Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • Page 77

ha it EnDDTflDIROAQ FEA(UELE you CXLVH A OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, SUNDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1947 0. 104 both Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower miles from San Jose just off the Monterey road. John Miller set out the ornamental trees on the latter ranch so it looked like a natural forest They had trees and shrubs from all over the world.

He also owned many beautiful horses and Mr. Matthews entertained his many friends there although he ljyed and practiced law in San Francisco. He was born in Virginia and most of his guests were Southerners with titles. Among them was Col. J.

S. Mosby, who came often. John Miller and Colonel Mosby became close friends. Miller was a historian and Mosby enjoyed talking to him. After the Civil War President U.

S. Grant appointed Mosby minister to China although they were enemies during the war. When Colonel Mosby returned from China he brought a teakwood cane mounted in silver and engraved 'William Matthews from J. S. John Miller settled the estate of William Matthews and among the things willed to him was the cane, and Miller and Mosby had been such good friends.

When John Miller died in 1946 he willed the cane to our daughter, Hel-ene Miller Cavell of Monterey, as we had been deeply interested on account of the historical incident of our uncle James K. Eachus, who came to California in 1866 and lived here until his death. He was active in the Grand Army of the Republic and has many relatives in the state." County a new church was finished and all that it lacked was a bell. Someone, perhaps a former member of the congregation at Uniontown, thought of the idle bell there and journeyed down to procure it. He went to the church, and without a word to anyone, took the bell and moved it to Coloma with the intent to send it by express to Sierra County.

When citizens of Uniontown saw the man depart for Coloma with the bell several of the more indignant followed. They first went to the justice of the peace who advised them to get a lawyer but when they called on the few attorneys at Coloma they found that the men from Sierra County had already retained their services. What to do? Some favored using force and while they were debating a young sprig of the law advanced a plan. Told to go ahead, he made out some papers which he handed to the Coloma constable who thereupon, pronto and ipso factor, arrested the bell and lodged it in jail. The man from Sierra, shortly after, faded from the picture and the people of Uniontown regained their bell.

Some writers of today claim this story is but a hoax. It first appeared in the columns of the Mountain Democrat then of Placerville, May 13, 1871 and was written by the Coloma correspondent who signed himself 'Red There were no criticisms or comment in the following issues (courtesy Bancroft Library). You will also find the story in Sioli's History of El Dorado County where it was evidently lifted almost word for word from the Mountain Democrat." Where Is It Now? "I can recall," Russell continues, "when Paolo Sioli in 1882 was gathering material for his histqjy. He called on my father, the late H. W.

Russell of Garden Valley at different times and that was only 11 years after the incident was supposed to have taken place. Sioli could easily have" checked up as to the truth of the storv and, if it was without foundation, it is well. It was. a calm Saturday evening, and I was standing in the California Exchange waiting for the masquerade ball to commence. When the alarm was given, a motley crowd of men and women, in grotesque costume and monkish donunoes, rushed to the street.

Dense smoke and flakes of flame were bursting out of the second story wfridow of Baker and Messerve's paper-hanging and painting establishment on the south side of Clay between Kearny and Dupont. Nobody anticipated the terrible devastation which was soon to follow. As the fire gained upon the adjoining buildings, the old adobe hotel at the southeast corner of Clay Street was looked upon as sufficient barrier to the advancing flames. The energies of the firemen were relaxed under the delusion. But the enemy reached and enveloped the adobe walls like a fiery sheet, becoming more intense from the combustible, character of the roof and the lining of the hotel.

All worked with a will to arrest its further progress. But it was too late. The west wind rose and freshened. The fanned flames suddenly leaped across the street, and, in a few minutes, were coursing their mad career down Clay, Commercial, Sacramento and California Streets, devouring entire blocks with a celerity that rendered it unsafe to remain to the leeward of them. The entire crescent of the city, from Pacific and Sansome to California and Battery, with Kearny Street as its Upper segment, was that night.

A few brick buildings here and there remained unscathed amid a blackened expanse of ruins. But there was no wailing or gnashing of teeth the next morning. Men, who the previous day were rich in worldly possessions, rose from their blankets on Telegraph Hill without a dollar or a dollar's worth. But there was one thing they had not lost their California energy. That was sufficient stock in trade for any man to commence with again.

It was indeed a singular sight to stand at the base of Telegraph Hill and have a clear and unobstructed view from one end of the city to the other. That was possible a day after the fire. But a week from that time it was not. Buildings rose rapidly on the site of the ruins, and, in less than two weeks, the whole burnt district was reconstructed." one day the brakeman allowed the vyjgons to get too much of a start on a steep pitcffand the wagons crowded the team. The wheelers could only steady it with breast chains onhe lead wagon tongue.

The danger came in fie team bunching and the load running over Hhem, so they were trained when the driver let pbt a yell the leaders would light out to keej rigging straight. They started a wild race down that heavy crooked grade, many feet to thk bottom of the ravine from the road. The krakemen could do no more, as the speed wasgitoo fast for them to keep up and do any The old teamster kept his seat, endeavoring to, keep his team strung out and not throw any horses, trying to bank his lead wagon. Eventually a horse fell, and the team piled up with the wagons on top of them. When the teamster saw it was over, he4 jumped down tfije grade.

Either two or three horses were killedand the teamster broke his leg. It was quite; amusing when the Reno Journal gave its account of the accident. They bave mention of tie horses killed and the teamster's leg being broken. It then went on to say the teamster resumed his work the next week, without saying traat it was his wooden leg that was broken. The teamster was ready for duty as soon as he got a new peg leg.

So much for the beginning of transportation leading up to the Roberts Doai Steam Wagon." (To Be Concluded) Spreading Stage Lines?) The story of Alexander Majors, $hd early truck and stage lines, gets closer ancf jcloser to the advent of the Pony Express. l4kin8 UP where we left off a week ago: ForilO year Kansas City and the northwest had bfn agitating for a stage or railroad through tpe northwest, now the Union Pacific line. As late as 1857 the Chamber of Commerce throughputs president, Colonel Van Horn, wrote a to Congress trying to show the feasibility of the central route as proved by the many immigrants who had gone over it since 1849. Sen; Thomas Benton had also argued eloquently iijl.Congress for such a line-, but Congress would mjt be convinced and their conviction was upheld, by the War Department who after a survey in 1855, reported the route impracticable because txf snow in the mountains in the wintf months. In 1858, the year following the Kjisas City Chamber of Commerce letter, Congress, no longer able to postpone California's cfemand for a fast passenger and mail service, votd thefirst transcontinental stage over the southern route, El Paso, Los Angeles to San Francisgp, despite the imminence of civil war.

And thejlfirm was to have a million dollar contract. Bit in 1859 gold was discovered in Denver and Majors and Waddell ran a de luxe stagftj line into Denver. It took 49 days for an immijant to go from Leavenworth to Denver. The jjew stage took him there in eight days. What Xm entrance of this line meant to Denver is best tj(ld by the following statement from McMasterj History, long the standard history of the U.S.

published 1897, and Harlow's Old Waybills: the company chose Denver instead of Araria as a terminus was important. It marked she beginning of the elimination of Auraria agid started Denver on the road to becoming the cipitol and metropolis of the state. General Larger (who laid out the city) wrote his son: 'Ruajpll's train changes the whole face of matters fore. They are locating in Denver City Thjr monied influence "will make this now the cejlain point I shall sleep soundly tonight'. (Harlow, Old Waybills, page 211).

McMaster'sjHistory of the United States, page 434, 1859 Denver was a settlement of 1000 people." and Gen. Douglas MacArthur will be In the 1948 presidential nomination ace is becoming the general belief throughout the East, the Knave is told. Roy Robert of the Kansas City Star, who is Influential throughout Kansas and Missouri, and who, you will recall, was manager for Alf M. Landon in his GOP presidential bid, apparently is taking the lead in the Eisenhower movement While Roberts disclaims any authorization from General Eisenhower, he insists the general is a good Republican and is continually sounding his praises and elaborating on what he claims is the Eisenhower "vote getting power." Eisenhower, who assumes the presidency of Columbia University on January 1, has madnosTatement that would indicate he is a candidate.4 In fact all he has said is to the effect that he is not interested but this is generally discountoT'throughout the East. Col.

Robert R. McCormick, of the Chi eago Tribune, is showing a decided interest in General MacArthur, and during the latter part of this month he is scheduled to leave for the Orient. Rumor has it that he is going to try to get a direct answer from MacArthur, and itis also understood that the general will be in the United States in March. The Chicago Daily News, of independent persuasion and not inclined in any way to follow the Chicago Tribune, carried an editorial sevepfl days ago asserting "Eisenhower 1 could bl Truman, Mac-. Arthur couldn't," basing itjfudgment on two Gallup polls and quoting a Pacific veteran as saying "MacArthur is the best emperor Japan ever had." The same editorial declared that General MacArthur "is the center of a cross fire of unfavorable spoken opinion from many Navy men, Marines and soldiers who served in the Army detachments that belonged to the Navy's Pacific command." Deadlock Likely All of this would seem to indicate that the battle of the generals for the Republican presidential nomination is on.

The friends of the other potential candidates react to discussions of the military men by declaring that with all the talk of war in many quarters there might be a decided reaction among the women of the country against putting a military man in control of the government. In the meantime, the consensus among Eastern political leaders is, as this was written, that U.S. Sen. Robert A. Taft of Ohio will announce shortly his acqui-esence to having his name presented to the 1948 GOP convention by the Ohio delegation.

With the entry of the generals into the field there is a greater likelihood of a deadlocked convention. Gov. Earl Warren has wisely kept out of all the controversy and in all political discussions and comment in the East he is still regarded as the most formidable dark horse backed, as he would be, by a solid California delegation and drawing other strong support from the West. Incidentally day after tomorrow is General Eisenhower's birthday, which leads to the observation that when the nomination race is run next year, he and Governor Warren will both be 57, while President Truman will be 64 and General MacArthur 68 years of age. And for those who like to conjecture as to which states produce the likeliest presidential timber, it shckald be noted that, although Roberts has insisted that "at heart Ike is still a Kansan," Eisenhower is a native of Texas and MacArthur a native of Arkansas.

Days of Fires In the lusty period of the Gold Rush, San Francisco was terrorized by no less than seven major conflagrations in the incredibly short period of three years. Between December 24, 1849 and November 9, 1852, fire, on seven separate occasions, destroyed large sections of the young, brawling, careless city of the sand hills. After each scourging by fire, the city rose from, its blackened rubble to rebuild quickly', and, each time, a little more permanently. Edward T. Planer engaged in research, tells me: "Of all the conflagrations that visited San Francisco in this period, that of May 3, 1851 was by far the most important, both in regard to the loss of property and of life.

The very heart of the city, the center of trade and business, was eaten out, leaving little else but the sparsely built outskirts. Upwards of 1000 houses were leveled, mostly large storehouses filled with valuable merchandise. Fifteen entire blocks were consumed, besides parts of others. The amount of property destroyed was estimated to be from seven to 12 millions, and the area that was left a ruin extended from Kearny to Battery Streets and from California to Pacific. From Eyewitness Fortunately, there is in existence an eyewitness account of this tremendous spectacle, written by a person who signed himself "One Who Was There." His description is as follows: "Let ustep toward Clay Street.

There, about the middle of the block, is the spot where the great fire of May 3, 1851 started. I remember it Steam Wagons Dear Knave: Just occurred to me when I saw your September 14 page touching Verdi, Nevada, and mentioning the Roberts Doan Steam Wagon, you might want to see this letter from an old lumber mill operator who "was there" when these things were happening in 1889-'92. In helping the Agricultural Centennial Committee of the State Chamber of Commerce dig up some early tractor and farm machinery history, machines for use in the coming three years of California centennials, we uncovered much important material touching the Emi grant Gap-Verdi-Loyalton lumber triangle over 50 years ago. Mrs. Dora Lowell of Berkeley, now 87, recalls cooking for the Roberts Doan steam wagon crews one season at Verdi.

She is a daughter of Riley R. Doan, inventor of the steam wagon, which was built by Capt. John H. Roberts to haul grain, ore, lumber, to his river boats from 1875 up to the mid-Ws. Her brother, Arthur, was engineer on one of the steam wagon trains at Verdi; her father was in charge of the operations, and her husband was a fireman on one outfit.

Old timers at Verdi recall that the rivalry between "S.P." and "Steam Wagon" engines finally brought a tail-to-tail tug-of-war in which the Roberts Doan steam wagon dragged an S.P. locomotive backwards in defeat. Up in the Sacramento Valley, the Roberts Doan steam wagons are recalled by old timers whose memories go back to the late '70's as spectacular land trains that hauled grain from ranches to Captain Roberts' Sacramento Navigation Co. boats in competition with the railroads. Plans were in the air for a system of steam wagon trains to cover the valley from Chico to Woodland.

But suddenly Roberts moved his train to Emigrant Gap and then to Verdi to haul lumber from the mills to the Southern Pacific sidings. F. Hal Higgins. But let Mr. Rees from his Rodeo home tell it as he saw it up there: 'I had charge of shipping the lumber from Verdi over the S.P.

to its destination. In the beginning, we hauled the lumber from the Lewis mill to Verdi by horse teams, a distance of 16 miles or more. Six miles of this was known as the "Dog Valley Grade" known throughout the country. Three miles of this grade was not so steep, but the lower three miles were very steep and crooked and shunned as much as possible by the traveling public. We used 16 horses on what was known as "Hill Wagons" built especially for this work and capable of carrying 4000 to 6000 feet of lumber on each wagon, side lever brakes by two brake-men from the ground.

It was extremely dangerous and required much skill and pluck to face that grade with six or eight wagons carrying some 25,000 to 50,000 feet of lumber behind you. all depending on the hand-operated brakes, levers and ratchets. Pioneer Teamsters It was the custom to make two trips from mill to top of the steep grade, as the teams could not haul more over the level road and and some up-grade, but it required no power on most of the last three miles only starting and an occasional flat spot. So they doubled the first end and then coupled all together for the last end. Then, of course, it was a slow hard pull to get those wagons back up the grade empty.

We had only one serious accident with the teams on the grade. We had a teamster with one peg leg. His leg was off about the knee, I believe, and he used just a straight wooden stick padded with leather and cushioned heavily where it contacted the leg. However, he was exceedingly active and could mount his saddle horse and get off much spfeedier than the average driver. However, to be presumed he would not have used it.

The present Lotus school has a sweet-toned bell that, according to the pupils who attended 60 odd years ago, is the old Baptist Church bell. Will O. Upton in his "Churches of El Dorado County" claims that the old Baptist Church bell of Uniontown hangs in the belfry of the Coloma schoolhouse. I do not pretend to know." A Pike of Pike County Romantic and dramatic incidents of the old days are in the mind and family records of Mrs. Margaret R.

Miller of Oakland. "My maternal great grandfather," she says, "was William Brandon Pike of the noted Pike family of Pike County, Illinois, which also included the well-known explorer, N. M. Pike. His daughter Marie was my grandmother.

She was called Polly. William B. Pike and his wife reared John A. Logan who was about the same age as Polly and they attended school together and later the Lynch Academy in southern Illinois. Girls were not educated then, as a rule, for it was considered useless.

Girls would make better wives if not educated. Polly was ambitious so she was an exception. To the first party she enjoyed without her parents she went with John A. Logan and rode behind him on a white mare. My mother's uncle was engaged to marry Elizabeth Logan but was drowned a few days before the date set for the wedding and was buried in the suit that was to have been his wedding one.

My grandfather's oldest son, James K. Eachus, was an officer in the Civil War. While with the army that surrounded Vicksburg, Gen. John A. Logan appointed him an orderly and private dispatch bearer which position he filled to the end of the war.

Seven times he was sent as a spy into the South to get information. Once when he was carrying dispatches near Alexandria, Va. (toward the close of the war), Colonel Moseby, the great guerrilla leader of the 'Night Hawks' was encamped with his men further down the Potomac. James Eachus and two others volunteered to enter Moseby's camp to spy out the sizfof his force. They disguised themselves as blockade runners and merchants and took with them percussion caps, whisky, tea, silk and a boat load of other They also took orders for other articles which Mosby's men needed.

They succeeded in their dangerous undertaking. On the way back Eachus' horse was shot in the shoulder by the enemy. Eachus reached over, put his hand over the wound and ran the horse into the Union camp where it fell dead. For his service General Logan presented him with a pistol and a furlough for 15 days. Half Century in San Jose "My husband's (Henry J.

Miller) brother," Mrs. Miller continues, "was John H. Miller who lived in San Jose for over half a century. He died last year. For many years he was the business manager for William Matthews, a prominent lawyer in San Francisco from 1880 to the early 1900's.

He owned several ranches, one being a part of the present Mountain View Cemetery of Oakland; one where the present City of Richmond is situated, and a show place three An Old Map The gift to the Contra Costa County Library of a half-centory-old map today reveals some more interesting early history of Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. The donor, according to Miss Jessie county librarian, is anonymous. The map, 40 inches by five feet, was mailed from Crockett. A letter referring to a recent article on Contra Costa County history in The Knave accompanied the historic map, on which boundaries of ranches of the area are shown, as well as names of large property owners. Among names given prominent listing are J.

J. Strenzel, McNear, Fernandea, Tormey, Blum, Muir, Bush, Sturges, Raap, Swett, and Frazer. Ranchos portrayed on the chart include Rancho San Pablo, Rancho El Pinole, Rancho Canada Del Hambre, Rancho Boca de la Canada de Pinole, Rancho Acalanes, Rancho Laguna de los Palos Colorados, Rancho El Sobrante, Rancho Las Juntas, Rancho Monte Del Diablo, Rancho Arroya De Las Nueces Bolbones, and Rancho San Ramon. Printed at the bottom of the map is the notation: "We, the undersigned, after having critically examined the map, acknowledge the same to be correct as compiled." Signatures appended were those of G. F.

Al-lardt, surveyor of the San Pablo Ranch partition survey, September, 1893; F. A. McMahon, surveyor for the Rancho El Sobrante partition, July, 1893; Elam C. Brown, Contra Costa County surveyor; F. Williams, Contra Costa County assessor; William Minto, C.

Orinda Park, and George L. Nusbaumer, Alameda County surveyor. The artistic work was done by George Sandow under date of 1894. The lithography was done bf Briton Rey, of San Francisco. The chart folds up into book-size and is enclosed in a handsome red cover with gold lettering.

Arresting Bell Whenever our friend. Warren T. Russell of Berkeley, comes in, he has an interesting story of the olok times and old places he knows so well. As his is stuff out of memory and the older local records it is no wonder much of it is being preserved in scrapbooks and historical libraries. He tells me now: "When placer mining was at its height at Uniontown (now Lotus, El Dorado County) there were, one mile below Coloma, enough Baptists to get together- and build, a church.

When the structure was finished members canvassed the neighborhood for donations to buy a bell and a goodly sum was collected. A fine-toned bell was hung in the belfry of the new church and all went well for a season. But the placers of the district were shallow and soon exhausted. Miners sought new diggings; the congregation dwindled until finally there were no churchgoers left. By 1871 the church ceased to be and the bell hung mute in tht belfry.

But if Uniontown was decadent other sections were thriving. Ua in Sierra The Des Moines The McAuley covered wagon partrj, with 17-year-old Elizabeth Ann McAuley jjjironicling each day's events, crossed Cedar Crefc on April 12, 1852. On the next day the young $rl wrote: "This morning we passed through 8e old Indian agency. Soon after we strucj: the Des Moines River and traveled up the iwrth bank, passing through Ottumwa. the prettiest place we have yet seen and have decided to return here and make our home when we rturn from California with a fortune Apnj 14: Still travel up the Des Moines.

In one pljte we bad to double teams, take one wagon alad a mil or so, then return for the other waon. While struggling through the mud we werJ overtaken by two men from Eddyville who tjjl us they intend to start in a few days for Oregon. April 15: Crossed the river at Eddyville. rriage 75 cents per wagon. This is a pretty lltPjc place of some business.

Shortly after leaving 'the river we were overtaken by an old maiwho rode along talking to us for some time When he went home he-4old of a train he hcl seen. said there was an old man, two boys? lady and a little girl. Tom being the "old marfi and I th "little girl." Five years differences Sj our ages. Camped on a little prairie near timber. Grass ii very good so we do not have to by gram foi the stock.

'mm 4.