The Green Ba VOL. XV.
No. 6.
BOSTON.
JUNE, 1903.
THOMAS A. HENDRICKS AS A LAWYER. BY W. W. THORNTON. THOMAS A. HENDRICKS was descend ed on his father's side from an old Hu guenot family, which left France and settled in the Low Countries, and thence emigrated as Hollanders to New Jersey. Before the Re volutionary War the New Jersey descendants settled among the Germans of Ligonier Val ley of Pennsylvania, where many of the name still reside. Abraham Hendricks was his grandfather, and held several minor offices in that State, serving three terms in the Legis lature. John, the youngest son, father of Thomas, married Jane Thomson, whose grandfather had emigrated to Pennsylvania from Scotland when comparatively a young man. The admixture of Huguenot and Scotch blood was not an undesirable one. John Hendricks moved to Ohio shortly after his marriage, and settled near Zanesville, where two sons—Abram and Thomas 'Andrews—were born to him, the latter Sep tember 7, 1819, in a pioneer log cabin. In 1820 he moved to Madison, Indiana, then the most considerable town in the State, the home of his brother William, who afterward became Governor of the State, and then served two terms in the United States Sen ate; and two years later settled twenty-six miles southeast of Indianapolis, on the Blue River, near the present site of Shelbyville. John Hendricks was a man of means and was able to give Thomas as liberal education as the West then afforded. After attending the local schools of the vicinity he entered Hanover College, situated near Madison, and graduated from it in 1841. Hanover is a
Presbyterian college; and its curriculum at that day was little more extended than that of the average public high school of the pres ent time. The year after his graduation Mr. Hen dricks began reading law in the office of Ste phen Major, of Shelbyville (the father of Charles Major, the author). After several months' reading, he entered the law school located at Chambersburg, Pa., of which his uncle, Judge Alexander Thomson, was dean. This law school was really a branch of Get tysburg College, an old Evangelical German institution of excellent reputation. In after years Mr. Hendricks spoke of the delightful experiences he had at this law school. "I re mained in Chambersburg," said he, "only eight months, but to me it was a very great event in my life. Brought up on the flat prairies and woods of Indiana, I had never seen such beautiful mountains and dashing streams as were in that old Cumberland Val ley. To this day it seems to me a vision of beauty. There were numerous larger towns right about us. There was Hagerstown, amid the blue and golden scenery of Maryland; and Shippensburg, which was a bright, active young place; and Carlisle, which was one of the old forts in the valley and a military post. Our studies were examinations chiefly, not lectures on the law. The land possessed for me a sort of patriotism." In the fall of 1843 ne opened an office at Shelbyville for the practice of the law. In September, 1845, ne married Miss Eliza Mor gan of South Bend, Ohio, whose grandfather,
