The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-05-04

Bethel Military Academy near War
renton, Virginia, where, from the dor
mitory steps he sang "John Browns
Bodyn at his southern schoolmates,
and incidentally captured all the
school prizes open to his competition.
Later he graduated from Columbia
college, New York, fourth in a class of
one hundred and twenty Raised
In the atmosphere of law office, and
practicing by grace of the judges be-
fore he was of age, Mr.. Guthrie, after
several years private reading, never
theless took the full course at the Co
lumbia law school, graduating with
honors, and refusing fiattering offers
to enter New York offices, came back
to Atchison, where, he said ga man is
not merely an item and your neighbor
can be your friend" An enthusiastic
student of law, he is said to have read
his first law book twelve times; and it
was well that a good foundation was
laid; for since his admission, Mr.. Guth-
RE has been constantly in active prac-
tice. with little time for the study of
other than special cases. His stand
ing in the schools was an index of the
position he was to take at the bar,
where he at once took a high rank,
conducting important causes not only
in the State, district and supreme
courts, but also i'm the Federal circuit
and court of appeals, and is already
attorney of record in the supreme
court of the United States. His first
great success was in conducting to a
successful issue the Kansas branch of
the famous Fitzgerald & Mallory liti-
CATION against Jay Gould, involving
million and a half of dollars.
AS a lawyer Mr.. Guthrie is an orig
inal thinker, and has done much to-
wards establishing presidents in Kan
sas through his causes in the supreme
court. 1t is told of him that immedi-
ately after his return from the law
school his father sent him to a justice
court to "practice" on the defence of a
case where it was supposed there was
no defence except reduction of dam
ages. The case was over the value of
a cow, but it finally turned up report
ed i'm a collection of American leading
cases on account of the novelty and
Importance of the point on which the
Kansas supreme court decided there
was no liability at all.
AS an orator his chief reputation is
for analytical, convincing, courtroom
argument, but as occasion has requir-
ed he has shown his capacity to arouse
political enthusiasm ON the stump, as
we'll as to produce the finer diction and
style demanded in set orations. His
address at the Kansas Day banquet
was notable example of the latter.
Born Republican, with the most of
his male relatives in the Federal ar
mics, he has always been an enthusi-
astic partizan, participating IL poll
tics as all advocate of purity in party
methods, as an organizer and as CAM
paigner, but never before asking rec
ognision on his own account.
1t is, however, as man, neighbor
and a citizen that the writer prefers to
think of him. Large-hearted and cor
dial, every acquaintance is a friend.
1t is perhaps due to the Irish, Scotch
and German blood mixed with old
American stock that he finds himself
at home in any assemblage. Consid-
crate of others, modest in his successes,
his fellow practitioners have always
been glad of them. Ever ready to
serve a friend, no draft OH his good
nature stands dishonored. Preserving
the family reputation for strict integ-
rity, his note was good at the Atchison
banks before there was a dollar of
property behind it; and his word i'm a
law suit is as good as written stipu-
lation.
In 1890 Mr.. Guthrie married Miss
Nena Quade, Kansas girl, who with
two Kansas babies shares hi, popu-
larity at the old Guthrie homestead in
Atchison.
SAMUEL X. WOODwORTH.
Seneca, Kansas.