Los Angeles herald., 1905-07-30

! trunkfuls when he died, and which
were never intended to be collected.
However he acquired his property,
there is no doubt that the appearance
of Charles Maclay in the San Fernando
valley started new era of life and Inn
provement for that region. One Of its
manifestations was the Identification
of Judge r. M. Widney with the for
tunes of the valley. The judge and
Maclay were close relatives and we're
identified with schemes for the improve
ment Of the San Fernando valley that
have had far-reaching effects. OF the
two, Maclay is dead these many years
but the Judge is still amongst us, very
much alive and in the full tide of
useful and interesting career. BY the
way, I should remark in passing that
The Herald in its earlier years was
for a while edited by this able and
capable gentleman. That happened
thirty-one years ago-almost a round
generation.
Judge Widney
Perhaps the experiences of no man in
Southern California could better illus
trate the eventualities of life in this
section than those of Judge r. M.
Widney; and. in his relations to the
development Of the San Fernando val
ley he is illustrative of section as
well. When 1 first saw Los Angeles
the judge was sitting on the bench.
There were two judges then, one dis
trict and the other county, and Widney
was the district judge. When his term
expired Widney resumed the practice
of law.
1t should not be forgotten that r.
M. Widney is a writer of reputation on
recondite matters, exegetical and other.
One of his books is worthy of the at
tention Of any one interested In biblical
questions The whole family is Of an
erudite tendency, his brother DR.. ]. p.
Widney being one of the most accom-
plished physicians In California and
writer of authority on medical topics.
A younger brother, not to be over
looked, also occasionally takes his pen
in hand, although he is understood not
to have met with the success of his
brilliant brothers, nor to have secured
their approval to his efforts.
In the Panic of 1898
When the panic of 1893 reached its
perihelion Judge Widney was president
Of the University bank of Los Angeles,
of which George L. Arnold was
cashier. The institution was located in
the Reddick building, corner of First
and Broadway, and its conductors
doubtless expected for it long and
useful career. At the time when the
panic was getting ready to supervene,
so to speak, Judge Widney was speed
ing to Chicago to attend the National
Bankers convention, to which he had
been invited to deliver an address. His
competence for executing such a mis-
sion will be disputed by no one who
knows the man. His brain is replete
with original and carefully elaborated
ideas worthy of the attention of any in
tellectual body, such as National
Bankers convention undoubtedly Is or
at least should be.
Lo and behold, the panic supervened
precisely as the judge was delivering
his lecture and the distinguished lee
tor turned to find his University bank
shut down, with the inperturbable
George L. Arnold sitting on the lid. Nor
was that all. OF the sixteen of seven
teen banks in Los Angeles the only
ones left open were the Farmers &
Merchants, Los Angeles National, Cali
ifornia and State Loan and Trust COM
pany. 1t looked for a while as IL the
bottom had dropped out Of everything
financial.
AS matter of fact, all the Los An
geles banks proved sound and paid
their depositors.
Not a Good Time
Our friend the judge concluded the
time was not propitious for making
money in banking and wound up the
University bank, paying its depositors
in full. OF course the judges friends
had many good laugh at him and his
lecture on banking, but the Judge is a
good laugher himself. Besides in that
celebrated panic year nobody knew on
which side of his face he or anybody
else was laughing and 1t all went in
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