The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1937-08-27
Man Seeking Cbezv Of Tobacco
Mistaken for H0hdub BY Late
George Spr0uk Wb0 D0naten

thought he told me to throw up my
hands"
Since the United States district court
it had but two clerks, Sproule, its first
clerk, and Charley Carlow, who holds
the position now. Carlow for many
years was deputy under Mr.. Sproule.
George Sproule was born in Peta-
luna, Calf, Dec. l8, 1858. He spent
his boyhood there and when a young
man went to Virginia City, New, re-
manning there until 1879. From Vir-
ginia City he went to Bodie, Calf,
sheriff and constable. During his spare
hours he read law. In 1883 he went
to Portland, Ore, passed the necessary
examination n was admitted to the
bar. In 1885 he came to Montana and
opened a law office in Butte. Soon
after, however, he was appointed clerk
of the probate court, which place he
held until the state was admitted to
the union. He then was appointed clerk
of the United States district court by
Federal Judge Hiram Knowles and
clerk of the United States circuit court
by Judge Lorenzo Sawyer, discharging
the duties of them jointly. He retained
the position of clerk of the federal dis
trict court until his death.
During the early days of MI. Sproule's
clerkShip there were no magnificent
federal buildings in this section of the
country and consequently only make
which sat at intervals in different
cities over the state. During his years
as clerk of the federal court in this
state he was associated with some dis
tinguished jurists who held the position
Of judge, among them Judge w. H.
Hunt, later to be governor of Porto
Rico and now judge of the United
States court of appeals at San Fran
cisco. Among the lawyers with whom he
by reason of his position were all Of
the members of the United States
senate and house of representatives
Montana has ever had who were prac-
Hctng attorneys, to say nothing Of the
distinguished legal rights from all over
the country, who had occasion to make
appearances in the federal courts of
this state.
In addition to those were Montana
attorneys who since have achieved a
national reputation in politics, law or
business, such as Charles Donnely,
president of the Northern Pacific rail-
road, who once practiced law in Hell
ena in association with Will Wallace.
The latter since has become one of the
most prominent attorneys of New York
City. During the years when much
mining litigation involving millions of
dollars was heard in the federal court
quainted with prominent eastern at
torneys called here as associate counsel
in many cases. He sat behind the
clerks desk when G. F. Kelley. now
president of the Anaconda Copper
Mining Co. tried his first case in the
federal court.
Mr.. Sproule sat and twiddled his
fingers when Frank Walker, present
treasurer of the democratic national
tional emergency council, now promin-
ent at the New York bar and said to
be President R~oosevelt's closest friend,
made his first nervous appearance as
counsel in a federal court. j. Bruce
Kremer, former democratic national
committeeman from Montana and now
a prominent member of the bar in
the national capital, was another of
the coterie, as was practically every
governor that Montana has had who
was a practicing attorney.
During all the years in which he
served these men and the public in an
official capacity he commanded their
utmost respect and confidence.
When he was in Nevada, boom times
were sweeping that section and mil
lionaires were made over night. He was
intimately acquainted with Mackay
Flood, Fair and all the others whose
names later ranked high in the history
Of western mining and whose bank
accounts and mining properties made
them famous all over the world.
Mr. Sproule could tell stories by the
hour of queer and unusual incidents
which had occurred in the courts with
which he had been connected for SC
many years.
He told once of a witness in a whisky
selling case, a lumber jack, who, after
he had testified was sent to the clerks
office to collect his per diem and mile
was disappointed at the amount. He
had expected that it would be much
larger. He asked Sproule If he hac
figured in the mileage. He was tolc
that the mileage had been figured in
Don't I get nothing extra for walk.
ing?" asked the witness.
Mr.. Sproule, as patient as Job, in.
formed him that the mode of trave
was not considered, that it was only
the distance which counted, so muci
why, did you walk9" asked Mr.
yes" replied the other. 1.-THE boy.
at camp told me that If I walked
would get 81 a mile for the distanc.
Travelled, both going and coming"
He walked 124 miles.
Mr.. Sproule felt sorry for the fellow
but he couldn't do anything for him
STORING FEED
One Of the means of storing feee
is the trench silo whose advantage
Qro norm roory1 mill mt H1Nu, ~ -,