The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-14
Sketch of His Career.


born March a. 1872 twenty miles below
Lancaster, o., near what is now Logan,
the county seat of Hooking county. His
father was Benjamin Biddle. who came
from Connecticut in 1889. There were nine
children, of whom the subject of this
sketch was the youngest. He worked upon
farm, going to school as occasion Of
fered, until he sixteen years old, when
he went to Muskingum county and cferked
in a country store for an elder brother.
He returned to the farm, where he re-
manned until 1885, He was then in his
twenty-fourth year. He had quick per-
ception, was noted as fluent talker. and
had a deep, analytical mind With these
advantages in his favor he determined to
study law, and applied to Thomas Ewing,
ST., at Lancaster. then United States sem
ator who recommended him to another
leading attorney. He admitted to
the bar in Cincinnati in April, 1885, In
October of the same year he went to Lo-
gansport, Ind, and began the practice of
| law.
In 1874 he was placed upon the Wing
electoral ticket, and made an energetic
| canvass for Henry Clay, meeting in de-
bate upon the political questions of the
day such men as DR.. Graham N. Fitch and
the eloquent Charles Cathcart. Judge
| Biddle was a warm personal friend Of
Clay, and after his defeat left the field
Of politics, though in 1S45. while at Indian
apolis attending as an attorney to the Sh-
preme Court, he was without his sanction,
nominated by the Wings of Cass county
| for the Legislature he afterwards
| laughingly. remarked, he was so handsome
| ly defeated. the Democracy being flushed
with the election of Polk, that his nomi-
nation never hurt him. In December. 1885,
| by joint ballot of the Legislature. he was
elected president-judge of the Eighth cir
cult for a term of seven years. He held
| the office six years and then resigned, hav-
| ing been nominated for Congress against
DR.. Norman s. Eddy, by whom he was
beaten.
He was a member of the constitutional
convention in 1850, and participated in the
debates all the leading questions. In
1857 he was elected supreme judge by $1,000
majority, but the Supreme Court held that
at the time there was no vacancy; he was
| therefore not commissioned. In 1860, wish
| ing to retire from his practice, which had
become exceedingly laborious, he accepted
the nomination and was elected to the
Circuit Bench, being reelected to the same
position in 1866, the last time without a
vote against him. In 1872 he declined re-
election, and from that time until 1874 gave
| the greater portion of his time to literary
pursuits. He was then nominated for the
| Supreme Bench by two State conventions.
| the Democratic and the Independent, and
elected by one of the largest majorities
! ever given to any candidate in the history
of the State his majority reaching nearly
| 5000.
HIS LITERARY WORK
In 1S49 he published his first volume of
poems. This work was highly compli-
mented by many of the leading American
authors. In 1858 another and larger volume
| of his poems was published. In 1S49 he
wrote his work on ''The Musical Scale"
book of two hundred pages. which he did
| not publish until 1860 when a small edition
was printed and distributed among col
leges and scholars, but not placed on the
market. Oliver Ditson, of Boston, seeing
the work, purchased the copyright, and has
published two or three editions. In this
book the judge differs regarding the musi-
cal scale with preceding authorities, not
1 Oluy III tie Analysis VI iIuolly, Out III the
combination of harmonies and in the ar
rangement of some of the intervals in the
scale. Afterwards, in London, the judges
theory was proved correct by the micro
phone. and is now accepted authority.
In 1864 and 1866 he wrote Chances at the
World" his third volume of poems, book
OF $40 pages, published in 1874. In 1876 he
published another volume, a poem entitled
American Boyhood,' in which is por-
trayed American boyhood with its sur
| roundings. found in the West in the
early part of the nineteenth century, with
all its joys, sorrows. hopes. fears, trials
and ambitions incidental to the early set
Element of the country. The judge contrib
uted several pamphlets TO the literature of
the country, prominent among which are
"A Discourse on Art, THE Definition of
Poetry" "A Review of Professor Tyndalrs
Work on Sound" '"rhe Analysis of
ture'' and "Tetrachord, New Musical in
strument." His later literature productions
Prose Miscellany" 1881. and Last
Poems" published in 1882 In addition to
the publications named. Judge Biddle
printed, a number of years ago, volume
| I'm scrap-book form, for distribution among
friends. but not intended for general circu-
lation. In 1873 beautifully bound and ele-
gantly got up volume, entitled "Amatories
by an Amateur was printed by a house
in Cincinnati. only ten copies comprising
the edition Yet this volume Is the MASTER
piece of Judge Biddles pen.
Surrounded by books. birds. paintings.
music and flowers Judge Biddle passed the
last years of bis life on what Is known as
"Biddle's Island in the Wabash river,
| in which the Judge resided was built in
! 1876 bv Cen John Tfpfon. then TYnfte6