s the great sight
of San Francisco, four miles long, laid out as an immense garden or
succession of gardens, with conservatories and aviaries, tropical
trees, winding roads and paths in all directions. The first thing to
attract my attention before entering the museum was a statue of Padre
Junipero Serra, the intrepid founder of so many missions along the
coast of California. There were also monuments to Abraham Lincoln,
General Grant, and that stirring preacher of the south, Starr King.
Time was valuable, so I had to give up a further inspection of the
park to give all remaining time to the museum, which closed at four
o'clock. All the time we were in the museum I noticed two policemen
patrolling about and I thought it unusual, and on inquiry found that
lately a most valuable picture had been taken by being cut out of the
frame. After some trouble the thief had been captured and the picture
recovered. The thief gave as a reason for stealing it that he thought
it might inspire him to paint just such a picture, he being ambitious
to be a painter. I hardly think this excuse will weigh with the
authorities. In the room of pioneer relics I found many interesting
things. First a large bell which recorded on the outside the founding
of the volunteer fire department, organized 1850, George Hosseproso,
chief engineer. Firemen of those days were men of account, in fact,
many men of prominence were officers or members of the fire
department. Second, four mission bells from an old mission church at
Carmelo, Monterey County, built by Padre Junipero Serra, 1770; San
Francisco's first printing press, used in publishing the first
newspaper in California, in 1846, at Monterey; a picture of Jno.
Truebody, a pioneer business man of San Francisco, whom I remember
well; two glass cases of relics presented by John Bardwell, of the
_vigilante_ days, containing firearms, batons, certificates of
membership in the _vigilante_ committee, pieces of rope, being
cut off the original ropes with which they hanged Cora, Casey,
Hetherington and Brace, for the assassination of James King of
William, and General Richardson. James King of William was the editor
of the _Chronicle_, and in an election campaign James King, who
was opposed to Casey in politics, mentioned the fact that Casey had
been a jail-bird in his youth. This was taken up by Casey's friends
and three of them agreed that the first one of the three who should
meet James King should shoot hi