Amador weekly ledger., 1857-11-14
Martin Va. Griswold.

unknown beyond the circle of private acquain-
tance, won for himself an extraordinary de-
gree of respect and esteem in the minds of
all who knew him. The deep and lasting af
fection which is inspired by the private vir-
tues of an unassuming man in the lowly
walks Of life, unsought and without the aid
or influence of power and place, unheralded
by records of great deeds inscribed upon the
pages of history, is q monument thousand
fold more to sbe revered and cherished than
the piles of stone or brass that have been
erected to commemorate the name and fame
of philosophers, heroes snd statesmen. The
one is tribute to dazzling genius the other
is the language Of the heart, doing merited
homage to the highesta;ttribute Of. Deity in
man.
When good man has lived out his allo'-
ted time, and death in its natural course clos
es the earthly scene around him, the pen of
the eulogst flows freely, and the virtues of
the departed are recorded with feeling and
inspiration that are akin to rejoicing but
when the hand of the assassin has stricken
from the tabernacle of the world one who, in
the prime of life, seemingly had long years of
usefulness before him, then indeed is the task
hard one to perform.
"Murder itself is past all expiaton,
The greatest crime that nature doth abhor'
Who shall picture the enormity, when the
feon has chosen for his victim shining
mark, bright star in the iirmament of worth
and virtue
NJ " b. Griswold was born in Saratoga
county, New York April 5th, 1917, and was
therefore forty years of age in April last
His people are highly respectable, and aged
parents yet live to mourn his untmely end.
Brothers and sisters and large circle of re-
lations and friends, will unite their lamen-
tations in memory of the loved and dead
Shall we attempt to picture brothers man
ly tears, sisters grief, q mothers woe, a
father stricken down in hoary age No +!
too much, too deeply will they feel; let their
mourning be undisturbed.
In 1888 young Griswold, fired with the
spirit of daring and adventure which charac-
terizes the American people, and which was
manifest in his after life, left the quiet home
of his parents for tour through the western
and southern States. After having spent
few years in making himself acquainted with
the manners and customs Of the times, graft
flying an active and restless temperament
and preparing himself for the vicissitudes of
life and having more than once sought the
counsels and the comforts of the paternal
roof he, in the spring of ls43 settled at
Milwaukee, Wisconsin. where he was en-
ployed for three years and six months upon
the government works. without losing one
day Of time. 1t was here that he became the
friend and associate-we might say the broth
er-of Horace Kilham, at whose present res
idence near this place the foul murder was
perpetrated.
In lS4S, before the gold excitement had
reached that part of the country, Mr.. Girls
void left Milwaukee for California, via. st.
Joseph, and the plains. 1t is singular |
fact that when interrogated as to his motive
for coming, be replied that in less than two
years the commerce and development OF the
Pacific SLOPE west Of the Sierras, would loom
up to degree that would astonish the world
Arrived at st. Joseph, himself and partner had
a wagon and one yoke of oxen. The Cali |
ifornia train of that year had been gone two
weeks, and the Oregon train one Overtak-
ing the latter in few days, committee was
appointed to determine whether the zone
yoke" wagon should be allowed to go in the
train Griswold told them he could come
through alone, and asked them no favors
but they were admitted, and soon proved
their efficiency The Mormons stole his cat
tie on Green river; Griswold, although down
with the mountain fever got up in the night,
latter some of the Others had made an I'M
successful sortie) rode thirty-six hours cap
tured his stock, and the thieves were SEN
fenced to six months in the chain gang at
Salt Lake One of the parties Griswold af-
terwards met in this State, aud gave him "a
piece Of his mind"
When they arrived at the Oregon road,
Grswold wanted to come on to California