Historical Clippings Book (HC-11) (314 pages)

. The lion’s share of the credit for the success of the historic pio» neer telephone belongs to Paul Seiler, who later became a San Francisco distributor of telephone. equipment. There were 30 instruments on the line when it was opened for service, and approximately twenty of these were in toll offices; usually the latter were located in postoffices in the towns the line traversed. These formed the nerve-center of the San Juan ridge. The Western Union Telegraph Company had a direct line from Nevada City to North San Juan, where interline arrangements were made with the Ridge Telephone Company. This placed the most remote community on the ridge in prompt communication with the rest of the U. S. News flew swiftly, and business transactions were speeded wonderfully by the “speaking” telephone. x ‘From an ancient printed list of rules of the Ridge company, signed by R. McMurray; superintendent, it appears the telephones were not to be used except by those in charge of the offices. A message, called a dispatch, was written on a regular form by the sender; the operated “sent” it. Dispatches to the San Juan office, not more than 20 words, 50 cents; each additional 20 words or less, €5 cents. From San Juan, and from or to any other office, not more than 10 words, 25 cents; each additional two words or less, 25 cents. Anything smaller than two-bits was “chicken feed” in those days. One interesting rule was: “Persons in charge of offices will be allowed to use the line for their own business free of charge, but acs the use of the line exhausts the battery power, it is not to be used for idle talking.” Another rule stated: “The use of obscene or profane language through the telephone is strictly prohibited.” In the sixties and seventies this area was perhaps foremost in the nation in the perfection and adoption of new inventions. Here the first industrial use was made of the electric arc-lamp, the Burleigh air-drill and the electric transmission of power. And here modern tunnel building began when Hamilton Smith Jr. built the Malakoff tunnel. Up to that time tunnels were excavated from ene eend, sometimes from both. But in addition to working from the two ends, Smith sank five shafts and worked 12 faces simultaneously to complete in months a job that would have taken years. Early French Corral Named for a Frenchman who had an. enclosure for mules, French Corral, is situated on the historical Henness Pass to Virginia City, Nevada. The land on which the town was built was claimed by Mr. H. P. Sweetland as a ranch and was purchased from John Stafford. In 1855 suit was brought for trespassing by Sweetland against Thomas Frew who claimed ownership, to some of the village. Andy W. Rogers of Rough and Ready is telling the story: “One Mr. Calloway opened up a store in a tent and in 1850 Robert and John Bussenia purchased it and erected a log house. By July 1853 there were 70 houses, two hotels, one store and a bakery and a saloon. .The town had at one time the largest Chinatown in the West. John Ray opened a store covered with canvas on Main and Flume Streets; Crawford and Stidger dispensed mine supplies on the hill north of Flume Street. Lots sold at $1 a front foot. This town, . like other mining towns, had a disasterous fire in July, 1853, and of the 70 houses, 50 were destroyed. In May, 1854, there was another big fire, More than 1000 miners who toiled in the deep and narrow canyons came to see the miners’ darling, “Lotta Crabtree,” dance. They flocked from near and far, just to lay eyes on Lotta. She really was wonderful with her red hair, merry black eyes, irresistible laugh, tiny feet, and charming ways. They thought nothing sk of working hard and digging for the gold that they took out of their pockets, belts, and buck«lin hags to throw at Lotta’s feet.” School Is Saved “In 1852 the post office was established in the town. Boardwyne, Mrs, Filer, Williams, Darnell Bros., M. Treuna, W. E. Moulton, Mrs. Moulton and S, B. Caswell all served as postmasters About 1867 Caswell served, The salary was only $100 per annum. On January 25, 1860 Postmaster Black made a contract with the California Stage Company to carry mail daily from _ the Empire Ranch Post Office to French Corral and Sweetland. The first school buildi an early day hotel in 1855, then owed ‘thd community for a school in 1876 when the old school burned down. The ladies made cakes and pies and sold them to build a cupolo and: buy a school bell. When the sum of $200 in silver money was collected it was sent to the Meeny Bell Foundry, West Troy, New York and 70 silver dollars were cast in the bell which gave it an excellent unusual tone, and the bell became known as the ‘silver bell.’ This same school was once used to recruit soldiers for the Civil War. Nearly a hundred years later the same community spirit, for which French Corral is noted to this date, came to the front again. The old school building was put on the chopping block by the county instead of giving it to the community. Donations were given and sent in to save the historical site. On the day of the auction bidding was keen to secure the building and the famous silver bell. An outsider became the highest bidder, community funds were lacking, no assistance come from the county to save the historical site. But at the last moment and at the critical time a fairy-godmother stepped in and renewed the bidding; the outsider ‘gave up the ghost’ and Mrs. Reno Thatcher of Reno, Nevada, purchased the old school from the county and presented it to the community of French Corral. Mrs. Thatcher’s mother, the former Cora Moulton of French ‘Corral, attended school in this building, as did her two daughters, Mrs. Edward V. King of Sacramento, California, and Mrs. Thatcher, who graduated from the eighth grade with the class of 1913.” . FRENCH CORRAL REBUILT TWICE IN FARLY DAYS French Gourat hte first settled in 1849, and the first mining was started in a rich ravine early in 1852, when the town also was first built. There were 70 houses in the town on July 8, 1853, when 50 of them were destroyed by fire. Rebuilt in 1854, a second fire destroyed the part of the town that was spared by the first flames,.

. The lion’s share of the credit for the success of the historic pio» neer telephone belongs to Paul Seiler, who later became a San Francisco distributor of telephone. equipment. There were 30 instruments on the line when it was opened for service, and approximately twenty of these were in toll offices; usually the latter were located in postoffices in the towns the line traversed. These formed the nerve-center of the San Juan ridge. The Western Union Telegraph Company had a direct line from Nevada City to North San Juan, where interline arrangements were made with the Ridge Telephone Company. This placed the most remote community on the ridge in prompt communication with the rest of the U. S. News flew swiftly, and business transactions were speeded wonderfully by the “speaking” telephone. x ‘From an ancient printed list of rules of the Ridge company, signed by R. McMurray; superintendent, it appears the telephones were not to be used except by those in charge of the offices. A message, called a dispatch, was written on a regular form by the sender; the operated “sent” it. Dispatches to the San Juan office, not more than 20 words, 50 cents; each additional 20 words or less, €5 cents. From San Juan, and from or to any other office, not more than 10 words, 25 cents; each additional two words or less, 25 cents. Anything smaller than two-bits was “chicken feed” in those days. One interesting rule was: “Persons in charge of offices will be allowed to use the line for their own business free of charge, but acs the use of the line exhausts the battery power, it is not to be used for idle talking.” Another rule stated: “The use of obscene or profane language through the telephone is strictly prohibited.” In the sixties and seventies this area was perhaps foremost in the nation in the perfection and adoption of new inventions. Here the first industrial use was made of the electric arc-lamp, the Burleigh air-drill and the electric transmission of power. And here modern tunnel building began when Hamilton Smith Jr. built the Malakoff tunnel. Up to that time tunnels were excavated from ene eend, sometimes from both. But in addition to working from the two ends, Smith sank five shafts and worked 12 faces simultaneously to complete in months a job that would have taken years. Early French Corral Named for a Frenchman who had an. enclosure for mules, French Corral, is situated on the historical Henness Pass to Virginia City, Nevada. The land on which the town was built was claimed by Mr. H. P. Sweetland as a ranch and was purchased from John Stafford. In 1855 suit was brought for trespassing by Sweetland against Thomas Frew who claimed ownership, to some of the village. Andy W. Rogers of Rough and Ready is telling the story: “One Mr. Calloway opened up a store in a tent and in 1850 Robert and John Bussenia purchased it and erected a log house. By July 1853 there were 70 houses, two hotels, one store and a bakery and a saloon. .The town had at one time the largest Chinatown in the West. John Ray opened a store covered with canvas on Main and Flume Streets; Crawford and Stidger dispensed mine supplies on the hill north of Flume Street. Lots sold at $1 a front foot. This town, . like other mining towns, had a disasterous fire in July, 1853, and of the 70 houses, 50 were destroyed. In May, 1854, there was another big fire, More than 1000 miners who toiled in the deep and narrow canyons came to see the miners’ darling, “Lotta Crabtree,” dance. They flocked from near and far, just to lay eyes on Lotta. She really was wonderful with her red

hair, merry black eyes, irresistible laugh, tiny feet, and charming ways. They thought nothing sk of working hard and digging for the gold that they took out of their pockets, belts, and buck«lin hags to throw at Lotta’s feet.” School Is Saved “In 1852 the post office was established in the town. Boardwyne, Mrs, Filer, Williams, Darnell Bros., M. Treuna, W. E. Moulton, Mrs. Moulton and S, B. Caswell all served as postmasters About 1867 Caswell served, The salary was only $100 per annum. On January 25, 1860 Postmaster Black made a contract with the California Stage Company to carry mail daily from _ the Empire Ranch Post Office to French Corral and Sweetland. The first school buildi an early day hotel in 1855, then owed ‘thd community for a school in 1876 when the old school burned down. The ladies made cakes and pies and sold them to build a cupolo and: buy a school bell. When the sum of $200 in silver money was collected it was sent to the Meeny Bell Foundry, West Troy, New York and 70 silver dollars were cast in the bell which gave it an excellent unusual tone, and the bell became known as the ‘silver bell.’ This same school was once used to recruit soldiers for the Civil War. Nearly a hundred years later the same community spirit, for which French Corral is noted to this date, came to the front again. The old school building was put on the chopping block by the county instead of giving it to the community. Donations were given and sent in to save the historical site. On the day of the auction bidding was keen to secure the building and the famous silver bell. An outsider became the highest bidder, community funds were lacking, no assistance come from the county to save the historical site. But at the last moment and at the critical time a fairy-godmother stepped in and renewed the bidding; the outsider ‘gave up the ghost’ and Mrs. Reno Thatcher of Reno, Nevada, purchased the old school from the county and presented it to the community of French Corral. Mrs. Thatcher’s mother, the former Cora Moulton of French ‘Corral, attended school in this building, as did her two daughters, Mrs. Edward V. King of Sacramento, California, and Mrs. Thatcher, who graduated from the eighth grade with the class of 1913.” . FRENCH CORRAL REBUILT TWICE IN FARLY DAYS French Gourat hte first settled in 1849, and the first mining was started in a rich ravine early in 1852, when the town also was first built. There were 70 houses in the town on July 8, 1853, when 50 of them were destroyed by fire. Rebuilt in 1854, a second fire destroyed the part of the town that was spared by the first flames,.