Last Bonanza Kings: The Bourns of San Francisco

7. Bourn's Luck

7 Bourns Luck A Wiliiam Bourn profited from both the Comstock Lode and the silver strike in Nevada's White Pine County, so too did the city of San Francisco, for it was silver and not gold that turned San Francisco into a major city on the Pacific Coast. During these boom times, the old wooden and canvas buildings ofthe City of Hills gave way to buildings of brick and stone. Gas lights became much better than they had been, and rough wooden sidewalks changed to substantial plank sidewalks, though during windy days dust from the many unpaved streets continued to be a nuisance. Still, San Francisco was California 's major city, and it was the hub of financial dealings for the western states. In 1862, the steady increase of mining properties resulted in the formation of the San Francisco Stock and Exchange Board. But within ten years "business had so increased that the eighty members, to which the first exchange was limited, were not considered sufficient to properly conduct all the daily transfer of stock, and a second board was organized, called the California Stock and Exchange Board." 1 By June 7,1875, the Pacific Stock Exchange opened for business in the Halleck Building on the corner of Sansome and Halleck Streets. No longer was the Pacific Coast dependent upon the New York Stock Exchange. During the late 1860s and the early 1870s, the Bourns continued to live in their big house at II05 Taylor Street. Although it had a large yard and was protected from the outside world by a fairly high wall, Sarah Bourn was not content with city life and yearned for a country home in the Napa Valley. Bourn's Luck Sarah might well have pointed out that the journey to Napa Valley had become much easier after the completion of the Napa Valley Railroad all the way to Calistoga in October 1868.2 Trips for the Bourns to this beautiful area became more frequent as they looked over possible sites for a second home. Although the journey still required a trip by steamboat to the railhead at Vallejo, it eliminated the Napa River journey to Suscol Landing and the buggy or stagecoach ride from there to St. Helena. Also, the stop at Vallejo gave them the opportunity to visit young Willie, who was attending the College ofSt. Augustine in Benicia. 2 The College of St. Augustine, an Episcopal military school, was founded in Benicia in 1867. Under the leadership of Bishops William Kip and John Wingfield, the sixty-acre campus surrounded a large parade ground used for drilling and physical recreation. "Classrooms and dormitories were comfortable. But the stress was on strict discipline as the essential element in military instruction. Every day ofevery session 'each cadet from babyish 13-year old grammar school boys ofForm VI to razored seniors near graduation from Form I-was obliged to drill in infantry tactics and to ~t­ tend divine services in the chapel.'''3 Regulations for the cadets were designed to make them into officers and gentlemen. "From tattoo, 8:30-8:45 P.M., till reveille, 6 A.M. the cadet was required to maintain 'PERFECT SILENCE' (the cap's are the College's)." Cadets wore uniforms of red-trimmed gray jackets and pantaloons, which could be obtained from Julius Opperman of Benicia. "On weekdays, students had an hour of drill, 8 hours ofsleep, one and a half hours for meals, and five and a half hours for recreation and special duties. On Saturdays and Sundays, the schedule was changed but all duties were still performed with a strict regard to puncruality. Every Sunday, the Commandant led the entire cadet corps to the Cathedral of St. Paul's for service, after which the students were urged to spend at least part of the afternoon in reading Scripture."4 While military training was compulsory, students could join the baseball , football, gymnastic, and rowing teams on a voluntary basis. "A full eight hours of each day was assigned to 'mental culture,' largely classroom study. Courses were broken into four categories, classical, literary (including history), scientific, and commercial. Courses were tailored for graduates ' entrance into the University ofCalifornia." 5 However, a great amount 59 LAST BONANZA KINGS of emphasis was devoted to Bible reading, for it was the Bible that gave the college its standards for truth and duty. Although many of the students at St. Augustine...