"Life in California becoming unendurable, I went to Fraser's River, In British Columbia, at that time the scene of the tremendous mining excitement. While there I met with a singular and amusing adventure. In 'Hill's Bar' as our little mining town, largely settled by Californians, was called, there was an English magistrate who, though it sounds like a 'Paddyism' to say it, was a French-Canadian, a good fellow named Perier (sic). There was another English magistrate, a bona fide Britisher, this one at Fort Yale, a few miles away, who hated Americans, put on lots of dignity, insisted on the miners touching their hats to him, and was pretty generally disagreeable. I represented to Perier that, taking a man from the jurisdiction of his court was a contempt of court, and that one magistrate could not be in contempt of another. Perier swore me in as a special officer of her majesty, and with a body of picked men I went over to Fort Yale, took the key from the jailer, and liberated all the Americans confined, and brought the objectionable magistrate a prisoner before his confrere Perier.

"'What did you do with him?'" (asked the reporter).

"'Fined him $50 for contempt.'"

"'And the money?'"

"'Was spent on drinks for the crowd. It was a Christmas Eve and the miners were taking a holiday.'"