Harvey D. Goulder

Harvey D. Goulder

Harvey D. Goulder is acknowledged to be foremost among that brilliant array of legal talent now practicing in the United States courts, and especially in the district and circuit courts of the lake region. He is a son of Christopher D. and Barbara Goulder, and was born in Cleveland, March 7, 1853. His father was master of lake craft for many years.

After having completed his education in the public schools of Cleveland, from which he graduated at the age of sixteen, Mr. Goulder commenced the life of a sailor before the mast on his father's vessel. During the season of navigation he passed his life on the lakes, applying himself to completing his education in winter months, so that he might fit himself for his chosen profession, that of law, and all during life he has been a close and varied reader, familiarizing himself with the best thoughts of great minds. He entered the law office of Tyler & Dennison, where he remained during the winter of 1870. In the spring of 1871 he entered the employ of Alcott, Horton & Co., dry goods dealers, in Cleveland, as entry clerk, and continued in that employ for a period of two years, meanwhile carrying forward his legal studies under the tuition of the late John E. Cary, an Admiralty lawyer of much ability. It was during his service on the lakes that Mr. Goulder obtained much of that technical and essential knowledge so valuable in the trial of Admiralty cases. His is a knowledge of experience and association, and many an unwilling witness, surprised by the accuracy of detail and disarmed by a familiar phrase, has forgotten his allegiance to his ship and owner and recounted the facts of a collision as they actually occurred. It is through the possession of this knowledge that he is enabled to prepare his briefs in such a clean, concise and forcible manner. He was so far advanced in his legal studies as to be able to pass the legal examination before he arrived at the age required for admission to the Bar. He took the examination, and was admitted in the spring of 1875. Immediately afterward he formed a partnership with John F. Weh; this, however, lasted but a short time, as Mr. Weh soon afterward was appointed assistant city solicitor. Thereafter Mr. Goulder continued the practice of law with Alexander Hadden and various others, and at times alone, directing his attention practically to the conduct of cases in Admiralty, marine insurance, and, to some extent, corporations. In January, 1893, he associated with him as a partner, S.H. Holding, which relation still continues.

Mr. Goulder, although comparatively a young man, has, perhaps, gained more prominence as a technical maritime counselor than any attorney ever before the Admiralty courts. His legal knowledge and methods are accurate, and he is forceful and eloquent of speech. He is usually found on one side or the other of every case in Admiralty that comes before any of the courts of the lake region, and is never defeated where precedent is nearly equal. He has long since been acknowledged as the peer of any attorney at law, and accepted these encomiums with that modest assurance that they are true, so charming in a really capable man. In the contention over the proposed erection of a railroad bridge across the river at Detroit, Mr. Goulder has been an earnest and outspoken opponent of any plan that shall impede the navigation of that channel. It would not be out of place to say, that, to his untiring devotion to the lake interests in opposition to the plans of the railroad managers, is largely due the fact that the river is free of artificial obstructions. As a citizen he has invariably supported measures that look to the advancement of the interests of the municipality, its upbuilding and improvement. His advice has been sought in the plans for improvement of the harbor of Cleveland, and for widening the Cuyahoga river, and in fact on all measures concerning the shipping interests of the Great Lakes.

Mr. Goulder was employed as counsel by the Cleveland Vessel Owners Association, and has been counsel for the Lake Carriers Association since its organization. He is a prominent member of the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce, and previous to the organization of that body was a member of the Board of Trade and Board of Industry. In all these bodies the impress of his personality has been felt, and his influence wielded for the best interests of all. With the late Hon. George H. Ely, the late Gen. O.M. Poe, and others connected with vessel interests and commercial bodies, Mr. Goulder has at various times appeared before congressional committees in the matter of measures required for the improvement of the waterways of the Great Lakes, deepening of the channels, and improving the commercial advantages of water transportation. He was among those who were most urgent for the establishment of a twenty-foot channel through the lakes and connecting rivers, and into the principal harbors. The wisdom of this movement has, during the past few years, become apparent, as it permitted the construction of ore, coal and grain carriers of great size, by means of which the cost of transportation is largely reduced. His activity in all matters connected with the lake interests has made Mr. Goulder well known to the heads of departments in Washington, the Bureau of Navigation, the Naval Intelligence Bureau, the Bureau of Lighthouses Installation, the chief of the Army Engineers, the Hydrographic Bureau, and indeed of all other departments having intimate or remote connection with the navigation of the inland waters of the country.

Mr. Goulder's intimate connection with marine matters, and his extensive practice, has brought him in association with business men generally in the lake and river cities, from Duluth to Montreal, and he is by all admired for his sterling character and genial fellowship. Commanding and impressive in personality, with a full, rich voice, accurate and distinct in enunciation, plain and forceful in reasoning, he is a power before a court or jury. In argument, he rarely allows his voice to rise above a conversational tone; the plain, accurate words have preference; and his reasoning is cogent and entirely free from stilt. Mr. Goulder's mind is distinctively judicial, and his ability to strip a mass of testimony of its verbiage, to reconcile conflictions, juxtapose contradictory truths, and evolve from the whole a line of action consistent with the conduct of ordinary mortals in ordinary affairs puts an end to many paper- cases of his opponents. The close application which a large and widely scattered practice demands has not crowded out nor dulled an unusually friendly nature, and a more delightful companion it would be difficult to find. The joyousness of youth has continued with him, and abides in perfect harmony with the dignity of manhood, neither dominating nor suppressing, but rounding into one, mollifying the asperities traditionally associated with minds imbued with legal lore. Evenly honest in opinion, the verdict of those who know him well is that "He is distinguished by a cool, clear, thinking head, and a plain, firm judgment."

Mr. Goulder's fine physique, united with his intellectual powers, makes him a good specimen of the better manhood. It is to be believed that Miss Mary F. Rankin found no difficulty in recognizing the qualities mentioned, as their romance resulted in marriage November 11, 1878. Mrs. Goulder is a daughter of Rev. J.E. Rankin, D.D., at one time pastor of the First Congregational Church of Washington D.C.

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Volume I

This version of Volume II is based, with permission, on the work of the great volunteers at the Marine Captains Biographies site. To them goes the credit for reorganizing the content into some coherent order. The biographies in the original volume are in essentially random order.

Some of the transcription work was also done by Brendon Baillod, who maintains an excellent guide to Great Lakes Shipwreck Research.