, 1876-12-23

blame himself indirectly for the disaster
and he died of pare grief. His health
had been failing for q year. but his
energy kept him alive till the catastrophe
came and crushed him into the ground.
A niece came from Oregon and smooth
ed his pillows tor him with true wom-
ans tenderness; but the mighty heart
had long since burst with grief. He
died in the full possession of his senses
till within three hours. of his end. To
illustrate his real goodness. we will
mention that some six hours before his
death, be called his wife
BESIDE HIS DEATH BED.
And told there was one thing he had
forgotten. What that could be, she
could not imagine. for be had placed
everything in the hands of his trusty
friend Charles j. Brenham. knowing
that he would defend the rights OF. those
he loved. The Major resumed Il was
thinking, dear, of old Peg and Dan.
They drew us across the Plains-now
don't let them want for anything. You
know we can ask for what we need and
they can't" Those few simple words
told the mans whole character, of which
mercy and justice we're the great distin-
gnishing traits. During the winter of
the flood in 1861-62, he spent half his
time at Sacramento, relieving the wants
of the distressed and comforting the
afflicted. You seldom cav his name
upon a subscription paper in cases of
charity, but when you saw ''cash $50"
or some thing of that kind, it meant
Major Hensley.
HIS sA0ACITY
Was equalled only by his modesty and
while other men were making ostenta-
tions display, he was studying the fu-
ture wants Of his wife and children. He
left them about a quarter of million
dollars, but that WAS the least of his
wealth. Their nobl. st legacy was his
untarnlshed honor. We said to him,
one day, ''Major. the Democrats talk OF
putting you up for Governor" bah. "
replied the good old man. II know a
trick worth dozen of it, Tom. Some
of these days We will have State Nor
NAL School at San Jose and then l
want to be President of the Board of
Regents. want to see the young men
and women more practically educated
than they now are." When we look at
the modern Plutocracy and snob ocracy
of San Francisco, We recall this rugged
old pioneer, with his good homely face
and his
TRUE REPUBLICAN SIMPLICITY
| Of character, to realize how useful was
his life, how noble his ambition. And
it is for the youth of our growing Terri
tory, that we recall fond recollections of
one over whose lonely grave dozen
winters rains have sobbed. We try to
teach them to avoid speculatlons and
stick firm to some legitimate avocation;
to be honest and candid, as Hensley was
at all times; to be gentle. which is the
foundation of bravery; and above all to
be true to their friends. For reasons of
this sort, we single out few of the
men of early California, commencing
their Spartan virtues and speaking
plainly of their fanlts. They were pc
cula people, such as America will
never see again. Major Hensley was
really a representative man Of this very
element. full of candor, courage and
generosity. He came into the world,
weeping while all about him smiled.
His life was such that he left this world.
smiling while every eye about him was
bathed in tears: but the circle of N nourn-
ers about his bed mourned for no LOST
honor nor wrecked ambition in his ca,
reer. as they gazed upon the end of a
noble life.