Toussaint Harvey DuBOIS, a lawyer by profession and a well known resident of Poteau, LeFlore County, was born and reared in Iowa. His natal day was October 13, 1870, and his parents were Toussaint and Carrie (PACE) DuBOIS. The family lived in Harrison County, Iowa, for years, and when the subject was yet a boy they moved from there to Mount Ayr, Iowa, and there he was reared and gained his education in the public schools. He was graduated from the high school in 1886, after which he took up the study of stenography and fitted himself to hold office positions in that line.

Mr. DuBOIS worked in Mount Ayr offfices for some time, then became assistant Federal Court reporter at Fort Smith, Arkansas, and served in 1891-92. In 1893 Judge STUART of the United States Court at McAlester, Indiana appointed him court reporter at that place. This position he filled up to the time when the territory came into statehood in 1907, and in November of that year he came to Poteau from McAlester. Here he has since lived and has been actively engaged in the practice of law.

Mr. DuBOIS was admitted to the bar at McAlester in 1900, and in the years of his active practice he has forged his way well to the forefront in his profession. He is a republican and has been an active supporter of the party all his life. He is a Mason, of the Scottish Rite branch, and a Shriner. He is also a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks. His religious allegiance is to the Episcopal Church.

Mr. DuBOIS was married in 1904 to Miss Minnie FREEMAN of Poteau.

T. H. DuBOIS was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, October 13th, 1870. When about twelve years of age, he with his parents, moved to Mt. Ayr, Iowa, where he attended school. While attending school, he commenced the study of shorthand, and after finishing school, was employed by a law firm there, until the early part of 1889, when he secured a situation with Messrs. WRIGHT, BALDWIN & HALDANE, Attorneys at Law, Council Bluffs, Iowa. This position he resigned in August of the same year, to accept position with Messrs. CLAYTON, BRIZZSLARA & FORRESTER, Attorneys, Fort Smith, Arkansas, and while with this firm, he reported many large railroad damage suits and important civil trials in the United States and State Courts. On the first of January last [1929] he was appointed assistant stenographer to the United States Court for the Western District of Arkansas. He is a member of the firm of RIDER & DuBOIS, general stenographers, at Fort Smith, Mr. RIDER being the official stenographer of the above court. These two gentlemen are employed almost constantly, in reporting murder cases, lasting from three days to two and three weeks. The judge's charge to the jury is, perhaps, one of the most difficult feats they have to accomplish, his charges lasting from three to six hours, and being delivered at an exceedingly high rate of speed, reaching as high as 15,000 words per hour.

SOURCE: National Stenographer Pp. 238-39. December, 1930.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2009