The Hawaiian gazette., 1895-12-13

Mr.. Justice BlckertOn was, IN the
broad sense of the word, self-made
man, and by the exercise of that de-
termination of character and earnest
ness of purpose which have character
lied his entire public and private life,
raised himself through his own efforts
from a subordinate position on sugar
plantation, to that of Associate JUS
tice on the Supreme Bench, one of the
most honorable and responsible posi-
tons in the nation.
Richard Frederick Bickerton was
born in. Greenwich, London, on the
third day OF April, 1874. He was,
therefore, fifty-one years of age. His
hair and beard were snowy white,
which added to his distinguished
presence a venerable appearance, well
becoming the dignity of his Office.
Young Bickerton lived in England
until he was about eleven years of
age, when he emigrated with his
parents to Melbourne, Australia. He
was there educated in the ordinary
collegiate branches, and being as a
boy fond OF adventure and sight
seeing, he began, in 1858, to travel
about the Colonies, and visited the
principal towns and cities of note
He next decided to visit America,
and left Dunedin, New Zealand, with
a small party for Victoria, B. c., ex-
pecting to stop on the way at Tahiti
and Hawaii. A seven days visit was
made at Tahiti, but Hawaii was pass
ed without the ship stopping, and
Victoria was reached in April, 1858.
After short stay in that city, he
t4 Erana;pao
be remained for about a year, and
engaged in stock operations in mod
est way.
In April, 1854, he came to Honolulu
on his return TO Australia, without
any intention of remaining, but be-
coming favorably impressed with the
country aud with the great opportuni-
ties and prospects he saw in the sugar
industry, he determined 20 make it
his permanent residence aud wrote his
father in Australia to that effect. Mr..
Bickerton had letters from friends in
San Francisco to prominent business
men in Honolulu, among which was
one to w. l. Green, who, in 1874, be-
came Premier in the Cabinet OF King
Kalakaua This gentleman afforded
the subject of this sketch an opportu-
nifty to learn the sugar business, by
securing for him a position on the Ka-
alaea plantation, on the island OF
Oahu. After two or three years of
practical experience, Mr.. Bickerton
became the manager; and when, soon
after this, Janion, Green & Co. were
going into liquidation, he gathered
together all his means and purchased
their entire interest. After several
years of hard work this enterprise was
abandoned as Improbable, aud Mr..
Bickerton was fortunate in getting
out of 1t even with the world, as it has
since been found that the land and
locality were only suited to rice
growing, to which it is now devoted.
Although he then looked upon the
years thus spent as so much time lost,
the experience which he acquired has
since stood him in good stead, and has
been of inestimable benefit to him in
his extensive operations in sugar
plantations.
During Mr.. Bickerton's early life he
had q most decided prediction for
the study of law, and even up to the
close of his unsuccessful operations in
sugar planting he had never aban-
doned the idea of eventually adopting
the legal profession as his future CALI