Sharp County record., 1880-01-22
TFrom the New Haven Register.I


YOU can bet. No man toldyou you neu
without passing in his checks right on,
said William Z. Goodyear, when qleS-
toned by the reporter Of the Register
Yesterday in regard to the thrilling
times of 40. the first year Of the gold
fever in California. No man went
without his six-shooter and bowie. Why,
my man, to 90 through some streets
stretching maybe-well, let's see, say
from the corner of State to Orange
Street. without your old siX-ShOOter III
your hand. would be as much as your
precious life was worth. The man you
met on a street of this kind held MS
pistol with as little concern as you would
hold that cane going up street, SAID
he, tapping the reporters cane with his
FINGERS. "You see every body was crazy
after gold and bound to have his rights
preserved if he had to kill men for 1t,
and it was good thing, and had the
effect of giving rise to a sort OF law
which, to be sure, was 'leetIe touSn'
vet, at the same time, man was sure
to have his belongings preserved. Why,
a man could, with perfect safety, leave
his pan of gold in full view, withouttear
of its being taken"
"How is that?n
"Because your neighbor knew that if
he touched it his life wasn't worth the
asking. Then, again, every one had
claim of their own, and they were too
much enprossed with their own business
to mind yours
"That reminds me Of good story,
and one from which you can get pref
ty good idea of the state of affairs out
there in Los Angeles at that time. A
man named DickersOn and his family
came out there and settled on claim,
which he considered his, and which all
the boys conceded to be his. He had
lived on it long time, and no one had
disputed his claim, so he, with the ad-
vice of the boys, determined to hold on
to it. Well, to get around the story
little faster, because | haven't got very
much time to talk, family named Som
ers come out there, and asked the priv
ilege of occupying a little corner OF the
claim. Well, Dick, he was a little
'skeery, but finally decided he would.
So the Somers settled themselves and
became the means Of a lively muss. Al
ter they had lived there for a couple Of
years Somers undertook to claim that he
owned the portion he had been living
on, whereupOn Dick-and he was a
trump-went to the Justice OF the Peace
about it. The Justice said he would
have a trial, and proceeded to get a
jury. Ordinarily, you know, Judge
Lynch would have settled the affair, but
Dick he wanted the square thing done,
so went in for jury. Well,
the way that jury was picked out
was a great business. 1t was: Here,
Bill, you serve and 'Halloa, Jim, you
are on the jury Well, we got q jury,
and the trial was pretty fair example
of Western courts at that time. The
Justice, not very much Of a lawyer at
the best, turned one of the bar-rooms Of
the place into a courtroom and pre-
pared for business. was on the jury,
so YOU see | know what | am telling
you. Somers he urged his claim and
got Dick pretty mad, so what did Dick
do but put his hand in his pocket, draw
a six-shoOter out, bang, bang quick as
flash, and Somers rolled over. Then
a fellow named Anderson, who was a
friend of Dicks and friend Of mine,
came in to have a hand in the muss,
and keep an eve open for Dick. But
before he could do a thing or really take
in the situation, young SOmers, a broth
er of the fellow Dick killed, drew his six
shooter and shot Anderson. He fell
back into my arms. Pretty quick he
made tremendous brace, kinder raised
himself up, and says, Look out, Bill,
I'll finish him yet, and by gum he did.
He shot the cuss right through the head.
Well, things were taking pretty lively
turn, when sister of Dicks came in
through the door, and with a fourteen
inch bowie in her hand slashed through
the crowd, covered the old man with
her body and said, Come along, old
man, this amt no place for you Well,
he went, and there were no Somers OF
any account left to press the claim. Dick
came out all right, and held on to his
claim. Yes, stree, those were thrilling
times, now you can bet"
Mr.. Goodyear told this story with an
earnestness which displayed some Of the
fire and nerve which he showed he had
still left after years Of later life in this
more peaceful section Of the country.
"Oh, l could tell you stories like that
all the afternoon. | get all worked up
thinking of the old time and the boys
used to be with.
81 used to have a fellow with me
named Texas By George, he was i
tearer, and the ugliest looking sinner
you ever saw. Yet Texas was a good
fellow. Why, that fellow had a scar on
his face extending from his right eye
diagonally across his face, cutting right
throurh his liDS and chin And v-bnr