The record-union., 1891-02-15
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
How the ,0Id-Time Fire Laddies
Cleared the Sidewalks.
Some More of Edgerton's Mastery
Oratory-The Shooting of Angus j.
Ross-Minor Notes.

published in this column from the open
ing speech made by Henry Edgerton in
the State Senate IN 1861, when his
Union resolutions first came up for
debate in that body. On the 14th
of February he made another and
even ADLER argument thereon, in re-
ply to one by the able young Democratic
Senator, III. L. Thornton, then represent
ing Sierra County. Aside from the argu-
mentative features of Edgerton's speech,
it was brilliant with rhetorical gems.
His reply to the attacks that had been
made upon Douglas was warmly APP
plauded. He said: douglas an assassin!
He stab his leader in the back! Sir,
when Southern rights were assailed in
Congress who has always thrown himself
into the breach in their behalf? Where
has Stephen A. Douglas stood? Why,
sir, he stands to-day in the highest legis-
lative councils of the land, proudest
among the proud, boldest among the
bold, loftiest among the lofty-a Wash
lngton i'll council and Napoleon in ac-
ton! When l think of what that great
and illustrious man has done for the
South, and what the South has paid him
in return, l am ready to exclaim, 'Ingrat-
itude, thou marble-hearted fiendn Who
was it but Douglas, the gallant leader,
that had so often led the hosts
of Democracy to battle and to
victory, his white plume ever wav-
ing in the front but never
bent to power, nor stained with coward
ice! The name of Douglas stands, and
will forever stand, grand, colossal col
umn-itS summit rising above the clouds
"a beacon-light to freedom throughout
the world"
Senators who had spoke in defense of
| a.
State rights, and referring thereto Edger-
ton said: ''S,ir, / pass no eulogium upon
Vermont. There she stands, enthroned
upon her eternal hills, engirt by the spirit
of liberty and the love of her devoted sons.
Look at her temples of learning-her
prosperity, the virtues of her simple,
pastoral, but brave and patriotic yeo-
maryland estimate her worth as you
please. But however sincere L may be
in my devotion TO the land of my fathers,
it is only when l stand on my birthright
privileges as an American citizen that /
have dignity, character and responsibility
at home and abroad. My devotion to the
Union is superior to that which binds me
to the State where | was born. My patriot
ism rises above State pride, and to-day
my earnest prayer ascendS to Him who
holds the destinies Of nations in the hol-
low of His hand, that this Union may
outride in safety the dark storms that now
HOWL anu Dtdt dDOtlU 1tI MAY SIG lEaNCl
on, forever on, in the luminous pathway
of empires, until her glory and renown
| shall have filled the entire glober
........The old-time lire laddieS made
things lively when out for a run. If the
streets We're muddy they took to the
sidewalks with their ''masheen,n and
woe be to anything breakable that lay in
their way. Indeed, they would often go
out of their way to effect a collision with
some article OF merchandise, and it is
matter of history that their methods did
more to keep the sidewalks from being
obstructed than all the ordinances ever
! passed by the city. One night in Jan
uary, 1861, there was fire over near the
old gasworks, and the firemen had race
out Front street When passing Baker
" Hamilton's store, where some valuable
but frail machinery had been left on the
| sidewalk, one company sought to run
past rival, and in doing so banged it's
heavy engine into the aforesaid ma
chinery with disastrous results-to the
latter. The loss to the firm was several
hundred dollars. On the same run Sloss
& Co., on j street. had patent scale de-
molished, at a loss of 500. Later on in
their wild career the firemen removed q
couple of iron lampposts from the city
and did other damage. 1t was estimated
at that time that the city had lost eleven
lamp-posts from collisions by fire engines
within year, at a cost of S35 each. Bal
| letin-boards, sidewalks, signs, bales and
| boxes of goods-everything had to go
whenever the dizzy firemen were called
out; and it cost the city thousands of dol
lars annually TO keep the engines in re-
pair.
.........On the 18th of February, 1851, a
fatal affray occurred on the ranch of An
| gus }. Ross, about seven miles below this
city and near the river. 1t seems that
Ross ranch adjoined that of I. J. Kiley,
and they had long been untriendly,
owing to disputes about division fences,
etc. On the day in question some OF
Ross cattle invaded the Kiley ranch, but
were driven off by Kiley's dog. Ross
| beat the dog with a club and knocked out
one of its eyes. This incensed Kiley,
and he went over to where Ross was to
demand an explanation. He said that
the latter advanced on him with club,
and that he drew his pistol and shot Ross
in self-defense. This was the story he
| told when he came to town and gave
himself up. He said he did not know
| the result of his shot, but Captain Deal
went to the place and found Ross dead,
with four bullets in his body. The officer
brought three men back with him, who
were suspected of completely in the shoot
| ing. AT the Coroner's inquest William
Beard said he was some distance away,
heard the shooting, and saw three men
! return from Ross place to Kiley's house,
oIlo VI tIcui gun.
........ Chiriyaris We're all the go in coun-
/ try places in those days, but the recipients
of these hoodlum serenades did not all
take kindly to them any more than they
do to-day. On the eve ofa wedding up in
| the town of Downieville it became ru-
mored about that the bride and groom
were to be chiriyaried, and the young
couple concluded that they might as well
accept the situation, and not try to dodge
| it. But they resolved to have their re-
venge in quiet way, all the same. So
the groom went to liquor store and pur-
chased several bottles of stuff with which
to treat the wild serenders, and on his
way home he put into drug store and
| bought a quantity of croton oil, with
which he drugged the whisky. The
| chirivari took place, and the crowd was
| invited In and treated literally to the
whiSky-the prevailing beverage of the
day. The rumor had gone abroad that
the young husband was going to do the
handsome thing, hence nearly all the
young men of the village followed in the
wake of the serenaders and shared the
hospitalities of the newly-wedded couple.
The next day the streets and stores We're
nearly opulated-everybody was sick,
and the doctors declared that terrible
epidemic had struck the town. Before
the truth was realized the young couple
| had departed on wedding tour.
........Several of the doctors are still
living and in the active practice of their
profession, who were prominent in medi-
cal circles thirty years ago At the an
nual election of officers of the State Med
ical Society, held in this city February Is,
1861, the following-named were chosen:
President, S. F. Hamm, of El Dorado:
Vice-Presidents, b. II. Pierson and G. l..
Simmons, of Sacramento; G. A. Kirk
patrick, of Solano; Is. A. Sheldon and J.
G. Tucker, of San Francisco; Correspond
ing Secretary, E. S. Cooper, of San Fran
cisco; Recording Secretaries, g. Taylor.
of Sacramento, and l. S. Titus of El Do
RADIO; Treasurer, Fl. w. Harkness. of
SACRAMENT to. Board of CauSorc /, i,