On August 1st, 1856, The Marysville Daily Herald published their thanks for the gift of a 30-pound watermelon, sent by Thomas Bidwell, younger brother of Major John Bidwell.

Why were they honored with such a hefty and delicious gift? It seems to have been a case of “no hard feelings.” When the Herald published the news from San Francisco, the compositor had mixed up two stories and put the names of John Bidwell and P.B. Cornwall down as men arrested by the Vigilance Committee, when instead they had been elected to the governing board of the Society of California Pioneers.

It looks like Major Bidwell has been consorting with bad company.

The editor of the Herald, Louis R. Lull (also an SCP board member) promptly apologized. Why he and General Sutter hadn’t likewise been “arrested” he couldn’t say, but he condoled “the other gentlemen in their affliction” and promised that “If we have any influence with the Vigilantes we will exert it to the utmost to secure their release.”

I imagine John Bidwell got a laugh out of the mix-up and told his brother to ship one of their best melons to editor Lull.