USA > California > San Diego County > San Diego > City of San Diego and San Diego County : the birthplace of California, Volume I > Part 12
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Another hotel on the Plaza Pantoja was the Colorado House, run by H. J. Couts, who advertised that he had recently added to the structure, "a spacious and airy dining saloon," that he had put up "an elegant billiard table" and that his bar was stocked with "the best wines, liquors and cigars to be had in San Francisco.'
Up at Old Town was the old Gila House, kept by Charles R. Johnson, who also ran the Playa House at La Playa. Both these hotels had advertisements in the Herald's first issue. So did the Exchange Hotel of Old Town, of which G. P. Tebbetts & Co. were managers.
The columns of the Herald in its first year, 1851, contain so many items of historical interest and so many other items which give the color of those days that the following selections have been made.
The issue of July 10, 1851, tells of the death at the age of 17 years of Senorita Maria Josefa Zamorano, daughter of the late Captain Augustin Vicente Zamorano, and a grand-daughter of Don Santiago Arguello, at the Arguello residence at La Punta. She was regarded by many as the most beautiful of the many beautiful young Spanish women of the San Diego of those days. The old Arguello home, built in 1836, is still in fair condition, is occupied and stands as a remarkable landmark near the head of San Diego Bay.
Editor Ames in his issue of Aug. 8 refers to the excellent fish- ing in San Diego Bay, to the size of the fish and the number of crawfish, "not a whit inferior to the lobster and scarcely less in size." To the fishing in this section Editor Ames made another reference of some interest on Dec. 4, 1852, as follows: "The schooner Emeline. Captain Osborn, has been in our bay for the last two weeks, taking fish and curing them for the San Francisco market. One day last week they took 20 tons at one haul, each fish averaging some 3 pounds in weight. They are of a delicious flavor much resembling
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that of the turbot ; the epicures in San Francisco may soon look out for a treat. Fishing is by no means an insignificant item in this bay, and if carried on extensively we could more than amply supply the demand for the up-country markets. There are immense shoals of mackerel just by the Point Loma, averaging in weight from 2 to 4 pounds, fishing for which insures to any enterprising party a speedy and ample fortune."
Ames in one of the early issues of the Herald pokes some good- natured fun at the San Francisco editors who at the time were boasting and smacking their lips over some Baldwin apples which had been sent, all packed in ice, by boat from Boston, by way of Cape Horn. In San Diego, wrote Ames, were much better fruits-"grapes, figs, apricots, etc."-and Ames declared that if the San Francisco newspaper men could taste some of these California fruits they would soon cease "to make such a fuss over a few frozen apples." Thus he made clear the fact that in San Diego County the ranchers were then producing many delicious fruits, and he later directed attention to the fact that Slack & Morse, (Levi Slack and E. W. Morse), were "very enterprising" in getting such fruits and the best of vegetables to the local market.
The Herald of July 10, 1851, gives ample evidence that the spirit of American patriotism was strong in the new town of San Diego. That issue contains a long account of the first formal cele- bration held in the new town of the Fourth of July. In part it is as follows :
"The celebration of the 4th passed off very pleasantly, and the only accident we heard of during the day was that of a few patriotic individuals being shot-in the neck! The day dawned, as all Inde- pendence days should do, in all its glory, and as a special favor the charming Goddess got up a little earlier than usual and put on a new calico frock, with a laconic skirt, after the new fashion, and then took a little drive in her chariot, over the hills just back of the city. She came into town just after daylight, 'with rosy fingers dropping gentle dew,' and was startled by a big brass gun from the ordnance depart- ment, which blew her up 'sky high.' It being steamer day, we were not able to be present at the forming of the procession, but arrived just in time to hear the oration, by John G. Brown, Esq., of San Francisco, and we must say that it has been a long time since we have listened to anything of the kind which gave us more satisfaction, or have seen a mixed audience, such as is usually assembled on an occa- sion like this, evince so much gratification.
"Mr. Brown's effort was a truly happy one, written with great purity of diction, and replete with eloquent sentiments and genuine patriotism. After the oration an ode was sung by the whole assembly, during the singing of which a salute was fired by a part of Col. Magruder's battery, under the direction of Lieut. Eddy.
"The procession was then reformed ( the charming Miss Caroline hanging lovingly upon our arm) and marched to the Plaza, where they were dismissed.
"Capt. Nathaniel Lyon, chief marshal of the day, deserves great praise for the perfect manner in which all the arrangements for the
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occasion were made, and the order with which everything was con- ducted.
"There was a ball at Old Town in the evening, at which we dropped in for a few moments, but there were so many 'nice young men' present as to render our chances to a flirtation rather dubious, so we vamosed. The ladies were lovely-the gentlemen in high spirits, and all seemed to enjoy themselves amazingly.
"Among the beautiful dark-eyed maids of California, we noticed particularly Senoritas D-s, L-e, F-o, M-y, T-a, and we must add that we were almost seduced from our allegiance to Miss Caroline, while gazing upon the lovely face and form of Mrs. B-r.
"There was also a private dance at New San Diego, where they no doubt all enjoyed themselves, as they 'didn't go home till morn- ing.'
"Thus ended a day which, in the language of Old General Has- tings, 'will long be remembered by our ancestors.'"
There is ample evidence that the reason why Ames came to San Diego then such a small town that it could hardly support even an unpretentious weekly newspaper such as the Herald was in size at least, was that he aimed to establish an organ for United States Sen- ator William M. Gwin of California, who hoped to bring about a division of the State of California, to annex Lower California if that could be brought about, and to join the building of a transcon- tinental railway over the southern route into San Diego. Smythe writes that he obtained evidence regarding Ames' plans from men to whom Ames had told them in confidence in the early years. The Herald of Aug. 28. 1851, gives striking evidence of this in the fol- lowing :
"A suggestion was made, about a year ago, in reference to the severance of this state, and the formation of a territorial government for the southern portion thereof. To the accomplishment of this object it is necessary that a united action be had by the advocates of the measure, and that a full and candid statement of the many grievances we suffer be set forth, that the people at the north may see the justice of our request for a division, and that we are impelled by necessity to this movement."
The very next issue of the Herald, that of Sept. 4, tells thus of a meeting held to discuss state division :
"At a public meeting of the citizens of the city and county of San Diego. held in the court house on the evening of Saturday, Au- gust 30, J. W. Robinson, Esq., was called to the chair and Dr. F. J. Painter appointed secretary. The object of the meeting being ex- plained by the chairman, viz: to take into consideration the propriety of petitioning Congress for a territorial form of Government in the southern portion of the state, the following gentlemen were appointed a committee of correspondence : Messrs. A. Haraszthy, Joaquin Orte- ga, C. J. Couts, G. F. Hooper, Pedro Carrillo, Wm. C. Ferrell, and Charles P. Noell."
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Gwin's scheme failed, and the favors which Ames expected from him were not forthcoming. Yet for a time many San Francisco ad- vertisements, doubtless a part of Gwin's patronage, appeared in the Herald and helped to keep that paper alive even when the new town venture failed and the Herald had been moved to Old Town about two years after the first issue.
The breaking up of the new town seems to have been general bv April of 1853, for in that month, it is recorded, E. W. Morse, whose former partner, Levi Slack, had been killed by the Indians at Warner's as already noted, moved to Old Town. There he went into partnership with Thomas Whaley, that arrangement lasting about three years. The Herald moved at about the same time. The new wharf built by William Heath Davis at the new town, fell more or less into disuse. In the cold winter of 1861-2 much of it was cut down for fuel to keep the volunteer troops stationed here warm. Nearly 25 years later Davis obtained a few thousand dollars-a mere frac- tion of its cost-from the Government in damages.
Davis in a newspaper interview in 1887 gave some interesting information about his wharf and his other efforts to start the new town of San Diego.
"Of the new town of San Diego, now the city of San Diego," he said, "I can say that I was the founder. In 1850 the American and Mexican commissions, appointed to establish the boundary line, were at Old Town. Andrew B. Gray, the chief engineer and surveyor for the United States, who was with the commission, introduced him- self to me one day at Old Town. In February, 1850, he explained to me the advantages of the locality known as 'Punta de los Muertos' (Point of the Dead), from the circumstance that in the year 1787 a Spanish squadron anchored within a stone's throw of the present site of the city of San Diego. During the stay of the fleet, surveying the bay of San Diego for the first time, several sailors and marines died, and were interred on a sandpit adjacent to where my wharf stood, and was named as above. The piles of my structure are still imbedded in the sands, as if there had been premeditation to mark them as the tomb-marks of those deceased early explorers of the Pacific Ocean and of the inlet of San Diego, during the days of Spain's greatness. I have seen 'Punta de los Muertos' on Pantoja's chart of his explorations of the waters of the Pacific.
"Messrs. Jose Antonio Aguirre, Miguel de Pedrorena, Andrew B. Gray. T. D. Johns and myself were the projectors and original proprietors of what is now known as the city of San Diego. All my co-proprietors have since died, and I remain alone of the party, and am a witness of the marvelous events and changes that have transpired in this vicinity during more than a generation.
"The first building in new San Diego was put up by myself as a private residence. The building still stands, being known as the San Diego Hotel. I also put up a number of other houses. The cottage built by Andrew B. Gray is still standing, and is called 'The Hermitage.' George F. Hooper also built a cottage, which is still standing near my house in new San Diego. Under the conditions of our deed, we were to build a substantial wharf and warehouse. The
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other proprietors of the town deeded to me their interest on Block 20, where the wharf was to be built. The wharf was completed in six months after getting our title in March, 1850, at a cost of $60,000. The piles of the old wharf are still to be seen on the old wharf site in Block 20. At that time I predicted that San Diego would become a great commercial seaport, from its fine geographical position and from the fact that it was the only good harbor south of San Francisco. Had it not been for our civil war, railroads would have reached here years before Stanford's road was built. For our wharf was ready for business."
Davis wrote that there were very heavy rains in San Diego in the winter of 1861-2 and that the fuel for the several hundred soldiers at the military depot in San Diego ran out as already told.
"My wharf and warehouse were still in existence near the depot," wrote Davis, "and earning me several hundred dollars per month for wharfage and storage. The commanding officer of the post decided to use my property for firewood, as a military necessity. Being war- time, it was demolished for that purpose, and I lost my income.
"A few years after the occurrence I went to work and collected evidence in connection with the destruction of the wharf and ware- house. I appealed to congress with the facts I had obtained for compensation for my loss. The senate passed a bill unanimously, appropriating $60,000 as my pay: but it was defeated in the house. At last, congress enacted a law creating General Saxton (quarter- master-general of the Pacific coast) as a commissioner to take testi- mony in California. Several sessions were held in San Francisco ; also three or four at San Diego, where the property was located. The testimony before the commissioner was overwhelmingly in my be- half. After these proceedings, the claim was before the house, con- gress after congress, asking the body to appropriate a just and equitable amount, under the commissioner's investigation and report, for my reimbursement. In 1884-85 I was voted $6,000 in full pay- men for the $60,000 which the senate had allowed."
The history of San Diego from 1853 to the coming of Alonzo E. Horton, father of the new town which lasted, is not filled with events of great importance. Yet the period was not without interesting incidents. One which made San Diego well known elsewhere in the nation was the arrival here of Lieut. George H. Derby, who became famous, not as an engineer-for as such he came to San Diego-but as a writer of the "Phoenixiana" and temporary editor of Ames' paper, the Herald. As "John Phoenix" Derby saw more fun in San Diego than any other person could discover, and his quaint witticisms not only made the Herald a widely quoted paper but gave the author a fame which has endured unto this day. When Derby saw nothing particularly humorous in the events of the time, he let his fertile imagination supply the necessary details for a humorous story, and he kept dignified citizens somewhat anxions. Derby came to San Diego to turn the San Diego River back into its course into False or Mission Bay. It had cut into San Diego Bay and in time would have filled
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up a large area of valuable harbor area. Derby turned the river, using Indian labor on his earthworks, and also turned the politics of the Herald topsy-turvy in a very short time. But that is getting ahead of the story.
Derby had written in San Francisco under the pen names "John Phoenix" and "Squibob." He was born in Dedham, Mass., in 1823, served in the Mexican war and was, it is recorded, continuously in the service of his country for 14 years. He died in New York City in 1861 at the age of 38 years. A son, Lieut .- Col. George McClellan Derby, was retired from the army at his own request in 1906, hav- ing served more than 30 years. Like his son, George H. Derby was a graduate of West Point. He was married in Trinity Church, San Francisco, on Jan. 14, 1854, to Miss Mary A. Coons of St. Louis, as duly recorded in the columns of the San Diego Herald by Editor Ames, friend of the Lieutenant Derby, and lived in San Diego for several years.
Derby and Ames seem to have been acquainted before Derby came to San Diego. At any rate, soon after Derby's arrival here, Ames, who wanted to make one of his frequent trips to San Fran- cisco, prevailed upon Derby to "sit in" as editor of the Herald. The rollicking Derby did it gleefully and characteristically. Derby had been here in the preceding year, and knew something about the town. Perhaps he knew something about its politics, but if he did it apparently did not worry him, for as soon as Ames was well on his way to the north he changed the politics of the Herald from Democrat to Whig. He poked fun at Bigler, the Democratic nominee for governor ; he took a rap at Editor Ames; he even made fun of himself and his Whig tendencies. When Ames came back to town, Derby wrote for the Herald an account of a purely imaginary fight between himself, a small man, and the gigantic Ames, whose frame towered some six feet and six inches above his shoe-soles. He later wrote many other articles for Ames' newspaper.
In 1855 Ames collected a lot of Derby's writings and issued them as the first edition of "Phoenixiana." This includes a reproduc- tion of a famous "illustrated" edition of the Herald which Derby got out. It was filled up with a lot of advertising cuts which Derby used in humorous fashion.
The volume also contains an interesting description of San Diego, written largely in jovial and burlesque style, but largely, also, along the lines of fact. For instance, he described the harbor as shaped like a boot, told of the three villages then here-the Playa, Old Town and the New Town, or "Davis' Folly." He told also of the "long, low one-storied tenement, near the base of the hills," once held by Capt. Magruder and his officers, but then the place where Judge Witherby "sits at the receipt of customs." But, added "Phoenix," the judge had little trade, for the Goliah and Ohio, little coasting steamers which ran to the town, and the fortnightly mail steamers were about the only crafts coming in. There were the barque Clarissa Andrews and "two crazy old hulks" at the Playa. Ashore there were the Ocean House, a store "marked Gardiner & Bleeker :" a little building on stilts out in the water where a man employed by the U. S. Engin- eers made "mysterious observations on the tide;" three small build-
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ings, a fence and a graveyard; these, said the jovial writer, were the only "improvements" that had been made at the Playa. He also visited two old hide-houses mentioned by Dana in his "Two Years Before the Mast." Despite the gradual growth of the place, Derby believed that, "should the great Pacific Railroad terminate at San Diego, an event within the range of probability, the Playa must be the depot, and as such will become a point of great importance." In those early days, it will be seen, there were growing hopes of a rail- road running directly from the east into San Diego, and the spirit of potential progress was strong. "Phoenix," indeed comments on the fact that there was a real estate boom of some importance a-boom- ing at the time and that lots of 150 feet frontage were selling for $500 each : he hazarded the opinion, however, that he would prefer the cash to the lots. The chapter contains also an amusing descrip- tion of Derby himself, written by himself, and mention of "Judge" Ames, editor of the Herald, whom Derby described as "talented, good- hearted, but eccentric." The editor is quoted as telling "Phoenix" that the town contains 700 inhabitants, two-thirds native born, that it had seven stores, two public houses and two churches, Catholic and Pro- testant, to the latter of which came every week Rev. Reynolds, chap- lain of the military post six miles distant. "Phoenix" also attended a ball, visited New Town and rode out to the Mission and attended a fiesta, he relates in the same article.
A chapter which gives a fair sample of Derby's humor is that in which as "Phoenix" he describes a Fourth of July celebration in San Diego. This was "reported expressly for the Herald." He notes that at 2 a. m. all citizens except "those who had retired in a state of intoxication" were awakened by the "soul-stirring and tremendous report of the Plaza artillery, which had been loaded the previous evening with two pounds of powder and a half a bushel of public documents." There was a parade later in the day, moving to the "sound of an excellent military band, consisting of a gong and a hand-bell," and still later "the San Diego Light Infantry," a small bov. fired a national salute with his fire-crackers and nearly lost his shirt-tail in the act.
The first edition of "Phoenixiana" was issued by Ames in 1855. On Feb. 9, 1856, he announced that the book had reached a sale of 4,000 copies and was "highly spoken of by the critics."
"Phoenixiana" has had more than 30 editions since then, and the sales have reached many thousands of copies. One edition de luxe produced by the Caxton Club of Chicago is priced at $50 and has an introduction by John Vance Cheney of San Diego. Another recent edition has a characteristic introduction by John Kendrick Bangs. D. Appleton & Co., the original publishers, have issued this, with pictures by E. W. Kemble.
Derby was prominent during his residence here in organization of the first Masonic lodge in San Diego. He was a man of marvel- ous memory. and, it is declared, could recite chapter after chapter from the Bible. His story of San Diego, then a place of small conse- quence, resulted in extensive advertising of the town as well as of himself. By a curious coincidence his death in 1861 was followed within two months by that of his old friend Ames, who passed away.
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broken in fortune and health, at San Bernardino as the Civil war was beginning to rage.
From the city assessment roll for 1851, now in the possession of the city government, it appears that the whole amount of taxable prop- erty in the city of San Diego in 1851 was $203,206. The tax was collected at the rate of one-half of one per cent, and the total tax was only $1,019.03-quite a difference from the 1921 figure of about $1,750,000.
The 1851 assessment roll as certified to by Frederick J. Painter, clerk of the common council, includes some interesting items. Jose A. Aguirre, who was a partner with Gray, Davis and others in the attempt to found the new town of San Diego, paid a tax of $39.07. The first two and a half pages of the roll are devoted to his holdings ; they included eighteen beach lots, so-called, seven lots in Old Town and fifty-five parcels in "New San Diego," as it was officially desig- nated. He was assessed on a valuation of $8,035. The clerk notes that "the court of equalization deducts from the whole amount $220," leaving Aguirre's total $7,815.
Thomas D. Johns, who was the army lieutenant responsible for building the barracks at the new town and who appears to have been admitted to the new town partnership group, paid taxes upon twenty- seven parcels in New San Diego. His net assessed valuation for those was $1,410, and his tax $7.05. In addition he paid $5 for prop- erty at La Playa.
William Heath Davis, head of the new town movement, paid a city tax of $68.25, his net assessment being on a valuation of $13,651. Here are the items of his assessment :
Real estate
$ 7,151
Wharf
4,000
Lumber
1,000
Residence
1,000
Hotel and billiard table
1,000
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
I
1
1
$14,151
From that sum the board of equalization deducted $500, leaving a total of $13,651. Davis & Hooper paid a tax of $20.75.
Andrew B. Gray, another of the new town advocates, paid a tax of $29.50 on property valued at $5,940, nearly all of it in the new town.
Thomas W. Sutherland, first city attorney, paid $18.57.
William C. Ferrell's tax was only $3.50.
Henry D. Fitch, who died in 1849, was taxed $2.25, Mrs. Fitch $7.50 (her assessment being cut $1,000 as "widow's portion off"), while the estate of Henry Fitch paid a tax of $26.25.
J. P. Keating paid a tax of $2 for a pilot boat. The estate of Miguel de Pedrorena, who died in 1850. paid a tax of $33.75. The total assessed valuation was $7,755, from which was deducted an orphans' portion of $1,000. The Pacific Mail Steamship Company paid $38.75.
Jose A. Estudillo was assessed as follows: "1 lot 50 varas 25c" in La Playa, the total for that being $25, and for six corners in Old San Diego with improvements assessed at $3,000. His personal prop-
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erty was set at $100. His total assessment was $5,125, and his city tax for 1851 was $25.62.
The manner in which the four settlements about the bay were described is of interest. They were four: La Playa, which the clerk wrote down as "Playa:" Old Town, to which he referred as "Old San Diego :" Middletown, which several times he put down as "Middle San Diego," and the new town of Davis and Gray, which was officially designated as "New San Diego."
One entry was made under the heading "Steam Boat Company," for lots at La Playa, valued at $4,000, the lots being described as Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 of Block No. 57. After it was written into the book, however, this entry was made in red ink: "Error. This is City Property." All tax totals are written in the same red ink.
Cave J. Couts had city property for which he was taxed $41. Juan Bandini's tax was $68.75. John Foster's was $31.25.
Other names in this interesting tax list are as follows :
William Arrington, the Artesian Well Company, F. M. Alvarez, Julian Ames, Ames & Pendleton, Santiago E. Arguello, Daniel Bar- bee, Thomas A. Budd, Bandini & Davis, John Barker, Joshua H. Bean, Arthur Blackburn, Henry Clayton, S. P. Heintzleman, Agostino Haraszthy, Charles Haraszthy, William Leaney, Bonifacio Lopez, C. W. Lawton, several members of the Machado family for Old Town property, J. B. Magruder for New San Diego property, Charles P. Noell, Juan M. Ossuna, Richard Rust, E. W. Rust, J. W. Robinson, Louis Rose, Jose Serrano, Maria Snook, Abel Stearns, San Diego Herald office in New San Diego ($7.50), William H. Tiffany, G. P. Tebbetts, Louis Veal. Edward Vischer, Thomas Wrightington, O. S. Witherby. Raimond Yorba, Maria Ybarros.
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