TH BY HON. T. S. PARVIN, CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA. B T his home in Dubuque, May 16th, 1894, there passed away, after a brief illness, one of the pioneer citizens of Iowa; one whose judicial career is unequalled and whose public services are unsurpassed by any of the many distinguished citizens who have lived or died in Iowa. Only fifty summers have come and gone when one may number all the living who have figured in our civil history during the territorial period (1838-46) upon the fingers of his hands. The natal day of Iowa is the same as that of the Nation, July 4th, although some three score years intervene between them. On the 4th of July, 1838, the Territory of Iowa was organized, Robert Lucas, of Ohio, appointed first governor, and I was his private secretary. Hon. Charles Mason, of Burlington, a native of New York; Thomas S. Wilson, of Dubuque, a native of Ohio, and Joseph Williams, of Pennsylvania, were appointed judges of the supreme court. Judge Mason was at the time on a visit east, Judge Williams had not arrived in the Territory. Having just passed the legal age, with a diploma from a law school, I was very anxious to be admitted to the bar, in order that I might hang out my shingle and engage in the battle of life. Accordingly, I took a steamer from Burlington, where I had located, and visited the city of Dubuque, in order to meet Judge Wilson, the only judge of the territorial court within its limits, and be by him admitted to the bar. Learning his residence, I wended my way thither, revolving in my mind what manner of man he might be and the ordeal I must necessarily pass to receive the coveted certificate of admission. All the judges of the supreme and nisi prius courts I had ever seen were men advanced in years, venerable in their appearance, and as I had then met neither judges Mason, Williams, or Wilson, I had no information or conception of their age and appearance. Arriving at the house, I knocked at the door, which was ajar, and was met by a very youngish-looking gentleman, of whom I inquired if his "father was in." He replied that "my father has been dead several years." I then inquired if “the old judge was within." He took in the situation, and with a smile upon his countenance said, “I presume you wish to see Judge Wilson, of the supreme court," to which I gave an affirmative reply. He bade me walk in, and said "I am Judge Wilson." During the course of our interview I learned that he was but four years my senior, and I had only just passed my twenty-first mile-post of life. I found him a very pleasant, agreeable, and well-informed gentleman, and from the similarity of our ages and profession was drawn to him at once in friendly intercourse. a friendship that grew and deepened with the years, and was terminated only by his recent death. He asked me a few questions, when, turning to his desk, he wrote a paper, which he handed me, and which, upon inspection proved to be a certificate of admission to practice in the several courts of the Territory of Iowa. At the opening of the rooms set apart in our new capitol for the supreme court, Judge Wilson and myself were the principal speakers, he representing the bench, and I the bar. as the oldest members thereof, when at the conclusion of my address, at the request of the Chief Justice (Adams, of Dubuque), I gave to the State that paper of which I had spoken my address, the first legal paper drawn by an officer of the court of the new Territory. It is now deposited in one of the autograph cases in the Aldrich collection in the historical department at the capitol. in Of the judges, United States marshals, United States attorneys, district attorneys of the Territory, clerks and reporters of the court, and all, indeed, connected with the executive and the judicial departments of the Territory of Iowa, 1838 -46, when it became a State, and contemporaries of Judge Wilson, I am the only living representative, and as I dictate these lines "I feel like one Who treads alone And all but me departed." As an item of history, I may add that there are seven living representatives of the Territorial Legislature, 1838-46, viz: Dr. Gideon S. Bailey (1838), Van Buren county, Vernon; Judge Francis Springer (1840), Louisa county, Columbus City; Daniel F. Miller (1840), Lee county, Keokuk; Caleb H. Booth (1841), Dubuque; Col. William Thompson (1843), Henry county, Tacoma, Washington; Judge Reuben Noble (1845), Clayton county, McGregor, and Judge Samuel Murdock (1845), Clayton county, Elkader. Of the members of the constitutional convention of 1844. there are three survivors, viz: Dr. Bailey, aforesaid; Hon. Elijah Sells. Muscatine county, Salt Lake City, Utah, and J. C. Blankinship, Davis county, Bloomfield. Of the second constitutional convention, 1846, there are five surviving members, viz: Governor Alvin Sanders, Henry county, Omaha, Nebraska; John J. Sellman, Davis county. Bloomfield; Judge J. Scott Richman, Muscatine; Dr. Sylvester G. Matson, Jones county, Viola, and Col. William Thomp son, named above. A remnant in number of the hundreds who had helped make Iowa." Thomas S. Wilson was born at Steubenville, Ohio, October 13th, 1813. He was graduated at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in the year of the Black Hawk war, 1832, by which the eastern portion of Iowa was ceded to the United States. He was admitted to the bar by the supreme court of Ohio in 1834, and removed to Dubuque, Iowa, in October, 1836. He was married a short time previous to his removal from Ohio, and brought his young wife with him, visiting on the way his brother, Captain George Wilson, of the regular army, who was serving at Prairie du Chien, under Colonel Zachary, afterwards President, Taylor. It is a historical fact that Jefferson Davis, late President of the confederate states was a captain also of one of the companies under Colonel Taylor at that time and place. The year following his arrival in Dubuque he was elected President of the Board of Trustees of the town, which had not yet risen to the dignity and rank of a city. In June, 1838, he was nominated for delegate to Congress. Proceeding by steamer to the southern portion of the Territory to make his canvass, the captain of the boat showed him a late St. Louis newspaper containing the announcement of his (Wilson's) appointment by President Van Buren, as one of the judges of the supreme court of the new Territory. As he had made no application for the office, and knew of none having been made by his friends, the appointment was a surprise to him. He, however, abandoned the canvass and returned to Dubuque to enter upon the duties of his new office. This office he continued to fill by re-appointment of Presidents Tyler and Polk during the territorial period of the government of Iowa, and was by the Governor, on the admission of Iowa into the Union, appointed one of three judges, the Legislature having failed to elect. The general assembly also failed to elect United States Senators, there being a crank in the body from Lee county, who would not vote to go into joint convention, because the Democratic caucus did not nominate to the bench one of his friends, Thomas S. Espy, of Lee county, the nominee being Hon. John F. Kinney. Judge Wilson came within one vote of receiving the nomination for United States Senator, which was given to his townsman, Gen. George W. Jones, still living at Dubuque, aged four score and ten years. who at the second session of the general assembly was elected. Judge Wilson held the first term of the district court ever held in Iowa Territory, at Prairie La Porte, now Guttenburg, in Clayton county, on the second Monday in September, 1838. The first court held in the Iowa district while attached to the Territory of Wisconsin, was also held in the same place in October, 1836, by Judge Irwin, of Wisconsin, who was assigned to that portion of the Territory west of the Mississippi river. There is a tradition which came down from the bar of an early day that a term of court had been held in Burlington while Iowa with Wisconsin was attached to the Territory of Michigan, in 1835, but we are unable to give particulars. Judge Wilson was present at the first term of the supreme court held in Burlington, in November, 1838, at which some twenty or more attorneys were admitted to the bar, the writer being the junior member, and the sole survivor. Just as the court closed its session the arrival of a steamboat was announced, bound up the river. Judge Wilson being anxious to return, sent his friend, General Gehon, United States Marshal, a man of venerable 'mien and strong physique, to secure for him a berth, which he did, when Judge Wilson, hurrying down with a carpet sack (which were used in place of valises in those days), and knowing the number of his state-room proceeded to take possession of it, when the captain (Throckmorton) of the steamer "Knickerbocker" hailed him and said, "Young man, you cannot have that state-room, sir. That I have specially reserved for his Honor, old Judge Wilson, of the supreme court, who is to honor me with his presence during the trip to Dubuque." While the Judge was |