The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-02-22

was the proprietress of the Williams and
Bixley house, which was swept away by
the great fire. Among the many who were
guests at her house were Mark Twain, Joe
Goodman, Dennis Mccarthy, James G..
Fair, before he became a millionaire,
Theresa Rooney, before Fair took her to be
his wife, John w. Mackay, when he was n
mining superintendent, and the widow
that married the only one of the quartet
of bonanza kings now living, to say MOTH
ing of the bankers, merchants and mining
men who had rooms there.
When fire reduced to ashes what Mrs
Hunt had striven hard to save, she for a
time was housekeeper at the International
IN that city. but this not being what she
felt was her station, she came to this city
about 10 years ago and became the lessee
of the Washington block on Montgomery
avenue and Washington street. This
house before the opening of the avenue
had fronting on Washington street that
extended to the west line of Montgomery
street, and was connected with the upper
floors of the building adjoining on the
west, in which Tom Mcguire had his
famous opera house. In this building was
the old Lyceum theater that was destroyed
by fire in the early sixties. When the
ruins were cleared away and the damage
repaired that portion which had been the
Lyceum was converted into the first San
- .
L. Carallier was president.
After Mrs. Hunt took charge of the
house she had among her guests: Robert
Louis Stevenson, the novelist, and his
wife. Dennis Mccarthy; Sam Davis of
Carson, Ambrose Bierce, Arthur McEwen,
IL. X. Haxton, who married Miss Thi-
bault-all of literary fame. Then among
the artists who had rooms and studios
there were: Virgil Williams and wife,
Jules Iavernier, &. ID. Robinson, the ma
rine artist, Henry Roschen, Carl Won Pur-
bant, Joe Strong and wife and Lloyd Os-
bourne. DIR. Toland had offices there
and Carrie Milzner Hamilton, the singer,
made her home in the block. The old
building has probably sheltered moro
artists and literary and performance men
of San francisco than any other building
of the same size.
Mrs. Hunt was born in England % years
ago and often remarked that she was
present ut the coronation of Queen Vic
toria. She married David Skidmore Hunt,
machinist, who, after his arrival in New
York, became the best friend of Morse.
the inventor of the telegraph. and assisted
him in making the instruments for the
first telegraph line ever constructed, and
this work was done in the old BecKman
street church after il had been abandoned
by the congregation for a structure more
suited to its purpose. He also assisted in
preparing the machinery for the Clair
mont, the first steamboat built and by
Robert Fulton placed on the Hudson
river.
YES" said William Porter, the scenic
artist, "the dear old lady is as amiable,
kind and charitable a person as anyone
could ever wish 10 meet. l first knew her
in Cincinnati in 1856, where she was living
with her husband and children.
"She has but two children living. her
daughter, Mrs. Catherine Holloway Ward
of VIsalia, and a son, Prentiss G. Hunt
During her illness she has been constantly
attended and nursed by her daughter,
who has watched her by day and by night.
She has been visited by many who have
known her, and all these have sought 10
make her feel that in passing away she is
not forsaken. One of her friends was
Mrs. Sandy Rowers, the Washoe seeress,
who knew her in the state of Nevada