Page:The Poets and Poetry of the West.djvu/183

 SALMON P. CHASE. Salmon Portland Chase was born in the town of Cornish, New Hampshire, on the thirteenth day of January, in the year 1808. At the age of seven years, on the removal of his father to Keene, he was taken to that town and placed at school. At the age of twelve, his father having in the mean time died, he sought the home of his uncle, Philander Chase, then Bishop of Ohio, at "VVorthington, in this State, and under that excellent and active man pursued his studies for some time. Bishop Chase, having been elected to the Presidency of Cincinnati College, removed to that city for the purpose of entering upon the discharge of the responsible duties thus devolved upon him, taking his nephew with him. Salmon entered the college forthwith, and was soon raised to the Sophomore class. He continued at Cincinnati only about a year, when he returned to the home of his mother in New Hampshire, and in 1824: entered the Junior class of Dartmouth College, where he was graduated two years after. These several changes were not the most favorable to Mr. Chase's education, but he improved his opportunities well, and graduated with honor. The world was now before him where to choose, and he was to be the artificer of his own fortunes. The winter succeeding, he went to Washington City, and, receiving good encouragement, opened a classical school for boys. This school was prosperous, and he continued it for about three years, pursuing, at the same time, a thorough study of the law, under the direction of the distinguished William Wirt. Having been admitted to the bar of the District of Columbia, and closed his school in 1829, he removed to Cincinnati in the spring of 1830, and took up his permanent residence in that city — engaging in the practice of his profession. Working in that probation through which many sleep, Mr. Chase soon made him- self known as an earnest thinker, a good writer, and a forcible speaker. He was an accepted contributor to the pages of the North American Review, an occasional writer for the Western Monthly Magazine, and a favorite member of the intellectual associa- tions and social circles of the city. Among his contributions to the former periodical, which was at the time regarded as the model American work in its department, an elaborate article on " Brougham," and a dissertation on " Machinery," are remembered as having been received by the newspaper press and the literary public with great favor. At this time he prepared an edition of the Statutes of Ohio, with copious annotations and a preliminary sketch of the history of the State, in three large octavo volumes. The manner in which this work was performed gave him an immediate reputation among the members of the bar, and secured him almost at once a most desirable position in the active commercial community by which he was surrounded. A valuable practice soon sought him out; in 1834 he became sohcitor of the Bank (1G7)