The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-07-13

!
single condition, and that condition
is that shall not be required to
come into Columbia county, to
write letter, or to say word in
favor of my election. | leave it
with YOU. And we assured him
that we did not ask him to do any
thing except TO consent. The con-
vention was held some time after
that and Judge Elwell received all
the votes OF the delegates of Co.
lumbia, except three. which were
given to a personal friend; and the
next time he was nominated, and
the third time he was nominated,
there was nobody against him.
That, gentlemen gives us little
idea OF the manner in which matters
of that sort were accomplished and
done a good many years ago. There
were no contests. There were no
difficulties whatever; and the gentle
men who were put upon the bench
were of first quality of lawyers i'll
the the State of Pennsylvania.
was candidate for admission
to the bar of Columbia county,
after having served my apprentice.
ship as a student in the Office Of
Joshua w, Comfy of Danville, in
the year IS4S, on the 10Th day of
April, and have therefore completed
NV 57th year of practice. 1t is a
very, very long time. All the
gentlemen who were at that time
members of the bar of Columbia
county have passed of to the Grand
Assize; and so far as the bar of that
time is concerned, substantially !
stand alone. Let me name a few
Of them to you:
George a. Frick, John Cooper,
John c.. Montgomery, Legrande
Bancroft, Joshua w. Comfy, Viii
liam G.. Hurley, James Peasants,
Morrison f. Jackson, Mr. Buck
alew, Edward Badly, Robert +.
Clark, Mr.. Leidy, Mr.. Rhoades; all
these then members of the bar of
Columbia county. And I would
be exceedingly glad if they were all
members yet, and if Montour county
was still part of us.
During the time especially that
Judge Elwell was upon the
bench, as has been already SAID,
there were more heavy and large
and important cases tried in .his
county than in any other county in
the State of Pennsylvania, outside
Of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
Large interests in coal lands and
other matters passed through his
hands and under his Judgment.
The Cameron Will Case, which in
its time was very important one,
was brought from the county in
which it originated, here to be
tried before him | have seen the
leading members of the bar of
Pennsylvania here trying causes be-
fore him; and when they came here,
it is not too much to say for him as
the presiding officer OF this Court
that they met man whose judg-
ment and knowledge of the law was
equal to that of the best man that
ever came before him.
Let me for a moment (for | have
already made list of them upon
one of my papers here) give you an
idea of the gentlemen who were
here and practiced before him. l
have seen here i'll this Court May
nard and Lynn of L.ycoming, and
Packer and Wolverton of North
cumberland, and Hughes and the
Ryans and Bartholomew and Judge
Mari and the Kaerchers and F. B.
Gowen and Georg F. Baer. J have
seen Hendrick B. Wright, Harri-
son Wright, Chief Justice Wood
ward, Governor Hoyt, Atty. Gen'l
Palmer. have seen George M.
Dallas, F. Carroll Brewster, Judge
Parry, Judge Jeremiah S. Black,
and many other men here in practice
before him. They were the Golden
Days of the practice of the law in
the county of Columbia.
When I came to the bar in the
Court House almost Immediately
adjoining the building in which we
are now assembled and having this
magnificent banquet, there before
Judge Anthony, when was ad-
mitted the oath OF cffice was admin
istered to me by that old veteran of
whom we all remember something,
Jacob Eyerly, Prothonotary of this
Court from 1880 to 1896 by ap-
pointment, and from 1889 to 1868,
"a years by election by the people.
| do not know, gentlemen, that |
can give You much further informa-
ton upon the subjects that ! have
heet1 Spaak mo- tn Vpi, ahDut hut