The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-07-04
Forshe Farmer and MecA.uir-
Lawyers ofthe FIRST District
$50 TO 1900


Ky A LAWYER
The sr>t time | saw Judge Badger
Wa IN the supreme Court room al Hal
eigh. Alshouth | wa not ten wears old.
| remember he occasion distinctly My
father. who was in Attendance upen The
court. had taken me with him ~
member The great Difference pald Nr.
Badger by every ~ y soon a the
Judges took their seats. he arose and IL
a highly polished aud graceful wa an
uouneed the death OF Judge Daniel Ny
father told me then and ! afterwards
heard him repeat the statement very
frequently, that Mr.. Badger was intel
lectua,ly the superior OF any man he
ever met.
AT the same court | wa remarkably
pleased with - ne little attention he
slowed upon ue by MIR Freeman. Tie
c.ers of the court. The good man al
forwards sent my license 10 practice law.
10 1869, TO baltimore, whera | then
lived. stood my examinatio tttu.c
| was y year cd and consequ atty nv
iiceusc was withheld But ~ my l.
moval TO Baltimore, MIR Free nan ,cH
me the license, although | lack 4 al thar
time three months Of being of age. tt
siyly wrote me not 10 use the dorumeul
until | became u a caution which !
~ligiously observed tor the want OF clent~
My first political campaign was ~ ls5>
aud | remember distinctly how much eN-
cited and interest i | became III the
cause of the Whig party. wound
mouut a good, box on the sidewalk, ind
say
Fellow citizens, | am a Wing Vim
y. Ii. Smith is a Wing Geo. Wash
ingtou was a Nhig what good man
would not be a Wing p was i years
old, and | thought then and | think now
that my speech was a sound one.
| used to 20 around a good deal with
father To his courts. | was his tirst-born
and he loved ADD was proud of me In
those days. Poor father, who has done
50 much for me and who [ am powerless
t. aid | remember well all the lawyers
who rode the Circuit of the First Dis
trict from 1880 to 1860. Ben Hardy
was the handsomest man in the %circuit,
aud a lovial. genial gentleman he was.
Judge W. n. ii. Smith was the State
Solicitor. He was my great man. How
proud | was when father would win his
case when Mr.. Smith was on the other
side. Hon. Jesse j.. Yates and Mr..
Elias Hines were then rising young law
yerS and popular favorites. They used
to play chess a great deal, and doubtless
| annoyed them a great deal, hanging
around but they were kind and gentle
to NE. Co. s. b. Spruill was theu as
he is now. the most unseltisn, liberal
man | ever knew. Young then, and
young now, in all that constitutes good
fellowship and true comradeship long
may he live. Col. David Outlaw was IA
powerful speaker. | was a bold and for
ward boy, but | was a little afraid of the
Col. He had a way of MASKING people
that once felt was never forgotten. My
father regarded him as the most powerful
speaker when he had the reply in the
District. Col William + Martin was as
nice and as kind as a lady. | used to
hear father say sometimes IN a land sult,
"Rodman is on the other side and he is
a hard horse. | know now what thAt
means. | suppose Judge Henry Gil
Ii I'm has given me first and last one hun
nred pounds of candy '.D--n your
little soul, take this quarter aud clear
up he has SAID TO me a thousand times.
tie and father travelled the circuit IL
gether for twenty-five years. | never
htdlu lily Idtitl Spcdh Az u1klIu WOru
of him. Judge Robert Heath was very
Impressive In appearance and manner.
Judge Barnes was in the front rank. A
gentleman in all the term implies. am
aston!shed when | remember the liberties
| used to take with him. He is 50 auict
and dignified, a kinder man never lived.
Col Shaw and Gov. Bragg | knew little
OF. ! was a terrible partisan and they
were to me the very incarnation of dem
ocracy. But | have heard my father say
that take him all in all Bragg was the
toughest opponent he ever met at the
trial. The Wing lawyers used to annoy
John Parker Jordan by telling him they
would put me up to reply to him. | was
mortally afraid of Judge Caldwell aid
When he rode the circuit | generally
kept out of the court house. judi, 9
Warren and Mr.. Satterthwalte | used
see at Martin court but knew little Of
them. Father thought very highly Of
both of them.
VI the younger men, Garrett, Bind,
" byte and others, | hal not write.
Those three have embalmed their names
10 Berthe county through the awful i'm
mortality Of war
In those old days and times [ thought
| had the world 10 "a sling. To-day
know the world has me in a sling.