Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-21
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
A DEVOTED SISTERS LETTER TO HER
OUTLAW BROTHER.
Interesting Episode of Rattlesnake
Dicks" Death = The Man Who
Hadn't Heard of Greeley.

outcasts, must have been reared under the
influences of refined surroundings, but had
gone wrong in the early days OF California
life, when law and order were but lightly
regarded. Says the Herald:
Dick" was found lying on a saddle
''machere" on pile of brush, a saddle blanket
gloves, in one OF which was a slip of paper, on
which was scrawled with pencil the follow
ing:
"Rattlesnake Dick. like all other true Britons,
dies, but never surrenders -
On the reverse side of the same paper was
written:
"IfJ. Boggs is dead, am satisfied"
There was also found upon the person of Dick
another letter; we read it, it sent thrill of
sorrow to our heart. 1t read:
SWEET HOME, March H. 1859.
my Dear, Dear Brother: 1 can scarcely be-
lieve, or realize, that 1 am again indulgiug in
the privilege of addressing YOU, with the hope
of being heard or understood. And tremblingly
l ask that you, my much-loved brother, the
guide of my infant footsteps the long-lost friend
of my childhood Will allow renewed CORE
-spondence to open between you and your good
old home. Oh! how our hearts have ached for
word from your pen Years have passed
away since your last letter reached us-years
that seem TO be a lifetime. have grieved, but
never despaired for have prayed to the Father
that he would restore you to the paths of recti-
tude. But if He has not already, you will say,
All, mel He will never save me But say
faithfully, He will o, brother, will you not be
saved ? God sees your heart while YOU read
these words. He knows if there is secret wish
there to be a better man; if there be but the
bud of resolution, He knows. Hear Him say:
Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all
things shall be added thereunto. Jesus will
will raise your head and make you a new man.
Go to Him, o, my brother
will You not write few words to your own
home? II may inteed be bitter task, but may
II not prove a blessing? DO try to overcome
every obstacle look down deep into your heart
and see If there is not a wish TO remember your
sister. Please do write, dear brother, and VIII
then tell you so many things that will interest
you. HARRIET BARTER.
ITO Richard A Barter"
What grief must have filled the heart OF
that devoted sister when she learned the
tragic circumstances of her brothers death
shot down as an outlaw while defying the
officers, in the mountains of California!
And yet "Rattesnake Dick was but one
out of the thousands of young men who
abandoned their homes and relatives to
join in the wild scramble for wealth on the
golden shores of the Pacific, and whose
careers were no more commemorate nor
their deaths less tragic or sad than his
But the race of "Rattlesnake Dicks" is run
ming out. California has few of them out
side her prisons, and only stragglers are to
be found here and there among the out
posts OF civilization in the Territories
They can well be spared, except, perhaps,
by loving and devoted mothers or sisters.
who remember them only as bright, prom
lslng sons and tender, affectionate brothers.
..... Horace Greeley was working his pas
sage slowly across the plains, with his eye
bent on the Pacific slope. A correspondent
OF Boston paper, who travelled with him,
wrote many curious and amusing incidents
of the trip. Almost every emigrant train
they met contained some one who recog-
nized Greeley, aud the enigrants focked
around and scrudnized him as if he were
the seventh wonder of the world One
day, on the outskirts of crowd, rather
stolld- Hooking man asked of the CORE
spondent:
stranger, is that John Greeley those fell
lows are talking so much about?'
No, sir; that's Horace"
Horace-Horace Greeley-who is he?
Editor of the Tribune"
Which,"
Editor of the New York Tribune"
What's that?"
"A newspaper published in New York"
No. never hearn tell of it before"
My friend" asked the correspondent,
where were you raised2"
In Missouri"
1.-THE recent hit made by Harry Cour-
tame at the Madison-square Theater in
New York recalls his eventful career on
the Pacific coast in early DAYS. On the
18th of July, 1859, his wife sued him for
divorce in San Francisco on the ground of
habitual intemperance and failure to pro-
vide. Courtaine then, and for fifteen
years atterward, alternated between the
Jail, the gutter, the Home of the Inebriates
and the stage. He had genius as an actor,
but was long ago given up as a hopeless
case. OF late years, however, Harry has
braced up, and though no longer young he
has again attained high place on the roll
of leading actors.
......At public meeting held in Savan-
nah, Georgia, the following resolutions
were unanimously adopted:
Resolved. That African slavery is morally and
legally right that it has been blessing to both
races: that on the score of religion, morality
and interest, it is the duty of the Southern peo-
pie to import as many slaves direct from Africa
as convenient.
Resolved, That the laws of the General Govern
ment prohibiting the importation of slaves from
Africa Are foul blot
ON the most cherished institution Of the South,
and ought 10 be repealed.
......R. o. Cravens, now of this city, pre-
sided at meeting at Forest Hill. Placer
county, addressed by United States Senator
Gwin, Calhoun, Benham and others.
Gwin devoted his remarks almost entirely
10 Senator Broderick, on whom he made
bitter onslaught, charging him with false
hood, ignorance and deceit.
......At Grass Valley, on the following
evening, Broderick replied to Gwin, liter
ally roasting" that statesman in his
vigorous style.
. Lady Woodruff, George n. Patchen
and Brown Dick trotted over Union
Course, Long Island, on June 81,
1859. The first heat. in 2:30l, was a
dead one between Dick and the Lady.
.oi- k. ~, .l,a
third in 2:29i, and Lady Woodruff the
three following in 2:302-2:314-2:3l.
1.-THE buffalo. now entirely extermi-
mated, were so thick on the western prairies
thirty years ago that emigrants had great
difficulty in saving themselves from being
run down BY the great herds, especially
during the night.
...... There are yet living among us many
members of the Young America Engine
Company, who took part in the long run
to the American river bridge on the morn
ing of July 10 1859, when the barn of a
Mr.. Cragin was burned. All the old volun-
teer companies started for the fire, but
Young America was the only one that
made the trip.
.....Sam Wells and Frank Hussey' s
minstrel troupe was playing " Uncle Tom s
Cabin" at the Metropolitan Theater
George Ryer played the character of Uncle
Tom, and Madame Celeste that OF IOpsy.
1.-THE UNION gave an account ola ludi-
crous set-to between "0ld Nose the octo-
generian bootblack, who died some years
ago, and another sable-colered individual,
in front of Winters barber-shop on K
street. A heated discussion had lead TO a
banter to fight, and at it they went, heads
being the only weapons used They
stepped several PAGES and came together
with rush. The battle lasted for three
rounds. Crash came the woody heads to-
gether, and down went Moses antagonist.
The fight WAS witnessed by large crowd
of sports, aud Nose" owned the lower
part of town for the rest of the day.
......A singular accident happened to Eu-
gene, the then l2-year-old son of DR.. |. E,
Oatman. He was playing with some
boys at Whites N-street school, and
having caught one of them in q
chase il became the latter's turn &c
play horse" he got down on ali tours
and 0atman mounted his back. The
bronco" bucked so hard that the vaquerc
was thrown 10 the ground and fatally
struck his elbow. frscturipg the internal
condyle of the right humerus. The bones
were driven through the skin, causing 9
painful wound.
The impression has prevailed Of late
years that the expression "plan of cam
Of nAiFa md NV . hs