Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-12-17

o John, and tell him that the poor have tn
= Gospel preached unto them" and the
added, now where is the place for tn
: poor in this splendid house? Mr.. Lis
e replied, the poor shall be provided fol-
D These things show where the mans hear
5 was.
4 Mr.. Peck made out to live in the aris
, tocratic town by working at his trade o
a painter, and by teaching music. HI
: understood the science of music so well
that he taught the young ladies on tn,
first piano ever brought to Wheeling
! although he could not play bimself. AnC
, while here, to earn something, he walk
J ed ever to st. Clairsville and back t.
. Wheeling once every week, to give music
lessons to the daughters of Mr.. Cald well
! There was energy and perseverance fol
: an example to every poor boy. Mr.. Peck
could net always paint houses, and be
did not want to teach music. The time
had come that he must undertake the
great task Of making lawyer of him
self. lie therefore, about July 4th, 1926
bought four little volumes of Black
stones Commentaries, and commenced
studying law in terrible earnest. He
worked all day at his trade of painting
houses, and read Blackstone half the
night. He studied at plain pine board
fahla opd yyo,,Id oOpu,it tho 5aGz;t;o-.
of legal terms to memory, by writing
them out with pencil on his table, and
when the table was covered all over with
these definitions. be would plane them
off with jack plane, and again fill up
with another lot; but before they were
planed off, they had been transferred to
the more enduring tablets of his memo
ry. In this way he literally consumed
the few law books he ceRld get hold of
and there were only few for any law,
yer at that day. By April of the next
year be felt confidence that he could pass
an examination and be admitted to prac-
tiee. He therefore applied to the county
court for certificate that he was over
twenty-one years of age, had been res
ident of Virginia for more than one year,
and was man of good moral character
and this application was the first notice
the Wheeling Bar had of his ambition to
become lawyer, for be had ne preeep
tor. All the lawyers. except Alexander
Caldwell, turned up their noses at his
sions. and intimated to him that no me,
chanic could sneak into the learned pro-
fession in that way. But they had yet
to learn the power of the man whom no
obstacle, could keep do~R.AfteT getting
this certificate he had to be examined
and passed by three judges; and to se>
sure his license he had to go to Clarks-
burgh and meet the judges at court. He
walked all the way, and passed success
full examination before Chancellor Henry
St. George Tucker, great man in Vir-
ginia in those days, and common pleas
justice, Judge Summers. Judge Sum-
mers asked him if he had ever read
Coke on Littleton." and he replied that
he had not, had never seen the book.
And the judge set him back by telling
him that he could not see how it was
possible for man to practice law who
had never read that book. But adding,
that inasnuch as he had one judges
name to his papers, and had walked a
hundred miles to be examined, be would
ask him some questions.
The judge asked him questions on the
law of real estate, which was always a
favorite study with Mr.. Peck, and was
surprised at his prompt and correct an
swers, saying. "Why, that is Coke on
Littleton,' where did you learn that p
The candidate replied, 81 learned that
from Blackstone" Blackstone! Black
stonel oh, yes, 1 believe there is new
book by man of the name of Black
stone, but 1 have never seen it, replied
the surprised and discounted Judge.
Then the honors were easy between
them. From this single remark, the
lawyers and students of this day, who
have text books on every branch and
sub division of the study, and Reports
by the thousand volumes. can see what
different thing it was to study and
practice law sixty years ago. Mr.. Peck
got his license, was duly admitted to
practice in all the courts. on April 18th,
1926, and walked back to Wheeling, whis-
tling and singing all the way, and as he
expressed it, "The happiest man alive" +"
1t was wild country he passed through.
He walked from Clarksburgh out twenty
miles before breakfast the next morning
after his admission. and on that whole
distance there was not house or set
tier, frequent bear wallows" were in the
road.
Soon after being admitted to the Bar,
Mr.. Peck removed with his mother from
Wheeling to st. Clsirsville. He was yet
very poor; could not afford horse, and
did all his travelling between st. Clairs>
vile. Wheeling and surrounding towns
on foot. James Caldwell and wife were
warm friends of his, and Mr.. Caldwell, a
merchant, gave him al his collection bu-
siness. Friends in Wheeling also gave
him collections. Mr.. Caldwell got into a
big law suit with the old bank of st.
Clairsville and John Patterson, the other
rich man of the town. Mr.. Patterson
was the father of Isaac H. Patterson.
This being very important chancsry
case, Mr.. Caldwell was afraid to entrust
it to young Lawyer Peck, but employed
an older man, the late Thomas H. Genin,
and apo,ogized to Mr.. Peck for doing so.
seeing that the apparent want of conf
dence hurt him. Mr.. Peck took the dis