V. WACHTEL 

V. Wachtel, agriculturalist, was born February 6, 1829, in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany. His parents were John and Caroline Wachtel. His father was a farmer by occupation, and died when he, the son, was only four years of age; and his mother afterward married again, and she and her husband came to America in 1839, landing at New Orleans; proceeding on to St. Louis by steamboat, they remained in that city about four months. In the spring of 1852 Mr. Wachtel started with a train overland to California, leaving all his people in St. Louis, and reached Sacramento after a six months’ journey, marked with serious mishaps. For the first twenty-one days here he worked on the streets of Sacramento, when his eyes became diseased, and for twenty-five years afterward he spent money on various physicians and in trying various methods and experiments, losing time and suffering pain. He obtained relief only two years ago, through Dr. Cookley, of Sacramento; he is now “his old self” again. After his first sojourn at Sacramento, already referred to, he worked six months at mining near Placerville, going there with $50 and returning to Sacramento with $7! Next he worked on the Yolo side of the Sacramento about five months, and then rented a piece of land on the Haggin grant. At the end of two years he was obliged to leave this farm, and he settled on the grant line, supposing he was beyond it. At the end of a year he had to leave this place also, and he located upon a quarter section of Government land in Sutter Township, where he lived fifteen years. Then selling out, he came and purchased his present property of 320 acres in Mississippi Township, six miles from Folsom and fifteen from Sacramento, where he does most of his trading. He has made most of the improvements that exist on this place. His specialties are grain and hay. He has made all his money in California.