Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1866-06-20
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 1866.

of the customary offices of a city
and county jurisdiction. He was a
Mayor, Sheriff, Marshal, Probate Re
corder, Register of Deeds, and even
Notary Public and Coroner. He daily
held an ordinary police or mayors
an alcade's court for the minor cases
and general executive matters of the
city; a court of the first instance with
universal, civil and criminal iurisdic-
ton; and a court of admiralty for mar
time cases. In a word, he was the
curator Of the public, doing everything
that was to be done, even to the hold
ing oflnquests and taking acknowledge
ments OF deeds. And so we'll did he
perform all these varied, arduous, COM
plicated and difficult duties, that at the
expiration of his first term he was re-
elected by an almost unanimous vote,
the city in the meantime having more
than double its population. During
the time of holding the office Of alcade,
Col. Geary tried, as Judge, over twenty
five hundred civil and criminal cases,
and from his decision not over a dozen
appeals were made, and one decision
was ever reversed.
On May 1st, 1850, the first city char
ter WAS adopted, and Col. Geary was
elected Mayor under its provisions by
Il large and tlattering vote. The man
ner in which he discharged the duties
of this position can best be understood
from his inaugural address to the city
councils, and numerous subsequent
messages, all Of which are on file. and
have been published, as we'll as from
the fact, that at the expiration Of his
/ term OF office n petition, numerOusly
signed by the most prominent citizens,
/ without distinction to party, was pre-
sented, requesting him to be candi-
date for &c election, which he declined.
The Legislature, however, having
created "Board of Commissioners of
the funded debt of San Francisco" >"
Col. Geary was appointed a member,
aud upon the organization of that
body WAS elected PrcsidenL Here. too.
by his financial knowledge and Judi
clous counscls and advice, he rendered
valuable service to the city. Besides
all this, during his residence in San
Francisco, he was Chairman Of the
Board OF Health, had assisted in the
organization Of Masonic and Odd Eel
lows Lodges, and was in fact instru.
mental in establishing comfortable hos
pitfalls for the sick, and was connected
with every charitable institution of the
place lie signalized himself by his
courage and intrepidity in arrcsting
the progress Of the great fires, and by
thcpromptnessw with which he answered
the call of the authorities of that city.
rendered efficient aid in supprcssing
the squattcr riots at Sacramento.
In the year 1910, when Col. Geary
was resident Of California, Conven-
ton was formed to frame a State Con-
stitulion, and some of our readers still
remember the intense anxiety and ex.
element which prevailed throughout
the country regarding the result of its
proceedings The pro-sIavery Demo-
Gratis OF that time were determined
that California should only be admit
| ted into the Union as q slave State
and for the sole purpose Of cXcrting
/ their influence in that behalf, many
removed from the Southern States to
+ that distant region The plan was
we'll conceived, and intended at all
hazards to be accomplished, to insert
| the slavery clause into the Constitution.
and forward it with hot haste to Wash
| ington for adoption without presenting
it to the people for ratification. Col.
Geary was thoroughly acquainted with
the programme, and resolved that the
| proposed measures should not be effect,
| ed. He accordingly took strong
grounds against them, and used all his
influence, which was then equal, at
least, to that OF any man in the terri
tory, first to have omitted the clause
/ IaraI;y;n,- SIovorv opd cocop6I, 40