The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-04
JEROME FROM THE START
The Early Days of the Fighting
4s...S Politician. d.. -s..-..... =..-.-
Ainslee's Magazine.

:" Ainslees Magazine.
"By birth. environment and tradition,
William TraverS Jerome should have been
an orchid in the dollhouse of civic affairs
rather than a storm defying daisy in the
field Of practical politics. He Is the son
and nephew, respectively, of two of New
Yorks most famous citizens. His father
was Lawrence w. Jerome. broker. banker,
promoter, politician, patron OF sports, aft
er-dinner speaker, practical joker, patron
of art and literature, millionaire and
prince OF good fellows. His uncle, Leon
ard Jerome, was the first man to make
great fortune by daring speculation in
Wall street. He, too, was patron of the
sports of gentlemen and built the famous
Jerome Park race track. The youngest
daughter of Leonard jerome, Jennie,
first cousin of the district attorney,
became Lady Randolph Churchill, Of whom
Gladstone once said that she could win
more votes than any campaign orator in
England.
Lawrence Jerome and William r.
Travers were boon companions, and it is
| related that they were eating supper to-
| gether in Delmonico's one night forty
| three years ago when messenger came
| in and handed q note to Jerome which an
nounced that another son had been born
| to him.
"'What's the buffers name?' STAN
mered Travers, when he heard the news.
| William Travers Jerome the happy
father answered. and that was the first
christening Of the boy who was destined
| to shed new luster on the family name.
| In infancy and boyhood and youth Will
| liam Travers Jerome was physically deli
| cate.
! HE could not stand the rough and tum-
BILE Of schools, and was taught by a pri-
! vate tutor until he entered Amherst col
lege. There his health failed, and he was
compelled to retire at the end of three
years without taking a degree. But the
J Jerome blood was in his veins, the
! Jerome pluck in his heart. He spent much
time in the open air, took exercise and
built up his physical strength and devel-
| opment AS soon Jas he was trong enough
he entered the Columbia college Law
school and graduated from there in 1884
After he had been admitted to the bar he
travelled abroad and continued his studies
| and reading, because clients did not rush
to his office fast enough to employ all his
time In 1888, four years after his ad-
mission to the bar, Mr.. Jerome was ap-
pointed an assistant district attorney
That was his first public office. His as
signments, as rule, were to unimportant
cases, but he studied them so thoroughly
and won so many of them that he com.
manded attention. Two years later hi
took an active part In politics, supporting
the ticket of the municipal league, an or
ganizatio opposing Tammany. In tina
campaign he was on the losing side
Tammany won, and he lost his place il
the district attorneys office.
"His next prominent appearance befor'
the public was as counsel for Carlyle Har
ris, in the famous murder trial in which
} the young medical student was charged
with the murder Of his girl wife. In or
der to be able to try that case jerome
mastered the science OF chemistry, ant
the knowledge Of poisons and their eff