The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-05-12
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Tle 9utland Daily Glohc.
MONDAY MORNING MAY 10. 1878.
The Youth OF CHER Justice chase.

The Youth OF Chicf Justice Chnsr.
Mrs. Stowe, in pleasant sketch of Mr..
Chase, contained in her book entitled "Men
of Our Times" published few years ago.
says that he received his name, Salmon
| Portland, from an uncle Salmon Chase. %
distinguished lawyer of Portland, who
died suddenly while pleading in Court.
She also gives the following incidents of
Mr.. Chase's early years:
''In regard to Chase's early education.
we have not many traditions. His parents
were of the best class of New Hampshire
farmers Bible-reading, thoughtful. and
sbrewd, closely and wisely economical Ii
is said that in that region literary material
was so scarce that the boys first writing
lessons were taken on strips of birch bark
When his father died there was found to
! be little property for the support of the
family, and only the small separate estate
of his mother was left. She was of Scotch
blood-that blood which is at once shrcwd.
pious, courageous and energetic. and was
| competent to make little serve the uses of
a great deal.
But an education, and College educa-
ton, is the goal toward which such moth
ers in New England set their faces as n
Finland by infinite savings and unknown
economies they compass it.
When Chase was fourteen years old, his
uncle, the Bishop of Ohio and Illinois. of
fered to take and educate him. and he
went to Ohio along with an elder brother
who was attached to Gen. Cass's expcli-
ton to the upper waters of the Mississippi.
While at Buffalo the seniors of the party
made an excursion to Niagara. but had no
room in their vehicle for the boy Young
Chase, upon this, with characteristic encr-
gy, picked up another boy who wanted to
see the falls, and the two cnterprising
young gentlemen footed it through the
snow for twenty miles, and saw the falls
in company with their elders.
He remained two years with the Bishop.
who was peiemptory man, and used his
nephew as he did himself and everybody
else about him, that is made him work lust
as hard as he could.
The great missionary Bishop had So
much to do, and so little to do it with. that
he had to make up for lack of money by
inccssant aud severe labor, and with such
help as he could get. His nephew being
his own flesh and blood, he felt perhaps ut
liberty to drive little more sharply than
the rest, as that is the form in which the
family instinct shows itself in people of
his character,
The Bishop supplemented his own scan
ty salary by teaching school and working
farm. AM. so Salmons preparatory studies
were seasoned with an abundance of severe
labor.
The youth was near sighted, and troubled
with an obstinate lisp. The former disa-
bility was incuiable, but the latter he over
came by means of a long and perseverng
course of reading aloud.
On the whole. the Bishop seems to have
thought we'll of his nephew, for one day
in refusing him leave to go in swimming.
he did so With the complimentary eXclama-
ton "Why, Salmon. the country might
loose its future Preside,t, were | to let you
get drowned"
After being fitted under bis uncle, Chase
entered Dartmouth College
One anecdote of Chase's College life is
characteristic, as showing that courageous
and steady sense of justice which formed a
leading feature of bis after life. One OF
his classmates was sentenced by the faculty
to he expelled from College on charge OF
which Chase knew bin to be wholly inno-
cent. Chase, alter in vain arguing the case
with the President, finally told him that he
would go too, as he would not stay in an
institution where bis friends were treated
with such injustice. The two youths pack
ed up their goods and drove off. But the
faculty sent word after them almost before
they had got out of the village, that the
sentence was rcsc'nded and they might
come back. They said however, that they
must take time to consider whether they
would do so, and they took "A week, having
pleasant vacation, after which they re-
turned"
1t will be seen from the following that
Mr.. Chase, like some other distinguished
lawyers, did not burst upon his profession
with any extraordinary brlliancy:
ellis eaily days of legal practice were
days of waiting and poverty. The only
professional work he did for a considerable
time was to draw an agreement for man.
| who paid him half dollar and week af-
terward came and boz rowed it back.
Mr.. Chases first argument before q
| United States Court was at Columbus, o.,
| 1884 The case was to him very impor-
tant one, and when he arose to make his
argument he found himself so agitated that
he could not utter word. He had there
fore to sit down, and after waiting a few
moments, tried again, and made his plea
| After he was through, one of the Judges
came to him and shook hands with him,
saying, i congratulate you most sincerely
Chase, who was feeling very disagreeably,
inquired with surprise what he was con
graduated for?
'On your failure, answered the Judge,
who added: a person of ordinary temper
ament and abilities would have gone
through his part without any such symp-
toms of nervousness. But when | have
seen young man break down once or
twice IN that way, conceive the highest
| homes of him "