It was my pleasure to do
what I could to encourage the pastors and people of these small
mission churches and in other churches where I had sung before on
extra occasions. On September 1, 1901, on returning from St. Paul's
Church, after having heard the monthly programme of song, I met my old
Santa Cruz friends of 1864, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Metti and with them
walked to their home. After spending a pleasant hour with them Mr.
Metti escorted me to the San Pablo avenue cars. On alighting from the
car at the corner of Broadway and Thirteenth street the motorman
started up when I was but half way down and I was not able to hold on
firmly enough, consequently the car shot out and left me on the street
with a broken body. The accident closed forever my usefulness as a
public singer and rang down for me the curtain upon any future work of
this kind, to my great sorrow. Twelve long years I have borne this
unhappy condition of things, yet I have not been a drone in the hive
of busy humanity. I have fought the battle and won, and am still able
to wear a smiling countenance and guide the young people into the
pleasant path of song, and my success has been a compensation for all
the suffering which has passed. As long as I am a factor for
usefulness I will cheerfully do my duty. As long as I am able to
chronicle the best results as a competent teacher of voice, which has
been my vocation for over thirty years, I will be content. I have been
rewarded by having given to our state many beautiful singers who
remember with gratitude their aged instructor, no matter where they
may reside, and a number of them are climbing and have climbed to high
positions of prominence as singers of ability, and with personal
attractions which have given them their stepping-stones to higher
attainments in the art of vocal music.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

GOLDEN JUBILEE OF SONG SERVICE, JUNE 12, 1896

Three days before my sixtieth birthday, which occurred on June 12,
1896, I incidentally mentioned to a friend that, on that date, I would
also be fifty years a singer before the public. The next morning a
phone message asked me to come down to the _Call_ office on some
G.A.R. business, as I supposed. This I did.

When I entered the office I was engaged in conversation for an hour
while, unknown to me, a shorthand reporter and an artist were taking
notes. I returned to my studio unconscious that my words had been
recorded and that my picture had been sk