Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1906-04-25
Stricken City Long Permeated
With an Air OF
Romance.
IN THE DAYS OF yIGILANTES
How the Metropolis of California Was
Purged of DisOrder-Lynching of
Casey-The Days of the Forty
niners-TOwn Dep0puIat-
ed by the Rush of
Gold Seekers.


~ meated with an air of romance
and adventure. Nowhere may
one turn without being reminded of
the legends that have been woven
around the forty-niners and their i'm
mediate followers. The names of the
streets and of the business blocks such
as Kearney, Suffer- Montgomery, Du-
pont. Flood, Croker and Sharon, bring
to the mind of the visitor long forgot
ten stories of riot or adventure and of
fortunes whose vastness once excited
his wonder or made him incredulous.
The site of the city was first visited
by Europeans in 1869, and in 1775 Blu
careli ordered fort, preside and mis-.
sion founded on the bay. One year
later, the year of the Declaration az
Independence, the Spanish settlers be-
gan the work, and when Vancouver,
the explorer, visited the place in 1892
the preside represented the military
authority, While the pueblo and mis-
sion stood for the civil and religious
factors respectively. The mission was
secularIzed in 1884 and a town laid
out the year following.
In 1916 an American man-of-war, I'M
Or command OF Commodore John B.
Montgomery, entered the harbor and
hoisted the stars and stripes over the
town. Mexico, which succeeded Spain
as the owner of California, was then
at war with the United States, and the
act of Commodore Montgomery ended
ireE dominion over San Francisco
Montgomery appointed Lieutenant
Washington A. Bartlett 10 be Friscos
first alcalde, or mayor under the new
regime. Under Spanish and Mexican
rule the town was sleepy, iinpf0gress-
i've place. but with the coming of Amer.
leans and the discovery of gold IN 1S4S
there came an era of growth and hus-
tie. This did not eventuate at once,
for the first news of the discovery OF
gold practically depopulated San Fran
cisco.
The town was smitten as by plague,
and one historian thus describes what
happened: Its houses were left unoc-
cupied and unprotected. its former
trade ceased, its lots fell to a small
part of their value, its two weekly
newspapers were suspended. and the
town, deserted by the bulk of its in
habitants, was at one time without a
single officer clothed with civil author
ity."
After the first rush to the gold dig.
gings the town began to regain its lost
ground, and ere long the influx of gold
seekers gave quite an impetus TO its
growth. The town was Incorporated
In April, 1850. and the first common
council elected proceeded with diligence
to plumber the city treasury. The
same year the state was admitted to
the Union. and when the steamer Ore
gon brought the news-there was no
telegraphic communication in those
days-business was entirely suspended
and the entire population rushed TO the
wharfs to welcome the harbinger. The
.toYp had about 10000 Inhabitants at
that time, and when the people we're
Informed that the signal flags OF the
Oregon indicated that California was a
sovereign state Of the United States OF
America "a universal shout arose from
10000 voices on the wharfs. In the
streets. upon the hills housetops and
the world of shipping in the bay
In Its early history the city suffered
from several disastrous fires. Between
December, 1Si9. and June. 1851, six
CONGREGATIONS played havoc with the
growing young town. Better buildings
were planned and several fire compa
MES were organized. These were steps
in the right direction. 1t was also dis
covered that the fires were started by
criminals who pro6ted by the confu-
sion.
This fact and the inefilciency and
corruption of the city government led
large number of citizens to organ
lie the famous vigilance committee
which ruled the place in 1851. Quite a
number of crooks were lynched by
the committee. others were driven out.
like John Oakhurst. the leading figure
in Bret Harte's "Outcasts of Poker
Flat" and the city went through pu
ridcation process that was of great
benefit to It,
The aspect of San Francisco at this
time was not inspiring to infowing
gold seekers. 1t was struggling med
ley of low, dingy adobes frail wooden
shanties. born I'm an afternoon. with n
sprinkling of more respectable frame
houses and mass of canvas and rub
Der habitat tons. 1t was mainly a city
OF tents, rising in a crescent upon the
shores Of the cove. From Clark point
II slirted the land to Telegraph hill.
along the Clay street slopes. tapering
away 10 the California street ridge.
The larger number passed to the south
west shores of the cove, beyond the
Market street RIDGE. reeion sl1eItarsd