The record-union., 1891-06-27
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
A Very Blue Christmas on the Com
stock Lode.
Some Old-Time Equine Trotters-Milze
Brannigan, the Notorious Hack
MANA School Fight.

did you ever hear of that stage trip
from Virginia City to Sacramento that
beat the best time the railroads made
after they were constructed?" 1t was
General William NJ. Lent who addressed
a party Of Californians sitting In an office
on Lower Broadway, killing time, as it
were, writes the Chronicles New York
correspondent. Some had and some
hadn't, and so the old time mine and real
estate operator went on: II was called
suddenly to San Francisco on some inn
portant business. The regular stage
started at o'clock in the afternoon to
catch the Sacramento boat at 2 o'clock the
next afternoon. l went to the stage COM
pany and wanted a special. All right.
They would start her out at u o'clock
that night and land us in Sacramento on
time. L invited Seth Cook and Johnny
Skae to make the trip with me. took
the front seat, Skae the middle, and Seth
had all the luXuries Of the hind one. The
driver was tied on to his seat, and two
stable helpers were told to hold on as best
they could
What wild drive that was, especially
the night part How the stage thumped
and lurched, and how we tossed and
tumbled. Down the grade we went in a
cloud ofdust through the valley at break
neck speed, and then up and down the
Sierra grades. At every twelve miles we
changed horses and stretched while the
operation was performed. But we were
on time, and like Sheridan, we We're get
ting nearer our goal every hour. At
Strawberry we loaded UP the boot with
cord-wood so as to keep the equilibrium
all right. How we whirled along that
Sacramento Valley! Dust was no name
for it.
''When we landed in Sacramento at
1928 p. NJ, twelve hours and twenty min
utes from Virginia, New, we had beaten
al records and subsequent railroad time.
We We're sights to see-blacker than real
niggers, and Seth Cooks head was bloody
from humping against the top of the
coach. We had to go to Bill Hunts Hotel
de Erance-What q place it was get a
bath, shave and luncheon before we
joined Captain New Poole on the Capital
and headed down the river. And now.
gentlemen, if you'll join me we will go
down to the club and have a glass of wine
in memory Of that drive" They all
went.
......... That year the people of the Com
stock had lean Christmas, according to
i writer in the Placerville Democrat. All
the turkeys, chickens, ducks, geese and
other extras intended for their tables dur
y
two weeks in the mountains by snow
blockade. They were piled in heaps
in the lumber-rooms of the stations
and when they at last reached the Com
stock they were exceedingly mellow"
They Were brought in hanging in
bunches beneath the coaches, suspended
at the sides Of the vehicles and piled on
the roofs.
When the coaches passed along the
main street Of Virginia City the smell
was such as to induce the belief that a
graveyard was on its travels. All the
fish intended for the Friday repasts of
good Catholics arrived in about the same
condition as the poultry. There was a
universal howl among the dealers in such
articles. They swore they would not re-
ceiye nor pay for the damaged fish and
fowls, but all were obliged either to settle
or have their future supplies cut off.
For a month after the Piute Indians
feasted on free fish, turkeys, geese and
ducks. They began to think they We're
having the fat OF the land poured out
upon them.
The eldest Of the early turfmen of
this State now living, is said to be Colo
mel Jack Gambill, now close on TO so, and
still strong and hearty. Next to him in
longevity comes William w. Burdett,
who ran "The Coach Horse in the first
race OF two mile heats ever run in Cali
fornia. This was in 1852, a year before
Colonel Gambill leased the racing quali-
ties Of Lola MOnteZ to run in the three
mile race at the ePioneer Course, which
she won. The two-mile race first above
mentioned was won by a chestnut mare
called The Charmer by Argyle dam by
imp. Leviathan, owned by Hon. John
Satterlee, then a Judge of the Supreme
Court. Mr.. Burdett subsequently owned
Wakeup Jake, Pontiac and Nebraska
Bill, but in 1853 began to turn his atten-
ton TO trotters and PAGERS. His first
venture in the sulky was with a little
bay sidewheeler called Daredevil, and he
subsequently owned a very good trotter,
Democrat, with which be won number
of races. Under the clever pilotage of
Pat Farrell, who is crowding the verge of
90 pretty closely himself, Democrat
trOtted five miles in 13:514, beating Bob
Burns, Lady Dooley and others at Sacra-
mento. Mr. Burdett drove the pacing
horse Jim McCue at Oakland in a race
where the purse was to be given to the
horse that went teither trotter or pacer)
nearest to three minutes. McCue could
go i'll 2:30, but Burdctt won the money in
making the two trials in 2:5S and 2:59. The
other contestants for the purse We're
Buckskin, Oakland Girl, Prentice Boy,
Sherman and Webster.
Am exciting occurrence took place
in the Franklin Grammar School one
day in June. Milo l.. Templeton, a
teacher, had personal encounter with
Rlnaldo X. Livingston, big boy pupil,
and whacked him over the head and
body with hickory cane. j. w. Ander-
son-now State Superintendent of Public
Instruction-Was Principal of the High
School, on the upper floor, and was
called in while Templeton was thFashing
his pupil. lie supported the action Of the
teacher, but Livingston had Templeton
arrested. James w. Coffroth prosecuted
him, and he was defended by p. l.. Ed
wards, and acquitted.
4 few weeks ago u number of old Sac
ralnentans were present at a reception
rendered to Henry 4. White at the resi-
dence OF a friend in San Francisco. Mr..
White was q teacher in the Sacramento
schools in early days. Among those
present was Mr.. Livingston, and he was
referred to in one of the San Francisco
papers as ''the youth who was so trouble
some in school in consequence of his in
dulging in ventriloquism." For many
years he was one Of the most successful
Ventriloquists on the stage.
Miss L. Mitchell, a young actress,
came up from san Francisco to fill an
engagement at the Metropolitan Theater.
she had been but few weeks in the
state. Two days after her arrival in this
ride in Mike Brannigan's hack. He took
her 10 Smiths Gardens, the Tivoli and
other suburban resorts. where she allowed
herself 10 be treated, and when she had
succumbed 10 the influence of the liquor
Br2nnlgan took her to a house at Twelfth
anu . streets, where he kept her all
night. Tie next day she had him ar