The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-02-05
DAYS OF FORTY-NINE.
Experiences Of a Famous Cali
fornia Pioneer.
THE POLITICS or EARLY TIMES.
Judge Tyler, Counsel for Sarah Aithea
Hill, Visiting in the City, Gives
Interesting "Reminiscences.

great contest with the millionaire, Senator
Sharon-is at the Arlington hotel. Judge
TYLER Is short and thickset; his strong
features are set of by sweeping gray
beard, although The upper lip is smoothly
shaven- Bnshy gray brows overhang
sharp blue eyes, and give touch OF fierce
ness 70 a r1iddy face whose expression IS
usually joyial. The Judge is one of the
forty-nliners, and has had cheekeTed
life.
In the course of talk last evening he
said II sailed from Boston around the
Horn:in whaier, starting IN February OF
1879. and landing in June of the same year,
jumping from the bowsprit TO bank of
sand where the Montgomery block now
stands. Since that day have seen much
of the making of California.
elm the fall of the same year went .to
San Jose, then the capital, where the first
session of the legislature was being held
under the newly adopted state constitn-
ton. We slept. lot of us, in big hall,
which accommodated seventy or eighty
camping cots, with a stool for candle
end glass of water beside each. In the
morning we had 10 go down stairs to wash.
SO Won can see that the statesmen of those
davs were not accustomed TO the Injuries
demanded by theirssuccessors.
ssTlie room was not always an easy one
TO sleep in. for sometimes we would be
kept up pretty late by lively members. In
deed that worthy body of state representa-
tives has since borne the title of the legis-
latlire of thousand drinks We had
some pretty exciting times, and j was able
10 see something of politics. for was act
ing for a time as secretary to Governor
Burnett.
"In April of 1880 I ran for sheriff of
Yoio county. Ny contest for that Office
came about in rather curious way. James
H. AlIen-who afterward was adjutant
general under Governor Haight-had been
constable of the county, and wanted the
county clerk. which was more TO my taste,
and we agreed to support each other.
There Was no opposition.
.sAllen had made a tour of the county.
and thought himself pretty sure. when ten
days before election | learned that he had
turned and was urging young fellow
Wilson for the position
Upon my asking him why he had de-
serted me, nc replied that the pressure on
him had been so strong that he had to do
so.
DO you release me from my promise?
demanded.
Certainly
"Then was mad and made up my mind
TO beat Allen for sheriff or die in the at
tempt. So / prepared a circular setting
forth the facts of his treachery TO me, and
started out 10 distribute them. My advan-
tage lay III the fact that had a number of
good horses. In the ten days before cleo
ton rode over 900 miles on horseback
about that county, changing horses as
often as il was necessary,
Every hamlet. camp and settlement in
the county came in for visit on my can
a. - L. -
nearly every man, and distributed my cir
eulars on all sides. The campaign ended
at place called Washington, where Alien
thought he had every vote.
well, the election day came. and after
1t was all over, Alien found he had a ma
jority Of twenty-five, not counting the vote
OF Washington. which had not been re-
turned yet. As there were only twenty
eight ballots cast, he felt so sure of his
victory that no started in with his friends
20 celebrate.
But jumped on my horse and, riding
down to Washington, there found that l
had majority OF twenty-four, which, set
against mis- twenty-five, left q balance of
two in my favor.
II served till fall, never collecting a
cent for my services; then | resigned, for
the Office was not TO my liking. What /
wanted was 10 beat Alien-and l was sat
Isted, In view Of the fact that he thought
he had nearly the whole county pledged.
Those were troublous times for a sheriff,
and had the glory (if glory you can call
it of arresting some thorough desper-
ADDE'S.
''In the same year / organized hunt
ing party with some halfsbreed Indians
and we supplied game for the Sacramento
market. In the course of three months
we shot seven grizzlies. 100 deer, and ducks
and geese without number. They brought
is good returns, too, for the prices We're
high
when had gotten out of the office of
sheriff, | started for the gold mines in the
Siskivou mountains. reaching SCOTS Bar
in February, Is5i. After time we went
down.
During ou- stay there the Rogue river
war with the Indians broke out in Oregon,
and word came TO us that the men there
were helpless. So some 200 of rs set out
and fought the war through. | was a
lieutenant, and had the misfortune to be
Wounded twice.
After the war / went East again, and
took my degree at the Howard Law school,
returning TO California to practice.
In politics and ont. in law and out
have led lively life. AZ one time / was
Judge of SAN Joaquin county.
The most famous case, of course, was
that of Sarah Althea Hill sharon against
Senator Sharon. To beat q millionaire.
even in the courts Is a hard task But my
son, William Tyler. and / carried the
thing through and got decision for her
IN the lower court. Had she not been a
woman of violent temper aud unbalanced
judgment that decision might have stood ,
hut she turned and attacked us in letters
and in interviews IN the newspapers.
When she began behaving in that stvle,
public opinion, which had 10 a certain ex-
tent been With her, turned the other WAY
AS an example of her temper take her
treatment of my son. He and Terry were
in the office, aud she had taken offense at
something he had done. She asked him
20 show her something in q law book. and
they went into an adjoining room.
I'm a moment NE heard 4 scutfie, and
running IN we found her living on the
floor, with her hair iishevelled, While he
was sitting on her tn hold her down II
seems that as he went 60 reach M 10 the
shelf for the book, she struck at him with
her paTasol.
He grabbed it and pulled her toward
him, and as she fought desperately, threw
her down, although he was slight man.
weighing not over 10 pounds. You see,
she Was a woman who resorted 10 physi.
cal violence, and man was forced 10 Law
hands on her IN self-defense But she re.
covered from that lit of anger. and used 20
laugh very heartily about il, declaring she
got What she deserved.
hen iirst took up the case. q man
came from Sharon and offered me my own
terms If would abandon 1t; but | told
him l would tight il through even though
he should offer nue. q clear title 20 the
Palace hotel. When we got our FIRST de-
eision against him, he offered me SI00 .0s1
in cash IL would withdraw. Since then
sharon aud his friends have fought me
tooth and nail doing their best 10 break
me down. They bought evidence by the