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The rifle’s original owner’s exact identity is not clear as there were multiple
men named Daniel Murphy living in San Francisco in the period, often
without their middle initial given. One possibility is Daniel Cornelius Murphy
(1848-1891). His obituary in the San Francisco newspapers in mid-February
1891 read: “Murphy- In this city, February 13, 1891, Daniel C., beloved
husband of Margaret Murphy, and father of Mary, Gracie, and Daniel Murphy,
a native of County Cork, Ireland, aged 43 years.” They also indicated that
he lived at 108 William Street. His son, Daniel C. Murphy (1881-1952), was San Francisco’s sheriff for 17 years and also
a state senator and labor leader. It is unclear when the elder Daniel C. Murphy arrived in the U.S. from Ireland or when he
settled in San Francisco, but he would have been around 20 years old in 1868.
While the middle initial in the inscription appears to be a “C”, it possible it is “T.” Another prominent Daniel Murphy in San Francisco was Daniel T.
Murphy (1830-1885) of Murphy, Grant & Co. Information accompanying the rifle indicates he arrived in California overland from New York in June
of 1849 during the California Gold Rush. He became active in the largest and oldest wholesale dry-goods firm on the West Coat formed in 1851 by
Murphy along with Eugene Kelly, J.A. Donohoe, and Adam Grant. In 1868, Murphy, Grant & Co. were major suppliers for the west coast, and Daniel
T. Murphy had returned to living in New York. He subsequently resided in London. The other partners were Adam Grant, Thomas Breeze, and John
Deane. They had a large building on Sansom & Bush streets in San Francisco completed in 1867 and supplied stores with clothing and related goods.
When it was affected by a fire on August 24, 1875, it was noted as containing the largest stock of dry goods in the city with a value of $2,000,000, but
the fire department was able to contain the fire at a loss of only $44,300 in damages. Murphy died in New York in 1885 and was noted as having an
estate valued at $2,250,000. Daniel T. Murphy Jr. (1862-1919) remained involved in the company and resided in San Francisco for many years.
Daniel
Murphy