The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-30
mr.. JUSTICE FIELD
HE HAS SERVED THE LONGEST
TERM ON THE SUPREME
BENCH.
NO SIGNS OF WEAKNESS
IN HIS INTELLECTUAL STRENGTH
AT THE AGE OF EIGHTY
TWO.
Chaos in the EARLY Days OF
California.

and diamond jubileeS another record
was broken on Monday last. Justice
Stephen J. Field, of the United States
supreme court, on that day had served
longer on the bench of the highest tri-
bunal in the land than any other man
who had preceded him, says the New
York Herald. The record that Justice
Field had to best to attain that dis
tincuon belonged TO Chief Justice Mar
shall, who went on the bench Jan. 81,
1901. and served until his death, July
6, 1885. Thirty-four years, five months
and six days was the record of Chief
Justice Marshall. Thirty-four years,
five months and thirteen days is the
record of Justice Field to date.
For nearly a dozen years ambitious
lawyers who desired to get on the su-
preme bench have reminded Justice
Field that he had reached the age
when he could ask to be retired. IF
Justice Field should only resign" they
said. But Justice Field has never
thought of resigning, and does not
think of it now. He is in his eighty
second year, but he is still in the prime
of intellectual strength He sits on the
bench, examines involved law points,
and writes able opinions just as he did
thirty-four years ago. His beard is
the paTiarch's beard, but his figure
is as erect as it was in the days of his
"ArgOnauts Of forty nine" His mind
is as clear and vigorous as it was III
the days when he created law and a
constitution out of chaos in California
nearly fifty years ago. AS a pastfme
he writes a book Of personal memoirs
or masters in few evenings an ORR
entail language. The lawyers who have
been wanting his place on the bench
will doubtless have to possess their
souls in patience for years to coma.
GIadstone's record for activity has been
equaled by Justice Field. The friends
Of the justice predict that he will ex-
coed it by a decade.
HIS STIRRING LIFE.
No American, living or dead. has a
more remarkable history than Justice
Stephen J. Field, and it is the purpose
of this article to detail some of the in
teresting incidents of his career. He
was the son of David Dudley Field, q
Congregational minister of New Eng
land, and Submit Dickinson Field His
Timothy Field, who was a captain in
the Revolution. His grandfather on h: !;
mothers side was Noah Dickinson, who
served in the French and Indian war
under Israel Putnam, and also through
the Revolution. So it will be seen that
Stephen J. Field came of fighting stock
Among his brothers were Cyrus w
Field, the father of the submarine ca
BILE: David Dudley Field, an eminent
lawyer; Matthew w. Field, a noted en-
gineer; Henry Martyr Field, distin-
gulShed clergyman and author; iona
than Field who was president of the
Massachusetts state senate, and limo
thy Field. a-lieutenant in the United
States navy.
One of the sisters Of Justice Field
married the Rev. Jonathan Brewer,
and a New England missionary So
ctety that was interested in educatine
young Grecian girls sent Mr.. Brewer
and his wife to Smyrna. Greece had
Just thrown off the Turkish yoke, and
Henry Clay's speeches in behalf of
that suffering country, the massacre
at Scto and the bravery of Marco Boz
Zaris had fired the American heart.
With Missionary Brewer and his wife
went young Stephen J. Field They
remained abroad three years. During
that time he went through the cholera
epidemic, and also the plague During
these epidemics he helped his brother
fn-law nurse the sick. Tens of thou
sands of persons died from the two dis
eases, but young Field and his relatives
escaped.
OFF FOR CALIFORNIA.
Stephen ]. Field returned in 1888. and
went to Williams college, graduating
In 1897. Then he entered the law office
of David Dudley Field, in this CITY,
and became partner in the law firm
Young Field decided to go to California
In 1919. The discovery of gold there
had given rise to a popular excitement
far greater than the Klondike sensa-
ton of today. His outfit was bought
for him by his brother, Cyrus, who add
ed $40 worth of chamOis skins, which
he said, would be useful to make bags
for holding gold dust He also had
s1xty-four copies of New York news
papers. He landed with one dollar in
his pocket. He sold his chamois skins
for $3.50 worth of gold dust, and an &C.
qUaintance sold his sixty-four New
York papers for 81 each and gave him
half the proceeds.
Mr.. Field remained but a short time
III San Francisco, and then went fur
tier inland. stopping at the "toWn" of
Tubaville. YubavilIe was undergoing
transformation. The land was in
control of two French capitalists who
were pleased with young Fields ability
to speak French. Three DAYS after his
arrival Yubaville ceased to exisr
Marysville was organized and he was
elected mayor. He was also made d
iHSRice of the peace and the mainta-
nance of law and order was in his
hands.
Lynch law was unknown in Ma2vs.
Vile so long as Mr.. Field was mayor
he dispensed justice speedily and fear
lessly, and several times ordered of
tenders to be publicly logged He was
finally succeeded by an officer unde,
the state government, and by that time
had amassed large sum of money
arG had made a number of enemies.
OVERTHREW AN ENEMY.
One of these enemies was w. r
Turner, who had been appointed Judge
Of the district. Judge Turner decided
To drive Mr.. Field from the country He
forbade him to practice in his court
threatened to shoot him if he entered
his court room. and had him dragged
from court by a sheriff and posse Thus
prevented from practicing law, Mr.
Field embarked in legislation, and soor
lost all his money. He was elected t.
she legislature, and there drafted g
plan C. .. new judicial system, whicl
got rid of Judge Turner, and sent hin
TO the wilderness
Things moved quickly in California ir
tAo%e days. MI. Field arrived in Cali
fCrni2. in December 1870 Tie vas elect.
cd TO the legislature in 1851. In two
years Mr.. Field lad been an unknown
immigrant, mayor of a town, iussice
OF the pe&ce and member of the Icglsla.
t0re. In two years he had been PENN.
ic5s. ri"h and renEiess again.
MI Fed returned to the practice oil