Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • Page 19

HI VOL. CXXXV 7 OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA. SUNDAY. NOVEMBER 23, 1 941. NO.

146 a churqh sewing circle. Because of this situa THERE is a deceiving appearance of peace and quiet on the political front in California these days. The next general election will not be held until November of 1942, and most people are only too willing to forget about State politics while they watch the trend of war and await the crushing tax burden they know is coming. Why worry about candidates now, is the attitude taken by rank and file voters everywhere. If candidates were the only issues involved in the current maneuvers, this attitude might be justified.

But there are other forces at work: 1906. There is a gas station on the property at the present time. The Dorland's lived on the next block. Dorland Street was named after one of the brothers who were early settlers in the community. Some Old Families "The telling family lived near Dolores Street, then the Terrill's.

Bob and wera members of the Bay City Bicycle Club and became well known among the bicycle racers, which was quite a popular sport at that time. The Wagstaff family lived near Sanchez Street. The Alberti brothers, Lawrence and. Albert lived near Castro Street and did the brother act "as pitcher and catcher for several semi-pro baseball teams. The Duveneck family ran a store at 17th and Douglas, which was the end of the line (figuratively speaking), 'also the end of my newspaper route.

The Winter of 1882 was unusually severe. There was a vacant lot north of 18th, near Church, that was several feet below the surrounding properties. Consequently it become a good sized pond or lake, just the place for boys to make a raft and paddle around. One day my brother and I. were having lots of fun.

when the raft capsized and into the. water we went, and soon two shivering boys afraid to. go home spent the better part of a cold Saturday afternoon around fire that gave out more smoke than heat, drying our clothes and trying to keep warm. This answers one oft-repeated question, 'Why do mothers turn Lenahajtt'gjcow yard, was on the block below, and covered the entire block from Church Street to Dolores. This lot is now the site of the Mission High School.

The Jewish Cemetery was on the other side of the street, where a spring was located, where the grass stayed green about half the time, and small boys got their polliwogs almost into the Summer months. There is a map somewhere in existence which shows that the 'Mission starting from the hills at 20th Street, continue on to 19th, 18th io Mission, through a well-known resort called the ''Willows' during the 1870's, then to Center Street, or 16th, as it was later called. So the little spring located near the Jewish Cemetery -on-18th Streefpiir spite of storm sewers," eul' verts and drains, sought its own level and found the forgotten creek bed, and unseen, unheard, it flows unceasingly on and on." Coit, the Knave has read. Another chapter the old-timers will applaud is that devoted to Tom Maguire, the great impresario, his rise and defiant fall. It you do not know of the scandal which broke when "Tom" sought to put on a Passion Play of the protests which prevented and theuicide of the author of the work-you will find it all here.

The author neglects few. James Lick, Sam Brannan, Dennis Kearney, Henry George and Kate Kenrtedy, Ashbury Harpending, Fremont Older and Albert Abrams the partial list shows the variety. Mrs. De Ford, a graceful has introduced or recalled a group whose stories have in common striking human interest Each is peculiarly of the old city; each is distinctly whatis called To use another abused wod, together these tales brjng back days which were "glamourous," before we attached the adjective to debutantes. For the manner of the telling; for the incidents brought to light for a first time and for the whole sprightly and nostalgic effect the book will be treasured by all interested in the early days of the city across the Bay.

Were San Franciscans," by Miriam Allen de Caxton Printers, Caldwell, Idaho; Alexander Leidesdorff Before I leave Mrs. De Fold's book, I would like to quote a few paragraphs from the introduction in which there is briefed some of the story of an early figure who has been neglected. Few know anything but snatches of the biography of Alexander Leidesdorff after whom the narrow Leidsdorff Street in the financial district is named. "Leidesdorff came to San Francisco first in 1841 as captain of the schooner 'Julia He was a mulatto, from St. Thomas in the Danish West Indies (now the United States-governed Virgin Islands).

He was in the Bear Flag and during the Mexican regime in California was appointed by Consul Thomas O. Larkin American Vice-consul in Yerba Buena. When Yerba Buena became San Francisco he was the first American alcalde to be regularlyejejctedinthe new JDity Hallu "He built the first wharf at the foot of Pine Street, and the adobe Congress which later became the City Hotel. Besides being a shipowner and lumber agent, and a large investor in real estate, he ran a ship's chandlery and general store. It was Leidesdorff who gave the great ball to Commodore Stockton at which nearly all the guests were Mormons; and it was he who, on the historic Fourth, of July in J846, read the Declaration of Independence, from a stand in Portsmouth Square.

He died in 1848 and is buried in the graveyard of Mission Dolores. The honor in which he was held is a living monument to the lack "of race or color prejudice in early San Francisco." This, as I said, is from the introduction where the writer is forced to brief a number of stories. She does recall, however, the amusing story of Leidesdorff 's pioneer steamer service from San Francisco to Sacramento. He bought a 37-foot side-wheeler, the "Nasledrich" from the Russians in Sitka and put it into service. It started its first voyage on November 28 and, for many unexplained reasons, was many times delayed.

Passengers jumped off at likely stops to flag a stagecoach and some even walked in ahead of the steamship which safely after a voyage of six or seven hours. ill, Cameron made a good living taking out second companies of Churchill hits, such as "Alias the Deacon." Having had a variety of experience, Cameron in later life found himself equally at home in drama or musical comedy. His last Broadway appearance, as of fact, was in "Du Barry Was a Lady" last year. The high point in his stage career was a co-starring engagement with Fanny Brice. Actor-Manager-Agent Having decid to adopt the theater as a career when he was a young man just out of Harvard, Richard Pitman certainly explored a variety of departments before death overtook him last week in New York.

He was a Bostonian born, the son of James R. Pitman who was ona of that city's leading producers in the eighties, connected with the old Boston Museum and the famed Castle Square theater. Pitman made his debut with an old friend of his father's, E. H. Sothern, and it was as a glorified super that ha made his first of many trips tthe West Coast.

He was with Sothern in "Hamlet," "If I Wera King," "The Song of the Sword" and many other plays. In subsequent years Pitman was a regular visitor. He was with Maude Adams in "The Pretty Sister of Jose" and in the 1904 revival of "The Little Minister." He also traveled with Viola Allen, John Drew, William Crane and other celebrities. His last acting was in Jesse Lynch Williams' "Why Marry" in support of Nat Goodwin. That was in 1917 and the play was the first to win the Pulitzer Prize.

In recent years, after a period of time during which he functioned as a stage director, Pitman has been acting as an actor's agent and one of his clients will be here soon as leading man for Katharine Cornell Philip Meriyale. Pitman's wife, who died in 1937, was an adopted daughter of Rose Coghlan, another great favorite of other days in the theater." In Old Grass Valley Go back to Grass Valley ajid Nevada City in the early l900's, and accept a few words from a Ifellow who there as a man of a medicine "Doc" Benjamin tells me: "I came up on. the little narrow-gauge railroad that connected with the S.P. main line at Colfax. There, was an electric streetcar, line between Grass Valleyarid" Nevada City whose main business was Sunday picnic parties from both towns, that put in the day in the beautifully wooded natural park, located between the, two cities.

There was boating, facilities and shady, secluded walks for romance. The leading hotel was at the head of the main street, where room and board was to be had for $8 per, week the meals and accommodations were wonderful for that money. As a guest of the management, I was taken on a tour of the deep mine, that had been turning out gold for more years than I can remember. Chinatown, one block up from the main thoroughfare, was a picturesque section, as was the old graveyard on the hill, where the grave markers showed that most of those that had passed on had been in their early years. I was also shown the house of Lola Montez, and the place in the yard where the captive bear had been chained.

Nevada City was the most picturesque of the two I stopped at the old National Hotel, and used to watch the four-horse stages from Downieville and beyond arrive and depart, mornings and evenings, with a clatter of hoofs and in a cloud of dust. The hotel was the overnight stopping place for the stage passengers. It was always crowded, and the meals and rooms were on a par with those of the hotel in Grass Valley. The rates wera the same. I Came Changing Times "I made the front page in the Nevada City paper when I pulled a young boy out of deep water in the abandoned hydraulic mining section in the hills above the town.

Neither ha nor his young pals were able to swim, and he had ventured out beyond his depth. I did not think anything of it, and was more annoyed when it was oyer at having to make my way back downtown in a wet and bedraggled condition after the episode. It was lucky that I had cast aside my coat and jerked off my canvas shoes before plunging In. Sometime after I hauled a young exhausted swimmer ashore in the lagoon of the picnic park, on a lonesome week-day afternoon. There were no spectators.

I often wonder what became of those boys. Highways and automobiles dij awaywith the four-horse stages, and also the glory of the National The narrow gauge is no more and the lovely wooded park-is lonesome. The electric streetcar line gave way to the concrete highway. They now roll down hill to Sacramento in their automobiles, and get back just as easy. Somehow, I think there was more innocent enjoyment and satisfaction in the Sunday family picnics in the days of the hoisa and TEE KNAVH tion, many of the Democratic leaders are backing down.

But they would like to get some Republican candidate in the same squirming situation that Olson occupied during his campaign when he was blowing hot and cold with the Ham and Egg pension group, and promising aid to both C.I.O. and the A. L. Romance and Oil When the Petroleum Institute met in San Francisco recently its members were given an authenticated, romantic and splendidly illustrated story of Northern California's oil and gas industry. Of course, no one, but Walter Stalder, recognized authority, could have writ- ten it Some time ago, you may remember, Mr.

Stalder kindly gave the Knave some of the highlights of that story. Then, however he was writing more in the nature of a technical report. This time" he is able to deal more in the dramatic and colorful side. I am indebted to him for permission to quote a part of an article from the special edition of "Oil World," one which carries reproductions of priceless old drawings and paintings and doubtless is already appropriately filed in our historic libraries. "To afford an idea of the relative antiquity of the gas and.

oil industry of Northern Calif ornia," says Mr. Stalder," a few instances may suffice. At the time of Drake's discovery of oil in Pennsylvania (1859) natural gas from a drilled well in Stockton had been in use for several years. When the Col. Thomas A.

Scott titles, through Judge Levi Parsons, were being procured on prospective oil jtands in Humboldt County, Scott was serving as Assistant-Secretary of War in Abraham Lincoln's cabinet. When Leland Stanford was interested in actually building the Central Pacific Railroad to California, his elder brother, Josiah, was distilling oil from the first productive drilled well in California. Immediately prior to the time that Captain Knyphausen Geer superintended drilling for oil on Oil Creek in Humboldt County, he was engaged in fighting Indians out of Fort Humboldt." Influx of pioneers, following the gold discovery, brought pioneers of many kinds, the preponderance of fine basicljuaTities. They entered many fields and explored many resources. Some exploited oil.

The Stanfords and Oil If we carry on a bit more in the Stalder story -which should be read in full we are in the Fifties and come to the Stanford chapter. "At this period electric lights had not been thought of. Manufactured gas from coal costing from $36 to $40 a ton was used in San Francisco, beginning February ll, 1854. It was then sold at $15 per thousand cubic feet. Coal oil had been in use in the Eastern States for some time, having been manufactured from coal.

Although some of this material was imported from the Eastern coast," and 'very often whale oil or sterein candles were the source of light, cam-phene was the principal illuminant and was burned in lamps. This fluid is obtained by freshly distilling turpentine over lime. Because it rapidly deteriorates through polymerization by standing for any length of time it is necessary that it be freshly distilled. For this reason camphene distilling plants were early erected in San Francisco. The first of these was one located on Natoma Street and operated "by George Dietz in 1851, and another by Scott with a plant on Taylor Street near Meiggs Wharf.

By 1858, six or more such plants were in operation. Among these was one run by Stanford Brothers, under the name of Pacific-Oil and Camphene -Works, which business they purchased in 1856. Identified with the Stanford Brothers plant were Josiah, A. and CharlesStanford. Another brother, Leland, may possibly have had some silent connection with the company, since all of the young men ha3 been closely associated since boyhood, but Josiah was the moving spirit in the oil and camphene business they entered in 1856." The Stalder story, following the trail of oil, takes us to many parts of Northern California and brings in many sturdy figures, some of whom we usua'lfy identify in other fields.

'They Were San Franciscans' Countless stories have been written of some of the big figures in San Francisco's past Reminders of others are to be found, perhaps, in the name of a street or building, or the memories of the oldest -Stories of some who walked proudly and picturesquely have strangely evaded the students of research. In their time they were known to all men but, for one reason or were reticent as to antecedent and activities before they came to the metropolitis of the gold days. Miriam Allen de Ford, in a new book called "They Were San Franciscans," has sought to give us some little of the lives and exploits of many men, and some women, who helped make a city and establish" its culture. Hers is one of the best appreciations of Lillie Hitchcock lrid some of them are filled with potential rSangers to! California's direct primary law. Pre- primary endorsement of candidates by official party organizations elected by.

the people, for another purpose looms as the most serious threat to the primary system now on the statute books. Amendment of the direct primary law to strengthen party responsibility by preventing candidates from seeking nomination of more than one party would be one valid approach to the present confused situation. Outright repeal of the direct primary and return to the party convention system of nominating.candidates has also been suggested in some quarters. Both methods would place the issue squarely before voters for determination. But circumvention of the State primary law by sly tactics which deprive citizens of the right to seek public office is something else.

Democratic county central committees, acting here and in the south with the consent and approval of Governor Olson, have chosen the circumvention method. These committees have announced they will name the Democratic parjty's candidates who will enter the primary election next year. And only one will be permitted to file as a candidate for each partisan office if these committees have their way. TJpset Applecart County central committees are elected every two years at the August primary election, and are charged with the specific duty of supporting their party candidates who were nominated at the same election by free and uncontrolled choice of the partisan voters. Fbf a holdover Democratic-tommitteg to thrust Itself Into the next primary election and attempt to place a limitation on candidates seeking approval of the party voters is something new and dangerous to California's democratic system of government.

This program has been organized in Los Angeles County, but it bumped into healthy opposition recently in the 17th congressional district, where there is a vacancy caused by the death of Congressman Lee Geyer. The Demo- 'fl kismet council, comprised -oi county Tentral committee members with some others in the area, voted to endorse Assemblyman Cecil King' as sole Democratic candidate in the tvent Governor Olson calls a special election to fill the vacancy. Assemblyman Vincent Thomas, representing the San Pedro section of the congressional district, sought the council's permission to run. But he was turned down in favor of King, who is vice-chairman of the State central committee, and evidently better able to muster supporting committee votes. Nothing was reported concerning the ability of Thomas to gather rank and file votes in the harbor area, which makes up most of the congressional district.

Now it is announced that Thomas refuses to be controlled by the autocratic council action', and he will oppose King in the event, the Governdr calls the election. In this first test it appears that the Democratic administration scheme to circumvent the election Jaws has itself been circumvented. Political Ambuscade Pressure has developed in Southern California recently to get suggested Republican candidates for Governor out on'the firing line, where they can be subjected to a heavy barrage of festions on synthetic issues which may or may not be important when the campaign actu ally starts next year. The Democratic bigwigs would like nothing better than an opportunity to divert attention from the Olson administration by training their guns on any Republican candidate careless enough to expose himself to the cross-fire. The hot-cargo referendum, which will not be ajssue until the November, 1942, campaign, is one of the items which the Democratic administration leaders would like to use.

But they are having difficulty in finding a firm, basis from which to start. Governor Olson, of course, is on record in opposition to any attempt to control hot-cargo. strikes secondary boycotts even during the period of the National defense emergency, as the referendum bill provides. But the National admin-VAration headed by President Roosevelt is apparently of a different mind. And even Secretary of Labor Perkins was quoted as being opposed to hot cargo and secondary boycott as strike weapons.

At this writing it appears that Congress is ready to adopt some National legis- lation controlling defense industry strikes which will' 'make California's proposed law appear aTsStti iaaocuoua as rules and regulations of A Relic at Murphys Remember when the Knave, with expert advice, was writing about early traction engines and machinery in this State? I give you now a layman's contribution. Perry B. Hollis 'pi Mo-kelumne with no claim' of authority, tells us what he has seen and invites an expert attention. Let him carry on: "Some time back you had several articles about the early traction engines and machinery of this State. Well, up here there is a traction engine that I believe you would like to see.

I cannot give you any history of this engine, but maybe some of the old timers around Murphys could. About five miles from Murphys on the left-hand side of the Murphys. Sheep Ranch Road stands this engine and an all iron four-wheel logging truck. From a -distance it looks something like a locomotive boiler, but when you get close you will see that the front part is a water tank. The boiler is upright and about six feet in diameter.

It is mounted on three wheels, one in front and two back at the boiler. The rear or traction wheels are at least seven feet high and about 18. inches wide. The engineer or driver's seat was about eight feet thigh. I looked it over but could not.

find -any maker's name on it. In times like, this when iron is so scarce it mayjbe sold for junk but it is really an antique and should be placed under cover somewhere. Also, could you call the attention of the Native Sons and 'Daughters Historical Monuments Committee that about a mile and alialf from the town of Poloma (the Postoffice Department calls it Fostoria) near the old Gwyn is a cabin that is the last of the early-day cabins that was built in that district, at least that is what a man who was born in that district told me. He said it looked about the same when he wis a boy there, and that he had heard that it was one of the first built there. Probably Mrs.

Squellati who runs the store there could give more detailed information." Baldwin Call BoyJ Call-boys no longer exist in the theater, or if they do it is under a fancier title, but the position used to provide a stepping stone to acting. At least Hugh Cameron found it so when as a lad he filled that post at the old Baldwin theater where James O'Neill was appearing in repertory, featuring "The Count of Monte Cristo." Cameron came up slowly in his chosen' profession and he never achieved stellar rating, except in special dramatic stock engagements, but his contribution to the stage was, nevertheless, important. A solid man to have in any Broadway stars were always eager to have Cameron in their entourage. At one time, during the hej dey of Berton -Church- Boyhood in the Mission Another man who has. lived long in this 'kind 'enough witrTsome stories I have printed, supply a bit of detail and correct me when I have been wrong.

H. Harrington, who read a recent story of "Old Retail Days" in San Francisco with interest is speaking now. He says: "You ask where did the water come from that made the pond near the Jewish Cemetery at 18th and Church Streets, and where did all the water go to. A little later I will tell what I remember of the water as it flowed down 18th Street during the Winter in my boyhood days, but just a few other My. parents resided in the Mission and I spent the greater part of my boyhood days there, first on Sanchez Street just above 18th and later on 19th near Valencia.

My memory goes back to events of 60 years ago so I think I am able to tell something of interest to Knave readers. In 1882 when I was 12 years Old, I got my first job, that of a newsboy and carrier of the Morning Call. It was necessary for me to get up at 4 o'clock every morning which I did for over two years. I received $10.00 per month which came in mighty handy in those days. We received our papers at a vacant store on 19th and Stevenson Streets.

Captain Lappage's home was there on the corner of 19th and Valencia Streets. Seventeenth Street was called the Bon Ton residential section of the Mission. Tjhe Phe-lan property was on the corner of Valencia and 17th. It was built in the 70's by J. D.

Phelan father of former Mayor and Ex-Senator Phelan, and was one of the show places of the Mission until destroyed by the fire of April 16th,.