Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-09-18
A CALIFORNIA PRINCE.
How he Lived--His Qualities ns Host
and Good Fellow.

The Chicago Inter- Oceans San Fran
cisco's dispatch gives the following in
teresting sketch of the late head of the
Bank of California
Personally, Ralston was no less re-
markable a man than his operations
would imply. Each morning at the bank
he received hundreds of visitors-men
who had projects to promote, men who
wantedsto share in his ventures, men
who wanted his Endorsement of their
schemes, who came to him for advice,
to borrow money, to consult about the
politics of California, Oregon or Nevada,
in all of which he took active part,
making and unmaking candidates, Con-
gressmen, governors, and county officials
and to all he gave quick, rapid atten-
tion, exhibiting marvellous mastery of
details; determining with astonishing
rapidity, and acting almost as soon as he
had determined. His rejection of pro-
iect was almost invariably fatal to it; his
Endorsement almost as invariably seemed
to insure its success, until his mere com
mendation itself was taken as certain
augury of profit. Among his most po-
tent agencies was the press. AS often
as new paper was started on the Pacific
slope the advertising card of the bank
was inserted, and, of course, at the
highest rates, and kept standing the year
through. He knew how to reach the
press of this coast, too, and has welded
it almost wholly until very recently,
when the ring operating against him Sc
cured its organs and forced the fight on
him vigorously.
But at the close of business hours his
business for the day was ended. No
matter what great operations were de-
pending in the balance, on leaving the
bank he gave himself up wholly to the
entertainment of the guests with which
his palatial residence at Belmont was
ever filed. In that oft described pala-
tial establishment, in the maintenance of
which he is reported to have spent $685.,
600 per month, there was no carrying of
the shop into the parlor. He was a
splendid host, entertaining like prince
in most princely fashion. His table was
furnished for forty guests daily. There
were sixty elegantly fitted up guest
chambers in the palace at Belmont All
the appointments and surroundings were
on a scale of Oriental magnifcence, and
the spacious grounds, lighted with col
ored lanterns from hundreds of gas jets,
at night presented the appearance of
some fairy palace. Thither he invited
every notable who visited California,
as well as every one who came to him
with letter of introduction or who had
the smallest claim upon his hospitality.
Everything about the place at Belmont
was princely, and there in princely fash
ion Ralston entertained all who came,
with the same quick tact in matters So
cial that distinguished him in his bust
ness operations. He was man of
princely tastes, and enjoyed to the full
princely living. But there was none of
the brutal coarseness of Fisk about
him. His residence was piece of mag
nifcent display, but in all about it,
though in many things ford, there was
nothing actually vulgar. He was man
of some culture, too, and was always
vain of the society of literary folk, and
no correspondent of newspaper ever
visited California who was permitted to
escape Ralston's hospitality even if he
would. In a business sense, too, this
wholesale entertaining was an important
feature in Ralston's operations. He took
to his house every capitalist who visited
California; every prominent politician
whose influence might be worth having
every newspaper man whose letters
might affect public opinion, and, with
the innumerable schemes which the banl
had ON foot, this vast entertaining was {
vast lobbying continuously kept up
The sad termination of his career has
arrested all cavil. Tonight we speak o
: Ralston, not as a cheat-he never was 81
q spoken of but as man of wide sympa
thies and open-handed generosity. Hi
t thousand unobtrusive charities, the un
{ told times he has extended helping
: hand to small tradesmen and needy ad
Y venturers, are remembered now. Will
: all his regal sumptuousness-and he en-
2 joyed it as never did born king-thi
e king of California was q soft-hearted
r generous fellow, who never turned
i deaf ear to tale of suffering, and who's
/ generosity was in truth of princel
a prodigality. Moralize about it as yo1
s will, to the last old Californians will pre-
@ nounce William G. Ralston "a brick"