Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1884-02-05
THE

Commissioners On N writ of
"Damianus.'
There was a large crowd in the Clerks
office towards the close of the meeting OF
the County Commissioners yesterday af-
%ternoon, attracted thither by a desire to
hear the case against the Board for the
dismissal of Courthouse Janitor Louis
Brandt from that important Office. Every
body was on tip-toe Of expectation, and
when COMMISSIONS Baily started the mu-
sic with q motion that the Office of janitor
be declared vacant, the interest in the pro-
ceedings became intense. Mr.. Brandt
and w. E. Taylor, who had already been
chosen in the minds of the Commission
ers to be his successor, as also John T.
Baker, Esq, PLAINTIFF attorney, we're pres
emit and eager to be heard. Before the
motion, seconded by Mr.. Arlington, was
put, Mr.. Baker had got within the railing,
and stood confronting the Honorable
County Fathers. He stated the case of
his client e%loquently, and begged that be-
fore the order for his dismissal was re-
corded, the reasons for his discharge
might be given, that Mr.. Brandt might
know who had complained against him,
and might be enabled to shake the Court
house dust from his clothes as a man
who, knowing his accusers, could go forth
and meet them face to face. Mr.. Bakers
remarks thrilled the audience, but did not
melt the hearts Of the majority of the
stony Board. BY their restlessness dur-1
ing his grafton, and the precipitate call by
Mr.. Baily for a vote on his motion, it
could be seen that they were better
pleased with the latter end of his
h%arangue than with any previous part of it.
After the vote ousting Mr.. Brandt had
been taken and W. E. Taylor had been
proposed for his place, Mr.. Smith, ex-
Chairman Of the Board, arose in his place
and went after Mr.. Taylor's scalp in a most
vigorous and characteristic fashion, stating
that numerous heavy taxpayers had met
him just after his arrival in town from
Pinto, and besought him not to vote for
Taylor. The reasons alleged by these
gentlemen for making that demand was,
that Taylor was a slanderer; that he had
maligned many of our best citizens, call
ing them cattle thieves and horse poison
discharges which he could not substan-
tiate; that Taylor was also a shiftless fell
low, who depended upon the labor of his
wife for his own support, and, that Taylor
had said he only wanted the janitorship to
kCb LuOuCJ CAOubu W pTOS6CQbo bu6 IcbptCb-I
able citizens whom he had m~aligned.
When Mr.. Smith sat down Mr.. Baker
arose again and asserted his fright, as an
American citizen. to speak his little piece"
He was now in savage earnest, though he
had started out much more in jest than in
earnest, for he felt that the Board had sat
down on him, and he was hurt. He went
after Mr.. Taylor even more roughly han
Brother Smith did, and said that if the
Board made that man ~janitor it would be
hot for them and him as long as he dark
ened the door OF the Courthouse. Mr..
Bsily, ~interrupting, said that the Board
would not be threatened. Mr.. Baker re-
piled that he did not threaten, he only said
It would be id hot for them and Billy
Taylor. At this point, when everybody
was scared and excited, and apprehensive
that something terrible might happen, W.
E. Taylor, having elbowed his way in,
took the rostrum. He repealed tine charges
made against him hg denying all that Mr..
Smith and Mr.. Baker had said. He as
serted that what he had charged certain
prominent citizens with he could prove.
He said he was q hard worker and an in
dustrious man, and gave as the reason
why his wife worked out that she was a
generous woman and helped to support
absent sons-in-law, who did not provide
for her daughters whom they had mar
ried. After this Louis Brandt came to the
front. He made a brave and eloquent
speech in his own behalf, and demanded
to know why he had been discharged. He
said he would offer to work for the county
for $50; yes, for $50 per month; even for
nothing, if that would afford him a chance
to find out what they had against him.
ALI he wanted was IN honorable dis
charge and to be treated like a man
ought to be. But the fates were
against Louis, for the vote had already
been taken. In his e~arnestness, however,
to find out what somebody behind the
scenes had against him, he chung to the
Courthouse keys. thinking possibly that
they might afford q clue to it, and at last
accounts his successor was enjoying the
janitorship only in name. And thus
ended one OF the most exciting local events
we have had to chronicle for a long time,
starting in a "damianus" Josh, and ending