Craft Masonry in Albany County, New York - Onondaga and Oswego ...

his ready intelligence and willingness to work he won the confidence of his associates and was intrusted with much important
business of the concern. Thus, fully equipped for the forensic arena, he entered, in 1872, on the full and formal practice of the
profession, in partnership with Charles W. Mead of this city. After five years of legal collaboration, during which he performed very
important professional work, he opened an office for himself at No. 452 Broadway. It may be noticed in this connection that while he
is frequently consulted and as counsel tries many cases for other attorneys, he has made it a custom to try and argue his own cases
and generally with pronounced success. He enjoys at present one of the largest and most lucrative practices in this part of the State,
being engaged on one side or the other in most of the important causes tried in our courts.
29 Mar 1875, he married Emma Patten Watsun, the accomplished daughter of the late Hon. Rufus W. Watson, a prominent lawyer
of Catskill, NY. They have four children living; Eugene Watson, Elizabeth Jenkins, Francis and Westcott. A fifth, Harriette Sylvia,
died in infancy.
There is little room to touch upon the manners or methods by which Mr. Burlingame has attained his remarkable eminence at the
bar, but through each and all of them is discerned the dominant note of carefulness and the abiding sense of responsibility. "For
conscience sake " appears to be his motto as well as that of his martyred ancestor and he is prompt to apply it to the light as to the
weightiest case with which he may be entrusted. In direct and cross examination his questions are formulated with scholarly
precision. Impressed with the conviction that truth and accuracy are one and indivisible and that the gravest issues often hang upon
apparently the most trivial questions, he is wont to weigh his words with the greatest deliberation and insist upon the most direct and
definite answers. Although a master of technique he treats the witnesses with the utmost fairness. His end and aim is to get at the
truth and elicit it in the interests of justice. Even in his capacity of District Attorney he has been known to turn the search light of truth
upon the case of the people and by interposing on behalf of the accused, but with no diminution of the dignity of the office, has often
stopped an expensive and unjust prosecution. In the less restricted sense of speaker and advocate his language is refined and
elegant but always within the comprehension of his hearers. His reasoning is logical and incisive, but he has never recourse to
glittering sophisms to compass the end of the public prosecutor. His eloquence is the eloquence of truth; his force the force of
conviction. In bearing he is calm, dignified and impressive and entirely free from any of the ad captandum methods sometimes
known to the profession. He is the type of the classical orator cast in the practical mold of the modern lawyer. His oratory is aided by
a charming personality, graceful action and quietly fervid manner. He is, altogether, an attractive and commanding figure in the front
rank of his profession.
Mr. Burlingame's position in politics is somewhat unique. While distinct in character from the hustling partisan, he is looked upon by
his party as the ideal representative of Republican politics and is highly trusted and esteemed in that capacity. This is exemplified by
the fact that in 1884 he was chosen chairman of the Albany County Republican Committee and in 1887 was elected a member of
the Republican State Committee. In 1891 he was one of the Republican counsel in the celebrated election cases of that year,
involving as they did the election of four State senators and the consequent control of the State Senate, and rendered valuable and
efficient service in the interest of honest elections and good government. "Certainly," said Mr. Burlingame, in the course of an able
argument during these remarkable trials, "as citizens, not as partisans, we are all interested in keeping those avenues that lead up
to the exercise of the greatest right and duty of an American citizen pure and undefiled."
As an evidence of his influence in literary, social and religious circles it goes in the record that he was President of the Young Men's
Association of Albany in 1884 which is justly regarded as a great honor, inasmuch as the society with its library and hall, has, for
many years, been intimately associated with the literary life of Albany. He is also a member of the Albany Historical and Art Society,
President of the Burns Club and member of the Fort Orange and Press Clubs and member of the State Bar Association. He is Past
Master of Masters Lodge No. 5, F&AM, and also trustee of that Lodge. He is a director and counsel for Fairview Home for
Friendless Children, a director of the Charity Organization Society of Albany, and Vestryman of St. Paul's Episcopal Church of
Albany. He is a Curator of the Albany Institute, the leading literary and scientific society of Albany, and member of the faculty of the
Albany Law School, lecturing on Real Properly and Criminal Law.
Physically Mr. Burlingame is slightly above the middle size, of a compact and well-knit frame and with clean cut regular features. His
bright blue eyes have a direct and searching light in them that seek first to know you and being satisfied beam kindly upon you His
manner is courteous and cordial with a very nice sense of situation and a blending of dignity and benevolence that impresses the
stranger and endears him to his friends. Albany is justly proud of Mr. Burlingame, as a citizen, lawyer and public official.
Page 161 [1079] Family Sketches
John L. Cooper, Dr., son of Jacob L. and Mary J. (Core) Cooper, was born in Philadelphia, PA, 17 Mar 1857. He was graduated
from the Philadelphia High School in 1874, attended Pierce's Business College and the medical department of the University of
Pennsylvania, graduating from the latter in 1877, with the degree of M. D. He was resident physician in the Philadelphia Hospital for
a short time after graduation and practiced in Philadelphia until 1880, when he came to Albany, where he has since resided. He is a
member of the Albany County Medical Society, Masters Lodge No. 5, F&AM, Capital City Chapter No. 243, R. A. M., De Witt
Clinton Council No. 22, R. & S. M., Temple Commandery No. 2, K. T., Cypress Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. November 3,
1880, he married Anna, daughter of Mathew Wallace of Albany, and they have two children: John L. and Elizabeth W.
Page 137 [857]
James William Cox, M. D., son of Thomas and Sally (Bump) Cox, was born 5 Feb 1828, in Gilbertsville, Otsego county, NY, where
his paternal ancestor, Joseph Cox, from England, settled in 1787. Thomas was a soldier at Sackett's Harbor in the war of 1812,
while his father-in-law, Jacob Bump, of Uxbridge, MA, served in the Colonial war, was present at the assault and capture of Quebec,
and signed, with others, the "Association Test" of 1776. The Cox family were prominent farmers in Otsego county.
Dr. J. W. Cox was educated privately under Rev. James Hughes and at the Gilbertsville Academy and when eighteen began
teaching school at a salary of $10 per month. His father died when he had reached the age of twenty and he was obliged to attend
to the farm. When twenty-one he was elected superintendent of common schools on the Whig ticket and about the same time began
the study of medicine with Dr. Charles Sumner of Gilbertsville. In the fall of 1848 he came to Albany and completed his medical
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