The San Francisco call., 1895-07-14

dates from that time From what l have
learned since my return, Spring Valley
furnishes all the water now, and l
presume this source of supply has gone to
that company also.
I'm this cove there used to be a con-
demned and dismantled old vessel of the
United States that had been employed in
the revenue service as a cutter. 1t was The
James K. Polk, and for number of years
was used as State marine hospital, a
place for the treatment of poor sick
Jack, until the Marine Hospital at Rincon
Point was opened in 1854. They didn't
have fine hospitals in those days, nor fine
asylums, nor strong prisons, but old hulks
were made to answer all purposes. For
instance there was the Cadmus, that was
used as a place of confinement for the
insane, and the brig Euphemia, that was
used as a prison, with Captain James Nc
Donald, the uncle of r. H. Mcdonald Jr.,
who I noticed by the papers helped to
wreck the Pacific Bank, in charge as
prison-keeper. By the way, is the Marine
Hospital at Rincon Point still running2"
Not as hospital. The building was
abandoned shortly after the big earth
quake of October, 1868. The building was
shaken up some, it was condemned as un-
safe for habitation and the patients were
removed TO q new hospital by the side of
Mountain Lake. Since then the building
has been used as sailors home and is still
standing and likely to stand for a great
many years, a monument to the bad judg-
ment of those who condemned it.
"Well, never supposed that that build
ing would ever be condemned, for it was
built of the best of material and in the
beet manner, as strong as fortress.
''Odd as it may appear, the contractors
who put it up did not use all the money
that had Deen appropriated for its con-
49, Nd tor,
it was finished within contract time. But
if the Marine Hospital is a wreck, what is
that wreck down there?" And he pointed
to the frame buildings at the foot of Hyde
street that are crumbling to pieces, and
from the midst of which rise two tall
chimneys.
THAT is the ruin of the Selby smelling
works that were put up in 1867 by Thomas
II. Selby the man who built the shot tower
at the corner OF Howard and First Streets
l replied, for l have pretty good memory
for old times myself. 'It was q pretty
busy place during the mining excitement
on the Comstock. Many ton of ore from
there was reduced at this place before for
tunes were sunk in and around Virginia
City in building reduction works. Since
its abandonment several years ago, the
works have been operated at Port Costa"
We moved around to the little bluff
south of the deserted smelling works and
from there the colonel took another view
OF the surroundings.
"Hallor" he exclaimed after a little
while, there has been great alteration
You've got a seawall the ground has been
extended to the north, and so many
things do l miss that 1 must take time to
think. Below and little to the left of us
there used to be a big pond which was a
tavorite place for the small boys to visit
and sail in small boats or rough RATS on
It's surface; there were also number of
shipyards at the foot of Jones and Taylor
and Mason streets. Gone, too, |
see. If l am not mistaken they used to
build schooners and ferry-boats there, and
it was right near the foot of Taylor street
that the old Cadmus, OF which l spoke a
while ago, was high and dry. After she
had served her purpose as an insane
asylum she was run ashore here and
placed in charge of a keeper, but after
time she was abandoned altogether and
the relic-hunters came to secure pieces of
her, and then the small boys came around
to carry off what they could for irewood
When last saw her she was badly broken
up hulk, her blackened tim bers proving that
for a long time she was Graded IN the bosom
of old ocean. The reason that people took
relics was not because she had once been
the home of the cranks, but because it was
the vessel that carried Lafayette on his
last visit TO the United States in 1924 In
the days of the mining fever in '49 this YES
sci, like many more, was pressed into the
service to carry passengers to California,
and after she reached here her crew de-
serted to the mines, and there being no
one to man her on the return trip, her
owners allowed her to be used for the pur-
pose have stated.
This white sand bank which runs along
here" continued the colonel, pointing to