Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • 57

TRAVEL -MOTOR JOURNEY HOMES -GARDENS -WORKSHOP EDIT RIALS C3 ART-MUSIO-BOOXS HOBBIES SCOUTS RECREATION AT VOL CLXVIII OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 1958 C-l NO. 12 C3 cm ctzti a. II A II LJ gall to express itself p.i i icul.ir! tho pertaining to met.dlur gv and the of mining His instinct found fuitln-i expression II) London, wheie lie r.iled oM book shops and attended auction sale-Then lie took to writing, and in lfHiV hi', first book, "Bibliography of Irish Ko-nomics," was privately printed mi edition limited to rj.r copies But he soon turned to another field of investigation-Texas, the Southwest and the Mexican and Bachman's product found a good market for several years alter. Among their customers were Hill A. Folger, Schilling and Tillman and II Tlcr, Sussrnan Wormser, and J.

II. Neubauhcr, all of San Francisco, and the Hedges Muck Co of Stockton Occasionally floods would break the levees causing great loss to Brandt and Bachman's buildings and crops. And as time passed, ships brought more and more coffee fiom Central and South America. Fastern people were arriving and pre another 1.200 acre in 1948 The Poulaons. who had bren living in trnti and exploring the winter peaks around the valley, organized the Squaw Valley Development Company in conjunction with Alex Gushing Poulson turned 551 acrei of land over to the company, on which the pre-Olympic lodge and iki lifta were built, and retained the balance for the Alpine development.

Sxn the Poulsoni were out of the development company, which hai been run by Alex Cu.ihing ever aince. By the 1949-50 snow season the valley had" a double chair lift 8.200 fret long with a vertical rise of 2.000 feet and a capacity of WK) an hour, and several rope towi in for operation. There was dormitory and room accommodation for 80, and the next year, with the building of a two-itory lodge, this number increased to 180 The hxlge burned down during the lum-mer of 1956 but was promptly rebuilt A Village Sprouts "During the summer of 1957 the first of 1he facilities for handling the 1960 Winter Olympics was installed, a chair lift 3,500 feet long, rising to a vertical height of 1.100 feet up Papoose Hill. Plans for the physical layout of the Alpine Village, that had been decided upon In 1948 before control of the Development Company passed to Alex Cushing, were continued. Three subdivisions with some 300 lota for private homes were laid out for Immediate sale, and five additional subdivisions projected for future sale a the demand warranted.

Architectural restrictions required conformity with designs that would fit into the Alpine Village plan. The Village called for a community center with a post office, restaurant, medical and dental offices, shops, a general store and other service facilities The location of hotels and motels were designated and a lease entered into for construction of a $125,000 motel. A dude ranch and motel location near the highway were included. A series of some eight ski lifts and an aerial tramway were planned, equal to the best facilities in Europe. The key to this part of the development was the construction of the lifts.

Poulson built a small rope tow on his land at Papoose Hill, but here he had to stop as the land adjoining was under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service. While the original permit from the Forest Service for construction of lifts on the Squaw Valley Development Company land had been issued in Poulson 's name, it became part of the Development property when Poulson deeded the 551 acres of land to them. All applications for the erection of additional lifts were turned down by the Forest Service, as part of their policy of protecting the investment of the original permittee until demand proved the necessity. By 1957 a total of 250 lots had been sold and 65 houses built at an average cost of $20,000 each.

Then came the awarding of the 1960 winter games to Squaw Valley, and the long battle between the private land owners and the Olympic Commission which resulted in the State exercising the right of eminent domain," Carpenter concludes. Valley. Citv. Soulsbvville. and o'lil locations Tin left their pic-t i'' que nonieni hit ui on st eel Ukr and to.

"Tribulation Tiail." thsrriuinn Load." "Mi IVgah." "Blue Tent And I sang secular and religious songi at their woik. on streets, churches, and at social gatherings. The Grass Valley (ilee Clubs have b-cn famous down through the i-iin and still go "barnstorming" around the country. No' so well known but just as musical were the ''oi irishmen of Soulsbvville in Toulumne Countv Here was the famous "Soiilsbv Mine" discovered in the earlv 1 850s bv a boy of the Soulshv f.millv It happened while he was hunting for a stray cow. He picked up a rock to throw at something and saw that the rock glistened with free gold.

The Soulshv Mine produced millions in gold. The Cornish miners settled here. Thev were very religious minded and lovers of music, wildflowers and the beautiful in nature. Around their homes thev cultivated flowers and shrubs Melodies issued from their dwellings. Thev loved to sing the old church hymns handed down through many generations, especially at Christmas.

For weeks songful groups would go from door to door singing the familiar carols. One famous institution was the Soulsbyville Silver Cornet Band which played at numerous functions in many communities of the Mother Lode. There was also another famous band of the region, the Blanket Creek Brass Band of Summersville (Toulumne City). This company of musicians were also in much demand at social functions and public occasions. John W.

Winkley Spring and Snowballs Even though spring made its official bow this past week we're going to turn back to the story by Jerry Carpenter retelling how skiing was first introduced into California more than 100 years ago. Jerry's complete story on the historic background of skiing in California can be found in his new book, "California Winter Sports and the 1960 VHIth Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley," and among the most interesting chapters of this new publication is that on California winter sports areas. "Few people realize," Carpenter says, "that California is the cradle of skiing in the United States, and that the sport started in Plumas and Sierra counties during the Gold Rush. Those were the days of the long 12-foot skis and a single pole for steering and braking, and the day of extremely fat race purses. Before World War II many of us rode the delightful 'Snowball Specials' of nostalgic memory.

Maybe we'll have this wonderful experience again during the 1960 Olympics. Visits to favorite ski centers such as Yosemite, the- Sugar Bowl, Tahoe City, Squaw Valley, Big Pines, Big Bear, Mt. Baldy and others take on added interest when we know the romance of how they started and how they grew." Calling on his 30 years or more of experience, Jerry produces in his book a wealth of interesting facts. He tells of all the winter sports areas, but we'll take a look at just one of his reports that of Squaw Valley where the 1960 Winter Olympics will be held. FOOD fur thought was provided by various ansemhlymen during fiacal discussions the past week, but the Knave is told that it went largely unnoticed in the flood of uaual budget oratory.

A case in point whs provided by observations made by As-aemblyrnan Walter I. Dahl of Oakland, chairman of the important Revenue and Taxation Committee. In plain language what he had to say to Ins fellow lawmakers ran something like this: about time we knocked off spending money like drunken sailors because the day will soon be upon us when we are going to have to dig up a lot more cash to keep this state a going concern. The lame persons who now vote to spend extra funds are going to have to vote to raise taxes on the people of California next year." To point up his remarks Dahl suggested that he had in hand a list of approximately a score of ways to find additional tax revenues. Few availed themselves of the opportunity to take a look at what they were heading into, but one ot our operatives did and wo thought you might like to know what is in prospect when the solons start looking for new sources of revenue next year.

Big Beef Brewing Every item on the list will produce a storm from the interests affected and since no single item would be sufficient tn produce the needed additional revenue it appears probable that there will be storms all over the place when the Legislature convenes in regular session next January. The Legislature could, of course, increase the rates of all existing taxes, but Dahl's list dealt primarily with specific proposals that had come to his attention as chairman of the Tax Committee. Perhaps topping the list would be imposition of an ad valorem tax not now collected by the state, and Dahl wonders just how the already overburdened local property tax payers would like that one. He doesn't think they would. How about a severance tax on oil, gas, mineral production and timber cut? Or extension of the sales tax on gross receipts of service organizations, hotels and motels, and the removal of many present sales tax exemptions such as that now extended to gasoline? And can't you hear the screams of pain from the race tracks if a move is made to boost the take from the pair-mutuel pool to the level in New York, Florida and eight other states? There are many more items on the list, but the Oaklander feels that's enough to suggest that those persons who don't want to get hit hard in the pocket book next year, better start admonishing their representatives to go slow on state spending.

Levees and Chicory Memories of chicory growing wild along the banks of California's early day levees brought to these columns recently by C. M. Goethe of Sacramento now brings forth Ben M. Drury of Oakland with the belief that California's first levees were constructed on the San Joaquin River in the Stockton area, and that chicory is indigenous to California. Drury says: "The late C.

H. W. Brandt. Stockton area agriculturist, came to California from Saxony, Germany, in 1862, and settled approximately nine miles southwest of Stockton on the San Joaquin River Revolution begming in 1910 mtngucd him. As a result his bibliography on "The Plains and the Rockies'' appeared But his real life work as historian and cartographer has scarcely begun One of the greatest of all his works is "Sir Francis Drake's Vovage Around the World," published in 1926.

Following his partial retirement from the Guggenheim firm when he was 55, and his marriage to Blanche Henriette Collet, a gifted artist and translator, he moved to California and made Berkeley his home. From there he moved to Southern California where he at once interested himself in local affairs. It was in Los Angeles that I became personally acquainted with him. He identified himself with the Historical Society of'Southern California, of which I had been president for a number of years. It was not long after I relinquished the office on the eve of a world trip on sabbatic leave from the University of Southern California that Dr.

Wagner was made president of the society, in which capacity he served from 1933 to 1935. Scores of Titles "Only a lew of his other major works may be mentioned here. There were many titles. 'Spanish Voyages to the Northwest Coast of America in the Sixteenth Century' is such a book," Dr. Hunt continues.

"I have seen one of the 25 copies oi this listed at $150. One of 20 of his 'Annotated Bibliography of the Spanish Southwest' was listed at $200. Wagner is regarded as pre-eminent in the field of cartography. In 1937 he published the 'Cartography of the Northwest Coast of America," with its wealth of first-hand information. He took special delight in compiling bibliographies, in which he was a past master.

'The urge to collect, whether original copies of books and maps or photostats or original documents and maps was throughout his says Thomas W. Streeter, 'Wagner's dominating interest and the basis for his activities as a His autobiography under the striking but significant title, 'Bullion to Books' made its appearance in 1942. Henry Raup Wagner impressed me as a resourceful man at ease and well poised, unperturbed, and with a quiet but effective type of urbanity or intellectual aristocracy; not talkative, but at home in any company. His mastery cf Old Spanish gave him a facility in translation that few American scholars possessed. Charles L.

Camp, of the California Historical Society, in his obituary sketch, refers to him as 'Our but more precisely states in the article: 'The rejuvenation of the California Historical Society on Feb. 16, 1922, was due largely to Wagner's stimulating It is easy to join Mr. Streeter in his own statement: 'Finally, the lives of those of us who were fortunate enough to know Wagner not only as the master of these fields of learning, but as a companionable and responsive friend, have been enriched by many happy Musical Miners The Knave: Gold rush miners were so often described as a rough, wild, reckless, drunken and profane set of men that posterity seems to have formed an incorrect opinion of them. To be sure there were many such characters among the miners, but they were in the minority. They barged into the spotlight and got the headlines in the news.

But the sober, law-abiding citizens soon took matters in hand and, with the Yankee tradition of law and order, soon had established government. These miners were not supposed to be lovers of education, literature, art. music. On the contrary, thev were far above the average American in such trairur.g and irerest I lived amor thr-m '4fers and the sons and daughters, at A en. C.ty.

Valley it 4'' war- ac" and learned to apprecia'e them. Many were lovers of music, and accomplished musicians This was especially true of the Corniih miners at Grasi ferred coffee over chicory. Production was abandoned about But the extent of the chicory industry can be realized by looking at the average production of some 10,000 tons a year from about 1895 to 1905. Mr. Goethe concludes the wild chicory he has seen might have come from the imported seed, but I don't think so.

I have seen the plant as far south as Santa Barbara and I'm of the opinion it is indigenous to this state." Durant Scholar Another Oaklander with memories of the old circus grounds at 30th and West Streets is Arthur A. Holmstrom. too, used to go to Durant School," Holmstrom says, "and saw a lot of those circuses on the big vacant lots around West, Grove and Telegraph at 30th St. I also remember the cable cars and cable-car house at 21st St. and San Pablo the Dewey and Macdonough Theaters, and the Mechanic Pavilion on 12th St.

near Webster, as well as the Piedmont Baths and the Narrow Gauge train that ran from Contra Costa County to Oakland and on out 40th St. to the Long Wharf. My father had a blacksmith shop on the corner of 22nd St. and San Pablo Ave. He did a lot of work for the Oakland Fire Department, shoeing horses and putting iron rims on the big wooden wheels of the fire engines and trucks.

He also made hay wagons and most anything else made from iron or wood. When he first opened his shop they put the cement sidewalks down and he imprinted some tongs, horseshoes, hammer and some other tools In the fresh cement. You can see some of the imprints there today, they won't be there for long now. Plans for widening 22nd St. call for wrecking the old sidewalk." Henry Raup Wagner Next Thursday March 27 will mark the first anniversary of the death of Henry Raup Wagner, at the venerable age of 94 years.

In memory of this man, Dr. Rockwell D. Hunt says: "Wagner's name will always be closely associated with certain important phases of California history. But like Hubert Howe Bancroft he had no early specialized training in the field of historical research and his unique career as a historian began only after he had reached 55 years of age. Remarkable as it now seems, he gained a place of pre-eminence in cartography, bibliography, and historiography after years of legal practice, business experience, mining operations and as an entrepreneur.

But his devotion to this later chosen work amounted to a real passion, which ended only with his death. It should be added, however, that unlike Bancroft he did have the advantage of an excellent early education. He graduated from Yale in 1884, taking his law degree there in 1886. Later he was awarded the honorary degrees of L. H.

Litt. and LL. D. In short, Wagner was a well educated man. On completing his law studies he formed a partnership with two friends in Kansas City.

There he assisted in founding the University Club and later he organized another University Club in Denver. His law practice and mining operations need not be reviewed here: interesting and lucrative as they were in themselves. He became well acquainted with Virginia Citv. with Colo-lado in fact, with western Amenta. His activities took him to British Columbia, and in Seattle in 1897 he saw the spectacular beginning of the Alaskan Gold Rush.

I Remember Him Well "Associated with the Guggenheim family, he traveled extensively in Soi.th America and toured much of continues Dr. Hunt. "He seemed completely immersed in business affairs on several different fronts But while Mexico in 1892 his flair for seeking out and collecting books and document be- Remember? Recollections of river boats steaming up and down the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and recalled so vividly by Dr. Rockwell D. Hunt revived the fol-lowing memories for Virgie E.

Gray of Fruitvale Ave. "After moving to Stockton from a farm near Linden," Gray recalls, "it was my pleasure to have as friends Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Haas and daughters. Mrs.

Louise Haas was a sister of Tom Holdsworth, captain of the J. D. Peters. He also had been captain of the Mary Jarrett. A nephew, Tom Holdsworth, now living in Los Angeles, had worked under Uncle Tom on the Peters as well as on various other boats and tugs.

The T. C. Walker was then in service, too. As I remember, it was 1908 when Admiral Evans brought the fleet to San Francisco Bay for the first time. It was an impressive event and visitors came from miles around to see the ships.

I joined an excursion trip with friends aboard the J. D. Peters, then captained by Otto Johnson and piloted by Dan Kennedy. We left Stockton in the evening and arrived in San Francisco Bay next morning in time to meet the fleet as it came in through the Golden Gate. The return trip home was made that night THE KNAVE Squaw Valley "Picturesque Squaw Valley," he says, "lies 10 miles south of Truckee and five miles north of Tahoe City at an elevation of 6,200 feet.

It is a small valley 2l2 miles long and one mile wide. To the west it terminates at State Highway 89 and the Truckee River. At its eastern end Squaw Peak rises to a height of 8.900 feet, and to the south is Ward Peak at 8.644 feet. The valley is bisected bv Squaw Creek. or many years this valley has been the favorite summer playground of people from the cities of the Sacramento Vallev and the Bav region, manv of whom built summer homes along the Truckee River.

During the winters it has been one of the favorite cross-country skiing objectives of ihe Lake Tahoe and Truckee Ski clubs. There is a pack station in the valley, so visitors can get into the surrounding mountain fastness, and the route of the old Virginia City to Forest Hill emigrant trail can be made out here and there by means of bits of iron and oxen vokes cast av bv the pioneers during their trek to g- For vcurs r.e and S.mdv Pi son. both expert skiers, tried buy up as much of the valley as pos-- hie in order to turn it into an Alpine Village of the kind so popular Europe. They purchased 612 acrei in 1944, and in an area now known as District 17. There were no levees to contain the river In its channel when Brandt settled there, but it wasn't long until he hired gangs of Chinese who labored by hand, using only shovels and wheelbarrows to build the first levees.

Mr. Goethe mentions mule-powered Fresno scrappers as the 'modus operendf but Fresno scrappers were not manufactured until about the early 1900s by the H. C. Shaw Co. of Stockton.

Once Brandt had his levees built and the river held in bounds he began to raise a variety of crops until about 1872. Then, in company with his father-in-law, the late C. A. Bachman, they planted chicory from seed imported from Germany, and of a culture of which Bachman was familiar. Hundreds of Chinese were employed in this work.

These orientals were good farmers, well suited to 'stoop Machinery to process the chicory was imported from Germany and soon the place was known as the 'Chicory or "Chicory Coffee was scarce and expensive at the time. Besides, there were manv residents in California of French and German extraction who preferred chicory to coffee --rh Brandt.