Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 34

Author: Foote, Horace S., ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 844

USA > California > Santa Clara County > Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California > Part 34

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Evangelical Association .- This society was formed in October, 1879, with Rev. F. W. Voeglein acting as pastor. The meetings were held in Druid's Hall on First Street until 1881, when they moved into their new church, which had been erected on their lot on the corner of Second and Julian Streets. Mr. Voeglein left for Japan in 1882, and was succeeded in turn by the following-named gentlemen: Revs. F. W. Fisher, T. Suher, C. Gruen, and F. A. Frase. Mr. Frase came in May, 1887, and is now officiating as pastor.

First Presbyterian Church of San Jose .- This church was organized on the afternoon of October 7, 1849, by Rev. Mr. Douglass, James Mathers and his wife, Sarah Warren Dutton, S. W. Hopkins, Oliver Crane, Austin Arnold, and Dr. James C. Cobb. The first services were held in the juzgado, or judgment hall, of the Alcade's court. The organization was called the Independent Presbyterian Church of San Jose. The first sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered in February, 1850, in a blue tent made by "Grandma" Bascom. Mr. Brayton succeeded the Rev. Mr. Douglass as pastor, and was duly installed, and first administered the sacrament October 6, 1850.

Up to this time the State House had been used, in conjunction with the Baptists, as a place of worship. In the latter part of 1850 a neat building of wood was erected on a fifty-vara lot situated on the east side of Second Street between Santa Clara and St. James Streets. This building cost $3,000, and was dedicated February 9, 1851, by Rev. S. H. Wiley. Mr. Brayton, the pastor, resigned January, 1852, and was succeeded by the Rev. Eli Corwin.

On March 19, 1865, the name of the church was changed from that of the Independent Church of San Jose to the First Presbyterian Church of San Jose. Mr. Corwin severed his connection with the church in the month of October, 1858, and was succeeded by the Rev. L. Hamilton, who entered upon his labors as pastor May 1, 1859. Mr. Hamilton's incumbency continued until the end of 1864.

On January 10, 1865, the Rev. William Wisner Martin was elected in his place. Mr. Martin was taken ill and never returned to his parish. He was succeeded by Rev. James S. Wylie. Mr. Wylie ten- dered his resignation and the same was accepted March 25, 1869. On account of damages done to the church building by an earthquake, October 10, 1868, services were held in the Young Men's Christian Association Building. On April 4, 1869, Murphy's Hall, at the corner of Market and El Dorado Streets, was secured, and the assistance of Rev. P. V. Veeder engaged. The pulpit was without a permanent min- ister until October 28, 1869, at which time the Rev. William Alexander was appointed. Mr. Alexander resigned March 28, 1871, and was succeeded by the Rev. Eben Morrison Betts, who was appointed Octo- ber 22, 1871.

On July 15, 1877, he resigned the pastoral office, and was succeeded November 4, 1878, by Rev. John Paul Egbert, who served a term of four years.

For several years subsequent to Mr. Egbert's resig-

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nation, the church was without a regular minister. In 1884, Rev. H. C. Minton was elected pastor, and is now occupying that position.

Unitarian Church .- First organized as the Unity Society of San Jose, in 1867. The pastors up to April, 1888, were: Charles G. Ames, J. W. Hatch, D. Cronyn, W. W. McKaig, and Mr. Fowler. Its meet- ings were held in Murphy's Hall, corner of Market and El Dorado Streets; then at Armory Hall, after- wards San Jose Opera House; then at Music Hall; then at California Theater. In April, 1888, the Unity Society dissolved and the Unitarian Church was or- ganized, with N. A. Haskell as pastor.

St. Joseph's Catholic Church .- The history of the Catholic Church has been told all through this narra- tive. It was the pioneer of the county, and has ex- erted its influence during all the subsequent years. The first building, as we have related, was erected in 1803. In 1835 a better building, constructed of adobes, was erected on the same site. This building was after- wards encased in brick. It endured many vicissitudes, having been racked by earthquakes, and was finally destroyed by fire. The present magnificent building was erected during the last ten years, having been completed in 1887. It stands over the site of the original church of 1803.

ARTESIAN WELLS.

In the early days of the American occupation, the scarcity of good water was one of the greatest incon- veniences which the inhabitants of San Jose had to contend with. The Mexican people procured water for household purposes from the acequias, or irrigat- ing ditches, that traversed the pueblo in several places. The most important of these was the one from the Canoas Creek, that ran northerly through the town, west of Market Street, and this was kept open, and a guard placed over it, for several years after the present city government was instituted. This, in addition to being neither palatable nor wholesome, was not suffi- cient in quantity to supply the rapidly increasing population. To meet the constantly growing demand, shallow wells were dug at different points. These wells were of an average depth of about eight feet, and although they increased the supply of water, could not improve its quality. "Grandma Bascom's story," told in the foregoing pages, describes one of these pioneer wells. They were mere holes in the ground without walls, or curbing, or pumps.

This state of things continued until 1854, when the Merritt Brothers built their brick house on Fifth

Street. In January of that year they commenced boring for a lower stratum of water, seeking a stream that did not act as a sewer for all the accumulated filth on the surface of the ground. They struck water at fifty feet deep, but determined to go deeper. At eighty feet they tapped a stream that came rushing to the surface like the eruption of a volcano. The hole was six inches in diameter, and the pressure was suffi- cient, as Mr. Hall says in his "History of San Jose," to run a saw-mill. The success met in prospecting this well, immediately induced the boring of others. In the same month, Mr. J. S. Shepard had a well sunk on his place about three miles east of town. This well went through muck and clay to a depth of seventy- five feet, to a stratum of sand. Five feet in this sand the water was struck, and although the pipe was ex- tended sixteen feet above the surface of the ground, the water came out of the top as though forced by powerful machinery. During the next month T. Meyers bored a well, getting a plentiful supply of water. But the greatest well in the history of the county was bored in August of the same year, by G. A. Dabney, near San Fernando Street. Mr. Hall thus describes it: "After boring six feet, the auger en- tered a bed of clay, through which, a distance of fifty- four feet, it penetrated, when the water rushed up with a force unknown here in well-boring. It flooded the surrounding lands so that it became a serious question how the water should be disposed of. The city coun- cil declared it a nuisance, and passed an ordinance directing Dabney to stop or control the flow of water; and, if not, he should pay a fine of $50 for every day he allowed it thus to run. The ordinance had no ef- fect on the dynamical properties of the water, nor any on Dabney; it flowed on, rising nine feet above the surface of the ground for about six weeks, when other wells which were bored in that vicinity lessened its force and volume. It was a curiosity and received visitors daily. A stream flowed therefrom four feet wide and six inches deep."

After this demonstration of the fact that artesian water was to be had, there was no more complaint in regard to lack of this necessary fluid. The old ace- quia fell into disuse and finally disappeared. Wells were sunk in various localities, and always with good results; but as the wells accumulated the force of the flow was somewhat diminished, as in the case of Dabney's well, except as new streams were tapped. Especially were wells made on the lower land to the north of town, for irrigating purposes. At one time the California Land Investment Company, which had

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acquired several thousand acres of salt-marsh land along the shore of the bay, attempted to reclaim it by means of artesian wells. The project was to build levees around their property to shut out the sea, pump out the salt water, and replace it with fresh artesian water. They went so far as to bore many wells, but abandoned the project, either because it was impracticable, or on account of the expense. The wells, however, were a great source of annoy- ance to the people to the north. Being allowed to flow continually, the water in other wells was low- ered, until many of them ceased to flow at all. The matter became so disastrous that an act was passed by the Legislature declaring it a misdemeanor to per- mit flowing artesian wells to remain uncapped when not in use. After much labor this law was enforced, and the injured wells recovered their vigor.

Perhaps no natural peculiarity of the Santa Clara Valley has been so little understood as the location of artesian streams. Many attempts have been made to trace and locate the artesian belt, but it is continu- ally being struck outside these locations, ard no one now cares to risk his reputation by saying where it is not. It was at first thought to lie exclusively be- tween San Jose and the bay, following the lower levels of the valley. In 1870 artesian water was sup- posed to have been found in the San Felipe Valley, southeast of Gilroy. But one night a well, windmill, tank, house, and frame, on the property of Mr. Buck, sunk out of sight, and the longest sounding-line was unable to discover its whereabouts! This indicated that the supply was a lake, and not a stream. In 1887 flowing artesian water was found at Gilroy, and that neighborhood is likely to be fully developed in this respect. Mr. R. C. McPherson, who for ten years has been sinking oil wells in the Santa Cruz Mount- ains, says that often the pressure of water is so great as to force itself through the seams of pipe that was considered to be perfectly water-tight.

With all the facts understood, there can be no doubt that artesian water can be had at any point in the valley, not excepting the higher grounds near the foot-hills. As yet no efficient prospect has been made, except in the region generally accepted as the artesian belt; but we feel assured that a well sunk to a depth of twenty-five hundred feet would find a stream with sufficient force to give a surface flow, in the most unlikely location. The well-boring machin- ery and tools used at the present time are inadequate for these deep wells on the higher grounds. The der- rick is usually but twenty feet high, the tools are of

comparatively frail construction, and the work is all done by hand. We predict that when the company now being organized begins to prospect for natural gas, with proper implements, the artesian belt will be found to be practically limitless.

BANKS.

The Bank of San Jose .- The pioneer bank in the Santa Clara Valley was opened for business in March, 1866, by W. J. Knox and T. Ellard Beans, under the firm title of Knox & Beans, and was conducted as a private banking house until January 31, 1868, on which date it was incorporated as a State bank, be- ing the first bank incorporated in interior California. The first officers were John G. Bray, President; T. Ellard Beans, Cashier and Manager; John T. Cala- han was appointed Assistant Cashier in 1880, which position he still holds; C. W. Pomeroy, Secretary. The capital stock is $200,000. In 1870 Mr. Bray died, and Mr. Beans became president, which posi- tion he still holds. Henry Philip succeeded him as cashier, and acted in that capacity till 1875, when Clement T. Park, the present cashier, succeeded him.

In 1871 the Bank of San Jose Block, on the north- east corner of First and Santa Clara Streets, was be- gun, and completed the following year. The build- ing has a frontage of ninety feet on Santa Clara Street, and one hundred feet on First, is symmetrical in architectural design, and cost $120,000. Besides the commodious banking rooms, there are several fine stores on the first floor. The second floor is occu- pied, in part, by the San Jose Board of Trade, and the remainder and the upper story are devoted to offices.

The bank has been under the able management of Mr. Beans throughout its entire history, and its career has been one of marked success, as the following facts and figures show: The Bank of San Jose has paid two hundred and forty dividends up to July 1, 1888, aggregating two hundred and ninety-one per cent of the par value of the capital stock, with an additional surplus of seventy-five per cent. It does strictly a commercial business; has correspondents in San Fran- cisco, New York, and London, on which it draws direct.

T. Ellard Beans was born in Salem, Ohio, sixty years ago. His early business life was passed in mer- cantile pursuits; spent two years in a banking house in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Came to California in 1849; directed his attention to mining for a time, and later was engaged in merchandising in Nevada City seven years; came near losing his life by the great

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fire in that place in 1856. He came to San Jose in 1866, and the same year projected and established the bank, as before stated. Mr. Beans is one of that honored class termed self-made men, and has long been regarded as one of San Jose's most able and re- liable business men.

The First National Bank of San Jose was organ- ized July II, 1874, with a paid-up capital of $500,000. Mr. W. D. Tisdale, the present president, was its first cashier, and has been the active manager of the bank from its organization. The bank is situated on the southwest corner of First and Santa Clara Streets. It does a general commercial banking business, and draws direct on San Francisco, New York, and the principal cities of Europe, having correspondents in the leading banks of those cities. The First Na- tional pays no interest on deposits. The fourteen years of its business life have been years of steady prosperity and growth. The accumulated surplus and dividends aggregate $176,000; and the present deposits are about $600,000. In 1880 W. D. Tisdale became president, and L. G. Nesmith, hitherto as- sistant cashier, became cashier, which position he now holds. The bank employs six clerks, besides the officers.

Mr. Tisdale came to the Pacific Coast in 1854, when nine years of age, and was for many years identified with mining interests in Nevada County, California. He settled in San Jose, in 1872, and soon after, with others, took steps to organize the bank. Mr. Tisdale is of old Mohawk Dutch stock, the son of William L. Tisdale (now a resident of Santa Clara County), and was born in Utica, New York. He married Miss Gephart, a native of Mich- igan .. They have four children. William L. Tisdale has been a resident of this State since early in fifty, and now lives on the Alameda, retired from active business. He is a stockholder in the First National Bank.

The Garden City National Bank was chartered and organized on the third day of June, 1887, and opened for business on July 18, 1887, with $100,000 capital paid in. Dr. C. W. Breyfogle, who projected and perfected its organization, was chosen president, George M. Bowman, vice-president, and Thomas F. Morrison, cashier. The bank, being a regular national bank, confines its transactions to commercial business solely. It is situated on the northwest corner of First and San Fernando Streets, almost in the geographical center of San Jose, and occupies a beautiful suite of banking rooms, fitted up expressly for its use, with

a ten years' lease. The eighteen stockholders are among the best known, most competent, and suc- cessful business men of Santa Clara County. The bank draws directly upon San Francisco, New York, and all the principal cities of Europe, and has cor- respondents in all important commercial centers. The Garden City, the youngest of San Jose's banking houses, starts off under very promising auspices. Its brief history so far fills the measure of the most san- guine projectors. At the end of its first eight months' operations the report showed $177,894.51 in indi- vidual deposits; demand certificate deposits amount- ing to $48,150.13, and undivided profits of $5,370 45.

Dr. C. W. Breyfogle emanates from the heart of the Buckeye State, was born in Columbus, Ohio, in June, 1841. He was graduated from Ohio Wes- leyan University, in 1863, having completed a four years' college course in three years. The same year he left college he entered the U. S. army as Second Lieutenant of Company E in the 9th Ohio Cavalry, which was assigned to Gen. W. T. Sherman's com- mand. Lieutenant Breyfogle soon rose, by suc- cessive promotions, to First Lieutenant and to Cap- tain of his company. His eyesight becoming seriously impaired by an attack of paralysis of the optic nerve, Captain Breyfogle was compelled to resign at the end of fourteen months of service, and seek relief. After a partial recovery from his affliction, he began reading law in the office of Judge Rankin, in Co- lumbus; but just before he finished the course his eyes again failed, and he had to abandon study. On being cured by homeopathic treatment, Mr. Breyfogle was so pleased with the system that he resolved to master it. He began to study, and, in 1865, grad- uated from the Homeopathic Medical College at Philadelphia, and commenced practice. Two of his brothers followed his example, studied medicine with him, and are practicing physicians.

Dr. Breyfogle came to California and to San Jose in 1871, broken down in health by overwork in the profession in Louisville, Kentucky. He rapidly re- covered, and spent fifteen years in active practice in Santa Clara County, from which he retired to take the presidency of the bank. In May, 1886, Dr. Breyfogle was elected mayor of the city, and filled the office two years. During his administration a number of measures of great benefit to the city were inaugurated and crystallized into laws. Among them is an ordinance authorizing the issuing of city bonds for $500,000 for the purpose of making much-needed improvements. This measure met with a determined

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opposition, and one defeat, but finally triumphed. The new City Hall was commenced, and a general system of sidewalk construction started. In Febru- ary, 1885, Dr. Breyfogle organized the San Jose Building and Loan Association, with a capital stock of two thousand five hundred shares of $200 each. The stock was so rapidly taken that, at the end of the first year, the stock was increased to $1,500,000, in series of one thousand shares each. The associa- tion has proved very popular, and is a benefaction to home-seekers of small means. It has erected about eighty buildings, mostly in San Jose. In the same year (1885) Dr. Breyfogle also organized the Odd Fellows' Association, for the purpose of building a hall for the order. This enterprise was a flattering suc- cess, culminating in the erection and completion of the splendid block on the southwest corner of Santa Clara and Third Streets, one of the finest in the city. Dr. Breyfogle is a member of the Board of Free- holders, and has served in the City Board of Educa- tion. Thus it will be seen that Dr. Breyfogle is an enterprising, public-spirited, cultured gentleman, of whom the city may well feel proud.

The San Jose Safe Deposit Bank of Savings first opened its doors for business on the first day of May, 1885, as an incorporated institution under the laws of California, in the Safe Deposit Block, on the southeast corner of Santa Clara and First Streets, with Mr. E. Mclaughlin as manager. On May 4, 1869, Mr. E. Mclaughlin and C. T. Ryland established a private banking house in a building previously erected for the purpose by Mr. McLaughlin, on Santa Clara Street, between First and Second Streets. Mr. Mc- Laughlin had intended to open the bank himself, but the partnership was formed with Mr. Ryland before he was ready to start. In 1872 the firm erected the Safe Deposit Block, which it moved into and occu- pied until their business was merged into the Com- mercial Savings Bank, two years later. The Commer- cial Savings Bank was organized as a joint-stock company, with Messrs. E. McLaughlin, C. T. Ryland, and Martin Murphy as stockholders, and opened for business May 13, 1874, with E. Mclaughlin as active manager. It leased the banking rooms in the Safe Deposit Block, and occupied them until it moved to the opposite corner, in 1886. In January, 1883, Mr. McLaughlin disposed of his interest in the bank and retired from its management. In February of the same year he purchased Mr. Ryland's interest in the Safe Deposit Block. Ever since it was opened, the Safe Deposit Bank has been under the official control

of Mr. McLaughlin as manager, with M. Malarin as president, and John E. Auzerais as cashier. Its ele- gant banking rooms are equipped with one of the largest and best safety deposit vaults on the Pacific Coast, or in the whole country. It is thirty-one feet long, twelve feet four inches broad; is fitted up with small safety vaults for private individuals; has double doors with time-locks, and is both fire and burglar proof. The bank does both a commercial and savings business. It keeps its own accounts with New York and London, and has its own independent connec- tions with business in those cities, as well as with San Francisco. The paid up capital of the bank is $300,- 000, with a reserve fund of $75,000, and a nominal capital of $1,000,000. It pays interest on deposits.

E. Mclaughlin is a native of the Keystone State, born in Philadelphia in 1829. His early life was chiefly passed in New Orleans. He came to Califor- nia during the gold excitement, and embarked in the hardware business in Nevada County in 1852. In 1866 he sold out and spent a year in Europe, and on returning, came to San Jose in 1868, with the inten- tion of retiring from active business. But not feeling contented to be idle, he decided to engage in banking, and erected the building for that purpose before men- tioned. He still is interested in the hardware busi- ness in Los Angeles. The Safe Deposit Block (which he sold to the bank for $200,000) is one of the finest business blocks in interior California. It is three stories in height and beautiful in architectural design, having a frontage of one hundred and twenty-six and one-half feet on First Street, seventy feet on Santa Clara, and one hundred and thirty-eight feet on Foun- tain Street. Besides the splendid banking-rooms, there are several stores on the first floor. The other stories are used for offices.

The Commercial and Savings Bank was organized May 13, 1874. It first occupied rooms in the Safe Deposit Block, but in 1885, on the organization of the Safe Deposit Bank of Savings, it moved to its pres- ent quarters at the northwest corner of Santa Clara and First Streets. Its capital is $1,000,000, of which $300,000 is paid up. Its surplus fund amounts to $180,000. Its officers are B. D. Murphy, president; F. P. Ryland, cashier; John T. McGeoghegan, sec- retary.

SOCIETIES.

Odd Fellows' Hall Association .- This association was organized in December, 1884. The capital stock consists of four thousand and five hundred shares

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valued at $10 per share. The stock was subscribed for, and the money paid in long before the comple- tion of the building. The building is located on the corner of Santa Clara and Third Streets. There are two large halls in the upper story used for lodge rooms, which are probably as spacious and elegantly fitted up as any lodge rooms in the State. The promoters of this organization deserve a great deal of credit for the enterprise and energy displayed by them in thus adding to San Jose one of its most handsome build- ings. The association has paid regular dividends and the stock is now held at a premium.

The present officers are : C. W. Breyfogle, Presi- dent ; Henry Phelps, Vice-President ; C. W. Pomeroy, Treasurer; M. H. Hyland, Secretary ; D. J. Porter' C. D. Freitag, J. Jacqulin, Henry Phelps, C. W. Brey- fogle, Karl Klein, and Jacob Lenzen, Directors.

San Jose Lodge, No. 34, I. O. O. F .- This was the first Lodge of I. O. O. F. instituted in Santa Clara County. It was organized at San Jose, December 30, 1854, with the following charter members and first officers of the Lodge: O. P. Watson, T. R. Kibbe, Jas. H. Morgan, John R. Wilson, Wm. Brothers, F. F. Letcher, Jas. M. Merritt, John R. Price, G. B, Crane, M. D. First officers of the Lodge : Past Grands, T. R. Kibbe, George Peck; O. P. Watson, Noble Grand; Jas. H. Morgan, Vice-Grand; John R. Wilson, Recording Secretary; John B. Hewson, Permanent Secretary; Geo. B. Crane, Treasurer.

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Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 34

Author: Foote, Horace S., ed Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 844

Author: Foote, Horace S., ed
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 844