The record-union., 1898-10-16
ODD FACTS FROM THE FILES
OF FORTY-NINE.
News Items That Shed Light on
+ the Pioneer Times of
California.

1ects. but by historians and the public
at large.
The Sacramentan who passes place
q hundred times a year, or perhaps OF
tener, has an interest in knowing that
at one time it was this, or that 1t IS
the purpose Of this article to shed some
light on the history of men and places
In this vicinity, as shown by reference
to the files Of the Placer Times pub
Ashed in 1S49, in Sacramento. Ihe
events recorded are very interesting to-
day, though only small proportion
OF those who compose the population OF
the city were here then.
That interesting little pioneer paper,
ISSUED weekly at price that the oalleS
hardly get to-day, was full of matters
that We're of local Importance at the
date of printing. To-day a glance at
the files shows the interest that still
attaches to events that are now his
oric only, though each little item tells
something that throws an inner mean
ing or sheds new light on questions of
the growth of cities.
The following is a summary of some
of these points of interest, CLEANED
from the Placer Times of the dates
named:
1t is stated that on May 18th Rev. Mr..
Roberts, missionary of the NJ. E. So
ciety of California and Oregon,
preached in the beautiful grove near
the corner of Third and K streets" 1t
seems that the evangelist advised the
building of churches in the community,
and made the statement that the his
tory Of the world showed that property
valuations always increased near
churches, which were at nearly all
times builded in places fit for select
residences"
But for some such reference as this
1T would not be known to most people
that there ever was a grove at the To-
cation named, place near the Record
Union office and other places of i'm
portant business offices.
The same issue says that, news
reached Sacramento that most all the
Peruvian and Chilean miners had been
driven from the locat of North Forks
and adjacent mines. The miners did
not like them, and gave them notice to
get away without delay"
An item states that the miners at
work average about $40 a day in the
placers, and that new discoveries are
frequent
1t is stated in the same issue that
Henry E. Robinson had been appointed
Postmaster, with the Office on Front
street i
On August 18th there Is news of a
convention to see about the building
aof a railroad to the Pacific Ocean," It
is said in the issue of that date that:
News reaches US that there is to be a
convention at Memphis on July 4,
1850, TO discuss the subject Of a rail-
road to the Pacific Coast. The Gov
ernor Of North Carolina has named 120
prominent citizens as delegates. Ark
ansas and the Southern States are
greatly interested in this matter"
Items of this character are interest
ing at this day, showing how short a
time it has really been since this coun-
try was a wilderness, and how great
the changes that have come since the
completion of the railroads.
A fact that even the weather reports
of the State do not contain is recorded
In the issue of the Placer Times"
of August II, 1S49. The statement is
there made that the thermometer in
Sacramento. reached 112 degrees in the
shade" If that report was correct the
claim that AUGUST 10th Of this year
was the hottest day on record here Is
all wrong. The matter Is noted on the
editorial page Of the old paper, and 1t
IS said that the heat was so intense
that printers could not properly cor
rect pr in the office.
The same issue of the paper speaks
of the large vote at the election last
Wednesday, . considering that Sacra-
mento is but three months old" The
following officers were elected at that
time: Judge of Superior Court, Peter
H. Burnett; City Council William
Stout. P. b. Cornwall, DR.. Chapman,
John P. Rogers, II. E. Robinson, E. F.
Gillispie, Bergman Jennings, A. NJ.
Winn. w. T. Mcclellan; First Magis-
trate, James S. Thomas; Second Mag
istrate, James c. Zabriskie; Sheriff, D.
B. Hammer; Recorder, H. A. School
craft; Surveyor, G. w. Coote.
There are many persons now living
in Sacramento who have seen the fore
going names, and some people in the
State can recall the election. The
Amemorandum here given Will revive old
memories.
The issue Of August 11th tells of
some exciting times at Stockton, where
the people as whole grew weary Of
certain Characters who were called
hounds" They were something Hike
tramp criminals nowadays. So the
Stockton people became SO angry over
the larcenies and, minor crimes OF these
people that two hounds" the paper
says, were hanged on the 1st for
theft"
The matter is dismissed as informally
as If II had heen an everyday occur
renee. The men were hanged to post
near the heart OF the town.
In this issue there is a dispatch,
which, 1t is said, will interest Califor-
MIA readers, to the effect that Edwin
Forrest was divorced from his wife,
Caroline Morton Sinclair
The paper urges the establishment OF
a city hospital and tells that strangers
without money are dying in the
streets" and that some people have
been so cruel as to refuse a drink OF
water to the dying"
The public is warned against a great
amount of counterfeit gold and silver,
said to be in circulation.
An Item that now seems odd reads:
''They are soon to have a. theater in
San Francisco"
1t is announced in the same issue that
the Government has decided to coin
double eagles in gold. They will be
known as twenty dollar pieces. and
there VIII be law against counter
feiting them, as there is now agains
~kounterfeiting other pieces of money
The issue of September 1st contains
accounts of frightful ravages of cholera
all over the United States. especially