San Francisco County
Joseph C. Sala
Joseph C. Sala, successor to John Roach, maker of surveyors’ nautical and mathematical instruments, 429 Montgomery street, San Francisco, is a native of Belgirate, Italy. His father, a wholesale merchant, gave his children every educational advantage and careful home training. There are three brothers in the family, of whom Joseph C. is the youngest. The oldest brother studied law, and is now prominent in his profession in Italy. For twenty years he has been Mayor of his native city. The next brother, imbued with strong patriotism, joined the army of Garibaldi, and fought all through the troublous days of ’48. He went to Australia in 1854, where he still resides, having been very successful in mining.
Joseph C. Sala was partly educated at home. When quite young he went to Paris to live with an uncle, who was engaged in the Manufacture of mathematical instruments, and under whose instruction Mr. Sala learned his business. After serving an apprenticeship of six years, he engaged four years as a journeyman, becoming thoroughly practical in every branch of the work. Seven years of that time he attended the evening classes of the best French schools, thus completing his education and at the same time pursuing his work. Having read of California as a place of excellent prospects for an ambitious young man, in 1861 he came to this State. The day following his arrival, he was engaged by Mr. John Roach, lately deceased, who had established his business for the manufacture of nautical and meteorological instruments in this city in 1855. In 1861 Mr. Sala was his only assistant. He remained with him thirty years, and for twenty years had exclusive charge of the manufacturing department. At the death of Mr. Roach, March 19, 1891, he purchased the entire interest. The business was established during the infancy of San Francisco; now, like the city, it has reached broad proportions. In 1862 Mr. Sala made the large transit for the re-survey of the city of San Francisco, upon which he worked for a period of seven months. The instrument has since been sold by the city and used for all the triangulations for the Sutro tunnel in Nevada, the tunnel being the drainage system of the Comstock mines.
Mr. Sala was married in San Francisco, in 1880, to Miss Julia Huant, a native of New York, of French descent. Four children have been added to their union—Sylvia, Henry, Joseph and Guido.
Mr. Sala is Past Master of the Masonic Lodge Speranza Italiana, and for ten years has been Treasurer. He has been a member of the I.O.O.F. since 1867. In 1874 he was elected President of the Italian Benevolent Society, and has held the office continuously for seventeen years. He takes just pride in having built up the society from its bankrupt condition, with few in number and an indebtedness of $8,000, to its present glorious standing, with over 1,000 members and the indebtedness paid off. The society owns a beautiful cemetery and has over $15,000 in the treasury. Mr. Sala has been inspector of mathematical instruments for the Government for some ten years. He became a citizen of the United States in 1880; and believes all foreigners should live in the country at least fifteen years before becoming naturalized. In his life work he has certainly made an honorable record, and merits the respect and esteem in which he is held by all nationalities of the city.
Transcribed
by David and Joyce Rugeroni.
Source: "The
Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 2, Page 201-202, Lewis
Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2005 David and Joyce Rugeroni.