Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-29
THIRTY YEARS ago.
A MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS DAY IN
THE ARGONAUT TIMES.
An Ex-Assemblyman Arrested for Steal
ing Jewelry-How DIR. Bla1eney
Collected His Bill.


be remembered by all who were in Califor-
MIA at that time as one of the severest sea-
sons of storm and deluge ever experienced
among the earliest white settlers. The Cal
ifornia Battalion of mounted rihemen,
commanded by Colonel Fremont COM
posed of one company of his Canadian
g0ydgeltrs and eight companies of American
and English settlers in California, runaway
sailors, negroes and Oregon and native In
dians-in all, nearly 400 men-arrived
within few miles of the Mission St. Ynez,
at the eastern base of the Santa Barbara
mountains, about nightfall on the oath OF
December, 1916. The battalion had made
forced march from the Mission San Juan,
at the lower end of San Jose valley, crossing
mountains, swimming rivers and wading
through marshes, having travelled for four
or i've days entirely on foot, driving their
starved and faded animals before them.
The next day was Christmas, and Bryant
takes that occasion to recount the hardships
of the long march. He says:
"Christmas Day-and a memorable one
to me- Owing to the difficulty of hauling
the cannon up the steep activities of the
mountain, the main body of the battalion
did not come up with us until II o'clock,
and before we commenced the descent of
the mountain furious storm commenced,
raging with a violence rarely surpassed.
The rain fell in torrents, and the wind
blew almost with the force of a tornado.
The fierce strife of the elements continued
without abatement the entire forenoon, and
until o'clock at night. Driving our horses
before u.s. We were compelled to slide down
the steep and slippery rocks, or wade
through deep gullies and ravines filled with
mud and fOAming torrents of water that
rushed downward with such force as to
carry along loose rocks and tear up trees
and bushes by the roots. Many of the
horses fell into the ravines and refused to
make any effort to extricate themselves
and were swept down by the waters and
drowned. Others, bewildered by the fierce
ness and terrors of the storm, rushed or
fell headlong over the steep precipices and
were killed. Others obstinately re-
fused to proceed, but stood quak-
ing with cold, and many of these
persisted in the night. The advance
party did not reach the foot of the
mountain and find camping place until
night; and a night of more impenetrable
and terrific darkness l never experienced.
The ground on which our camp was made,
although sloping from the hills TO small
stream, was so saturated with water that
men, as well as horses, sank deep at every
step. The rain fell in such torrents that
fires could be lighted only with great diff
Guilty, and most of them were Immediately
extinguished. The officers and men of the
company having the cannon il charge
labored until or 10 o'clock to bring them
down the mountain, all efforts to force the
animals down being fruitless. The men
continued to struggle into camp until q
late hour of the night, while some crept
under projecting rocks and staid there
until morning. We were fortunate
enough TO find our tent, and pitched it
under an oak tree. We spread our blank
cts on the wet ground and endeavored to
sleep, although we could feel the cold
streams of water that ran through the tent
and between our bodies"
Thus passed Christmas day in 1916
among the early American settlers who
took part in the California revolution of
that year. Those who still survive will not
soon forget its hardships, and will never
desire to live over again that portion of
their lives. A few of these old Californians
are now dwelling in peaceful homes within
luG IduEt VI Ant VI tAC 0ONOAI
UNION. May they find in all their future
Christmas days no saint so unpropitious as
was st. Ynez on that of 1916.
1.-THE Weaverville Journal, abiding to
the sham duel between Professor Godfrey
and Levi, where an attempt was made to
hoax the former, said: Finding that he
had probably been made the victim of
sell, Godfrey threw down his weapon and
made frantic rush for his antagonist. The
writer does not attempt to describe the
scene which followed. Levi took to his
heels when he saw the turn affairs had
taken, but was not active enough TO escape
the enraged Godfrey, who overlook and dealt
him O blow on the back of the neck,
knocking him senseless TO the ground. He
next vented his rage On a good-looking
county official, severely damaging his
countenance Half a dozen bystanders
seized him, but he didn't stay seized, and
striking out right and left demolished the
entire party and left the field victorious.
Godfrey was arrested aud fined 81. Levi is
dangerously hurt, his neck presenting the
appearance of having come in contact with
q sledge- hammer, and one arm Is para
lived Notwithstanding the serious result,
we can't help but admire Godfrey's con-
duct in having his portion OF the fun after
the rest had accomplished their ends"
......John c. Heenan, the young and
brawnv California exponent of pugilism,
then filed the minds of the public quite as
fully as has John L. Sullivan of late years.
Heenan was about TO sign articles for his
great battle with Sayres, the English
champion, and the press of two countries
was teeming with notices of the famous
pueilistic gladiators. The London Sporting
Times in an article on the then ap-
preaching mill, said "Heenan, we can
readily declare will be as much
welcomed and shrouded from all
wrong doing here as our lion-hearted
boxer would assuredly be on the other side
of the Atlantic But subsequent events
proved that the average English
fighting crowd" were as big hoodlums in
those days as at present, for Heenan was
most shabbily treated in his fight with
Sayres, and was not allowed to win the
victory 10 which he was entitled"
..... AT the closing exercises of the public
schools The May Bells and the Flowers"
was sung by little Misses Agnes Toll and
Addie Cronkite. of the Jefferson Grammar
School, and Howard f. Hastings, of the
High School, detained the speech of Lord
Chatham on the employment of Indians
to fight the Americans. Miss Nellie
Newton and Master Daniel 2. Yost sang,
"What are the Wild Waves Saying ?" Mas
ter Edward Cadwalader and ]. G. Baldwin
personaied, respectively. Hayne and Web
ster, in their debate on The Dignity OF Sen
atorial Debate"
....One day q man who only three years
before had represented neighboring
county in the Assembly went into Hatch
iewelry store, on Second street, and while
two of his companions engaged the pro-
prietor in conversation the ex-Assembly-
man stole three watches. He was arrested
before he could get out of the city. His
name was Hunter.
-. Said the UNION: 1.-THE Prince OF
Wales has attained his eighteenth year, and
is now of legal age TO assume the crown
of England if his mother should die OF
abdicate" But thirty years have passed
since then, and Queen Victoria has not
died. nor does she seem to be in any hurry
about abdicsiirg her throne. The Prince
however, is still on deck.
.Sea Captains have not been noted FOL
their literary abilities, and certainly the
master of a ship which arrived from New
York at the time of which We write was nc
exception to the rnle. He reported having
fallen in with an unknown ship, burned tc
the waters edge, and closed his report as
follows: The only living thing to be seer
on board was a cat in the fore-riggiDg
Could not ascertain her name"
1.-THE Placeryille Observer related tht
particulars of charivari that took plsce al
Johnson's North Canyon, on the evening o.
December 18Th, at the residence of J. NJ