Author: admin

Posted on

Summer Reading: The Easton’s Honeymoon (3)

Addie and Ansel Easton were privileged passengers aboard the Central America, paying $300 a day for their stateroom. They were regularly invited to the captain’s table, and they found the 44-year-old Captain William Lewis Herndon a magnificent host. He fascinated all with vivid descriptions of his 11-month expedition of the 4000-mile-long Amazon River in South America.

It seemed inevitable that the conversation would ultimately turn to the frightening thought of shipwreck. That was on every passenger’s mind.

There had been a shipwreck recently and this was the season of heavy storms. Captain Herndon confirmed that the captain of that particular ill-fated vessel had survived.

But he shocked listeners with a dose of brutal honesty: “Well,” Captain Herndon, the traditionalist said, “I’ll never survive my ship. If she goes down, I go under her keel. But let us talk of something more cheerful.”

One wonders how much more the passengers would have worried if they had known that some believed the Central America was “unseaworthy”–a rotten old hulk as unstable as a “loaf of gingerbread.”

And while the passengers enjoyed the voyage and good weather, there were disturbing financial rumblings in New York City. The failure of a life insurance company branch had set the scene for the financial Panic of 1857, one of the most severe economic crises in U.S. history.

(next, Part 4)

Posted on

Summer Reading: The Easton’s Honeymoon (2)

The story of Adeline and Ansel Easton

At Panama, the Eastons crossed the Isthmus in new open-air rail cars–enjoying the short and uneventful 48-mile trip to the Caribben port city of Aspinwall. They they boarded the 272-foot wooden-hulled Atlantic steamer SS Central America bound for New York–a 9-day journey with a one day stopover at Havana.

The trip aboard the Central America was the last leg of the Easton’s voyage. Of the more thaqn 581 passengers aboard the steamer, many were California miners going to their homes back east–gold hunters who had searched for the yellow metal for years.

Many carried great personal wealth. Some women tucked $20 gold pieces in bags they guarded at all times. Men wore belts stuffed with gold dust while one fellow, Captain Badger of San Francisco, concealed $20,000 in gold in a carpet bag that became very heavy.

There was also a commercial gold cargo aboard, plus a secret shipment, together totaling about 21 tons–gold bars ranging from 5 ounces to 80 pounds, including the largest Gold Rush relic, weighing 1,100 troy ounces–and gold coins struck on Montgomery Street at the new San Francisco Mint.

The Central America was truly a “Ship of Gold,”

the title of author Gary Kinder’s 1998 best-selling book.

(Next: Part 3)

Posted on

Summer Reading: A Honeymoon, A Disaster at Sea & 21 Tons of Gold (1)

Wedding Journey: The Story of Adeline Mills and Ansel Easton***

By June Morrall

(From my “Over the hill stories” series)

—1857—

Through the decades family and friends of Adeline Mills Easton were so captivated by her account of surviving a harrowing sea disaster in 1857 that the Burlingame grande dame privately published a 38-page book called: The Story of Our Wedding Journey.

But the misleading title masks the horror of the sweet shipboard honeymoon turned ocean nightmare, the kind of sea journey every traveler dreads.

A joyful, romantic future must have been all that was on the mind of 28-year-old Adeline “Addie” Mills when she wed Ansel Ives Easton in a San Francisco ceremony on August 20, 1857.

Both bride and groom came from accomplished, successful families. She was the sister of the conservative financier, Darius Ogden Mills, a New Yorker who had founded a bank in Sacramento and later established the famous Bank of California with the legendary William Ralston.

Ansel had made his fortune selling furnishings to the steamship lines servicing the booming city of San Francisco.

A perfectly matched couple, every detail of their honeymoon itinerary had been meticulously planned. Immediately after the nuptials, the newlyweds boarded the SS Sonora, settling into their first-class cabin as the steamer sailed out the Golden Gate, bound for Panama–a two week voyage.

It was “one long delight,” a continuation of their wedding party, remembered Addie.

———

(Next Part 2)

***Note: I am one of many “local” writers who has written about this fascinating story. If you can, check out all the versions!

Posted on

From our friends near the Big Sur fire….Sam Varela Reports

Dear Friends and Relatives,

Our Evacuation Orders were lifted Friday night, thankfully. Although this is not a guarantee, it’s still really smoky here with some ash still falling; it is a big step toward saving our home and property.

There is no way to fully express our appreciation for the incredible offers to us of your manpower, trucks, temporary quarters and storage space that we have received during this crises—but mostly the incredible power of your prayers and support in unison that built the wall of protection to stop the fire one parcel away from us.

Although we are still under a cloud of smoke and the fire burned 12,000 acres near us in just 1 day– 3 days ago, the mighty heroes that have taken on the fight know what they are doing and allow certain areas to burn, hence the large burn is still on. ( only happens when you need  them ). Total containment is predicted for the 30th of the month. You won’t find much in the press anymore but its still burning. It is presently at 150,000+ acres and will burn until the rainy season begins. They will allow it to burn in the Ventana Wilderness next to us, which is a part of the Los Padres National Forest because that is the natural order of things in this ecology.

The amazing people who make up the manpower core of firefighters cannot be praised enough for the honorable dedicated proud human beings that they are. God Bless Them All!

This type of fire in the Wilderness is a recurring event, the second one for us, and is God’s way of keeping the forest healthy and vibrant. Folks that live within these areas understand that the forest is not the problem, its human encroachment that creates the threat. I think we can agree that fire has happened A Few Times in the past!

We have taken many things into consideration and have decided that it is time for a new owner to take this beautiful piece of land and log home to its next level, and will be selling, and moving on to the next chapter of our lives. The challenges at this time are still unknown. But for us the VALUE in this fire event is how blessed we are to have so very many true sincere friends and relatives who are there when the Gettin’ Gets Tough.

Please stay in contact as it has been great to hear from all of you. We are all well and safe here and hope you and yours are well too.

The chickens, doves and our things remain evacuated until the smoke clears however, no point in moving them again, in case the fire jumps the line. We will keep you informed if this unlikely event occurs. But we are keeping the faith!

Thanks and we love you all, from the bottom of our hearts. Take good care until we meet again!
All the best from,
Sam,
Suzanne
and Jocelyn

Posted on

Up Close…but please, not too personal…Story & Photos by John Vonderlin

John Vonderlin asks: Is this a good idea?

Story & Photos by John Vonderlin

Email John ([email protected])

Hi June,

When I visited my daughter and her family, who were vacationing in Santa Cruz yesterday, we made the obligatory trip to the Municipal Wharf, from her nearby hotel.. Though when I got lost cutting across town while driving to the hotel, I found you get less blank stares if you ask for directions to the Santa Cruz Pier instead of the Municipal Wharf, no matter what the tourist signs say..
Having walked to the end of the pier, surveying the endless varieties of proffered geedunks and tourist geegaws  as we strolled along, we stopped to enjoy  the expansive views of the Boardwalk, beach and waterfront and the resident slacker sea lions hoisted up on the network of timbers connecting the pilings like giant browned bratwursts on a grille. .
The pelican walking placidly along the wharf amongst the crowd, even while being swarmed by endless excited tourists armed with digital cameras, was the only thing different from previous visits.  I was able to resist capturing this decidedly unnatural scene, by summoning up the kind of will-power necessary to not become a “Looky-Loo-er” when passing the aftermath of a spectacular wreck on the freeway.
Continuing our stroll landward, I noticed a small group of people clustered at the landing above a stairwell down to the water level. Peering over them, I saw there was a small platform, just inches out of the water, at the bottom of the stairs. Peacefully lounging on that platform was a horde of sea lion pups, thirteen I think, with one adult babysitter,
just a few feet from the bolder kids gawking at them. In fact several children, seemingly without parental supervision, ventured out on the platform, talking about touching the pups, but chickened out when the adult babysitter gave them a baleful look.  I mentally added this to my “Insane Tourist Behavior” memory file, but muscled by the little wharf-rats, and got myself the best set of “up close and personal” photos of sea lions I’ve ever taken. (Unless I count my large collection of photos of dead sea lions in my ISeeDeadThings file)
I must admit after shooting dozens of shots of the sea lions lounging, stretching and scratching, I thought how great it would be to have a shot of the faces of the caution-less kids when the adult sea lion babysitter unleashed an explosive bark and made a faux charge at them for foolishly approaching too close. It’s probably just as well, as I would have had sneaker tracks across my face and trampled body when the stampede was over. Of course that would have made a great photo too. Especially at the civil  trial suing the city for promoting interaction between children and wild animals. Enjoy. John

Posted on

Just In From Southern Oregon: “The Girls Got Their Haircut”

Molly and Dolly: Before & After

Says They are the “Fattest Sheep in the Known World”

Story & Photos by Katie Dryden

Katie says: Our shearer – a nice man named Charlie Mattica, comes up from Ferndale, CA. He has a sheep shearing route. He’s an old guy and shearing a sheep is hard work. They were kicking him in his “privates” at one point. He used to charge $5 a sheep. What? Five dollars wouldn’t cover the “privates” pain. I think he charges more now because of gas. We always give him more than what he asks.

Posted on

It Came From the Sea…..John Vonderlin Reports

Story & Photos by John Vonderlin
email John ([email protected])

Last week there was another of those weird wracks onshore at Invisible Beach. It’s marine debris load was dull, but there was several formerly living things in the seaweed I couldn’t remember seeing before.

I’ve attached a photo of one of the specimens, probably an algae.

I also attached a photo of another “squid” I found in the same wrack. It’s an ugly one with lots of odd things entangled.

At one point I had my collection of squids hanging all in a line on one wall of my redwood gazebo, calling it “The Wall of Shame.” Not even I, a great admirer of loathsome marine debris of all kinds, could not stand it after a while and had to pack it away. Enjoy. John

Posted on

Lizzie Wienke’s Story (5) Conclusion!

I wrote this in 1999.

Lizzie and George Kneese became a formidable duo, winning elections, and wielding political power in the county for a decade. But the power came at a price as each day brought skirmishes with political foes.

1n 1929, the “10 years war” came to the surface, a fight over the allocation of funds between Elizabeth Kneese and J.J. Shields, the county auditor. It flared into the open when Shields refused to honor a $172 claim “for services rendered” by Elizabeth Kneese.

On the surface it seemed petty but the underlying struggle was deadly serious.

Approved by the board of supervisors, Mrs. Kneese’s invoice was for delivering election supplies to 172 precincts in the county for the 1928 presidential election. District Attorney Franklin Swart weighed in, asserting that “the claim was not property itemized.”

“The Kneeses have been bleeding the county right along,” charged Auditor Shields. “My investigation revealed that at least two bunches of those supplies were delivered by Kneese to Pescadero in a county automobile, propelled by county gasoline. I want to know how, and by whom, the other 170 packages were delivered.”

The auditor’s war on Elizabeth Kneese continued. “According to law, the amount paid for such service is left to the judgment of the Auditor, and I intend to know the details.”

Under attack, Elizabeth Kneese, the seasoned politician, brushed it off. “Just the old personal squabble,” she said. “Shields has been warring with my husband, who is county engineer, and me, ever since we took office ten years ago. I delivered practically all of those election supplies myself in our automobile, not because I wanted the money, but so I would be sure they were properly delivered. A dollar a trip to each precinct is cheap enough. Anyway, the Board of Supervisors thought so.”

The voters made their choice at the ballot box, opting not to re-elect the powerful team of Elizabeth and George Kneese.

The precocious Coastside youngster, who became “the most popular teacher” and then one of the County’s powerful women, retired from politics.

Elizabeth Kneese cared for her mom, Meta, until her death in 1935. Two years later Lizzie died at age 54. George Kneese remained active in civic and business affairs, passing away at age 79 in 1964.