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 18
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MATER MISERICORDIAE HOSPITAL
The care of the sick is one of the chief objects of the order of Sisters of Mercy, and as Sacramento for so many years could not
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lay claim to any institution for the care of the sick except those of the city and county and the railroad hospital, the Sisters, in 1895, with very little money, but with great faith in God's providence, pur- chased the half block between Q and R, Twenty-second and Twenty- third streets, of the late Dr. G. L. Simmons for $12,000 on a mortgage note. The two small buildings known as the "Ridge Home," on Twenty-second street, were a small beginning, and poorly equipped, but their faith was rewarded by the appreciation of the public and in 1896, the large building now known as the Hospital Mater Miser- icordiae was erected. It has since been enlarged, and porches run all around it, and is one of the best equipped and best patronized hospitals on the coast, having four elegant operating rooms of the latest pattern. Ridge Home is now utilized as a home for the aged.
THE WENTWORTH-IGO HOSPITAL
The Wentworth Igo Hospital was opened September 1, 1900, at a cost of $13,000, at No. 2515 I street. It had twenty-five beds, and increased rapidly in popularity. Dr. Wentworth died in 1901 and Miss Louise Igo continued.the management of the hospital until 1902, when she severed her connection with it and graduated from the Medical College of the University of California. In March, 1910, she opened the Louise Igo Hospital with eight rooms for patients, and her business grew so rapidly that she has determined to build a larger institution.
WHITE HOSPITAL
January 12, 1910, Dr. J. L. White opened the White Hospital at Twenty-ninth and J streets, with five four-bed wards, two four-bed wards and thirty private rooms. He is the owner and manager. For more than ten years he was superintendent of the County Hospital and is considered one of the most successful young surgeons in North- ern California. Mrs. Staley is superintendent of the nurses and has a number of assistants, and twenty-one nurses in training. The ap- proximate value of the hospital is $90,000. The annex was completed in May, 1911, with twelve rooms on the upper floor for patients. The hospital rapidly found its way into public favor and is in a very prosperous condition.
THE HOME OF THE MERCIFUL SAVIOUR
The Home of the Merciful Saviour, on the J Street Road, is an institution for the treatment of crippled and invalid children. Al- though under the fostering care of the Episcopal Church it is wholly non-sectarian as to admissions and has received as patients children from the length and breadth of California, the only requisite for their acceptance being a physician's certificate indicating their need of medical or surgical treatment and the age restriction of twelve years for boys and fourteen for girls.
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The Home owes its existence to a memorial gift of $250, donated by the late Mrs. James Palache, of Berkeley, in remembrance of her daughter. That nest egg was augmented by the generosity of many Sacramentans and other friends in the diocese, and the property on J street was purchased, the house renovated and the Home opened for the reception of patients, June 1, 1907, with an initial family of three little ones.
In the five succeeding years one hundred and twenty-five children have been admitted, many have been discharged "cured," some "im- proved" and there have been eight deaths. The fatalities have al- most invariably been due to the hopeless condition of the children when brought to the Home. The average size of the family at the pres- ent time is from twenty to twenty-five.
The organization of the Home consists of a board of directors from whose number are elected a president, vice-president, treas- urer, corresponding and recording secretaries, the bishop of the diocese being ex-officio president. There is a sustaining member- ship of annual subscribers and a life membership comprising don- ors of one hundred dollars or more in one sum.
There is also a Memorial Endowment Fund, the interest from which is applied to the maintenance of the Home, and from which it is hoped in time to realize an adequate annual income for the support of the institution. This is being created by special gifts, endowed beds and bequests. Legacies to this charitable institu- tion are made payable to the Protestant Episcopal Bishop of Sacramento, a Corporation Sole, in trust for the Home of the Mer- ciful Saviour.
"THE HOWARDS"
The Howard Benevolent Association of Sacramento was organ- ized in a time of great tribulation and distress in this city. The rush of gold seekers in 1849 had brought with it much of disease and poverty, and the Masons and Odd Fellows had risen nobly to the occasion and dispensed charity with open hands and willing hearts, counting not the cost when they could alleviate distress. In later times, when the floods and fires brought poverty and suffer- ing, another organization arose. This one was formed purely and solely for the relief of the destitute and sick, and well and faith- fully it played its part. No one will ever know how much it did for the needy, for those who disbursed its funds never boasted of the deeds, and most, if not all, of the original members have passed away. The name of the Howards, however, should always be held in reverence by every citizen of Sacramento.
The first steps looking to the organization of the society were taken as early as December 21, 1857, N. A. H. Ball being the leader in the good work. The officers elected for the first year were: George
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W. Mowe, president; L. A. Booth, James P. Robinson, John McNeill, R. A. Pearis, James E. Perkins and N. A. H. Ball, directors; James M. Kennedy, secretary, and John S. Bien, treasurer. The income of the society was derived from membership fees, voluntary con- tributions, donations by the legislature, and various other sources. None of the officers except the steward received any salary. Dur- ing the floods of 1861-62 the association had its headquarters at the Old Pavilion on M street, as stated in a previous chapter, and as- sisted hundreds of homeless people. For many years it distributed to the needy about $4000 a year and numbered about thirty active members, who elected the directors. Of late years the Howards have not had so many calls on their charity, as the county has taken hold of such matters more systematically. For this reason their reserve fund has accumulated until it amounts to about $20,000. The pres- ent board of directors consists of R. D. Finnie and Fred Biewener, John Weil, the third member having died in January, 1912.
The Catholic Ladies' Relief Society, No. 1, has been in ex- istence for many years and has faithfully looked after the needs of the destitute and sick of their denomination.
The Young Men's Christian Association was organized October 3, 1866, and elected officers as follows: N. N. Denton, president; H. B. Eddy, secretary, and M. L. Templeton, treasurer. Twenty-six names were enrolled at the organization. At a subsequent meeting October 22, 1866, at the Congregational Church, the organization was completed by electing other officers, as follows: Sparrow Smith, corresponding secretary; George Wick, librarian; H. W. Earl, regis- trar; G. W. Bruff, Seth Babson, A. Aitken, J. M. Ripley, G. W. Bonner, board of managers; and the following vice-presidents: Frank Miller (Congregational Church), G. R. Forshee (Sixth Street Metho- dist Church), A. Aitken (Presbyterian Church), C. Emery (Baptist Church), and Henry Garrett (Christian Church).
The association died down in 1877 and 1878, but was soon after revived. Its headquarters were at No. 309 K street, the St. George Building, and on the west side of Sixth street, between K and L. At present they own the building at the Northwest corner of Fifth and J streets, but it has been razed, and a splendid building, costing with the lot about $200,000, is being erected on the site. The associa- tion is strong and prosperous and has a large membership.
CEMETERIES
The New Helvetia Cemetery, which lies south of and adjoining McKinley Park, just east of Thirty-first street, is the oldest bury- ing ground in Sacramento, and is embraced in the original plat of Sutter's Fort. Ten acres here were donated for burial purposes by Gen. John A. Sutter to the city, about the first of December, 1849. The first person buried was Major Cloud, a paymaster of
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the United States army, who was killed in 1847 some distance south- east of the fort, by being thrown from a horse. The second person buried in the cemetery was Miss Susanna Hitchcock, who died early in 1849 at the new diggings on the Stanislaus; the third was James McDowell, who was shot in Washington, just across the river from this city. Many interments were made here in 1849 and 1850, dur- ing the times when sickness and cholera were so prevalent. Since the annexation of the suburbs beyond it in 1911, bringing this and the Jewish cemeteries within the city limits, it is proposed to re- move the remains of those buried there to some other place, and abolish those cemeteries.
The City Cemetery was located south of Y street in 1850, on the southern boundary of the city limits, on Tenth street. It origin- ally comprised about twenty acres, but the area has been largely in- creased by additions. It is beautifully adorned with trees, flowering shrubs and plants, and many fine monuments are to be seen there. The Freemasons, Odd Fellows, Red Men, Firemen, Pioneers, Print- ers, Veterans of the Mexican war, and other organizations have plats within the enclosure, as has also the state, where a number of state officials were buried. This cemetery is owned by the city, and is controlled by a superintendent elected by the board of trustees.
The Hebrew Cemetery is under the control of the Congregation B'nai Israel, but is owned by the Hebrew Benevolent Society. A chapel has been erected on the grounds, which are enclosed by a wall.
St. Joseph's Cemetery belongs to the Catholic diocese of Sac- ramento and was consecrated by Archbishop Alemany in 1865. It is located at Twenty-first and Y streets, and is well kept by the sup- erintendent.
East Lawn Cemetery is the most modern of all the cemeteries, having been opened by a private corporation in 1904. It is located on a knoll which is part of the farm formerly owned by Governor Booth, on the M street road, or Schley avenue, as it is called, a short distance east of the former city limits, but now far within them since the annexation of the eastern suburbs. It occupies a beautiful site and will, in time, be one of the first in the state. It was fur- nished with a furnace for cremation a year or two ago.
CHAPTER XXII THE PRESS
One of the first accompaniments of civilization is the newspaper. The savage communicates with his fellows by breaking twigs on the trail or by smoke and other signals in the hills and on the plains. Civilized man uses more universal and wide-spread devices for dis- seminating the news. In the days of '49 the people were no less
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eager to hear the news than are we of the present day, who must devour the news from the daily paper while we devour our break- fast. News from the mines was no less eagerly sought by the dweller in the city than was the news from the city and the east by the miner at his claim. It was a foregone conclusion, therefore, that as soon as society was organized, the journalist should open his office and begin to supply the demand.
The Monterey Californian was the first newspaper issued in California and was published and edited by Rev. Walter Colton, a chaplain in the United States navy, and Dr. Robert Semple. The type was principally long primer, an old Spanish font, badly worn and battered. As there is no "w" in the Spanish language, two "v's" were substituted in words containing "w." The press was an old Ramage, which had been used by the Mexican authorities for printing their edicts and other public papers. The first issue of the Californian was printed on an inferior quality of paper used for tobacco wrappers, and was issued in the summer of 1846. John R. Gould, of Baltimore, afterwards secretary of the Maryland As- sociation of Veterans of the Mexican War, assisted by a boy, set the type, worked off the paper and kept the books of the office. B. P. Kooser, a corporal in the United States army, was compositor and pressman on the Californian in 1847, and subsequently pub- lished the Santa Cruz Sentinel and was a commissioner from the state at the Centennial Exposition.
The second paper published in this state was the California Star, the first number being issued in San Francisco Jannary 9, 1847. It was a weekly a little larger than the Californian and was published by Sam Brannan and edited by E. P. Jones. The press was a tolerably good one and the Sonora Herald afterwards used it. On the 17th of April, 1848, Mr. Jones resigned and E. C. Kemble succeeded him as editor. The last number of the first volume was issued January 1, 1848. The first number of the second volume ap- peared January 8, 1848, in enlarged form and its publication was continued regularly till May 26, when the printers went to the mines and its publication was discontinued. The Californian having been discontinued for the same reason, California was without a news- paper from the last of May till the latter part of June, 1848.
About July 1, 1848, a few printers returned disgusted from the mines and commenced the publication of the third volume of the Californian, and published it irregularly until August, when it re- commenced its regular weekly issues under the editorial manage- ment of H. I. Sheldon. In September Mr. Kemble, who had re- turned from the mines, purchased the Californian, as well as the interests 'of his partners in the Star, and united the two under the title of the Star and Californian and recommenced where the Star had left off-Volume III, No. 24. It was the only paper then pub-
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lished in California and was issued weekly till the last of December, 1848, when it was discontinued. January 1, 1849, Mr. Kemble took into partnership Messrs. Gilbert and Hubbard, and began publish- ing the Alta California. They published it weekly until November 10, 1849, when it was issued tri-weekly and after January 23, 1850, it was published daily, simultaneously with the Journal of Com- merce, published by W. Bartlett. March 4, 1849, the Pacific News also appeared daily. The fourth paper started in California and the second published in 1849 was the Placer Times, at New Helvetia, Sutter's Fort, April 28, 1849, published by E. Gilbert & Co., in Sac- ramento, and edited by Jesse Giles. It was a weekly sheet and a small one. It was printed on sheets of foolscap size. Printing paper was very scarce in California, but the market was overstocked with unruled foolscap, which was made a substitute. The Pacific News was the third newspaper published in the state, at this time, and was the first tri-weekly. It was published in San Francisco on fools- cap paper, the lack of size being compensated for by supplementary sheets.
During the winter of 1849-50, George Kenyon Fitch came by the Isthmus route, bringing with him a hand and a card press, ink, type and about thirty reams of printing paper. He proposed to five attaches of the Pacific News-F. C. Ewer, H. S. Warren, J. M. Julian, Theodore Russell and S. C. Upham-the formation of a com- pany to publish a newspaper at Sacramento, and the proposition was accepted. They rented the second floor of a frame building on Second street, between J and K streets, and April 1, 1850, the initial number of the tri-weekly paper was issued, which was christened the Sacra- mento Transcript. It was published on a folio sheet, in brevier and nonpareil type. A steamer edition, for circulation in the Atlantic states, was printed once a month, selling at fifty cents a copy, while the tri-weekly sold at twelve and one-half cents and advertisements were inserted for $4 a square, each insertion. The six copartners accepted positions on the paper as follows: G. K. Fitch, heavy and fighting editor; F. C. Ewer, literary editor; H. S. Warren, foreman; J. M. Julian, compositor; Theodore Russell, pressman; and S. C. Upham, local reporter, business manager, printer's devil, "dead head," etc.
In its salutatory the Transcript uttered a sentiment that it would be well for the papers of the present day to adopt. It said in part: "The opening of a new paper is like the planting of a tree.
Its shade should be free to all. It should reach forth its branches to shield the innocent from the pelting storm, and, conscious of its fear- less might, men should come to it for protection, and find refresh- ment in its shade. It should be nurtured by no unhealthy influences; it should be propped up by no interested motives; its growth should be free and unrestrained. Perchance it may wither in its youth, and 10
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no longer be the home of healthy influences. Perhaps it may be stricken in its manhood by the storms of adversity. Perchance it may flourish through the years and grow green; but of all dangers that assail it from without, the insidious influence of those who may cluster round it for their own private ends is the most withering and the most to be feared. A newspaper should never be used. It is too tremendous a lever to be brought to bear for any purpose, save for the good of the public." ,
The day of publication of its first number was, besides being "All Fools' Day," the first election day under the new charter and there were three tickets in the field-the Democratic, the ranchers' and the citizens' ticket. The total number of votes cast was 2,943, and Hardin Biglow, the people's candidate, received a majority of 323 over all the others. The Transcript was the fifth newspaper pub- lished on the Pacific Coast and the first daily outside of San Fran- cisco published in California. Ten days later the Placer Times came out daily.
The Transcript was a financial success, but Mr. Julian retired within two months and Mr. Upham a month later sold his interest to G. C. Weld, California correspondent of the New York Journal of Commerce. Mr. Weld was a model business man and a fine writer, but died within six weeks of the time he became one of the proprie- tors and the paper beginning to run down, was consolidated with the Placer Times. A year later, the Times and Transcript removed to San Francisco and took a leading position as a Democratic organ, under Pickering and Fitch. It died in 1856 of a Democratic contro- versy.
When the Placer Times was started the office was not equipped with a modern plant equal to those nowadays. A lot of old type was picked up out of the Alta office, an old Ramage press was re- paired, a lot of Spanish foolscap was secured in San Francisco, and the whole was shipped to Sacramento on a vessel named the Dice me Nana (says my mamma), the first craft to carry type and press to the interior of California, and which made the trip in eight days. An office was built for the paper about six hundred feet from the northeast corner of the bastion of Sutter's Fort, and near what is now the corner of Twenty-eighth and K streets. The structure was a queer mixture of wood, adobe and cotton cloth, but it answered the purpose. The paper was 13x18 inches in size, and the title was cut from wood with a pocket knife. All sorts of expedients were resorted to in cutting off and piecing out letters to round out a com- plement of "sorts" for the cases. The press had a wooden platen, which needed constant planing to keep it level, and the rollers were not a most brilliant success. The plant like its owners was a pioneer in that line, but with all its defects, it "filled a long felt want," and the merchants of the city rallied around the pioneer publisher and
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subscribed liberally to secure him from loss. It has been said that in this country the newspaper is the herald of progress, and in an energetic community like that of early Sacramento the truth of the assertion was certainly made good.
When the Times and Transcript were combined under the double head in June, 1851, the new paper was enlarged. The Transcript had been started as an independent paper, but in 1850 it came out for the Democratic party, thus being the first interior Democratic paper. The Times had also originally been neutral, but had also in 1850 leaned toward Democracy. When the Squatter riot excitement arose, it had been valiant in defense of the real-estate owners, but under its new management it became less partisan. At the time of the consolidation G. K. Fitch had become state printer and Lorin Pickering had the city printing. This formed an advantageons basis for the fusion, Fitch retaining a half interest in the printing and Pickering and Lawrence the other half. The three were the editors. The State Journal became an active rival to the new paper and in June, 1852, the Times-Transcript abandoned the field to its rival and removed to San Francisco, where it was published by the old firm, which was afterwards succeeded by George Kerr & Co., composed of George Kerr, B. F. Washington, J. E. Lawrence and J. C. Haswell. From then it passed to Edwin Bell and later to Vincent E. Geiger & Co. In the meantime Fitch & Co. had acquired the Alta California and December 17, 1854, they repurchased the old Times-Transcript and absorbed it into the Alta.
October 30, 1850, the Squatter Association started a paper, styl- ing it the Settlers' and Miners' Tribune. Dr. Charles Robinson, who had become noted for the part he took in the Squatter riots and who subsequently became the free-state governor of Kansas, was the editor; James McClatchy and L. M. Booth were the associate editors. The type was brought from Maine by Sirus Rowe. Except for Sun- days, it was a daily for a month, but then declined into a weekly and after another month it died quietly and took its place in the journal- istic boneyard.
The Sacramento Index was started December 23, 1850, by Lynch, Davidson & Rolfe, practical printers, with J. W. Winans, since a prominent San Francisco lawyer, as editor, and H. B. Livingstone as associate. It was of good size, typographically neat and a paper of rare literary ability. It was the first evening paper in Sacramento and was printed in the Times office. Having taken ground against the action of a vigilance committee in hanging a gambler, it lost in- fluence. After a career of three months it died March 17, 1851, and joined the squatters' paper in the boneyard.
Before the union of the Times and the Transcript, the compe- tition between them became so fierce that the prices of advertising declined until they fell below the price of composition. At last the
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printers in both offices rebelled and the greater number of them quit. They held a meeting in a building adjoining the Transcript office, which thereby acquired the name of "Sedition Hall," and resolved to start a new paper, for which they secured as editor Dr. J. F. Morse. Buying their stock in San Francisco, they launched the Sac- ramento Daily Union at No. 21 J street, March 19, 1851, renting rooms for it in the Langley brick building. The fate of several of the proprietors was tragic. Alexander Clark went to the Society Islands and was never heard from afterwards; W. J. Keating died a few years afterwards in au insane asylum; Joe Court was burned to death at the Western Hotel fire in this city, in the fall of 1874. The others were Alexander C. Cook, E. G. Jeffries, Charles L. Han- secker, J. H. Harmon, W. A. Davidson and Samuel H. Dosh. The latter subsequently became editor of the Shasta Courier and died prior to 1875.
It was nearly a year, however, before type could be procured. A lot had been ordered, but failed to arrive. J. W. Simonton having made an appearance with a full fledged printing office, with the in- tention of starting a Whig paper, was persuaded to sell and his stock was purchased by the Union men.
The daily edition of the Union started with five hundred copies and rapidly increased. The paper was 23x34 inches, with twenty- four columns, thirteen of which were filled with advertisements. It was an independent, outspoken paper and ably edited. The edition printed March 29, 1851, was entitled the Steamer Union, and was designed for reading in the eastern states. April 29, 1851, the Union hoisted the Whig flag, at the same time declining to be ranked as a subservient partisan. S. H. Dosh soon sold out for $600 and in June, Harmon sold out for a like sum. On April 23 the paper was enlarged to the size it has since averaged, and appeared in the new type at first ordered. H. B. Livingstone became associate editor in January, 1852, and Hansecker sold out for $2,000, the firm now be- coming E. G. Jeffries & Co. They next sold out to W. W. Kurtz for $2,100. The first Weekly Union was issued January 10, 1852. February 13, Cook sold out to H. W. Larkin, and April 3, Davidson sold to Paul Morrill. In May Dr. Morse retired as editor, being succeeded by A. C. Russell, who remained until August. Lauren Upson succeeded him as editor, retiring for a time in 1853, when John A. Collins filled the place.
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