The morning call., 1890-04-13
PACIFIC COAST
COLLECTIONS.
Some of the Illustrated Books
About California.
Pamphlets, Papers, Wood and Steel En-
cravings, Daguerreotyes - Outdoor
Suggestions.

iect be was arranging them into chapters
and editing them into shape. 1t was all
very amusing because of his total ignorance
of the fact that all these newspapers ought
TO receive credit, or that somebody, at least,
ougbt to receive it. But his collection of
scraps made me wonder how much could be
done with old California books, in the same
way, provided, of course. that the copy
rights had all expired. And, if one only be
honest, and give credit, they could be used
any time.
happen to have an old copy of "Borth-
wick" beside me. In itself the book is
rare; this copy is especially valuable. 1t
came from the forgotten bookstore Of Epes
Ellery, 235 Montgomery street, and it has
been marked in many places by pioneers
who have read it and added notes of their
own.
Borthwich was q remarkable character.
He was, l understand, young Englishman
Of good education. and not only crisp
writer, but also equal to the late Ross
Browne in the power OF sketching frontier
life and character 1t is not TOO much to
say that his faro and monte pictures. his
Bathroom in the Mines" and few others
have created type from whose influence it
is next to impossible to escape. So vivid
and picturesque is BOrthwick's easily flow
ing style that many of his chapters would
make excellent newspaper articles to-day,
with hardly the elision of a sentence.
Borthwick is certainly worth the study Of
Californians for his stories of San Francisco
in the early fifties, Of the old Missions, the
routes to the mines, the -four and twenty
Sacramento stages" the Indians, Mis-
sourians, Frenchmen, Chinese, bull and
bear fights, and other aspects and incidents,
but most of all for the light he throws upon
the conditions of life in those days. In one
place, after speaking of the perfect social
equality" in the mining life, he
says that men learned to think that
those who did not live by actual
physical toll were men who did not
come up to the scratch" He adds: l
rtcullect once arriving II the middle OF the
night in San Francisco, when II was not by
any means the place il is now, and finding
all the hotels full, | was compelled to take
refuge in an establishment which offered no
other accommodation to the public than a
lot Of bedS-half a dozen In a room. When
! WAS paying my dollar in the morning for
having enjoy ed the privilege OF sleeping
on one Of these concerns. an old miner was
doing the same. He had no coin, but
weighed out an ounce Of dust, and while
getting his change lie seemed to be study
ing the keeper OF ihe house, as novel and
interesting specimen of human nature.
The result showed itself in an expression
of supreme contempt on his worn and sun
burnt features as he addressed the object
OF his contemplation: 81 Say now, stranger,
do you do nothin' else but just sit thar and
take dollar from every man that sleeps in
them beds?'
Yes; that's my business" replied the
man.
WELL then" said the miner, after a
little further reflection, Its a ID mean
way Of making your living; that's all l can
say"
Another book by an English university
man is Frank Marryatt's Mountains and
Molehills." also illustrated from the au-
thor's sketches. 1.-THE portfolios of sketches
taken in early days here by Borthwick and
MarTyatt are still in existence IN England
they ought to be secured by the Pioneer
Society. l have understood that only a few
of them were even Autographed or en-
graved. Brooks, in his -Four Months
Among the Gold-Seekers," not an easy book
TO obtain these days; Berry, In his &" Gold of
California" and Ryan, i'll his Personal
Adventures" all London publications, tell
stories that are worth revlYing now and
then. Let's " California illustrated" and
DelanO's Life in the Diggings" were
among the brightest of the early New York
publications. but it is hard to get a complete
copy of Let's, the plates being generally
missing.
1AlllNHo VI carly DbUho III SulllOAnAa
were small, and have been widely scattered.
Volumes that went begging ten years ago
at 30 cents apiece are now worth So or more.
There are several collections needed for
such places as the Free Library, the
Mechanics Institute and the Mercantile, all
Of which have many early books, but moth
ing as complete as the private collection Of
Captain Lees, with whom l am well ac-
quainted. All books and pamphlets bear
ing on California and published before the
war ale worth collecting. Pamphlets pub
hshed on this Coast are usually small
editions and almost Immediately out Of
print. Every time a man throws panph-
let away he is likely to be making a mis-
take. California pamphlets, literary, his
tOrical and social, are always worth saving.
"Land-boom" pamphlets are not. The
various county histories, though badly
written and full Of blunders, can often be
picked up cheap, and most Of them are
already very rare,
A good collection Of early newspapers,
posters and other specimens OF printing
ranks among the almost hopeless undertake
ings, there being nothing more complete,
as far as know, than Taylor's broken but
very important volumes in the Mercantile
Library, where the only known copies of
several early humorous weekies that mad e
times lively in San Francisco are preserved.
Who has ever kept copies OF the Daily
Epigram, or where will one find a file of
McCarty's Flag? In fifty years from now.
unless some collector of wealth and ample
library room arises, the very names of many
Of the lesser publications will be forgotten.
Some one ought to gather up specimens
OF California engravers' work. There is
need of thoroughly classified collection Of
Rll the wood and steel engravings ever made
on this Coast together with notes on the
engraVers and similar information. Every
bit Of good work ever cut whether pic
tuFe Tor magazine, heading or an adVer-
tisement block, is worth place in such
collection. The old group Of woOd-engrav-
ers who were in San Francisco twenty-five
or thirty years ago were masters Of their
art. Then came period of sad decay, and
some younger engraYers are beginning to be
recognized.
Old photographs are picked up quickly,
for every one takes an interest in them.
But old daguerreotypes are not so common,
and yet can be found at times, when sales
of household goods occur. If they are
views of buildings or landscapes they may
have great value. An instance in point
occurred lately. Mr.. John l.. Beard of Ala
media County has daguerreotype of the
Mission San Jose as it appeared in 1858.
The buildings have all been destroyed, and
this IS the only view OF the village now in
existence. 1t thus completes the series of
the old missions, heretofore lacking in this
particular, and adds missing historical
link to the story of California Before the
Conquest" The interesting question fox
tuc COlicClUI lSs w udl OLutI
types did the person who took this mission
picture take in California? He was, I'M
derstand, a resident Of San Jose or Santa
Clara.
In some respects California offers a wide
field for many collectors Of curiosities. 1t
is seaport and sailors pick up many
things. Collections made in the South Seas
and rapidly increasing in value are brought
to San Francisco for sale. The South
American Coast, Central America, Mexico,
Oregon. Washington. British America and
Alaska all have local collectors interested
in antiquities, pottery, weapons, native
utensils and other departments. The OPP
poTtunities that sometimes come to man
who knows the real values of curios are
remarkable. The other day a sailor brought
In several carved horn canes from the in
terror of China and sold them for a dollar
apiece. They are rare and sell in London
for from S25 to $50 Some time ago col
lection Of about a hundred japanese sword
hilt guards was picked up at secondhand
book tore in this city for about So Some
of the green and rusty old bits of hammered