The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-02-04
One of the Most Delightfully."- Hospi-
table and Congenial Men
in Washington.
Does a Great Deal of Walking and
Reading--Has Wonderful Mem
ory For Verse.

person eager to know just how he rose
to prominence and all about his habits.
Since Justice Whites appointment as
chief justice of the supreme court of
the United States much has been writ
ten about him. The following descrip-
ton of the great jurlst by William L.
Brigham which appeared in the Bos-
ton Transcript, is an interesting adj
dition to the literature on the sub
ject:
After the first shock of surprise
among large element in the country
that President Taft should have named
a Democrat and Catholic to be chief
justice of the United Sta>,s, public
opinion has endorsed with little quail
fication the selection of Mr.. Justice
White. 1t was an open secret in
Washington that Justice Harlan hoped
for advancement, and it had long been
circulated. without contradiction, that
the president had virtually promised
the chief justiceship to Governor
Hughes. That both men We're dsap-
pointed with the failure of the presi-
dent to name them may safely be as
serted. The supreme court itself, it
is understood, prevented The elevation
of Justic Hughes, notwithstanding
that the great chief justice in the his
tory of the court, John Marshall, had
been placed in that position without
ing decided nok to appoint Justice
Hughes, it can be said that the presi-
dent considered no other name than
that Of Justice White. He was SIS
years old, to be sure, Willie Jay was
60, Marshall Sc, TaWney SO, Chase So
and Fuller, his immediate predecessor,
had given Is years Of able service on
the supreme bench, he was as robust
as; a man of so. and the greatest pedes-
trian of the court, if not in Washing
ton, now Roosevelt has gone. His
record in great decisions had been one
Of uniform scholarship a<ld independ-
confidence Of the United Gates senate,
which must confirm him, by useful SER
vice in that body. As senator, in fact,
he had stood for sound money when
his Democratic colleagues chased the
rainbow of free SILVER, and he had
voted for protection not only because
principle.
Chief Justice White is one of the
most delightfully."- hospitablc and con-
genial men in Washington. Ills home.
spacious three-story brick structure,
stands at l717 Rhode Island avenue,
and contains ono of the finest private
his accomplished wife that the chief
Justice most likes to spend his even
ings. He has been, even of late years,
Il rider of the bicycle. and he usually
walks home from the capitol, arm in
arm with Justice Holmes, who, not
withstanding his Puritan austerity, APP.
pears to be his chosen companion. The
chief justice has been one Of the most
familiar figures at the presidential
receptions, where it is his custom to
move about briskly and chat with his
friends. Like Justice Holmes, he owns
his residence and entertains with dis
elimination but elegantly. Like JUS
tice Lurton, he served in the confeder-
ate army as a private. His wife had
been Miss Montgomery, of the family
of the hero of Quebec; and it is said
that before she married Linden Kent,
White had been her sutton AS SEN
ator of the United States, the story
goes, he had again asked the hand of
the widow, and as justice of the SUI
preme court he received it.
Justice White spends his summers
in Canada, where he continues his
daily pedestrianism and reads much.
His memory for verse and literature
is wonderful, and court officials say
that he his only to dictate an opinion
to his stenographer to be able to re-
cite it from the bench without refer
ence to the text. Several times he has
been checked up with the proof sheets
by court officers who almost suspect
ed that he had been delivering him.
self extemporaneouslN, but they found
that he had been Replying the written
opinion word for word. The late
Justice Gray of Massachusetts had the
same faculty. The chief justice favors
French cooking and sets rich table.
He is passionately fond of music and
a generous patron of the opera. Chief
Justice White is probably the wealth.
lest man on the supreme bench, part
of his income being derived from