Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 09.pdf/377

 Rh

342

which consisted of local applications and internal medicines, sufficient, with a keen knife he cut his leg to the bone and opened a long wound. The treatment proved effect ive and he recovered." His son, Robert Harding, is a leading member of the present Danville bar, and was county attorney for Boyle County. Judge Fountaine T. Fox was for twelve years circuit judge, and it is said : " No one wearing the ermine ever enjoyed a more enviable repu tation for uprightness and impartiality." His legal attainments were of the highest order. Danville is the home of former Con gressman Proctor Knott, one of the most distinguished lawyers in Kentucky. The late Hon. S. S. Cox, in speaking of legislative humorists said : " Who can fill the place of Ben Hardin or Tom Corwin? No one has ap CURTIS F. proached either, un less it be another Kentuckian, J. Proctor Knott. In him Ken tucky 'gives to us a second edition of Hardin." While in Congress, Governor Knott was chairman of the judiciary committee. HARRODSBUR(J.

Harrodsburg is the oldest town in the State, and has been the home of some of the most loarncd and prominent men. One of the intellectual giants of early days was George Nicholas. He lived in Kentucky only eleven years, but he won a place among the greatest men o.f his day. He was dis-

tinguished as a scholar, writer, orator and lawyer. He advocated that provision in the first constitution which gave to the court of appeals original jurisdiction in all suits in which the title to lands in the State was in volved. He was strongly opposed, but, Col. Durrett says, " Such was his power in argu ment and such his force of character and earnestness that he over-rode all opposition. James Harían, the father of AssociateJustice Harían of the Supreme Court, was the prosecuting at torney of Mercer County, a member of Congress and a most distinguished man. Governor Be r i ah McGoffin was one of the ablest men in Kentucky. He was a man of strong char acter, and " had the courage of his opin ions." He sent a message to the legis lature recommending the most stringent laws against the mar riage of first cousins, and he issued a proc BI'RNAM lamation, at the be ginning of the war, of armed neutrality for Kentucky. Garrett Davis was United States senator and a fine lawyer. He opposed the clause for an elective judiciary, when he was a member of the constitution of 1849, voted against it, and after it was adopted refused to sign it. W. W. Stephenson is one of the most prominent members of the present Harrods burg bar. He is a fine lawyer and a man of undoubted courage and ability. There are six members of the Hardin family who practice law in Harrodsburg.