Daily national Democrat., 1859-04-29
Death of Gen. James Nj. Estill.

We published telegraphic account of tire
death of Gen. Estill on Thursday last. The
most correct sketch of his life that we have
seen since his death is the following from the
Sacramento Bee, of Wednesday
Gen James NJ. Estill died at his residen CO
in San Francisco at il o'clock last evening
He was aiing for some three months and
was confined to his bed for about two weeks
previous to his death. He was a prominent
public man in California, II politician by ma
ture. and always managed to make his poi
tics pay.
He emigrated In 40 or so from Missouri
to this State, and became lessee for ten years
of the State Prison, and as such, was n
source of great annoyance to the several
State administrations that have held Office
from that time until this. We cannot now
remember the mutations in his connection
with the Penitentiary, so numerous have tn e
charges been, but he was never wholly un-
connected with it, save for short period.
and it is safe to say, that in them ALL he came
out uppermost No man has received one
tenth the money from t e State that General
Estill did and no man made greater profit
on what he received
III IOO1 uc was tltCJeu CulC senator from
Napa and Solano-his family then resided in
Benicia-for the term of two years, and he
worked with will to maintain the capital at
Vallejo, where he was then. lie was inter
ested with McDougal, Green, Vallejo. Fris-
bic and Others in the lands in that vicinity
and was about that time engaged in the
slaughtering business, having bargained with
Vale for all his wild cattle which he killed
a. 4 81, San
co. He made much money at that. In fact
he was modern Midas, for almort every
thing he touched turned, under his magic
hand, into gold.
In 1857 he was elected to the Assembly
from Marin county. although residing in San
Francisco, and made himself conspicuous as
the assumed leader Of what was known as
the law and order forces. lie was shrewd
politician but an unsafe legislator Untiring
in energy, with a will that would conquer if
it could, a Elasticity of character which
could smile in defeat and an insinuating man
ner with which, when he found it for his
benefit, he could make friends of his bitter
foes; he was hard to overcome in any of his
public undertakings.
He quarreled in lSJ5 with Gov Bgler for
vetoing one of his measures, State Prison
BILL we believe, or an appropriation bill in
which he was largely provided for, and in
the campaign of that year, assumed the editor
ship of the State Tribuue-Parker H. French
paper-then pubsished in this city, and wrote
some half dozen communications uuder the
nom de ptume of "Rube Roper" That was
about the extent of his editorship, as both
himself and French have informed us.
He succeeded in electing johnson, Tdoubt-
ful having joined the Know Nothings for
that purpose, and under his administration
received one of the fattest State Prison con.
tracts that he ever held. He was kind and
patronizing to those he could control, and
violently abusive of those who opposed him
in any of his schemes. lie was, however, a
fearless man, and would as soon speak hi,
thoughts before mans face as behind hi.
back, provided always that he might moi
thereby injure himself politically or pecu
niarly. As friend, he was acceptable a.
a foe, to be feared. His disease was conges
tion of the bowels.