The record-union., 1891-03-29
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
The First Train Over the Plains in the
Year of '49.
Officer Burxe's Poor Pistol-work Saves
Him From Bloodshed-One of
Lincoln's Yarns.


the plains in 1S49, on which subject
Charles P. Jackson, of Chicago, writes:
u. II. Burgess, now of Kangley, Ill.,,
John Kirkpatrick (since deceased) and
Jos. C. Harmer, now of Santa Barbara, Cal,
had the honor of being the first in over
the plains in 40, they having arrived at
Hangtown July 2lst, and reported at Sut-
ter's Fort the oath, and theirs was an OK
team. The reporter at the Fort was called
out to examine the train, and said: well,
boys, you are here and your team is here,
and you all look like men who have
crossed the plains, and so does your team,
but Mr.. Stewart called yesterday and
reported himself ''in,' although his teams
were not yet at Hangtown, he having rid
den on in advance, as we now learn. Mr..
Burgess, your party are entitled to the
credit of the first arrival across the plains
in '49. Your pilots, Harry Evans and
Brother Allen have done good work and
their faithtulness and efficiency
Now, | don't want to say much about
it, but it was an honor to be the first in,'
and Mr.. Burgess and his party are enti-
tied to it. There was another wagon and
party in the train, consisting of Lemuel
Staten, Billings Moore and Jacob Burn
ham, who sold their wagon on the Hum
boldt, and drove their stock in with Mr..
Burgess party.
mir. Burgess is member of the West
ern Association of California Pioneers of
Chicago, and takes an active interest in
bringing the old Californians together,
and if questioned closely he might show
grizzly bear marks he got down below
Jerome Davis ranch in Y olo County, and
OH NO of ffIn
mighty well, no matter what the bear
thought. Any ordinary man would have
passed in his checks then and there, but
Mr.. Burgess decided to wait little
longer, and is here yet TO show his scars
and tell the story and have good time
with the old boys"
.........O One night an employe of one Hud-
son, q J-street furniture dealer, came
near being sent to the morgue on a
stretcher through queer series of mis-
takes. He usually slept in the store, and
when he undertook to enter that night he
found the door blockaded. 1t seems that
Hudson, his employer, had gone to sleep
on sofa placed against the door, and as
Fred the employe, tried to force the
door open Hudson awoke. Supposing it
to be a burglar who was trying to get in,
he armed himself with an iron bar, and
as the door gave way and the intruder
entered Hudson went for him. The lat
ter, believing he had discovered a burglar
inside, who intended to murder him,
broke and ran. Hudson yelled MUIR
derw 'Policep' and officer Burke,
fastening to the spot, saw Fred. running
down the street and called to him to stop,
but he didn't, and Burke turned loose his
pistol. Shot after shot was sent after the
fugitive, but it only increased his speed.
Finally he met some friends and was re-
turning with them to the scene when
fhn. ltlr.a tha oil
who inquired if they had met a wounded
man running down the street. Explana-
tions then followed, and all hands re-
paired to the nearest saloon.
........ Even before Lincoln was inaug-
urated as President the papers were at
tributing all sorts of anecdotes to him,
among them the following: The day be-
fore the Inauguration ceremony was to
take place, Lincoln was asked if he in
tended riding to the Capitol with Bu-
chanan in his barouche, or 90 alone
THAT reminds me-" said he, ''of the
story Of the witness who, when he ap-
peared in court in a Quaker costume, was
asked, viii you swear or atfirm?' The
witness replied he didn't care q d
achicht'
Theatrical circles in San Francisco
were greatly exercised on the 10th of
March, 1861, by the discovery that on the
preceding night Mrs. Harry Courtaine,
wife of the well-known actor, had eloped
with one Edmonds, singer in melo-
deon, and that the pair had sailed for
Australia. Courtaine, after a most
checkered career-during which he spent
a great deal of his time in the Home for
nebriates-straighten up several years
ago, and is still regarded as one of the
best stock actors of the day.
........L Louis kahl who was convicted of
the murder of Catherine Gherken, on L
tn,, I>,- T..
on the 22d of March, 1861, to be executed
Before receiving sentence Kahl spoke for
about an hour in his own defense, re-
viewing nearly all the testimony in the
case, but it was without avail. as the
Judge remarked, when the prisoner had
concluded, that he was as well satisfied of
the latter's guilt as when the verdict was
rendered.
......... Visitors who look in these days
upon the pretty city Plaza, with its green
lawns and stately shade trees, can hardly
realize that not very many years ago it
was an eye-sore to the city. Referring to
the effort being made to improve 1T thirty
years ago, the UNION said: 1.-THE plowing
of the Plaza has been completed, except
the swamp and overilowed portion of it,
which is too wet to plow."
.........On the night of March 9th the
toll-brldge built across the mouth of the
American River by G.. III. Swift was car
ried away in consequence of a sudden rise
in that stream caused by heavy storms in
the mountains. During the same night
the Llsle bridge, across the same river,
also went down. Another flood was
feared, but the waters rapidly receded the
following day.
.........Among the items of Eastern
news received on the Goth of March, by
pony express, was one to the effect that
Colonel Lee, aid and confidential friend
of (,nr1 1,al H.
mission in the army and returned to Vir-
ginia." This was the Robert E. Lee of
Confederate fame.
1.-The Legislature of thirty years
ago had before it bill creating State
Mining Bureau, and providing that the
whole expense of its maintenance should
not exceed 5000 year. Now it takes a
big round sum to maintain the bureau,
and there isn't one-tourth as much mining
going on as there was thirty years ago.
.......-.Among the passengers leaving
New York for California on March /,
1851 by the steamer Champion were DR.. H
l.. Nichols and family, who made their
home in Sacramento and have since re-
sided here.
The California Indian war claims
were before Congress thirty years ago,
and Senator Baker made an earnest and
powerful plea for their payment. 1t
takes Uncle Sam long time to pay his
debts.
.........Thirty years ago County Sur
veyor Doherty laid out the town of Rich
land. in this county, some eighteen miles
down the river. The townsite is there
yet, and that is all there is of it.
......... Printers have not, asa rule, been
noted for their piety, but thirty years
ago five of them occupied the pulpits of
the five churches in Portsmouth, Va.
OF MANY KINDS.
Various Articles of Incorporation That