San Joaquin County
Biographies
GAETANO ALEGRETTI
GAETANO ALEGRETTI, the eldest
son of Joseph and Giovanna (Bisagno) Alegretti, was born in Chiavari, a
maritime town of North Italy, twenty-one miles southeast of Genoa, on the 22nd
of June, 1841. His father was a distinguished sculptor of the province of
Chiavari, and was noted for his skill in carving. His mother, a woman greatly
esteemed by all her friends, because of her kind and pleasant manner, used to
polish jewelry, to help to increase the income of the family; but she died
quite young, leaving two sons almost infants. At the age of three, Gaetano was
sent to a private school till he was six, then for seven years he attended a
public school taught by a priest, but he did not go regularly. In the evenings,
he attended a public drawing school, for he early evinced a decided taste for
art. After school hours, he assisted his father to carve. In 1856 he went to
work in a shipyard to learn the trade, so as to be enrolled in the navy. He
preferred the navy to the army, because in the former one has to serve only
eighteen months while in the latter the term is five years. In 1857, his uncle,
Pio Bisagno, who had been to California, returned to Italy to make a short
visit. To him, Gaetano spoke of his father’s situation, and of his desire to
come to America, if he could arrange with his uncle Luigi & Bartholomew, to
pay his fare. In the spring of 1858, Rev. Antonio Bisagno, his uncle, told him
that he received a letter from his brothers in California, telling Gaetano to
make preparations for his trip, for his fare was paid as far as New York. He
gave him a card bearing the address of a hotel, and said when he arrived at the
above city, he should go to this place and there his uncles would forward the
money, in care of the proprietors, to pay for the balance of the trip. This was
happy news for him and he eagerly went home to tell his father. As he wasn’t of
age, it was impossible to obtain a passport to leave Italy. So, to blind the
government, on June 13, 1864, he enrolled himself as a carpenter on a sailing
vessel from Lavirono to Philadelphia to return again. Before leaving his home,
he made a farewell visit to all his relatives, each of whom made him a small
present in money that amounted altogether to sixty francs. When the time came
for his departure, his father accompanied him as far as Genoa. Before embarking
on the steamer for Lavirono, he bade his father good-bye and in shaking hands
dropped into them the sixty francs, which at first his father refused to
accept; but knowing he was in poor health he insisted that his father should
keep it. Arriving at Lavirono a skiff belonging to the ship came to the side of
the vessel he was on and a mate inquired if there were any passengers to go on
board of the sailing vessel commanded by Captain Guerello, Gaetano answered,
“Yes, there were three.” The mate told them to pass down their trunks, mattress
and blankets, but all that Gaetano had was his valise. The captain took pity on
his meager outfit for such a long trip; so, the day before leaving port, he
bought him a blanket, some cigars and gave him an old overcoat. On board there
were sixteen passengers, the most of whom were women. He was well liked by the
crew and passengers. He assisted them when they were seasick and they in return
for his kindness washed and mended his clothes. It took them three and one-half
months to reach Philadelphia. On arriving the captain, knowing his destination
was California, took him to the ferry-boat and paid his fare to New York and
gave him one dollar.
On the next morning he reached New York.
At the wharf there were hotel runners passing cards. He compared the card he
held, bearing the address of the hotel he was to go to with each card that the
runners passed to him, but none corresponded. These coachmen insisted upon his
going with them, but not understanding a word of their language he couldn’t
place faith in them; so he stayed at the wharf for over two hours worrying,
fretting and thinking what he should do till at last he saw across the street
an organ-grinder who looked like an Italian. He went to him and asked if he
knew where Perasso’s hotel was. He said Yes, but it was quite a distance to it.
He asked if he would take him to it; he answered he couldn’t, because he was
working for a boss, and if he knew that he had left his place he would
discharge him. Gaetano then agreed to pay him for his trouble. This encouraged
him and he took him to the place. When he got there Gaetano asked the landlord
if he had any letters or money for him from his uncles at California. He said
No: The answer was so sudden that it brought tears to Gaetano’s eyes. The
proprietor asked him what was the matter, and he explained his situation.
Turning around to the organ-grinder, he opened his valise (the contents were a
summer suit of clothes which he intended to put on to meet his uncles in San
Francisco) and told him to take what he wanted, and if necessary to take all.
Seeing his sincerity he was satisfied without pay. So, thanking him for his
kindness, he bade the organ-grinder good-bye.
Three days later the steamer arrived from
Panama, bringing the long expected letter with $100. Through the assistance of
Mr. Perasso, Gaetano only had to pay three-fourths of the price usually paid by
the steerage class. This took all the money that was sent, but he had to
prolong his stay eleven days longer till the steamer would leave. During that
time he worked eight days for an opera company, at one dollar per night; but
when it came to settlement, he was defrauded out of his wages. Then he left New
York by steamer for Aspinwall. It took eight days to make the trip. As he was
not accustomed to the food this trip seemed very long. After crossing the
Isthmus he went aboard the steamer “Golden Gate.” Here he got acquainted with
the chief engineer, who spoke some broken Italian, and to him he complained of
the food they gave to the steerage class and told him that he would be willing
to work for the sake of receiving better food. The engineer arranged it so his
desire was gratified. During the day he peeled potatoes and onions and in the
evenings assisted to polish the copper wares. It took them twenty-two days to
make this trip. When arrived in San Francisco, he went to an Italian
boarding-house and ate a big dinner of the old country style. After dinner he
asked the proprietor if he knew of a firm called Bisagno Bros. He said that he
did and would send some one with him to show him the place. Before going
Gaetano put on his new suit, which was very short, for he had outgrown it, and
prepared to meet his uncle. The first thing that his uncle did was to have him
taken to a clothing house and then to a barber. He stayed in San Francisco six
months and worked in his uncle’s retail branch store there. His uncle owned an
empty lot on the corner of El Dorado and Washington streets. About six months
after his arrival in Stockton, his uncle decided to build a brick store on this
lot and this Gaetano helped to build. When the store was completed his uncle
fitted it out and Gaetano was to run it. His uncle told him that his
indebtedness was already paid by his work and that he was now working for
wages, at the rate of $20 per month. At the end of two years his salary was
raised to $30 per month. He worked for one year longer. In the meantime he
found it necessary to pick up English, French and Spanish and devoted most of
his spare time in learning how to speak languages correctly.
After he left his uncle’s employment he
went in partnership with a cousin, A. Daneri, and opened a grocery store on the
corner of El Dorado and La Fayette streets; one and one-half years later they
bought their uncle’s store and ran it together for eighteen months. The firm
then dissolved and Mr. Alegretti removed to his present location, 403 Center
street, where he has been since 1869. He has a splendidly stocked store and
enjoys an extensive trade.
Mr. Alegretti was married in this city to
Miss Maria Macchiavillo, formerly of Sori, Italy, on August 19, 1864, at the
Catholic church, by Rev. M. McGrath. They have six children, the second of
which is dead, viz: Clotilda, Giovanna, Clorinda, Lenora, Nettie and Joseph.
On February 1, 1888, by the advice of his
doctors, he made a seven months’ visit to his old home in Italy, which added a
great deal toward improving his health. His trip in going was all made by
water, by way of Panama, which took him almost two months to make the trip; but
when he came back he was satisfied to make it by land from New York to
Stockton.
Mr. Alegretti is a member of the I. O. O.
F. lodge No. 11; Knights of Pythias, No. 20, and of Compagna Italiana de
Bersaglieri, No. 1. He made his start here in Stockton, and is deserving of
credit for his energy and pluck.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
An Illustrated History of San Joaquin County,
California, Pages 431-433. Lewis Pub.
Co. Chicago, Illinois 1890.
© 2009 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
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