The morning call., 1894-12-09


! she came, resulting in so Overcrowding
| her that the passengers bad scarcely Sleep
! lng-roOm on any part of the vessel. make
| an interesting chapter in short biography
which is still in manuscript. The arrival
| OF the California at San Francisco discov-
cred village here. and the landing of her
| passengers was the beginning of the
| hurly-burly that has developed into the
city of to-day.
The following is a description of the
town and the time as taken from this
manuscript:
| Among the more important structures
! erected at this period was stone house
built by Mr.. Robinson on the lot now
corner OF Sacramento and Leidesdorff
| streets, which lot at that time formed the
skirt of the bay, where in high tides its
waters beat against the side of the house.
and where lighters, secured a its very
door, embarked from thence the millions
OF goldduSt that found its way to all parts
| of the world.
SIT was the busiest spot in town, and
| often the scene OF many fracas between
| applicants for passage to Panama as they
crowded forward, eager to be foremost on
the occasion. For oftentimes it was very
| difficult, then. ~ obtain q berth on board
OF either of the steamers except by appli-
| cation some days in advance of their de-
| partnre.
''As might have been expected from the
| crowded state OF these vessels there was
|
| generally, and particularly among those
from New York via Panama. and the con-
! sequence was that on their arrival in San
| Francisco il required but little persuasion
FROM the quack lawyers about to induce
| some one of the disatfected to commence
! suit for damages and then divide the plum
der got, If any, between them.
| I'm this way the steamship company
| had TO disgorge large amounts from their
golden Golfers. and oftentimes very un-
| justly, too. For In many cases IL was to
pay some disagreeable individual who had
been taken on board as particular favor.
| and who, 10 secure his passage, had
| offered to put up with any Inconvenience as
| to accommodations and comfort.
The dingy little courthouse on the cor
ner OF Clay street and the plaza was on these
occasions the scene of many a ludicrous
scene. and as the premises were some
| what limited as to proportions, the jurors
were obliged 70 settle upon verdict with
out rising from their seats, when the al
most inVariable charge of the Judge was
concluded in the following grave and rev.
erend terms: Gentlemen, you have the
case before you, so you will decide upon a
verdict where you are, whilst [ go out for
| a drinkp
Not only the lawyers were reaping a
! bonanza, but the doctors also had good
| luck III their department. inasmuch as the
! afflicted miner soon came joGrneying in
| from the mines broken down in health
from constant exposure and unaccustomed
hardships that In many cases resulted ia
| tally
The neighboring graveyard located on
the hillside sloping toward the north
| beach told the tale of daily woe, while It's
| grassy mounds side by side proclaimed the
numbers who had died from lust of gold.
| up to this time no decisive step had
| been taken by the Pacific Mail Steamship
| Company toward securing a proper depot
| for the company's steamers. Mr.. Robin
son returned to New York at the call Of
| the directors on this business, and at
meeting called to decide it set forth his
| views as 10 the different locations which
| had been recommended. He found the
| home directors strongly inclined to locate
| elsewhere. than at San Francisco, and,
though himself opposed to such move
| ment, was disposed to yield to their iudg-
ment. The order Of their choice was first
Angel Island, then, If that be found unfit,
| Mare Island, and finally Benicia. 1t was
| decided al once. however, TO secure prop
erty in the latter place contrary to the ad-
vice of Mr.. Robinson, and steps we're i'm
mediately taken to that effect
| after expanding over $4,000 he urged
the abandonment of the site in favor of
San Francisco. which he had been offered
| by the Municipal Government gratis all
that would have been required for his pur-
pose, and the same property to-day would
have realized for the company three or
four millions of dollars.
Strange to say thar subsequently the
company changed their views, and after
the resignation of Mr.. Ro binson they, at a
| considerable outlay, purchased their pres
ent location, which is but a very small
portion of the donation which the city had
previously offered gratuitously. BY this
| movement Benicia died a natural death
and Angel Island was unjustly claimed by
| the United States Government. Mare
Island, that in reality was known as public
domain, cost two or three hundred thou
sand dollars before cent was expended
IN the way of improvements for navy
yard.
"From the change in the character Of
constant arrivals from Australia and other
| countries, the population became infested
in time with criminals of the worst charac-
ter, who boldly committed murder, rob-
berry and arson without fear of chastise-
ment,. which consequently led at later
period TO the organization among the ciLi-
ZenS OF vigilance committee, in order to
ria the country of pest that was DESTROY
| Ing its welfare and tranquility. Fires were
| numerous and alarming. and as the means
of subduing them were feeble in the ex-
treme, large portions of the city were fire.
quenty destroyed. For it was only with
buckets Of water that the citizens were
able to battle with the flames in their Vio-
lent course of destruction"
Mr.. Robinson is the author of little
volume entitled Life in California" pub
lished in New York in 1916. which Pro-
lessor Josiah Royce in his american
| commonwealth" speaks of as one OF the
best and the only American account of
life in early California.
1t is OF Mr.. Robinson that Richard Fl.
Dana in his "Three Years Before the
Mast" speaks as ''the bloody agent
because he, az Mr. Robinson explains it.
sent the young navigator back where he
knew his father wanted him. In a later
edition Dana makes very proper apology.
Mr.. RObinson's wife died soon after her
return here 10 1856 He has had seven
children, but only one, son (Jamesl Is
living. After he retired from the agency
| of the steamship company he became
agent of the great Stearns estate, as which
he continued until age and i'll health COM
PEELED him to retire from active business
life.