History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

170

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

I792. He was graduated at Dartmouth College in I816, and read law
with Israel P. Richardson and Judge Aldis, of St. Albans, and afterward
with Heman Alton, of Milton, Vermont. After his admission to the
bar he practiced law for some years in Burlington, that state. In 1837
he removed to Pontiac, where he was admitted to practice on the 9th of
November of that year. He continued to practice in Pontiac until 1845,
when he was appointed in the land office of Sault Ste. Marie, in which
office he continued until I848. He also acted as prosecuting attorney
during the time he was in Chippewa county. While a resident of Oakland county, he was master in chancery. He removed from Pontiac to
Leavenworth, Kansas, where he resided until his death, September 8,
i866. He was a kind, a genial man, but was rather singular in some of
his opinions. He was a sincere friend of the laboring classes of the community, planning and scheming to elevate their condition. As a lawyer Mr. Richardson was well prepared for his professional duties, but
he was not a ready speaker. He was extremely cynical in his remarks
before a court or jury. In his intercourse with his fellow men he was
just and upright in all his dealings.
"Charles Draper was born in Marlborough, Massachusetts, in November, I8II. After pursuing the requisite studies necessary to enter
college, he entered Cambridge University and graduated therefrom in
June, 1833, taking a degree of bachelor of arts. In November of that
year he came to Michigan to meet his father, William Draper, who had
about six months previously removed to Pontiac. Mr. Charles Draper
taught school about one year in the old academy in Pontiac; at the same
time he was reading law under the direction of his father. He was elected
county clerk in I836 on what was called the state's rights ticket, and held
the office for two years. After pursuing the necessary studies he was
admitted to the bar of Oakland county November 27, 1838. After Mr.
Draper's admission to practice law he remained in his father's office and
practiced with him for many years. He was fortunate in having a large
office experience, his father being a lawyer of long standing in Massachusetts. Mr. Draper was well versed in the preparation of legal papers,
and after his commencement of practice in Oakland county the knowledge he had thus acquired became extremely useful to him. I think it
can truly be said of him that there were few attorneys in Michigan that
excelled him in celerity of drafting or in the correctness of his legal
papers. He was elected for several terms as prosecuting attorney of
Oakland county, and always most satisfactorily performed the duties of
the office. In I868 Mr. Draper was elected to the senate of the state of
Michigan, and held the office for one term. He was an intense partisan
and had no sympathy for, or patience with, any principles adverse to
what he himself believed. During the Civil war, and for twenty years
after, any person disagreeing with Mr. Diraper's political views was a
'copperhead,' but notwithstanding the intensity of his zeal upon political
subjects he was a man of the most genial disposition, and in twenty minutes all excitement would be over and the political feelings of the past forgotten. He was a true and devoted friend, and I can most cheerfully
say, after over thirty years association with him in legal business, that a
kindlier, more helpful or more upright individual could not be found.