The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-06-01
Harlan 7S Today
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Sick Twice i'm Life
In 1912 He Will Have Served
Longer Than Any Other
Supreme Court Justice.
is AN INsURGENT MEMBER
Fine Old Southern Gentleman
Likes Golf, but Work as
Judge Better.

WASHINGTON, MAY 3l.-Justicc
John Marshall Harlan, the iusurccul of
he supreme court, will be IS wears old
tomorrow. He has been on the bench
of thc supreme court Of the United
States for more than "A third of cen
tury During thirty-three years and six
months he has abseuted himself from
the bench less than twenty daVs. He
was born in Boyle county, Ky, June l.
1888. President HAYES appointed him
TO the supreme court bench November
30 1877. Justice Harlan said the other
day:
America is better of today than il
was half century ago. The people are
better individually. the government is
better and the condition of things in
general has improved. Pcssimists may
say that as q people we are deteriorat.
ing; they are wrong. We are improv
ing. The morals of the people are bet
ter on the whole. and the American
man and woman of today Is at least on
Il par with those of fifty years back
Politics Are Cleaner.
"Politics are cleaner than they were
when was boy; they are getting
cleaner right along. and look for more
Improvement in the future. a man in
public service should expect honest crit
lcism from his naighbors, whether they
be those who differ from him politically
or those behind organs of publicity.
The man who crlticIses a public servant
from moan motive is q low man. He
who offers honest criticism benefits the
Individual and the people. Honest crit.
icism rarely harms honest men or GOOD
Institutions
Twenty years ago Justice Harlan
purchased half Of city block on a
hill overlooking Washington, and there
built fine, old fashioned, rambling
home of brick, with wide porcbes When
he took possession Of his new home.
an unobstructed view of the city below. !
and the absence OF noise and the com
motion OF city life made the spot ideal
for the home Of Justice.
The city has encroached upon him. y
street car line passes the front of his |
home. and all about it arc rows of |
houses and apartments.
A Southern Gentleman.
a sou,herncr by birth and education. |
Justice Harlan keeps about his home
the hospitable atmosphere that per.
meates the homes of the people in the
Nirginias, the Carolinas and the Blue |
Grass state. A colored butler invites
The visitor into large reception hall. |
To the right is a large drawing room, |
furnished in dignified manner.
'' am very busy today said Justice
Harlan. He swept his arm around the
room and pointed to piles Of books and |
other printed matter in a balf-packcd |
81 am going away in a few DAYS, and |
II s all / can do to get this stuff togeth
Pr to lake with me. / am packing mp
my things and Strengthening ont my af
fairs, and il is very big job. -
Justice Harlan was seated in a big
easy chair, with one foot propped on a
pile OF books. He wore dark alpaca
;oat, dull-striped trousers. "A light vest,
soft shirt and wing collar-bis usual
summer attire. His clerk was busy |
sorting papers and arranging his be
Ionglags IN another corner of the room
Likes to Play Golf.
=" am going up to Murray Bay. Can
ada, y he said, ''for the summer, and I |
am very glad to get away before the
summer heat sets in permanently. ] am
looking forward with a good deal of |
pleasure 10 the DAYS on the golf links.
"It has been my experience in this
'lie that the happiest man is the one
who minds his own business well and |
takes good care Of his mind and his
body. Probably ! have been gifted with
a better constitution than many men
do not know about that, even. for I
have virtually never been sick in my
life-only twice, in fact, and then
slightly.
"As far as exercise goes, am not
great Judge of that In my youth was
never much of an athlete ! did what
hn ~
sports and the games never paid |
any special attention 10 any one sport
In fact ! never gave the subject of !
sports much thought.
81 am not much Of walker Walk
ing does not satisfy me in the way of
exercise. I prefer golf.
'Speaklng of worry-thst rs one
thing that man must learn to avoid if
ht will be well and happy. There is no
one thing in the world that has ten
deucy to upset and rust man Is body
and faculties more rapidly than worry.
The man who does not worry is usually
a happier and better man, as far as
ability and capacity for work is con
cerned, than the man who allows him
self TO be worried. -
The first spark Of pride. on account
of his remarkable record on the bench.
showed itself when Justice Harlan said
es, i nave Deen on the bench more |
than third of a century. and during
all that time ! have been absent from
my place less than twenty days Some
days | have felt somewhat indisposed
and was inclined TO stay at home-in
fact | might have STAYED at home and
been better off for it, but | have made
il a rule of my life 10 be where | should
be whenever IL was possible
"There are ailments that come to
nearly every man in that length of time
that would Justify him in staying at
home, but | have managed TO overcome
most of mine. | trust that the rest of
my stay on the bench will be as regular
ID point Of attendance AS in the past. |
have been there long time, but there
are three others who were there longer:
Marshall, Story and Field each served
a short time longer than ] have. Field
was on the bench longer than any one
man. He sat there steadily for more
than thirty-four years
NOn June 10 next year 7 will have
served longer than any other man, if my
life is spared"
AS Justice Harlan spoke this last sen.
tence, hope and determination seemed TO
be uppermost in his mind While he did |