Half Moon Bay Memories & El Granada Observer

I wrote this in 2001.

Prominent oil executive’s son collides with irate chauffeur

After hearing testimony fro Captain Barneson, his son, Harold, and Gallois, chauffeur James Irving pled guilty to speeding within the city limits and was fined $15 by San Mateo’s City Recorder.

But James Irving had countercharged Harold Barneson with breaking the county’s speed laws, and this case was tried before a jury in Justice of the Peace H.W. Lampkin’s Redwood City courtroom.

The socially prominent Barneson and Gallois families attracted many local spectators to the legal proceeding. There was no shortage of stylish young ladies in the audience whose loyalties to Harold were evident.

Enlivening the proceedings was the testimony of Captain Barneson, who described the chauffeur as a “pinhead,” but was quickly admonished by Justice Lampkin, who advised the witness to hold his opinions and simply answer the questions.

The packed courtroom buzzed with excitement, then fell silent as the jury’s verdict was read. Harol Barneson was acquitted and the courtroom exploded with applause.

But the case was not over for the chauffeur. He pled guilty to going around corners without regard to the rules of the road. Justice Lampkin, displaying remarkable judicial restraint, suspended the additional fine, remarking that many had been guilty of similar offenses.

The final accounting showed that Captain Barneson, besides landing the big upper cut, was instrumental in having Irving fined $15 for speeding and $5 for not following the rules of the road in going around a corner. Captain Barneson also scored a technical victory in the acquittal of his son on the speeding charge.

1912 was a very good year for Captain Barneson. By then, he had earned the reputation as one of the largest–if not the largest–individual owners of oil properties in California.

Although his varied business interests were rooted on dry land, Captain Barneson would much sooner have been at sea. He was established as one of the country’s leading yachtsmen. While in New York he purchased the handsome 85-foot schooner, Edris, outfitted with a Craig engine that enabled the vessel to move at about eight knots.

Bringing the Edris to her home berth in San Francisco required sailing around the Horn–a dangerous and challenging voyage.

Arriving in San Francisco safe and sound, Captain Barneson made a wager with a man named Commodore Mitchell that he could beat the commodore’s Yankee Girl in a race from Long Beach to Coronado Beach, with the loser paying for a $1000 dinner at the Hotel Del Coronado.

On the day of the yacht race, a 20 -mph breeze churned the sea. Following the yachts along the seashore were several automobiles filled with the socially prominent from the Peninsula and Los Angeles. One of the automobiles was equipped with a wireless apparatus enabling the occupants to communicate with the yachts throughout the race.

While Commodore Mitchell chose to stick close to the shore, seaman’s luck was with Captain Barneson, who took an outside course and won the race by half-an-hour.

A year later, now commodore of the old San Francisco Yacht Club, Barneson took over responsibility for major yacht races, including the Presidential Cup featured at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition in San Francisco.

(Part 3 coming)

I wrote this in 2001

Prominent oil executive’s son collides with irate chauffeur

By June Morrall

Scraped and bruised, Harold Barneson, stunned automobile crash victim, stood in the middle of quiet Hayward Avenue near San Mateo’s Central Park in 1912. The 17-year-old was the son of socially prominent Peninsula yachtsman Captain John Barneson, a California oil industry pioneer, and the young man would soon rely on his father’s influence.

A few feet away from young Barneson, chauffeur James Irving fumed. The chauffeur’s passenger and employer, John Gallois, also shocked by the accident, looked on. Gallois was the son of the owner of the White House, the famous Union Square store that catered to San Francisco’s affluent.

Moments earlier on this warm sunny Sunday, Harold, without a care in the world, motored along Hayward Avenue near the luxurious Peninsula Hotel. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a car operated by chauffeur James Irving turned the corner and collided head-on with Harold Barneson’s vehicle.

There was the sickening, unmistakable sound of metal crunching, followed by an eerie silence, and the shaken, disheveled occupants of both vehicles emerged from the wreck to survey the damage to man and machine The cars were smashed beyond repair.

The finger pointing began in earnest. The livid chauffeur, certain that he, a professional driver, was not at fault, shouted that Harold had been speeding. Gallois concurred, and bolstered by his employer’s support, the red-faced chauffeur placed total blame for the accident on young Harold.

Harold was equally certain that he was not at fault and had not been speeding, and the chauffeur’s attitude irked him. He felt self-righteous and indignant but realized he was no match for these angry adults.

The Barneson’s residence ws nearby, and Harold rushed home to his famous father, Captain Barneson, a director of the highly anticipated Panama-Pacific Exposition. He would know what to do. Harold poured out his story, blaming the chauffeur for the collision. The senior Barneson was easy to persuade.

The vision of seeing his bruised and bloodied son caused the 50-year-old oil company executive to almost lose control. Captain Barneson wasted no time and headed for Hayward Avenue. The chauffeur and Gallois were still at the scene of the accident as a boiling mad Captain Barneson approached them.

The captain walked up to the chauffeur and without a word avenged his son’s wounds by landing a stiff upper cut to James Irving’s nose. Terrorized, the bloodied chauffeur fled but son returned with a constable in tow. With the policeman at his side, the chauffeur charged Captain Barneson with battery.

Barneson rtaliated by filing a charge against Irving for exceeding the speed limit on Hayward Avenue. Gallois continued to defend his chauffeur.

Captain Barneson was released on his own recognizanc as he pled guilty to a charge of battery and was fined $10. Then followed two trials.

(to be continued)

HalfMoonBayMemories asked Carol: Where did you get these humongous plants?

They’re on loan, she told us. They had been growing, for years, at Princeton-by-the-Sea.

Carol Delmar: I’m just babysitting them. The aloe looks like it’s 200 years old!

Story & photos by John Vonderlin

Email John (benloudman@sbcglobal.net)

Hi June,

Some time ago I posted a story*** about what I consider the most viewed Sea Arch on the San Mateo coast.

I maintained that this arch was the one on the promontory that forms the southern bank of Pescadero Creek where it flows into the ocean. There was some mention by someone that the arch was actually “a hand dug tunnel.” Curious, I went to look for myself, checked it out, took a lot of photographs and opined that it wasn’t regular enough to be manmade.

Besides why would somebody go to the trouble of digging a seemingly pointless tunnel?

Well, last week I was showing my neighbor the California Coastal Records Project (CCRP) website. I was demonstrating the Time Comparison feature when he commented that he and his high school buddies used to party at the beach pictured on the screen. They knew it as “Hole in the Wall Beach.”

That Hole in the Wall is none other then the sea arch opening? tunnel? at Pescadero Beach. Only my neighbor informed me that he was sure it was a tunnel because in the Seventies the sides were much more regular, demonstrating its manmade origin.

While I’m not one to question the hazy, thirty five- year- old memories of a drunken youth, I was still having trouble wrapping my mind around the idea of somebody going to the trouble of digging a tunnel in that spot.

A few days ago while reading the transcript of a “Pescadero Oral History Project” interview with Ron Duarte, the owner of historic Duarte’s in Pescadero, I got my answer. Sort of.

“A bunch of old timers made that tunnel,” said Ron. “ It is not natural. Everybody thinks it is natural but it is not. They thought that was going to keep the mouth of the creek open. Maybe it did and maybe it didn’t. But, most of the time I don’t think it did much good. That was man-made, that tunnel.”

In another interview, also on the Pescadero Oral History CD, Marty McCormick was asked the same question.

Interviewer: Do you remember the tunnel at the mouth of the creek?

Marty McCormick: Out by the beach. Oh, yeah. It is still there. We used to crawl through there. There were some years where it was totally filled in with rock and then there were other years when you could go through there without having to do a belly crawl. I have pictures of my kids inside when they were pretty young—twenty-five, thirty years ago.

They’ve convinced me. It’s a tunnel. The battering surf has naturalized the opening over the decades. And while, to me, it seems obvious that a tunnel is as likely to sand up as the creek mouth itself, somebody, a long time ago, thought excavating one was a good enough idea to invest a lot of hard work. At least they’ve left us a durable monument to the futility of trying to make Mother Nature do our bidding.

I guess it’s also Sea Arches Minus 1, Beach Tunnels Plus One and Oldtimers 1, Young Whippersnapper 0. Enjoy. John

***
Hi June,

This was the main posting I did about what I thought was a Sea Arch at Pescadero Beach. I’m going to revisit it and see if there is any sign still left of its manmade origin. Enjoy. John

Re: Pescadero’s Pride & Joy
Hi June,
I think of all the Sea Arches on the San Mateo coast, the one just south of Pescadero Creek, is the most well-known and one of the most photogenic. It is visible from the Highway 1 bridge that crosses the creek and easily accessible by pulling into the most northerly parking lot of Pescadero Beach. It is not that difficult to climb down and walk through it, provided the creek is not raging and there is a reasonably low tide. If you are not handy jumping from rock to rock you should be ready to get your feet wet. Looking at the 1972 pictures of this arch on California Coastal Records Project (CCRP), my guess is that unlike many other sea arches on our coast, it will be there a long time. Picture #6257 on CCRP gives a nice overview of this area, helping put the pictures I’ve attached in better perspective. Please note that that Picture #6257 was taken in September before the winter rains which open the creek to the ocean and remove much of the visible sand. Enjoy. John

from Russell Towle.

(From the “Whole Earth Catalog”)

—————-

Russell Towle, mathematician, amateur geologist, local history writer, currently working on an article about zonotopal tilings.

Which reminds me that you actually mention zomes versus domes on your blog. Zome is a word coined by Steve Baer as I recall, based upon “dome,” the difference being that the geodesic dome of [Buckminster] Fuller was formed upon a network of triangles, wheres zomes are bounded by zonogons, a zonogon being a convex, centrally-symmetrical polygon. A rhomb is a zonogon, so are all regular polygons with an even number of sides, but a zonogon need not be regular.

The Ocean View Lodge is located on the top floor of the IOOF (International Organization of Oddfellows) building on Main Street in town. Above M. Coffee and Tokenz.

Members of the lodge, led by Tony Pera, have turned the upstairs rooms into their original splendor–the way it was in the 1870s when this was the most important organization in Half Moon Bay.

When I use the word, “splendor,” I don’t mean “fancy” or “luxurious.” The main room is of simple design with well made furniture reflecting the solid nature of the town’s citizens.

The three chairs were reserved for the officers of the lodge.

When I was doing research on Maymie Cowley, the madam at the Miramar Beach Inn, a friend suggested that I write San Francisco columnist Herb Caen. “He knows everybody,” the friend reminded me. I did write Caen, asking about Maymie, and Caen’s assistant looked into the files and came up with a story linking famous attorney Vincent Hallinan with Maymie Cowley. The story, a small clip, reported a government raid on Maymie’s roadhouse during Prohibition–and that Vincent Hallinan was representing her.

But when I wrote Vincent Hallinan in 1976, hoping he would hand me a big story, it was many, many legal cases after his brief connection with Half Moon Bay’s madam.

Dec 23, 1976

Dear Miss Morrall,
Please remember that my representation of Maymie Cowley occurred almost 50 years ao and would be one in thousands I have represented or consulted, etc.

Actually, her name rang a slight tinkle in my memory but not enough to recall any circumstance concerning her.

Last Saturday I drove down to Pebble Beach along Highway 1. It was the first time in 25 or 30 years I had seen Half Moon Bay and its environs. The chief recollection was of artichokes and rumrunners.

Sorry, I can’t help you in your research but that’s it.

Very truly yours,
Vincent Hallinan

Sunday’s “Haiku”

by Leon Kunke

Birds on a spring morning   

The happiest moment of the day.

A robin drinking in a rock pond

Is another good moment.

Composing nature with rocks

So water can flow in a garden

Is a very good time for me.

To take an afternoon nap

After hard work

Is great luxury.

Solitude in a redwood thicket

Is the purest wealth.

Being paid money

For work considered artful

Is pure bliss.

Somebody very naughty took Miramar Beach artist Michael Powers’ serious training photograph

And plucked Tsunami Rangers Michael and Mark out of the real waves at Bolinas and put them in the middle of a calm body of water

(Photos courtesy Michael Powers)

Feeling a little blue? Do you feel like staying when you want to go? Or do you feel like going when you want to stay? You can travel all over the globe and I’ll bet you never forget the Coastside.

On The Coastside (by Neva Reece, copyright 1980)

Stick me in a pocket down by the sea

If you can’t find me, that’s where I’ll be

On the Coastside, diggin in on the Coastside

—–

We’re proud to say we’re not L.A.

San Francisco nor San Jose

We’re just a string of little towns

Down on the Coastside

——

The City and Marin are flashy and fun

They’re as crazy as anyone might want to be

That’s why you’ll find me on the Coastside

When I’ve been away for over a day

When I drive down the Slide

You can hear me say

I’m back home again, back home on the Coastside

——–

Sandy beach, blue horizons

Meeting me everyday

Is it really surprising

This is where I’ve come to stay?

———————–
Neva says:
I would love to write something - of course by the time I get through cutting out the parts that I would be embarrassed to share on a public space it will probably be - “I came, I hung out, i played guitar, I sang, I moved, I visited”….or something like that - ha!! I will have to develop some delicate nuances as some writers do - hint at spiritual states instead of specifics, I guess?!? I will talk to Mickey, I will actually be seeing him and Lizzie next week in Port Townsend. Last I heard of Denise [Steel], she moved to Hawaii and we haven’t heard from her since. I was asking Lizzie about her on one of my more recent visits and she didn’t know either. I will get back to you soon and will be sure to let Mickey know you would like to hear from him. See how wonderful your work is? Helping to bind friendships together through decades and over thousands of miles. you rock!

(see story called “Fred the Fierce” by Dorothy Brogan)

\

Here’s Fred today:

Dear Dorothy and June,

I wanted to share these photos of the day Fred and Dorothy met. It was a very interesting day. with a pack of Jack Russells attacking a goat. Playing in the park. And possibly the only day Dorothy ever let someone else drive her vehicle. I remember it all so well.

Love, Millie

Millie Hrdina, Licensed Avatar Master & Wizard http://Millie_Hrdina.tripod.com/index.html Avatar Deliveries: Creating Desired Realities Worldwide http://Millie_Hrdina.tripod.com/avatar/faq.html

Elaine Martini Teixeira was a kid growing up in Moss Beach during WWII. In a series of interviews, she has generously shared her memories with us.

(Elaine, wearing white, with sister Loretta)

HalfMoonBayMemories (HMBM): There was a movie theater in town, right?

Elaine Martini Teixeira (ETM): The local HMB movie theater, owned by Alvin Hatch, was a big treat for all of us. The first theater was on Main Street, corner of Miramontes, where a cafe is now located. Later, a new one was built, across the street,facing the shopping center on Miramontes St. The movie house is gone; now there are a few businesses, located in the bldg., per my brother, Raymond.

There were special evenings when the movie house people had drawings and awarded money to the general public. One time my brother won but he wasn’t supposed to be out, so he sent me up to claim his prize! Same thing happened with Aunt Lil, who was a bit shy about walking up to the stage. Sometimes they gave out dishes; it helped kept people going on those evenings .

HMBM: What movies did you see?

EMT: I saw so many movies over the years, not easy to list them or recall, I know we all enjoyed, “Gone with the Wind”, saw lots of westerns, and one, “The Cat People”, now a classic, scared the devil out of me. I had dreams about it. June Torre and I had a big crush on Tyrone Power, Aunt Lil was smitten with Robert Taylor and my older sister Gloria was a BIG fan of Clark Gable. We all loved the Bette Davis movies.

We (Gloria, Lil and I) got rides with my brother, Raymond, when he borrowed the car from my dad, an old four door, Chevy. Raymond was a wise one, would get Lil to treat him to the show; Gloria had to treat for ice cream but I was too young to have money, so I got a FREE ride! Raymond was also was able to sit with his girlfriend at the show, his wife in later years, Shirley Joseph, who lived right in town.

HMBM: Did you go see movies in San Francisco?

EMT: The family and most of the locals, did not drive to SF for movies, that I know of, I went with Aunt Lil to see movies and stage shows at the Golden Gate Theater. We took the Greyhound Bus (which was the only one going to SF) which left the Coastside at 6:30 a.m. and returned in the evening about 6:30 p.m. I remember seeing the Harry James Band with vocalist Helen Forest during the “big band era” when she took me to SF. Others we saw, Jimmy Dorsey and Sammy Kaye bands.

HMBM: What about school holidays? You went to the city with your friends?

EMT: June Torre and I met our high school friends on the bus in Moss Beach (the bus was filled with people commuting to SF to their jobs).

We tried to schedule it so we could see two double bills - can you imagine, we ate breakfast on Market Street, then waited for the theaters to open around 10 AM: after the first double bill, we ran like h— down Market Street to make it to the second theater and then ran to catch the bus to come home! If we missed it, were stuck in San Franciso.

Seeing two double bills, with the first the main “A movie and the second a “B” movie, I’m not sure if we remembered what we saw!

The theaters were the Fox, now gone, the Warfield, Golden Gate, and Orpheum, the State Theater and I believe one was the Paramont, no longer there.

I remember seeing “Crash Dive” and “Razors Edge.” At the Golden Gate, we saw stage shows starring Frank Sinatra and Jane Russell, there was usually an I opening act and band.

I do remember on one occasion going to SF with Gloria and her future husband, Russell Bernardo, to an event, maybe a movie, in SF. It was during the war years, there was an air raid, when an air raid alarm sounded, it really scared us, had to pull over on the street and park, turn out all lights. Overhead, we soon heard the motor of an airplane, and there were several search lights shining up into the sky. Eventually, the alarm went off to indicate it was over. Thankfully, it was not a foreign plane.

Other special events in SF were to visit playland, on the beach or swim in the pool, both located near the Cliff House.
j
In later years, when the movie theater in HMB had closed, people drove over to the Peninsula for movies and special events, including the San Mateo County Fair. In those days, new movies moved up and down the peninsual to the different theaters (most of the cities had at least two theaters) and stayed around for a month or two. Also, Tony and I attended dances held at at Playland, with name ochestras, we would meet several couples from HMB.

We drove to San Francisco, saw “South Pacific” with my husband, Tony Teixeira, and Aunt Eva and her husband, Albert Quilici. Also, we attended dances were held at at Playland, with name ochestras.

At Half Moon Bay High School, if you were a good student, and in the honor society, the teachers would take you to plays or musicals at the Curran and Geary Theaters in the City. The first musical I ever saw was “Oklahoma,” and after I got married, I joined the Civic Light Opera in San Francisco, and with several friends attended many musicals.