Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1879-08-26
woopWAUuy DEATH.
Fossdsr Of the What Cheer Hosps
fThs Originator OF woodwsytts
NJ

taardsn'. VI
San Francisco CAronieie. Aug. 20.
Robert Blinn Woodward died at bis
residence at Oak Knoll, In Nspa Valley,
yesterday morning, at 2 o'clock. Mr..
Woodward vas born In Providence,
Rhode Island. January 20. 1924, and
when grown to Q young man was adj
mitted into partnership with his father.
q dealer In general merchandise IN that
city. When the news Of the discovery
of gold in California reached the Eastern
States Mr.. Woodward. then q young
man Of %, embarked on the ship Naum.
keae with o cargo Of assorted mer.
chandise, and after the usual tedious
voyage round the Cape. arrived here In
September, 18i9. Hs Immediately
ESTABLISHED A TORE
And soon started in connection with Il 9
restaurant. The conduct Of this latter
suggested to him that while all other
hotels In the high.priced "early days"
were making e%xtravAgant charges and
thus necessarily repelling much patron.
age, one instituted upon the very oppo-
site theory would bs Q financial success.
Therefore. In 1852. hs had constructed
the now historic %caravansary at the COR.
ner OF Sacramento and Leidssdorf
streets, and hit upon the genial English
inn name OF What Cheer" for IL. The
rooms were small and supplied with
only necessary furniture. but the furni.
ture was good and substantial. The
meals were square" rather than deli.
cate. Everything was required to be
scrupulously clean and inviting.
The hotel was . more tremendous sue
cess financially than even It's able orig.
inator had calculated. and Il acquired IN
individuality that marks II even to this
day from all other American hotels %
effectively as ZONE OF the English tav.
srns sung by English poets. and that
makes Il o necessary part OF the history
OF San Francisco and the Coast. In
1856 Mr.. Woodward added to the hotal
o free and expensive library and . very
interesting and instructive museum. In
1862 Mr.. Woodward opened woodward's
Gardens, the great popular pleasure re-
sort Of the city. to the public. The site
had heretofore been that Of his private
residence. but Its peculiar natural beau.
ties had suggested to his fertile mind
the excellent and profitable use to which
II could be put, and be ensrgstically
formed Il into the nucleus Of the de-
sirabls resort Il 10 today. he opened II
during the patriotic fsrvor OF oontribu-
tons to the Sanitary Fund, and the
whole OF the extensive receipts were
given 10 that fund. Since then neither
money nor energy has been spared In
making the Gardens approximate to per.
fiction, aud today they are the finest
public resort OF private ownership In
America, and are very moderately ap-
praised at q value Of $1,000. 900.
HOME COMFORTS.
In all Mr.. Woodward's enterprises hs
was governed by the same principle that
actuated him In the building and con.
duct OF the What Cheer Houss-small
profits, but numerous and quick cash re.
turns. Mr.. Woodward's elegant private
residence has for some time been at Oak
Knoll, Napa county. and tho lands Of
the residence include over 5000 acres Of
the most valuable land In the beautiful
valley. II was chiefly through his On.
terprise and sagacity that the Naps
Valley Railroad was constructed. The
result Of his busy life Is an estate valued
at moro than %. 900 900. Mr.. Wood.
ward has for some time been afflicted
with asthma. rheumatism and Bhght's
disease OF the kidneys. and II was from
q complication Of these diseases that he
died, at the comparatively medium age
OF IS. He leaves q wife, q daughter.
who about Q year since wa married to
Drury Mslone. ex.Secrstary Of State;
two unmarried daughters, the younger
about Is years old. aud one sou about
81 years Of age.