Solano County Biography
John Browlie
John Browlie - is a native of Scotland, and passed his early years in that part of Great Britain, where he was apprenticed for some time to the grocery trade, in Glasgow. On October 7,1852, with some of his relations who had revisited the " land o' cakes," he sailed from Liverpool in a Cunard steamer for New York, where he remained a short time, and then took passage for California in the S. S. " Northern light," but was landed at Acapuleo, from whence he proceeded to Barbacos; thence up the river by native boat to Gorgona, from which place he performed the balance of the journey on foot to Panama. The hardships of this walk were trying to our youthful voyager; when but halfway his boots gave out and were discarded; in crossing the rivers he held on to the tails of mules, and was thus ferried over; and on the next day completely prostrated, he and his party, with whom he had caught up, reached their destination, only to find that their steamer for San Francisco, for which they had tickets, had been burned in Valparaiso. The " Cortez " was on the berth for California, but she was full; a passage, could not, therefore, be procured by her; thus, in the meantime, with so large a party, money gave out, and he was obliged to dispose of his through ticket, so as to provide the means of subsistence for the company, and rely on the promise that money should be remitted to him from California. Shortly after his companions sailed for the Golden State, leaving the subject of our memoir alone, moneyless, and friendless, in Panama. With that resource which the hardy sons of Scotia derive from their early training, Mr. Brownlie cast about him looking for employment, whereby to occupy his time, and provide food; this he soon obtained in the Louisiana hotel, at the wages of sixty dollars per month; but such is the fatal effects of the climate that but few live to see the month out. While at his avocation in this hostelry, he was prostrated by a swelling of the feet from jiggers, contracted during his bare-foot tramp across the Isthmus, to add to which he was seized with the Panama fever, but stoutly refused to be taken to the hospital; day by day he got lower, when an event occurred which may have done much towards preserving the life of John Brownlie. Let us tell it in his own words: "It was a Sunday morning, when, by luck, who should come to my relief, but an uncle - one whom I had not seen since I was a child. Of course, I did not know him, nor he me, until he asked after my parents, and his brothers and sisters. I was so charmed that I jumped right out of my sick bed. He asked how I came to be at Panama, and how I came to be left by the party; after explaining which, he told me that he had just bought a ticket for California, and if I wanted to get there he would give it to me, while he returned to Toboga (where he had been working for some time), to earn enough to pay his passage by another steamer." Thus, by the merest chance, at noon on the day on which he parted with his new-found relative, Mr. Brownlie steamed away from Panama on board the " Winfield Scott," bound for San Francisco. On this voyage he again endured much suffering, and though many of his fellow-passengers died, he lived, happily, to arrive at his destination, after a passage of eighteen days.
On arrival, he fortunately met his uncle, Robert Brownlee, and with him went to Vallejo, arriving when the Legislature was about to meet and at once obtained work there; on the removal of the seat of government to Benicia, he followed them, and being employed in that city for a short time, he finally went to Mare Island and obtained labor with the Dry Dock Company, who were then constructing the sectional dock; from laboring work he rose to be a helper in the blacksmith's shop, and, being of an economical turn of mind, he soon purchased a share in a livery business; after a lapse of some time he eventually became the sole proprietor, and has ever since kept a stable in Yallejo. In 1858, in conjunction with his livery business, Mr. B. purchased a farm of 500 acres, and matters progressed favorably for him until the year 1873, when, being connected with the Vallejo Bank, he was forced into the position of Cashier of that concern by the Directors and Stockholders; but such was the revulsion in business at the time that the Bank was wound up, and all creditors satisfied. Mr. Brownlie visited his native land, in the years 1857, and '67, and made the tour of the three kingdoms; has served as a Notary Public for two years; a Supervisor for one term; and is now besides his above mentioned business, a real estate agent; and also agent for a Fire and Life Insurance Company. Mr. B. was born in the year 1833, and married, December 22,1874, Miss Margaret Wakely, by whom he has Gracie May, born October 16,1875, and Kobert Arthur, born Nov. 11,1878
History of Solano County, California
Transcribed by Julie Appletoft, February Pages 336-338
Solano County Biographies ~ Archive Biography Index ~ Archive Index
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