The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-01
ARGONAUTS OF '49.
A Renaissance of San Francisco
FOrty.twO Years Ago.

April l, 1Si9, forty-twO years ago, on a
bright and sunny Sunday morning, be-
tween the hours of 10 and IL o'clock, the
steamship Oregon, Captain W. NJ. Pearson,
on her maiden trip to California passed
through the Golden Gate and came to an
Choir at Sausalto, near the United States
ship of war Ohio An old house or barn
was noticed on shore, but no other sign Of
civilization was dscernibe. San Francisco,
or where it now is, was pointed out but no
house or habitation, or anything denotlng
life, was seen on shore.
Monday. April 3D. steam was gotten up
and the Oregon sailed around in front of
the city, came to anchor. aud the passen-
gers, numbering some 300, were transferred
to lighter or scow, drawn as near the
shore as possible, and the passengers, bag
and baggage, were landed on Montgomery
street, between Clay and Sacramento. No
hotel-runners greeted our arrival, no hacks
or cabs in waiting. We started to find a
hotel or lodgings. but none could be OBJ
tanned, no rooms to let" no nothing;
consequently we had to erect tents or any
thing to be had for shelter from wind and
fogs. We pitched our tent on the block (at
that time vacanD bounded by Clay, KearDy
Sacramento and Montgomery streets. No
restaurants, no ''bun rackets, no bakeries;
we ildu 10 40 tie U6oJ we Cuulu-Cdlup anu
cook our ''Slap-jacks" the best way posst-
BILE. Beef coUL not be had, and -four and
beans-"na mass" Later on restaurant
was started, with the alluring sign chalked
on rough piece Of board. POTATOES at
Every Meal"
San Francisco at that time contained about
100 buildings of all kinds and classes, the
population approXmatng 1900 souls, aud
more dismal or God-forsakeu country it would
have been hard to find. Wind and fogs and
deSOlatiOn apparently everywhere; desert
in fact, and it would be hard to find Il per-
son who would at that time have been will
ing to give one dollar for the whole country.
Now that we were landed in San Fran
cisco our true condition was realiZed-n0
friends, little money, but plenty of health,
youth and pluck. With but few exceptions
the passengers were destined for the mines,
or "diggins." Passage or standing room
on the deck of small sloop or schooner to
Stockton or Sacramento was one ounce, or
SIG. go as you please.
Such was the true condition of affairs in
this city forty-two years ago, anu none but
pioneers of an early date can realize the
change wrought since that time. The coun-
try, climate and everything was SO vastly
different from that of the Eastern States
that but very few passengers could recon-
cile themselves to the true condition of af-
fairs, and heartily wished themselves at
home again in the East, where they came
from. But 1t was neither time nor place
for crying The greater portion soon
started tsr the diggns in various portions
of the country and we're sOOD lost to sight
and to memory dear.
Out of the 300 passengers who arrived on
the Oregon the following stil survive: Will
lam NJ. Lent, Rev. Albert Williams, Major
X. P. Hammond, John Z. Little, E. B.
Vreeland, David Fay, John Bright, Julius
Beckearr, Anthony Ludum, A. J. M1urill,
NJ. r. Roberts, H. b. Hunt, w. II. Gladwin,
d. n. Hawley, Il. S. Baker, John Benson,
Eugene Crowell, Charles w. Cook. John
Gambs, George II. Beach and James p. Tay-