The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-10-28
CAREER OF THE
LATE JUDGE

The late Judge Morris NJ. Estee
/ would have been sixty-nine years old
| had he lived another two weeks. He
Freehold, Warren County, Pa, on No
| vember TO- 1884. His father, Ansel
Estee, native of Buffalo, N. Y, was
| a well-to-do farmer of the time hon.
ored Eastern type. There were nine
children in the Estee family and Nor
ris was the eldest. When mere child
| his parents moved from Freehold to
Erie county, in the same State. and
| there Estee spent his early life the
same as the other children of farmers
| did. He attended the public schools
| and later a so-called select school.
But his ambitions were beyond the lin
| it's of his fathers farm, and, after
spending two years at the Waterford
Academy, of Erie county, he resolved
/ to strike out alone in quest of fortune.
| The stories that came eastward con-
| corning the great riches of the then
undeveloped Golden State made Estee
eager to join the great army Of young
men that travelled west. At the age
of twenty he found himself in Califor-
mia and at once went to the Ell Dorado
county gold mines, where he spent two
years. While leading the rough life
| of a miner he continued to work as
student, and he soon learned that his
| way to success lay through intellect
rather than muscles. He then took
| up the study of law in the office of
Judge F. M. Paulding, fellow Penn
sylvanian, and in 1859 was admitted
| to the practice of law. He hung out
his sign at Sacramento and during his
first years as struggling lawyer found
| that his business was not so heavy
but what he could dabble in politics.
In 1868 he was elected to the lower
house of the Legislature, his work dur
ing the session of that year being rec
ognized by the people of Sacramento by
his election to the office of district at
torney, which he held until 1866.
SUCCESS IN SAN FRANCISCO.
In 1868 Estee removed to San Fran
cisco. There were brilliant opportuni-
ties at the Golden Gate at that time for
young attorneys. He soon had large
practice and built up a reputation as
one of the leading lawyers of the
State. In 1871 he made himself politi-
cally felt by his fight for Booth for the
Governorship. After the latter's NOM
ination Estee was made secretary OF
the State Republican Central Commit
tee, in which position his ability as an
organizer of political forces was ap-
parent in a remarkable degree. In 1875
Mr. Estee was sent to the State As
sembly from San Francisco, and was
chosen Speaker of the House with little
or no opposition. In 1878 he was
member of the Constitutional Conven-
ton which framed the new constitu-
ton for California
At the close of this work he returned
to San Francisco and resumed the
practice of law. In 1880 he was Sc
lected as one of the fifteen freeholders
to frame a new city charter for San
Francisco.
Mr.. Estee was once described as ga
man who combines a hitherto unsatis-
fed desire for office with a recognized
fitness for it, His ambition was a
of California, then a cabinet minister
and perhaps later President of the
United States. His political career
from 1880 onward was one of stern and
disappointing uphill work. In 1882,
the Democratic tidal wave year when
even Pennsylvania and Massachusetts
elected Democratic executives in pro-
test against the machine proclivities
against Gen. George Stoneman for
Governor of California Mr. Estee's
high qualities were unable to counter
act the anti-Republican mania which
had swept over the country and he was
defeated. Among his enemies was the
Southern Pacific railroad.
Twelve years later Estee renewed the
fight for the California Governorship.
He headed the Republican ticket
against James C. Budd but was de-
prived of the governorship by success
full fraud in the San Francisco voting
precincts and by railroad opposition.
He carried the State outside of the
Metropolis and the rest of the Republi-
can ticket was elected but the fraudu-
lent work in San Francisco could not
be overcome.
IN NATIONAL AFFAIRS.
Judge Estee had name in national
politics. He was one of the presiden-
tial electors when Rutherford B. Hayes
was elected President and while a del
egate to the National Republican Con-
vention of 1888 had the unusual honor
of being elected President thereof. Mr.
Estee was a member of the Pan
American Congress of 1890, and left
the impress of his ability on the de-
alterations of that body
Mr.. Estee tried more than once to
become a member of thu Cabinet but
the factional spirit and railway oppo-