Sierra County CA Archives Biographies.....Smith, Alanson 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com January 18, 2006, 11:44 pm

Author: Fariss & Smith (1882)

JUDGE ALANSON SMITH was the know-nothing candidate for the office of county
judge in 1855, his democratic contestant for the position being Robert H.
Taylor, afterwards district judge. He succeeded by a goodly majority, and took
his seat in January, 1856. Prior to his arrival in this state, Judge Smith was a
New York school-teacher, had run some kind of an academy, and claimed to have
studied law with Judge Cowan of the Empire state. Though a well-educated man in
some respects, he was not an able jurist, and his knowledge of the dead
languages was somewhat defective. He was rather severe in his court discipline;
on one occasion, while presiding over the court of sessions, having fined County
Clerk Nicholson one hundred dollars for being absent from his post of duty,
which, however, he afterwards remitted for "satisfactory reasons." Judge Van
Clief, at another time, felt the weight of his displeasure to the tune of fifty
dollars, for having differed from his honor on a point of law. This was also
remitted, when Van Clief proved in defense that the court was wrong. Judge Smith
served out his full term of four years.

Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Illustrated History of Plumas, Lassen & Sierra Counties

San Francisco: Fariss & Smith
(1882)


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sierra/bios/smith374bs.txt

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