Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-02-27
4 QUEER CHARACTER.
A Pioneer Sacramentan Made a Fortune
and Is Now In the Alnshouse.


A Pioneer sacramentan Made a Fortune
and Is Now In the Almshouse.
Here is a story of Califcrnis pioneer, told by
the New Haven Comm Palladium: Very few
men in New Haven have had SO checkered a
career, or life so full of adventure and change
as has Edward B. Davidson. This is the man
who applied to Town Agent Todd last week for
pecuniary assistance, and whose clothes on be-
ing searched at the Almshouse were found to
contain nearly $50. He was born in Milford
sixty or sixty-fve years ago. In early life he
migrated slowly westward, until, in 1854, he
started from Bloomington. Ill, for California,
with an ox-train. On the journey cholera at
tackled the party and many died. Among these
was near relative of the late Judge David
bavis. Davidson was the only man in the party
who would bury Davis, and he rolled him in a
buffalo-robe and inferred him on the banks of
the Platte river. On arriving in sacramento he
engaged in business on Fourth street, keeping a
store, which he called Postoffice exchange.
The flood of 1862 destroyed his stock. A man
gave him money with which to start again, but
soon foreclosed. Then he became reporter on
the Sacramento Bee, and he remained on this
paper for some time. a little later he became
insane, and passed two years in the Asylum at
Stockton. After apparently having almost
fully recovered his mind, he joined party and
went to oregon. Here he was given a position
on the Portland Oreg0nidn, and became Sheriff
of the county. He remained there for year or
two, and then went to the gold mines at Canyon
City. Here his party was attacked by Indians.
He and two other men escaped, and he and one
of his companions carried The other, who was
wounded, fourteen miles on poles. After he
had been West four years he returned to Milford
for his wife, but found she had married another
man. Returning, he bought 5000 worth of
stationer's goods in New York on credit, had
them July insured and shipped them via Cape
Horn. The ship was lost. Davidson waited till
he received his insurance and then paid for the
goods.
Soon after he hit upon plan by which he
made some money. This was by obtaining old
papers at postoflices from various parts Of the
country and selling them TO miners. He re-
turned to New Haven about twenty years ago,
and has since been book-peddler and news
seller, having had stand on the corner of State
and Prout streets. He had lodgings on Long
wharf. AT one time he was worn Si50G0. he
now wears rags, but is suspected OF having sew
eral thousands hidden away. He had three sis
tiers who were insane. and undoubtedly he is
still mentally unsound. He has daughter il
this city, a Mrs. Young
The Humor of Politics.
There is more way-down fun and why's and
wherefores concentrated in the local cleo
tons of small towns including Sacramento
than enough to satisfy the humorously inclined
and call forth the admiration of the
most profound students of the funda-
mental science of government. Sacramento
Is just now, in this present year of our Lord.
ENJOYING proclaimed season of strictly tote
fair politics, and by reason of which all past
differences, shortcomings, crookedness etc.. is
to be forgotten, the fatfed calf killed and other
evidences of restored confidence, Damon and
Pythias love, and other good things sat up.
Somebody, however, must always kick,
even under the most flattering circumstances
and just now the first precinct of the Fourth
Ward is the mules heel of the local body
politics.
The facts as related by Third and Fourth
Wsrders are about as follows: Z" The 'up town.
or 'anti-boss' wing of local Rspublicarism de-
sired to have an equal representation in the APP
preaching City Convention, according to num-
Der OF Republican votes cast at the last general
election. This was obviously right to all right
thinking people. but would take supremacy
from the down town wing. The proposition,
however, of equal representation, fair
ballot and an homes count was not
q popular one to buck against and hence it was
granted, or nearly so, and another method to
secure balance of power adopted. The Third
and Fourth Wards were divided by the COM
mittee each into two precincts The feint was
first made to divide the Third Ward and to take
attention from the real point of operation a pc
tition was gotten up in the upper part OF the
Third Wsld asking the committee to make
two precincts, for primary purposes, of that
ward. This the City Central Committee,
in the interests of selfgovernmeDt,' did, but
against the protest and vo es of the two COM
mitteemen representing that ward. Then, as
mater q course. the Fourth WARD was also di-
yided, to save the dear people from going so far
to reach the polls to vote at the primary.
1T Immediately transpired to the Third aud
Fourth Warders. who were watching the stua-
ton from up q tree, that all the down town
politicians now had to do to control the city
convention and The city was to capture the
lower precinct of the Fourth Ward. This
number of delegates added TO those of the First
and Second Wards, would carry the control
down town. Hence the deep interest taken by
the down towners' to divide the Third and
Fourth Wards"
In this connection it may be stated that
there is o great deal of politics in the Fourth
Precinct just now among Republicans. and the
pot is boiling to the brim. All sorts of anxious
be held for that precinct, ard where, it being
conceded all around that the chief Interest CEN
tiers about that very psrrow strip of territory, a
part of the Fourth Ward. There is great deal
poses, from the Fourth Ward, and, as said,
a strong desire is manifest to know when the
caucus will be held and where, as there is a de-
mand expressed to have the notice given in
ascertain something definite about it, a REC
oRD-UNIoN representative called upon Z. C..
Roeder, last evening, who is Central Committee
man from that part Of the Fourth Ward, and
asked him what news he could make public
about it. Mr.. Roeder replied that he had been
unable to obtain a hall for the caucus yet. He
wanted large place, that all could attend. He
could not get y. NJ. l. Hall nor upper Turner
Hall. and he had run about nearly all day seek
ing place. He said if he could see Mr.
Allen, who runs the skating rink in
the old Pavilion at Sixth and NJ streets, he
might get that hall. The reporter told him
that there was much inquiry about the place,
and general wish for an early notice as to
place and time, and if he could name them
then the fact would be published. He replied
that the assumption was correct, that the eau
Gus would be called for Thursday night had
been talked. but he could not name the place
until he had seen Allen. He had not time TO
leave his business SO much to devote to hunting
a hall, but ''it' he got one to-day, Wednesday
he'd give notice Thursday morning.