USA > California > Sacramento County > History of Sacramento County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, 1913 > Part 10
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Most of these poor sufferers died and after being placed in coffins, were buried across the river. One of the men detailed for this duty was a Dutchman who was very suspicious of everyone so far as his money was concerned, and having accumulated about $2,000 in gold dust carried it in a belt around his waist. They placed the coffin across a small boat, and when they had reached some distance the boat careened and sank. The Dutchman, who was a good swimmer, called to his companion that he would swim ashore and get a boat, hut weighted down with the gold that he loved better than his life, he sank. His companion hung on to the coffin and reached shore safely. The description given by Dr. Morse of the neglect of the sick and their condition is almost beyond belief.
After the January flood in 1850, prices of everything rose enor- mously and continued high for a long time. But the high prices of
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real estate did not shrink on account of the flood and destruction. Here are some of the current prices in the city in April and May:
Filtered water, per barrel, $1.50; washing and ironing, per dozen, $7.00; private boxes at the theater, $4.00; ordinary boxes at the theater, $3.00; pit seats at the theater, $2.00; musicians in gambling houses, by the day, $16.00; hauling lumber from First to Second street, per thousand, $3.00; hair cutting, $1.50; shaving, $1.00; bil- liards, per game, $1.00; saddle horses, per day, $10.00; lodging, without blankets, per night, $1.00; celery, per head, 20 cents; peas in the pod, per gallon, $2.00; radishes, every size, per bunch, $1.00; turkeys, per pair, $16.00; apples, small, but good, each, 50 cents; specked apples, each 25 cents; Colt's pistols, medium size, $75.00.
Up to the 6th of August the amount of $100,000 had been issued by warrants to meet the expenditures for the city government, as shown by the mayor's statement. The estimated sum to be expended for the construction of the levee and the city government inclusive footed up $300,000. Sacramento endured grievous troubles in August and September. The contests about titles, the breaking up of confi- dence in the general value of property thus sitnated, the pecuniary embarrassments that were plunging men into bankruptcy and ruin, and the heavy taxation necessary to sustain the city government and complete the public works necessary to protect the city from floods, were enough to utterly discourage the citizens and destroy their confi- dence in the city's future. But the community was composed of men of iron; men who had come thousands of miles through all sorts of dangers and perils to found on the shores of the Pacific a great empire, although they were at that time unconscious of the fact and looked not far beyond the present. Their energy was unconquerable and inextinguishable, and the greater the burdens imposed by fate, the more manfully and determinedly they strove to overthrow them. That this city exists to-day, large and prosperous, is indisputable evidence that they succeeded.
In Angust the council made itself decidedly unpopular by 'one or two of its acts. The members appropriated to themselves a salary of $200 a month each. In addition to this, the taxpayers saw the appointment of various committees to duties that were but little more than nominal, and who drew $25 a day for their services, in addition to their regular salary voted.
After the bankruptcies of September and the squatter riots of August affairs settled down to a degree of quiet and the people began to engage more systematically and soundly in business, which was augmented extraordinarily by the heavy demand for goods and their transportation to the mines. During the previous winter the people in the mines had suffered greatly from privations and were thrown into a desperate and almost starving condition from the
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scarcity of provisions and the cutting off of communication with the city by the floods. As a natural consequence, in the fall soon after the revulsion in finance, there sprang up a brisk demand and an immense and profitable trade was inaugurated and carried on between the merchants and miners. The situation being thus relieved, the effect upon the city was such as almost to restore its former pros- perity.
At this time a public question began to awaken interest in the men's minds and to cause them to watch every arrival from Wash- ington and the news brought, with intense anxiety. This was the question of admission as a state to the Union. The constitution had been adopted, the application made, but congress still delayed action and the community was in a state of painful suspense as to what the outcome would be. One can readily imagine, then, the relief to the tension when the news came that California was a member of the great Union of states. Early in the morning of October 15th, it is stated, the rapid firing of cannon upon the levee awakened the citizens to the fact that the news had arrived and that our admission was an assured fact. It was a season of rejoicing that for the moment almost obliterated the memory of the past misfortunes. In addition to the news it was ascertained that a number of Sacramento's citizens had returned by the steamer that brought the news.
But Sacramento's cup of sorrow was not yet full and a heavier calamity than any that had gone before, was, even in this season of rejoicing, hovering over the devoted city. The same fostering breezes that had borne on the steamer bringing the news of admission had also borne on their wings a ghastly pestilence and on the steamer itself many of the passengers had fallen victims to the dread scourge. A most malignant cholera was sweeping on toward California and many were the unknown graves that it was to fill in the new state ere its violence should be abated. City and country were alike to it and the urban dweller and the miner in his cabin were alike to pay toll to the dread Reaper. The tale that is told by the pioneers who escaped with life the pestilence harrows the soul of the listener with the vivid pictures of distress and destruction. Each successive day brought news from San Francisco that the passengers on the ill- fated steamer were still being decimated by the terrible scourge. Not only this, but the accounts of the visit of the disease to Sandusky. Rochester, St. Louis and other places began to fill the hearts of the people with a dread of impending disaster. The stories of its relent- less malignity and the wide-spread destruction that accompanied its progress fell like a pall on the community, and terror fell on all. It is doubtful if history records a parallel of the destructive panic that followed its appearance on this coast and in this city. The hard- ships and disease that had prevailed during the summer and which
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were sufficient to crush all progress and energy in a less buoyant and determined people, had been too recent to allow of a recuperation of their health and strength and rendered them an easy prey for the insidious disease.
As is well known, in cases of epidemics, the mass of the people is filled with fear and dread, and in the fevered state of mind prevailing it was easy for the disease to develop to terrific proportions. Panic predisposed the people to receive its attacks, and it hardly needed an imported case to spread the disease. Early in the morning of October 20 a person was found on the levee in the collapsing stage of the dread disease. Medical aid was summoned, but he was too far gone and soon died. The cholera was in the city. The news spread as if hy magic, the circumstances grew in horror with repeti- tion and the pall of despair seemed to settle down like a black cloud. over the city. It is well known by experience that the fear of disease and the dwelling on its symptoms are very often followed by its appearance and so it was largely in this case. The next day several more fatal cases were reported and as the stories spread and were constantly augmented in their description, it is not to be wondered at that fear should have become an auxiliary to the disease and that the epidemic was soon in full progress.
In six days from its inception, the disease had made such progress that regular burials were but slightly attended to and nursing and attention were frequently wanting. Money, so powerful an agent in most cases, could scarcely purchase the offices of common kindness and charity. Affection seemed blunted and the fear of death seemed to sever all ties and develop elements of selfishness. But little could be done under these conditions to arrest the course of the disease, and it swept through the community with irresistible force. In many such epidemies the personal habits of individuals have a strong influ- ence in resisting disease or inviting it, but the case was different here. Men of the most regular, careful and industrious habits were its victims equally with those who were intemperate and irregular. In a few days many of the most prominent and substantial citizens fell before the pestilence. None seemed immmne.
It was reported that a hundred and fifty cases occurred in one day, but such was the confusion and the panic in the community that no records were kept, nor can any accurate data be found in regard to the havoc made by this epidemic. As the number of deaths increased and men were kept constantly employed in the removal of the dead, the citizens began to leave the city in every direction and the number increased so rapidly that in a short time not more than one-fifth of the residents remained. The most heartrending abandonment of relatives and friends took place during the reign of terror. But a very small remnant resisted the instinct of self-
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preservation and remained to minister to the sick and dying. A few noble men, moved by sympathy, the divine attribute of our nature, remained to do what they could for the relief of suffering humanity, and their humane ministrations, regardless of danger and death, did much to ameliorate the situation. Their names should be written in letters of gold in the history of Sacramento and California, but alas, they were lost to us and their only reward was the consciousness of having done their duty. One name, however, has been preserved, that of John Bigler, afterwards governor of California, whom Dr. Morse describes as moving among the dead and dying, with a large lump of camphor in one hand, which he frequently applied to his nostrils, as an antidote to the disease. No danger of infection daunted him, however, and where misery, death and destitution abounded, he was ever to be found in its midst, proffering aid and sympathy.
The physicians of the city did noble work. No danger appalled them. Night and day they responded to the call of distress, scarcely pausing to snatch a few hours of needed sleep and rest. Before the epidemic subsided seventeen of them were deposited in the sand hill cemetery of the city-an almost unexampled mortality in the profession in a season of epidemic. Not one in ten escaped the disease and not a single educated physician turned his back on the city in its extremity. In such a time of delirium and terror it is no wonder that no systematic records were kept. In fact it was impossible. Not only in the city, but on the roads, and even in the mines, many who were fleeing from the pestilence were stricken down by the awful malady and perished, unknown and unaided in many cases. In the latter part of the epidemic, the city authorities, who had from the first done all they could to relieve the suffering, obtained the use of a large frame building on L street, where the destitute victims were taken and cared for.
"From the beginning, the local papers had endeavored, as usual in such cases, to conceal the extent of mortality, and their files of that date give no adequate idea of the fearful scourge," say Thompson and West in their history. On the 24th of October the city physician reported seven cases of cholera to the council, five of which were fatal. Some of the doctors endeavored to quiet public apprehension by giving the opinion that the disease was only a violent form of cholera morbus. The Times "felt confident that there was very little danger, and had not heard of a single case where the patient had not been previously reduced by diarrhea." On the 27th, six cases were reported, and the Times "hoped that some pre- cantionary measures would be taken." On the 29th twelve cases appeared; on the 30th, nineteen, and it was no longer possible to conceal the fact that a terrible epidemie had attacked the com- munity. A Sacramento correspondent of the Alta says on November
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4: "The daily mortality is about sixty. Many deaths are concealed, and many others are not reported. Deaths during the past week, so far as known, 188." On November 14, the daily mortality had decreased to twelve and on the 17th, the pestilence was reported as having entirely disappeared. But the precise number of fatal cases can never be known, as a great number were reported to have died of dysentery, fevers, and other diseases, for the purpose of quieting the public anxiety and restoring the confidence of the people. Many of the victims were buried in unknown graves and their very location was soon forgotten. Many a wife or mother or sister waited in vain for tidings of the loved ones that never came, and never knew when or how they had passed away.
A writer who was one of the survivors of that terrible time says: "What with floods and fires, insurrection and the plague, the very stars seemed to fight against Sacramento in her infancy, and the foundation of her later prosperity was laid upon the ashes of her pioneers." Before the disastrous visitation of the cholera, Dr. Still- man walked through the sandhill cemetery and counted eight hundred graves that had not yet been sodded over, and how many more were added by the still more terrible destroyer is not found recorded in the history of the time. Of a company of forty men who came out on the infected schooner Montagne, more than half died after her arrival; and after her departure from Sacramento for Panama, the captain, second mate and six passengers died of cholera before leaving San Francisco bay.
This terrible calamity lasted in its malignant form only about twenty days, but under the circumstances and from lack of systematic records, the number of deaths will never be known. Its abatement lasted much longer than its period of beginning and virulence, and began just as soon as the people became familiarized with its features and the terrible scenes in their midst, thus rendering them less liable to be attacked through a paralyzing fear. By the time it ceased, the city had become nearly depopulated and many thought it would never rise again from the disaster. But such prophecies did not take into account the sturdy perseverance of a strong people. Just as soon as the mortality began to obviously decrease, the fugitives began to return, and those who had remained to help their fellow man and to abide by the fortunes of the city recovered their elasticity of mind and energy. A transformation immediately commenced to take place in the appearance of the city. Confidence in its healthfulness re- turned; men grew cheerful and hopeful and business communication with the mines was reopened. The previous prosperous conditions were restored and for several weeks business was good once more, and the beautiful winter that followed stimulated the community to ener- getic efforts.
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But the merchants and traders had unfortunately calculated too much upon a winter like those of 1848 and 1849. This induced them to transport at high prices large stores of goods into the mining regions, trusting that communication would be difficult, as it was in the former year. But these goods, in consequence of the lack of water in dry diggings and the roads that offered immediate communi- cation with the mines all winter, were sold at ruinous sacrifices.
A synopsis of events in the spring and summer shows that the city was divided into wards, April 15; the first mail left for Salt Lake, May 1; a city election May 5 polled 2482 votes and James R. Hardenbergh was elected mayor; the treasurer's report, May 6, showed the city's receipts for the fiscal year to have been $214,939.86 and the mayor's report showed the indebtedness to be $368,551.29 and that $80,000 of this was drawing interest at ten to twenty per cent per month, the balance from three to eight per cent per month. In June the city debt was funded at ten per cent per annum in New York and twelve per cent in Sacramento. In September the popular vote of the county was 4115. The Tehama Theater burned August 13 and Dr. Volney Spalding opened the American Theater September 9. On December 24 the courthouse was finished and Jannary 14, 1852, the state offices and legislature moved to Sacramento and the first legislative session opened January 16. One thousand persons arrived by steamer January 20 and on the 23d, a brick building now on K street was begun. March 7 the city was overflowed again.
At the municipal election, April 5, twenty-eight hundred two votes were cast, C. I. Hutchinson being elected mayor. The debt had increased to $449,105.32 and the estimated revenue to $200,000. At an election July 17 the people voted for a wide levee through I street, and also to erect a city hall and prison. October 8 there was an agricultural fair. The population at this time was between ten thousand and twelve thousand. On November 2 there was a terrible conflagration. December 17 there was a storm of four days duration and on the 25th the upper part of the city was flooded. By January 1, 1853, the water was higher than ever before known. January 13 the people voted for water-works, fire department, loan and three- quarters per cent additional taxation. Many mercantile houses this month established branches at Hoboken, trade being entirely cut off from the city by reason of high water and impassable roads.
The Golden Eagle, at the corner of Seventh and K streets, was for more than half a century considered the hotel par excellence of the city, and dates back in a much eruder form to the early days of Sacramento. For many years it was a headquarters for the Republican politicians, while the Capital hotel, on the corner opposite, was considered the Democratic headquarters. Many a state campaign and legislative session were engineered and directed from these two points.
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Where the Golden Eagle now stands, in 1851, "Dan" Callahan, for many years the proprietor of that hotel, erected his frame lodging house, which he had purchased for a span of horses, and added to it a canvas annex, upon the flaps of which a joker named Wrightmire, with artistic talent, drew with charcoal the figure of an eagle, with outspread wings and a pensive air, and named the structure the Golden Eagle, and the name clung to it through the pioneer days with the tenacity of an inspired title.
CHAPTER XII POLITICAL
In 1854 the old Whig party was passing away and the anti-slavery party was pushing its way to the front. The exciting struggle in "bleeding" Kansas was attracting widespread attention and becom- ing a lively political issue and a fruitful subject for discussion. On Tuesday, July 18, a Democratic convention met in the Fourth Street Baptist Church in this city, at 3 P. M. Disturbance was in the air, and long before the hour for opening the convention, the doors of the church were surrounded by people, a great many of whom were not delegates. The church would hold about four hundred, and as soon as the doors were opened the people crowded in and filled it to its utmost capacity.
D. C. Broderick was chairman of the state central committee, and when he ascended the platform he was received with continued cheers. As soon as he called the convention to order a number of delegates sprang to their feet, in order to make nominations for temporary chairman. He recognized T. L. Vermule as having the floor, but before he could make the announcement, John O'Meara nominated ex-Governor John McDougal for temporary chairman. Vermule nominated Edward McGowan for chairman pro tem, and Broderick announced that he could not recognize O'Meara's nomina- tion, and put the question on McGowan's election and declared him elected. McGowan mounted the platform immediately, followed closely by MeDougal, whose friends insisted that he had been elected, although his name had not been submitted to the convention in regular form.
The convention thus had two chairmen, who took seats side by side and pandemonium reigned for a time. Finally a semblance of order was restored, and MeDougal announced the names of Major G. W. Hook and John Bidwell as vice-presidents and McGowan announced J. T. Hall and A. L. Laird as appointed by him to those offices. A scene of noise and confusion again followed, but the gen- tlemen named took their seats with their respective leaders. The appointment of two sets of secretaries and committees followed and reports were made to each side, recommending that the temporary
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officers be made the permanent ones. Motions were made to adopt the respective reports, and were declared carried, amid great excite- ment.
The convention transacted no other business, but sat as a double- header until nine o'clock that night, each side endeavoring to outstay the other. One sickly tallow candle in front of each president, illum- inated the scene, or rather made darkness visible. The situation lasted until the trustees of the church notified the convention that they would no longer tolerate the riotous assemblage in the church, and the delegates departed without attending to the formality of an adjournment.
Pandemonium had reigned throughout the session and soon after the organization was completed a crowd made a mad rush for the platform. One of the officers was seized and just then a pistol exploded in the crowded room. The direction of the rush was imme- diately changed toward the doors and windows, a number of the dele- gates jumping through the latter to the ground, a distance of abont fifteen feet. This ended the exciting events of the day.
The next morning the "chivalry," or southern element of the party, the wing presided over by MeDougal, met at Musical Hall, while the MeGowan, or Tammany faction, representing the northern ele- ment, met in Carpenter's building. The officers of the chivalry wing tendered their resignations and Major Hook was elected president and H. P. Barber, William A. Manuerly, A. W. Taliafero, and J. G. Downey were elected vice-presidents. The other convention sent a message asking that a committee on conference be appointed in order to endeavor to settle the differences. As the language of the com- munication was considered offensive, it was withdrawn for the pur- pose of modifying the phraseology. A second note was afterward sent in, but as it was quite similar to the first, it met with a flat rejection. The convention then nominated candidates for congress and for clerk of the supreme court; passed resolutions favoring the construction of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad under the auspices of congress, and endorsing the Nebraska Bill, etc. It also elected a state central committee and levied an assessment of five dollars on each delegate, to pay for the damage done to church building.
The McGowan wing met at 9:30 on the morning of the 19th, that gentleman continuing to act as chairman. They appointed a committee of seven to invite the MeDougal convention to attend their session and also empowered the committee to heal the difficulties. When the convention re-assembled the committee reported that they had sent a communication to the MeDougal convention, but that the proposition embraced in it had been rejected. The communication sent was as follows:
"John McDougal, Esq., Chairman of Democratic delegates con-
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vened at Musical Hall: Sir-The undersigned have been this morn- ing constituted a committee, with full powers, by and on behalf of the Democratic state convention at Carpenter's llall, for a conference with our fellow Democrats at Musical Hall, for the purpose of harmon- izing and uniting the Democrats of California. Yon will be pleased to announce this to your body; and any communication may be ad- dressed to the chairman of this committee, at Jones' hotel."
The report was accepted and the committee was discharged. The convention then proceeded to nominate a ticket entirely different from that nominated by the MeDougal convention. It also adopted a series of resolutions allnding to the heterogeneons condition of the party in the state, and to the differences of the convention in this city. They urged the people of the state to accept their ticket as most likely to effect conciliation. They also appointed a state central com- mittee and took up a collection of four hundred dollars to reimburse the Baptist church for the damage done to it, a committee having reported that the injury to the building would amount to that sum. Several of the nominees withdrew from the ticket after the convention adjonrned, and the Tammany wing, after the election, ascribed its defeat to the withdrawal of Milton S. Latham, who afterwards became governor, from the congressional ticket.
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