An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893, pages 300-301 GENERAL JAMES B. METCALFE, though not a pioneer of the State of Washington, has won a place in its history in the past decade which embraces the representative men of the present day, as to him has been universally conceded a distinguished position at the Seattle bar. A phase of romance surrounds the ancestry of our subject, which we briefly portray. Tradition states that the name Metcalfe originated with a sturdy Saxon named Oswald, who was famed for his bravery in the field and chase. While engaged in the pursuit of an unseen animal believed from his bellowings and threshing about in the forests to be a monster, the companions of Oswald turned back while he forced the animal to break cover, and the monster was changed to an enormous calf; and thereafter the brave hunter was called Oswald Metcalfe. His descendants emigrated to New England among the Puritan settlers, and from that source Oren Metcalfe the father of our subject sprung. He emigrated to Mississippi about 1838 and was there married to Miss Zuleika R. Lyons of the city of Natchez in that State. She came of distinguished Irish ancestry, her grandfather coming to the United States about 1798. From this union James B. was born, in Adams county, Mississippi, January 15, 1846. His father owned a large plantation and was quite prominent in the politics of the county, serving fifteen years as Sheriff. James B. was primarily instructed by a private tutor and then attended the public schools up to the breaking out of the war. Inheriting the courage of his ancestry, though but a lad of fifteen years he enlisted in the Confederate service, joining the Tenth Mississippi Cavalry. His first service was in defense of Mobile, Alabama, acting as a commissioned officer of his company, and he remained in active service until the close of the war. He was paroled at Jackson, Mississippi, by General E.R.S. Canby, in 1865. He then returned to his old home in Mississippi, and bravely took up the task of retrieving the shattered fortunes of his family and creating a new future for himself. For eight years he worked most industriously, a part of the time in mercantile pursuits and later in a banking house in Natchez. At the latter place he commenced reading law during his leisure moments, in the office of Hon. Ralph North, who afterward enjoyed for many years distinguished judicial honors. The opportunities for advancement in the South at this period seemed too circumscribed for one endowed with General Metcalfe's impulse and ambition, and in 1873 he came to San Francisco, California, where for about one year he was employed in the Pacific Bank. He then entered the law office of Bartlett & Pratt, and at the end of one year of faithful study he was admitted to practice by the Supreme Court of California. At this time the above firm dissolved and the copartnership of Pratt & Metcalfe was organized. He soon distinguished himself and was attaining a commanding position, when in January, 1883, business matters called him to Seattle, and he became so impressed with the future of that city that he determined to link his fortunes with its destiny, and took up a permanent residence in May following. Here his reputation had already preceded him and his ability soon became conspicuous. After practicing alone for three or four years, he formed a firm name of Metcalfe & Rochester. For some two years they were associated together, being employed in many of the most important cases tried in the Territory. It was during this period that general Metcalfe won, perhaps his greatest victory as a jury lawyer. It was in the homicide case of Washington Territory vs. Miller, which is formed extensively reported in Volume III of the Washington Territory Reports. This case attracted wide attention and for two and a half years was before the courts, every inch of time ground being contested, and the final acquittal of their client was regarded as one of the most brilliant victories in the history of criminal cases in the Northwest. In 1887 General Metcalfe was appointed by Governor Semple the first Attorney General of Washington Territory, in which office he served with honor and credit until the admission of the Territory as a State. During the great fire of June 6, 1889 he suffered the entire loss of his law library, which was one of the most valuable private collections in the city. Almost before the fire had ceased its destructive work he secured the lease of a lot on Third street where he has since erected a three story business block, known as Temple Court. In this building was established a copartnership with C.W. Turner and Andrew F. Burleigh under the firm name of Metcalfe, Turner & Burleigh. Mr. Burleigh subsequently withdrawing the firm of Metcalfe & Turner continued to May, 1891, then dissolved by mutual consent and in June, 1892, the copartnership of Metcalfe, Little & Jury was organized and is continued as one of the leading law firms of the city giving particular attention to corporation and commercial law. Not alone to his profession has General Metcalfe devoted his energies, but to every enterprise which conduced to the upbuilding of Seattle. During the period of the anti-Chinese agitation via Seattle, he was Lieutenant of Company D, National Guard and was in active service throughout this memorable crisis of the city's history. He was one of the originaters and active promoters of the parent cable line of Seattle known as the Yesler Avenue Line, running from near the bay to Lake Washington. In the Democratic politics of Washington he has been one of the most able exponnders of Democratic principles and received high eulogies from the local press. He possesses the qualifications essential to an effective public speaker. He is a man of fine presence, has a strong and flexible voice, fertile imagination, fluent command of language, which accompanied with an earnest impassioned delivery never fails to arrest and hold the attention of his hearers. He was married in 1877, to Miss Louise Boarman of San Francisco, and is the father of two sons, Thomas Oren and James Vernon. Socially, he affiliates with the A.O.U.W. and Uniformed Rank, K. of P., being Colonel of the First Regiment, U.R., K. of P., Washington. General Metcalfe is a charter member of Seattle Division No. 1, Uniformed Rank, Knights of Pythias, which has won renown over numerous prizes as a crack regiment. He is a member of the Grand Lodge, Jurisdiction of the State of Washington, K. of P., and is Colonel of the First Regiment of Uniformed Bank, K. of P. General Metcalfe is possessed of great personal bravery, which was strikingly demonstrated on one unusually cold night in February, 1887, when he rescued a friend and companion from death by drowning. The friend, Hon. D.M. Drumheller, of Spokane Falls, and the General were attending the Territorial Legislature at Olympia, on the above occasion, and in boarding a steamer on the docks, the deck of which was covered with ice, the friend slipped and fell overboard. Without an instant delay or preparation General Metcalfe plunged into the ice-cold water of the Sound and at the risk of his own life saved that of his companion. Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in September 2003 by Jeffrey L. Elmer * * * * Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies Project. 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