USA > California > Nevada County > History of Nevada County, California; with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and manufactories > Part 34
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An incident occurred during the burning of this building. showing that a murderer is not necessarily a depraved being, and that the same heart that can prompt the hand to comnuit a bad action can also demand the commission of a good one. George Lewis was a saloon keeper in Nevada City, and was a man of powerful frame. A prize fighter, having filled hit- self with the extract of corn, entered the saloon and declared his intention of whipping Lewis. The latter innediately reached under his counter for a revolver and shot the bellig- erent sportsman dead. Lewis was indieted for murder and obtained a writ of habeus corpus, returnable before Judge Searls, then sitting at Downieville. He was, however, not admitted to bail, and was brought back to Nevada City, and ineareerated in the new jail. At that time, W. W. Wright, familiarly known as "Boss Wright," was Sheriff, and when the towu was on fire aud it became evident that the court house would burn, he rushed to the jail to liberate the prisoner's.
Wright had been working desperately in his endeavor to sub_ the the flames, and was completely exhausted, so that after opening the jail door, he fell fainting near the entrance of the court house, overcome by the smoke and heat. Lewis, who was thus at liberty and could have made his escape, returned, lifted the unconscious Sheriff upon his broad shoulders and carried him down to Deer creek, where he bathed his temples with water until he revived. When he saw that Wright had fully recovered, he said: "Now you are all right, Boss, where shall I go !" He was told to go just where he pleased, but to appear before the court. on Monday morning. Court was opened the following Mondny in a business block that stood on the site of the present National Hotel, and it was a elear case of " nobility in rugs," for Judge Pearls, who had lost his all in the fire, presided without a coat, and was arrayed in a blue flannel shirt, borrowed for the occasion. Coats were rare, and what few there were, looked as though they had gone through a patent ehurn. Lewis put in an appearance, And when the. grateful Sheriff told the story of the man's self-sacrifice and bravery, he was admitted to bail in a nominal sum, and many there were who were willing to become his bondsmen. When his trial occurred, but a few weeks later, he was acquitted, the jury assuming that he had fully compensated for the taking of a worthdess life by the preserving of a worthy one.
The citizens of Grass Valley recognized in the destruction of the court house a long desired opportunity for securing the loca- tion of the seat of justice in that thriving business center. Petitions were circulated by them for the calling of an election to decide between the rival eities. They proposed to build a new court house, free of expense to the county, and some quite liberal subscriptions were made for that purpose. The required number of signatures was not seeured, and the Board of Super- visors at once advertised for bids for the construction of a new building. A petition was presented by the people of Grass Valley, requesting the Board to delay its proceedings until the county seat question could be tested, but 'of no avail, and August 232 but a month after the fire, the contract was let to Baine and Israel, for $18,558. The oll walls were torn down and rebuilt, the inside finished as before, iron doors and shut- ters attached, and, as then supposed, the building was rendered thofoughly fire proof, a favorite fallacy in those days and one that had cost several people their lives. The work upon the build- ing was finished and accepted by the Board of Supervisors, January 26, 1857. They allowed the contractors $1,159 for extras, making the total cost of the building alone $19,717.
Again on Sunday, November 8, 1863, the court house was destroyed in the general conflagration that swept over the city. By the energy and exertion of the officers, and the substantial manner in which the vaults had been constructed, the records were all preserved. After advertising for plans and specifica-
RESIDENCE OF ALEXANDER HENDERSON, GRASS VALLEY, NEVADA CO CAL.
MMITHED RY THUMITON & WIST.
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HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY. CALIFORNIA.
trnet was awarded to A S Hart f r $22 :60 11ty ing was a great ingmovement agen the others in every not It reta ou n jai al yard, arutol which is tohe at l ir n for The lower story is built of his back of giants while the upper atory i of brick On the lower ther mi cah malions offices and substantial vaults for the pre ratun of county records On the second that are a large cant rooms and rooms for the use of the Judge, and Intriet Attorney Adjoining is a jail with wild granito walls, capable of tafels koping all who may offend against the law -. The new struct- ure was completed in March, 1865, mal with all its appoint. ments cost. the county $$6,400.
Saturday morning, July 27, 1867 the County Cork's other was the scene of a terrible and fatal accident The previous night the guy in the vault was left burning, and as soon as the oxygen in the air was exhausted, the flame becoming extin- guished and the vault was filled with gas When the County Clerk, R 1. Farquhar, and his brother, ti. I Farquhar, opened the vault in the morning they detected the smell of exaping guy. In their investigations they lit n match nad a fearful explosion was the result. The dull sound startled the citizens. soundling like a huge blast benenth the surfer of the city. The life bells were instantly rung, and see all was confusion Those who iscertained the cause and rushed to the scene of action, found R H Farquhar lying in the vault dend, his clothes torn to shreds, his left aria broken and his badly lully burned. George Farquhar was also severely burned, cut and bruised. The force of the explosion was so great that it dam- aged the building to the extent of $2,500.
Mr. Farquhar was an efficient officer and a most estimable gentleman and a universal favorite. His remains were fol- lowed to the grave the next day by one of the largest funeral procesions ever seen in the county. The firemen turned out in uniform, while the stage companies furnished vehicles draped in morning. The next day the District Court met and passed resolutions of respect and condolence, and after many enlogies were pronounced by members of the bar, adjourned out of respect for the memory of the deceased.
The Board of Supervisors appointed George K Farquhar to till the vacancy caused by the untimely death of his brother.
The court house now bears a bell whose merry peal summons lawyers nul litigants to the bar of justice. This is found to be very convenient by lawyers and others who desire to be on hand at the opening of court, mal inconvenient by the dilatory attorney, who ennot row stop in the hall, set his watch back half an hour and claim that he is on time.
Since the organization of the conuty there have been eighteen
tions, the plans of F Boller, a san Fon fly aftalen for a gallon. This was on Sunday, January IS, accepted, for which 2000 were Je het
The first jabon church trat wa. tort in ito
ahtales in Tim ---
They were ent . In wek For at Smertevile Sunday nicht November 2 1550. Wilster agam bles ller f nul dejartel with two of Tida BR's ganz van ed l'ernsworth It was the following day that I ritt Wright and Devid Jelo w net their tragie death The next Monthy mght after that a l occurrence while the Group had charge of the jail Sammel Hargraves under sentono of ten years in the peniten- tiary for the murder of P' Elison broke through the wall into the adjoining cell, which was unlocked, and made his
Early in 1957 Wallace tiehr, a highwayman, Ing from his cell into the one adjoining, veempird by Lablington, the kak of which they managed to pick. When the I'nder-sheriff came with their found that night and left the ball door open, film slipped through the hall into Ludington's call, and loth prisoners passed out of the jail. In going through the Sheriff's ulice they were observed and chase given them. Ladlington was captured by a citizen, but Gehr escaped, only ta le retaken in San Francisco the following April John Smith (senjau) from the jail September 30. 1858, by digging a hole through his cell wall into the corridor, and walking out of the jail door that had been left ajar by some workmen. On his way out le stopped in the Sheriff's office to secure his carpet lag. Alex- ander tiritlin, awaiting removal to San Quentin, broke off the Ir to his cell door and sawed through two bars of the outside window grating, February 2, 1839. He was capturedla few weeks later in Sacramento. Thomas Burke, convicted of the murder of J M. Wright and under sentence of death, broke jail about noon June 11. 1862. His irons were sawed otľ, the har of a heavy padlock on the corridor door was also out and a padlock on the outside door of the jail removed He was cap- turel in Placer county February 4. 1863, and hanged.
The present structure has had tive escapes in seventeen years. July 25, 1867. John Brannan, under indictment for murder, became weary of confinement, unlocked the door and pared out into the glare of the noonday sun. His liberty was only of two days' duration. Detober 14, 1570, Win. Burns and F. P. Chanrey escaped by breaking through the wall of the jail. Chaurey was captured on the ninth of November on Communes river. The last case was that of Robert Bruce and Henry Fowler, who were engaged in some labor about the jail and when the othcer in charge was off his guard, slipped into the yard and scaled the wall by means of a pile of lumber that had
Ist and they were both recaptured within two months.
The inhabitants of Trucker and Meadow Lake township long claurel fer a branch jail to be located in Tracker for the mat helping of criminals from that end of the county TI . that anley no of comesing prisoners to the county jail was a great that it operates in partially defeat nor the ends of JA putting was presented to the legislature in ISTA. a king 1 mission for the Board of Supervisors to lonbia branch jul in Ton ker the cost not to excel so am Doing the Jan wien 175, the Board finally send to run truet stifte Juil at that point The work was immediately lagun and completed and the new jul received its first inmate Sop tandar 30 175, in the person of William Hurt, who had pit Frank, und way " maslin' things for his own aumoment.
Among the residents of an advanced civilization air ho pitala and charitable institutions of Every kind In every community there are many who meet with misfortunes, lose their property. Jerome frustrated by sickness or accident or having toilend for themselves mal others with willing heart and faithful land until the sad imonds made mjum their strength by time rob them of the power to labor more; such nufortunato would parish by starvation or neglect were it not for the pityine hearts and the helping hands ever ready to report to the call of distress. That the county should provide some place where care and attention could be bestowed upon such worthy anfor tomates is recognized by all; it seems to all the de arving a retreat when defented in life's battle, and distributing the burden so that it falls heavily nen the shoulders of none.
For a number of years private laspital. amandel, and the county annually entered into a contract with snar individual tu care for the indigent sick. A house was ruted in the city for a hospital, but as the rent was high, the killing moon veniently arranged and in an undhe irade location, the Board of Supervisors decided to build one better suited to the parper They purchased five acres of ground war Der creek three quarters of a mile from the center of the town, for &1.0. The contract for the construction of a building thirty by seventy tive feet, containing two ward with a kitchen and dining ronn thirty by forty feet, was let to long and Schultes in December, 1839, for $2,312. It was completed in April, 1800, at a total expense for every thing of $2,600. The two wards were capable of accommodating forty patients. More room being desired a wing, twenty by thirty feet and two stories high, was added in 1863, at an expense of $800. A tax annually levied by the Board of Supervisors provides the finals for maintaining the institution. The hospital has been con stantly under the care of Dr. R. M. Hunt, who has given complete satisfaction in his management.
136
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
CHAPTER XXXIX
FINANCIAL.
The First Tax -The Yuba County Ithtourt Hus Fonds-Financial Gymnastice- Flowing Iht & surt Hum Warrants -- Rate of Tax-Table of Valuation Valuations by Township.
Is the matter of the conduct of her financial affairs Nevada county has reason to congratulate borelf; but one issue of londy wa over inale, and those were retired within five years from the date of their utterance. Although at one time quite a large floating debt was hanging over her, she has paid it all withont. having her bonds hawked about the country, and has ko firmly established ber credit, that, did the occasion require, she could readily obtain all the money desired at very advan- tagens rates.
The first tax levied here was by Yuba county in 1850; including the State tux it amounted to seventy-five cents on the hundred dollars of valuation, and three dollars per capita upon every voter. The tax levied was altogether too small to ran the expensive government that was inaugurated at Mary's- ville, and it was found that when Nevada county was separated from Yuba in 1831, the latter had already accumulated a left of $33.500. Yola county claimed that Nevada should pay her share of the debt created while they were " one and insepa- ruble." This elim was objected to on the ground that the solt was created in the creation of county buildings, which remained in the possesion of Yuba county, and in excessive criminal expenses, none of which were incurred by the territory set. off to Nevada county. They had been too far from the seat of government to derive any benefit from it, and it has been said that the only official of the county that was ever seen up in this region was the Tax Collector. U'under the Act of the Legislature, commissioners were appointed to ascertain what proportion of the Yuba county debt was justly chargable to Nevada county. One of these commission- ers, in the failure of the others to take action, reported that the total debt wus $3,500, and that Nevada should pay $12,572. This report was considered illegal and unjust, and the officials of Nevada county refused to pay it. Considerable litigation ensned between the two counties, which ended in Yuba failing to enforce her demands.
When it was decided to build a court house in 1855, applica- tion was made to the Legislature for permission to issue bonds for that purpose. An Aet was passed by that body and received the Governor's approval April 25, 1855, authorizing the issuance of bonds to the amount of $30,000, bearing interest at the rate of ten per cent. per annum. These bonds were received by the contractor at par and sold to C. W. Mul- ford for eighty cents on the dollar, and were issued by the county to Mr. Mulford direct. These bonds were all redeemed
within five years, and the interest paid on them amounted to about $14,000. Since that time the county has had no bondedl indebtedness.
The destruction of the court house in 1856, so soon after its completion, was a great loss to the county, necessitating an additional outlay for a new one. As the amount of bonds authorized to be issued had been sold, the Board resorted to a lwculiar feat of financial gymnastics to raise the funds required. Warrants were issued by the Board of Supervisors and sold at auction, realizing but fifty-five cents on the dollar. As the court house cost about $20,000-and the furniture much more, the amount of warrants disposed of must have amounted to more than $40,000. The whole proceeding was an illegal one, and had the payment of these warrants been contested they never could have been redeemed; yet althoughi aware of this fact, the citizens of the county kept faith with the purchasers of the warrants, and paid every one in full.
By this proceeding the floating debt of the county was largely increased, the financial condition of the county, Deccin- ber 1, 1857, being :---
Outstanding Warrants.
Court House Bonds 22,500.00
Acerued Interest
8,992.05
Total Debt. .$141,580.55
During the next two years a great many of the bonds were redeemed, but the amount of warrants was increased, leaving the connty more in debt than before. The condition, October 3, 1859, was :
Outstanding Warrants.
Court House Bonds 9,000.00
Total Debt. .$149,285.86
From this time the amonnt of the debt began annually to decrease, and notwithstanding the increased expenses cansed by the war and the loss by the depreciation of curreney, the debt appeared in the following condition, February 11, 1862 :-
Outstanding Warrants and accrued in-
terest .
.$96,000.00
Cash on Hand.
16,000.00
Total Debt
$80,000.00
This shows a decrease of $50,000 in three and one-half years. The condition, March 6, 1871, was nearly the same, the debt having increased two thousand dollars :-
Outstanding Warrants.
$83,582.80
Accrucd Interest
3,277.84
$86,860.64
Cash on Hand.
4,860.64
Total Debt. $82,000.00
The cause of this condition of the finances was the building of the elegant court house now used by the county. This structure cost $46,400, and was paid for in warrants. It was not decmed desirable to issue any bonds, so the Legislature, by an Act approved March 4, 1864, authorized the county to levy an annual tax of twenty-five eents on the hundred dollars, until the cost of rebuildling was liquidated. By this means the county was saved the trouble of issuing bonds, as well as con- siderable money that would have been paid in interest.
The rate of tax has always been lower in Nevada county than in the counties of the valley. She has had no expensive levees to maintain nor interest upon enormous issues of bonds to pay, and to-day a citizen of Nevada county pays but about one half the amount of one living in the valley. A table is subjoined, showing the valuation as assessed for the various years since 1851, and the rate of tax levied each year, inelud- ing State tax. Another table, showing the valuation of 1879, by townships, is given to show the distribution and character of wealth throughout the county :-
TABLE OF VALUATION AND RATE OF TAX.
YEAR.
REAL ESTATE.
PERSONAL PROP.
TOTAL.
RATE
ON
$100.
1851
$ 216,000
$ 470,080
$ 686,080 956,925
1852
1853
1,750,810
1854
2,304,019
1855
2,558,515
1.80
1857
2.15
1858
1859
1860
1861
2,650,939
1,574,186
4,225,125
2.00
1862
2,273,297
2,174,437
3,660,613
2.45
1863
2,146,995
1,513,618
3,749,330
2.45
1865
2,969,714
1,731,699
4,701,413
1.95
1866
2,751,373
2,420,714
5,172,087
1.75
1867
2,216,230
1,839,787
4,056,017
1.75
1868
2,649,534
1,288,635
3,938,169
1.80
1869
3,162,728
2,311,750
5,474,478
2.00
1870
3,457,913
2,409,152
5,861,065
2.10
1871
3,275,208
1,497,149
1872*
5,349,576
2,691,892
8,041,468
1.90
1873
5,747,420
2,936,658
8,681,078 7,869,144
1.80
1874
5,246,132
2,623,112
7,031,376
1.70
1875
5,418,210
1,613,166
1876
5,383,767
1,514,276
6,898,043
1.90
1877
5,405,490
1,591,356
6.996,846
1.90
1878
5,417,714
1,422,699
6,840,413
1.90
1879
5,504,417
1,316,889
6,821,306
1.90
* Since 1872 assessments have been made at full cash value.
4,447,734
2.15
2.70
1864
3,037,946
2.20 1.60
4,062,673
4,772,357
1.60
1856
$140,285.86
$110,088.50
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RESIDENCE OF C. CONAWAY, GRASS VALLEY, NEVADA CO CAL.
PUBLISHED BY THOMPSON & WEST.
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
FOOTINGS OF NEVADA COUNTY AL MENT ROLL FOR THE STAR 1879
FOW NSILPN.
Value Y Real Estate other
than i ity and T un L &
Vaue f (Jir and T wn ]= >
$=11,41 4 7,165 = 2. 1.24 6 .1 ..... 6. '6
CHAPTER XL.
ELECTIONS AND LIST OF OFFICERS.
The Elections of 1519 Vala County Election Fire Nevada County Election Comparativa Talde of Votes by Precincta Table of County Officers Table of Nevada City iftheers Table of lirass Valley Officers.
THE first election held in the State was not participated in by residents of this region. At that time the State was not organized, and election precincts were only established at the interior towns and the mining camps that had sprung into recognized prominence during the few short months that had elapsed since had begun that tumultnons rush for the gold fields of California. Within the present limits of Nevada there was not n voto cast, neither in the choice of delegates to the Constitutional Convention, nor in the adoption of the work of those delegates and the selection of the first officers to preside over the infant State. That denrest of all " unalienable rights " to the American citizen, the elective franchise, was no doubt held as sacred by the few toiling pioncer miners in the heart of the Sierras as by those in more favored localities; but they were too scattered and too remote from the scene of action, and they therefore accepted willingly and gladly the Constitution and government their brothers had provided.
When the State was divided into counties this section was apportioned to the county of Yuba, and an election was held for county officers. At this election, which occurred April 1. 1850, precincts were established at Deer Creek Dry Diggings or Nevada City, at which John Pennington was Judge and Robert M. Lamb Inspector. The number of votes cast was but
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- gentan It with rit wit th poultry w mer even teth. vor fi ne,anlo fontyf-lit .frvating ir I'm low pry ruon Bol this th -t of justice Fad Intel Marvel at the extreme western end of the enty ault. py in this vien.ty felt an tural apathy about a county government that was so for removed from il that they won I be unable to drive any len lit fran it whatever In fact it proved to In the case, that about the only portion of the county authentic they ever came in cell- tart with was the financial Franch, the Assessor and Collector
At the Detoler ation of In the Court of Session of Yula county estaldisbodoh tion prevmets at Rough and Ready Dry Digings, Cham Valley, Nevada City Coyote City, Iulian Valley, Comoporsill, Lasser Crossing of Der creek, Martins ville and Williamsburg. The fidelity with which the carly officers whered to the maxim, " Do as little as you can for the money." renders a statement of the number of votes rast impossible.
The next election occurred on the fourth Monday in May. 1.531, for the selection of the first officers of Nevarla county as a separate organization. Henry Miller, J. N. Turner, J. R. Crandall, J S. Allen, and Amos T. Laird were designated by the Legislature as commissioners to fix polling places and can- vass the election returns. Election precincts were established by them at Nevada City, Grass Valley, Rough and Ready, Bridgeport, Newtown, Washington and a few other places. About two thousand nine hundred votes were cast.
The county records having been destroyed in the disasterous conflagration of 1856, the following tables have been compiled as complete as possible from various sources. The first is designed to show the voting strength of various localities in the county, and also to show the shifting nature of the population. and therefore the total vote cast at each precinct is given at intervals of a few years, The rise and fall of a locality can be readily traced from this talde.
COMPARATIVE TABLE OF VOTES BY PRECINCTS.
TOWNSHIP AND PRECINCT.
1855
ISG+
1572
1879
Bloomfield
BLOOMFIELD
TOWNSHH ..
Relief Hill .
28
35
35
Columbia Hill .
65
50
66
Total
289
COMPARATIVE TABLE OF VOTES BY PRECISOTS
Low vier AND PRE Iser
North San Juan
Swe tland
31
French Corral
Chercher
Total
313
Eureka
930
70
Orleans Flat
Moore's Fint
117
105
100
Wooley's I'll
Bowman's
Total . .
190
Grass Valley
1090
110.4
GRASS VALITY WIISK.NO.1.
Mison Rauch
51
67
19
Forest Springs
:17
14
Buena Vista
t'ottage Hill
Globe Ranch
Total ..
1210
Little York . ..
Cifi
14
1.8
LITTLE YORK
TOWNSHIP ..
You Birt.
88
62
Red Dog
98
134
Lowell Hill
53
.1 1
Quaker Hill
Hunt's fill
209
Total. .
NEVADA MEADOW LARI
Trucker
323
30
Boca
Total
1386
919
767
1023
Emne Tent
33
Mountain Well.
Total
ROUGH AND READY
Total.
205
3. 10
11 44 .
..
horok#
Heldgeburt
414,110
201.130
0.4 ** *
24,174
little Vurk
7,44.
1 *
3.614
1
"l'utulu
32.0' +
lirase Valley
1 .. 4.1
331. 11
144.7414
Lake City
24
32
20
27
Pleasant Valley.
50
28
Spenceville.
40
20
20
Mooney Flat.
27
17
Anthony House
TOWNSHIP.
Rough and Ready
301
110
111
100
Indian Springs
105
168
Newtown ..
53
37
03
371
Nevada . .
40
TOWNSHIP.
1063
61
51
101
13ª
til
33
159
No valu
10
324
Walloupa
31
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY-Wm. M. Stewart resigned in 1854 and Niles Searls was appointed to fill vacaney, S. W. Fletcher was then elceted for the unexpired term. E. H. Gaylor was appointed in October, 1873, viee M. S. Deal deceased.
COUNTY CLERK-R. H. Farquhar was killed by an explosion in the court house vault, July 27, 1867, and George K. Far- quhar was appointed to fill the vacaney.
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