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, 1923, Part 12

Author: Reed, G. Walter
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1026

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, 1923 > Part 12

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Garfield, who had sold his interest in the Folsom Mill about 1853, built the Bay State Mill at Second and N Streets in Sacramento. This was destroyed through a boiler explosion, and after that rebuilt at the mouth of the American River, and later moved a little fur- ther down the river to about where Jib-boom Street is. Later it became the property of Messrs. H. G. Smith, J. H. Carroll and Mowe.

Still later Lew Williams bought out Carroll and Mowe, and the mill continued under this management until taken over by the Sperry Flour Company in 1892.

After wheat was introduced into the Sac- ramento Valley and yielded so well the acre- age was increased from year to year until in 1880 California raised the largest crop, and dur- ing the following year exported over 2,000,000 tons, which at $30 per ton makes a total of $60,000,000. It was then the banner wheat state in the Union. At this time hundreds of ships were engaged in carrying wheat from California to Europe. Flour mills were run- ning all over the state, their products being shipped to adjoining states and to Central America, the islands, China and Europe. There were mills at Roseville, Wheatland, Sheridan, Marysville, Yuba City, Oroville, Gridley, Chico, Tehama, Red Bluff, Ball's Ferry, Williams, Colusa, Yolo, Woodland. Knight's Landing, Dixon, Elk Grove, Ione and Stockton. Most of these are now extinct.

From 1881 the crop of wheat in California began to decrease. The practice of raising wheat year after year on the same land finally wore out the soil, and the quantity diminished until in 1908 there was but 220,000 tons raised. The quality also declined, and California mill- ers were forced to import hard wheat from Utah, Kansas, Dakota and Washington to mix with the home product. The flour produced from this mixture proved a happy blend and cannot be excelled anywhere in its baking qualities.

The farmers were obliged to discontinue wheat-raising and turn the land into pasture. In the meantime new varieties of wheat were introduced by the aid of the State University, and with the re-cultivating of the land better results have been obtained, and the production of wheat is again increased. In 1909 the crop was 280,000 tons and in 1910 390,000 tons. In 1911, on account of unfavorable weather, the yield again decreased, but the quality of the grain improved wonderfully.

As above stated, with the decline of the wheat crop the flouring mills shut down one after another. The export trade was entirely lost and the mills were confined to the home trade alone. Sacramento City, which with its flour mills at one time produced over 1,200 bar- rels of flour daily, does not average over 300 barrels now. Stockton, with a capacity of 4.000 barrels a few years ago, manufactures only about 1,000 barrels per day at this time.

In 1891, when it was plainly seen that the export flour trade would be lost to Califor- nia, and with the capacity of the flour mills of the state four or five times larger than the local demand justified, a movement was set on foot to organize all the better mills into one large concern in order to prevent disastrous com-

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

petition which was sure to follow. The re- sult was the incorporation of the Sperry Flour Company in 1892. The Pioneer and the Sacra- mento Mills of Sacramento, the Buckeye of Marysville, the Chico Mill of Chico, the Sperry and the Farmers' Union of Stockton, the Central Milling Company, owning five mills in the Santa Clara Valley, and the Golden Gate of San Francisco were taken in. The Phoenix of Sacramento and the Crown of Stockton, however, could not be won over. The latter, with a one-time daily capacity of 1,600 barrels, is not running any more, nor are the Pioneer and the Sacramento Mills of Sac- ramento in operation.

The prospect for the milling industry is in some respects not very bright. Land is be- coming too valuable for wheat-culture and is diverted to fruit, dairying, beans, hops, etc. The export flour trade is therefore a thing of the past. The mills can look, however, for such an increase of their business as is conse- quent upon the increase of population, which fortunately gives great promise.

The rice-milling industry here has succeeded the flour business to a marked extent. Two immense mills, with modern equipment, are in operation in West Sacramento, just across the river below M Street. The bulk of the annual production of something like 3,000,000 bags of rice is milled here.

Dramatic and Musical

The getting of gold and the pursuit of other enterprises, while absorbing the energies of the immigrants, did not render them oblivious to the call of pleasure. As before stated, gambling was carried on openly and to a large extent. Other amusements also were sought, and on October 18, 1849, the Eagle Theater gave its first performance, L. Hubbard & Com- pany being the proprietors. The box tickets were $5, and the pit $3. The first play was the "Bandit Chief, or Forest Spectre," and the actors were Messrs. Atwater, Price, Harris, Ray, Daly and Mrs. Ray. Not less than $80,000 was expended in the erection of the theater. It was 30 by 65 feet, and the lumber from which the frame was made cost from $600 to $700 per thousand feet. It was com- mon for the audience in the pit to engage in a game of monte between the acts, using the seats for tables. The flood of 1850 came, and on the benefit night of J. H. McCabe, one of the actors, the water invaded the theater, cov- ering the tops of the parquette seats near the orchestra. On January 4, the theater closed and the company went to San Francisco. The theater and the "Round Tent," in which Mr. Hubbard had made a fortune, were sold at auction for $4,500.

The Tehama Theater was built in 1850, on Second Street, between 1 and J, and the open- ing piece was the "Lady of Lyons," under the direction of Mrs. Wingard, known theatrically as Mrs. J. Hudson Kirby. June 14, 1851, she married James Stark, and they conducted the theater till August 13, when it was burned, supposedly by an incendiary.

The Pacific Theater was opened by Petit & Luce on M Street, near Front, with a grand ball April 25, 1850. In 1851 Junius B. Booth was a member of the company playing there. During 1849 the Stockton Minstrels and the California Minstrels had given performances, and in 1851 Donnelly's Ethiopian Minstrels. J. A. Rowe's Olympic Circus opened at the Pacific Theater May 2, 1849, with boxes sell- ing at $5; parquette and dress circle, $3: and second tier, $2. In October, 1850, Sam Bran- nan built for the circus a large building on Front Street.

In September, 1851, Dr. Volney Spalding erected the American Theater on J Street. The state legislature in one of its removals held a session here. J. B. Booth was manager, and Frank Chanfrau, Louis Mestayer and others were in the company. In August, 1854, J. B. Booth, Sr., accompanied by his son, Ed- win Booth, appeared in the "Iron Chest." The theater was destroyed in the great fire of 1852.

The Sacramento Theater, on Third Street, between I and J, was opened in March, 1853, but did not pay and was run spasmodically. Among those of fame who played there were Ole Bull, Maurice Strakosch, Madam Anna Bishop, the Robinson family, Barney Williams and wife, Mrs. Thomas, Mrs. Judah, Edwin Booth, and Walter L. Leman. It was run successfully in 1855 by a stock company, of which Edwin Booth was one. He was not at first a favorite, but captured the public and the critics in the "Marble Heart."

The Edwin Forrest Theater was opened October 8, 1855, and Mckean Buchanan played through the month. It was a losing investment, was turned into Sam Wells' Melo- deon in 1860, and was burned, supposedly by the act of an incendiary, September 26, 1861.

The National, afterwards the Metropolitan Theater, on K Street, was built by Lee & Marshall, circus proprietors, and opened by them on August 11, 1856. The next month it was turned into a theater. Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Wallack appeared in it in 1858. In 1859 it was remodeled, and the name was then changed to the Metropolitan Theater. Many of the famous actors of the day appeared dur- ing its existence. It was burned about thirty years ago.

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

Theaters of More Recent Date

The Clunie Theater was erected in the nineties and is still in existence. Many actors and troupes of national fame having appeared on its boards. Traveling shows, including the leading dramatic and musical attractions of the country, are booked at the Clunie, which also is the home of the Orpheum Vaudeville bills. Pete Wilson is the manager.

Sacramento has its quota of fine moving- picture theaters, and plans for another to cost half a million dollars have been approved for K Street, or rather for a site between K and L, with an opening on the former. The success- ful picture-theaters, which have cost an enor- mous sum to build and equip, include Godard's, T & D, Loew's State, Liberty, Sequoia, and Majestic. Loew's State formerly was known as the Diepenbrock, Twelfth and J. Loew's Hippodrome Theater, a vaudeville house, also is located on K Street, between Tenth and Eleventh. Thomas Wilkes operates a stock theater, known as the Wilkes, on Seventh Street between K and L, where a very strong producing company presents high-class pro- ductions. Lee Parvin is the local manager.

In addition to the large number of theaters, in some of which the best operatic talent ap- pears, there are several musical and dramatic organizations, foremost of which is the Mc- Neil Club, composed of both male and female voices of excellent tone and harmony. The club originally was organized under the direc- tion of H. J. McNeil, in 1855.

The First Ball

The following tale of a historic event by "Forty-niner" relates the incidents surrounding the first ball given in the county. The account was published in the seventies in the "Record- Union," and will prove of interest as depicting the shifts to which those inclined to "shine in society" in those days were reduced in order to make items for the social column. The nar- rator says :

"In my brief history of this place [Mormon Island] as appeared in your issue of the 12th, I neglected to give you a statement of the manner we enjoyed ourselves in those good and jolly old days of Forty-nine. We had our social gathering once each month, after 'the ball,' however. The first ball ever given in Sacramento County was given here, and was the most difficult to make a success and the most amusing. It will be well remembered by two of the residents of your city, and two of San Francisco, when they refresh their mem- ory. A full and true insight as to the man- agement of such affairs at that early time will be a treat to your readers, especially to those who are 'high-toned' this present day, if they had been present as spectators to witness

those hale and buxom maidens with short dresses, gray woolen stockings, and brogans, soles one-half inch thick. How they did laugh and sing and grow fat under such innocent and moral enjoyment.

"The second day after my arrival at the Blue Drilling Hotel, I borrowed a yeast-pow- der can, holding about half a gill. I started, after my morning meal, for the bank of the river. The sand was literally mixed with gold, as I supposed. I sat me down, exposed to the boiling sun, the thermometer claiming 117 de- grees, and spent the entire day gathering with the point of my knife the scale gold, as I thought, and depositing the same in my minia- ture tin safe. At sundown it was full, and I thought that a few days of such work would be all I cared for, and return home. I took the result of my day's work to Markham's store to have it weighed and get the coin for the same, but to my astonishment it was nothing more or less than mica. Feeling discouraged, I thought that gold is only sought as a means toward this end. Happiness is the concentra- tion of all riches, and the most perfect happi- ness in this world is simply to be content.

"My cash account growing short, I had to resort to some strategy to make a raise, so I suggested to the landlord that as winter was fast approaching he ought to have a canvas roof on his building, to protect the health of his patrons. The roof that was on his house would leak when it rained, and the interior of the hotel was dry when it did not rain. Upon my suggsetion, he concluded to make the nec- essary repairs, and I to do the sewing at fifty cents a yard, and when the work was done a grand ball was to be given to pay for such an extravagant expense. Two gentlemen, then residents of this town (now one is a captain of one of the Sacramento and San Francisco boats, and the other a wealthy and prominent member of the board of brokers of San Fran- cisco), were called upon, and the promised treat was discussed in all its parts. One of these gentlemen suggested that a floor should be laid so that it would be more pleasant for the dancers. I and the landlord objected, he on the ground of unnecessary expense, and I for the reason that the cost would overbalance the receipts ; the house would be bankrupt, and I would whistle for my pay. I gained my point by arguing that the ladies' brogans would last longer on a dirt floor than on wood.

"Next in order was discussion as to the proper arrangements to be made on such an important occasion. Our friend, 'now on the river,' suggested the programme, which was concurred in by the committee. Large posters written upon brown wrapping-paper, with a blue pencil, were posted in every direction- 'Tickets, twenty dollars,' and the 25th of De-

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

cember. 1849-for the first ball ever held in the county of Sacramento.

"A few days before, quite a large immigra- tion from the Western states arrived, and it was suggested and proposed that the commit- tee should wait on the female portion and solicit their aid and services in preparing food for the supper. 'as the cook at the hotel could not be trusted, for he was one of those Yankee fellows, and his extravagance in preparing the food would surely bust the boss.' We waited upon the ladies, and their excuse was that having just arrived, their whole time would be occupied in the wash tub, bath tub, and the preparation of their outer garments. Our only hope was to solicit the aid of the miners for our supper, and we offered to pay them for their food and premiums for the best meats, bread, cakes and pies ; and your correspondent was appointed a committee of one to make the award-which was half-price to the dance. That was a smart trick of the landlord, for he knew I would find some excuse for refusing. any premiums, as he had an eye for profit, and I for my pay.

"Well, the 25th arrived ; the miners brought in their several meats, cakes, pies, etc., each one doing his best to excel the other. At 2 p. m. everything needed for the supper was exhibited for inspection and awards in the cabin of W. Jones. The first examination was of two fine-appearing hams. Premiums were refused in both cases-first, that the hams had not been washed before boiling, and the skin had not been taken off after boiling. The other was a shoulder, but by a neat contrivance about four inches of the leg of a ham had been carefully sawed off and with a wooden peg neatly placed in the shoulder, having the ap- pearance of a genuine ham. Each was paid for his ham at $1 per pound, and they paid for their tickets $20 each. The next examination was the corn beef, which proved to be a chunk of 'salt horse' brought there some two weeks before by a sailor. He was paid for his salt horse and he paid for his ticket, as no premium was awarded him.

"The bread was examined, and it was the unanimous opinion of the committee, at my suggestion, that it was dark. A person could not tell whether he was eating bread or leath- er. This report soon spread through the town, and an old and venerable Jack Tar had his trunk half full of ship biscuit, which he offered as a substitute, and was accepted. The bread- makers' premium was withheld, and the donor of the biscuits received a pass to the dance at half-price.

"Sausage meat came next, but as it had been made of nothing but beef and tallow, it could not be put on the table, as fishballs are pre- pared for use, so the whole bunch was boiled

and served up cold, and a complimentary tick- et given him. The cakes were in fine order, sufficient grease having been used to make them palatable. They were accepted, and an- other $20 lost. Something had to be done to avoid any further issue of free tickets for the ball, so the committee, taking a wink from me, agreed that the balance of the food should be averaged with that that had been examined except the pies, and they should be passed upon at the table, during supper, when pie was called for. The time did arrive. The first one cut proved to contain dried apples, brought from Boston, thoroughly eaten up with worms, and the black seeds still sticking in them. The crust was fair ; he was paid for his pies, but received no pass.

"The second pie cut had the appearance of being O. K. of the dried peach order. A strong demand was made for peach pie. The first person that took a bite happened to have a false tooth in his head; instantly it fell from his mouth. An inquiry was at once made as to the cause of all this confusion, and the fault lay in the crust of the pie. It was carefully examined by those of the committee who had sound teeth and found to excel India rubber in toughness. The competitor was at once as- sessed for the damage done, which was settled by paying for the unfortunate gentleman's ticket.

"Our work being done, the question arose as to who should have the honor of presiding over the floor at the dance. My old friend, now of San Francisco, was appointed as boss owing to his having a neat, white, fried shirt to give tone to the occasion. Myself and my Sacramento River friend were appointed as jigger bosses, he having a swallow-tailed coat with brass buttons. and I having a neat and clean collar over my woolen shirt, and a neat pair of boots, well greased, which made a good appearance.

"The appearance of the ballroom was all that could be desired except that the managers were guilty of the grave oversight of neglect- ing to provide benches around it for the com- pany. Wheeling planks were soon on hand, and, supported by drygoods boxes, made all satisfied, and for the better accommodation and comfort of the ladies the landlord kindly allowed his two pairs of blankets to be used to give them the appearance of stuffed benches. The music stand was a shoe box and a three- legged stool on top. The hall was handsomely illuminated by twelve candles stuck in porter bottles, and secured to the walls of the build- ing with wires and handsomely decorated by the rough but tasteful hands of the miners with miniature flags and evergreens. All was now ready ; the proprietor looked up and down the streets for the coming of the dancers. One

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

fellow told the landlord that in California the people never go to balls until the next day: that joke cost the landlord a cocktail and a steerage cigar. The company began to ap- pear, however, at rather a late hour. Every- body had heard of the grand ball, and every- body wanted to see the crowd in attendance. It was a most singular miscellany, and in some cases the wonder was how the requisite $20 for a ticket was raised.

"If it were desirable. I could criticize the ball pretty freely without being untruthful. but I should lavish ink and exhaust rhetoric in the vain effort to describe the entire success of this first entertainment. I dare not do it in print for the sake of my reputation for veracity nor undertake to say how many sighs were lavished upon the managers, the languishing glances that were leveled at them across the hall, what eloquent rhymes were coined to their praise, and how many gallant men risked the perils of a duel for the honor of first at- tempting to solicit the hand of the fair maidens for a dance. Even the furniture-wheeling planks-appeared to hold high carnival, the sofas displaying their elasticity, the candles winking, and the fiddlers sometimes bursting out into such uproarious hilarity that the very strings appeared as if they were struggling to get out of their places.

"At 12, midnight, supper was called. Boards in the center of the hall were placed in their proper position, the old blue drilling roof was used for a table cloth, tin plates and knives and forks were in plenty, and soon the crowd took their standing positions. Be it known that the table was made high enough to com- pel the hungry crowd to stand, for by such an arrangement they soon got tired and would leave the table with their bunch of fives full of grub, to make room for the steerage pa- trons. Shortly after eating commenced a col- ored miner, who had been cook of a whaling ship, entered and graciously donated a plum duff, tapering regularly to a point from a cir- cular base. The handsome donation was thankfully received, but the outside of the duff had the smell of something very much like perspiration, and from its appearance must have been boiled in the sleeve of a shirt. How- ever, the outside was carefully scraped, and not a speck was left for the second table. Supper over, the tables were kicked out doors and dancing renewed. A young maiden was present, named 'The Infant,' fourteen years of age, weight 189 pounds. I asked for the honor of her hand for a polka ; her answer was 'You bet.' The first turn I made, flop I went on the dirt floor ; a clothes brush was in demand, but as none could be found, she took a long-han- dled broom and swept me off. After this was done, she called aloud, 'Here, Jim, finish this

dance with me; this fellow can't swing under my weight.' I surrendered, but before they got well started a string on the fiddle broke. The fiddler declared that he could not play any fancy dances without four strings. The polka had to be abandoned, at which I felt a calm satisfaction.

"Well, the ball ran until four o'clock, and only the bass string left. Thus ended the first ball ever given in Sacramento County. I got my pay for my work, and my name is yet Forty-niner."

In the previous article alluded to, "Forty- niner" told of customs at the Blue Drilling Hotel. He says: "I took up my quarters at the hotel made of blue drilling ; the polite land- lord, at present a resident of your city, bowed me into my room, which consisted of ninety pine poles covered with canvas, and would accommodate forty persons, but contained only two pairs of blankets. As soon as one fell asleep, the accommodating landlord would re- move the blankets from him for the next cus- tomer, and if they were slow to retire, a glass of '49 Bourbon soon compelled them to. After all were asleep, the landlord took the blankets from his last patron and went to bed himself. to dream of the many two dollars coming in the next morning for lodging. Many inquiries were made for the bedclothing, but the gentle- manly proprietor settled the muss by another cocktail and a steerage cigar (cabin cigars at that time sold for fifty cents each), and all was peace."

The Funded Debt

An act was passed in 1872 by the legislature providing for a board of commissioners of the funded debt sinking fund of the city. In 1858 the city and county government had been con- solidated and the supervisors given authority to fund all "legal debts and liabilities" against the city and issue new six per cent bonds for them. The general opinion held that much of the debt was without authority of law and could not be classed as legal obligations. In 1864 a law had been passed authorizing the city trustees to levy a special tax of one-half per cent to raise a sinking fund for the pur- chase of the bonds at a rate of not more than thirty cents on the dollar, but the tax rate al- ready was so high that no action was taken. In 1872 a law was passed restraining the com- missioners from paying more than thirty-five cents on the dollar for the bonds. In 1880, on the 1st of January, the debt was, in round numbers. with accrued interest on the bonds. $2,414,000. After much litigation a compro- mise was made during the administration of William Land as mayor, and the debt was re- funded for $1,500,000.

HISTORY OF SACRAMENTO COUNTY

CHAPTER IX THE DISCOVERY AND MINING OF GOLD

Accounts of the Discovery of Gold

U TSUALLY we speak of the discovery of. gold in California as having been made by James Marshall at Coloma, in Janu- ary, 1848, and while this is true in a practical sense, resulting in the stampede that brought adventurers from all over the world to this state, there is no doubt that the existence of gold had been known many years before.

The first mention of gold in California is found in Hakluyt's account of the voyage of Sir Francis Drake, who spent five or six weeks in June and July, 1579, in some bay on the coast of California, the locality of which has never been settled as to whether it was San Francisco Bay or one of those farther north. Hakluyt wrote: "There is no part of the earth here to be taken up wherein there is not a reasonable amount of gold or silver." As nei- ther gold nor silver has ever been found in the vicinity of the point where Drake landed, Hakluyt's story must be classed with other tales of the early explorers and as mere con- jecture regarding an unknown land.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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, 1923, Part 12

Author: Reed, G. Walter Publication date: 1923 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1026

Author: Reed, G. Walter
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1026