The Supreme Court of Minnesota. tice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Young Nelson inherited his father's legal ability. Graduating from Yale in 1846, he soon after entered the law office of James R. Whiting in New York City, but com pleted his studies at Coopertown, where he was admitted to the bar in 1849. After a short time spent at Buffalo, Mr. Nelson decided to try his fortune in the far West; and the 12th day of May, 1850, saw the future jurist climbing the long pair of rickety stairs which led from the steamboatlanding to the upland, where a few cheap frame and log houses, stumps, rocks, and ungraded streets indicated the future city of St. Paul. The young lawyer's first interview with a leading citizen was far from encouraging. Hearing that the young man had designs of practising law in St. Paul, the gentleman was deeply moved with compassion. " My dear young man," said he, " I sincerely pity you. We have a population of six hundred; and fifty of them are lawyers, the most of them starving. I advise you to take the next boat East, because you have no chance here. We have too much trouble with the lawyers here already."
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Mr. Nelson did not take the well-meant advice, but opened an office, and continued to practise his profession until 1854, with a good measure of success. In 1853 he had the honor of refusing a nomination as dele gate to Congress. In 1854 he removed for a short time to Superior, Wisconsin, where he took an active part in the organization of the new county of Douglass, and held the office of District Attorney. Returning to St. Paul in 1855, the practice of the law occupied his attention until 1857, when he was appointed an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, and immediately en tered upon the duties of the position. Judge Nelson served until Jan. 1, 1858, when the territorial court was superseded by the State court. But one general term of the court was held after Judge Nelson's appointment, and but two opinions written by him appear in the Reports. This, however, conveys but a very inadequate conception of the amount of judicial work done by him during his brief term of service. A large amount of cham ber work devolved upon him as the judge of the district court residing at the capital; and it was in this capacity that he rendered a de cision in one of the causes ce"ldbres in the early history of the State.
