The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1872-02-01
THE SUPREME COURT CIRCLE.

tween Capitol Hill and the National Hotel At
the National Hotel-that celebrated old inn
where Buchanan got the hotel disease-the
biggest, most robust, and colossal Judges of
the Supreme Court kept their abode. There
is old Justice Clifford, of Maine, who weighs
above 300 pounds; there is Justice Davis, of
Illinois, man worth his million, who weighs
hard upon 300 pounds; there also abides JUS
tice Nelson, of New York, the Nestor of the
bench, who can not weigh much less than 200
pounds, and is remarkably handsome speci-
men of fine old Irlsh-American jurist, COW
cred over with white hair, like a wise goat.
Chief Justice Chase bought a country box out
side Of Washington last year, but his paralysis
has again compelled him to return to the home
of his daughter, Mrs. Sprague, where he is
kindly cared for, and already looks like his
former self, with the exception of his hair,
which is entirely gone. Two of the Justices
Miller and Field-occupy roomy and agreeable
houses in the lost waste of Capitol Hill. There
also lives the voluptuary Middleton, Clerk of
the Court, who is said to be quite rich, and
who can tell you plenty of stories about Writ,
Pnkney, Rufus Choate, and Chancellor Kent
Justice Fields house is said to have been pre-
sented to him by his brother, Cyrus w. Field.
Next door to him William NJ. Evarts, of New
York, owns house, which is now occupied by
Nevada lawyer These two houses form a
part of what used to be the Old Capitol Prison,
where Mrs Surratt and Belle Boyd were con-
fined, and Captain WirZ was hanged. Justice
Swayne occupies quiet house near the West
End, and Justice Strong boards at the Ebbitt
House, while Justice Bradley is the immediate
neghbor of General Sherman in the old Grant
Douglas mansion. Richard Parsons, the Mar
shall of the Court, who is one of the wealthiest
men in Cleveland, Ohio, boardseat the Airing.
ton Hotel. The richest man ON the Supreme
Bench is Davis, sometimes spoken of as an anti
Grant candidate for the Presidency; he owns
most of the valuable property in Bloomington,
H.; well off are Bradley, Strong and Miller.
The following Justices of the Supreme
Court have never been elected to Congress:
Bradley, Davis, Nielsen, Field Miller and
Swayne. Chase, Clifford and Strong have
been in Congress. Of these men the poorest
is Cliiiord-not worth above $4,000, yet hap
py as wood sawyer. He is 68 years old, was
Polk's Attorney y-General and Minister to Mex
leo, and was put on the Supreme Bench by
Buchanan. Field is also indfferently we'll off
worth perhaps $4,000. Strong, although
nominally from Pennsylvania, is native of
Connecticut, and representative Yankee in
sagacity and force He left Yale College and
took to school teaching, like Chief Justice
Chase, and this brought him TO Philadelphia,
where he entered the bar in 1882, and took up
his abode in the old Dutch county of Berks.
He served many years as Judge of the State
Supreme Court. He is married to second
wife and has crop of young children.
Justice Samuel L. Miller is native of Ken
lucky, and many think the ablest man on the
bench. He has been twice married, and the
daughter just welded to Col Stocking is the
offspring of his first wife. He began life a
physician. expressed himself too freely on sla-
very, and in 1850 he settled in Iowa. He was
counsel to rich widow there, his present wife,
and they have several children. She is spir-
tied, able woman, and Miller ranks with Chase
as man of original thought, bold man. large
learning and candid, charitable spirit. If
Chase should die now, Miller would get his
place apd deserve it. Mrs Miller's father is
said to have been an innkeeper in Ohio.
Judge Swayne is rich, made SO by judicious
investments in Western real estate. He put
$4,000 in Toledo property, which yielded him,
after several years, $3OO,OOO. He has several
capable sons.
Justice Nelson has gone to New York State,
and some think he will never return here, be-
ing now very old-on the verge of eighty. He
is very we'll off, and is married to a second
wife, bleached and beautiful in well preserved
years as himself.
These Justices are now a harmonious, con-
cordant body, having got over their fierce quar-
rels about the greenback- gold contracts. They
have just rendered a new decision on this SUBJ
ject, and nobody knows what it means. SO that
they are all writing individual opinions upon it.
The Judges feel that they occupy a relation
of unpopularity with the politicians. and yet
one of inexpungeabe co-orditate power, SO
they are equitably Indifferent and absolutely
happy. Four men of the bench would make
good Presidents-Chase, Miller, Davis and
Strong All the Justices speak highly of Lyman
Trumbull. Judge Chase said, some time ago,
that Trumbull's opinion in the case of the i'm
peachment of Andrew johnson was worthy of
the best exempli6catons Of the Roman Senate.
New York Herald.