Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1885-05-08
CARRYING A LIs2Aay IN HIS HEAD.
a CoIored Man Ia Washington whom
Lawyers All ever the Country
KnoKN.

Opposite the winding staircase which
asceuds TO the rotunda, and directly be-
meath The Supreme Court room, IS the
finest law library in this country. 1t con-
tains 5000 volumes and the annual
editions amount TO about 1000 volumes.
Though nominally part Of the miscel-
laneous library and under the jurisdiction
of Mr.. SpoiTord, il has had for years its
librarian and separate accommodations.
Within the portals Of this vast collection
the profoundest lawyers of the United
States have laborioUsly traced legal prin-
ciples and marshalled arrays of authori-
ties The rule Of silence is without
breach In this legal reservoir there Is
that quiet which rests upon the waters IN
whose depths genuine pearls alone are
found.
The legal explorer meets with but one
annoyance There is not n gas Jet or lamp
within the room. No employe dare even
carry a match. After the fire in 1851, which
proved so disastrous, Il statute was
enacted prohibiting the use of combusti-
bles of any kind within the libraries And
thus, when dusk prevents the eye from
longer following the studied text, the
doors are closed, and, perhaps in the mid
die of Il sustained argument which the
ItduCF NOulu ram pursue 10 COuCluSlOu,
| the volume must he resigned.
The assistant law librarian, John Fran
| els Nicholas Wilkinson, is Il COlOred gem
| tleman. He is the oldest attache in either
| library. For twenty-eight years he has
| been the familiar purveyor of the law
! books, and in every leading office of the
| larger cities he could find n lawyer whom
he knows. No Authorizations of the law
reporter stagger him. He refers to no die
| tiOnary 10 discover the meaning of initials
| or condensed names used, but promptly
! goes TO the proper alcove, and unerriHgly
| brings forth the desired report, whether 1t
| be one of muSty British series or some
! earlier State collection of opinions whose
editor sought to cmblazen his own name
upon it rather than employ the modern
! convenience of consecutive numbers. 1t
| is this perfect familiarity with the library
which impresses Mr.. Wilkinson upon the
visitor The pages of the Supreme Court
| Justices are mOmentarily coming Gown
| with acquisitions for authorities that may
| range from the ancient Brehon laws,
| French causes cGlCbrCS, or reports Of the
! Court de Cessation t. the whole domain
| of American decisions. With the pre-
cision of Swiss bell-ringer Mr. Wilkinson
draws out the required works from the
! shelves. But what is more remarkable as
q feat of memorizing is the accuracy of
| his recollection of cases. He has no need
| of recourse to digests to locate the leading
cases i'll our Jurisprudence The library
has grown during Mr.. Wilkinson's incum-
bency from $1,000 to $1,000 volumes, but he
has kept pace with it.
For six generations back Mr.. Wilkinson's
ancestors have been free. He has Afri-
can, Indian, and white blood in his veins.
In 1881, when the fear Of slave insurrec-
ton terrorized the South, and the free
negroes were driven from Virginia, Wiki
| inson'S father became Il resident of Wash
ington, where he was caterer to the lead
ing statesmen who messed together there.
The son was early placed in a backyard,
and followed brickmaking until he was %
| years old, filling the winter intervals with
catering and playing in band. In 1857
he was employed as a laborer to assist in
cleaning the general library Congress
made All appropriation for an additional
laborer, and Wilkinson got the permanent
job. Wilkinson was soon detailed to the
law library, and there, through the grades
of laborer, messenger and assistant libra
rian. he has served ever since In 1>tj2 Mir.
Lincoln removed John $. Meehan, the law
librarian, after thirty-one years service,
| and appointed DR.. Stevenson of Terre
Haute, in his place. The new appointCe
discharged every employee except the
younger Meehan. Wilkinson was told
that it had been decided to employ 10 col
ored help But he was restored III Il few
months, and the Supreme Court ana
Reverdy Johnson, then on the Library
Committee, requested that he be never It,
| moved.