books. Mr. Sidney J. Cowen brought this library with him to Albany, and Mr. Hill had the use and enjoyment of it during Mr. Cowen's life; but not long after their re moval to Albany, Mr. Cowen, died. His father, Judge Esek Cowen, died in 1844. After the death of the son, it became neces sary in the settlement of his estate, to sell this library. It was bought by Peter Cagger, Esq., who had just then dissolved a long connection with the distinguished law yer Samuel Stevens. That library consti tuted one of the inducements that led to Mr. Hill's partnership with Mr. Cowen. Prior to this time, and after Mr. Cowen's death, he had been associated with Dcodatus Wright and with Stephen P. Nash; but that association was dissolved, and on the termination of his office as State Re porter, he entered into partnership with Peter Cagger, and soon afterwards Hon. John K. Porter became a member of the firm, which for many years commanded a large and extensive practice in Albany, under the name of Hill, Cagger & Porter. By this ar rangement Mr. Hill was enabled to continue in the enjoyment of the books which had so long been his companions, and that library, until the end of his life, was, in one sense, Mr. Hill's home. There he spent a great portion of his time both by day and by night, and it was doubtless owing to over work among these books that his life was cut short at an age when he ought to have had many years remaining for work in his profession. While on this subject, it may be well to trace the history of this library down to the present time. After Mr. Hill's death, Mr. Porter was elected judge of the Court of Appeals, which office he resigned after a few years, and went to the City of New York, where he became the senior member of Porter, Lowrey, Soren & Stone, a firm which enjoyed a large and lucrative practice in that city. After Judge Porter left Mr. Cagger, Samuel Hand, afterwards judge of the Court of Appeals, became a
partner of Mr. Cagger, and the library re mained in the office of Cagger & Hand. In 1868, Mr. Cagger, while driving with John E. Devlin, Esq., in Central Park, in the tJity of New York, during a session of the Demo cratic National Convention which nomi nated Horatio Seymour for President, was thrown from the buggy in which they were seated, and, striking his head upon a stone, was instantly killed. In the autumn of that year, Mr. Hand associated with himself Matthew Hale and Nathan Swartz, under the firm name of Hand, Hale & Swartz. Afterwards Charles S. Fairchild, who was later Attorney-General of the State, and still later a member of President Cleveland's Cabinet, as Secretary of the Treasury, became a member of the firm, which was continued under the name of Hand, Hale, Swartz & Fairchild. Mr. Fairchild, when elected Attorney-General in 1875, retired from the firm, and Mr. Swartz died in 1878, and the firm was continued for some time under the name of Hand & Hale, and Hand, Hale & Bulkeley. The Cowen library, as increased by accumulations from year to year, remained in the ownership and posses sion of these various firms. Mr. Hand was appointed by Governor Robinson as Judge of the Court of Appeals in place of judge Allen, deceased, and served a few months in the year 1878. In 1881 the firm was broken up, Judge Hand continuing practice by him self mainly in the Court of Appeals, and retaining the old Cowen library with the additions thereto. Judge Hand died in 1886, leaving this library to his son, Billings Learned Hand, then a minor, now in the senior class of the Harvard Law School, who is now the owner of this library, which is still one of the largest and most complete private law libraries in the State of New York. Mr. Hill never held any public offices except the two already referred to, namely, that of District Attorney of Saratoga County, and New York State Reporter. He was'
