In the mid 1880s, a Canadian illustrator and writer named Palmer Cox, then living in New York, started make a name for himself with a children's comic series that followed the exploits of fairy-like creatures called Brownies. But when Cox published his first book, in 1874, he was nearing the end of a 12-year stint in San Francisco. The book, a diary collection of Twain-like comic sketches, included Cox's endearing illustration of one of the city's most famous citizens.