Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-02-14
WASHINGTON yAGs.
They have Returned from their Winter
Vacation to Enrich the Officers


The little town of Washington. just across
the bridge from Sacramento is an expensive
luxury to the county of Yolo. She ought
to make present of it to Sacramento
The Nail of yesterday says:
The town of Washington, perched (uu-
fortunately on the Yolo bank of the placid
Sacramento, will be embalmed in historical
memory for its famed production of the
conventional vag. In this isolated burg the
genus vag seems to propagate and thrive
with as much spontanety and ubiquity as
mushrooms in a hotbed. And while We
yag furnishes convenient revenue TO the
Jealous array of officials of Washington,
the drain on the county treasury is such
that about two more such municipalities
would deplete the public exchequer and
throw the county into bankruptcy.
Some time ago the Nail made caustlc
exposure of the alarming tramp and vag
production of Washington township. and it
seemed to have good effect in either driv-
ing away that element or moderating the
official zeal of the energetic limbs of the
law. AT least there was a startling falling
off in the monthly Constable and Justice
bills, and it was thought by many that the
vags had inaugurated a boom elsewhere
But alas if they did depart their stay was
limited, and the official zeal that fired the
neart of the Washington Constable though
temporarily smothered, has bursted forth
again in all lis wonted vigor, ardor and en-
terprising energy.
The judicial ermine of Washington is
worn by two dispensers of justice, and two
Constables, with numerous deputies, are
necessary to guard the public peace. 1t
appears, however, from the monthly bills
against the county, that one of the Courts is
not as well patronized as the other, owing,
no doubt, to the presumable fact that the
ubiquitous vag and the mythical tramp are
more happily disposed OF in a Court of JUS
tice where the Judge and Constable realize
that the emoluments of Office are better to
them than justice is to the people of Yolo
| county.
For last month the bill of c. T. Witham,
Justice fees, wac Sill. The bills of Hugo
Fromalt and VIM. Harmes, Constable fees,
were $73 40 and 500 so respectively. The
itemized bills show the arrest and convic-
| ton of thirty-four vags and three peace
| disturbers. There is one healthy. il not
| hopeful feature about these bills, however,
over those OF former times. The names
| given to the yags indicate either new in
| voice of subjects or that the Court has pro-
| cured new vocabulary of names. 1t is
| true that many of them double UP with
amazing frequency, especially those of the
Smith and Collins families, but there is fall
ing of of the Murphys, the O'Connors, etc.
Judge Bright's Court has not been doing
such thriving business in the vag line, his
| bill for the entire month being only $50.
| Washington may be small town, OF
| little cosmopolitan preensions, but when
it comes to official zeal and making out
bills against the county, even Woodland
must take back seat. The bill OF Judge
] Ruggles for last month was only $50, and
| that of the Constables $44. yet Woodland
has population of 5000 and Washington
| about 500.
1t is gratifying to know, however, that
| this vein of official zeal does not permeate
the bosom of all the officers of Washington
| township. Justice Bright has been before
the Board of Supervisors, asking them to
make an investigation of the loose manner
of conducting the official business of that
| town, which, it is openly declared, amounts
to nothing more than robbery of the county
funds. The expense of maintaining the
| peace of that town last month was $312 20
| that of Woodland ITO the county, $40.
How long is this thing to be permitted to
| go on? Justice Bright takes the ground
that the Board of Supervisors have the
right to dispense with one of the Justice
| Courts, and the same was recommended by
! the last Grand Jury, by whom C. T. Bid
well was appointed expert The Mail hopes
that Judge Bright will win his attempt to
| purify the judiciary of Washington town
| ship, and will stand by him till he does
succeed.