The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 23, 1898, Page 14

14 THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, ou see ad - comrads then, old A of Tom Moar, s saucy set. They ‘were rough,l must by - gone asys, con - fess, > - = bum-mer, too, they call staunch and brave, as true Liks for prase? the west; Ha'd deal for you Or a8 long a6 you bad s scad One night o pistol laid him out, + “Twas bis laat Isy out in fine, Tt caugnt Pete sure, right bang ia the door, Big Reuben was his name, On the plaza there with o sardine bo He opened faro game, He dealt so fair that a millionaire He became in course of time, “Till desth stept in and called the tura Iu the dayw of "40. There was another chap from New Orleans, There was Kentuck Bill, one of the boy. Who was always in for a gsme; No mattar whether he lost or won, To hum "twos all the entwe, He'd ante a alug. he'd pass the buck ; He'd go a hat full blind In a game of death Bill lost his bresth In the days of 40. e2r |imes= L] here was Now York Jake, the buteber, boy, So ’anj of ‘Whenever Jal Ho was looku Ono night b ra: In the haods of old Bob Kiwe J: SUNDAY, JANUARY 23, Tl\mvu North Carolins Jess, & bard heart s like man-y = - oth S e = oft now run filled with woe, And | er fish, Have en grieve aut For the and ping 1 S 5 But like their line; old, the bricks, they da of gold, the llooly’ the kicks Of days of the days of for - ty - nine. for - ty « nine. r— = days of old, the days of gold, the days of for = ty = nmne. old bricks, they stood the kicks the days of for = ty - nine. . —% — L4 = v 3 =2 ..% e ¥ - 4 re 3 e == . > 7 - Laumer's Musigrapn, 7 Bridee Place. San Francisco 4 ] *There wos Reckensack Jim who oould oud oldefoe, roar Who never would repent. A bufilo bull you bet, Jesa was never known to mise & meal, By roared al sght; be oared all day; O ever pay s cent. o may But poor on::’zu Like all the rest, 0;_;:;,)“ e fell in & prospect hale, To death did at last 3 28 & roaring. 2 And in hus bloom be weut up the fume Asd 1o that bole Jim aut his scub < +. In the dava nf 49 In the dave of '49. 2 That's old g Of all the comrades I had then There's none left now put me, And the only thing I'm ftting for Is & Senator to be; “The people cry us [ pasm by, -+ There by, S L daysof 49" > CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSHES. HE great rush of diggers to Cali- fornia, which reached its height in 1849, naturally drew to these shores from all parts of the world men of exceptionable and adventurous dispositions. There were thousands of young fellows who had fought in the Mexican war, who were inured to hardship in every form: there were bronzed sailors, who sailed in every latitude; there were reckless adventurers of every race, all drawn togther by the lodestone of gold, the precious metal which report said was to be had for the picking up. Of course report, in this as in every other case, exaggerated tke real truth, but still enough gold was obtained, even in the first year after Marshall's discovery, to justify the rush. The yleld went on steadily increasing until, from $15,000,000 in the first year, it reached the top notch in 1852. During this wonderful year no less than $85,- 000,000 worth of gold was taken from the soil of California, a record which has never been surpassed. This was the hey-day of California mining prosperity, and it is no wonder that during these wonderfully rich years men with plenty of money in their pockets were only too eager to listen to every tale of discovery and to rush like sheep blindly for the new source of wealth. One of the most remarkable of these futile rushes occurred in 1851, when a report came to San Francisco that gold had been found in large quantities on the'ocean beach in Klamath County, near a place christened Gold Bluff. The wildest rumors were circulated, the sand was reported to yield from three to ten dollars’ worth of gold per pound. Two days after the news reached San Francisco eight vessels were advertised to sail for the Bluff, but the excite- ment died away as rapidly as it had arisen as soon as truthful accounts reached the city. Next time rumor, with her lying tongue, went far afield, and in 1853 a series of letters were pubiisned in the Panama press asserting that very rich gold mines had been discovered on the Amazon, in Peru. This news of course was reproduced in the San Frincisco press, credulous gold seekers swallowed it, and a thousand or more men sailed for Callao to discover on landing that the people of the city knew absolutely nothing of these mythical mines. A couple of years later the Kern River rush followed, surpassing in in- tensity any of its predecessors. In this case the rush was also started by the familiar device of false letters, and some five thousand diggers made their way to the Kern River, only to find that no adequate reward for their tofl- some journey awalited them. Still more serious wonsequences fol- lowed the news in 1858 of the discovery of rich alluvial on the Fraser River in British Columbia. The rush which fol- | lowed caused a panic in Sen Francls- | co, real property fell in value to an | alarming degree, and craxms which had | been yielding wealth to their owners | were abandoned as worthless. Every | one wanted to get to the Fraser River. It has been estimated that at least 18,- 000 people went there wuring the year, | and the State at one stroke lost a third of its voters. The diggings proved dis- | appointing, and by degrees the miners | drifted back to Califarnia, satisfled that | better prospects were to be found in this State than anywhere else. The gold, so plentiful in the earlier days, cast a halo of romance over everything it touched and the old- timers, most of whom have now passed away, used to tell many wonderful stories of adventure in the wilds. These stories, growing as they traveled, had been passed on from camp to camp, from prospecter to prospector, until every person knew of at least one mine of phenomenal richness where gold had not to be dug for, but simply shoveled | up in huge chunks. | The only trouble about these myth- | fcal mines was that they could never be found; they always, in some peculiar way, got themselves lost in the ranges after the first discovery. To this cate- | gory belongs the marvelous “Gold | Lake,” which was said to excel in | wealth the richest placers of the world. It was in 1850, during the first flush of digging excitement, that a man namad Stoddard wandered into a busy camp at Downieville, and told his tale to eager listeners. He had been lost in the wilds of the Sierras, and had | stumbled upon a lake the sides and bottom of which were absolutely paved with pure gold. ‘When the spring came a party of twenty-five prospectors started out with Stoddard, but he soon proved that he knew nothing of the country, and wandered helplessly about from valley to range. Behind his party came a long string of other gold seekers, who had heard Stoddard’s story, and were determined to stick to his trail, even if it led to the nethermost regions. Thus the procession meandered for weeks about this mountainous coun- try, until at last the miners lost all pa- tlence with their leader and made preparations for hanging him. But Btoddard begged so hard-for one more chance that they postponed the execu- tion for a day, and during the night Stoddard prudently disappeared. Strangely enough, there may have been a measure of truth in the man’s | story, because in Plumas County there |is actually a lake which corresponds |in some respects to the description. Only the sides are lined with mica, | not pure gold, but it makes a big dif- ference. Twelve miles from this spot is the famous Plumas-Eureka mine, from which $17,000,000 has been taken | during the past thirty years. | There {8 more romance in the story | of the “Lost Cabin” mine, for which | some of the old timers are still hunt- ing, just as they have done at any time during the past forty years. Un- heard of wealth awaits the man who finds the cabin, but the Monte Cristo who is to locate it has yet to appear. Here is the story that started the “Lost Cabin" mine craze: In 1850, when the excitement over the Trinity mines was raging, a party of three prospectors, finding all the good claims located, took to the mountains in search of fresh country. After wandering deviously about for days, they struck a well defined trafl, which led them at last to the home of a gigantic grizzly. | Not being on speaking terms with the | animel, they took the precaution of | first filling him with lead. Then they proceeded to dine off his carcass, and whilst enjoying their meal, they dis-| covered that the grizzly had chosen as | his last resting place a hole literally | studded with the lumps of gold. —_——— BANK OF CALIFORNIA. The Wealthlest Commercial Bank on the Pacific Coast. The solidity of the commercial banks of San Francisco has been for years the subject for favorable comment in the financial centers of the world. Chief | among the great institutions that have | contributed to this great reputation is ' the Bank of California, which is be- yond question the wealthiest commer- clal bank on the Pacific Coast. It was founded in 1864 with a large paid up capital, which was increased from time to time until the amount is now $3,000,000. The leading spirit in the organization of the Bank of California was D. O. Mills, who served as its president from | were opened for | It was a popular | the day its doors business until 1873. institution from the start, its con- servative management inspiring con- fidence in the business community, and it has, as a result, secured and main- tained control of an immense business. The affairs of the bank are in the hands of Willlam Alvord, who has been its president for many years past. Mr. Alvord is one of the representative bankers of the country, an astute busi- ness man and a financier of unusual ability. In the panic that convulsed the financial world in 1893 Mr. Alvord's management of the bank was con- spicuously brilliant. The confidence of depositors in the institution never wavered for an instant, the result be- ing that while many other banks were severely shaken by the storm, the af- fairs of the Bank of California pro- gressed without the siightest inconve- nience. Tt is this that has contributed 80 largely to the fame enjoyed by this celebrated filnancial house. The bank issues letters of credit available in all parts of the world. It draws direct on New York, Boston, Chicago, St. Louis, Salt Lake, Denver, Kansas City, New Orleans, Portland, | Or., and Los Angeles, and on London, Paris, Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfort-on- the-Main, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Christiania, Melbourne, Sydney, Auck- land, Hongkong, Shanghal, Yokohama, Genoa and all the cities of the world. The business transacted by the bank embraces every branch of legitimate banking, including the issuance of for- elgn and domestic exchange and the careful, systematic making of collec- tions. | According to the latest statement filed with the Bank Commissioners the | assets of the bank aggregated $15,573,- 74188. The amount of money on hand was $2,693,963 09, and there was due | from banks and bankers $1,469,452 52. | The reserve fund was $3,097,848 03. Aside from President Alvord the offi- cers are as follows: Vice president, Charles R. Bishop; cashier, Thomas | Brown. The directors are: Willlam Alvord, James M. Allen, Charles R. Bishop, Antoine Borel, Adam Grant, A. K. P. Harmon, H. H. Hewlett, Ed W. Hopkins, Meyer Lewis, F. G. New- lands and George Whittier. —————. — SOHMER PIANOS. The Great Musical Establishment of Byron Mauzy. The {llustrations presented in this number of the magnificent plano ware- rooms of Byron Mauzy in the Pacific- Union Club buflding, Union square, | this clty, will be a surprise to many | who had no idea that there were any | “Beastly hot weather, isn't {t?* “Horriblel Why, the ice has been melted out of my whiskers for more than a week."—Life. rooms devoted to the sale and display of musical Instruments on quite so large a scale outside of New York or Chicago. Mr. Mauzy has been in this building for eleven years past and has each year madeimprovementsthathave kept him abreast of the times. The large central room can be turned into a hall with a seating capacity of 500. The various rooms are filled with dif- ferent makes of pianos, of which Mr. Mauzy is the sole representative. Es- pecially attractive are the two large rooms devoted to the display of the Sohmer piano. The Grand room is complete with Parlor, Baby and Bijou Grands in mahogany and oak cases. The Upright room has cases in mahog- any, walnut, birdseye maple and oak, all of the choicest and finest woods. The room devoted to the display of the Byron Mauzy Pianos is also an at- tractlye one. With extensive facilities for manu- facturing in New York, and 20 years of retail} experience in handling all the | prominent makes of pianos, Mr. Mauzy is engibled to cull out the strongest pointg of all these instruments, and combine them in a piano in every way adapted to the use and needs of this climate. The Byron Mauzy Plano i{s made on the latest scientific plans, and has all the new improvements. The most beautiful woods are selected for the casings, and these are double cross veneered, with handsome etched and carved panels. The sounding board is made to pro- duce the fullest volume of tone; the action the latest improved; the ham- mers of the best felt; the white keys are ivory and the black keys are ebony. The backs are open and of hard wood, nicely finished. There are three pedals, one of them a muffler, so ar- ranged that a child can practice in the same room without disturbing any one. Bvery plano is warranted for ten years. e — A Promlnent Mining Man. One of the most notable successes that have been made in the State in the mining business is that of Mr. Willfred G. Drown of Angels, Cal. Starting at the bottom of tne ladder he has, by his superior judgment and indomitable will, made a name for himself of which any man might be proud. He is a native of Massachusetts and came to California In 1876. His first experience in mining was gained at Angels, where he was associated with Charles Lane, one of the owners of the famous Utica | :nlne, Mr. Drown is a machinist by rade and his work was invaluable to the Utica. He started in as an ordi- nary miner and worked himself up to have charge of the top works of the mine, a very responsible position and one requiring a thorough knowledge of the business. He left the service of the Utica company to develop what is now known as the Tracy properties. This property had been overlooked by the so-called knowing mining men, who did not believe it was on the mother lode and could not be developed into a divi- dend-paying proposition. Subsequent developments have demonstrated that Mr. Drown has been correct in his con- clusions and from present indications the mine will be one known the world over as one of California’s famous pro- ducers. ' The sulphurets are rich and uniform, averaging about $70 per ton and the shaft is now being sunk on an average of three feet per day through rock running about $4. There are four distinct veins running through this property. Mr. Drown is the superin- tendent of this property and in addition has charge of other valuable mining properties. He represents a very large amount of foreign capital and will start for Europe in a short time, where he will no doubt arrange for further de- velopments. Mr. Drown is a young man, but the close attention he has glven to mining and the careful study he has made of the business has made him one of the best judges of a mining property in the State. His advice is al- ways sought, especially in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, and so far his judgment has been correct. He is a very wide awake and progressive man and his sturdy and uncompromising in- tegrity has made him hosts of friends, who bank on him from start to finish. Their confidence has not been mis- placed and if he gives cut a positive statement it is a certainty that he is correct. He is a married man and the father of two boys, who, if they follow in their father’s footsteps, will in turn become representative citizens of the community. ———— The Holbrooke. To all people visiting Nevada County it would be well to bear in mind that the Holbrooke House, in Grass Valley, is the house at which proper accommo- dations can be secured. Mr. Hunsaker, the proprietor, is an experienced hotel | man, and nothing is left undone to se- cure the comfort of his guests. The rooms are light, airy and perfectly kept, the menu is unexcelled and the comfort of the guest is the primary consideration in this hotel. ——— e “Of course,” observed Xerxes, the King, “my will is law.” “Doubtless,” answered the wise man of the court, after consulting a few authorities, “that i3 to say, if your mafjesty doesn’t leave too large tn estate.”— Boston Globe. —_—— He—Do you thing there is really any danger in kissing? She—Wait till I go to the stairs and listen to find out whether papa is asleep or not.