The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-13
The Quiet Home Life OF Chief Justice
Fuller.
IS VERY POND OF PETS
HAS PASSION FOR BOOKS AND
READS EVERYTHING.
Something Good In All Books, He
Thinks, So he Reads Philosoph-
ical and '1Blood and Thunder"
Works With Equal Avidity-How
His Associates Regard Him.
Especial Correspondence


Melville Weston Fuller is one of the
most accessible, unassuming and sin
cere of public men in Washington. One
of his daughters said to me:
THE chief justice smokes the same
priced cigars and the same number of
them every day as he did when brief
less barriSter. He is exceedingly econ
omical in his personal expenditures. He
friends say he does not eat enough to
keep child alive. His daily fare is a
cup of coffee for breakfast, a glass of
milk and two or three raw oysters for
lunch, and a simple dinner, preferably
in the New England style. He is very
fond of boiled cod and pumpkin pie.
He never walks. He does not care for
cards. In fact, books are his only pas
sion. He reads everything from phil
osophy and biographical works to the
most sensational detective stories. He
goes to bed early, sometimes by
o'clock, and reads. He has no favorite
author, but finds something good in
everything. He and Justice Shiras
sometimes find great deal of quiet
amusement in putting characters of
Dickens into the clothes of the people
who confront them. Can you fancy
the chief justice sitting in the dim and
solemn chamber of our supreme court,
whispering behind law book to his
awe-inspiring associate, I'VE will now
hear what Mr.. Micawber has to say?
THE CHIEF JUSTICES PARROT.
The chief justice is very domestic.
He loves and is loved by his children
and grandchildren as only an amiable
great man is loved. He is very fond
of rabbits and chickens. His only pets
now are Bonito, the green Mexican
parrot, and Donald, a Scotch coolie.
Bonito had predecessor. like himself
the gift of Romero, the Mexican min
lister. One year the chief justice in
sisted on taking him to his summer
home at Sorrento, and there Bonito
took cold on the pier. The chief JUS
tice pronounced it catarrh, and dosed
him with boneset, pepper corns and hot
whisky. But Bonito died. While
Mrs Fuller, who does not care for pets,
was out walking, the chief justice took
the body of Bonito and buried it in
the only place, so he said, where there
was earth enough-the center Of Mrs.
F'uller'S geranium bed. He decorated
the grave artistically with pebbles and
shells, and there it remains for whom
ever the chief Justice can induce to
pay respects to it. Mr.. Romero, hear
ing of the loss, sent another Bonito.
This one calls the chief justice papa"
and shows the keenest delight when he
comes home. He always expects a
goodbye when the justice goes out,
and always receives it. The household
is instructed to Keep on hand supply
Of the very best grapes to be had, as
Bonito is fond of them. The chief
justice has taught Bonito to remember
the Sabbath day by always giving him
a hard boiled egg on Sunday.
Donald, the coolie, was the gift of a
Chicago friend. He is not allowed in
doors, except for a daily visit to his
masters study. This ne never fails to
make, and it is one of the most welcome
/ incidents of the great mans busy day.
HOW ASSOCIATES REGARD HIM
The seven associate justices will tell
! you that never has a chief justice been
so loved and honored by his associates.
and every lawyer who practices in the
supreme court will tell you how the
! business of the court is facilitated and
/ the trial of cases made more simple
! by this fact. There was never a chief
/ justice before allowed so much diScre-
I ton in passing upon questions and in
! the decisions of minor points, by the
! associates, who are supposed to enter
/ into council, even over the little things.
During the ten years that Mr.. Fuller
has presided, the most perfect harmony
]
! bench, and this has been done at times
under trying circumstances These
men, supreme judges though they be,
are, after all, but men; and, being men
/ of great knowledge, power and strong
convictions, when they differ they must
| differ very violently.
mo human being can imagine" said
a prominent attorney on this subject,
what labor and strength of character
| are required in a successful chief JUS
! tice. He must exercise the wisdom the
discretion and the judgment of a god,
and he must so win and keep the affec-
! ton and confidence of his associates
/ that it becomes a pleasure for them to
| follow him.
1t is the chief justice who assigns
the writing of opinions to the various
| justices, and on his wise selection de-
! ponds the destiny of law and much of
| the influence which most directly
moulds the nation comes from this.
Were he to appoint the wrong justice
! for an important opinion-how great
an injury would be wrought
Mr.. Fuller was admitted to the bar in
1855, and was appointed chief justice
| by President Cleveland in 1888. He was
born in Augusta, Me-. Feb. II, 1888.
His first case before the supreme court
was Dawes VS.. Sidney; his last, Penn
! sylvania Railroad company VS.. Keokuk
| Bridge company. The first case heard
by Mr.. Waite as chief justice was ar
gued March 4, 1874, by his successor to
be, then plain Lawyer Fuller of Chi
cage. ARTHUR HENRY.