Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-03-06
nFATE OF =. M. YERGER.

DEATH OF L. M. 1EhGEh.
Yesterday was day of beauty. The
skv was clear and the soft breeze was all
abroad. Thousands went out to the
churches, and heard the Word preached
the prayer offered, and the hymn sung
The melodious tones of the organ rolled
through the aisles and galleries and
came out to the streets and went on
vibrating upon the air. All ages and
conditions of life we're represented, bear
ing all the passions known to humanity.
They passed to and fro Nothing
seemed to be still. The law of the
day was motion. Passing, passing, all
the beautiful hours And while the
living masses Of humanity surged on
like waves driven by the winds, great
soul isolated in The struggle that sewers
the mortal from the immortal, was pass
ing away. 1t was appropriate that on a
day so lovely, day upon which Nature
seemed to Guido herself, SO great, so
noble spirit as that of E. NJ. Yerger
should take its fight. At FIVE o'clock
p.m. on Sunday, March 5, 1871, closed
the life Of that great and good man. 10
ms who knew him so well and loved him
so much. the task of chronicling this
event IS one of exceeding bitterness. We
can scarcely trust ourself to speak OF
him as our feelings dictate. We knew
weeks and weeks ago that his death
from the maladies that chained him to
his couch, was but question OF few
days. We knew that if great will could
battle the conqueror of the world, or the
love of friends could avail, he would be
seen again on our streets with the same
glorious face and manner. 1t has long
been our opinion that he was the greatest
man in Tennessee, and with the loss OF
his intellect we have lost our greatest
light. 1t is conceded by lawyers thathe
was the monarch of the bar. Nature
constructed him lawyer. In his great
battles at the bar he developed a
mower almost miraculous. To an in
tellect clear and strong, was added a
power of analysis rarely equalled'
and a quickness of perception that en-
abled him to remain, under all circum-
stances, master of the situation. His
fame at the bar is known of all men
But his social nature is only known to
those who knew him personally. That
was Incompatible. If he was chief in
those conflicts that placed him at the
head of the bar, and rendered him
scourge to those against whom his power
was directed, he was, of all men, the
most genial, the most amiable, the most
gentle and most fascinating in the social
circk. He was brave as he was good
There was no place in his heart for
malice. 1t was full of generous
sentiments. If he sometimes tore
an adversary to pieces and seourgeC
a bad man, he often wept over human
misfortunes, and became child in th'
presence of sorrow. We have scarcely
known one who was so unselfsh. From
his friends he had nothing to withhold
nothing to conceal They read hi
open heart and knew all it contained
1t never throbbed, but its muffied sount
gave out the true music Of humanity
An, who can ever forget that tall, broad
open brow, or those eyes that reflects
all the lights and shadows of his intel
lectl Into whose soul are not tn
tones of his voice still falling as must
pleasant to hear2 Who will nc
miss him on the street, by tn
Preside, everywhere But he is with tn
fathers, and sleeps the placid sleep tina
knows no waking. To us who loved hir
and survived him, he will become
tower in the desert Of memory, to who's
soothing shadows the mind may r
pair and rest from its weary figl
to find something 10 take his place an
be the solace that he was. Great as Il
loss is to the public, how much great
must it be to those Of his own hous
hold 1t would look like mockery
offer them our sympathy, or attempt
console them. The whole community
weeping with them.