Q.David Bowers
In San Francisco the plaza was the focal point of gambling activity. The EI Dorado Saloon was busy day and night with spinning roulette wheels, clicking dice, and piles of gold coins wagered on the turn of a card. The Rendezvous, Bella Union, Diana, Verendah, Aguila de Oro, Empire, and a parlor on one floor of the Parker House attracted additional patrons, often miners who were returning from months of social deprivation in the interior part of the country. Laden with gold, they succumbed readily to the lure of red velvet tapestries, crystal chandeliers, drinks in unceasing supply, and attractive women hostesses.
The Empire, which opened in May 1850, was particularly impressive and measured 140 feet long. Very often the facades of gambling halls were decorated with bright colors, flags, and lamps. The Diana was flanked by two sphinxes. Within the walls entertainment was provided by a variety of musicians and other performers. At the EI Dorado a female violinist proved popular, while at the Aguila de Oro (eagle of gold), a group of Ethiopian serenaders livened up proceedings. Still another establishment featured a strolling group of five Mexican guitarists. Games played included monte, preferred by those of Latin extraction; faro, a favorite of American and British gamblers; roulette; chuck-a-luck; and a wide variety of other card and dice games. Usual bets ranged from 50c to $5, but often hundreds or even thousands of dollars would be seen on a table. Bancroft relates that amounts as high as $45,000 were risked on the turn of a single card and that in one evening a $16,000 bag of gold dust, 1,000 ounces, was covered by a faro dealer with scarcely a comment. It was further reported that some professional gamblers would ship thousands of dollars each month back home to the East. One man who started with $5,000 gained $100,000 by games of chance. He then lost half of his winnings, bought a steamer ticket, and went home. Another gambler is said to have borrowed $10 as a stake at the tables. By the following morning he had won $7,000. But for every tale of winning there were hundreds if not thousands of tales of losses. In San Francisco gambling was a licensed pursuit. A permit cost $50 a month with $25 extra for each Sunday that gambling took place. In September 1850 Sunday gambling was prohibited.
Another form of gambling was the lottery. Many different lotteries were held, often with jewelry, otherwise unsalable merchandise, and products being given as prizes. One lottery held in the autumn of 1850 comprised 4,000 tickets sold at $100 each. Offered as prizes were 500 lots in the central city area. The firm of Tucker & Reeves offered lotteries at regular intervals with the first prize usually being a gold ingot valued at $6,000 to $8,000.
Contests with and between animals furnished popular entertainment. In the San Francisco area there were two bull rings at the mission and, later, two more were constructed within the city limits. Fights between a bull and a bear attracted interest as did cock fights.
On June 22, 1849, Stephen C. Masset began an entertainment series with a concert in the plaza schoolhouse. Included were songs, recitations, and mimicry, with the accompaniment of a piano. The admission was $3 per person. Over $500 was received for the first event. The audience included just four women.
Rowe's Olympic Circus on October 29, 1849, offered admission prices of $2 and $3 with box seats costing $10. The show continued until January 17, 1850, when it was closed, later to reopen on February 4th as an amphitheater with drama in addition to the circus acts. At one time Rowe's Olympic Circus performed in a tent with a capacity of over 1,200 people and with tickets scaled at $3, $5, to a high of $55, the latter price probably being for a box containing several seating spaces.
October 22, 1849, saw the Philadelphia Minstrels begin a season at the Bella Union Hall. Tickets fetched $2 each.
The first professional dramatic performance to take place in the gold area was held on October 18, 1849, at the Eagle Theatre in Sacramento. The structure had canvas sides and a metal roof, measured 30 x 95 feet, and cost $75,000. Tickets were sold at $2 and $3 for the opening performance, a melodrama entitled The Bandit Chief, which subsequently received a poor review. The Tehama Theatre opened soon thereafter in San Francisco and rendered strong competition.
On January 16, 1850, the Eagle Theatre Company of Sacramento gave a performance of The Wife and the farce The Sentinel near the northwest corner of Kearny and Washington streets, charging $3 each for tickets.
At the end of February in the same year the National Theatre opened in San Francisco. Then followed Robinson & Everard's Dramatic Museum, Dr. Collyer's Athenaeum (with erotic exhibitions of models), and, opening in October 1850 on the plaza, the Jenny Lind Theatre. The latter structure was destroyed in the fire of June 22, 1851, but was rebuilt and subsequently reopened on October 4th of the same year. It was proposed that the city of San Francisco pay $200,000 for it plus about $100,000 for alterations and modifications. The structure was never quite suitable for its purpose and had to be repaired and strengthened repeatedly. David C. Broderick, who appeared to have a financial interest in the situation, manipulated the deal through the city council thus causing a great public uproar. This became known as the 'Jenny Lind Theatre Swindle."
At one time it was proposed that Jenny Lind, "the Swedish Nightingale" brought to America and exploited by P, T. Barnum, be brought to San Francisco and that the public subscribe $500,000 to assist in this effort. At the time Jenny Lind, after whom the theatre was named, was the most prominent dramatic personality in America, largely due to Barnum's massive publicity and promotion.
Atop Telegraph Hill in San Francisco was a small observation station which had an unobstructed view of the Golden Gate channel and which could be seen from most areas of San Francisco. At the top of the building was a semaphore pole to which were attached two large black arms that could be raised, lowered, or put in various positions to indicate to the populace the arrival of ships through the Golden Gate. The designation for a sidewheel steamer of the type used by the Pacific Mail Co. consisted of the two black arms extended horizontally on opposite sides of the pole. When this was shown, there was a great rush to the wharf to greet friends, to receive mail from the East, and to view new merchandise. An interesting theatre incident indicates what an institution this signal was. Sheridan's play, The Hunchback, was playing to a packed house. On the stage Julia had quarreled with Clifford, when Walter, dressed in black which showed in bold relief against the light-colored walls of the drawing room, excitedly rushed on to the stage, and throwing out his arms exclaimed, "What does this mean?" For a moment there was no response. Then a voice from the audience shouted, "Sidewheel steamer!" The house burst into laughter.
By 1851 most interior towns of 1,000 or more people had a community hall for entertainment. Especially appreciated were female vocalists who sang old-time songs from back home. Often such performances were rewarded with showers of gifts and money. One such singer was delighted when "gold pieces of $10, $20, and $50 came raining down, although smaller pieces were more common."
An idea of life in San Francisco at the end of 1853, several years after the Gold Rush had started, can be gained by Hittel's description. At that time about 50,000 people lived in the city, about one seventh of the population of the entire state. It is estimated 26,000 were Americans; 6,000 English, Scotch, or Irish; 5,500 Germans; 5,000 French; 3~000 Spanish-Americans; 3,000 Chinese; and 1,500 of other races. Of this number about 8,000 were women and about 3,000 were children.