Hon. Mark S. Brewer of Pontiac, was admitted to the bar of Oakland county on March 10, 1864. He was born in the township of Addison, that county, on the 22d day of October, 1837, and until he was twenty years of age remained at home, assisting in the labors of the farm, and attending the district school during the winter season at a log schoolhouse, situated on his father's farm. The country was new, his parents were not liberally endowed with this world's goods, and it was with difficulty that the lad got suitable clothing in which to attend school. His mother often took her own shoes from her feet and gave them to her boy to wear to school, when the weather became too severe for him to go without shoes. In 1857 his health became somewhat impaired from overwork and he was compelled to leave the farm and seek other employment. In the winter of 1858 he commenced teaching in a district school and followed that vocation for the three succeeding winters, during the remainder of the seasons of 1859 and 1860 attending the school at Romeo and Oxford Academy. In the spring of 1861 he entered the law office of Hon. W. L. Weber, of East Saginaw, where he pursued the study of the law until the fall of that year. By that time the slender means he had saved from the preceding winter became exhausted and he again taught school the succeeding winter. In the spring of 1862 he resumed his studies in the office of Governor Wisner in Pontiac, to which place he came on foot with a scanty wardrobe, and but $60 in money, the latter representing his savings from his winter's salary. His stock in trade was "pluck." He pursued his legal studies during the spring, summer and fall of 1862, taught school again in the following winter, and in the spring of 1863 recommenced his legal studies, this time with Hon. M. E. Crofoot, Governor Wisner having in the meantime given his life to his country. Upon his admission to the bar he formed a partnership with Judge Crofoot which was continued until January 1, 1876, when it was mutually dissolved and Mr. I5rewer continued in practice alone. He was circuit court commissioner for Oakland county from 1867 to 1871, two full terms; city attorney for Pontiac from 1866-67, inclusive. In 1872 he was elected state senator from Oakland county and served as such during the years of 1873 and 1874. In 1876 he was nominated by the Republican party of the sixth congressional district of Michigan as their candidate for representative in congress, and was elected to that and the succeeding congress (45th and 46th, from 1877 to 1880, inclusive), representing the same district also in the 50th and 51st congress from 1887 to 1890. He has also filled the office of United States consul at Berlin, Germany. Mr. Brewer had always been an ardent politician, acting with the Republican party from the time he attained his majority, and after the campaign of 1864 had been prominent in the canvass of each succeeding election. He was a member of the Republican state central committee and chairman of the committee for Oakland county from 1870 until . Mr. Brewer was a popular and effective stump speaker, as well as when before a jury, and was highly esteemed, not only by his particular political friends, but by his acquaintances of opposite faith generally, all of whom bore willing testimony to his worth as a citizen and a man. His death occurred March 18, 1901.