Proceedings of the Annual Session of the Iowa State Bar Association (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1917 Excerpt: ...call for Volunteers; later reenlisted; rose to the rank of Captain, and was discharged at the expiration of his second term of service in December, 1864. His college course began at Western, now Leander Clark College, and, interrupted by the war, was after his discharge continued at Cornell College from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1868, Master of Arts in 1871, and the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws in 1904. On November 19, 1867, he was married to Elizabeth Cory, who, with three children, Ruby M. Alexander of Estherville, Erastus Burrows Soper, and Emmet Harlan Soper of Emmetsburg, survives him. Captain Soper was admitted to the Bar in 1871 after thorough self discipline and study in which he not merely sought to know the law but in which he mastered the fundamental principles of jurisprudence. He began active practice at Estherville in the year of his admission to the Bar. While at Estherville he had all of the experiences of the pioneer lawyer, travelling from county seat to county seat by the conveyances then in use, having sometimes to wade the sloughs, and frequently to face the blizzards of early days. His practice grew rapidly and took him over Northern Iowa, into the Dakotas, Minnesota, Nebraska, and elsewhere. He soon took rank as one of the leading lawyers of Iowa. In 1879 he removed to Emmetsburg and retained his residence there until his death. Captain Soper was one of the great lawyers of Iowa. His sense of right and wrong was acute; his preparation was thorough; his aggressiveness, tenacity, industry, and persistence were extraordinary, and his experience and practice wide and varied. Technicalities had no attraction for him and he was not awed by them. He preferred and excelled in chancery practice. Captain Soper acq...