Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • Page 17

HD EAT0JRIE VOL CXLU OAKLAND, CAIIFOHNIA, SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 1945 NO. 56 Ails IL Ait-hitfWhunV Jle without foundries. Every material advantage we now enjoy was made possible by products of the. foundry. Is it not fitting, then that the story should be told, if only for the benefit of the newer generation of foundrymen, who picnics at the old Haywafd Park, the band leaving here in wagons drawn by four horses, the music dying out in the distance as they; left town out the old Hayward road for the day's hilarity.

he helped himself- through college as a house-to-house book salesman, but it was the theater rather than the bar that interested him. In Cal, teamed with Milton H. Swartz, who later became a prominent attorney, Tully was" particularly active in the affairs of the Glee Club. He and Swartz were in the class of 1901, and Tully -had to remain but of the Glee Club for a time because he did not possess a.dress'uit, without which, of course, it would have been impossible to sing. While he was at Cal he tried his hand at playwriting, and evolved "Jim Webberts, Freshman," which was as good and no better than it should have been.

The year of his graduation, he secretly married Eleanor Gates, auThor of "The Poor Little Rich and she proved his inspiration in the writing field, although they were subsequently divorced. For some time they resided at El Rancho de las Rosas, the summit of the Santa Cruz Mountains, a place whose name stemmed from "The Rose of the Rancho," one of his first successful plays. This drama was based on a true-life story, the romance of Maria Antonia of General Castro, and- S. A. McDougal.

'WO issues shared the spotlight this week as the Constitutional legislative recess neared an end, Major attention, of course, was directed to the matter of compulsory health insurance. Governor Warren took to the air for the first time in support of the Administration's bill on Ce subject and promised further broadcasts in the coming weeks. The California Medical opposing compulsory health end sponsoring as a substitute a proposal to provide an incentive for development of voluntary health insurance programs, countered two nights latsr with the first of a series of broadcarts. presenting its case. Meanwhile, the State Chamber of Commerce, engaged in a factual study of the entire question without, at this time, taking any stand on the matter.

The State Chamber Adhered to its policy of having questions taken up by committees and the various regional councils of the organization for consideration and submission of recom- mendations to trie board of directors. The, Governor in his initial speech declared that he had no pride of authorship in his particular plan. It appeared to be his hope that all the various proposals would be given wide discussion and out of those discussions would come a generally acceptable plan. It is expected that current Rebate and the hearings held or scheduled for the near future will finally result in some type of legislation to meet a re.ognized problem. The position of both proprtuents of compulsory health insurance and tne California Medical Association was ciacized sharply this week by a' group of local doctors headed by, among others, Dr.

E. N. Ewer and Dr. George Reinle, both of wfiom are past presidents of the State Banded, together as- the Alameda County Sickness Indemnity Committee they called for voluntary private insurance under which indemnification is paid the patient rather than the doctor, and contended that any other system would be unacceptable. In the com- I mittee's view, compulsory health insurance and the C.M.A.

plan are both collectivism and hence socialism, Freeways The other major discussion subject of the 'week was the bill providing that the gasoline tax be upped IV2 cents to finance a freeway and warmest and tenderest of welcomes whenever I go again among thenj are my people; and those who sleep beneath the. gray-bearded oaks in the little God's acre, surrounded by fields, of redtqp clover and covered. with wild flowers in Summer, and whose hands have so often clasped mine in Joying friendship in the days gone by, are my dead. I claim them all, and I call it home. Others may search for pleasure and adventure in new and strange localities, and find, happiness among strangers because they want novelty and strangeness, but to me all that does not appeal.

When I am tired of the interminable grind of work; when every fiber of my being calls for rest and recreation, when old wanderlust that was supposed to have been properly strangled and decently buried beneath a cold monument of business ethics long ago, assails me, as it does every once in a while, I go, or want to. go, back to my little valley among Hhe hills, to my own people, to my own home, and there find a peace and contentment that is beyond the telling. I go back to the old Emigrant road, which my own pioneering people traveled in the "days of gold," the road that is rich in traditional treasures that no man may see, and, wandering with it among the and pines, live over again in dreams the years that have gone, the years that were filled with the greatest happiness I ever knew. The Bourne House "In addition to the old Emigrant road that traverses the valley," Marguerite Vineyard continues, "there are other features of interest to those who are interested in the early day history of California. Far back near the fiorth-ern end, of the valley, beside a lonely and abandoned road that leads to the old Fulweller ranch, stands Pulpit Rock, a huge and weather-beaten granite boulder, battle scarred and gray, 16 or 18 feet in height, and from the top of which, long years ago, an itinerant minister of the Gospel once preached a fiery and impassioned hellfire and damnation sermon to a congregation of rough and ready, dare-devil gold 'miners, and whose hat was not large enough to hold the nuggets that were freely poured into it when the preaching was done.

The rock" is nowalmost covered with a growth of evergreen oaks and vines, but about it still seemingly clings an atmosphere of consecration, although the use to which it was put by the wandering evangelist has been well-nigh forgotten. There are very few people within a radius of 20 miles from Pleasant Valley who do not know of Point Pleasant, known (to most people as the Bourne Ranch. The Bourne house, how gone to decay, is one of the very oldest buildings in the county, and was erected so soon aftr the discovery of gold that sawed timbers for the frame coula not be obtained, and every stick in the old -house that was used for the frame was hewed, mortised anf pinned, and the job.was so well done that it still stands. Years later more modern lumber was used to replace the walls and roof, but the general plan of the house, which was built in conformity with the plans of the plantation houses of the South, was limited access, highway "sysm in -the State. Endorsed by the State Chamber, the two auto showld know something of their industry's background? I wonder, if among the readers vi iius page mere are not many wno COUia, and perhaps would, take the trouble to relate at least some anecdotes relating to our early foundries; such shops' as the old Vulcan, McCormacks, the Union Iron Works, Minersv De Romes, Byron Jackson, Pacific Brass, and a host of others? The story of our foundries would be a story of 'shoes and ships and sealing wax, and cabbages and A story, almost a romance, of golden sands and foundry sands of the molding of an empire." Fall of 'Ten-Mile House' "While living at Marysville years ago," says John W.

Winkley, "I had often noticed an old tavern on the Browns Valley Road. It stood stark and lone on the wide, treeless plain. It was known as 'The Ten-Mile as I remember, thmigh lnay be mistaken as to the number of the milfe posts. The old building in dilapidatedycondition, had a broad portico or 'port-cochere' extending over a roadway, Where the old-time stages could stop and discharge passengers under cover. I seem to recollect that when first I saw the place someone was still living there, though I don't khow how he could have made a living unless as a sheep-herder.

Then came a great storm and the old structure collapsed. It iay prone upon the gound for some time, slowly vanishing, as I suppose people carried timbers and boards away. At length the spot was bare, and some weeks ago as I passed along that road I-could not decide where the old tavern had stood. This road was once part of the old 'Downieville Trail' of the gold '50's, and multitudes of miners passed this way. The fall of the Ten-Mile House' wastypical of the dissolution of hundreds pf old California 'inns' or Only a few remain.

On this stretch of the old road were: Galena House, Empire House, Peoria Housej Sixteen-Mile House, Yuba County House, Stanfield House, Abbott House, Martin House, Phillips House, Bowers Place, Comstock Place, andr by way of Indiana Maple Springs and Greenville Village 4o Foster's Bar on the Yuba River. Alf prospered the days of gold, but now have mostly isappeared." 'Another Day' Budd F. Eber, now of San Francisco, would like to tell us somethmg'of the old town of San Leandro, its incidents, and its- character. Because he was there and because he knew, we are ready to listen. "Bays he: "I shall try to.

tell you in a hit and miss sort of way of something of the old town under the 'Another To go back far enough we must naturally start with school days, 'dear old golden rule spent in San Leandro's first public school, known as Union School, located on the same site as our present beautiful Lin coln School. We learned our three R's seated on unnainted. redwood benches and desks, with a large wood and coal stove in the center of each room, and a persuasive rawhide strap laying on each teacher's desk, which was used regularly. First trips to San Francisco by horse and buggy to 13th Avenue, then by steam local train through Oakland to the Ferry. Music on all boats by Italian musicians with harp, violin and flute, then one of them passing a noisy shell among the passengers collecting money.

Arriving in San Francisco in the old, barnlike shed ferry building going up Market Street by horsecar or cable car, the horse-drawn cabs and trucks rolling over the cobblestone streets of the day, making a rattling, joyous noise and keeping one quite awake. Fond Memories "Walking down the old Oakland road to watch the laying of rails and wire for the first electric cars(dinkeys) of the- then Oakland- San Leandro and HaywarpLelectric road (Budd Eber continues); taking part in a 'boy's brigade' marching in a San Francisco parade carrying wooden guns; smoking cornsilk, causing a cow barn and hay to burn down; swimming in the nude in what we called the 01e Big in a creek about 100 yards north of the old covered bridge, which is now a modern concre'ie bridge on East Fourteenth Street; playing in this same old wooden bridge, high up in its rafters; horseback riding out to old Hay-ward road ranches, then on out to the old County Poor Farm (now Fairmont Hospital); cattle driving in the hills back of town with the Moragas of Contra Costa County, old man Murillo and the Silva boys of the old Redwood Canyon; first drink of beer at the old Baum- Bike RacinQ DaVS "Old bicycle racing at San Leandro, the thrill of seeing the different bicycle clubs coma riding into town out of the old covered 50 to 100 strong, coming over the old dusty country roads, the Acme and Reliance of Oakland, and the Garden City Club of San Jose also being represented; the horse-racing days along the old Oakland road from' what was known as the 'Three-Mile House to the 'Halfway the latter owned by an old popular host, Joe Dieves; watching the heavyweight Negro prize-fighter, Peter Jackson, training at this same place; pleasant hours at old Blair Park, located in the Piedmont hills, watching balloon ascensions and parachute jumping; old-time Fourth of July celebrations in San Leandro with parades and games in" the after- nojon. The grand ball at night in the old Town Hall; great political celebrations with tremen dous redwood log bonfires going full "blast all night, the anvil and black powder blasts being set off in the center of town; taking part in many home-talent shows, old-time minstrel and musical affairs; long, joyous trips into Lake County resorts by train to Hopland, then by six-horse stage over the mountains to Clear Lake; the great thrill of reading and hearing the talk about the notorious California railroad bandits of the day Sontag and Evans." (The Knave has more of these Eber memories for another installment.) An Old Home Sold One of southern Alameda County's oldest and most pretentious homes passed, into new handl in the recent sale of the Bunting ranchorj.Fre' mont Avenue, Centerville, to "Manuel Freitas, local farmer. The sale involved transfer of the 40-'acre tract, 35 acres in apricots, from Clarence Kolb of the vaudeville team, "Kolb and DiU," who has occupied the place at intervals since its purchase 27 years ago. Amount of the recent sale was $40,000.

The place originally belonged to the Marston family, and was purchased about 70 yearrago by Mrs, John Bunting of New York City. She gave the property to het son and daughter-in-law, John and Fleda Bunting, as a wedding gift, and in 1900 they built the three- story residence of 12 bedrooms and spacious living quarters, one of the show places of the county. Maple, cak, mahogany and redwood burl were used throughout the interior, and the gardens of several acres were planted with avenues of palms and roses and imported shrubs and trees. A sycamore estimated to be 200 years old and a eucalyptus said to havebeen brought from Australia 80 years ago are landmarks. The house had the first electric lights in this section.

When Kolb purchased the ranch he removed the third stpry and transferred furnishings to Hollywood, where they were used in motion-picture sets. At completion, of the. recent sale he donated to the Oakland city Park Department a whistling swan and other fowl he had kept here. Mrs Bunting, who passed, away several years ago after the death of her husband, had been one of the leading figures in civic, church and social life of the township. Of the five children, two remain-Mrs.

Evelyn Waltenberger of Centerville and Lawrence of Niles. 'Indiana Ranch' Years age while pastor of the First Methodist4 Church of Marysville, John W. Winkley Was called for a funeral at the Maple Springs Housef and burial in the Old cemetery at Indiana Ranch. He tells me: "Since my childhood home was lit Indiana, I was interested in learning the story of this latter place. Maple Springs House' and Indiana Ranch were stopping places of the old Downieville Trail, about 25 or 30 miles Northeast of Marysville.

After the service at Maple Springs, held in the school house as I remember, the funeral train wound slowly among the hills to the burying ground. On the way I learned that Indiana Ranch had once been a flourishing town, founded in the early '50's by the Page-Brothers, natives 6 Indiana, whence the name. Peter Labadie and John Tolles, had kept hotels there, and the place at first was called Tolles New Diggings', then 'Indiana Creek and finally 'Indiana' There were a few old houses scattered about the region at the time of my visit, but nothing that would suggest that a town had ever been there. was much interested in the forest trees round about it and one particular well-watered ravine where grew some of the most beautiful sword fern that I had ever seen. At a later date I returned with my and secured' one of these ferns for, the churchyard at Marysville.

On the vay a truck 'The -Bird of Paradise' About this time Oliver was sailing along in great style as a producer, and saw potentialities in young Tully. It was an association that was to bring both fame and grief to them both. Their first joint success was "The Bird of Paradise," produced in 1911, after Tully had made a trip to Hawaii to gather material. 'The play was just new on Broadway when Mrs. Grace Fendler filed suit, charging that Tully had stolen her drama, "In Hawaii," which she had previously submitted to Morosco.

The defense was that Tully wasn't near Morosco or his office during the time established, and had no way of knowing the content of the Fendler drama. The case dragged through the courts for nearly, twenty, years. In one court, Tully nd Moroscor would be victdrious; in -knottier, Mrs. Fendler's claim would be sustained. It seems to me that the last hearing was on Mrs.

Fendler's side. Tully, nevertheless, went on with his work. In "The Bird of Paradise" he gave a juicy role to Guy Bates Post, tha.t of $10,000 Dean, the beachcomber. Much of the success of the play was due Post's magnificent performance plus the emotional appeal of having the heroine, Luanlt; dive into a volcano when she was the victim of unrequited love. Subsequently, Tully provided Postwith another great starring vehicle, on his own, "Omar the Tentmaker," and when that run was exhausted, had ready for him "The Masquerader," taken from the novel, "John Chilcote, M.P." Tully kept writing for several years, but in 1921 he dropped from sight.

He went into films about that time, but there is little of record that he has done. He remarried, taking as his new wife Gladys C. Hanna. She and a daughter survive him. 'Early Foundries' "Someone has said 'the past is beautiful because it is free from Harold E.

Henderson quotes, and then adds with compliments and information, "that may partly explain the intense interest which the Knave holds for in ever-increasing host readers. But there is surely much more to ifhan that. The appreciative reader must pay silent if not audible tribute to those pioneers in most every phase nf human activity, who did so much with so little. Their enthusiasm, ingenuity and boldness must forever stamp them as a special breed of men. During the 1860's, '70's and '80's, San Francisco and.

vicinity was the scene of industrial frenzy. Manufacturers and would-be manufacturers from all over the world flocked here in the hope of gathering some of the goldt-n dust that spilled freely from the miners pouches -and saddle-bags. Invention was abnormally stimulated, as the miner, farmer and lumbermen cried for improved machinery; and the ships which filled our harbor demanded parts and repairs. The iron and brass foundriss of those early days played a tremendously important part in castings of every imaginable description. Foundries, small and large, were strained to capacity inattempting to fill their orders.

After the first 'placer' ex-, citementhad subsided, and the 'pan and washer' miner had completed his 'easy the call for heavy machinery became pronounced, and the man who could operate a foundry be-; came a citizen of primary importance. In Jhe foundry sands' of early San Franciseo Wjis produced some of the finest of the molder's art, both in. -machinery' and statuary casting, not to mention a wide variety of structural design," Henderson continues. 'It seems a pity (and this is the point I am making) that an adequate historical record of those early foundries and foundrymen has either never been made, or else has been somehow lost in the shuffle or fire of 1906. Surely there must be those who know much of the story, and whose memories are sufficiently strong to reconstruct-a fairly reliable account of names, places and events in this connection.

To the average man, the word 'foundry, means little, and yet our present-civilization could not possibly exist mobile associations, the County Supervisors' Association and the League of Cities, the plan is opposed mainly by oil and gasoline interest" who claim the tax would be detrimental to the oil business. Nearly all groups favor the freeway idea, but objection centers around financing of the program. Three alternatives have been suggested. One would place, a special tax on automobiles to create a freeway fund, hut the answer has been made that such a plan would be unfair, to farmers, whose principal travel is from farm to market and thus would not be over the freeways. Various other groups of drivers art in the same position as farmers.

Another proposal is that the frecways'b'e toll roads, but such a plan would require toll stations every few miles in order to collect for persons making short trips, and the entire idea of freedom of access and speed would thus be destroyed. The third alternative is adoption of a bond issue. All proposals were considered by the joint committee of the sponsoring organizations and the members felt that the gas tax increase would be the fairest and least burdensome, In that regard it is interesting to note that only one State, Missouri, has a lower gasoline tax than California. Missouri motorists pay two centra gallon, while those in California and eight other States pay 3 cents. A sizable majority of the States pay a considerably higher tax, running up to seven cents in Florida, Louisiana and Tennessee.

The 48-State average approximates 4'2 cents. Old Emigrant Trail Thanks to Marguerite Vineyard, of pioneer stock, the Knave is privileged to print a story of the "Old Emigrant Road" and of the early history of Pleasant Valley. Marguerite Vineyard tells me she is indebted to Adrian V. Hoffman, "now lying at rest in a little God's acre among those whom he loved and whb ha never changed. The Bourne house stood upon the side of the old Emigrant road, and was a popular and well-known stopping place in the early days.

My grandfather, Robert Chesley Bourne, who settled there soon after the gold excitement began, was a native of the old South, perhaps because he missed the Negro -slaves to whom he had been accustomed, turned his affections to the Indians, then numerous in the vicinity, and to the endf his life was the best and kindest friend the shiftless natives ever had. The Bourne family became noted for their warm hospitality, and until 10 or 15 years ago nearly all annual picnics, gun-club celebrations, and other public events of a social character occurring in that part of the county were held on the ranch. The place is also the site of one of the largest Digger Indian camps of the gold-discovery period, and there are dozens of flat boulders to be found there in which the Indian slowly and laboriously -hammered out the stone mortars in which their acorn flour was ground with stone pestles. In one boulder near the old house there are nine of these mortars; in another five, and in "still another seven, flow much time was required in which to grind out these funnel-shaped holes, some of which are eight or nine inches in depth and as many wide at the top, must remain one of the secrets of the vanished Diggers." Candy Boy to Playwright Playwrights do not ordinarily lead colorful lives, but Richard Walton Tully, who died this month at the age of 67, certainly had a tern-pestutous ohe. For him professional life began in a Stockton theater when he hired out as a youngster to hawk candy between acts to add his mite to the treasury of a family that had fallen on dour financial days.

His father at one time had been Mayor of the city; and it was his wish that young Tully in turn, become a lawyer. This was, as is so often the case, a project that did not materialize. Tully came in -dutime to the University of California, where gone before," for much that she has written. rJ Here is a first Dart of thf stnrv nnnt w. bsar writing affectionately of PleasanfWalley, t) z- ure I was bom there, and I love the place uh a Jcve that grows derper and deeper and r-rcfter ar.d venerating with 'each passing hK ycrr.

As the only birthright I have ever had. I claim Ah right even now. and always will, to. call it home. Its sunny slopes are mv s1n-' jits little streams with their never-ending and love snnas mv etroomc- H.

ing birds are my birds; its sweetly scented wild flowers and its old-fashioned roses are my flowers; its dreamy, misty lanes, overshadowed by giant oaks, are my lanes; the wandering bells that tinkle in the Summer evenings when the cows come home are my bells; the, cozy little old-fashioned homes are my homes; the people who live, there, and who give me' the berger at the bridge, and Jvcrsptt saloon "nrowded.inftjDfLthe road.andLlhe low-slung Davis Street, brought out to lis by older boys; flywheel-casTngstruckan outcropping rock. The Sunday twilight Junior Christian Endeavor blow ArewJhCcnaTif crankshaft out of align-meeting at the old Presbyterian where ment and.osime$109toj our first puppy loves began driving taEasivatJrwe called the churchyard plant our Oakland, then known-as- Sunday Hundred yjarrrrr-. afternoon to get a dishkof ice cream; Sunday TTHE KNAT-.