The Knave Sun, Dec 2, 1951 – Page 61 · Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) · Newspapers.comThe Knave
Peter the Hunter
"Early California had an unusual role of unique persons,” John W. Winkley reports. “Alonzo Delano (Old Block) records the story of one whom he found while at his 'paper town' on the Feather River in 1850. This individual went under the name of Peter the Hunter. He was the son of a French trapper and a Sioux Indian mother. At the time he appeared at Delano's store and 'town,' he was about 58 years of age, tall and gaunt of body, with restless, roving black eyes. He was a most skillful hunter and kept Delano's table supplied with game. He spoke fluently English, French and numerous Indian languages. In his youth he had served in the British army and had fought in the battle of Waterloo. After seven years of such service he was discharged at the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon. In that region he married a squaw and had four children; three girls and one boy. When Peter became a neighbor of Old Block on the Feather, his wife and son were dead. Peter had been exceedingly fond and proud of his boy and even yet could not speak of his death without weeping. The three girls were with him, two being young women, and the other a girl of eight. They were fearless and expert riders and could use the rifle and lasso with unerring aim. But Peter was disturbed about the future of his daughters. As long as he lived, he could take care of them. But what would happen to them, when he was gone? White men had offered to give him and the girls a home, but they would not marry the girls. Peter knew their motives and would not agree to their proposal. Now he reported to Delano that some thieving Frenchmen, living upstream a few miles were threatening to carry off his girls. Old Block told him to pitch his tent near his store and he would see that no harm came to them. This Peter did and the Frenchmen kept at a safe distance. In the evenings spent around the camp fire Peter related the strange and exciting incidents of his life experiences in the British army, and in wanderings over Oregon and California wildernesses. His descriptions of scenery and Indian life were most accurate and entertaining. About this time at Delano's, Peter and the girls went on a hunting trip to the Sutter Buttes, where a large grizzly bear suddenly sprang upon him and tore off most of his scalp and badly clawed his face and body. Peter stabbed the bear with his hunting knife and shook him loose long enough for his oldest girl to plant a bullet in his brain. One morning Peter's tent by the store was gone. Delano never saw or heard of him again, an unresolved mystery."
[From the linked wikipedia page about Alonzo Delano: "His great-great-grandfather, Phillipe de la Noye, was also the great-great-great-great-grandfather of U.S. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. - MF]
Heroic Mail Carrier
The postoffice centennial served to remind Alex J. Rosborough, who himself is a brother of a former Oakland postmaster, Joseph J. Rosborough, of one of the unsung heroes of California's postal history: "The divide between Etna and Sawyers Bar is 7000 feet high and up there, when the wind is blowing, one can just about lean up against it. In winter snow whirls over this pass and banks itself over the old road 50 or 60 feet in depth where the turns work back and forth on the lee slope under the summit, on the Etna side. At times, rather than try to clear it off, a tunnel was made right through it to keep the roadway open for traffic and even at that, sometimes it absolutely closed up and the mail carrier was forced to put on snow shoes, shoulder the mail and make it on foot, a most dangerous and difficult task. In the winter of 1879 Charles Hooker left Etna in the face of a growing storm and by the time he had reached the little shelter where he fed and left the horses, the storm was on in all its fury. But he had done it before and the 'mail must go through.' He was a powerful fellow and knew every foot of the way; strapping on his snow shoes and taking the mail on his back, he stepped out into it and succeeded in getting over the top. On the other, the Salmon River side, the storm of snow and wind was hitting its hardest. Exposure to it and exhaustion from it pulled Charley down and from that little rest, he never awoke. When they found him, strapped on his back was his trust - The United States Mail Sack.”
Early Hospital Service
Newspaper reports on the activities of the medical meetings in San Francisco recently with the discussion of hospitalization plans has reminded Laurence E. Bulmore, president of the New Almaden Historical Society, of similar activities in an earlier day when employees of the Quicksilver Mining Company at New Almaden were furnished with hospital service through the agency of James B. Randol, who assumed management of the mines in July, 1870. “The employees requested that he provide some means whereby they would receive medical and surgical care for a nominal fee,” Bulmore writes. “Mr. Randol thought well of the idea and organized the Miners' Fund. It was mandatory that all employees and the heads of all families residing on company property pay $1.00 a month into the fund. A full-time resident physician was engaged and paid by the fund, his house, wood and water being provided by the company. All contributors and their immediate families received the services of the doctor without further cost. The one exception being accouchements, for which a charge of $5.00 was made. When a nurse was necessary that service was also provided by the fund. Medicines were furnished at cost and it was obligatory that the clerk in the superintendent's office be a licensed apothecary, who, besides his salary from the company, received a small remuneration from the Mine Fund. Today we may politely smile at the following, but some 60 years ago it was a serious matter. When, after 10 years, the old physician retired, Mr. Randol, sole trustee of the Miners' Fund, engaged a young and unmarried doctor. Because of his youth and single status some of the women refused to accept this doctor and their husbands and fathers petitioned Mr. Randol to dismiss him. Mr. Randol informed the petitioners that the doctor came highly recommended and would remain. Fortunately prudish modesty was overcome and the young doctor was soon accepted and admired by the entire population of New Almaden.
Other Mining Boons
"In addition to medical and surgical care the Miners' Fund made loans, without interest, when prolonged illness depleted a member's savings. Sometimes out-right gifts were made. To further illustrate the progressiveness of the management of the New Almaden mines: In 1886 the manager decided that recreation centers were necessary. With money from the Miners' Fund augmented by the company, two halls were built. One in the Hacienda and another on the Hill. These were called Helping Hand Clubs. The more elaborate hall was built in the Hacienda as it was more accessible to the people of neighboring districts, who were usually invited to the social functions at the mines. Each building had a large assembly hall and stage, a completely equipped kitchen, a game room and a library of several hundred volumes. Leading daily newspapers were subscribed to and the clubs were always open to members. Furnished with the necessary facilities the residents of New Almaden were almost self sufficient for entertainment and local talent presented many plays and variety shows. Dances were held frequently and professional companies often came from San Jose to put on plays and light operas. It is doubtful if the employees and residents of any other of California's old mining centers were afforded better medical care and social activities than those of New Almaden."
More Bicycle Information
Alex Rosborough's reminiscences about early day bicycle racing has brought two communications on the subject from Milton Charles Thomas and Carrie Elwell Pratt. [Carrie Pratt Elwell] Thomas writes in part: “I remember the days of the 100-mile relay race starting in San Francisco and ending at The Tribune. It was a 10-man team and I rode the first 10 miles for the California Cycling Club against riders from the Century Wheelmen and the Garden City Wheelmen of San Jose. This was about 1902. We would also make pleasure rides starting out on Saturday night and riding to San Jose where we would stay over night. The next day we would continue to Oakland, always stopping at the Estudillo House in San Leandro. We favored the Pierce bicycle. We also had 'home trainers' and held contests in Fisher's Theater in San Francisco. For these one roller was placed under the front wheel and two under the rear wheels. Percy Lawrence won the mile in a minute. It was exciting because each rider would face the other. Jimmy Britt was in his prime then and was our gym trainer.” In his story, Rosborough referred to a "big, powerful legged rider" and Mrs. Ewell identifies him as her husband, Frank D. Ewell. "He was then unknown to me," she writes, “but I learned that he was the winner of the described race by 20 minutes. The race was from Gilroy to Menlo Park. He does not remember the banquet Mr. Rosborough tells about. No wonder, that was about 68 years ago. He was the state champion racer on the high cycle and won several medals and trophies. Most club racing was done on a triangle in the vicinity of San Leandro.
Oakland's Chinatown
Time was when A. R. McPhail, superintendent of mails, was a letter carrier and his reflections on Oakland's Chinatown immediately after the fire have been passed on to The Knave. "I wonder how many of our citizens of Oakland know that at one time we had quite a Chinatown in the neighborhood bounded by Webster, Alice, First and Third Streets,” he writes. “After the San Francisco fire in 1906, there was built a community of stores and two-story buildings, all occupied by Chinese merchants who were forced to re-establish themselves and their firms. There were several alleys in the middle of the block which were occupied as living quarters. One alley I remember was called Sing Fat Alley. The others I have forgotten. I was the letter carrier in this district and these Chinese firms received a lot of mail, especially when the steamers arrived from China. These letters were quite interesting, as they were covered by Chinese writing with just the address in English written in the lower right hand corner. Each store was the headquarters of a certain family. All the Lees went to one store; the Lims went to another store, etc. They were a friendly people after they got to know you (which took some time), and they called me 'Coe Low,' which I afterward found meant 'tall' in Chinese, and no doubt was intended to describe my height of 6 foot 3. On the southeast corner of Second and Alice there was a Chinese theater which I was invited to attend one night, and I was given a seat on one end of the stage where I could look out into the audience and also turn my head to the left where I could watch the players. This was 40 years ago, but I can still see the audience in front of me, and they never laughed, cried or applauded, but just sat there and looked. I couldn't tell if they were enjoying it or not, but they seemed to like the watermelon seeds that they were cracking with their teeth. The costumes of the players were beautiful, and there was a lot of dashing around the stage, striking of cymbals and talking in falsetto voices. The men sat on one side of the theater and the women on the other side. Holding hands was evidently not done in the best Chinese circles.
Neighborhood Changed
"I was in the neighborhood last week, and not a building is left of this Chinese community. All has been replaced by lumber yards, factories, etc. I can recall a conversation that I had years ago with a Chinese lad who spoke of the difficulties the Chinese experienced when they came to this country and attempted to learn our language. He said that he had attended a mission school (sponsored by a church for the Chinese) and one evening he noticed that his teacher had a deep scratch on her wrist. He said, 'Oh, you have scratched your hide,' and she said you must never use that word in such a connection. You should say you have scratched your skin. Later on during the evening it was announced that they would sing a hymn on a certain page, and he turned to it and the title was 'Hide Me, Oh My Saviour, Hide Me,' so he remembered what his teacher had said, and sang 'Skin Me, Oh My Saviour, Skin Me.' This serving of the Chinese section was an interesting part of my post office career, and they were all fine people, and I enjoyed knowing them.”
Grain Merchant
The Knave: A prominent resident of Oakland was E. G. Mathews who was one of the old Clay Street grain merchants on the San Francisco waterfront. Mathews resided on a large farm in that part of the present City of Oakland then known as the town of Clinton and, for a time, as the incorporated City of Brooklyn, now East Oakland. The Mathews' farm house was located near a point where the north termination of Walker Street (now 13th Avenue) intersected, a country thoroughfare known as Moraga Road or the Moraga Valley County Road. The ranch extended west to Mathews Street, since renamed Park Avenue. My grandfather Mayhew (a name not to be confused with Mathews) took charge of Mathews' ranch sometime early in '61 shortly after his arrival at San Francisco at the age of 20. The position was made available to him through the offices of his cousin H. Allen Mayhew, later of Niles, who was Mathews' partner in the grain business.
Early Commuter
Mathews was an early bay commuter. He made the trip daily by way of the old Creek Route ferry. One of grandfather's duties was to meet his employer each week night at the Clinton Wharf on the Estuary with horse and buggy. Grandfather soon learned that the creek steamer had the annoying habit of running aground in the estuary mud. Night after night the steamer would get stuck, resulting in much huffing and puffing of steam, and spinning of paddle wheels. From an eminence on the Mathews ranch, grandfather would watch the steamer's progress far down the San Antonio Estuary. Calmly he would pursue the evening chores until he had made certain either that the steamer had not run into the mud or, if stuck, that it had freed itself. At the appropriate moment grandfather would hitch horse and buggy and go clattering down the hill to meet his boss on the wharf. One of grandfather's jobs was to plant a large orchard. Years later he invested in numerous pieces of East Oakland property, both business and residential. He recognized many of the trees on his properties as parcel of the orchard he had planted as a youth. Edwin Goodrich Mathews died September 28, 1893, at the age of 77 years. He deserves to be better remembered by posterity in the city where he lived 33 years and served as justice of the peace. - LLOYD HARE.
Motoring 40-Odd Years Ago
The Knave recently came on some diverting information concerning motoring in 1907. For instance, Otto A. Putzker of Berkeley claimed to be the first owner of an automobile in Alameda County. He began with a small Locomobile in 1897. By 1907 he had purchased and driven three Fords, two Wintons, a Rambler and finally a Dolson ... The Southern California Automobile Club celebrated the year by installing signboards on the roads from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, Fresno and San Diego, making it "an impossibility for a motorist to get off the road.” ... The 1908 Acme six-cylinder car was being tested on the roads near Reading, Pa. It was expected to develop between 50 and 60 horsepower ... The Pierce Arrow runabout was described as "a handsome and powerful car" and cost $5000. Only one was in the Bay area. It was the property of Wickham Havens ... Plans were being made by A. D. Shepard of the Pacific Improvement Company to establish tours over the 17-mile-drive for guests at Del Monte Hotel. He had purchased an Oldsmobile and a Cadillac for the purpose ... J. Dalzell Brown, owner of a 65-horsepower Pierce Arrow was boasting that he could make the trip from his summer home on Clear Lake to San Francisco in four hours and a half ... Miss Nellie Waters, daughter of Battalion Chief Waters of Oakland, "an expert handler of the wheel" had negotiated the trip from Oakland to Del Monte in a single day ... W.J. Murdock Jr., and Max Rosenfeld returned home after an extended and exhaustive tour of the Eastern states. They made a 1000-mile run through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois in a Peerless, starting at Cleveland and winding up in Manhattan ... Everyone wasn't motor-mad in 1907, however; some people used the streetcars and as a consequence the Oakland Traction Company had begun work on the extension of its Telegraph Avenue line to be operated on Dana Street, Alston Way, Oxford Street and University Avenue, forming a loop to connect with the line which had its terminus at Shattuck and University Avenues. The idea was to relieve the congestion of traffic on Shattuck Avenue "where Key Route trains and electric cars make rapid transit a complicated matter."
California Christmas '72
The approach of the holiday season makes timely some items in The Grizzly Bear, official publication of the Native Sons and Daughters of the Golden West, dated January, 1872, and relative to Christmas and other events. "A heavy storm began December 22 and continued through Christmas Eve and Day ... The Christmas poultry market in San Francisco was overstocked with shipments from Iowa and other Middle West states and tons of poultry were dumped into the Bay after the birds became unsalable ... At San Jose, there was a scarcity, and dressed turkeys, sold at 40 cents a pound. ... Siskiyou County was greatly excited over a reported uprising of Indians near the Oregon boundary. It was stated that 11 settlers had been killed, houses burned and stock appropriated. United States troops were being sent to the scene of disturbance ... Citizens of Yreka wired Gov. Newton Booth for aid in arms and ammunition to equip volunteers in suppressing the uprising Modocs. In a skirmish, December 21, two soldiers were killed and five wounded. More troops were being sent .. The Empire mine of Grass Valley cleaned up $19,000 from a 12-day run ... Fifteen acres of land in Los Angeles, to be used for a Southern Pacific depot, were bought for $75,000 by citizens of the city and donated to the company ... A group of matrons in Vallejo held a meeting and resolved that they would in the future dance only in quadrilles ... Lupesina, a squaw, died in Monterey at the age of 116 years. She saw Junipero Serra landed at Monterey and was baptised by him. She helped build the Carmelo church ... James Kenovan, a pedestrian of note, walked and, danced for 36 hours without rest for the benefits of an orphans home ... James McCrary, a notorious desperado who had killed several men in Nevada, killed Charles Allen over a trivial argument in Visalia. The citizens organized a vigilante committee, took him from the jail and hanged him from a stringer on a nearby bridge ... Samuel Brannan, in cleaning up his real estate holdings at Calistoga, presented a town lot to each of 77 citizens of that town. - THE KNAVE.
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