The morning call., 1894-07-08

When his restless speculative nature
Tired of the Smallness of the drY-goOds
business, Wilson left New York for San
francisco, where he took uD his old trade
Of butchering. He leased a stall in the
New World market, on the corner Of Clay
and LeldesdOrf streets, and pursued the
occupation till l853-54. when an unfortunate
~:atfair closed him out. His fellow-crafts-
men ii. the market aid not like the ener-
: geuc Jack. He was too smart in TAX
Ing business advantages. Wilson re-
turned their dislike very cordially.
:.0ne day a half drunken, witess
fellow pursued him through the market
with a pistol that looked formidable but
was actually useless. When he reached
:. his own stall, Wilson picked up a cleaver
End made il back-handed swinging blow
? at bis puTsuer, cutting off the cap of mis-
skull as cOOk-mald would shred a
carrot, and killed him instantly. After
this affair the butchers would not fellow
Slip Wilson al all, ana when his trial was
! over he lett the shambles aud drifted into
e. tie show business. He narrowly escaped
being sent to San Quentin; but by great
good luck the verdict of the jury let him
gang free"
: -: This was about 1854. His first regular
Introduction TO the amusement world was
= in 1857 Or 1853 by means of a couple of
trained elepnants-VictOria and Albert
that came around the Horn in charge of
DIR. Bassett and belonged to Sands. Nathan
d: Quick. They were sent out here for
exchange, and Quick. who came via the
Esthmus OF Panama, joined the party in
p. San Francisco, which place he reached
after a passage Of 140 days. He also
brought two ponies and trick-pOny
called Cinderella BY the ai1 of Mr.. John
.HendrcksOn Wilson bought the concern,
together with a canvas, for $50, 600 and
started into the show business for good
and all. At the outset he was not success
full, and after two seasons IN Oregon the
circus split up. Wilson took the ele-
plants and went down to Lower Cali
fOrnia. where one of them died from over
exertiOn, and the company wandered back
here with the remains Of the show.
This ill-luck did not deter Wilson. He
was, as before remarked, man of tre-
mendous energy, and he set himself at
work to conquer fortune. Between 1858
and 1874 be started no less than SIX dif-
feTent clrCuses in San francisco, besides
managing the Lyceum TheateT at the
nUTthwesJ corner OF Washington and Mont
gomery streets. where the earlier sessions
of the young stock board were afterward
held, long before Montgomery avenue was
cut through. The Lick lot on Jackson
street was his favoTite circus ground.
Here on two occasions he introduced
great deal of sawdust talent to the public.
linen he laid down an arena on
~Fheater and gave a circus under roof
= 1or some time. Platts Hall. where the
Mills building now stands. was
the scene of the triumphs of Ross and
carlo, the great acrobats. under his man
agement. lie also built circus on Suffer
street, where Harry Eytinge gave "Richard
III as an equestrian spectacle. The sight
81 tytlnge, who was pursv, fighting Rich
'PfOnd in the sawdust was one To lanph ar.
Then the indefa tiga bic Wilson had place
put up at the southwest corner of New
Mon tgOmery and Mission streets. his cones.
-trian card beng the famous Jimmy Robin
son, whom "Old John" of Cincinnati picked
up as boy at York Point. in St. Jnbn.
New Brunswick. The late Charley Thorne
ST.. afterward started a cheap theater in
this place, with old Dave Anderson as his
mainstay but as Dave and Charley played
the principal characters in all the nieces
produced the enterprise perished from a
too pronounced antiquity.