The morning call., 1892-12-29

-5od success for some years the business Of
the newspaper rapidly declined.
Finally the owners of the Union began to
disagree and the paper was liable to fail
A great deal has been said In recent years
by tie journalistic and political opponents
OF the deceased regarding this failure, the
effort being to create the impression that it
was not exactly honorable. The truth is
that the circumstances under which il oc-
CURED were entirely beyond the control Of
Mr.. Pickering. When the crash came he
fully accepted the conditions of n failure
de made an assignment for the benefit of
his creditors and with his Invalid wife
started across the plains for California,
toward which he had long been casting his
eyes. The friends with whom he left his
business led him to believe, and be did be-
lieye, that after an honest settlement had
been made money enough would be left
with which to purchase press and other
printing material for shipment to Califor-,
MIA. de departed from st. Louis, hiuking
that with this outfit he could make a fresh
start in journalism on the Pacific Coast
AS things turned out. however, his assets
were not quite sufficient to liquidate his liza
bilities, and years afterward-to his honor
be 1t said-when prosperity had again over
taken him. he paid the last dollar due. The
circumstances attending this failure, the
destruction Of his early journalistic hopes,
the conflicts and feeling it engendered and
the vindictive use some of his journalistic
rivals many years afterward made of the
facts, which were not considered discredit-
able at the time. saddened the later years Of
his life on many occasions.
Mr.. Pickering reached California in the
fall of 1849 prepared to begin life anew
For awhile he lived with his delicate wife
in tent and, like the other pioneers of
that early period. skirmished for food. 1t
required but a short time for him to CON-
prehend the conditions Of success in the
new country. Early in 1850 he went 10
Illinoistown, in Placer County, then a
promising mining camp. and established a
merchandise store. He continued there
until past midsummer, when he returned to
Sacramento with m oderate sum of money
the profits OF his business. The tent life in
the mountains had almost completely re-
stored the health of Mrs. Pickering, and the
world was again looking bright to them.
In the latter part OF 1850 he purchased an
interest in the Placer Times, the pioneer
paper Of Sacramento. His partner was
Joseph Z. Lawrence, young man who had
editorial charge of the paper for some
months previously, the owners being E.
Gilbert & Co. Of the Alta-California The
cholera epidemic of 1850 made business
very dull for the year following There
were three daily papers then existing at
Sacramento. and In June. 1851, the Times
was consolidated with the Transcript. The
latter was owned by George K. Fitch and
Martin +. Grove, and here began the long
partnership of Mr.. Pickering and Mr. Fitch.
now sadly ended by death.
The business of the Times and Tran
script at once became prosperous. 1t was
SO prosperous, in fact, that the field attracted
other newspaper men, aud soon competition
became very strong. In June, 1852, Pick
ering, Fitch and Lawrence purchased the
In nterest Of Grove and moved the paper to
San Francisco. Mr.. Grove returned East
with wiat was then considered a compe-
tence, viz. $4,000 or $4,000.
The Times and Transcript was the rep
resentative Democratic paper of the State.
and in this city it became more profitable
than 1t had been at Sacramento. In the
summer of 1843, the owners sold it to a irm
In which Benjamin F. Washington, Vincent
L. Geiger and George Kerr were the princi-
pals. and the former became its editor.
MI tChciiuB, HOWcfci, iOUS re-
main out of the newspaper business. With
Mr. Fitch he established a banking and
stock brokerage business, but after less than
Two years they closed out this venture and
purchased the Alta California. This jour-
nal was then one Of the prominent journals
Oh the city. and under its new management
1t promised well. The partnership con-
tinued but nine months, however, when the
paper was sold TO Frederick MacCrellish.
This sale took place early in 1856. Mr..
Pickering was member of the Vigilance
Committee OF that year, and after the subsi
dence OF the agitations of that troublous
period he undertook a trip to Europe. lie
remained abroad four years. for the most
part residing in Paris, where he studied the
French language and the customs OF the
people.
In 1860 he returned TO San Francisco and