History of Santa Clara 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, Part 18

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846-
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1928

USA > California > Santa Clara County > History of Santa Clara 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 > Part 18

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Old Residential Landmarks

Another old and very attractive landmark was the home place of General Henry M. Naglee. It comprised 140 acres and extended from Tenth Street to the Coyote on the east and from Santa Clara Street to William Street on the south. The house was considered in early days to be one of the finest in San Jose. It occupied a position near the centre of the grounds and was surrounded by choice flow- ers, shrubbery and ornamental trees. It is still standing at the northwest corner of Four- teenth and San Fernando Streets. There was a perfect forest of trees on that part of the grounds not devoted to the culture of grapes. From these grapes brandy was made and the fame of Naglee's brandy was world wide. The General was a veteran of the Civil War. He commanded a brigade under Mcclellan, and served with gallantry and ability throughout

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the Peninsular Campaign. He resigned from the army shortly after Mcclellan's removal, because he held that his chief had been unjust- ly treated. When the avenue was extended from the Santa Clara Street bridge through East San Jose to the junction with the Mt. Hamilton road, General Naglee planted pine trees on both sides of the avenue for its en-

tire distance and otherwise greatly assisted in the improvement of the roadway. In honor of his services the extension of the avenue was called for many years Naglee Avenue. Some years after his death, the heirs concluded to cut up and sell the property. The business was placed in the hands of Thomas S. Mont- gomery, now president of the Garden City Bank and Trust Company, and in 1907 the work was started. Today the immense tract of land is covered with pretty and costly bun- galows, paved streets and sidewalks and love- ly gardens, making it one of the finest resi- dence spots in Central California.

Still another old landmark was the Hensley property, on North First Street. It extended from the Southern Pacific tracks to Empire street on the north and from First to Fourth on the east. The house was large, roomy and built in the old southern style, while the ornamentation of the grounds made the place

one of the beauty spots in San Jose. Major Hensley was a '49er and died in 1865, highly respected for his integrity and public-spirited- ness. In 1886 the old home was removed and the estate subdivided and placed on the market, T. S. Montgomery handling the sales. Today there are new streets and hand- some residences' where once was one large garden and a touch of the primitive.

In 1887 the old homestead property of Josiah Belden on First Street near Empire was purchased by the Hotel Vendome com- pany. This sale marked the passing of anoth- er old landmark. The property comprised eleven acres and was planted as a park. The house, or mansion, was one of the few costly edifices erected in the early fifties. Josiah Belden was a '49er and long before the sale to the Vendome company he went east with his family, became a New York banker and died a multi-millionaire. The Belden property, then owned by C. H. Maddox, was sold for $60,000, and a hotel building, costly $250,000 was speedily erected. The original board of directors of the Vendome company were J. B. Randal, W. S. Thorne, J. S. Potts, L. Lion, C. W. Breyfogle, A. McDonald, T. S. Mont- gomery, F. H. Mabury, and G. Lion.

CHAPTER VIII.

Newspapers in the Early Days-J. J. Owens' Sad Experience-Chas. M. Shortridge-E. A. and J. O. Hayes-W. Frank Stewart-Mark Twain's Lecture-The Rise of H. C. Hansbrough-Edwin Markham's Venture --- Alex P. Murgotten-H. A. De Lacy-The Peril of Major Foote-Elliott the Adventurer-Kelly and the Grizzly

Since the early days San Jose has had many newspapers; each started to fill "a long-felt want," and each in its honest, able way, carry- ing out, as far as was possible, the laudable resolve. In 1850 was published the State Journal. The proprietor was James B. Devoe and it was discontinued on the adjournment of the legislature in 1851. In January, 1857, came the San Jose Daily Argus. It lasted dur- ing the senatorial campaign and was used to promote the candidacy of John C. Fremont.

The first permanent newspaper of the city was the San Jose Weekly Visitor. It was started June 20, 1851, by Emerson, Damon and Jones. At first it was Whig, but went over to the Democracy in October. In Au- gust, 1852, its name was changed to the Reg-

ister and was published by Givins George and T. C. Emerson with F. B. Murdoch as editor. In 1853 Murdoch obtained control of the paper and the name was again changed to the San Jose Telegraph. In 1860 the Telegraph went into the hands of W. N. Slocum, brother of Gen. H. W. Slocum, who commanded one wing of Sherman's army during the march "from Atlanta to the Sea." In 1861 another change of name was made when the paper passed into the hands of J. J. Owen and B. H. Cottle.

The Daily Mercury was started in connec- tion with the weekly paper of that name, but was discontinued in 1862. In 1869 J. J. Con- my, who had come down from Shasta County, was admitted into the firm and in August of

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that year the publication of the daily was re- sumed. Mr. Conmy retired from the firm this year. In 1871 Cottle sold out his interest to Owen. In 1872, Owen, having purchased the Daily Guide, again resumed the publication of the Daily Mercury in connection with the weekly. Soon after Cottle bought a half in- terest in both papers, but again sold to Owen in 1874. In 1877 it was incorporated under the style of the Mercury Printing and Pub- lishing Company, Mr. Owen holding the ma- jority of the stock. In 1884 he sold his inter- est to Charles M. Shortridge, proprietor of the Daily Times and the name of the paper was changed to the Times-Mercury. In 1885 F. A. Taylor entered into negotiations for the pur- chase of the paper, but the sale was not con- summated. In the meantime the name was changed back to the Daily Mercury. At this time it absorbed the Daily Republic. In 1878 Shortridge sold his interest to a local syndi- cate, with Clarence M. Wooster as manager. Soon afterward the paper became the prop- erty of Alfred Holman, present editor of the San Francisco Argonaut, and after two years of ownership Holman sold to E. A. and J. O. Hayes, who have since controlled the paper.

J. J. Owen was one of the striking figures in San Jose journalism. He was a man among men, generous, broad-minded and scrupulous- ly honest. His editorials were never long nor labored, but each went to the root of the cho- sen subject in such a graceful, charming way as to make the editorial column one always to be eagerly read. He was a poet as well as a prose writer and in his poems his gentle phil- osophy found adequate expression. As a writer of pertinent paragraphs and sermonettes he was unsurpassed in his day and a volume of tabloid essays published in the seventies found ready sale. Copies may still be found in the libraries of old-time residents.

In Owen's time the "intelligent compositor" was conspicuously in evidence. That he sur- vived the imprecations showered upon his "devoted head" must be accounted for by the fact that his head was hard though his sense of humor was keen. Once Owen, coming in contact with the "I. C.," had a rush of blood to the head that in the case of a man afflicted with hardening of the arteries would have caused the formation of a blood clot in his brain and consequent paralysis. The instance which will be here recorded had its incep- tion during the legislative career of the veteran editor. It was about fifty years ago that Owen was elected a member of the California Assembly. Nearly all the time of the session was taken up in the consideration of a prison jute mill scan- dal, the board of managers having been

charged with all sorts of crookedness in the management of the mill. Owen presented the bill calling for an investigation and after its adoption a committee was appointed to hear the evidence and make a report. During the debate Owen's speaking talent was ably and courageously displayed. He was among the foremost in denouncing the managers and when the committee, at the end of the session, handed in a report whitewashing the accused officials, Owen's indignation knew no bounds. He was at white heat over what he termed was a travesty of justice when he returned to his editorial duties in San Jose. Almost his first act on reaching his desk was to write an editorial on the jute mill scandal in which he expressed in forcible language his opinion of the legislators who had given the prison man- agers a clean bill of moral health. The article was headed "There is no balm in Gilead."

After writing the editorial Owen went home, leaving the proof reading in the hands of the foreman of the composing room. Next morn- ing he picked up a copy of his paper and pre- pared to read what cold type had made of his caustic criticism. The first glance at his mas- terpiece sent the blood to his head and made him rise up on his hind legs and howl, for the heading was not "There is no balm in Gilead," but "There is no barn in Gilroy."

As far as the historian can remember Owen had but one scrap with an outsider. In the early days personalities were largely indulged in. When an offending head stuck up the rule was to hit it. Perhaps the dearth of local news was the cause of editorial bellicoseness, but it was not often that a person assailed by a newspaper editor would adopt drastic meth- ods in dealing with his assailant. But once in a while the victim of an editor's attack would attempt retaliation by means of personal en- counter. Some time in the '70s Owen assailed Montgomery Maze, since deceased. Maze was a searcher of records and his assistant was Mitch Phillips, the capitalist, who died in 1918. Maze, who was stockily built and very pugnacious, met Owen at the northwest cor- ner of Santa Clara and Market streets. They did not pass the time of day but they did pass the lie and then Maze sailed in to make mince meat out of the veteran editor. Owen's cane parried the initial blow and Maze stopped sur- prised but not daunted. He made another rush and landed on Owen's nose. Encouraged by his success he tried a left hander, missed the mark and allowed the cane to accomplish its head-aching work. From that time on it was cane and fist, the cane doing the greater punishment. Bystanders interfered when the fight was at its hottest. Both combatants

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were good sports and friendly relations were soon established.

While Charles M. Shortridge was publish- ing the Daily Times, a report of the proceed- ings of a Democratic County Convention made slurring reference to the speech of one of the candidates for office. The candidate was a Kentuckian who possessed a fiery dsposition. The report made him see red. He hastened to the Times office and found Shortridge alone. With the words, "I am going to punch your head," he made a mad bull rush. The first blow tumbled Shortridge from the high stool on which he had been sitting. In attempting to pursue his advantage the Kentuckian got tangled up in the rounds of the stool and while he was trying to extricate his long legs Short- ridge arose and began to use his fists. A rough and tumble fight ensued. There was one chair in the room and during the struggle it was wrecked as was also the stool. Some- times the Kentuckian would have the advan- tage, sometimes the advantage would be with Shortridge. They fought all over the room and at last stopped from exhaustion. As they lay panting on the floor, with bleeding faces and half-closed eyes, a printer looked in. He gazed in surprise at the wreck and the pros- trate fighters and then said, "An earthquake? Strange I didn't feel it when I was outside." "It wasn't an earthquake," grunted Short- ridge, "It was a Kentucky cyclone." The fight did not settle the differences between the two men. The feud remained though there were no further warlike demonstrations.

After a few years as collector Charles M. Shortridge went into the real estate business. After a time he succeeded in obtaining suffi- cient financial backing to enable him to pur- chase the Daily Times, paying $5,500 for busi- ness and plant. This was in 1883 when he was twenty-seven years old. He was, in truth, the architect of his own fortunes. Soon after he came to California he hired out to the San Jose Gas Company as a lamplighter so as to obtain money to carry him through the public schools. Having graduated with honor he se- cured a position on the Mercury as errand boy to be advanced soon to the position of col- lector. In 1884 he secured control of the stock of the Mercury Printing and Publishing Com- pany and in less than two years from the day he walked out of the office a poor boy, he walked back as a proprietor. He combined the Times and Mercury and proceeded to make the new journal twice as good as either of them was before. In the early '90s he be- came the lessee and manager of the San Fran- cisco Call, a position he retained for several years. . Afterward he studied law, opened an

office in San Jose, combining this profession with that of newspaper proprietor, having res- urrected the Daily Times. He gave up pub- lishing after an unfortunate experience of a year or so to give his whole attention to the law. He was engaged in the practice of his profession in Oakland when he died a few years ago.

The semi-weekly Tribune was issued by Givins George July 4, 1854. In 1855 it was published by George & Kendall and in 1859 it was sold to George O'Daugherty. In 1862 it was suppressed for eight months by order of General Wright. In 1863 it was purchased by F. B. Murdoch, who changed the name to the Patriot. The paper was a weekly. In 1865 Murdock commenced the publication of the Daily Patriot. In 1875 he sold out to S. J. Hinds and J. G. Murdock. In 1876 it was pur- chased by the Murphys and the name changed to the San Jose Daily Herald. In 1878 it pur- chased and absorbed the San Jose Argus. In October, 1884, the Herald was bought by a joint stock company. H. H. Main was presi- dent, W. C. Morrow, secretary, and J. F. Thompson, treasurer. Main and Thompson are dead. Morrow is a resident of San Fran- cisco engaged in literary work. As a teacher of the art of short story writing he has ac- quired a national reputation. While engaged in newspaper work he wrote several high- class novels and many charming short stories. He has a keen, analytical mind and his style has the clearness and finish of a master crafts- man. He was and is a literary artist, and nothing ever leaves his hands that is not pure English, charmingly expressed. After he left San Jose, the Herald was conducted by Main and Thompson until it was sold to Charles M. Shortridge. In 1900 the paper was purchased by E. A. and J. O. Hayes and publication was continued until it was absorbed by the San Jose Mercury. The name of the Mercury was then changed to the Mercury-Herald. The Hayes brothers are lawyers and mine-owners and have at Edenvale, six miles south of San Jose, on the Monterey Road, one of the costliest and handsomest residences in Cali- fornia. The grounds cover many acres with a wealth of flowers, shrubbery and trees. E. A. Hayes was a member of Con- gress for several terms, serving his dis- trict with marked ability. J. O. Hayes has never held public office, although he has been several times a candidate for governor. Under the progressive management of the Hayes brothers the Mercury-Herald has attained the largest circulation of any paper, outside of San Francisco and Oakland, in Central California. It has ever worked for the best interests of the

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community and its influence has been far- reaching and strong. E. K. Johnston is the managing editor and his ability and business acumen have been marked factors in the pa- per's success.

The San Jose Daily Reporter came into ex- istence in 1860. W. Frank Stewart was the publisher. It was soon changed to a weekly and was discontinued after a few weeks' ex- istence. Stewart was a Kentuckian and was in Nevada when Mark Twain was doing repor- torial work on the Virginia City Enterprise. Late in 1866 Mark returned from the Ha- waiian Islands and having no newspaper en- gagement in sight, he wrote a lecture on the islands and prepared to make a tour of the Pacific Coast for the purpose of putting some much-needed money in his pocket. San Jose was selected as the place for "trying it on the dog." When Mark landed in town he hunted np Stewart, who was then the proprietor of a little saloon in a shaky, one-story building on a lot on First Street near Fountain Alley. Twain found the place and soon enlisted Stew- art's enthusiastic cooperation. The saloon was a popular loafing place and Mark spent much time there listening to Stewart's views on his latest fad, "How earthquakes are pro- duced." Stewart had a queer theory about earthquakes and many lectures on the subject were delivered in Music Hall while Stewart was a resident of San Jose. In his saloon he had an earthquake indicator of his own inven- tion, the points of which he explained to the Nevada humorist, much to the latter's inter- est and amusement.

Through the good work done by Stewart and his friends Mark was enabled to lecture to a paying house and he left San Jose pro- fuse in expressions of gratitude for the kind- ness displayed by his old Nevada friend. A few months later Mark was in Buffalo, N. Y., doing humorous work for the Express. Clip- pings from his writings were made weekly by the San Francisco Alta to be eagerly read by Mark Twain's many admirers in San Jose. At this time no one hailed the arrival of the Alta more joyously than Frank Stewart. He was heard frequently to say that Mark was des- tined to become one of the great writers of the age. But one day there came a change. Stewart's face grew longer and harder. His eyes flashed with rage and when he found . voice to express his feelings it was to pour forth the bitterest, most caustic and damna- tory language that ever fell from human lips. Mark Twain was an ingrate, a coward and a (our. . He was-well, he was everything an honest man should not be.

The cause of Stewart's rage was an article in the Buffalo Express which said in effect that out in San Jose, California, there lived a fellow named Stewart, who had an aged mother on whom he was depending for sup- port, and who passed as the proprietor of a ramshackle groggery, where, between drinks, he expatiated on earthquakes, a subject of which he knew little and talked much. The article further stated that whenever a pig came along and scratched his back against the front of the building there would come a shake that would be promptly registered and as promptly telegraphed all over the Pacific Coast.

When his wrath had cooled sufficiently for him to use a pen Stewart sat down and wrote Mark a letter, which, if it could be found and published, would prove one of the richest things in American literature. He figuratively roasted Mark alive. An answer was not ex- pected, but it came, nevertheless, in the shape of an abject apology. Stewart, with great gusto, read the apology to his friends. Mark, in his letter, disclaimed any intent to slander the philosopher and said his only idea was to have a little harmless fun. To show that he was sincere he asked Stewart to forward a book of the philosopher's poems, recently pub- lished, promising to review it in a satisfactory manner. The book was sent, a flattering re- view was given and the breach between Mark Twain and Stewart was healed.

The Daily and Weekly Courier was started in 1865 by Geo. O. Tiffany. It lasted but a few months.

The Santa Clara Argus, as a weekly, com- menced publication in 1866. In 1876 the Daily Argus was issued and ran until 1878, when it was sold to the Herald. W. A. January was the editor and proprietor of the Argus. He was a Kentuckian and a gentleman of the old school. There was not a mean bone in that tall, slim body of his. Everybody was his friend and when he passed away from earth, a nonogenarian, San Jose lost a valuable citi- zen. Before coming to San Jose he lived in Placerville, where he was associated with Dan Gelwicks in the publication of the Mountain Democrat. It was while he was a newspaper publisher in San Jose that he was elected to public office. He was a very popular official and the Republicans after a time ceased to put up any candidate against him. He was county treasurer and state treasurer and in his last years tax collector of Santa Clara County and always the same genial, courteous and faithful servant of the public.

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C. Leavitt (Britt) Yates published The Sat- urday Advertiser from August 11, 1866 to February 19, 1869.

The Daily Independent was started May 7, 1870 by a company of printers. It was the first paper in San Jose to receive news by tele- graph. In December, 1870, it was purchased by Norman Porter, who, in turn, sold it to the Guide in 1871.

The Daily Guide was started by Phil Stock- ton and H. C. Hansbrough in February, 1871. Hansbrough sold out his interest to Stockton that same year. Major Horace S. Foote, who wrote "Pen Pictures from the Garden of the World," a work that has been largely drawn upon in the writing of this history, was the editor of the Guide and before the Guide started, was the editor of the Independent. As a writer he is clever, humorous and inci- sive and local journalism was the sufferer when he dropped the pen to become the finan- cial expert of the board of supervisors. In January, 1872, Porter took the Guide and sold it to J. J. Owen, who merged it into the Daily Mercury.

The history of Henry C. Hansbrough of the Guide is an interesting one. Before becoming a newspaper owner he was a printer and did his first work in the Patriot office. After a few years' residence in San Jose he went to San Francisco. He was a Chronicle compos- itor until promoted to the telegraph editor's desk. It was while he was a resident of the Bay City that the Anti-Chinese agitation reached a ferment. Dennis Kearney was shouting, "the Chinese must go," and the Mongolians and their business allies among the whites were in a terror-stricken mood. All the while the sentiment in the eastern and middle western states was distinctly pro- Chinese. To take advantage of the situation three enterprising young men-Chester H. Hull, city editor of the Chronicle and self- styled "The Monumental Liar of America"; Sam Davis, the Nevada humorist and brother of Robert H. Davis, present managing editor of the Frank A. Munsey publications; and H. C. Hansbrough, resolved to procure an ed- ucated Chinese and take him east on a lectur- ing tour. Hull was to write the speech, Davis was to finance the undertaking (it was re- ported at the time that he could get $3,000 from John Mackey, the bonanza king) and Hansbrough was to act as business manager. But the days passed and no Chinese intelli- gent and foxy enough to fill the bill could be secured. At this juncture Hull, himself, of- fered to do the lecture part by making up as a Chinese. Whether the other partners ever se- riously considered the offer is not known.

But there were frequent wranglings which ended by a dissolution of copartnership. Da- vis returned to the sage brush and Hull went back to his desk to perpetrate another of the hoaxes which had made him notorious throughout the Pacific states. But Hans- brough stuck to his guns. He enlisted the in- terest and cooperation of Rev. Otis Gibson, superintendent of the Methodist Mission in San Francisco, and a Chinese interpreter in the person of Chan Pak Kwai, was secured. The Chinese was good-looking, as sharp as a steel trap and had an excellent command of the English language. He had lived for a time in San Jose and was well known to all the court officials. When all arrangements had been made and Chan Pak Kwai had been properly trained, Hansbrough and his mascot left for the east. Lectures were delivered in lowa and Illinois and Chan Pak Kwai was feted everywhere by the warm-hearted people of the middle west. At last the interest waned and manager and performer separated, the Chinese to return to San Francisco and Hans- brough "to seek fields and pastures new." In Devil's Lake, Dakota, he established a news- paper and after a time became postmaster and interested himself in politics. When Dakota was divided to become two states, Hans- brough was chosen one of the United States Senators for the northern division. He held office for eighteen years.

The Daily Press was published for a few weeks during 1882 by J. J. Conmy.

The Reporter was started by present Under- Sheriff Hugh A. DeLacy, in April, 1872. It lasted until August.

The California Agriculturist, Brand & Hol- loway, proprietors, came into existence in 1871. S. H. Herring purchased it in 1874 and after running it for a few years sold it to the Pacific Rural Press, of San Francisco.

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History of Santa Clara 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, Part 18

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846- Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1928

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846-
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1928