▁S ew ard , ▁performing ▁tasks ▁related ▁to ▁a ▁case ▁being ▁heard ▁in ▁Detroit . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 4 , ▁My rick ▁tra ve led ▁to ▁California ▁by ▁the ▁Nic ar agua ▁route , ▁arriv ing ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁in ▁October ▁with ▁only ▁five ▁dollars ▁in ▁his ▁possession . ▁He ▁worked ▁as ▁a ▁printer ▁for ▁a ▁year ▁on ▁the ▁San ▁Francisco ▁Sun . ▁In ▁October ▁ 1 8 5 5 , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Sh asta , ▁California ▁and ▁helped ▁to ▁establish ▁the ▁Sh asta ▁Republican . ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 8 5 7 , ▁he ▁moved ▁to ▁Red ▁Bl uff , ▁California ▁and ▁res umed ▁the ▁practice ▁of ▁law ▁in ▁partners hip ▁with ▁Warner ▁Ear ll . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 3 ▁to ▁ 1 8 6 5 , ▁during ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁Major ▁in ▁the ▁L assen ▁R angers , ▁a ▁state ▁milit ia ▁unit . ▁In ▁May ▁ 1 8 6 6 , ▁he ▁returned ▁to ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁this ▁time ▁as ▁an ▁att orney , ▁and ▁was ▁appointed ▁by ▁Judge ▁O . C . ▁Pr att ▁of ▁the ▁Tw elf th ▁Jud icial ▁District ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁a ▁ref eree ▁in ▁a ▁complicated ▁partitions ▁case . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁to ▁a ▁four - year ▁term ▁on ▁the ▁county ▁prob ate ▁court ▁as ▁the ▁nom ine e ▁of ▁the ▁Tax ▁P ayer ' s ▁Convention , ▁taking ▁office ▁on ▁January ▁ 1 ,