Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-24
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
TOM FITCEs FAMOUS ATTACK UPON
CALHOUN BENHAM.
Incident at Latham Me tag Professor
Winters Complimentary Benefit
Victims of Piute savagery.

Tom Fitch, the silver-tongued orator o
the wild West, had then just come to Cali
fornia. He was quite a youth, but hat
already gained reputation on the Atlantic
side as an eloquent orator. He was sent t
California to help the Republicans to carry
the State for Lincoln. The young orator
at first made some mistakes, one of which
was to criticise speech of Henry Edgei
ton, who was campaigning for the Douglas
ticket. Nobody ever tackled Edgertor
and escaped getting the worst of it. In tht
course of the campaign he spoke in hi.
Own town of Napa, and on that occasion
he made Fitch the chief subject of hi:
fierce sarcasm and powerful eloquence
Both were young, and both possessed tha
quality known to modern slang as "gin.
ger" Their warfare was sharp, but die
not last long, and was fought at long range
Before another campaign they were both
championing the same cause.
One of the fercest speeches that Fitch
made in the campaign of 1860 was at 9
meeting in San Francisco on the 10Th Of
August, in which he reviewed the
incidents of the Broderick- Terry duel
Calhoun Benham was one of Terry's
seconds in that memorable affair,
and, according to the rules of the
code, it became his duty to ascertain
whether or not Broderick appeared on the
field with a concealed coat. of mail. This
is done by touching the breast of the man
about to shoot. Fitch alleged that Terry s
second not only sounded Broderick's chest,
but with the malice of hell in his heart
and the fire of murder in his eyes, offered
a deadly, deliberate, singing insult to the
doomed MN by coolly feeling of b breast,
loins and back" This produced sensa-
ton, which increased as Fitch continued:
''The Senator from California, the stone
cutters son, the poor mans son, fell on
that fatal field. And then this second took
the first occasion to visit the Federal Capt.
tai, called on the President of the United
States, exhibited his hands dripping with
human gore and demanded his pay. 1t
was given, and James Buchanan appointed
Calhoun Benham District Attorney"
This attack on Benham was the sensa-
ton of the day, and it was said that Ben
ham promptly challenged Fitch to duel,
alleging that his statement was false. The
story was that Fitch ignored the challenge
but bought pistol.
1.-THE historical painting by Nahl of
"Emigrants Crossing the Plains" which
has now found permanent resting-place
in the State Capitol, in 1860 graced the
walls of Agricultural Hall, but was sold to
the proprietor of the Lafayette Saloon, on
the northeast corner of Third and K streets,
and in August of that year it was
hung up in the saloon. Later on the
saloon was removed to K street, be-
tween Third and Fourth, and the
picture remained there through several
different ownerships of the place. 1t
was still there when the Legislature pur-
chased it for the State. The selection of its
present position was not happy one, and
seems to have been the result of necessity,
large and was never intended for close in
spection. 1t shows to best advantage at a
distance OF fifty feet or more, but where it
now is, in front of a stairway landing, the
beholder is brought within yard of the
canvas, giving the painting an effect of
coarseness and lack of detail. A more suit
able position would be at the end of one of
the long Railways.
>r....... Considerable amusement was
caused at Breckenridge and Lane meet
ng in front of the st. George Hotel one
night, which was addressed by
Senator Milton S. Latham. ]. R. Harden
Durgh presided, and The Vice. Presidents
were Henry E. Robinson. DR.. Donaldson,
T. Hunt, Reuben Raynes, John Shannon,
Owen Casey. r. G. Montgomery, Frank
Powell and B. F. Maulden. Sam Neal,
Charles Danckers and M. Ault were Secre-
aries. After Latham had spoken, Vincent
E. Geiger, an ex-Indian Agent, tried to
mount the platform, but it required con-
siderable boosting" to get him there.
himself as best he could, he
undertook to speak, but the crowd would
not listen to him. Amid the hooting and
yelling that ensued, Geiger sawed the air
with his arms and kept his lips moving,
but be could not be heard. Then his
friends tried TO pull him away, and while
they were doing it the stand broke down
and all were tumbled in a heap.
......... A grand concert was given in this
CITY on tie 22d of August, 1860, by way of
q complimentary benefit to Professor Chas.
the celebrated pianist, whose fame
was then as wide as the State. 1t took
place in the Pavilion, and was rendered by
the members of the Italian Opera Com
pany, then playing here. Madame Escott,
Miss Hodson ana Messrs. Squires, DeHsga,
Leach, Stoehr and other noted singers par
ticipated. Professor Winters piano solos
were: Souvenirs de Trovatore," LES
Gouttes d'Eau" Drops of Water and other
choice classical pieces. The affair was
perfect ovation to the talented Sacrs-
the large Pavilion being quite
crowded. The Professor, who is still with
us as an exponent of the piano. no doubt
has a vivid recollection of tdat event, SO
fiattering to his musical genius.
m pQrlaU.hQll scandal
broke out in San Francisco on the 18th of
March. Fall saw his wife las she was sup
posed to be- enter house with D. W. Per-
lev, well. known lawyer, and he followed
soon after with o revolver in his hand.
Perlev was seen to dash out of the ho' d
minute later in undress uniform and run
along Stockton street TO grocery store,
where he took refuge. 1t turned out few
DAYS afterward that the woman was not
Falls wife at all, but an adventures with
whom he had eloped from an Eastern city,
where he had abandoned his wife and
children. The episode consigned both
Perley aud Fall to social oblivion, and
gained for the former cognomen that fol-
lowed him 10 his grave.
.Among the many queer things
they did in California in the long ago was
the building of ships in the mountains.
This is a fact. In August, 1860, q forty ton
schooner was built in the mining town OF
North San Juan, away up in the Sierra Ne.
yada range. The builders were Samuel
Baldwin 4 Son. The elder Balwin was an
old Medford Mass, ship-builder, and UNI
derstood his business. The schooner was
built to run on the Sacramento river, and
was taken to this city by sections and put
together here. ~
When William Price, who killed
Robert Poole at Favor's ranch, near
Brighton, and who was captured few
DAYS later between Placerville and Straw
berry Valley, was taken to Brighton fol-
examination. The neighbors came neal
lynching him. The prisoner was IN the
custody of B. n. Bugbev, then Constable
and il was his firmness and courage alone
that saved Price from the fury of the mob
T.. ID. Clinard was also arrested as accessory
TO the murder and was also charged witt
having robbed Poole after he was killed.
-. II may be worth noting here tina
the United States Senators who signed thu
protest against the admission OF Caniornis
into the Union were Mason and Hunter, o
Virginia, Butler and Barnwell, OF Soutf
Carolina. Turner, of Tennessee, Soule, Q
Louisiana, JEFF. Davis, of mississippi, Atchi
son. of Missouri, and Norton and fuiee
of Florida. The subsequent careers o
these men are familiar matters OF poiitica
history.
-. Calvin Rambo. of Red Bluff, arrived
there on the Goth of August. 1860, making
his fourth trip across the plains. H'
broueht forty head of fine American mare
;,t b;n, on hia own account His traiI