America’s Last Emperor: Monkey

Chapter Fourteen

Abe Warner (in top hat) standing outside his Cobweb Palace (to the left down the stairs). Courtesy OpenSFHistory.org

February 15th, 1856

Joshua Norton and Tom Sawyer walked down Powell Street towards the now-ownerless Meiggs’ Wharf. Everyone still called it that despite Meiggs being in South America. Messages were repeatedly sent back to various creditors of his along with payments, as Meiggs seemed very keen to come back. The messages back were nothing but threats of legal action, which served to keep him in Peru.

Norton noted that this address was directly across the street from the Pleasant Laundry. He had no idea what to expect from the event, but he did not drink so the opening of a bar held very little interest to him. He was just happy to be invited somewhere, so he gathered his friend who drank a lot to make up for what he was not going to drink. And he was happy to help a fellow disgraced merchant.

The invitation was at the behest of Abe Warner, whom he’d met so many years ago at the hall of the Vigilance Committee. Finding himself unable to keep up with running a store in San Francisco, Warner had sold his store to another man and bought a building at the foot of the wharf to pursue another dream of his — owning a bar.

They approached the foot of the wharf and noticed it was actually at the end of the wharf, with four wooden steps that you walked down to the level of…