20. A. B. PATTISON
A. B. Pattison was among the very first, if not the first lawyers in this county. At least his name appears among the very first on the dockets and he was appointed County Judge on Nov. 18, 1857 and took the oath of office on August 25, 1857.
He also had the honor of issuing the first marriage license that was ever issued in Platte County. The license was issued to John Will for the purpose of marrying Marie Rickert. The date of issue is July 5, 1858.
We can find no record as to where the man came from or where he went and he must have been gone from here before 1880 or we would have heard something about him from the other lawyer.
21. LEANDER GERRARD
Leander Gerrard came to Columbus from England with his parents and reached Columbus in 1858. His father occupied land near where Monroe now is and among them they seemed to get hold of a lot of land and Leander helped to develop the same.
We can find no record of his admission to the bar but that is nothing very strange because there was practically no record kept of such things in the early history of this county. However, his name appears as one of the first lawyers and he seemed to have his share of business because he appeared on practically every case for some years. The first case in which his name appears is in 1867.
After Nebraska became a State he served in the first legislature. He was always an ardent republican and did his share toward supporting the party. Perhaps no other man in the county ever did more, or perhaps as much, as Leander Gerrard, toward the development of the city of Columbus. In nearly all lines of development in the early days his name seems to be connected.
He organized the Columbus State Bank which was one of the very first state banks organized in the State. Whether before or after the organization of the bank, we are not able to ascertain, he took in as a partner in the law business, M. Whitmoyer, and later A. M. Post, and the firm became Gerrard, Whitmoyer & Post and when these men got into the practice Mr. Gerrard seemed to silently slide out from under the load but his name continued for many years with the firm.
While in the banking business he was president from its organization to the time that he resigned
22. from the practical operation and was succeeded by M. Brugger.
Mr. Gerrard, as a boy and in his early manhood, passed through all the hardships incident to the development of a new country and when he came here the Indians were somewhat of a menace on account of their ability to "rustle" horses. We are not sure whether he learned to speak the Pawnee language or not, but are inclined to think he did on account of the many dealings he had at the reservation.
While he was president of the bank he had such substantial men connected with him as Abner Turner, George W. Hulst, R. H. Henry, Gus G. Becher, Sr., and M. Whitmoyer. His bank was considered one of the solid banking institutions of the State and while he was conservative and looked to the interest of the bank, nevertheless, he was accommodating and an honest man could borrow money from him on very little or no security; as attorney for his bank for many years, we can verify to the fact that the banks losses during his administration were small.
He was one of the few men who had the ability and means who was ever ready to help in any enterprise. The first big enterprise, in a small way, to get started here was that of a packing company which he backed and helped organize and it was on way to make a noteable success but at that time there was no regulation of the railroad traffic and Omaha having packing companies, soon killed the little packing company here for the reason that at that time there was no freight regulation and the railroad had the absolute say regarding freights and under the influence of the Omaha packing companies, a freight rate was fixed on the products
23. from Columbus which made it prohibitive to proceed with the business and therefore, it closed, and several of the financial men were pretty heavy losers, but still they were not discouraged.
About that time Mr. Gerrard and a few other monied men entered into the street car business and organized a company, built a car track from what is now Meridian Avenue, down 14th street, then south on what is now 27th avenue and then east to the old court house, with some little stub lines but the time was just approaching when mule drawn street cars were passing out of the picture and the business did not pay. When it didn't pay it ceased to operate and the rails were taken up and the ties left were covered up and part of them were dug out of the ground which had been buried at least a foot in some places when street paving went into effect. However these failures did not cause Mr. Gerrard to quit investing or to become peeved about the failures which could not be helped.
Mr. Gerrard was a quiet, unassuming and friendly to everybody and as accommodating as a man could be in his business. As a banker, he will be kindly remembered by his friends so long as there are any of them left who did business with him.
He passed away March 5, 1913, leaving a pretty large estate.
24. NELSON MILLET
Nelson Millet came to Columbus from Racine, Wisconsin, with his wife, and two daughters in the last part of the '70's. He is one of the two or three lawyers the writer never saw.
We knew very little about him except from what we learned in the early days, as he died Oct. 30, 1880. He had the reputation of being an able lawyer and a splendid man. He bought the lots upon which the Y.M.C.A. now is located and built a commodious home, for that time, and a law office on the east part of his lots, where he and his son practiced until his death, but soon thereafter his son abandoned the place as an office.
25. CHARLES A. SPEICE
Charley Speice and Judge Speice, as he was familiarly known, was born Nov. 10, 1830 in Altuna, Pennsylvania. He came to Columbus in 1856 from Columbus, Ohio, accompanied by Jacob Louis and a few other adventurers and he played a leading part in the founding of this county and city.
He was a member of the State Legislature in the year 1869. He was the first county superintendent of this county but we are unable to find out the year or years he served. He was also a member of the city school board from 1884 to 1886. He held the office of County Judge from 1886 to 1888. We distinctly remember the first case we ever tried before Judge Speice- In fact, it is one of the first cases we had and the author practically guaranteed to win. It was a case where a farmer had fastened a barbed wire across a pathway leading from the city to the northeast and which we were assured by old settlers that the road had become a public easement and the barbed wire stretched across the road was in violation of the law.
The young fellow who had been out to see his girl in that part of the country, not knowing that the wire had been placed while he was visiting with a young lady, drove in late at night and his horse ran into the wire and was so badly cut that it had to be killed and of course, he had a "cinch" to recover the value of the horse but the Judge spoiled my guarantee and that taught the writer it was unsafe for a lawyer to guarantee much of anything about a law suit. It was our last guarantee.
Mr. Speice was, for a time, engaged in the real estate business with the late Hon. James E. North, but he was practicing law along with his
26. real estate business and had quite a lot of litigation. In later years he ceased practicing.
Judge Speice was of a serious trend of mind, seldom joked and I never heard him tell any story. He was very strict in his business matters and very sincere in whatever he undertook.
He was one of the organizers of the Masonic body in this county and was an ardent Mason during the whole of his life, as we knew it. He was rather quick to resent what he deemed an injustice or a wrong and never hesitated to express his views in matters involving the question of honesty and justice. We considered him one of the sincere pioneers who endeavored to do the square thing. We have no record of the time, if he ever was, admitted to the district or supreme court bar and in investigating for the purpose of writing these sketches, we find there is no record of several of the early lawyers being admitted to the bar in this county or in the supreme court.
Mr. Speice departed this life July 9, 1909.
27. E. A. PINCKNEY
Mr. Pinckney was one of the earliest attorneys to practice at the bar here and we believe he was from the State of New York, but what became of him, we are unable to learn. We know he was here when we came and that he left about 1882.
He was a man of about thirty-five or forty years of age as we remember when he left here and was considered a very bright and aggressive lawyer and held his own with the best there was here. He was a man that took great pride in his personal appearance, always being well attired and very gentlemanly sort of a man. He was a bachelor.
28. COL. WHITMOYER
M. Whitmoyer came to Columbus from Pennsylvania in 1873. He was in seminarys [sic] and the Penn State Normal School and studied law in Bloomsburg, Pa. When the Civil War broke out he organized and drilled a company and soon mustered into service and fought in the great engagements at Frdericksburg, [sic] Chancellorsville and Antictam. He was wounded but as soon as able joined his regiment and after the war resumed and finished his law study and was admitted to practice in 1872.
He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention that nominated General Grant.
As a lawyer, and a friend, we best knew him. He was one lawyer that did not pull the coat tail of a young man when he got up in court and tell him to "sit down before he made a fool of himself." When he was in his bloom at the bar- two young men- J. G. Reeder and the author of this sketch were just beginning to practice and many were the times he helped and gave us encouragement.
He was a most conservative and conscientious lawyer and counsellor and made due preparation in his trial work. He was never an office hunter, but served several times as councilman of his ward.
Regiliously, [sic] in his young days, Col. Whitmoyer was a devout Presbyterian and a good joke was told on a few of the founders of the Presbyterian Church here when such men as Leander Gerrard, Abner Turner and a few such staunch men were encouraging the building of a church and there became a question as to where the church would be located.
29. Each fellow seemed to have an opinion but it settled down to two locations and in order to decide that in a good social way, two of the men, one on Col. Whitmoyer's side and one on the other side, agreed to decide the location by playing a game of cards, which was done and the Colonel won and the church was located where the little brick building now stands and it was sold to the Catholic Church soon after the building of the new Federated Church.
Col. Whitmoyer, as we knew him, was one of the most affable men we ever met and many times it was hard to break away from a conversation with him and he always had something good to say. He was given very little to frivolity but was just a plain, good, honest old gentleman that played father to the young fellows that were starting in. He was very conservative in his opinions and correct, to the letter, in his pleadings and in his preparation for the trial of a case. He was a hard adversary because he had a manner of sincerity and honesty that it made an impression on a jury that the average man can not make.
He was a courageous man and feared nothing although seldom getting out of humor. We remember one little incidence happened when some attorney said something rather insulting and the Colonel answered him in a very sarcastic manner that cut the fellow pretty hard and the attorney said that "if you were not an old man I wouldn't take this from you". The Colonel immediately answered and said, "don't let that trouble you at all, if you want to fight just get ready and come one" [sic], but by that time the other fellow got ashamed and didn't want to fight.
Colonel Whitmoyer passed away on June 7, 1919 and the bar lost one of its beloved friends.
30. JOHN G. HIGGINS
John G. Higgins, was born Apr. 2, 1841 at Marseilles, Illinois. His bringing up was by a very stern father which became irksome to young John and he often ran away from home. As a boy, he loved to fish and hunt and never outgrew this sport but it seemed to grow on him so that in manhood and after he came to Columbus, Judge Kensley and Mr. Higgins frequently sat near each other on the bank of the Loup trying to decoy the fish, and if they were not successful it was the fault of the fish.
Mr. Higgins attended the public school and then St. Marys of the Lake, Chicago from which he graduated with the highest honor. He also graduated from the University of Chicago receiving the Bachelor of Law degree and was at once taken into the office of Judge Wing, who was a lecturer in the University. Confinement in the office in Chicago was not agreeable to him so he started west and stopped in Council Bluffs, and after staying there about six months came to Columbus, in May, 1870.
In his early experience in Columbus, he became interested in the newspaper business with W. N. Hensley. They published the Columbus Democrat. In 1885 or '86, he purchased Mr. Hensley's interest and about that time he took as a partner in the law business, your author, and for which we paid $500.00 cash, borrowing all the money at two per cent per month- 24 per cent per annum.
Yes, we eventually got it paid. Soon after these dealings he was appointed by President Cleveland, as Register of the U. S. Land Office, located at Grand Island which he held for several years and after which he returned to Columbus and
31. resumed active practice.
He held the office of County Judge one term.
For many years he was the attorney for Patrick Murry who was never without litigation, and one of the few men who enjoyed it. He was a valuable asset as a litigant. The court dockets are pregnant with cases in which he is either plaintiff or defendant.
Mr. Higgins was not only a brilliant lawyer but a noble man with a heart too good.
He was full of energy and fight. He purchased a 10 acre tract of land in the southeastern part of the town and was the first man about here to put out an orchard in which he took much pride in developing and which grew to bearing fruit before his death.
He was an influential democrat and a delegate to the convention that nominated Grover Cleveland, and took the writer with him. Every body liked him and he was a true friend to the poor and to those who were dependent.
He passed away November 26, 1904.
32. WILLIAM A. McALLISTER
The subject of this short sketch is of more than ordinary interest from several standpoints. W. A. McAllister was born in Glascow, Scotland, June 7, 1847 and with his father and mother and other members of the family came to the United States in the year of 1851 and located first in St. Louis, Missouri, and in a year or so thereafter the father, James McAllister, and family, moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa where they resided for about 8 years and then moved to Genoa, Nebraska in 1858, for the purpose of trading with the Indians and after that became unprofitable the family moved to the southwest part of Colfax County about 8 miles from Columbus and located on a homestead near a small body of back water from the Platte River, which still exists, known as McAllister's Lake.
William McAllister received his early education in the schools of Council Bluffs and in 1862, at the age of fifteen years, enlisted for nine months service as a private in Company B. 2nd Nebraska Vonunteer [sic] Cavalry and for about ten months or a little less than a year, was engaged in active duty between Omaha and Fort Kearney, in Indian Warfare.
In 1872 he entered the University of Nebraska and graduated therefrom in 1877, in what we believe, the first graduating class from the University. After graduation he then went to Munich, Germany, and there took a two and a half year course in language and law and learned to speak, very fluently, the German language, which, at that time, was very valuable to a lawyer in this county.
After returning from Germany he continued the study of law and was admitted to the Bar in 1882
33. and was admitted to practice in the supreme court shortly thereafter. Mr. McAllister was very successful in his litigation and was a most careful advisor and careful in the trial of his cases and choice in the selection of the kind of business he took. He was aggressive and successful in practically everything he undertook.
He was a very ardent republican and was elected to the state legislature in 1882 and served to 1884. He was also appointed postmaster by President Taft and served during his administration.
In a spirit of public service to his country, he was a member of Company K. First Regiment of Nebraska National Guards and during his connection therewith there were many strikes and riots in Omaha in which he helped to quell.
Mr. McAllister was a member of and past commander of Baker Post Number 9 G.A.R. and was a member of the Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company.
Fraternally, he was a member of the Knights of Pythies and was one of the stockholders and officers of the West End Sewer Company.
Mr. McAllister was a man of high literary accomplishments and was always a student and kept well in touch with public matters.
Some time about 1914 or 1915 he became interested with other parties in a tract of land in the Isle of Pines and on behalf of those interested he established headquarters on the Island to look after their property and remained about one year, then moved back to Columbus and resumed the practice of law.
Mr. McAllister passed away on Jan. 9, 1923, while on a visit to his daughter in Salt Lake City, Utah.
34. He will long be remembered by the present and future generations for his valuable service in developing this county and state.
STEPHEN McALLISTER Stephen McAllister was the son of James McAllister who came to this country from Scotland and at the time of his arrival in Council Bluffs, Stephen was but an infant.
In 1858 the father of Stephen McAllister moved to the Pawnee Indian Reservation at Genoa and Stephen got such education as was available at that time. He afterwards attended the University of Iowa and graduated from the law department and came to Columbus. He and his brother William, formed a partnership in the practice of law and their first office was on the second floor of a little frame building where the Pawneee [sic] Theater stands on eleventh street.
Stephen was an able trial lawyer and practiced in Columbus for many years with his brother William, and dissolved partnership some time in the '90's. After that, Stephen located in Humphrey and stayed there a while, then went to Madison and practiced until his death which occurred about November 1926.
35. BYRON MILLET
Byron Millet was a son of Nelson Millet but as we remember he did not come here with his father, but some three or four years later on. We should judge he was a man of about thirty-five or forty years when we first knew him, which was in 1884.
Mr. Millet was one of the most learned men in law that ever practiced at this bar. In fact, he was phenominal in respect to his memory of what he studied and read. For instance, he could remember the cases, the page and the volume in which most any important case could be found in the Nebraska Reports which, of course, at that time did not exceed twenty-five or thirty volumes. He was a book worm in its full sense and was impractical in nearly everything else. He was a very successful lawyer in equity matters, but was not much before a jury because of his pecular [sic] ackwardness.
Mr. Millet was married when he was about forty-five years of age and left for Denver and there he formed a partnership with a firm which became one of the best known firms in the state. He remained in Denver for several years, but domestic matters interferred with his peace of life and he secured a divorce from his wife and then left there and went to Seattle, Washington. There he became one of the best known figures in the law game and was eventually elected Judge.
He died some years ago while in office but we are not sure of the time of his death.
Mr. Millet was really one of the most remarkable figures that ever practiced at the bar. We don't think he ever told a joke in his life and he
36. didn't enjoy one and was given solely to literary matters and cared very little for his fellow man. He was of a very quiet and morose disposition but, nevertheless, was highly respected by everybody on account of his ability and learning.
In referring to quality and alterness of the lawyer he often said to the author, "learn Blackstone and the statute and beware of the lawyer of these two books."
37. A. M. POST
Alfred M. Post was born in Greenfield, Pennsylvania, August 10, 1847. Like nearly all of the old time lawyers, was raised on a farm. He graduated from the Ohio University in 1868 and spent his early days school teaching. He commenced the practice of law in Leon, Iowa in 1870 and in 1874 in was appointed by President Grant as United States Consul at San Deigo, for Cape Verde Islands and served in that capacity for two years.
Upon his return to America he came to Columbus and engaged in the practice of law. In 1883 he was appointed Judge of the District Court in the fourth district and held that position until the fall of 1891 when he was elected to the Supreme bench. He was Justice of the Supreme Court until January 1898.
In 1898 he was appointed by President McKinnley one of the U. S. District Attorneys for Alaska. He resigned this position after he had been there about one year and returned to Columbus to practice law.
From 1911 to 1913 he was chairman of the commission to revise and codiby [sic] the Statutes of Nebraska. In January 1921 he was again appointed Judge of the Sixth Judicial District.
Judge Post was a man of remarkable ability. He had a wonderful analytical mind and his decisions on the supreme court are among the very finest decisions rendered in any time of the existence of the court. He was usually very brief in his decisions and also in his arguments of cases in court. He was a very careful and painstaking lawyer and never ventured into court without being prepared. The rulings on legal questions raised before him in the district court were very snappy and he was seldom wrong. For many years he was of the law firm,
38. Whitmoyer, Gerrard and Post. He was active in the practice and legal work up to the very time of his last sickness which was very brief.
He was one of the founders of a Masonic Order in Columbus and was a faithful member of that body until the time of his death.
He was frequently called to the other parts of the State to assist in the trials of important litigation. He seldom engaged in idle talk, but nevertheless, enjoyed clean joke and once in a while engaged with his brother attorney in story telling. At the time of his death on August 26, 1923 he was dean of the Platte County Bar. As a judge his name will stand in this State as long as we have a bar.
39. W. S. GEER
W. S. Geer, came to Columbus in the 1870's we believe, from Ohio.
Mr. Geer was an able lawyer and we remember he had one of the best law libraries in the town. His office was on the east side of the north street, now 26th avenue, about where the Scott restaurant now stands; a little one story building and in the center of his front room was a large table and an immense large invalids chair made with a leaf on the side to work on, as he was a cripple,- it seemed to us,- in his whole body; he could not stand without holding to something and was bent so that he could not raise his head. It was a pitiful sight to watch him get up the old court house stairs, but he was plucky and an able trial lawyer with plenty of vitriolic sarcasm and made use of his ability in that direction. He was a successful trial lawyer and all the other lawyers had great respect for, and patience with him.
He passed away October 21, 1883.
40. GEORGE G. BOWMAN
George G. Bowman, was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio.
He came to Nebraska a full fledged and able young lawyer in the latter part of the '70's.
He was tutored in his law education largely by an uncle who was alleged to be one of the great lawyers of that city,- Judge Burke.
Mr. Bowman was a well educated man, and had very exalted opinion of the profession and lived up to it. He stood among the best lawyers of the state and was a very popular man both professionally and socially- in fact, he was one of the social leaders of this city.
He had a clear way of expressing his opinion and possessed a most sarcastic vocabulary and occasionally turned loose in the trial of his cases. He was most searching in cross examination. He was a successful lawyer but not a financier.
He left Columbus in the early part of 1900 and went to Omaha.
41. W. N. HENSLEY
Mr. Hensley was born December 18, 1844, in Versailles, Woodford County, Kentucky. He had no schooling except at home until he was 15 years of age and attended a private school at Frankfort and finished his education at Georgetown College. He was about the only Lincoln,- or Union man in his community. While he was in College the Civil War broke out and he left school to enter the Union Army under Col. Jacob's Cavalry Troop. He was in many engagements, one of the most noteable being that of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. Mr. Hensley was mustered out of the war in the fall of 1863 and re-entered Georgetown University and studied four years for the Baptist Ministry and when he was about to be ordained he decided to become a lawyer because he had read law under Governor Robinson who was his steadfast friend and adviser.
He went to Council Bluffs, Iowa, arriving in 1872. He took a law examination and was admitted to the bar, then went to Omaha. There he met Dr. Miller, well known politician and editor of the World Herald, and taking a liking to Mr. Hensley he wanted him to come to Columbus and start a democratic paper, which he did in 1874 and founded the "Columbus Era" which passed through many years of struggle and several changes were made and finally it ended up by becoming the "Daily Telegram".
He was elected three times Police Judge, three times County Judge and three times County Attorney, which establishes him as the leading political office holder of the county.
He was postmaster under Cleveland's Administration and was also Commander of the Nebraska Soldier's and Sailor's Home at Milford.
42. Judge Hensley was, in some respects, a remarkable man and an exceptionally bright writer, and, we believe, one of the best versed men of the country and had ready command of language and could write beautiful and touching articles. As an orator he stood at the top of the bar.
He detested show or extravagance in dress, and shunned social events and was the happiest when sitting on the river bank with a fish pole in his hands watching the waters ever flowing onward and onward. His mind seemed lost to all things about him,- even to the bobber on his line dancing as though he had a nibble;- it did not matter much whether he caught a fish or not,- his mind was not there- he was communicating with the great Creator and the things the hand of God had touched and made animate.
His fisher friend sat near and watched him in silence, realizing that he was in a reverie, perhaps gone back to his youthful days when studying for that calling far removed from the life he was leading. Often he would hum some old familiar hymn to himself, evidencing the sentiment of a time long past, mentally, his one hand touching the spirit of a generation gone by and thinking of how fast and how near to the end, so near, that he could touch the fringe of eternity, of which he often spoke when in a serious mood, but just as if waking from a dream he was all animation and back to fishing, and the joy that follows the landing of a six pounder. He was truly a lover of nature and a good true sportman in its cleanest sense.
He was a friend to everybody who was on the square and detested all deception and crookedness, and anything that looked shady in the practice of the law and questionable tactics in securing business.
43. If a case came to him and was to be tried he prepared and tried it; if he won, all right, if he lost, he didn't grieve. When it came to addressing a jury he had us all beat, for he had a wonderful command of language, and an impressive way of expressing himself, and the flowery words seemed to come to him as though inspired, yet there were times when this was not true because of his lack of interest and sentiment in the matter he was espousing.
Judge Hensley left no successor at the bar and his passing took from us one whose originality will not be easy to duplicate. Those who knew him best, miss him the most.
44. JOSEPH T. CAMP
Joseph T. Camp, came to Columbus about 1884 from Atlanta, Georgia. He was an aged man at that time and after practicing here till about 1887 moved to the town of Greeley, a few years thereafter.
We have little knowledge of his history except while here, which was not long enough to build up much of a practice. He was a man of keen wit and a sharp tongue and we believe he served his country under the southern flag.
________ NAYLOR At the time of Mr. Camp's residence here, about 1884, there was a man by the name of Naylor whom we believe was from New York State, but he did not make much headway in the practice. We never heard him try but one case and we knew so little of what constituted a good lawyer we are at a loss to say anything of his ability.
He left about the time Mr. Camp did but don't know for where.
45. WILLIAM N. CORNELIUS
William N. Cornelius, was born and raised in Pennsylvania on a farm and spent his young life seeking the mysteries of farming and raising crops in a wooded and stony country and seeking an education in the country shool and as we remember his story of his early life, he attended Beaver College to seek a higher education. After he grew to manhood he worked for railroads as track builder and as foreman of construction gangs. After he had accumulated some means, he studied law in the office of some southern lawyers and was admitted to the bar outside of Nebraska.
He came here, comparatively a young man with a very wonderful wife and after being admitted here he formed a partnership with J. J. Sullivan, which continued many years.
Personally, Mr. Cornelius was a jolly good fellow and a worker. He was a very aggressive man and often demonstrated it in the trial of cases, being quick to express himself and then be sorry. He was upright in his practice and was well liked by his companions. He was socially inclined.
He was a very strong man physically and remained so until about two years before his death, which occurred April 5, 1914, from heart trouble.
46. JOHN J. SULLIVAN.
John J. Sullivan, was a semi pioneer lawyer of this city. He was born in Harvard, Henry County, Illinois, on the 11th day of April 1855 and received his elementary education in the public schools of that town. However, he was able to pass a teacher's examination and taught country schools for several terms until he acquired enough money to enter the Metropolitian Business College in Chicago and attended there for several months.
He then went to work in a store in Chicago and stayed there for about two years and while there conceived the idea of studying law and made arrangements with a lawyer by the name of John B. Lyons and entered his office as a student and remained for about two years ardently engaged in securing a legal education. After he had spent two years he entered the University of Iowa at Iowa City and graduated from that institution after one years' study, which is proof of the ardent work that he did while in the law office, which, after all, is the best place for proper training and thorough education in the law.
In about 1879, his brother, William Sullivan, moved to a farm near Columbus, Nebraska, and in the fall of 1879, John J. came to Columbus and hung out his shingle as a lawyer in an old building in the second story on 11th street. Soon after his arrival he formed a partnership with another lawyer by the name of William Cornelius who had wandered northward because just before arriving here he had been a railroad contractor in the south. At that time the prosecuting attorney for the circuit under which a judge presided was known as a district attorney who followed the judge from place to place to prosecute.
In the fall of 1882 Mr. Sullivan ran for the office of district judge but was defeated in this election because the district was republican at that time.
47. In 1882 Mr. Sullivan was elected County Judge of Platte County, Nebraska, and held the office for one term of two years. He was elected representative of this county in 1886.
He was elected District Judge of this district in 1891 and again in 1895 and during the last term of his office he was elected to the office of Judge of the Supreme Court on the democratic ticket, for during all of that period the office of all the courts was a political office. In 1903, he again ran for the office of Supreme Judge, but was defeated by Judge Barnes of Norfolk, Nebraska.
After his term of office had expired in the year 1904, he resumed the practice of law in Columbus where he remained until the latter part of 1908 when he moved to Omaha to resume the practice there. However, before he began the practice in Omaha, he was appointed to the supreme bench by Governor Sheldon and qualified and served for one day, then resigned and continued his practice in Omaha.
In 1915, upon the death of Justice Conrad Hollenbeck, Governor Morehead, tendered the Chief Justiceship to Judge Sullivan which he declined.
Toward the latter part of his life his health began to fail and he continued to decline so rapidly that he went to San Diego, California, believing that he might recover, but he continued to grow worse and passed away Feb. 17, 1926, in San Deigo, California.
Judge Sullivan was one of the best known attorneys in the State and stood among the top most lawyers. When he commenced practice here he had some of the finest lawyers we ever had to
48. practice with and against. Such men as Judge Higgins, Colonel Whitmoyer, Bowman, Post and Byron Millet, all of the very highest class men both in their ethical conduct, as well as legal ability and it was not long until the judge was considered the equal of any of them.
When he left here and went to Omaha, he secured some of the most lucrative cases that has ever been handled in that city. In the Joslyn estate alone, he made a small fortune and died a wealthy lawyer, something that don't happen very often and never from the profession alone without dropping into such litigation as the Judge did.
While on the district bench he was tolerant but strict as to the application of the law when called upon to decide. All of the laywers were his friends and he treated them all alike, whether they were beginning or had been in practice for many years and wherever opportunity presented itself, he aided the beginner and the writer is indebted to him in that respect.
Judge Sullivan was what we would call a common man- That is, he was destitute of the desire to make any show whatever, whether socially, fraternally or legally, he was just common John J. Sullivan, the friend of the people and especially to those in distress. He could be sarcastic and vindicitive in the trial of cases when aggravated but seldom resorted to such tactics. He was a good reasoner and his opinions on the supreme bench are among the very finest we have and are significant for their brevity and clearness.
The writer perhaps had a better opportunity to know Judge Sullivan than the average man, to know him as he was, for after the writer was married we lived across the alley from each other
49. and often visited and discussed all kinds of topics. He honored the writer by appointing him to make an argument in an important insurance case pending in the supreme court but when we learned that each of the attorneys represeting the respective sides of the case had ben our friends for years, we excused ourselves and declined to present our views in the case. The last case the writer ever tried against the Judge was a few years before he passed away. We were on opposite sides of a case involving a lot of real estate which was tried in the U. S. Court and as it happened we won the case and to prove the good sportsmanship which ran in his vains [sic], the writer never got more compliments paid him in a trial of a case than the Judge gave in that. This shows the sort of a man that he was. If he won the case he wouldn't boast about it; if he lost it he took it as a good sport should.
50. JOHN MONTGOMERY MACFARLAND
John M. Macfarland, was born January 14, 1856 (and is now 83 years old), in Jefferson County, Virginia, now West Virginia, at the ancestoral home of Washington in the house built by Charles Washington. For three generations prior to the birth of the subject of this sketch all the Macfarlands were born and raised in the same county. John M. got his early education like the other boys at what was known as the subscription schools and afterwards at the free school. He attended the Military Academy of Virginia and Princeton College and the University of Virginia where he graduated specializing in constitutional and international law and received the highest grade given to any student in the school. Regardless of his graduation in the law department of the University it was necessary for him to take an examination which, was successful, and he was admitted to practice in all the courts of West Viriginia.
In 1878, soon after his marriage, he got the western fever and moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where he opened a law office after being admitted to the supreme court in Nebraska on Jan. 10, 1879.
In May 1879 he moved to Columbus, where he practiced law until Nov. 1889 when he was elected Grand Chancellor of the Knights of Pythias and moved back to Omaha, where he formed a co-partnership with a Mr. Saunders and the firm became known as Saunders and Macfarland, where he practiced law for 40 years. Then he went to California and from there back to New York City, where he now resides.
Mr. Macfarland, was one of the most energetic lawyers we ever had at the bar and he was a money
50. b. maker and nobody enjoyed spending it more than he did. In fact, he was a good scout. It is said that he made more money in the two or three years after the machine companies commenced selling their machinery in this county and elsewhere around, than all of the other lawyers combined. He was a sort of a general attorney for several manufacturing companies and had an immense commercial business. It was a period when hand tools were disappearing for manufactured machinery and the farmers took the new machinery very readily and the agents were of the highest class of sellers, so that Mac had plenty of business.
He was one of the smoothest politicians we ever had in the city. He was elected as Mayor for one term and was an official in nearly all of the enterprises of the city. While Mayor of the city he took great pride in trying to improve the city park now located in the heart of the city and it was through his influence largely, that most of the trees were planted and the old fence, that used to be around the park, was removed.
He was one of the best dressers of the bar. He was a good business getter and a very smooth attorney and was often selected by the older attorneys on account of his acquaintance and influence with the jury. He was local attorney for several years of the U.P.R.R.Co. and was elected State Senator from Douglas County and he ran for Lieutenant Governor and also for Supreme Judge, but was defeated.
51. JAMES G. REEDER
The subject of this sketch, was born Jan. 18, 1858, on a farm near Edinboro, Pennsylvania. His early boyhood was spent in the same manner as all boys raised on a farm in a timber and stony country. While picking stone, chopping wood, hoeing corn and in the many other branches of wood land farming, no doubt he was imbued with the same spirit of the average boy that is brought up to hard work and to be industrious. He no doubt dreamed of the future and wondering what it would be and where his manhood life would be spent.
He attended public schools and afterwards the college at Meadville, Pennsylvania and then got his start the way the average young man does that has an ambition beyond the farm work. He taught school. Then at a period, we have not the exact date, he left his native State and went to Bartlett, Tennessee and there entered the law office and commenced the study of law. He was eventually placed in charge of one of the firms offices. He pursued his studies and had a chance to see some of the practical sides of the profession and after he had finished his course was admitted to the bar at Bartlett in 1880.
A near relative owned a plantation near the place of his study and induced him to take charge of the plantation which he did for a short time, but the soil cultivation was not to his taste and he quit that business and went to Hutchinson, Kansas, where he became associated with a firm of active lawyers. He stayed in Hutchinson about a year and then on March 18, 1882 he set his feet down on Columbus soil and was soon after admitted to the bar. Your author of this article well remembers when he came here and soon after we became fast friends because there were but few
52. young men in the town at that time that we were acquainted with.
He became acquainted with an old practitioner here, W. S. Geer, who was a physical wreck but had a wonderful mental faculty and was a very able lawyer. Soon after his association with Mr. Geer, a partnership was formed and continued up until the death of Mr. Geer. At that time they had what was considered the best law library in the town, though perhaps, not superior to the one owned by the firm of Whitmoyer, Gerrard & Post but, in any event, a few cases of books looked awfully big to a boy and rather discouraging.
After the death of Mr. Geer, Mr. Reeder and Judge Hensley formed a partnership which did not last very long. Then some time thereafter a partnership was formed between John J. Sullivan and Mr. Reeder and continued for many years and thereafter he formed a partnership with I. L. Albert. After Mr. I. L. Albert was appointed supreme court commissioner Mr. Reeder formed a partnership with a Mr. Hobart, a brother-in-law of I. L. Albert. This partnership dissolved some time thereafter and he practiced alone a while until his son, George, finished his legal education and the father and the son were in partnership at the date of the Judge's death which occurred Jan. 31, 1938.
At the time of his death he was president of the Platte County Bar Association and the dean of the Bar. Judge Reeder was a very careful business man and made some profitable land investments a good many years ago when it was considered the safest business a man could invest money in. He also took a great interest in civic matters and was one of the incorporators of the Platte County Independent Telephone Co., and was one of its officers for some time.
53. Perhaps no man ever practiced law under as grave difficulties as did Judge Reeder. His poor hearing was a great handicap and also the impairment of his eye sight but, nevertheless, he struggled on heroically without complaint until the end. It was our fortune to know Judge Reeder, perhaps, as no one else did, as our associations from the beginning to the day of his death was very close in business, legal and fraternal matters.
Judge Reeder stood among the top members of the county and state bar. He was honorable in his practice and his word was law. He frowned upon anything that looked shady in the practice or in securing business in a questionable way. He gave the bar standing and dignity.
54. W. H. TEDROW
W. H. Tedrow, was born at Eugene, Knox County, Illinois, June 6, 1858. He attended the public schools of that community and in 1878 graduated from Oskaloosa College, Oskaloosa, Iowa. Admitted to the bar at Albia, Monroe County, Iowa, Sept. 20, 1880. He came to Columbus, Nebraska, October 1880 and on June 11, 1881 was admitted to practice in Platte County, before Judge George W. Post.
He taught two terms of school on Shell Creek and was superintendent of the high school at Platte Center for two years and principle of the Columbus 3rd ward school one year. After these schools he was elected county superintendent of Platte County and served for one term.
He practiced law in this county for about six years then went back to Iowa and practiced there at Corydon, Wayne County, Iowa, for forty years and is still in the game. During his period in Corydon, Wayne County, Iowa, he was elected County Attorney for two terms, in 1920 and in 1924.
We remember Mr. Tedrow very well and was selected as his "best man" at his wedding. He was a very affable young man and had a fine personality and a very bright man aside from his education. In his disposition he was quick and snappy and rather witty. He was well liked and gave good service in this official capacity while here, as well as legal. We do not now recall any particular cases in which he was interested but in a general way we know of his practice. He is one of the very few living examples of such a long period of active work and of active practice in the profession.
55. In Iowa, as well as in Nebraska, he took great interest in politics, being a republican and is still hanging on to the "grand old party" and for many years was chairman of the County Central Committee of the county in which he now resides.
56. CAMDEN J. GARLOW
Camden J. Garlow, was born in a log cabin in a little valley on Pricketts Creek, Marion County, Virginia, amongst the big sugar trees from which sweet sap was extracted and drained into troughs and converted into syrup and sugar.
A sugar trough was our cradle, which no doubt accounts for our ever sweet disposition?
Without our consent, and when we were only three years old, the politicians residing west of the Alleghenys kicked up a "fuss" over slavery and other trivial matters- and in 1861 the good old state seceded and went "fer ninst" the government, and the west part broke relations and about half of the men took up arms against the other half, and the country became the bone at which both sides picked, and the politicians got the meat and grew fat and the other poor d's. suffered.
We had the usual hard licks the other boys had in that rough mountain, stony and timber country. We don't remember the times we did not work.
We went to private school, then "free" schools,- won a scholarship in a contest and spent three years in the State Normal, read stories of the wild west, itched to see it, and landed in Columbus on April 1st, 1881 with $5.00, and extra suit of clothes and some school books; walked to northern part of the county and went to work- and soon secured a school. First winter lived in a school house and taught school. Spent evenings studying. It was a cheerful life. The howling coyotes furnished the music.
57. In 1882 registered with Judge Higgins to study law and recited every Saturday for three and a half years - We are also indebted to Byron Millet and Judge Hensley for much help.
Was admitted to the bar in April, 1885. Yes, we had plenty of hard knocks. We have done all we could to help the town progress.
The enterprises we fathered and of which we were president, were the West End Sewer Co., Platte County Independent Telephone Co., Columbus Gas Co., Fontein Piano Co., all of which were successful and paid dividends and all capitalized at home and every stockholder got good dividends and par, or above, for his stock- when we sold.
We have tried cases in many state courts and in the U. S. Courts in four different states and in the 8- Circuit Court of Appeals- and before the Patent and Pension Courts in Washington. Won cases we ought to have lost and lost cases we ought to have won.
As author of these sketches, we refrain from commenting on our failure or success,- that is for the courts and our competitors to judge, and regardless of what that may be,- after fifty four years of active practice, working hard all the time, and being a book worm, we feel we have not reached near the top and no matter how hard we try to keep up, we are several jumps behind and no hope of catching up. Our travel in other states and countries and observations of lawyers in all courts, has been, that our bar, from the beginning, has been on a par with the best.
We have never been a candidate for office, however, was elected to a term on city council. At the breaking out of the World War we were
58. appointed directly by President Wilson, as attorney for all war work. We served, without pay, during the period of the World War in nearly every branch of service. For the service we were both praised and "cussed".
Served two terms as chairman of the State Bar Examining Committee.
Belong to several Bar Associations, President of Platte County Bar Association.
Was president one year of the Fraternal Insurance Lawyer's Association of the United States.
Belong to all Masonic bodies.
Have never tried to beat a brother attorney out of his fees.
Like the judges of our district and the lawyers of the bar- and hope when you have practiced for 54 years you will know more than we do, and in the mean time hurt nobody, live honestly, be ethical in practice and render to every one his just dues,- a sure passport to the Great Judge, and hope you will be able to answer all pertinent questions in the affirmative, without blinking, without squirming or evasion.
59. A. M. WALKER
A. M. Walker, came here from New York State in about 1881 or '82. He was a member of the firm of Wells & Walker, and had an office on the second floor of the building now occupied by Ed Blaser, just across from the Clother Hotel.
Mr. Walker, was a bachelor and devoted much of his time to society matters, but not much of a student and was not much interested in the law game. His partner furnished the money.
He left Columbus in about 1888 for the east.
______WELLS Mr. Wells, (we do not remember his given name) came to Columbus with Mr. A. M. Walker, about 1881 from New York and was a partner of Mr. Walker. He was quite wealthy but a man in poor health and was not actively engaged in practice, and his financial condition was such that he did not have to practice to make a living.
He left Columbus with Mr. Walker and as we now remember, went back to New York. He was a man of high standing, very modest and of a quiet disposition, and well liked.
60. BAYARD FULLER
Bayard Fuller, was born in Virginia and was a half brother to John M. McFarland.
He came to Columbus in the latter part of the '80's and was admitted to the bar soon thereafter.
He was a most excellent young man of a very polite and gentlemanly bearing. He was elected justice of the peace many terms and also police judge and made a splendid official.
He was a bachelor and we never knew of him going with any of the young ladies.
He did not practice law very much.
He left Columbus when Mr. McFarland did, going with him to Omaha and died some years ago.
61. ________ CRAWFORD
Mr. Crawford, came to Columbus in the early '90's as a representative of the U.P.R.R. Company. His business was that of a legal detective and spent his time mostly in procuring evidence for the trial lawyers for the company.
He was an elderly man and very aggressive and equally sarcastic with very little regard for the other fellow's feelings or opinion. He was very much disliked by all the railroad men, because of his activity on reporting any irregularities.
As we remember, he stayed here only about two years and went back to Omaha, but what became of him, we do not know.
62. RICHARD CUNNINGHAM
Richard Cunningham, came to Columbus about 1884, from the State of Illinois. At that time he was a man of about 33 to 35 years of age and came with more money than the average young man had and purchased a fine farm northwest of Columbus. He batched for a while and became a law student of John J. Sullivan and was admitted to the bar July 11, 1888, after examination by a bar committee. Your author was a member of that committee, however, the main quizzers were Judge Bowman, John M. McFarland and Col. Whitmoyer. Mr. Cunningham was very penurious, and it hurt him worse to spend a dime than any person we knew. Prior to the examination, two members of the committee made an arrangement with Link Lee, our first class saloon keeper at that time, that if the committee should appear with Mr. Cunningham, he was to set up champagne and the best whiskey he had, to the crowd. It was a dirty trick, of course, but Mr. Cunningham was perfectly able to pay for the fun.
After the examination, the committee, with some other members of the bar, appeared on the scene, and when Mr. Cunningham wanted to know what the charges were for examination, one of the members of the committee said there were no charges, but it was customary to "set them up", so went to Link Lee's parlors and Link did the rest. Everybody enjoyed the drink wonderfully, excpet your author, who didn't imbide [sic] at that time at all and like some of the rest of our good members, we called for soft drinks.
After everybody was thoroughly satisfied that he had enough, we waited for the painful operation to see the student separated from $25.00 which completely took the joy all out of our friend,
63. Cunningham. However, he started to practice law and tried to play even. After he had practiced for some three or four years he sold out and we believe, went back to Illinois, with a sour feeling for the Columbus lawyers.
Richard, was really a very fine bachelor and a pretty bright fellow and the cases that he tried he made preparation and fought as hard as he could, but he didn't like this country, so left. Whatever became of the man we are not able to say.
64. W. B. BACKUS
W. B. Backus, came to Columbus about 1885 from Pennsylvania. He was principal of the Columbus schools for two or three years and afterwards became superintendent of the Indian school at Genoa and remained at the head of that school for several years.
Mr. Backus, was admitted to the bar before he came to Columbus and after he quit teaching school in the city, he started to practice law and had an office in the second story of a little building facing the south on twelveth street. Mr. Backus, was a very bright man and was well developed, from a physical standpoint,- he would rather play baseball or attend a baseball game, than to try a law suit and he was an expert and belonged to the league here at one time.
After leaving the Genoa Indian School, he went west, but where he located or whether he went to practicing law, we have not been able to ascertain.
64 a. JOHN CAMDEN MARTIN
John Camden Martin, was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Feb. 20, 1859 and died at Cleveland, Ohio, Oct. 17, 1933. Mr. Martin, received his early education through private tutors. Later on he studied at Wooster & Lafayette College. He studied law for a short time in Allegheny before moving to Nebraska.
He came to Platte County in 1883 and completed his law studies with Colonel Whitmoyer and was admitted to the bar in 1884.
He taught a term of school at Duncan and later moved from Columbus to Central City, Merrick County, Nebraska, and there he was elected county superintendent for one term.
He served as county attorney for one term in Merrick County.
Later on, but we do not remember the years, he served for two terms as court commissioner for the supreme court of Nebraska.
Mr. Martin, came to this county about the same time that Mr. Backus did and was just about as much a baseball enthusiast. In fact, he played as an expert for some time. We remember that while he was in the practice here, either the lawyers or the doctors challenged the other to a ball game and with Martin and Backus on the lawyers side we had no trouble in cleaning up the medical faculty.
Mr. Martin, was a most affable and friendly man and had a host of friends. Politically, he was a Republican and was elected as a delegate to
65 a. the National Republican Convention which nominated Theodore Roosevelt and your author was elected as alternate.
Some few years prior to his death he was afflicted with an eye disease which eventually caused him to lose his sight and for some time before his death he was totally blind, but even in this condition, we remember visiting him at his home just prior to his leaving Central City and he still was cheerful and full of life and took his affliction in the same spirit that he had taken the ups and downs as well as the successes of life.
He belonged to all the Masonic Orders and K. of P. and Woodmen.
65. PAT O'ROURKE
Pat O'Rourke, came west and located in Humphrey, Nebraska, about 1884. For two or three years he was at the head of the schools in that town and was a very successful principal of the schools. We do not know from what State he came or the exact time but at the time he commenced practice, was in 1886. We should judge him to have been a man of about forty or forty-five years of age. He was a large man and of fine personal appearance. He was always well dressed and as we remember him in our early practice, we see him as we saw him then, with bushy hair and he always wore a white vest.
He did not practice more than two or three years in this county but where he went we are unable to ascertain. We did not know enough at that time nor did we learn from qualified lawyers whether or not he was a lawyer of much ability, but his appearance would lead one to believe that he was a lawyer of more than ordinary standing in a small town.
66. F. M. COOKINGHAM
Mr. Cookingham, of Humphrey, Nebraska, came to Platte County about 1888 and settled in Humphrey and remained there until his death which occurred along about 1910.
He came from the State of New York but we do not know what part. In any event, he settled down in Humphrey when that town was just beginning to build up and become of some importance. We believe he was the first lawyer to settle in Humphrey, unless prior to his coming Pat O'Rourke had already commenced the practice there.
Mr. Cookingham was a very active man in the practice and was active in politics and took great pride in the civic matters of the town of Humphrey. He built up quite a practice in that town and community. Mr. Cookingham, was a very industrious lawyer and was quite successful in his litigation. We remember times when he came down here and won his cases against some of our oldest and best lawyers which was always humiliating to the bar here because they hardly classed him with the best of our lawyers.
67. J. D. STIRES
J. D. Stires, came to Nebraska in the early '80's and settled in Boone County. In about 1886 or '87, he came to Platte County and formed a partnership with I. L. Albert, soon after Mr. Albert came to Columbus, which partnership continued only a short time. In 1897 he took in as a partner, Joseph L. Jiranek, which partnership continued until Mr. Stires' death, which occurred March 7, 1930, after a long and serious illness.
Mr. Stires, had been in the banking business in the earlier part of his adventure to Nebraska but abandoned that business to get into the practice of law for which profession he had been prepared.
Mr. Stires, gave most of his legal attention to real estate and equity litigation and seldom tried a jury case as it was not to his liking.
He made several investments in the city and erected a nice brick building facing 26th avenue and had considerable other real estate in the city and county.
He was considered one of the careful lawyers and a most careful investor. He was a man who adhered strictly to the ethics of his profession and was quite a successful man in his profession and business.
He was one of the leading Masons, in all of its branches, in the State of Nebraska, and was
68. one of the best posted men in that fraternal Order. He was also one of the main pillars in the Episcopal Church and did much toward its success and upkeep.
As a man, he was strictly upright in all of his transactions and was well liked by his brother lawyers and held in high respect by the people who knew him.
MAYNARD HURD Maynard Hurd, was the son of a C. B. & Q. R.R. engineer. He taught school for a while and studied under M. Whitmoyer and was admitted to the bar about 1891 or '92, and practiced here a short time and went to the State of Oregon, where he became a successful lawyer and was elected to the state legislature.
He passed away a few years ago.
69. DR. W. A. HAMPTON
We know very little of the early history of Dr. Hampton. He came from Illinois to Humphrey as a practicing physician along about 1883. After practicing for some time he took a notion that he wanted to be a lawyer and started studying law, but am not sure with whom, nor can we find any record of when he was admitted to the bar, but he had several cases here in the district court and represented, as one of the attorneys, the noted Bridget Murray will case.
He left Humphrey the latter part of the '80's went to David City and from there to Alliance and engaged in the banking business until his death some years ago.
Dr. Hampton, was said to be a well educated physician and surgeon, but he did not like the business. He didn't commence the study of law until he was about forty years old or perhaps a little older and he found it hard going although he was a mighty nice man, very upright in his dealings. He was a man that was well liked by the people, both as a doctor and a lawyer, but never became a profound lawyer regardless of the study that he put in, as he did not seem to have the preliminary preparations.
70. CHARLES BRINDLY
Charles Brindly, was one of the first born children in this community and belonged to one of the old families of the Latter Day Saints. He was of a very quiet, studious, disposition and received his early education at the public schools and then attended college, but the writer is not able to give much information on that.
He taught school for some years and at the same time studied law with Byron Millet and was admitted to the bar about 1884 or '85, but never did much at the practice.
He left Columbus some time in the early '90's and went to Dakota at which place he died a few years ago, but the exact date, we have no record. We understand he did not practice law in Dakota.
71. ROYAL P. DRAKE
R. P. Drake, came to Humphrey, Nebraska, in August 1888, having been admitted to the bar in Iowa and the supreme court of that state, and was, on a motion, admitted to the bar in this county and State. Mr. Drake was on one side or other of nearly all the cases in Humphrey or in that locality.
He was very aggressive and a hard fighter. He remained in Humphrey in the practice of his profession for about twenty-eight years and moved to Kearney where he went into the practice of law with his son and is still living in Kearney.
Mr. Drake, was a very honorable, upright lawyer and we never knew of him resorting to any questionable tactics in his profession.
He and Mr. Cookingham had a large part of the legal business in the northwestern part of the county and they seemed to be the happiest when they were fighting each other the hardest. Mr. Drake, was also much interested in community work and in the school and churches. He had considerable to do with the building of the city hall and the water works and took great interest in the development of the electric light and water works for that town.
72. CHARLES WILLIS
and
________ DAVIDSONCharles Willis, was the son of a Mr. Willis who lived in Columbus and was engaged in construction work. We believe that his son Charles, was the only child he had. He received the ordinary education of the schools here and studied law with Col. Whitmoyer, but when he was admitted to the bar, we have no history.
About the time he started into practice, there came here from somewhere- a man by the name of Davidson, of large statue and we would say about thirty-two years of age. These fellows at once formed a co-partnership in the practice of law and we know of them having three or four cases in the district court. Their life in the profession was short mostly on account of the unfavorable impression that the lawyers and courts got of Davidson who was so contentious that he did not have the standing at the bar and with the courts that is commendable. In fact, on one occasion in which the writer was on the other side, he became so unethical that the court came near fining him for contempt.
These two fellows had one historic case in the court and it resulted in one of the partners marrying the lady client. I think one or two of the members of this bar may remember the occasion but as we like to think of the better things of our brother lawyers and not wishing to say anything detrimental, we refrain from commenting further.
73. P. E. McKILLIP
For some years P. E. McKillip, or Pat McKillip, as he was generally known, resided in Humphrey and practiced law a part of the time. Mr. McKillip, was connected with many monied men and in many enterprises, especially in the banking business and in real estate matters. He was a man of great social desires and took great pride in his personal appearance before his friends and the clubs to which he belongs.
Mr. McKillip, left Humphrey a good many years ago and was located at different places. He attended college at Creighton for a time and studied law and graduated from Harvard. We are advised he was born in McCook, Nebraska.
He passed away some time in 1938. We have not the exact date.
74. LYMAN R. LATHAM
Lyman R. Latham, was born in Franklin, N.Y. April 29, 1870, and was educated in the schools in Franklin and admitted to the bar in the State of New York and came to Columbus the very last part of the eighties and started to practice law in Columbus.
Mr. Latham, never devoted his entire time to the practice but operated some other lines of business with his law business. He also served for some years as referee in bankruptcy. He left this county some time in the early '90's and went to Minatare, Scotts Bluff County and there took up a homestead and spent the balance of his life on a farm. He died Oct. 11, 1930.
Mr. Latham, was a very affable young man and one of the quiet, unassuming, well dressed and well appearing men of the community and was a very strict Episcopalian. We do not know of him belonging to any fraternal orders.
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