USA > Wisconsin > Rock County > Rock County, Wisconsin; a new history of its cities, villages, towns, citizens and varied interests, from the earliest times, up to date, Vol. II > Part 22
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Charles G. was the youngest of a family of ten children. His early educational opportunities were such only as a district school afforded, and these were much interrupted by poor health. When quite young he developed a fondness as well as an aptness for public speaking. He was instrumental in organizing debating schools in his neighborhood and took great interest and pleasure in attending and taking part in the discussions at these schools, and in later life often remarked that among his truest and most esteemed friends were the farmers he met at these schools. When Mr. Williams was about fifteen years old he conceived the idea of reading law and very soon thereafter his determination to become a lawyer became fixed and unalterable. He encountered sore disappointments and at times what seemed to his friends insurmountable obstacles, but he never wavered in his purpose. At first his father did not encourage his ambitions, but observing how resolutely he held to his purpose, he entered into sympathy with his wishes and determined to give his son a thorough edu- cation preparatory to his entering upon the study of the law, when suddenly death came to the father, and at the age of six- teen Charles was left not only without the counsel and sympathy
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of a father, but thrown upon his own resources for the future. He soon engaged in teaching school, however, and worked at day labor during vacations, by which means and with some aid from his two brothers, E. W. and M. B. Williams, he succeeded in com- pleting a thorough academic course at the Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, of Lima, N. Y. He commenced the study of the law in the office of Judge L. F. and George Brewer, of Lockport, N. Y., teaching a part of the time in the high school of that place. In 1852 he removed to Rochester, where he completed his law studies, and was admitted to the bar in 1855. He entered into practice of the law in Rochester with the intention of remaining there, but after practicing there one year he received a very lib- eral offer from the late Judge David Noggle, of Janesville, to come to that place and take charge of his legal business, as the judge at that time contemplated retiring from practice. Mr. Wil- liams accepted this offer and, upon the elevation of Judge Noggle to the bench, soon found himself conducting a fine legal practice in Janesville. Mr. Williams was married soon after his admis- sion to the bar in Rochester, and Mrs. Williams died about two months after their arrival in Janesville. She was Miss Harriet Gregg, daughter of Benjamin Gregg, of Rochester. Mr. Williams afterward married Miss Mary A., eldest daughter of Judge Nog- gle, by whom he had two children-Kittie A. and Ward D. He was a thorough Republican in politics and his power as a cam- paign speaker very soon became known and appreciated by the people of his adopted state, and he was therefore ranked among the first as an eloquent speaker. Notwithstanding the arduous labor performed by him in this direction, he had a large, success- ful and constantly increasing legal business in both civil and criminal cases in Rock and adjoining counties, and was always able to maintain his position in the front rank of his profession. He possessed great power as a lawyer and pleader and always entered upon the trial of his cases with careful, painstaking and studious preparation.
In 1868 Mr. Williams was a Republican presidential elector, and the same year was elected to the state senate and re-elected in 1870, and was made president pro tempore and chairman of the judiciary committee of that body. During his term in the state senate he took and held a front rank among its leaders. He was nominated by acclamation and elected to the forty-third con-
LEVI ALDEN.
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gress in 1872, and was renominated four times afterward almost without opposition and elected by majorities ranging from four to six thousand. No member of congress ever enjoyed in a higher degree the respect, confidence and affection of his constituency. He finally gave up his law practice and devoted his entire time to his congressional duties.
He took part in the discussion of nearly every important ques- tion that came before the house during his term of service, among which may be mentioned interstate commerce, centennial exposi- tion, civil rights, force bill, specie payments, Chinese immigra- tion, electoral count, election laws, army and other appropria- tions.
Mr. Williams was emphatically a man of the people, always regardless of personal consequences, decisive and firm of charac- ter, and the world was indeed better for his having lived.
Edward M. Hyzer, of Janesville, Wis., was born there on December 10, 1854. His literary education was acquired at the Janesville High School and Classical Academy, of the same place. He obtained his legal acquirements in the law office of Messrs. Cassody & Carpenter, of Janesville, and was admitted to the bar of Rock County Circuit court, January 14, 1879, and to the bar of the Supreme court February 3, 1880. In April, 1880, he was elected to the office of city attorney of Janesville and re-elected to the same office in April, 1881. Mr. Hyzer is now a resident of Milwaukee and is attorney for the Chicago & North-Western Railway Company.
Moses S. Prichard, Janesville, was born at Bradford, Orange county, Vt., April 8, 1822, and was a son of George W. and Eliza- beth Prichard. He was educated at the University of Vermont, studied law at Oxford, N. H., with Leonard Wilcox, who served as judge of the Supreme court and United States senator, and was admitted as an attorney at Chelsea, Orange county, Vt., in 1844. When he came to Wisconsin it was in company with A. Hyatt Smith, David Noggle, Amos P. Prichard, John M. Berry (afterward judge of the Supreme court of Minnesota), John D. Parker, James H. Knowlton and A. A. Jackson, a notable array of gentlemen, all of whom reached distinction. Judge Prichard filled the offices of justice of the peace, county judge and police justice of the city of Janesville for many years.
A. Hyatt Smith was born in New York city, February 5, 1814.
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the son of Maurice and May Reynolds Smith, who were natives of Westchester county, New York. The ancestors of Mr. Smith were among the first settlers of Long Island. The father dying while his son was yet young, he entered in his early life the law office of his guardian, James Smith, and devoted himself to the study of law for eleven years. At the same time he pursued his literary studies in the private academy of Boreland and Forest, then the first classical school in New York city, and completed his education at Mount Pleasant Seminary, which was under the management of Rev. Samuel J. Prince. Having completed his law studies, Mr. Smith was admitted to practice in the city courts of New York in the summer of 1835 and to the Supreme court of the state in 1836 under rules of very strict requirement, now largely abolished. He immediately entered upon a large and lucrative practice in partnership with his former preceptors, one of whom, James Smith, retiring from the firm on account of fail- ing health. Working unremittingly for six years so impaired his health that his physicians advised a change of climate, and accordingly he arrived at Janesville on November 22, 1842. Here Mr. Smith at once invested in real estate and in companies to improve the excellent water power at that place, which laid the basis of future prosperity of this fine inland city.
In the summer of 1846 Mr. Smith, a Democrat, was elected in a Whig district to the first constitutional convention, and in 1847 he was appointed by Gov. William Dodge, attorney general of the territory, and held the office until the state was admitted into the Union. In 1848 he was appointed United States attorney by President James K. Polk and held the office until Gen. Z. Taylor became President. He was the first mayor of the new city of Janesville in 1853 and again in 1857. For many years he was a regent of the State University. Mr. Smith was widely known as closely identified with plank road and railroad projects of early days in the state, in which he sank a fortune and made innumera- ble enemies, but lived to see his early railroad plans mainly brought to fruition by other men at a later date. Subsequently he built the Hyatt house, a large hotel at Janesville, which was eventually burned in January, 1866, as was his mill in 1871. He then moved his business to Chicago, opened a law office with a valuable library, only to have it meet destruction in the great
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conflagration in that city of 1871, together with all his valuable papers, for which his safe was no protection.
Mr. Smith was made a Mason at Janesville in 1847 ; served as master of the lodge; assisted in organizing a chapter of Royal Arch Masons at Janesville, and elected to the order of Knights Templar, but not installed. He also aided in organizing a Temple of Honor at Janesville, and was always an Episcopalian in religion and a Democrat in politics. He married Miss Ann Mar- garet Cooper Kelley in New York on April 4, 1838, and raised five children to adult age. Mr. Smith passed a long life of activity, enterprise and indomitable energy, a man of clean moral char- acter, and in his declining years was hale, hearty and cheerful.
George Geer Sutherland was born at Fitchburg, in Dane county, Wis., on March 21, 1851, and is one of a family of six children born to Chester and Sarah Ann (Rood) Sutherland. His grandfather, Joshua Sutherland, was a native of Dutchess county, New York, and served in the War of 1812. Our subject's father was a native of New York, his mother of Vermont. His father was a carpenter and joiner and cabinetmaker by trade. Remov- ing to the West when a young man, he settled in Milwaukee, where he was engaged in building and contracting for several years, and later bought and settled on a half section of land in the town of Fitchburg, four miles from Madison, and afterwards acquired other large property interests. His deccase occurred in 1889 at the age of seventy-four years. He was a man of influence in his community and filled numerous local offices, serving as township treasurer, supervisor and county superintendent of schools. He was a man of deep religious convictions and with his wife was connected with the Methodist Episcopal church. Our subject's mother, whose home was in Madison, like his father, was of Scotch descent. She was born in Vermont and was a daughter of Orlin Rood, who removed with his family to Illinois at an early day. He was employed in the construction of the Illinois and Michigan canal, and besides large real estate inter- ests in Chicago, owned large tracts of pine land and several saw- mills in Wisconsin. Our subject received his early education in the common schools and in 1872 was graduated from the ancient classical department of the University of Wisconsin. Two years later he received his degree from the law department, after which he spent a year and a half as a student and clerk in the law office
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of Mr. J. D. Gurnes, of Madison. Mr. Sutherland began the prac- tice of his profession at Janesville in 1876 and has been widely known as one of the leading lawyers of the city. Aside from his profession Mr. Sutherland is associated with commercial indus- tries, being interested in the Janesville Electric Company and president of the Bower City Bank, Janesville Realty Company, the Caloric Company and Rock River Machine Company, and also holds large real estate interests. He is prominent in Masonic circles, being a thirty-second degree Mason, a member of Western Starr Lodge, No. 14, A. F. & A. M .; Janesville Chapter, No. 5; Janesville Commandery, No. 2, and the Milwaukee Consistory. He is a Democrat in political sentiment and in his religious beliefs is affiliated with the Presbyterian denomination.
On June 30, 1880, Mr. Sutherland married Miss Agnes Sayre, daughter of David F. and Sarah E. (Ely) Sayre. They have three children-Sarah, Clarence and Frank-and have a beauti- ful home, a model of domestic comfort and elegance, at No. 256 Park place.
Malcolm George Jeffris, one of the leaders of the Wisconsin bar, is especially prominent as a trial lawyer of rare ability. He is a native of Rock county, Wisconsin, and was born August 18, 1862. His father, David Jeffris, traces his American ancestry to the early settlers of Virginia, who emigrated to the Old Dominion about 1700 and subsequently became active participants in the Revolutionary war. Thomas Jeffris, his great-grandfather, was a sergeant under Washington. Mr. Jeffris' mother-Grace Mouat before marriage-was born in the Orkney islands, and is there- fore of the purest Scotch.
Although as a boy not physically strong, Malcolm was remarka- bly bright, enterprising and determined. He made good progress in his studies despite many interruptions, but finally determined to leave school when only fourteen years of age and establish himself in business. With borrowed money he bought a stock of groceries valued at about $4,000, and bravely faced the world as a merchant. For two years he continued the business, carrying along his studies with it, and was prepared to enter Beloit Col- lege when his health gave way through over-exertion. Selling his business, and after a brief period of rest, he commenced the study of law, being at this time only seventeen years of age.
Mr. Jeffris celebrated his twenty-first birthday by his admis-
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sion to the bar and immediately formed a partnership with Ogden H. Fethers. They were employed throughout the North- west and the firm conceded to be one of the strongest in the state.
The wide range of his activities is indicated by the facts that he has served as grand chancellor of the Knights of Pythias of Wisconsin (1889) ; was president of the national fraternal con- gress at Washington in 1892, and during the same year was chair- man of the Republican state convention. He has advocated the principles of his party in every campaign with eloquence and practical results. Mr. Jeffris also has large agricultural interests in Rock county, is identified with the water works of Stevens Point and Menomonie, and also with the mills of Janesville. At all times and in all places he is public spirited and generous.
When we add to these various pursuits the pleasures and responsibilities of domestic life we have the picture of a busy, able, broad minded and successful American gentleman and law- yer. Mr. Jeffris was married January 22, 1885, to Miss Nancy Roys, of Janesville.
William Ruger. Mr. Ruger's paternal ancestors were residents of the Empire state. His grandfather, Francis Ruger, settled in the Mohawk valley and was one of its enterprising and influential pioneers. His father, the Rev. Thomas J. Ruger, was a clergyman of the Protestant Episcopal church and officiated as such, and taught as professor of mathematics in academic institutions in New York until the year 1844, when he removed to the territory of Wisconsin and settled in Janesville, where he resided the remainder of his life. He took charge of the mission of his church there established and became rector of the same when organized as a parish, and continued his charge as rector until the year 1855. In 1846 he established an academic school in Janesville and conducted it successfully for a considerable time. The sons and daughters of many of the prominent pioneers of the territory attended this school.
In his earlier life he undertook with his brother, William Ruger, the preparation of a series of mathematical books, but this work was interrupted by the death of this brother, so that only the arithmetic known as "Ruger's Arithmetic" was completed and published.
This brother William was a lawyer of note and served as a
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member of the court of errors of New York in the years 1841 and 1842.
Another brother, John Ruger, was a prominent lawyer in practice for many years in the state of New York, his last resi- dence being in Syracuse. His son, William C. Ruger, became chief justice of New York in 1890, served as such until his death, and acquired high rank as a lawyer and jurist.
Mr. Ruger's mother's maiden name was Maria Hutchins-a member of the Hutchins family of Connecticut and related to the Jewell and Bradley families of that state. Members of her family have occupied judicial and other important public positions.
The subject of this sketch was admitted to the bar in 1859. Upon the breaking out of the war of the Rebellion he cooperated with his brother Edward in raising a company of volunteers at Janesville, first known as the Ruger guards, and afterwards as Company A of the Thirteenth Regiment of Wisconsin Volunteers. Upon its organization he became second lieutenant, and upon the formation of the regiment was commissioned first lieutenant and adjutant. After serving something more than a year with his regiment he was, by President Lincoln, commissioned as an assistant adjutant general of United States Volunteers, with the rank of captain. At the battle of New Hope Church in Georgia he was seriously wounded and soon after received a brevet com- mission as major for gallant and meritorious service in that bat- tle and the prior battle at Resaca, Ga. He was mustered out in November, 1865, and immediately resumed the practice of law in Janesville, and has ever since devoted himself to it exclusively. He has had special experience in those branches of the law involved in the litigations of railway companies and other cor- porations, and the law of real estate and waters.
Frederick C. Burpee, ex-city attorney of Janesville, to which office he was elected in April, 1898. Prior to that time he was elected a member of the board of education.
Mr. Burpee's parents are Austin E. and Eliza (Chapin) Burpee. His father, for many years a prominent lumber mer- chant of Janesville, came to that city from the Empire state in 1854. Here the latter lived and prospered until his death, Sep- temper 18, 1891.
The son and subject of this sketch was born in Janesville, on the 14th of October, 1865. He was educated in the public and
COURTS AND LEGAL PROFESSION
high schools of his native place, as well as at a private academy.
In 1886 Mr. Burpee commenced his legal studies in the office of Winans & Hlyzer, Janesville, and was admitted to the bar by the state board of examiners, then sitting at Milwaukee, on the 29th of August, 1888. He began the practice of his profession in his native city. From the first he secured his share of the legal business, and that he conducted it with ability is evident from his election to the office of city attorney. He had, in fact, early realized that the secret of modern success consists of in- dustry and thorough business methods applied to professional work. He is identified with the Knights of Pythias, Janesville Lodge No. 22, and a member of the order of Elks, Lodge No. 254. In politics he was a Democrat.
Mr. Burpee was married on January 5, 1898, to Jennie L. Rowe, daughter of Oscar D. Rowe.
Rhoda Lavinia Goodell was admitted to be a member of the bar of Rock county in the spring of 1874-probably the first woman lawyer in Wisconsin. She was born in Utica, N. Y., in May, 1839; graduated from the Ladies' Seminary at Brooklyn Heights, N. Y .; assisted her father in editing a journal devoted to the advocacy of anti-slavery principles and other reforms; taught successfully for three years and for four years was an editorial writer on "Harper's Bazar." In 1871 she came to Wis- consin, settling at Janesville. Soon afterward she became a student in the law office of Jackson & Norcross, and was admitted as stated. On December 14, 1875, I. C. Sloan moved the admis- sion of Miss Goodell to the bar of the Supreme court and made an elaborate argument in favor of the motion, which argument was prepared by the lady in whose favor it was, and which is substantially preserved in the report of the case-39 Wis., 232. The motion was denied by the court on the ground that the leg- islature had not authorized the admission of females to the bar. The opinion, written by Ryan, Chief Justice, questions the power of the legislature to provide for the admission of women to the bar of the Supreme court. In 1877 the legislature enacted a law declaring that no person should be denied a license to practice as an attorney in any court of the state on account of sex. Miss Goodell was admitted to the bar of the Supreme court without question in June, 1879, after the death of Chief Justice Ryan, as have several other women since that time. She practiced her
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profession at Janesville and in it won the respect and confidence of the community. She died March 31, 1880, at Milwaukee.
Ogden Hoffman Fethers, son of Daniel and Laura (Adams) Fethers, was born at Sharon Springs, N. Y., September 20, 1845. His father was of Dutch ancestry and his mother was a member of the historic Adams family of Quincy, Mass. His early educa- tion was obtained in the district school at Sharon Springs, sup- plemented by a course of study at the Fort Edward Collegiate Institute at Fort Edward, N. Y., from which he was graduated in 1863. He read law with James E. Dewey, of Cherry Valley, N. Y., and was admitted as attorney in 1867 and as counselor in 1877. He practiced his profession in Canton, N. Y., and since 1877 in Janesville, Wis. Before locating in Janesville he spent several years as an educator, being for part of the time professor of English literature in Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. In 1877 he formed a partnership with B. B. Eldredge, of Janes- ville, which continued for several years. For fifteen years he was associated with Malcolm G. Jeffris, the firm being Fethers, Jeffris, Fifield & Mouat. He was married July 15, 1868, to Frances Ella Conkey, of Canton, N. Y.
John Winans was one of the leading members of the Wiscon- sin bar and among the well-rounded and most forceful characters of the state. He was a native of New Jersey, being born in Vernon, Sussex county, on the 27th of September, 1831. The family is of Dutch descent, its members being among the pioneers of New Jersey. Mr. Winans' father, William R., and his uncle, Ross-the latter a prominent citizen of Baltimore-were men of enterprise and rare executive ability, and for many years were identified with the construction and operation of the railroad between St. Petersburg and Moscow.
The boy and young man received his education-common as well as professional-in his native state, studying law at various offices in Newton and Trenton. At the latter place he enjoyed the tutelage of Martin Ryerson, afterward distinguished as a judge of the Circuit and State Supreme courts. In 1855 Mr. Winans was admitted to practice in all the courts of New Jersey, but two years thereafter (in the spring of 1857) removed to Janesville, Wis., and commenced that long and substantial career which placed him in the van of his profession as an advocate in cases civil or criminal. Eloquent and brilliant, at the same time
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he never allowed his feelings or passions to cloud his judgment. Although there were few members of the bar who could so sway a jury, his artillery was trained with legal accuracy and rested solidly upon the evidence and the facts, and there was no mem- ber of the profession in southern Wisconsin who took part in more cases of importance and carried them to a successful con- clusion than Mr. Winans. Of the noted suits with which he was identified may be mentioned the murder cases of Mrs. Mack and Ashton, and the Edgerton "Bible" and Jackman will cases.
When Mr. Winans first located in Janesville he became a member of the firm of Winans & Dixon, and subsequently formed the partnerships of Winans & McElroy, Winans & Fethers, Winans, Fethers & Jeffris, Winans & Hyzer and Winans & Russell.
Mr. Winans was a Democrat of even more than state reputa- tion, although he was not considered a strong partisan. His political record dates back more than thirty years, when as a young man of thirty-three he attended the national Democratic convention which in 1864 assembled at Chicago. In 1868 he was defeated as a candidate for congress from the second district. This, however, was anticipated, as the district had always been decisively Republican. Mr. Winans represented Janesville in the assembly in 1874, 1882, 1887 and 1891; was elected to congress from the first district in the fall of 1882, overcoming, by his ability and popularity, the usual Republican majority of about 5,000, and at different times served his fellow-citizens in such positions of local trust as those of alderman, city attorney and mayor. Under his administration as mayor most of the city improvements were established, such as water works, fire alarm system, gates at street crossings, street cars, lighting of the streets by electricity, etc., etc.
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