After congratulations a programme was given followed by a banquet. Many happy speeches of compliment were made and I gave them in return a short sketch of my musical life. At the close of the recital we reluctantly separated after greatly enjoying the unusual opportunity of celebrating two golden jubilees of one life on the same day.
Words are inadequate to express my gratitude to all who were factors in making this one of the greatest days I ever experienced. It seemed that everybody was a friend. The newspapers vied with each other in their write-ups of the occasion. The Call, Tribune, Chronicle, Enquirer, Saturday Night, Berkeley Gazette, Santa Cruz Surf, Examiner, Benicia Era, the Stockton and Sacramento papers all ran full articles and pictures in my honor. At this late day I tender my sincere thanks for favors and kindly criticisms, from time immemorial.
CHAPTER TWELVE
CAMILLA URSO'S FESTIVAL, 1873. MADAME ANNA BISHOP. THE LORING CLUB. ALFRED WILKIE, FRANK GILDER, D.P. HUGHES
NE of the most difficult tasks in writing my memoirs is the choice of the most important happenings in a busy life. There are so many things to speak of it is hard to know where to begin. I cannot begin with a more appropriate event than the Fourth of July celebration which took place in 1869, with William Seward, Secretary of State, in one of the boxes of the California theater.
Alex Austin, Esq., was president of the day and called the assemblage to order.