The San Francisco call., 1896-06-15
HISTORIC PAPERS
LOST IN THE BAY.
Five Carloads Of Original
Documents Dumped as
Refuse.
BUT A FEW ARE SAVED.
Private Letters of Halleck, Suffer,
Leidesdorf, Lick and Span
ish DonS.
THEY TOLD OF EARLY DAYS.
Carted Away by an Innocent Janitor.
A Letter On Selecting a Site
for Chico.
THEY TOLD OF EARLY DAYS.

Through the presentation of a number
of papers to the Park Museum by Louis
Plank of 2600 Sacramento street there has
been brought 10 light the fact that many
papers and documents which would have
been of inestimable value to the historian
of San Francisco and the State have been
lost forever.
."Some time ago, while in the museum
in Golden Gate Park" said Mr.. Plank last
evening, 81 noticed that there was no
display of documents relating to the early
history of this State and City and having
a number of writings bearing on that SUBJ
iect l concluded to donate a few"
Among the contribution are bank checks
of some of the old-time banks of this City,
such as Page, Bacon & Co., Lucas, Turner
& Co. and Palmer, Cook g. Co.; also, bill
from Thomas Sprague against the Civil
Government of California for 5000 for an
iron safe, certified as correct on the 30th
of April, 1848 by J. L. Folsom, Assistant
Quartermaster and Collector OF the Port.
Captain Folsom was at one time one OF the
largest landowners in this City. Folsom
street was named for him and he was the
owner of the properly at Second and Fol-
som Streets on which now stands the Vie
land Brewery.
There is receipt from Adolph Sutro,
the present Mayor, dated April, 1853,
when he was engaged in business at lib
Sacramento street, for two boxes OF candles,
sixty-four pounds, at 55 cents pound.
An agreement by which William A.
Leidesdorff, prominent in early history,
offering to sell TO D. Baxter lot at the
southwest corner of Battery and Sacra-
mento streets for $4,000 cash or $40,00o on
the installment plan, was among the num-
Der. This bears date of September %, 1851,
but does not give the dimensions of the
property offered.
A bill for merchandise sold to Don
Rafael Pinto of the bark MuscoVia, seized
by Henrique Richardson, the man who
laid out old Sausalito, and after whom
Richardson's Bay was named.
An order from George Hyde, first
AIcalde, dated October, 1848, directing
VIM. d. NJ. Howard, administrator of the
estate of Leidesdorff, to pay certain money
to Henry Gerke, who was well known in
early days, the owner of much realty on
the western slope of Telegraph Hill.
A receipt from Frank Ward for ribbons
and silks, bought by w. Cheds, and dated
Yerba Buena, August "a, 1846. That is be-
fore San Francisco was known.
A receipt from Robert A. Parker, dated
April, 1S47, for $25 40 for freight on a
piano and furniture from New York to
San Francisco.
A bill of goods, charged to William A.
Leidesdorff, dated Yerba Buena, July 90,
1846, and signed by Josiah Belden for the
owners of the bark Don Qulxote, from
whom the goods were purchased.
A promissory note by Leidesdorff in the
following words:
Fifty days after date I promise to pay to
Thomas o. Larkin the sum OF two hundred and
seven dollars, payable in hides.
December 8, 1S47, San Francisco.
This would show that in those days
money was not very plentiful.
There is also bill from the San Fran
cisco Gas Company against George w.
Frink showing that from April IL to IS,
1855, he consumed 1900 feet of gas at SIS