The Evening News. November 3, 1916

30. The Pathfinder's Victim. Part 1

Yesterday I went to see Mrs. Engracia Fernandez's wedding dress. The wedding dress was richly embroidered, beaded, beautiful in spite of the half century since it had been worn. But I forgot its beauty in listening to the story of the strange tragic life of the woman who had worn the gown.

Mrs. Fernandez now lives in a small house in Vine street, but she is the daughter of Don Jose de los Reyes Berryessa, the discovered of the Almaden mine. In 1840, Don Jose was shot in San Rafael by Kit Carson at the supposed suggestion of Captain Fremont.

Mrs. Fernandez was born at the Santa Teresa ranch. Her mother was a Bernal. The lives of Mrs. Fernandez and of her father, Don Jose Berryessa, cover most of California's history.

Don Jose was born in San Francisco in 1787. A man of education, at one time he was teacher in San Jose for which he received $10 a month. Later he was secretary to Don Luis Arguello, one of the early Spanish governors of California. For his services to Arguello, Don Jose Berryessa received the grant of the San Vincente ranch near Almaden.

Directly the padres arrived at Santa Clara they heard rumors that there was a mine near Loma Prieta. The Indians always talked about it. To the fathers they brought pigment for painting their own faces as well as for decorating the Mission at Santa Clara. A part of the Mission chapel was painted with this pigment.

One of the dreams and ambitions of the Spaniards was to locate the mine. They thought it was on Don Jose Berryessa's ranch. In the early 20's Berryessa and Secundido Robles, the majordomo of the Santa Clara Mission, and Father Jose Maria Real set out to look for the cave that the Indians said led into the mine.

For days they wandered over the mountains. Finally Don Jose Berryessa exclaimed "I have found it, the Indian's mine." He pointed to a pile of leaves.

"That's nothing but leaves," said Father Real and Mr. Robles.

Don Jose brushed aside the leaves to convince the doubting prospectors. Right under the leaves was the opening that led to the mine. Father Real and majordomo Robles both became wealthy from the mine. Father Real returned to Spain, but Don Jose Berryessa was never given credit for his discovery, nor did he receive any profits from finding the greatest quicksilver mine of modern time.

Transcribed by Kitty LaFavor, for the Santa Clara Co. CAGenWeb Project. 2008