ning for a
time and then continued his legal studies with the distinguished
lawyers and jurists Charles P. and Benjamin R. Curtis of Boston, with
whom he remained until his admission to the Bar in 1844.

At Roxbury in 1846 he opened his first law office, taking comparatively
soon a leading position at the Bar. He there continued his practice
until 1865 when he formed with the late Hon. Harvey Jewell and the since
associate justice of the Supreme Judicial Court, the Hon. Walbridge A.
Field, the famous and successful law firm, having offices at number 5
Tremont street, of Jewell, Gaston and Field. This firm continued until
the election of Mr. Gaston to the gubernatorial chair of Massachusetts
in 1874. He was the Democratic candidate the year previous for this
office, his competitor being Mr. Washburn, who was elected but did not
long retain the chair of State, being elected to the United States
Senate. At the convention nominating William B. Washburn for Governor
there were four other candidates for the honor: Alexander H. Rice,
George B. Loring, Harvey Jewell and Benjamin F. Butler. The latter
created no little unquiet by the zeal and strength of his support. The
upshot was that there was a harmonious combination of the forces of the
four contestants of Butler upon Mr. Washburn. It is remembered that some
of the party organs were upon nettles, fearing that General Butler would
bolt the nomination, but he came out squarely and declared that as he
had staked his issues with the convention he would abide the result.

In the canvass of 1874 Mr. Gaston was opposed by Hon. Thomas Talbot,
who, by reason of Governor Washburn's election to the Senate as stated,
was acting as Governor, having been elected Lieutenant Governor on the
ticket with Mr. Washburn. Governor Gaston's majority over Mr. Talbot was
7,033. In the following canvass of 1875, Mr. Gaston having been
re-nominated by the Democracy, his competitor was Hon. Alexander H.
Rice. By this time, that part of the country represented by the
strongly-intrenched Republican party, was fully aroused to the exigency
of the hour. The edict came from the political centre at Washington to
the effect that the Republican party could not stand another defeat in
Massachusetts, especially on the eve of a presidential campaign. The
national organization concentrated a wonderfully _efficient_ auxiliary
force in aid of the intense activity already exerted by the local
managers, who so well