California and the West, 1881, and later. By L. Vernon Briggs LUAU AT THE MOANALUA COTTAGE OF HON. S. M. DAMON, OAHU, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. ROBERT LEWERS, P.C. JONES, S. M. DAMON, W. H. LEWERS, EDDIE DAMON, OLIVER CARTER, HARRIET LEWERS, ELIZABETH CAMPBELL, HELEN JUDD, MRS. S. M. DAMON, MRS. JOSEPH O. CARTER CALIFORNIA AND THE WEST 1881 AND LATER Privately Printed BY L. VERNON BRIGGS Author of “The History of shipbuilding on North River, Massachusetts”; “Around cape Horn to Honolulu on the Bark ‘Amy Turner’, 1881”; “Experiences of a Medical student in Honolulu and on the Island of Oahu, 1881” 1931 COPYRIGHT, 1931 BY L. V. BRIGGS BOSTON WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING COMPANY 1931 DEDICATED TO MY EVER FAITHFUL, LOVING AND DEVOTED SISTER VELMA BRIGGS INTRODUCTION Since writing my experience as a medical student in Honolulu I have been urged by many friends in the West to continue my narrative and write of my experiences in the West, especially of my visit California and the West, 1881, and later. By L. Vernon Briggs http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.030 to California fifty years ago. It is a personal narrative and therefore I have decided to publish this volume privately. I have left out the continuation of my journey from Yuma, Arizona, to Boston in 1881, for the experiences of my sister and myself in Arizona during the Apache war, and my later trip to Mexico, would make this too large a volume. I have decided to publish these experiences in a separate volume later. I do not expect the general public to be interested in these tales, but only those who reside in the regions I write about, or who have visited these localities some years ago. L. V. B. JULY, 1931 CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I. Northern California, 1881-82 — Napa City and Soda Springs — St. Helena — Calistoga — Ætna Springs — White Sulphur Springs — A Suicide at Our Hotel — The Geysers — Petrified Forest - Ukiah — Monticello — Martinez — Vallejo 1 II. San Francisco in 1881 — Funeral Procession for President Garfield — Mare Island — Governor Romualdo Pacheco — Chinatown in 1881 — San Francisco to Los Angeles 67 III. Los Angeles in 1882 — The Old Town — The Fort — The Suburbs — Samuel Henry Kent — Santa Monica — The Perry Family — General William T. Sherman — California Desert — Yuma 113 IV. A Trip to the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, Ill., 1893 144 V. A Trip to California in 1895, along the Route of the Canadian Pacific — Vancouver — Seattle — Portland — Home by way of the Brigham Young Trail 150 VI. World's Fair, St. Louis, 1904 — A Visit to the Yellowstone Park 159 VII. A Hurried Trip to Santa Barbara in 1920 170 VIII. California and the West, 1921 — Truckee, Nevada - Lake Tahoe — Yosemite — San Francisco - Monterey — Santa Barbara — Los Angeles - Grand Canyon, Arizona 176 IX. Visit to Santa Barbara, California, 1923 208 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Luau at the Moanalua Cottage of Hon. S. M. Damon, Oahu, Hawaiian Islands. Robert Lewers, P. C. Jones, S. M. Damon, W. H. Lewers, Eddie Damon, Oliver Carter, Harriet Lewers, Elizabeth California and the West, 1881, and later. By L. Vernon Briggs http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.030 Campbell, Helen Judd, Mrs. S. M. Damon, Mrs. Joseph O. Carter Frontispiece Facing page Residence of Hon. Samuel M. Damon, Nuuanu Avenue, Honolulu. Home of L. V. Briggs for Many Months. Mrs. S. M. Damon and Miss May Damon in Foreground 4 Palace Hotel, Napa, Cal.(text) 7 U. S. Arctic Relief Ship “Rodgers” and Officers, 1881 8 C. H. Wetmore, M.D., Napa, Cal., 1881 12 Luke Kelly, Napa, Cal., 1881 12 San Rafael, Marin County, Cal., 1881 16 Calistoga Hotel and Grounds from the Depot, 1881 16 Charles J. Guiteau (from Frank Leslie's “Weekly,” 1881)(text) 25 Discussion by the Attending and Consulting Surgeons of President Garfield (from Frank Leslie's “Weekly,” 1881)(text) 27 Napa Soda Springs and Hotel(text) 30 L. Vernon Briggs, 1881 32 The Geysers — Foss in His Glory — The Geysers Hotel(text) 35 Arriving at the Geysers Hotel, July 25, 1881(text) 39 Geysers Hotel, Sonoma County, Cal., 1881 40 x Facing page View from the Geysers Hotel, Geysers, Cal., 1881 40 Devil's Tea Kettle, Geysers, Cal., 1881 40 Mrs. Howland, Wife of Capt. John Howland, Napa, 1881 48 Emma Haas, Napa, 1881 48 View of the Bay and Part of the City of San Francisco, 1881 (photo by Taber) 56 Ferry Landing, San Francisco, 1881 56 Petrified Tree, 70 Feet Long, 11 Feet Diameter, Petrified Forest, Sonoma County, Cal., July 27, 1881 56 San Francisco, Cal., in 1848 (from a pencil sketch by Taber) 64 Central Pacific Railroad Depot, Oakland, Cal., 1881 (photo by Taber) 64 Arraignment of Guiteau (from Frank Leslie's “Weekly,” 1881)(text) 74 Daniel Callaghan, 1882 80 Palace Hotel, San Francisco, 1881 (photo by Taber) 80 Court, Palace Hotel, San Francisco, 1881 (photo by Taber) 88 California Street, San Francisco, looking up from Sansome Street, 1881 (photo by Taber) 88 Market Street from 3rd Street, looking East, San Francisco, 1881 (photo by Taber) 104 The Crocker and Colton Mansions, California Street, San Francisco, 1881 104 A. F. Sawyer, M.D., San Francisco, 1881 (photo by Taber) 106 Cliff House and Seal Rock, San Francisco, 1881 108 Grand Hotel, San Francisco, 1881 108 Bird's- eye View of San Francisco, 1881 108 Sonora, the Original Settlement of Los Angeles; occupied in 1882 by Aged Spaniards and Mexicans; Many Adobe Houses (photo by Payne, Stanton & Co.) 114 xi Facing page View of Los Angeles, Cal., from the Top of the Court House, 1882 114 Pico House, Los Angeles, 1882 114 The New Normal School, 1882(text) 125 Samuel Henry Kent, 1882 (photo by The Adams Studio) 128 Residence of William H. Perry, Esq., on Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, 1882 136 Mamie B. Perry, Los Angeles, Cal 138 William H. Perry, Esq., Los Angeles, 1882 138 Adobe Mission Church, 110 Years Old in 1882, San Gabriel, Cal. The Chimes came California and the West, 1881, and later. By L. Vernon Briggs http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.030 from Spain (photo by Payne, Stanton & Co.) 142 Indians at Needles, Cal., 1882 142 Indians near Needles, Cal., 1882 142 The Raymond & Whitcomb Grand(text) 145 Vancouver, British Columbia, 1895 (photo by Boorne & May, Ltd.) 150 Main Street, Winnipeg, 1895 (photo by Notman & Son) 150 Cree Indian Family and Travois, Calgary, 1895 152 Bow River and Twin Peaks, Banff, 1895 (photo by Notman & Son) 152 Blackfoot Indian Camp near Gleichen, 1895 154 Loop in the Selkirks, showing four Tracks, 1895 (photo by Notman & Son) 154 Cree Indian at Medicine Hat, 1895 158 Blackfoot Indian, British Columbia, 1895 158 Miss Velma Briggs riding a Camel at World's Fair, St. Louis, 1904 (photo by L. V. Briggs) 159 Miss Velma Briggs dismounting from Camel, World's Fair, St. Louis, 1904 (photo by L. V. Briggs) 159 xii Facing page The Igorot preparing and cooking a Dog for their Daily Meal at the World's Fair, St. Louis, 1904 (photo by Philippine Photograph Company) 160 Miss Velma Briggs resting on an Elephant, World's Fair, St. Louis, 1904 (photo by L. V. Briggs) 162 Miss Velma Briggs feeding an Elephant, World's Fair, St. Louis, 1904 (photo by L. V. Briggs) 162 Driving into the Yellowstone, 1904 (photo by L. V. Briggs) 162 Constant Geyser, Yellowstone, 1904 (photo by L. V. Briggs) 164 Mammouth Hot Springs Hotel and Mount Everts, Yellowstone, 1904 (photo by L. V. Briggs) 164 Typical Group of Tourists watching Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone (photo by L. V. Briggs) 164 Paint Pots Geyser, Yellowstone (photo by L. V. Briggs) 166 Excelsior Geyser, Yellowstone (photo by L. V. Briggs) 166 Yellowstone Great Falls (photo by L. V. Briggs) 166 Giant Geyser, Yellowstone (photo by L. V. Briggs) 168 Buffalo in Yellowstone Park (photo by L. V. Briggs) 168 A Familiar Scene in the Yellowstone 168 “The Upham,” Santa Barbara, Oct. 30, 1920 (photo by L. V. Briggs) 172 Cottage Hospital, Santa Barbara, Oct. 30, 1920 (photo by L. V. Briggs) 172 Wood-fired Engine which ran from Truckee to Tahoe (photo by L. V. Briggs) 176 L. Cabot Briggs diving in Lake Tahoe, Sept. 1, 1921 (photo by L. V. Briggs) 176 Lake Tahoe(text) 178 Mono Lake. Mrs. McPherson's Boat just leaving her Island 180 xiii Facing page Venita R. McPherson and her Goats on Paoha Ranch and Island, Mono Lake 180 After leaving Mindon, Sept. 3, 1921 (photo by L. V. Briggs) 180 L. V. Briggs and Party passing a Mule Team near Tioga Pass, Sept. 3, 1921 182 Tenaga Lake, California, Sept. 4, 1921 (photo by L V. Briggs) 182 Canvas Cabins at Tenaya Lake, where we spent the Night of Sept. 3, 1921 (photo by L. V. Briggs) 182 Facsimile of Automobile Pass for Tioga Pass(text) 183 Yosemite (photo by L. V. Briggs) 184 Half Dome, Yosemite, at Mirror Lake, Sept. 5, 1921 (photo California and the West, 1881, and later. By L. Vernon Briggs http://www.loc.gov/resource/calbk.030 by L. V. Briggs) 184 Merced River, Yosemite, Sept. 4, 1921, near where we lunched in Our Car (photo by L. V. Briggs) 184 L. Cabot Briggs, L. Vernon Briggs and Chauffeur, W. G. Anderson, on the Yosemite Trail, Sept. 5, 1921 (photo by Mary Cabot Briggs) 186 Half Dome, Yosemite, Sept. 5, 1921 (photo by Mary Cabot Briggs) 186 View on the Way from Yosemite to Glacier Point, Sept. 6, 1921 (photo by M. C. Briggs) 186 View from Glacier Point, Yosemite, Sept. 6, 1921, Cabot in the Foreground (photo by L.