The record-union., 1892-01-16
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
The Legislature Had More Water
Than 1t Liked.
Loss of Folsom's MilIs-Charles Upsor
Killed by Horse-TiIt Between
Pixley and Wilson.


this city unusual discomfort or serious
loss. Indeed, since that time the city
proper has not been disturbed by floods,
although ten years ago some water came
into one end of it, owing to break in the
levee below.
The Legislature had been in session but
three days when the flood of 1862 came,
and the members of that body had some
very lively experiences during their brief
stay here. They had to travel TO the
Capitol (at Seventh and / streets) in boats.
On the 18th there were some very anus
Ing debates in both houses over resolu-
tons to take recess or to adjourn to San |
Francisco.
Senator De Long said he didn't want to |
have To "shin it, down an awnlng-post |
10 get into a boat every time he left the |
Capitol; besides, he couldn't affort to hire |
boats, and was too well known to be |
trusted for them.
On the 18th the water had receded from |
the main streets, but the Legislature, not |
knowing what might happen any day, |
adjourned to San Francisco, where the |
session was concluded.
As IN December, when the city was
flooded, the Howard Association took !
possession of the old Pavilion, which was
lifted up for the accommodation Of those |
who had been driven from their homes |
10y the water. The scenes of the preced- |
ing month were re-enacted, and it was a
great relief to the people when the water
subsidized again from the city, which was
many weeks afterWard.
Many abandoned their homes here
after that flood, but some of them were
glad to get back again. The city has
since enjoyed immunity from disasters
OF any magnitude, either by fire or flood,
aTssI <f
the interior. Her property values amount
TO at least $50, 100000, and include some Of
the most elegant and costly homes in the
State.
.........Ao bout the time that the staid city
Of Boston was convulsed over the publ
cation Of vile acrOstic in the Post OF that
city, addressed to SenOrita CubaS, the
dancer, Virginia Howard, the actress,
started for California. Soon afterward
the same acrOStic appeared in the ladies'
department of the California f'dTHler adj
dressed to Miss Virginia Howard, and
created a sensation
The author was never discovered, but
the discovery referred to, made from the
newspaper files of those days-namely,
that Miss Howard came here shortly after
the Boston publication and that the verses
soon appeared in print, addressed to
her-makes 1t appear at this late day as if
The old-tlme actresses were about as sharp
as those Of to-day, so far as securing free
advertising was concerned.
.........One day seven secessionists from
Grizzly Bend went dashing through Chico
shouting for JEFF Davis and threatening
10 clean out'' any Union men who might
offer themselves for slaughter.
Cap Sunderland, a strapping big
carpenter, heard of them, and, laying
down his plane, went to hunt up the
gore-seekers. He found them in Nights
saloon, and it took him just five minutes
to lay them all out, except one who, with
his bowie-knife between his teeth, crept
under the billiard tables and escaped.
1.-THE Boston Transcript thirty
years ago contained this item: General
u. w. Sherman, commander of the
Union Army now in South Carolina, was
u New England lad of limited means.
When he hrst visited Washington to OBJ
tain admission to West Point, he walked
the whole distance from his fathers
house in Rhode Island to the National
Capital. That long, tedious march re-
vealed qualities which insured his sue
cess with General Jackson, who was then
President. The old hero had wonderful
insight into character, and in this instance
was not mistaken in his man,
.........Frank PixIey and S. NJ. Wilson
came near coming to blows one day in
San Francisco court during the trial of
the Broderick will case. Pixley, in COM
menting on the testimony of the parties
claiming under the will, spoke of por-
lion Of a certain certificate as having been
Slipped in by a lawyers trick
Wilson said that if PiXley meant to in
sinuate anything unprotesSional in his
conduct of the case, he would call him an
unmitigated and malignant liar! Pixley
back.
l.
Porter Il Flenner's horse William H.
Seward and Joe Daniels General Taylor
took place over the old Willows race
track near the Mission Dolores, San Fran
cisco, in the latter part Of December, 1861.
1t was won by Seward in 80 minutes, l6t
seconds.
The track was new and slow, hence the
time was considered remarkable, being
an average of a little over three minutes
20 the mile
ION the 9th of December qS6D,
Charles Epson, brother of l.. A. Up
son and son of Lauren Epson, was
killed by a kick from a horse. He
entered his fathers stable to quiet some
horses that had been kicking one an
other, when one of the animals made a
vicious drive at him and landed his heels
on Upson's stomach. The injured youth
was rescued by his brother, but he lived
only few hours.
When the December flood of 1861
broke in upon the city James Kyle, a
carpenter residing on street, between
Ninth and Tenth, found his wife and
children on the roof of the house, where
they had climbed to save their lives. Be-
fore they could be taken off two-year-
old child fell into the water and passed
out of sight, but the family dog plunged
in, bore it to the surface and held it there
until rescued.
1.-THE Grass Valley National men
toned the fact that Bear River had by
the deposits of mining debris, been forced
from its bed and had cut new channel
for distance of six or seven miles. 1--WE
understand said that paper, that i'm
mense tracts of the finest agricultural
land along the river have been COM
pletely destroyed"
.........One evening in the latter part Of
December Special Officer Keyser went tc
the house of Jacob Merdaler, in the
alley between Front and Second, NJ and
n streets, to arrest him for beating his
wife. Merdaler picked up an ak and
struck at the officer, who shot and killed
him.
One day a gentleman of this city
received letter from a fellow comrade
of his brother in the army. The writer
was an Irishman, and his letter read
s'Dear sir: Your brother was wounded
to-day by the bursting OF shell in his
head.'
1t was during the high water o
January, 1862, that the old flour mill o
Stockton 81 Coover, at Folsom, and thu
new mill of Carroll 81 Move, at Folsom
,roro an 49,; from the flat bltwepI