Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-06


His mind argues with iteself as to the best
course to pursue. the pros and cons of this
and that mental suggestion and when he
arrives at decision he acts, and time is
likely to prove him right.
About Sixty Years Old.
Mr.. Root is now about sixty years old,
having been born at Clinton, Oneida coun
ty, New York, February 10, 1915, and is in
the prime of mental and physical vigor.
He does not look his age, nor act it, and the
mental powers that won him an enviable
reputation as q member of the New York
bar years ago seem to be augmented and
ma tured as the years roll on. Mr.. Root s
father a professor of mathematics at
Hamilton College, and 1t was at that insti-
tuition that the son was educated. gradu-
ating In 1854, and being the valedictorian
of his class.
He taught school for year after leav-
Ing college. and then studied at the Uni
versity Law School in New York, securing
his admission to the bar in 1867
He first served his apprenticeship in the
office OF Man & Parsons. John H. Strahan
was his first law partner, and his next
partnership was with Willard Bartlett, who
afterward became Justice of the supreme
court of the state.
His first case of Importance was the suit
OF the people against Ingersoll in which
he successfully contended against Charles
O'Conor's theory that the state instead of
the people was the proper party to sue
for money alleged to have been taken
from the country.
Mr. Root made real estate and corpora
ton law his specialties and in these he
soon acquired success.
In one of his early cases, that of the
Hooking Valley, the prize in contention
amounted to 5000 600 in value. He was
attorney for Judge Hilton In the Stewart
will case, and he represented the Hamilton
family in the proceedings brought by Eva
Mann as the widow of Robert Ray Hamil-
tont. He was also employed in the Hoyt
and Fayerweather will contests, and repre-
sented O'Brien and Clark in their suits
against the city of New York. Later he
was appointed counsel for many corpora
tonS.
Not Machine Politician.
In politics Mr.. Root has always been a
republican. although not machine man,
his many rows with Senator Platt of
New York will amply testify. In fact Sen
ator Platt for many years considered Mr..
Root a visionary theorist, and the strong
friendship which now exists between Pres
ident Roosevelt and Secretary Root had its
origin in the common ground they took
with respect to honesty in public affairs
and purity of elections long before either
of them had been marked for national prom
inence.
didate for an elective office in 1879,
when he ran unsuccessfully for judge of
the court of common pleas.
Appointed District Attorney.
He was appointed by President Arthur,
in 1888, United States district attorney in
place of Stewart L. Woodford, in the
southern district of New York, remain
ing in Office until 1885, when, Grover
Cleveland becoming President, he re-
signed. In 1871 he was an active member
of the committee of thirty, which worked
to obtain reform in the city of New York
and in 1856 was chairman of the repub-
lican county committee of New York.
He has always been politically associated
with President Roosevelt, and when the
latter was police commissioner Mr.. Root
was selected by Mayor Strong to prosecute
the charges against Commissioner Parker.
Mr.. Root was also prominent in the con-
sttutional convention, and many of the
ideas in the constitution originated with
him. His present position in law and in
craftsmanship is envable.