The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-02

reservation or beggarly whimper, the old
man sketched his st0rm-tossed course.
lie had been no saint, he had had his
chances, he had lived his life to the full
but now he must tie uD. He had once
owned the present site of San Francisco:
he had made lots of money, had helped
others to MAKE fortunes. had worked hard
while be could. He blamed no one for
his present pass. All he knew was that
his eyes bad gone back on him." and he
couldn't ''gO it alone any longer" Friend
less and without a cent, he asked to be
given place to live in.
According to his story. Charles Rida-
book was born on the corner of Broadway
and Chambers street. New York City, on
March "A. 1902, making him only two years
younger than Colonel j. ID. Stevenson.
he was seafarlng man, and in 1928 came
TO the Pacific coast on the good whaling
ship Don Quixote of Boston, Captain Bus
sber master and himself mate. In those
days only whalers and "hde-irOghers"
came TO this coast, the San Pedro ports
touched at being San Diego, Santa Bar
bara, Monterey and San Francisco.
Ridabock came ashore, and being of an
am0rOus dispnsitiOn-("I love the women,
God bless EN-" the old man said yester-
day)-at once contracted marriage with
one Olivia Castro. albeit he already pos
sessed the blessing of a previous wife in
New York. This multiplicity of conjugal
uelDmdIes DIT hldaDOck SAID was "a
sailors privilege" in those days.
Anyway, Olivia's father was a:wealthy
ranch-owner of the Mexican regime, and
through him his daughter inherited a
large tract, the present site of San Fran
cisco. RldabOck recognized the value of
the property. but anxious to realize upon
1t even at sacrifice offered ii in the open
market of those days for the sum of $50
There were 30 takers. No Jay Gould was
present to fOresee the future value of San
Francisco. II. w. Carpenter had not
arisen and the Southern Pacific grabbers
were unknown IN the land. Moreover
Captain Bussher of the good ship Don
Quixote grew impatient of Ridabock's pro-
tTacted matrimonial daliance, and placing
him IN irons conveyed him on board and
sailed away north. Such was the sudden
ending of RidabOck's chances Of becoming
cOnveyor of waterfront rights to a
Dloated corporation for an inestimable
consideration. About that time Richard
son of richardson's Bay fame took possess
sion of his land in Sausalito.
Rldabock made several cruises 10 this
coast. In 1882 he came out In the helve-
thus Of New London, Conn. in 1885 in the
ATmata OF the same place. He was mate
on every occasion. From 1910 to 1S4S he
conducted the ''Od Tontine" an eating
house on Wall street, New York, among
his customers being Mr. Ravens of the
Donohoe-kelly Bank. In 1913 he came
out TO California again on the ship Mem
tor, went home in her and returned to this
coast on the ship Saratoga.
This was in the mining excitement of
the coast and Ridabock Jumped right into
II. de went into mining IN Uniontown
and afterWard In Shasta and made barrels
Oh money. One nugget Of gold which he
brought to town weighed 1917 pounds.
worth from SIT TO SIS an ounce, making
the haul amount to about S27OO Then
the Eracar Riuor
the little pile went up in smoke.
Alter that came various means of gain
ing livelihood. but work was always the
m0n0tonous warp, whatever might be the
wool For the astsiXteen years Ridabock
has been herding sheep, working for Dun
the Los AlamOs and Buena Vista ranches,
near Gilroy. Eleven months ago ne
worked for DR.. Cochrane of San Jose TAX
ing care of his team, and has since visited
Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, San Luis
Obispo and Santa Cruz, at the latter place
working for Superior Judge Logan in June
last.
Up to then his age had never bothered
him or interfered with his working, but
now he found that his eyesght was going
and he turned toward his fellow-men.
gathered In greatest numbers at San Fran
cisco. He managed to do some work en-
route for maa named Lambert, propri-
etor OF the Seventeen House, wher-
ever that may be.
Finally destitute, almost blind and al
most beginning te lose faith in his own
powers Ridabock reached San Francisco
last Friday and set about looking I'D his
old acquaintance. But he had outlived
most of them. Ravens recognized him
and relieved him temporarily, but Sam
Brannan was dead and so was L. l.. Baker
and Charles Croker, for whom he had
worked building railroad 10 1860, when
that subsequent capitalist was keeping
store on j street," as the old man ex-
planned. The members OF the VIII Kittle
hrm be used to know were dead and so
was Banker PARROT.
One man. Cortelyou. to whom he had
lent funds 10 start the Miners Restaurant.
had realized large fortune by the in vest
ment and was living in Paris on the pro-
ceeds. William T. Coleman, whom he had
known> In the Vigilante Committee
troubles. had also passed away. TIE pack
ing-house OF Ed ellison on the corner of
Market and Main streets. where Ridabock