The record-union., 1891-03-08
LONG YEARS AGO.
A Bostonian's "reminiscences of Sac
ramento in the Days Of '49.
How the City Emerged Suddenly From
the eWilderness-Graphic Account
of the Fire of 1852.

forwarded to George G. Spur of Boston,
Secretary of the New England Associated
California Pioneers Of '49, bird's-eye
view of this city, with pictures Of the
more prominent business and public
buildings and private residences, bound
together in compact form and called "a
Souvenir of Sacramento" Mr.. Spur
was here in 1S49, and his fathers remains
are still buried where once stood Suffers
Fort, he having died there in that memoir
able year. In acknowledging the receipt
of the little volume referred to, Mr..
Spur relates some incidents of those
early days, and especially of the great fire
of 1852, which destroyed the then young
city, which will be read with interest.
He says:
EDS. SUNDAY UNION: Your little SOU
venir comprising a bird's-eye view of
Sacramento and its principal buildings, as
they are seen to-day, was duly and most
gratefully received a few days ago. The
package bore the postmark February 1st,
and yet it reached my place of business
promptly on the sth, having in the mean
time traversed a continent Of 1900 miles
within the space of seven days. What
required five to six months time forty
years ago can now be accomplished in
soHielniiiS l6SS lndu elSilG udyS, showing
the wonderful improvements in the way
of travel between the East and West
since the memorable year of '49. 1t is
the first picture of your city that have
yet seen, which makes it all the more
precious to me, since have had nothing
but personal descriptions upon which to
depend for the many changes that have
taken place during the past thirty
years. To my mind the city looks much
the same as when saw it last in 1854, as
/ passed through it for the last time on
my way home to the Mohawk Valley.
1t has grown, to be sure, in many re-
spects from what it was at that date, and
no doubt it has grown beautifully great
with its growth. Nevertheless, the same
facial lines exist in the man that were
formerly seen in the boy. If there is any
difference at all to be seen, it is that the
boy and the man are both merged into
one, and that the sum total has devel-
oped into full-grown manhood. l recog-
nized it at once, as / have in later years
often recognized old friends after many
years of separation.
Had you sent me my fathers photo
graph, as I last saw him, standing upon
the walls of Suffers Fort, waiving his
hat in adieu, it could scarcely have af-
fected me more deeply than did the
picture of your city, under whose bosom
he sleeps his last sleep, where erstwhile
the walls of the old fort cast their shad-
ows when the sun had gone to rest be-
hind the dim outline of the Coast Range.
1t has brought back to my mind so many
memorleS-it has awakened so MANY
tragic events in which was more or less
sharer-that have felt depressed ever
since it came into my hands; and even
now find it difficult to shake off that de-
preston.
FIRST NIGHT IN SACRAMENTO.
1t was somewhere near the beginning
of I street that we boys went into
camp upon landing at what, was
dero." 1t was in the middle of
July, and under a cluster of trees then
standing there that we enjoyed, for the
first time since leaving Happy Valley"
night of refreshing sleep. We had been
imprisoned on the river for over week,
without one hours respite. Our little
craft was so heavily laden with truck of
one sort and another that we could not
lie down to rest. Between these dis
comforts and the ravenous mosquitoes,
which refused to be comforted, we were
well-nigh exhausted by the time we got
there. Never before had 1 needed such a
nights reSt-never since have / slept
more soundly than 1 slept that night
amid the bowling of coyotes and the
croaking of night-birds on the river bot
;oms. Rolled up in my blankets, and
resting upon such leaves as could gather
about me, l fell into a profound slumber
and dreamed Of my far-otf home and the
dear old friends SO far away.
On our way to the mines on the follow
ing day we passed through what is ]
street now. 1t was then the only visible
outlet to Suffers Fort, which was dimly
seen against the eastern sky. Something
akin to ownership had already been made
on either side OF this avenue, where stalk es
and linemarks fronted tents of various
colors and designs. These proprietary
signs were seen scattered along, from
about where Front street now is up as far
as perhaps Third, when they disappeared,
and we saw none above that line.
Beyond this semblance of human life,
the entire distance between the two rivers
and as far out as Suffers Fort was cov-
cred by growth of live oak trees of
mammoth proportions. They were not
so stately in their general makeup as
many l afterwards saw along the foothills
farther north, but they We're far more i'm
posing. Among their chief characteristics
may be mentioned their prodigious size
and wide. out-reaching arms, covering in
many instances thousands of square feet.
Looking back upon them from the walls
of the fort, the eye rested upon a charm
ing landscape, dotted here and there with
groupeS of massive trees, and fringed by
streams of sparkling water.
THE CITY's FIRST BOOM.
VII blc lollOWlIlg november
for supplies l found the stump of one of
these trees in use as a table where pur-
chased my goods. l think it were safe to
state here that on more than occasion
twenty or more of us sat down together
at one time around this improvised table,
and eat our meals from 1t without the
least inconvenience. As we sat there I
noticed a shingle, suspended by cord,
which gave the measurement of this
wonderful tree. / wish 1 had the figures
TO give you, because they would be quite
interesting to your readers, could they
read them now as did then, but have
not got them. All I know is that the
figures were simply immense, such as to
leave lasting impression upon my mind.
But such marvelS were then of an
everyday occurrence, and men tumbled
upon them every day in the week. In
fact, the whole country was a marvel at
that time, as it must continue to be for
generations yet to come Why, sir, the
first time / had occasion to visit the
DAILY UNION Office in 80, was to see q
beet that weighed fifty-four pounds. 1t
was stood up in one corner of the room
and labeled with the growers name, and
to my mind it was as large as two-year-
old boy. | also saw at the same time an
onion raised on the same ranch that could
not be put into peck-measure, and, to
cap the climax, cabbage leaf was spread
out against the office wall large enough,
indeed, to make good-sized doormat.
In my wanderings about town / became
satisfied that the germ which had been
planted in June and July had taken root,
and that great city had settled down
there TO stay. What had been a primeval
forest for centuries past and gone, was
fast becoming
A GRAND CENTER FOR THRIFT
And enterprise. The sturdy old oaks
that had sheltered us from the rays of a