HON. WILLIAM G. LONG
Hon. William G. Long, United States Marshal
for the Northern District of California.
The Long family has been noted for energy, honesty and marked ability in
New England since the early colonial days.
Members of the family have represented their communities in State
legislatures or national Congress from most of the New England States. Long anterior to the Revolutionary war they
had belonged to the volunteer soldiery, and won distinction in the fierce
conflicts which took place in the numerous Indian and French wars, and the Long
family was well represented in the Revolutionary struggle and the war of
1812. The family name has lost nothing
of its luster through the active habits and prominent and aggressive methods of
the Longs who have lately and are now conspicuously before the public in New
England. They are thorough-paced
Americans, with all the peculiarities which render genuine Americans the most
noted people in the world—honor, courage and untiring energy.
The subject of this sketch was born in
Thomaston, Maine, at a time when ship-building was the main industry there, and
when New Englanders to man all the ships built were abundant and to spare, and
when it generally believed that American-built ships, manned by Americans, and
floating the American flag, were to have unquestioned supremacy on all open
seas of the world. There are plenty of
men and women now living who can remember when such an expectation was not
unreasonable, absurd as it would appear to be at the present time. In such a community, imbued with such
ambitious expectations, young Long had his early training. Some of his ancestors have won distinction on
the seas, and their heroic acts were recounted in the long winter evenings, and
before he could hardly climb a mast he was ambitious to follow in the footsteps
of John Paul Jones. As soon as it was
possible for him to accept he was an articled sailor, making voyages to foreign
ports. Before he was out of his ‘teens
he had been to the East Indies, to many ports in Europe, and to the west coast
of Africa. Gold alone was not the
inducement. A thirst for adventure, and
the innate certainty that his fortune might equal that of any of the heroes of
sea fiction of which he had heard or read, if only the opportunity would offer,
had more to do with his early adventures than any desire for the pay given a
seaman.
Returning from one of his voyages he heard
the story of gold found in
Mr. Long remained but a short time in
No finer evidence of the marked superiority
of Mr. Long could be furnished than the remarkable facility with which he
adapted himself to an entirely changed life.
His growing years had been spent upon a sea, and all his future
expectations had hinged upon the fortunes of a sailor. Without preparation he adopted the calling of
landsman, abandoned all desire to roam, and cast his lot in with miners and
agriculturists.
In 1853 Mr. Long returned to the East. He went as a visitor, and returned in 1854,
and he is somewhat reticent as to all his experiences in the East. Anyhow he returned there again six years
later, in 1859, and when he came back here in 1860 he introduced Mrs. Long to
his large circle of welcoming friends.
The reasonable inference is that he became acquainted with Mrs. Long
during his short visit in 1853. Be that
as it may, this was about the most happy and fortunate in which Mr. Long has
been engaged during his long and successful career. Four sons and two daughters have come as a
blessing upon the union consummated during the trip East in 1859. His eldest son is a successful merchant in
Haywards, and the other children will add to the honors already attained by
their long lien of ancestors.
Mr. Long has been an active business man and
has engaged in such adventures as would not alone benefit him individually, but
should also result in the greatest good to the greatest number. To that end he has inaugurated a system of
ditching in his section for the purpose of conveying water where it is greatly
needed for irrigation, and will increase the agricultural productions of the
country. His mining ventures have been
of that class which requires a large force of workers, and in all his business
arrangements he has been activated by a desire to improve his county and
section without encroaching upon the rights of others.
As a side issue Mr. Long has been somewhat
interested in politics, and is and has been a working Republican. His country may be put down as reliably
Democratic except when Mr. Long happens to be on the Republican ticket. Then it turns out to be an “off year” for the
Democrats, and the Republicans have a picnic.
Mr. Long has been a successful contestant for the Legislature for the
sessions of the 1873-4 and 1883-4, being elected upon both occasions by a large
majority. These facts tell of his
popularity among his neighbors. His hold
upon them is of such sterling worth that personal fealty outweighs party
fealty, and Mr. Long comes in ahead in a political race. Mr. Long was also Collector of Internal
Revenue in his district for a time, and was alternate delegate to the last
National Republican Convention. The sickness
of Mr. Simpson, the delegate, threw the duties upon Mr. Long, who took an
active part in the nomination of General Harrison, and a very decidedly active
part later on in the election of that gentleman to the Presidency.
William G. Long is now United States Marshal
for this very important district. He
possesses the exact qualities necessary in the man who would fill that position
worthily and well. He is firm, self-possessed,
courageous and not likely to lose his head in any emergency. There are emergencies in the experiences of
almost every man who has filled the office of marshal in any district in the
country when the possession of these qualities made the officer, and his lack
of them announced his failure. Citizens
of San Francisco can call to mind one remarkable case of this kind at no late
date. Whatever happens during his
incumbency of the office, Mr. Long will not be found wanting. The same sterling qualities which have
carried him successfully through many exciting scenes in the past will stand by
him in the end.
Mr. Long is a life-long Mason. We have heard it said, and our own
observation fully vouches its truth, that a man who is a good mason must be a
good man. He has served his term as
Master of Tuolumne Lodge, No. 8. He is
Past High Priest of Sonora Chapter, No. 2, and past Eminent Commander of
Pacific Commandery, No. 3, Knights Templar.
The record accords with the social standing of Mr. Long, which is
eminently first-class, and is widened by the kind words spoken of him by all
with whom he has ever come in contact, socially or in business dealings.
Transcribed by Donna L. Becker
Source: "The
© 2005 Donna L.
Becker.