Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-06-20
CALIFORNIA STORIES.
FigLsipg Joe Rooker's Duet-Eeavlly TILED
LaEc-The Goia state Girl.

FlgLsiug Joe RoOker's DueI-Eeaylly TILED
LaE6-The Goia state Girl.
II. n. Fairbanks, Maineite, born an
insurance agent, nss taken few "months
or" and Is now in Minneapolis. He
spent some time in California and the
southwest, says the Minneapolis Stsr, and
Is losded down with experience and
stories.
One of these stories he tells about
"FightiIg Joe'' Hooker has never been in
print, end is worth repeating. One OF
General Rockers old staff h6s been sur
Veying for railroad in Mexico, and it
w8sfrUm MIN that Mr.. Fairbanks get his
information.
Just before ina wsr, in the rough and
ready dGys Cf CslifoIniG's early history,
General Hooker WAS located fer 8 time at
the scraggy little town Of Les Angeles.
The very tough citizens who inhab d
that place in those primitive days were
always ready TOR : row and its consequent
funeral, and every man carried seven-
shooter, as Gkind Of, chest protector, in
his hip pocket, and did not Scruple to
draw and defend himself Joe Hooker
Wss Roman among the Romans, srd OBJ
tanned a reputation fer thst magnI ficent
courage that made him the idol OF his
soldiers s few years later. One day a.
the hotel Joe got into g controversy with
:. certain Jew over certain matter, and
after some high words a challenge to q
duel YVES the outcome. Both Of them had
been sampling some CT the stomach
corroding whisky, which was one OF the
necesssries Of life in the new country,
and which could always be found, even
when bread WAS a luxury. The JEWS
feelings had been very much hurt and he
claimed to be eager for gore. Seconds
we're quickly chosen, Hooker selecting
the man WhoTela,es the story snd who
was sf.erWaTd on his stsf, Hirslphy by
nAme. II
He, with a friend CT the Jew, retired to
consult over the wespons OF course the
American weapon par excellence, the re-
volver, was chosen.
But as Hirslphy thought the matter
over, the more the pity seemed thst there
should be bioCdshed because of few
hasty words, with no real ground for a
qulTrel. he hunted up the JEWS best
man, and as 8 result OF conference the
pistols were loaCedtwith blank cartridges
The duel wss fou, ut across q billiard
table, and one Of the seconds tossed up
the coin to see who should have the first
shot. It fell TO the Jew. Hooker stood
up On the other side Of the table with his
arms folded across his brssst, presenting
magnificent marx for his antagonist,
without sign CT finching. The Jew,
VINO by this time had consumed more lig-
nor than was good fer him, steadied him.
self with one one hand on tha table, while
no pfb Nd hai n nj ~ hI0h
wsYeIed in sn uncertain line, endaGgering
the lives OF everybody in the room. After
the discharge OF the weapon Hooker, Of
course, stood upha.med. he unfolded
his arms, reached fJE ais revolver sndr
said:
"Ius ny turn now"
This WAS 700 mach for the Jew, who
tried to get dow under the table, clearly
frightened within Al iuch Of his seven
senses. ice looked down al him sec
ond and then threw his revolver onto the
table.
"pn be ID if I'll shoot ouch thing,
snyhow',
rosr of lsughrer of approval arose
and the crowd absolutely ran the Jew out
OF Town and put In the night drinking
Hooker's health. The hero of the en-
gagement did not know Of the blank
cartridge part of the affair till Hiralphy
told the story to delighted AUDIENCE, Of
which General Hooker WAS one, on one
of his celebrated campaigns during the
war.
Mr.. Fairbanks also has fine assert
ment Of California stories, such as how
Los Angeles has produced lemon weigh
ing three and three. quarter pounds, that
500, 00G orange trees hsve been planted in
the stete the past year, snd that hundreds
OF olive trees have been planted. But he
agrees that the bottom has fallen out OF
the land boom, which WAS grestly over
done, and has been practical harm to
the state.
In Southern California lard titles are
very much mixed. The old Spanish and
Lister Mexican grants Gle found TO
cover most Of the good land. In some
cases the titles are thres deep, SO lax
hsd been the system Of keeping
before American occups-
ten. Many tracts will have three-cor.
nered legal fights in the efforts to fix The
ancient boundaries snd rights, which
overlapped each other in great confusion,
srd which are, no doubt, responsible for
much OF the profanity that distiDs uishes
the average California lawyer. The regu-
lar demand for deliversnce from the CHI,
nese and from rsilrosd extorticn has beenf
succeeded by cry for the divisia4of
land. There are many ranches OF 1871
spH 10, 900 acres, and some OF even 1o9ss-
O0t acres. On the Sacramento riyer, a59a
100 miles from Sacramento, is Ej3