The record-union., 1898-10-30
LIFE IN OLD SACRAMENTO.
LEAVES FROM THE PAST TELL
THE STORY.
The sPlacer Times" Sheds Light
on the Habits Of the
Pioneers.


weekly in 1S49
The "Record-Union' has already
| shown many interesting facts by re-
printing various items Of interest from
the columns of this quaint little sheet,
and as there is still mine OF useiul
information in that quarter the IolIo" :
ing facts are CLEANED from the SAME
paper:
| In the issue Of September oth there IS
an interesting article Whlch graVeAy
discusses the danger to California from
| the Mexicans. The fear is expresseo
| that the Mexicans will make serious
| efforts to "reconquer California Wy
reason of extensive gold discoveries,
which cause the Mexicans to repent
of their cessions to the United states.
Full details are given of the killing
of Turner by CasSiuS M. Clay IN
duel in Kentucky. 1t is stated tnal
a brother of Turner tried to stao Clay
after the fatal shot, whereupon
twelve-year- old son of Clay selzed d
knife and plunged it into the oeao
man, then got a revolver ana trleo 10
induce his father to shoot turner 5
brother.
The same issue contains information
of hard times in the East. 1t is salo
that markets were depressed, and that
the New England factories had been
compelled to close because or lack OF
demand for goods. This will be inter-
esting to those who are wont TO cite
the past as a land Of perpetual pros
perity and to look upon the old days
as the golden days.
The issue of September 10Th gives
details of call for meeting to pass
on the question of a charter for sac
ramento. The meeting is called by
the President of the City Council, the
place named being the st. Louis Ex-
change and the time September ZOth.
The business Of selecting election of11-
GERS is set forth as important. Anoln-
er question which is urged on the at
tention Of the citizens is the necessity
Of taking steps to relieve the poverty
and suffering Of sick and penn1less
emigrants, many Of whom are reported
to be at the verge Of death on the
plains. =,
The paper records the "cow hiding
of several people, whose names are
withheld on account Of their relatives.
It is said that the cOw-hid1ng is
considered punishment enough, as IL
was coupled with a notice that the
victims must leave the country, the
offense in each case being petty theft
On September 22d the paper regret
fully records the fact that the election
for a new charter resulted in the de-
feat of the instrument by majority OF
346 the vote having stood: Against
the charter, 527: for it, 1S1. The ed
that the people wanted liberty, and
therefore rejected the restriction Of
law. having had an example of the
binding force of charters in San Fran
CISCO" AS a result, the reign of the
six-shooter was undisturbed. save by
the harsh hand of the Vigilance Com
mittees.
There is quite report of the meet
ing of a. convention at Monterey on the
18th to form a Constitution for the
State, preparatory to its admission IN
to the Union. One of the chief clauses
of the draft, as reported read:
Neither slavery nor involuntary servi-
tude" should be allowed in the new
State.
An advertisement by one G. E. Pick
ett who was we'll known here for many
years afterward, reminds one of the
stilted language of Micawber. 1t runs
as follows: At would say to old debtors
| on my books that their accounts must
| be voluntarily balanced by gold dust
soon, else necessity will compel the
calling in aid what shadow Of law we
| have in the land"
The advertiser then threatens to
| publish names of delinquent debtors if
! they do not produce the desired gold
| dust.
An Indian Territory correspondent,
| in letter under date of June 10th,
| which was printed on October 18th,
| the day after it's arrival here, says: II
| counted 5,095 emigrant wagons by
sundown last night, which had moved
| by my place since morning on their
way toward the gold fields Of Califor-
MIA, and a thousand more were report
ed on the way"
The same date contains an item that
runs thus: Water is being sold on the
streets at a bit pail. The few people
here who believe in drinking water
complain that it is pretty high"
On October 9th the editor warns a
number of young men from the East
that they cannot expect to succeed in
! this country IF they continue to wear
white shirts and spring CATERS
On November 18th business has be-
come so brisk with the Times" that
it enlarges from a small three-column
sheet to one four columns in width,
with much longer pages.
On the same date the Eagle Theater
opens, and the editor predicts that it
| will prove a success
On December Sth there Is an inter
esting article on the population of the
| State. The following facts are CLEANED
from that article:
| Population on January l, 1S49: Cali
fornians, 1900: Americans, 5000;
foreigners, 5000; total, $4,000.
| By April 11th the population had in
creased to $1,000, of whom there were
| 1000 new foreigners and 5000 new
! Americans. BY November 2Sth there
had arrived: Americans 1900, for
eigners, $500, making the total pop
ulation on November 2Sth, sc, 800; but
| to that figure must be added 5000
Nfexicans who had come by land, 5000
| seamen who had deserted, 1000 who
had come by water, and 10000 who
| had come over the plains, so that the
| total population of the State was fig
ured on November 2S. 1S49, as 94 900,
or, as the editor put it, an even 1O0.-
600.
| The same issue of the paper tells of
| the organization of 1000 squatters to
| combat the titles of John A Sutter.
| The editor considers the matter very
serious, and discusses it to the length
| of two columns, refraining, however.
| from expressing any opinion.