The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-11-10

when ashore at Norwich, one of the pref
tlest sound ports of the Nutmeg State"
And here his son William first saw the
light in the year 1923. At the early age of
Il he was initiated into the profession
which he has uninterruptedly followed to
this day. He stood his watch at the wheel
of steamer owned by his father on Long
Island Sound.
He acted pilot on sundry sailing yes
sells plying between his native home and
the city of New York. Even while in his
"teens" he went before the mast on the
ship Congress around the Horn to Valpa-
raise.
All maritime men of Eye olden time
who spin yarns in the purlieus of the Mer-
chants Exchange well remember Captain
Bob Waterman, one of the smartest sail
ors and strictest disciplinarians who ever
Well, he secured the services of young
Bushnell as second officer of the brig
Hiram. and on her he voyaged to Brazil.
But another voyage, which virtually
made him California pioneer long before
the dawn of the golden era, was that taken
on the whaling ship Lowell. This craft
carried him around the Cape of Good Hope
as early as 1915, visited Lahaina and
Tahiti ran over to this coast and after
killing number of the leviathans of the
deep in the Arctic seas returned to New
London with 500 barrels of oil.
The ship Harry Lee brought the juve-
| nile ''salt" to California as one of the men,
bers of the Hartford Union and Mining
Trading Company. The captain was
T. Ravens, q brother-in-law of Rev. Albert
Williams, the first Presbyterian clergyman
of Yerba Buena and later chaplain of the
Pioneer Society. The Lee entered the
Golden Gate September 13 1S49. After
looking around at the sights and scenes of
IL IL Al j
turer struck out for the "diggings" and
did his first gold mining on the Costumes
River. But this was too slow work and
not congenial to one who had never been
out of sight or smell of salt water. So
after laying out another course and taking
his bearings he came down to San Fran
cisco and went to work on the old Com
merciaI-street wharf. He aided in build
ing the pioneer pier, getting ten "pesos"
per dav for his labor.
Along came the argonaut steamer Sena-
tor, her PROV cleaving the waters of the
"Gate' for the first time on October q,
1849. This was her virgin voyage, and
right royalty did the pioneers welcome the
stanch craft to our shores. On the other
per had to anchor for many weeks in the
Straits of Magellan to cut enough wood to
propel the craft to Valparaiso. Only two
or three passengers came out from New
York to Panama, but at the latter port no
fewer than 100 got aboard. At this time
her owners were William Niblo, James
Cunningham, Edward and Charles Min
turn, the latter acting for years as her
agent in this City.
Scarcely had the Senator dropped anchor
in this harbor before Bushnell went to the
wheel and piloted her up to Sacramento.
Interior bound pioneers eagerly paid $25
passage money, and the "hush" diggers 81
for supper and like sum for a berth.
Captain John Van Pelt commanded, but
he never talked to the man at the wheel.
In 1853 Captain Bushnell had command
of the steamer Antelope. On one trip he
narrowly escaped with his life. The boat
caught fire, and in his herculean efforts to
extinguish the flames, which threatened
the destruction of the craft, and which
| would have entailed appalling loss of lie,
he was rendered nearly insensible, but he
did not succumb until all danger to the
boat was over. In acknowledgment OF his
indefatigable and successful labors on this
hazardous mission the United States Local
Inspectors commended him highly.
The very first license to run steamers on
Puget Sound was granted to Captain Bush
nell. He made a brilliant record while
engaged in that service. He commanded
the steamer Julia and the stanch old vessel
Eliza Anderson, which was commanded so
many years by Captain d. B. Finch, now
of Oakland.
At the height of the trouble between the
United States and England Captain Bush
nell safely transported some 250 American
troops from Steilacoom to San Juan island.
This was very hazardous feat, but he
boldly faced the dangers of hostile forces
and perilous navigation. despite the pro-
testations of army and navy officers.
In 1865, when the Honduras Trading and