Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1911-02-04
COURT ADJOURNS
TO MARCH |
Long Grist Of Opinions Hand
ed Down at Today's
Sessions
.ELKINS MEMORIAL ADOPTED
Resolutions Drafted by F. w. .
Clancy, T. B. Catron and
C. W Prichard.

In the supreme court this morning
the committee appointed on an earlier
day by the court, to give proper eX-
preston to the sentiment of Both
bench and bar upon the death of Sen
consisted of two eX-attorney gener-
eral of New Mexico, which committee
consisted Of two eX-attorneys gener-
ais, Thomas b. Catron and George w.
Prichard with the present attorney
general, Frank w. Clancy, presented
the following report.
Stephen B. Elkins was born at
GAINESVILLE. Ohio. September 26, 1871.
In his early infancy his father and
mother moved with him to Westport,
now a part of Kansas City, Missouri,
where he was reared to manhood His
primary education was in the public
schools He, while boy, was clerk
in a mercantile house at Westport At
the age of fifteen he entered the fresh
man class at Mosinio College, in Lex
ington Missouri, where he remained
two and a half years, and then went
to the Missouri university entering
the junior class and graduating on
July 4th, 1860, before he had reached
twenty years of age. He was the
head of the public school in Harrison
vile, Mo. during the school year of
1860 and 1861.
Shortly after the outbreak Of the
Civil War he was made captain Of a
company of Enrolled Missouri Militia
in the Union service, in which capaci-
ty he served until 1868, when he re-
signed and came to New Mexico, TAX
ing up his residence at La Mesilla, in
Dona Ana county, when he began the
study of law and was admitted to the
bar in 1864, in which year he was
elected representative in the New
Mexico legislature, and served during
the session of 1864 and 1865, immedl
ately after which he took up his resi-
dence and commenced the practice Of
law at Santa Fe, New Mexico. In Jan
uary, 1867, he was appointed attorney
general Of the Territory of New MeXi-
CO. but soon thereafter resigned that
office on being appointed United
| States attorney for New Mexico, which
Office he held for several years, and
also resigned the same shortly after
General Grant was inaugurated as
President At that time his law prac,
! tica had become very large and lucra
| tive.
| In 1873 he was elected as Republi
| can delegate to Congress and again
in 1875, while travelling in Europe and
without effort or solicitation on his
part, was elected such delegate. He
was the member of the Republican
national committee for New Mexico
from the time of his first election as
Delegate to Congress Tor a period OF
about ten years, but resigned upon
taking his permanent residence in
West Virginia.
| Mr.. Elkins' career, as lawyer. was
eminently successful; he was a good
! student, active and energetic in pre-.
/ pairing his cases and was always
ready for trial: he understood his
! cases and the law applicable to them
and always had the facts we'll in hand
He was aggressive and persuasive be.
fore judge and jury and at all times
! extremely agreeable and pleasant in
| his manners. He left no one feeling
| aggrieved by his conduct of cases ex
cept his clients opponents, who, as
is always the case, would naturally
feel irritated by their defeat. When
he was elected Delegate to Congress
he had accumulated a considerable
fortune in New Mexico and was in
very easy circumstances. He always
made friends and whatever he touch
ed turned to a profit; those who were
most bitterly opposed to him, never
after a conversation with him, retain
ed any enmity towards him.
After ceasing to be Delegate il
Congress he opened an Office in New
York and engaged in business con
nected with mining and other pur
suits. in all Of which he prospereC
2reatly. In 1875 he married Halle
Davis, a daughter of Hon. Henry G
Davis, then a Z. S. Senator, from
West Virginia. While holding his bus
mess Office in New York City his at
tention was drawn to the possibilities
of West Virginia, the home of hi
wife before his marriage, as a place
in which to invest and be worthy o
| his attention. There he acquired con
! siderable coal and timber propertie.
and commenced to develop them, ant
build railroads with which to remove
the output. This business grew ant
expanded and became so profitable
that it is believed his wealth reached
several millions of dollars at the tint
Of his death.
, In whatever Mr.. Elkins engaged h,
manifested great ambition to sue
2eed, his judgment and discretion
were always the best, and he had
very large fund of prudence in hi
makeup. He ceased the practice O
law when he was elected a Delegat
to Congress, but he was always in
Cllned to politics, and his ambitio,
led him to seek preferment in tha
line. Upon his connecting himsel
with business in West Virginia h
made that state his residence and er