Charles O. Bailey Biography

	This biography appears on pages 435-436 in "History of Minnehaha 
	County, South Dakota" by Dana R. Bailey and was scanned, OCRed 
	and edited by Joy Fisher, http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00001.html#0000031
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BAILEY, CHARLES O., was born at Freeport, Illinois, July 2, 1860.  He 
was a son of the late Judge J. M. Bailey of Freeport, who was a circuit 
judge in Illinois for one year, ten years a judge of the appellant 
court, and during the last eight years of his life was a judge of the 
supreme court of that state, and during a portion of the time was its 
chief justice. Charles O. during his youth attended the city schools, 
and at the age of twenty was graduated from the university at 
Rochester, N. Y. He then entered the law department of the Northwestern 
Railroad Company at Chicago, where he remained until admitted to the 
bar in the spring of 1883.  He was admitted to the bar in Iowa and 
Nebraska the same year. He commenced the practice of law in 1883 at 
Eagle Grove, Iowa, and remained there until the fall of 1886.  While at 
that place he held the office of mayor for one year and during all the 
time he resided there was division attorney for the Northwestern 
railroad.  Upon leaving Eagle Grove he went to Chicago and remained 
there six months, and came to Sioux Falls in April, 1887, where he 
opened a law office and in August following formed a copartnership with 
H. T. Root.  In February, 1888, this partnership was dissolved and he 
was alone until January, 1889, when he associated with him W. H. 
Stoddard and W. H. Wilson under the firm name of Bailey, Stoddard & 
Wilson. This partnership existed until May, 1890, when Mr. Wilson 
retired from the firm and Bailey & Stoddard continued the practice 
together until January, 1892, at which time the firm of Bailev & 
Voorhees was established.  In July, 1895, Judge Aikens became a member 
of the firm, under the name of Aikens, Bailey & Voorhees which firm 
existed until the withdrawal of Judge Aikens October 25, 1897, Mr. 
Bailey has been the attorney of the Illinois Central at Sioux Falls 
since the road was built into the city.  He has also been the attorney 
for R. G. Dunn & Co. Commercial Agency, since 1887, and for the Western 
Union Telegraph Co., since 1890.  He was elected district attorney of 
Minnehaha county in 1888, by the Democratic party, and held that office 
until the 21st day of August, 1890.  In 1893 he was admitted to 
practice in the United States supreme court. He has one of the most 
extensive law libraries in the Northwest, and is recognized as one of 
the most studious and well read lawyers in the state.  Since coming to 
Sioux Falls the firms with which he has been associated have asked but 
few favors of their opponents or the court, and this in a great measure 
is owing to the careful preparation made by him in all the cases in 
which they have been employed. The foregoing brief outline of Mr. 
Bailey's professional career is sufficient without comment to establish 
his standing at the bar, and it only remains to be added that he is at 
peace with his brother lawyers and is a respected citizen.