The record-union., 1896-08-25
old SACRAMENTO.
Musical "reminiscences of a California
Pioneer.
Prot. Winters First Appearance In
Sacramento and His
Success.

The New York Musical Courier
prints a whole page article from the pen
of A. j. Goodrich under the title OF
Musical "reminiscences of a California
Pioneer" from which the following ex-
tract is taken:
Immediately following the discovery
of gold in California there was great
excitement among the adventurous emil
grants. Everyone turned his attention
to mining or to the buying and selling of
merchandise. No one was so impractic-
able as to muse upon the arts. The ,peo-
pie lived in covered wagons and tents
until rudely designed houses could be
constructed by means of pine boards and
nails. The population was composed al
most wholly of bachelors OF men who
had left their families in the East until
thew could survey the field. This is why
there was no music nor schools nor other
home influences in the pioneer days of
California.
My father, with his family, arrived in
the Sacramento Valley in the fall of
1919. There was then no city of Sac
ramento, and not an American house in
San Francisco. With the exception of
q few towns and villages in the southern
part of the State, which belonged to the
native Mexicans there were but few
signs or tokens of civilization. But as
conditions became more settled few
weIl-to-do emigrants brought with them
their cherished pianos and melodeons.
Though my father had studied medicine
in Cincinnati (under the famous DIR.
Curtiss), he was an enthusiastic musical
amateur He played reasonably we'll
upon the piano, organ and cello, and
was an excellent vocalist.
After the first great fire in Sacra-
mento q believe it was in 1888 my
father discovered to. his surprise and
delight a piano among the ruins. He
possessed an unusual amount OF me-
chanical ingenuity, and had acquired in
Albany and New York some knowledge
of piano construction and cabinet work.
So he expressed his belief that some
thing might be made of the apparently
ruined instrument. In brief period the
piano was mended of its broken back,
restrung mounted on table legs, and be-
came a Joy in the household, If not "a
thing of beauty" It was Bacon q
Raven. For several years that was the
only available piano in the capital OF
California, and Madam Anna Bishop
was very glad to have the loan of II for
her first concert in Sacramento.
The great cantatrice introduced her
self to my father, and after stating that
she would give a concert If she could
procure a piano, he gladly offered the
use of his musical derelict. Madame
Bishop was accompanied by the great
harpist. Bochsa Gould he have been the
original Svengali0, and the concert was
a decided success, as we'll as rare en-
jcyment to the musically hungry Sac
ramentanS. Madame Bishop made sew
eral other visits to the Pacific Coast,
and our family became well acquainted
with the great artist. Indeed, it was
upon her advice that my paternal sire
consented to my proposed musical ca
reer.
At this time QS54 or thereabouts)
there came to Sacramento a Mr.. Win
ter, who desired to organize a class in
music He was referred to Professor"
Goodrich as being the most suitable
person to judge Of the newcomers
ability Mr.. Winter stated to my
father that owing to failure in business
The had been a wholesale wine mer
ohanD he thought he might turn to ac
count his artistic skill. He said that
he had been educated in Europe as
musical amateur. :Iy father arrang nged
with Mr. Dale, proprietor of the only
music store in town, to test Mr.. Winter
that very evening after the store was
closed. IT, - .siM
About o'clock my father and elder
Brother, accompanied by the new pro-
fessor, made their appearance at the
music store. Mr.. Dale, with his clerk,
was there, and all expectancy. The
door was locked and the strange ex-
animation at once began. It had been
determined upon that Mr.. Winter
should be required to read 'at first
sight and with correct expression"
whatever music was placed in front
of him. Mr.. Dale and the clerk began
at first to hand down from the shelves
Reyer-s and Hunten's operate fanta-
sizes. After the pianist had played
fclio of these morceaux quite correctly
and with perfect ease. my father called
fer some classical selections. Mr.. Dale
had but little in this lire, and that con-
sisted of sonatas and rOndos by Mozart
Steifelt, Dussek, Hummel and Kalk-
brenner. Some Of these Mr. Winter
frankly said he knew: the others he