Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-07-19

HtH Emu ItuoN Wuo SiaNH"NNN
from Hamilton college at the head OF
his class. he had a choice between
following his father as a teacher OF
mathematics and going TO New York
10 break into the law. says the New
York Sun. He chose the law, some
what TO the disappointment of his faith
er, who was professor Of matthew
atics In the college and was known to
all Hamiltonians as Cube" Root. For
young Elihu Root had been a wonder
In mathematics; he could g further
into mathematical distractions than
even his father, they said at Hamil'
ton.
VERY WELL" said Prof. Root when
the young man made his choice,
"IM give you letters OF introduction
10 some people in New York who will
help you"
II don't want them" replied young
Root. I'm starting out 10 do this
thing myself. I'm going to make my
own friends without any family pull
| want to find out whether I'm
man or a mouse"
SO he drifted into the disturbed
New York Of that day, found a corner
In a law office and wen TO work.
The year of two Of privation thai
followed has usually been omitted IL
the biographies of Mr., Root. The
fact is for a long time he lived OF
fifty cents a day, and when even THU
resource was gone he scraped alons
tutoring in mathematics, for which
he had the family talent.
From the time he struck New Yorl
until he was making a living out o
his law practice, Young" Root
they called him Young" even afte
he was well past middle age-sup
ported himself. He did this voluntar
lily; it was part of his process to fin,
out whether he "a a man or a mouse
The close of the civil war was
time OF opportunity. From the yer.
first Mr.. Roots marvellous analytica
faculty, his application, his will, shoy
ed him toward large affairs.
He had a good practice and wa
finding his friends for himself befor
he was twenty-five. BY the time h
was thirty he had a good corporatio
practice and was a leader of the Ne,
York bar.
1t was a great many years befor
he was recognized outside Of his ow
profession. In it he was known a
one OF the strongest, most f~arseein.
keenest lawyers alive. Yet the coul
Try at large heard little of him unit
ne stepped into the shoes of Secretar
Alger 70 make over a disorganize
war department. His period of qui,
preparation covered the whole perio
of natural growth between the civ
war and the Spanish war.
1t was because he was a great Lax
: yer that he was suddenly iniecte
into national affairs.
= shall put the best lawyer | ca
IND at the head of the war depar
. ment," said President Mckinley,
!, discussing a successor for Secretal
! Alger.
, 1t was as a lawyer that Mr.. Ro,
: was chosen, his political record be
! not been startling. Like his pred
, cessor. Secretary Hay, he was MAJ
: for the direction of large affairs, n
!, for the seeking, Of small offices.
Z As a lawyer Ne gave the governme,
8 the most efficient administration
the war department since the eli,
war.
Y How did you get the army !
: organization bill through" they ask
Y him, after his work in the departing
was done, for the passage of tn
bill was the most difficult feat
his administration. Secretary aft
secretary had tried to reorganize t
4. army and had been beaten by t
!, powerful static forces which alwa
! lined up against reform.
) Il took the army for my ellen
Z he said. That's all.
) Because he will probably car
! that principle into his administrati'
OF the state department, and becau
: his absolute devotion to his ellen
is a tradition among lawyers, h
character as a statesman may be SUI
} med up in his abilities as a lawyer.
Above all his other quahdes is tn
!. Of far seeing analysis. The mathe
(, atical genius of the family shows
that.
In his early days at the bar he "
: noted as a cross-examiner, and Il