ACCOUNT OF MY VISIT TO CALIFORNIA

by

THOMAS JORDAN STEVENS

 

Transcribed by Barbara Crockett and Elizabeth Evans Kaiser

Submitted to Church Historian’s Office August 7, 1979 by Paul Stevens Crockett, Son of Zella Stringham Stevens, Grandson of Thomas Jordan Stevens

 

While attending a meeting of the choir in the 4thWard, Ogden City, Wednesday evening August 4, 1886, I received a telegram at 9:30 P.M. from Ernest Stevens informing me that his father, (my brother Abraham) died at his home in Tulare, California that afternoon. I left the meeting and went in search of Oscar (who had been visiting us for a month) to inform him of the death of his father: found him on 5th St. about 10 P.M. and communicated to him the sad news, which completely overcame him with grief, took him to my house for the night. Next morning I telegraphed to Tulare requesting them to keep the body until my arrival. Went to the depot in Salt Lake City to Mr. A.G. Fell Supt. Salt Lake Div. L.P.R.R. in relation to transportation for myself to Tulare, for I had made up my mind to go there and ship the body here for burial; also to attend to the business for the family and bring them back with me. Mr. Fell told me the best he could do was half fare, which amounted to $23.60 one way. I accepted of that and left that evening August 5th, 1886 at 7 P.M.; bought sleeping car berth $6.00; Oscar accompanied me.

 

We arrived at Sacramento, Saturday morning, August 7th. Saw Mr. James Forbes who is Freight, Baggage and Ticket Agent at that place. He gave me a letter of introduction to Mr. Pratt, Assistant Manager of the L.P.R.R. Co., the said letter was also solicitous in my behalf in relation to free transportation on my return. We left Sacramento about 11 A.M. for Tulare, arrived there at 7:15 P.M. same day (Aug. 7th). We were met at depot by Seymour Johnson Master Mechanic, and several other employees of the company, all of them were entire strangers to me but acquainted with Oscar; all were very kind to us. We went to the residence of my brother's family. The scene I met there was sorrowful in the extreme, so painful to me that I never shall forget it. Eliza (my brother’s widow) was prostrated with grief, she received very kind attention from the neighbors who seemed to never tire in their efforts, to console her. My arrival was such a relief to her, so much so that she slept a little that night.

 

Next morning (Sunday) I visited Mr. Seymour Johnson in relation to transportation of the remains of my brother to Ogden, but I was informed by him that I could not obtain a pass there as it was contrary to the companies rules for Master Mechanics or Superintendents to issue passes beyond their respective divisions. Consequently the pass required would have to come from the General Office at San Francisco, so I concluded to go there, believing that I would accomplish more by so doing than telegraphing. So I purchases a ticket to San Francisco which cost $9.60, left Tulare at 1:30 Am, Monday morning (Aug. 9th) (the train was about one hour behind time). Before leaving I telegraphed to William McKenzie, Master Mechanic at Oakland (he being an intimate acquaintance of mine and a particular friend to my brother (Abe) acquainting him of the death of my brother, also asking him to meet me at the pier at Oakland upon the arrival of No. 19 passenger train that date.

 

We arrived at Lathrop about 9 A.M. I took breakfast. We arrived at Oakland pier at 2 o'clock P.M. Mr. McKenzie was waiting for me. We boarded the ferry boat and crossed the bay to San Francisco, took the street car for the general office of the Southern Pacific Company. Met Mr. Pratt, Assistant General Manager of the companies roads, was introduced to him by Mr. McKenzie; Mr. Pratt once being a resident of Ogden said that he remembered me. Mr. McKenzie made known to him the object of our visit so Mr. Pratt asked me what passes I desired. After informing him what I needed he requested his clerk to issue the following passes: 1 for myself to return to Tulare, pass for the body to Ogden also pass for a person to accompany the same and pass for said person to return, passes for myself, Abe's wife, Oscar, Ida and Ernest from Tulare to Ogden. I thanked him and we returned to the ferry boat and crossed to Oakland, arriving there 3:30 P.M. I telegraphed to Mr. S. Johnson at Tulare informing him of my success in regard to passes and in order that they might prepare for the shipment of the body as soon as possible after my return. Left Oakland on my return trip at 3:45 P.M., arrived at Lathrop at about 7 P.M., took supper, the first I had eaten since breakfast at the same place that morning. I arrived at Tulare about 3 o'clock Tuesday morning. Was met at depot by Mr. Pheps, Barnes and some others. Went to my brothers house, found Eliza and family waiting for me. Shortly after my arrival we went to bed and had a little sleep. The same day about 2 o'clock P.M. we held the funeral services, a Mr. Wood, Baptist Minister, officiating. The shops were closed that afternoon in honor of the occasion, “by orders of Mr. S. Johnson, M.M.” all the shop hand marched in order from the house to the church, they all showed profound respect to the departed.

 

At 12:30 P.M. on the morning of the 11th instant I shipped the remains in charge of a Mr. L.A. Pratt, an undertaker residing at Tulare. I gave him letters of introduction to Mr. James Forbes, agent at Sacramento, also one to Thomas Farmer, a machinist at Carlin, Nevada, the object of which was for them to secure a supply of ice for the said undertaker, in order that the body might be kept frozen, for I shipped it in a freezer. He telegraphed me from Sacramento that he arrived all safe, obtained the necessary amount of ice through Mr. Forbes. Left there about 7 P.M. same date (Aug. 11th) received a telegram from Carlin night of the 12th instant informing us that every thing was O.K. The remains arrived at Ogden, its destination, on Friday morning August 13th in a splendid condition, received a telegram from my brother William Henry so stating. The body was taken to S.M. Preshaw's undertaking establishment for preparation.

 

The funeral services were held that afternoon at 2 P.M. at the Second Ward Meeting House. Services were conducted by Bishop Edwin Stratford. James Taylor, Wm. H. Wright, Robt. F. Neslen and Bishop Stratford addressed the meeting. At the conclusion of the said services the remains were conveyed to the hearse and followed by a long line of carriages to the Ogden Cemetery and interred by the side of Willie, a son of the deceased.

 

After I shipped the remains of my brother from Tulare I was at liberty to attend to the disposing of his effects. The house occupied by the family was purchased sometime previous, from Sisson & Crocker for $1,000.00 with the privilege of paying said amount by installments, as stipulated in bond for deed, the amount paid on said principle to date was only $150.00 leaving a balance of $850.00 due. In consideration of the improvements put on the said house since purchased I considered it worth $l,350.00 and offered it for sale for that amount. One party offered me $1,100.00, another offered $l,200.00 and finally I sold it to William Brannan for $l,300.00 on Monday August 16th, 1886. He paid me $450.00 and obligated himself to pay the balance due $850.00. I succeeded in getting Sisson &. Crocker's agent (Mr. H.J. Jordan) to bind themselves to issue a deed to Wm. Brannan when the said $850.00 is liquidated. The $450.00 received from Wm. Brannan was in deposit checks indorsed to me on the Tulare Bank. It being after banking hours I could not cash said checks that day and that night about 10 o'clock a fire broke out in a livery stable on Tulare Street and consumed the whole of the business portion of Tulare including the bank. Next morning I interviewed the cashier of said bank in relation to the checks received from Wm. Brannan, at first he told me nothing could be done as he had no money in his possession outside of their vault and it could not be opened for several days. After I informed him that we were calculating to leave Tulare that night, (for all the furniture bad been disposed of, and our trunks packed) he finally consented to give me a letter to the cashier of the Pacific Bank at San Francisco, asking them to cash the said checks.

 

Figure 1.  Tulare Business District after the 1886 fire - Devastation in the city of Tulare after the fire of 1886.

From: San Joaquin Valley Digitization Project, Merv Fulton Collection. San Joaquin Valley & Sierra Foothills Photo Heritage

Originally Published By: Tulare Public Library

Repository: San Joaquin Valley Library System

Available from the Online Archive of California; http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt7n39q7bx.

 

Another incident that occurred during the fire I consider worth noting. One article belonging to the family I had to dispose of was an organ and I soon found it would be difficult to obtain a fair price for it at private sale so I concluded to raffle it for $150.00 (one hundred chances at $1.50 per chance) and in view of this object I wrote a half dozen headings for signitures and procured quite a number of names, and in order that those who were taking chances in said raffle might see the organ I had it taken to a store in town for that purpose. As soon as the fire alarm was given I hurried in the direction of the flames and soon discovered that the fire was then in very close proximity to the store where the organ had been taken. The flames had reached the building. Upon my arrival I found the store locked but the proprietor soon came and unlocked the door and I soon rescued the organ. I removed it to a safe distance from the fire that night and next day had it taken to Robert Smith’s room. I could not secure the necessary number of names in order to proceed with the raffle before our departure, so I left the matter with Charles Hall, foreman of the Machine Shop. He promised to attend to it and forward me the amount raised.

 

Figure 2.  Rebuilding after the fire of 1886 - A view of Tulare from the 100 block of J Street after the fire of 1886.

Seventy-seven buildings were destroyed.

 Ibid.

 

We departed from Tulare on Wednesday morning at 1:30 A.M., August 18th, arrived in San Francisco same day at 7 P.M, stopped at the Brooklyn Hotel. Next morning Oscar and I crossed the ferry to Oakland to see Wm. McKenzie in regard to Oscar being transferred from Tulare to Carlin shops, found McKenzie in his office just directing a communication to me, also a written transfer for Oscar, from Mr. A.J. Stevens, General Master Mechanic of the S.P. Company's Roads, I received it from him and returned to San Francisco.

 

After dinner we went in search of George H. Powers, M.D., found his office at No. Geary Street. We engaged him to perform an operation upon one of Ida's eyes it being considerably crossed. He performed the operation very successfull and only charged us $20.00, his regular fee for such an undertaking being $100.00.

 

After leaving his office we boarded a street car for the Golden Gate Park, spent about two hours there inspecting the beautiful varieties in flowers and plants which were grand indeed and something that one will never forget. We then returned to the hotel for supper, that evening Oscar, Ernest and I spent at the Baldwin Theatre, the play performed was “Saints and Sinners”. We enjoyed it very much. After returning to our hotel we retired for the night. Next morning Eliza, Ida, Oscar, Ernest and I visited the panoramic scenes of the Battle of Waterloo, which I consider magnificent and full of interest, in fact it was so true to life that ones imagination would almost lead them to forget that they were gazing upon figures painted on canvass. We tramped around until dinner time, after which I went to the Pacific Bank in relation to the checks received from Wm. Brannan. I handed the cashier of the bank the note from the cashier of the Bank of Tulare. He informed me that they would cash them providing some one would identify me as being Thomas J. Stevens. I finally found W.M. Rank, D.& R.G. R.R. agent, a former resident of Ogden, who identified me to the bank. I received the amount of cash the checks called for and deposited in the said bank to be drawn at Ogden $650.00 for Eliza.

 

Went on Market Street and purchased a few presents for the Children, also bought a parrott which cost $l5.00, cage $2.50. We left San Francisco that afternoon on the 2:30 P.M. ferry after purchasing sleeping, car berths at Oakland, we started on our journey for Ogden. Nothing important occurred during our travels. At Carlin I arranged with Mr. P. Sheedy, the M.M. for Oscar to commence work there on the first of Sept.

 

We arrived home on Sunday morning August 22nd, took the family to my house. They remained there until the 13th of September. I then rented a place for them a few doors east of my residence.