California Quotes: Hard Drinking

"The Recorder's Court often affords much amusement to the idle vagabonds who are fortunate enough to avoid its jurisdiction. The following are specimens of cases before the "Honourable" the Recorder, who bears a title in spite of the republican repudiation of such things.

RECORDER's COURT

Honourable G. W. Baker, Recorder.

JH Burke, hard drinking, five dollars.

Thomas Donahue, drunk for a week, beat his wife, pulled her out of bed, threw dishes at her, tore her clothes off, and was very riotous. Sent to City Prison for sixty days.

Frank Weisic, D. D., City Prison two days.

Jerry McCarty, drunk again, beat his wife, broke the window, and got nabbed by an officer. Jerry said his wife got drunk and gave him no peace of his life, and he had to get drunk to keep even. The Recorder evidently did not believe him, and he was sent down stairs for thirty days."

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From: California: Its Gold and Its Inhabitants, Volume II, 1856, pp. 192-193