Evening journal., 1912-02-09
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
ARsmonCs Of the
Law
By Holland.
By Holland.


Il doubt if any man, excepting pos
sibly in some Of the young Western
States, was ever so rapidly promoted
from the position of practicing lawyer
to a place upon the bench of the Unit
ed States Court as was William d
Shipman, who was for many years
judge Of the United States District
Court for the district which in his day
comprised New York city, Connecti-
cut and Vermont"
So said the late Nehemiah d. Sperry
Of New Haven, Conn whose death at
the age of "a years occurred last iall,
and who was in the last two terms OF
his service as member of Congress
especially honored because he was the
Oldest member Of that body in years.
'Shipman was a native Of little viii
lage near Middletown, Conn. He was a
farmers son, and he only got brief
schooling in the winter months When
he was about II years of age he was
apprenticed to a blacksmith. The
smithy was connected with a manu-
featuring establishment, but young
Shipman's employment was exclusive
ly in the blacksmith shop. If you ever
saw Shipman when he was sitting
upon the bench, you must have been
impressed by the depth and breadth Of
his chest, the sinewy, muscular ap-
pearance of the man. This muscular
development was due TO the vigor-
Gus and continuous work which he
did at the forge.
THE boy was inspired TO take up the
study of the law by hearing a lawyer
argue village case He borrowed
volume of Blackstone and treatise on
Connecticut law These books he took
with him to the forge and, when he
was working the bellows he would
turn his eyes to the printed page Of
the book which he rested upon the
coal bed with which the fire was fed.
"Shipman went entirely through
Blackstone and the Connecticut law
book while working at the forge. He
also schooled himself in the rudiments
and, when he was nearly 20 years of
age, obtained a place as teacher in
another State There he saved his
money and then, returning to Connec-
ticut, took renewed employment as a
blacksmith, spending all his spare
time in reading law books and occa-
sionally getting a little help from a
lawyer in Middletown with whom he
became acquainted But il was long
and tedious self training and he was
past "a years Of age when he was at
last admitted to the bar.
HE was a pretty strong Democrat
of the old-fashioned type and soon
after he was admitted to the bar he
took an active interest in politics. The
great Democratic Governor of Connec-
ticut, Thomas H. Seymour, who was
afterward Minister to Russia. became
interested in Shipman, and upon his
recommendation the young blacksmith
who had trained himself at the forge
to be lawyer was appointed by Presi-
dent Pierce to be United States dis
trictattOrney of Connecticut Then, a
vacancy having occurred in tho United
States District Court for the New York
and Connecticut district. Isaac Toucy
who also was one Of the great Demo
Gratis of Connecticut-hav been
/ Governor, United States Senator and a
cabinet officcr--reccmmended Ship
mans appointment as United States
district judge, and upon that recon-
mendation President Buchanan acted
favorably. Thus, it was only about IA
years from the time Shipman turned
his back upon the blacksmith's forge
TO tho time of his appointment as
United States district Judge
Nov, let me tell you of a very
strange coincidence. The late S. L. NJ
4 Barlow, who in his day was one oi
the greatest Of American lawyers, an
intimate friend of Charles O'Connor
David Dudley Field and Samuel J
Tilden, all great lawyers, asked Judge
Shipman TO become a member of his
law firm Shipman had been on the
bench about Is years. Mr. Barlow
guaranteed Judge Shipman a yearly
income four or five times as large az
the salary he was receiving as Judge
and the latter left the bench for the
partnership
"One of Mr. Barlow's partners was
Samuel Mcfarland, also a very able
lawyer. Mr.. Mcfarland was of Connec.
ticut birth, his native place being moi
far from that OF Judge ShipmaA Wher
| Mcfarland was of the age at which
boys were apprenticed in those days
he was apprenticed to a blacksmith
and became in due time a skilled jour.
neyman blacksmith. He also, having
ambition to become a lawyer borrow.
ed Blackstone and Kents Commen.
taries and some other law books and
with one or another Of these books
open before him at the forge read Law
as he piled the bellows. Self taught, he
too, was admitted TO the bar, mad,
rapid progress and in due time be
came a partner of Barlow. So that
law firm which was esteemed in III
day as one of the greatest in thu
United States contained two partner
who were bred to the trade of tn,
blacksmith and who read law whil
working at the forge
Copyright, 1912, by e. J Edwards
All rights reserved.l
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell O