Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • Page 23

AN IMMENSE VARIETY OF LATEST NOVELTIES IS A FUIili IiINlS OP THE LATEST DESIGNS 7 Lace Curtains IN Uottingham TN ECRU AND WHITE, Prices Ranging from 50c to $15 a Pair. Gome in and See Them Before Purchasing Elsewhere. FROM 5c 10 50c PER YARD. IRISH Net POINT, BRUSSELS, and Antique Curtains. r- Aa Elegant Line of POBTIEBES in All the Latest Ooloriifi i OHEUILLE, from $1.65 to $20 a Pair.

Compl A 1 ete Assortment of Poles and1 Trimmings, Draperies and Drapery Silk Always on Hand N. HUNG IN ANY PART OF THE CITY BY EXPERIENCED HANDS FREE OP CHAEOE. JAMES JOYC Proprietor of the Largest and Best Lighted Store in Oakland. of the Moody Block. 955, 957 and 559 Washington Street COUNTRY ORDERS SOLICITED UNO GIVEN PROMPT ATTENTION.

TRANSPORTATIO 3 AY ut Not Holiday Prices cfijjjjl Entire Ground Floor Sill FBMCISCII. Reefer Blk Cloth Jkts, fur. trm'd, $6.00 Reefer Blk Jackets, fox fur, 8.50 Reefer Blk Astrachan fur, q.oo kS isza WIS' 0 Seal Plush Jackets, 7.50 Seal Plush Jackets, fine grade, 10.50 Seal Plush Jackets with vest, 15.00 Seal Plush Wrap, fine grade, 15.00 i Blk Cloth Jackets with vests, 7.50 Blk Bedfd Cord Jackets, vest, 9.50 Col'd Cloth Jackets, 10.50 III CHUKO, 1UHED1, BEBIELET MD train. Yon of a colii8i0n where there was only one ram on the road. I vmmitim, th.

switch at East Oakland. I lorgot to jump off and turn tho lever, and so the cars followed id on the side track and knocked smithereens out of the caboose I never wanted to be president of the road so badly Vt mj ilfo" 1 hmd mT tOT a11 Ded to tne old man, but the big earthquake of October, 1868, helped me out, as ihetollsion occurred on the previous evening, and nothing more was ever said about it. me time ot tne earthquake I was on the tram, abreast of Badger's FaJk. I felt the train roek heavily and so did Jim, for he instantly sionnph ihg.n.ina ir.m- ined all the wheels and were surprised to i uaHwm juu on the rails, to we knew trf mu8t have been an thquake. "aerr 1 snouiea.

Matter 1 Look nt th I did so and nnttand that had When we recovered from our fright we started apaio, bnt when we arrived at the old drawbridge it was so twisted and shaken as to he minansahle. We were in a preitv fix. We had the best engine with us and could not go any far- iucr. Jim and I made our way to the Point, brought old "Betsy" out of the stable a nd after a lot of oiling and coaxing we ere able to run alight train ol one car for a few days till the bridge was repaired. Dming my six years on thd road only killed one person and injured another.

Ail the old residents will remember the engineer, Jim Batch, as a very careful man, -1 nd to his attention to duty the freedom irom accidents is to be attributed. Everybody that used to patronize the 'local" twenty years ago, used to know A.shby "Oid Ashby" everybody called mm ana 1 uon Know his first name even now. Ashby used to run the newspaper department for VV. 15. Hardy then, and was a man of considerable importance.

There were no papers published here. Old Ashby went across the bay on the rirst boat to bring the San Francisco papers here, lne news was ot 60 much import uice in those days that the Superintendent crave me orders on no account to leave without Ashby on hid trip, Ashby controlled the local in those days, One Fourth of July the apron at the end of the wharf gave way and thirteen people their lives. I don't understand yet how it happened that I wasn't killed. Ihe handle of the crank arrangement flew across my face with the speed of lightning and actually struck my goatee dui ma no luriuer aamttge. af a strange coincidence 1 was also present at an accident at Melrose when thirteen peo ple were killed, and alao another at Web ster-street bridge on Decoration Day of last year when thirteen lives were also lost.

One dav, while collecting. 1 ran across a queer customer standing on the plattorm. I asked him for his fare and he said he had no money. 1 told htm to get off. bedi i not wait till we got to the seation, but off he went, end over end.

He did not get on again for several days. I learned afterwards that he was half-witted, so I took pity on him and let him ride. He used to help us with thejfreight. One one occasion Rrakernan Owen McLaughlin and Jim Mullgover, ths Wharf-inger. were arguing the point as to whether an idiot could get get drunk.

McLaughlni said they con Id not, and Mullgover Maid no one but a fool would get drunk. Anyhow, they concluded to try it 00 poor Bob (that was the boy's name). They got a tin bucket of whidky they didn't. for, but whicn they obtained by tanpine freight, and Bob drank about a pint. They tbeu put him in a box car to await developments, but the liquor never fazed him.

We found out afterwards thnt it was Jerry Hanifin's whisky. Jerry was seihng whisky in those days, and hu- ive.n ever since, but even now 1 believe he iissn't forgiven ns for telling about our fan with Bob twenty-five years ago, and the lack of stimulus in his whisky. On one occasion I was arrested for putting a man named Dan Smith off the cars. Dan ussd to run a little bake-shop in West Oakland, and one Sunday be and his wife wanted to ride gratis. It did not work though, and when the train stopped I threw him off.

My trial came off before Jndge Shearer and I was acquitted. Although th judge had no direct interest in the road, 1 waa sure of acquittal, because it was a test case as to my right to put obnoxious people off the train. The superintendent of the road, A. A. Cohen was my lawyer, bat be was in realitv defending hirose.f.

I don't know whether be and odge Shearer were friend! or not It is not generally known that Bichard P. Hammond, the Police Commissioner who recently died, waa for a short period previous to 1870, the superintendent of the local road bat he was, and used to bring young Dick over and let him ride on the engine for an outing. After six years' service I decided to leave the road. I remember telling of my decision to H. D.

Bacon, which eaused him to make a very significant remark: I "Well, well," he said, "yon are the very first eondaetor that was ever known to resign." But things have become demoralized on the "local" since' then. Instead of having to wait at -Broadway for aa hour or two wondering if the old caravan was ever coming, it takes a man all his time now, to get out of the way of the frequently-running trains. In my day the eondaetor ran the com pany, and was in the confidence of the proprietor, but now a conductor is simplv a call-boy in buttons, so far as the general public ia concerned. However, I suppose the new order of things is in harmony with the age, and ia appreciated by the present generation. The six trips a day were even a more frequent service to the dwellers in the forest in 1863, than the fifteen-minute service is in 1891.

But this is a world of changes. Go ahead! boys. The city of Oakland will be yours altogether ia very few years from now. Much as my mind lingers over, the memories of tha good old times, 1 am forced to acknowledge that life ia far more pleasant in our city ot chorehes than it waa in the eity of oaks, in the davs 1 need to throw obnoxious pasiengeri off tha "locaL" CLOAKS BPECIRL BRRBHIN FDR CHRISTMAS WEEK. fitSUCES DELIVERED FREE OF CHiBSE I wasn't so independent.

In 1863, we finished the road to Broadway. 1 was appointed conductor, and we beean to rnn about six trips a day. Tcere was jnst the one train, consisting of an old engiue from the Market street road, San Francisco, and four cars. The locomotive was jst like a threshing machine engine put into the end of a box car, but sbe was about a stand-off for the steamer, the Louise, which connected the end of the road with ban Francisco. "Old Betsy" (that's what we used to call the engine) was aubject to some very strange irregularities.

She got tired, occasionally, and wouldn't pull. Sometiirwes we started from the wharf with ell the rolling-slock owned by the company to-wit, "Betsey" and four cars and landed at Broadway with nothing but the engine aud caboose. This' is how that happened: When we got half-way on our trip the train would suddenly stop, in spite of the fact that the valvee were open and brakes loose. 1 would ring the bell as a signal to start up, with no result. So I'd uncouple the last car.

If that did not help, I would detach ihe next oue. If after going a bit further "Eetay" stopped again, we would put-11 the passengers ia the paboose and let the eaeine gowitu nothing else to pull. There never was a time when "she refused to go alone. After repairing damages we would back down and gather together the scattered fragments of the tram. Arter this the company built another engine.

She was much better and larger than Betsv, in fact she was so large that they could not get her a I into a box car, so they let one end stirk out. The people were all good-natured in those days, and thought any thing was better thau tettinz stuck on the bar tor twelve hour, as tney were likely to be if they took the creek route and landed at the foot of Broad wav. Ned Hackett was captain of the steame: Louise, and his brother John was niau. John, however, used to do the greater part of the navigating of the ship, and the captain used to navigate the ladies around tut deck. We ran to Broadway for several months, before the road was finished to East Oakland, then called San Antonio.

There were no station agents, no switchmen and no telegraph operators in those davs. All theee services were included in tot conductor. In spite of bis importance, however, he did not think he owned the road and that the passengers were under an obligation to him. That kind of conductor developed later. Of course we had tc turn our own swiicn, and so, to save time, we made running switches.

I used jump off the car, throw over the lever and jump on again. The boys noticed this, and thought it would be an excellent way of testing my temper. On several occasions they covered the switch-lever with tar. It was only lately Uiat discovered who the guiltv person was. I was standing on Broadway a few monthB ago talking to a friend, when we were accosted by a gentleman whom my friend knew.

Dusiobury." he said, let me make you acquainted with Senator Frank Moffitt. "My acquaintance with the Senator is as old as the I replied. helped to raise that boy.1' "Yon did that." replied the Senator, "and in more wav than one. Many a time you raised me with your foot for stealing rides on the 'local twenty-five years ago. However, Dusinbury, 1 got even with you, but vou didn' know it-" Yon never did." I 6aid.

N'nf" said the Senator, smiling a wicked smiln. "Did you evsr find the lever of the a witch covered witn tar "1 should smile and do you mean to say that' "I mean to sav that I did it," said the Senator, laughing. Well. Senator. I frankly forgive said I generously, extending my hand, which the Senator wrung warmly.

(Senator Mothtt is a mucn bigger man than I am, but of course that did not in- HnnriM ma.1 Ail the boys got down on me for making them pay way tare oetween stations. 1 disliked it verv innch, but my orders were very strict and so I had no alternative. One day I met A. A. TJohen, who was controller of the road, and told him what I thought of exacting fares.

I told him I had conscientious scruples about the righteousness of doing so. "Why shouldn't they be collected?" he asked. "Because there ia a clause in, the franchise stipulating for free transportation within certain limits," I said, -i Cohen smiled. "Have yon read all the clauses in the franchise?" he asked. "Yes, every one," 1 replied.

Cohen laughed more than before. "Did you notice another cianse granting us the privilege of putting obnoxious passengers off the -Yes. I did." "Well, then, please to consider that every passenger who does hot pay fare is obnoxious." -j So the matter ended. When the Central Pacific Company took charge of the road they considered this way-fare business too in significant a matter te bother with, but things have changed since then. What waa a little mole hill in those days baa cow become a stupendous mountain, to tunnel which, has proved more than the genius and tact of a Huntington can accomplish.

I have watched with great interest the increase of traffic on tha local, and am quite mre that if the railroad company had continued to collect the faxes as I used to do there would be no more free traffic on fwventh atfeet than on any other line. They are paving dearly now for that little expression 01 nauteux ev quarter 01 a cen-tare era. After we bad our line' through to East Oakland we increased our service to ten trips a day. I think at this time one more car was added to the rolling- stock. On Wednesdays knd Saturdays we used to ran an extra trip to accommodate tnose wno wanted to go to the theaters in 8n Fran-Cisco.

A monthly ticket- in those days need to cost 7 00, bat they did not entitle the bolder to the theater trip. Jim Bach waa the engineer on the old "Betsy" all the time was eondaetor. and indeed be only left tae local service about fix years ago. Jim always bad an idea that he would like to make a trip around the worid. Biaes he left the road he has gratified his desire, and is traveling some where abroad at the present time.

-We never bad but one collision on my I I After the Holidays merchants begin to reduce prices. NOW XT 1 1 IS THE TIME WE ARE DOING IT; Before yon fekwt A Spirited. Contrast Between tie Then and tbe M. T. Dusinbury's Merry Tales of Early Bailroadlng.

1. 1 1 Seme Men Is Unusual Holes tad Queer Situations. The "local" ia, in 1891, a bustling twelve-section etemeut ia the busy life in Oakland, governed by iron-bonnd time-tables, kept garnished by a little army of uniformed attendants rushing as though the sole object vera to decimate the population. At the time of which I write it waa a romantic, go-as-you-please, steam coach sauntering along through the forest, subject only to the persanal convenience of the conductor. I waa the conductor.

However, the good old sawed-oft engine, with caboose attachment was run solely for business, and ths passengers had to pony out their dimes, too, bat the local of today giving thousands of beardless dudes a free ride and an-excnse to parade their empty purees and emptier beads well, it makes me smile. But I am beginning at the wrong end of my story. In August, 1862, two young men landed from the steamer Contra Costa at the foot of Broadway. They carried all their worldly goods with them, but as these con-siated solely of a blanket, a pick and a hovel, they did not prove much of an 'incumbrance. Being strangers they knew not wuetber to go to the right of to the left, so they struck out into the forest and merged from It near Oakland Point.

Althonvh it waa eagv enoneh for a man to lose himself in those days, it was hardly possible that he could ever make a wrong call at a house, that is, if he were in the same tract, because the whole country west of where Market street is now, only boasted of six or seven bouses, and the least distance between any two must have been a little less than tbree miles. Let me call them to mind. I know them all. oh, so well! I need to look at them a few years later and wonder how many centuries would pass away before the district would offer ma sufficient inducement to my train. However, the inducement came sooner than I expected, and it waa of the gentle persuasion bat I am gome along too fast.

Thar was Mr. Havens' bouse, and on the other Bide of the mud pond was Coyote 8mith's. Q. G. Briggs lived jast below Adeline street and Dr.

Edward Gibbons and Theodora Bagge where Center street now ia. I almost forgot to mention the dairy kept by one (JrafJelman wbere the railroad yards are located now. This ia a complete directory of West Oakland, when the two aolitary wights last re i erred to came here to seek their fortunes. One of them ia at present a druggist In San Francisco; the other ia your humble servant Down on the beach there stood an old shanty that had been built some years before by Bod Gibbons. At the same time he built the house he drove a few piles in the mud by way of a starter for the water front.

This very limited wharf went for years by the name of "Gibbons' Folly," but as the present depot includes the very spot where he drove his piles, Gibbons wasn't such a darn fool After all be waa merely ahead of his time. 80 maoh for the first wharf in Oakland. Kow for our shanty. After we were engaged by Gosa Stevens to work on the prospec- tive Oakland Ferry and Railroad Company we were allowed the ose of this little house, bat as all the windows and doors had been shot away by duok hunters, the contractors sent down 'Colonel" John Scott to replace thrau tjoott waa afterwards editor of the Oakland Transcript. Once or twice after we took np our quarters in it the hunters used to shoot through the windows, but the news that the population at the Point waa in-; creased by two waa soon, however, all over the city and we ceased to be awakened in the early morn by dnckahot falling on our faces, after they had gone through the window and arrack the opposite waU.

We were told to stav at tbt Point and eommeaoe to build a railroad through the city juai the two of us, Tha other fallow "waa the boas; that ia to say. ha kept the time (1 had no watch) of himself and the gang. I waa the gang, and he did not ait lap nights to keep his aeceante straight, as we worked by the month, Of course the object of our being there merely to bold the franchise, and tarn over a few ahoveUfol each day as an ex-cue for beiiie there at Thai's all we rriid. except to cook and eat' People need- to drive down to see the works and ask all manner of questions as to when would have the first train ready to start. We always replied that we -T wnra building a railroad to ran acroas the continent, but, in the absence of a single tteerrail.it waa hard to make them be-, Meve it.

Well, we continued building our couti-nental road for several months at least we ate, cooked, smoked, and turned the regu-; lation sod every morning; 'and what waa more Important than all, we held the franchise. We might have done more work had om? bona been on wheels, so that it could have been moved and kept abreast of the track as we leveled it Aa it waa, we did cot ears to go too far from home In Case ft should come on to rain. i After leveling' Xnlly one handred feet of 1am roaa in mx tnonui, a rang ox men waa hronght domr from The -PaUet, end iror commenced in earnest v. That knocked mv foreman oat He was all ngbt ae long as he was boea of auch a gratis gang as myself, but he could not s.iri t.irs a coniaca laborer. our xxonuay vjiiis, see now mucn our immense stores can lurmsh you for so little money.

Handkerchiefs, beauties, 9 cents to 98 cents each all reduced. Combination Suits, 98 cents to $14.48 all reduced. Plush Cases, all 48 oents to $9.4501 wduced. In fact you should not think of doing your trading until you visit Fancy Colored Reefer Jackets, fo Black Cloth Reefer Jackets, Black Bedford Cord Jackets, $jff 1003 and 1065 Broadway 463 Twelfth St Webster Pianos. Packard Organs.

MATTHIAS GRAY COway Haii, 2DB and 2DB PDBT SAN FRANCISCD. THE OLDEST. lilUSIO HOUSE ON THE PACIFIC COAST Have discontinued their agency of the Sjeinway and other pianos in Oakland and invite the people of Oakland and Alameda to inspect their large new stock of Pianos just received for the holidays at 206 and 208 Post 1 street, San new Stemway Pianos also "medium and good cheap pianos. -Large new st)ck of Musical InstnmientflJ ovsSheet, uslc. and Books fori the oHdays.cNi)".