Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1880-01-12
q. p. bulletin. Jan. o,

as emperor Norton" while on his way
to attend the Hastings Debating Society
meeting in the Academy Of Sciences
rooms. last evening. suddenly fell to the
sidewalk at the corner OF California and
Dupont streets, and died ir Q few
minutes. The body wa taken to the
Morgus. In the pockets OF his clothing
were found q % 80 gold piece. 50 in sill.
Yer. q franc piece OF 1888 and . quantity
Of papers.
The deceased was born at Cape Town,
Cape Of Good Hope, about the year 1914.
HIS EARLY cAREER IN THIS CIT.
He came TO this city In 1851 with .
capital OF many thousands OF dollars,
and engaged in mercantile pursuits. At
this time and subsequently ''corners"i In
staple articles. such al saleratus, -four.
nails. beans, rice, etc., were frequent in
the market. Norton became an active
operator, and for o time was successful.
He invested considerable money in real
estate at North Beach. He was also the
owner OF the frame building on the
north side Of Commercial street below
Montgomery. and on which. until within
a year or two. was painted in large let
tiers, "Norton's Building" In 1852 he
purchased several cargoes Of uncleaned
rice. to arrive, at very high figures, with
q view OF controlling the rice market.
Under a contract. George A. Dunn built
for him the first rice mill for cleaning
rice ever erected on this coast. It occu.
pied the lot on the northwest corner OF
Sausome and Jackson streets, and the
primitive mortars aud pestlss were used.
Through some Misunderstanding with
the c~onsignses Of the rice, he wa re-
fused delivery Of the balance after q por-
ton Of Ii had been cleaned. and in con.
sequence OF the arrival in port Of other
carsoss Of rice. prices declined. and he
became financially embarrassed. He
then became q rice broker for Chinese
houses, and among them were the
heaviest firms in the city. His Office
was located on the east side Of Mont
gomery street, near Sacramento.
HIS MIND BEcAME AFFECTED.
But financial troubles and continuous
litigation told upon his mind, and about
1860 he began to exhibit those eccsn-
t~ricities for which he became 30 widely
known and noted. He became morose.
and his friends, to cheer him. pleasantly
called him Emperor. Previously Nor.
ton had been . strong anti Republican,
advocating the English system Of gov
eminent. and insisted that the govern
ment should DO reconstructed, and pro.
claimed himself Morton ], Emperor OF
To United States;' also, Protector Of
Mexico" Finally he began to issue
"Bonds OF the Empire in sums a. low
as fifty cents each.
MErHoD IN MS DELusroSs.
He conceived the idea that the taIpay.
ers were not indulgent to him, and 30 he
levied . tax on them. But instead OF
levying Q tax In proportion to wealth, he
demanded fifty cents per month on oil
business men who acknowledged his
Empire. He kept q list OF his ~taIpsying
subjects. and regularly called upon each
on q stated day In every month. pre-
scented his fifty cent bond. and received
the cash therefor. As an evidence Of
the system with which he kept his &C.
counts. one OF his contributing subjects
was absent from the State for eighteen
months. The day after his return the
Emperor presented eighteen Of his bonds
and received their face value Of 80.
PRocLAMATIoSs.
Norton had . penchant for issuing
proclamations, and perhaps q hundred
illusions. upon as many topics, have
been published in the Bulletin from time
to time. They were written in good
style. grammatical. and correct in orthog.
rapby. He would write q page Of fools
cap with q rapidity and correctness that
few persons are capable Of. His procla.
nations, as Emperor. often contained
pertinent points and suggestions.
GENIAL M HONEST.
The deceased was uncouth in appear.
ance. but by no Q obtrusivo. He
was always in good spirits. and had an
excellent opinion Of himself. Those
who dealt with him were deeply i'm.
pressed with his honesty. He would
receive q $40 piece on the third floor Of
q building In payment for o 50-oent
bond or monthly installment, and 60 out
to q brokers ofice and bring back the
SO 80 change with scrupulous punctu.
atty. Nothing seemed to excite him
more than to have the boys on the street
call him Mr.. Norton /; but whom Q sub.
ject Of his Empire. after paying his
monthly demand. addressed him Is Mr..
Norton, hs would appear hurt, but
would not resent IL. He had the entree
to most places Of amusement, but when
refused admission ho politely retired
without being offensive. He was q mem.
Der OF the Lyceum Of Free Culture. and
took part in debates. speaking intelli.
gently and logically. He usually attend
ed church, and was very attentive to the
discourse. He frsquented the libraries
and reading rooms OF the city. kept well
posted on current events, had considera.
BILE scientific knowledge, and was quite
conversant with history. He talked
readily upon most any subject. and was
on familiar terms with officials.
HIS ROOM AND CONTENTS.
He was harmless and at times jocular.
He boarded at cheap restaurants and
occupied Q small room in . cheap lodg.
ing house on Commercial street for II
years. He paid his room rent evory
night without an exception. On the
walls Of the room hung photographs OF
several royal ~personages. Arranged
around the room were q sabre and silk
sash and t%asssl. military caps. hats,
chapeaus with vari 7. colored feather
adornments, walking sticks, o Chinese
umbrella. papers. letters, etc.
Columns might be written about this
strange He will DO missed from
our t~horoughfares and will long be re-
membersd for his eccentricities and inof-
fansiya dslusions /