The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-08-27
Spokane Letter

flspokane. Wash, Aug. 2e Norman
Buck. who 1855, while associate
judge of the supreme court of Idaho
assigned to the four northern coun-
ties reversed the finding of a jury
and decided that, as the Bunker Hill
and Sullivan mines. bonanza lead
silver producers in the Occur d'Alenes
were discovered by q donkey, iis
owners. Cooper and Peck, were en-
titled to half interest In the for
mer and a quarter interest in the lat-
ter claim, now valued at sfnore than
$50, 900, 900, is dead at his home in
Spokane. The Immediate cause was
second stroke of paralysis on the
morning of August 20gr
Judge Buck came to the North
west in the '70s and was an active
participant In the principal events of
the frontier days. remaining in the
harness until last spring, when he
suffered the first attack of paralysis,
He lived through the stirring days in
the wilds of northern Idaho. when 1t
was necessary to have armed men as
bafliffs to maintain order in the court,
and realized his early prediction that
the Coer d'Alenes would be developed
into the richest lead producing dis
trict in the world
Born in Lancaster county. New
York, on April 13. 1888, he moved
with his parents to Batavia, ILL.,. when
boy, and afterward attended sew
eral terms in a private seminary at
Warren, Ill. He next migrated to
Wisconsin, settling in Sheboygan
county. When young Buck had at
tained his majority he entered Law
renee university ut Appleton. gradu-
ating in 1859. The following year
he spent In n law school at Albany,
N. Y, and soon after he settled in
Winona, MINI. "'G Hr Grfsda'
When Lincoln issued the call for
volunteers he was mustered into
service at Fort Smelling as first lieu
tenant of the Seventh Minnesota in
1862. His first service was under
General Sibley. who conducted the
expedition against the Indians. who
were committing depredations on the
| frontier.
The regiment crossed what Is now
| North Dakota and reached Fort Alb
ercrombie the day after It had been
attacked, and assisted In bringing In
| in the bodies of those who had fall
en-. Among these was that of Ed
| ward Wright. a schoolmate, whose
parents had fled to the fort for pro
| lection. He passed the winter on the
| plains and returned with Sibley's ex-
| pedition to st. Paul, after which his
regiment was ordered to st. Louis
doing garrison duty that winter.
Following service I'm Missouri
where he assisted in routing Gencr'
al Price. he went to Paducah, Ky.
| then embarking for Memphis and
participated i'm several raids, also tax.
| ing part in the battle of Nashville. He
was at Mobile when the war came tc
a close. having served three years
and one day. He returned to Winonf
and shortly afterward was appointed
probate judge to I'LL an unexpiret
term, being also elected later TO serve
| four years. M
| Coming to the Northwest he wai
| appointed by President Hayes in 1875
| as United States attorney for Ohio
| He found that great depreciation
| had been committed by the timber
thieves, and he prosecuted jay Goult
and son of Brigham Young Th'
| former case was settled out OF cour
by Gould paying $4,000 into the In
| dian fund.
Judge Buck was appointed associ
ate Judge of the supreme court o
| Idaho in 1881. He was assigned
TO the four northern counties ant
| took up his residence at Lewiston. II
| this service he had some interesting
| experiences. He first held court a
| Pierce City, the old seat of Shoshon'
| county. This was changed to Eagle
J and the Judge was taken up the rive
I I'm a canoe to hold the first session II
| the new court.
The discovery of the mines n
| northern Idaho shifted the scene ant
| Judge Buck established court at Muir
| ray, where United States Senator Hey
| burn, w. III. Claggett, Fred Ganahl
| Patrick Henry Winston. Frank AL
| len, Major Wood. Judge Mayhey ant
| others were engaged I'm the practice
| of law. These were the days wher
| the court room was often filled will
! miners and when TEDDY" Guthrie
| former prize fighter and sheriff, stooc
| by the Judge and maintained 7ordel
| with drawn reyolvers.D ~ Ints-t
| During that period Judge Buct
rendered his famous decision in thu
| fore 1t came to trial, Cooper and Peel
who owned the burro. which Kel'
logg and O'Rourke found whilt
Kicking up "pay dirt" Instituted sui
for a share OF the find" The case
was tried before Judge Buck and a
jury. The latter had decided
against the plaintiffs when the court
reversed the finding and handed
down this opinion, which Is part OF
the judicial records of Idaho:
From the evidence of the wit