San Francisco County
DELPHINE M. DELMAS
D. M. DELMAS.--Prominent among the names which adorn the
legal profession of San Francisco is that of D. M. Delmas.
He
was born April 14, 1844, and in the latter part of 1854 made his arrival on
this coast. Four years later he entered Santa Clara College, and in 1863
graduated at that noted institution of learning, receiving the degree of Master
of Arts, with the highest honors of the college. In 1865 he graduated in
the law department of Yale College, and in September of that year was admitted
to the bar of the Supreme Court of Connecticut, returning shortly thereafter to
this State and settling in San Jose. In February, 1866, he was admitted to
the Supreme Court bar of this State, and in May of that year opened an office
in San Jose with Hon. B. D. Murphy. Regarding his early experience, we
quote from Mr. Delmas’ own words, uttered many years
ago and printed in a biographical sketch of him printed at that time:
“I
left home May, 1866, with just two double eagles in my pocket, and in my heart
the determination that henceforth I would be dependent upon my own
resources. That resolution I have adhered to; but it would be idle to deny
that I have done so at the cost of many hours and days suffering. Too
young, inexperienced and unknown to command a retainer in important cases; too
proud (a foolish pride, perhaps) to commence with with
[sic] the defense of paltry criminals, I was soon brought to the end of my
scanty store of money and to the melancholy contemplation of a purse unreplenished by the fruits of my labor. To keep from
actual want, I taught school for six months in the winter of 1866. In 1867
a committee of citizens invited me to deliver the address on the Fourth of
July. With this invitation came the dawn of better days. The
address was delivered. It was warmly applauded. It secured for me a
few days afterward the nomination for the office of District Attorney at the
hands of the Democratic County Convention. I was elected. The office
in those days was a very lucrative one; besides, it brought me in contact, in
one way or another, with nearly every man of mark in the county. From that
time on I certainly have had no right to complain of the frowns of our great
mistress, the Law.”
Mr.
Delmas has indeed won for himself an enviable
reputation in his profession as an advocate, being the admiration of the bar
itself. The eloquent Edgerton at one time remarked that whenever he had an
opportunity to hear Mr. Delmas argue a case he always
embraced it, just to listen to his elegant and exact diction.
He
has long been a Regent of the University of California. He was President
of the Day on the occasion of the inaugaration [sic]
of Hon. Horace Davis as President of the University, March 23, 1888, and
delivered the address of welcome.
Mr.
Delmas is a son-in-law of Colonel Joseph P. Hoge. He removed to San Francisco in 1883, taking his
large law library with him, one of the most valuable in the State. In
addition to his extended professional fame, he possesses an ample
fortune. Among other property he owns a fine residence in Santa Clara,
surrounded with beautiful grounds, and a noble building in San Jose named Paul
Block, in honor of his son.
Transcribed by Donna L. Becker.
Source: "The Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 2, Pages
453-454, Lewis Publishing Co, 1892.
© 2006 Donna L.
Becker.