WILLIAM EBERHARDT

 

WILLIAM EBERHARDT, of Sacramento, is one of the most popular manufacturers of, and dealers in, sporting goods in California.  He was born at Thuringen, Saxony, Germany, June 27, 1838, and his full name, as given in his "papers," is Andreas Friedrich Wilhelm Eberhardt.  Those papers form an interesting relic, and show the names of those who "stood up" for him when he was baptized, as follows:  Andreas Hellman, merchant; William Pfamestiel, farmer and butcher; and Friedrich Peter, an extensive miller.  These papers give his parents' names as Johann Friedrich Wilhelm and Magdalena Engel (von Brotterode) Eberhardt.  Mr. Eberhardt has his father's papers and all of his own papers from that time until he left Europe, and they give a correct record of his movements.  By them it is seen that the maiden name of his father's first wife was Katherine Elizabeth Reisch; that his second wife died December 13, 1846, at 6 o'clock p.m.; and that the father of the subject of this sketch died at 10 o'clock, a.m., on the 2nd of May, 1844.  There were six children in the family, and our subject was the youngest.  His eldest brother was in the army, and his second brother, who possessed great strength, died from the bursting of a blood-vessel.  The father, a hard-working man, had a small brewery, a butcher shop and a hotel, and had land of his own.  There was much travel past the place, of teams hauling between the farming districts and the manufacturing centers, and the teamsters would stop and take their meals as many as a hundred in a day, and drink at the Eberhardt place, while the teams going over the mountains would buy three days' provisions here before proceeding on their journey.  Of course a great deal of credit business was done, and Mr.  Eberhardt would keep the accounts in his memory.  One evening at the supper table he remarked that he felt bad, and twelve minutes afterward he was dead!  The event cast a gloom over the family and the community, and incidentally a great trouble came on.  Those indebted to the deceased father repudiated the debts, and they were lost, and the family placed in a bad way.  Then the neighbors, for twenty German miles around, signed a petition to the Government asking the authorities to discharge the eldest son from the army, that he might come home and help out with the management of the property.  The petition was granted and the son returned and took charge.  Nevertheless, the family lost between $7,000 and $8,000.  The place had been in the family for over 200 years, and they did not want to lose it.  William Eberhardt, subject of the sketch, spent his boyhood days at his native place, and there received his education.  The Government rule which required children to attend school between the ages of six and fourteen had this modification, that the time was considered at an end when the child could pass the necessary examinations.  Thus it was that our subject was but thirteen years old when he had fulfilled the requirements and left school.  He then commenced to learn the manufacture of mathematical and astronomical instruments, but his brother, who already had that trade, told him he would have to learn something else.  He, however, found a place with a prominent engineer, and an arrangement was effected with the latter by which young Eberhardt was to pay him $300 and serve as apprenticeship of three years at his chosen trade.  He had been working then nearly two and a half years, when one day his employer said to him, "William, next month the Professor will hold the Government examinations, and if you can pass I will give you the remaining half year of your time."  Of course the lad gladly accepted the offer.  On the appointed day there were twenty-three young men who presented themselves for the test, seven of whom had been at the previous examinations, and Mr. Eberhardt was the youngest one in the lot.  His turn came last, and when he was called up, some of the bosses whose sons had failed tried to make him, but this they could not do.  At last Professor Miller said:  "Gentlemen, I can give this last boy the first chance; he is the best prepared of all."  And all the professors coincided, and signed the report made out to that effect. The report of the affair was wide-spread, and was announced in the papers, and the successful boy received the congratulations of his friends.  He remained with his employer three months longer than was necessary, and then traveled to improve himself in his trade.  He was but a boy sixteen years of age when one day he appeared before the old gentleman Krupp, at Essen, and applied for work.  Herr Krupp looked him over and said, "My boy, you are very young, but I believe you are a skillful workman; where are your papers?"  He showed his papers, Mr. Krupp was well pleased, and the boy was put at work, at the highest wages, the same as men who had been twelve years in the works.  One day Mr. Krupp asked him to make two screws of the kind used in elevating cannon, to be placed on exhibition in the Government arsenal.  Young Eberhardt undertook the job, all went well, and when the delicate details were finished and the work highly polished, they were placed on exhibition.  The Crown Prince Frederick noticed the work, and when he asked who did it was told that the artisan was a boy.  He and his father, the King of Prussia, went to see the boy at work, and King William said, "Did you, so young, do that work?  I only hope, my son, that you will never be spoiled by bad associates."  The screws were of steel, and the work, when finished, with the brass settings, looked like polished silver and gold.  He remained at the Krupp works a year and a half, then resumed his travels.  While working for a Breton firm he was sent to do some work in the Parliament buildings, and was there seen by the king and recognized as the boy whom he had so highly recommended at Essen.  He had gone to Russia for nine months when he left Essen, and Mr. Krupp was very much disappointed to have him leave.  While in Russia he worked at St. Petersburg, Cronstadt, Moscow and Odessa.  He had to lay off two days on account of working so rapidly, and got a German paper which contained news of the convocation of monarchs at Warsaw.  He concluded to go up there, and hurrying up, reached there three days before the conference met.  He remained three weeks and witnessed and enjoyed the events of the great occasion.  He then traveled through Europe and brought up at Breslau, where he worked three and one-half years.  Mr. Krupp found out where he was and sent for him to go to Constantinople and take charge of the work on compasses for the Turkish fleet.  Mr. Krupp said, "The Turkish Government calls upon you to undertake this, and will take your belongings to Constantinople free, and give you tickets," etc.  He went to the Turkish capital, and held the position two and a half years.  Then he grew homesick and announced his intention of leaving.  The Turkish admiral tried to dissuade him from his purpose, but Mr. Eberhardt insisted, saying that there must be something wrong at home, as he could think of nothing else day or night.  He procured return passes and promised to go back.  At Vienna he met old Berlin shop-mates and had a good time.  One of them tried to persuade him to go to America, and he finally consented to do so, and agreed to meet him in Hamburg in three weeks, after he had made his visit home.  He went home, remained nearly three weeks, and then, accompanied by a boy who had a brother in Pennsylvania, he went to Hamburg.  While there he would have been detained for services in the army had it not been for the papers he carried, which would have taken him any place in the world. 

His friend had gone by a steamer two days before; so Mr. Eberhardt decided to see England and Ireland before sailing, which he did.  He took passage at Queenstown for the United States, landing at Boston, after a stormy passage of six weeks and three days.  At Boston the captain called him into his office and paid him $30 for work done on the vessel.  The next night he went to New York, arriving there next morning.  He went to the banking-house of Julius & Muttus Hachner on Broadway, and delivered to one of the firm a package containing four letters, which he had conveyed to him from a mutual friend in Austria.  The banker took Mr. Eberhardt home with him in his carriage and presenting him to his wife said, "Here is a young man who has brought you some jewelry from your brother in Austria."  Mr. Eberhardt remained with them at their city home and at their villa in New Jersey for two weeks.  Then he went to Hazelton, Pennsylvania, and began work for Sharp & Wise.  He did not speak English, but soon attracted attention by the skill and celerity with which his work was accomplished.  One night he worked overtime to accomplish an important job that required immediate attention.  When the boss came in at 7 o'clock next morning, and found the job finished, he was astonished and credited him with three days work, besides giving him a half holiday.  He finally decided to go to California, and drew $600, his balance, from the firm.  One of the proprietors rode with him in the train as far as Easton to induce him to return, but he would not.  He proceeded to New York, took steamer for Panama, and landed at San Francisco May 7, 1868.  Two months later he came to Sacramento, having been promised a job by Master Mechanic Stevens, but he came at a time when work was slack,  as the machinery was being moved.  Mr. Stevens saw his papers, asked him where he was stopping and if he could remain a week or two.  But in the meantime he obtained employment turning wood-work for the new Capitol building.  The work previously done was not accepted and Mr. Eberhardt was given charge of that part of the work, at the architect's suggestion.  He did work at odd times at the Capitol foundry, and made his lathe there.  He was the first man to make an oval lathe, or turn oval lathes, in California.  Some of his work at his trade was placed on exhibition at the State Fair, and he was awarded the diploma.  He had never, however, given up the idea of going back to Turkey.  When he got his lathe done he had $2.39 left.  Then orders commenced to come in, and his present extensive business is the result of that start.  One of his first jobs was turning a set of billiard balls to fill an order.  Then Mr. Stevens called and wanted him to go to work, but he refused.  His business covers a large territory, and Mr. Eberhardt is one of the most popular dealers in California.  He is a true sportsman, as well as manufacturer and dealer in sportsmen's goods, and, being a mechanic whose trade in his case is nothing less than an art, it is needless to say that whatever passes through his hands can be recommended.  Mr. Eberhardt was married to Miss Louisa Scharp, a native of Basle, Switzerland.  They have six children, viz:  Lillie, Minnie, Willie, Frankie, Amelia, and Frederick William.