Santa Clara County CA Archives History - Books .....Chapter XXIII 1922
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Book Title: History Of Santa Clara County

CHAPTER XXIII.

The Clubs of San Jose's Men and Women-Daughters of the Revolution--The Carnegie
Library and the Free County Library-The American Legion-The County
Pioneers-Sainte Claire Club, etc.

  San Jose can show as large a number of Women's Clubs as any city of its size
in the Union, for the women of the city are intelligent, cultivated and refined,
and if they do not arrogate so much to themselves as do their sisters in Boston
or Philadelphia they are found as eagerly pressing on in the paths of art.
literature and music.

  The San Jose Woman's Club is the largest of these organizations, its object
being to promote acquaintance, good-fellowship and cooperation among the women
of the city and vicinity, and to furnish a civic center where questions of
importance to the community may be freely discussed and acted upon in the hope
of promoting the interests and welfare of all concerned. The club was born in
1894, and the work is done in departments. The charter list of membership was,
at the start, left open for one month. At the expiration of that time the
enrollment showed forty names. The number steadily increased until the
membership reached 200. During the great European war, the number dwindled to
one hundred and fifty, but after hostilities had ceased there was a steady gain
in membership. The club has never lost sight of the ideals upon which it was
founded and is recognized as a power for good in the community. Its motto is:
"All for one and one for all."

  In 1897 the club joined the General Federation of Clubs and in 1900 became
affiliated with the State Federation. During the first three years of its
existence the directors served in turn as president, and in 1898, Mrs. Stephen
A. Jones was elected as its first regular president. She served two years, and
was followed by Mrs. E. O. Smith, the founder of the club, in whose fertile
brain was conceived the plan for a club house and the division of the work into
departments of civics, music, art, literature, travel and social and household
economics. This arrangement has continued to the present time. At the beginning
of Mrs. Smith's second term of office her health failed, and the vice-president,
Mrs. W. C. Kennedy, was obliged to carry on the work For the two years
following, Mrs. Kennedy was the president, and it was during her incumbency that
the money ($4000) was raised by entertainments for the building of the present
club house on South Third Street, now Santa Clara. It was also during this
period that an auxiliary to the club was formed. This consisted of the daughters
of the members, who were permitted to use the club house for their meetings.
About fifty young ladies responded and their club, which later was named To
Kolan, came into being. In appreciation of her labors, Mrs. Kennedy, upon
retiring from office. was elected an honorary member.

  Mrs. Alex. P. Mungotten served as president, 1904-06; Mrs. W. B. Hill,
1906-08; Mrs. Viola Price Franklin, 1908-09; Mrs. A. A. Fowler, 1909-11. It was
during Mrs. Fowler's administraton that the club took up the matter of
incorporating as a body, the original incorporation of a part of the club as a
"Club House Association," not having proved satisfactory. The by-laws were
amended and the whole club was reincorporated under the name of "The San Jose
Woman's Club."

  From 1911 to 1912, Mrs. J. V. Haley served as president. The following came in
turn: Mrs. C. E. Randall, 1912-13; Mrs. O. P. Shrout, 1913-14; Mrs. J. E.
Hancock, 1914-15; Mrs. Fred Schumacher, 1915-16; Mrs. Paul Clark. 1916-17; Mrs.
N. J. Grey, 1917-18; Mrs. S. Wills and Mrs. A. D. Grant, 1918-19; Mrs. F. H.
Easty, 1919-20; Mrs. Eva E. Stahl, 1920-21.

  The clubs in the County Alliance are as follows: Manzanita Club, founded in
1884, Mrs. Milo P. Phelps, president; The Monday Club, founded in 1904, Mrs.
Fred Fehren, president; Out-Door Art League, founded in 1904, Mrs. J. W. Davy,
president; The Art History, founded in 1883, Mrs. Nicholas Bowden, president: To
Kolan Club, organized in 1902, president, Mrs. Willard Hayden; Willows Reading
and Study Club, organized in 1897, Mrs. J. R. Henwood, president; Short Story
Club, a branch of the Pacific Short Story Club, organized in 1911, Mrs. W. C.
Kennedy, president; Santa Clara Woman's Club, founded in 1904, Mrs. A. E.
Osborne, president; The Shakespeare Club, of Santa Clara, Miss Laura Mills,
president; Mountain View Woman's Club, Miss Emma Stevens, president; County
Woman's Club, Campbell, Mrs. J. Fred Smith, president; Morgan Hill Woman's Club,
Mrs. Giles Bradley, president; Sunnyvale Woman's Club, Mrs. Sophie Durst,
president; Palo Alto Woman's Club, Mrs. Emily S. Dixon, president; Gilroy
Woman's Club, Mrs. Catherine T. Ryan, president.

  Besides the County Alliance there is a County Federation of Clubs, composed of
the following: Manzanita Club, San Jose Woman's Club, Santa Clara Woman's Club,
Palo Alto Woman's Club, Mountain View Woman's Club, To Kolan, Perdita Circle,
Los Ga-tos; History Club.

  Other clubs not affiliated with the San Jose Woman's Club or the County
Federation are The Fortnightly, founded in 1899, Mrs. J. D. T. Tuthill,
president; Sempervirens Club, A. P. Hill, president, and Mrs. W. C. Kennedy and
Chas. Wesley Reed, honorary presidents; the Chautauqua Circle, Miss Lulu
Blanchard, president; The Art History Club, Mrs. Nicholas Bowden, president; The
Eastern Star, Mrs. A. E. Dickenson, worthy matron; the different circles,
guilds, societies and alliances of the churches; the Parent-Teachers'
Association of the public schools: the Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A., the Y. M. I.
and Y. L. I.; the different courts, the different Parlors of the Native Sons and
Daughters, the Women's Relief Corps and the Congress of Mothers, and many others.

Newman Hall and Club

  In 1904 Archbishop Riordan furnished the money for building Newman Hall for
the Catholic girls attending the State Normal School. The location is on South
Fifth Street near the corner of San Fernando Street and close to the Normal
grounds. It is a handsome, imposing structure, an adaptation of the
Roman-Corinthian style of architecture, and is admirably arranged for the
purposes for which it was constructed. It was Archbishop Riordan's idea to
provide a place where the Catholic Normal girls might meet to be further
instructed in the Catholic doctrine and at the same time have a rest and club
room. A chaplain was furnished and when not engaged in religious services the
girls of the club- for a club was formed-give entertainments, hear lectures and
have the benefit of the well-stocked club library. There are eighty members of
the club and the finances are looked after by the Catholic members of the Normal
alumni. Mrs. R. Johnson is president of the student body. The upkeep of the
institution is in the hands of the Catholic women of the city of San Jose.

Sainte Claire Club

  There is no finer nor more picturesque building in San Jose than the one
occupied by the Sainte Claire Club. It is situated on St. John Street at the
corner of Second, and was built by Senator James D. Phelan in 1894. The club was
organized November 15, 1888, and for five years occupied rooms in the Rucker
block. Dr. Pierce was the first president and C. M. Wooster, secretary. In 1906
the new building was shattered by the earthquake, causing the club to seek
quarters elsewhere. In 1907, repairs having been made, the club moved back to
the old stand. The membership at present is 100. Luncheon is served every day.
There are nine living and bath rooms on the third floor, card room and library
on the second floor and social hall, dining room and kitchen on the first floor.
The officers for 1920 were J. M. Parker, president; K. H. Plate, vice-president;
Chas. A. Barker, secretary. Other directors, A. E. Holmes, H. A. Pfister, James
W. Findlay, F. A. Wilder. Following are some of the names of the deceased
members: Hon. B. D. Murphy, W. P. Dougherty, Judge James R. Lewis, Col. A. K.
Whitton, Ralph Lowe, Peter Etchebarne, Isaac Loeb, Gabriel Loeb, J. Naglee
Burke, D. W. Burchard, James M. Rucker, Dr. G. W. Seifert, Harry Edwards, Peter
C. Colombet, O. A. Hale, Judge Bond, J. R. Patton, L. A. Sage, Capt. N. D'Oyly,
James H. Lyndon, W. J. Wilcox, Chas. Chapman, Hon. C. T. Ryland and J. F. Green.

  Two of the above named, Hon. C. T. Ryland and Hon. B. D. Murphy, were able
lawyers and orators. In the late 70s the Democrats controlled the State
Legislature, holding 83 out of a total of 120 votes. A United States senator was
to be elected that year and the candidates were C. T. Ryland, James T. Farley,
Mark McDonald and Niles Searles. Ryland was easily the ablest of the candidates.
He as a San Josean of lofty intelligence and scrupulous honesty. A native of
Missouri, he came to California when a boy of nineteen. He drove a mule team
across the plains and arrived in California with only a few dollars in his
pocket, but his laudable ambition and strong character soon led him into one
good position after another. He was clerk of the Board of First Instance in San
Francisco and afterwards was private secretary to Peter H. Burnett, first
governor of California. He married the governor's daughter, was admitted to the
bar and in time rose to be one of the leading business and political factors of
the state. His career as a lawyer opened in San Jose, and after years of success
he gave up the law to enter the banking business. It was thought by his many
friends in San Jose that he would have a walkover in the race for the United
States senatorship, but these friends failed to take into account the fact that
he was not a wire puller and that he had pitted against him some of the seasoned
politicians of the state. But he made a game fight and it took twenty-five
ballots to decide the issue, Farley winning without a vote to spare.

  Hon. B. D. Murphy, of San Jose, was then a member of the State Senate. He was
not a candidate for United States senator, but one of his staunch friends, Hon.
Tom Fowler, who represented several counties in the San Joaquin Valley, resolved
to give Barney a complimentary vote. Tom, a big, bluff Westerner, dealt in
horses and talked "horse" from morning until night. His nominating speech was
impromptu and Hon. John A. Hicks, the San Jose realty dealer, who was then a
member of the Legislature and heard the speech, says it was about the richest
thing that ever came out of the mouth of a California solon. Fowler first
likened Barney to a horse and, as Hicks remembers it, he spoke somewhat after
this fashion:

  "It gives me great pleasure on this momentous occasion to place in nomination
a thoroughbred who never had the blind staggers. He sees straight and goes
straight for what he sees. He is gentle when handled right and if she have the
courage a lady can drive him. He is neither wind-galled, spavined nor has the
heaves unless he is heaving some Republican maverick out of his way. True, he
will kick up his heels when he feels good, but you may bet your bottom dollar
that he will never kick over the traces. He is all wool and a yard wide
thoroughbred and he can trace his lineage back to old Brian Born who assisted
St. Patrick in driving the snakes out of Milpitas. And, gentlemen, he is not a
crib sucker, although if he lands in the senatorial crib he will make suckers
out of all who oppose the principles of our noble party. Look at him and note
that he measures up to the standard set by those matchless steeds that have been
world beaters since the days of Alexander Yoell. Moreover, and don't let the
fact escape your memory, he has horse sense, and that is saying a good deal in
these days of windy rhetoric. And he'll stand without tying and doesn't need any
sugar to make him good, because he's good all through and all the time. He
doesn't need a cinch, though it's a cinch that he'll make good, even if he has
to take the bit between his teeth. Take him, don't pet him, for he'll do his
work without petting, feed him three times a day, and between meals if you feel
like it, for he is a good feeder and will come a-running to the manger, and
you'll get more than your money's worth. Gentlemen, I am proud to place in
nomination the Honorable Barney Murphy, of San Jose."

  At the conclusion of the speech the great chamber resounded to the laughter
and applause of the assembled legislators.

Columbia Circle, C. L. S. C.

  Chautauqua is represented in San Jose by Columbia Circle, which was organized
in 1888. Mrs. Harriet M. Newell was the first president. Other presidents were
Mrs. Addie Garrigus. 1894-1900; Mrs. Louisa George. 1900-06: Mrs. Mattie
Herrington. 1906-07; Mrs. Mary Haywards, 1907-08: Mrs. Maria Morse, 1908-09;
Mrs. Ida Wadams, 1909-10; Mrs. Sarah Baker, 1910-11: Mrs. Mabel Withrow,
1911-12; Mrs. Lulu Blanchard, 1912-20. Mrs. Blanchard was reelected for another
year in 1920.

  It has been the pleasant custom of the circle to hold recognition exercises at
the close of each year and graduate the class finishing the course according to
the plan followed at Chautauqua headquarters. This marks the conclusion of four
years' reading laid down by the program of Chautauqua, and each year Columbia
Circle enjoys a day that leaves the final hours of its study a pleasant memory
to each member. On Monday, June 14, 1920, the class of that year, the eighth to
pass through the "Golden Gate" of Mrs. Blanchard's leadership, was graduated.
This class was one of the largest, number eight-Mrs. Flora Bates, Mrs. Anna
Candee, Mrs. Blanche Graham, Mrs. Edith Jensen, Mrs. Kate McChesney, Mrs. Edna
Mclntyre, Mrs. Eltha Parner, Mrs. Calla Sherman. After a program of songs,
recitations and reading of "The Year Book," Mrs. Blanchard, made her usual
address, telling how much Chautauqua should mean to readers and students and how
much it had done for her. She announced that five new readers had been enrolled
for the next year, the European year, and narrated some of the history and aims
of the organization.

Lecticonian Society

  San Jose's first duly organized debating society was the San Jose Lyceum. It
was in existence during the early part of the '70s and was succeeded by the
Lecticonian Society. There are many San Joseans today who are proud of the fact
that they were once Lecticonians. for the organization which kept its head above
water for twenty-odd years, did noble work as an educator. It turned out
orators, statesmen and divines, and gave to business and professional men the
ability and confidence to speak fluently and entertainingly in public. Some of
the old members were J. C. Black, C. C. Stephens, J. M. Young. T. E. and J. G.
Kennedy, J. R. King, J. L. Crittenden, M. H. Hyland, L. F. Curtis, C. M.
Shortridge, Chris Bergstrom, H. D. Burnett, A. C. Blane, Geo. D. Smith, Alex.
Underwood, C. W. Quilty, J. J. McLauren, Tom C. Barry, Dr. J. L. York, E. T.
Sawyer, W. Finley, H. C. and C. E. Gunn, John McNaught, John E. Richards, R. J.
Stevens, Holton Webb, E. J. McCutcheon, E. K. Dunlap and J. E. Rymal. Of these
Barry, Quilty, Shortridge, the Gunns, Dr. York are dead. Of the living, J. E.
Richards is judge of the Appellate Court; Black is the dean of the San Jose bar;
Stephens is a leading lawyer of Los Angeles; Bane is one of the big oratorical
guns of the First M. E. Church; Underwood is a wealthy business man of Monterey;
Smith is a San Jose lawyer of fine attainments; Webb was justice of the peace at
Riverside in Riverside County, and died over a year after being shot by an
Italian who had been defeated in a law suit. Hyland, once Superior Judge is now
a San Francisco capitalist. The majority of the Lecticonians had had little or
no experience as speakers or debaters when they joined the society, but constant
attendance and study made of them speakers and debaters such as any county would
be proud to own. The society disbanded in the early '90s.

The Country Club

  The Country Club, first known as the Golf Club, was organized twenty years ago
by a number of business men who realized that out-of-door sports should go hand
in hand with indoor amusement. A tract of land comprising eighty acres was
secured near the Linda Vista links on the Alum Rock road and the Linda Vista
Sanitarium was used as a club house. The charter had the following as charter
members: T. Ellard Beans, Geo. M. Bowman, D. M. Burnett, W. S. Clayton, E. C.
Flagg, Thomas A. Graham, A. D. Grant, O. A. Hale, G. W. Henderson, Ralph W.
Hersey, A. C. Kuhn, S. F. Leib, J. C. Lewis, L. L. Morse, L. G. Nesmith, Joseph
R. Patton, Hotel Vendome, Guy Vachell, A. K. Whitton, Philo Hersey and William
Wehner.

  In 1913 the club moved their quarters by purchasing 61 1/2 acres on
exceptionally good ground near the eastern foothills. Afterwards 31^ acres were
leased from Mrs. Gordon. This tract adjoined the Country Club's land, and the
combined acreage and splendid situation made the golf links one of the finest on
the Coast, permitting a full eighteen-hole course. On one of the hills, the most
commanding one, a club house, up-to-date in every particular was built at a cost
of about $15,000. The cost would have been much greater if the lumber had not
been purchased from J. Al Chase, a lumber dealer and a club member. Mr. Chase
also designed the building. The pipes were laid in two days by fifty club
members in overalls and jumpers. After their work had been finished they were
treated to a fine lunch prepared by the lady members and served on tables under
spreading oak trees. The present officers of the club are V. J. LaMotte,
president; J. R. Chace, secretary; First National Bank, treasurer; William
Hirst, manager of the club house. The members number 350.

The Pioneers' Society

  The California Pioneers' Society of Santa Clara County was organized June 22,
1875, with 274 charter members. The first officers were Judge A. L. Rhodes,
president; John M. Murphy and Peter O. Minor, vice-presidents; Alex. P.
Murgotten, secretary; John H. Moore, treasurer; directors, Coleman Younger, Cary
Peebels, Davis Divine, A. Pfister and B. D. Murphy. Of the charter members the
secretary is the only surviving member. The first annual meeting was held in
O'Donnell's Gardens on June 22, 1876. At its first quarterly meeting, held in
September, 1876, in Music Hall, Hon. David Belden delivered an address, replete
with droll humor and beautiful sentiment. Hon. C. T. Ryland was the speaker at
the next quarterly, December 20, 1876, and English words were woven into a
splendid tribute to the pioneers.

  Two memorable social events mark the history of the old-timers. The first was
given on September 8, 1877, to celebrate the admission of California into the
Union. The California Pioneers of San Francisco, Native Sons and Mexican
Veterans were invited guests. The parade was one of the largest ever seen in San
Jose. It consisted of the Native Sons, San Francisco Pioneers, and Santa Clara
County Pioneers. There were floats representing pioneer times, such as, "On an
Emigrant Train," and "The Steamer California," manned by men who came on that
vessel. A local ox carried a pack of an old emigrant's outfit. There was also a
mining scene, "Working the Claim," which was very realistic. To make the parade
seem real one of the valuable oxen hauling the emigrants dropped dead while.on
the march. At O'Donnell's Gardens, one of the largest barbecues in the history
of the state was carried out successfully. In a trench 200 feet long, three feet
deep and three feet wide there were spitted twenty-seven hogs, twenty-five sheep
and sixteen beeves. Over 10,000 people were introduced to one of the finest
meals they had ever tasted. An English guest said he had eaten the roast beef of
old England for forty years, but he felt that he had never partaken real roast
beef until that Saturday. Uncle Ike Branham was the chief cook and his
assistants were A. Legarde, S. O. Broughton, Henry Lux, D. A. Laddy, A. L.
Bascom, J. H. M. Townsend, Geo. Cross and R. T. O'Hanlon. The next great event
was the State Inauguration Day, celebrated on December 20, 1899, and here the
success of an earlier day was repeated. It was the grandest celebration San Jose
had ever had. Mayor C. J. Martin was president; Alex. P. Murgotten, secretary;
Mrs. E. O. Smith, program director, and Gus Lion, financial director; S. W.
Boring, grand marshal. The old capitol was reproduced and there were three days
of joy-making.

  Many of the early pioneers have gone over the range, but a few are left in the
society. In order to keep up the interest the membership now includes all those
who have resided fifty or more years in California. At the last annual meeting
held at Alum Rock Park on June 5, 1921, officers for the ensuing term were
elected as follows: President, William E. Gage; first vice-president, H. C.
Morrell; second vice-president, F. B. Kennedy, third vice-president, J. J.
Sontheimer; secretary, A. P. Murgotten; treasurer, Mrs. A. P. Hill; auditors,
Mrs. M. H. Hermann, J. G. Glendenning, C. C. Smith, W. D. Dampman, W. H.
Lawrence. Following is the list of active members: W. C. Andrews, Chas. L.
Adams, Mrs. J. Appleton, H. W. Arbogast, J. Q. A. Ballou, Mrs. E. D. B. Bradley,
Mrs. Lulu Blanchard, J. C. Black, L. A. Booksin, M. A. Boulware, Miss L. A.
Brimblecom, J. B. Burrell, Mrs. E. C. Best. W. K. Beans, Otis Blabon, Dr. J. M.
Bowen, W. S. Clayton, Chas. Cable, Mrs. J. R. Cornell, Geo. O. Comstock, J. B.
Collins, Harry W. Coe, Mrs. M. T. Daunes, H. A. De Lacy, W. D. Dampman, Mrs. W.
D. Damp-man, Chas. Doerr, Mrs. C. Dickson, Peter J. Dunne, Mrs. L. A. Erkson,
Mrs. Mary A. Estes, Mrs. L. A. Fowler, Chas. Frost, Mrs. Chas. Frost, Perley F.
Gosbey, J. D. Guerraz, Chas. T. Givens, J. W. Gould, H. Guerraz, Miss M. E.
Gordon, J. E. Gordon, J. G. Glendenning, Phil Herold, S. N. Herring, Mrs. S. H.
Herring, Mrs. M. H. Herrmann, J. H. Hamon, Mrs. J. H. Hamon, Andrew P. Hill,
Mrs. A. P. Hill, Mrs. Eliza Isom, Mrs. A. C. Joseph, Mrs. N. A. Jennings, Mrs.
Mary H. January, A. W. Kennedy, F. B. Kennedy, Frank Kenyon, J. A. Lovell, Mrs.
Mattie R. Lewis, A. B. Langford, Alex. P. Murgotten, Mrs. A. P. Murgotten, H. C.
Morrell, Mrs. H. C. Morrell, Antone Matty, Mrs. Riley Montry, Thos. Monahan, E.
C. Munn, Mrs. E. C. Munn, E. L. Mood v. N. E. Manning, Archie McDonald, Mrs. A'
McDonald, Mrs. A. W. McDaniels. H. S. McClay. Mrs. E. McCracken, Mrs. R. T.
O'Hanlon, Jacob Overton, John F. Pvle, H. T. Pyle, Mrs. Marv J. Pvle, F. G.
Pyle, Mrs. M. Palmer, Mrs. E. H. Potter, N. A. Pellerano, Henry A. Pfister,
Leonora Rider, John E. Richards, L. D. Stephens, Albert Schroeder, Fred M.
Stern, Chas. D. Sykes, S. P. Sitton, Mrs. J. E. Saulsbury, C. C. Smith, Mrs. J.
C. Selby, Mrs. M. E. Searles, Mrs. S. M. Smith, Mrs. K. Travis, Mrs. J. M.
Tarleton, Mrs. C. M. Tennant, Otto F. Van Dorsten, Mrs. Frances Verser, Mrs. L.
J. Watkins, E. H. Wemple, Mrs. J. C. Wool, Mrs. G. F. Williams, H. J. Wallace,
Mrs. Chas. Doerr, Jasper S. Scott, Mrs. Frank Fuller, W. J. Cartner, Gustave
Nelson. Mildred M. Overfelt, Irving P. Henning, Edward Godfrey, Matilda Godfrey,
Mary E. Hatch, Nils Anderson, Emily M. Hanson, Mrs. J. P. Hildreth, Mrs. Mary
Stone, Mrs. Otto Van Dorsten, Mrs. Sue J. Seybolt, Eugene Knickerbocker, Mrs.
Flora J. Saxe, Chas. W. Kenyon, Mrs. E. J. Kell, H. G. Dodds, Mrs. M. E. Pyle,
Mrs. Mary Overfelt, O. F. Gohranson, W. F. Chipman, J. G. Reid, John Widney, W.
E. Gage, Ed. Haley, Mrs. Emma Laird, Mrs. Luvena Selfridge, Mrs. Louise Collins,
Geo. Bray, O. F. Gohranson, Jr., Mrs. B. F. Lirtzinger, Mrs. M. J. Ashmore, Mrs.
J. D. Guerraz, Mary Z. Oakes, E. T. Sawyer. Charles D. Sykes, former president,
died on July 7, 1920, at Boulder Creek.

  The objects of the society are to cultivate social intercourse; to form a more
perfect union among its members; to create a fund for charitable purposes; to
assist in burying the dead and assisting the afflicted; to create a bond of
regard and friendship among the members of the society; to establish a library.
collect minerals, relics, heirlooms, curiosities and articles of intrinsic and
historical value of pioneer days; to collect and preserve information concerning
its members, and other pioneers; statistics and data of the pioneer history of
the county and state; to receive donations and bequests, to hold and use the
same so as best to transmit to future generations a faithful and correct history
of the past, so as to maintain, as far as possible, a continuity of historic
narrative for the future.

  Harry Jubilee Bee, whose career has been sketched in an earlier chapter, died
in San Luis Obispo in 1898. He was the oldest pioneer in California and he
furnished much interesting material to A. P. Murgotten while that gentleman was
publishing and editing The Pioneer. Bee took a prominent part in the first
hanging of Americans in California. In July, 1849, Bee and a number of San
Joseans were at work in the mines of Dry Creek, near the upper fork of the
American River. The adjoining camp was occupied by a company of miners composed
of Peter Haggerty, of San Jose, a man named Griffin, and five deserters from
Stevenson's regiment. Three of the deserters were named Campbell, Freers and Davis.

  Haggerty's party had good luck at the diggings and one day, about the middle
of July, a large bag of gold dust was exhibited to Bee as a result of their
labors. Haggerty was the treasurer and on that same day Griffin came to him and
stated that the five deserters had concocted a scheme to steal the dust, and
advised him to change the place of burial. This advice was followed, but it
afterwards appeared that the five men were watching him while he was making the
change. The next day the deserters came to Haggerty and demanded a settlement
and a division of the dust. Haggerty went out to obtain the bag and was alarmed
and surprised to find that it had been stolen. When he came back and announced
the loss the five men began to laugh. As evidence to convict was lacking the
deserters were allowed to leave camp. They were followed next day by Bee and
Haggerty, who arrived in San Jose early in August.

  The five deserters were there and in a short time they had gambled away the
stolen money. In October they started back to the mines. On the road from the
Livermore ranch, in Alameda County, to the San Joaquin Valley they fell in with
a sailor, who was also on his way to the mines, and he was induced to become one
of their party. When the San Joaquin was reached the party of six came upon two
men-an American and a German. It was customary in those days, when one man met
another on the road to exchange courtesies as follows: "Where have you been?"
The answer would perhaps be: "I've been to the mines." Then the question would
be: "How have you made it?" The interrogated party would open his shirt and
disclose his pile, if he had any. It was so in the case of the German. He was
asked the usual question and the bag of dust was disclosed. The American had no
money.

  That night the two parties camped near each other. In the evening Campbell
proposed to rob the German and his companions, except the sailor, assented at
once. After some argument the sailor was induced to go along. At midnight,
Campbell, Freers and Davis relieved the German of his earnings, the sailor
acting as guard, after which the victim was shot in the arm "for fun." The
robbers then started back in the direction of San Jose. At a Mexican ranch near
where the town of Pleasanton now stands, they stole six horses. The owner
followed them to San Jose, and after learning that they had camped in the
mustard, on the banks of the Guadalupe about two miles from the pueblo, he came
to town and notified Harry Bee of his loss and discovery. The American had come
in a short time before, having left the wounded German at Livermore's. Dr. Ben
Cory was sent out to attend to him. Bee was informed of the robbery and from the
description concluded that the Dry Diggings miners were the culprits. A search
for them was at once instituted and Campbell, Freers and Davis were traced to
the house of Woods, the alguazil, on Santa Clara Street. Bee suspected Woods of
complicity in the hiding of the deserters and upon his statement Woods was
removed from his official position by the alcalde, and Bee, who had before held
the office, was appointed in his place.

  Bee at once went at work. That night he raised a posse of men, among them
Peter Quincy, Uncle Ike Branham, Charles White and Samuel Young. A short time
afterwards Campbell and Freers were decoyed into Bee's shoe store in the old
Lightston buildinsr, and arrested. A little later Davis was caught outside the
building. Three days afterwards the three men were brought before the alcalde
for trial, and mainly through the testimony of the sailor, who gave state's
evidence and thus escaped punishment, the deserters were convicted and sentenced
to be hanged. The same day-for the law moved swiftly in these times the men were
taken to Market Square and summarily executed. John Yontz acted as master of
ceremonies, Bee having been released from that duty for the reason that he had
just baptized the men and thus became their godfather. After life was extinct
the bodies were taken to Santa Clara and buried in the Catholic Cemetery.

  Lorenzo D. Stephens, a member of the Pioneers and the last surviving member of
the famous Jayhawkers' party of gold seekers, whose terrible suffering in Death
Valley in 1849 forms a thrilling chapter in the history of the California gold
rush, died in an Oakland hospital in February, 1922, at the age of 93. His
residence was in San Jose and for over seventy years he was a picturesque figure
in the life of Santa Clara County. His wife died in January, 1922. He is
survived by a daughter, Mrs. Emma Falconer, of Berkeley, and a son, Dr. L. L.
Stephens, of Seattle, Wash.

  The records of the Jayhawkers shows that they were the first people with the
exception of Indians to set foot in Death Valley; the first to discover silver
in Nevada and the first to discover those nitre and borax deposits which have
proved of such great value to the commercial world. Unwilling discoveries they
were, during fifty-two days of existence with almost no food, and five days
during which they were without a drop of water.

  The party originally numbered thirty-five men and included one woman, the wife
of a preacher, and several children. They set out with ox teams from Galesburg,
Ill., on April 5, 1849, and passed safely through Salt Lake City late in July.
The season was late when they arrived at the Mormon capital and reports were
received telling of the awful experiences of the Donner party on the northern
route to the gold fields-experiences which forced some members of that party
into cannibalism to prolong life. Other wagons joined with the Jayhawkers in
forming a train of 107 wagons at Salt Lake City with the idea of reaching
California from Salt Lake by a southern route.

  All went well until 250 miles south of Salt Lake, when, disregarding the
advice of their guide, they started due westward in an effort to cut off several
hundred miles. The distance by the map looked short and easy.

  The train proceeded without incident until they came to a sheer precipice of a
thousand feet or more in the Wasatch Mountains. Since progress seemed impossible
the majority of the train resolved to follow the advice of their guide and turn
southward again to the Santa Fe trail. The Jayhawkers, however, explored for a
descent and found it. Not realizing what they were doing they then embarked on a
journey across the Great American desert. Four months were required in
traversing about 800 miles of this desolate region, fifty-two days of which they
were without food, except as they killed their starving cattle. The little water
found was mostly alkaline and unfit to drink. One member of the party, crazed by
suffering, wandered away and was lost. Three other members of the party lay down
on the trail and died.

  The one woman of the part was forced to listen to her suffering little ones
plead for a drink. Sometimes as many as five days would pass before they could
plunge their swollen tongues in the alkaline springs. The wagons were cut to
carts and the carts in turn gave way to pack saddles in an effort to facilitate
progress through the sands.

  The imprint of death was on the faces of the members of the party when two men
forming an advance party sighted the ranch of Don Juan Salazar in the Santa
Clara Valley. The plight of the party was made known and vaqueros went to their
assistance. This rescue occurred on February 4, 1850, a date always observed in
the reunions of the members of the Jayhawkers, which were held annually until
three years ago, then ceased, as Lorenzo Dow Stephens was the sole survivor.

American Legion

  The American Legion is a fraternal club. It was organized on October 4, 1919.
The platform, as set forth in the constitution, is as follows:

  "For God and country, we associate ourselves together for the following purposes:

  "To uphold and defend the constitution of the United States of America; to
maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate a one-hundred per cent
Americanism; to preserve the memories and incidents of our association in the
Great War; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state
and nation; to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses; to make
right the master of might; to promote peace and good will on earth; to safeguard
and transmit to posterity the principles of justice, freedom and democracy; to
consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by our devotion to mutual helpfulness."

  "The American Legion is to be commended in its efforts to enlist the
membership of every honorably discharged soldier, sailor and marine who served
his country in the late war. This organization has before it a great work if it
is to accomplish its ideals in creating a true spirit of patriotism among the
American citizens, which shall be as energetic and powerful in times of peace as
was that spirit in the dark days of war. The Grand Army of the Republic has done
a great work and has stood as a magnificent example before the American youth
since the days of the Civil War, ever instilling in our people, by precept and
example, love of country and enforcement of law and order. We cannot measure the
benefits of this great organization nor ever pay the debt of gratitude which we
owe it. But the ranks of the Grand Army of the Republic have become so
diminished during the past few years that but a handful of the grand old
veterans still remain. It is for this new organization, made up of the veterans
of the World War, to assume the toga of its similarly patriotic predecessor, and
carry forward its cherished ideals. There is no organization like the Legion,
made up as it is of a million and one-half men and women who answered the call
of home and country, which has forsworn any policy of a partisan or political
nature, and whose whole endeavor is to furnish our country with protection, both
from its enemies within as well as those without. It is an organization which
caters to neither class nor mass, but stands for the enforcement of the will of
the sovereign majority."

  The Legion is open to army nurses as well as to former soldiers. The
membership is 1045, mainly from Santa Clara County. The officers are: Archer
Bowden, president; Frank V. Campbell, secretary. An employment bureau is
maintained and the finding of seventy-five places per month has been the average.

Law Library and Bar Association

  The San Jose Law Library was started in 1874 in the Knox Block. Its growth has
been steady and now there are over 6000 books on the shelves. The librarian is
Louisa J. Spencer, who has held the position for many years. The directors are
O. D. Richardson (chairman), Judge S. F. Leib, N. Bowden, Judge John E. Richards
and Judge H. D. Tuttle.

  The Bar Association was formed in 1915. The officers are: John W. Sullivan,
president; Matthew Mulcahy, secretary, and L. E. Petree, treasurer. The objects
of the association are to advance the standard of the members in morals and
professional duties, to prosecute members who-are derelict in conduct, and to
create a fraternal feeling among the members. John W. Sullivan is chairman of
the committee on investigation.

Housewives' League

  To combat the high cost of living by making war on the profiteers, the San
Jose Housewives' League was organized in November, 1919. There were over 200
members on July 1, 1920. The officers are: Mrs. Paul Clark, president; Mrs. M.
W. Capp, secretary, and Mrs. R. J. Lanford, treasurer. Mrs. J. E. Hancock is
button and membership superintendent. The business of the League is to gather
and publish recipes for sugarless and other cheap eatables; to investigate cases
of profiteering and ascertain why the grocers have to charge so much when the
producers receive so little; and to look into all matters connected with the
high cost of living. Already much has been accomplished. Facts have been
gathered regarding profiteering and when a case has been made the proper
officials have been notified.

Daughters of the American Revolution

  The Santa Ysabel Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution was
organized in San Jose November 10, 1896. The charter members were Mrs. Sutton
Palmer, Mrs. William B. Gano, Miss M. Polhemus, Mrs. W. K. Beans, Mrs. M. G.
Gates, Miss Edna Leib, Mrs. T. Ellard Beans, Miss Frances Beans, Mrs. Pedro
Merlin Lusson, Mrs. Paul Ftirst, Miss Bessie Moore, Miss Rowena Beans, Miss Lida
Leib. The regent, Mrs. Samuel Franklin Leib, was appointed by the then state
regent, Mrs. Virginia Knox Maddox. Since then the list has been extended. The
chapter meetings are held at the residences of the members. The genealogical
standing of all the members is as follows:

  Armstrong-Lida Campbell Leib, wife of Charles Dorsey Armstrong; descendant of
Gen. William Russell; daughter of Judge Samuel Franklin Leib and Lida Campbell
Leib, his wife. General Russell assisted in establishing American Independence
while acting in the capacity of colonel from 1776 to 1783; afterwards was
brigadier-general.

  Austin, Gertrude May, wife of Paul Page Austin; descendant of Hezekiah
Hutchins, who was a captain in Colonel Reed's regiment of New Hampshire
volunteers, at the Battle of Bunker Hill, and who received his commission on the
day of the battle. In 1776 he was captain of the fourth company of
Lieut.-Col-onel Welch's regiment and was present at the battles around Saratoga
and at the surrender of Burgoyne.

  Ballou, Katherine Jane Kimball, wife of John Quincy Adams Ballou, and
descendant of Edward Ainsworth, a physician and farmer, who was a private in
Colonel Bellows' regiment, raised in 1776 to reinforce the army in Canada. His
name is on the payroll of Colonel Bellows' .regiment of militia in New
Hampshire, which went to reinforce the garrison at Ticonderoga when besieged by
the British in June, 1777. Edward Ainsworth was called "Lieutenant."

  Barkau, Ella Plate, wife of Fritz Barkau, descendant of Anthony Rutgers, who
assisted in establishing American Independence while acting as chaplain in the
second company of artillery in New York City.

  Barstow, Mary Rhodes, wife of Alfred Barstow, and descendant of Anthony
Rhodes, who was a private of the Fifth Company, commanded by Captain Carlisle,
in Colonel Elliott's regiment. He also served as corporal in Captain Randall's
company, Colonel Watterman's regiment.

  Barstow, Grace (Miss), descendant of Anthony Rhodes.

  Beans, Charlotte Bray, wife of T. Ellard Beans, and descendant of Dr. John
Forman Grandin, U. S. N., who served as surgeon in the navy during the latter
part of the Revolutionary War.

  Beans, Rowena (Miss), descendant of Dr. John Forman Grandin.

  Beans, Frances (Miss), descendant of Dr. Grandin.

  Beans, Gertrude Moore, wife of William Knox Beans, and descendant of
Lieutenant William Moore, who was sergeant in the Third Virginia Regiment in
1776; ensign in August, 1777; second lieutenant in 1777, and first lieutenant in
1780. In consideration of his services in the Continental Army he was given a
grant of land-2,666 2/3 acres.

  Beans, Mildred Elizabeth (Miss), descendant of Lieut. William Moore.

  Beans, Alice Adelaide Waite (Miss), descendant of Capt. Joseph Jewett.

  Bradford, Alice Ballou, widow of Wager Bradford; descendant of Edward Ainsworth.

  Connell, Nettie L. Bast, wife of Maurice Connell, and descendant of Capt.
Jacob Clader, who enlisted March 1, 1776, in the company commanded by Rudolph
Bernise, Second Battalion of the Men of 76. He became corporal July 1, 1776;
captain, 1781. Also served sixty days' fighting Indians on the frontier.

  Eustace, Bessie Moore, wife of Herbert Eustace, and descendant of Lieut.
William Moore.

  Furst, Evelyn Moore Grissim, widow of Paul Furst, descendant of Gen. William
Russell.

  Furst, Hannah Moore (Miss), descendant of Gen. William Russell.

  Gano, Jeanette Lafayette Grissim, wife of William B. Gano, and descendant of
Gen. William Russell.

  Gates, Adaline M., widow of Freeman Gates, and descendant of Jonathan Palmer,
who assisted in establishing American Independence while serving as first
lieutenant in the Fifth Company of Colonel Selden's regiment of Connecticut
volunteers.

  Greenleaf, Mary Page Hathaway, widow of George Ravenscroft Greenleaf, and
descendant of Capt. Philip Hathaway, Jr., who was captain in Col. Josiah
Whitney's regiment. Served in Rhode Island in 1777.

  Guppy, Lucia Sophia Chase, wife of Edward H. Guppy, and descendant of Capt.
Cornelius Russell and Capt. Solomon Chase. Captain Russell was corporal in the
Lexington alarm of May, 1775. Enlisted as private in 1775; advanced to first
lieutenant and served as such until 1783. Was Washington's secretary and was
with Washington at Valley Forge. Was officer of the day when Major Andre was
hanged. Capt. Solomon Chase served in the regiment of his brother, General
Jonathan Chase, and also as surgeon in another regiment.

  Kittredge, Martha Shale Kirk, widow of Ashbel S. Kittredge, and descendant of
Thomas Bedford, Jr., who was a captain in the Revolutionary Army. He several
times refused promotion as he would not be separated from the boys of his
company, who had been placed in his charge by their mothers.

  Jordan, Jessie Knight, wife of David Starr Jordan, and descendant of Phineas
Knight, who served as private in Capt. John Durkee's company, Col. Israel
Putnam's regiment, from May to December, 1775. In Capt. Jonathan Brewster's
company in 1776; in Col. Benijahs Leppingwell's regiment 1777, and in Capt. John
Riley's company, February, 1781, to December 31, 1781.
  
Ledyard, Mary Forman (Miss), descendant of Benjamin Ledyard, who was captain of
the First Continental Infantry and distinguished himself at the battles of
Monmouth and White Plains. . He was also one of the founders of the Society of
the Cincinnati. Miss Ledyard was also the great-great-granddaughter of Youngs
Ledyard, who was first lieutenant of the Matross Artillery Company at Groton.

  Leib, Lida Campbell Grissim, wife of Judge Samuel Franklin Leib, and
descendant of General William Russell, Colonel of the Thirteenth Virginia,
December, 1776; transferred to Fifth Virginia, September, 1778; taken prisoner
at Charleston, May, 1780; exchanged, November, 1780; served until November 3,
1783, when he was made brigadier-general. Mrs. Leib was also the
great-great-granddaughter of William Campbell, who was first lieutenant of the
First Virginia State Regiment, and who was made captain January 16, 1779, and
served until January, 1782.

  Lusson, Elizabeth Stanley Newton, wife of Pierre Merlin Lusson, and descendant
of Col. Thomas Newton^ who was a member of the Constitutional Virginia
Convention; Col. John Baylor, aide to Washington; John Wright Stanley, who
melted his family silver and contributed $100,000 to Gen. Greene for arms and
ammunition; Richard Cogdell, of North Carolina, member of the Provincial
Congress and secretary of the Committee of Safety. Mrs. Lusson died in San Jose
August 2, 1903.

  May, Eliza Reed, wife of Alpha Child May, and descendant of Hezekiah Hutchins,
who was a captain in Colonel Reed's New Hampshire regiment at the battle of
Bunker Hill, and was present at the surrender of Burgoyne. He was in the
Continental Army in 1778.

  May, Cornelia Alice (Miss), daughter of Alpha C. May and Eliza Reed, his wife,
and descendant of Stephen May, a soldier in the Continental Army, who served at
Bunker Hill, Cowpens and Trenton. Also, a lineal descendant of Hezekiah Hutchins.

  Maynard, Adele Merlin Lusson, wife of Blay-ney Easterly Maynard, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. P. M. Lusson and descendant of Col. John Armestead, Col. Thomas
Newton, Col. John Baylor, John Wright, Stanley and Richard Cogdell, all of whom
rendered valuable service during the Revolutionary War.

  Maynard, Sue Davis, wife of Dr. Stephen C. Maynard and descendant of Jacob
Yount, who served under General Greene during the memorable campaign of 1781,
until the enemy evacuated Charleston and General Greene's army disbanded; also
of George C. Yount, was a lieutenant under General Boone in the War of 1812.

  Palmer, Maud Moore, wife of H. Sutton Palmer and descendant of Lieut. William
Moore.

  Parkinson, Edith Vallette, wife of Charles Roseberry Parkinson and descendant
of Samuel Dinsmore, who was a private, January, 1776, in Capt. Nathan Watkins'
company, Col. Edward Phinney's regiment. On the march to Ticonderoga he died of
small-pox.

  Pierce, Elise Furst, wife of Lester Pierce and descendant of Gen. William
Russell; daughter of Paul Furst and Evelyn Moore Grissim, his wife.

  Pierce, Marian Percey Thurston, wife of James Henry Pierce and descendant of
Richard Thurston, who was captain of Second Company of Infantry of Rowley, now
Georgetown, Mass., in 1757. In 1770 he was member of a committee to prevent
British importations. His son, David, served at various times as a private
during the Revolutionary War.

  Plate, Mary Mizner, first wife of Karl H. Plate and descendant of Anthony
Rutgers, who was captain of Second Company of Artillery in New York City. Mrs.
Plate died in August, 1900.

  Plate, Elizabeth Everett Groves, second wife of Karl H. Plate and descendant
of Robert Clark, captain of Virginia troops in 1778; also of Capt. John Trigg,
another captain of Virginia troops in 1778.

  Polhemus, Margaret (Miss), descendant of Major John Polhemus, who, at
seventeen years of age served in the provincial forces in the disastrous march
against Fort Duquesne. In 1759 he was one of the volunteers who marched into
Canada and did good service under General Wolfe. He received a captain's
commission in 1775 in the First Battalion of Jersey regulars under Lord
Sterling. His company, raised by him, was armed and equipped at his own expense.
He fought in the battles of Ticonderoga, Long Island, Princeton, Germantown,
Monmouth, Quebec, Brandywine and Valley Forge. At Valley Forge he was appointed
major of his regiment, the Jersey Blues. He died in Philadelphia on his
ninety-fourth birthday and was buried with military honors. He entered the war
affluent and left it with but a pittance. Miss Polhemus is also a descendant of
John Hart, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

  Reed, Julia Russell, wife of Thomas Harrison Reed and descendant of John
Davis, who served as substitute for his father in the Am-boy expedition. In 1777
he enlisted in Captain Butler's company and was afterwards transferred to
Captain McClelland's company. He was at Trenton and Princeton and crossed the
Delaware with Washington. Took part in the battle of Brandywine. Was in the
battle of Germantown, of Monmouth, Valley Forge and all the important events of
1778. He participated in the campaign of 1729 and was with Wayne in the attack
on Stony Point. Was wounded in the attack on the block house at Bergin Point.
Was one of the guards at the execution of Major Andre and went south with part
of the Pennsylvania line in 1781. Was present at Yorktown when Cornwallis
surrendered. Was honorably discharged in 1781, holding the rank of ensign.

  Smith, Harriet Louise Corwin, wife of Prof. Leigh Richmond Smith, descendant
of Capt. Thomas Lucas, who was first lieutenant in the regiment of Colonel
Morgan in 1777. Was afterwards made captain.

  Singletary, Florence Grigsby, widow of Emory Curtis Singletary, descendant of
Massey Thomas, who served as a private in the company of Captain Gillson, Sixth
Virginia Regiment, commanded by Col. John Green. He enlisted December 31, 1776,
and served three years.

  Thompson, Elizabeth Whitney Bland. widow of Col. Henry E. Thompson and
descendant of Josiah Ballard, a private in 1777 in the company of Capt. John
Trask, Col. David Leonard's regiment. Marched to Ticonderoga. He was also in the
company of Capt. Ebenezer Goodale, Col. Samuel Williams' regiment in the same
year, and marched to join the northern army.

  Waite, Alice C., wife of Melville M. Waite and descendant of Capt. Joseph
Jewett, who was captain in Colonel Huntington's Continental Regiment. After the
siege of Boston they marched, under General Washington, to New York and remained
in that vicinity until the close of the year 1776. He was at the Battle of Long
Island. During the engagement Colonel Huntington's regiment was compelled to
surrender, after an exhibition of great bravery, having been surrounded by • the
enemy. After the surrender Captain Jewett received several bayonet wounds from a
dastardly foe, from the effects of which he died. He was of elegant and
commanding appearance, of unquestioned bravery and much respected and beloved.

  Weston, Abbie May Bunker, wife of Benjamin F. Weston and descendant of
Jonathan Bunker, who enlisted in the Continental Army for the term of the war.
He died in 1796. He served for three years and was in most of the big battles.
Bunker Hill was named after his ancestor, George Bunker, who came to America in
1640. Mrs. Weston claims lineal descent from eight ancestors who served the
country during the Revolutionary War.

  Wright, Susie Davis, wife of Frank Vincent Wright, descendant of Benjamin
Butterfield, who was a lieutenant in Col. Seth Warner's regiment of "Green
Mountain Boys" in 1777. He served until 1780.

  Wright, Edna Warren Leib, wife of William Hammond Wright, descendant of
General William Russell.

  Wyatt, Camille Palmer, wife of Ben Harrison Wyatt and descendant of Lieut.
William Moore.

  The present officers of the chapter are Mrs. Samuel Franklin Leib, regent;
Mrs. Blayney Maynard, vice regent; Mrs. Maurice Connell, registrar; Mrs. Charles
R. Parkinson, treasurer; Mrs. Elizabeth Everett Plate, corresponding secretary.

Musical Clubs and Record

  Up to the '60s music in San Jose had not reached beyond the stage of very
amateur performances. But when musical courses were placed on the list of
studies at the College of Notre Dame, Santa Clara College and Prof. Freman
Gates' San Jose Institute, the musical tone of the community was both
strengthened and improved. Soon teachers of ability and eminence began to come
in, the first of which were Mr. and Mrs. A. N. Hamm. They arrived in the '60s
and soon made their work and influence felt. Mrs. Hamm, with her clear, birdlike
soprano, had been an operatic singer in the East and Mr. Hamm, a basso, had
appeared often in concerts. They opened a school, secured many pupils and gave
many public entertainments. Among the local singers of those days were Ella
Bassett (Mrs. Goodsell), Ella Cook (Mrs. Stark), Mary Rhodes (Mrs. Barstow),
Beatrice Lawrey (Mrs. Hollenbeck), Mary Youngberg, George Pomeroy, D. B. Moody,
Ben Caswell, Charles F. Macy, Elliott Reed, H. A. Keinath and C. C. Cook. Later
came R. B. Crichton, W. A. Parkhurst, Grace Greene, Mrs. W. A. McLeod, Delia
Marvin, Jennie McLeod, Lois Singletary, Will Hervey, Elmer Chase, Henry C.
Murgotten, and several others.

  J. H. Ellwood arrived in the early seventies and in September, 1875, organized
the Handel and Haydn Society with the following charter members: B. F. Caswell,
J. H. Ellwood, George Pomeroy, W. A. Parkhurst, A. P. Murgotten, G. E.
Lighthall, R. B. Crichton. Elliott Reed, Alfred Barstow, W. D. St. Claire,
Charles E. Schroeder, E. Rousseau. J. W. Pembroke, C. T. Bird and Mesdames J. H.
Ellwood, A. Barstow, B. L. Hollenbeck, E. P. Reed, Elliott Reed, L. A. Tuck, A.
E. Pomeroy, H. S. Foote, A. M. Crichton, W. D. St. Clair, E. Rousseau and Miss
Delia Marvin, Allie Marvin, Lillie Johnson, Nora Willey, Mary Willey, Fannie
Williams, Emma Pembroke, Sallie Webb. The original officers were: Elliott Reed,
president; Mrs. B. L. Hollenbeck, vice-president; George Pomeroy, secretary; G.
E. Lighthall, treasurer; W. D. St. Clair, librarian; J. H. Ellwood, conductor;
Miss Lucy Washburn, pianist. The society was in existence for several years. It
was succeeded by the Philharmonic Society, which also was short lived.

  In 1883 Prof. J. W.-Rainey and Clarence T. Urmy arrived in San Jose to add
strength and artistic ability to the local musical coterie. Before them had come
Henry L. Schemmel, pianist and vocalist and Miss Frederika Hoffman, a lover and
interpreter of Chopin. Prof. Rainey was for many years a teacher of vocal music,
while Mr. Urmy, after a long period of faithful and distinguished work is now a
member of the faculty of the State Normal School, a power for good in the
musical department. He is also one of America's popular poets, his published
verse having been in evidence for twenty-odd years.

  In the nineties a new artist appeared upon the scene in the. person of Frank
Loui King, a born musician, composer and leader. He established the King
Conservatory of Music and was for several years dean of the Conservatory of
Music at the College of the Pacific. He died several years ago. His family
inherited his tastes, his son Frank Giorza King taking charge of the
Conservatory of Music, while his daughter, Miss Luena King, won laurels both as
a performer and composer. The air was charged with music with Ellwood and King
in town. Several musical clubs and quartets were formed and many entertainments
were given. The D'Ablaing brothers, Fritz and George, were the next arrivals.
One was a violinist, the other a cellist, and their orchestra furnished San Jose
some of the best music it had ever listened to.

  Other teachers and performers were Prof. G. M. Schuck, Prof. Everett Pomeroy,
Prof. Z. M. Parvin and Miss Emily Peelor. The Burrows Musical Kindergarten and
the Faelton Fundamental System were first introduced to San Jose by Miss Peelor.

  In later years San Jose has listened to the peerless singing of Mrs.
Hillman-Smith, Mrs. D. J. Gairaud, Mrs. A. S. Bacon, Miss Lulu Pieper, Mrs. Mary
Weaver McCauley, Miss Mary Webster, Georgia Ryder, Mrs. Mildreth Spencer
Hartman, and the fine instrumental work of Clarence Urmy, Mrs. H. B. Worcester,
G. C. Buchrer, Mrs. James J. Connell, Mrs. William J. Leet, Fred C. Brohaska,
Tillie Brohaska, Miss May D'Oyley, Miss Isabel Longdon, Miss Augusta Schroeder,
Miss Almee Auzerais and many others. Miss Grace Barstow makes violins
artistically and plays them exquisitely. Before her marriage to Prof. Joseph E.
Hancock, principal of the Grant School, Mrs. Hancock, then Lessie Rainey, was an
accomplished mistress of the violin. Since her marriage she has ceased playing
that instrument in public, though she has not given up her musical studies. She
is a musical composer of surpassing ability and her efforts in this line have
been heard and appreciated in the several operettas produced at the Grant School.

  The singing and acting of the late Charles W. Williams vastly entertained San
Joseans for many years. Under his management there were produced at the Victory
and California theaters those favorite light operas, "Olivette," "The Mikado,"
"Patience," "Pirates of Penzance," and "The Mascot." He was a singing comedian
and would have made a fortune on the professional stage had he not elected to
remain in San Jose and devote himself to newspaper work. He was the founder and
for many years the publisher of the Evening News.

  Of the singers in San Jose at the present time, there are Chester Herold. Amos
Williams, Roy Thompson, Frank Towner, Dr. C. M. Richards, Dr. M. F. Hopkins, W.
E. Johnson, Miss Olga Braslan, Miss Lulu Piep-er, Mrs. Hillman-Smith, Mrs. A. S.
Bacon, Mrs. D. J. Gairaud, Mary Webster and others. Among the teachers are Mrs.
Hillman-Smith, Mrs. Gairaud, Miss Webster, Miss Louisa Simpson, Mrs. Kerwin, F.
E. Blick-felt, Iva Brown, G. H. D'Ablaing, Blanche Fox, J. L. McDonnell, Mrs. E.
B. ^McDowell. Bertha Semple, Miss Maud Caldwell, Walter B. Kennedy, Mrs. Daisie
L. Brinker, Mrs. Ella Cook Stark, L. V. Brant.

The Y. W. C. A.

  A matter of vital interest to Santa Clara County during recent years has been
the erection and equipment of a structure for the Young Women's Christian
Association. The idea of having an up-to-date plant, fitted in every way to aid
in supplying the physical, social and spiritual needs of the girls and young
women in San Jose and vicinity, was conceived in June, 1914, and carried out
during 1915 and 1916, until its realization at the dedication of the building on
May 14, 1916. Its cost in round numbers was $78,000, and the remaining $30,000,
of the total subscription of $108,000, was used for furnishing and equipment for
its various departments.
  It was the result of months of careful planning and thought on the part of
the' women whose idealism, concurring with the power of the moment, served to
produce it-a lasting monument to the vision and enterprise of the good people of
 San Jose.    Men as  well  as

women took hold with a will, and by their gifts, their vision of the needs of
girls and young womanhood, and by their indefatigable energy,- made its
construction possible. The initial gift of $25,000 was made by Mrs. Maria P.
Schofield, who, without girls of her own, reached out to the needs of all girls,
and was quickly followed by contributions ranging from fifty cents to $2000.

  The expert work of the National Y. W. C. A. secretaries was a revelation to
the workers in San Jose, who had not before realized that women could be so
efficient and far-seeing. The efforts of Miss Schooley, Miss Jaynes, Miss Lee
and Miss Ristine will long be held in grateful memory by those who were
privileged to share in them.

  Mrs. D. A. Beattie was the first president and opened the first year's work
with the following board of directors: Mrs. George Gilman, Mrs. J. B. J.
Tuthill, Mrs. J. W. Crider, Mrs. W. C. Curtner, Mrs. T. A. Manning, Mrs. S. B.
Squires, Mrs. Arthur Washburn, Miss Mary Helen Post, Miss Ruth Laird Kimball,
Miss Frances Schallenberger, Mrs. Dr. Charles Hare, Miss Elizabeth Woodhams,
Miss Carlotta Wood. Through the courtesy of the national board, the Association
was able to have the services of Miss Julia T. Lee in following up the campaign
work and later the directors secured for the general management, Miss Ada B.
Hillman and an able corps of department secretaries. Miss Hillman served
efficiently for three years and was succeeded by Miss Emma Palmer, an industrial
expert. She is the present general secretary.

  The beginning of an endowment fund was in a bequest of $500 from the late Mrs.
Crummey. Other wills have been made, bearing the Association in mind, in
bequests which will increase this fund.

  Nothing short of a detailed description of the various departments of
Association work could give any adequate idea of what is now being done for
girls and young women in this building. It is impossible to estimate the value
of this preventive and constructive work in the community, and so notable a
beginning points only to enlargement and greater usefulness.

  The officers for 1922 are Mrs. D. A. Beattie, president; Miss Lucy Tarleton,
recording secretary; Mrs. Cassie Burnett, corresponding secretary; and Mrs. L.
T. Smith, treasurer.

Club La France

  The Club La France, of San Jose, was organized on October 26, 1902. The object
was to get all the French-Americans together for benevolent, patriotic and
social purposes. Ever since the organization the club has yearly arranged for
and carried out the celebration of the Fall of the Bastile on July 14. In 1920
the affair was held at Eastside Park. In addition to dancing, the singing of the
Marseillaise and the Star Spangled Banner, Dr. A. C. Jayet delivered a stirring
address, first in French and then in English. The club is caring for six
orphans, made so by the European war, and a part of the proceeds of the
celebration will go toward the maintenance of the orphans, the rest for the
benefit of the French section of the public library. The officers of the society
are: Jean Costere, president; Joseph Sabatte, vice-president; Justin Lasalle.
secretary; directors, Frank Quement, Jean Verdier, P. Sabatte. During the war
the club gave balls to raise funds for French and Belgian refugees, bought
Liberty bonds, helped the Red Cross, and spent money freely for other things in
aid of the American cause.

The Boy Scouts

  The Boy Scouts of America were organized in 1910. In 1916 Rev. Frank J. McLain
in-inaugurated the movement in San Jose by the formation of a troop of school
boys. The public encouragement given induced the formation of other troops so
that at the end of four years there were nine troops and one patrol in San Jose,
and six troops in the country. The oath is as follows: "On my honor I will do my
best to do my duty to God and my country and obey the Scout law; to help others
at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally
straight." The Scout law imposes these rules: Be trustworthy, loyal, helpful,
friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.

  In 1917 and 1918, while America was at war with Germany the Boy Scouts of the
city and county did valiant work for the various committees, in planting war
gardens, selling thrift and war saving stamps, Liberty bonds, Red Cross stamps,
and in acting as distributors of patriotic literature. In fact they did
everything that was required of them and more. J. H. Rainwater is the executive
officer.

Loyal Italo-American Club

  The Loyal Italo-American Club was organized in 1919 with a membership of five.
In 1922 the roll showed over 600 names. The organizers were D. M. Denegri,
president; D. Campisi, F. Ruiz, Frank Cavallaro and C. D. Cavallaro. It is the
purpose of the club to bring Italians together and by cooperation instill into
their minds a respect and admiration for American institutions. Love for
American ideals should, according to one of their orators, be theirs always. The
officers in 1920 were: D. M. Denegri, president: Joseph Spin-elli,
vice-president; R. O. Maino, secretary, and Paul Cavala, treasurer. On July 11,
1920, more than a thousand people attended the annual picnic at Eastside Park.
The proceeds were used in fitting up the club rooms.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY CALIFORNIA
WITH
Biographical Sketches
OF
The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified With Its Growth
and Development From the Early Days to the Present

HISTORY BY
EUGENE T. SAWYER

ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME

HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 
1922


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