The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1899-04-13

ley Field. He was admitted to the
bar and became a partner in the
firm, remaining as such for seven
years In 1913 he went to Europe
and spent some time there travelling.
In November, 1849, he sailed for
San Francisco, around Cape Horn,
and entered upon the practice of
law in the occidental metropolis
After a short time h. moved TO
MarYsyille, a small mining camp,
and became one of the founders of
what afterward grew TO be a thriving
town. When the littla city was
organized Justice Field was elscted
the alcade of the place, This office
carried with it the dignity of may or,
and at the same time imposed all the
duties of the bench. Here the future
jurist dispensed justice ard made
his name widely known throughout
the length and breadth of the grow
ing common wealth. He was foud of
talking of his early days in California,
aad sften said that the happiest days
Of his life were when he dealt out
| Justice in Maryaville behind a dry
goods box
He was elected member of tho
first legislature of the state, aud was
made member Of that body. He
was influential in securing Legislation
favorable to the miners aud aided in
the passage of laws regulating the
civil and criminal procedure OF the
state. At the close of the session hs
returned to Marysville and devoted
six years to the practice of his pro
fessicn He was elected a judge oi
the supreme court of California il
1857, for the term of six years. II
1859 he became chief justice, sue
ceeding Chief Justice David S Ter
ry. Iu 1863 President Lincoln ap
| pointed him associate justice of th'
supreme court of the United State
and he held that position until hi
| retirement on December 1st, 1897
During the later years of his serv
] ice on the bench he was in yer,
, feeble health. His term was th'
longest in the history of that tlibu
, nal The great chief justice, JOIN
Marshall, wore the ermine for
period extending over thirty fou
years. It was the ambition of tn
Justice Field to surpass this record
Q and he succeeded in doing so by
| few months His friends fearini
: that the strain of hard work woul
9 shorten his usefulness, advised hin
q to retire from his arduous duties
t But with iudefatigible perseverance
t he clung TO his task until the latte
3 part of 1897, when he had the salts
faction of having fulfilled the amb
ton OF his life.
During tuo ral Of more than
third of century he was concerns
I in some of the most important case
k ever passed upon by the suPrem
" court. Among the prominent dec
d sioas was the famous Test-Oath cas-
e in which he gave the casting vot'
n aud wrote the opinion Of ths cou
g annullng the validity Of the "iroi
= clad oath. His dissenting oplnio
r. in the confscation cases, the leg
.e tender cases, and in the New Orlea1
slaughter house case attracted Il
= widest attention.
&c VOTED TO SEAT SAM TILDEN-
sc During this long service on Il
a. bench he also was before the publ
ID ave in other ways than IS & judge
y the United States supreme oou'
~ He was a member OF the Haye
, TiIden electoral commission IN Isl
Is and voted with the democrats.
~ ~ 1880 he received sixty FIVE votes +
"a the presidential nomination at t
ot CINCINNATI democratic convention,