An illustrated history of Sacramento County, California : containing a history of Sacramento County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future portraits of some of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also prominent citizens of today, Part 14

Author: Davis, Winfield J., 1851- 4n
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 916

USA > California > Sacramento County > An illustrated history of Sacramento County, California : containing a history of Sacramento County from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its prospective future portraits of some of its most eminent men, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers and also prominent citizens of today > Part 14

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" No," was the answer, " I am getting too old for the work, and have too much on hand. But why don't you do it? You have little, if any- thing, to do [George then had the easy position of inspector of gas meters], and you are just the man to do it."

The result was that George commenced the work and submitted it, a few chapters at a time, to James McClatchy for suggestions and altera- tions, and continued so to do until the wonder- ful book was completed.

Years before the people of the Sacramento Valley ever realized the danger menacing them from the destructive system of mining known as hydraulicking, James McClatchy began a crusade against it in the interest of the homes and cities of the valley, continuing it withont

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

interruption up to the time of his death. He had the satisfaction of seeing the people of the valley come to the standard of their own self- interest and preservation, and to read decisions of the courts, the highest as well as the lowest, all in favor of the valley people-to find, in fact, the power of this giant aggregation of wealth engaged in hydraulic mining broken, and the system itself declared a nuisance.

Many other reforms were inaugurated and carried to a successful issue by this enterprising, plodding, original and conscientious journalist. Above all, he was ever loyal and true to Sacra- mento, and the universal grief expressed at his death betokened the respect and love in which he was held by the citizens of his adopted home.

MRS. JAMES MCCLATCHY, one of the proprie- tors of the Bee, widow of its foriner veteran editor and mother of its present managers, was born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, on April 21, 1830. She came to Sacramento the day after the big fire of 1852 to join her first husband, Captain Feeny. The latter died not long after, and some years thereafter she was married to James McClatchy, then a tall, young reporter, working hard for a livelihood. Four of their children are living: Valentine, Charles, Fanny and Emily. The young men are managers of the Bee, while the young ladies are well known in Sacramento, where all four were born. Mrs. McClatchy is well known in charitable circles, and is a life member of the California Museum Association.

V. S. MCCLATCHY was born in Sacramento in 1857; educated at Santa Clara College, where he graduated in 1877; for the ensuing five years he was employed in the Oakland Bank at Oak- land, this State, and during the next two years was a clerk in the Sub-Treasury in San Fran- cisco. After the death of his father he came to Sacramento to assume the business management of the Bee. Besides his connection with this paper, which has been a successful one, Mr. McClatchy has been active in a number of local enterprises, as a director of the Placer County Citrus Colony, Orangevale Colonization Com-

pany, etc. In 1882 Mr. McClatchy married Miss Hanifan, of Oakland, and they have four children.

C. K. McCLATCHY is also a native of Sacra- mento, born in 1858; attended Santa Clara College three years, and, returning to this city before he was eighteen years of age, has since been employed upon the Bee, as has already been mentioned. IIe is now the editorial man- ager. Besides, he is a director in the Union Building and Loan Association of this eity. He married Miss Ella Kelly, of Sacramento, in 1885; they have one child.

In July, 1857, the Star of the Pacific, a re- ligious journal, was removed from Marysville to this city. It was a quarto monthly. Its editor and proprietor was Rev. A. C. Edmonds, a Uni- versalist clergyman. In December, 1857, it suspended, revived in May, 1858, and died in the fall of that year.

The Daily State Sentinel, a Republican pa- per, was issued July 27, 1857, by J. R. Atkins & Co., as a morning paper. It was small size. In October C. D. Hossack & Co. took the paper, and C. A. Sumner became its editor. It was a vigorous paper and bid fair to succeed, but early in 1858 it breathed its last.

C. A. Sumner began the publication of a pani- phlet sheet dubbed the Eye-Glass, August 22, 1857. No other number ever appeared. It was peculiar and critical upon social inatters.

The Covenant and Odd Fellows' Magazine, a monthly of thirty-two pages, began August 31, 1857; J. D. Tilson, Publisher; A. C. Ed- monds, Editor. It died with the tenth number, June, 1858.

The Temperance Register, II. Davidson & Co., a monthly, began September, 1857, in quarto form. In October it was in small semi-monthly parts. December 12 it became a monthly again, and then expired.

December 20, 1857, the Herald of the Morn- ing appeared as a Sunday paper, J. C. McDonald & Co., Publishers; Calvin B. McDonald, Literary Editor. It was a spiritualistic paper, and lived four weeks.

The Phoenix, afterward the Ubicuitous, was

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

a scurrilous sheet, fathered by E. McGowan. It began as an occasional in the fall of 1857, issued as a weekly during the winter following, and died during the next summer.

The Watch-Dog was started January 1, 1858; was similar in character to the last mentioned, and died in March following.

During the same March began the Sacra- mento Visitor, by Brown, Ingham & Co .; J. Coggins, Editor. It was a daily evening paper of moderate size, independent in tone and lively in manner. It ceased to exist June 1, 1858.

The Sacramento Mercury, a straight-out Democratic paper, was commenced March 28, 1858, by H. S. Foushee, Publisher, and W. S. Long, Editor. It was about half the size of the Record-Union. In the summer A. Montgomery became its associate editor. It died October 12, 1858.

The California Statesman, No. 2 of that name, took the place of the old journal in May, 1858; S. W. Ravely, Publisher, and A. C. Rus- sell, Editor. It was a Democratic daily, and died June 24, same year.

The Californian, No. 2 of that name, also was a neutral daily of small size, edited by D. J. Thomas. It was born July 9, 1858, and de- parted this life July 15 following, aged one week.

The Baptist Circular was the result of the third effort of the Baptists to start a paper here. It began August, 1858, under the editorial management of Rev. J. L. Shuck; but it was discontinued the next spring.

In 1858-'59, the Democracy being double- headed, and known as the Lecompton and anti- Lecompton wings, the contest between limbs of the common body became very warm, and the anti-Lecompton, half spurred thereto by the as- saults of Charles T. Botts, from the Lecompton side, started a paper called the Daily Register. It was abont the size of the Bee, and issued every morning except Monday. The money chiefly was furnished by Dr. Houghton, and the style of the firm was Ilarvey, Houghton & Co., the editors, J. C. Zabriskie and William Baus- man, since a journalist in San Francisco, hold-

ing small interests. The paper was vigorons, but too scholarly, and not lively enough for the times. Bansman early got out of it. Hough- ton sunk money in the concern like water, and the second day before the general election, in the fall of that year, it peacefully died, and left the doctor to ruminate npon his ducats gone for- ever. The office of the Register was located at the corner of Fifth and J streets, and the ontfit and dress of the paper was good.

The rival of the Register, and far the better paper in a purely journalistic point of view, was the Daily Democratic Standard. It saw the light February 26, 1859, and J. R. Hardenbergh was its publisher, with Charles T. Botts, Editor. It was a morning paper, and about the size of the Record-Union. In July, 1859, C. T. Botts became sole proprietor. It was the advocate of the Lecompton ring of the Democracy, and a vigorous one. Its office was on Third street, between I and J. On the 2d of June, 1860, it ceased its daily issues. The seeds of death were already sown in its body. For a few months it appeared as a weekly, but was only a faint semblance of its old self. M. G. Upton and Hon. C. Gorham were for a time editors, and many tales were told of the shrewd passes these two used to make to get news for the Standard. Soon after the fall election in 1860 the Stand- ard was lowered-into the grave of journalism, and the earth over its remains has never been disturbed to this day. The proprietors lost money by the paper, and in the farewell article they growled over it fearfully. It was the death rattle-nothing more.

In June, 1860, Henry Bidleman & Co. started the Daily Democrat. It was issued from the Standard office; M. G. Upson was its editor. It was a six-column paper and made a lively cam- paign effort, but died with the fall election, having failed in its mission for the Democracy.

June 24, 1860, F. R. Folger & Co. issued the Daily Morning News, Douglas Democratic pa- per. The Folgers were its first editors. Sub- seqnently George C. Gorham and Albert S. Evans were editors. Evans subsequently went

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

to Mexico with the Steward party and wrote it up and gained some notoriety with his pen. He died a few years ago in San Francisco. The News continued to exist about nine months.

The Evening Post, published by R. W. Lewis & Co., began October, 1860, as an inde- pendent paper, but subsequently became Re- publican in politics. It was half the size of the Record- Union at first, but latterly enlarged one- third. After five months of life W. S. Johnson & Co. undertook its publication. It had vari- ons editors-writers who wrote for it as occa- sion demanded. It was discontinued Septem- ber, 1861.

The Rescue, organ of the Independent Order of Good Templars, began in San Francisco as a monthly about February, 1862, and ran abont two months when it was removed to Stockton, where it was published five months. Its first editor was Edwin H. Bishop, then the State Grand Secretary; he was followed by William HI. Mills, of San Quentin, also Grand Secretary, 1864-'71; the next editor was Albert D. Wood, of Vallejo, who conducted the paper until 1876; then Rev. George Morris, of Dixon, had the charge of it for a time, when it was removed to San Francisco. In the fall of 1877 it was moved to Los Angeles, when Yarnell and Cay- stile became the editors- and publishers. It was next returned to San Francisco, in the fall of 1880, when Albert D. Wood again became the editor. He served until December 13, 1883, when Rev. E. F. Dinsmore, of San Francisco, became editor. In October, 1885, the paper was again removed back to this city, since which time George B. Katzenstein, the Grand Secre- tary, has been the editor. The editors of this organ are elected by the Grand Lodge of the Order, or its executive committee. The paper has been enlarged from time to time; it now has eight to sixteen quarto pages. Office, 328 J street.

The Evening Star was a daily started May 25, 1864, by a company composed of J. J. Beebe, Alexander Badlam, G. I. Foster, J. Simpson, M. M. Estee and H. C. Bidwell. It was an inde- pendent journal and lived about three months

and sunk under financial embarrassments. Bad- lam is now assessor of San Francisco; Estee was speaker of the last Assembly and practices law in San Francisco. Bidwell is dead, having committed suicide a few years ago. He was once county clerk of Sacramento Connty.

The Californian Republican, a Democratic paper of the hard-shell stripe, appeared Jannary 4, 1863. The publishers were Conley Patrick & Co., and the editor was Beriah Brown, after- ward of the Democratic Press, San Francisco, which was destroyed by a mob in the spring of 1865. Brown is still an editor, and resides in Oregon. The paper died in the fall of 1863.

The Golden Gate, a spiritualistic weekly, was started by Ingham & McDonald in the spring of 1864, and lived but a few weeks.

In the winter of 1860 Judd & McDonald started the Advertiser. It was a gratuitous sheet, and lived two or three months.

The California Express was a Democratic journal, formerly published at Marysville under direction of Alexander Montgomery. He moved the paper to Sacramento and issued it December 23, 1866, expecting patronage from the then dominant party, but it did not come, and the paper died in July, 1867. It was issued as a morning paper.

The Sacramento Daily Record first appeared as an independent evening paper, February 9, 1867. It was published by an association of printers, composed of J. J. Keegan, Jolın L. Sickler, J. P. Dray and R. E. Draper. Draper was the first editor, and in about a month was succeeded by W. S. Johnson, who remained abont one year, and was succeeded by J. B. Mc- Quillan, who remained a few months and was succeeded by R. A. Bird. Subsequently it was purchased by W. II. Mills and A. D. Wood. Mr. Wood was afterward manager of the Record- Union, and a portion of the then and subse- quent Record editorial staff, as also a portion of the Sacramento Union then and subsequent editorial staff, afterward composed the Record- Union staff. The Record became a morning paper December 2, 1867. In the beginning it

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

was a small five-column sheet, but through suc- cessive enlargements soon grew to the present size of the Record- Union. During the winter of 1871-'72 the Record distinguished itself by the fullest and mnost elaborate phonographic Legislative reports ever published in the United States, frequently printing morning after morn- ing nineteen columns of solid nonpareil of the proceedings of Senate and House. For several years the Sacramento Union had published an- nual or New Year statistical sheets. January 1, 1873, the Record entered the same field and eclipsed its rival by issning the fullest and largest holiday statistical sheet ever published in the United States, and each year since has issued a similar mammoth sheet. It was the first daily paper to maintain a semi-weekly edi- tion. The Record was a rival to the Union, and the contest for patronage and public favor between them was very warm for years. In February, 1875, the Record and Union were consolidated as above stated, and appear under the joint title of the Record- Union.

The Expositor was published by C. D. Sem- ple, first appearing July 23, 1867. It was a daily, and old-line Democratic. It lived until the 9th of .September, and died.

Richard Bowden, February 26, 1864, published a youthı's paper, the Young American, as weekly. It lived about eleven weeks, ceasing on the death of the publisher, who was accidentally killed.

Along about this time were published weekly papers of a local character, viz .: My Paper, Pio- neer, Blusterer, The Anti-Office Seeker, a lot of State Fair papers, Sunday Times, Hesperian, Students' Repository, and others.

In the winter of 1864, Charles De Young, now of the San Francisco Chronicle, began the publication of the Dramatic Chronicle as a daily gratuitous advertising sheet of small dimensions. In about nine months he removed it to San Francisco, enlarged it and published it until the Daily San Francisco Chronicle grew out of it, the old Dramatic Chronicle being swallowed by the Figaro of San Fran- cisco, published by J. P. Bogardus.

The Traveler's Guide, an advertising sheet, published weekly by L. Samuels and N. Torres, in 1865. In the same year T. W. Stanwell began the monthly Railroad Gazetteer, which is still published by II. S. Crocker & Co.

January 12, 1868, the State Capital Re- porter, a daily Democratic sheet, began with a glowing announcement of its plans. It nomi- nated H. H. Haight for President of the United States. By Legislative enactment it became the litigant paper, in which all summonses had to be published. This gave it a good income, but made it obnoxious to the entire press of the State, and brought it into disfavor with the people. The act of February 21, 1872, repealed the litigant law, and took away the Reporter's bread. It then ceased to issne as a daily, send- ing out its last effort in that line May 7, 1872, when the law took effect, and thereafter issued a half sheet once a week, to run out legal ad- vertisements on hand. July 30, 1872, without a last word, it died. The Reporter was pub- lished by a joint stock company, and lost money for everybody who touched it. It was at first controlled by Jolin Bigler. Its first editor was Henry George, afterward of the San Francisco Post, and now of national notoriety as the author of "Progress and Poverty," and chief promnlgator of the land theory that is known by his name. The paper was edited with abil- ity, and for a long time was a periodical of much vigor. Mr. George was succeeded by J. F. Linthicum, an old editor, who kept up the tone of the paper and edited ably. John Big- ler, ex-Governor of California, then just re- turned from Chili, to which country he went as Minister, became editor of the Reporter some montlis before it died. He was noted for his vigorons attacks, his laborious compilation of statistics, his political thunderbolts, and his dignified manner in editorial columns. Gov- ernor Bigler died some three years ago in this city. O. T. Shuck was its last editor.

The Sacramento Democrat was a small daily paper which began August 3, 1871, under a publishing company, with Cameron H. King as

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

editor. Its office was at the corner of Third and J streets. It lived until just after the election, dying September 5, 1871.

The Locomotive was a good six-column weekly advertiser and local paper, which was begun by R. S. Lawrence in the early spring of 1873, with an office on J street, between Second and Third. It did a prosperous business for some months. T. F. Cane then bought a half inter- est, and subsequently the whole interest, selling half of it to Dr. A. P. Truesdell, who became editor, and the paper and the name were changed to that of the People's Champion. In the summer of 1874 it went the way of the dead.

With one exception, the only foreign paper ever published here prior to 1885 was the Semi- Weekly Sacramento Journal (German), published by K. F. Wiemeyer & Co., and edited by Mr. Wiemeyer. It was first issued June 6, 1868, and has had a successful career to the present. Lately Wiemeyer & Co. established an office in Oakland, and the Journal now ap- pears simultaneously in both places. It is ably edited, is Republican in tone, liberal in senti- ment and fearless in utterance. It receives good business management and appears to have a legitimate field of journalism, which it fully ocenpies. The Sacramento office is now at 314 J street.

Early in 1873, H. B. Eddy, now deceased, started a small, neatly printed, critical paper, called the Valley World. It was issued weekly and aimed at literary excellence. Mr. Eddy dying in the fall, the Valley World was continued for a few weeks, Rev. J. H. C. Bonte editing it.

The Evening News, a daily, Sundays ex- cepted, neutral, was started by B. F. Huntly & Co., March 26, 1869. Vincent Ryan, one of the firm, did most of the writing, with Frank Folger and W. S. Johnston in other departments. It lived three months.

The Sunday Free Press was started by Beers & Co., in February, 1873, and appeared once. It was a lively number, particularly local and jolly, but its precocionsness was too much for it, and it died a heavy loss to its proprietors.

The Sacramento Valley Agriculturist began · February, 1874, as a monthly; Davis & Stock- ton, Editors and Publishers. June, 1874, it changed to a weekly. July, 1874, it bought np the old Champion material, and enlarged con- siderably. April 15, 1875, Davis sold his in- terest to W. T. Crowell. It was devoted wholly to agricultural matters, with a city edition Sun- day mornings, with a few local references.

The Occidental Star, devoted to the interest of the return of the Jews to Palestine-a weekly, four pages-began January, 1873, and ran about five months, with Mrs. L. I. L. Adams as pro- prietor.

The Winning Way, edited and published by Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Potter, was a weekly paper devoted to the cause of woman and sociality. It began September, 1873, and lived till Febru- ary, 1874.

Common Sense was begun by Dr. A. P. Truesdell as a weekly, four pages, January, 1873, and died March, 1874. It was afterward revived in San Francisco.

The Mercantile Globe, an advertising sheet published by Byron & Co., Angust, 1872, changed October 18 to Sacramento Globe, pub- lished weekly by Kelley & Farland. After run- ning some months, suspended, and was again revived by Raye & Ford, December 5, continu- ing weekly until April 17, 1875, and was after- ward published at irregular intervals by B. V. R. Raye.

The California Teacher was started by the State Board of Education abont 1877, being pur- chased from the San Francisco Teachers' Asso- ciation. It is a monthly, and is now issned at San Francisco.

The State Fair Gazette, by H. S. Crocker & Co., has been published for some years on the recurrence of each State Fair and still continues. It is an advertising sheet, and is circulated gra- tuitously.

The Evening Herald was begun as a small evening paper, independent in character, March 8, 1875, by Gardner, Larkin, Fellows and Major E. A. Rockwell, a journalist of long experience

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY.

and sound judgment, the editor. He was for- merly of the Morning Call, San Francisco, and" served a term in the Legislature with credit.

The Enterprise, a Sunday morning paper, was begun by Crites, Davis & Alexander, An- gust 29, 1875. It exhibited much vigor and was well conducted; but the proprietors, not find- ing a business manager to their mind, closed up the paper with the ninth issue, and in time to save themselves from loss. The paper was printed from the old Reporter type.

The Seminary Budget was an "occasional," issued by the young ladies of the Sacramento Seminary for a few years. It was a literary paper, doing credit to its student editors.

The Business College Journal is an " occa- sional," issned by the proprietors of the Sacra- mento Business College.

The Sunday Leader was started in October, 1875, by J. N. Larkin, who is still the editor and proprietor. The office is at 305 J street. In 1884-'85 it was the official paper of the county. In politics it is straight Republican. The paper is 28x42 inches in size and is neatly printed with large, clear type.

The Daily Sun, organ of the Workingmen's party, was started immediately after the ad- journment of the Legislature of 1879, which provided for a State Constitutional Convention. This organ was established by a company of stockholders, with William Halley as manager. When the delegates to that convention were elected, and the editor of this paper was de- feated as a candidate for the same, he withdrew from its management, a new company was formed, and F. J. Clark was continued as editor for a few months, when it was discontinned.

In 1883 the Sunday Capital was established by J. L. Robinette and C. C. Goode, a fonr- page folio, independent in politics and devoted to news and literature. It was run for about a year, when Robinette sold his interest to Will- iam Ellery, and six months afterward it was discontinued. The proprietors namned were the editors.

The Sucramento, now Occidental, Medical

Times, a large octavo monthly, was launched forth in March, 1887, in this city, by five physi- cians, and it continues to grow in patronage, amount and quality of reading matter, etc. It now has fifty-six pages besides advertisements. Office, 4293 J street. J. H. Parkinson is the editor in chief, and his assistants are: W. A. Briggs, William Ellery Briggs, W. R. Cluness, Thomas A. Huntington and G. L. Simmons, Jr., of Sacramento; J. F. Morse, W. H. Mays, Albert Abrams, W. Watt Kerr and D. W. Montgomery, of San Francisco; and J. W. Rob- ertson, of Napa.

The Daily Evening Journal was commenced July 4, 1888, by H. A. Weaver, and was run until October 1 following. It was 28 x 42 inches in size, and devoted to general news and literature.

The Nord California Herold, a large Ger- man weekly paper, published on Saturdays in the Record- Union Building, was started Sep- tember 5, 1885, by Charles Schmitt, the present editor and proprietor.

CHARLES SCHMITT, Proprietor of the Nord California Herold, is a native of Kaiserslant- ern, Rhenish Bavaria, born October 9, 1836, a son of Nicholas and Rosina (Stubenranchi) Schmitt. His father, a lawyer and an active Republican, was a member of the Parliament at Frankfort, where the Revolutionary troubles came on. Mr. Schmitt had been a leader in his party, and from the prominent part he had taken was compelled to leave Germany. He went to Switzerland, and in 1849 came to Amner- ica on a sailing vessel. He landed at New York and from there went to Philadelphia, where he had relatives living. There he lived until his death, which occurred in 1860.

Charles Schmitt, whose name heads this sketch, was but thirteen years of age when he accompanied his parents to America, though his education had been pretty well advanced previous to leaving his native country. While the family were residents of Philadelphia, his father had founded a newspaper, and in the office Charles Schmitt learned his trade. Before he

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Author: Davis, Winfield J., 1851- 4n Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 916

Author: Davis, Winfield J., 1851- 4n
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 916