Evening journal., 1915-05-14
New News Of Yesterday
A Man With a Marvellous
Memory
By Holland.

While Grover Cleveland was governor
lof New York State he had opportunity
10 learn of a mental achievement or
James c. Carter, who at that time was
;lecmed the leader OF the New York bar.
William NJ Evarts having practically re-
'tired from practice.
"There was a very important investi-
sgation i'm which one of the leading rail-
roads of the United States was inter
|ested." Mr.. Cleveland was told. Mr..
zCarter was retained by one side solely
[for the purpose of securing from him an
[opinion. The retainer was a large one,
Especially in view Of the fact that
great deal of money was involved IN the
litigation. Mr. Carter invited some OF
those who had retained him to spend a
forenoon with him at his house in New
+ York city. His clients came, among
+ them the late James d. Laying, who was
1 IF high repute as a railway manager in
+ the United States. Mr.. Carter said to
& them that he wished they would lay the
whole case before him. He wanted them
. to begin at the beginning, to tell the
whole story, to quo figures and statis-
+ tices and to set forth the various ranii-
4
as was possible.
at required something like three
hours to do this Mr. Carter listened in
tently and never interrupted excepting
occasionally when he was not certain
that he had heard correctly what was
said When this recital was ended all
that MIR. Carter said was Are you sure
! that is allr"
"As the gentlemen were going away
one of them said TO Mr.. Carter that he
would take pains to have all that had
: been said printed so that he could have
( the matter in con iicnt shape before
+ him.
"'That isn't necessary said Mr.. Car
. ter. 4 have been listening to what you
+ said. / shall be ready within a few
& days to give you an opinion
"When the opinion was received 1t was
' discovered to the amazement of the rail
road men, that Mr.. Carter had carried
s with absolute accuracy in his memory
. all that had been said, including a series
OF figures IL was n feat of memory
E which reminded one of the gentlemen OF
+ what had been said Of Alacauley's pow.
crs of memory which enabled him to iiN
4 In his mind at once everything which
T had been read by him or said to him."
Mr.. Cleveland marveled when he heari
this anecdote. He himself possessed an
8 unusual gift of memory, for he could
H retain in his mind all that he had writ
n ten after one l-ading.
When it devolved upon Mr.. Cleveland
as President to make choice of a sue
4 cessor of Morrison r. Waite as Cniel
4 Justice of the Supreme Court at Wash
& ington. he first informally rendered that
y appointment to John G.. Carlisle, whC
f was not willing to leave Congress. Thef
u Mr.. Cleveland determined TO appoint Mr.
& Carter Chief Justice. lie had not for
4 gotten and had in fact confirmed the an
& ecdote which narrated Mr. Carter's mar
1 velous feat of memory, and CleVelan'
q believed that would be, in addition L
Mr. Carter's other high qualification
B for the distinguished honor, an addition
al one. But when he consulted with
u few in whom he had confidence, includ
ing two or three Senators, he lcarne'
& that both from the political and iron
81 the national point of view il would b
Fl the better part TO make selection O
some distinguished lawyer of the mid
Il west. Reluctantly he abandoned IN
Il purpose TO appoint Mr.. Carter and fe'
4 days later fNe, on Melville c. Fuller, o
3 Chicago.
4 Copyright, 1915. by E. J. Edwards. Al
rights Teserved)
Tomorrow Mr.. Edwards will tell "Ho'
Trinity Church Outwitted the Authori
fiee -