The San Francisco call. [volume], July 07, 1907, Page 6, Image 6

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
A REAL "BAD MAN FROM BODIE"
Maud Grange
TUCKED away in the hills of
Mono county is Bodie, with scarce
SOO Inhabitants. It Is a peaceful,
respectable little town now, but
time was when it contained 12,000
string and excitable souls. Then "a
bad man from Bodie" was a synonym
for wickedness and daredeviltry,
throughout the state, and Bodie, know-
Ing this, was proud and tried to live
up to its reputation.
It succeeded. Nowhere this side of
the Rocky mountains were there more
wanton killings. Nowhere were there
more reckless displays of daring.* It
was a happy hearted time. If men
died with great suddenness they also
lived to the full every hour of their
lives. Money was plentiful, for the
mines were panning out and paying
well. The numerous dance halls and
gambling hells could be relied on to
furnish ample excitement, and when"
this palled there were always shooting
ecrapes, lynchlngs, funerals, and then
more shooting scrapes.
Perhaps the most memorable affair
y*s one In which George Daley, super
intendent of the Noon Day mine, was
the hero. For three days he held the
whole town at bay single handed, but
\r. th« end he had to give up. Then,
Klrei aghting three days to get him,
was too proud of him to do what
In that day was justice. Instead she
sent him forth to spread her "bad man
from Bodie" reputation far and wide.
The trouble began, as so many trou
bles do begin, in the greed for gold.
As superintendent of the Noon Day
mine Daley earned a good salary, but
this failed to satisfy him. What he
yearned for was a mine of his own —
and a good one. They probably called
it by another name in those days, but
he was burning with "thfe get rich
quick fever." On New Year's eve, 1879,
he jumped the Standard claim. Now,
while claim jumping was always a
serious matter in those days, it was
generally considered a private affair to
be settled between the disputants. Bet
Bodie was drunk and in its holiday
mood claim jumping struck it as bein£
particularly mean. Bodie unanimously
started for the Standard mine to wipe
out Georg-e Daley.
Wiping out George Daley, however,
wasn't quite as easy as it had at first
appeared. He had barricaded the mouth
of v. tunnel, and with a couple of six
shooters made approach unpleasant, to
say the least.
Valiant but wavery Bodie came on,
firing into the air just by way of showing
what it meant to do later and loudly
challenging Daley to fight it out in the
open. Daley answered with cheerily
profane defiance and then waited until
the mob had reached his barricade.
He was a clean ehot and the range
was short. Had he borne his fellow
townsmen any ill will the mortality
would have been frightful. As it was,
he .«hot merely to disable, not to kill.
When the first bullets took effect lsi
eundry arms and shoulders, the good
natured, maudlin yelling ceased and
vas succeeded by .howls of genuine
rage. The crowd surged forward, its
ehots popping harmlessly against the
barricade, while each bullet from
Daley's guns produced instant and
painful result. Hands were outstretched
to tear away the obstruction, only to
drop helplessly disabled. Partially
sobered now and thoroughly enraged,
Bodie retreated out of range. Seated in
a semicircle on the snow, casualties
wore counted and bullet holes plugged.
When the amateur hospital work was
finished the perforated -o—they0 — they num
bered at least 20 — were urged to return
licme by their unharmed fellows, but
TrJth profane emphasis they refused.
Wounds or no wounds they would stick
il out George Daley richly- deserved
ljnchitig and it was their duty.
"If we can't do nothing else," as one
of the dauntless disabled put it, "we
can help the rest of you by whooping
like h— l2"
THE MAKING
OF TEN MILLION
CIGAR BOXES
H. A. Crafts
"T*r~ MONG the millions of cigar
/ \ smokers in the* United States
f tA how many smokers know any
thing about where, how and of
what materials cigar boxes are made?
Perhaps not one in a thousand; per
haps not one in ten thousand; yet it
is not so Important that they should
know; it is only Interesting and may
possibly be as interesting to the gen
eral reader as to the professional
smoker.
The cigar trade of the United States
consumes about $6,000,000 worth of
cigar boxes In a year. Pennsylvania
leads the country in the annual output of
cigar oox making, the latest available
statistics showing 11,553,005 worth In
A single year.
New Xork state comes next with an
ennual output of $1,527,217 worth.
The Pacific coast also manufactures
cigar boxes. San Francisco also . has
two factories, Los Angeles one and
Portland, Ore., one. One of »' the San
Francisco cigar box factories is run by
a Chinaman.
' The finest cigar boxes are made of
cedar; some of this cedar "\u25a0 is * native,
while the very highest ' priced boxes'
s.re made of Spanish "cedar." obtained
from the western coaet of Mexico and
the Central American . republics ' on the
west, and the Gulf of Mexico 'coast on
the east/aHjafaTflg '-: , : :- \u25a0'\u25a0' .' ,- „
But Spanish cedar Is becoming very
At that the whole hospital corps
vented an ear splitting and most ter
rifying yell, but it singularly failed of.
its purpose. Bullet holes in the fleshy
parts of the, pistol arm. when properly
plug-god, are; not particularly danger
ous, but/ the re be more'pleasant things,
and bullet holes seemed the sole re
ward of valor that night.
. "Besides,"! argued : a cautious comba
tant, "Daley, he can see us out here In
the moonlight plain enough, but in
that dark tunnel we. couldn't see] him.
even if he was fool enough to get from
behind his cussed" rocks, which he
ain't by a darned" sight."
The truth of this was undeniable
and yet the vindictive
clamored that to give-up now would
be to shame the town." /
"Bodie done up by one man. and him
sober!" shouted one who was not. with
thick tongued eloquence. "What'd
California, think of us? Gen'ehnen, for
the fair name of our town, for the fair
name of our state we Just everlastingly
got to hold an inquest over George
Dulev'" \u25a0 -• -\u25a0'
scarce unffl nigh prlce<s. In the early,
history, of cigar, box making In 'San"
Francisco It;-' could .be , bought here ; at
J 55 per thousand feet; now it cost $95
per thousand *f eet. /
Today California ' redwood I» used In
the manufacture of cigar '/boxes*' on
the coast. In/ the t larger cigar' box
factory of San Francisco,. 2s '.per. cent of
the boxes are'made of .redwood.*; "
Then 'there .is * the veneer \u25a0; stuff : and
the imitation wood. Tlf e/ first named
consists of a poplar or bass . wood /base
veneered with cedar; the "second * con-]
sists of poplar and bass wood stained
to look like cedar. v"«-
Of course the. veneered stuff is cheap
er than pure cedar, and*- the Imitation;
wood is cheaper \u25a0\u25a0 than the veneered ma
terial. ;. i /
Solid cedar boxes: to hold 100 cigars
costs about 11 cents each; ; half ; boxes
cost 8 cents; -Veneericostsja cent less
per box ;• and : ", the J Imitation cedar • box^
costs frqmr6%;to^7:cents. . ; Tbe staining]
of the poplar and bass wood Is done by
a printing press "'through ."' •which* the
slabs are run.. / / SHBVHmS
' The; bottom ': and top ; of !, a cigar;. box
of standard • size' are ; made lof slabs ; flv«
thirty-seconds ; of : an 2 Inch \ln • thickness
while the 1 pieces: which*, : compose s?'5 ?' the
sides and ends are seven thirty-seconds
of an* 1 inch; thick.. J^ijSSHfiS
\u25a0 The- veneer is cut In the width t re-';
quired for the ; boxes^but . ln lengths =of
several r f eet. / The 1 base ; is cut ,- in i like
sizes and^ the . veneer,; is; put; on by r slm-i
ply applying ] it ; . to i with glue
and a> proper," ainbuntVof * pressure. "i
-'\u25a0 The \veneered / slabs % are ? then V taken
to> a] sawing table \u25a0 and ? sawed } into \ the
proper/ sizes.' for tbe> making^of^th*,
boxes. They . are then: run-t hrough, a
shaping, machine and : mose pieces ,
which? are /to ibe stamped are run
through a/printing press: :
,Then i they are ready 'for, hailing. The
ends : ahd : sides] are 'first':' hailed and then- ;
the; tops [and bottoms! are nailed \u25a0 on! by.
another!machine." //~ " / • r "
Th<»'- nailing; machines,; are' fed with
nails ,1 by/ automatic -action. /;> just ;; the
rightinuniber.' of . nailsibeingiforthcom-^
Ing at a • stroke to nail ; one > corner^ of ; a 1;:a 1 ;:
box.*; One stroke:doesi^^ the {business {for a
each of the four corners and one strok«,
\u25a0 each^for/.topVand'ibottom.- - .
. Thetop is;held|only"atone>edge # an<l
sometimes :\u25a0 by I a': single;? name; h for the •
' cloth \u25a0 hln ge is y et ; to > be ; put : oni- i This \u25a0
is /on " the ; front; 'the? hinge; goes/ on
the back.' ;•../--,; -./ '''. :/ : :•\u25a0/ r J :/. ${:?*\u25a0
* The hinge is made ,of a strip of 'cheeae r ;
cloth ';\u25a0 glued' on *. theY edgeg of S the?i,box^
| and ' afterward =Iti is f covered? over Cwlth /
!a: strip* *of j paper^ trimming. «: ; ; 7-L './ - i
i?:-When ~ the ; gluer.wlth ? the . h tngo
has been^ fastened,-? Is f dry, ''j the >.box ;,is :
: ready i' f or/ theY labels ; and ; other j orna- /
mental* fixings// ", : .:, \:;_v ; Vv
"VAi Ja"j usual i; thing,' the";: entire^ inside ;
of the'clgar^box Is,liried^with'paper,and'
paper |flaps,Wandr.then : /the >'t embossed
labels '\u25a0 are . pasted on. / //^s. :.;f .\u25a0;;\u25a0\u25a0'; -Zpi'.^.+T-?-'
{•Virginia \ and i furnish % the
largest 1 supplies lot i cedar ~ and k poplar.;
; forj cigar.; box imaterial.'w'A* single Hum- \u25a0
berlng.": concern & ; owns -of i
acres ; of ; timber ;Uandi lii/ those\state3.-;
\u25a0The<l business ;haß|bullt | iip^ town's | and
villages i and i the t concern | turns' Tou t; a'n^ ?
nually. J 1 5,00 0,000 J{ square^ f eet ''\u25a0< of / ve
neered * stuff: and' stained "; poplar./,,
•". ;, The ? machines .: for 'slicing the j veneer
cost : from JXO.OOO *to fcachT and;
\u25a0TilWßlWnßlßoß**l*ri'i'T | '''* f^*T7°'^v"iiTi~TT'rT'i - ~ \u25a0- - • •.
.' FtoaHrlt was decided that there was
ntfthlng \u25a0; for : it \u25a0 but ; a; siege. '>* Camp ' fires
were ? built, sentries i posted " arid scouts
were ? sent back ito /town ; for- blankets
and ilfquid- encouragement./,; The sNew'
Year* celebratloni, was.'; resumed' >in : tho
open ;ftnd- from*; the 'mouth* of his ': tunnel ]
Daley i watched ' : and ; listened,*: lonely and
athlrst.\ Perhaps \u25a0\u25a0-.. as t the /night wore
.'much ( of the - btKeri inachlnery 'i used ': is ;
proportionately.^ expenslye.^®^^^^^^
\u25a0i,f. But' the ; Spanish' cedar) traffic [between l
, San | Francisco 'f and J Mexico) and \ Central"?
'America? is 'i just *as if interesting;' as i any/
part of the] hlstory^pf 'cigar; box making;
I and * much* more 5 rowan ticV - r "-'-'\u25a0 ; £.'\u25a0' '\u25a0.
"iThe|lumber|»islpickedCup{;all^alongi;
the southern coasts, because J those slow ,
golng£ southerners 3 have > not;? yet had
Bufflclehtl'enterprliii^to Ibulld \u25a0*, railroad |
lines between the regular seaports | and -]
the i tlm&er? regions,'; either; of - the coast ]\u25a0
beltfor^lnterior.* ;;,' > /•. . \u25a0;\u25a0'.\u25a0-.. /'/. -?:.:\u25a0\u25a0
V Bo L the- Spanish^, cedar /logs hayeito^
. be ) loaded Xon I the \ vessels foff s shore,*'; and *'
the task : Is laj slow^ and ia 1 difficult I oneJf
on>ne>inauigeu in arew-profltable re
flections (on^ the' unprofitable; nature of
claim Jumping. V-£ From ithe ;Jcold, : dark
tunnelfthe; camp fires .; seemed ;to ; wink
and f beckon.";. \u25a0; What's -.the -use?";' they
aald iln' dumb show..- \u25a0 "What's ' the use?"
thej'upturned " bottles \u25a0*\u25a0; giirglirigly.. be
guiled. /Daley/, shut; 1 his. 'teeth; hard,
turned upitheTcollar ;' of .» his 'coat and
leaned .back against".; the wall/ grimly,
waiting' for : morning. " " -\u25a0'\u25a0
"'-'\u25a0 'At i tho i first Vgleam of _ dawn such .{of
the = besiegers |as were not incapacitated
by.-the ;long /night :: of merry making
mada'ready for another/ attack on tho
one.\man; garrison.
(The/ strain y> of .watching, "had /not
spoiled. Daley's^ aim and-the result was
that'of- the [niglit before.*' Another score
added;to the ranks of the wounded vraa
the ;sole- gain. ' \u25a0
. -.To -take hlm-by ..«storm, was impossi
ble: Hhatv' was i evident.'/ The wounded
were'j mustered out "and : .sent.; back to
town \u25a0 for. necessary rest' and:care. . The
balance of the male population of Bodio
loading, of course has to be done
t through? theVsurf iby^ native \ swimmers,;
i" and; It ;has ;.to] be done -during" the' milder
i seasons of .^theJye'arXwhe'h ",thef sealis
'calmest i and .'.there iis^the % least surf
breaking.\uponvthe |beach.. ; \u0084" >
v^'An d % that |I season }» do wn ;] along . the .
; southern '-with--' the
'.winter] season I injCalif oriiia; \u25a0 so ; the , San
Francisco Tschooners that engage In tha
\u25a0 ; Spanish £cedar s trade^do ,i not \u25a0* set t, sail ;
jforlthe^ southern 'seas?. until about ?De- j
; \u25a0ce'mber.t;./;-:-?C3K' ; >-ii V*-'V-/;V *-'V-/ ; : " : -V /;?:\u25a0;
/ > The Y captains,' } of t course, know . just
about ; t where • theyj may l be, able '- to ; pick'
'up "cargoesrof \ log's, ' either haying j regu-'j
lar j stations ? or^ having } been! apprised':
jbeforeisailingjrof a the j whereabouts ] of
logs|: ; awaitlng,f shipment..', "
vUJArriving^off Jaf; point*; of % lading the
.vesselil.whlchllsjofjthelschoonerxclass,^
tacks ; inshore and comes i to : anchor] just I
\u25a0-.-\u25a0 .^ V '-.>-' .- :
divided .: Itself . Into ~ three squads ana
lots r were .drawn for the \ first, watch.
While one squad remained on duty the
others "; breakfasted and freshened up.
"n* Thus* it 7 began, -the 'struggle of en
durance, one man -without food or drink
or; fire pitted. 1 against ay .comfortable,
provisioned town. . Nor: could •he snatch
even f a' moment's sleep. Even after It
had been decided upon as Inevitable,
the - starving out process «was< too slow
andf uneventful for "impatient^ and ex
citement loving;Bodie. Rushes. were of
alirtost." hourly ; occurrence. The lone
man was forced. to -remain watchful
Wjhile'.his opponents took' turns at rest.
As the days, dragged by the unfair
ness of . it; tugged at Bodies conscience
and the sameness; of '.Daley \' t warmed
Bodies big and erratic heart. Yet, give
up? ; Admit itself by; one man?
The].pride of the town- rebelled and . the
uneven;. fight went on-^— went . on until
the "afternoon . of . the ; third day.
\u25a0 ; a' ; bowed band t broken / thing,
which- bore a trace of ; human
ity," stumbled ;from:the. tunnel.
"Aw, h— l, 1 kill me, boys,"_ it said, "and
\u25a0• • -\u25a0 ' - \u25a0'•.•\u25a0 r •\u25a0\u25a0'..?' . \u25a0-\u25a0 " ' Sv ,'^i.-- /.,
as nearthe'beachias the' somuding. will
permit, v Then -the- „ captain ruftl crew
await. the offcoming-bf jthq-logsTL-:
/ , The : Spanish 'cedar down*; in' those, re
gions is cut by peon labor and; the men
; arel paid* $1 ; af day -in i Mexican" money,
; which^iss'equalStoj about " 50 centsCin'
4 United \u25a0. States^money.'HSjßSpS^
: The; logs are/cut -within .haullngTdlSt
tance of f the ;sea beach^or : of [the ' banks
/ of some "stream Heading Jdown to the
sea./ The ; trees are; cutj down .and then
cut up. in logs from six to twelve; feet
ln^ length;, according I to; girth, and then
:the * logs j are ,", hewn ; square,/ and \u25a0 they.'
usually} range from nine inches ; to two
.feet /on \u25a0-, the tJ square: v This ", hewing - v Is
jdone for, several 'reasons-^f or the easier
handling 'of , the logs.Vthe '] more compact
stowage ./on ' shipboard \u25a0; and to save
' waste;';v v . : ,. v^ '/\u25a0-:-\u25a0' '\u25a0'"'
; For,haullng,-,the logs are loaded upon
vblg f two£wheeled ?oxj; carts,^one * end " of
a logAresting.'upon'andibound to the
axle of the cart and the other dragging
' W°?j t fie ' ground. If Xh e' logs ix% hauled
be done," • and feU forward on Its fac«.
Everf' gunin.the crowd . ~ '^
but not a sh^t was fired. There was
* moment's Indecision and .then, with
»'. bowl of r mingled pity, and -. triumph.
toe°mob, rushed to 'the '. uaconscioa*
man. . Hands, roughly ; tender. -jelMj
him and bore him- to town. Bodie th«
enemy became Bodie the nurt*..
The/man's power. of recuperation was
-as wonderful as his . endurance. Two
days later he sat throned in state o*
a table in the Nugget saloon and list
ened, to an oration in behalf or too
town.* .-. ~* J-. '
"To'strlng you up is something Bodio
ain't got- the heart to do." proclaimed
the speaker, "you're too pime. Bat to
.'fight -you for three \u25a0 days an<! then do
•nothing when it gets you is'somcchlns
Bodie aint got- th« heart, to do.
neither.^ It ain't cot the courage of its
own d — d loolishiies3. So Bodie haa
decided unanimous to shoo you out of
town and, to post t* notice on, a tele
graph pole that you are to ornament
the same if you ever come back."
The orator wiped the perspiration of
eloquence from .bi3 brow, and added in
his natural' conversational tone. "Fill
'em up. Billy. Just to show there's no
hard feelings, here's how. George Da
ley!"
Daley left California soon after and
Bodie lost track of film for a few years.
Then one of Daley's two friends who
had disappeared about the same time he
was "shooed" out wandered back to the
old camp with a tale which plunged
the town ', Into prideful mourning.
George Daley was dead, but he had
died with a gameness which Bodie felt
reflected a distinct credit upon Itself
for having once harbored him.
"We was" perambulatln' peaceful
across the desert, down in Arizona, mo
and Daley and Jim, when we saw a
band of Apach"es sort of saunterin*
along. Now, for three men to argu»
with a band of Apaches is plumb fool
ishness, 'specially when they've got
ablet bodied cayuses under 'em. Jim and
me didn't wait for no oratln*. We Just
turned . around ; sudden and tucked our
spurs into them cayuses real lovln.
Course we thought Daley was comln'
with us, but — but — he didn't** The
speaker paused and drank deep to con-
I«i ii TifriiniM in 'mini iin n i in i * nuiiii if?— rmnriTti
eeai nis emc-cron.
"There was sura something .wrong
with Daley. His courage filled th*
whole place when bis common sens*
ought to have been. When I looked
back to see how near. the Apaches were
there he was still riding toward 'em!
There was silence among his audi
tors, - for they knew what it meant to
be taken alive by the Apach«^ "But
not without a fight, boya. He was game
to the last. With his gun In his left
hand he made a couple o" good Indiana,
and when they put that out o* business,
too, so he couldn't aim straight, he
went ' for 'em with his knife, wounded
as he was; and tried to cut his way
through the gang. Then they shot his
horse from under him — " Daley's friend
paused. "I guess that's about all." .
"When them • painted devils finally
made off. Jim and me rode back and
we ; buried — what was left. Poor
George! lie was the foollshest and beat
and bravest bad man that ever canio
from Bodie."-
Which was fitting epitaph for Georgs
Daley.JgJHßj
to a stream they are banked and atter
ward;rolled into the .water and driven
down;to the'seaMn the current.
In loading Spanish cedar logs oft!
shore a log Is, lifted by a gang of men
end^« carried down to the very water's
edge. Then the men pause for the in
coming; comber, and Just when it is
about to break they take the log and
rush. right through the oncoming roller
to:calm water. Then the log is taken "
in:charge by two] strong and skillful
swimmers, who. swimming by the side
of the log, paddle It'outto the wattin"
schooner. \u0084- **
'.- At the vessel's side the log is seized
by the crew and lifted on board and
stowed away below.- while the two
swimmers turn about and swim back to
the shore for, another log. This process
is kept up until the schooner receives a
full cargo • and weighs anchor for tho
\u25a0 homeward : voyage.
. It is sometimes the case that a
schooner, in consequence of shallow
water is compelled to" lay oft shore for
a-dlstance of two miles, and the. labor
involved: in loading logs under . such
conditions may well be imagined
V ft T« c f c achooner3 \u25a0 carry from . SOO to
2.000 logs, according; both to the size
of the logs and ta« capacity of th« yea-