The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-26

it almost Like native. He learned French
and Italian as well, and became generally
interested in the Latin tongues and litera-
lures, and it was his intention to go south,
perhaps as far as Chile, and spend a few
years in studying Spanish literature.
what Murray and his wife did was to
go to San Francisco for time. One night
as he sat in the foyer of one OF the hotels
there he overheard conversation between
some miners and rancher from San Luis
Oblspo The miners were trying to induce
him to go to the mines with them and the
rancher declared loudly that If he could
sell his 160-acre tract at San Luis Obispo he
would go with them at once.
"'How much do you want for your
ranch p asked Murray.
"'Eight hundred dollars spot cash. said
the rancher.
"'Well, I'll go down and look it over,
and if like it l will pay you what it is
WORTH said Murray. And that Is how
Murray came to go to San Luis Obispo.
He bought the ranch and settled there.
He opened law Office in the city, and
besides practicing in the courts he trans
lated Spanish lawbooks into English and
English ones into Spanish.
"He collected splendid library OF
Spanish literature and was the author of
several lawbooks. BY and by he was ap-
pointed District Judge for San Luis Obispo.
Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, and
when he died few years ago he was still
on the bench. He was one of the best
known and wealthiest men in that
country"
ibid he ever meet Filmer in San Fran
cisco2" asked, as Mr.. Rutherford leaned
back in his chair and fingered over the
little nugget of anthony again.
81 don't know about that said the
chief wharfnger. 'You see, this is a true
story, and 1 can't end it in dramatic way
even to please Newspaper man."
But there was more of the dramatic ele-
ment in this tale than ever. Mr.. Ruther-
ford knows Murray and Filmer did meet.in
San Francisco. It was after Murray had
settled at San Luis Obispo. Besides prac-
ticing law there he started the first
English newspaper in that town. He ame
and here he met Finer. The meeting W as
accidental, though Filmer had known of
his old chum's doings here. He had
But let Mr.. Filmer tell the rest of the tale
He is a hale and hearty old man to-day,
and, though nearly 70 years old, is more
active than many men of so and most men
of 60. The Boston girl that he and Murray
both loved has been gathered to the great
majority long since, and Mr.. Filmer was
married second time before he came to
California.
IT came ont in 1885," he said, when
found him in his stereotyping foundry
the largest establishment on the coast-on
Sansome street, land Murray was already
a very prominent man here. He was chair
man of the Republican State Central Com
mitUee and one of the best known lawyers
in the State-a very wealthy and a very
learned man, and q large property-owner.
.Of course, we renewed our old friend
ship in San Francisco after our chance
meeting, and he intrusted to me the task
of buying the outfit for the SAL Luis
Obispo Tribune that was to be. And do
you know-by the way, I wonder how
Rutherford could have known lido you
know that never knew that he was in love
with that young lady? He never told me
thing about it until our meeting in San
Francisco. Then I understood why he
went away SO suddenly. Yes, Murray was
fine fellow in every way. There are
three grown daughters of his down in San
Luis Obispo now. Beautiful girls they are
too, and intellectual like their father Yes,
what Rutherford has told you is about
true. Only he's mistaken when he says
invented stereotyping. was closely con-
nected with the man who did invent the
process, and l had a chance to make some
Improvements on it.
Rutherford was printers apprentice
in Boston, and he and Murray and I all be-
longed to the Mechanics Apprentices
Library Association. That's how we be-
came acquainted. 1t was in 1843 that I
came to Boston--quite few years ago,
that; isn't it? And Murray and l didn't
come together. That's mistake. We
tossed up for who should go to America
first, and when the. chance fell to Murray
and ], it was thought best that should go
first and send for Murray as soon as I could
find place for him. got to work in
Dlckinson's printing office, and it wasn't
long before L could send for Murray. 1t
was one Of my fellow-apprentices, Warren
Richardson, with whom | first went into
business. We started firm called Filmer
d. Richardson. Do you know that Rich
ardson is in the same business there still :?
And it wasn't alone the price of anti
mony that caused my failure in New
York, though of course that played a large
part in it. But the publishers that did
business for suffered so much during the
war that it crippled NE. 1 did all the
work for Frank Leslie and the New York
Ledger and such people. When the war
broke out the New York Ledger's circula-
ton fell from $4,000 copies to 100000
Frank Leslie's publications suffered in the
same way.
"But Rutherford didn't tell you about
my apprenticeship in London, did he?
That was the real reason l wanted to come
to America. When | was Ia years old my
father apprentieed me to a London prin-
ter for seven years. He paid that printer
ESQ cash for taking me, and was not to
receive cent in salary till the indenture
had expired-till | was 81 years old. Seven
years-think of that! Well, the time was
Just half up when L took French leave.
when l came to San Francisco it was
on contract to work for Towne e. Bacon
A year after got here the firm went out
of business. Then 1 went to Painter &
Co.'s and stayed with them till the death
of j. B. Painter, when / again started in
business for myself"
William Filmer is native of Chatham,
England, and was born in 1926. A recent
number of the Pacific Union Printer says
OF him:
Mr.. Filmer commenced to experiment in the
use of the electrotype in 1849s as applied to
printing purposes, and has been intimately
connected with the art ever since.
1t will thus be seen that William Filmer is
not only closely connected with the art of
eectrotyping but may justly be termed one of
the pioneers of this branch of industry that
has been SO useful to the human race.
Mr.. Filmer's work has not been limited to
the mere mechanical detail in the arts of print
ing and electrotyping, but has advanced to a