The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-09-08
A PIONEERS SURPRISE.
Visit of A. W. Brockway, After an Alb
sence Of Forty Years,
The Man Who Erected the First Brick
Building Here-Surprised at Sac
ramento's Progress.

1TOSESSS'
The most interested visitor on Tuesday
night was A. w. Brockway of Browns
vile, Tenn, who arrived on the afternoon
overland train and spent the night here.
Mr.. Brockway is cashier of the Browns
vile Savings Bank, Vice President Of the
State Bankers Association and is dele
gate to the Bankers National Convention
which met in San Francisco.
What caused Mr.. Brockway to stop
over here was the fact that prior to forty
years ago he was a resident and business
man in the town of Sacramento. which
was then, as now, the distributing center
Of the mercantile trade of the northern
half of the State
AS he rode down the western slope of
the Sierra Nevada in a luxurious Pull
man coach the scene about him recalled
another time when he made the same
Journey-then weary one-down by way
OF Grass Valley and the Bear River
Canyon, with a train of wagons drawn by
oxen. That was just forty-three years
ago, and Mr.. Brockway could not resist
the desire to alight in Sacramento once
more before he died.
The old pioneer fell into the hands of a
RECORD UNION reporter soon after his
arrival, by whom ne was piloted about
the city for an hour or SO.
And you say this is the same Sacra-
mento that l left forty years agor' eX-
claimed the old gentleman, as he stood
on j street and looked up and down that
thorOughtare, with its electric cars pass
ing every few minutes and crowded with
well-dressed men and women.
1T doesn't look much like it to me-"
q a tlfrf / - l,n
There were very few good buildings here
then, though-nothing like that one,"
and he pointed upward at the stately
modern structure of the California State
Bank at Fourth and J streets.
do you KNOW" said Mr.. Brockway,
that can boast of having erected the
first brick building ever built in Sacra-
mento? Well it is so. 1t was on the
south side OF j street, few feet west of
Fourth. Myself and partner burnt the
brick down about r street, and then our
supply ran out, and we had to use a few
adobe to complete it."
On going to the spot Mr.. Brockway
said that the old building to which he re-
terred must have stood about where Van
VOORHEES, IL Co.'s fine store nowls
The Weinstock, Lubin IL Co.'s build
ing, he said, was one Of the finest bust
ness structures he had ever seen, and it
was marvel to him how Sacramento had
grown and improved since he resided
here.
Although can see your city only by
the aid of the moon and the electric
lights" said MIR. Brockway, Il can see
that 1t has an air Of permanency about it.
can only compare it with the place to
which L came in '49, and can scarcely
realize that it is the same.
Tell me-" said he, ''are these stone
sidewalks on which we are walking on
the same level that existed in 81. when
the city was tiooded?''
lie was greatly surprised on being told
that the old level was some fifteen feet
below, and thought that Sacramentans
deserved to prosper, after raising their
streets and rebuilding as they had.
The reporter escorted Mr.. Brockway to
Pioneer Hall, where it was supposed he
would meet number of the old-timers
ana possibly some acquaintance Of early
days. but the hall was empty, except that
the janitor sat there reading.
Il suppose" said the visitor, ''the
old boys are very few in number now?
and soon we will all pass away. Those
of us who were men in '49 have, you see.
really lived two lives already, and we
can't expect to last much longer"
Then visit was made to the Pavilion,
and as Mr.. Brockway alighted from the
car in front of the mammoth structure.
ablaze with electric light, he could
scarcely believe his own eyes. The State
Capitol doomed up stately at the other
end OF the park, looking like marble UNI
der the bright rays of the full moon.
while the tan-palms and majestic pines
that studded the lawns made the picture
beautiful and romantic one, and Mr..
Brockway gave expression to his amaze
ment and delight in very extravaganza
terms.
II ~,
exhibition, paying especial attention to
the displays of fruits and grains made by
Sacramento County.
Just think of it" he remarked, as he
gaZed in wonder at the magnificent speci-
mems and great variety OF fruit on the
shelves, "when / left Sacramento nobody
had eaten an apple nor a peach grown
here. l did hear about that time that
Suffer had some grapes growing at the
Hook Farm, in Suffer County, but none
OF them had found their way hither. And
now Sacramento and other counties are
supplying the East, and even England
with fresh fruit!
Il assure you that what / have seen to-
night" said Mr.. Brock way, enthusiast
cally, is more like chapter from the
Arabian Nights than anything else |
can think of. And to think that l came
near passing by Sacramento and missing
all this! Why, don't see what excuse /
could give had gone to the grave with
out improving the opportunity of setting
foot again in Sacramento and walking the
same streets l trod in the far off and good
old days of '49. Here is where l made
my money, and l am glad 1 shall be able
to tell my wife and children, when l get
home, OF what had seen here and of the
many fond memories that my visit had
called up"
Mr.. Brockway told the reporter that
himself and Mr.. Davenport Of New
York constructed the first steamer of CAL
ifornia make that ran on the river be-
tween here and Marysville. He also told
how he was one Of the charter Trustees of
the first Methodist church erected here.
and of the first preaching by Methodist.
The first services were held, he said, un-
der the spreading branches of an oak
tree that stood somewhere near what is
now the intersection of Fourth and X
streets. The preacher was Rev. Mr..
Dean.
Mr.. Brockway regretted that he could
not spend few days in Sacramento. as
he was anxious to look up the remaining
few of the residents of the city during the
winter of '49 and the spring of '50.'
His party crossed the plains, leaving
independence, Mo-, in the spring and
reaching here in the summer OF 1910
Joseph McKibben Since Congressman
was one of the party, which was origi-
nally from Pittsburg, Pa.
INCREASED TAX ROLLS