San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-06-05
SAMUEL BRANNAN
He Was a Pioneer of the Golden
State, California.
ONCE HE BECAME A MORMON.

But He Became Disguised Because Brig
ham Young Would Not Go to the Pacific
Coast, Left the Saints and Prospered.
How His Wealth Finally Disappeared.
The news of the death of Samuel Brannan
was recently given to the world without ex-
citing any great commotion. But there was
a time when his decease would have been fol-
lowed by columns ON columns in the news
papers, especially on the Pacific slope.
He died at Escanaba, San Diego county,
Cal, of inflammation Of the bowels.
Samuel Brannan was born speculator,
who made a princely fortune in ten years.
lost it in another decade, and a year ago,
though then broken in health and shattered
in fortune, was confident of winning second
fortune from huge land grant in Sonora
He was born in Maine, and in Ohio learned
the printers trade. When he was 10 he
bought up his time and plunged into real
estate speculation, coming out with no more
cash than he went in, but learning valuable
lessons in business experience.
Then ne strolled about the country as a
iOurneyman printer In this way he came
in contact with the Mormons, and, being
struck with their creed joined them, and for
three years in New York city published their
organ, The New York Messenger. 1t was in
1916 that he conceived the plan of forming a
Mormon colony in California, then Mexican
territory. He secured the approval of Brig
ham Young, chartered the ship Brooklyn,
fitted her up for passengers, stocked her with
food and with all manner of agricultural i'm
plementS and tools, not forgetting printing
press and paper, secured 236 passengers, mostly
MormOns, and then set sail for the new
western land
1t was five months before the party reached
the Sandwich Islands, where they made Il
brief stay. Then they were transferred to
San Francisco. Some stayed in the city, but
the majority went into the country, settling
at place called Mormon Island, on the Sac
ramentO river
DISGUISED BY YoUNG'S UNPROGRESSIvE
SPIRIT.
Drannan showed great administrative abil
ity in his management of this party, but
when he got all his colonsts well settled
he was intensely disguised to learn that
Brigham Young had decided not to move
the headquarters of the Latter Day Saints to
the Pacific coast Brannan made trip to
Salt Lake City to see Young, and being I'M
able to shake his decision he returned to San
Francisco with his Mormon enthusiasm
greatly cooled.
In the following year he wound up the con
Germs of the Mormon enterprise ard began
business on his own account. He erected
two -four mills in San Francisco, established
The Star, the first newspaper published on
the coast, started a large country store at
Suffers Fort, ON the Sacramento river, and
speculated in town lots. The discovery of
gold proved the first step to Brannan's great
fortune. When he learned the news of Mar
shalls discovery in the mill race on Suffer-
farm he at once bought large quantities
goods in San Francisco and shipped them L
his store near the fort When tine gold rush
came a few months afterward he did an
enormous business, his sales amounting to
$15O,OG0 a month, on which the profit was
fully three-quarters
The city of Sacramento, afterward the cap
ital of the state, grew up around BrannanS
store. He made thousands by selling off
town lots, but he soon found Sacramento too
cramped for his speculative ability. He
carried on mining at Mormon Island went
into the China trade in San Francisco and
bought heavily of real estate in the young
and growing city. He improved everything
that he purchased, built fine business blocks,
opened up streets and took a lively interest in
the municipal government. He was president
of the first vigilance committee and one of
the vice presidents of the great vigilance
committee of 1856.
AS early as 1857 he was recognized as the
richest man in California, and he occupied
this position as late as 1864 His energy APP
peared inexhaustible. Now he was develop
ing the resources of sugar and fruit planta
tions in the Sandwich Islands, and now OPEN
ing new mines in Nevada and Utah. Every
one with scheme for developing the country
went to Brannan for aid in those years, just
as they went ten years later to Ralston.
MELTING OF A GREAT FORTUNE.
For fifteen years Brannan was the leading
citizen of San Francisco He was man of
immense force of character and great origi-
nality and independence. In every public
enterprise he was foremost and his iberality
kept pace with his fortune In an unlucky
hour he purchased the Calistoga estate in the
Upper Napa valley and started in to make it
a great public resort.
He built costly railroad to the place and
spent hundreds of thousands trying to beau
tify what was naturally a sterile and noun
famous spot. He lost not less than five mil
lions by this venture. Then one after an
other his mining schemes failed Like most
of the ArGonauts who lived at high pressure
and made fortunes in month, he drank
great deal, and when his fortunes began tC