San Francisco County CA Archives History - Books .....Chapter 6 1900 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/copyright.htm http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 31, 2005, 6:02 pm Book Title: History Of The First Pastorate Of The Howard Presbyterian Church VI. IT was not only the members of the session that were a tower of strength to the young church, but other members of the church, also. Of these I could not fail to mention Captain E. Knight, the agent, in this city, of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and Major (since Major-General) Amos B. Eaton, commissary of subsistence, United States army, in San Francisco. These well-known business men were a help to us that cannot be overestimated. They were with us very early, even before we left the carpenter-shop chapel to enter our new church in 1851. No business man in San Francisco occupied at that time a position of so great responsibility and influence as Captain Knight. The Pacific Mail Company's office was the center of business in the city. Captain Knight was selected to organize the company's business at this end of the line because he was a distinguished seaman, and because he had shown very great ability in the handling of commercial affairs in the New York and Liverpool trade. No sooner had Captain Knight entered his office here, than he saw what havoc the sailing of steamers made of the Sabbath, when that happened to be the sailing-day. All early Californians know what "steamer-day" meant in those days. It put everybody to work. The steamship-office was besieged from morning till night. Express-offices were crowded, and their messengers and teams were running in hot haste all day. All banks were open, doing a rushing business, with merchants calling for bills of exchange, and miners depositing their bags of gold-dust and taking their certificates; passengers about leaving, hurrying to get their "last things" for the voyage, and going early aboard to receive there the "good-by calls " of friends; everybody writing letters home, and crowding them into the post-office up to the last moment; newsboys crying their "steamer papers" for sale all about the streets; while merchants and clerks were closing their final dispatches to go by Wells and Fargo; and then, at the hour of sailing, the crowd of passengers on the steamer's deck answer to the noisy farewells of the still larger crowds gathered on the wharf, and the great ship glides out into the bay, — and that "steamer day's" excitement is over. Captain Knight at once determined that "steamer day" should not occur on Sunday. And so it was soon ordered that when it would regularly take place on that day, the Saturday preceding should be "steamer day." That change meant much for San Francisco. It meant everything for all religious observances and Christian teaching. It was the first positive and emphatic public recognition of the Sabbath as a day of rest among business men, and it had a moral influence far wider than simply to save the Sabbath from secular work; for it quickened the public conscience with respect to other things belonging to religion, that had not, up to that time, received attention. Moreover, Captain Knight's example was in full accord with his principles. His language was wholly free from the expletives so common with seamen, and which were so nearly universal among men here at that time. He used no strong drink, and never touched tobacco. He did no business on the Sabbath, nor did he spend the day abroad in recreation, but in rest in his own home with his family. He was always at church with them on Sabbath morning, and often brought along with him sea captains who were in port, — sometimes a whole pew full. The value and extent of Captain Knight's influence in all those restless years is hard now to imagine or describe. Every good cause felt its support. After three years of exhausting service, he resigned his office, but was attacked with brain fever, and, though everything was done for him that medical skill could suggest, in a few days he died. The high respect and honor in which he was held by the bankers and merchants is touchingly expressed in resolutions adopted at a meeting held by them soon after his death, one of which was as follows: — "Resolved, That Captain Knight combined in his character in an eminent degree those noble, manly qualities which entitled him not only to the respect and confidence but to the affectionate regard of all who knew him best. "With a firm integrity of purpose which never faltered, with a keen sense of honor which scorned an evasion, with a straightforward honesty which resorted to no subterfuges, he combined with simplicity of heart a frankness of demeanor which commanded the respect whilst it secured the affectionate esteem of all with whom he was brought into contact. Scrupulously just in his business relations, generous almost to a fault when his sympathies were appealed to, gentle and confiding in his temper, always ready to forgive a fault in others, he judged harshly only of his own imperfections." That characterization, be it remembered, was drawn by the business men of San Francisco, not especially his personal friends,— but who could have drawn his character more true to life? Knowing him well, I bear witness to its accuracy in every particular. Major Eaton, of the army, came to California almost as early as Captain Knight. I remember well the Sabbath in 1851 when he appeared with some friends in the congregation. It was no uncommon thing to see strangers present in those days, but men of his bearing, and connected with government offices, were not numerous in any of our half-dozen congregations, and I noticed him with encouragement and pleasure. After service he stopped and was introduced. We found that we had many common friends in New York, and then began one of the most pleasant Christian friendships of my life. The next day I called on him at the Oriental Hotel. He inquired concerning all our plans of Christian work, and from that time he identified himself with us in all our undertakings. He was a soldier, accustomed to military exactness in all his business transactions, confining them to business hours. At the head of the commissary department for the Pacific Coast, the business he controlled was very large, and brought him in contact with the leading merchants of the city and state. Outside of business hours, he gave his time largely to Christian and benevolent work. He united with our church and joined the Sabbath school, very soon accepting its superintendency. He was always present at our mid-week prayer-meetings, and by his thoughtful, sincere, and earnest remarks contributed greatly to their spiritual helpfulness. He accepted a place on the board of church trustees, and his influence and business talent were of very great value in that body. In thinking over this life-record, I see that the strong point in it was a heroic interest in the welfare of this new and great country. There were few in the social chaos of that day who were animated with the same high purpose. And in those days, when public sentiment was forming, his influence, though exerted quietly, was great. In 1853, Mrs. Eaton joined her husband here, and remained some twelve or eighteen months. I have already spoken of. Mrs. Eaton as the founder of the Ladies' Protection and Relief Society. Never were husband and wife in more full accord in respect to matters moral, religious, or philanthropic than were they. Mrs. Eaton kept her carriage on the go every day, and her errands out were more for the benefit of others than pleasure for herself. Mrs. Eaton was a woman of great force of character, and of a singularly strong and simple Christian faith. Though she was only a visitor here in California,-she wanted to make her stay of some real service, and, if possible, plant some institution that would live and do good after she was gone. And as long as the institution which she founded stands, it will be a fitting monument to the name of Mrs. Eaton. Additional Comments: Extracted from: THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST PASTORATE OF THE HOWARD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 1850-1862 BY REV. SAMUEL H. WILLEY THE FIRST PASTOR SAN FRANCISCO: THE WHITAKER AND RAY COMPANY (INCORPORATED) 1900 COPYRIGHT, 1900 BY SAMUEL H. WILLEY File at: http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/usgenweb/ca/sanfrancisco/history/1900/historyo/chapter667nms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/cafiles/ File size: 8.8 Kb