Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • 148

'A XFA iri. -2222 vprc, I 2-FL OaMAufcirrlbunt Sunday, Sept. 30, 1 962 i rV 5- Thomaa Or Larkin B'WORff Biptembef fades from thl 1632 calendar Dr, RockweU D. Hur.t would liki to point out that this ccnth marks ths 160th snniverisry of tha tlrth of Thomsi OUver lArkin, "Without Hunt tayi, "Urkitt was ohi tf tha mest influential of all America, Uers to CiUfornia during tha crucial ytirt immediately preceding thi actual ten quut from Mexico a mm always to tt gratefully remembered by loyal Calif cr nlans. When I review the developing lit uation from the time of hil arrival In Monterey in 1832 down to thl Signlni Ct the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 184) I can think of American in California 11 1 1.

-ii- re wwmr If I Jr-r- 1 ILL LM 341- 3 1 i -Vfs 'J Pf Lt' 1 I 1 Children's Hospital of the East Biy EXT Sunday (Oct wfll mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Children's Hospital of the East Bay. It wu en Oct 7. 1912. that the ttrtt directors were named, tut "tt actual history begina Sept 4, 1912; the idei wti born at a meeting of Mil Town and Gown Club of Berkeley. Then were 80 women present when the Idea was forwarded by nurse Bertha Wright and her companion, Mabel Weed.

Out of this meeting came a second session -cn Sept 18 at Oakland's first Congrega-j-tlonal Church where the Baby Hospital Association was formed, Tht need for a baby clinic and hospital in Oakland was urgent that the question of a site for Iht new Institution was in the hands of a committee before three months had used. In December they selected the Ohn Edgar McElrath bom at the southwest corner of 51st and Dover Streets in Oakland, including 1 acres of land. The price agreed on was $12,500, according to minutes of the directors meeting. There I was, a first payment of $6,500 made early nr 1913, but it wasn't until of 1913 that the transfer of deed was recorded. Once the property was acquired it took an additional $9,073 to convert and equip the old' home into a clinic and hospital When it finally opened, the capacity was 10 beds.

It wasn't long, however, until 25 more beds were added. Dedicated to the "service of sick babies" the hospital formally opened Sept 18, 1914. The Hlv. E. Parsons opened its doors and made the dedication speech in behalf, of the, managers and board of directors.

Among the 800 persons In the gardens for the. dedication service wert Mabel Weed, one of the founders, and Mrs. Duncan MIcDuffie, president of the board of Jninagers, -Tl KILE seeking out the history of VV the Children's Hospital of the I East Bay we discovered Albert E. 1 Norman Oakland's unofficial historian, 1 in Merritt Hospital recovering from some I emergency surgery, Norman was not con cerned as much about his recovery as he I was about being confined to the hospital just when he was in the midst of readying 1 a Centennial history of Oakland's First Methodist Church for the printer. He assured us that everything was under con- -tool and said the history will be ready by the time his fellow Methodists celebrate 2 rlate next month.

There'll be more about the Methodist Centennial later. now vturn to Norman's recollections of the i 'McElrath property acquired by the Chil dren's Hospital of the East Bay as their UCAU4UCU I.CJ.S. UC piUpCUJT UiC VIlli- I Hospital acquired was but a small i of the vast estate accumulated by I -Solomon Ellsworth Alden and his wife, Ann, over a period of years beginning in I 1852," he informed us. "Alden was a descendant of John Alden, the Romeo of Pilgrim history on the Atlantic Coast Our I Solomon E. Alden came to California in 1851 via the Isthmus of Panama.

His birthplace was Southport, Conn. Soon after arrival In San Francisco he became a partner of Oliver D. Boyd in the res-taurant business. Their eatery was in the 1 Tehama House at the northwest corner of Sansome and Calif ornia Streets, San Fran- cisco. As he prospered he began purchas-'.

ing property along the banks of Temescal Creek near the Vicente Peralta estate that then stood on the northeast corner of 56th St and Telegraph Road. He first bought land from W. B. Gould. This included a small cottage to which Alden moved his family in July, 1854.

In time the Alden 600 acres extended from 44th St. to about 60th St, or the south line of Polrier's 160- acre farm. There was Alden land from 1 Shattuck Ave. to Adeline Street." UST before the earthquake of 1868 I i the Aldens added more rooms to their "cottage. "Then in 1869 they added a i second floor to make the house a 20-room structure," Norman informs.

"At what is nQWPoyer quarters was erected. All through This pioneer home of the S. E. Alden operators, they created the Santa Fe Tract, one of the largest residential developments in. Oakland." ROM the archives of the Children's H6spltal We learn that it was through the generosity of William Hume that the hospital began its work with a completely equipped laboratory.

Hume pre-sented the equipment and fitted the laboratory in the name of his mother, Mrs. G. M. Hume. The first baby was admitted the day the hospital opened Sept.

1671914. Two more babies were admitted on Sept 23, and the next day four operative cases were admitted. At that time there was but one head nurse, one day nurse, one night nurse, a a cook, and a Japanese boy for general work. Today there are 390 employes. By 19142 months after the hospital doors were opened the "35 beds had cared for 56 children During the first year the clinic had 6,093 patient calls and the visiting nurse made 8,455 home calls on sick babies.

Clinic expenses in those days were met by contributions given for that specific purpose, rather than from hospital funds. This money had to be earned, so hospital auxiliaries were organized to raise the necessary funds. Even before the hospital opened, sewing circles from various churches, clubs, plus debutantes of the day, and young girl graduates of fashionable finishing schools, had formed groups dedicated to furnishing the hospital with blankets, diapers, bibs, hot water bag covers, etc. By the end of 1914 there were 19 such guilds. Since that time 76 branches with a combined membership of 3,500 women have formed jor the purpose of aiding the hospital.

Four such branches Lirfden, Hill, Holly and Laurel have and J. Edgar McElrath families into the existed continuously since the hospital's founding. Listed as an all-male branch is the Oakland Rotary Club. Children's Hos-: pital of the East Bay is the only medical center exclusively for children in the entire area between Fresno and Seattle. Children's Hospital in San Francisco is an adult general hospital, and Shriners Hos- -pital in San Francisco takes long-term orthopedic cases.

Highlighting the Oakland hospital's 50th anniversary celebration next Sunday will be the dedication of the $900,000 William H. and Helen C. Ford Diagnostic and Treatment Center-reflecting the trend toward ambulatory care. Warner and Ranch THE KNAVE: There came, to me recently an interesting book entitled "Warner, The Man and the Ranch." I had long known something of the story of Warner's Ranch and of Jonathan Trum-bell Warner who established it in 1844. Warner was a native of Connecticut who came west when 23 years old in hope of improving his health! In 1830 he met -Jedediah Strong Smith In St Louis.

Smith was soon to go to the Pacific Coast on a commercial venture so Warner obtained a place in Smith's party and in the spring of 1831 they left Jor Santa Fe in the expedition of Smith, Jackson-and Sublette. There were 23 wagons, each drawn by, five or six mules. While on the dry course of the Cimmaron River looking for water Jedediah Smith was attacked and killed by wandering Indians. The party continued its journey to Santa Fe and eventually to San Diego, passing through the California mountains via the beautiful valley and mineral springs which later became the property of Warner and JIM" MILLER. THE EL toward Americanization than Thomas La kin.

He was one American that did hot take the necessary vows and become) IS adopted Mexican citizen and marry Spanish senorita Like John Eldwell, he took to himself an American bridi Larkin enjoyed the unique distinction of being the first and last United State! Consul to California, Tha service he was able to render to his government in that capacity, by timely action based on keen observation and Intimate' knowledge of affairs, particularly as seen In his numerous and comprehensive reports, wai of great importance at the time Ht may be likened to an advance agent of 'Msnl-fest which seemed to have decreed that the Westward Movement was tha Pacific Ocean would be the boundary of thf United States. A look at Larkin's background should bt enlightening. He was a native of Charlejtown, a eon of Captain Thomas and Ann (Rogers) larkin, born Sept. 16, .1802, The family moved to the Carolines where they lived for some years. Although his education, was limited tha boy found life In the Old South too dull and In 1831 he tailed for California from Boston In April of the next year he arrived in Monterey, tha Mexican capital of the province.

It was while on shipboard that he met Rachel (Hobson) Holmes, young American widow. Two months later they were married. Years afterward he referred to their older chlldreirAii.the first generation born in California whose parents were both from the United I CALIFORNIA Larkin found scope for his abounding energies. "He soon had a flour mill operating, developed trade with Mexico and the Sandwich Islands, entered the mercantile business, and In a short time (with David Spence) became the leading Monterey merchant," Dr. Hunt continues.

"Even that was not He served as an interpreter for Commodore Jones In the ill-fatecfprema-ture conquest of 1842. His activity attracted favorable attention and in 1844 he was the federal appointee to the post of U.S. Consul which he held until after the treaty with Mexico. He really became a 'silent partner in the The diplomatic services he rendered to his nation were too little appreciated at the time, except perhaps by certain high officials in Washington. Larkin built a favorable reputation not only among his fellow Americans in California but also among the Califorriians.

He became a ware of the growing feeling of aloofness, even open hostility, toward the weak and tenuous rule of the central Mexican government, and the feeling vague and ill-defined at first -towardJndeoendence from the mother country. Reading the signs of the time, fully.aware of the desire of certain leading Englishmen, his loyal Americanism led him to seek the acquisition of California, simply by means of peaceful penetration. Some of the chief Calif ornians, like Gen. Jose Castro and Gen. M.

G. Vallejo were found to be rra 1 net MAvfoatt itlA and nulla nHlllfitf tA listen to the man of peace and progress, working quietly and with wisdom. ARKIN was proud to be on friendly I terms with the people he had come to understand so thoroughly. "But he did not hurry," Dr. Hunt says.

"He nntientlv worked his wav. In time he found that California, as Josiah Royce later expressed it, was almost 'ready to drop into our basket like a mellow Meantime (1846) Larkin had been made confidential agent of the United States. Then came Fremont and the Bear Flag, with methods and maneuvers so repugnant to the peaceful plans of Larkin; Thus ended the leadership of the' man of Monterey in the overt acts resulting in the American, conquest But the quiet, peaceful work of the consul of the United States had not been in vain. When Polk became President in 1843 it was his fixed determination to bring about the acquisition of California. He had reason for believing that England coveted the prize; hie main cnnrpo of tnfarmaftAtt nf that of Secretary Buchanan, was; none other than Larkin; but the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in February, 1848, Polk's success in his purpose was no longer subject to doubt California had become as much a part of the U.S.A.

as any other part of the country THE KNAVE known by his name. Warner joined Ewllll Young in a trapping expedition into Northern California during 1832-34, rt turning to Los Angeles and entering the employment of Abel Stearns as a store clerk. In such work he continued for several years, marrying a neighbor girl, Anita Gale, and at length establishing a store of his own. In 1840 Warner visited his New England home then returned to Los Angeles in 1843 to obtain a Mexican land grant in the mountain area known as "The Valle de San Jose," which included the famous hot springs. This territory included 48,000 acres that "became Warner's Ranch.

Warner and his family moved to the springs where he built a home and established a trading post The Warners prospered in the late 1840s until Indian uprisings and the Mexican War changed the titles and controls, and he lost his great land holdings and the hot springs. Warner, who had accepted Mexican citizenship, now came under suspicion of disloyalty by Gen, Stephen Watts Kearney and Lt. Archibald Gillespie of the American forces. In General Kearney's Army was Maj. W.H.

Emory of the Corps -of Engineers whose famous diary describes Warner's! Ranch and the hot springs. In 1847 Lt. Col. Philip St. George Cooke, with his Mormon Battalion, stopped at Warner's Ranch and was pleased with the place and entertainment J.

J. Warner in later years engaged in business in Los Angeles and conducted a newspaper there. Warner's -Ranch was a stopping point on the Butterfield Overland Stage Route until the Civil War stopped travel. J. J.

Warner was held in high regard in pioneer California. John W. Winkley. By iK a Paris DOCTOR GEORGE mm A MSP GOVERMORs OF CAUFORNIA FR0MI9O3TDI90r HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN OAKLAND'S 29 MAVOR AND WAS THE 50N OF ANOTHER DOCTOR" MAW, E.H. VARDEE, OAKLAND'S" IS in.

CHIEF EXECUTIVCBCfTH FATHER AND SON DOCTOR- MAYORS WERE OCULISTS 1 i Mi. CALIFORNIA CAVUCIIDE UNCLE THE ENGINE IN CAPITAL WAS BUILT IN 1845 FOR AN EASTERN I AtfT OTAMFR WHt-RF IT SERVED 23 WHO OTOVE THE RUN ON THE WINDING MOUNTAIN ROADS OUT OP VEAR5. 1TWA3THEN INSTALLED INTHE VAWFPP ITSEPtVED ON SAM Angels Camp was a Francisco bavfor 53 FREQUENT VlCTHMiflfeMOUD-UP MENBUTWHEM HE IN FOILING AN AT IN5 76 YEABS SERVICE: TEMPTED 30,000. 3 tfobberv his reward from Wells Farso was heavy a watch and ii mkmk CHAIN WEIGHING 2 POUNDS EACH .11 LJISTT SSl. mm $kr -the years great orchards and fields of hay, "grain and vegetables spread out over the land.

Chinese were used for labor and almost all of the fruit and vegetables were delivered to the J. Lusk Canning Company that stood at what is now 40th and Lusk Streets. Later the Lusk plant was vmovedover to Claremont just north I jof its junction with Telegraph Ave. The first California strawberries delivered to San Francisco were grown and packed for shipping in a building on Alden. The-little-packing shed soon was called the 'Berry It stood on the banks of Creek near the Alden residence.

Eventually the Alden property passed into the hands of their daughter and her husband, Mr. -and Mrs. J. Edgar McElrath, who had been living at 16th and Grove Streets. They raised a family of children, seven still residing in the Bay region.

The McElraths called their place In 1903 most of the land, except the portion later acquired by the Children's Hospital, was sold to H. P. Bancroft With his partners, Arthur H. Breed and Myron T. Holcomb, real estate.