The record-union., 1895-04-13
THE OLD RIVER STEAMER CAPITAL.
She Was the Pride of the Sacramento
in Early Days.
But Now Is Rapidly Going to Decay
on the Mud FlRts-A Relic
of the Past.

All Californians who ever had occasion
to traverse the Sacramento River in early
days, before the effects of hydraulic min
ing drove the deep-water steamboats, into
exile and their business reverted to the
railroads, remember the grand old steamer
Capital that piled between this city and
San Francisco-the finest boat that ever
appeared on the inland waters of CaIifor-
MIA. The Call of yesterday has the fol-
lowing in reference to her, or what is left
of her:
Hall a mile or so north of the Ell Campo
picnic ground, and lying in q iathom of
water, is all that remains of the old
steamer Capital, the pride in the ''fifties'
of the Sacramento River. In the days of
her youth she had no rival. In speed, in
luxurious fittings, in all that was con-
sldered nrst-class in those times the
Capital was the queen of the river. But
her sailing days are over, and her timbers
blaze on the hearths of the Portuguese
dalrymen. The rails over which the
Legislator leaned on his way to Sacra-
mento and discussed grave and important
measures with his colleagues are pierced
by the teredo worm. and nothing remains
OF the snug staterooms, where many fair
lobbyist was Iulled to repose by the plash
OF the yellow river.
In that golden period when LOUNGES"
were as plentiful as dollars now are the
Capital was commanded by Captain
! Poole, and his beautiful wife often accom-
panied him on these pleasant voyages.
The legislators were domestic men at that
epoch. and would as soon think of going
| to Sacramento without their wives as
without their toothbrush. There was a
grand piano on board, and the quaint old
three-step waltz was in vogue, and there
were merry souls on board who didn't
mind dancing all through a moonlight
night, until the fire glow of the rising sun
FURNISHED the broad reaches of the wind
ing river.
When the Capital was in her prime
Uncle George Bromley was skipper OF
the commOdleus and fast-sailing sloop
Red Rock and had a crew of one who
was also his partner in trading groceries
for hides and horns. Red Rock, after
Which the sloop was named, was then
claimed by Commodore Selim Wood
worth, who kept two men on that dimin-
| utIve and preclpitous island to hold b is
property against all sorts of land pirates.
/ But the time came when Uncle Sam de-
cided that he wanted that rock, and
| Woodworth's henchmen unceremoni-
ously departed.
Mark Twain was the correspondent of
the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise
and was Instructed to send to Virginia
| City full report OF the launching OF the
! Capital. Now, Mark knew something less
/ about ship than constructing a watch,
and he applied to some of his confreres
| tor reliable person who could post him
| on the nautical terms necessary in the de-
scription of such an event.
He was advised to see Munph Nicker-
son, a saloon-keeper on Commercial
| street. Mumph was character in his
way, and once when he had strained his
hip and got weary of the many good
! natured inquiries about his GONZALES
cence, pinned placard on the injured
! limb bearing the information, hip bet
/ ter" and this he would expose to the
anxious visitor and then continue mix
! ing drinks. So Mark called on Nicker-
son, and Mumph began the story of the
panorama man and the musician who
| played popular and profane airs when
those pictures illustrative of Biblical his
/ tory were exhibited. an anecdote which
/ the humorist afterwerd used in one of his
! books. The story was a long one. Mark
enjoyed 1t, and before it was published
/ the Capital was launched, that ceremony.
! for some reason or other, taking place at
midnight. So the Enterprise was de-
| frauded of its technical report, but Mark
| secured some good material and never
regretted his interview.
After her service on the Sacramento
River the Capital was put on the ferry
| between Oakland and this city, and
earned many dollar for the company.
| The time came at last when machinist
and shipwright could do no more for the
old boat and she was sentenced to neg
lect and decay, thing of the past, a der
elict whose timbers are pregnant with
ancient history.