The record-union., 1894-12-21
One of the Genial Janitor's Character
istic Yarns.
How He "Toted'' a Pretty Mllliner
Through Ten Feet of Water
to n Steamboat.

hAot III IStiilaS III I Oall.OTHid =!
Like a prince, sir" replied tile doc
tor. Il was a curiy-headed boy then,
and my pockets We're full OF siugs-fifty-
dollar gold pieces. They don't have that
kind of money nowadays. 1t was the
Christmas Of 1852. just think. forty-two
years ago! Sacramento was a snail place
then. There was hardly house east Of
Tenth street, and there wasn't two dozen
what you would call good structures in
the city. They We're tlimsy affairs. a ma
jority of them made of rough boards
stood on end, with canvas roots.
only the month before, in the first
week OF November, occurred the mem
OrabIe lire of 'o2. The tOwn-4or it was
only a town then was literally swept
from the face of the earth, ana millions OF
dollars " enJ up in smoke.
40 add TO the distress of the citizens,
this was followed a few weeks later by a
fearful flood. There were no levees to
speak of, and the river covered the
ground from Front street To HeIvetia
Cemetery.
During that flood l saw the water on
ana II streets from six 10 ten Ieej deep.
The only means OF travelling was i'll boats.
This, mInd you, was before the city was
raised 10 what is called the high grade.
tOuNIIl ilOOtl "OOIIl 10 UllSLlS III lOSSl DI0
to-day.
the people on the Yolo side of tho
river were the greatest sufferers. l was
running Il small ranch just south ana
west OF Washington. | had four men
employed, TO every one Of whom L paid
500 month, too. We all ate and slept
in a one-room board house, about l4xl6
feet in size.
''By the way, l was a pioneer in the
swine and poultry business. L had four
hogs, worth 500 each, and TWO dozen
chickens. worth $40 apiece. W hen the
flood came up, all of my men except one
struck out for the city. L wanted TO save
my poultry, so brought them into the
cabin and let them perch OH the rafters.
NV hat In the mischief to do with my
pOrkerS was puzzle. They were sure to
drown, for the water got 10 be six feet
deep. L had no inel, and no means of
boiling water, At last | Killed them, and
as sure as my name is Or. Curtis, we
shaved them. y es, sir; with an old razor
that had brought with me from South
Carolina, we shaved those hogs. 1t was
big job, but just at that time pork was
worth one dollar Il pound.
After the hogs had been shaved my
last man concluded that he also would go
to town. | told him to get out, that |
would stay with my meat and birds, as
they represented the sum total of my
earthly possessions. l killed the hogs on
the I'D OF December. l had nothing in
the house To eat, and was just about as
uncomfortably situated as any man pos
sibly could be. | could hear the Bragdon
and other steamers pulling away as they
passed up and down the river, but l had
no means OF hanging out a distress sig
nal.
Three days afterward, on Christmas
day, 1852. the first spent in the State, L
heard the splash OF oars approaching the
cabin As they neared the door heard
the familiar voice of Hon. y. Greene Cur
tbs. He had charge OF a boat crew that
was distributing Iood for the HoWards
throughout the inundated district. l
heard him say: Boys, pull for the cabin;
l think L have friend in there who may
| be IN Distress When they discovered
me the Judge said: Hello, jim! We
have brought you some grub and cloth
ingn
My teeth were chattering. 1 didn't
! want grub, and L said: Judge, have you
any whisky aboard?
Nv hiskyn he repeated, Indignantly,
! Il would have you understand, sir, that
! the Howards are not dispensing liquor !!
| You can have some Hour and leans
~ replied, very hotly, TO - with
your flour and beans 1t is whisky or
nothing with me!'
II would not accept their grub, aud
! they rowed away That afternoon two
OF my men came back in whitehall
and brought me to the city. l stuck TO
my pork and poultry, and as provisions
were scarce, l realized several hundred
! dollars on them.
The Howard Association, sir, is a
! noble institution. 1t was instituted i'll
| this city during the time of the cholera
! plague III 1870, and they have been doing
! good by dispensing iOod and clothing 10
! the poor and needy for the past forty i've
| years.
| ION Christmas Day, after I had dis
! posed OF my dead hogs aud live chickens,
! l was strOlling down / street, when
/ met Miss Della -, young mIlliDer.
! She had been burned out, and almost
| drowned out. She had, however, secured
! q small room at Sixth and streets, and
/ wanted to put in q stock OF new goods
! She had plenty Of money. As ! was pass
| ing she called me in and said: Jimmie,
! | want TO go 10 san Francisco on the
! steamer Bragdon. Go down and tell jeff
/ Wilson / want him to come up and carry
! me down to tine steamer Old jeff was
colored man who was running Il co tfee
and dCughnut stand on Front streei.
Certainly, Miss Della SAID |, L will
do So l went down and saw Wilson
and said 'Jeif, Miss Della wants you to
90 up and carry her down to the Brag-
F.! don.
Can't do it, sah.' the darky replied.
/ business is too good
And so ii was. The old fellow was
! pouring out coffee as fast as he could for
! two bits d cup, and the sinker that went
] with II was worth a quarter more.
/ i went back up the street, Wading
! through the mud knee-deep. There was
! no conveyance of any kind in town, and
40 sidewalks. l said: Miss Della, jeff
/ says he cart conie. He is dong too good
business
We'll, sir, the girl cried. She said ::
Jimmie, / must go! You Will carry
lne, now, won't you?'
ell, L didn't know what to saw.
/ Finally 1 said, Well rll do ,he best /
can, Miss Della. Pye been celebrating a
| little to-day, and feel pretty full. NAV
1all down, but l'Il DO the best | cam
Il stopped down and she got astride of
! my neck, and put my arms around her
feet, III front Of me. Well, gentlemen. |
( went into the mud up to my knees at
every step, but l made the trip and
landed my precious burden on the steam
! er's plank.
Coming up town afterward | felt like
! imbibing little something, 10 warm the
inner man aud revive me after the severe
! eXertIou. L stepped into a saloon tent
about where the Water Works building
Is now. Nnen L put my hand in my
| coat pocket l found something wrapped
up in . paper. 1t was two siugs-Si,}Di
! " bile was carrying Miss Della Oh INV
shoulders she had wrapped them up and
! dropped them into my pocket!
! Nv hat became OF Miss Della? Oh she
/ married q man by the name OF Hill. and
! they moved up 10 Iowa Hill in Placer
County. iicr husband died some wears
/ ago, but she is still hale aud hearty
woman. bat little older than she was in
/ 'o2, Ike the rest OF us. There are no
! slugs HowadayI.
"1-yes, thank you, 1 d-don't care if
! 90; but. barkeep, nothing stronger than a