The Redwood gazette., 1902-04-09

said that he took this claim at the
solicitation Of government officials
who desired to have him make some
experiments with various kinds OF
trees, and it was understood that in
case the experiments should prove
failure, the colonel was to retain
the land as a homestead. But, as
all who reside here know, McPhail S
tree claim was not a failure.
He was for many years the prin-
cipal legal adviser of this neighbor-
hood and for a number Of terms
served as county attorney for Lin
coin county.
After coming out here his first
wife died, and he was married in
1885 to Miss Minnie Baker, daugh-
ter of Mr.. and Mrs. August Baker.
Three children, Logan. Sherman and
Jessie are the issue of his second
marriage. John and Eta (now Mrs.
G.. W. Anderson of Minneapolis
were born to him by his first wife.
The. colonel was man of marked
characteristics and it is safe to say
that having once seen and heard
him, one would not be likely to soon
forget him at least one would not
forget his remarkable voice. We
have seen it referred to as 'sthin
and dry but the fact of the matter
is that it could not be described,
and those vino have heard it will ap-
preciate the remark of the colonel's,
made to someone who inquired OF
him what his name was, "Never
mind my name; you can recall my
voice great deal easier =
He was man of great energy
and undaunted courage. His mill
tary promotion was not secured
through pull or favoritism of any
kind but was a steady advancement
from private to colonel, earned
through bravery and a soldierly
devotion to duty, under no matter
what circumstances.
| All the old timers will remember
Judge &. St. Julien Cox, who was
Judge of this judicial district in the
seventies and early eighties. Itap
pears that the judge, though an ex
ceptionally able and bright man
was too much of a good fellow
and would indulge in the sssocia
glass = when his constituent
thought he should have borne NOR
respect for the judicial ermine.
This matter finally resulted in i'm
parchment proceedings and tria
before the state senate, which wa
begun in November. 1881. and laste'
until March, 1882, when Judge Co;
was found guilty Of some Of th
charges preferred.
This trial attracted great after
tion and was in parts very sensa
! tional. The ablest attorneys of tn
state were retained in it, the defend
ant having on his side, among 9th
ers, John W. Arctander and G. 4
l Davis.
Col. McPhail was one of the wit
nesses summoned by the defens
9 and he seems to have created a goo
deal of merriment for the senate
! The following is in part the way
St. Paul daily of that time describe
{ the colonel on the witness stand:
: ''Col. Samuel McPhail, the juici
: est witness yet sworn on the cours
of the whole trial, was then called
The witness was sufficiently eccen
trio and his voice thin and dry t.
keep the court room roaring witt
I laughter aside from his witty an
swers. Col. McPhail first gave
little biography of himself, Stain.
} that be lives in Lincoln county
where he is county attorney and ha.
been for four years past. He wa:
captain in New York regiment ii
the war and comes by his militar,
little by service and not hy commit
ment. The witness de
scription of the scene where thu
adjournment to Tyler was ordered
was laughable. He said the Marsh
field people cussed and swore; tn,
Lake Benton men cussed harder
and swore more; and the Tyler fel
lows cussed and swore with th
y l. ..I3