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had enemies in San Diego and vicinity is shown by the fact that he held but one elective
office, and that a minor one.
Lieutenant George H. Derby made San Diego his home for about two years, from
1853 to 1855, and left behind him memories which the people of San Diego cherish to
this day. This, not merely because the scene of so many of the funny things in Phoenixiana
is laid here, but quite as much on account of his lovable personality. It may be
assumed that the reader is familiar with that delectable book and it will therefore not be
profitable to reproduce any considerable part of it; but it is believed that something
about Derby's life and personality, with a few selections of local interest from Phoenixiana
and others from the old Herald files not so familiar to the public, will prove of interest.
George Horatio Derby was born in Dedham, Massachusetts, April 3, 1823. He
attended school in Concord and is remembered by Senator Hoar, who says in his Autobiography
that Derby was very fond of small boys. Afterward he tended store
Page 306
in Concord, but failed to please his employer, "who was a snug and avaricious person."
During the proprietor's weekly absences in Boston, Derby would stretch himself out on
the counter and read novels, and at such times did not like to be disturbed to wait on
customers and was quite likely to tell them the goods they wanted were out. He afterward
entered West Point and graduated with distinction, in 1846. He served through the
Mexican War, was wounded at Cerro Gordo, and was made a first lieutenant.
In April 1849, he arrived in California on board the Iowa, with General Bennett
Riley and a part of the Second Infantry Regiment. He was employed on different tours
of duty in the Topographical Corps, until July, 1853, when he was detailed to superintend
the turning of the San Diego River to make it debouch into False Bay. His description
of the voyage down and of the appearance of the town of San Diego at that period,
in Phoenixiana, are among the funniest things he ever wrote. He met Judge Ames, and
has this to say about him: "I fell in conversation with Judge Ames, the talented, goodhearted,
but eccentric editor of the San Diego Herald. . . . I found 'the Judge' exceedingly
agreeable, urbane and well informed, and obtained from him much valuable information
regarding San Diego." Ames appears to have proposed to Derby almost immediately
to take charge of his paper for two weeks, while he made one of his frequent
trips to San Francisco. Ames and Derby had probably met in San Francisco. At least, it
is quite certain they were acquainted, for Derby had been in San Diego during the preceding
April, on business connected with the work on the river, and at that time visited
the Masonic Lodge, of which order they were both members. He was undoubtedly well
acquainted with Derby's reputation as a writer, as his sketches had appeared in the San
Francisco papers over the pen names of "John Phoenix" and "Squibob." Derby readily
fell in with the proposal, doubtless foreseeing opportunities for no end of fun. The situation
is developed thus in the Herald:
In his issue of August 13th, Ames said:
"Our Absence.--we shall leave on the first steamer for San Francisco, to be absent
about two weeks. A friend of acknowledged ability and literary acquirements, will
occupy the 'old arm chair' during our absence."
Derby writes, in his letter to a San Francisco paper: