The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-28

trace tho career Of our present Mayor through hs
c0ilege days. We have seen the circumstances
under which nc entered college. We see MIN u Yer
he enters lOremOSG Ia his Bt1dleG foremost I'D tno
recitation room III his compositions, the debates
10 toe literary societies, 1ors most N Outdoor sports
In college un and irolc-Ioremost IN everything IN
his genus, which, according 10 Du BOs, IL 0uy an
aptitude received from nature 70 do well ana easily
that winch can 10 but indirerentiy and with
great deal VI palDs III his nvely And original fancy
aud IN his VII cusly pungent and Doing and
buObllng over Win racy richness, We see also tue
germ OF the future man. But we cannot unyer heIe:
Late " nx burned his student lamp Ia those ni1hs
vIslls IKE all young nel OF genius aud hIgn
aspirations and consciousness OF mnate power, ne
svluet buis stately CIR castles, aud his iervid
Lut he had not much tune 10 give 10 architecture al
laboiB III the regions OF the upper air. and with hiS
ssperules. hls not1sr was poor. he had pro-
missed " pay his college bills. lie did this. And
more too. lie fulfilled nis prouse, and he did II ny
FIRST ESSAY IN JOURNALISM.
EVERYBODY knows VINO knows anything about A..
Oakley liail that ne has been Q good many years
identlieI with Journalism. Not everybody knows
that py Tue labois VI hs pen and brain he paiu Ms
way through college. me senius tiat enabled Dr
Johnson " write kosse05 70 raise money Wisn
which to pay MS mothers funeral expenscs tno
genius that kept Oliver Goldsmith IRON deDtor
jan aud starvation; the genius that has inted many
poor scholar apo,e want and prvation came 10 nils
rescue. lie early commenced writing ior news.
papers ond magazines Ia those late nignt vigiis NC
wrote aracies when BY reason Of Their spice auu
originality readily found their way tnto type Taere
was taking epi2ram.natc terscness Of style ano
PusniD sss0Rss Y w. .nd ~ was
that Ae found tnem speedily nccepteu AM tue gsx.
ments prompt and hDerii. lie wrQ{e ior sAe new
PARK Benlamln's ventures; iom Nichois Aurora,
the EUes..,sg Mirror and 0eher payers. They were
all kinds OF artices-gnt essays on literary topics
exhaustive vreatises on grave questions Vi govern
insnt. finance. political ECONOMY and reform, book
reviews, dramGlc criticisms, police reports, dead
and live topics-anyt hinS thas had an interest,"
INF n rial mrs. "A
several anecdotes Of his experiences III Journalism
IN those day O. Tho New Ork press Was not the
MAS NO. the estsp ished pro,ssslon It now " and
ranking second no other III dignly, honor aud In
nucnce. We must maze one answer our purpose--
~ an repOrler,n nc SAID Que uight at the gate OF
the 0id Park theatre, land wish To pass inside"
"fou are MOI Old enough 10 De reporter spoke
up Mr.. Edward simpson, the manager scanning ms
Sucn iaiSe pretence.n
ii am old enough to write that" Indignantly re-
tOrted young Oukey, puliluR newspaper from MS
pocker au1 showing tremendous puilippic No mad
.ioa can pass, alowled Mr.. Simpson, "but draw
your criticism milder neat time, II you please"
he also wrote Drllla an: gossipng letters 70 papers
In cities, foe wuic le received pays aud az we
have stateu, he wrote Tor various magazines be-
s,des interesting as it would dwell upon these
deIaiIs we nave not the time or space Gould these
early products OF Ills BRAIN be read 10 day the pleas
ing fascination OF tnelr style, his VIVID power Of de-
scriptlOn and their alternating hum0r aud sound
logic would hardly suggest the pressure Of necessity
under which lhey were written. But they were wei
written, and he was well PAID FOR then. 1bey ac-
couipiished his purpose. He relieved his mosaer OF
expense on his account ana pursued uninterrupted
his college studies.
GRADUATES AND BEGINS THE STUDY OF LAW.
In 1s44 young Oakley graduated ut college. HIS
commencement exercise Was buresque coiioquy
written III verse, entitled 'Ine Ghosts OF the Past
aud Future.n The University cOmmencements were
teen helu III the cd Church uf the Messiah now tue
New aork tneasrs: Chancellor FrsnaSnuy ,s ~,
I0quy struck out some lines prOphesytng that this
cuurcn would one dag become theatre. A quarter
Vi century ami tho propnecy was iuiniied Coiiexe
efforts are geueraily very dry and STALE. This was
exceedingly humorous and IS still remembered by
many VINO heard is as replete with the happiest
Imaginable concers. lie had early selected tne law
as ms profession. Through the pecunary Kindness
OF MS uncle, samuel W. Oakey, insrcnant OF
his couexlats studies 70 enter tue harvard
Law School at Cambridge. his was during
the pr0.essorshD of jud1e Story anu SIMON
Greenieal, sutnor OF the great text book on EVIL
dcnce. His career here was Driet put brilliant. he
attended falIarully the lectures IN tue "moek
rriAis' hc bore on the pa.m for sagacty In sifl-
Ing evidence and adr0lt aud eloquent summing up
he was uhequai ed, and at supper gwen Dy some
OF tue ncdginE lawyers on the complexion VI new
lively epigran, the TWO cioslng lines OF which run
thus:-
How sttinsly fame's laurel climbs
LIS Grsen-.saf - one story height
Ho remained Ut Cambridge only one term. He
found II slow business. keturning 70 New York he
entered the law once OF Charles w. Sandiord, but
relnaiued on short ume. he went New Or.
leans, and there resumed his law studies in the
once OF Thomas d Jonn 6hdeli. lie studied law
and outline laid down In Blackstone, no mas.
tered .Goke upon latlet0n," mustered the science
the common law, clvii law. maritime law and
national aw-sounded, Ia lact the deepest depths OF
raw as science, vi! ne =, could sport ana play
IN co lege here he mad TO combat impecunioslty.
During his stay IN the Crescent City. wnlcn con-
unued through Two years, ne performed reportOrlal
HuttflIL
Delta, and also wrole FOR ana partially edited the
Literary World. His sketches In the last named
periodical, under the title oil zine Mannattaner IN
New orleans Phases OF crescent CITY Lie" were
subsequently publlsned IN BOOK form Dy J. >. Red
~ s ss ana .aa ing
and character and places Is they then presented
themselves III the great aud growing metropolis Of
the south. He was admitted 10 the New Orleans bar
in 1eA6. being then only twenty years Of age.
one OF his examiners was judah +. Benjamin,
Secretary OF the Treasury Of the southern confede
racy. And this reminds US that during the war It
was quite common to den0unce Mr.. Han ~ cop
pernead. lie certainly enjoyed good opportunities
chiefs II he had been disposed TO do So Tue fact Is
that during the war ne was tnor0ughgoing Union
and Was foremost III his Efforts ia AL matters
pertaining 70 the raising OF money and men 10 help
put down the rebellion.
ADMISSION TO THE NEW YORK BAR AND EARLY
The fall Of 1s4s found A. Oakley Hall again in New
YORK; tnis time with determination to MAKE this
Guy his Lcrnlanent nome. however the gay south
here u wluer field i0r MS amoition. AND Inc more
assured prospect OF successful career in his profess
siOl. Shortly after his return he was ex-
amlped ana aamiLteI to the New YORK bar.
FOR two year, AZ lar as legal practice went,
ne went through the ordinary sarvaton process
common to most young lawyers. But IL was
not IN him TO wait for clients and starve. He TOOK
up once more his pen-nls faithful ally against want
Ae wrote Tor various City papers. he also wrote
weekly letters to Inc New orleans Commercial Bui-
ien Deitd, over the respective nODts de piur1s
"Crolon" ana "Hans iorkal" Spicier or more reada-
bic letters never written from shis city, During
this period he also contributed, US he nad previously
done, arlc.es TO the International MdOdxute edlted
by Rufus w. Griswoid, and wrote good deal Tor
Norris and to whom. as his iatncr's ifiend, IL Will
be remembered, he dedicated his Christmas story,
published W Harper5, called "Oid Whltey's Christ
Mas lroIn A circumstance about thls tiule occurred
In connection with his JOURNALISTIC laDors that 10
worth relating. There Was vacancy on the repor-
torial stan ol tho New YORK CUnAlercidL lie went
to the ONCE inquired for the editor. saw INN aud
made verbal application Tor the position.