LEGAL REMINISCENCES. BY L. E. CHITTENDEN. IV. '"P'HERE were five in the party, all inter-*- ested in a matter pending before a committee of Congress which gave us a hear ing when convenient, sometimes as often as once a week. Four had been Californians, — Forty-niners. Three had made their fortunes, and come to the East to double them. One had made and lost a half-dozen fortunes. Just now he was a Senator. His friends said he was " strapped," meaning thereby that he had no money. He preserved a jolly frame of mind, however, and was waiting for some thing to turn up. The Senator and two of the party were six feet in stature and full to the overflow with energy, — what were called on the West coast brainy, scopy men, ready for any enterprise and equal to it. The fourth was a little fellow, always trained to his fight ing weight of one hundred and thirty pounds. None of the four lacked courage, of which the little one had his full share. The fifth in the party was the writer, who so far as these incidents are concerned was merely their recorder. He went by the sobriquet of Judge; the others responded to the titles of Senator, Contractor, Drover, and Quick silver, indicating their several occupations. They were lying around on the bed, lounge, or any convenient place in the Judge's room at Willard's, when the Californians began to exchange stories. This was one of the stories told in the course of that evening. Contractor. You mentioned to-day, Judge, the name of " Pettibone." I wonder if you ever knew my friend, Sam Pettibone? I think Sam Pettibone had more sand than any man only sixty inches high that I ever met. Yes, Sam Pettibone was a good allround fighting Yankee of the Presbyterian persuasion. I think he was a Vermonter.
"It is very probable," said the Judge. "The Pettibones are an old and reputable Vermont family." "Sam was no discredit to a respectable family," said the Contractor. " I once saw him abate a public nuisance in the most expeditious and respectable manner." "Tell us about it," was the demand of the whole party. The Contractor thereupon gave us the following history. : — "Keep in your minds that Sam Pettibone was a little fellow, no larger than Quicksilver here, not an inch over five feet, with a weight of a hundred and thirty pounds. I was a dealer in miners' tools and supplies. One of my collecting tours brought me to a new mining-camp in Devil's Gulch, where I took dinner with the boys. There was only one table; it was under a shed long enough to dine a hundred men at a time. Sam Petti bone sat beside me; around the table were at least a hundred men. Directly opposite Pettibone, occupying two seats, sat ' Jack Roach,' the worst man in that part of Cali fornia. He was credited with any number of murders, robberies, and other crimes, — he was a giant in strength and size, utterly reck less, accustomed to take anything he wanted to eat or drink without payment, and if any objection was made, ' to clean out the shanty,' as he expressed it. He had so completely terrorized the country that few thought of making any resistance to his demands. He was a walking arsenal. On this occasion two large revolvers were stuck in a belt filled with cartridges; the handle of one bowieknife protruded from his boot-leg, and an other from between his brawny shoulders, and a repeating, breech-loading rifle he claimed was never beyond the reach of his hand.
