Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-12
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
HOW oLD.TIME cALIFoRNIANs LIKE
TO DRAW THE LONG BOW.
Reunion of Chicago Pione%rs-What They
Saw and Did in Hangtown-
General and Local Notes.

tuc dunlSSlOn OF lclS Otdte luio tHo SAo
a group of former Californians, who had
made their piles" in early days, celebrated
the event by banquet and reunion at
Chicago. They told some pretty stiff
yarns, but each member of the group re-
spected his neighbours feelings and die not
question his veracity. Among those who
attended the experience meeting" was
DIR. ]. Ward Ellis. OF 225 Dearborn street.
the President of the Chicago Pioneers AS
ISOLATION, a man possessed of an unusual
fund of "reminiscences. Early in March,
1852, DR.. Ellis left his home in New York
and started for the ell dorado, toward
which so many hopeful hearts were then
turning His steamer, the General Scott,
took fire off the Mexican coast The vessel
was eighty miles from land, and to the
frightened passengers it appeared as if all
would perish. DR.. Ellis, who was &C.
companied by brother and an intimate
friend, seized upon a hatch cover about
six feet square, which it was intended to
launch for the use of the party
when the final moment should come.
But this did not become necessary for
the crew succeeded in extinguishine
the flames. The doctor reached alifornia
and made his headquarters at Murphys
Flat, and later, Angels Camp. The motor
ious Mexican bandit, Joaquin Marietta,
with band of about forty followers, kept
the miners there in continual state of ex-
element. Murietta and his band feared
nothing. They robbed stages stole cattle
and murdered defenseless ranchers at will.
To them no sacredness was attached to
human life. The doctor recalled one day
when Murietta rode into camp. jumped
from his horse, entered saloon and took
drink. Remounting his horse he an
nounced, II am Joaquin Murietia," and
rode leisurely down the street. a price
was on his head but not hand was raised
against him. The Legislature finally ap-
propriated $40, 600 to be used in the capture
of this bandit. A band of rangers was or
ganized under Captain Harry Love, aud
one morning they found Murietta and his
band asleep. The bandit chief, his Lieuten-
ant, Three Fingered Jack, and others were
killed. The vigilantes cut off the chiefs
head and the well known hand of Three
Fingered Jack" and the CHASTITY trophies are
still 10 be seen in San Francisco museum.
DIR. Ellis left California in 1856, returning
to New York. He went TO Chicago in 1858
and has remained there since.
In its report of the reunion the Chicago
Herald says that one of the men who fig
ured most prominently in arranging the
first bull-fght that ever took place in Cali
fornia is now resident of Chicago. The
fight took place at HaAgtowD, Ell Dorado
county, Sunday. March 6. 1858. Re-
calling the incident gentleman who
witnessed the fight said that he remem-
bered the occasion well. 1.-The morning."
he said, broke with all the beauty and
6 Iox A. r
young man and out to see the world,
bull pen at o'clock in the afternoon and
paid 81 for seat. In short time the
matadors, or bull-fghters, of which there
were four, took their stations and the gate
of the stall that held the bull was opened.
The animal came out with rush. The
first matador failed to get out of the way
and was thrown high into the air by the
nutrient beast, He was carried from the
arena badly injured.
San the features of Spanish bull-hght,
of which you have doubtless read many
descriptions, followed, and throughout the
interest of the audience was Kept at the
highest pitch, as it several times appeared
as though the matadors would be killed by
the animal they seemed to take such de-
light in tormenting. The entertainment
was drawing to a close. The day had
grown very warm, the bull was suffering
horribly, and the tide of sentiment turned
in his favor. Fifteen or twenty men
Jumped into the arena. The bull was
lassoed, taken upon the plaza, and turned
loose. This precipitated row between the
Spaniards and Americans, with the result
that the latter turned in and pulled down
the bull.pen. This led to the arrest of 127
Americans, who were tried for all kinds OF
misdemeanors. but were acquitted"
........One night terrible double tragedy
was enacted near the old Benson Ferry,
in the southern end of this county. A
party of four mounted men arrived there
one afternoon with a mining outfit, and
went into camp for the night. The next
morning two men were seen to ride away
in,the direction of Stockton, and couple
of months later Charles Burton came upon
the dead bodies of two murdered men hid
in the brush of one of the sloughs in that
vicinity. The men were unknown, but
memorandum book was found containing
the names of Isaac Newton, Joel Burns,
= Selser, r. H. Culvertson and II. Loupee,
Lewiston; also a letter addressed to j. G.
Russell, by G. w. Stowe and Louis Stowe.
The fact was developed later that the two
murderers had afterward been arrested
near Stockton for robbery at Mountain
Springs, Placer county, and one (Simons)
was then in Jail at Auburn, the other
(Crozier) having escaped in tue general
emeute referred to elsewhere. 1t was also
discovered that one of the murdered men
was J. G. Russell, of Shasta.
On the 9TH OF October, 1860, there
was Quite a sensational trotting race at
San Francisco, over the old Pioneer Course
now thickly covered with residences
between II. S. Beals' three-year-oid colt
Lantern and E. S. Lathrop's colt Laiitte.
Charley Shear drove for Beals, and Lathrop
was behind his own horse. Lantern won
the first heat in 1886, and the Sacramento
sports plunged heavily on him for the race.
In the second heat LATTE came IN ahead IN
3:29. but charge of foul driving was made
against Lathrop, which, after much wran-
Cling and excitement, the judges allowed.
The Sacramento colt was declared the
winner, and pile of money changed
hands on the result. Mr.. Beals, TO this
day, is as much of an enthusiast over trot-
ting SIS he was a generation ago, and can be
seen almost any day in a sulky behind q
good roadster, or breaking colt.
.....The climate is not changing as
much as some people imagine. Thirty
years ago at this time the.e was half foot
of snow at San Juan, Nevada county, and
the western slope OF the sierra NeNaGa was
covered Herewith down TO the lower foot
hills. Fierce storms of thunder and
lightning had for days been sweeping
through the mountains, and at Michigan
Bluff, Placer county, the mercury was down
to the freezing point.
w. w. Corcoran, the well-known
fireman (whose shooting by one W. II.
Brown was mentioned last week., died OF
his wound aud was buried on the 7th of
October. The fire department turned out
in a body and escorted the remains TO the
grave. Rev. Father Cassi1 preached an
eloquent and touching obituary sermon
over the body.
At the semi-annual election OF
Protection Engine Company, No. ?, the
officers elected were: Foreman, George
Schmeiser; First Assistant Nj. NJ. Reed;
Second Assistant, Chris. Baine; Hose Dl-
rector. n. G. Millman; Recording Secre-
tary. 6. H. Krebs; Financial Secretary Nj
McManus; Treasurer, f. Foster.
San Francisco was agog over the
presence in that burg of His Royal High
ness. Prince Kamehameha OF the sand
wieh Islands. His suite included MAJOR
Kalakaua. The Prince also had grand
reception here in Sacramento.
-. Augustus Ciapp, one OF the pony
express riders, made the foriy-two miles
from Sportsman's Hall to Folsom, over
heavy mountain roads, in three hours and
ten minutes. II was regarded as qnile 81