The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-18

HOll0dn is an ECONOMIST, DUt 40 SuCu eCOu-
omist as old blue Jeans" Williams used
TO be. lie was an economist with very
large T. 4 story told of him to this day is
that when he came to congress and became
chairman of the committee on accounts he
had an Investigation made of the number
Of towels used in the committee rooms.
The laundry bills were 50 large that he
was looking for some way in which to cut
them down. When he found that five
towels per day were issued to one commit
tee room "Blue Jeans lifted his hands in
holy horror and exclaimed:
"The idea of those fellows having five
towels a day down in that committee rooml
Out in Indiana we would think a man
crazy who threw money away like that.
Why, my whole family gets along a week
with only one towel among 'em"
Though threescore and ten, Judge Hol-
man keeps up bis work as if he We're in his
prime. He works ali day at the Capitol,
bent over great masses Of figures and scrib
bling away with stub of lead pencil.
Every one Of the almost countless figures
which appear in the boOl, of estimates and
the great appropriation bills is as familiar
20 his eyes as his own fingers. Some one
has said that Holman has rubbed these fig
ures for quarter of century till they
have become round shouldered and gray
like himself or like old type that has worn
out aud is only fit Tor the melting pot
But just the same he has saved the gov
ernment good many millions of dollars in
his time, and will live TO save it many
more.
He has never fallen into the modern and
somewhat luxurious habit Of debating
letters and other matters which have 10 80
on paper TO a steuographer He believes
in the old fashioned style Of writing every
thing ont with pen or pencil. When ne
goes home from the Capitol he takes lot
Of work along with him, and even pores
over columns of figures on the street cars
AT home he spends his evenings writing
letters and fixing up his bills. lie rarely
goes 20 tho theater never accepts invita-
tons 70 dinner, and his only dissipation
Is soda water which he consumes in mod
crate quantities. How Le can 20 on year
after year working like this, month in and
month out, ami at seventy look and act
like man of twOscore is a mystery 10 me.
Another remarked bic old man in our Cap
itol Is Justice Stephen j. Field He has
just written an opinion Of the supreme
court which will go down 20 history as one
OF the greatest decisions ever promulgated
by that body IL was the Lake Front case
IN which tue city of Chicago and the Hi
nois Central railroad were fighting for
ownership OF a thousand acres of partly
submerged land right in the heart of uhe
western mctrOpOh8-lund worth 500 900 or
After the court had taken @ vote on the
case the chief justice assigned thc work Of
writing the opinion Of the majority to JUS
tce Field. lie did not shrink from the
task.
Though seventy-s,x years old, and
though the case was one involving not
only millions Of dollars but complex and
difficult principles 81 law. the old man
tackled it with the ardor Of u law student.
he Tansaceed hundreds OF English and
American reports, waded through reams
OF briefs and cords Of printed arguments,
anu sat DOM and wrote in style phe.
nomenaiiy clear and strong an opinion Of
l5,o0o words in length which viii delight
tbe soul OF every lawyer who reads L. Not
IN many year has such a magnificent
opinion come from the supreme court. and
this document will become a sort OF classic
IN The courts and law offices Of the entire
world, for IL involves not only American
but English law and practice and the
highest principles of government, riparian
nights public trust aud popular rights in
al countries. A man who can do Job Of
intellectual work like this AZ such an aye
Is certainly entitled to rank as one of the
grand old men OF the world.
Justice Field has been great student