Odd, Old News: Justice for Garberville Cowboys in 1892

public information

 “People resting along the porch of the Garberville Exchange.” [Photo from the Palmquist Collection in HSU’s Humboldt Room]

Nuggets of old news served up once a week by David Heller, one of our local historians…..

Justice for Cowboys in Garberville in 1892

Writing for a group of cowboys who were accused and fined for disturbing the peace in downtown Garberville one night in early 1892, two of the accused took to pen and wrote a defense of their behavior, protesting how their case was handled and their $4 fine.

Justice of the Peace Jacob Myers wrote back to the Ferndale Enterprise that their statement and attempt to establish their innocence was a “wholesale and diabolical departure from the truth”. A Justice of the Peace had the authority to arrest, arraign, judge and penalize lawbreakers in an era when most local crimes were taken care of, and justice was administered, locally.

As Justice Myers stated: “Suffice it to say that the people of the town of Garberville are law-abiding, and propose to deal with all offenders, regardless of weight, color or social position.” Justice Jacob E. Myers was no relation to one of the accused, young Grant Myers, who was the son of Elias Myers for whom Myers Flat was named.

The Ray Hotel pictured above provided accommodations for the cowboys on the night of their troublemaking. Built in 1875 by Mrs. McCharles, it was the second hotel to be built in Garberville, had a livery stable behind it on a lower meadow and a saloon in the right side of the building.

Like many such establishments it also had a “Bull Pen” sleeping room for drunks too inebriated to “drink and ride”. Located on the west side of Redwood Drive at the north end of town, it took its name from Mrs. McCharles second husband John Ray, but was later renamed the Exchange Hotel, and burnt down in 1916.

COMMUNICATED

Ferndale Enterprise, April 1, 1892

EDITORS FERNDALE ENTERPRISE: — Some three or four weeks ago an item appeared in your paper stating that “the cowboys of Garberville made night hideous by yelling and shooting in the streets, and the next morning paid Justice Myers four dollars each for their fun.” Now, as the undersigned were some of the cowboys who paid for their fun, we wish to state exactly what we did and how we were made to pay for it.

We rode into Garberville on a gallop–not run, as charged—and when we got to the stable we called for the hostler (more loudly, perhaps, than was necessary). That was the “yelling”.

We then spend a couple of hours about town, but made no extra noise or disturbance.

We then went to Ray’s Hotel for beds, and while we were in the house, and while some of us were undressing, some one outside fired four or five shots. We did no shooting, nor did we approve of it.

The next morning we were arrested and taken before Justice Myers, who read us a charge to which we plead not guilty. He committed us to the care of the constable without fixing any bail, and set two o’clock for our trial, the day being Sunday. We asked for a change of venue, but he told us we could not have it, and that we must be tried there. We asked him to let us give bail, but he sent us to the constable. The constable sent us back to the Justice, and about that time they discovered that it was Sunday, and that it was not just the day to levy toll on outsiders. We were therefore notified that our trial was postponed until 10 o’clock AM Monday.

We finally concluded that we would be convicted whether we pleaded guilty or not, and we therefore paid four dollars each. We violated no law, and are satisfied that the court and self-constituted committee of the peace committed a greater breach of law and justice than any other person or persons who were in that town at that time. The court and committee are welcome to all the glory of the transaction, and to the four dollars almost which they unjustly took from us.

Respectfully: Grant Myers, J.C. Beerbower

Phillipsville, March 20th, 1892

Justice J. E. Myers did not wait long to respond….

Ferndale Enterprise, April 4, 1892

I have no desire to expose the shortcomings of others through the medium of the press unless people see fit to expose themselves by posing as persecuted innocents, as illustrated in an article from the pen of Grant Myers and J.C. Beerbower of Phillipsville, in the Enterprise, the 1st instant.

It pleases me to be able to state that their signatures to the article in question are a ‘dead giveaway’ on them to anyone who is personally acquainted with either of the parties, more especially to a community who have many times been disturbed in their slumber by midnight revelries. I would inform them and their associated that their characters cannot be retrieved by any wholesale and diabolical departure from the truth, as is manifest in their statement to the public, or by their intimation that Garberville is ruled by a Vigilance Committee, or that its citizens constitute a mob to rob outsiders. They were fined for their offence, but $4, whilst others of our town have been fined for similar offenses from $12 to $40, and I will here state that had I been governed by the actions of the court, under like circumstance, I would have imposed a much heavier penalty upon these self-implied innocents.

It is not necessary for this Court to define this Court to define this position on such matters. Suffice it to say that the people of the town of Garberville are law-abiding, and propose to deal with all offenders, regardless of weight, color or social position.

Andrew Genzoli, who first used these articles in his history column in the 9/17/1968 Humboldt Times, editorialized: “Just like now—boys with souped up, rubber scorching cars, had their forebears—boys on horses with six shooters.  Only then, boys knew how to spell and write—thus the letters. Today, many of the young fellows can barely spell their own names.”

Earlier Odd and Old News:

There are many more, but here are the most recent:

 

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15 Comments
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Guest
Guest
Guest
4 years ago

Obviously all parties involved were rankled by the incident … Or lack of incident, depending on who was giving out. As would be said even now “I weren’t bothering anyone.”

Willie Caos-mayham
Guest
4 years ago

🕯🌳One way or the other it’s in the genes.⚖🐸

Guest
Guest
Guest
4 years ago

Wonderfully entertaining article. Great illustration of Humboldt’s past.

Old school
Guest
4 years ago

The judge had too much power which he apparently abused.

David Heller
Guest
David Heller
4 years ago
Reply to  Old school

I suspect that the fact that Justice Jake Myers and his wife Millie Davis Myers lived diagonally across the street from the Exchange Hotel may have factored into his judgement against them! His intimations of familiarity with the two young men, and having the night disturbed often were likely based upon his direct experiences. I think this is why he sounds like he has a burr under his saddle.

Mary Ann Machi
Guest
Mary Ann Machi
4 years ago

I remember “Grandma” Beerbower from my youth at Shelter Cove but can recall nothing specific. Checking with family.

Here’s a tidbit on J.C. Beerbower https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/145935026/james-clark-beerbower

and his wife
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/145934738/mary-bell-beerbower

David Heller
Guest
David Heller
4 years ago

Granny Beerbower was a wonderful matriarch in the Marshall family, her home near the airport still has some of her flowers I believe.

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
Ernie Branscomb
4 years ago
Reply to  David Heller

Be careful what you say about the Beerbowers… there are many descendants still living here. I remember “Gramma” Beerbower well. She had a ’52 chevy sedan, and when people saw her coming they got the heck off the road. She made the modern day growdozer crowd look like amateurs. Most people that remember her remember her very poor, very aggressive driving.

Darn, I miss the good old days when everybody knew each other, and they all had names that they were proud of. Deserved or not. (LOL)

David Heller
Guest
David Heller
4 years ago

I was privileged to read some pages of her diary once and she had a remarkable life. Wish I could post a photo of her colorful flowers!

Mary Ann Machi
Guest
Mary Ann Machi
4 years ago
Reply to  David Heller

I found an article about her in Ray Raphael’s “Everyday History of Somewhere”, and a photo.

W.H.
Guest
W.H.
4 years ago

“Just like now—boys with souped up, rubber scorching cars, had their forebears—boys on horses with six shooters. Only then, boys knew how to spell and write—thus the letters.”

How incredibly offensive.

DivideByZero
Guest
DivideByZero
4 years ago
Reply to  W.H.

How incredibly accurate. But hey look on the bright side, they know all about global warming and fitting a cucumber with a condom.

David Heller
Guest
David Heller
4 years ago
Reply to  W.H.

ummm…W.H.–the comment by Genzoli was made in 1968, perhaps you didn’t see that about his quotation? Or do you still feel that his comment about hot-rodders in the ’60’s having literacy issues is incredibly offensive? It’s not a comment about modern generations.

Dan Crabtree
Guest
3 years ago

I just am interested in odd old news from David Heller. I love it, but I don’t need to comment on it except to say that I appreciate what you have given us for life long residents of Humboldt county. I might( probably) share it with family members. How do I receive more of what you have to offer.

David Heller
Guest
David Heller
3 years ago
Reply to  Dan Crabtree

Dan– thanks for the appreciation and encouragement, There is a lot of amazing unknown old history in our northern counties. I live near Briceland where a daughter of Bob Crabtree lived, though she passed a few decades back. Which of the three Crabtree brothers was your ancestor?.. If I may ask. We have been at this over a year, the articles start here: https://kymkemp.com/page/6/?s=odd+old+news . If you start at the bottom of the page you can follow the chronological order of the articles, as some are in an ordered series.. at the bottom of the article you will see the numbered pages of following articles that you can click on. … thanks for your comment, and I hope you continue to enjoy these little history-lite presentations.