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The Green Bag.

denly a few months later. He was an able as governor of Mississippi. He died in and upright man. 1860. Collin S. Tarpley was born in Petersburg, William Yerger was a native of Lebanon, Virginia, in 1802. His family moved to Tennessee. He graduated from the Cum Nashville, Tennessee, when he was ten years berland University before he attained his of age. By means of the most rigid econo majority, and was immediately admitted to my his widowed mother managed to secure the bar. In 1837 he removed to Mississippi his education in the Cumberland Univer and began the practice of law at Jackson. He was a profound lawyer and an eloquent sity. He subsequently taught school and then advocate. In 1850, though a member of began the study of law under the tuition of the Whig party then in the minority and Governor A. V. Brown and James K.Polk opposed to most of the popular measures of the day, he was elected to a seat on the who were then partners. With their gener high court bench. Among his many ous aid he secured a license and began prac great opinions is the famous one, concur tice in the town of Pulaski. In 1831 he re ring with Justice Smith, in the case of the moved to Florence, Alabama, and became associated with the Hon. John McKinley who State of Mississippi v. Johnson, 25th Miss., was afterwards one of the justices of the su-' 625. Judge Wiley P. Harris, in present preme court of the United States. In 1838 ing to the supreme court the memorial Mr. Tarpley came to Mississippi and settled resolutions of the bar touching Judge Yergcr's death, said: "It is not for me to at in Hinds county, where he formed a partner ship with Judge Taylor. His firm enjoyed tempt to measure the intellectual stature of William Yerger, nor to point out and define a large and lucrative practice. On the res ignation of Chief Justice Sharkey he was those traits of mind by which he built up a splendid and lasting reputation. I may re appointed to the supreme bench by Gov fer, however, to the manifestations of his ernor Whitfield. There was some contro versy as to the power of the governor to great powers which were obvious to us all." make the appointment, and Mr. Tarpley He then referred to his eminent service. soon resigned and resumed his place at the Judge Yerger was truly a great and good bar. He was public spirited and took an man. active interest in agricultural questions. In Alexander H. Handy was born in Somer 1859 he delivered a polished address before set county, Maryland, on December 25, the Shelby County, Tennessee, Agricultural 1809. He was well educated. He came to Association, in which he earnestly advocated Mississippi in 1836, immediately after his the conversion of the Hermitage, then the admission to the bar. He acquired a lucra property of the State of Tennessee, into an tive practice at Canton, and was in 1853 agricultural college. He is said to have elected to a seat upon the bench of the been the originator of the scheme for the high court. He was reelected in 1860, and construction of the New Orleans and Jack again in 1865, became chief justice in 1866. son Railroad. He drafted its charter, was He resigned his office in 1867 in conse one of its directors, devoted much time to quence of the subjection of the court to mili the enterprise, and lived to see the fruition tary power by the Federal government. of the project which was regarded by many He then removed to Baltimore and was "as the dream of a visionary." He was an elected to the chair of law in the Univer sity of Maryland which he occupied until ardent Democrat, was a member of the Balti his return to Mississippi in 1871. He was more convention of 1852, and earnestly ad vocated the election of Mr. lefferson Davis a Democrat and an earnest advocate of the