Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-19
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
EVENTS In CALIFORNIA; EARLY
HISTORY.
Sacramento's First Business Men
Incidents of Local and State
Interest of 1850.

Incidents OF Local ana state
Interest Of 1850.
Men do not all live for the present and
the future. To very large element the
past is full of interest, and especially is this
true of the early-day Californians. Those
who passed through the stirring events
connected with the transition of California
from her PASTORAL condition into the full
panoply of Statehood-the pioneers of her
civilization-have tender memories of that
period. full as it was of the vicissitudes of
life incident to the settlement of new
country. While the more exciting events
of California's early history occurred dur
ing the period Immediately following the
discovery of gold at Coloma in 1S48, still for
some years after ward it was rich with in
cidents of a stirring and interesting charac-
ter. Approaching the fact that many thou
sands of its readers scattered throughout
the State-feel deep. interest in the current
history of that period, the SUEDAY-UEIoN
will take up the events of thirty years
uBO nuu ohoiu o Posoiue Rioh0o AoA Week
to week at their most interesting features.
Those of a more local character will receive
the chief attention, but nothing of State or
National importance will be overlooked.
In 1859 the matter of transcontinental
railroad was before Congress, and it cut an
important figure in the division of party
sentiment in that body, the "Lecompton-
ties" or Southern wing of the Democracy
bitterly opposing the enterprise. In May
of that year Leland Stanford, who was
Chairman of the Republican County Gen.
trail Committee of Sacramento, issued a
call for primary elections to elect delegates
to County Convention to be held on the
LIST of June, which was to send representa-
tives to the approaching State Convention,
at which State officers were to be nom-
mated. The Central Committee had
adopted, and included in its call, the fol-
lowing resolution:
Resolved, That the dependence of the country
for Pacific railroad is wholly upon the Repub-
lcan party, and any encouragement, by Repub-
licans, or other political organizations of what
ever name or pretension, and particularly of
any organization under the auspices and name
of Democracy, has a direct tendency to postpone
the success OF that great enterprise.
There was great excitement in San
Francisco over the approaching primary of
the Lecompton wing of the Democracy
lAc lllCuuo "a JOuu NuRcul were hopeful
of his nomination for Governor. while
William NJ. Gwin was working for John B.
Weller, with the understanding that the
latter would assist him to reach the United
States Senate. Gwin-then Senator from
Ell Dorado-who subsequently became the
leader of his party in this State, later on
was conspicuous in connection with the
political events attending the civil war, as
representative man of the Southern Con-
federacy.
"A political meeting at Santa Rosa on
May 18th 1850 was addressed by J. G.
McKibben and DR.. o. NJ. Wozencraft on
behalf of the Anti Lecompton Democracy.
E. d. Baker, the silyer-tongued statesman
soldier (who some years later fell at Balls
Bluff during the civil war;, championed
the principles of the Republican party,
while A. A. Green represented the party
known as the Settlers.
The Government was then in the
midst of its trouble with the Mormons, who
had been numbering emigrants en- route to
the Pacific coast. A dispatch to the UNION
from Genoa conveyed the intelligence that
great excitement existed in that section.
The Mormons had been drilling for weeks.
and large bodies of their men were roam
ing through the Territory, while their sig
nal fires latter the Indian fashion, burned
at night from every hilltop.
The San Francisco Herald editorially
called attention to the fact that the metrop-
oils was not connected with any point in
IL interior by railroad. Reference was
made to the fact that there was but one
railroad in the State-the one running
from Sacramento to Folsom.
Jacob Shew and 81. S. Beals, photog-
raphers in Sacramento, were engaged in a
wordy wrangle through the local press re-
garding the merits of their respective da-
guerrotype factories.
James Rowan who is still in the bust
ness) conducted an employment agency in
the Turkey building, at Fifth and streets,
in this city.
Many persons now living in this city
will remember the great four miles and re-
peat race that came off on the 18th day of
May, 1859, over the Centerville course near
Sacramento, between Nathan COMBS
horse Ashland, fresh from one of the lead
ing Kentucky breeding farms, and the
California favorite, Owen Dale. 1t was the
first four-mile race that ever took place in
the State, and attracted much attention.
Great crowds were present from all over
the State, and the Napa men piled up big
sums on their favorite, Ashland, the game
son of Glencoe Mary Bell. Owen Dale
was by Belmont Maria Downing by Amer
lean Eclipse-both royalty bred. Ashland
o.
The judges were j. Powell, Ed McGarry
and w. T. Ferguson, and the time
keepers were Judges Charles I. Bolts
(the noted fire. eater of later years. and w.
Williamson. Z. L. Eyre and F. Denver
were the distance judges. The UNION of
the next day. describing the race, says :
g 1t was sight long 10 be remembered,
Ashland, with long stride and low gather,
fairly skinning the track; Owen Dale,
more labored and irregular, but elastic and
with vigorous foot, now lessening the dis
lance aud now dropping to the rear of his
competitor" Ashland won in two straight
heats. Time. 7:56-7:491. 1t was said mat
about SIS 600 changed hands on the result.
On the following day Nebraska Bill,
Wake-Up-Jake Mary 0'Neill and Bonnie
Belle ran a mile and repeat race. which the
former won.
&C. G. Webb, OF San Francisco, obtained
judgment in the Supreme Court against j
T. Laskie for SS.55s. II was for 81 200 lent
in 1850 at six per cent. per month, and the
interest amounted to S7.35S This will
make some of our present-day sbylocks
green with envy.
An Indian boy at Red Bluff fred the
house of his employer. E. A. Stevenson,
and Mrs. Stevenson and her three children
and Mrs. Kronk Ia sister and her two
children, were burned to death The boy
belonged to the Pit River tribe.
The Independent City Guard of Sacra-
mento elected there officers: ]. J. Howell
(vice L. L. Baker,, Captain; L. Powers. Jr
First Lieutenant; Isaac Lehman, Second
Lieutenant; c. II. Cummings, Second
Breyet Lieutenant; D. z. Ford. First Ser
geant; G. T. Witham, Fourth Sergeant; b
Peart, First Corporal: c. C. Warner, Clerk
Several of these old timers are still "hale
and hearty" men. l. L. Baker is the senior
member of the firm of Baker & Hamilton
Isaac Lehman is leading wholesale grocer
in San Francisco: c. H. Cummings is still
here, the Assistant Paymaster for the
Southern Pacific Company. and G. T.
Witham is Justice of the Peace in Wash
ingtan, Yolo county.
-Chenery. Binney & Houston were ad
vertising for three hundred laborers to work
on the California Central Railroad between
Folsom and Marysville.
Tod Robinson, a. o. Beatty end +. n
Heacock had there law offices at Third
and J streets, in this city.
The papers were discussing incidents
OF the famous Mountain Meadows massa.
ere, in which so many whites were slain by
the Mormons.
The City Attorney of San francisco
=. 1,a m on ced nrOspet1tion AGAINST The Rffltet1