The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1908-11-07
PRAcTIcING LAW IN EARLY DAYS
IN IOWA.


PRAcTIclNG LAW IN EARLY DAYS
IN IOWA.
In the Annals Of Iowa for October,
! just at hand. the place of honor is
given to an article by Judge C. c..
Nourse of Des Moines, entitled BE
i ginning Fifty Years of Practice at the
Iowa Bar" For half a century Judge
i Nourse has been eminent in his profes-
| sion in the state and who'll creditable
TO it He was bern in Maryland in
1929 where he spent part of his boy
! hood: later he went with his fathers
| family to Kentucky and passed the
remainder of his youth there and in
Ohio He was school teacher in
early life, studied law and graduated
from the Law Department of Transyl-
yania University, Lexington, KY, in
1850. In the spring of 1851 he came to
Iowa seeking location, intending to
grow up with the country" He came
by boat from Louisville to Burlington
and stopped at the old Barrett House.
He did not know single person in the
| state of Iowa. He inquired of the land
lord of the hotel where he could find
Methodist preacher, and was direct
ed to Reverend Dennis, tall. white
headed man of pleasant countenance
and affable manners, who afterwards
obtained some notoriety as pastor in
Kansas at the time of the troubles
/ there.
| Mr.. Nourse was introduced by this
! gentleman to the members of the SUI
preme court Of Iowa, then n session in
Burlington, to whom he presented his
| diploma and letters of recommends
4 ton. They received him cordially and
( instructed him to call at the court
1 room next morning. He did so, and at
! the request of Judge Kinney, Mr..
! Dixon of Keokuk made a motion for
his admission to the bar, and suggested
( the appointment of conn ittee to ex-
anime him. The chief justice an
nounced that that was unnecessary.
that the court had already examined
the applicant and was entirely satisfied
with his qualifications. whereupon he
/ was admitted to practice in the courts
1 OF Iowa That evening he took walk
/ with Judge Kinney who told him that
ne had brother-in-law. Augustus Hall
living at Keosauqua, who was DESTROYS
OF having young lawyer as an as-o-
ciate. The stage fare from Burlington
10 heosauqua was six dollars and
/ young Nourse had only eight dollars
! all told. He had with him two trunks
one filled with law books and the other
I with clothing. He took the landlord
!! into his confidence, telling him his f.
4 nanclal situation and proposing to
leave his books In the lanSlord's ems.
tody as security for his bill until such
TINE as ne was located and could send
Tor them. To this proposal the land.
lord readily agreed, but Tered to LET
Nourse take his books with him 40
ne was willing TO risk the amount ofs
the bill. This kind offer was declined
Next morning Judge Kinney, who had
probably been apprised by the land
lord Of Mr.. Nourse's financial condi.
ton, took him aside and told him that
it was not unusual for voung men who
were short of funds to visit Iowa for
ehe purpose Of locating and offered
MIN a small loan. This kindness also
Mr. Nourse declined.
Inc next morning he took STAGE
/. coach Tor keosauqua. but owing to tho
} cohuition OF the roads and particnIar,v
: OF SKUNK river, he was brought 10 Keo
kuk where he had to stay all nipbt
After paving his bill here he had on1y
twenty cents left The next dav tho
stage coach took him up The Divide
as II was called, as far as Utica most.
OFFICE in VanBuren county. and thare
ieit nm the hack that should have
taken him from there to Keosauona
having already gone. He could NOT
stay there all night because he had mn
money, so he left his remaining trunl,
9 IN charge of the postmaster To ba
f sent 10 heosauqua next day on the
, mack, and started to walk to Keosa,
qua, distance of ten miles. He had
: sprained ankle and the walking was
S painful but he managed to reach Keo
r sauqua about shutdown that evening
o Judge Nourse thus descr hes his re-
n ception at the scene of his future use
/. fnlness:
e me first building that looked like
o a notei or public house was frame
!, building that stood southeast Of the
court house. The high waters of the
Des Mo1nes river had flooded the low.
er part of the town. found this
I place was boarding house and took