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The Supreme Court of Arkansas. with a vigorous and manly intellect, which years old his father came to Arkansas, and is apparent in his judicial opinions. He became one of the first settlers of Little was a dignified, silent, religious man, and of Rock. Judge Watkins received a liberal education, and was a graduate of the law great integrity of purpose. When the war became imminent, he was school at Litchfield, Conn., — the first estab earnestly opposed to secession; but after lished in the country. Returning to Ar the die was cast, like so many other gallant kansas in 1837, his abilities were at once men, he threw in his fortune with his recognized; and Chester Ashley, then the head of the bar, invited him to form a part friends, resolved to sink or swim with them.

nership with him, — an In August, 1866, invitation which was upon the re-organi naturally accepted. zation of the State His rise at the bar was government, he was rapid. He was a per elected Chief-Justice, fect lawyer, as distin but was removed in guished from an advo 1868 by the reconcate, — learned in the structionists. law, quiet, wary, skilled Again, when in 1874 the yoke of the car in forensic fence, never exposing the weak pet-baggers had been points of his case, and shaken off, he was always ready to take elected an associate advantage of any slip justice, and served of his adversary, equal until May 19, 1878, ly a master of techni when declining health cal procedure and of compelled him to re the broad principles sign. At the time of of the law. In per his third incumbency, age had somewhat im son he was small, — about five feet five paired the vigor of his faculties; so that to inches in height, thin form a proper estimate to the point of extreme of his merits, we must emaciation, weighing H. F. FA1RCHILD. turn to his opinions in less than a hundred the earlier reports. pounds; but of great In 1852 occurred an important event in though calm energy and with an extraordi the history of our jurisprudence. For the nary endurance of the sedentary labor of first time a leader of the Little Rock Bar the profession. He was a man of the most was induced to accept a place upon the unblemished rectitude, and of stainless pro bench. The docket had fallen greatly in fessional and private life. Though a shrewd arrears, and there was a just dissatisfaction man of the world, who accumulated a large with the weakness of many of the opinions. fortune by his practice and by judicious in At the earnest solicitation of his profes vestments, he had in some respects almost sional brethren, George C. Watkins re the simplicity of a child. Of this a charac signed a large and lucrative practice to take teristic anecdote is told. the position of Chief-Justice. Long after he had been Chief-Justice, He was born at Shelbyville, Ky., on the he went one Sunday afternoon to visit Mr. 25th of November, 1815. When he was six Jennings, a brother lawyer. Without his