Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-07-23
STONEMA NJ
The Part a Rodent Played in Destroyin
the CnYernor,s War Recnrds


Nobody would think of looking for any,
thing historical in mouse The testy
things that have long been the terror of the
pantry and timid women have everywhere
been universally despised. Perhaps. how
ever, the future historian who attempts to
narrate the progress of California from the
early days when she was a colony of old
Mexico, cropping along in confusion and
forSettulness, TO the present with all the
fullneSs of its promise will not find il
either expeditions or satisfactory to ignore
the claims of the little nuisance to recocni-
ton. People who have doubted the sound
ness of the asphorism that holds every
thing to be created for the best must now
relinquish their doubtfulness. and look
upon the mouse at least, as an excuse. So.
in any event, will CALIFORNIA; historian
have TO take it, for in mouse he will find
an excuse for many gaps and breaks in our
State history. The San Francisco Post says ::
" 1t was early Friday morning that the
inhabitants of the beautiful valley of San
Gabriel, Los Angeles county, were amazed
TO see an added brightness to the early
1norning sunshine. 1t was very soon known
that the residence of Governor Stoneman
was on fire. The house, a two-story frame,
was speedily wrapped in flames, and the
whole neighborhoOd, or such as had arisen
to greet the sun, hurried TO the spot. The
Governor, unconscious of the havoc that
was destroying the visible work of life
| time, reposed calmly at the residence of his
sister not more than three-quarters of a
mile away
Early in the year 1917, before the era of
a rising generation in California, the
present Governor came to the Pacific Coast
as young Lieutenant in the service of the
| United States. Lieutenant Stoneman was
stationed in the southern part of the State,
and from the first became charmed with the
natural glory of the country. Inwardlv he
| longed for home IN that delightful region,
although, perhaps, there was not much in
his position then upon which 20 build such
hope. But time treated the Young soldier
| kindly, aided, it may be believed by sturdy
traits in personal character. The story
| of his subsequent life his recall from Cali
! fOrnia, and the part he took in the war OF
the rebellion after he had been raised to
the rank of Maori General are well known.
| Returning to California, General Stoneman
| found means to realize the fancy of his
| younger days, and in San Gabriel he built
the home, where for many years he has
| lived There he brought the records of his
early life rs a soldier in California, part
almost of the records of the State itself
tOgetncr WIN the accounts OF ms career
afterwards in larger sphere. All of them,
with his library, instruments, family plate
military trophies, the accouterments of his
rank in the army, and all the household
keepsakes have been destroyed. While
the pecuniary loss is given at $4,000, the
real destruction is beyond estimate, since
it is of the kind that can never be made
good
Two theories of the fire has been ad-
vanced. One that the work was done by
| an enraged band of Mexicans, one of whose
companions had been sentenced to death
and whom the Governor refused to recog,
nize as entitled to Executive clemency. The
other, and it seems to meet with fully as
much favor, is that the fire was started by
mice gnawing at matches in the house