The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-09-05
Brilliant keokuk Attorney, Who Has
Been In California, For Ten
Years Z orestins His
Friends Here.
HE BELONGS TO KEoKuK
Although He Has Been Away From
Hers For Como Time, keokuk
Has Not Forgotten His
Achievements.
ray q. Walter aarr.l

Hugh H. Craig is back in the old
home town for couple Of weeks. A
lot of people who have moved into
Keokuk in the las. FIVE years do not
understand what that means. But
every man, woman and child of the
keokuk of before the water-power
knows that the return of Hugh Craig
is real event here.
Hugh Craig always belonged in
keokuk. Born here and educated in
Keokuk schools until he graduated
from the high school, he worked here
during four college summer vacations,
chiefly under Major Meigs In river
work. When he graduated from Par
sons college. he became city editor of
The Gate City while he studied law
He did not have position on the
paper, nor merely line on its pay
roll. but he filed hard Job as real
newspaper man. Under strong COM
petition from the Constitution-Demo-
crat, he got all the news of the town
every day. printed 1t In proper pro-
portion. and wrote his news stories
in an interesting style. He was the
most popular city news man any
paper in Keokuk ever had. This was
due chiefly to his sterling character
his big heart which never made any
other heart sore.
Starting on. the Upward Trail.
He was admitted to the Iowa bar
after making very high marks in the
examinations. resigned from The Gate
City, and became sort Of law clerk
in the ONCE Of his cousin, John e.
Craig. There was not much to do
there, and what there was to do was
deadly dull He enlivened the ted
ium OF that life by being elected jus
tice OF the peace on the democratic
ticket when Keokuk was republican
by uncounted hundreds majority. All
this time he was learning more law
and still more law. He became act
I've In the lodge Of Elks. and some
times made public addresses when
Keokuk wanted to put forward her
best oratorical talent. And always
everybody loved him.
His father. ncmen clarum In the
really old Keokuk, had started Will
liam Collier upon big career at the
bar When Collier had become big
s enough and rich enough to retire, he
came back to Keokuk to get the sen
OF his benefactor and give that son
the chance the father had given him.
He took Hugh Craig into the leading
law firm OF Riverside, California.
That was about ten years ago.
The Honorable Judge Craig.
Apparently, California appreciates
Hugh Craig as much as did Keokuk.
his career there has been always up
S~,~ a,-l ;xatD Va
heart Of that section of the country.
He has welcomed the French ambas-
sador to California, made many ia
nous orations on occasions, and pass
ed through big reputation at the
bar to a seat on the bench in his new
home.
Out there he is Judge Craig with
a tone OF Difference. Here he is Hugh
Craig in accents OF deep respect and
the love Of a big community. He must
notice the absence Of the title when
keokuk folks address him-and with
out the least doubt he rejoices to be
called simply Hugh by prominent citi'
zens and more humble denizens OF his
old home town He always was just
as popular with the masses on Billy
goat hill as in the more costly homes
OF Grand avenue when he lived IN
Keokuk. There are other Cra1ss
prominent here. but when Hugh Calg
comes back home, the others look like
an automobile with dinners, meeting
big car with nitrogen lamps.
Almost Became Colonel.
The judiciary had some narrow es-
capes In getting Hugh Craig into the
ermine. One summer while he was a
college student he discovered upon ms
arrival at home that the next oay
there would be an examination lot ap-
pointment to West Point held Some
where in this district. That evening