Evening journal., 1915-08-14
New News of Yesterday
How a Good Blacksmith
Became a Great Lawyer
nv Holland.

The late William d. Shipman. who
was for many years United States dis
trict Judge in the district in which
New York city is situated. and who
afterward became partner in one of
the leading law firms OF the United
States, used occasionally to invite
| friends TO feel his biceps. He had
powerful arm and his muscles were
as hard as iron. Moreover. his health
was always excellent. even until he
reached advanced years. and he as
scribed that to the same cause which
justified him in being proud of his
muscular development.
Judge Shipman was a native Of
Middletown, Conn. and while he was
lad he was apprenticed to a. black
smith In the early days OF Ameri-
can life the blacksmith was recog-
nized as one Of the leading citizens
of any community And if he were
especially skilul with the hammer
and anvil and at the forge he was
certain of political prominence and
official position. if he desired IT,
Young Shipman determined to
master the blacksmith's art, and
while doing that he developed perfect
health and powerful muscles He also
had in mind the careers of others in
Connecticut, who had gained conspic-
uous political place, although their
vacation was that of the blacksmith.
Young Shipman. therefore. borrow
ed Blackstone's Commentaries. and
one or two other law books and kept
one or another of these legal works
almost always open while he was al
work so that he could turn from time
to time to its pages and read q para
graph.
When he had mastered the black
smiths trade and was deemed one of
the most competent men in the bus
mess he had also mastered Black
stone, and, having entered as a clerk
in the office of a lawyer. in due time
he offered himself for examination
for admission to the bar. He was a
greater lawyer even than blacksmith
and he gained such political influence
as to make him prominent, until al
last those who were in high station
recommended his appointment as
United States district Judge. His sal
airy as judge at first was only $500
but so great was the esteem he gain
ed while serving upon the bench
that one of the great lawyers of New
York offered him a partnership with
the assurance that his yearly income
would be at least FIVE times as much
as his salary as Judge.
Judge Shipman used TO say that he
thought there was no mental or ply
steal training of a preparatory kind
which better fitted a man for work as
lawyer than could be obtained in
the old-fashioned blacksmiths shop
Hammering out nails-it was before
inventors had perfected machinery
that made nails-was good traininf
for the eye and good discipline fol
the mind. and it developed splendid
muscles.
Upon one occasion when Judg'
Shipman was speaking Of the black
smiths vocation he said that the
United States once lost a very grea
blacksmith while theology and tn
pulpit gained a very great leader
He referred to Lyman Beecher, in hi
day perhaps the greatest pulpit inlu
ence in New England who was ap
2 prenticed to a blacksn it'll. mastere
the trade and made il clear that if h
had stuck to that vocation be woul
have had no superior as a workman
. in the United States.
Copyright. 1915, by E. j. Edwards
All rights reserved)
Monday DR.. Edwards will tell {
= 1.-TWO Remarkable Political Coinci
ldanroc