New-York tribune., 1910-04-26
HUGHES'S LEGAL CAREER
Goes to the Supreme Court at
the Early Age of Forty eight.

NnarlcS Evans fuEneSs= TWICE tltNlcN
Governor of the State Of New York, was
born on April Il. 1859, and Will therefore
assume a seat on the bench OF the Supreme
Court Of the United States at the early age
Of forty-eight.
Governor Hughes took UP the study of
law while a student az Brown University.
After leaving Brown Mr.. Hughes became
a teacher al Delhi X. Y and between the
hours when he was teaching Greek and
mathematics studied law az an office there.
After a year at Delhi NIr Hughes decided
that the only proper place TO study law was
at a law school, and ne entered the CO.
lumbia Law School in 1882. at the age Of
twenty. Two years later he was gradual
ed. taking a fellowship in his senior yea,
which entitled him 10 conduct a quiz for
three years at a salary of $500 year.
This was Of great assistance 10 the embryo
lawyer. Just at the threshold Of his career.
and he also conducted a private quiz on his
own account al the same time while he
was getting started in a law office.
Mr. Hughes first had a desk In the law
Office Of General Stewart l. woodford, who
was then United States Attorney, and
short time later entered the law Office Of
Chamberlain. Carter & HOrnblower, Of New
York City
While clerk with this firm Mr Hughes
got his first case, and after twelve months
Of hard work won a decision, but no great
/ financial reward. II was shortly after THIS.
IL 1887. that Mr.. Hughes became a member
OF the firm, which was then known as Car
ter, Hughes & Cravath.
] Mr. Hughes had always had strong IN
clination toward teaching. and in 1891 he
became a member Of the law faculty of
/ Cornell University. remaining there for two
years. He then re-entered the law firm.
and in 1904 became the active head. NJ
Carter having died, Of Hughes, Rounds &
! Schurnan.
II was in this same year that Mr.. Hughes
! first came prominently into the public eye.
when he was made counsel for the legis>
lative commission that investigated the cost
OF gas ia this city. The idea Of accepting
the position did not appeal TO Mr. Hughes.
a. he had always kept TO a strictly private
practice
In this gas investigation Mr.. Hughes set
a new standard for work Of the kind. His
grasp Of technical detail was amazing 10
the specially trained men who represented
the gas companies. and his ability to ex-
tract facts essential TO the commission was
extraordinary.
/ 30 lnoIOlgn was MS Work In the gas In
vestigation that he was generally regarded
as the only candidate when the Armstrong
commission met TO choose counsel for the
Insurance investigation. Mr. Hughes con-
Quoted the investigation OF the insurahce
companies with the same exactitude Of de-
tail that had characterized his work in the
gas investigation, and left the state stag
gered by the results accomplished.
BY the time Mr. Hughes had conducted
the gas and insurance investigations his
fame as an investigator had spread abroad
and Attorney General Moody appointed
him counsel for the federal Investigation
into the business Of the coal carrying rail.
roads. with relation TO their ownership OF
coal properties. The appointment was Of
fered 20 Mr. Hughes and Alexander Simp.
son. jr. and this work was as thorough as
that Of Nj. Hughes in the gas and insur.
anCe Investigations.
Then came the nomination that led "a
Mr.. Hughes's election as Governor in 1876.