News & Tall Tales. 1800s.
Bound for California
Without ships, pioneers would have lacked many items needed (and desired). Sailing vessels brought everything imaginable from around the world: billiard tables, brandy, bricks, buggies, champagne, chandeliers, cherries, cooking utensils and ranges, garden chairs, grape vines, hay forks, iron shutters, lace, lumber, nails, olive oil, oysters, pears, peas, pianos, pineapples, ploughs, porcelain, putty, rubber, safes, serapes, shingles . . . even Havana Cigars and Smoking Opium. Strange are the Unclaimed Goods, which makes one wonder of the fate of the owners of those packages.
July 1, 1853, Daily Alta California, San Francisco
Guatemala, January 1, 1853
Everything which tends to the development of commerce and new trade on the Pacific coast, must always be interesting to your California readers. There are few countries so little known to Americans as this; and in fact there is not one in a thousand that has an idea of the immense advantages Central America possesses for traffic and trade with California.
Guatemala imports annually goods to the amount of $3,000,000. Her exports of cochineal, sarsaparilla &., equal in amount three and a half millions of dollars. Salvador exports rice, sugar, cochineal, segars &. Costa Rica exports coffee which is the finest in the world; her exports amounted last year to two hundred thousand quintals.
Costa Rica is more advanced than any other of the Central American provinces. The inhabitants are wealthy, the finances of the Republic are in a healthy condition, the people are industrious, and such a thing as a beggar is not known in the whole Republic. The imports of Central America may be put down at ten millions of dollars.
Nicaragua is the poorest of the whole five republics, but it is occasioned by continual revolutions. The present administration, however, is liberal and has the support of the people, and if they progress as they have lately done it will not be many years before she will be marked as an enterprising State.
There have lately great improvements taken place both in the policy of the Government, and general change of feelings towards foreigners. It is strange that in Guatemala, Salvador and Costa Rica, there is not more than ten Americans. All the trade is carried on by English and German merchants, and they are terribly afraid that the Yankees will come in and molest them in their lucrative businesses. And, in fact, a blow has been struck by an American, which will make a great revolution in trade and business here, and the poco poco way of doing business will in some measure be done away with.
A gentlemen from California, Capt. Thomas Wright, son of the well-known and enterprising steamboat man, Capt. J. T. Wright, has just concluded a contract with the Central American Republic for the exclusive privilege of the coasting trade for the term of ten years. The Captain gets five hundred thousand dollars bonus to carry the mails once a month to Panama during the term of contract. The company is called the Central American Steam Navigation Company. The first steamer will commence running on the 15th of October. If all the Californians are of the same stripe as the Captain you must have a great country up there. He astonished the natives in this part of the world, and the cry is now viva, viva lost Americanos.
The soil and climate of the interior of the republic is the finest in the world; fruit of all descriptions grow in abundance. Fine woolen cloth is manufactured which is generally worn by the natives. They are very partial to the American cotton goods which is introduced by the English merchants by the way of Europe.
 
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| Wooden Framed Houses on Long Stilts San Francisco waterfront. |
January 17, 1853, Daily Alta California, San Francisco
Clipper Ships and California -- The high rates which clipper ships are getting for freight to California are yielding large profits. A first class clipper about full has a cargo which will pay $80,000 freight. The cost of the vessel was only $90,000. It is said all cost and charges on the vessel on her voyage to China via California and back will be about $40,000, which leaves a net profit of $40,000 exclusive of the freight on the return cargo from China. These returns have greatly stimulated the business of shipbuilding and especially in the construction of this class of sharp, tall-masted, fast sailers. Every new clipper, like a new race horse, is expected to be a little better and faster than its predecessors. Baltimore first started in clipper-ship building, turning out small vessels for the African coast trade. These the new Pacific trade has greatly enlarged and improved, until our present fleet of clipper ships outstrips all others in every part of the world.
Daily Alta California, January 7, 1863
Exports of Leading Articles of Domestic Produce, from 854 to 1863, adclusive.
Editor's Note: The totals listed in the Daily Alta California as noted below are difficult to read; some may be off. We also removed "cents" in order to fit this onto one page. While this is an excellent general source to give you an idea of exports, if you are planning on citing these figures, we advise checking the source and/or another source.)
| ARTICLES Quantities are thousands (000) Values are $.000 |
1854 | 1855 | 1856 | 1857 | 1858 | 1859 | 1860 | 1861 | 1862 | |||||||||
| Quan. | Value | Quan. | Value | Quan. | Value | Quan. | Value | Quan. | Value | Quan. | Value | Quan. | Value | Quan. | Value | Quan. | Value | |
| Abalones, pkgs. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3.2 | 15.5 | 4.8 | 27.8 | 1.4 | 7.5 |
| Barley, sacks | 15.0 | 28.4 | 73.1 | 80.2 | 4.8 | 12.0 | 182.6 | 196.7 | 182.5 | 205.2 | 114.0 | 195.5 | 133.4 | 205.8 | 73.8 | 366.2 | 98.2 | 133.5 |
| Beans, sacks | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4.7 | 28.2 | 20.7 | 31.1 | 12.5 | 18.8 | 7.4 | 18.9 | 4.9 | 12.4 | 8.0 | 36.6 |
| Bread, pkgs | -- | -- | 2.2 | 44.0 | -- | -- | 4.7 | 28.2 | 4.0 | 32.6 | 3.4 | 19.3 | 7.9 | 29.2 | 12.1 | 41.5 | 8.3 | 33.3 |
| Flour, bbls. | 58.1 | 522.0 | 115.7 | 925.7 | 77.0 | 583.0 | 9.0 | 90.0 | 16.6 | 179.6 | 25.2 | 164.2 | 114.2 | 590.7 | 170.5 | 894.4 | 105.3 | 75.1 |
| Hay, tons | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 905 | 11.2 | 439 | 5.7 | 636 | 13.1 |
| Hides, No. | 43.0 | 107.5 | 112.7 | 383.8 | 147.8 | 443.5 | 170.4 | 681.7 | 168.9 | 549.0 | 151.3 | 454.0 | 200.3 | 100.7 | 181.1 | 544.9 | 381.5 | 1,033.8 |
| Horns, No. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 114.00 | 4.4 | 77.3 | 1.9 | 19.2 | 480 | 68.7 | 1.7 | 44.4 | 850 | 61.6 | 1.1 |
| Lumber (assorted) feet | 45.0 | 90.0 | -- | -- | 89.0 | 175.0 | 16.6 | 266.2 | 6,326.0 | 158.1 | 3,780.5 | 86.9 | 3.4 | 75.8 | 3,337.8 | 78.7 | 9,197.6 | 175.1 |
| Oats, sacks | 3.1 | 6.3 | 49.3 | 123.2 | 9.4 | 22.5 | 68.8 | 137.6 | 176.4 | 198.8 | 170.7 | 258.1 | 69.3 | 76.2 | 163.0 | 172.7 | 53.7 | 97.5 |
| Onions, sacks | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2,606 | 3,352.6 | 986 | 2.5 | 577 | 3.3 |
| Ore (silver) value | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 407.3 | -- | 188.8 | -- | 52.8 |
| Potatoes, sacks and boxes | 25.9 | 51.8 | 16.7 | 33.3 | -- | -- | 10.0 | 10.0 | 16.0 | 16.0 | 4.2 | 9.4 | 39.2 | 44.1 | 15.8 | 17.9 | 10.0 | 22.8 |
| Quicksilver, flask | 20.9 | 648.8 | 25.9 | 975.6 | 3.0 | 883.1 | 27.2 | 954.1 | 26.2 | 870.5 | 3.3 | 126.2 | 8.9 | 338.3 | 35.2 | 1,112.6 | 35.7 | 1,169.1 |
| Salmon, pkgs | 2.5 | 12.4 | 447 | 2.2 | -- | -- | 2.1 | 19.2 | 1.6 | 20.9 | 3.2 | 32.7 | 4.4 | 32.4 | 3.3 | 28.8 | 1.6 | 11.1 |
| Shingles, No. | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1,635.2 | 5.7 | 2,498.6 | 8.5 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
| Skins and Furs, pkgs | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 37.0 | 15.0 | 1.4 | 26.8 | 942 | 50.4 | 1.1 | 17.2 | 965 | 29.7 | 2.7 | 54.8 |
| Tallow, pkgs | -- | -- | 539 | 21.0 | 1.7 | 67.6 | 1,668 | 35.0 | 918 | 21.9 | 1.5 | 37.8 | 2.1 | 49.6 | 2.1 | 65.9 | 2.3 | 77.0 |
| Wheat, sacks | 4.9 | 14.9 | 86.4 | 172.8 | 22.8 | 55.0 | 3.7 | 11.3 | -- | -- | 131.5 | 282.3 | 1,136.0 | 1,957.7 | 1,350.7 | 2,647.6 | 720.3 | 1,395.1 |
| Wine, pkgs | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1.2 | 13.7 | 1.8 | 35.5 | 858 | 27.6 | 774 | 12.3 | 1.1 | 28.6 |
| Wool, lbs. | 175.0 | 14.0 | 360.0 | 36.0 | 600.0 | 80.0 | 1,100.0 | 165.0 | 1,428.5 | 199.9 | 2,378.2 | 356.7 | 5,055.3 | 397.1 | 3,721.9 | 507.2 | 5,990.3 | 1,068.4 |
| Sundries, value | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 42.0 | -- | 223.2 | -- | 480.0 |
| TOTAL VALUE | -- | 1,496.7 | -- | 2,753.1 | -- | 2,279.9 | -- | 2,319.2 | -- | 2,526.7 | -- | 2,129.3 | -- | 4,948.9 | -- | 4,988.3 | -- | 6,578.7 |
July 7, 1863, Daily Alta California
The Imports and Exports of Treasure, and Value of Merchandise exported during the first half-years of 1862 and 1863, respectively, were as follows:
| From | 1862 | 1863 |
| Mexico | $390,733.65 | $1,431,197.58 |
| Panama | 4,350 | 5,630 |
| Honolulu | 4,965.46 | 24,774.50 |
| China | 6,200 | -- |
| Japan | 482.50 | -- |
| TOTAL | $406,731.61 | $1,462,572.08 |
| In the imports of Treasure from Mexico, during the present six months, is included $710,543.77 recovered from the wreck of the steamer Golden Gate. |
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| To | 1862 | 1863 |
| New York | $11,290,866.57 | $5,650,876.49 |
| Great Britain | 4,215,814.13 | 15,068,456.68 |
| Central America | 232,587.29 | 363.548.35 |
| China | 1,009,584.85 | 1,651,440.80 |
| East Indies | 73,005.61 | 66,200 |
| Japan | 4,500 | 7,306.19 |
| Mexico | -- | 59,488.67 |
| Honolulu | 8,000 | 5,106.60 |
| TOTAL | $16,834,388.48 | $22,812,423.78 |
| To | 1862 | 1863 |
| Boston | $263,244.12 | $644,389.58 |
| New York | 1,336,204.75 | 1,131,815.41 |
| Australia | 49,521.18 | 181,628.43 |
| Cape of Good Hope | -- | 46,450.25 |
| Central America | 51,879.68 | 110,787.19 |
| Chile | 108,113.89 | 79,298.94 |
| China | 301,957.59 | 658,104.87 |
| East Indies | 8,294.44 | 24,950.60 |
| France | -- | 12,202.10 |
| Great Britain | 377,966.99 | 724,687.50 |
| Japan | 13,016.50 | 33,017.28 |
| Mexico | 425,687.41 | 1,007,247.98 |
| New Zealand | 44,176 | 59,051.47 |
| Pacific Russia | 137,843.92 | 181,144.32 |
| Peru | 145,338.51 | 145,431.96 |
| Sandwich Islands | 169,794.46 | 167,584.45 |
| Society Islands | 20,112.18 | 8,283.43 |
| Vancouver and Br. Col. | 1,178,593.80 | 954,609 |
| TOTALS | $4,631.745.42 | $6,167,684.76 |
Shipment of Treasure
In addition to bringing passengers and goods into port, when ships left the Port of San Francisco, they also carried passengers, goods and gold! Passengers and goods were delivered up and down the West Coast from Alaska to the tip of South America, some enroute to Eastern seaboards, some carrying on commerce along Pacific shores. The gold, however, was taken to England and New York for the most part, as indicated in the table below.
July 8, 1868, Daily Alta California, San Francisco
Per Steamer Golden Age, July 8, 1868
| B. Davidson & Berri | $235,858.88 |
| Wells, Fargo & Co. | 151,992.88 |
| Sather & Church | 113,157 |
| Parrott & Co. | 95,202.96 |
| Hentsch & Berton | 58,944.93 |
| H. Colin & Co. | 51,800 |
| J. Seligman & Co. | 42,600 |
| Wm. T. Coleman & Co. | 88,850 |
| Scholle & Bros. | 35,000 |
| Jno. B. Newton & Co. | 32,242.53 |
| Reynolds, Reis & Co. | 11,193.57 |
| Stevens, Baker & Co. | 9,000 |
| Other shippers | 82,079.58 |
| TOTAL | $1,048,573.80 |
| To England | $765,898.68 |
| To New York | 279,680.12 |
| To Panama | 5,000 |
| TOTAL | $1,048,573.80 |
The Naval Order of the United States has a history dating from 1890. Membership includes a wide range of individuals, many with highly distinguished career paths.
The San Francisco Commandery meets the first Monday of each month at the San Francisco Italian Athletic Club in San Francisco, California and holds two formal dinners each year.
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