San Diego-San Francisco-Nevada County CA Archives Biographies.....Schiller, M. 1823 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 21, 2006, 1:09 am Author: Theodore S. Van Dyke M. SCHILLER ONE of the pioneer residents and best-known citizens of San Diego is M. Schiller. Mr. Schiller was born in Vronka, in the Dukedom of Posen, in 1823. Until he was seventeen years of age he remained with his parents in his native town. Then he decided to branch out and see the world. He had as a playmate and intimate friend a youth of his own age named J. L. Falk. Young Falk had learned that somewhere in Scotland he had relatives living who had charge of a legacy left him a short time before. He determined to hunt them up, and, calling his friend Schiller into his counsels, without much difficulty induced him to join in the pilgrimage to Scotland. There is something romantic in these young boys starting out from a town in the interior of Europe to journey over land and sea many hundreds of miles in quest of a treasure that one of them had grounds for believing he might secure. They had but a small stock of ready money, and their stock of worldly experience was extremely limited. Nevertheless they had strong young bodies and brave hearts, and that made up for all else that was lacking. They first journeyed to Berlin, from there to Hamburg, and thence sailed to Hull, England, and from there took passage overland for Manchester. From Manchester they traveled to Liverpool, where they made a brief stop, and from thence pushed on to Glasgow, Scotland. In this city they were unsuccessful, and they spent several months journey over Scotland in search of young Falk's relatives who held the key to the treasure of which they were in search. At last they became discouraged and resolved to return home. After many trials they again reached Liverpool. Upon arriving in that great city their money was entirely gone, they were without acquaintances, and they understood but little of the English language. Their situation was anything but comfortable. They started out along the docks, hoping that something would turn up to better their fortune. Here they met an old gentleman who was standing on the dock where a vessel was loading for America. He engaged them in conversation and at once seemed to take a fancy to young Schiller. He soon offered to take him with him to the United States. Schiller, however, refused to leave his friend Falk. Finally the old gentleman agreed to take them both. Accordingly they went on board and soon after set sail. When they landed in New York young Schiller at once started out in search of work. He was successful and obtained employment with a clothing and furnishing goods firm, with whom he remained four years. At the end of that time he formed a partnership with his old friend Falk, and together they engaged in the clothing business. They remained together several years, with fair success. Then they started for Tuskaloosa, Alabama, where they opened a clothing and furnishing goods store. At the end of three years Schiller removed to Talladega, Alabama, where he engaged in business with another partner and continued two years. Then he went to Marion, Alabama, for about one year, and then removed to Augusta, Georgia, where he continued in business by himself for eight and one-half years. He had heard a good deal about California, and the opportunities offered there for business, and he resolved to try the new country. He accordingly went to New York, and after a stay of six or seven months he purchased a stock of goods valued at $18,000 and shipped them to San Francisco around Cape Horn, coming himself by way of the Isthmus. He reached San Francisco in 1853. When his goods were received they turned out to be too fine a quality for the market. He accordingly sold out his stock at considerable loss and bought a new supply of heavy goods. He then started for Nevada City, intending to locate there. In that year, however (1855), there was no rain and as a consequence times were very hard. Schiller was glad, therefore, to dispose of his stock at less than cost, taking notes at sixty and ninety days. Shortly after receiving these notes a disastrous fire broke out, which nearly devastated the town. Schiller, fearing a second conflagration, and afraid he would lose his money entirely if such happened, again disposed of these notes at a discount of twenty per cent for cash. With the avails he started for San Francisco. The weather was very severe and on the journey Schiller contracted a very bad cold. When he reached San Francisco his health was so poor that he decided to seek a milder climate, and accordingly came to San Diego, arriving here in 1856. He immediately went into business in Old Town, then the business center of San Diego, with M. Mannasse. At the end of a year he formed a partnership with J. S. Mannasse. Later on they engaged quite extensively in the lumber trade, continuing: their general merchandise business. They ran their own vessels and during 1872, the year in which they started the lumber business, in nine months they sent to one house in San Francisco $154,000 for general merchandise and lumber. This was the year of the Tom Scott boom. The firm then owned the Encinitas Ranch and part of the San Diegto Ranch, which they had stocked with some three thousand or four thousand head of cattle and over one thousand head of horses and other animals. They also had a vineyard on the ranch and a copper mine in which they sunk several thousand dollars. About this time a party of Mormons left their settlement at San Bernardino for the purpose of prospecting for coal along the coast between Point Loma and La Jolla. They found some good specimens of coal, but after they had been at work a little while they were ordered home to Utah by Brigham Young. Schiller and his partner had furnished them with tools, provisions, and clothing, and had even advanced money to pay the hands. When they were ordered to Utah the firm naturally felt a little anxious about their pay. Mr. Schiller accordingly went up to San Bernardino, where he saw the leading Mormons. After stating the case to them they agreed to reimburse him and gave one hundred and forty-five acres of good land in settlement of the bill. About three years afterwards they traded the land off for the Encinitas Ranch: Nine or ten years ago they sold this ranch, sending their stock to Mexico on account of a drouth here. They still have three or four hundred head of stock in that country. During all this time they were doing a large mercantile business and bought a good deal of land in Old Town and in New San Diego, considerable of which they still own. They own most of the Schiller & Mannasse Addition. Mr. Schiller has contributed his full share to all public im-provements and for many years there has been no movement started for the benefit of the city that their firm name has not been at the head of the list. No church has been built but they have contributed liberally; they paid $1,000 bonus to induce the telegraph company to build the first line here, and they subscribed handsomely to pay the expenses of the Texas Pacific lobby in Washington. They also gave twenty acres of land and the right of way through their addition to Tom Scott. Mr. Schiller was a stockholder and director in the old Texas, Gila, and San Diego Railway. He was a member of the Board of Trustees for two years, and during that time was instrumental in passing the resolution setting aside one thousand and four hundred acres of land for the city park. He is a director and on the Committee of Relief of the San Diego Benevolent Association, which has done so much to ameliorate the condition of the sick and poor. For thirty-four years Mr. Schiller has been a member of the Masonic Order. He joined the order in Augusta, Georgia. He was Master Mason of the Lodge here and has at different times held all the offices in the San Diego Lodge. He owns a comfortable residence on the corner of Front and A Streets, built fourteen years ago. Mr. Schiller was married in September, 1861, at San Francisco, to Miss Rebecca Barnett. They have a family of nine children, four sons and five daughters. Additional Comments: From: THE CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN DIEGO. ILLUSTRATED, AND CONTAINING BI0GRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PROMINENT MEN AND PIONEERS. SAN DIEGO, CAL. LEBERTHON & TAYLOR 1888 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sandiego/bios/schiller825nbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 8.8 Kb