Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-03-30
THIRTY YEARS ago.
HOW FARMER WHITCOMB ENJOYED
A wHEELBARROW RIDE.
A Befuddled Citizens Grafton to a
Party of Pigs-Touching Epi-
sode of the Water Front.

sode OF the Water Front.
Mathew Borland, a we'll known rancher
established wheelbarrow express between
the city and the Centerville race track, or
the oath of March, where a racing meeting
was in progress. He wheeled James Whit
comb, another well farmer, from
the Golden Eagle Hotel to the track. il
good style, for $40. At Eleventh and K
streets Borland stopped long enough to
allow Whitcomb to water some hogs ht
had there, which act the papers referred tc
as showing very accommodating spirit or
the part of Borland. When they got to tn.
track Whitcomb and Borland had lively
dispute as to which should pay the entranc,
fee. The matter was left to a vote of thu
crowd, who decided that Whltcomb should
pay for the tickets and also treat the crowd
The time made on the round trip was two
hours and seventeen minutes. BorlanG
afterward put up for dinner at the Ante
lope Restaurant, which cost him more
money than he had taken in as fare, to say
nothing of his hard work.
........ He may have been a member oi
the Legislature then in session, or he may
have been resident of the city-the inc.
briated individual vino was found one night
in the outskirts of town haranguing drove
of pigs. The orator was on the sidewalk
and the pigs were in the gutter. (Ten
minutes later the situation was reversed. )
Addressing his audience, the speaker re.
monstrated with them for being out at such
a late hour. Now, my young friends, "
said be, "go (hic) right 'ome g'wome, l
selves tbe seen (hic) out here slate N in
such (hic) c'ndishun Shay! You'll all
take (hic) cold, standin' there n the mud
Young man, look not (hic) on the wine
when It's red h' Then, seeing that his ad-
vice elected only series of grunts, he let
go the awning post that supported him and
made dash at the crowd. He slipped in
the gutter, sat down forcibly upon the back
of big sow, which jumped up and landed
him in the mud, where he lay until res
cued. Then he went to hotel and told
how he had been assaulted and roughly
handled by garroters. Perhaps he still
lives here.
.........How the times have changed since
then! j. q. Hazleton, New York mer-
chant, while travelling through Virginia in
business farther south, fell in with Fayette
McMullen, a former Virginia Congress-
man, and their conversation turned on the
book known as Helpers Crisis which
was written by North Carolinan, but had
aroused a bitter spirit among the slave
holders. Hazleton remarked to McMullen
that the book was written by Southerner,
concerned only the people of the South,
and that it was simply quarrel between
cousins-the people of the North cared
nothing about it. At this McMullen be-
came wrathy, denounced Hazleton as a
Yankee Abolitionist," and threatened TO
have him arrested for invading the South
.........A peculiarly painful incident took
place at the steamer landing one morning.
An Italian woman who had but one arm,
and could not speak English, arrived from
San Francisco--where she had left her hus-
band bedridden with rheumatism-in the
hope of finding employment of some kind
She brought along her little 7-year-old boy
to act as interpreter for her As they were
coming ashore the little fellow fell from
the gang plank and was drowned. The
poor woman was nearly crazed with grief.
and her pitiful condition brought tears to
the eyes of ali present.
1.-THE city was then infested with a
gang of toughs who were constantly ter
gang went on a spree and assaulted 8 num-
Der of persons in the vicinity of Third and
] streets. A German, named William Hoff-
man, who was IN from the country, was
stabbed in the side, while others were
knocked down and beaten. The police
later arrested James Sears, Edward Dunn
and George Schwartz of the murderous
gang.
.........Samuel Mingham created sensa-
ton one day on NJ street, between Tenth
and Eleventh, where the State Capitol now
stands. He first broke cane over his wife's
head, and then tried to fracture one of her
arms across his knee. Afterward he as
saulted his brother-in-law, Hugh Reilly,
with a razor, and wound up by gashing his
own throat with the weapon. but unfortu-
nately without killing himself
........ James Gilmore, boy only 16
years of age, who had been crippled when
only wears old, delivered lecture at DIR.
Benton's church on California; Her Pres
ent Condition and Future Prospects" The
lad handled the subject in quite an able
manner, and the lecture netted quite sum
for his widowed mother. Young Gilmore
afterwards became student at the Napa
College, where he made his mark IS a
scholar and elocutionist.
......... Adah Isaacs Menkin was creating a
lulOlC III iAC LAST. UJ OeiIlltdliOl VI
The French Spy" "Mazeppa'' and other
characters in which she could readily dis
pense with much clothing. "Ching Foo, +"
the UNIONS New York correspondent, wrote
OF her as the most gorgeous piece of flesh
and blood to look at that was ever trotted
out He added that he thought that she
was aware of the fact herself.
......... Langton's Express was making
daily trips between Downieville and Car
son City. The Langton brothers did a
large business IN early days among North
ern California mining towns. One of
them, however, was committed to the
Stockton Asylum about 1865, while an
other is now in business in Humboldt
county.
......... There was a great coursing match
arranged to come off early in April on the
Whitcomb ranch. The prizes were of con-
siderable value. For first class dogs the
first was a Sl25 saddle horse; second, a
Spanish saddle, $50; third, silver dog-col-
lar, S25. Second-class dogs-First prize,
gold watch, 500: second, riding whip, S25;
third, dog-collar, $40
......... The rush for the Carson valley
mines had then fully set in. Placerville
was crowded with people en- route to the
new el dorado, and the travel was so great
that one had to engage stage seats several
Od1o II COSI lEOIll ~ ID ~ CsUlS Der
pound for freighting between Placerville
and Virginia City.
There was considerable excite
ment in the city on the 10Th of March
(1S60), caused by report that the north
leves had broken near Rabel's tannery
The water had been rising in the American
for several days. and the report was read.
lily believed. Fortunately, however, the
scare was groundless.
Harry Courtaine and wife were ten.
dered a complimentary benefit at the Me.
tropolitan Theater, on the 3lst of March
by the State officials and members of the
Legislature. They had a crowded house.
......... Eben Owens, who now lives near
Elk Grove, while Harvesting a horse at his
residence on II street, near Thirteenth
had his left leg broken by kick from the
animal.
The State telegraph line was com.
pleted from Sacramento to Plscerville on
the 18th of March, 1860, a distance of forty
nine miles, the work having been done in
ten days.
... Milton s. Latham took his seat in
Congress on the 9Th of March, 1860, as
United States Senator from California.
MLEARYS REWARD.
He Turns States Evidence Without Avail
and Must Go to Jail Himself.