Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-04-25
interesting Historical Sketch of the La
Grange Expedition That Landed
in Sacramento in 40.

bers, left Salem, Massachusetts,, for the
land of gold, via Cape Horn, the PROPOSE
ton being to remain two years, and then
return over the same ocean route, bringing
back whatever of the precious metal the
members might have acquired, upon the
vessel with them. 1t was on Saturday
afternoon, and thousands upon thousands
of people gathered upon the wharf and sur
rounding wharves, to bid the company God.
speed, while the celebrated Hutchinson
Family, just before the order to let go the
hawser was given, sang the following song,
to the tune of THE Boatman's Dance"
We've formed our band, and are all well manned,
To journey afar to the promised land,
Where the golden ore is rich in store
On the banks Of the Sacramentos shore.
CHORUS.
Heigh, oh and away we go,
Digging up gold in the sacramento.
Oh, the gold is there, most anywhere,
And they dig it up with spade and bar;
And, where its thick, with shovel and pick,
They take out lumpsss big as a brick.
lChorus)
Now, don't you fear, and don't you cry,
For we II be back again by and by.
Don't you cry nor shed any tears,
But patiently wait for about two years.
(Chorus.)
In the days of old the prophets told
" a eity 10 come, al paved with gold
Peradventure they foresaw the day
Now dswnlng upon California.
(Chorus)
After passage of exactly six months
having stepped at the Falkland Islands
twenty-five deys-the vessel, with all on
board safe and sound, arrived on Monday,
September 18th, IN San Francisco, and two
days afterward proceeded to Benicia. Right
where the big steamer Solano row lands
was discharged the frame, engine and boiler
of steamboat, upon which the boys had
worked daily after getting over their sea-
sickness.
THE ARRIVAL AT SACRAMENTO.
twenty-five men were left to put the
boat together, the balance going on to Sac.
ramenio, where they arrived three DAYS
later, tying up to tree at the foot of what
is now NJ street. The Elephant House, on
the levee, was the palace hotel of that
day. most imposing structure of stout,
unbleached Merrimac sheeting. 1t was
one-story high, $50 feet long and forty feet
wide, with fifty feet partitioned off for a
bar and office. There were three tiers of
hunks on each side of the remaining 100
feet, and tables ranged up and down the
center. The charge was 81 meal, and
four bits for either cigar or drink, while
the cooking was done and dishes washed
outside in the rear-a good. honest, practi.
cal California mud-oven taking the place
of what is now called modern French
range.
SAM BRANNAN's STORE.
Was located on the corner of street and
the levee, and VIM. R. Grimshaw (now, |
believe, of the baylor ranch, on the Co.'S
umnes) was his Largo factotum = and who
is there living, of the boys of the fall of
40, that cannot see him in their minds
eyavkas be rode back and forth from Sut.
ter's fort on his magnificent white charger,
young and splendid-looking man, dressed
in navy blue frock coat?
Leaving ten of the party to look out of
the vessel, the balance Twenty five in num-
ber) struck out with wagon and six yoke of
Western cattle for Weaver Creek aud
Hangtown now Placerville), but losing
their road, brought up at Dry Greek NOW
called Drytown), Amador county.
A MONTH LATER, FOOT SORE AND WEARY,
The cattle dead, and all hands disguised,
this Bull Run expedition returned. The
steamboat lay moored at the levee and was
called the Commodore Jones' She proved
too small to cross the bay in safety, and
was sold for $50, 000 cut in TWO, heightened
considerably, and for great many years
afterwards, under the name of the Kate
Hayes, ran as a ferryboat between Contrs
Costa (0akland) and San Francisco.
The company then broke up, and having
sold the copper of the vessel for sleves tc
gold rockers" the sails for roofs o.
houses, the running rigging for lashing:
for wagons, and the galley for a lawyer:
Office, then sold the hull TO the city of Sac
ramento for prison brig, in which capac
ity she remained until the prison at San
Quentin was built, finally going to the bot.
tom in the freshet of 1860, and beng buried
in the shifting sands of the river bottom.
THE COMPANY BREAKS UP.
After that accompany parted in earnest
some going one way and some another
Many returned after few years to New
England, and some ten years since thos,
who were then living formed what wa
called the La Grange Association, and upoI
the return OF each 18th OF March had
reunion and supper until couple of year
since, when, the number having been re
duced 10 about ten, it was decided [,
branch out and admit other pioneers VIII
went to California in other vessels. TIL
grand outcome was what is now known a
the
CALIFORNIA PIONEERS OF NEW ENGLAND
Some of whom are now upon a visit t
lucll O4d he MdlO
portion of the original Lagrange Compan,
are now dead, and but eight. so far a
known, are living in California, thei
names and places of residence being as fol
lows: Charles Il. Story, John K. Batcheldel
William Sibley, Edwin Southwick an,
James C. Kemp, all in San Francisco; Cap
tain Moses Prime. in East Oakland; VIM
W. wilkins, il Bolinas; Spalding Elliot
in Fresno, and Frank Storey, in Portland
Or.
There were portion of two companie
in Dry Creek (Drytown) in the winter G
'49-namely, the "LsGrsnge Boys" an
those of the bark STAFFORD. Albert Leonard
the we'll known real estate dealer of you
city at the present time, being the younges
member.
OF HISTORICAL INTEREST.
The fact that the bark LAGRANGE was fc
so many years one of the features of Sal
ramento. and in fact the only PRISON ther
was in California, renders the advent {
the Pioneers of New England even NOR
interesting. And. desiring to place thes
facts on record while yet the opportunity
mine, is the apology / have to offer
there is need of sny-for this long articl
TIE EASTERN VISITORS.
r,.a,- vy,1l no Eptert n iued nv fhe Pion ee1