The morning call., 1893-05-07
THIRD PAPERI

uemory's storehouse, and they appear, a
long and solemn train, each one in turn
Gaining, if not receiving recognition.
/, would take protraeted series of articles
10 properly recall the names and peculiar-
ties of the fTeQuenters of Mistress Ellen
Moons old Inn; but IpropoSe to close the
record with the present paper.
We venture to assert that many of our
residents have forgotten Gilbert a. Grant,
state Senator representing San Francisco
30 the early days of 1857. believe, and a
leading politician OF the Republican stripe
when the members of the party in this city
were few enough 70 hold their conventions
iu Blake'S hatstOre on Montgomery street,
next door the old Blue Wing. in a crazy
upper room OF which building The MORN
LNG CALL was born into the world of Cali
I0ruia journalism on the 1st day Of Decem-
gsr, 1896,
The members Of the budding party used
to express themselves rather pleased that
heir numbers were limited IN California.
Calculating that Fremont might beat Bu-
chanau in the Presidential election Of 1856,
tHey desired TO have as few Republicans as
possible on the Pacific Slope to gppear as
claimants for the spoils. There were four
Republican State Senators at this time c. II.
:. Williams; L. q, Phelps, present Collector;
Samuel II. Parker later Postmaster In San
francisco under Lincoln, and Gilbert A.
bold minority though. They went through
The forms Of keeping up a party organiza-
tiOn in face Of the large majority of sneer-
ing Democratic Senators, who dubbed tie
Republican quartet The FOrlOrn Hope"
In person Mr.. Grant would have been
acceptable to Julius Cesar, because he was
fat. Seek-headed man. such as sleep o
mig t. but be had keen sense of humor,
wiihal. and could make or take joke with
the best of them. When he entered the Ivy
Green, one with slight stretch of imagina-
ton might parallel his portly person with
that Of or John Falstaff entering the Boar'S
Head Tavern, al Elsteheap. His terse
tenclant remarks, his rich, unctuous
chu.k kie when he turned the tables on an
opponent in an argument, heightened the
resemblance between himself and the fat
kDight, Is Shakespeare drew that obese
worthy Grant may be said to have been
tie father Of the Republican party in Cali
f1rnia, aud he bore the reputation OF being
tia. rare bird in the land, 'an honest poll
tcjau."
Once, when he was running for Office, be
was approached by enc of the bOys-a
'. candidaie-striker-for "a piece" he didn't
ask him outright for money, but tried to get
. what he wanted IN an indirect way. Grant
pretended not to know what he was after.
Say, look here, Nh Grant, how're ye
'goin' to run dis eecti0n?"
- The usual way, l suppose" replied
Grant There's only one way 10 conduct
'. an election properly"
- y a-as, that's all very well; but how
about the soapp
e. '.' Il don't understand you"
l.. ?: "Oh, guess. you DO. The oil, you know,
=. To > ease de wheels?'
~; :. '.0il TO grease the wheels? I'm as much
lH lhe qarkas ever.
!. Wen, if dafs yer game, all Pve got to
: say rs if you want de boys to work you
must pat up coin ler not in de dark now
- Hir. Grant
-" ne situation is certainly clearer. and in
:.TaRiy TO your application, my fine fellow,
:let me tell you that when | am elected-as |
eXpect 10 be-the first use | will make of
::Iuy: position viii be to Introduce bill to
.tpuulsh all such rapscaliions as YOU, who
.:fcuer themselves for sale at any and every
.uppOrtuHIty"
=. Although a steadfast Republican, Grant
p: G I'd not ike the cansiidature Of Fremont.
lie considered the Pathfinder an unre-
: Liable man, and would occasionally express
- himself TO that effect In an aside" not in-
. :{ended for the general ear. The winter
season, II seems 10 me. was more continu-
us in rainfall then than now. Stin, small
49, rain would sometimes fall from the gloomy
looking clouds for three weeks on a stretch.
. u was ON an evening during such a period
when the stout Senator emerged from the
=. surroundings ofthe comfortable Ivy Green
: Inn and met the gloom and driZzle outside
.that he turned his eyes heavenward, and
muttered with fine scorn In his tones:
"tfemonts Italian skies that he used TO
. write abb Ut. Pah! D. FremontY'
= :TliXrlt A GIahl, whose iatter years were
troubled by controversies with the San
trancisfo newspal ers, died about 1860.
l'tUrn my pen on another habitue of the
Ivy Green, Colonel George f. James, a crfmi-
mai lawyer Of renown in those days. His
presence had a good deal TO do with his
reputation. He was 4 sou of Anak, and
stood up among bis legal brethren like Saul
did among the Israelites. Reuben IL
...,Eloyd, the successful lawyer. Draeticing in
:. fills cljy, graduated from Colonel james
m
=: given him by his preceptor. Mr.. James.
=. cal ed "COlonep per courtesy, fought
:. thrOugh the Mexican War of 1916 as a
:pilyate IN the marine corps of the United
= ates and came to this coast shortly after
: the gold fever broke out He engaged in
- mining soon after his arrival, in Tuolumne
20 onnty7 where there is a village-James-
. -tGwn-that bears his name to this day.
:: After various ups and downs in the dig
!: g.nss, he finally located in San Francisco,
=: and being we'll equipped legally started In
: to:pTacQce in the police and county courts
during the time Judge Ii. P. Coon, elected
~:Py The Peoples party In 1857. sat on the
bench as Police Judge. Between the LAWYER
ana the Judge there was no good feeling
James thought Coon. who was profes ssioual
phy slclan, Ike necessity, knew no law. and
:; the Judge. think, was slightly in awe of
= TIE gigantic lawyer, with such brusque
speech and dominating ways. Besides,
. james hated Coon for being Vigilante, he
himself being strong partisan of the Law
and Order party. No particular care was
taken blythe two men to conceal the aver
sion they felt each for the other, and this
led occasionally to some queer scenes in
court | recOllect, on one occasion, when
2 tire case before Judge Coon involved expert
Ing sgnatufe. and James looked about
him 10 discover a man in the audience
skilled RI handwriting. Unable to find one
at the instant that he could call to the
Wilness-stand, be addressed the court:
Your Honor, propose to make you an
a1F FfnH Ar.ra vNVs Frt1 1u,-
possess some knowledge of handwriting"
AT the same time lie advanced with the
document to the judges desk and laid il
before him. Coon was eDraged at the lib
ery taken by the lawyer and the hardly
covert sneer his WORDS conveyed. He read
james such lesson from the bench in re-
gard TO the proper respect due to the court
that The massive colonel WINGED where lie
sat On another occasion James was actu-
: any semitic the tanks below for contempt,
and spent some hours musing ON the pleas
: gfes OF solitude. When enlarged the law
yer evidently felt sore at his treatment.
ana subsequently,, when washing the prison
= viscOslty from his throat at the Iyy Green
counter by means of second mates min
Of whisky, he talked. in sulen way. of
dogs IN office" and ''men clothed with A
little brlef authority, together with other
Unc0mDlmentaIy phrases, all evidently
bearing on ''the man upstairs" James had
= 4 queer manner with witnesses. He would
walk.up and down before the jury in
careless style, with his thumbs In the arm
holes Of his vest, seldom looking at the
party testifying. As he passed he would
throw a question at him over his shoulder,
gathering the answer as he continued his
walk. This careless and Indifferent manner
uut the witness off his guard, and the Willy
. lawyer had him pumped dry for the benefit
ot the jury almost before his victim was
a@are Of il.
:hbout the time James was airing his
peculiar talent in the law courts lis
Diother. Charles James, was Collector of
we Fort and made a very COCO one. Look |
!hs al The men when together one might |
wen exclaim. "par mobile fratrum,' for,
Iayslcaly they were in truth a noble pair |