matic School cover the whole range of vocal and instrumental music. The Symphony concerts at the Greek theatre are excellent to show the possibilities of art expansion and expression and the amateur musical and dramatic organizations lay the foundation for higher work.

The leading musical clubs are the Orpheus composed of men and the Hughes composed of women. It would be difficult to state the good that has been accomplished by these two well-known organizations. Nearly all the great singers who have gone from this vicinity, men and women, have received their professional impulse, instruction and inspiration under the programs of these excellent clubs.

CHAPTER XV

AMUSEMENTS, LODGES, SOCIETIES, GAMES, ETC.

Amusements are sought by everybody to soften and assuage the cares, responsibilities and hardships of life. Recreation is as necessary as food or sleep. The earliest settlers had their hours of diversion and relaxation. The earliest sports of this country were the bullfights, horse races and fandangoes of the old Spanish and Mexican residents. There were at least three bullpens in Alameda countyin Brooklyn, near Livermore and near Mission San Jose. The law of 1854 prohibited bullfights but did not wholly stop the sport until several years later. Hunting in early times was, of course, excellent, all kinds of animals of this habitat being found along the bay, on the level open grazing tracts, in the canyons, hollows and valleys and on the beetling hills and mountains. The rapid settlement by the Americans and their sporting proclivities soon stripped the county of the larger specimens of wild game. The organization of lodges and clubs for recreation and amusement was so common and rapid that soon every town and city had its organizations of all the secret and social clubs, lodges and societies.

Beginning about the time of the Civil war numerous secret and benevolent societies were established in the cities and towns of Alameda county. Previous to 1860 few existed, among them being Masons, Odd Fellows, Sons of Temperance, American Mechanics, Druids, Lameth Heth Tau and a few others. By 1883 Oakland had lodges of the following: Chosen Friends, United Workmen, Odd Fellows, American Legion of Honor, Knights of Honor, Masons, Good Templars, B'Nai B'Rith, Grand Army of the Republic, Sons of America, Knights of Pythias, Good Samaritans, Pacific Turn Bezirk, Workman's Guarantee Fund Association, and Order of Foresters. Alameda had the Masons, Odd Fellows, Good Templars and others at an early date. The Masons and Odd Fellows were also at San Leandro, Haywards, Alvarado, and other places in the county back in the sixties.

On August 11, 1870, a meeting of those who settled in this county prior to 1859 was held in the council room of the city hall for the purpose of organizing a society of Alameda County Pioneers. William Van Voorhies served as president of the meeting. The society was duly organized with the following officers: Col. Jack Hayes, president; T. W. Miller and William Van Voorhies, vice-presidents; J. E. Whitcher, secretary; A. D. Pryal, marshal. Other business was deferred until a subsequent meeting.

In 1873 baseball was played in Oakland by the Wide Awake, Grand Central and Oakland nines. The Grand Central proved the best club; its players were: E. J. Simmons, pitcher; C. P. Eells, catcher; John M. Poston, first; W. B. Hamilton, second; Charles D. Havens, third; E. B. Pomroy, short; George Reed, center; J. J. Lynch, right; Peter Bellingall, left. At one time John R. Glascock and James H. Budd were members of the Wide Awakes. George E. De Golia was an early member of one of the clubs. In 1874 the Oakland Baseball Club won the pennant,

defeating the Grand Centrals three times and the Mutuals and Athletics respectively twice each. Two local baseball clubs in 1875 were the Elaines and the Silver Stars. In a match game in August the latter won by a score of 61 to 17. The Silver Stars were Givens, Morton, Morse, Davis, Howell, Harrington, Stewart, Melone and Butler; the Elaines were Harris, Havens, Tuttle, G. Simmons, F. Simmons, Wilson, Mickerson, Wickersham and Harding. The Oakland Baseball Club was represented at the Pacific baseball convention which met in room 18, city hall, San Francisco, on February 9, 1875; five clubs, a majority, were represented. A series of championship games was agreed upon.

The Dublin races were a feature in the southeastern section of the county; Rattleweed, a well known local horse, won a big running race in November, 1874. At this time a mile race track was opened at Pleasanton on the land of A. Bernal; it was about a half mile from the town. The old race track was in the suburbs of Oakland; near it was the famous Shell Mound. It was on the farm of Mr. Wiard about two miles northwest of the city hall. At the races in January, 1875, the horse Chinaman won the three-quarter mile dash in 1:15; said to be the fastest time on record up to that date. Katy Pease was second, very close and coming fast. At the races in April Dan Rice won the trotting match in 2:301⁄2.

Leland Stanford's particular pride was the well known and famous trotting horse Occident, which in 1875 was trained by the famous Budd Doble; it was finally concluded to take him East and pit him against Goldsmith Maid and other fast equines. At the Oakland race course in March in a running race between Blanche Hull, Billy Baker, Blue Cloud, and Sorrel Ned, Blanche Hull was the favorite and won the first heat, Blue Cloud the second, and Blanche Hull the third; the half mile was made in 522 seconds best time; the purse was $100. In the trotting race were Henry, Marysville Queen, and Uncle Sam, the first being favorite. He won the first and second heats, best time being a mile in 2:39. The race track was then called Athens; the San Pablo cars ran to the track.

The Thespian Dramatic Society gave several interesting entertainments early in 1875 that were well attended by enthusiastic audiences. Among the actors were F. E. Brooks, T. G. Hogan, A. M. Campbell, W. Chamberlain, H. J. H. Dam, H. H. Goff, W. H. Richards, Barrett Hall, Roscoe Havens; actresses-Miss Rosa Ickart, Mrs. T. G. Hogan and Miss Charlington.

Captain Badger's park in East Oakland had a dancing pavilion and amphitheatre for games, races, etc., also a windmill to raise water. The first regatta of the Oakland Regatta Club occurred early in May, 1875. Three boats contested over a distance of two miles and return. The boat J. W. Coleman won the race; it was manned by Hallihan and Lambert. The other contestants were the William Burling and the E. C. Keene. In 1875 John Jordan of Pleasanton became the champion shot of the state by defeating Mr. Taylor of San Francisco, killing 49 out of 50 birds to 43 by Mr. Taylor, for $250 a side; distance 21 yards on the fly and 80 yards boundary.

The race in 1875 given under the auspices of the Jockey Club was profitable but put the club in hot water. The receipts from the sale of tickets were about $18,000; entrance fee of eight horses, $19,000; bar and other privileges, $3,000; admittance to grand stand, $5,000. Total about $45,000. The amount of money on the pools was about $100,000. The club's profit was estimated at over $20,000 in this one scrub race. It was asserted that the club should gather its assets

together, declare a dividend and retire, as it was bankrupt in reputation and would disappear amid the groans and hisses of a bilked community. Nearly all who attended the race were disgusted and many were indignant. In January, 1875, at Sunol, occurred the long expected foot race between Burbridge and Lively; the latter won by two feet; time and distance not given and probably not kept.

Previous to 1875 Oakland citizens were forced to go to San Francisco to enjoy high-class dramatic entertainments, but in that year a large theatre was contemplated by Gen. T. H. Williams on his newly purchased property on Fourteenth street nearly opposite the city hall. The city had a population of nearly 20,000 and a floating population of between 3,000 and 4,000; nearly all of the latter consisting of wealthy people who came here to enjoy the salubrious climate, brought usually plenty of money to spend and wanted amusement. Nearly every other town of 10,000 people in the state had fine theaters and why not Oakland?, it was asked. Brayton Hall could not be called a first-class theatrical room and had become nearly obsolete. Visitors who came here to spend the winters and their money were forced to cross to San Francisco to enjoy renditions of the highest forms of dramatic art. A fine theatre was previously projected here, but the projector lost courage and abandoned the enterprise.

A grand masked ball was given by Alameda Harmonie in March, 1876, at their hall on Peru street. In February Alice Kingsbury appeared in Wode's Opera House in Fanchon the Cricket and in Little Barefoot. Wode's Opera House was on Mission street between Third and Fourth.

In August the race for $10,000 one mile in harness, best three in five, was trotted at Oakland park in the presence of a large crowd. O. A. Hickock drove St. Julian and C. DuBois drove Dan Voorhies. The latter won the first heat but the former took the next three; best time was 2:2534. In a pacing race at the Trotting park in October Dan Rice won three straight heats from Hiram Tracy, John Schonchin and Lady St. Clair. The best time was 2:22.

W. H. Eyre and Mr. Robinson had a pigeon shooting contest in Alameda in February, the former winning the prize. Robinson and Kennedy also held a similar contest and the former was again defeated. In the first match Eyre killed all of his single birds-16, and 12 out of 16 in pairs. Robinson made the same score on the pairs, but missed three more of the single birds. In December the famous wing shots, Doctor Carver, Craig, Whitney, Mackey and Melone contested for supremacy and prizes at the Trotting park. Captain Bogardus was present and gave an exhibition of his skill. He shot a match with Robinson; the latter won by six birds.

The Union Club of Oakland was organized in February, 1877, and first met in the old Masonic lodge rooms. A. C. Henry was president. It was composed entirely of business men.

At Oakland Trotting park, in March, before a large gathering of people, the trotting race between Rarus and Bodine came off. Rarus won the first heat in 2:23; the second was a dead heat in 2:202; Rarus won the third in 2:224 and the race and purse of $1,000. John Splann owned Rarus and Budd Doble owned Bodine. In the second race Lady St. Clair won from John Schonchin in 2:26— pacing.

Mr. Randlett, owner of the racing park, offered a purse of $1,500 for a trotting race between Rarus, Bodine and Oakland Maid in March, 1877.