Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-08
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
THE PIONEER PRINTING PRESS AND
IT'S NERVOUSNESS.
Billy Birch's Early Minstrelsy-A Remi-
niscence of the Piains-Matters
of Local Interest.

last week to the efforts that were being
made thirty years ago totrace up and locate
the remains of the pioneer printing press
of the State, has reopened the subject
anew. I. J. Rolfe of Nevada City, writes
as follows under date of the I'd: "ln your
SUNDAY UNION of December LIST, in the
column headed Thirty Years Ago" ap-
pears a communication from this city, writ
ten to the old Sacramento UNION by T. 81.
Rolfe. detailing the fate of the first print
ing press in California Rolfe was en-
ployed as printer in the California Star
Office, l think, from its first issue to the
last. for l have often heard him state that
after the discovery OF gold he remained in
San Francisco and got out two issues of the
paper before leaving for the mines. In re-
gard to the wooden composing-stick which
he says one would suppose might have
been used by Faust or Gutenberg, it was
not burnedin the July fire in 1856, with the
other material of the Journal office. 1t is
now in my possession, and has been since
1852 1t was my custom at that time to
loaf in the Journal Office, when not at
work. On one occasion-when either DIR.
w. G. Alban or E. r. Berdel was proprie-
tori picked up the old stick and re-
marked that would keep it. He replied,
All right it is of no use here or some
thing to that effect. / took it to my cabin,
and after l became connected with the
Nevada Democrat, it was for a number of
years in the bank drawer, but for twenty
years or more it has been in my house;
and when / read your article last evening
hunted it up and exhibited it to my
friends"
Jeremiah O'Leary, then one of the oldest
printers in Sacramento, in communica-
ton to the UNION on December l, 1859,
gave the following facts regarding the old
press: "a press corresponding with your
description of the Monterey Star press was
DESTROYED in the State Journal Office on K
street in the fire of 1852. While working
in the Office frequently heard it spoken of
as pioneer press. AS your inquiries have
thus far failed to elicit any definite infor-
nation, and as the press has not been traced
out of the city, 1 am led to believe it was
the one in question. What became OF the
frame l do not know, but the bed and
platen, both broken, were saved and used
for INK blocks until within a year or two
and could probably be found without
much difficulty. The frame, which lost its
two starboard legs in the fire, might also be
unearthed at some of our city foundries. 1t
would be worth the search, and Sacrament
fans might well take an interest in the
matter; as, should it prove to be the sought
for press, and the old machine be ever
again partially put together, it would be
not only an appropriate and interesting re-
membrancer of the advent of American
civilization and letters in California, but
would also be a fitting and impressive type
of the ruin and desoation which swept
over the CITY on that melancholy night. If
that lUdS the press, it died in harness, as
the work on the first side of the Journal
was but Just completed when the alarm of
fire was sounded. By the way, w. Y.
Head, late of the Mountain Messenger, or J;
w. Gish, of lone, Amador county, could
probably give some definite information
on the subject"
Referring TO the above, the UNION edi-
torially had the following to say: Taking
all the circumstances into consideration,
we conclude that the old Star press was put
out of service by injuries sustained in the
fire of 1852; second, that in consequence 1t
was rejected by the proprietors or workmen
of the State Journal Office, in whose posses
sion it was, as old lumber, or cast-off ma
terial; and third, that the relics were
pitched into the street, or upon some va
cant lot, where, in the process of raising
the grade and filling in city property, they
have been buried and forgotten along with
tons of other curious fragmentary remains
which formed part Of our city machine cry
prior to 1852. Like the tombs of many
other pioneers, the grave of the old press
will probably never be known, though at
some future day the spade or pick OF the
laborer, in excavating for tiye-story dry
goods house, or a wine-cellar for storing a
few thousand pipes of California wine, or
a sewer modelled after those of London or
Paris, may strike the ribs or frame of the
old veteran"
The Sonora Age also had something TO
say about the old press and its story seems
about as probable as any of the others. 1t
said: For the information of the UNION
we would state that the old Ramage pio-
neer press on which the Monterey paper
was printed, is now no more. 1t was sold
by Dr. Gum, of this city, in 1851, to part
les in Columbia, for the purpose OF pub
fishing paper there. After awhile Dr.
Gum attached the press for the purchase
money. While the Office was in the GUS
tody of an officer. a gang OF vandals one
night took the old relic and set fire to 1t
The greater part of its frame work was
thus DESTROYED. The charred remains were
subsequently brought back to Sonora
where, in the course of time, they fell te
pieces. The bed of that old press, which
had done good service in the early days O
Z.
is now in the office Of this paper, where
our printers use it as substitute for al
imposing stone"
Following all this came letter from th'
proprietor of the Suffer Creek Foundry t
the effect that the remains of the old pres
were in their possession. The reel hat
been turned into gavel for the Royal Arci
Chapter of that place.
Rnt these were not all that knew the fat
10 p,ffo m
To the front and declared that 1t was thel
in the office of that paper. 1t was taken t
Bidwells Bar aud thence to Oroyille, ant
was used as Job press up to 1857.
~
The UNION had the following notice o
the city's Model Prison :" Probably Their
is not a prison in Christendom that cal
compare with ours-the old water WORK
building. The apartment assigned to IN
chain-gang will soon be washed out,
large stream of water constantly falling
therein frcm leak in thereof immediatel,
beneath one of the zinc tanks. The prison
ers are compelled to sleep on the floor, in
damp. musty atmosphere, with the pleas
ing reflection that they may be washed on
before morning. This hydropathic treat
ment NAV possibly be the best that coul'
be adopted as "a preventive OF violation
of the law"
Michael Foley, young plumber VIII
had lately arrived from New York, at
tempted suicide on November Both becaus
he could not get employment, and was
little - off, from imbibing too muc
whisky. He applied at Boyce's drug 'stor
for poison, but was given some Harmless
drug. which he went home and swallowed
The potion did not work to his satisfaction
and be returned TO the drug store and wa
abusing the clerk when officer MartZ al
rested him. "a :.
One day Mrs. Riddle, who lived nea
Maytield, Santa Clara county, was aoou
stepping into the stage bound for San Frar
cisco. when q Spaniard approached an
with the air of courtier rendered her
small bundle, saying Sonora, IN encon
iendo para su madre de listed Lady,
souvenir for your mother.") Mrs. Riddl
took the bundle. and the man disappeare
suddenly. The package contained an :, Il
FAINT only few hours old. Mrs. klddie
mother had already adopted six foundiini
before this one.
Billy Birch and his Ministries opened