Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-10-27
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
WHERE FRENCH CHAMPAGNE WAS
GOT FOR AMERICAN USE.
The First Wheat Field-"Jack Gamble -
and " Yolo Maids" Race Once
Popular Local Resort.

press at that time, which has probably
since been forgotten, but is too good tc
allow to pass. An American travelling in
Paris seeing the sign, Wine Baths Given
Here" and concluding that nothing was
too good for him, walked in and demanded
a wine bath. Feeling greatly refreshed
after it, and having to pay but five francs,
he asked, in some establishment, how 9
wine bath could be given SO cheaply. His
sable attendant, who had been slave in
Virginia, and enjoyed sly bit of humor,
replied sob, Msssa, we just pass it along
into annuder room, where we glib baths al
four francs"
"Then you throw it away, suppose p
mo, Massa; den we send it lower down,
and charge three francs a bath. Oars
plenty people who amt so berry particular,
and who will battle in it arter this at two
francs head. Den, Msssa, we let de COM
mon people hab it at franc apiece
"Then, of course you throw it away,
exclaimed the traveller, who thought this
was going even beyond Yankee thrift.
NO, luuctus mdo5dt az bnC oppdACn
indignant reply. accompanied by a pro-
found bow. No indeed, Massa, we are
not so 'stravsgant as dat We jes bottles it
up den, and send it to 'Merica for de high
toned champagne drinkers"
IA long description appears in the
UNION of October 25th of a wine-press
which the reporter saw in operation at
Smiths Garden-then a lovely and highly
improved resort on the bank of the Ameri-
can river a short distance beyond the
Tivoli House. The grape crusher was
quite g curiosity in those days, and the
article in the paper conclu led with the ex-
preston of a hope that within few years
there might be "a dozen wine-presses
within hailing distance of Sacramento"
The wine-presses are here, there and every
where, but the famous Smiths Gardens
have passed away before the rush of the
Americans mighty floods, and the once
beautiful fower-beds and orchards are
buried under sand and slickens. Where
once the beaus aud bellies of Sacramento
were wont to take moonlight promenades
and "smack their lips" lover the luscious
fruits that hung from the boughs of trees
that lined the walks, the moon now shines
only upon the glistening sands, over which
the coyote and coon glide stealthlly on
hen-roosts.
Suffers old wheat-feld " was thus
described in 1885, ION the left of the road
leading from the embsrcadero (present
levee) to Suffers Fort, as late as 1S48 stood
field of wheat, the property of the hos.
pitable owner of the fort. 1t embraced
several hundred acres, and was protected
from the depredations of cattle by ditch.
The field extended from very near the west
bank of the slough, or morass, behind the
fort, in a line with the road leading to the
river, several hundred yards. All the i'm
migrants of 1916 and 1S47 remember this
old wheat-feld, which was the only one in
this section of the State-if not in the en-
tire northern part of California-from
which crop was gathered during the first
year of the gold excitement" The first
wheat-fieldl And ten years latter the
great valleys of California were teeming
oceans of yellow grain
1.-THE following brief romance was
published, in which prominent native
California family figured: "Andronico
Feliz was violently enamored of Margarita
rAlviso of Alameda county. Margarita has
q father, and. like many other fathers on
similar occasions, he proceeded to make a
fool of himself by locking his daughter up
in room rather than let her wed the man
she loved Andronica thereupon went to
one of the Courts, procured wilt of
habeas corpus, and the charming maiden
was brought before the magistrate. There
the stern father wilted. Blackstone was
laid aside for the prayer and the
Young couple were then and there made
one. All of which happened in the town
of San Leannro on the 18th day of October,
1882
On the Goth of October the Center
Vile Course was the center of attraction for
all classes that revel in the excitement OF
a horse-race. The occasion was the long
promised trial of speed and bottom be-
tween Jack Andersons trotting mare, Yolo
Maid, and Harris r. Covey's Jack Gamble.
1t was Yolo against Sacramento. The
Yolo mare was driven by D. Campbell,
and Gamble by J. Daniels. The race was
ten miles, and was won by the Sacramento
horse in 1854 1t is estimated that be-
tween $4,000 and $4,000 changed hands
on the race.
I'm the UNION of October 25th ap-
peared the following: "a young man
named Wheeler, an attsche of the firm Of
Booth & Co, while riding on horseback
Yesterday was thrown over the animals
head BY his sudden stoppage in front Of
Massol e. Merwin's. Wheeler landed or
his feet, and Immediately securing the
horse remounted and rode him home on
the run, without further difficulty
That young man Wheeler is still here. anc
an active member of the firm. This little
"reminiscences may, however, draw from
him "Cy." for the good old days lang
syne.
...... As showing the march of events, and
the changes wrought in the space of few
wears, attention is called to the condition o.
Ell Dorado county in 1859, A correspond
ent of the UNION of that year, writing from
Placerville, referred in glowing terms tC
'the resources of that county, and wha
they promised for the future. The re
sources" referred to were explained to bt
the mines and timber. 1t never once oc
Cured to the intelligent correspondent tina
Ell Dorado's greatest future glory would re
suit from her grand agricultural and hort
cultural resources, abundant as were he
forests and rich as were her mines.
......Tne acknowledgement Collector of thu
Port Hager was Judge of the Fourth Dis
trict in San Francisco thirty years ago, anc
he fined q lurymsn named Levy for con
tempt of Court in not answering as juror
Levy having instead attended the Jewish
services at the Synagogue, the occasion be
ing Atonement Day. 'Bloggs," in com
mentipg on the incident in the Call, re
marked that be was not at all surprised a
the Judges action, aud as reason sale
that "the Judge had never forgiven OLE
Father Abraham for driving Hsger into thu
wilderness"
......B Ben R. Crocker was the recipient O
very tlatteriDg notices in the papers for thi
nerve and skill be displayed one day il
stopping a runaway horse on Seventh
street near L. The horse was dashint
through the street at terrific pace, wheI
Mr.. Crocker ran out and grabbed him b!
the bit with one hand and the nose witt
the ether He was thrown from his fee
and dragged considerable distance. but b,
staid with the frightened horse and brough
him to stsndstill.
Even thirty years ago UNION cor
respondent, in dishing up political GOSSIP
in San Francisco, referred to Colonel PhiliI
Roach as one who darkens his locks ant
perambula.es through the County Hospita
wards on Democratic primary election
days." and who was feeling very sore jus
then because Governor Weller had not az
parently taken notice OF his candloacy 10
Broderickis vacant seat in the nited state
Senate.
....A case was before the Pennsylyani
Courts in which the following facts az
peared A. B. married c. DIS sister; SD
died. A. B then married c. d. S daughtel
and she died. C. DIS wife having died, b
married II. F.. and then himself died. 4
B. then married G. DIS widow. and ma
L.. -