Huntsville gazette., 1885-03-14

States Marshal for the Western district Of
Texas. In the Naval Department: Lieu
tenant Downs L. Wilson, junior grade. to
be Lieutenant; Ensign Henry T. Mayo. to
be Lieutenant, junior grade
Carrying a Library in His Hand.
A Colored Man in Washington whom
Lawyers all over the country Know.
From the n Y. Snn.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.-Opposite the
winding staircase which ascends to the ro-
tunda, and directly beneath the Supreme
Court room, is the finest law library in this
country. 1t contains $1,000 volumes. and
the annual additions amount to about 1000
volumes. Though nominslly part of the
miscellaneous library, and under the juris-
diction of Mr.. Spoford, it has had for years
its librarian and separate accommodations.
the profoundest lawyers of the United
States have laboriously traced legal princi
Piles and marshalled arrays of authorities.
The rule of science 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 ore
an ance. There is gas jet or lamp
within the room. No employee dare even
carry match. Afther the FIRE in 1851,
which proved SO disastrous, statute was
enacted prohibiting the use of combustibles
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 middle of a
sustained argument which The reader would
fain pursue to conclusion, the volume must
be resigned.
The assistant law librarian, John Francis
Nocholas Wilkinson, is q colered gentle
man. He is the oldest attache in either Ii
brary. For % years he has been the ia.
mlliar purveyor of the law books, and in
every leading Office Of the larger Giles he
could find lawer whom he knows. No
authorizations of the law reporters stagger
him. He refers to no dictionary to discov-
or the meaning of the initials or condensed
names used. but promptly goes to the
proper alcove, and unerringly brings forth
the desired report, whether it be one of a
musty British series or some earlier State
collection of op .nions whose editor sought
to emblazon his own name upon it rather
than employ the modern convenience of
consecutive numbers. 1t is this perfect
familiarity with the library which impress
es Mr.. Wilkinson upon the visitor. The
pages of the Supreme Court Justices are
momentarily coming down with requisi-
tions for authorities that may range from
the ancient Brehon laws, French causes
delebres, or reports of the Court de Cassa-
ton to the whole domain of American de-
cisions. With the precision of Swiss
bell-ringer Mr.. Wilkinson draws ont the
required works from the shelves. But what
is more remarkable as feat of msmorizing
is the accuracy of his recollection of cases.
He has no need of recourse to digests to
locate the leading cases in our jurispru-
dence. The library has grown during Mr..
Wilkinson's incumbency from $4,000 to
SO, 900 volumes, but he has kept pace with
it.
For six generations back MI. Wilkiuson's
ancestors have been free. He has African,
Indian and white blood in his veins. In
1881, when the fear of slave insurrection
terrorized the South, and the free negroes
were driven from Virginia, Wilkinson's
father became resident of Washington,
where he was caterer to the leading states
men who messed together there. The son
was early placed in brickyard, and fol-
lowed brick making until he was 20 years
old. filling the winter intervals with cater.
ing and playing in a band. In 1857 hs
was employed as laborer to assist in
cleaning the general library. Congress
made an 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 1862
Mr.. Lincoln removed John S. Meehan, the
law librarian, after 81 years sevirce, and
appointed DR.. Stevenson of Terre Haute in
his place. The new appointee discharged
every employee except the younger Nee
han. Wilkinson was told that it had been
decided TO employ no colored help. But
he was restored in few months, and the
Supreme Court and Reverdy johnson, then
on the Library Committee, requested that
he be never removed.
Eggs vs.. Cotton,