The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-23
OLD TIME LAWYERS.
Ex-senator Bradbury Recalls His First
Years at the Kennebec Bar-His Meeting
With Judge Clifford.

The venerable counselor James W.
Bradbury has been in the court room
some during the present term of the SUI
peior court at Augusta, and when he
made the remark one day recently, that
his first case in Kennebec county was
tried in that court room in 1880, consider
able interest was aroused.
Sixty seven years ago. said one at
torney, THAT is long time
A reporter sought an interview with
the old gentleman. His memory is re-
markable and many business men would
be very glad to be able to retain names
as well as he. Mr.. Bradbury names
many of the attorneys who were practi-
cling in Kennebec in the 50's and in near
ly every instance is able to give the full
names.
Mr.. Bradbury first made. the acquaint-
ance of the Kennebec bar in 1880, and it
was at the court house that he was pre-
sented to the lawyers.
1t was in May, 1880, and term of the
law court was then in progress. The
| judges of the supreme court were Mellen
Weston and Paris
Bradbury tried the first case he had in
the court of Kennebec county. In this
case he defended a criminal in the court
of common pleas.
A little anecdote told by Mr.. Bradbury
shows that this was not his first case in
court, for when he was student 1t fell
to his lot to appear for client The
mans suit had been brought by practi-
cling attorney, who was prevented by cir
culnstances from appearing in court. He
therefore turned it over to Mr.. Bradbury,
who found as his legal opponent another
young law student, Clifford by name.
And this Clifford became famous and
figured in Mr.. Bradbury's career as the
reader will see.
The Legislature came to Augusta in
1882, and it was said that the hotel ac-
commodations of the city were not
sufficient and that jealous Portland
would make unpleasant remarks about
it. So the people of Augusta announced
that they would open their houses to
members. Mr.. Bradbury was assigned to
a certain house and told to bring two
he selected was Mr.. Clifford, like him.
self young lawyer and legislator.
A few years after that, Mr.. Bradbury
told his colleagues and political friends
that Maine should have a cabinet office.
He suggested that the State should put
into the Held a candidate for the office OF
attorney general. Ex-Congressman
Clifford, as he then was, had practically
buried himself in the remote districts OF
York county, but when Mr.. Bradbury
was asked to name man who should be
pushed for the office, he selected his old
friend. Letters were at once forwarded
to Washington, and Mr.. Bradbury wrote
to Mr.. Clifford, telling him what had
been done Mr.. Cliffords appointment
reached him only few days after he had
received Mr.. Bradbury's letter informing
him that he was a candidate by the virtue
of what his friends had done.
of the lawyers who were practicing in
Kennebec county when he began his
career there, Mr.. Bradbury said:
"The Kennebec bar was a very able
one at that time and it was no easy mat
ter for us younger lawyers to get start.
There were then in practice Ruel
Williams, his brother Daniel, Judge Fuller,
grandfather of Chief Justice Fuller, John
Potter, Richard r. Vose of Augusta,
Eben +. Dean, George Evans and Freder-
lex Allen of Gardiner, Peleg Sprague
John Otis, Mr.. Lombard, Otis Fuller
and others of HallowelI, Timoth v
Boutelle and Samuel Wells of Watervillet,
Hiram Belcher and Judge Cutler of Farm
ington (Franklin was then a part of Ken
nebec), Alexander Melcher of Winthrop,
Edwin Fuller of Readfield, Thomas Rich
OF Winslow, and Mr.. Goodwin of Wilton :"
Mr.. Bradbury still takes a great inter.
est in public affairs, and is at present
watching with great interest the pro.
ject of the Augusta & Franklin railroad.
He is the Oldest lawyer in the county
and is the only one living who was in
practice here in his early days.-Kennebec
Journal