The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-23
LAWYERSOLDAND new
AUTOGRAPHS OF MEMBERS OF THE
BENCH AND BAR OF
MINNESOTA
T. C. CowAN FIRST ADMITTED

But Few of the First Twenty to
Subscribe Their Names in the
Record Are Alive Today-C. H.
Barry, First Attorney General of
the State, Is Now Alive and One
of the signers.
There is book in the Office of the clerk
of the supreme court which is associated
with early Minnesota in the days when
the hostile red man lur!Ied in every "a
vine, and whose pages bring back to mind
the younger days of some of NIinnesota's
most prominent sons. There is no par
ticular name for the volume except that
it is known as the book in which all the
lawyers who have been admitted to prac-
tice before the supreme court since Min
nesota was a state have signed their
names. The signature Of Thomas s. Cow
an, the first man to be admitted to the
bar after the organization of the state of
Minnesota in 1865, is still quite legible,
and the succeeding names are easily dis
=; cernible on the yellow pages of the book.
Perhaps the book is doubly interesting
because the first as well as the last to be
admitted to practice before the supreme
court of the state are recorded on its age
scared pages. For the volume has been
used up to the present time since the 5th
OF July, 1858, when Thomas S. Cowan first
inscribed his John Hancock, and the ink
from the pens Of the law class graduated
from the state university last June is still
fresh on the leaves of the book. Since the
book saw its first service many men
whose names are recorded there have
risen to prominence in the councils of the
nation. Some have passed away after re-
viewing a well spent life; others left Min
:: nesota- before or after the war, and at
tained prominence in other states, while
others are recorded among the living and
active Of our own state and are well
known jurists today.
But few, however, of the first twenty
TO record their names, are still alive and
active in the commercial or professional
i world. In the early day there was no
state university from which any young
man could secure a thorough legal equip
1nent and from its well filed libraries
pursue any special course of legal study
he might choose 1t. was only through
personal application that a young man
could become proficient in the pursuit Of
his calling, and the supreme court was
the only power which could admit any
one to the practice of law. The first SUI
preme court Of the state was composed
Of Chief Justice Lafayette Emmett,
Charles E. Flandrau and Isaac Atwater.
Judge Atwater is still alive at ripe old
( age, and lives in Minneapolis. Judge
! Flandrau is perhaps one of the most ac-
tive of the old school of jurists Of today
and is a familiar figure in st, Paul. His
latter years are being spent largely in
literary work.
This is the court which admitted the
first Minnesotans to practice law in Min
hesota.
There was no board Of examiners at
law, IN fact this institution Is Of some
what modern origin, and up to a decade
ago the supreme court exercised the sole
prerogative Of choice in admitting APP
plicants to practice. OF late years 1t
delegated the power with one, two or
three reputable. attorneys, who were ap-
pointed to examine all applicants for adj
mission and make a report. The court
selected the best barristers in the state,
and it is doubtful If the present system
Is an Improvement over the old.
Of the first twenty to be admitted c..
II. Barry the first attorney general of
Minnesota, is still alive and lives at
Winona. H. H. Sibley and John B.
Brisbin have both Joined the silent host,
the latters death occurring about a year
ago. OF those that were prominent in an
early day there are many who have
been dead for several decades and those
The following is a list Of the first TWEEN
ty men to be admitted to practice before
the first supreme court in Minnesota.
Thomas G. Cowan. July 5, 1858; George
sMagruder, July g. 1858; George Plunkett,
July 3, 1858; W. F. Wheeler, July 5, 1858;
J. ]. Mccullough, July s. 1858; J. Paige
MunfOrd, July 10, 1858; w. H. Peckham,
July 10. 1858; H. H. Silbley, July 13, 1858;
Eugene NJ. Wilson, July Is, 1858; G. M.
Bearce, July 10, 1858; John NJ. Busbin,
July Is, 1858; A. c. Dunn, July 15 1868;
Morris Lamphrey, July 49, 1853; Henry M.
Slade. July 16, 1858; Aaron Goodrich, July
t6, 1858; o. w. Streeter, July 16, 1853; c.
Il. Berry, July 16, 1858; William P. Lowry,
July &c. 1858; F. B. B. Mcconnell, July
16, 1883; Frank Warner, July q, 1858.
The other prominent attorneys admit
ted by the supreme court during 1858
were:
C. D. GHfllan, John B.-Sanborn, H l.
Moss. Charles e. Vanderbergh, Harvey
Officer Edmund Rice. J. NJ. Gilman, Geo.
L. Becker, Edward o. Hamlin, Henry ].
Horn, w. A. German, R. B. Galusha.
Francis NJ. Crosby, Greenleaf Clark.
Among the prominent men admitted to
the bar during 1859 will be found the
names:
W. G. LeDuc, John w simonton, J. P.
Houston, George~A. Nourse. H. R. Bige-
low Robert p. Lewis.
During the interval of the war there
was but few men admitted to the bar.
Chief Justice Start. of the supreme court,
was admitted early in 1863, and II. P.
Hall and H. L. Williams during the same
year.
L. Van SIyck, of Hastings, was the
first man admitted to the bar following
the close Of the war, and many of the
returning volunteers going back to bust
ness vocations selected the judiciary, re-
suIting in a large number being admitted
in 1865, among whom were:
j. ]. Egan, Stanford Newell, D. B. John
Son, ]. c. Mcclure, R. A. Mott.
Gen. lie Duo, who was admitted in 1859,
served as secretary of agriculture, and
spent many years of law practice in Red
living. Capt. H. A Castle, at present of
Washington, D. c., was admitted after
spending two years studying law upon
his return from the Civil war. Ansel OPP
penheim was admitted in 1875 and H F.
tStevens and Judge John w. Willis quail
fled before the court just twenty years
Ifgo. Thomas D. O'Brien, as one of St.
95auPs present leading attorneys, has been
practicirg nineteen years.