Personal reminiscences of early days in California, with other sketches : to which is added the story of his attempted assassination by a former associate on the supreme bench of the state

A young lawyer’s restless ambition carries him westward in the fevered years of the Gold Rush, and he quickly finds himself thrust into the rough‑and‑ready world of San Francisco’s fledgling government. Through vivid recollections he describes the chaotic streets, the first elections, and his surprising rise to the post of alcalde, offering a window into how law and order were forged on a frontier still finding its shape.

The narrative then turns to his growing involvement in state politics, the fierce debates that divided the legislature, and the personal rivalries that erupted into public controversy. As a judge on California’s Supreme Court, he confronts tangled land claims, post‑war tensions, and the everyday frustrations of a courtroom that feels more like a battlefield.

Interwoven with these memoirs is the unsettling account of a former colleague’s attempt on his life—a stark reminder that even in a time of expansion, personal vendettas could become deadly. The story captures both the promise and peril of building a new society on the Pacific edge.