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 The Green Bag VOL. XVII.

No. 9

BOSTON

SEPTEMBER,' 1905

GEORGE R. PECK, PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION BY EDGAR A. BANCROFT THE sensitive Keats, fearful that ap course, he enlisted in the Union Army. proaching death would rob him of the Soon promoted to a lieutenancy in the poet's amaranth, asked that these words be 3ist Wisconsin Infantry, he marched with graven on his tomb: "Here lies one whose Sherman's army to the sea; and, when the name was writ in water." This brief sen war ended, was mustered out with the rank tence is not only the fit epitaph, but even of captain. Returning to Wisconsin, he the generic biography, of the lawyer. His studied law, and was admitted to the Bar attainments, his qualities, his successes van in 1867. He began practice at Janesville, ish with the breath of those whose spoken Wis., but removed to Independence, Kan., praise makes his fame. The only record is in 1871. In 1874, he was appointed United in the brief memory of man, or in the hidden States District Attorney, and went to Tovolumes of the courts. The reputation of peka, where he resided until 1893. In 1880, even the greatest lawyer scarcely outlasts he resigned the district attorney ship, and his generation, unless he has won eminence two years later became general solicitor of outside his profession. When the Bar re the Atchinson, Topeka & Santa Fo Rail counts its great names, the public recog road Company. During the six years of nizes only those who, beside their lega'l vic his service as district attorney, he success tories, have rendered notable service as fully conducted many important causes, statesman, publicist, or man of letters. The among them the great Osage land case, in familiars of Daniel Webster and Jeremiah volving the government's title to 960.000 Mason regarded Mason as the greater acres of land. Since 1893 he has been en lawyer. The fame of Rufus Choate as the gaged in general practice at Chicago, Ill., foremost American advocate is but a shad- as a member of the leading law firm of •owy tradition. And Lord Brougham wrote Peck, Miller & Starr. He has also been of the elder Pitt that nothing remained by general counsel of the Chicago, Milwaukee which a later time could judge of his elo & St. Paul Railway Company since 1896. During thirty-eight years of active prac quence or of his power as a debater, except tice, Mr. Peck lias argued many important the testimony of his contemporaries. The recital of the facts in a lawyer's cases in the State and Federal Courts of the career is not only brief, but often uninter West and Southwest, and before the Su esting; and it wholly fails to indicate what preme Court of the United States. The manner of man he is, what power he wields, extent of his professional experience has and what talent he possesses. given him a wide acquaintance among lead George R. Peck, the new president of ing American lawyers, while the warmth the American Bar Association, was born in and generosity of his nature, and the fasci Steuben County, New York, and spent his nation of his wit and learning have made boyhood and youth upon a Wisconsin farm. these acquaintances his devoted friends. In 1862, in the beginning of his college In 1900, he delivered the annual address