The San Francisco call., 1906-09-19
Hibernia Banks
Founder Goes to
Long Rest.

In the death of Robert ]. Tobin.
which occurred early yesterday morn
ing. San Francisco and the state of
California loses citizen whose rugged
character. strong personality and in
domitable will helped to make this city
and this State the foremost in the
Union.
/ Robert J. Tobin came of an energetic
and enterprising, family. He was born
in Waterford in 1928. His father and
mother left Ireland in 1888 owing to
the agricultural depression and tempted
fortune in Australia. With them were
the subject of this sketch and Richard.
| his brother. The colonies did not
prove kindly to the Tobins, and in 1912
they left Australia for Chile, where
were established a number of Irish fam
ilies. Robert j. Tobin, however, did
not seem to like Chile, and in 1S47 he
left South America for the island of
Tahiti and built house in the town of
Papeete. The island was in the throes
of civil war. The Tahitians were en-
gagged in desperate struggle to throw
1 off the French yoke and Robert j.
Tobin was in the thick of the fight.
News had come to the islands early
| in 1S4S of the discovery of gold in Cal
ifornia, and Robert j. Tobin, young
and ambitious, determined TO seek the
gold fields and there wrest fortune
from the earth. He had built for him
which attracted the notice of the mas
ter of lumber schooner who was in
port and who, when Tobin asked for
passage to California, replied:
Give me your house and I'll take
you"
Done" said Tobin.
The house was taken to pieces,
shipped aboard the boat and Tobin
sailed for California and arrived in
San Francisco in October, 1s4s.
ARRIVES IN CALIFORNIA.
/ On arriving here he bought a piece
of land on Pacific and Montgomery
streets, built house, and lived there
for many years. The property still
stands in his name.
A few months later Tobin purchased
the land on which the Claus Spreckels
building is and parted with it for a
| boat The vessel was owned by. Dr.
Poett, the grandfather of the San
Mateo Howards, and Tobin wanted it
for a trip up the Sacramento River
/ He was not here many months before
he wrote to his father and mother, who
were still in Valparaiso. to come to
San Francisco. They did so and
brought Richard with them, who later,
with his brother, founded the Hibernia
Savings and Loan Society.
Robert Tobin, with other adventur-
Gus characters, went to the mines and
when the big excitement broke out on
the Fraser River, he, with Charles Mayo
and Patrick Crowley, went to British
Columbia, but were driven out by the
| hostile Indians.
| In 1871 Tobn went to Europe and
was one of the first foreigners to get
into Paris when the capital was in the
hands of the Commune. 1t was an ex-
80 ,Ilt, he serk%
speak. He was witness to all the
horrors of that dreadful time and his
life was more than once in danger
from the contending factions.
BANK FOUNDER.
Judge Tobin was charter menlbe er
of the Society of Pioneers as well as of
the Pacific Club. He was one of the
original incorporators of the Hibernia
Bank in 1859 and his deposit book was
No. 2, the second issued. He was for
many years Justice of the Peace.
For more than twenty years Judge To-
bin was also a member of the Police
Commission, which was instituted by
the first charter and which was upheld
by the Supreme Court.
The disaster of April IS affected the
Judge seriously He often told his
nephews, You will live to see the city
rebuilt. but 1 shall pass away
After the fire he was taken by r.
NJ. Tobin, his nephew, who succeeds
him as secretary of the bank, to their
country place at San Pedro in San Mateo
County. But he was anxious to return
to the city and came back some two
months ago to his home at IT'S Geary
street, where he died yesterday morn
ing.
In his youth Judge Tobin was noted
for his great strength and his devotion
to all manner of athletic sports. He
was a great swimmer and good boxer.
/ Judge Tobin was especially dear to
the Irish people. He had their conf
dence, and his friendship with the
church was a long and an abiding one.
He was a great friend of the late
Archbishop Alemany. also of Arch
bishop Rfordan and also of Vicar Gen
eral Prendergast-
His end was not unexpected. Dropsical
symptoms showed at least two months
ago, and his demise was looked for at
any moment. His wife died several
years ago. He leaves no immediate
family.
The funeral will be held at 10 a. m.
on Thursday. 1t was impossible to
complete the list of pallbearers yester-
day as the men who will be asked to
officiate were not in the city r. NJ.
Tobin in speaking of this said that the
list would in all probability be made
=. - t.