The morning call., 1893-03-19
THE QUERY COLUMN
First Theater Opened in
California.
ORIGIN OF "HIGHBINDER."
About Revenue Cutters-When Gas
meters Were Patented-The High
est Grade in San Francisco.

THE FIRST THEATER-O. T., San Rafael
Sacramento City is credited with being the
place in which the first theater In the State
was opened. 1t was called the Eagle The
alter. was located on First street and was
opened for the first time to the public on
the night OF OctCb Der IS, 1S49. l.. Hubbard &
Co. were the proprietors. Charles 7. Price
the manager and Y. Bona (ot New York
theaters) leader of the orchestra. The price
of admission was box seats S5, pit So
The opening piece was the drama en-
titled THE Bandit Chief, or the Forest
Speeter." with the following cast: Hilder.
brant, Mr.. Atwater; Herbert, c. p. Price :;
Carmelo. Harris; Baptisto, Ray; Valletto,
DAILY; Lucille, Mrs. Ray. This was fol-
lowed by Love in Humble Life" comedy
in which Harris, Ray, Daily and Mrs. Ray
took part. The actors and actresses of the
company were very modest, for they, with
one exception. withheld their given names.
The first theatrical performance given in
San Francisco was In January, 1850, in
Washington Rail, on Washington street,
opposite the Plaza. The company was un-
der the control of Atwater & Madison. The
bill presented included The Wife" and
Charles H." The only thing worthy of
note on that occasion was the high price
charged for admission, the large attendance
and the poor performance. The theater did
not prove success.
HIGHBNDER-W. s., City. The term
highlander as applied to Chinese was first
used in this city by q special officer named
Delos Woodruff, who subsequently became
County Judge OF Josephine County. Or.
While giving testimony in a case in the
Police Court in this city about twenty wears
ago in answer to question asked he said
"a lot OF hlghbndars came to the place, etc"
The Judge who WAS hearing the case inter
rupted him with the question, What do
you mean by highbinders ?" WoodrufT's
reply was. Why lot of Chinese hood
lums." And that's the tenn you apply to
Chinese hoodlums, is il?" That's what I
call them" was the sententious reply,
Ever since then the term has been used 10
designate Chinese who levy blackmail on
storekeepers, and who by threats and force
compel women In dens to contribute to their
support.
HIGH GRADEs-W. T. K, City. The
highest established grade in San Francisco
is the one at Bellevue and Twenty-seventh
streets. 1t is 673 feet above base The
grades OF streets in the city and county of
San francisco are computed in feet from the
base or zero. which is 7-10 feet above an or
binary high-tide mark on pile at the cor
ner of Pacific and Davis streets. The wharf
at that point is 40 feet above the base. or
$40 feet above ordinary high tide. The
grade named is between Army and Duncan
streets and four blocks west of the Castro
street line of cars.
PRESIDENT FOR A DAY-G. a. F.. City.
The man who was President of the United
States for day was David r. Atchison. an
American lawyer, who died in Clinton
County, No., on the Goth of January. 1856
AtnhIEnn w q Snp FOR Fec, a
was President pro tenn. OF the Senate on the
4th OF March, 1849. That day being Sunday.
Zachary Taylor, who was elected to succeed
POLK: was not sworn in as President until
the following day, Monday, the 9th. By
virtue of his Office Atchson became Presi.
dent for q day.
BROOKLYN BRIDGE ENGINEER-J. R.
City. John Augustus Roeblng. n native
OF Muhlhausen, Prussia, the originator of
wire suspension bridges, was theengneer
oil the bridge across the East River. com
monty known as the Brooklyn Bridge. He
was born on the 18th of June, 1sO6 and
died in brooklyn, n. Y. on the 22d of July.
1869, OF lock1aw following an injury to his
1901 received during the laying OF stone
pier OF the bridge. He was succeeded as
engineer By his son.
UNCLAIMED PRoPERTY-G. H., Vancou-
yer, b. c. The Q. c. Ices not know of the
existence of list of unclaimed real or per-
sonal property in the State of California or in
the State of Nevada, such as is published i'm
some oil the European countries. II YOU
wish to obtain information in relation 10
such property communicate with some rep
utable attorney III the place where Won
know such property is, and give him all
the details. He will be able 10 advise you.
REVENUE CUrTERs-E. G., City. The
Rush was built at Boston. the Corwin at
Portland. Or. and The Bear in Scotland.
The Bear and the Thetis were both Dundee