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"Mastering the lawless science of our law, That codeless myriad of precedent. That wilderness of single instances." The profession and the public are indebted to him for his valuable aid in introducing the reformed system of practice and for many useful statutes. He still lives at Washington, N. C, and practises law in partnership with his son.

In 1858 he married Camilla, daughter of Wiley Croom of Ala bama. She died in 1887, leaving six chil dren, one of whom, Capt. W. B. Rodman, Jr., is ' a prominent lawyer of Washing ton, N. C. The Democratic party in 1878 having elected its nominees for the bench, Judge Rodman retired at the end of his term, Jan. 1, 1879, and was suc ceeded by John H. Dillard. Robert Paine Dick was born at Greens boro, N. C, Oct. s, 1823. His father, Hon. John M. Dick, was Judge of the Su perior Court nearly thirty years, from 1832 till his death, in October, 1861. Judge Robert P. Dick graduated at the University of North Carolina in 1843 with dis tinction. He read law with his father, and was admitted to the bar in 1845. He was United States District Attorney for North Carolina from 1853 till theacceptanceof his resignation in April, 1861. He was a candidate for elector on the Douglas ticket in 1860. He was a mem ber of the State Convention of 186 r, and signed the Ordinance of Secession. He was State Senator from Guilford, 1864-65. In

May, 1865, he was appointed by President Johnson United States District Judge for North Carolina, but resigned in two months and before qualifying, being unable to take the "iron-clad " oath. In March, 1867, he was a member of the Convention that organized the Republican party in this State, and in April, 1868, he was elected Justice of the Supreme Court. In June, 1872, he resigned, after a service of four years, upon his appointment by President Grant as United States District Judge for the newly created Western Dis trict of North Caro lina, which position he still fills. His opinions will be found in four volumes, from 63 N. C. to 67 N. C. inclusive. They are well written, as have also been his opinions upon the United States District Court. He is fond of literature, and is prob ably the best biblical scholar in the State. He has delivered sev eral admirable ad dresses on literary oc casions which have been published in pamphlet form. He married, in 1848, Miss Mary Adams of Virginia. A daughter of his married the eldest son of Hon. Stephen A. Douglas. Judge Dick is a pleasing speaker and writer. He has for years been a ruling elder in the, Presbyterian church and a Sundayschool superintendent. He is very courteous and agreeable in his manners. He has a large circle of friends and no enemies. Upon his resignation from the Supreme Court, his colleague, Judge Settle, who was elected with him in 1868 but who had re