The streets in those days were all planked. Beyond Mason streets ran the trail westward to the Presidio, past scattered cottages, sheds, dairies and vegetable gardens.
On the east side of Stockton street, between Sacramento and Clay streets, stood the old Pioche residence, wherein were given many lavish entertainments, for its owner was an epicure and hospitable to a degree. He was a heavy speculator and at one time possessed of much property. His death was a mystery and has never been solved. During the '90's his home was used as the Chinese consulate.
On the west side of Taylor street at the corner of Sacramento street stood the home of Capt. J. B. Thomas, after occupied by Addison E. Head, while on the corner of Clay I had my grocery business, living on the next block, between Clay and Washington, No. 1211. Win. T. Coleman, the leader of the Vigilance Committee, lived on the corner of Washington street; this house was built by W. F. Walton, and occupied in turn by S. C. Hastings, Wm. T. Coleman and D. M. Delmas, all men of prominence, while on the next corner stood the home of my old friend, Gross, who came across the plains with me in 1849. In later days, Mr. Chilion Beach resided there.
On the east side at the southeast corner of Washington, stood the J. B. Haggin home, while on the northeast corner stood that of the Beavers, and at the corner of Jackson, the Tevis.' In this neighborhood also lived Ina D. Coolbrith, whose home was the center of the literary genius of the State, amongst them being Bret Harte, Joaquin Miller, and Charles Warren Stoddard. Josiah Stanford, a brother of Leland Stanford, lived on the south side of Jackson street, just below the Tevis home.
Here is as good a place as any to give my readers a short account of the Clay Street Hill Underground Cable Railroad, which operated on Clay street from Leavenworth to Kearny streets, a distance of seven blocks, and at an elevation of 307 feet above the starting point. The cable car was the invention of Mr. A. S. Hallidie, who organized the company which built the line. This was the first time that the application of an underground cable was ever used to move street cars, and on August 1, 1873, the first run up the Clay street hill from Kearny to Leavenworth street, was made, and by September 1st the road was in operation. It was a wonderful exhibition, and half the town was there to witness it. Many were in doubt as to the success of the enterprise. The company required the property holders on the hill to subscribe and donate towards the expense, which they did. The writer owning some property there at that time, gave $100.00 to further the enterprise. This was in 1872. An interested Chinese watched the moving cars and remarked: "No pushee, no pullee, go like hellee."
The California Street Railroad Company used the same device. This line was operated along California street from Kearny to Fillmore and first operated April 9, 1878. It was afterwards extended eastward to Drumm and Market streets and westward to Central Avenue. The Sutter Street R. R. Co. was in operation January 27, 1877, and the Geary street line, February 16, 1880. Cable cars were also operated over Sacramento and Washington streets as well as over Powell at later dates.
[[1]] A few words might be said concerning the principals of this trouble. King, whose name was James King (before coming to California he had added "of William" so as to distinguish himself from others of that name), came to California November 10th, 1848, engaged in mining and mercantile pursuits and in December 1849 engaged in the banking business in San Francisco. In 1854 he merged with Adams & Co. Shortly afterwards they failed, and he lost everything he possessed. Through the financial backing of his friends, he started the "Daily Evening Bulletin," October 8th, 1855, a small four-page sheet about 10 x 15 inches in size. He was fearless in his editorials, but always within the bounds of right and justice, and took a strong position against corruption of the city officials and their means of election. His paper grew in circulation and size, and soon outstripped all the other papers combined. November 17th, 1855, the Cora and Richardson affair held the attention of the public, and King in his fearlessness inflamed the population into taking matters into their own hands after the Courts had failed to convict. And by his so doing had aroused an enmity, and determination from the lawless element to stop his utterances, even at the cost of his life, so when he attacked in his paper, one James P. Casey, a lawless character, gambler and ballot box manipulator and Supervisor, as having served an eighteen-months sentence in Sing Sing, N. Y., before coming to California, who also published a paper, "The Sunday Times," it brought matters to a crisis, for Casey taking offense at this and other attacks on his ilk, shot King on the evening of May 14, 1856. The shooting of King was the cause of the formation of the Vigilance Committee of 1856 and the direct means of cleaning the city of the corruptness that had had swing for so many years.—[Editor.]
[[2]] Two of the unused cartridges of Mr. Woolley's, at the end of the troublous time of the Vigilance committee, are to be seen in the Oakland Public Museum.—[Editor.]