The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-11-19
NEW MEN IN OFFICE
 IN MISSISSIPPI
New Attorney General Well
 Equipped For His Position
RAvAGES OF BOIL WEEVlL
J. A. Evans Talks to Business Men of JacFson and Farmers of the Dis strict About Spread of the
 Cotton Pest in State.

Jackson, Miss, November 1s.-(Speeial) Because of the death of Justice Cal ! hoon of the supreme court bench the state 1 of Mississippi has two new state officers i Associate Justice Robert V. Fletcher and Attorney General J. B. Stirling. The va l cancy caused by the appointment of At torney General Fletcher to the supreme 1 court bench, vice Calhoon, deceased, was l filled Monday by the appointment of Hon. J. B. Stirling of Jackson as attor- ney general.
 This appointment is one that will be indorsed everywhere. just as was the appointment of General Fletcher to the bench. MT. Stirling is a comparatively young man, but not so young as others who have filled the position, and he is not so young that his years are against him, having been born in Point Coupee parish, Louisiana, in January, 1870.
 Mir Stirling was the son of promi- nent planter. When he was youth his father removed to Washington county, Mississippi, and when old enough he was sent to Sewanee, Tenn, to school. Later on he went to the Missouri Law school where he graduated and in 1891 he began the practice of his profession in Memphis, where he remained til in 1898, when he was united in marriage to Miss Hallie Carter, only child of Dr. s. S. Carter, president of the First National bank of this city and has since made his home in Jackson.
 Mr. Stirling has confined himself al- most exclusively to chancery business, and for four years has held the important position of referee in bankruptcy, which he resigned several months ago so that he could devote his time to his prac- tice.
 Thus it will be seen that though a comparatively young man Mir Stirling is old at the bar, having had about IS years active practice and is just as well equipped for the exalted position he has been called upon to fill as most any at torney general the state has ever had. He is high-toned, elegant gentleman, close student, level-headed and broad gauged and his friends are confident that he will be a credit to the state as it's chief legal adviser.
 Having been an applicant for the su- preme judgeship MT. Stirling hesitated to accept the attorney generalship when it was rendered him by Governor Noel Sat urday night and this morning declined it, but his friends and indorsers for the 1udgeship insisted that he accept and he | finally consented, entering at once upon the duties of his responsible position. General Sterling announces that the present office force will be retained and indeed he could do no better. Hon. George Butler of Pike county has been the able assistant attorney general since General Fletcher was promoted to chief after the death of Attorney General Williams. and his friends are delighted to know that he is to re- main. He has had charge of the crim inal branch of the business of the of 1 flee, and the numerous affrmationS of criminal sentences is evidence sufficient | that his work has been well done. Miss | Sallie Fitzgerald, daughter of the late and lamented Charles Fitzgerald. is 1 chief stenographer to the attorney gen. eral. She is careful and painstaking as well as rapid with pencil and type | writer, and is assured always of good position. She remains with the new attorney general.
 The supreme court handed down no | decisions yesterday because of the 1 death of Justice $. S. Calhoon last week, but a full bench was present. 1 Chief Justice A. H. Whitfield occupied his customary chair in the center, but Justice R. D. Mayes had moved over 1 into the seat made vacant by the death l of Judge Calhoon, on the right of the chief justice, and the newly appointed justice, R. V. Fletcher, took the chair thus surrendered by Justice Mayes on the left of the chief justice.
 The State Bar association was called | to order with Chief Justice Whitfield presiding, and after few preliminary remarks in explanation of the meeting, the chair appointed the following com mittee with instructions to report next l Monday afternoon with resolutions | paying tribute to the memory of Jus | tice Calhoon, viz: Hon. J. A. P. Camp 1 bell ex-chief justice of the supreme 1 court chairman; M. Green and T. E.