Page:Pacific Monthly volumes 9 and 10.djvu/76

56 It is sad to relate that Mrs. Jason Lee was not only the first white bride in Oregon, but also the first to be claimed by death, as she went to the great beyond within a year after her marriage.

Solomon Hirsch—

In the death of Solomon Hirsch, the thinning ranks of the Pioneers have lost one of their most commanding figures. His life has been one of rare usefulness, full of achievement and crowned with honors, and his death is mourned by a multitude of friends by whom his memory will ever be held in deepest reverence.

THE LATE SOLOMON HIRSCH

Solomon Hirsch was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, March 25, 1839. When the boy was 14 years old his parents emigrated to this country. Soon after, he received a clerkship in New Haven, Conn., but later accepted a position at Rochester, N. Y., where he remained until 1858. In that year he came to Oregon by way of the Isthmus, going to Dallas, where he engaged in business with his brother Edward. After some years, during which he lived at Silverton and Salem, he finally came to Portland, in 1864, and in partnership with two others, established a dry goods business which has since grown to colossal proportions.

Mr. Hirsch's political career has been even more eventful. He was elected to the Legislature, serving several terms as President of the Senate. In 1888, while visiting Karlsbad, Mr. Hirsch received from President Harrison an appointment as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Turkey. Accepting this honorable and responsible position, he proceeded to Constantinople and was received by the Sultan, and then returned to this country to make arrangements for the removal of his residence to the Turkish capital. For many years he represented the United States Government with signal dignity and honor.

First Court in Yamhill—

J. G. Baker, the first sheriff of Yamhill county, told Col. Kelly the following story of the organization of the first court in Yamhill, under the provisional government:

In 1846 Judge A. A. Skinner came to Lafayette to hold court. There was no court house, but Baker had secured a room for the court to convene. There were several lawyers present and the first act was to organize the grand jury. This was done according to the common law practice, which required the jury to have from thirteen to twenty-three members. The jurymen were called in and duly sworn in, the foreman was chosen, and then the question was, where could they hold their session? When the sheriff asked where he should take the jury, the Judge pondered a moment, then said:

"Is there no room to be had?"

The sheriff didn't know of any.

Said the Judge: "Take them out under one of those big oaks, Mr. Sheriff, and stake out the foreman and the others won't go far—they'll stand around. If any loose fellows come around while they deliberate—why, just chase them off. When they get any business in shape bring them in, and keep staking them out so until the business is all done."

Under this original practice the legal affairs of Yamhill were got under way, and there is no record of any trouble with the jury.