Feb. 16, 2022
Liz Writes Life
Two weeks ago, I finally planted 20 garlic cloves. There
seemed to be a bit of moisture left in the soil, and I didn’t have much
enthusiasm for the job, so I didn’t irrigate. I should have. Last week, I
finally hooked-up the hose to the frost-free faucet and pulled it over to the
garden area to irrigate the garlic row. The soil was so dry it did not want to
soak up the water. So, I slowed the water flow and tried to give the row a good
soaking anyway.
Yep, it is extremely dry. The Feb. 1, 2022 Snow Survey
conducted by Klamath National Forest Service personnel found the snowpack is
averaging about 60 percent of the historical data in the mountain areas south
and west of Scott Valley. Not good. With that great amount of snow at Christmas,
we all hoped for a good snowpack in the mountains. But, no rain or snow in
January and warm daytime temps have certainly diminished the snow levels.
Sure praying for the weather pattern to change and we get a
miserable “miracle” March!
Well, I am still checking-out the 1993 Law Enforcement issue
of “The Siskiyou Pioneer” and will share the story I wrote about Ruth Markon,
who was Justice of the Peace in Sawyers Bar. She was appointed in 1947 and
re-elected four terms giving her a 17-year stint as the highest authority on
the Salmon River.
“It wasn’t a nice job,” stated Ruth, when I interviewed her
in the late-1980s. But, she admitted it was “interesting.”
Ruth didn’t use the Sawyers Bar jail, although her father
did. He had served as town constable for 28 years and used the little old log
house down back of town “to keep mostly drunks in overnight.”
There was only one alleged murder during Mrs. Markon’s time
as judge, but she was only expected to write up the preliminary hearing
statements on where and when the murder happened and who was transporting the
defendant to the jail in Yreka.
Ruth conducted all trials and hearings in her own home and
wrote up all the reports without charging the county. When she needed advice,
the county district attorney was always, “very helpful.”
Nearly 50 years of the River’s history was instilled in Ruth
for she was born in the once-again booming mining town of Sawyers Bar in 1898.
She attended the 52-student – with one “strict school teacher” – elementary
school and after completing the ninth grade in Sawyers Bar moved to Portland,
Oregon, to live with her aunt and attend a business school.
“When our teacher (a man) finished with us, we had an
equivalent of a high school education,” according to Markon. So she was able to
attend a college technical-type school at the age of 16.
Ruth eventually returned to Siskiyou County and met her first
husband, Ira Crammer, while working as head cook for a 22-man crew that was
building the new road over Forest Mountain to Yreka. They had four children:
Ellis, Glen, Melvin and Dorothy, while living on the Moffett Creek Ranch his
family owned. Unfortunately, for young Ruth, Ira died of a heart attack just 13
years into their marriage.
In her heart, Salmon River was still “home,” so Ruth moved
her young children to Sawyers Bar. It was still “lively enough,” Ruth recalled
and found herself involved in the community, working several hours a day at the
bakers and giving the midnight dance support almost every Saturday night.
When Ruth was appointed judge, she learned there was a scale
of how much of a fee to fine defendants. It was set by the State Judges and
Marshals Association. When Ruth first began attending the state association
meetings, she was only one of five women judges in California. One of those
judges was also in Siskiyou County over in Butte Valley.
Judge Markon said that her “most puzzling case” was in the
early 1950s. A woman went into one of the local restaurants and was impressed
over the proprietress’ parakeet. The bird was learning new words and would fly
to its owner’s shoulder. When the visiting lady tried to coax the bird to fly
to her should, it flew on out the door and was never found!
Just as in the modern “People’s Court” on television, each
woman defended herself in court, giving her version of the incident. To Judge
Ruth’s dismay, most of the town people turned out to hear the case. This added
tense pressure. Finally, the judge fined the visiting woman $50 to pay for the
lost parakeet.
Judge Ruth recalled working with local Fish and Game officers
and Deputy Sheriff Dick Newton. In the early 1980s, Ruth moved out from Sawyers
Bar, and lived on Etna’s Main Street. She died Nov. 28, 1998 at the age of 100.
May peace and calm be with you this week. Smile – just cuz it
makes you feel better!
Liz Bowen began writing ranch and
farm news, published in newspapers, in 1976. She is a native of Siskiyou
County. Columns from the past can be found at: lizwriteslife.blogspot.com. Call
her at 530-467-3515.
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