Читать книгу History of Fresno County, Vol. 5 - Paul E. Vandor - Страница 47

What a man can do when he is really up against it and must either hustle or be trodden under foot by the unfeeling world, is well shown in the interesting story of Deputy Sheriff Coates' career, from precarious boyhood to his present state of assured success. On the fourteenth of August, in the historic Centennial year, he was born near Selma, Fresno County, the son of James B. Coates, who settled here in 1850, when he first came to California by way of the Isthmus, and who having taken up farming at that early date, was always afterward regarded as one of the fir.st settlers of Fresno County. In the beginning, he pitched -his tent near Selma with W. J. Berry. Afterwards he went to Alaska with Clarence Berry, the "Klondike King," and together they shared both risks and results. His wife was Luzeta Fanning before her marriage. She accepted pot-luck with her husband in his rough, pioneer life, and passed away in 1882, one of the favored early pioneer women of the Golden State. James B. Coates is still living in Selma, and both fondly and sadly looks back to "the good old days" that will never come again.

The next to the youngest in the family, W. W. Coates was but six years old when his mother died. For a while he went to the public school, but he was early thrown on his own resources, and from that time has had to make his own way. He has done so in a manner creditable to himself, and is truly a self-made man. He soon engaged in business in Fresno, and for eleven years he and his establishment were pleasantly familiar to the people of the town and vicinity. In 1912 he was appointed a deputy sheriff under W. S. McSwain. He was reappointed by Thorwaldson, and again by Sheriff Jones, and is now the oldest deputy in office.

In 1889 Mr. Coates was married to a most attractive lady, Miss Rose Harman, and three children — Jesse, Evalyn and Wesley — have come to bless their home. In 1917 Mr. Coates purchased a beautiful five-acre tract located on Chance Avenue in East Fresno, near the fairgrounds, where he resides with his family. Here he finds diversion from his official duties in caring for and growing flowers, berries and vegetables, as well as fancy poultry; and here he and his estimable wife entertain their large circle of friends. Mr. Coates belongs to the Eagles. The family attend the Baptist Church.