, 1868-04-17

EprroR STATESMAN There has been . change
since last wrote, and the change has been fof.
the better. The snow that covered the ground
has mostly disappeared, and there has beeh sew
eral claims opened, and more are are iu the act
of being put in working order. Some who have
been fortunate enough to obtain water, have.
made several "runs" with good results, and
when Reeves ditch brings in its expected supply
of water, which will be tomorrow, this place
and surrounding country will make q showing
10 the shape of large quantities of gold dust.
Some of the parties on Quartz Gulch have met
With greater success since they commenced work
than they anticipated at first. A lucky miner,
$2s 40. As consequence claims in that local,
ity have an upward tendency.
SCENE IN COURT.
As to matters about town, they seem to have
had more life infused into them, and every day
the streets present scenes of not only varied,
but dangerous characted. Last week two men
had shooting ARRAY about the attachment OF
some property, in which the contents of their sx-
shooters were thrown away and one hurt.
They were arrested, of course, and brought boz
fore his Honor, Judge j.. Thus far the affair
was somewhat serious, and was not only attes-
ded by considerable danger to the participants,
but to lockers on, because the bullets few in all
directions, but the trial spoke of the early days
of the West, wherein tbe law books consisted OF
newspapers, and the Judge Se,jockey, and
possessed so much Of the ludicrous that here's
with send you condensed description of the
matter. Imagine something like the following
and you have the court room, judge, prisoners
and jury: In a large room, in which tle jingle
of money, the rAttlng of the dce-boH snd oath:
are constantly commiugling, is large square
table, on which stands bottle of Jamaica Rum
several tumblers, some clay pipes, together with
the judges feet, who sits looking on as if pre-
pared for any emergency. To the right of thu
judge sits the prisoners, one of whom occupies
one corner of the table or desk used by the judge
and very comfortably smokes huge merschaun
pipe. The jury, some lying stretched out upor
a neighboring table asleep, and others discussing
the relative value OF somebody's claim, are eithe
in the act of calling out for something more,
or smoking cigars. The lawyers look very ret
in the face, and when they turn to the judge i'm
ploring silence end order he is heard to say, 81
the State of Oregon, say that (hic) that ther
must be border" Just at this moment one o
the jurymen makes a motion that "the court ad
journ (hck) and all hands take drink.
Motion carried, and crowd proceeded to liquor
Thus things went until the jury, judge and pris
ouers were showing very marked symptoms o
having imbibed considerable rasbury and whis
key, and the court had been in session six days
when the foreman called the counsel for the de
Tense aside and informed him that if he woul,
) close his speech, they would acquit both th
prisoners. OF course this was agreed to. Bot
prisoners were brought 10 on seperate charge
for the one crime, and both were acquitted!S o.
summing up the costs of this tria-which i
81, ,275 O0-I find that there has been spent 70
rent of saloon, as court room, $3.50; for drinks
Sl0O; for extra drinks for outsiders, $50; 70
lights, beds and fees for jurymen, $l75 lawyer
fees, $500, and other expenses $500, and sll ex
cept lawyers fees, comes from the treasury G
Baker county, under the head of incidental ex
penses. A Dutchman speaking of the matte
says ait ish de best court ash never was.
agree with him.
PAcK-TRAIN ARRIVES.
A pack. train, the first of the season, arrive
here to. day, loaded with goods for the R. R.
L NJ. Co., who intend opening store. Prices i
the drygoods and grocery line remain about tn
same as before. Lumber has declined and it
now rated at $40 per thousand. The market
supplied with eggs, which sell at 75cts per doi
: A party of Indians attacked some wagons be
, tween this place and Olds' Ferry, drove ther
, from their wagons, took all their blankets an
, run three horses of. A party started n pursu
from this place but did not succeed in capturin
the Indians. believe that some soldiers fro
the Malheur are still after them. JOHN.