Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-19

entered the firm OF '.Blatchford & Batch
ford, f" father and uncle OF the future Justice
who enjoyed large practice, besides being the
American representatives of what is the largest
financial institution in the Torld-the Bank Of
England. There was no necessity for awaiting
practice. The latest edition to ''Blatchford b
Blatchford" found on his hands at once more
than could be attended to speedily. The sub
jects of Uncle Sam were not as well fixed in
this world goods fifty years ago as now, and
instead of bankers on this side sending millions
Of gold and silver across the Atlantic every
week. the Bank OF England took occasion to in
vest some of lis surplus in the United States.
In fact many thousand pounds sterling was
intrusted to 'Blatchford & Blatchford," as
the representative of the English corporation,
for exchange into American securities during
the period just previous to tho Mex
lean war, and in that particular line
Samuel Blatchford learned the ms and
outs Of class of lawyers work which as early
rs ls44 made him well known in the United
States Supreme Court chamber as the most
able OF able attorneys regarding patent law.
His primal effort, however Was in the interests
Of the Bank Of England. and his spurs were
won in the successful foreclosing of q mortgage
and collection of its face value, after somewhat
lengthy litigation. in which the defendants a
New York banking corporation, resisted pay
ment on the ground that irregularities existed
when the mortgage first drawn by only q
portion Of the corporation officers, although
the shareholders had approved the loan. Ma
tional banks were an unknown quantity then
and wildcat schemes held ful sway. 1t was to
be supposed. therefore that Mr.. Blatchford, jr.,
had no easy time in winning his case. But he
did and the defendants were mulcted completely.
New York lawyers had a wholesome respect for
sam Blatchford's legal powers after that, and
one OF the first brother members Of the bar to
congratulate the victor on his triumph was the
venerable Justice Field, also Of the Supreme
Court and the Nestor of the bench.
JUDGE BEFORE HE HAD HIS INITIAL BRIEF
More than thirty years ago Justice Field
came to Washington to accept his seat in the
Supreme Court. and although born in Massa-
chusetts and admitted to the bar in New York
city, the senior justice in point of long service
received his portfolio citizen of California
For Justice Field was a ''forty-niner," and one
of the very first ''forty-niners" at that. He
can lay claim to what is possibly the only in
stance of the kind among the records of the
United States legal fraternitv-that of being a
Judge in reality before receiving his initial
brief. 1t happened in this way:
Justice Field had completed the study Of law
In the New York Office of his brother, David
Dudley Field. There any amount of con-
veyanclng and chambers practice for the at
torney to try his hand upon. but beyond aiding
his brother to prepare an occasional argument
Tor court, no opportunity to convince a stub
born jury had vet developed Drawing I'D
monotonous. when every hamlet east of the
Ohio was startled BY the intelligence of golden
discovery in California Hardly acknowl-
edged United States possession for two wears
so far many OF the old Spanish laws and customs
still prevailed in California But Stephen J. Field
never hesitated He didn't care particularly
whether his accustomed method of legal pro-
cedure entirely agreed with the Spanish way or
not, there was no doubt means and end could
be made to harmonic somehow and incident
ally there certainly could be no regulation
which would prohibit an eastern lawyer in Cali
fornia from digging gold, if he found any to
dig.
on VIGILANCE COMMITTEE.
Marysville, on the other side of the continent,
was the end of that long pilgrimage OF several
months out from New York. Lawyer Field was
among the early arrivals, but there were some
earlier ones In a week or two afterward
enough wild diggers we're encamped about
Marysvllle to start a cemetery with four or
five occupants, who were placed hors du COM
bat In the camp rows. Then the better element
formed vigilance committee for the exter-
mination of the thieves and murderers, and the
Justice Field of today entered upon his first
real legal experience; he became the ACADIA
OF Marysville by vote of the vigilance COM
mittee. Under the old Mexican laws the alcal-
Ola was considered what is now equivalent to