• VOTING MACHINE OF 1904
  In an article by Bill Wilson in‘'The Sentinel", February 23, 1996, he wrote that the first voting machine appeared in Placer County in 1904, amid doubts it would even work. But when the November 8, election was finished the cumbersome machine was reported to have made a favorable impression with many voters. It did not prove to be an election boondoggle as some thought. But at a cost of $650 each, the innovative vote counter was not put in service at future elections. "It is now too expensive and one machine is not sufficient", said Will A. Shepard, chairman of the Placer County Democratic Central Committee. " Voters are having difficulty understanding how to operate the machine. They are embarrassed to stand any length of time studying how to work it". . . With a capacity to count 600 votes in 10 hours, or one vote each minute, the lever-operated machine was the talk of the town. But the problem was to have the voters spaced out to give the needed time for the machine to count the votes. . . .Although the machine functioned as well as county officials hoped it would, the expense of providing a vote counter for each precinct was soundly opposed by leading citizens. At the next election, voters were given ballots to mark their preference and the technology in vote counters would have to wait until the computer age some 70 years later to be accepted.
• PLACER COUNTY SONG
  Karrie Samson, Placer County Historical Society Historian has a copy of sheet music written and published in 1936, by Luzetta Swett, a local music teacher who lived all of her years in Placer County. Mrs. Swett wrote this piece for the Business and Professional Women' organization, but it could be called the official song of Placer County, even though there are few who know about it or even remember it. The following words are from your host's memory, but it goes something like this:
  
  Placer County/land of plenty
  Where the folks are glad to greet you with a smile.
  It's the land of milk and honey
  Where they treasure more than money
  Every sun kissed and snow topped mile.
  
  Nature's bounty/fills our County
  Every day of every month of every year
  Our good fortune we will share,
  There is lots of room to spare-Where?
  Placer County, California U. S. A.
  
  There is another verse, but all that is remembered of it is: "That reminds us, you'll always find us
  ‘Round a bend or at the end of Donner Trail."
• FROM THE  “PSEA DRUMMER” - by Lonnie Hazen - July, 1953
  
  William B. Ide bears the distinction of being the first, last and only President of California’s Bear Flag Republic, when Commodore John D. Slaat raised the Stars and Stripes on July 7, 1846. Ide was born at Coloma, and died at Monterey. Returning to his land grant in the upper Sacramento Valley, Ide gave added proof of his versatility. When Colusa County was formed in 1850, the county seat was at the town of Monroeville, now a vanished hamlet. Ide filled the following office of the county: judge, probate judge, treas. Surveyor, clerk, and ex officio country recorder and county commissioner. Ben Ide held down those jobs as a one man county government for almost two years. He died of smallpox on Dec. 20, 1852.
  
  Copies of the Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s employees newsletter, “ Drummer” and the “Pacific Service Magazine” are available for research at the Placer County Archives. Contact cbarry@placer.ca.gov for an appt.
• Tidbits from Chronology of California’s Transition - Sept. 24 thru 30, 1846
  
  24th - Capt. Archibald Gillespie abandons the government house and fortifies a hilltop against 600 hostile Californios.
  
  24 - 29th - Capt. Archibald Gillespie requests a volunteer to go for help. Courier Juan Flaco, “Lean John” Brown gallops on horseback from Los Angeles to find Commodore Stockton or Maj. Fremont and to get reinforcements for Gillespie. He rides 500 miles in six days, eventually finding Stockton in Yerba Buena, aboard the “Congress”. 
  
  29 th 30th - Comandante Flores demands the American Garrison surrender in Los Angeles. 
  
  (San Pedro) Gen. Archibald Gillespie and his troops are permitted to march unmolested to San Pedro after abandoning their post is Los Angeles. 
• Tidbits
  (from “Drum Division” complied for Retired Members of PG&E)
  
  March 1950- Spaulding Spillways (excerpt from “The Drummer” and employee newspaper)
  Here is a story about ingenuity of our own PG&E ditch tenders: The Claude Leisers of Excelsior point ran low on supplies during the big storm, but they didn’t starve–no not with Fran and Lena Scatena around! Frank would pick up meat, vegetables, etc. at Emigrant Gap and take them home, then Lena would put them in coffee cans, or any floatable container, drop them in the 
  the South Yuba flume, call Claude and in three or four hours, Claude fished them out at his door. One box of supplies got by Claude, so Bill Campbell at Deer Creek Forebay enjoyed fresh eggs and etc. The last time I talked to Lena she said they were down to wide mouth jars and hoped they would last as long as “Operation Food” was needed.
  (Stories from “The Drummer” and others are available at the Placer Co. Archives - cbarry@placer.ca.gov)
• Excerpts from “The News Letter”, that was published monthly for PG&E Employees Drum Division
  Vol 2, February 1952 (no author listed)
  
  In light of the snow conditions this winter (Dec 2002) this tells of the dedicated men that worked for Drum Division which is now Sierra Division) fighting to keep their neighbors in power, during this very big storm. The same dedication remains today (even though “The Company”, is not the same Company as it was during this time) because of these men who care about their neighbors and desire to do the best job they know how. 
  
  OPERATION SLUG CANYON
  
  In the little towns high up in the mountains, the people don’t ask why “The Company” or the “Service Department” doesn’t hurry up and get the power back on when it fails in a storm. They know it’s nothing as impersonal as that. It’s “Bill” and “Pete” and “Ike” or “Pat”–who must go out and buck the drifts until the break is found and the lights burn once more.
  In Downieville on Monday evening, Jan. 21, there had been no electric service since Friday, Jan. 11th. . .Snow on the streets was between four and five feet deep and it was bitter cold.
  The power lines gets to Downieville by way of Alleghany, which in turn is fed by a 60,000 volt line from a point near French Canal. This line went out when the storm first hit and it took ten days with crews working 16 to 20 hours a day to put it back in service as far as Alleghany. 
  The three linemen started our for Downieville on skis to look for the break. They found it in Slug Canyon. . .
  So the next morning, Foreman Pat Shepherd and his crew left Downieville as soon as it was light enough to see through the blizzard. They carried on their backs 2200 feet (214 lbs) of No. 2 steel core aluminum cable, rope, hand lines, blocks and their tools. The snow froze as it drove in their faces as they struggled over the tops of three ridges into Slug Canyon. In the summer it’s not easy going, but you can make it (without gear) in about an hour and a half. But, Pat’s crew didn’t get there until two o’clock in the afternoon.
  Here was a shambles. No power line was visible. An avalanche had taken out five spans of poles and conductors and somewhere under 35 feet of snow they will remain until summer. But there was one live tree which had been spared. It’s branches were stripped and the new aluminum cable was laid out and the tree was used to support the center of a long span. Just before dark, they had the ends tied into the existing line and started the long trek back home. Clearance was obtained and the lights came on in Downieville at 11:21 PM. 
  The little town blazed with light as a sort of impromptu celebration got started. People turned out to walk the icy streets. Neighbor greeted neighbor. Dogs romped and barked under the street lights. . . .The biggest storm since 1890 was at an end. 
  And the thanks, freely expressed for restoration of service was not directed to “The Company”, but to “Pat” and “Stan” and “Bill” and “Pete”.
  
   
  

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