Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-22
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
ONE OF sACRAMENTos PIONEER GAM
BLING HOUSES.
The Old "Star" Press-The First Nevada
Legislature-An Injured Hus-
bands Tale of Woe.

that "the remains of Suffers Fort were
still visible, and described the Orleans
Hotel at some length, concluding as fol-
lows: The recollections of the landlord
carried me back with him to 40 and so.
This place intercepted the rush of the gold
laden crowd from the mines to San Fran
cisco. The whole space occupied by
the large saloon was used for drinking and
gaming. a row of counters 100 feet long
extended along the eastern side of the
room. -Four barkeepers were employed at
$40 day, dispensing liquors to the thirsty
crowd, and each set was relieved at the
end of four hours. The onlv dull
business hours were between daylight and
10 o'clock in the forenoon. Before the bar
the space was filled with monte and faro
tables, the dealers at which rented from the
landlord. The bar proited by both the
good and ill-fortune of the betters. If they
won, the luck of each fortunate player was
celebrated by drinks all round. When the
contrary happened-which was generally
the case-the desperate loser, announcing
himself dead broke, would seek to down
his vexation in liquor, and at once enter
upon wild spree by borrowing money from
his friends. In the one case the bar won
from the broken players, and in the other
it profited by the losses of the gamblers
In this way, probably, disappeared most of
the fortunes acquired during the shower of
gold in those egen,ful DAYS. The more sue
cessful were decoyed By splendid airy visions
and drawn into wild speculstions which
speedily dissipated their gains. Their
castles in the air soon melted away and
left them with energies exhausted and the
business and prospects of life a wreck
During that period of mad and reckless ex-
travagance coin was scarce, and gold dust
supplied in part the want of a currency.
The price OF a drink was a small pinch of
dust; but gold scales were kept as part of
the equipment of every saloon, and if the
miner suspected the fingers OF the bar
tenders OF too liberal grasp he called for
the bllan re, with the aid of which pay
ments IN such cases were adjusted. 1t is
needless TO say that the more the miner
drank the less scrupulous he became on
the important question of weight and
measure, so that he generally Jared worse
than if be had trusted TO the honor of the
tapster at the beginning"
DIR. F. Nj. Shields of this city writes
to the SUNDAY UNION as follows: "You
referred in your last issue to the organiza-
ton of The Sacramento Library Debating
Society thirty years ago. Allow me to saw
that it was a removal to the Library rooms
of a society already in existence. It held its
meetings, previous to the removal, in the
upper part of Tolls Hotel, corner Seventh
and K streets. The Court house was there
also, and in room west of the Courtroom
the debating club held its meetings. had
just joined this society when, at its second
or third meeting, there came a visitor in
the person of E. n. Bishop, the Librarian
of the Sacram ento Library. He said he
had statement and proposition to make
to the cebaters. The statement was that
the Library owed about $500, and the at
tendance was smaller than was desired, and
he was making an effort 10 revive its inter-
ests. He proposed that if We would unani-
mously agree TO become members of the
Library our initiation fee should be 81 90
(half price,, and that if we would come
over to the rooms we should have our de-
bates there one evening in the week. The
statement was heard attentively, the pro-
position accepted, and the society removed
over to Sixth and ] streets. had some
doubts as to whether our harangues would
contribute to the stiffness of a reading
room, and it is my opinion we long after
wards concluded that we made too much
of racket. But certainly the effect was
good, for it created life and amusement
and gave the institution q good send off.
Nor did the good work and effects end here,
for the leading members of the Debating
Society took hold of the $500 debt, with the
result of its final extiDguishment. This
was done by course of six lectures given
by General Shields (of military fame), =
Crocket of San Francisco (of dramatic fame,
Rev. o. G. Wheeler, Geo. E. Montgomery
ian attorney of this city and two others.
1t is my opinion that no other course of
lectures ever given in this city resulted in
as good success nor subserved so good pur-
pose. l can show, too, that the success of
this enterprise is quite intimately connect
ed with the establishment and success of
our present course of lectures given each
winter in our city,"
..... The Scott Valley (Siskiyou county,
NelOs of last week contains the following in
relation to the old pioneer printing press,
the whereabouts of which Sam Brannan
was trying to discover thirty years ago:
"Under the title of Thirty Years Ago. the
SUNDAY UNION speaks of Ramage press
used IN the publication of the Monterey
Star, which calls forth various remarks as
to the present whereabouts of the old relic
locating its remains on different parts of
the coast. We do not expect to establish
Fort Jones claim to the possession of this
interesting relic, but We have Ramage
now doing duty as JOB press in this office.
The manufacturers number, 259,' indl-
Gates its ancient origin, and the condition
in which we found it showed hard usage at
some time in its history, which must date
back to the time whence the memory of
the California pioneer runneth not to the
contrary. 1t now presents more modern
appearance with new trappiDgs and new
nSV,fr .saf an Mt q NJ no ~
the value of the machine at the time we
undertook its restoration"
An injured husband" complained
to UNION reporter that about 10 o'clock
one night a steamboat man went to his
residence, in the block between NJ and n,
Eighth and Ninth streets, and made him
git TO use his own expressioD), and in
the morning departed with the citizen s
wife for Sharp's ranch, she leaving two little
children behind her. The injured hus-
band" failed to explain however, how it was
that he made no effort to recapture his
castle during the night. He was probably
a relative OF the Napa wcodchopper who
at about the same period returned to his
home one evening and found his place &C.
cupied by a handsomer man, a rancher.
He made no fuss in the house,
but sought out Justice Hunnewell, and, be-
tween sobs, declared that when he wit
messed the condition of affairs at his house
he was almost mad enough TO throw the
felier's clothes right eout inter Their mud y
......Cases in Courts we're fixed in those
days much as they are said to be at the
present time. A case came up in Justice S
Court 10 Jackson, Amador county, in which
the plaintiff summoned a witness, paying
him three dollars in advance. He found
the witness testimony not what he wanted,
and paid him five dollars to leave town.
The defendant noted the circumstance, aud
got the witness back again. In Court the
witness said he got three dollars for appear
ing. FIVE for leaving, and three for coming
back the second time. The plaintiff jumped
TO his feet so blind with rage that he de.
clared be had only paid the witness eight
dollars. Instead of eleven.
"A duel was 10 have been fought at
Shasta on the Dist of December 1850 be-
tween G X. Godfrey aud VIM. B. Stoddsrd:
H. Clay Stockton seconded Godfrey, and
Marquis Levi appeared to attend Stoddard.
The latter not showing up, Levi consented
to take his place. just then J. Tucker Lam
drum, County Judge, appeared on the
scene. and undertook to arrest all the par
ties concerned, but was prevented from SO
doing, and the duel went on. Levi fell, but
his wound was not serious, and he recoy-
cred.
1901 Mrs Leland Stanford, Mrs. Governor
Weller, Mrs. B. F. Hastings and other Ia