The Coolidge examiner., 1930-12-26


taken out of school and tutOred by
his mother and father. Mrs.
Hughes had been a school teacher
before her marriage. Few parents
were so well equipped to teach
bright lad at home.
Charles Evans Hughes was a
precOciOus child, as his formula
tiOn Of a plan to study the classics
when he was in kindergarten will
bear out. He was born in 1862 in
Glens Falls, n. Y, where his father
had small congregation. He was
delicate as a child and didn't rOmp
and play much with other little
boys and girls.
Perhaps because he was not par
ticularly robust his parents devoted
mere time to him than might or
dinarIy have been the case His
mind developed rapidly. He showed
decided interest in books as soon
as he was able to talk. He was
reading nursery rhymes when he
was three and half years old. He
was five when his father was trans
ferred to church in OswegO when
Charles was summarily removed
from Kindergarten.
When he was eight, and the fam
lily was living in Newark, n. j.. the
lad was able to translate the Bible
from the Greek. He was also a
wide reader Of Shakespeare's works
at this early age.
He later went to school in New
York city where he was graduated
age of thirteen as salutatorian of
his class. His Grafton. because of
its scholarly tone and the fine de
livery of the orator, surprised a
big crowd that attended the exer-
cises in the old Academy of Music
in that city.
While attending high school he
wrote essays on such subjects as,
THE Limitation of the Human
Mind" Self Help" and THE Evils
of Light Literature" He was
marked even then as deep stu
dent and thinker
The Rev. Mr.. Hughes wanted his
son to become a clergyman. if the
boy felt a real call to the religious
life. Young Charles had not made
up his mind definitely as to his fu
ture career when he entered Col
gate at the age of fourteen. He
was slight boy at the time and
timid, save when 1t came to ques-
tiOns of scholarship. Then he
would talk well and enthusiastical-
ly, even with his elders. Mentally
he was more mature than his class
mates.
The boy spent two years at Col
gate. From there he went to
Brown university, entering as
sophomore in 1878. He immediate
ly showed all the promise indicat-
ed in his high school days. He was
a brilliant student, but modest and
retiring in disposition.
He gained many scholastic hon
ors at Brown. He won the prize
for the highest standing in Eng
lish literature when he was
Junior. Upon graduation, at the
age of nineteen, he was awarded
the prize as the student showing
the most all-around promise. He
was honor man in his class.
By this time he had finally made
up his mind not to become a cler-
gyman. Deciding against following
the career for which his father had
hoped, he went from Brown uni
versity to Delphi, n. Y. There he
taught mathematics in the Della
ware academy.
He studied law at Columbia uni
versity at night after returning to
New York city and was admitted
TO the bar when he was twenty-five
years old.
While the young lawyer had been
sickly as child he showed great
physical capacity for work in the
next three years. He was engaged
as a clerk in a law office during
the day. At night he acted as
teacher and tutor at Columbia.
Finally his health suffered under
the strain. He was ordered to take
vacation. He spent it as teach
er of commercial and contract law
at Cornell university.
The upstate climate agreed with
him. When he returned to New
York city he was able to throw
himself vigorously into the duties
of his profession as practitioner
He first attracted wide public at
tention as counsel for the gas in
vestigation committee. He added
to his reputation as an outstanding
lawyer by his conduct of the insur-
ance investigation, another New
York state inquiry.
Later he was elected governor of
New York and reelected, resign
ing to become a United States Su-
preme court justice. He retired
from the bench to be his party's
candidate for the Presidency. He
lost the highest office within the
gift of the American people be-
cause of a factional squabble in
California. Later he served as
Secretary of State and is now
chief justice of the United States
Supreme court.
C6). 1880, by The North American
Newspaper Alliance.)