davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03

often listened with tears in my eyes and
thrills of emotion In my heart when he
was addressing audiences in early days IN
California. He had lett California ana
gone to Oregon, where they had the good
sense to elect him United States Senator.
When l got to Washington the warmest
grasp of the hand that 1 received l got
from him. / was invited to his house and
into his circle of friends
After | had been there few days
Baker said to me, Il must introduce YOU
to President Lincoln OF course. that
was what wanted above all things Just at
that time, and l didn't want and couldn't
have had better auspices So he gathered
up party of q half-doZen men whom he
desired to INTRODUCE and we went up by
appointment to the White House. 1t was
long ago-thirty- years ago-and yet in
the yividnesS of my recollection it some
times seems as if 1t were but yesterday. l
didn't have the impudence to think that
was going to have a talk with the Presi-
dent about the affairs of state or about
politics generally, but did long to see the
man whom for some years l had admired,
ana may say almost veDerated. had
watched his contest with Douglass. read
his speeches and closely observed his pub
lie action afterward.
ut was the fulfillment of a great ex
pectatlon; 1t was an inspiration to see him
face to face. When we went into his
private office and stood there in his pres
ence my qualification was very great. 1
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03

ers. He was "down to cases. in his
finances, and, when he reached Visalia,
concluded to recoup his fallen fortunes by
starting a saloon in the thick of the min
! ing district.
Wilson's stock in trade was barrel of
thick glasses. He managed to get these to
place near a canyon, where there were
nearly 200 men at work and the road con-
tlnued on to extensive workings farther up.
All trade had to pass the place he picked
out Tor his saloon. 1t took him q whole
day TO get ready for business.
Two redwood trees of the right size grew
in convenient spot, and Wilson chopped
them off about seven feet from the ground.
The upper portions he cut into logs that
he used for frame work by placing one
end on top the stumps, and letting the
other end rest on the hill at the back
They were joined in the regulation style
of shakes to be obtained, and with these
Wilson constructed bar and shelving and
put sides and q roof on his saloon. The
structure was not worth more than $40,
even in those days.
The next day Wilson opened for busi-
ness by filling his bottles from the whisky
barrel, putting his glasses in convenient
places, sharpening his bowie-knife and
seeing that his revolver was properly
loaded and primed with fresh caps.
The first days business was enormous,
and Wilson had to hire an assistant bar
keeper to serve whisky at one dollar
small glass. But as it happened the very
worst characters in all California had con-
eregated in the Mineral King District, and
before night there had been several fatal
fights in front of the saloon. The bar
keeper took a number of drinks during
the day and then came to the
conclusion that he had as much
right TO the bar as his employer
and instead of accepting days pay for
his work, insisted On a ''divvy" of the
profits. Argument followed, then pro-
family, that was cut short by series OF re-
ports of revolvers. The saloon had
changed hands, and Wilson was dragged
to the roadside after the new proprietor
had emptied his pockets of the proceeds of
the days business.
During the few weeks following the sa-
loon had a new proprietor every few days,
and each change. with one exception. was
the result of killing. The man who killed
Wilson was lynched by the miners the
next evening, and while the stringing-up
process was going on short distance
away two other men had attempted
to take possession of the saloon
One OF them was killed and the other
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03

the others, however, stopped at a
camp much nearer and obtained a
large demiiohnful and had the sa-
loon in good running order with the
old bottles and glasses before the others
got back. 1t seems strange that the new
arrival did not start a place of his own
near by instead OF fighting. But he didn't.
he at once flew into rage and took shot
at the man In possession, which missed its
marx. Several shots were then exchanged,
but the man in possession held the fort
and added a barrel of whisky to his stock
in trade. But there was plenty of whisky
on the way 10 Mineral King, and all the
owners of the different barrels wanted the
original saloon. Every man that owned
it after that was killed, so that there was
soon prosperous graveyard in a gravel
bed in the river bottom near bv.
The last proprietor remained in possess
sion week. but so much whisky had been
brought to the camp that a couple
of barrels had to be left on hillside where
the miners came and filled all manner of
receptacles with the fiery fluid and had no
need to pay dollar glass. This angered
the proprietor and he went on cunning
expedition that ended in his being lynched
and the miners dividing his stock among
them.
This ended the bloody history of the
first saloon in Mineral King. The miners
soon left the locality, but the saloon had
been so strongly built that the frame re-
mains standing to mark one of the blood
lest spots in the West. Nearly forty men
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03

shall never forget his appearance and the
impression he made upon me as he slowly
rose from his chair. / thought / was
pretty tall-over feet high--but when
standing close beside him 1 had to literally
look up to him, look up to see himl And
l did look at him, and he did seem to
tower above me and above ell others in the
room.
Baker introduced this and that gentle
man to Mr.. Lincoln. and at last came to
me. / remember his words, This is Mr.
Staples of California And then he went
on 10 say that was so-and-so, using some
Hatterlng terms which, of course, | am
too modest to repeat. Perhaps they were
not altogether true. But certainly he
introduced me in a very handsome way
as Baker could do. Lincoln grasped my
hand cordially when he heard my name
Staples-and repeated it with words of
welcome, and, while holding nv hand.
turned to Baker and said:
" Baker, do you remember our old
friend Stapleton out in Illinois? 'Oh,
yes replied Baker; but this is Mr.
Staples, not Stapleton.' Yes, yes, / un-
derstand that retorted Lincoln; but you
knew StapIeton? 4 remember HIM we'll,
said Baker. Well responded Lincoln
the old man hung himself And then we
passed on.
II had a chance" resumed the narrator.
to see Mr.. lincoln closely again under
very different circumstances, such as were
calculated l think TO bring out some of
his characteristics one stormy dav.
There are persons in this City, perhaps in
this room, who will know whether l am
telling of the scene exactly as it occurred.
So far as l describe it you will believe that
do SO as correctly as my memory enables
me.
"There had been such bitter conten-
tion between the two factions of Califor-
mans in Washington that season, led bv
Simonton on one side and some of Bakers
frie ends on the other, relative to the distri-
button OF offices on this coast that Lincoln
declared that he was puzzled or confused
about the matter. He desired that the
Californlans or deputation from each
side of the controversy, should come to the
White House at o'clock on a certain
morning and make their respective views
and wants known in person.
$50 il was agreed that on a certain
morning there should be an appearance
there at the White House of those who
wanted to represent how the controversy
arose and existed and what the desires of
the respective representatives were. / say
was something of SAD condition OF
affairs, for there were certainly good men
ion both sides Of the fence. Stanford was
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03
A GIANT AT NINETEEN.


Seven feet four inches is the height of
is engaged in the merry-go-round business
in connection with f. A. Smack at Her
mann and Valencia streets in this City.
He was born at Spanishtown, San Mateo
County. His father was a prominent
physician of Halfmoon Bay.
His mother is yet alive, and he is the
youngest of four children, two girls and
two boys. His sisters are dead His
brother, who is six feet four inches tall, is
engaged in the timber business about Red
wood City. His father was quite large
man, but his mother is not above the
average size of women. At his birth the
boy was not very large child. He did
not show signs of becoming giant until
13 years of age, when he began to sprout
out and grow at the rate of an inch
month, and although he has now reached
walk under his outstretched arm, he is
still growing and expects to reach height
OF eight feet.
One might suppose that his rapid growth
has materially leSsened his strength but
such is not the case, for the boy is young
giant, and with the exception of some
what rounded pair of shoulders, caused,
he says, from always stopping over to lis
ten to a conversation, he is a well-devel-
the strength of Hercules. He can lift a
300-pound weight with the greatest ease.
Possessed of rather boyish features, he
is nevertheless shrewd and quick. witted
young fellew. His high standing in the
community Is one OF natures own endow-
ments.
Wnen asked if his enormous size gave
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03

there, but he did not take an active part
in the controversy. He was then a can
didate for Governor, and deemed it pru-
dent to hold aloof from the factional dis
putes.
Colonel Baker had been invited to take
breakfast with President Lincoln that
morning. He came into the room with
Lincoln. There was a long table there,
and on the left was an old-fashioned desk
such as none of US would have in his Office
in this City if he could help it'll The first
man who spoke up was a Mr.. Nunes.
Maybe some of you remember him. Well,
he was a pretty stirring fellow, and for
aught 1 know pretty good man. He
went on with the reading OF a paper. It so
happened that l got pushed up to the
front so 1 could see and hear distinctly.
Simonton stood near my right and Baker
sat at the table with Lincoln opposite.
Well. Nunes began reading his paper.
The substance of it was that
if the President,would appoint to Office in
California and on the Pacific Coast such
men as he and his associates, or those for
whom he spoke and recommended, they
would guarantee that the State of Califor-
mia and the Pacific Coast would be and re-
main Republican.
After he concluded, the paper was
handed over and laid on the table within
reach of Mr.. Lincoln.
Then Mr.. Simonton spoke up. He
read paper in which he abused Colonel
Baker, the Senator from Oregon, and a
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03

longtime friend of Lincoln, in the most
violent and vituperative manner. | won't
attempt to repeat all he said in this
diatribe. You can judge of it by q few in
dications. He SAID that Baker was an as
sociate of gamblers and all that class of
persons. Baker sat there listening to it
all. | thought l could see a dark frown
gathering on Lincoln's brow as the read
ing went on. Well, Lincoln heard it all
without interruption; but as l said it
seemed to me as if | could read growing
storm prophesied by his countenance.
when Simonton got through he gave
the names of those who indorsed his posi-
ton, and the names of those men whom he
insisted should be put in office. And
when he came down tC one name Lincoln
turned to Baker and exclaimed, why.
Baker, that is one of your friends When
Simonton finally finished the paper was
laid on the table.
''Mr. Lincoln then said, is this paper
tor meT Mr.. Simonton replied, Yes. it's
for you, Mr.. President, but / may want to
make some emendations.' Mr.. Lincoln
replied, III it is for me, let me have it
now and it was handed to him.
Then Lincoln took up Mr.. Nunes' paper
and said: This paper seems to be re-
spectful in tone, and / will keep it for
further reference, but this one (taking up
Simonton's paper l will burn in the pres
enoe of the man who wrote it, And he
at once stepped over to the fireplace and
reaching forth his arm stuck the paper in
the fire.
You can imagine more about that scene
from what 1 have told you than could
undertake to sketch or state to you in de-
tail. The President of the United States.
insulted by the wanton abuse of his old
time friend-the eloquent and gallant
Baker-resented it as personal affair.
"Baker sat at my left, and he leaned
over and whispered: Staples, can't you
say something in reply?'
II immediately spoke UP. Mr.. Presi-
dent'-but Lincoln put up his hand and
exclaimed:
Not word; not word. l don't
want TO hear a word. l have known
Colonel Baker twenty-five years. / have
known him better than any of you know
him, and / don't want any defense of him
from any one.
s' Now Mr.. Lincoln went on to saw. aif
any of you Californians other than those
who have spoken want to make any re-
quest OF me, want to hear it now.' But
no one said word, so far as I can recol-
lect After pause, the President said:
Now l have request to make of YOU,
l want you to go home. You will be
needed in California-far. more needed
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03
there than here and then we filed out of

there than here, and then we filed out of
the room.
''I have gwen you an outline of this in
cident," continued Mr.. Staples, because
| thought it strongly illustrative of the
character of President Lincoln l could
tell you of others, as l saw the President
often during my stay at the CAPITOL that
season. But nothing so deeply impressed
me with a sense of his discrimination and
dignity and justice and courage as this
scene. He was surrounded bv 10000
office-seekers who had been kept out of
official positions for years by the Demo
cratic party and who were most anxious
to get into Federal berths. He had most
vexatious trials of his patience and good
nature.
while there we were asked if we were
willing 10 join an organization to defend
the public buildings and property of the
Government. So l went up AMI Joined the
Cassius NJ. Clay Battalion: There were
about 800 of Us. James w. Nye, afterward
Governor and Senator from Nevada. was
there. Young Sumner, who contributed
so much on this coast to saving this por-
ton OF the country to the Union, was our
orderly sergeant. l saw the Massachu-
setts Sixth when it came into Washington,
and was one of those who were ordered
ont to receive it. l was almost convinced
that it was my duty to enroll myself
among the military defenders of the
Republic when L decided to consult
Colonel Baker l said to him: Baker.
1 want to stay here-on this side:
but 1 want your advice about the matter !
Among other things, [ showed him one or
more letters which he read. After reflect
ing little while he said, Staples, go home:
that is the place for YOU That decided
me. That prevented me from entering
upon military career, whatever it might
have been. | have no doubt that it was
sincere advice and very likely the best of
counsel. So it was not my fate or fortune
TO be numbered among the number of
those who composed the great army of the
Union in the field under military COM
manders, but as a civilian 1 did what I
could to sustain the great cause for which
you fought and in which you triumphed." >"
Mr.. Staples, in recalling incidents OF the
dramatic scene at the White House when
President Lincoln burned the Simonton
paper, said that among the Californians
present were Ira p. Rankin and Willard B.
Farwell. George Butler of San Francisco. a
brother of Ben Butler, was mentioned by
Simonton as a gambler. Baker was CEN
sured for associating with Butler. One of
Buffers sons was so indignant that he
sought Simonton to settle the affair per
sonally. When the Californians left the
White House after the memorable scene
the personal feeling and bitterness were so
strong that bloodshed seemed inevitable,
but it was averted.
Horace Greeley and Mr.. Staples were fast
friends. The friendship began when the
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03

scalp had been erszed bv I bpIet Unf a1e5 and
other had disabled his left arm He was
ready for the lynching party, however,
and opened fire on them as soon as they
came in sight, but in few seconds fell
back on the whisky barrel fairly riddled
with bullets
For about ten minutes the saloon was
without an owner and the air was filled
with pistol shots, while the lynching party
settled the matter among themselves. The
new proprietor was young man about IS
years old, who had jumped behind the bar
almost as soon as the fight commenced
and did his shooting with one of the cor
ner posts between him and the rest of the
combatants. This mans name was Car
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03
HERE is still standing in the old
II Mineral King Mining District in
III the southeast portion of Tplare

E@ HERE is still standing in the old
Mineral King Mining District in
the southeast portion of Tplare
County the remains of the first and
only saloon ever opened in that
section during the great gold excitement
of about 1856. The ruins are unlike any
others in existence. From distance they
look like the crumbling columns of an
ancient temple, but close inspection
shows that the structure was originally
sort OF ombination of Missouri log cabin
and California miners shanty OF shakes.
The ruin itself is not of the greatest in
terest, but its history makes one of the
bloodiest pages in the annals of the gold
fever.
1t seems that the Mineral King discov-
cry was made just at the time when the
small "pockets" in the Sacramento and
American River districts had been worked
until there were very few nuggets LETT and
il was no longer possible to pick up hun
dreds of dollars worth of the yellow metal
in few hours. AS consequence there
was large army of a certain class, too
lazy to do any hard work, who were always
waiting to hear some wondrous tale OF
new diggings," and spent their time in
going from camp to camp in search of ex-
element.
The Mineral King discovery came like
lightning from clear sky. There were
said to be quarts of gold nuggets as big as
hickory nuts lying in beds of sand filled
with silver. 1t took hard work to make
anything in the old mines, SO the lazy
men all fiocked to the Mineral King. 1t
was in the summer and the warm weather
of the locality made even a tent unneces-
sary, so that the miners swarmed over the
mountains like ants and dug wherever
there was sandy place in the river bed.
Among the crowd was man known as
Bluff Wilson. He had been to a great
many "discoveries" and felt pretty sure
that this one would turn out like the 9TH
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03
False Tails for Horses.

MISS Mary Grace Thornton, daughter of
Sir Edward Thornton, British Embassa-
dor, describes the "Crowning of Car in
the May Century. She writes: "We.are
deep in preparations dresses frst-I feel
quite ready now to crown the EmperorG
and hears nothing but discussions about
horses, carriages, house arrangements, SER
wants, etc. The ambassadors are exer-
cised about horses for the state carriages,
the Russian horse with all his points be-
ing too small. Bes ides, if they are too
short their tails are too long. The Aus
trians are having a stable from Vienna;
but the French are boldly taking the Rus
Guilty by tying up these long natural tails
and fastening on short false ones. They've
had dress rehearsal, and say the effect is
excellent. What it is to be smart!''
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03

a prosperous ranch in Kern County.
The nghting he did that day really
gave him his start in life. He had earned
the respect of the miners and remained in
possession of the saloon for three days, by
which time he had sold out what was left
OF the barrel of whisky and departed from
the diggings with over $1,000 in his pocket.
BY this time every miner in the locality
had become covetous of the saloon, and
trouble commenced as soon as Carol left.
1t had been proved that the saloon was
more profitable than mining, and several
men at once started to Visalia for a supply
of whisky. One, a little cIeverer than
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03

editor visited California before the war.
Mr.. Staples was one of the committee that
went to Folsom to meet him. In New
York, after Lincoln's nomination, they
met, and at that time Vanderbilt had
thrown up his contract to carry the mails,
so Greeley was in great distress, because
the Tribune could not be delivered to
readers in California. Mr.. Staples, to the
great relief OF Greeley, packed three extra
trunks with copies of the Tribune and
brought the papers via the isthmus to San
EranoicpO
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03

him any annoyance he answered in the
negative and said he was proud of his
height, as no matter where he went every
body had to look up to him.
Il went to the Orpheum the. other
night" he continued, "and when one of
the little pigmies who are performing
there saw me he'g got up on chair to shake
hands. The audience noticed the occur
renee and all interest in the show was lost
for the time being, and we had to escape
to the lobby OF the theater to allow the
show to go on. e
"The little dwarfs wanted me to double
up with them and act as referee during
their boxing bout on the stage, and every
time think OF it have to laugh-I, z feet
inches tall, acting as referee over two lit
tie fellows scarcely 211 feet high. Itwould
be quite contrast in height, wouldn't it,
although we are all of the same age 2vo'
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03

met their deaths through the desire
to own the saloon, and all were dragged
to the river bottom below and buried in
the sand 1t may be that some of the
bones are there yet, but the chances are
that all were washed out in the first
freshet. There is nothing about the To-
callty to indicate the awful tragedies that
have taken place near by. Even the old
road that passed close to the saloon has
been almost obliterated. In the summer
the ruin itself becomes overgrown with
creeping plants. The hillsides are mass
of flowers and birds sing ioyously in the
trees near by
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03
WHY He WAS PARDoNBD.
The Story Told by the Presidents In
dorsement.

The Story Told by the Presidents In
dorsement.
One of those peculiar cases, possible only
in the South, where the President was
obliged to come to the relief OF q man who
tried, and for time in vain, to get into
jail to serve his sentence, came to light in
the routine presentation of pardon cases
to-day.
]. Reuben Phillips is the man, and for
working in distillery without any signn
he was arrested by revenue agents and
sentenced by the court in South Carolina
to three months in Jail. That was at the
September term of court last year. and for
some reason, maybe to permit the man to
harvest his little crops, the Judge in his
sentence provided that the term OF his i'm
prisonment should not begin until the
1st of January of this year. The rest of
the story is told in the Presidents indorse-
ment upon the case. as follows:
"Granted. This prisoner was sentenced
to three months Imprisonment, to begin
January L, 1896. AT that day he reported
at the Jail for the purpose of entering upon
his term, and was refused admittance be-
cause his commitment papers had not ar
his term until February 10, 1896 If he
had been admitted on the day his SEN
tence required his term would have ex-
pired before the present time. In view of
this fact and the pitiable condition of his
family, and upon the recommendation of
the Judge and District Attorney, this
pardon is granted. Washington Star.
The earrings worn by Italian women in.
0F to1, IL
The San Francisco call., 1896-05-03

The earrings worn by Italian women in
dicate the part of Italy the wearer be-
longs to; the longer the earrings the
farther south the women come from. In
the extreme south most of the earrings
hang close to the shoulders; in the far
north they are quite short.