The

Vol. II.

No. 4.

Green

BOSTON.

Bag.

April, 1890.

ABRAHAM CLARK FREEMAN. WE have been fortunate in being able fornia in July, 1864, only nine months after to present to our readers, in pre he entered Mr. Estee's office, and six weeks vious numbers, portraits of some of our best- after he reached the age of twenty-one years. known law-book writers. In the present Before his connection with the District number we have the pleasure of introducing Attorney's office was severed, he had formed as the subject of this sketch one whose name a partnership with Hon. Thomas H. Clunie, is familiar to, and respected by, the legal and later, in 1872, with Hon. J. K. Alex profession throughout America and England. ander, now judge of one of the Superior Abraham Clark Freeman was born in Courts of California, and in 1879, with G. E. Hancock County, Ill., not far from the town Bates, with whom he removed to San Fran of Warsaw, on the 15th day of May, 1843. cisco, in November, 1886. He was a mem At an early age he manifested a love for ber of the Constitutional Convention in study, and with such facilities only as the 1878-1879, and in the latter year was ap time and the location afforded, he was able pointed by the Governor commissioner to to fit himself for the position of a teacher suggest amendments to the Codes, to adapt of one of the schools in his native county them to the new Constitution. Mr. Freeman's first book, on the " Law of at the early age of seventeen. In 1861 his father decided to remove to Judgments," was published in 1873, and was California, and young Freeman accompanied the first national treatise written or pub lished in California. Its recognition and him. * success were unprecedented. Arriving in California in September, 1861, Surprise at the fact that a law treatise the father settled at Elk Grove, and the boy should be both written and published in the found employment in teaching a district extreme West grew to astonishment as the school in San Joaquin County during the high character of the work came to be known winter of 1861-1862. He had, however, lit and understood. The "American Law Re tle taste for this work; from his earliest rec view " said of it

— ollection it had been his intention to be a lawyer. At the close of school he went to "It seems impossible for a young lawyer to his father's farm, remaining there until have composed so good a book in so good a September, 1863, when he went to Sacra manner; yet it seems also impossible that, if old mento and found employment in the office in law, so able a lawyer should not long since of Hon. Morris M. Estee, who was then have become familiar to the profession every District Attorney of Sacramento County. where; and we confess to a painful doubt lest he He remained in that office during the re turn out to be some eminent barrister, whom not maining two years of Mr. Estee's term, and to know is only to confess our own ignorance." the four years of his successor, Hon. James C. Goods. He was admitted to the bar on j Encouraged by the prompt and complete examination by the Supreme Court of Cali- | recognition of the legal journalists, Mr. Free•9