The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-03-21
NOTED Legal AUTHORITY.
william Mack. Editor of Well Known
Series Of Law Books, Il Native Of
Sumter County, South Carolina.
and Long Il Resident Of Fort Mill.

AS the mOmentOus year of 1913
was drawing to a close, there made
It's appearance in the Offices of vari
GUS lawyers all over the United
states a calcndar--an advertisement
Of law book firm-the most no.
tceable feature OF which was the
striking reproduction of a group of
portraits. men evidently learned in
the law. In that group were the
pictures OF two men whose names
have become household words where
ever the great science Of English
law is known. And there was a third,
none the less scholarly and per-
spicaciOus that he is less we'll known.
The group was the pictures Of
the editors OF what lawyers refer
to as "CYC" otherwise known as
"Cyclopedia of Law and Proceed
ure." The two pictures first re-
ferred to are those Of the late AS
sociate Justice Brewer OF the United
States Supreme court and his coll
league. 1.-The great dissenter," tho
late Associate Justice Harlan.
The third OF the trio, in whom
South Carolinians are bound to feel
more than a passing interest, is
the picture Of william Mack. a ma
tive OF this State, now editor-in- chief
OF "CYC." Mr.. Mack, as may be
gathered from consideration Of the
Importance OF his work, stands at the
top OF the ranks Of legal authorship.
He is secretary Of the American Law
Book company, and is editor of its
other important publication "Cycio-
pedia OF Forms and Precedents."
Though not widely known in South
Carolina. even by name, Mr.. Mack is
familiar character to his one time
fellow townsmen in Fort Mill. There
he spent his boyhood days and there
his little mothereless son, Billie" Is
now living and learning to follow in
the footsteps OF his distinguished
father.
Born in Sumter county in 1865.
William Mack was the son Of the
Rev. DR.. j. B. Mack, a we'll known
Presbyterian minister. who was once
stationed in Columbia, and Mrs.
Harriet Banks Mack. In his early
youth lie went to Fort Mill with his
parents. and there he grew up. From
Fort Mill he went to Davidson COL
lege, whence he emerged. in 1888,
with the degree of NJ. A., having taxi
en- that degree along with the de-
gree or A. b.. and having ranked
second in his class. The call of schol-
arship, combined with the independ-
ent spirit which brooked no long
waiting before entering the world
Of service. took him to Adger college,
where for a year he lent his ener-
gies TO the upbuilding OF the youth
of the land. even as in later years he
lent OF his brain to the erection of
a consonant and coordinated struc-
ture OF American law.
The school room did not hold him
long, however. One year later found
him plungins eagerly into the mys-
teries which had proved so inter-
esting. found him at work in the
mental laboratory OF a law Office,
Blackstone his alembic and Coke his
retort. while he studied and analyzed
the principles which made great the
body Of the English Jurisprudence.
For year he studied in the law
Office Of his uncle, w. l.. Mack, in
Lamar. Mo-. leaving that to enter the
Missouri State university. There he
kept up his reputation for promise
matched with performance, and
completing the three year course in
two years. was graduated first in his
class. Subsequently the university
conferred on him the degree of
LII. u.
Lamar. which had seen his first
embrace Of his new mistress, the
law. soon saw him again. For one
year he practiced there. and then
went to the land of promise on the
Pacific coast. In San Francisco ne
stayed ten years. leaving there in
1890 to accept an editorial position
with the Edward Thompson compa-
NY publishers OF law books, at North
port. suburb Of New York. In this
cOngenial atmosphere his genius for