The San Francisco call., 1897-08-15
ANNIVERSARY DINNER.
Two Old Forty-Niners Celebrate
Their First Meal Eaten
in California.
Only Two Left Out of the 200 Who
Reached This City in the Ship
Brooklyn.

Thursday at IL o'clock sharp two old
pioneers sat down to dinner at Delmon-
ico's, on O'FarrelI street, and celebrated
while they dined the anniversary of their
arrival in Yerba Buena forty eight years
agone. They were James Il. Fowler and
Isador Blum, the only survivors in this
City of the ancient ship Brooklyn, which
reached San Francisco August II, 1s49.
When the anchor was dropped in the
bay in that early forenoon the voyagers
landed at the junction of Market and Bat
terry streets. Market and Battery streets
were not there then, as that spot was a
sandy beach. There were 200 of the Argo-
nauts that ate their first dinner in Ell Do.
rado, but only two gathered at the noon
meal yesterday.
The Brooklyn left New York January
u. 1849. ana her first stop was made at the
island of San Juan Fernandez June u
She entered San Francisco Bay august II
The mum be- u seemed to be her special
figure, as something Of note always oc-
Cured on that date in the month. The
! ship was under the command Of Captain
! Stephen Richardson, and this was her Sec
ond voyage TO this port. Three years be-
| fore she had brought Sam Brannan and
The Brooklyn was not a large vessel.
! and 20S passengers, with their effects, to-
gether with the food she carried for their
susJenance, loaded her down low in the
water. The long, eight months trip was
hard on the crowded travellers. and as they
drew near California scurvy made its ap-
pearance among them. A large mum ber
of the crew was i'll with'the dread disease,
and the passengers took turns at working
the ship, becoming fair sailors before the
voyage was over
Several of the sick men died and were
buried where the new City. Hall now
stands, that spot being the town grave
yard al the time.
Upon landing the party soon scattered.
| most of them finding their way to the
mines then being opened in the new
golden fields.
Mr.. Blum opened his first store at the
corner of Washington and Montgomery
streets next 10 the banking firm Of Plume
& Burgoyne. All of the disastrou fires
that swept the City turned Mr.. Blum S
store to ashes, but he stuck TO his locality
on that corner. In all his burn-outs he
never had cent OF insurance on his prop
erty.
James H. Fowler, upon coming ashore
| from the ship, went to work in the grow
ing City, working for house builder, and
! his first wages in that moneyed period
! were about $25 per day. The next spring
he went to the mines, locating in Gala
veras County, where he dug among the
| placers and quartz lodges for many a
/ year. He finally settled with his family
at Valley Ford, Sonoma County, and en-
gagged in farming and dairying.
| Mr.. Fowler is now pracllcing law in this
! City, and Is interested in mining proper
/ ties throughout the State, especially in
I lhrfR ~
! gold strikes have been made.
Every year the survivors of the passen-
| ger-list OF the old ship Brooklyn meet for
their MONDAY dinner, and each time the
! guests are fewer. Mr.. Blum is 63 and Mr..
| Fowler is IS years OF age. and soon there
will be none left, and an August II will
come and go without the usual meeting
/ and meal