The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-08

ships. On being drawn "Ph9nix." him
self, stalwart fellow of at least 200 pounds
avoirdupois, was seen lying prone on the
deck snugly ensconced in the arms OF
PROSTATE steerage argonaut also OF hercu-
lean proportions. Arising slowly and
facing the curious crowd he exclaimed,
with the most sanctimonious countenance
imaginable: Ladies and gentlemen, this
is the first of a series of tableaux Tor the
evening. viz. fair picture of the babes in
the woods
Throughout the long voyage he con-
tributed hugely to the entertainment OF
his fellow-voyagers. Woe to the hapless
victim of his pungent witticlsms. he was
man of scholarly attainments, graduate
at West Point in the Typographical CORPS
OF engineers. He presented striking
contrast to Mark Twain. The youth OF the
latter was passed in the "texas" of a
Mississippi steamer. He had none Of the
advantages of an early education. HIS
associates could scarcely appreciate his
homely sallies and rough jokes. On the
contrary, the keen and polished wltticisms
of Derby, cutting like a Damascus blade,
were enjoyed and applauded abroad as
we'll as at home. A devoted admirer, Sam
Ward" genuine humorist, delighted in
cornering "Phenix," for at repartee he
was seldom worsted. When the "twain"
met, their flashes of wit and merriment
literally kept the table in a roar.
But the richest of all the pranks played
by the inimitable wag was on the aicalde
at Toboga, while the ship lay anchored in
the bay of Panama. A nephew OF the
swarthy native was christened, Phoenix
standing godfather to the saffron-hued
infant, in the rustic bower improvised as a
chapel, on the island. A collation. followed
the ceremony, and in the. evening a ball.
Derby, who officiated as master of cere-
monies. led out at the head of the first
quadrille a native Granadan maiden, big
as the fat damsel of dime museum. AT
the supper table he piled his chocolate
hued partner with aguardiente so freely
that she became totally oblivious. About
midnight he was seen packing her home
on his back, meantime chanting the Ave
Maria in lugubrious strains.
Derby made his final exit from the ship
at San Diego. Of his thrilling experiences
there behold! are they not embodied in
the memorable annals of "Ph9nixiana ?"
Under the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo
the Commissioners, headed by John B.
Weller, to run the boundary line between
the United States and Mexico landed from
the steamer Panama at the old hide house
immortalized by Dana in his 1.-TWO Years
Before the Mast" This was on June 1,
and on the 4th the pioneer steamer entered
the Golden Gate.
LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF MINERS LIFE.
The second Governor, I, John McDou-
gall, piloted the schooner Louis Perry
through the tortuous slough to Suffer-
vile, he at that time being interested In
real estate Whereabouts. 1t rained steadily
twenty encamped on a ridge above high
water. And if on this site the city of
Sacramento had been built the millions of
dollars lost by fire and flood would have
been saved. No sooner had tents been
pitched on the river banks than green
horns rushed, with milkpans in hand, to
the margin of the river. How their optics
the sands of the beach! And how glum
they looked when the scales turned out to
be worthless mica.
Another fiedgIing of the law, aided by
the writer. tried to drive an TX team from
Suffers Fort to the North Fork OF the
American River. Neither knew "haw"
from 'gee." The cattle consequently had
their own way. The heat Of the arid
plains was like that of a furnace. The
parched bovines broke away and plunged
through the powders to sake their thirst
in the cooling stream. One of the yoke
got wedged in the rocks. He couldn't be
extricated and had to be shot. And thus
it happened how we made our first $3.50
like unto the Hibernian's dividend.
On Horseshoe Bar, alongside of the
ninth Governor of California, mined
"Chris Lily" the renowned pugilist,
Julius K. Rose, G. D. Judah, J. G. Hyer,
Thomas Sunderland, besides other pioneer
lawyers, physicians and, in after days,
successful merchants of the metropolis.
/ NJ. Lauriat, the most noted aeronaut
of the day, walked into camp one day from
Suffers Fort. He was then 80 years old.
Toward the last of June the first prairie
schooner, laden down with besoiled
women and headed urchins, wheeled
into camp. On the canvas covering was
painted in huge capitals "Pike Co.. Mo-"
This was the pilot of the grand overland
procession of 1919.
A more intelligent, orderly and indus
trious community than that along the
North Fork of the American River during
that eventful season did not exist east of
the Rockies. Religious exercises were
held each Sabbath in the groves, "God S
first temples" Patti ought to have heard
the choir leader. He would start off on
"Old Hundred" and bring up on Yankee
Doodle. By common consent no work
was done on Sunday. But she boys would
blow out the back sand from their pans of
gold dust. wash and mend their shirts and
spread them on the rocks to dry. An
material. Red flannel was worn during the
week and blue shirts on Sunday, out of re-
spect for the day.
An Oregonian brought sack of onions
into camp one day. The anti-scorbutic
vegetables sold like Grants New Orleans
delta" at 81 apiece.
In the following summer while rocking
the cradle in a ravine q noble buck sprang
over my head and vanished instantly.
Many months afterward the now cele-
brated Alabaster cave was discovered close
by and have since thought the deer dashed
into that subterranean retreat for safety.
My partner, physician, used opium to ex-
cess. On returning from distant trading
post one day l met miner, who said CDR.
NJ. died at his rocker an hour ago." A
half-emptied bottle of laudanum was in
his hand. His was the first grave dug on
the slope of Pilot Hill above Dead Mans
Bar
An enormous machine for extracting
gold with the aid of quicksilver was
shipped from New York early In '49 and
transported to the North Fork diggings.
Of course it proved worthless. and was
abandoned by the roadside And for a
long time afterward this and that locality
was known as so many miles from the
quicksilver machine.
A RURAL FUNERAL.