The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-08-02
THE new ENGLAND
PIONEERS OF '49.
"reminiscences Of Their Visit to the Golden
State in April and May, 1890.
The Events Of the Trip Made Forty Years
After the First Visit Preserved in Book
Form-some Interesting Sketches.


Boston TO this Coast and spent reasonable
length of time revisiting places that we're
| familiar to them in the "days of old, the
days of gold. the days of 49, The party
was made up of 149 persons, including
sixty-nins ladies. OF course, many Of the
party were not pioneers. but were related by
| ties of relationship to those OF the party
| that WERE and upon the return of the eX-
| cursioniStS to their Eastern starting place
! ii was resolved that the experiences of the
! trip should be put in book form for future
| reference, and while every one was agreea-
| BILE that 1t should be done, the ex-
cursionists were like the convention
| of rats. Every attendant at the
| rat convention declared that it was
! the proper thing that certain cat should
| be belled. but the question arose Who'll
bell that cat?" Finally Mr.. Nicholas Ball
| of Block Island, r. l., volunteered to do the
best he could in the matter, and the result is
a handsome book of 2S8 pages, in which the
compiler says modestly: mo claim is made
for the book as a literary production; as
amid the press of other business, and only
because others better fitted for the work
| would not undertake it, it is written simply
to commemorate an event which could not
| have happened in the past, and will seldom
| i u
| very Interesting account of the trip of these
| pioneers is illustrated with many very good
| engrayings, and aside from quotations from
| newspapers 1t contains great deal that is
original. Many incidents on the trip are re-
| lated In very pleasing manner.
THE EXCURSIoNISTS
| Were on the lookout TO see all that could be
seen in the various places through which
| they passed. Sometimes they did not have
all the time they wanted, and then expedi-
ents were in order. At Topeka, with the
train behind time and only fifteen minutes
TO stop in the place, the party found most
| obiging horse-car conductor Some of them
| wanted TO see the town in spite of the short
stay, SO the conductor said he would have
| them back on time. H3 filled his car aud
started off at full speed. When he thought
| ne had gone as lar as time would permit,
| lie stopped, called a policeman, turned his
| b-tailed car around and galloped back to
| the train just in time.
Out in the far, far West, where cowboys
exploits were half a dozen years ago much
! more in defiance of the law than at the
| present day, the party heard the following
story Of " Poker Bill" Bill had achieved
reputation that won respectful attention
| throughout Arizona for anything he chose
| to say, until one day lie Quarreed with q
| new station agent about the charges on an
| express bundle, and prepared to enforce his
| argument with arevolver, when such sight
was seen as mortal eye has never witnessed
| since Antelope Springs was known to white
| men. Out from the door of the station
agents car, pIunging headong to the ground,
came Poker Bill. propelled by terrific
| kick. lie was without mis- pistol, his waist
| coat mad been torn OIL and his remaining
| clothing had collected most of the dust upon
! the car floor. lie fled ingloriously, devoted
| one day to solid profanity and then va
mosed the ranch" for his sun had set.
| IN THE BIOGRAPHIES OF MEMBERS
| OF the society story is told of William 81.
| Browne, who is a great traveller and has
| been all over Europe several times. A few
! years since Mr.. Browne was in Germany,
| and at a certain town his name and age
were demanded by the police. Out of all
patience with the iormalities lie said, in
| retulant manner: ION, put ire down as be-
| ing 103 years DID," The police gravely en-
| tered his age at those figures and from that
! moment there was no peace for MIR. Browne
! in house or thoroughfare. Crowds followed
| him and stared at him and made remarks,
| and one excited Individual one day seized
his hand. shook il vigorously and said:
Don't the police books say sop Mr..
Browne asked with unm0ved face.
| well, WELL" replied the stranger, Il
should neved take you to be more than 90"
| Al Los Angeles where zeal estate booms
and boomers do much abound, 4 story was
heard about real estate agent who for
| once met his match. The story goes: "A
| little, dapper man, with a mild eye and an
Eastern makeup, called upon one of the
real, live boomers the other day and asked
in the very meekeSt and softest tone if he
had any land for sale. The great real estate
king not delgning to lift his eyes from his
| important business, asked in loud, faceticus
/ tone if lie wanted a colony or would a town
ship do him. The little man seemed en-
| barrassed. and hoped he would be excused
if lie had taken this for a small, retail
place; he meant no offense, etc The great
man thawed out somewhat, and took the
small man in his chariot TO the Great Para
disc RECLAIMED TRAIT where he filed him
with half-hour's speech fairly bestudded
with
GLITTERING FACTS
And figures regarding this wonderful piece
| OF land, and limited in closing that that was
the kind Of North Americans they raised in
| the West. When the speaker concluded for
| lack of breath the little man quietly re-
| moved his coat, rolled up his sleeves and
climbed the fence, and clearing his throat
said: Now allow me to describe this piece
of property in the Eastern tongue Whew!
| Talk about thoughts that breathe and words
| that burn! The manner In which that
stranger threshed the air with his arms and
used up the mother tongue was prodigious !!
| When he had finished the nagnate asked
| him feebly what his business was and where
| he had come from. The small man said he
bad graduated in real estate booming in Chi
| cago, and had pracLieed in all the principal
towns in the West. and. elevating his voice,
he stated that he was going to open a real
estate flee right in that neighbOrhood and
going to do business, too, and called upon
| every one within sound Of his voice not to
forget it, either. The cow thoroughly ex-
| hausted and vanqui>hed magnate leaned
| heavily against the fence and asked, in a
voice husky with emotion and scarcely
above a whisper, Stranger. can l post bills
| for you?
A good story about the late T. T. Barnum
| Is told in connection with the first gold ore
taken to New York after its discovery in
| California. Mr. Barnum heard of the ar
| rival of tue ore, and secured an interview
with the gentleman who brought it. The
great Snowman soon found that the arrival
from California was full of inform alton
on the subject of gold and gold mining,
and then exclaimed: You're just the
man we want. sirl just the very mani
of success, and will prove highly
remunerative to both of US, sir.
The city is wild with excitement,
as you know, just crazy with the idea of
information about how to get there, what
to do and how to find the gold. Now for
my plan. | have had prepared specimen
lump Of gold weighing twenty-five pounds.
No sham, sir-real gold. You can depend
upon it; can bring you all the certificates
you want to convince you of the fact"
But" interrupted the gentleman,
twenty-five pounds! never heard of SO
| large piece being found"
Mr.. Barnum seemed slightly taken abark
at this, and asked what was the largest
piece the gentleman had heard OF. "Seven
ounces" he replied, 'but it had not reached
San Francisco when l left"
.'Seven ounces!" exclaimed Mr.. Barnum.
"Why, that is too small. Every man who is
going out expects to pick up rocks of it!
Seven ouncesi Well. WE'LL" And he
looked COMPOUNDED for the moment. Finally
he frightened and uufolded his plan, which
was that the gentleman should prepare a
ten-minute lecture to be delivered In the
showroom Of the museum, and after it had
been delivered should answer the questions
sure to be put to him. 'We will have a
small table on the STAGE" continued Mr..
Barnum, with my twenty-fve-pound lump
OF gold upon it. AS you are talking you can
handle it; just pass your hand over it now
| and fhan-and--and-I wanldn,t have ynn