The record-union., 1891-04-05
THIRTY YEARS AGO.
The CoIoma Juryman Who Wanted
to Adjourn the Court.
Californian Abroad, and His Yearn-
ing for the Golden Shores-A Days
Work for the Coroner.

Reading your notes under Thirty
Years Ago" brings TO mind many OF the
pleaSurable and amusing incidents OF the
early days of California. Milt. EIstner,
who was one among the many cheerful
and joke-enioying fellows Of those days,
always enjoyed joke, even If he was the
subject thereof, and sometimes would
take dangerous chances in giving joke
q start.
There were very few persons, if any,
living in Ell Dorado in those days who
did not know Hon. James Johnson, who
for many years was County Judge of that
county. He had many eccentricitles, and
his keen sense Of honor, his faithful adj
herence to duty and his determined will
for dignified discipline III court were
widely known. For two weeks there had
been a case on trial in his court, wherein
the Mcconnell boys were charged with
misdemeanor for tearing away dam con-
nected with DR.. Stones water ditch. Col
Oncl r.. ID. Baker was defending the boys,
and ID. X Newell and General Thomas
II. Williams were assisting the District
Attorney, Charles Ratcliif, in prosecuting
them. Both sides had for two weeks eN-
amined and cross examined the witnesses
in the closest and most careful manner
without night sessions.
After the testimony had all been taken,
it was concluded that the lawyers should
go to the jury with the case in the even
ing Of the day that all the evidence was
finished. 1t happened that very even
ing Mrs. Potter was to appear at the
COlOma Theater, and as she was very
popular most Of the theater-going pOpu-
lace wanted TO attend the theater.
Mr.. Rice, of Coloma and Mr.. -- Il
can't recall his name just now) of Dia-
mond Springs, two of the jurymen, were
anxious to see Mrs. Potter, and, as Milt.
IGstHer was about to open court, they
came TO him and asked: ''Milt, is there no
y4lIl y fhpatpT
and received the reply: Yes, adjourn
the confounded court'' ''But can that
be done?'' "Of course it cana
motion to adjourn is always in order.
Mr.. -, second it, and it viii carry. as
almost everyone, like yourselves, wants
to go 10 the theater'
Hon. Thomas Wren, now of Nevada,
was at that time Deputy County Clerk,
and after he had called the names of the
jurymGn, and Milt. had sounded twelve,
he (Milt.) dropped his eyes to Mr.. Rice.
who Immediately arose and said:
IF it please, your honor, / move this
court do now adjourn until tomorrow at
10 O'clock"
Mr. OF Diamonds Springs arose and
proceeded as far as 10 say, 81 sec''-when
Uncle Jimmy's (the court's) nOstrils eX-
panded to such dimensions as would adj
NIT ola pony ten-pin ball. AIilt retreated,
under ieint of spasmodic coughing, to
the Clerks office; Wren was OverpOw-
cred by an unrelent!ng fit of chuckling;
the lawyers snorted, and the spectators
roared with such boisterous laughing
that the courtroom presented more the
appearance of q log-rOlling match than
one where differences were adjudicated.
Judge Johnson yelled loudly for Mr..
Sheriff! Mr.. Sherifi!"
When order had been restored and the
Judges wrath appeased, jurynIan Rice
received a severe lecture and was told
that il it We're not for the absolute neceS-
sity OF his presence in the jury-boX, he
would receive that punishment his con-
duet so Justly merited.
During the lecture Milt felt rather
chilly, and q close observer could have
noted an IlnsteadIneSS not altogether dis
similar to that of one with the agUe. At
the close of the lecture, Mr.. Rice who
could speak fluently, with choice
words, arose and appeased the Judge.
He intended no otfense, and knew Of no
other mode Of expressing his anxiety to
see Mrs pottcrS..
NIr. Rice escaped punishment, but he
never enjoyed the joke; and as evidence
OF that fact a few years afterwards he was
introduced to group OF gentlemen in
Georgetown, when one of them said:
s ''Ghis is not the Mr.. Rice who tried to
adjourn JOhnsOn'S COURT Rice at once
branched out from the shoulder and gave
the man a terrible thrashing.
y
Judge. with 4 broad smile upon his face,
met Milt. upon the street and said
'AiiltiC, you are fond of jokes, and sent
one of once in my court that | am glad
now that did not know you were en-
gagged in for if / had been informed of
your action then it would have been
some time before it would have been con-
Venient for you To attend on court.n
..Californians of the present day
are not more enthusiastic over the climate
and natural beauties Of the Golden State
than We're those OF the earlier days who
had been called away after brief resi-
dence here. In the UNION of thirty years
ego was published letter from Sacra-
mentan who was then travelling in Europe,
ana who was at the time of writing So
journing in Paris, after tour of the old
continent. The letter concluded:
"Often l mentally travel across the
wide wastes of the Atlantic, through the
mysterious and Slumbrous Gulf Stfearn,
by the green isles of the Indies, upon the
deep blue waters of the Caribbean Sea,
over the narrow Isthmus under blazing
tropical sun, and up the shores of the
great and gentle Pacific, 10 visit once
familiar and s.ili-loVed scenes: to
hold converse with dear friends whose
glad faces ! shall perhaps see
no more forever. Daily-away on
the verge of the Occident, where the sun
goes down in beauty beyond the blue
ocean; where the -arching skies are
so deeply bue; where the thousand
beautiful and fragrant flowers bloom on
the pallid brow of January; where the
icy sccpter OF grim winter is swayed by
the rosy hand Of spring; where each sea
son is clothed with charms unknown in
the 0rient-JiaiiY 10 ] wander in spirit
amid these scenes, beneath their bending
heaven. among valued friends and those
whom / knew III other days; and daily do
/ realize that the sacrifice OF a beautiful
land, a genial climate, of a glorious State,
and o. the warm greetings of friends, has
hardly been repaid by viewing the ruins,
arches, temples, cities, towns and inn
perial magnilicence of foreign lands.'
......... There was an exciting scene in the
church Of the co.ored peoplea, MarysviIIe
one sunday. The pastor, named RAN
doiph, had not given the best OF satisij3c-
tion 10 his flock, ana the congregation
was divided. ON the day in question
Randolph ascended tho pulpit and said
something that proeipitated war ut once.
Several OF the women jumped up and ac-
cused him of preaching false doctrines,
while one grabbed him by the hair and
yanked him oil the platform. Another
was about 10 punch him with her fists
when she stopped, saying: mo, / won't
use my fists, for that's the devils work
III Use the word Of God on him ~ And
with that she laid hold Of tho Bible and
lammed II over his head with ven
geance. The men then inlerfared and
stopped the row.
..,...... Violent deaths were Of freqnent
occurrence in those days. on the 2d of
April dead mans body was fshctf ont
Of the river, john Comerlord killed him
self by cutting bis threat, Harry Mckee
died in a lit on tie street, .Iohn Riley was
killed by FILLING froni Il hand-ear NJ
BRIGHTON, and Thomas Dickinson was
found dead in his bed as McMahon's