The Petroleum Centre daily record. [volume] (Petroleum Center, Pa.) 1868-1873, 1872-12-06
The Last Days Of n Victim of
the Missouri Disa ,ter.

! sea OF the steamship Missouri brings one
Tribune and ,sreadeis. Colonel Albert S.
Evans, of San Francisco, the brilliant,
genial and veraatiie "Altsmonte" of out
columns, is reported smsng the lost. Col
onel Evans WAS for several years, prior 10
1856. a broker on Clark street, in this city,
and will be remembered by macy Of our
citizens. With natural taste for ,itera-
ture and journalism, on seeking . new home
in San Fran cisco. be made. as On ettaehe
aud for several years city editor Of the Alta
Csliiornia, the press his profession. On the
Pacific coast, and throughout the country at
large, there are few that had won better
repn, alton as descriptive writer; shis most
noticeable papers being bis contributions to
the Overland Monthly. He entered with
zeal and intelligence into all that pertained
to the growth and development Of his city
and State, and from bis duties spared time
10 make the long series Of "Altansnte Lett
tiers, the most valuable and remarkable oi
any that have appeared were deprived.
comprisin the entire range of the mining
regions oiCslifornis, Nevada. Utah, Ari-
zona and New Mexiso. In the war Of the
on, Colonel Evans was an active and
efficient officer on the staff of the Governor
of California, and did much TO arouse and
shape the loyal sentiment OF bis State. For
several years past he had been travelling sx.
tensivsly in the great southwestern interior.
He was one of Governor Ssward's suite in
Mexico, and bis contributions to periodical
and perm ansnt literature on Mexican topic.
have Eever been surpassed in richness OF
research and skilIful handling. Having
won something more tangible than reputa-
lion from his busy life, he had latterly de-
voted himself more exclusively to the tour.
ist work that so we'll suited his adventsrI
eus spirit. But few days ago, he sat
among the writers 10 the Tribune editorial
rooms, recountins some of bis later sxper-
iencss, and dwelling upe n the features Of 40
extended tour begun, but now 40 sadly end/
ed. lie was 10 visit the West Indies
thence the Continent Of Europe, returning
by Brazilian steamer to- South Americs,
acting throughout as the correspondent o:
the Tribune, where his scheme of research
would have made more q valuable addition
10 what is known of the earlier settlement,
and mining Of the regions fist visited by
Spanish adventures. Two or three gcs'
sipy letters from eastern cities have to,a
our readers Of bis progress and farewell to
This country, and the tseeraphic ,idings
have brought the rest, and probably the end
OF oil. Colonel Evans rlscs in Journalistic
literature will not be- easily filled. The
sympatbiec Of many personal friends, snd
the still wider ircIe popular writer wins
will be given to his bereaved family 10 their
stricken home in San Francisco.
The to lowing beautiful paragraphs from
Colonel Evan'a letter. bidding sdieu to Cal
ifornis, published 10 our issue of October
II, possesses now ns. touching interest:
III left San Francisco on the morning o,
Sunday, September Is. The sky was, as 1t
is ever at tais.sesson In Gods thrice favor/
ID land, clear aEd unclouded, and asI
looked down on the city and bay OF San
Franciseo from the summit OF Russian Hill
he view was glorious one-one that
shall long remember. When shall l look
upon 1t again?
"Ths " bite heecy !st was rolling In
through the Col den Gate, filling the chan
nel which ..lesds up the broad bay of San
francisco; and the mournfnl toiling OF fog
bells Of Alcatrez, like the deep pulsations of
ome great heart in Its lonely agony, pro-
luced on me, at such q moment, = strange
Ind saddeniug effect. Bu. before me wa.
he magnificent Ian niscspe of Alameda aad
Contra Costa, aRd the city at my feet,
beautiful and g orltisd BY the golden suns
'hine oil the autumn; and the right before
ne, coming dsun, Mit were, on path.
way OF flowers staetchiog out from the far
.her shore, across 'the blue waves of the
bay, was the steamer which WAS coming to
bear me away from home aud friends on
Journey into foreign lands and regions
strange aud new. Beyond the mounta ins
could not see; backwards dared NOT
look: God knOWs Wh At ia before us aIlio