San Francisco County
Biographies
COLONEL
F. A. BEE
COLONEL F. A. BEE is cheerfully accorded the
following space in this record of some of California`s most illustrious and deserving citizens. He is
the present Consul for the Chinese Government in this city, and is a prominent
member of California Pioneers. He was born in the State of New York, at
Clinton, Oneida county, in 1825, his parents being of English and Scotch
descent and early settlers in that part of the country. In his early boyhood he
entered the academy at Clinton, and afterwards began the study of law. It was
just at the time the gold discoveries were made in California, and the
attention of the whole world was directed to that point. Colonel Bee determined
to go to the Pacific coast and see for himself what the possibilities might be.
He set sail from New York city on the ship Elizabeth Ellen, and made the Voyage
via Cape Horn. Among those who took passage on the same vessel were several who
have since become noted in the annals of California, notably James L. Flood and
Senator Charles N. Felton. They were 228 days on the trip, and arrived here in
August, 1849. Colonel Bee went at once to the mines, and was connected with
mining interests altogether for fifteen years. Three years of this period he
was also engaged in the mercantile business.
Before the breaking out of the civil war,
Colonel Bee saw the necessity of telegraphic communication between the east and
west, and organized the Placerville & St. Joseph Overland Telegraph
Company, with a capital of $250,000. He was elected president of the company,
and it was through his efforts that the stock was subscribed to build the line
across the Sierras. Great energy and enthusiasm were manifested in the
construction of the line, and the Sacramento Daily Evening Bee of 1859
announces that laborers of all classes were gladly taking their pay in stock,
and that the provisions were being furnished which were being paid for in the
same way. After the line was completed to Fort Churchill, Utah, in 1859,
Colonel Bee went to Washington, District of Columbia, to place the matter
before Congress and ask aid from the Government. The Project met with violent
opposition from Eastern telegraphic companies on the ground that it was ten
years too soon to build a line across the continent, its only friends being
ex-Postmaster -General Amos Kendall, under Jackson `s administration and Cyrus
W. Field , directors of the Western Union Company. After much waiting and
working, an appropriation was made of $65,000 a year for ten years, in return
the Government business to be done free. The contract was taken by the Western
Union, and the line was completed in 150 days. His company was then
consolidated with the Western Union and other lines, and much of the stock of
his company sold for $400 per share. Colonel Bee bore his own expenses while he
was in Washington, and was not one dollar of expense to the Western Union
Company. It was during this time that he met General Russell of Russell &
Waddle, Government contractors to the famous Utah Military Expedition. He laid
before them the proposition to establish
a pony express between St. Joe and San Francisco, which was also established
through his own personal efforts.
Colonel Bee returned to California via
Panama, and upon the breaking out of the civil war he was appointed, under
President Lincoln`s administration, Provost Marshal of the Central and Northern
districts of California, an important and responsible position which he held until the cessation of
hostilities. After the surrender, he came to San Francisco, and was connected
with various enterprises, among which was the construction of the San Francisco
& North Pacific Railroad, of which he was superintendent from its
inception.
On July 6, 1876, both houses of Congress
passed a joint resolution, authorizing the appointment of a committee of
senators and representatives to proceed to California and investigate the
Chinese question. The great war Governor of Indiana, the Hon. Oliver P. Morton,
then Senator, was chairman of the committee. At this time the “Sand lot“
agitators, who were organized to drive the Chinese out of the city, were
running things with a high hand. Threats and intimidation were freely made against
any citizen who dared to defend or protect the Chinese. The Joint Committee
were to meet in October. Leading Chinese applied to prominent attorneys to
represent them before the commission, but without success.
Senator Morton, when informed of this,
sent a telegram to Colonel Bee, requesting him to act as the attorney of the
Chinese before the commission. This honor he promptly accepted. Senator Morton
and Colonel Bee had been close friends for many years. The committee held its
first session October 18, 1876. Colonel Bee`s opening address for boldness of
utterance caused a sensation throughout the State. As a result, the commission
received scores of letters from prominent citizens, offering to testify on
behalf of the Chinese in corroboration of Colonel Bee`s statements. The session
lasted seven weeks, the report making a volume of 1,218 pages, the
preponderance of testimony being favorable to the Chinese.
His Imperial Majesty, the Emperor of
China, in acknowledgment of his services, the following year, tendered Colonel
Bee the position of Chinese Consul at San Francisco; and for the past thirteen
years he has discharged the duties of this responsible position with great
credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of the empire. He has been three
times decorated by the Chinese government. When he was made a Sir Knight, the
decoration was accompanied by a letter from the emperor of China, a very rare
compliment and worthily bestowed. He has spent much time and thought in
establishing amicable commercial relations between the United States and China,
and has the distinction of being the only American in the Consular service of
the Chinese government. He has been closely identified with public enterprises
tending to develop the Pacific coast.
Colonel Bee was happily married to Miss
Catherine Maxwell of Ballston Springs, New York, a lady of rare accomplishments
and unusual force of character. The marriage occurred in 1850, and during the
union, which covered over thirty-eight years, they were not separated from each
other more then one month. They made twelve journeys together across the
continent, and she aided her husband in all his arduous undertakings. Her death
in this city. August 18, 1889, was deeply lamented by a host of friends. To her
husband she was the best of God`s creation. They had one son, Frank M. Bee, who
resides on his beautiful farm, “Cherry Croft” vineyards, near Martinez,
California.
Transcribed by Kim Buck.
Source:
"The Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 2, Pages 491-493, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2006 Kim Buck.