by Judge Haskell, who readily succeeded in laying the foundation for vacating the preference, notwithstanding the interruptions, bluster and threats of his antagonist. I could but admire his coolness and courage, for older lawyers and even judges dreaded to encounter this member of the Bar. As the proceedings lasted several days the young lawyer was put upon his mettle, but he came off triumphant, for his antagonist yielded in the end and complimented him in an unusual degree. It gave him also an enviable reputation, that only time generally affords. He was a good lawyer and gained the confidence of those who were associated with him as counsel and client, for ability, integrity and industry, — qualities all and each of which are necessary to create and hold the esteem of the Bar, upon whose recommendation he was promoted to the bench. He has fine powers of observation and is well informed in other things outside his profession. In this respect he exceeds the average professional man. He is many-sided, and would have succeeded well as a naturalist, bank president or manager and financier of a corporation. He loves a fine horse or a bit of intricate machinery. Inventive and ingenious, without mechanical training, he could both plan and build a house with enough closets and bow-windows to satisfy any woman.
To these powers add a methodical and critical faculty developed, strengthened and broadened and you have the qualities of mind which are readily seen in the way he has built his library, both law and. miscellaneous. While on the one hand you cannot find there a single useless volume, many of which will gather in lawyers' book-cases, on the other hand, there are rare and original editions and some valuable for their previous ownership, attested by the autographs of Simon Greenleaf and others distinguished in the profession. He has a good combined selection of American and English books for every-day use, and his private library has been brought together in the same choice and orderly method. He has good taste in all the details of book-making, as will be seen in Haskell's Reports of Fox's Decisions in the United States District Court for the District of Maine, which he prepared and edited in 1887-8. His tasteful execution of a report er's work in these two volumes gave him the credit of a connoisseur for skill and ability, and myself a good excuse, when I began my duties as reporter of decisions of this court, to call upon him for advice and information, which he always accorded in a friendly and helpful way. These two volumes of Haskell's Reports, work which he did after he went upon the bench, are not exceeded by any reports, that I have seen, for aptness and precision in the head-notes. Grasping the salient points of each case, they have the happy medium between over-conciseness and prolixity that commends a volume of reports to the busy lawyer, and is thus a vast saving of time. In his prefatory note he modestly claims that he has only endeavored to verify citations and quotations, to guard against all errors of the press, and says: "I only desire that my work may be charitably received and prove valuable to my professional brethren."
During the fifteen years that Judge Fox presided in the United States Court, it is well known that he exacted great promptness in the practitioner at the bar of his court. As he said of his predecessor, Judge Ware, "He always sat velis levatis"; and the habit of industry and readiness which he there acquired, Judge Haskell brought with him to the bench of this court.
Besides the usual nisi prius terms of court held by him, he began at once after his appointment upon law cases. His first opinion, Berry v. Titus, 76 Maine, 285, was announced June 2, 1884. This case, treat ing of review, exceptions and practice, was followed in quick succession by five others in the same volume, Parsons v. Clark, p.
