causing the officers in charge there to believe a fog hung over the sea from many miles around. The bridge connecting the end of the trail with the light chambers was about 18 ft. long and heavily guarded by iron hand rails about about 5 feet high. Done for the purpose we were told protecting the men while changing shifts at night in stormy weather as the wind at this point on the coast blows harder than any point between British Columbia and Mexico. The men have been known to crawl on their hands and knees in __ order to save themselves from being blown off while crossing into the Watch Tower.

The dwellings were built of beautiful brown sandstone and securely anchored being, built so strong and perfect that in the most hurricane southeasterly storm once in side the storm blew unnoticed or felt. I never had or have been within a building that was cleaner or most neat and sanitary than all of these buildings were including engine and oil rooms.

Cleanliness was stamped everywhere.


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The tan bark industry was being carried on here quite extensively.

The bark was obtained far up the river and was being hauled down to the landing and corded in great piles waiting the arrival of a schooner which was especially chartered for this trade. The mountains were being devastated of their beautiful coat of mature evergreen oak to satisfied [satisfy] the craving of man for society’s sake. It was heartrendering and awful to look upon these beautiful young oaks being stripped of their covering leaving the forest resembling a cemetery. Great paths cut crisscross up and down in fact running in all manners of ways to accommodate the sleds and wagons used in soaking out the bark. Hillsides seemed to be mutilated more that the level ground. I suppose because it was noticeable to the eye being set off at a much better advantage than the level as it was hard to see over any space on the level, but looking at the hillside one got a very large scope of territory to gage at.

The process of tanning the bark was done by letting the tree stand and cutting a ring around it near the ground and another as far up as the limbs would allow or that is until the limbs became too small and thick there from ring to ring was chopped a slit and these with a flat bar, the bark was peeled off. The tree leftt standing to die. Thousands and thousands of these white ghostly sentinels dotted the mountain region of the upper Sur river.

No attempt is made at utilizing the wood only the bark is used. Small trees up to 6 in. in diameter are peeled, standing larger ones are cut down and left to rot and become fodder for forest fires. Conservation was badly needed here and wherever this industry is prevalent the U.S. Government should look well to the slaughter that is being made in our young timber.

While we were camped at this place a schooner swung into bay and anchored about 200 yds outside the line of breakers, it’s purpose was for taking off a ship load of tan bark. The bark was corded on a headland from which a larger crane was suspended and used for lowering large loads of bark onto a lighter. These lighters were strung onto an endless cable operated from an engine on the schooner while the loaded lighter were [was] being towed out to the ship an empty one was coming ashore. I obtained a few days labor at this work, also put in two days about ship running a hoist, in fact I worked with the ship until it was loaded and made ready for sea.

While the work was heavy and had to be rushed-while the weather was so the lighter could run, we nevertheless was [were] fed. There was [were] 5 meals a day, and good food and all man would eat. The AM. Was always pleasant with hardly a ripple of wind, but the P.M. Brought a northwester which increased until sunset.

I don’t think I ever worked at a more disagreeable job than handling this bark ashore when the wind blew [was blowing]. When the bark is peeled and starts to dry it curls until it is at least one l/2 the original size and the edges are like so many sharp knives cutting whatever it comes in contact with, but after continual handling these sharp edges are broken off and it can be handled with safety, but new at the first moving of it we had the butt of this cruel work. Almost putting us out of commission as our hands were simply cut in in hundred of places, the torture we stood, but the dust nearly put the work on a striking basis.

There arises from this bark, when dry and handled in the wind, a powdered barkdust containing tannic acid. Our eyes became almost blinded with this firey acid a tormenting and continuous smarting of fire which did not leave us for many days after the last of the bark was loaded.


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In connection with our experience with tanbark there happened an instance which was partly verified by the proof being found washed up by the waves several days after the ships departure – News reached us on the 3^rd or 4^th day after seeing the schooner put to sea that she had ran afoul of one of a school of whales; by the way I should mention that after filling the whole of the boat we loaded in every spare space on deck as much as 80 cords on a side and all of 8 ft. high securely lashed. When the schooner ran into the whale it was reported to us that the whale left 500 lbs. Of himself clinging to the anchor. The force of the blow careened the schooner almost to a dipping angle causing the lashing to part and the port side lost her load of bark, then on righting again, the opposite side being the heaviest causing another dip of the boat and she lost her larboard load saving the schooner, but with the loss of a deck load of bark which came ashore for many many miles down the coast several days later. I vouch for, but the cause of the accident. I– only give it as it was given to me.

During a severe wind storm for several days we were compelled to stay near the camp except an occasional stroll up the beach-more for passtime [pastime] than pleasure during this weather. It was on one of these strolls, while the wind was blowing a gale and at a point where the kelp grew almost up to the shore that an otter was seen about 150 yds.

From shore driven in shore by the high sea and torn kelp outside. He did not see us, which caused his death, for a lucky shot brought him down, but as he would float he was save [safe] enough, still he lay where he was shot and no chance for us to get to him. Waiting depending on the wind and current to arive [arrive] the carcass ashore was monotonous, but it was all that could be done unless the wind lay, which was doubtful. After 3 or 4 hours waiting it was noticed that he was slowing [slowly] drifting toward shore and just before dark he was so near that one of the boys volunteered to swim out to him which he did after many words of advise and caution.

He succeeded in finally getting ashore amid great rejoicing as it had been many weeks since we had the slightest chance for a hunt outside.


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