The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-02-25
EMPEROR NORTON 1.
The San Francisco Count Joannes and
His Queer Doings.

| lnere QleQ recently In Dan CTauClsCo
curious character who in some re-
Spects resembled the late Count Joannes,
Of New York. His name was Joshua
A. Norton, and he was known as En-.
peror Norton l., ruler of California and
Mexico. A San Francisco correspond
ent of the Chicago Tribune thus des-
cribes some of his peculiarities: He
was in the habit of issuing proclama-
tions on all sorts Of subjects, signing
them Norton l., and procuring their
publication in some paper. The boys
at the telegraph office in this city were
apparently instructed to humor the
emperor; for, whenever he handed in
dispatch for transmission the answer
would come in about ten minutes.
In his pocket at the time of his death
was one telegram purporting to come
from Governor Perkins, inviting him
to the inauguration at Sacramento in
terms hardly consonent with guberna-
torial dignity; and another from the
Hon. G. S. Parnell, New York, couched
as follows: Accept my thanks for
your interest on behalf of my distressed
countrymen. The land question will
be avoided, but grant me your authority
to call on the American people to re-
lieve Ireland's wants. You can call tor
subscriptions on the generous public
of your coast, and remit to me at your
convenience
"He would call on downtown mer-
chants from three to five times a
year, and would receive from each the
sum of four bits, in exchange for which
he .handed over the following bond:
The Imperial government of Norton
I: promises to pay to the holder hereof
the sum of fifty cents in the year 1890,
with interest at four per centum per
annum from date; principal and inter-
est to be convertible, ut holders option
at maturity, into twenty-year four per
centum bonds, or payable in gold coin.
Given under our Imperial hand and seal.
Norton l., emperor These bonds, like
all the poor fellows manuscripts, were
written in an excellent hand, and were
faultless in regard both to punctuation
and photography. 1t was rare indeed
that he called on any business man who
didnot honor this periodical assessment;
but when refusal did come, the EN-
peror turned with as polite a bow and
cordial Success to you as though
he had received the money. His repu-
tation for honesty was such that mer.
chants never scrupled to hand him
$40 gold piece, which he would 60 and
get changed outside, and religiously re-
turn the $3.50 with his imperial
bond, which lie considered n permit to
trade within the limits OF his realm. In
this way Norton made more than
enough to defray his slender expenses.
He had occupied foe the past seventeen
years the same room in a lod dging house.
and had paid his room rent, fifty cents a
day, regularly every evening. The walls
of the room were adorned with por-
traits of Queen Victoria, the Empress
Eugene, and others of the crowned
heads of Europe. He believed himself
their equal.
His death has revived the old story
that he was q natural son of King Will
liam w. Certain it is that. born in
London in 1917, he early left home for
the Cape of Good Hope. From there
he emigratrd to Valparaiso, remaining
there till the gold fever of l848 attracted
thousands to California. Almost i'm
med 'ately after his arrival there he
seems to have been recognized as a
shrewd, honest, enterprising business
man, and to have been entrusted with
important purchasing commissions on
behalf of several firms already estab-
iished in Frisco. His gains, which
were considerable, he invested in real
estate; and in time Joshua A. Norton
became quite noted land spcculator,
one of the large buildings owned by him
being in what up 70 few years ago was
in the very center Of the business por-
ton of the city. Unfortunately for Nor
ion, he became impressed with the
then prevail ing mania for getting up n
corner in some article of daily con-
sumption, and in 1852 he bought up oil
the rice warehoused in the city, beside
all the floating cargoes Of that STABLE.
Expecting as he did to obtain control
of the market, he did not hesitate to
satisfy the holders demands, and one
firm received from Norton the round
price of fifteen cents pound for cargo
10 arrive. AS frequently happens in
such cases. after Norton had spent the
whole of his ieady cash in buying all
the cargocs expected, large cargo
reached San Francisco from m un-.
looked for source. The speculntor, who
had calculated on coming out of the op.
Grafton a millionaire, was unable to
take it up, and, rs n natural conse-
quence. the price OF rice took terrible
tumble. Norton's losses were such that
he WAS forced to sell a considerable
portion of his real estate, and he be.
came involved in long and weary liti-
CATION. After time the strain upon his
mental faculties proved too great. His
mind became unbalanced, and, having
been prospective ruler ofthe rice mar
kct, his hallucnation assumed tie
shape of an imperial sway over Cali
fOrnia and Mexico"