USA > California > San Joaquin County > History of the State of California and biographical record of San Joaquin County; containing biographis of well-known citizens of the past and present. Volume I > Part 47
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The campaign was the most bitter and hard- fought in the history of the county, for al- though the Douglas Democrats had nominated John Conness for governor, there were in reality but two candidates in the fight, the Republican nominee, Leland Stanford, and the secession as- pirant, James McConnell.
On election day the stores were closed and the merchants worked industriously at the polls ; as trouble was anticipated twenty special officers were sworn for duty for then the saloons were all open on election day ; there was no Australian ballot, no one hundred foot law and the party men crowded about the polls trying to intimidate the voters. Fifteen or twenty carriages were busy carrying citizens to the voting places and two bands of musicians were upon the street. The Republican band played patriotic airs and "the other, prohibited from even playing "The
Star Spangled Banner," gave the voters marches, waltzes and polkas. There were hundreds of illegal votes cast, but the entire state and county ticket was elected; Stanford received in the county 1,872; McConnell 1,687, and Conness only 408 votes. In Stockton, Stanford received 827, McConnell 488, and Conness 173 votes.
California was now saved to the Union and liberally she responded with her gold to the sanitary and other commissions. For the col- lection of money, July 4th, 1863, was set apart, and on that day a picnic was held in Sanitary grove and by various means $10,000 was raised.
Time and again the loyal men and women freely contributed their money and after four years of the war's progress the telegraph flashed the glorious news on the morning of April II, 1864, that General Lee had surrendered to Gen- eral Grant. Never again will such a scene be witnessed as on that day; it seemed as if the hearts of the men would leap from their breasts, so happy were they that the terrible suspense was at an end. The merchants closed their places of business. Immediately a national salute was fired, the bells rang for more than an hour and the Globe foundry whistle blew a continuous blast for a long time. A band was called out, the firemen formed in line with their engines and with the citizens marched the streets, cheer- ing throughout the entire day. For a change, the procession would halt and some speaker would jump upon the cannon and address the listeners. The march would again be taken up and war songs were sung and the cheering continued. At one time the Rev. Mr. Lyford of the Chris- tian commission, mounted the cannon and began to talk, a pen and ink sketch of General Grant was handed him and quick as a flash he ex- claimed : "How much am I bid for the man on horseback?" The bidding started at $20, ran up to $100 and was delivered to the last-named bidder; it was immediately returned to the speaker and it was sold again and again until $600 was realized for the Christian commission fund.
Until four o'clock in the afternoon the "Hap- py Boys" marched the streets and at the close of day the Stockton light artillery fired a salute
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of two hundred guns. That night the city was a blaze of light and nearly every house was il- luminated, the streets were thronged with people, who cheered as the torchlight procession moved to and fro.
Within a week the people passed from the sunshine of joy into the shadow of grief as on the morning of April 15th this news was re- ceived : "President Lincoln is dead: shot last night by J. Wilkes Booth while attending a play in Ford's theater." A feeling of despair settled in some minds and of revenge in others. Men with blanched cheeks stood on street corners, the eyes of many moist with tears, for the be- loved Lincoln was now a martyr to his country's cause.
April 19th the nation paid its last tribute to its mighty chieftain and in this city from sun- rise until eleven o'clock half-hour guns were fired, flags were hung at half mast, the houses were draped in mourning and thousands of men and women wore badges expressive of their feelings, "We loved him in life and we mourn him in death." The funeral procession comprised the Masons, Odd Fellows, military, court offi- cials and citizens and the catafalque was drawn by four black horses, led by colored footmen. The funeral exercises were held in Agricultural hall and there was scarcely standing room. After the dirge was played, "Rest, Spirit, Rest," prayer was offered by Rev. J. G. Gastman, followed by a hymn by a selected choir, "Sweet is the Sleep When Christians Die." The eloquent oration was delivered by Rev. Charles Hendrickson, of the Baptist church.
The trouble of those days were not all politi- cal, for nature, asserting her power, in January, 1862, flooded the entire valley and for over two weeks the streets of Stockton were from two to six feet under water, buildings and sidewalks were swept away, houses and gardens ruined, streets torn up and thousands of dollars worth of property was destroyed, but, strange to say, not a life was lost.
The accumulation of snow in the mountains, together with "wet winters," seemed to cause a heavy overflow every ten years and we have had partial floods since 1852. The merchants who
had thousands of dollars worth of goods stured in their basements were heavy losers by the e freshets and to prevent these losses a survey was made in 1905 for a diverting canal east of the city, one and one-half miles in length. The United States government took charge of the work, Congress appropriated $250,000 for the digging of the canal and the dredging of the Cal- averas river, and the citizens gave $68,000 fur the right of way. The contract was let and the work is now under way for the digging of a canal two hundred and fifty feet at the top and one hundred and fifty feet wide at the bottom, the river to be dredged to the same dimensions. The canal with its embankment will prevent all chances of future overflow to the city.
One of the interesting events of 1879 was the visit of Gen. U. S. Grant to the City of Stockton. He arrived in San Francisco in September from his voyage around the world and the citizens in- vited him to come to this city. He answered by telegraph: "I will be with you on the 20th." The streets were decorated in his honor and as the train bearing the general arrived, a presi- dential salute of twenty-one guns was fired and the bells began their clamor. As soon as the general and party had been introduced, the mayor, Hyatt, and R. E. Wilhoit, then president of the board of supervisors, formed a procession con- sisting of the pioneers, citizens and veterans of the Mexican war and they were marched down Main street welcomed by the populace. Arriv- ing on Hunter street square three thousand chil- dren from the public schools were drawn up in three ranks to greet the hero of Appomattox. The General alighting from his carriage passel through the lines; the party was then driven to the Yosemite hotel, where a collation was served. A military ball had been arranged in his honor, but he was unable to remain and at four o'clock left for Sacramento.
Six months prior to the visit of General Grant the city witnessed its most terrible accident. It was February 22, 1879, that the inventor of a pump concluded to give it a trial at the fnot of Eldorado street at the bridge. To supply the power an old steam thresher engine was used, one which had been idle for several years. A large number
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of persons had assembled when suddenly the boiler head blew out and nearly the entire num- ber were stunned by the concussion; so heavy was the explosion that the boiler was lifted and thrown twenty feet distant, fifteen persons being instantly killed and many wounded.
Ten years passed and on August 14, 1889, the tragedy of national importance took place, the killing, in the Lathrop hotel, of David S. Terry by William Nagle, a bodyguard of Stephen A. Field, associate justice of the United States Supreme court. The cause that led to the mur- der dates back to the time, first, when Field was chief justice of the Supreme court of the state, and second, when Terry was defending Sarah Althea Sharon in her suit against Senator Shar- on. Terry had been imprisoned by Justice Field for contempt of court and he declared: "When I get out of here I will get even on old Field." The justice fearing bodily injury from Terry employed a bodyguard, William Nagle, who was a fighter and an expert with the revolver. The two ex-justices met at the breakfast table in the hotel and as Terry approached Field, some declared to slap his face, when he reached Field's chair Nagle fired over Field's left shoulder and shot Terry in the left breast, and he died in a few moments. Later Nagle was arrested and con- fined in the jail at Stockton for a short time and Field was also arrested by Sheriff Cunning- ham, but he was at once released by an order from the United States Supreme court. Nagle was given his liberty soon afterward by an or- der from Chief Justice Miller, from Washington, D. C. Terry had married Sarah Althea Sharon and soon after this shooting she became insane and is now an inmate of the asylum for the insane at Stockton.
Sheriff Cunningham, who died November 25, 1900, after twenty-three years continuous duty as sheriff, was one of the best diplomats of the county in regard to law and order. This fact was shown in his successful "Move on boys" when Coxey's army invaded the city March 16, 1894. This was a body of over four hundred men. made up from the honest but misguided la- boringman to the genuine hobo. They demanded food and shelter, which the county provided.
It was one of those cases where an "ounce of di- plomacy was worth a pound of law." The sheriff quietly met the men and provided them a camp- ing place on Banner island, supplied them with coffee, bread and meat, and upon barges moved them on their march up the Sacramento river.
A far different reception was tendered an- other delegation that arrived July 25, 1888, a delegation of "600" from the National Conven- tion of teachers, that had convened in San Fran- cisco. The two sections of the excursion train reached this city about one o'clock and was re- ceived by a committee of the citizens and the local teachers. Led by a band of music they were marched to Agricultural pavilion, where a banquet had been prepared. The building was tastefully decorated with evergreens, plants and flowers, and the tables, which radiated from a central point, were overloaded with good things to eat. Immediately upon sitting down to the repast, ex-Gov. Budd, as master of ceremonies, introduced Mayor Shippee who made a short ad- dress, then the command was given
"Flash all your forks in air, Ask for all on the bill of fare; Our citizens are running this affair, Charge on the watermelons there;
While the silurians wondered." -(Extract from jingle written by A. Levinsky.)
One of the novelties of the occasion (won- derful to the visitors) was a log cabin made en- tirely of Lodi ripe watermelons. That evening there was given a concert and ball, with over five thousand in attendance. The next day the visitors were given free excursions to Lodi, down the river, into the country to see the big ranches and they visited the paper and flour mills and the other manufactories in the city.
The toast master on that occasion, ex-Gov. Budd, up to that time was the only state officer elected from the valley south of Sacramento to the office of governor. He was inaugurated January II, 1895, and died July 30, 1908, at his home in Stockton. Here he won his first political victory, that of congressman of the second dis- trict, as at that time, 1882, he defeated the rail- road candidate Horace Page, who had been four
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times elected to the office in a district that had gone Republican since 1861. Page in his cam- paign wore a broadcloth suit, a black beaver hat and diamonds in his shirt front. Budd adopting an opposite style, wore a plain suit, broad brim- med felt hat and traveled through the moun- tain camps in an open buckboard drawn by a bay horse. Of great personal magnetism and jovial disposition, Budd captured the entire vote and in Page's own county of Eldorado, Budd ran two hundred and thirty-one votes ahead of his opponent and in San Joaquin received more votes than Stoneman, the Democratic candidate. His reception in his home town the night before the election was a spontaneous overflow for the Stockton boy and was engaged in by the citi- zens, regardless of politics. A procession was formed bearing banners, torches and flags and marching to the tune of "There'll be a Hot Time in the Old Town" paraded the streets cheering, "Hurrah for 'Jim' Budd," he being in his buckboard in the center of the procession.
Spontaneous was the reception tendered to United States Senator Stanford on October 15, 1890, for his Farmers two per cent loan bill, and his devotion to the people's cause while in the senate. On his return from congress he was received with an ovation everywhere he went and on his arrival in Stockton, accompanied by his wife, he was welcomed by a large crowd, the band playing "Hail to the Chief." As the procession marched to the pavilion, mechanics in their shirt sleeves left their work and joined in the ovation. The schools were closed for the afternoon and two thousand children shook hands with the senator and his wife. One of the movements that gave an impetus to the ova- tion to Mr. Stanford was the fact that he was then building the Leland Stanford Jr. University at Palo Alto.
The pavilion that had been erected for the San Joaquin Valley Agricultural society was capable of accommodating ten thousand people, the num- ber present when Thomas B. Reed, speaker of the house of representatives, delivered a speech in his "Old Home." On the afternoon of Sep- tember 28, 1902, while the thirty-first agricultural exhibition was in progress, the pavilion caught
fire and was destroyed, together with several blocks and residences. During the progress of the fire a brave fireman, Thomas Walsh, was caught in the flame-swept street and with the hose cart horse was burned to death. A beauti- ful memorial was erected to his memory in the Catholic cemetery and unveiled June 6, 1904.
The New Year was celebrated with a spirit ap propriate to Greater Stockton as the old town clock ticked off the minutes of the closing year ; citizens, ten thousand in number, assembled on the streets and with horns, firecracker-, bombs and all kinds of fireworks, to the music of two bands paid fitting lionors to "Fathier 1008." 'Twas midnight, the electric lights flashed with greater brilliancy, the steam whistles of the city gave greater volume to the greater clamor of noise and the "Infant 1909" came forth smiling with glee and whispered "Happy New Year."
It is the opinion of people in general, that the enforcement of a moral law encroaches upon their liberty and rights. In California this idea is particularly strong, hence it is almost impossible to pass a reformatory personal law. The better class of citizens succeeded some three years since in having passed an ordinance closing the liquor saloons each night at one o'clock, and the en- forcement of the state law closing the liquor saloons on election day.
The temperance wave that is sweeping over the eastern and southern states aroused the farm- ers of San Joaquin, and they petitioned the super- visors to pass a county Sunday closing liquor law, for the farmers had long suffered from the effects of the liquor traffic, especially during harvest, regarding their hired help. The supervisors passed such a law, and in the county election following, in November, 1906, the Royal Arch put forth every effort to defeat for re-election Supervisor Knight, who had led in the passage of the law and defied the liquor element. An honorable, fair-minded citizen, he was re-electel. and soon after died, a victim of intemperance. The law worked like a charm regariling the county, but the unfortunates now hurriel to Stockton for "booze" and landing in jail, morc intoxicants appeared in the prisoner's dock of
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a Monday morning than ever before; but the callous-hearted citizen was still unconcerned.
At this time thousands of dollars were being. expended in advertising the resources of San Joaquin, and prospective land buyers visited the city, but when they learned that Stockton sup- ported one hundred and two liquor saloons, open every day in the week, they declared "We will not locate with our families in a community such as this" and they moved on to Southern California.
It is an old saying, "If you want to hurt a man hit him in his pocket," and the real estate agents began to get busy. Public meetings were held in which many of the leading citizens took a prominent part, and a petition was presented to the common council, by the committee of fifty, praying them to pass an ordinance clos- ing the liquor saloons on Sunday. Then it was learned publicly that two-thirds of the council were pledged to the Royal Arch not to em- barrass the saloons during their administration, one of the councilmen being a liquor seller. They refused to take any action whatsoever, until public feeling ran so high they dared not refuse. Then begging the question, they promised to pass a Sunday closing ordinance, provided, without expense to the council the citizens would by a "straw vote" declare their desire for such an ordinance. They had never asked for a citizen's "straw" vote on any of the val- uable franchises they had granted, but this was different.
The committee of fifty deposited $500 to pay the expenses, and the council very reluctantly called an election December 10, 1907. It was a very disagreeable day, most decidedly "wet," but the good ladies stood in the rain near by the polling places, extending an encouraging smile and giving refreshment to their friends, who voted for "God, Home and Country." By a majority of sixty-six the Royal Arch was de- feated.
After a long delay, during which time one of the judiciary committee carried the ordinance in his pocket over two weeks, the council passed the ordinance by a vote of ayes five, noes two; not, however, until the public feeling was again
at fighting heat. It was the best law ever enacted in Stockton's history, and the absence of intox- icated men staggering along the streets upon the Sabbath day was a subject of comment.
A second progressive movement, also of great importance, was the bonding election for first- class county roads. The county had never had even fair roads, especially in winter, except many years ago when the Waterloo, Linden and the French Camp toll roads were in existence. The time had come for good roads, and the su- pervisors, again arising to the occasion, appro- priated $10,000 for the building of a two-mile stretch of first-class "sample" road. To super- vise the work, R. F. Morton, a government ex- pert on road building, was sent out from Wash- ington, and a length of gravel and asphalt road was constructed. A committee of competent and trustworthy citizens was appointed to carry on the proposed work; maps were published and full details drawn up by Mr. Morton, regard- ing the localities, kind of material and cost of each road, and an educational campaign was be- gun, calling upon the citizens to vote for the bonding of the county for $1,890,000 for the con- struction of two hundred thirty-eight miles of first-class roads.
Meetings were held in the city and through- out the county, and addresses were made by the- committee and other speakers, describing at length the proposed work, and the safe-guards that had been placed around it against graft or poor construction, and the citizens were in- vited to ask questions whether in favor of or opposed to the bonds. Thus all suspicion was quieted and "knockers" silenced, and at the election, May 4, 1909, the bonds carried by an overwhelming majority, ayes 6,674, noes 2,642. It was the largest amount of money voted for such purpose by any county in the United States, population considered.
The Royal Arch immediately after the "straw" election threatened to get even at the ensuing city election, and they began their campaign to defeat the friends of good government. Antici- pating a hard fight, the Good Government League organized a club, and its members signed a pledge to vote for no candidate or party unless
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they endorsed its principles: viz., a continu- ance of the Sunday closing law ; the enforcement of all laws by the police, and full value for all public money expended.
As the time of election drew nigh, a committee of the Good Government League, for they were averse to putting a third party in the field, in- terviewed the Republican city committee, one of whom was a saloon owner, and a second, the ยท attorney for the Royal Arch, and asked them to insert the principles of the Good Govern- ment League in their party platform. A ma- jority of the committee refused their request. In their platform, however, they declared, we favor the Sunday closing law "subject only to the rights of the majority to decide otherwise." As the majority in this case referred to the liquor dealers who had for years dominated the party, the Good Government League refused to accept their compromise. It was a waste of time to approach the Democratic committee, al- though many of their party were in the Good Government League ranks, one of them a cam- paign speaker for thirty years, and the Good Government League put a full non-partisan ticket in the field.
The Democrats advocated in their platform the initiative, the referendum and the recall, and they pledged their candidates to a resubmis- sion of the Sunday closing law. Their nomi- nee for mayor was a "non drinker" who had signed the Good Government League pledge and he was nominated while in bed sound asleep. During the campaign the Royal Arch were busy bringing their friends in "floaters" to vote, and
detectives were equally buss watching for fraud- ulent registrations.
The result of the election was a complete surprise to all three parties, for the Good Gove ernment League polled less votes than they an- ticipated ; the Republicans who had swung the city elections for thirty years, were a pror third, and the Democratic party for the first time in history elected their complete ticket The liquor dealers voted "600 floaters" and hundreds of Republicans voted the straight Democratic ticket as a rebuke to the Goal Gis- ernment League who dared to stand by their principles and put a third ticket in the field. As a result, on an average the Republicans polled 959, the Good Government League 1,255. and the Democrats 2.349 votes.
Irving Martin, of the Stockton Record, who courageously led the fight in 1907 for the Sun day closing law, followed later by the Mail and the Independent, thus sums up the contest: "We were defeated. compelled to fight against the machines of the two old parties and party fusion ; one hundred saloons, the tenderloin and the gamblers ; the big local brewery and all the restaurants; the federal, state and county offi- cial brigade ; six hundred floaters ; the public service corporations ; the police and fire depart- ments ; big street contractors and the grape growers."
But the state at large is becoming wiser : they are learning that honesty, morality and temper- ance are the best paying investments, even along commercial lines, and Stockton will some day arise to the highest standard of progress and civilization.
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