San Francisco County
Biographies
Samuel M. Shortridge is an exceptionally bright young lawyer, and has
distinguished himself as an orator. Mr. Shortridge was born in Mt. Pleasant, Henry county, Iowa, August 3, 1861. His ancestors lived in Scotland and the north
of Ireland. Some four generations back,
the family was established in Kentucky, where it produced several great lawyers
and preachers. It divided there early in
the present century, one branch going north, and the other south. Mr. Shortridge’s
father, Elias W. Shortridge, and an uncle, Abram C. Shortridge, were born in Indiana; his mother also. The uncle is still living there and is
president of a college. The father
prepared himself for the bar, but, without entering upon the profession, turned to the
pulpit, and became a minister of the Christian Church. He, too, is still living, in Arizona.
In Kentucky the Shortridges intermarried with the family of Daniel
Boone. The branch that went south
adorned the history of Alabama with distinguished names, -- such names as those
of Hon. Eli Shortridge and his son, Hon. George D. Shortridge.
Mr. Shortridge’s father moved with his family to Oregon in 1874, and in 1876 came to California and settled at San
Jose. Samuel graduated from the high
school there in 1879, and was valedictorian of his class. Subsequently, he received a first –grade
State certificate, and went to Napa county, where he taught school for four
years, at different places, during this time being a contributor to the Daily Times and Daily Mercury, of San Jose.
While a miner in
Nevada county, before going to San Jose, and all
through his youth and early manhood, young Shortridge
had the law for his goal, and his leisure moments were spent in its study. It was not, however, until 1883 that he gave
himself to its study with system and devotion.
At that time he entered the office of D. M. Delmas,
San Francisco, whom he had known in San Jose; and while in his office went
through a course with the juniors of the Hasting Law College. He was admitted to the bar in May, 1885. In the Presidential campaign of that year he
became known to the people of the whole State as an orator, while canvassing in
support of James G. Blaine, under engagement by the Republican State Central
Committee, and since then he has been the “Orator of the Day” on many
occasions. Though a comparatively recent
acquisition to the bar, he has already displayed high ability in both civil and
criminal departments of the practice, and has been connected with many important litigations.
In concluding
this brief sketch we further state that a brother of our subject, Charles M. Shortridge, is the editor and proprietor of the Mercury newspaper of San Jose, and has
been a leading journalist for some years.
Also that Mrs. Clara Shortridge Foltz, the
lawyer and accomplished lecturer, is their sister; a sketch of her is given in
this work.
Transcribed
Karen L. Pratt.
Source:
"The Bay of San Francisco," Vol. 1, pages 659-660, Lewis Publishing
Co, 1892.
©
2005 Karen L. Pratt.