Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-03-16

az
Charles Coglan, one Of the corps of train
dispatchers employed at the depot. was
summing himself on the starboard side of
an outbound J-street car The other day
when reporter boarded the vehicle and
rudely disturbed his tranquility.
Seen ssnstor Frank sprague of Yolo,
lately ?n asked Mr. Coglan.
Not for couple of weeks. Why"
We'll, we've got pretty good JOKE on
him, down at The depot, and We want to
have some fun out of il"
Whats the joker
well, I'll tell you. Last week, you
know, the Oregon express train was not
running over The usual route on account of
the high water and washouts near Marys-
vile, ard the trains had 10 go north by
way of Davisville and Woodland Last
Sunday morning ! met Senator Sprague
over here and | told him that | thought
Woodland ought to be a pretty lively place
since the trains had been passing through
there. Yes sid Sprsgue, it ought 10 be,
but II amt. The trouble is, the trains pass
right on through We don't get whack
at them st all. If you would only have
wreck over there so that the passengers
would be compelled to stop q while in
Woodland so that we could rob them, we
would feel very grateful to the railroad
company
We both laughed over the matter, snd
jokingly told him l would try TO TX it
with the company. But little did either of
us think that at the very moment we were
talking the Oregon express ran into
broken switch and turned complete
soUersault of Of the track right near
Woodland. There was The very chance
Woodland was looking for, bat here was
Sprague over in Sacramento, and before
the Woodland robbers were aware of what
had happened the train had been pulled
back on the track and was speeding along
on its journey"
member of the State Agricultural Soci-
ETY. beckoned vigorously from bobtail car
window 10 the reporter, who was ambling
cut * street in search OF the nimble and
elusive item.
"Corne here! Come here!" shouted the
sgrlcuituTist. I've got something fer
you"
lie did not have 20 wait long Before he
had fairly taken another breath the news
hunter was nestled By his side and was
whiting q new point on his pencil
Il noticed in the LAST issue of the SUNDAY
UNIoH," said the gentleman, IAN item
about Jules Tavernier, the octist. Now.
received letter yesterday from gentle
man in Oakland who was d constant COM
panion of The erratic Tavernier during his
sojonrn on the Pacific coast, and in This
letter he refers to your article on Taver-
nier besides telling of couple of Incl
dents concerning the dead artist which
were not told of IN the article"
Would il be asking too much to be al
lowed to read that portion of the letter."
asked the reporter.
Not at ali; not at all. But it may be
that the writer would not like to have his
name appear in priUt without first consult
ing him, so it might be better not to quote
him.
This was sgreed to, and the letter was
banded TO the scribe. In the course of It's
reference TO Tavernier the writer went on
to say:
The article in the SUNDAY UNION gave s.
splendid idea OF Tavernler's peculiaritieS, and
ii v-ry truly said that Tavernier ranked as one
OF the greatest painters of the nineteenth cen
tury, despite his eccentricities and wildness 1t
would be difficult to find grander man than
was tbs eccentric Fienchman. Poor himself
he loved and helped the poor, the while despis,
ing those OF he rich who did not do the same.
And now that he is gone, thus great hearted fell
low, the slow world wakes up to the fact that
here was a man among US that was touched
with the fire of genius His mad
pranks and reckless prodigality made him con-
spicuous wherever he went. Char. es
kollo Peters tells good story of him 1t seems
that Peters, John A. Stanton and Tsvernier
went over to San Rafael to do some sketchipg.
Upon arriving there Tavernier took out of pawn
au artists suit OF the widest possible make. 1t
was OF corduroy, fitted like glove, had an
enormous white tapping collsr on the shirt and
heels. 1t was OF the kind that did very well in
the country, but IN the city was SO loud as 10
tempt collection OF small boys to follow in his
wake. Tsvernier put this suit on, ard went
forth INTO Marin county, telling Peters TO send
his civilized clothing 10 bis studio, so he could
get ii uIon MS return
When Tavernier had gone Stanton asked
Peters where he was going to send the clothing
To his studio,'' replied Peters. "Oh, no; he
said TO his ROOM, urged Stanton, with signifi-
cant smile So the clothes went to T.yeruier's
room, where the landlady bounced upon them
and he'd then teDaciously for back rent. Tav-
eInier came back and found himself compelled
to wear his wild, paint bedaubed coduroys
extravagant collar aud high boots about the
streets. Wherever he went he becama the head
of a ieering procession of small boys and idiers
He wss in a bad fix, but finally hit upou
scheme. III go to the poorhouse'' he said
and off he went. He went there-nOt to bee Jme
northumberland he succeeded. Stanton
and Peters accompanied him. The three were
about to board Il conveyance in order to eet
back 10 town. when Gavernier observed sn old
man, bent sid palsied, ioiliny upa hill Taver-
nier went 20 him, lifted his hat, and offered the
decrepi. stranger his arm. He assisted him o
the top of the hill aud there bidding him
adieu. returned 70 his irie nds and startled them
with the remark: "Well. boys, we will have to
welk home have given tn. ten dollars to the
old man." That was truly Characteristic of the
man.
Tavernier used to tell with huge delight of
an experience he bad while in the camp of Sit
ling bun, not a great while before the Custer
massacre. He had bad case o! toothache,
and II became gradually worse until he could
stand it no longer. Not to let the Indians know
he was weakening, he sought Sitting Bull and
told him he must 90 to the agency Tor more
paiuis. What matter face" asked the big
chief. Nothing much only little toothaChe,'
replied the artist, bravely. "Me fix him" said
Sitting bull; and with that ne went to his tepee
produced monkey-wrench, and forced Taver-
nier 10 lave the Troublesome molar removed by
the chiefs own rude dentistry. The artist
never WINGED, notwithstanding the pain, for
half the sioux tribe was looking on: and to the
time OF his death he was probably the only
white man who ever had the honor of having
tooth extracted by as great an operator as Sit
ting Bull
"A man named Lane, up in Sierra Val
ley, has invented a machine which is going
to be big thing in districts troubled with
heavy snoWlalls IN winter, said CONNER
cial traveller, who hsd just returned from
an extended business Trip through the
1T is nothing less than
velocipete sleigh" be continued, land is
propelled by hand. The inventor say that
for larger vehicles steam can be used
There are two endless belts, with brackets
about fourteen inches apart on their sur
faces 10 catch into the snow. These two
belts run into long SLOT in the center of
the runner for about ten feet, and rollers
are stationed at even distances 20 Keep the
brackets down in the snow. l saw it run
on soft and hard snow with ease and swift
ness with man POKER. 1t is about four,
teen feet long and three and half feet
wide 1t will be good thing for carrying
mail and passengers over the various stage
routes in winter. 1t runs up hill SIS EASILY
Us do rn. The inventor has not patented
his derice yet, but will do so immedi-
ateiy."