Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1915-09-21
Interesting Early Day
Court History In Polk


per-board covers that enclose the rec
ord Of proceedings in Polk county's s
first justice court, the provisional cir
cult court, are the records of 64 years
ago, those interesting tabulations of
troubles and trials that were aired
in the first United States district
court to meet in Polk county. The
provisional county circuit court, ere
ated in 1886, was superseded in 1851
by the U. S. district court, the first
session Of which was held in the
court house at Cynthian, the county
seat, beginning on October 6 Of that
year and lasting throughout four
days. Judge A. A. Skinner had been
succeeded by 0. C. Pratt, United
States district judge for the second
judicial district of the territory Of
Oregon. In the few years between
the establishment of the old provis-
ional court and the creation of the
judicial district the territory had
gained many residents. The times
were those Of the rough olden days
of the west and are dead except in
tho romorioc of q ramaininu dozan
tro;l hlazars whose aorlv l;vos have
ona;ahod rai N "a "n ,,la5o u;n;1 the hn1lrv
h;stor;os - not;an ond sto+a Today
oniv tbe offsnr;ngs Of those n;oneers
mho fanreJ n H. oonr+s of iust;ce
of 1851 are alive to tell the stories,
but some few Of these were boys in
anll % +ba n nanas aS and | fanas - @ nf tba NJ law
rons ~ ~ ;ndmos ~ and ~ othar GOOD
..nJ baa o o;t;aons af tbo dav Tba
th;ra ana fnnrtL oonarot;ons s;nco
~ alu r,a,, ~ M % ,uoro W. % Han nrnn,;nant ~
ron w oonl,,ot +ba ,orrtS +ho nol;t;cs
nuJ I tha ] h,'s;ross ne nf tho;r & siros IN q
,,n1orn M onJ ;moraosad soalo mado nos-
hi a;bIo aniu VI hu tho um onoro;os [ tha t,,;ols
s,,J 81 ~ t,;,,hs ~ y 81 thot ano;an+ nor.
;nd I of W eona;et II ;s nlaasant his
torr r. naad o,thnurh r. oourt rao
euds os ona 1 n,,,s+ raad iaraalv hotwoen
the Enas to alean Lnowledoa of tba
hardship. the perseverance and the
crimes, if the three can be associated,
as they confronted Oregon territory s
first citizens Ga years ago. 1t is his
tory Of quick action, life story Of
men who staked their being on
Drawn rather than brain; men whose
fences were defined by their guns, and
whose right to distinction was nil,
money having not the slightest infu
ence in controlling the destinies of
the community, the worth of man
being measured by his ability to mind
his own business without personal
damage to his neighbors. Boots, ging
ans, overalls, crackers, bacon and Ii
quor came under the head of general
merchandise, and cough syrup parad-
ed on a high shelf in funny pack
age; the doctor had high hat and
grey beard, and the dentist was peg
on the wall, while the little grave
yard Chopped the neighboring hill. "
Deer gamboled in the woods behind
the barn, and wheat was threshed
with oxen tramping round corral.
.er Early Day Court.
DIT ,,;a al th;s thot uos oood had
~ ~ ;ua;ffonoat am oIamant of d;nn;tv
axnrassad ~ ;tsolf in tho efforts of tbe
saattomoa sottlors to control tba hr-
.'. s,on namos;on to h,;nn low ;nto tbo
inad thna,,ol tLo osta6l;sh,,ant Of a
annr, of ;ust;.o that wos at oil t;mos
,nonthu of tha t;tIa Tha e,st axrr,s.
a;on - th;s o,annnt was IN tho eroa-
t;an e. of tha IA nrov;s;onoi oonrt and
,o o.a,tnr 20 Iamot Innwlodae was oo-
s,,;sed w and lawvors from otber norts
49, de H. a an,,ntrw ~ Jn;ftaS ,h;S war 70
oaot ~ 't .ho;n ; ,,ar;;ous iots w;th oraaon -
Ianonahio @ Ill r;anoors ;t' +ool, IN aJdaJ
[ l;nn;t', ~ d;st;not;on nnJor tba t;tlo
of ' H. s1n;stn;at M CoMrt nf tho TTn;tod
Stotae e. @ 90 Amon;oo for tba Second In
800 1;";ol n n;stm;ot of tha Tar,;torv of
0naaan ru - Tbo tr;ols and haa,;nas in
tLot aourt hon;nm;nn viii ootohor
1os1 @ 49, t5nnnh' narhans on a
smaller scale than in larger commu-
mites. organized and executed accord
ino TO laws prescribed bv the federal
government. thew impaired Justice in
tbe fullest meaning of the word. Civ
inc everything from freedom to death
in the first two wears of the operation
of the court. disposiug of the case at
hand as its evidence demanded. Judge
n n pratt noe tbo erst d;str;ot ;pdgo