Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-04-23

1
and worked along its burrows as a
boy.
OF Old English Stock.
On his fathers side the Judge comes
of old English stock. His great-grand-
father. John Parker, was born tn 1851
| at Worcester, Mass. He was a hard
working farmer. When the war for
independence broke out he left his
plow and served as a private under
Washington until the American repub-
lie was established. Little is known
Of him except that he was n man of
pluck and independence and was great
ly respected by his neighbOrs. His
son, John Parker. was an intelligent
man, highly educated and public spir-
tied. In 1903 he came to New York
state and bought q farm at Cortland,
the same farm which his distinguished
grandson owns and cultivates today.
He had large family, and when his
health broke down the burden fell
heavily upon his son John, the father
of Judge Parker. Those who remem-
Der the judges father say that he was
a man OF studious habits. In spite of
his bitter struggle for life on the farm
he read widely and deeply. He was
especially fond of committing rare pas
sages to memory, and every spare mo-
ment found him porting over u good
book.
On his mothers side Judge Parker
derives good New England blood. His
white haired mother, who lives at Der
by, Conn, is a woman of refinement,
education and strong character. In
the summer time she spends the
Judges vacation with him at Esopus
She is a member of the Womans
Christian Temperance union. The
giant sits before his mother while she
Solemnly lectures him on temperance
and, being an abstemious man, he
smiles and promises to be good. Her
constant aim is to warn him against
ambition. When the newspapers grow
loud in his praise he is sure to get
letter from his mother exhorting him to
be humble.
Farmer Boy and SchOOIteacher.
The judge was born on the farm near
Cortland almost fifty-two years ago.
He attended the village schools and
worked about the farm. When sixteen
years old he taught school in Il cOun-
try schoolhouSe and established his au-
thority by thrashing the school bully.
Then he taught school at BinghamtOn.
Presently he was a teacher at Accord,
in Ulster county, at So day. He in
tended to go to Cornell university and
WIS saving money fer that purpose,
but his fathers necessities drew from
his slender income, and his hopes of a
university course failed. He moved to
Kingston and entered the law office of
Schoonmaker & Hardenbergh as q
clerk. Then he entered the Albany
Law school, and upon graduating he
returned to Schoonmaker & Harden |
bergh. Within a few months he took
q partner named Kenyon and opened a |
law Office at Kingston.
For twelve years the young lawyer |
practiced his profession in Kingston. |
He had i good income and won several |
important cases. During that time he |
was quite free from the control or in
fluence of large corporations.
In 1877 he was elected surrogate of |
Ulster county and was afterward elect |
ed for a second term. That was his |
first experience of public office.
His entrance into politics was due |
simply to his love for his old employer, |
Judge Schoonmaker, who had been |
driven out of politics. He believed that |
the judge had been wronged and set |
out to restore him to popular favor. |
So earnest was his campaign that he |
soon became a recognized political fac
tor in Ulster county, being n favorite |
Of Mr.. Tilden and Mr.. Manning. who |
trusted and consulted him. In 1885 he |
was induced to become chairman of |
the Democratic state executive COM
mittee, and in the campaign which he |
managed David u. Hill was elected |
governor. Mr. Hill appointed him to a
seat on the supreme court bench when |
Justice Westbrook died.
HOnOrs Came Early.
When Judge Parker was thirty-three
years old he was unanimously nomi-
mated for the supreme court bench by
the Democrats. The Republicans would
isot nominate an opponent. Not vote
was cast against him. He served on
the supreme court bench until his
election as chief judge of the court OF
appeals in 1897 by a plurality of about
10000 votes.
During his nineteen years on the |
bench he has ignored politics. In 1896
and 1900 he voted for Mr.. Bryan, but it
was well understood that he was
sound money man and merely accepted
the will of the majority in his party.
Judge Parker's wife was Miss Schoon-
maker of Accord, 4 woman ofsrare re-
finement and good Dutch Revolution
my blood Thnir dannhter ma I.riel the |