The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-03-17
THE NEW JUDICIAL APPOINTMENT

Personal Sketches Of the New Associate
Justices of the Supreme Court Of Minnesota,
The New Attorney General, and the New
Judge of the Third District.
The formal announcement has been made
that the Hon. Greenleaf Clark of St. Paul and
Judge VIM. Mitchell Of Winona had been COM
missioned as supreme judges to fill the two new
seats added to the bench by the law passed at
the recent session of the legislature; that Hon.
c. NJ. Start, attorney general of the State, had
accepted the appointment of judge of the Third
district, made vacant by the resignation OF
Judge Mitchell, in order to accept his new po-
siton; and that Hon. VIM. J. Hahn, of Lake
City, had been appointed attorney general Of
the State, vice Start resigned Neither of the
new judges received any intimahon that they
were to be called to such an exalted station I'M
til the commissions were rendered them, with
the compliments of the governor. The honor
came entirely unsolicited and unsought. The
governor selected them on account of their en-
inent fitness for the POSITIONS and possibly, las
both of the appOintees are non-partisans) with
view Of elevating the bench above communicating
influences of party politics. The following per-
sonal sketches of the appointees from the Pho
neer Press will serve to Introduce them to such
of the people Of the State as do not already know
them:
ASSOCIATE JUST1Ch GREENIEAF CLARK,
The St Paul appointos, first saw light in tho
town of Plaisted, New Hampshire, near the Mas
sachusetts northern boundary. After the usual
common school education New England lad
is almost sure to acquire, young Clark matricu-
lated at the we'll known college of Dartmouth,
from which he graduated with honor. After
studying for time in the Office of lawyer in
Portsmouth, he perfected his legal education,
as far as that can be done without actual prac-
tice, in the law department 1T Harvard,
graduating thence in 1857 and moving
to Minnesota in 1858: In this city he has
high rank in his profession, being especially
noted for his skill and acumen in chancery
cases. At the time Of his appointment he was
. member Of tho firm of Bigelow, Flandrau l.
Clark, well known in and outside of St. Paul,
and is also serving as member Of the board
Of regents Of the State university. In politics
Judge Clark is regarded as decidedly indie
pendent, though his bent ls toward the princi-
pies of the Republican party. His appoint
ment has given most thorough satisfaction
with them he will heartily affiliate from the
commencement of his term of service. He is
IN excellent jurist, and we'll poised man. He
is about forty five years of age, and bachelor.
ASSOCIATE JUSTICE WIN. MITCHELL
is native of Canada, but his parents removed
to Pennsylvania when he was quite young. He
graduated with honor at Pennsylvania and
afterwards studied law with Judge Wilson of
Petersburg, Virginia, who was the father of
Eugene NJ Wilson of Minneapolis. Judge
Wilson emigrated to Minnesota in 1866, and
associated with the late Daniel s. Norton, and
" f. Yas IN Was "''a the me n0e
Of tho second State legislature in $4,000,
serving in the lower house. In 1874, such
the attorneys of the Third judicial district
united in request to Judge Mitchell to allow
the use of his name as candidate for the
judgship of that district He was finally in
duced to consent, though he made a great pc;
Urge and ncr aas 50 prac he has
was not nominated in convention, but
stood as an Independent candidate
and was elected without opposition. After he
had served the term of seven years he again
acceded to similar request, and was elected
against him. In the mind Of every attorney
and citizen in southern Minnesota, he is the
ideal of what true lawyer and upright Judge
should be: Judge Mitchell is forty-eight years
old, is tine-looking gentleman, of medium
married twice, and hiss a large family.
He was appointed by Gov. Pillsbury
without any Knowledge or solicitation on his
own part The first intimation he had of his
appointment was when Attorney General Start
rendered him the commission with the COVER
tation he finally accepted the position. Judge
Mitchell is not q partisan, being classed as an
Independent Democrat As a prominent law
yer said last evening, the bench and bar of the
Third district have set an example of placing
the bench above politics, which the people OF
the State will do well to follow at the next
election.
JUDGE G. NJ. START
is much older gentleman than he looks to be-
having been born at Bakersfield, VT in 1899
He was left to make his own way in the world
at an age when most boys are devoting their at
tention to their toys, and is self-made and
self-educated man. He taught school at the
age Of sixteen, and five years later, in 1850,
was admitted to the bar at st. Adams, VT He
came to Minnesota in the fall of 1858 in hopes
of improving his health, and settled ut Roches-
ter, where he formed a law partnership with