Telegram-herald. ([Grand Rapids, Mich.) 18??-1892, 1886-12-23
JUDGE TOM COOLEY
An Able Sketch Of the Great
Legal Authority.
HOW He CAME TO Be 4 LAWYER.
His Experience as Farmer - his
Personal Appearance and Bilious
Temper-Ho~ HE Came 10
BE Defeated. Etc.

The faii name Of tie man whom Judge
Gresham has appointed to The Wabash It.
ceivership s Thomas Mcintyre Cooley and
be is one Of Tie most unique OF tae great
legal characters oi America. lie was born
on York Stale farm and. until less than
thirty years ago, lived in the hUmbiest SUR
roun1ings His introduction 10 the leEal
profession wA- achieved only after year ol
disappointment and dmculiy. Ia early
manhood he came - tie Little town OF
Adrian ia this State, where lie alternately
read law and WORKED on a farm as cnprce
or circumstance determined. None % ms
nei.hb1rs esteemed him very highly or 50
mucn as dreamed that he would ever
emerse from the meii0crity % country
lawyer. On one occasion ne gave up he
law altogether aud went into business for
year IN Toledo. lie had almost passion
for farming. and bought 100 acres
near Adrian. which for a long time
claimed more of his attention than
his profession He fell IN love with
beautiful girl tail aud queen.y creature,
| the daughter of a cOml Orttbie farmer. But
when Tom MADE his timid proposal 10
the old gentleman, the latter darkly swOre
that no child OF his should marry man
| who couldn't earn his own living. The
| young lady herself had another and. rs II
| proved "A wiser view. She consented 10
| run away and married Tom in the face
| of her fathers refusal The match proved
most happy one. A large brood Of little
COOlevs have grown up in the beautiful
| fireside in Ann ArbOr, when the Judge has
| lived for nearly thirty years The eldest
SON Eugene IS the president OF a gas COM
pany at Lansing. He followed his fathers
example. in making a runaway marriage,
hut in no other respect. The second con,
FL, is a very successful young lawyer at
| Bay City, and partner OF the Supreme
bench of Michigan. The eidest daughter,
Miss Fanny, is Miss Fanny no longer, hav-
ing married. after her return from HOlyOke
Academy, the son Of President Angel. of
| the Michigan University.
Judge Cooley Erst attracted notice after
he was appointed Reporter Of the Supreme
bench of Michigan, which be adorned for
50 many years. He published a digest Of
| Mich gan decisions which sgrpri 5ed lawyers
| by that beautiful luoidity OF style which
| characieri1es all Of Judge COOley's law
writings. soon after so uncertain is popu-
| lar favor ne was elected TO the Supreme
| Court Of the state, and there remained until
| the last judicial election. when he was set
| aside for a One-armed soldier"
Daring the greater part ofthis time Judge
| Cooley held he Jay pro.essOrshlp In the
| lsW school at Ann ArbO- and dean OF the
| law faculty. il is conceded that he cen
trbuted more than any other to the sue
cess of that institution. attracting students
/ from every state and territory. He was one
Of three grea, lawyers who, sitting together
on the Michigan bench for many years, Gle
vated the decisions of that body to the saHle
! level with those Of New York, Nassachu-
| sets and Pennsylvania. The other two
were Judge Dhristiancy and Judge Camp.
! bell The former. after being appointed
| Minister - Peru resigned the bench, and.
| becoming involved IN 4 divorce suit with
| his yonug Wit wretchedly de. Judge
| Campbell, Of Detroit the most scholarly
and urbaue LAWYER in the West, is s,ll on
the bench, but viii undoubtedly dec.n re-
election next spring. OF the three, Judge
'oOley was immeasuraoiy the greatest be
| ing even more eminent law writer than
| ludye. His work on Constitutional Linn
ifations' Is the greatest American treiii~e--
| perhaps the greatest n the language. His
| Commentaries ON blackstone and bis
| work on Tpxsu0n' RANK equally high
To wO ID be hard % conceive a taller or
slenderer figure than that which corres
Judge Coo.ey's head about Tie latter or
! gan is proportouateiv long and narrow
| The most cons firuous feature 81 the fare is
the nose. an' the next Zoe tightly closed
ard dricrm med l.r- the eyes are b sh'
! blt their hglt bic IuGcr = beetlnr fa.r
oi hr9r4 judge cooley has ainle-i none ~
! fhe elements ot popularity. h, luf~ara
! 1elrnE De- chilly. lf4 1flrer afe rs..t.i PSI.
voice fhin ans ra-p.nr l1 spite ~ thee
defects DE manages tp Attract ls--e su.i
/ ence- sni CD hold th'.a lIe elv ior hngrs
| THIS De does nr the 1.rf-i 'Hrt.f.r 1T t.r
n nl ami ais Yerie co1 .lrd o.. fhe sHA-