The record-union., 1891-07-04
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
Bill Squires of Rio Vista, the Old
River Pilot.
How ''Majah" GiIIis Lost His Seces.
sion Flag-A Sensational Riot on
the Old ''Bloody Corner.'

Ihe Old Bloody Corner.'
1t must have been highly amusing to
have watched w. X. Squires one time
when he piloted a steamboat up the Sac
ramento River, says the Rio Vista Neacs
Mr.. Sqaires is one Of the pioneers of Rio
vista, and in early days knew every foot
OF the river. Some twenty years ago
there was much more traffic on the Sac
ramento than is noted to-day, and it was
no uncommon occurrence for a captain
10 come along who was compelled to em-
ploy pilot TO guide hn safely 10 ,Sacra-
mento. One day u steamer heavily
loaded with cattle arrived from San Fran
cisco Ell route to Sacramento, and the
captain wanted to secure a pilot at this
place to assist him up the river. There
We're no professional pilots in stock on
the day mentioned, and some wag sug-
gested to the Captain to take Bill Squires.
The Captain questioned Mr.. Squires as
to his knowledge Of the channel of the
river, and though Squires did not pre-
tend to be pilot, the Captain would not
let him escape, and insisted that he pilot
the steamer up river. There was no al
ternative for Squires but to comply with
complied.
The steamer pulled out from the wharf
at this place about 10 O'Clock at night, and
the west wind was blowing a hurricane,
but the steamer made remarkably good
time, notwithstanding an ebb tide and
the strong wind. On. on the steamer
gIided past the warehouses, Hodapp
Slough and IsletOn, and the Captain was
just starting to compliment Mr.. Squires,
when 'ker-chunk," on to a snag the
steamer landed.
''-- ;" this was nearly the
length of the Captains oath, and he con-
tinued, Il thought you knew this chan
nel?'
81 do" returned Squires.
- - another oath, not quite
so long as the first, and as the boat cleared
the snag the Captain shouted, "Didn't
you tell me you knew where all the
snags were?"
es,' answered Squires.
"You do know?"
''Yes, that was one ofthem, and 1 knew
] could find it, ;" replied Squires, and the
Captain went below, but he never made
another trip with Bill Squires as pilot.
.........A desperate fight occurred at Sec
Ond and streets on the ID of July, the
principals in which We're Thomas Gallo
way and the Lloyd brothers, Thomas and
George. Galloway had been witness in
the Mike btduulRdn rape case, anu the
trouble grew out Of some testimony given
by him.
The Lloyds kept the Champion Saloon,
and Galloway ventured in there, when
they beat and kicked him numerically.
That evening he was on the street with
his head tied up, able to see with but one
eye. He was in company with joseph
MCGEE, and they met the Lloyds at the
''bloody corner" Second and * streets.
Then the fight was renewed, and soon a
number of men had become engaged.
Pistol shots We're fired, knives drawn.
George Lloyd was shot in one arm and
cut on one leg; McGee had the end of his
nose bitten off, and was cut and battered ;
Tom Rooney was cut in the right thigh ;
Charles Duret was stabbed in several
places a COlored man named Alexander
Davis was shot in the neck, although he
was sitting on the opposite side of the
street. Duret was reading a paper in a
saloon, and ran out to try and stop the
fight, when he was stabbed.
1t was a lively riot while it lasted-one
of the real old sort.
1.-THE Fourth of July celebration in
Sacramento IN 1861 was a stunning affair.
There was great parade; the raising of a
flag over the Pavilion by Captain John S.
Ellison, a veteran of the war of 1912; read
ing of the Declaration of independence
by Rev. o. c. Wheeler; an oration by
Rev T. Starr King, and an evening illu-
mitnaion and pyrotechnic display.
That evening J. w. Bideman and Cur
tbs Clark met prominent Democrat,
named j. l.. Gillis, in front of the st.
George Hotel, with small secession flag
wrapped around his cane. They told
him he must surrender it, but he refused,
and they made a rush for him and took
the flag away. During the squabble Gil
Iis called upon some of his Democratic
friends to give him knife, but Union
men were becoming pretty thick around
there and nobody had the courage to
do it.
Shortly afterward large number OF
ellis Democratic friends gathered at the
st. George, when Frank Rhoads and
Andy Burns went up to them, waved the
captured flag at them and dared them to
attempt to retake it. They did not make
the attempt.
........ There was considerable patriotism
to the square yard in some parts OF
Franklin Township. After the failure ot
the Richland Union meeting, when q
prominent Republican showed the white
feather and the secesionists captured the
meeting, there was another one held, al
which ringing Union resolutions were
adopted. one of them concluded in these
grandiloquent terms:
''RcS0ICed, That on the Fourth of july
we will celebrate with the patriotism OF
CdIlIIOD
roar, we will fan the fires Of Union and
liberty which are burning on the altars
of our hearts, and be ready to do and
dare, as occasion may demand"
II the author of this resolution still
lives he viii doubtless identify it by its
ear-marks.
........ The Sacramento delegates to the
Union Democratic State Convention
We're: W. j. Hunt, B. Mulligan, George
II. Brickman, James Moore, Andrew
Black, James w. Coffroth, George G..
HasweI, John c. Keenan, w. A. Robin
son, Nat. Boice, ID. McManus, L. L.
Eyre, James McCiuire, Thomas Coleman,
John 3. Gallo, John Ryan, j. $. Wood,
M. Connolly, George Cone, II. William
son, r. ID. Stevens, II. Shortwel', p. J.
Hopper, Thomas Harrigan, p. II. Mum
ford, =. X. Beckley, f.. Minturn, r.
J. z. Woodwork, General A. Redington,
John McClory, Frank Denver, DIR. G. j.
Phelan, Larkin Lamb, Charles Petit,
Reuben Clark. They were instructed to
support John Conness for Governor.
..,.....A Carson City telegram on June
p, 1861, stated that Joseph Bauquier had
states with sixty head of fine horses and
mules and accompanied by twenty men.
Ihey had very pleasant journey, with
no trouble fromtiie Indians.
ON the 18th Mr.. Bauquier arrived in
Sacramento, having left his train 10 come
through by SLOW stages. This was his
sixth trip across the plains, having made
the journey in lS53-4-7-9, 1S60-6l. His
train WAS the first of the season TO arrive
having lettthe Missouri River on the 10th
of April. He brought over the pacing
stallion MiSS0uri (th;aF ,-aI,,aJ or Sin Oo6