Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-02-24

U
ed Bill Bailey (they had all assumed fic-
titious names to escape identifcation),
and more pestiferous trough never
cursed a peaceful camp with his alb
hored presence. He was too indolent to
work and had not money to gamble, but
he kept pretty full of whisky, and in his
cups was insulting and quarrelsome. He
had cunning enough, nevertheless, to
know with whom it was not safe to quar-
rel, and of these Nick, Tom and Oliver
were his especial fear.
THE FIRST STATE ELECTION.
II was the morning of the first State
| election in California that the first rain
of the wet season came. 1t poured in
cessantly all that day and until noon of
the day following. For about two weeks
the coming of election day had been the
leading topic. The project of San Joa-
quin district, Captain Nelson Taylor,
had visited the camp, made official proc
lamation of the election, appointed the
alcade's tent as the polling place, and
three of the most prominent men as Off
GERS of election, who were empowered to
select their own clerk He had left with
the alcade a list of the various candi-
dates who were in the field but he
brought no tickets. Charley Brown, a
teamster, had arrived from Stockton with
a wagon load of freight, and somebody
had paid him to bring lot of printed
tickets-the only ones seen in camp
with the name of Ed. Gilbert conspicu-
ously printed, for Congress, on all of
them, but with the candidates for ali
the other offices generally mixed
Brown, in unloading, had allowed Oliver
| Twists squaw to see the small package
of tickets, and as the neatly cut white
paper things took her fancy she offered
him "pinch " of gold dust for the lot.
He made the sale promptly, and that
| transaction lost Gilbert q good many
votes he might have got in Mormon
Gulch. 1t was not at first known how
the squaw had got possession of the
tickets; it was enough to know that she
had them, and the popular Indignation
was reused against a candidate who
would have his tickets peddled out in
that way. Two days after the election,
when Oliver succeeded III drawing from
| the dusky creature the means by which
she obtained the tickets, nearly all re-
GREETED that they had coppered" Gill
bert at the polls, as he was one of the
stevenson volunteers" and generally
popular among them. But it was lucky
for Brown that he never made another
trip to the gulch The season for haul
ing had ended with the coming of the
rain.
THE POLLING BOOTH.
The election was a scene to be re-
membered. The alcalde's tent, in
which it was held, was the largest in the
camp, except those owned by the trad
ers and the two used for gambling and
drinking saloons. Indeed, the alcalde
himself did a regular business at monte
and short cards, and therefore he had
tables handy for election uses-one for
the judges, and another for the desk and
refreshments which the occasion
seemed to require. Before the polls
opened discussion was held as to how
the voting should be conducted. Tubbs,
the alcalde, had never witnessed an
election outside of England, and had an
idea that the British polling system
would be the neat thing. He stood
alone in that view. Charley Shaw had
succeeded Tubbs' brother as sheriff, aud
was the most popular authority in camp.
/ He proposed the open UiUa UOce system,
and, backed by the Texans, Kentuckians,
and some others, the proposition pre-
vailed over that presented by the Balti-
moreans and New Workers for the secret
ballot. 1t was argued by the ujUa UOce
advocates that there was no ballot box,
no tickets, or not enough paper in the
camp to use for ballots, and this aTgu-
ment had its weight.
CASTING THE voTE-THE MASTER OF
CEREMONIES.
The mode of voting having been agreed
upon, Charley Shaw installed himself as
master of ceremonies. He stood outside
the tent, braced up with two or three
extra nips to give him the stiffening and
dignity the occasion required. The rain
poured, but Charley was neither sugar
nor salt to fear water on the outside. So
long as none got inside of him he defed
the element. He was q model of I'M
polished urbanity and untutored per-
suasiveness. His voice was never in
better or more sonorous tone, and he
gave it all the chance it would stand.
As each voter approached Charley shook
hands with him, asked his name in full,
whether he had right to vote, fol
whom he intended to vote, and then led
him into the tent, to the table, and then
required the voter to stand uncovered
while the clerk wrote down his name
the names of the candidates for whom
he voted, etc. This ceremony over
Charley then escorted the voter out
proclaimed aloud for whom he had voted
and turned to repeat the formality Will
the next who offered.
CHANGING THE METHOD OF VOTING.
As there were about one hundred ant
!, fifty voters awaiting their turn, and b.
, this system only thirteen had voted dur
ing the first hour-for Charley had t,
, liquor up several times, and no voter wa
, allowed to enter the tent except unde
his escort, it was suggested that a NOR
, expeditions method should be adopted
, 1t was agreed to try the ballot system
Then came the trouble to procure pape
for tickets. The rain had spoiled mos
, of the writing paper, Doc Woodlan
/ had, and his was the only stock of it i
the camp. He at once took advantage q
, the "corner " by cracking up the pric
to four bits sheet for the good and tw
bits for that which the water had soaked
, AS the candidates had no friends ready t
$ sustain them to such an extent as til
} purchase Of paper for tickets, and n
one cared to fool away money on pape
' when there was so much whisky to bu
> to keep the dry from thirst that had t
4 be Modified, the exigency occasioned
search for whatever would serve the puI
: pose. Old letters, scraps of newspape
t margin and all sorts of odd bits were pr