The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1888-08-25


Gus for notoriety. He was the in.
ventor of the bowie-knife, weapon
l that often after his time was generally
1 carried by the rougher element of the
country, and used with deadly effect
in many feuds. Its history grew out
ut the fact that, in u rencontre, in 1888,
on sand-bar In the Mississippi river,
nearly opposite Natchez, he killed
!, Captains Crane aud Wright with a
knife wrought out of wrasp; this
Wrasp. knife he afterwards took to Phil.
adelphia and had handsomely worked
Into shapely knife blade, well-moun-
ted in silver, and called il the Bowie
Knife hence its origin and designa.
ton to this day.
John Ray was licensed to practise
law by the Supreme Court of Louisiana
on the Esd Of April, 1889. Judge Mar
tin, so celebrated in the history and
early Jurisprudence Of Louisiana, and
Judges Kost and Eustis were then
members OF the Supreme bench.
From the start he took rank among
the foremost practitioners at the bar,
and for fifty years devoted himself to
the duties of his profession, and to the
services Of his adopted State.
lie was associated, as partner, with
Robert +. Mcclure for twerty-one
years and six months, aud uItii his
partner died in 1868. He was hard
student of indefatigable industry, and
enjoyed large practice in the pro-
fession.
In an,c-bellum days he had also a
large planting Interest in North Louis
lana with upwards OF 100 negroes,
hein" @ = !: -Sscaavy loser by the war, in the
emancpation' Of his slaves aud loss of
other property; he never afterwards
resumed his piantiRs operations, and
sold his piantatiou.t
Mr.. Ray gave much attention tot
politics. In 1911 he "SAG--clec.ed to the
State house of representatives, and in /
1850 to the Senate in 1854, and again
in 1859, was candidate on the Whig
Ticket for Lieut.. Governor, by unani-
nous election by tho Whig conventions
of those years, but, the Democratic
party being in the majority in the
State, he was defeated ut both elects
ions but it was notorious that he ran
ahead OF his ticket and, II was believ-
ed, If be had been the Gubernatoriali
candidate he would have been elected,
In 1865 he was elected to Congress
from the 4th congressional district Of
Louisiana, under the Reconstruction
Programme OF President johnson, but
was refused his seat in that body with
all other representatives elected from
seeded States.
He was elected TO the Senate OF the
United States by the Legislature of
1873, chosen with William Pitt kellogg
as Governor his seat was contested by
William l.. McAIillen, who claimed to
have been elected by the body organ
lied by McEnery, and set up as the
uc .3M'e Legislature of Louisiana
neither contestant was admitted, al.
though Kellogg was maintained as the
duly elected and rightfull governor.
Mr.. Ray was an old~ti,ne Wing, aud
was earnestly opposed TO secession. III
1860 he was on the Bell and Evcret
presidential electoral ticket, and can.
vassed the northern portion of the
State in opposition to the impending
secession. AS Union man, thoroughly
patriotic in his opposition to secession,
he maintained his position throughout
the war advocating, at the close of that
fratricidal strife, the plan of Recon-
adopted by the Republican
party.
He was elected again in 1865, to the
Slate Senate, under the Reconstruction
plan, and served until 1873.
In 1865 he was appointed to revise
the Civil Code and Code OF Practice
and The Statutes OF the State. These
rcvisons were made in pursuance to
act No. 81 and joint resolution No. 1872
Of the Acts OF the General Assembly of !
1868 and were approved and adoptcd
by the Legislature OF 1870, and enacted
into laws, being Acts Nos. 9G, 81, and
SS of that year. AT this same session
Of the Legislature US70} he was an
pointed and authorized to compile II
Digest of the Statutes of the State of q '
general character, (Act. No. 95). This
Digest was completed and published,
in two volumes, at New Orleans in ..
The fall of 1870 and approved by the .
Of 1871. !.
These rcvisions and Digest embody ..
all the laws Of Louisiana, repeating
and annulling slI previous laws and
except where changed by statute are, {
TO this day, the only laws in force In
,
After his term of service in the State =
Senate, in 1872, Mr.. Ray removed n
with his family from Monroe, La, to +
the city of New Orleans, where he a
continued in the practice Of his pro- ,
Fcssiop, and resided up 10 lhc time OF t
his death on the 4th day Of March, q
1883, in the 72d year Of his age. {
In the spring Of 1878 was appointed G
II auiatrar Cf State Land Milton