CHARLES CLINTON NOURSE [Illustration: _Charles Clinton Nourse_ Photogravure by Elson, Boston From Photograph by Edinger] Autobiography of Charles Clinton Nourse Prepared for use of Members of the Family CONTAINING THE INCIDENTS OF MORE THAN FIFTY YEARS' PRACTICE AT THE BAR IN THE STATE OF IOWA PRIVATELY PRINTED MCMXI Copyright 1911 BY CHARLES CLINTON NOURSE THE TORCH PRESS CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA CONTENTS I ANCESTRY AND EARLY LIFE 7 II EARLY EXPERIENCES IN IOWA 18 III REMOVED TO DES MOINES 38 IV RESUMES THE PRACTICE OF LAW 56 V SOME IMPORTANT LAW SUITS 79 VI VISITS VIRGINIA RELATIVES 95 VII PLEASURE TRIP TO COLORADO 99 VIII CENTENNIAL ADDRESS 104 IX TEMPERANCE AND PROHIBITION 109 X REGULATION OF FREIGHT AND PASSENGER TARIFFS 142 XI DES MOINES RIVER LAND TITLES 152 XII A. O. U. W. CONTROVERSY 163 XIII IMPORTANT EVENTS IN CAREER 165 XIV THE BROWN IMPEACHMENT CASE 171 XV MORE LAW CASES 185 XVI BIRTH OF A SON AND PERSONAL INCIDENTS 193 XVII BREEDER OF SHORT HORN CATTLE 203 XVIII B. F. ALLEN BANKRUPTCY 208 XIX ABOUT PROHIBITION 215 XX PERSONAL INCIDENTS 226 CHAPTER I ANCESTRY AND EARLY LIFE DES MOINES, IOWA, MAY, 1908 TO MASTER JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, DEAR JOE: I promised your father that I would write you a long letter containing in detail something of a biography of myself. He assures me it is not intended for publication, but only for your perusal and for such friends of the family as may now or hereafter deem it interesting to know something of those of the family who have preceded them. In Washington county, in the state of Maryland, near the little stream of Antietam creek, where was fought one of the memorable battles of our Civil War, there is located a quaint, old fashioned village called Sharpsburg. The inhabitants of the village and neighborhood were in a large part Germans or of German descent.