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| Fast Talk |
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| Written by Ron Swift / Fast Talk | |
| Friday, 30 May 2008 | |
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Recalling a true-Blue Patterson original In its 99-year history, this community has had its share of what we’ll call “characters.” One, certainly, was Jess W. Blue, referred to by locals as Marshal Blue. That’s because he served as Patterson’s marshal and possibly its only full-time employee when he was hired a couple years after the city incorporated in late 1919.  Ron Swift / Fast Talk Blue reportedly walked into a federal land office in Sacramento and tossed down a business card listing the 14 different positions. An employee there then wrote a humorous poem about Blue’s various titles. That poem was published in this newspaper and received many chuckles. But it wasn’t all clear sailing for Marshal Blue. He irritated some local residents, and in early 1924, 57 of them signed a petition to have him ousted. The City Council called for a formal hearing, but no one showed up to voice a complaint and his job was saved by a 3-2 vote. However, a year later Blue resigned when the council made the marshal’s position a night job, which he refused to accept. His background is interesting. Born and raised in Iowa, he served in the Philippines in 1898 during the Spanish-American War and later was a police officer in the Canal Zone during the construction of the Panama Canal. He is the only known Spanish-American War veteran to be buried in Patterson District Cemetery. Blue homesteaded in Del Puerto Canyon and over the years increased his holdings there, where he successfully raised cattle. He also served as a deputy sheriff and was well-respected as a lawman, according to his obituary. But his death was tragic. Just months after giving up his city positions, he was driving in the canyon with a friend on a Sunday morning when his 30-30 rifle accidentally discharged. The slug ripped through his leg and struck his friend in the lip and jaw. Blue’s wound would not have been fatal had he not lost a considerable amount of blood. He used his gun as a crutch and walked to a cabin, which his friend broke into and used the telephone to call for aid. The friend then bound Blue’s wound to slow the bleeding. In Patterson, Dr. E.G. Allen was attending church and could not immediately be found, but he soon rushed to the cabin. Allen returned to Patterson to pick up Blue’s wife, and the four of them raced to a Modesto hospital, arriving a moment too late. The loss of blood was simply too much. Blue died just short of his 53rd birthday. As reported in the Irrigator last August, Blue’s marshal badge was donated to the Patterson Township Historical Society by local history buff Paul Friedrich. He acquired it in a trade with a Sacramento friend — the badge had been on the East Coast for many years. Inscribed “City of Patterson, CA, Marshal J.W. Blue,” the badge is on display in the downtown museum. Ron Swift is editor/publisher emeritus of the Patterson Irrigator. His column appears weekly in this space.
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