Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-21
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
MEMORABLE VOYAGE OF SOME
CALIFORNIA ARG0NAUTs.
Destruction of the First FIGURING Mill-A
Political Quandary-Reminiscen
of the Lansing Grip"

VIVA
was among the earlier arrivals to our COLDER
shores. and description of his comm,
will be found full of interest. He, togethe
with thirteen other pioneer spirits from
Alabama, banded together and styled them
selves The Montgomery Company" con
sisting of Mr.. Bennett, DR.. A. Gindrott,
II. Paul, ]. H. Skater, J. Yarbrough, S
Cole, P. Bib, n. Smith, ]. B. Dawson, E
Lynn, Colonel D. NJ. Boyd, George AL
bright Mr.. Klock end Mr.. Lindsey, Bap
tigt clergyman from Mobile, sailed from
New Orleans in the steamer Galveston
early in IS49, and when in the Caribbean
Sea, on Washington's birthday, February
22d, she broke her piston-rod and was
obliged to rely solely on the limited guam.
tity OF canvas she spread to carry her into
port, SO the Captain made for British Hon.
duras, arriving there safely. Here, part oil
the passengers, Mr.. Bennett among them,
chartered the British brig Thetus, which
conveyed them to Cbagres, the steamer be-
ing afterwards towed to New York. The
company went up the Chagres river in
small boats TO Gorgonia, and from there
Mr.. Bennett tramped TO Panama in one
day, carrying his rife on his back-end
hiring natives to carry his baggage.
On their arrival at Panama they found
the people panic stricken from dread of
cholera, which was then epidemic there.
After remaining there two months the
company embarked, with S65 passengers,
on the old ship Alexander Won Humbo
were 102 days reaching the Golden Gate,
stopping short time for supplies at AGA
pulco. At last the old ship, after being
tossed by wind and wave, landed her hu-
man cargo in San Francisco, the landing
taking place on the 80 of August, 1919,
the boats touching ground where the old
Montgomery block building now stands, at
the corner of Montgomery and Washington
streets. Although very short of rations.
and almost losing hope of ever reaching
the golden land, il was not destined that
she should go astray, as she bore many
name on her list of passengers that was
TO be felt in moldirg the history of that
wonderful State-then unborn-California
Aside from the subject of this sketch,
there was DR.. Morse whose name and
services are dear to every Odd Fellow both
here and in Europe; James Anthony, of
the Sacramento UNION; Jonathan kittredge
and Captain John Clark, whose name has
long been familiar to landowners and stu
dents of Spanish archives. All OF these
have passed to their long rest, but there are
yet among the living many more who have
been prominent in civil or commercial cir.
cles, none more so, perhaps, than c. P.
Huntington, to whom and his associates
the people owe the great railroad system of
the State. In commercial circles we find
the names of Isaac L. Davis, of Davis &
Ccwell; james Irvine, B. a. Hendricksen,
A. NJ. and l.. NJ. Starr and James E. Cor
don, of the Gordon Hardware Company,
the latter gentleman being Secretary of the
Humboldt Association, composed of the
surviving passengers of the old ship above
referred to.
the old Pioneer FIGURING Mill, at the
mouth of the American river, was de-
stroyed by fire. The property was owned
by Garfield & Dryer, and their loss was
about $4,000, half insured. 1t was
claimed that this was the pioneer Touring
mill, not only of Sacramento, but Of Cali
fornia. The building and engine were
erected in 1850 by company that had
brought the engines from the East for use
in a steamboat. During that year the
only machinery employed was a Bogardus
mill and the work done was chiefly re-
grinding -four that hso become ''caked" on
long voyages around the Horn. The mill
at that time was rented by q man named
r. D. Carey. He subsequently went TO
Grass Valley and engaged in mining, but
in 1852 returned to Sacramento and again
rented the Pioneer Mill and put in pair
of small burr-stones and boiling cloth,
which are understood to have been the
first erected on the Pacific coast for the
manufacture of 6olted -four. During the
fall of that year Carey manufactured
a large quantity of four at $40
barrel. Wheat then cost - to IS cents
II. Aar 10 -,
G. B. Linton, who ran the mill for six
months The building and machinery
then fell into the hands OF Judge Wilson,
who ran the mill for several years and
then sold out TO Garfield & Dwyer who
improved the plant and made the business
profitable.
,...... As the time approached for Lin
coin to assume the Presidency-and Incl
dentally deal out the loaves and fishes for
the FIRST time to hungry Republicans-can-
didates for Federal offices were numerous
here as elsewhere. For the Postmaster
ship, L. Hermance, Thomas Hill, George
Rowland, w. Bidwell, w. NJ. Harron and
A. A. belong were aspirants; and DR.. A.
B. Nixon, Jacob Shew, L. II. Foote, T.
Millington and Washington Meeks each
wanted the fat little sinecure of Surveyor
of the Port Sacramento was then port of
entry California had no Republican Rep.
resentativez in Congress at the time, and
these aspirants each sought the interven-
ton of the State Central Committee. And
here came in the ioke-it turned out that
every solitary member of the committee
was himself candidate for some appoint
ment at the Presidents hands; wherefore
the committeeman had all they could do
to look out for themselves.
........On the 18th of December Judge
Mckune sentenced William Price TO death
for the murder of Robert Poole near Pat
tersons Station in this. county. The pris-
oner was completely broken down, and
presented pitiable spectacle. James W.
Coffroth. his counsel, moved for new
trial, and promised TO produce evidence to
show that Polio had, few hours before he
was killed, threatened the life of Price, but
the motion was denied.
INFO the present populace of Port
land, Or, little street scene that occurred
there thirty years ago would be novelty.
One day farmer drove into town with a
wagon load of cabbages. and not finding q
market therefor he distributed them along
the public streets to the cows and hogs.
The idea of cows and hogs roaming at large
about the streets of Portland and dining on
cabbages, would be novel sight these
days.
....... In an item concerning the enforce.
hSQt Va Oh CACSutAOn dsdi1ci . AChSa-
woman by furniture dealer, it was stated
by local paper that the woman resisted
the seizure of her property, and that an
officer, ''by the forcible action known as
the Lansing grip brought her to her
knees" Everybody who ever lad occa.
sion to shake hands with the late Jim
Lansing has lingering remembrance of
that Lansing grip"
......... Editor George K. Fitch, of the San
Francisco Bulletin, must have been some
thing of an athlete in those days. One
day he was met on the street by E. R
Campbell, formerly State Registrar, and the
latter assaulted him with q COW hide. Mr.
Fitch met his man halfway, knocked him
down, sat on him and took away his COW.
hide. he RETAINED, however, from further
Furnishing him.
.....-.George E. Barnes, then employed on
the Call, but now on the Bulletin, had q
narrow escape from death thirty years ago
He and Ed. knight. brother Journalist
were sleeping in building on Clay stree,
when it caught FIRE. They saved theil
lives only by jumping from window.
The Atheneum, local debatins
society. was wrestling with that perennial
and very tough conundrum, "Shoult
~,r,,ax, he o1Inuo6 tba riobt ,f .,