The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-09-30
MEMORY OF OLIVER c. GRAY.

After the ordinary business Of the court had
been transacted. the Hon. Theophilus Lyle
Diekey, Who had been appointed to represent
the resolutions of the bar in relation to the
tas death Of MI. Gray, arose and said:
May IL please your Honors AT tho last term
OF this court Oliver q Gray was with US. His
voice is how hushed in death. His career on
earth was closed on Tuesday, August LIST, 1871.
A meeting of the bar held on the next day
adopted resolutions of respect to his memory,
and directed me to present them to this court,
and ask that they be spread upon its record.
These are the resol utions:
Another bright light OF the bar has gone out
Oliver G. Gray has laid down that life in which
he 20 often stood - nm advocate in the presence
of earthly courts, aud his ransomed spirit has
sscended TO that higher court, and to that other
presence, where those who knew him best be.
lieve it will gain ready admission.
"Resosced. That in eur late brother we recog-
nize the highest elements OF the counsellor and
of the sdvocate-that We recognize in him an
intellectual endowment, wrought by his own
sssiduity into . profound scholarship not only
of Law, but of science, of philosophy, and of ma.
lures histories, and to these added the gift
Of poetry.
"Resolccd, That onr sympathies are extended
to her whose heart is made desolate BY this
event.
"Rssolred, That We will cherish the memory
OF Oliver @. Gray, that We will hold in our
hearts the kindness of his disposition and strive
TO reach the proud emiuencs on which he stood
BY the same industry and toll which character.
ised his life.
"Resolced, That copy Of these resolutions be
transmitted to the widow of our late brother,
and that . copy DO presented to the Supreme
Conrt and ~ the courts OF La Sale county,
with request that the same be spread upon the
records Of courts"
T. LYLE DIcKEY, Chairman
CHAs. BLANCHARD, Sec.
Your Honors oliver c. Gray was no ordi.
nary man.
For clear discrimination;
For ready perception;
For incisive logic;
For apt and forcible dictiou
For persuasive eloquenee;
For inimitabls power OF ridicule;
For effective dsuuncistion in fact, for all the
various talents which constitute the able LAWYER,
Oliver O. Gray was disting ushed far above the or.
binary standard Of professional ability. Learned
in his profession; uutiring in labor thorough
In research; fruitful in expedients; judicious
in their selection. and skillful in their use, he
was remarkably successful.
Pleasing 10 address; cogent in bis argument;
ASRPy Az AtsosesSous PosSSsseo VI uocp Ia
nilisr knowledge OF human motives and human
impulsss, he won the hearts OF his hearers mas.
tered their intsllscts, aud slowing their minds
With his own thoughts. compelled their adoption
For yesrs knew him only in court, and while
1 appreciated that he was intellectusl-lucidly,
so-brisht and thoroughly versed in his profess
sion, had the impression that he was in q meas.
ure wanting In imagination, and without senti.
nent. t'.-r-
Y 4
~ had nisoonceived him.
Those who knew lin only in the ardous exer.
else of his profession, saw bus one bright phase
of his character
His exquisite poem entitled, THE Sea Corars
Dream" taught me that he possessed a brillisnt
imagiL alton, inimitabls taste. y fine perception
Of beauty, ssd proprety in literature and the
t-ts, = mind rich in the stores of research, that
lie WAS u Inzu OF genius knowing the value of
labc Z, who knew what he meant when he said
"Werk is worship, never tire,
Buvd your magic fabric higher"
And sgaAp p
"Work forever. It's our duty
Overtop the wave with beauty"
1--WE must build upon the darkness aud SO reach
the realm Of light"
That wopdrous gem Of poetic thought, called
The Worship Of the Woods" shows that he bad
deep sympsthy, fine fancy. aud sentiment at
once lofty and touchingly delicate and lovely.
Alluding TO the idea ''that God is manifest in
all the works OF nature" the leading thought of
this choice little poem 10 that while the broad
ocean its deep rolling waves presents. to our
minds the might and grandeur OF the Inf.
,ite Lord Of oil, he there seems Gtar Of, and while
the magnetic prairie in its boundless immensity.
impressss % profoundly with the existence. ao.
tios, and controlling presence Of the great Gre.
atoe that the idea presented, is that Of God
ssoay = ~ distance. But when We como into
tho woods, amid the grand old trees, where the
little leaflets tremble and the tiny flowers nestle
., our feet. Va feel that God Is near to Us.
The worship Of the woods has moro TO do with
tho heart, with the sympSthies, with the affec-
tions. than the thoughts called mp BY the broad
ocean aud the boundless prairie.
The conception Of these verses seems to mo
one Of the most oousumately beautiful and truly
p,etic il the realm OF song. r-. ...
refer to these, mer.ly % illustrations Of the
lofty and pare tone Of his genius. A. has justly
been sAid. b. combined = variety of faculties
rarely found In one mind.
He wss an excellent lawyer, = student Of high
culture, true poet, and gentleman Of fine taste
and rare acconplishnsnt~. .r
We shall see bis pleasing face saony us no
more. No more will w hear the silvsry notes Of
his clear aud musical voice. The fascina ,ing
HlShco VI MS o''ens o'ue eye VIII oot oohrW US
again, but We may cherish hir memory and i'm
itste HE example in we'll doing,
move that the court do order these resolu.
tious to be spread upon The record.
Chief Justice Lawrence replied ~ fOll0ws:-
The court uuites with tho bar in mourning
the deceass Of Mr., Gray, and fully concurs in
what has been said 10 honor Of his memory. His
professional position WAS very high. Nature
had richly endowed him with intellectual pow.
Or, and his fine f.cultie. thoroughly trained
and cinlinnd In thu usIs ~ hi. nrnfassinI Rut