Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-02-23
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
MEN WHO GUIDED THE LOCAL DEMoc-
RAcY IN EARLY DAYS.
"CaxtOn's" Reasons for His Admiration
OF sacramento-A Lively Debate
Local Incidents.


mento, when San Francisco, Oakland and
other places were bidding for the State
Capital, "Caxton" (W. H. Rhodes) wrote
as follows: an point of convenient loca-
ton, of accessibility to all parts of the
State, it (the city of Sacramento) never did
have rival. In public spirit, in refined
society, in thriftiness, in beauty, in taste, it
will be many years before it has an equal.
1t was fitting that the town which grew
upon the site of Suffers old fort-the
pioneer spot of Western civilization =
should have been honored by being selected
as the place for locating the State Capital.
1t was justice that the city which built the
first link in the Pacific Railroad from
here to Folsom] should have that honor.
No better spot could have been chosen
than that which is, par emlnce. the
garden of the State; which is radiant with
the sweetest of flowers. rejoices in the
most genial climate, and is the storehouse
OF the most luscious fruits and the most
valuable products. Four-fifths of the cold
which senl-monthly leaves in millions for
the Atlantic States passes through Sacra-
mento; more than one-half the grains
seeds aud melons, the vegetables and fruits
which md a market in the metropolis. are
grow upon the banks of the Sacramento
river and its tributaries; while at least
two-thirds of the entire population of the
State have made their homes along that
stream and its various branches. We love
Sacramento. Its beautiful situation en-
chants the stranger, and binds the citizen
strongly to his home. The swiftly flowing
= W. hot ~ L
upon its bosom argosies richer than the
galleons of Venice or the navies of old
Tyre ever bore; the Snowy Sierra range,
which lifts its cloud-crowned SUBMITS into
the SKIES, in the blue distance; the flower
carpeted plains that stretch far away in
every direction, with their picturesque
farm-houses, and verdure and herds of
cattie-all offer to the eye and the imagi-
nation a succession of natural beauties of
landscape seldom equaled and never sur
passed"
.........An interesting debate took place in
the Assembly on the 10th of February
(1S6O) over the bill to pay some $4,000 ex-
penses alleged to have been incurred in
General Kibbe's famous Indian war in
Humboldt and Tehama counties. Con-
hicting accounts of that campaign had
been published, and there was reason to be-
lieve that the poor Indians had been made
the victims of somebody's avarice The
debate on the bill drew out some of the
strongest men in the Acknowledgements,
johnson, Stevenson, Welty (of Sacrament
to-, Fairchild, Rogers, Laspeyre, Starr (of
Sacramento) and others. Welty was
among the most earnest advocates of the
bill, and Conness led the opposition thereto,
speaking for several hours on the subject.
He was frequently interrupted by those
pressing the bill, and many sharp things
were said during the debate.
Welty, in the course of his remarks, re-
ferred to the kind and gentle manner in
which a band of Indian captives were
treated in Sacramento en- route to the
Mendocino reservation, and said that
SHAVE Head (the chief and others were
fen to the railroad depot to see railroad
39enn olive. Conness said he would like TO
have ne gentleman tell the House what
aage ead's opinion of the locomotive
This sally caused considerable merri-
nat sra made Welty angry. He replied
mt if the gentleman from FL Dorado
would shave his own little closer (Con-
ness was noted for his luxu-iant, curling
locks it would enable him to debate ques-
tons with more GOODNESS and cslmness than
he usually exhibited.
At another point in the debate, and when
scathing criticisms of the conduct of those
managing the Indian expedition, Lawrence
interrupted by rising to a point of ord
This nettled the FL Dorado rep. 1--we,
and he spoke up: well, you Just sit down
on your point of order !" And then he
went on to score General Kibbe for having
given into bondage some Indian children
he had captured in his famous campaign.
The bill was on the following day in
definitely postponed by a vote of 81 to 26.
There were about 800 men stalking
OF quicksilver claims in the vicinity of
Mount ST. Helena, at the head of Napa val
ley, and The mining fever was running over
that way. But two or three of the mines,
however, ever amounted to anything, the
best OF which has been the Knoxville The
original stock in that mine-which subse-
quentiy became worth thousand dollars
a share and enriched the few who did not
part with theirs too early-was owned by
Napaites, but most of it subsequently fell
into the hands of San Francisco capitalists
at nominal figures, who developed the
mine and made great fortunes. When first
issued the stock was given away freely in
Napa Richard 7. Montgomery, editor of
the Napa Reporter at that time, and who
was one of the incorporators, distributed
about half of his thirty shares among his
employees one day while in a generous
mood and the boys disposed of it TOR al
most nothing.
AT the Democratic primary elec-
ton, held on the 19sh of February, the fol-
lowing delegates were elected in this city
First Werd-J. r. Hardenburgh. Reuben
Raynes, j. r. Figg, Frank A. Jones, J. 2.
SharkeY, @. A. Hill, Owen Casey, G. w.
Lightney, J. r Beard, Joseph II. Virgo,
James W. Coffroth, W. II. Prentiss, John
Sharpe and J. Hess. Second Wsrd-Geo.
f. Thomas, NJ. Ault, Charles J. Torbert,
George P. Gillis, A. l.. Waugaman, E. E.
Eyre. Thomas Higgins, T. Mclaughlin, L.
Culver. Frank Rhosds, A. ]. Easton and
BENJAMIN Welch. Third Ward-Charles
Forman, Frank Hereford, J. Q Brown, d.
81. Whiplev, John Graves, J. L. Knox,
Nat Beice, John Hurd, E. G. Blessing and
E.B. Ryan. Fourth Ward-Thomas PEN
nv. William Shattuck, II. VI. Bernard, Len
Harris. Frank Powell Charles Fairfax,
Sim Tillmau, p. Trope, c. w. bankers. G.
c. Reed, J. B. Dayton, K. c. Montgomery.
There are not few Sscramentans
of the present day who are ignorant OF the
fact that thirty years ago railroad was
constructed along the foothills from Folsom
10 Rnssville. its ultimate destination being
lincoln. and possibly Auburn and Nevada
CITY. The first locomotive to cross the
American river left Folsom on the 10th OF
February, 1869, Win TOUR CaIioaus VI Lha-
terial. crossing on the new railroad bridge,
which then stood few rods further down
the stream than the present suspension
bridge. The granite abutme Its oil the old
bS;ase sim stand 10 mark the spot where
he california Central Railroad started.
The road was afterward abandoned when
the present line eastward from this city was
nroiectei. but the old grade can be traced
all the way. a.. oo,h
of FEBRUARY by what had the appearance
Of having been a terrible tragedy: 5. !;
atfsntrancer. an employee of ]. W. Mitchell
Z Co, Of this city. left the latter's store at
= T Diggings on the American river,
This side of Folsom, two days before, TO go
to To- saulsbnry's Station, short distance
a ~ with a bag of gold dust to be for
az 10 The firm here. That hsd been
t nc. lest seen of him, but his hat and the
c cau Bag in which he had carried the
S,st q vas found on the trail, about quarter
" nile from the store, near preclplious
p o. Owe over the river. The suPposition was
ina lem. ~ as. in addition to the dust, he
ina Inc Soso,,es $500 coin on his person.
udG SOl7eN.~, AaIsOn. OF SANTA