The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1886-11-10

As body there is no finer looking set of
men in the country than these several JUS
tees of our Supreme Court. With the ex-
ception of Justice Bradley and Justice
Woods they are all men of large physique,
md in two instances, Justice Harlan and
Justice Gray, extraordinarily so. Justice
Gray is the biggest, the boldest, and the
ruddiest member of the Bench. He sits on
one end at the right hand of Chief Justice
Waite. The other end of the line is kept
down by Justice Woods, who is only
medium sized man. There are four Jus.
tees who have reached the age making
shem eligible for retireme Mt, viz, seventy
years. They are Chief Justice Waite and
Justices Field, Bradley and Miller.
Occasionally a whisper is heard to the
effect that Mr.. Bradley inten Is to take I'D
vantage of the retirement act, but he will
not talk upon the subject. He is seventy
four years of age, and his health and men,
tai facilities are as sound as they ever were.
He will make up his mind TO retire some
day, but he will not go out on the street
with brass horn and notify the neighbors
Of the fact. Mr.. Bradley is secretive--per-
haps more SO than any of his associates.
Messrs. Harlan and Field ara chatty and
like to talk, and so does Mr.. Miller. These
three are the most approachable men on
| the Bench Mr.. Harlan is the best story
teller, with Mr.. Miller good second. OF
all the Justices, Mr.. Harlan probably knows
more men than any of his associates He
can be familiar without losing his dignity
and he can " do up" story in a manner
that would make Mark Twain green with
envy. Mr.. Harlan is almost q giant in size
and he has great big, kindly face which
looks as though he had made up his mind
to have good time in going through this
life His hair is peculiar shade of toward
| old gold and he wears his high silk hat tip
| ped down over his right eye for all the
world like sport of the olden day. Messrs
Harlan, Woods and Waite are great pedes
| TRANS They all have carriages, but usual
| ly they walk to the Capitol and back agair
to their houses every day when the Supreme
Court is in session. Mr.. Gray seldom goes
onf foot. He is not graceful walker. His
legs are long and he apparently never takes
step more than eight inches in length and
this, taken with the fact that his feet ore
evidently tender, makes him prefer his com.
Portable carriage as method of transporta-
ton from one point to another. Mr.. Woods
is the only justice who uses cane and Mr..
Gray is the only ono who wears cape over
| coat.
The court holds its sessions in the OLD
Senate Chamber, just beyond the crypt
which was built in the Capitol for the re-
mains of Washington. On tho other side Of
the chamber is the robing room, where the
Justices meet just before noon on each day
and don their silk gowns. II is curious
| place, with its old fashioned furniture and
old portraits of the Justices who have pass
ed into the common history of the coun-
try.
The Court meets promptly Mt noon.
Years ago there was great deal OF trouble
in getting the court together so that it could
be opened promptly on the noon hour.
Each of the Justices had a watch which he
insisted kept the only true time. As the
watches never agreed, Chief Justice Mar
shall had the court opened by his timepiece.
There was some dissatisfaction over this,
30 the Full Court took the matter under sol.
emn consideration. 1t was finally decided
10 have clock made expressly for the use
Of the court, and that old fashioned time
| piece, with its brass works, still hangs in
the clerks Office, marvel of accuracy even
now. AS the noon hour sounds on the
clocks of the city the doors opening into
| the court chamber and robing room are
thrown open and the procession of Justices,
with Mr.. Woods at the head and Chief JUS
tice Waite in the centre, and the giant Mr..
Gray Mt the end marches out and across
The hall which is guarded by four stalwart
officers
At the opening Of the Court, they walk
1p and stand until the crier drones out the
customary opening of the court closing
with:
God save the United States of Ameri.
CA
The first before the court at nearly every
session is the admission of new members Of
the Bar. The admission is q simple affair.
Some member arises and makes a motion
hat the candidate be admitted TO practice.
Then the motion is allowed by the Chief
Justice and the candidate goes over TO the
clerks desk, which is at the right hand of
the bench, and is sworn in. There is no
examination q membership of the Bar OF
any of the States or Territories emitting the
candidate TO admission upon motion of
lawyer entitled 80 TO do. Hundreds Of law
yers are entitled to practice before the
| Supreme Court of the United States every
year, but as general thing about the same
set Of attorneys are seen there day in and
| day out during the session. While the
court is holding session the strictest ST.
lence is observed by all save only those who
are taking part in the deliberations. No
| wear an overcoat in the court room. Not
long ago lawyer from one of the Western
States, who had never visited Washington
before, came here to argue case before
| the Supreme Court. He created a sensar
ton which made the chills creep up ana
| down the backs Of the venerable Justices
who had TO listen TO him. When he came
| INTO court ne wore RED nannei SHIRT, coarse
woollen clothes and cowhide boots His
hair hadn't seen the scissors for several ses-
sions and the razor was a stranger to his
face. At first he was taken for crank,
but when the case was called the court soon
found out that he was o man Of great abil-
ity. The question OF issue was involved
in patent suit and intricate and compli.
Gated. 1t took the country lawyer two
days to argue the case and he finally won
it. After adjournment on the first day ont
of the court officers suggested that white
shirt. collar, cuffs and cravat would make
an Improvement in his personal appear
anee. The lawyer told him that he didn't
own one. The next day, however, he wore
paper collar, about the width Of an ordi-
nary cuff, pinned on to his red shirt, Some
Of the greatest legal lights in the country