Author & Journalist Gary Kamiya Cites Emperor Norton Trust in Correction on "Frisco"
Gary Kamiya. Source: The Kitchen Sisters
Gary Kamiya is the author of two books, including 2013's Cool Gray City of Love; was a co-founder and the longtime executive editor of Salon; and also, until March 2018, was the executive editor of San Francisco magazine.
Since 2013, Kamiya has penned a regular San Francisco history column, Portals of the Past, for the San Francisco Chronicle. The column now appears in the paper every other Saturday.
A standard "bonus feature" of Kamiya's column is Trivia Time, where he asks a question about San Francisco history that he answers in his next column.
The question that appeared with Kamiya's 5 September 2020 column: "Who ordered anyone using the word 'Frisco' to pay a fine of $25?"
Kamiya's answer, published with his 19 September column: Emperor Norton.
Gary Kamiya’s Trivia Time, San Francisco Chronicle, 19 September 2020, p. B1. Published with Kamiya’s Portals of the Past column, “How sand dunes became S.F.’s Golden Gate Park, thanks to a clumsy horse.” Image from the e-edition of the Chronicle.
Who ordered anyone using the word “Frisco” to pay a fine of $25?
Answer: Emperor Norton
I sent Kamiya a cordial note linking to my own research finding no documentation of this — and asking if he'd had better luck.
With yesterday’s Trivia Time feature, Kamiya generously issued a Note (towards the bottom) with a correction, which appears on page B4 of the print edition of the Chronicle:
Gary Kamiya’s Trivia Time, San Francisco Chronicle, 3 October 2020, p. B4. Published with Kamiya’s Portals of the Past column, “Getting to S.F. the hard way: Gold Rush trip through Panama could be fatal.” Image from the e-edition of the Chronicle.
Note: A previous Trivia Time asserted that Emperor Norton threatened to fine anyone using the word “Frisco.” According to John Lumea, founder of The Emperor Norton Trust, no primary documents have been found to support this claim.
Many thanks to Gary Kamiya for the acknowledgment.
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