Section 24:  "A Good Country Practice"

This was an independent portion of my life. I was about thirty-three years of age, had good health and a fair standing at the bar and enough money to do and see all I wished to. My previous training to habits of economy, I found, instead of being an injury were an advantage. I found after living well I had a surplus and my business was increasing. I had no family nor no cares and buoyancy of spirits to enjoy my independent life. I felt pretty secure in my position at the bar and I had no desire to lead a useless or an idle life, and some ambition to deserve the respect of respectable people. I found the outside world more disposed to flatter than condemn. I had little disposition to shine in the company of fashionable ladies, nor was I qualified to do. The young ladies in my own sphere of life seemed to me more like companions. I had a pretty general acquaintance throughout Clarion County and had some friends in the adjoining counties and Pittsburgh. In collecting money for persons and firms in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, I had established business relations and personal acquaintance with a good many men, and most of them remained my friends through life. In some instances I was invited to their houses and became slightly acquainted in families, but I took no pleasure in private houses -- however worthy and respectable the families might be. Nor did I ever have much social relation in the cities.

Sutton and his wife extended their bridal trip from Washington to Philadelphia, New York and Boston and I think came back by Saratoga and the lakes. I got back to Clarion about as soon as they did and for a while they went to boarding at the Western. Sutton became a domestic, married man and I could not feel at home with him as I had done in our bachelor days. I thought he would tell everything that was said to his wife, which I have no doubt he did, and it made me feel under a little restraint, and we were not, at least on my part, as confidential as we had been. Of course we were as friendly as ever, but not so intimate, and then as we grew older our boyish sociability changed somewhat. I went into company and parties of young people as usual, but I found myself losing relish for this kind of society and was inclined to settle down as a business man to bachelor life. A younger set were coming on with whom I had not much sympathy. I was getting too old for any young company, and in the society of married people I was out of place, and this may have turned my attention to politics.

At any rate, I was conscious of an emotion moving me to aspire to something higher than the life of a country lawyer. That was respectable, but it was not a very high level to satisfy the ambition of a healthy young man the third of a century old. It seemed to me I was good for another third of a century, and a country practice for thirty-three years more would grow monotonous. The defeat of my political aspirations did not discourage me and I soon thereafter got to thinking if ever an opportunity offered I would try and qualify myself for judicial honors.

Amos Myers had read law in my office and was admitted to the bar -- I think in 1845, and shortly afterwards with Sutton and Nels Wetherington and some others, I attended his wedding in Meadville. J. B. Loomis, who was then keeping a livery stable in Clarion, took a hack load of us up to Meadville. The bridal party stayed all night in Franklin as we came home, and I recollect that some hoodlums of that place gave us a vigorous serenade at the Kennear House. Amos married Miss Jane Andrews of Meadville and she made him an excellent wife and they raised a family of bright daughters.

Wm. L. Corbett was born and raised on a farm a mile east of town. He went to school at the old Academy some time and then read law in the office of D. W. Foster, Esq. and was admitted to practice law a short time after Mr. Myers. They were the first two lawyers of native stock in the county. Myers at one time had a good practice and was elected to Congress and afterwards scattered off into other business and finally became a Baptist preacher. Corbett became a leading lawyer in this and the adjoining counties, was elected to the State Senate and was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1872. On the death of Judge Knox he was appointed Judge of this district and served till the election of Judge Wilson in the fall of 1885. He is still a practicing member of the bar.

About this time the old lawyers from the adjoining counties began to drop out. Buffington succeeded Hon. Alexander M. Calmont; Wm. F. Johnston was elected Governor of this State; John W. Howe was elected to Congress; Samuel Gilmore and Samuel A. Purviance held on a little longer, and Geo. W. Smith of Butler practiced here a good many years. Gen Jolly had broken down as a western lawyer and gone back to Montgomery County, and the practice was largely in the hands of the resident lawyers. The collecting business was all in the hands of the home lawyers and at that time was valuable, and I had a good share of it.

I had become pretty well known in the county and had friends and clients who threw business into my hands and gave me their influence. I was counsel for a number of the iron masters and I made some money by trying suits and collecting money of some of them. In this way I was gradually growing into a good country practice.