Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 93

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 93

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499

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

After the revolution was subdued, in which Hast- ings performed his part with credit, he returned to Northern California and settled at Sutter's Fort, af- terwards called Sacramento, where he was residing at the time of the discovery of gold. He went to Coloma, near where gold was first discovered, and started a store. In this venture he amassed quite a fortune. Returning to Sacramento, he speculated for some time in real estate, in which he was not success- ful, having attempted to build up a rival city to Sac- ramento on its southern border. Failing in this, and losing in other real-estate speculations, he eventually lost nearly all of his large fortune.

In 1848 Mr. Hastings married a daughter of H. Toler, a native of Virginia, who had resided many years in South America, engaged in mercantile pur- suits, and for several years as United States Consul in the West Indies. In South America Mr. Toler had married a Spanish lady and had two children, William P. Toler, who was a midshipman in the United States Navy on board the Savannah when California was taken from the Mexicans; and Char- lotte C., who married Lansford Hastings. The latter had several children, three of whom are now living, two sons residing in California, and Amelia L., who married the subject of this sketch. Mrs. Spence's mother's family came from Buenos Ayres in the early days of California, living in Sacramento and later in Monterey.

In 1849, when the convention was in session at Monterey forming a constitution for California, prior to its admission into the Union, Mr. Hastings was a member of that body, a delegate from Sacramento, and during the exciting debates that took place in that memorable convention he took an active and important part. After his financial losses he went with his family, in 1857, to Fort Yuma, where he, with others, planned and laid out a town across the river, on which he built great expectations. Finding that his hopes were not realized, he returned with his family, in 1860, to San Francisco. His wife died soon afterward in San Leandro, in the house of her brother, William P. Toler. The War of the Rebell- ion soon afterward breaking out, Mr. Hastings left his children with their uncle, Mr. Toler, went South and entered the Confederate service as Quartermaster, serving until the surrender. He then went to Brazil, obtained from the Emperor Dom Pedro a grant of land sixty-nine miles square, on one of the branches of the Amazon River, with the condition that he would establish on the grant a certain number of

families as emigrants. He succeeded in placing one steamship load of emigrants from the South on the grant, and returned to the United States for more. Loading another ship with emigrants, and, accom- panied by his wife, he having married again, he died at sea while on the voyage to Brazil. His untimely end not only ruined the prospects of great promise to himself and family, but caused great distress to the emigrants. They, losing his active energy and counsel, did not succeed, nearly all of them being brought back to the United States some time after- ward on a United States man-of-war sent out to rescue them from their position of isolation and suf- fering. Mr. Hastings was possessed of a large and liberal mind, great perseverance, and energy of char- acter. Had he not been taken off at such a critical period of his endeavor, he might have made a great success of what proved under the circumstances a disaster.

To Mr. and Mrs. Albert A. Spence have been born two children: Albert Alexander, Jr., in 1882, and Minette Amelia, in 1886. Mr. Spence owns 3,000 acres of land in Monterey County, near Salinas, part of his grandfather's estate. He has a beautiful home on the Alameda near Fremont Avenue, between San Jose and Santa Clara, which he purchased in 1884. Since that time his brothers, David and Rudolph, have built elegant residences adjoining him on the Alameda.

EORGE W. SEIFERT, M. D. Medical science & is a different thing nowadays from what it was but a little time since. The physician is not now permitted to practice until he has undergone a long and careful training, and has passed successfully a searching and severe examination. Those who make a specialty of particular branches, or seek to go be- yond a single degree, must pursue another course of study and practice, and devote much longer time to it. To the credit of the medical profession be it said its devotees are mostly men of ardor in its pur- suit, and neither time, labor, nor expense is spared by the modern physician in the course of his preparation for active practice. George W. Seifert, M. D., though a young man, has already proved his fitness for the duties of his profession, both by the careful prepara- tion he has made for his duties and the success he has met as a practitioner. Born at Santa Clara, April 18, 1860, he was in a sense initiated into the profession at the beginning, being the son of William Seifert, M.D.,

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long one of the leading and most successful physi- cians in Santa Clara, and a man of great erudition, and of no mean note. He was a native of Breslau, Germany, receiving a thorough classical training in the celebrated university of that city. He earned his degree of M. D. at the University of Magdeburg, Germany, graduating there with honor. He after- ward became Demonstrator of Anatomy in the Med- ical Department of the University of Berlin, Ger- many, and for several years was a surgeon in the Austrian army. In 1849 he came to America, land- ing in New York city, where he remained a few months before starting over the plains to California. At Fort Hall he stopped for three years, practicing among the soldiers and Indians, after which he went to the gold diggings in Southern Oregon and North- ern California, practicing and mining. In 1854 he came to Santa Clara, remaining there, pursuing the successful practice of medicine, until his death, which took place December 29, 1884, at the age of sixty- nine. In 1856 he was married, at Santa Clara, to Miss Ann McDermit, a native of Ireland.

They had but one child, George W. Seifert, the subject of this sketch, who was reared in Santa Clara, and was educated in the Santa Clara College, graduat- ing there as B. S., in 1879. He then began the study of medicine under the tutorage of his father. In 1883 he graduated as M. D. at the Jefferson Medical Col- lege at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, after which he passed a competitive examination to enter the hos- pital of that city, against not only the students of Jefferson College but also of the University of Penn- sylvania, and, excelling all, he received the appoint- ment as Resident Physician, a position he held for sixteen months, twelve months of that time being Senior Physician. Since graduation he has taken three post-graduate courses: In 1883 at the Lying-in Charity Institute of Philadelphia; 1884, at Jefferson College, Philadelphia, and the same year at the Eye and Ear Dispensary of Philadelphia, receiving di- plomas from cach. In August, 1884, he returned to Santa Clara and entered upon the practice of his pro- fession in connection with his father, being soon after appointed physician to the Santa Clara College. Al- though the Doctor has met with the success in his profession that only comes from accurate knowledge, joined to trained skill, gaining the confidence of the people on account of his thorough training and scholarly attainments, he has now gone to Europe in order to pursue further, and under the better oppor- tunities there obtainable, the study of his specialties.

It is his intention to visit the hospitals and the lead- ing specialists in the capitals and other centers, mak- ing a specialty of the study of surgery and diseases of the eye.

Dr. Seifert is a gentleman of easy bearing, thorough culture, and of great attainment, as is shown in his frequent successful operations in critical surgery, and has made for himself the reputation of a skillful and scientific surgeon.

EBENEZER CLINTON FARLEY, son of Ebe- nezer and Eliza Minerva (Smith) Farley, was born near St. Joseph, Berrien County, Michigan, May 20, 1844. His ancestor, George Farley, was a native of England, where, in Warwickshire, and on the Medway, in Kent County, the family had long been seated. The name of Farley is a very old one in England, is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and was origi- nally spelled Ffar-Lea, the name being in two parts, and meaning a people living far inland, "far from the sea." In those days all names had a meaning. At the time of the Norman Conquest (A. D. 1066) the Farleys were living on the Medway, where a Castle Farleigh, built by them, can still be seen. About this time a portion of the family emigrated to, and located in, the Province of Connaught, in the north of Ireland, and their descendants, as well as those of Kent County, England, can be found all. over the United States to-day. George Farley came to Massachusetts and located in Roxbury, now a part of Boston, in 1640. In 1641 he removed to Woburn, Massachusetts, where he married Christiana Births, April 9, 1641. He died December 27, 1693, and his wife died March 27, 1702. He was a clothier, was one of the early Baptists, and a member of the church in Boston. In 1653 he removed to Billerica, Massa- chusetts, where he lived until his death. The name of Farley does not appear in the Billerica records after the year 1765. George had six children, among whom was Caleb, born April 1, 1645. Caleb mar- ried Rebecca Hills, July 5, 1666; she died March 29, 1669, and November 3, 1669, he married Lydia Moore. By his first wife he had two children, and by his second wife eight, of whom Joseph was one, born April 6, 1683. Joseph married Abigail Cook, May 8, 1712, and had nine children, of whom Ebenezer was one, born May 15, 1731. Joseph lived all his life in Billerica, and died there, December 19, 1752, and his wife, Abigail, died January 18, 1753, aged sixty-four.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

Ebenezer was also born in Billerica, and married Hepzibah Wyman, October 15, 1755, and removed to Hollis, New Hampshire, where he died, February 2, 1818; his wife died in July, 1812, aged eighty-four years. They had six children, of whom Amos was one, born August 15, 1768. Amos was born in Hollis, and when a young man removed to Springfield, Ver- mont, where he married Lucy Hall, a native of Spring- field, December 23, 1800. In 1803 he removed to Stanstead, Canada, just north of the Vermont line, and lived there until 1815, when, fearing that he might be impressed into the British service, returned to Ver- mont; but before he reached Springfield, he learned of the news of peace, but concluded not to return to Canada. He visited his relatives in New Hampshire, and then emigrated to Geauga County, Ohio, arriving in Painesville, October 3, 1815. He lived in Geauga County until 1830, when he removed to Berrien Springs, Berrien County, Michigan, where he died May 9, 1837, and his wife died September 24, 1854. They had nine children, of whom Ebenezer, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Stanstead, Canada, January 9, 1811. He lived with his father until he removed to Michigan, where he located on a quarter section of government land, on the St. Joseph River, about midway between Berrien Springs and St. Joseph, and December 31, 1840, was married to Eliza Minerva Smith, a daughter of Major Timothy S. Smith, of St. Joseph, Michigan. She was born in Fort Defiance, Ohio, February 14, 1822, and now lives in Gilroy, California. He came to California with his family, across the plains, in 1854, and located on a farm about three miles east of Alvarado, in Alameda County, where he remained until the fall of 1858, when he purchased a small-fruit farm, near Alvarado, where he lived until his death, August 8, 1879.

He had eight children, of whom Ebenezer Clinton, the subject, was one, who came to California with his father when ten years old, and has resided here ever since. He was raised a farmer, was educated in the public schools of Alameda County, and at the old Oakland College School, since merged into the State University. He attended this college during the year 1861, and from January to May, 1863, attended the State Normal School, then, in its infancy, located on Fourth Street, near Market, in San Francisco. This was the last school that he attended. In June, 1864, he went to Tulare County, where he remained four months, and then returned home. November 23, 1864, he enlisted in San Jose, in Company C, Eighth Cali- fornia Infantry, for three years, and was located at

Fort Point, California. He served as a private, and was mustered out with his regiment at Fort Point, October 24, 1865, pursuant to General order No. 19, Department of California, dated October 16, 1865.

Soon after his return home he became a clerk in a general merchandise store in Alvarado, where he re- mained about six months. During the years 1867 and 1868 he was employed a great portion of the time by E. H. Dyer, of Alvarado, writing up government sur- veys for him, and afterwards re-copying them in the United States Surveyor-General's office in San Fran- cisco for the General Land Office. In 1867 he was Secretary of the Democratic County Convention of Alameda County. In January, 1869, he went again to Tulare County, where he remained till November, when he returned to Alvarado. On February 16, 1871, he was appointed Deputy County Clerk of Alameda County, and was continued in the same capacity by J. V. B. Goodrich and Charles G. Reed, the succeeding County Clerks. He remained in the Clerk's office until March, ISSo, the last four years being Clerk to the Board of Supervisors. In 1872 he was a delegate to the Democratic State Convention, held in San Francisco, which indorsed the nomination of Horace Greeley for the presidency.

Upon his retirement from the Clerk's office he re- turned to Alvarado, where he remained nearly two years, farming and raising fruit on the old homestead. In September, 1880, he bought a tract of eighteen acres of land about a mile north of Los Gatos, in Santa Clara County, and in February following planted about ten acres of it to fruit-trecs of various kinds. In October, 1881, he built his present house, and January 10, 1882, moved into it. On January 8, 1883, he was appointed Under Sheriff by B. F. Bran- ham, Sheriff of Santa Clara County, and remained with him four years. In January, 1887, he returned to his ranch at Los Gatos. He was a candidate for the office of County Recorder, on the Democratic ticket, in 1873 and 1875, and a candidate on the same ticket for County Clerk of Alameda County in 1880. He is a member of Crusade Lodge, No. 93, I. O. O. F., at Alvarado, and a member and Past Post Com- mander of E. O. C. Ord Post, No. 82, G. A. R., of Los Gatos. Was married at Oakland, California, November 28, 1878, to Ettie Eloise Emlay, a native of Jackson, Michigan, where she was born February 13, 1859. In politics Mr. Farley is a Democrat, as his father and grandfather were before him.

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PEN PICTURES FROM THE "GARDEN OF THE WORLD."

L. MANLY, farmer, near Hillsdale Station, was born near St. Albans, Vermont, in 1820. When he was a boy his father and uncle sold their farms and concluded to go to Ohio, which was then the "far West," and he drove the family carriage, which was then considered a fine vehicle, although it was only a wooden spring-seat wagon, with small wooden axles, etc. His uncle, just ahead, drove a two-horse wagon. They stopped for the winter twenty-one miles south of Cleveland, Ohio. During this time the father changed his mind, and concluded to go to Michigan Territory, by water, with the rest of the family. In that Territory one could then obtain land from the government at $1.25 per acre. The uncle went around Lake Erie, as far as Huron River, and shipped the teams to Detroit to escape the hardships and dangers of crossing the much dreaded Black Swamp. He and young Manly over- took the parents of the latter south of Ann Arbor, when all were found well, and they had a happy re- union. The two men soon found good government land near Jackson, which they purchased, and on which they lived and made improvements for some years. This was before schools were established.

When the construction of the Michigan Central Railroad reached their vicinity W. L. joined in work upon it, at $13 per month,-half cash and half "store pay!" Making here the acquaintance of a broad-ax man, Orrin Henry, they quit the railroad, built a boat, went down Grand River to Lake Michigan, crossed the lake on a lumber schooner, and landed at South- port. Then they took their blankets upon their backs and traveled westward through Wisconsin, at that time a very thinly settled country; but they found no employment until they reached Mineral Point, where lead mines were in operation. By this time thirty-five cents was all the money that Mr. Manly had left. Sleeping in an old house, he worked at anything he could get to do, and did some hunting and trapping; and, although he could lay up no money, yet he had good health, and therefore life here was preferable to having the ague (cold fever) in Michigan, to which he had been subject.

He contracted a "fever," however, but this time it was the "gold fever," in 1849. Making his own clothes, out of the skins which he himself had dressed, and from deer which he had killed, he left his Wis- consin outfit with A. Bennett, with whom he had been living, and who intended soon to start for California. At Prairie La Crosse, on the Mississippi, where lived an Indian trader, in a log cabin, the only house within

many miles, he bought a small Indian pony for $30 -nearly all the money he had-and struck out. At Council Bluffs, the only town heard of on the Missouri River at that time, he expected to meet Mr. Bennett; but, not finding him there, he went down to Prairie du Chien, where he found a letter from him, not dated, stating that he and his party would not start so soon, and requesting Mr. Manly to return and go with them. He complied, but his journey was so slow that he reached Mineral Point too late. The party had been gone some time. Mr. Manly hurried westward again crossing the Mississippi at Dubuque. He found no settlements west of the Des Moines River. Arriving at Council Bluffs, he found that all the gold-hunters had crossed the Missouri. He searched diligently for Mr. Bennett, and for a letter or some memorandum from him, and even for his name scratched on the logs of the houses where hundreds of others had left their names; but all in vain.

Returning across the river bottom he found a small train of six or seven wagons, owned by Charles Dallas. The latter wanted a driver, and would board one for his work. Thus, turning his pony in with his disen- gaged horses, Mr. Manly took the whip and drove a pair of oxen and two cows all the way to the vicinity of Green River. Here Mr. Dallas concluded that it would be too late to cross the Sierra Nevada before winter, and that he had better winter at Salt Lake. He accordingly discharged all his drivers, who felt greatly disappointed, as there was no prospect of find- ing work among the Mormons.

At Green River was a small ferry-boat 6x10 feet in dimensions. The reasoning of the discharged men was that if they could get some provisions from Mr. Dallas, they could descend the river in this boat to the Pacific Coast. Being allowed $60 for his pony by Mr. Dallas, Mr. Manly purchased of him provis- ions, and the party descended the river until they were stopped by some Indians, who informed them that Green River was not navigable all the way, and that they had better cross over the mountains to Salt Lake. At Utah Lake they met a train of 107 wag- ons going south to enter California at San Bernar- dino. Joining this train, Mr. Manly soon found Mr. Bennett and the outfit he had left with him in Wis- consin.

Near Mountain Meadows, November 4, 1849, they turned west for a shorter route to the mines. Going by way of Death Valley, they arrived at Los Ange- les on the twelfth of March following, with nothing but the clothes on their backs; they even had not

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shoes! They went up the coast to the mines on the Merced, thence to Georgetown, Downieville, and finally to Moore's Flat, in Nevada County.

In the fall of 1859 Mr. Manly came to San Jose and purchased the farm he now owns, on the Monte- rey road near Hillsdale Station, and here he has ever since been an industrious farmer and exemplary citi- zen.

July 10, 1862, is the date of Mr. Manly's marriage, to Miss Mary J. Woods, of San Joaquin County, California.

In his political principles he is a Republican pro- tectionist.

H. COREY. The successful hotel proprietors are few, and the duties of the position require peculiar and unusual talents in their possessors. Mr. C. H. Corey, the proprietor of the Lick House, situated on the corner of First and San Fernando Streets, has proved himself the successful Boniface, however, as he has raised the house, in the six years he has owned it, from a comparatively small affair to a leading and popular position. The Lick House was established in 1872. In 1882 Mr. Corey pur- chased it, immediately made extensive additions, and introduced such improvements as at once placed it in the rank of first-class institutions. It was entirely refitted and refurnished, and supplied with every modern convenience, until now there is nothing bet- ter outside of the metropolitan cities. The cuisine is presided over by a skilled chef, who has an able body of assistants, and the table is acknowledged to be the choicest, no expense being spared to obtain the freshest and best. The hotel has 100 rooms, single and en suite, and a further addition is planned that will double the accommodation. Mr. Corey made a trip to the East in the summer of 1888, where, at Grand Rapids, Michigan, he arranged with Nelson, Mather & Co., to manufacture the furniture of the most approved styles for this addition. A fine billiard-room with the best makes of tables, and all the adjuncts of a perfect hotel, are to be found. The best transient trade of the country comes to Mr. Corey, as is shown by the fact that the Lick House is headquarters for commercial men, and the "boys" always go where the best is found. Mr. J. Dennis, the manager, has been a hotel manager for twenty years, having at one time been in charge of the Ros- sin House, Toronto, Canada.

Mr. Corey is a native of Canada, born there in 1844. He was educated in Canada, and there learned the harness trade, conducting that business in various parts of the country. He came to California on the first train that crossed the continent, witnessing the driving of the last golden spike that commemorated the completion of the great road. Mr. Corey is an active sportsman and an admirer of good "horse- flesh." He is the owner of C. H. C., which trots a mile in 2:20, and a two-year-old colt that has accom- plished a mile in 2:50, and is entered in the San Jose Colt Stake for 1888.

Mr. Corey is a leading member of the Carden City Gun Club, so that he can invite any of his guests at the hotel to enjoy the hospitality of the club. They possess a magnificent reserve twelve miles from San Jose, on the Southern Pacific Railroad, known as the Twelve Mile House Lagoon, where they have a fifty- year lease of a ranch of 10,000 acres. They have stocked the lagoon with game fish, and to attract birds have sown the whole with wild rice, and already it is becoming a resort for game of every kind.

Mr. Corey married Miss Anna Roberts, of Ohio, in 1874. He is a member of San Jose Lodge, No. 125, Knights of Pythias, and a leading and esteemed citizen.

AVID B. MOODY. It is an easier matter to write the biography of a successful California pioneer than that of any other. The adventur- ous and often perilous early days, the successful combating of difficulties, and the prosperity of the present, afford ample material for the historian; and hence it is that the name of D. B. Moody is taken up with pleasure.

Born in Michigan City, Indiana, in 1837, his par- ents, Ransom G. and Elmira (Bacon) Mocdy, re- moved, in 1840, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There he remained until March, 1849, attending school and oc- cupied with the employments of boyhood. In the spring of 1849 the family crossed the plains to Cali- fornia by the southern route and the Tejon Pass, their wagons being among the first to come by that route, reaching this State about Christmas-time, 1849. They moved along slowly, finally reaching San Jose in May, 1850, where Mr. Moody attended school un- til nineteen years of age. When twenty-one he em- barked in the milling business with his brothers

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Charles and V. D. Moody, and has continued in that trade ever since.

Mr. Moody is the Secretary of the Central Milling Company, which possesses eleven mills in all, dis- tributed in Placer, Santa Clara, San Benito, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo Counties, San Jose being the central office and managed by Mr. Moody. They are all roller mills of the most im- proved kinds, and are turning out a high grade of flour that entirely controls the local market, reaching out to other sections as far as Los Angeles and San Diego. It is universally conceded that the wheat grown in this valley is the cqual of any raised in the State, and the flour made here has a high reputation. The capacity of the mill here is 160 barrels per day, and of all the mills of the company, 2,000 barrels.

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Pen pictures from the garden of the world, or Santa Clara county, California, Part 93

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