Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-12-22
CHAPTER IX-CONTINUED

tured in the Academy OF Music. Inc UNION
League. of which ! was then a member,
gave him a dinner, and several of us made
speeches at him. lie was rather n herce'
looking little man. wearing big mustache,
but as we got nearer to him we found him
genial and companionable.
on September 10. 1895. the Courts of
Common Pleas formally abandoned their
former place of meeting, at Sixth ana
Chestnut streets. and moved to their rooms
in the City Hall, at Broad and Market
streets on invitation ! made an address
to the bench and bar after having thor
oughIy studied the associations connected
with Congress Hall This address was
printed by a committee of the bar consist
ing of Edward Shippen. George Tucker
Bispham and Samuel Dickson. Up to that
time little attention had been given to the
history of Congress Hall, but it then came
into vogue. At one time the city offered II
for sale but the Colonial Danes took hold
of the matter, and with effort persuaded
the city authorities to undertake its restora-
ton They and the architects depended
upon my paper for their information, ana
its effect was. therefore. helpful not only
to the city but to the nation. When the
building was reopened in 1913 woodrow
Wilson. President of the United states, and
Champ Clark. Speaker of the House OF
Representatives. were present on the lhNi'
tation of Mayor BlankenburG; but they
knew little about the subject, ana perhaps
cared less and the architect then tod me
that he had made his reconstruction' ana
the agent of the Associated Press told me
he had based his report for the country,
upon the facts | had given them. The
papers were not only Il historical investiga-
tion. but could be included among what
the cataloguers of books call F'acetiae, be-
cause of reference they contain to Cen
eral Henry KnoX. unearthcd from con-
temporary description of him. Upon gong
to the City Hall the Judges put on the SILK
gowns which they have since worn when
performing their duties.
Death of Joseph r. Whitaker
In 1895 my Uncle Joseph II. Whitaker
died. He was a bachelor. about seventy
one years of age. masterful but good
hearted. who had great huence upon my
fortunes. He left property of the value OF
perhaps million dollars, which on his death
he distributed among his nieces and ncph-
ews. and he made me one of his executors.
Amid the vicisstudcs of my later life
among politicians the fact that ] had my
own resources on which to rely saved me
from those intimations which are so often
ruthlessly and rechessly made concerning
those holding public office.
The same year | became one of the vice
presidents of the Historical Society of
Pennsylvania. the president Of the Pennsyl-
vania German Society and the lieutenant
governor of the Colonial Society.
one of the brightest retorts, In baseball
language fright off the bat" I have ever
known occurred in the trial of case
before me about this time. The question
was the right Of an alleged political party
to have a place on the printed ballot John
c. Bell, afterward Attorney General under
Governor John X. Tener, represented the
applicants, and James Gay Gordon, later
Judge in No. Court represented the oppo.
nents. Bells client, noisy fellow, told
how he and two or three others had met
on a Broad street corner and concluded to
organize a new party. Bell. when he came
to the argument, explained this rather
dubious beginning by saying that it often
happened in nature that important matters
had an insignificant origin, that the acorn
might become mighty oak and the ANA
zon River. $50 miles wide at its mouth,
started in little rill in the Andes Noun
tains Yes" said Gordon in reply, but
this party began in big mouth and ends
in little rill."
In December, 1896. Judge Hare resigned
from the bench after a service of forty-five
wears and the effect of his withdrawal was
TO make me President Judge of the court.
MY commission was read and assumed the
duties December 13. One day Sulzberger
and | sat in our room discussing the situa-
ton, and we concluded, when our advice
should be asked, to suggest the appoint
ment of ]. Martin Rommel, a capable young
lawyer. as the third member Of the court.
A tap came upon the outside OF the door.
When IL was opened in stepped Colonel
Lewis T.. Better, a tall person with a mill
tary air. who said: "At the command of
Governor Hastings | come to present his
compliments and to inform you that lie has
concluded to appoint Nr. William w. wilt
bank TO the vacancy In this court" And
he did. Judge Wiltbank was a descendant
of Bishop william White and Of General
William MACPHERSON, of the Revolutionary
| army. He had been on officer in the War
| of the Rebellion. He had a considerable
practice and had had long experspce al the
| bar, and Ire possessed technical knowledge
| of the law as well as intelligence. His
| mental processes were little prone to be
stiff, prim and formal. He never would
| permit himself to precede me in going
| through a doorway. He was almost horri-
| fled when he found me sitting on a boot
| black stand on the street having my boots
| BACKED He made an excellent Judge and
distinctly strengthened his professional
| reputation by going on the bench.
| In Holland and England