The west shore., November 01, 1886, Page 327, Image 7

THE WEST SHORE.
827
The suggestions made above are merely such, and are
not intended as a criticism upon the management The
geutleraen who conduct the affairs of the association do
so at the expense of much care and loss of vslnnble time,
and are entitled to the thanks of the community. The
association itself is not maintained by its stockholders
with the hope of realizing material profit upon the cap
ital they have invested. The prevailing idoa when it was
organized, was that a fair of this description would be
of so great a benefit to the city that the busiuoss men
could afford to contribute to its founding and subsequent
support; and it is to be regretted that the same puhlio
spirited men are compelled year after year to bear the
burden of the conduct of its affairs. It would be a re
lief and aid to them it a liberal sprinkling of now mom.
bers were introduced, and with them an infusion of now
ideas. It our business mon, as a body, would take the
interest in this matter its importance deserves, and
bring to it the zeal of which they have so often shown
themselves capable, we would have in 1887 an exhibi
tion that would be worth thousands of dollars to the
trade of the city, and whose benofiuial influence would
be felt throughout the whole Northwest
8TEVBN80N'S REGIMENT.
The voyage of Stevenson's regiment to California is
one of the many episodes portaiuing to the history of
the pioneer-times of tho l'scino coast, and is dcscriliod
fullv in Bancroft's history of California, Vol. V.
An act of Congress of May 13, 181(1, authorized the
raising of a force of volunteers for the Mexican war,
The President decided to send ouo regiment to the Pa-
cifio coast around Cape Ilorn, and Colonel Jotham D.
Stevenson, of New York, was requested to dovoto his
sorvioes to its organization. Only men of good habits
were wanted, and such as wore of a calling and charac
ter likely to make them desirablo settlers in the tern
torios to be wrested from Mexico. Stevenson was a
colonel of militia, a ward politician, and ex-member of
the legislature. Just what wires were pulled by him
and lis frionds to socure his now position, is not known,
ran away or were rescued by their parent through writs
of habeas corpus, known at that timo by the name "mm
Californium," whilo the whole force was rather flippantly
referred to ly tU neiqmpr as the " baby regiment"
Late in August, three staunch shia wore chartered for
five thousand dollars. On September 2dtli the vessels
departed. They were tho Thoma II. iYrtotw, six huu-
dred and niuety-soven tons, tho Loo Choo, six hundred
and thirty-nine tons, Biid the Simon Vein, seven hun
and one tons. The U. S. shxp of war TVt'hn aeoompan-
iod the three transimrta as convoy. At lUo do Janeiro,
whore they stopjMHl for a time, there was a prosjieot of
getting into war-like complications with the Brazilians.
Tho wife of the quartermaster-sergeant on tho I trktn
had given birth to a daughter, and at her christening as
" Alta California Harris," Minister Wise indulged in
some remarks in reference to another christening, that
of a " royal bantling of the Brazilian nation." For this
pleasantry the Emperor was thought to contemplate an
order commanding all American vessels to leave, in
which case tho volunteers meant to resist by force. How
over, tho order was not issued, and consequently tho
Americans had to leave without giving tho Brazilians a
taste of tho mettlo of Republican soldiers.
When tho vessels arrived at Han I' ranclsoo in March,
1847, all offensive military oeratlons had ceased, and
the regiment was put at the disposal o! General Kearny
for garrison duty.
The intention of the government had Imwii to advance
the settlement of California by sending out this volun.
toer regiment and the result accomplished fully justified
the sleK Most of tho inemiiers became useful citizens.
Many achieved prominence as lawyers, mereiiauw, Mft,
while a few found their way to prison or to the gallows.
Mr. Bancroft's account is full of the more special details,
which remler his arrativo of tho career of Stevenson's
regiment full of Interest
Tn Mitnufnrlurrr oik i'ki'Mit thinks that tho man
who is working to securo a small piece of property sub
stitutes a new and distinct ambition for a remote aim
vaguo one. Day dreams alsmt large estates and prlnoe-
i
It t . I.. luil llutv it twit liitir
He proceeded to own recruiting ofliccs In Kow lorn ly incomes may . n; -.-
City AtaVlkth and Norwich. No volunteer dreamed so profitable a. a vision , o a lot one hundred by two
Sctwllhany foe. All regarded themselves a. in, hundr.1, . U, a snug , U dw, 1, house It
imiuul for a diHUntlamioi ninny u mi wm mimm .... -
m limine adventurers
chnrms, under the protection of the government The
mm-mnnl included men of nearly every clnss, except the
m,wt nnnlent A larue proportion were steady median-
ics of all trades, and thore was a sprinkling of tho boys
l Xr York Citv and not a few intemwrates and ne'er-
do-well's. Many of these were attracted solely by the
LH ,J alvnninrA. Ami but for the ice would as resdily
have gone to the north pole, while others had records,
associations and debts from which they were eager to
Min swav
vi,n ranks of the regiment were filled, it was
sent to Governor's island, where military drill and dis-
cipline soon disgusted many of tue volunteers, inf
late, turniiiir his hand cheerfully to auy ami every
kind of work. Ho will have a motive fur rigorous eoon-
omy which will mnke it a laaure. Ho will have a vis
ion of the lt payment Mure him as a mrpetual motive
to moderation in passions, economy in Miwes, alsdl
nenoe from expulsive plonaiihs sud from exxniveooin
panions. Tlius it will coma to Jmws that a judicious
debt incurred at the beginning of a journeyman's or la
Wcr's career, will Income his gd genius, watching
over him, inciting him to all Industry and to slf gv.
crument Kvery laboring wan ought to own his house.
The first duty of the workingman should I to eouvert
his earnings into real estate.