PHILIP SCHELD

Philip Scheld. -- Among those solid, substantial assistance of Sacramento is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch.  He is a native of Germany, born in the town of Giessen, Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt, October 13, 1827, his parents being John and Kate (Bellow) Scheld.  His father was a wheel-wright by trade, that having been the occupation of the family for several generations.  Philip Scheld was reared at his native place, and received his education at the Government schools between the ages of six and fourteen years, and assisting his father in the labors of the farm on which the family made their home.  In 1845 he came to America in company with his brother Henry, sailing from Bremen Jun. 4, on the sailing vessel Neptune, and landing at Philadelphia July 11.  He engaged at the baker's trade at Philadelphia, and remained there are two years, his place of employment being located on Callowhill street, between Eighth and Ninth.  His brother remained in that city, at the cabinet-making trade, until 1849, when, in company with twenty-four others, he went to New Orleans, and thence by a way of Monterey, Durango and Mazatlan, to the Pacific coast, where they took a sailing vessel to San Francisco.  He became a miner and is still a resident of California, living in Yreka, where he is a prominent man and the owner of the water-works system, which he constructed.  Philip Scheld received a letter from his brother, advising him to come to California, and he decided to leave Baltimore, where he had been for a year and a half, and try his fortune in the "land of gold."  He left Baltimore on the steamer Philadelphia, February 4, 1850, went to Panama, crossed the Isthmus by boat and afoot, his effects being packed across by mule.  On the Pacific side he took passage on the steamer California, for San Francisco, where he arrived on the 24th of March.  He paid $16 for his passage to Sacramento on the steamer Hartford, being a day and a half on the way.  He proceeded on to Coloma, El Dorado County, taking a four-ox team.  When he arrived there he learned his brother had departed.  The latter had gone to Volcano, but Mr. Scheld did not know his whereabouts, although they met several weeks later at Volcano, where a company was trying to flume the river at Volcano Bar.  Mr. Scheld, with a partner, Daniel Troy, started in baking for a hotel; eventually it was found that the landlord could not pay them, and they had to take the property.  Their quarters were too small, however, and they built a larger house, and they also built the Sierra Nevada Hotel, which is still running.  They continued that business until the fall of 1852, and Mr. Scheld was in Sacramento with a team obtaining supplies on the day of the great fire.  It had not commenced when he left, however, he was informed of it next day, on the road to Coloma.  He closed out his business at the mines, and he and his brother sold out between 400 and 500 hogs which they had accumulated, at Sacramento, and they were here when the flood of 1852 came on.  Mr. Scheld and his brother became engaged in teaming between Sacramento and the mines, and continued in that business for years.  Then he rented the brewery on the East M street, and a month later bought it.  No one could recognize the slightest resemblance between the small plant of that day and the large establishment of the present, known as the Sacramento; yet comparison is easy, as the old building, with shingles off, now stands unused on the premises.  On the 22nd of February, 1856, the next day after the completion of the Folsom Railroad, he shipped beer to Folsom, getting $21 per barrel, the price now being from $6 to $9.  By the flood of 1862 he had considerable malt and barley damage, and also lost about 20 casks of wine which he had made on the Norris grant.  He has rebuilt the Sacramento Brewery with moderate improvements, and it now ranks with the best.  Mr. Scheld was married in Sacramento, April 7, 1858, to Miss Margaret Fritz, a native of Germany, born near Mayence, on the Rhine, who came to Sacramento in 1857.  They have one son, Adolph, who is now traveling in Europe, and who has been trained to the banking business.  Mr. Scheld has been a director in the Sacramento Savings Bank for about twelve years.  He has large interests in this locality, and considerable land in Southern California, principally in Los Angeles County.  Mr. Scheld joined Confidence Company, No. 2, Volunteer Fire Department, in 1863, and is now a member of the Exempt Firemen.  He joined the Sacramento Turn-Verein in 1857, and is yet an active member.  Mr. Scheld is an enterprising man, and does his share in the matter of public improvements.