History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 15

Author: Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1660

USA > California > San Joaquin County > History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 15

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A great telegraphic enterprise was the ex- tension overland of the telegraph lines from Sacramento to Chicago and on to New York. The line was completed October 21, 1861, and the first news that came over the wire was the death of Edward D. Baker, a California general, at Ball's Bluff, and the peaceful death of Thomas Wildey, the founder on April 26, 1819, of American Odd Fellowship. The news- papers of the state were more than delighted because they could get daily news from the seat of the Civil War. The editor of the San Joaquin Republican, who was a Southern-born man and at heart a strong secessionist, was also glad because of the completion of the overland telegraph. He secretly rejoiced be- cause of the death of General Baker and the defeat of the Union arms at Ball's Bluff, and in a camouflaged article he penned these lines, "Glory Hallelujah! The telegraph line is now completed to our old home. We can tele- graph to our mothers, sisters, brothers, aunts, cousins, anywhere, even in Dixieland after the Confederate row is stopped. A little over three years ago we celebrated the completion of a line that was a fizzle. But this is no fizzle. Why not have a celebration in honor of the event?" There was no celebration for the gov- ernment, city and county, was in the hands of the Union men, and they were sorely de- pressed because of the news of the Union defeat.

Atlantic Cable Celebration

We read in the daily press the news of yes- terday from all parts of the world. Time and space have been annihilated and yet we give not a moment's thought to the two men who made this event possible, Samuel F. B. Morse, who in 1844 invented the telegraph, and Cyrus

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

W. Field, who in 1854 made the bold attempt to lay an Atlantic cable from Newfoundland to Ireland. He succeeded, and in September, 1858, the first message was sent over the cable. It was a wonderful event and celebrated throughout the United States; it was also celebrated in San Francisco September 26 of that year. The citizens of Stockton at first had no idea of celebrating the event, but it has ever been famous for its impromptu last- minute celebrations, and at a late hour on Sunday it was determined by the firemen to celebrate the laying of the cable. In the mean- time the Stockton Blues, the band, and many firemen had gone to San Francisco to take part in the celebration in that city. When the roar of the cannon was heard the lower part of the city suddenly became a blaze of light. The illumination was effected then and for many years later, by means of rows of tallow candles set the one above the other in the glass windows. All of the hotel engine house and many private residences were illum- inated, and the tall flagpole of the Weber en- gine company was strung with lanterns from the ground to the pole top. At 7:30 a pro- cession was formed, composed principally of firemen, and with torches and many transpar- encies they marched over the principal streets. Returning to Hunter Street they halted and calls were made for a speech from Henry B. Underhill. He responded in a glowing account of the possibilities of the Atlantic cable. There were defects in the Atlantic cable which were remedied in course of time and since 1866 the cable has been in constant service.

Advertisements and Boycotting

Wonderful advancement has been made at the present time along the advertising line, and experts are engaged by the leading busi- ness houses to present their advertisements in an attractive and selling manner. Thousands of dollars are annually expended by the mer- chants for printer's ink and in 1921 one firm alone made a contract with the Record for $25,000 worth of space. This was a larger amount than was spent in one year by all of the merchants in Stockton during the '50s and early '60s. Now it is nothing unusual to see an entire newspaper page, sometimes two pages, devoted to the advertisement of a single firm. Ads, as a rule, were then single column, not over six inches in length, and some of them would seem quite peculiar today. A hatter advertising his business in doggerel said :

"Lives there a man with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath said, This hat of mine is shocking bad, Another one must soon be had; If such there be, Ah; let him come

To Everett's Emporium

No hat of theirs is four years old,

Which in New York could not be sold, Adorn my shelves; but in this stock, Are new ones fit for Royal heads."

The boycotting of a merchant or firm is nothing new as it was put into practice long before we knew of Labor Leagues or Feder- ated Trades by the Stockton merchants. It was a time of great excitement; the Vigilance Committee of San Francisco had arrested James P. Casey for the shooting of James King of William, proprietor and editor of the San Francisco Bulletin. An indignation meet- ing was held May 20, 1856, in the city hall "to give an expression of their opinion in re- gard to the recent attempted assassination of James King of William." B. W. Bours was elected president; John M. Buffington, vice- president, and Enoch Gove, secretary. The meeting passed a series of resolutions and de- nounced the shooting as "one of the most unwarranted outrages ever committed in the annals of crime; the work of an unprincipled assassin who is unworthy longer to pollute the face of the earth." Casey was a friend of the editor of the Republican, but that paper did not say a word regarding the affair. The Stockton Argus boldly denounced the crime. The unpopular policy of the Republican an- gered many of the merchants, and over thirty of them withdrew their patronage from that paper, which, considering the small number of advertisements it received, caused a heavy loss.

While the resolutions were being read, news was received by wire that James King of William was dead. Immediately all business houses closed their doors, the bells were tolled, flags hung at halfmast and the grand jury ad- journed. The following day all of the business houses were draped in mourning, and May 22 a memorial service was held. In the line were the city and county officers, the two secret organizations, the firemen and the Sons of Temperance, and led by the cornet band play- ing a dirge they marched up Main Street to Grant, then to the theatre, where a funeral oration was delivered by the Reverend Orlan- do Fisher, pastor of the Methodist Church, South.

Early Auctioneers

Among the leading merchants of the early day were the auctioneers, and although easily counted, they made up in noise what they lacked in number. They had on sale at auc- tion, at different times, everything on earth- consignments of books, furniture, crockery, clothing, groceries, etc. At one time M. J. Burnard & Co., Levee Street next door to the El Dorado, advertised that he would sell Jan- uary 4, 1851, 20 barrels of crushed sugar, 40

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

bags of coffee, 25 boxes of champagne, 50 boxes cider, 20 barrels of English ale, 4 bar- rels dried peaches and apples, 10 chests of green tea, 100 boxes of sperm candles, 20 boxes assorted pickles, 20 barrels corn meal, 75 kegs of lard, 100 kegs of nails, 50 sacks of sweet, and 100 sacks Irish potatoes, also an invoice of clothing, blankets, boots, shoes, etc."

MI. Marks, was one of the popular auc- tioneers of the day. His place of business at one time was in a sheet-iron-walled build- ing on the southwest corner of the Court House Square and was rented to him by the city. It was the custom in my boyhood days for Marks and other auctioneers to advertise an auction sale on the city streets. An old negro would go along the streets ringing a bell, and at every street corner he would stop and cry out, "Oyez, Oyez, I am pleased to inform you that M. Marks will sell at auction this day." Sometimes the boys would throw stones at him, some times mimic him, but for several years he was the auctioneer bell-ringer of the town. On one or more occasions he traveled slowly over the streets at night an- nouncing and giving a description of a lost child who had wandered from home. The negro just previous to the commencement of the sale would walk up and down in front of the place af auction continuously ringing his bell. This so got on the nerves of an editor whose sanctum was near the auction house, that in 1859 he penned the following item, "We hope that our citizens will turn out en masse and buy every book that Sargent & Adams have on sale, from John Rodger's poems to the Bible, at their auction on Main Street below El Dorado, if it will stop the infernal racket of the zealous and frenzied bell ringer." And we all remember the bell ringing of the Hunter Street auction house of George S. Melone as late as 1900, the pioneer auction days ending at his death.

M. Marks was the favored seller of the wild horses that were annually brought to Stockton every summer and sold at auction. These horses were driven here from Monterey and other points, in bands of perhaps fifty or sixty to a band, and sold to individuals and farmers. They made splendid saddle horses when prop- erly broke, for, tough and wiry, they could travel all day and required but little care. They were small in size, not weighing much over 700 pounds, but were not good as work animals. Hundreds of blooded horses were brought in overland by immigrant parties, but they were few in number in comparison with the animals in service, for every means of trans- portation was by horse, mule or ox power. The place of sale was in a corral adjoining the Charles Dallas livery stable, southeast corner of Weber Avenue and San Joaquin

Street. The mustangs, not even halter-broke, usually sold at prices varying from fifteen dol- lars to sixty dollars, according to size, form and color. Many a time has the writer sat on the fence and watched the proceedings which, although barbarous, were unavoidable. After the sale each buyer was given posses- sion of his wild snorting, plunging "broncho." The Mexican vaqueros would lasso the animal amidst a cloud of thick dust, throw him to the earth, and place a strong leather halter over his head. The halter, with about seventy-five feet of strong rope, was provided by the pur- chaser. The animal, permitted to regain his feet, would stand for a moment trembling with fear. Then he would try to escape, but he would be held by the rope in the hands of sev-, eral men. Then with fear at being thus held, he would plunge and strike out with his front feet and sometimes fall heavily to the earth. When the gate was opened he would make a run for freedom, only to be again caught up by the rope. One day an animal ran through the gate, but set back too quickly, fell end over end and broke his neck. Sometimes as many as half a dozen men could be seen upon the streets, endeavoring to lead or drive home their future work horses. Sometimes a man would desire to have his mustang ridden. Then would come more fun, for the boys and "idle men, dogs and greasers," as the reporter styled them. The owner would pay a Mexican ten dollars to ride his horse. They would catch him and throw him, put on a hackamore, a halter with reins, and a blinder and kicking the animal would cause him to spring to his feet. Then they would saddle the animal and the Mexican would mount his fiery steed. The blinders would be lifted and the frightened animal would run, plunge and buck in trying to get rid of his rider. Then completely tired out by his fright and exertions he would be conquered for that day. When thoroughly broken to the saddle and not abused, he be- came as gentle as a kitten. But when abused his eyes would flash and he would kick, strike with his front feet or even bit the man at the first opportunity. These were common street scenes in the days before the railroad.

The Drayman on Duty

An occupation peculiar to itself was that of the draymen and upon him was the mer- chant dependent for the delivery of his goods. Between fifty or sixty in number, they were a self-reliant body of men, full of life and activ- ity and ever ready for a fight or a fire. They used a one-horse high-framed dray with two long skids behind, almost touching the ground, for they were compelled for a time to handle their freight from the ground and roll the heavy barrels and hogsheads weighing a half

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

ton each up the skids on to the dray. The frame and wheels of the dray were high, be- cause in winter they sometimes were com- pelled to transport their goods through two feet of mud. In time wharves were built and streets improved, and the skids were removed. Then more street improvements and in 1859 the first four-wheeled dray appeared on the streets, built in San Francisco.

The draymen, as a rule, were a good-natured body of fellows, but it sorely tried their pa- tience when the city council and enterprising citizens began laying street cross-walks for the benefit of footmen in muddy winter. The cross-walks were made of three-inch Oregon pine with no incline approaches on either side. The draymen would often stall their drays in attempting to cross, or the bump on the oppo- site side would throw their boxes into the mud. A cross-walk on El Dorado Street, mid- way between Main and Levee was particularly

exasperating and one day a drayman took an ax and chopped the cross-walk into pieces and threw it to one side. It ws a lawless act, but nothing was done to punish the offender, for the draymen were a big pull in politics. They were overflowing with fun and ready at any time for a lark. The town, in June, 1854, was overrun with loose stock, and especially with hogs and dogs, and the common council passed an ordinance prohibiting the running of stock at large. There was a large number of swine running loose near the steamboat landing, and one day when the steamer was belated the draymen concluded they would have some fun. Getting a number of ropes they lassooed the hogs, tied and threw them on their drays, one hog to each dray, and to the music of the squealing of the hogs they marched single file to the city pound. Each man received twenty- five cents for his capture.

CHAPTER VIII

EARLY DAY TRANSPORTATION

S HAKESPEARE, in his play of Henry VI, causes King Edward to exclaim :

"What fates impose, that man must needs abide ;

It boots not to resist both wind and tide."

Was it fate that impelled the pioneers to rush to California, and undertake the various occupations of life, some to become gold- diggers, others merchants and a few ferrymen over the San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Moke- lumne rivers? Fate or no fate, many of them engaged in that business, an occupation as necessary in building up the county as any other line of work. So essential were the fer- ries that they were doing business before the organization of the county, and twelve licensed ferries were in operation in 1850. Without the ferry, business could not have been trans- acted nor the traveler journey from county to county, for in the spring there were swift- running rivers to cross and not a bridge in the territory.

First Ferry Boat

The oldest and one of the best patronized ferries was one on the San Joaquin River later known as the Moss Ferry, near the present crossing of the Southern Pacific railroad bridge. It was established in 1849, by John Doak and Jacob Bonsell; these two men in

1848, returning from the gold mines, concluded to establish a ferry, at the point named, and they began operations by running a small yawl across the river carrying passengers. Later in the year John Doak, going to Corte de Madera, in Marin County, there built a ferry boat of the timber then growing upon the point. He sailed the boat up stream as far possible and then towing it the balance of the distance, made the trip from point to point in two weeks. The boat or barge was placed in position, and a long heavy rope stretched from shore to shore. By this means the boat was pulled to and fro across the river. The charges to cross were one dollar for a foot- man, three dollars for a man on horseback, and $8.00 for a wagon and horses. The ferry did an immense business, for it was on the direct road from Sacramento through Stockton to San Jose and Oakland. There was no other way to reach the coast overland. John Doak, the enterprising but restless pioneer, soon tired of the ferry business and in 1852 sold his interest to Hiram Scott. John Bonsell dying that year in New York, his widow took over the ferry. Shortly afterward, Mrs. Bon- sell married James A. Shepherd, who for a season took charge of the ferry. In 1856 it was purchased by William T. Moss, who soon afterward established the San Francisco Ex- aminer.

HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

Heath & Emory Ferry

The Heath & Emory Ferry, a short distance below the present town of Ripon, on the Stan- islaus River, was established in January, 1850. A few months later the ferry was purchased by the two partners, who were enterprising men and believed in printer's ink. In the first issue of the Stockton Times they advertised their ferry, saying that it was twenty-seven miles from Stockton. Their boat "was thirty feet long and nine feet wide and enclosed with side railings for horses, cattle and mules." They also had every "accommodation for trav- elers in the tent adjoining the ferry." They also made a good road to the ferry, built at a cost of $3,000, thus avoiding the cut-off. The great event of that ferry was the arrival in March, 1850, of a Mrs. Jenkins and her hus- band on their way to Crescent City. The ferry- man was so pleased at the sight of a woman that he gave her party, at supper time, a private table, a bottle of wine and an oyster stew in addition to the regular fare of coffee, bread, pork and beans. In a short time there were over a dozen ferries crossing the Stanis- laus River. Each ferry had a house where they could accommodate travelers over night, and some of the ferrymen carried a small stock of groceries, liquors, tobacco and mining im- plements.

Benson Ferry Tragedy

We must now travel north to the Moke- lumne River and give a record of the three principal ferries across that river. They did more business than all of the Stanislaus ferries combined, because of the fact that they were the only routes of travel to Sacramento and the Northern mines. The first or the farthest west of these ferries crossed the Mokelumne River a short distance below the present town of New Hope. It was opened for business in 1849 by Edward Stokes and A. M. Woods; the following year the ferry was purchased by John A. Benson, who erected a house on the south side of the river and employed Green C. Palmer to attend the ferry. Benson was the leading spirit in seeking a division of the county in 1859, but before he succeeded he was killed by his employee, Palmer. The cause of the murder was the charge by Palmer that Benson, since 1854, had been intimate with his wife. It was said, however, that like a great many would-be heroes Benson was "more loose in his conversation than in his ac- tions." On the day of the murder February 14, 1859, Palmer was at work plowing on the Benson place, but stopped work at noon-time. During the afternoon Palmer was in Parker's store, Benson came in accompanied by Dr. Hogaboom, and all three men took a drink at the bar. During this time Palmer's four chil-

dren entered the store, and Benson as was his usual custom, gave them some nuts and can- dies. Leaving the store, all three men went to Palmer's home. In a short time Benson and the physician left the house and when a short distance away, Benson heard Palmer call out to Benson. Turning Benson saw Palmer run- ning towards him with a revolver in his hand ; surmising Palmer's intentions Benson cried out, "Don't, Green," but the murderer ex- claimed, "There, you - scoundrel you dis- graced my children and now you must die," Palmer fired twice in rapid succession each shot hit Benson in a vital spot and he died while being conveyed to the house in a wagon.

Palmer returned to the house, reloaded his revolver and started on a run for the tules. He was not pursued and the following day Andrew Benson, the brother of the victim, offered a re- ward of $300 through the newspaper for his arrest. The fugitive was discovered about sunrise by a vaquero who was looking for some lost horses. Palmer was shaking and shivering with cold and hunger, having had nothing to eat since the murder. He gave him- self up and taken to Stockton, was brought be- fore Justice McCausland and remanded to jail. He there remained until the meeting of the grand jury in May. He was then indicted on the charge of murder and the trial took place August 4, 1859. There was considerable ex- citement and the court room was crowded, for each man had many friends. Money was freely spent by Benson's friends and they employed E. D. Baker, the most brilliant orator and at- torney in California, to assist the prosecuting attorney, Judge Campbell. Samuel A. Booker defended Palmer. The trial looked crooked from beginning to end. The prosecution put on one witness only, Dr. Hogaboom ; the de- fense five witnesses to prove Palmer's charge. It was one of the shortest murder trials on rec- ord. At five o'clock Attorney Booker began his closing speech, ending at eight o'clock. Baker closed at 9:30, and Judge Creanor, de- livering his charge, the jury were locked up for the night. Twenty-four hours later they were discharged unable to agree, the jury standing five for murder in the first degree, which meant death by hanging ; five for mur- der in the second degree, and two for acquit- tal. The second trial took place December 12, with J. G. Jenkins and Judge Campbell for the prosecution and S. A. Booker for the defense. The case was given to the jury at 7:30 and at 1 o'clock the following day they were dis- charged, nine for acquittal and three for man- slaughter. In the third trial, January 3, 1860, the defense found some new witnesses. They proved to be good ones, for the jury brought in a verdict not guilty. After the acquittal Palmer's conscience must have greatly wor-

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HISTORY OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY

ried him, for on January 26, while in Moke- lumne City, he committed suicide by taking strychnine. His friend, J. H. Veach, running into the house at Mrs. Palmer's call, ex- claimed, "Why have you done this?" And like old Adam in the Garden of Eden he replied, "This woman is the cause of all my trouble. I wish to die and get out of my misery."

Woods Ferry

It is a little strange perhaps that the ferry just east of Benson's should also have its trag- edy. The Woods Ferry, as it was called, was located in 1850 by the two brothers, J. P. and Ross C. Sargent. In 1852 Jeremiah H. Woods and Alexander McQueen purchased a tract of land, now Woodbridge, and Mr. Woods estab- lished a ferry across the Mokelumne River where now stands the Woodbridge dam. Sev -. eral years later Mr. Woods built a bridge across the river; it was there in 1864, for it had become a well-traveled stage route to Sac- ramento. After J. H. Woods' death some four years later, his widow, Mrs. P. H. Woods, pe- titioned the supervisors to permit her to charge the following tolls, footman ten cents, man on horseback twenty-five cents, two- horse team fifty cents, four-horse team one dol- lar, loose horses or cattle six cents each, hogs and sheep two and one-half cents. The Wood- bridge Messenger reported March 2, 1868, that certain parties had requested the supervisors to postpone action on Mrs. Woods' petition as $2,000 had been subscribed for the purpose of buying and making it a public free bridge.

The death of Woods was caused by a stab in the abdomen brought about by his own un- warranted actions. A young farmer named William Wilkinson, who lived about a mile north of Woodbridge was walking by Woods' home accompanied by Charles Ashley, Jr., when a dog, running out of the yard, bit the young man on the thigh. Having no weapon he could not defend himself, but concluded that the next time he passed the house he would be ready for the savage brute. A few days later, June 4, 1864, he again passed Woods' house carrying a shotgun. The dog came bounding out but immediately ran back in the yard. A little later in the day Wilkin- son saw the dog on the street with other dogs and shot him. Then going to the Union Hotel he left his gun behind the bar and went over to John Ruter's saloon. A short time after Woods hastily entered the saloon exceedingly angry over the killing of his dog, and in threatening manner he went up to Wilkinson and shouted, "Look here, sir, did you kill my dog?" "Yes, I did," Wilkinson replied. Woods then struck the young man twice, then grasping him by the hair of his head pulled Wilkinson to his knees. The young man was

unarmed, but thinking of his pocket knife he managed to draw it from his pocket, and open- ing it made a blind stab at Woods' body. The blade entered a vital spot and Woods in ten minutes was dead. Woods letting go the boy. exclaimed, "Boys, he has stabbed me." Young Wilkinson, then only twenty-two years of age, immediately gave himself up and was brought to Stockton and confined in jail. The next morning he was taken before Justice Baldwin, and after hearing the evidence of five eyewit- nesses to the affair, discharged the prisoner on the ground of self-defense.

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History of San Joaquin County, California : with biographical sketches of leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 15

Author: Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849 Publication date: 1923 Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1660

Author: Tinkham, George H. (George Henry), b. 1849
Publication date: 1923
Publisher: Los Angeles, Calif. : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1660