code: @SuppressWarnings("rawtypes")
      protected ColumnFamily getColumnFamilyViaColumnName(String columnFamilyName, Object rowKey) {
          return getColumnFamilyViaColumnName(columnFamilyName, rowKey.getClass());
      }
docs: returns a ColumnFamily given a columnFamilyName
  @param columnFamilyName
  @param rowKey
  @return the constructed ColumnFamily