Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-09-21
SIxTY-SEvEN YEARS.
The Wonders Of Maine's History Re-
called at the Supreme Court.
Remark Made BY James ". Bradbury, ESQ
Fxcites nuch lntsrssi.

superior court. and when he made tn
remarksone day recently, that his frs
case in Kennebec county was tried Il
that court room in 1880. considerable
interest was aroused.
| "Sixty-seven years ago." said on
attorney, that is long time"
A Journal reporter sought an inter
view with the old gentleman. Hi.
memory is remarkable and many bust
ness men would be very glad to be able
to retain names as well as he. Mr.
Bradbury names many Of the attorneys
who were practicing in Kennebec in the
3O's and in nearly every instance Is
able to give the full names
Mr.. Bradbury first made the &C.
q1aintance of the Kennebec bar in 1886
and it was at the court house that he
was presented 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 Mel
len Weston and Paris.
During the following August, Mr..
Bradbury tried the first case he had in
the courts of Kennebec county. In this
case he defended a criminal in the
court of common pleas.
A little anecdote told by Mr.. Brad
bury shows that this was not his first
case in court. for when he was a stu
dent it fell to his lot to appear for a
client. The mans suit had been
brought by practlcing attorney. who
was prevented by circumstances 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 same 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 suf-
ficent and that jealous Portland would
make unpleasant remarks about it. So
the people of Augusta announced that
they would open their houses to men,
bers. Mr.. Bradbury was assigned to a
certain house and told to bring two
others there. One of the others whom
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 Of
flee. He suggested that the State
should put into the field 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. Let
tiers were at once forwarded to Wash
ington, and Mr.. Bradbury wrote to Mr..
Clifford, telling him what had been
done. Mr.. Clifford's appointment
reached him only few days after he
had received Mr.. Bradbury's letter in
forming him that he was a candidate
by the virtue of what his friends had
done.
When asked if he could recall the
names of the lawyers who were prac-
ticing in Kennebec county when he be-
gan his career here, Mr.. Bradbury said:
1.-THE Kennebec bar was a very able
one at that time and it was no easy
matter for us younger lawyers to get
a 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 F. Dean, George
Evans and Frederick Allen of Gardi-
ner. Pelig Sprague. John Otis, Mr..
Lombard, Otis Fuller and others of
Hallowell. Timothy Boutelle and
Samuel Wells of Waterville. Hiram
Belcher and Judge Cutler of Farming
ton (Franklin was then a part of Ken
nebec), Alexander Melcher of Win
throp, Edwin Fuller of Readfield,
Thomas Rice Of Winslow, and Mr..
Goodwin of Wilton.
Mr.. Bradbury still takes a great in
terest in public affairs, and is at pres
ent watching with great interest the
project 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.
A young Augusta man who bought a
wheel for s45 and was unfortunate in
not securing one that was Just as
good" as the high grade wheels re 4.