Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-05-01
THE DEAN OF PIONEERS.
A Pleasant Dinner Party of Old.
Timers.

A Pleasant Dinner Party of Old
Timers.
Col. J. J. Warner celebrated the GEN.
tennial by giving a dinner party to a
number of old friends last evening, at his
residence on University street. The
entrances to the grounds and the porches
were handsomely decorated with flowers,
and the whole place wore a gala and
patriotic appearance. The company con-
sisted principally of old Californians who
have known the venerable Colonel for
many years, and it is needless to say that
Whilst the excellent things of the table
were highly appreciated, the conversation
and anecdotes recalling events and per-
sonages of the past, made the evening
pass delightfully."- away. A feature of the
dinner was the introduction of number
of Californian dishes, which were eaten
with great relieh, even by those of the
company to whom they were novelty.
A number of toasts were drunk in
bumpers of California wine, one of
which, offered by the host, was so APP
propriate, and 80 finely conceived, that
we give it, TO the moral and intel
lectual health and prosperity of the mil
lions of American citizens inha biting all
of North America, constituting the Amer.
lean Nation, who, {, the one hundredth
centennial of the Nations life, will, in
harmonious union and friendship, join in
celebrating this day of days, the natal
day of the nation" The health OF the
venerable host, of the ladies', and the
memory of old friends, were among the
other toasts drunk by the pleasant party.
Col. Warner was happy in remin.
iscence, and delighted his guests with a
description of very eventful trapping
expedition he made in 1882, along the
banks of the San Joaquin and the Sacra-
mento. After very successful catch in
the streams emptying into the San Joa-
quin, he and his comrades found them
selves at the mouth of the Mokelumne
with the rivers rising so rapidly that
they determined to make their way
to high land. The nearest point was the
elevation upon which Suffer Fort
was afterwards built. 1t was then a
rancheria, and the valley Indians were
gathered there in large Numbers. Be-
fore they reached it they were compelled
to construct RATS to carry them over the
swollen streams. When they got to
their point of safety, the whole country
from foothill to foothill was one vast sea
Of water. They remained there with the
1ndians-who were all friendly
for some time; but provisions getting
scarce, they determined to make a break
for civilization. They constructed boat
out of hides, and in that frail vessel they
packed their catch of beaver skins and
reached in due course OF time what is
now Lake county, and crossed
over to Fort Roes, a Russian set
Element on the Mendocino coast. The
Colonel's recollection OF that food
is that it surpassed any we have had
since. Beaver skins sold in those days
at the rate of "a so per pound, and an ordi-
nary skin would weigh about one and a
half pounds. There was big money in
trapping in those days.
The Colonel is now the oldest American
resident of Los Angeles, or of California.
He arrived in this city in 1881 and has
lived here ever since. His general health
is excellent, and his clear mind is stored
with more historical facts relating to our
State than that of any other man in it,.
1t is pleasure and privilege to spend
an evening with this courteous and en-
PERTAINING gentleman.