goldfields

Last Monday (Jan. 22) Nick Anderson and I presented our historical program to SIRs, Bidwell Branch 110, at the invitation of past “Big Sir” Keith Johnson. (SIRs is an organization for retired men who like to get together for a monthly luncheon and various interest groups.)

I originally worked up this program for the Chico Museum, where we presented it last year. It was much improved this time around, mainly because of all the rehearsal time put in, especially by Nick, who carries much the greater part of the dialogue.

The setting is as follows:

I am a fictitious lady reporter from San Francisco, interviewing prominent Californians in 1858. My nom de plume is Mrs. Leticia Norris. I have traveled to Rancho Chico to talk with Major John Bidwell, famous pioneer, well-known ranch owner, and veteran of the war for California independence.

Our conversation lasts about a half hour, and during that time we discuss adventures on the California Trail, grizzly bears, Captain Sutter, Fort Ross, exploring the Sacramento Valley, the Mexican War, politics, and more grizzly bears. (They keep coming up.) I based the script on Bidwell’s own recollections, and most of his words are taken verbatim from his writings and speeches.

If you know of a group that would enjoy seeing and hearing John Bidwell live and on stage, just get in touch with me in the comments. Nick and I would be delighted to bring our program to you.

Nick, Nancy, and Keith

In Gold Rush California, Miss Sarah Pellet was an item of interest, receiving considerable attention from the newspapers. The first notice of her arrival, in the Sacramento Daily Union of September 20, 1854, stated:

Miss Sarah Pellet, a graduate of Oberlin Seminary, active in her endeavors to promote the philanthropical movements of the day, is among the list of new-comers. We learn from the New York Tribune that she is on a visit to her two brothers, settled in California, and that she will avail herself of any opportunity to address the people of the Golden State upon Temperance, Anti-Slavery, or Woman’s Rights.

She began in San Francisco, and was not exactly a sensation. The Daily Alta California reported:

Miss Pellet’s Lecture on Political Reform. — The announcement that a lecture on  “Political Reform: the means of securing it,” would be delivered at Musical Hall last evening, by Miss Sarah Pellet, drew together not a very large, but a very intellectual audience, who appeared to have gone partly from curiosity and partly from an evident disposition to encourage the lecturer. About eight o’clock, Miss Pellet was introduced to the audience by A. Williams, Esq. She placed herself behind a pulpit looking arrangement which was placed on the stage, and which only permitted her head to be exhibited to the audience. She is a woman apparently about thirty years of age, small and neat-looking, and wearing spectacles.

We suppose that when a woman enters upon the arena of politics, and becomes a public lecturer, she expects to subject herself to the same criticism that would be called out by a lecture from one of the opposite sex. Throwing entirely aside the question of the propriety of women becoming public lecturers, we must say that Miss Pellet does not seem to possess any of the qualifications for an interesting lecturer. Her address was written, and, in reading it, she appeared to find great difficulty, until her constant repetitions and haltings became painful to the audience. Her voice is not pleasant, and her manner of delivery anything but agreeable.

The reporter concluded that her lecture was “very dull and very prosy,” and Miss Pellet would be better off pursuing her reforms by means of the pen, rather than on the lecture circuit.

Sarah Pellet persisted however. She lectured throughout the gold mining regions, from Sonora to Weaverville, and on up into Oregon. A correspondent in Placer County was kinder than the City reporter:

    Our citizens had the pleasure of listening to a temperance lecture last evening, in the new Town Hall, delivered by Miss Sarah Pellet. The audience was quite large and paid the most respectful attention to the fair lecturer. Miss Pellet is a tolerably fair speaker, her articulation very distinct, her points and illustrations quite apropos, and by her pleasing but modest style will doubtless effect much good for the cause of temperance reform in her peregrinations through the mines of California. It is a subject of the highest importance to the mass of our population. A lady lecturer can at any time attract a large crowd and make a more durable impression than a man, and I do hope that Miss Pellet will not cease in her work of temperance reform.

She left the state at the end of January 1856 and went by steamer to Nicaragua, where she observed with admiration the campaign of William Walker to seize control of that country. She was not done with California, however. She would return in 1857 to continue her endeavors to reform the morals and habits of the ’49ers.

In the meantime, her name had become synonymous with temperance reform in California, and was used to promote temperance beverages, as you can see in this advertisement from 1856.

I am not exactly sure what Cream of Nectar is, but I am sure that it is delicious. It may be the same as Cream Nectar, which (so Internet tells me) is a pink Southern concoction of almond and vanilla flavorings that is still popular in New Orleans for snow-cones.

I haven’t been able to find a picture of Sarah Pellet. I wish I had one to show you, because I wonder what she looked like. Newspaper reports sometimes refer to her as “fair” (as in “the fair lecturer”), but that was a convention.

The Daily Alta California said she was “small and neat-looking, and wearing spectacles” and another editor called her “angular.” She was 30 years old when she first came to California. Her passport application of 1858 gives a description that includes height of 5 feet 2 and 3/4 inches, a dark complexion, black hair and eyes, a Grecian nose and a mouth “rather large.”

Lucy Stone

Sarah Pellet was born in North Brookfield, Massachusetts in 1824. A neighbor of Lucy Stone, she became friends with that women’s rights activist, and like her attended Oberlin College, graduating in 1851. Following her graduation, she returned to Massachusetts and became active in the cause of women’s rights. Later she went on to gain a medical degree. She was certainly an intelligent and determined woman.

Inspired by Lucy Stone’s lecturing tour of the “western states” (what we would call “midwestern”, i.e. Ohio, Indiana and Illinois) in 1853, Sarah decided to go even further west, to California, in 1854-55. A letter to Sarah from Susan B. Anthony in August 1854 encouraged her to take up lecturing to spread the word of women’s rights.

Dear Sarah

I had long been asking my self where is Sarah Pellet & what is she busy about, for busy she must be—

What say you Sarah— here is a chance for you, (under the auspices of our State Committee) to make yourself thoroughly at home in the Lecture room—  If you ever intend to make Lecturing your business, you surely need just such a discipline—one cannot have a reputation as speaker, until they have won it, & simply giving a few Lectures to small audiences in large places will not win a name to one’s self—

 

Susan B. Anthony was asking Sarah to campaign around the Northeast, but Sarah decided to go further afield. In the fall of 1854 she boarded a steamship for California, and drew a considerable amount of humorous comment, dressed as she was in “brown linen bloomers.”

Bloomers were practical, especially for a woman who would have to ride a mule across the Isthmus of Panama, but they were considered outlandish and dirisible. Did she continue to wear the bloomers while touring and lecturing throughout California? I wonder.  

Next: Sarah Pellet in California  

While searching old newspapers online looking for something else (isn’t that always the way), I came across this entertaining story in the Butte Record of December 23, 1854.

Bear Story

The little town of Hamilton, a few evenings since, was visited by a Bruin of the grizzly species. The first intimation the peaceful inhabitants had of his presence, was given by their lowing and frightened herds, coming tearing into town as fast as their trembling limbs could carry them.  The inhabitants were soon aroused, and discovered his bearship in the rear of the flying cattle. Judge W., from the upper country, happened to be in Hamilton, and the inhabitants arming themselves, and letting loose their dogs, followed the warlike Judge to the bushy field. They soon succeeded in corraling his bearship in the top of a fallen tree, which was soon surrounded by dogs, and armed and silent but excited citizens.

A hideous noise issuing from the tree top, warned all to be on their guard, and convinced the Judge, to whom the sound was perfectly familiar, that they had a regular grizzly to deal with. The utmost caution was now used. One person who was perched upon a high log, soon discovered a pair of fierce burning eyes, in the wreck of the tree top, at which he levelled his death-dealing rifle as well as the shades of evening would permit. His aim was sure, and the huge monster’s eyes were closed forever. The dogs then rushed in and grappling with their ferocious foe, drew forth a – Billy Goat!

“Kee-ris-topher Columbus, Judge,” exclaimed a voice in the nasal accent of New England; “ can’t you tell the snort of a grizzly from the bleat of a mounting goat?”

“For God’s sake, boys,” exclaimed the agonized Judge, “let’s bury him and swear it was a grizzly! It will never do to let this yarn reach Neal’s Ranch! What’ll you drink?”

I don’t know whether this is a true story, or just a tall tale to fill a page. There were certainly still grizzly bears in Butte County in 1854, so it could have happened.

Why not?

My picture book biographies, Nancy Kelsey Comes over the Mountain and John and Annie Bidwell: The Long and the Short of It, are both available on Amazon. But I need to some reviews! If you have bought or read the books (available at a library near you, I hope) then you could post a review.

I have started sending out postcards to schools, museums, and libraries advertising my latest book. If they go to Amazon to look at the book, I think it would encourage them to buy it if it had some good reviews. I hope you think so too, and can help me out.

Gary Kurutz, who is curator emeritus of the  California State Library and executive director, California State Library Foundation (and a very nice person) said of the Nancy Kelsey book:

“Nancy Leek is a master story-teller and has brought to life the heroic 1841 overland trek of Nancy Kelsey. Her book proves that women could handle just about any obstacle thrown their way.”

You can order the book here at Goldfields Books or you can order from Amazon or you can buy it locally, but whichever you do, I hope you will post a review.