The record-union., 1893-01-04
"REMINISCENCES OF A PIONEER.
Richard Dale Paid $3.50 for Passage
From San Francisco Here.
Graphic Picture of the Great San Fran
cisco Fire of 1851 = Sacramento
Merchants Generosity.

Richard Dale, the pioneer merchant,
contributes to the RECoRD-UNIoN a
graphic and interesting recital of some OF
his "reminiscences of early days, notably
the great fire which swept San Francisco
in May, 1851. To reporter Mr.. Dale told
his story as follows:
In 1851 l was working as clerk and
messenger for J. w. Gregory IL Co. IS
Express in San Francisco. Our oppo-
nents were Adams Il Co., Freeman ~
Co., Dodge & Co. and Todd Il Co. There
was no Wells, Fargo 81 Co.'s Express
then.
On Saturday, May 3, 1851, we were ex-
pectlng the steamer NOrtherner, with our
Eastern mails and express matter, and as
no steamers ran on the river on Sunday,
Mr.. Gregory chartered the little steamer
Union, Captain Seeley, for 500 to take
me and our express matter to Sacramento,
on condition that no other passengers or
mails should be allowed on board.
went to bed quite early in my little
cabin on Vallejo street, expecting to be
called during the night l was sound
asleep at midnight, when I heard terri
bic racket at the door. 1t came from our
messenger, who called out:
sect up, quick the steamer Northerner
is teiegraphed, and San Francisco is i'll
flames -
Jumped out of bed, opened the door,
and what sight was before me! Tele-
graph Hill was one blaze of light; lighter
than in the daytime. Men, women and
children were climbing up the hill from
all directions, carrying on their backs or
in their arms all that they could save of
their worldly possessions.
Looking south from the corner of
Broadway and Montgomery streets one
could see acres of fire and flame-houses
by the hundreds, and merchandise by the
millions melting into nothing. 1t was a
grand sight, but costly enc. The streets
being planked with heavy planks, all
went with the rest.
l hurried across Broadway Hill to
Stockton street, got our horse and wagon
out of the stable and drove to the end Of
Meiggs' wharf. There were no signs of
the steamer, nor of Mr.. Gregory. | was
told she would not be in for one or two
hours, so | drove back to the stable and
then walked to Washington street to the
Il Gd CdtVOTnid newspaper office, then
located opposite Portsmouth Square, be-
tween Dupont and Kearny streets. | or
dered 300 copies of the morning paper
and was told to come back in one hour.
AS every other newspaper in San Fran
cisco was destroyed, L had to get the Il Ltu
or none at all.
l waited the hour, but all I could get
was 100 copies. | paid them their price,
ten cents copy, amounting to SIS, and
started for the stable. got the horse and
wagon, with one big sack full of San Fran
cisco mail matter, and drove to Meiggs'
wharf. Mr.. Gregory bad just arrived,
and we put all the express goods in the
wagon, drove along Stockton street to
Broadway, and then as far as Sansome
street, but we could go no farther. We
hired three men and with myself) car
id 4l.o+
as we could go on Pacitic-street wharf,
for the wharf was on fire in several
places and the smoke was dense and
binding. The men charged me $40 each
and they earned the money.
then hired q small rOW boat for $40 to
take me to Rincon Point, where the
steamer Union was lying. This, with
the 500 paid for the steamer, made $3.50
for single passage to Sacramento. AS
soon as l got on board the steamer
started, hugging the Oakland shore. for
the bay was covered with burning en-
bers, and the ship captains had to keep a
sharp lookout that their vessels did
not catch fire.
Passing Goat Island, what a sight it
was! never can forget it. From Bren-
ham place to California street, clear
through to the waters edge, was a sheet
of fire. Several store-ships went also;
then along Kearny street on the east side
to Pacific, to Broadway, then to Battery,
to Vallejo, taking in all the wharves and
planked streets, only few, very few,
brick buildings escaping. 1t was grand
and magnificent but appalling sight.
AS we got into San Pablo Bay daylight
was breaking. We reached Benicia at 9
or 10 o'clock, gave the first news and gave
each of the steamer Captains copy of
the A LtG. 1t was after dark when we
reached Rio Vista, and at o'clock Mon
day morning we arrived in Sacramento.
L got dray and hauled my express
matter to our office on Second street,
where the telegraph Office now is, oppo-
site the Arcade. | then took my bundle
of Atlas about 140) and stood at the
butcher shop at the corner where the d.
O. Mills Bank now is-and sold them, as
fast as l could pass them out, at 81 each.
Before L could get to Third and J streets
all were gone.
The tire-bells now began ringing, and
Sacramento was in whiri of excitement,
1t was election day for Mayor and Coun-
cilmen, but the people did not care much
for the election; they were too much ex-
cited about the fire.
then went back to the Office, changed
my $40 into gold, took a bunch of East
ern letters to deliver, charging each one
dollar for an Eastern letter this was
the Office charged. Soon after bell-men
that the steamer Senator Il think it wasI,
Captain Van Pelt, would leave TOR San
Francisco at II O'clock. Our agent, G. +.
Clarke, advised me to go. He made up a
San Francisco bag for me to take along.
There were quite number of San Fran
cisco merchants and politicians in Sacra-
mento on that day, and among them was
Senator Gwin, who was here looking
after the Wing ticket. The merchants
were taking orders tor goods which after
wards they could not fill, as all was in
ashes.
We left at II o'clock, but before we left
many of the Sacramento storekeepers
were at the wharf urging the passengers
to tell their San Francisco friends TO be of
good cheer, that they would help them.
''Tell Them" they said, "to draw on US,
and we will pay them in full, without
discount, and will advance them money
if we can"
After we started there was a crowd
around me all the time asking me where
and how the fire commenced-were their
places gone; was there any hope, or was
all lost? ! did not drink nor smoke
then; if l did L could have had all the
liquors and cigars | wanted, free.
g. B. Post had fine frame store filled
with goods. l thought the poor man
would go crazy on the boat, when he
found out that all was gone. (He after
wards went to lunatic asylum.)
One poor man was like mailman. He
&C. 20 4 q a.