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 44

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 44

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In the grammar school, there hung upon the walls several axioms, one "Knowledge Is Power" and another "There Is No Excellence Without Great Labor," and some of the teach- ers gave prizes for the best work of their scholars. At the end of the November term one year in Dr. Gibson's school, prizes were given for the best scholarships. Richard Chadd received three prizes, being the best in arith- metic, spelling and writing. Charles Ray won the prize in reading, Charles Williams and Fred Pennington, arithmetic prizes. George Tinkham, Frank Peachy, Charles Ford won the prizes in spelling. At the close of the contest the scholars presented their teacher with an elegant bound copy of Tupper's works. It was customary to have spelling matches every Friday afternoon after recess. It was the time also for speeches, recitations, essays and dialogues. In 1867 the custom of giving prizes for the best scholarship was abolished, and the percentage system was adopted by the board of education. The innovation was introduced and tried out in the Lafayette Grammar school by A. H. Randall, who two years later organized the high school.

History is the record of the customs, man- ners and social life of a people as well as their political life, and I am writing of many events and customs of early day because life then was so different from the life of the present. It was the custom at the death of a pupil of the public schools for all of the scholars to attend the funeral. The father of the girl, Thomas Scott, was a whip and harness maker on Main Street near El Dorado, afterwards Cunning- ham's shop. As a sign Scott had a big whip hanging outside the door. It was twelve feet long and about three inches thick at the butt end, and when a boy, oh, how I longed to possess that whip. My topic, however, was the death of the daughter, Mary Jane, at the age of thirteen years, of consumption. She was a pupil of the grammar school and on the day of the funeral, all the school children as-

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sembled and marching to the home, still stand- ing, then outside of the city, on Poplar be- tween El Dorado and Hunter, they followed the hearse to the city cemetery, the block east of the Western Pacific depot, and standing around the grave they sang, "Sister, thou was kind and lovely, Gentle as the summer breeze, Pleasant as the air of evening, When it floats among the trees." In these days typhoid fever carried hundreds of persons throughout Cali- fornia, and one of its victims was Louis M. Hickman, the son of ex-Mayor Hickman, a wealthy landowner and wheat grower. A grad- uate of the high school in 1881, he' later attend- ed the University of the Pacific. He was an especial favorite among the young people and the Presbyterian Church was crowded long before the arriving of the funeral cortege. The altar of the church was literally banked with flowers, and a monogram, L. M. H., also in white flowers rested upon the front of the pul- pit, and the coffin was covered with them. Af- ter scripture reading, a prayer and a hymn by the choir comprising Gertrude Noble, Mrs. F. C. Gifford, George Ladd, and William Belding, the pastor, J. M. Schofield, delivered an elo- quent sermon from the readings from II Sam- uel, "Oh my son Absalom, would that I had died for thee." The funeral procession was one of the largest ever seen in the city, the hearse being preceded by the Stockton Rifle Cadets of which young Hickman was one of the organizers and the first captain. On either side of the hearse walked the pallbearers, Pro- fessor Flourney of the College of the Pacific, Eugene Grunsky, Charles Littlehale, Bert Mc- Kee, R. W. Henderson, and Frank West.

The First School Piano

In November, 1856, at the close of the school examinations a school exhibition was given in the Stockton theater for the purpose of pur- chasing a piano for the girls' grammar school. The exercises began with introductory remarks by Jerome Stockwell. Dialogue, "What I Love Best"-Maggie Buffington, Ada Parker, Lizzie Sargent, Mary Bromeisler, Amelia Mersfelder, Mary Newell. Declamation, Sup- posed Speech of John Adams"-Master Alon- zo, Hatch Fisher. Song, "Moonlight Chorus"- Sung by the First Class of female grammar department. Dialogue, "Baron von Klingen- berg"-Capt. Cheston," Master Robert Fisher, "Mrs. Albina Creston," Miss Lucy Lord; "Miss Mertilla Cheston," Miss Cecilia Hender- son; "Aunt Quimby," Miss Mary Lording; "Mr. Smith," Frederick Fisher; "Miss Turret- iville," Miss Ellen Meader ; "Miss Lybrand," Miss Mary Buffington ; "Mr. Simington," Mas- ter Jerome Stockwell; “Baron von Klingen- berg," Samuel Mitchell; "Mrs. Blake Bentley," Miss Emma Coates ; "Miss Bentley," Miss An-

nette Parker; "Mr. Beverly," Alonzo Fisher. Declamation, subject, "Address to Lafayette" -Master Frederick Fisher. Song, "Chickadee- dee"-Maggie Buffington, Ada Parker, Emma Davis, Mary Davis, Esther Blackman, Mary Newell, Amelia Mersfelder, Mary Bromeisler. Hannah Levi. Dialogue, "The Broken String" -Esther Blackman, Amelia Mersfelder. Dec- lamation, "Emmett's Defense"-Master Sam- uel Mitchell. Song, "Hazel Dell," Mary Da- vis, Ada Parker. Declamation, subject, "Our Country"-Master Jerome Stockwell. Dia- logue, "Uncle True"- -Robert Fisher ; "Wil- lie Sullivan," Benj. Barner; "Gerty," Esther Blackman ; "Mrs. Sullivan," Anna Walls. Dec- lamation, "The Mother's Anger"-Frederick Fisher. Dialogue, "The Hard Name"-"Mrs. Smith," Ellen Meader; "Mrs. Jones." Mary Vobe; "Mrs. Brown," Annette Parker; "Bet- ty," Mary Buffington; "Miss Vinegar," Mary Loring ; "Miss Willowbough," Cecilia Hender- son. Declamation, subject, "Extract from Speech of Webster"-Master Robert Augustus Fisher. Dialogue, "The Lost Maiden"-Rob- ert and Frederick Fisher. Parting Song-By the School. At the close of the performance Mr. Peyton stepped forward and stated the ob- ject of the exhibition. As soon as the object was announced a silver shower occasionally interspersed with a golden flake fell upon the stage and it was kept up for nearly ten min- utes. The children had a good time gathering up the money and enjoyed the sport greatly. Nearly $700 was received and in this manner the first piano was purchased. The Amelia Mersfelder mentioned in the program is Mrs. Louis Gerlach of this city. Ada Parker became the wife of N. M. Orr of the Stockton In- dependent, the mother of Mrs. Edna Orr James. Annette Parker was the daughter of R. B. Parker and became the first wife of the late P. B. Fraser. Mary Davis was the late Mrs. E. R. Hedges, and her sister, Emma Da- vis, became the wife of George Melone and the mother of Captain Melone, Gilbert Melone and Otis Melone. Hannah Levi became the wife of the late Julius Cohn. Anna Walls be- came Mrs. Henry Barricklo, and Ellen Meader married James Littlehale, at that time first cashier and one of the organizers of the Stock- ton Savings and Loan Society. Cecilia Hen- derson was married to William Gray, of Gray & Hickman, early day merchants of this city, and was the mother of Frank Gray, a hotel man of Sacramento. Jerome Stockwell was the son of the late E. R. Stockwell and a cous- in of Andrew Mosley of San Francisco. Esther Blackman was the daughter of a clothier and A. H. Fisher was the son of one of the owners of the Fisher stage lines running into the Southern mines.

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The holidays of the public schools in the '50s were few in number and far between. The school had no holidays on Washington's birth- day until 1859, but the spirit of 1776 was alive amongst the boys. On the afternoon of Febru- ary 22 a National salute and procession were advertised, and the older boys of Mr. Ryan's school on Center Street rebelled at the idea of study on such a patriotic occasion. A school yard consultation was held among the leaders, the eldest not over fourteen, and they bravely agreed to sign a petition to the school commis- sioner, V. M. Peyton, asking for a half holiday. The committee of three was appointed and hur- rying up town with their written Declaration of Independence, soon found the commission- er. Reading it he broadly smiled and informed the boys that they could have a half holiday. The girls learning of this movement also asked for the same privilege and for the first time the public schools were closed on that day. That document if today preserved would be a con- siderable historical value; we have the names of the young patriotic signers, namely, Richard V. Chadd, John Gillony, William Pearsall, Will Joiner, Ed Biven, Fred Mingers, Charles Bray, Fred Pennington, Charles Williams (ex- Mayor), John Dallas, Sidney Sutherland and Fred Leffler.

May Day Celebration

The happiest of school days was the May day celebrations from '54 to '62. It was the time of which Tennyson sung in his beautiful poem, "The May Queen." "You must wake and call me early, mother dear, Tomorrow It'll be the happiest time of all the glad New Year. Of all the glad New Year the maddest, merriest day, For I'm to be queen of May, mother, I'm to be queen of the May." The first celebration was held May 3, 1854. The 240 children, 100 of them girls, assembled at the Female Acad- emy on San Joaquin Street and after marching along Main to Center to Weber Avenue to the court house, were there taken in carriages and wagons to Bowen's ranch where the celebra- tion was held. The 66 conveyances compris- ing buggies, wagons and drays were furnished free by the citizens. Every vehicle in the town was put into use to carry the friends to the grounds on the Lower Sacramento Road, just across the Calaveras River. Then came the crowning of the queen, the children by vote the previous day having chosen as queen Mary Buffington, whose father was city superinten- dent of schools. There was an address by Thomas Moore, later city assessor, an oration by Jack Brady and a poem by Delia Dwelly.

A second celebration and crowning of a Queen was given May 1, 1855. Great interest was taken, and as the children, some 300 in number, marched the streets, the bells were

rung and the cannon fired. It was a beautiful scene, the girls dressed in white, bearing bou- quets of flowers, and the boys in black carry- ing flags. Each school was preceded by a beau- tiful banner, carried by a lad, with two attend- ants, and in the floral car, drawn by a pair of bays, sat the Queen. Delia Dwelly (after- wards the wife of R. E. Wilhoit), with Ellen Meader as Lady Hope, and Maggie McLel- land as crowner. Marching behind the car was the maids of honor, Elizabeth Manning, (Mrs. Trueman, the kindergarten teacher), Julia Baine, Alice Davis, Anna Walls, Annette Parker, Mary M. Buffington, Cecelia Hender- son (Mrs. Gray, deceased), Lucy Lord, Ma- tilda Brown, Mary Coates and Mary Vobbe, and the Floras, Ada Parker, Marie Westbay, Kate Baine, Florence Leffler (Mrs. Lathrop, deceased), Esta Blackman, Ada Van Valken- burg, Caroline Owens, Clarinda Sarles, Emma Davis and Mary Burnett. The streets were filled with people hurrying to the grove near the asylum. Jesse Perkins delivered the salut- atory address. After the coronation of the Queen, songs were sung, and games and din- ner occupied the time till 4 o'clock, when the closing exercises took place, the following lines being spoken by Cecelia Henderson : Gentlemen, our kind directors, We, our grati- tude would show, For this day of mirth and pleasure, And to those who made it so, "Tis a kind and noble nature, That can throw aside all care-Every thought of mighty business, In our children's sports to share." The chil- dren then marched back to town, too tired to accept the offer of the theatrical manager to attend the performance that night.

The excitement over the acts of the Vigi- lance Committee seems to have absorbed all interest, and children's festivals were out of mind until 1858. In that year a picnic was held in the grove near the residence of Charles F. Whale, and the schools marched to the grove under the escort of the Stockton Blues. The company was then under the command of its newly elected captain, P. E. Conner, and his cool judgment at that time prevented a terrible disaster. Old-timers will remember that across the slough at El Dorado Street was a long, rickety foot bridge, extending from Grissim & Durant's laundry on the south to Wagner's tannery on the north. As the soldiers and the children were crossing the bridge, the company keeping measured steps, the old bridge began to swing to and fro. "Halt!" commanded the Captain, and he stopped the entire procession until the bridge was again motionless. Then giving the order, "Broken time, march!" they all passed over in safety. At the grounds speeches were delivered by Johnny Green, John Miller, Henry Daughtman and Walter Chittenden. One of the features was a dia-

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logue. "The Paddy in France," by Charles Bray. Thomas Dillion and Richard Chadd. The refreshments must have been excellent, for the Blues got away with all the cake and pie, leav- ing the children the bread provided free by the bakers.

The first of May, 1859, was stormy and the crowning of the Queen took place in a theater. The children with their banners flying marched to the music of Condy's band, and took their seats upon the stage, which was handsomely decorated with garlands of flowers generously provided by Captain Weber from his garden, the stage center being occupied by the Queen's chair. Matilda Brown as Queen of May was crowned by Nannine Underhill, Maria Westbay presenting her the scepter in a pleasing address. Recitations and songs were given by several girls and boys, and the teachers. Miss Lucy Grove, Mrs. Paine and Messrs. Gibson and Thaxton, were highly complimented for the good work of the chil- dren. The next morning the children were escorted to the picnic grounds by the Turn- verein and Stockton Blues, and Rev. William Anderson of San Francisco gave an address.

In May, 1861, the public schools held their last picnic in the grove on Park and Sutter streets. The boys, dressed in white trousers and dark jackets, assembled at their school rooms on Center Street, and led by the band and under the escort of the Stockton Blues, they marched to the San Joaquin Street schools, where the girls, all dressed in white were assembled.

On arrival at the picnic grounds, the cantata of "The Haymakers" was given under the di- rection of Professor Wilson, with Mary Ann Rowley, Nannie Underhill, Elizabeth Knowles and Artemesia Behan, in the solo parts. Fol- lowing the cantata there were declamations by the boys. During the following four years there was little thought of picnics, for the ter- rible Civil War absorbed all attention. The children of the schools were occupied in giving concerts and entertainments for the benefit of the Sanitary Commission. One entertainment, "The Temple of Flame" in which Susie Crow- ell, who afterwards married Frank Wellington, was the Goddess of Liberty, netted over $400. After the close of the war, the public schools were too large to give picnics and the pleasant task was taken by the Sunday schools and fra- ternal societies.

The patriotic days at present, including Lincoln day, Armistice day, Mckinley and other days are far more numerous than in the days of yore. Then we had but three patriotic days, February 22, July 4 and Jackson's day, celebrated principally by the Southern Demo- crats, who worshipped General Jackson. Washington's birthday was celebrated in the

grammar public schools and the afternoon of the previous day was given over to patriotic exercises. Washington's farewell address was read by the teacher or the best scholars, each pupil reading a section. The reading was in- terspersed with the singing of patriotic songs such as "America, "Columbia the Gem of the Ocean," "The Red, White and Blue" and the "Stars Spangled Banner," and the speaking of patriotic pieces. One of the favorite pieces of the young orators was Drake's address to the American Flag,

"When Freedom from her mountain height Unfurled her standard in the air, She tore the azure robe of night

And set the stars of glory there."

Another young orator always selected Casabi- anca.

"The boy stood on the burning deck When all but him had fled, The flames that lit the battle wreck. Shown round him o'er the dead."

During the Civil War, each morning two or more patriotic, war songs were sung, but after war the patriotic spirit seemed to die out just as today. It was revived by the organization of Rawlins Post of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Woman's Relief Corps. The last named organization requested that the public schools have a daily exercise of saluting the flag. Then came the observance of Memo- rial Day. The flags of the city floated at half mast, then it was discovered that not a school- house in the city was provided with a flag. This neglect was now remedied. Flags were provided by the school board, and Memorial Day flag raising exercises were held in front of each building. At the Jefferson school the children marched from their room at the side- walk and sang, "Flag of the Free." Then, at a given signal a boy and girl from each school room pulled the flag to his place, the children then singing, "Our Flag is There." Superin- tendent Barr then introduced F. J. Ryan, then truant officer, who delivered a short address. The grand marshal of the parade was Hays Nicewonger, assisted by Frank E. Dunlap: A portion of the route of the procession was along San Joaquin Street, and upon reaching the Washington building the Post halted. The children of the schools were assembled in front of the building, and James E. Eaton, in behalf of the Woman's Relief Corps, then presented a flag to the school. The flag was received by Emanuel Wolf. Occasionally the public school children would form a part of the 4th of July procession, and they were one of the most pleasing features of the parade of July 4, 1876: · following behind a triumphal car on which sat

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a number of school pupils, dressed in white and wearing sashes of red, white and blue, rep- resented the thirty eight states. The scholars, each one holding a shield, bearing the name of the state they represented, were grouped around a pyramid on which was seated the Goddess of Liberty, represented by Abbie Gar- wood, Lila Moore-Westbay represented the goddess of peace. Nettie Van Valear, the god- dess of justice, and Ada Moore-Buell, Colum- bia. The states were represented by the fol- lowing young ladies, now several of them

grandmothers. California, Susie Benton; Maine, Estella Simpson; New Hampshire, Hannah Kierski; Vermont, Ella Stevens; Massachusetts, Ruth Clifford; Rhode Island, Emma Hansel-Cadle; Connecticut, Nellie Debnam-Stiffler; New Jersey, Ethel Sperry ; New York, Linda Saltz; Pennsylvania, Maude Southworth; Delaware, Mary Hillman ; Mary- land, Margaret Cunningham; Virginia, Emma Wagner; West Virginia, Nette Saltz; North Carolina, Bettie Colnon ; South Carolina, Mary Neumiller-Minta; Georgia, Mary Collins ; Florida, Edith Wilson; Alabama, Nettie Al- len; Mississippi, Maude Wiggin; Louisiana, Nellie Blossom-Moore; Texas, Florence Wil- ley; Ohio, Ida Pierpont-Lehe; Indiana, Dora Wolf; Illinois, Rachael Arents; Kentucky, Ella Wiggin; Tennessee, Bessie Stewart; Ar- kansas, Birdie Hogan-Hale; Missouri, Anna Henceman; Minnesota, Lillie Cunningham- Confer; Wisconsin, Hattie Nicholas; Michi- gan, Laura Cross; Oregon, Maggie Clayes; Nebraska, Lois Clayes; Kansas, Ida Gallup ; Nevada, Lizzie Perry; Emma Debnam repre- sented agriculture. Eva Van Valear-Ladd, the arts and sciences, Will Hickman, the American Army ; Wm. W. Westbay, the American Navy.

In the public schools today there is no dis- tinction as to race or color. But for nearly twenty years there was a color line and the negro and the Chinese were barred from the public schools. Although the Declaration of Independence declared "That all men are cre- ated equal," the South refused to accept that doctrine and held the negroes as slaves. Then came President Lincoln's proclamation of Jan- uary 1, 1863, giving all negroes their freedom, The Southern men in San Joaquin held the same opinion as their brethren of Dixie Land. They considered the negro. a slave and inferior to the white man. The constitutional amend- ment No. XV gave the negroes the right of suffrage thus placing him on an equality with the whites. But neither the President's proc- lamation nor the amendment to the Constitu- tion could lessen the repugnance not only of the southern but of many northern men for the negro as a social equal. Hence the colored children were not permitted to enter the public schools until 1879.

The colored citizens were anxious to give their children an education, and as early as 1861 opened a school in the African Methodist Episcopal church. The teacher probably was the pastor of the church. Sometime after this school was opened a great political change took place and the negro male became a citi- zen voter. The Republicans in power wanted their good will and votes. Captain Weber had deeded them a lot, a little schoolhouse was erected where now stands the Monroe school, and the board of education gave them $25 a month towards the teacher's salary. The bal- ance of the amount necessary was made up by contributions from the negro taxpayers. It was a very difficult matter to obtain a white teacher, because of the prejudice against the race and the small salary, and for a time S. B. Serrington, a colored barber, taught the school. Then an old white lady named Turis was teach- er, and she was almost ostracised by her friends because she taught the "nigger" school, but she was poor and needed the money. After a time the board of education appointed a Mrs. Wm. P. Shaw, a widow, to instruct the colored children. In less than six months there was trouble brewing, as the col- ored trustees did not like the teacher and they nailed fast the schoolhouse door.

Negro School Dedication

After a time matters were satisfactorily ad- justed and in April, 1868, Rev. E. P. Tappan, then pastor of the church, informed the public that "the new schoolhouse for the colored chil- dren will open Monday, April 27, with appro- priate dedication exercises." On the day of dedication the building was crowded with both white people and negroes, including the board of education, N. M. Orr, Charles Belding, and H. T. Dorrance, the Revs. J. H. Giles of the Baptist Church, J. H. Maddux of the Metho- dist Church, E. J. Tappan and S. E. Read, col- ored pastors. The assembly was called to or- der by S. B. Sanderson and after a brief talk he presented the program of exercises, which consisted of prayer by S. E. Reed, singing by the children and short addresses by the visit- ors. The colored folks passed a resolution, thanking the board and Captain Weber for the warm hearted liberality and deep interest manifested by them in the progress of the school. The negro ladies then served refresh- ments.

The appointed teacher was J. L. Sanderson. For some reason the colored parents wanted S. E. Reed as the teacher of the school, and they petitioned the board to that effect but they elected Sanderson, who was quite well educated.

One of the pupils in the negro school was Emanuel Quivers, and his persistent efforts to

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enter the high school finally led to the discon- tinuance of the color line in the public schools. He was the son of a former slave and the father brought to California from Virginia by his master, soon purchased his freedom. Quiv- ers was quite an intelligent man who had learned the blacksmith trade. Realizing the advantage of an education, he sent young Quivers to the district school near Waterloo, and then to the colored school. Graduating in time from the negro school, his father then engaged a special white teacher to instruct the boy in the higher branches. In time he received an education sufficient to admit him to a course of study in the high school. He applied for admission to the board of education, W. M. Baggs, I. V. Leffler, Rev. S. B. Morse, P. B. Fraser, M. S. Thresher, and I. R. Wilbur, and he was refused. The failure of the board to admit "a ambitious youth," as the Independ- ent styled him, called forth from that paper October 10, '76, the statement, "He has en- deavored in vain for a long time to prevail on the board to admit him to the high school, not- withstanding the fact he is on a mental equal- ity with the most intellectual student of that institution, and his character and general de- portment is beyond reproach." He wrote a letter to the paper and they declared that "The grammatical construction of the letter, its cor- rect orthography and excellent penmanship, are an unmistakable guarantee of his ability and qualifications." George Ladd, the city school superintendent, strongly favored his admission, and after the board's refusal to ad- mit young Quivers, Ladd easily obtained his admission in the San Francisco high school.

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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 44

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