Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-19
THIRTY TEARS AGO.
CHIcAG0ANs WHO CAME WITH THE
ARGONAUTS OF '49.
Some of Them Relate Their Experiences
in the Golden State-EarIy-
Day Politics Here.

gathered at Chicago to celebrate Admission
Day, says some of these old miners, gray
and grizzled now, are full of interesting
"reminiscences of the days when they and
California were young. 1T was IN AZ,
said Charles P. Jackson, Secretary OF the
Association of Pioneers, that l went to
California. 1t was hard trip we had
Some 1856 of US, country boys in the Hoosier
State, were attacked with the gold fever
and, banding together, started for the West
We fioated down the Mississippi liver to
New Orleans. There we chartered small
schooner to take US as far as Panama. At
Panama we chartered an old whaling YES
sci and continued our journey in that.
The ship had been out for two years and
all the provisions were proportionately old
and stale 1t wasn't particularly pleasant
trip, bat we all managed to get through
safely. ! located in Ell Dorado county,
prospecting over the State for awhile.
Hangtown was my postotfice. HangtoTn
was given its name on account of wrong
doors that were strung up by the vigilantes
there. Every community in those days
had its hanging tree generally selected
on account of its having a strong, low
branch Our tree at HaDgtown was
famous one, but after awhile man named
Hendrick built house in close proximity
to the tree. The boys took man up there
one night soon after the Hendricks moved
into their new home, to hang him, but Mrs.
Hendrick saw them coming and with re.
volver drove the men away. But the fell
low was taken up the side of the mountain
and duly hanged to the satisfaction of the
boys If not to himself
Yes, I've been under fire" said Jackson,
"but have reasons for not wishing to say
anything about that. You can say, how
ever, that there was nothing discreditable
in the affair at all to me. Soon after |
l went to California l went to work for the
Adams Express Company. They failed in
1856, and we employees, thrown upon our
own resources, organized the Pacific Ex-
press Company, which we sold afterwards
to the Wells Fargo Company"
Ell Dorado county can furnish as thrill
ing incidents and as many of them as any
other locality. Events of interest were
constantly occurring, and those events we
want pictured Some of the old residents
of Placervllle will remember 10 Fisher and
his pet bear, and the CONSERVATION 10 and
his bear would produce when they would
get dry and drop into saloon to get some
thing. The bear was entirely harmless,
but strangers were inclined TO be timid and
would have occasion to get out of the back
door in as much of q hurry as if Billy
Rogers or Dave Buel were after them with
the biggest kind of warrant.
To Addison Ballard, of 1914 Michigan
avenue, is due the credit Of having made
the first coffin with spring top ever man.
ufactured in California. Mr.. Ballard went
to the Golden State during the hight of the
gold excitement, tried mining for a season
and then went to carpentering. One of the
miners in the camp where he lived died,
and being popular fellow the boys were
DESTROYS of giving him good "send-off'
toward the other shore. They engaged
Mr. Ballard to make the c1ffin and told
him to spread himself" The time was
short, but Mr. Ballard set to work and
turned out very creditasle article, with
the browning glory of spring lid.
George A. Emery, real estate dealer of
125 Dearborn street, Vice-President of the
Pioneer Association, is another '49er. He
left Bangor, Maine, in the middle of winter
and spent two summers on board ship be-
fore he reached his Mecca. He was but
eighteen years old when he left home. His
st work " as in the mines, where he re-
ceived $50 a day. Afterward he went to
Orovile and entered the banking business
witt F. Low, afterward Governor of the
State. His money was all exhausted when
he reached California, and he slept one
night in haystack, now declaring that he
never enjoyed any night in his life more
than be did that one.
- The nominees of the several par
ties in this county in 1860 were: Douglas
Democratic-For State Senator. William S.
Long; Assemblymen, n. Greene Curtis, P.
j. Hopper, DR.. Joseph Powell and Amos
hlioon-EOr Sanofnr II
Heacock; Assemblymen, Charles Crocker,
Jacob Shev, A. A. DeLong and Wilson
Flint. Bell and Everett-For Senator,
Edward Stockton; Assemblymen, James
Queen, H. o. Beatty, B. F. Wallace and A.
L. NOEL. For Supervisors the Douglas
Democrats nominated P. McManus, P.
Bannon and Solomon Wasserman. For
School Commissioners, Daniel J. Thomas,
DR.. G. Taylor, James Coggins, R. I. Van
Orden, DR.. J. r. Boyce and DR.. S: NJ.
Mouser. For Supervisors the Republican
nominees were Charles II. Grimm, George
w. Move, Elisha T. Bolles and Joseph J.
Thompson. For School Commissioners,
G. Taylor, j. F. Crawford, Henry Miller,
Dr. Joseph NJ. frey, Johu NJ. Milliken, A.
c. Sweetser, S. M. Mouser and ]. Bithell.
For Supervisors the Union nominees were
J. H Culver, P. H. Russell, Benjamin
Orrlck and G. w. Martin. For School
Commissioners, G. W. Lightner, Dr. G.
Taylor, Dr. ]. NJ. FREY, J. H. Barton, r. 7.
Van Orden, John Q. Brown, James Nc
Donald and j. Bithell.
......... Thirty years ago the Scientific
American made the following mention OF a
mammonth printing press, the construc-
ton of which was then under way: Moses
S. Beach, late of the New York Sun, is
lust completing the construction OF mod
ern steam printing press, by which the
sheets are cut from rolls, dampeGed,
printed on both sides at the rate of 10000
an hour, folded up, counted and delivered
from the machine ready for the carrier or
the mail. This machine is as high as
common two-story dwelling-house, and
will. when finished-if the expectations of
the inventor are realized-conshtute most
extraordinary specimen OF mechanical
skill and ingenuity" The RECORD UNION
will soon be printed on a'press that will do
all this, and more, and it will not be so
large but that it could be placed in the
kitchen of one of the two-story houses re-
ferred to. Beach's invention was not a
success.
.......A tragedy was enacted at Willow
Slough. Yolo county, on the 18Th of Octo-
Der. Jacob Riherd was in possession of a
ranch claimed by one DR.. Merritt and his
brother, and they, accompanied by Judd
McClurg. J Hines and several others, went
to the ranch about shutdown and drove to
where Riherd and his hired man, Frank
Eckle, were standing A quarrel ensued,
and soon the party in the wagon COM
mence1 shooting. and Riherd was killed
and Eckle badly wounded. The Merritt
party came to Washington the next day
and surrendered themselves.
.........When Prince Kamehameha OF the
Sandwich Islands visited Sacramento on
the 18th of October, 1860, the citizens en-
tertained their distinguished guest By TAX
ing him out to Smiths Gardens, on the
bank of the American river, then the most
beautiful spot near the city. To-day there
is fine crop of young willows and weeds
growing where the Prince then sat and
slipped wine in bowers of roses. That was
before the slickens era.
.........James Sears, young butcher,
went on a spree on the night of the l4th OF
October, and got into row with a woman
named Eliza Petite Jean, on Third street,
between J and K. Jules Martenot, res
taurant-keeper, ran in to see what was the
trouble, when Sears shot him through the
body. Sears was soon after arrested by
Chief of Police Watson.