Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-05-26
Ell DORADO,
Reunion Of 0ld-timerS
at PlaCGrVille.
A VISIT 70 SCENES OF '49.
Historical Sketches by DR.. John
E. KunklGr and Others.
GRAEDEST PICNIC or THE SEASON.
Fl Dorado EltsrtainS Her Valley Friends
With 0pHn-halded and Gen.
6FOuS Hospitality.
GRAEDEST PICNIC or THE SEASON.

The grandest picnic of the season was
that held yesterday at Gardeners Grove,
neal Placerville. 1t was the fourteenth an
nual reunion of the FL Dorado County So
ciety, and the first one they have held in
the county. Some fifteen years ago, q num-
Der of former El Doradoites met in Oak
land, and formed society for the purpose
of frenewing old-time acquaintance, and an
nually they hold May festival, at which
pioneer residents of the old historic county
and their descendants mingle around the
festal board, and live over again the DAYS
of'49.
The completion of the railroad to Hang
town" some weeks ago caused the Society
to hold this reunion in the beautiful grove
near Placeryille. A finer selection of
grounds could not be made. The grove is
about mile and quarter north OF the
town, and reached by the Georgetown road
1t is slightly place, covered with tall pines
and wide-spreading oaks, and from which
one has magnificent view for many miles
of the county. Just east of the grounds is
the
DEEP GORGE OF THE SOUTH FORK.
OF the American river, with the Chile Bar
bridge in sight. The opposite river hill
the mountains in the distance, the foothills
OF the Georgetown divide covered with
dense forests of tell pines, the vineyards
and orchards on the south and west, furnish
scenery indescrlbably grand
Mention was made in the RECORD UNION
upotarHaxy Of na IL l.,
land and San Francisco and the three that
went up from this city on Thursday. The
citizens of Placerville had been for several
weeks making preparations for their recep-
uon, and nothing was left undone that
could in any way add to the comfort and
entertainment OF their visitors. Thursday
morning residents began arriving in Pla-
cervllle from all parts of the county. They
came on foot, horseback, IN buggies and
wagons. When the train reached the high
trestle over Weber creek its approach was
slgnalled by the firing of the cannon from
the summit of Sacramento hill, which over
looks the town from the west When the
cars pulled into the town some 5000 peo-
pie were at the depot, along the track, and
the adjacent sidehills, who rent the air
with their
LOUD HUzZAs OF WELCOME.
Some Goo excursionists were on the train.
4 large number of them had not been in
the county for many years, but all inside
OF ten minutes were shaking hands with
old-hme friends and comrades. The Com
mlttee on Rooms boarded the train at Sac
ramento and before Placerville was reached
every guest was assigned comfortable quar-
ters. Every resident of the city who had
room to spare placed the same at the dis
posal OF the committee, and when all had
been supplied they had 100 to spare. Some
OF the families took eight and ten persons.
and all were made comfortable and their
every want anticipated and provided for.
Placeryille has eyer enjoyed an enviable
reputation for the hospitality of her peo-
pie, and in this instance they more than
sustained il and the greatest stranger was at
once made to feel at home. Thursday even
ing the town was one blaze of glory. Main
street, from the depot to Cedar ravine, was
throDged with pedestrians on both sides.
and hundreds of vehicles were placed at
the disposal of those who wished to ride
about the city. The town never wore a more
hollday-hke or patriotic appearance on
Fourth OF July. The decorations were not
confined to the main streets, but bunting
was flung to the breeze from nearly
every residence in town. a large band
stand had been erected on the Plaza
just east of the bell tower for the use of the
First Artillery Band, which discoursed
music from S P. NJ. 10 1890 The musi-
clans, twenty in number, rendered an ex-
cellent programme and were frequently
encored.
sIGwARI's HALL
Was thrown open for the use of the guests.
and the entire evening was devoted to
hand shaking and Hello, Jim, l
haven't seen you for twenty years" The
boys had grown to manhood, and the active
pioneer OF thirty-eight years ago had be-
come aged, gray and decrepit, and the ex-
clamatiOn, We'll, I'll declare I would
never have known you, you have changed
so J" was frequently heard. Where's your
brother, father, wife or sister," was heard
on every hand, and in majority of cases
were answered by that one sad word,
"a Dead"
At II o'clock the town was quiet. All
had retired to their sleeping apartments.
except the night clerks at the hotels, and
the watchman who regularly walks the
street to protect the slumbering citizen
from the prowling thief, or give the alarm
in case of fire
Yesterday morning the town was astir at
an early hour. If one had supposed on
the preceding day that all the residents of
the county were in the city he was Ger
tainly mistaken, for there was a steady
procession co,ning in upon every road that
led from the country. Many rode half the
night, and travelled forty miles to be pres
ent at this, the greatest festival ever held in
the county.
About 8 o'clock Judge Irwin received a
dispatch from Sacramento, signed R. ].
Van Yoorhies, saying: There are three
hundred coming on my train" This news
soon spread through the town, and for an
hour before the time of the arrival of
TEE SACRAMENTO SPECIAL
People began to assemble at the depot to
greet the newcomers. The train was de-
layed at Lstrobe, and did not reach town
until after II O'Clock. Like the train of the
day before, its coming was heralded by the
booming OF cannon, and the Sacramentans
greeted with three cheers and tiger"
when the train pulled in at the depot 4
finer delegation never left Sacramento. 1t
was representative il every particular.
Another surprise was in store for the Pia-
cerEille people when the Russar band. in
Their snowy uniforms, stepped from the
rear car and marched at the head of the
Sacramento Association oE California Pi-
oneers to the Carey House
All the teams in the city then began
making trips to the picnic grounds, ard by
hait-past y all were conveyed to the grove.
1t was estimated that fully 500 Sacrament
ans we're on the grounds. This, taken
together with the two splendid military
bands, made the people from the Cspital
City feel at home. A large dancing plat /.
form had been erected in the center of the (
grove with an excellent floor, music stand, !.
seats, and covered with acan-
fas canopy. The First Artillery Band