Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1878-01-19
THE LEGEND OF "ALLEN 0, LOS
ANdEL0S."
far THE CALIFORNIA STATE CAPITOL

/
l stood upon the portico,
| COnversing with q friend or two,
| When he came shutting forward,
| And asked, In gutteral accents low,
do you know Brunson, Thorn and Ross
Attorneys from Los Angeles?
And also General Howard?"
To which made quick reply
| In tones designed to mollify-
II know them all by sight"
"Wcll them" said he, Il don't deny
That they are gentlemen and true,
But what Is that to me or you
80 long as we do rishtr"
We stared at him; then at each other;
Then sought the general guess to smother
BY some discursive dross.
But he chipped in. Now don't you bother
You want to know who l am. am
ALLEN o. Los Angolos"
The veterans case thus cleared of dust
We were net shocked to hear him shout,
"Do you think Pm coward?"
But wondered when he sizxled out,
II wouldn't give tinker's toss
For all the bar thie1 Slos Nangelos-
Excepting General Howard"
He used the usual soothing phrases;
He sharply babe US $50 to blazes!"
But added, think I'm sOured,
Because hear these follows praises?
No, siri 1 stand here to endorse
The lawyers OF Los Angeles
Especially General howard"
when arguing in the court below,
feel as If at every blow
| My soul above them lowered!
| But then again 1t is not SO;
l tremble like an al batross
When pitted in Los Angeles
'Gainst that man Gensral Howardp
"Come, gentlemen, let's go and quar
A goblet that Will make us laugh
OF life's elixir sauce!
What? woulast thou waste my treating
with such atrifilng temperance tip?
We drink-we do-not grin and sip
Down In Los Angeles"
But twas the case of Cave and Craft
That drove this legal skipper daft,
With tantalizing dread,
He held Transcript just abaft;
and In each minutes absence fearing
II might be called Without his hearing,
His cup. were doubly fed.
This case involved water ration,
For purposes of irrigation,
And taxed the court AT length,
And made sue calls for SustenatIOn
or spirit sunk by "hope deferred"
Inat ume was "sPolieu'-a ne CD
In travelling for strength"
All through two autumn afternoons,
1.-The General'* marshaled his platoons.
In opening and review
A bout the i'm memorial moons
That waxsd and waned above the cross
On Mission OF Los Angeles,
Since CRAFTS canal wss new.
San Bernardino's river rights
Were sifted in an hundred lights,
To show the Established sLieam;
While in and cut between the dlghis
OF climax speech and argument
our channg champion came and went
With ever-lessening beam!
And when at last the long and short,
That tested statement and retort
About the ancient fOsse,
Was searched by questionings from the
court,
He propped and muttered, ''volneyI
pshaw!
You know right we'll that isn't law
Not IN Los Angalos!"
The bailiff's whispered pleas were vain
No threats of custer could restrain,
No pledge of privilege bind.
"To think )" said he, az must complain
OF such man in such place!
suffocates me with disgrace!
SO must speak my mind.
20 how 1 have revered that man!
No ono can tell-nor ever can
How with h fs thoughts burn!
But now, from Beersheba to Dan,
HE'S running acqueducts of talk,
while I'm obliged to take walk
Six days behind my turn!'
Late In the evenings deepening gloom
They bore him through the antereom,
And laid him on the moss
That thrives upon the cellar loan.
As he lay stretched 'twixt sacks of coal,
The bailiff cried" Lord bless your SOUL
ALLEN o. Los Angeles!"
*General Volnoy Z. Howard.
G. A. SUMNER.
SUPREME COURT CHAM BEH, State Capt.
tol, sacramento. December 1877.