Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 04.pdf/139

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120
The Green Bag.

rate the contention of the Chief-Justice that organization of the State government in Mr. Sullivan's description of the court was 1858. purely apocryphal. It appears that by this Andrew Gould Chatfield was born at time there was no occasion for the journalist " Butternuts," Otsego County, New York, to lament the lack of " politics " in Minne Jan. 27, 18 10. His parents were natives sota; and the Chief-Justice always contended of Connecticut, and of good Revolutionary that the description of his court was fur stock. His maternal grandmother was a nished the traveller by political enemies member of the Ruggles family, a name well who were seeking to undermine him at known in the legal and political history of the Empire State.

Washington. Enos Chatfield, the Political excitement father of the Judge, ran high in the Ter removed from Con ritory in 1851, and necticut to New York, factional quarrels led to the resignation of where he accumulated some property, but lost Chief-Justice Cooper. He was succeeded, it through a defective title. Nov. 13, 1851, by Je rome Fuller of New His children were York, who served until thus thrown upon their Dec. 16, 1852, when own resources. After he was succeeded by acquiring the rudi Henry Z. Hayner. It ments of an education seems impossible to by private study in acquire any informa the fitful light of the tion about Hayner, historical pine-knot who was Chief-Justice after laborious days of farm labor, Andrew from Dec. 16, 1851, to April 7, 1852. He went to Hamilton never presided, and it Academy, where he re mained for some time. is believed that he At the age of twentynever came to Min nesota. one he removed to R. R. NELSON. When the Pierce Steuben County, New administration came York, and commenced into power, March 4, 1853, all the Federal the study of law in the office of Henry F. officers in the Territory were removed. On Cotton at Painted Post. In 1833, after three April 7 William H. Welch became Chief- years' study, he was admitted to the bar of Justice, and Andrew G. Chatfield and Moses the county court. During the same year a Sherburne Associate Justices. The new partnership was formed with James Birdsell, Chief-Justice was a native of Connecticut, and the practice of law commenced in the and a graduate of Yale College and Law village of Addison in Steuben County. School. He came to Minnesota in 1850, In November, 1838, Mr. Chatfield was residing first at St. Anthony and subse elected a member of the Legislature as a quently at St. Paul. After serving four Democrat, to which party he faithfully ad years under the appointment of President hered during his long life. He soon became Pierce, he was reappointed by President prominent as a leader of his party, and was Buchanan, and remained in office until the re-elected for three successive terms.