Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1873-09-17
IN MoRIA
Hon. John F. Ryland.

-
Hon. John F. Ryland.
Editor ef Ms Lntsiiiaeneer.
lhave been requested To ask the In
sertion Of tho enclosed obituary notice Of thu
late Judge Ryiand. Asyou arc aware. 1t wa
written for theI NTELLIaENcER but owing t.
the fact ofyour paper being not issued till thu
following Wednesday, It appeared trst In an
other one of the city papers, In accordance
with tho wishes OF friends Of the deceased.
v.
This venerable and distinguished citizen Of
Missouri, died at his residence In this city, ri
half past eleven O'Clock p. NJ, on the 10th day Of
september, In the 10Th year Of his age.
Although Judge Ryland:had long been In fee.
bic health and FOR the past ten days confined ic
his room, still the tidinss of his death were, In u
measure. unexpected, and will be received with
deep sorrow by alarge circle Of friends through.
out the entire State. His father and mother,
tJoseph and Rosanna Motley fsyland) Mt the date
of his birth, November 9, i197, rcsiped In the
county of King aud Queen. Virginia, thselr name
Is still numerous and influential In that section OF
the Statc) removed, while he was yet n child, to
Essex county; and subsequently,, In 1871, to Jcs-
samlne county, Kentucky. Very soon after thciI
settlement In Kentucky, his father died, leaving
II widow and seven children, of whom he was the
oldest son; thus dcvolving upon him In his early
youth, cares and responsibilities far beyond his
years. In spite Of the burdens thus proyidential-
ly laid upon one so young and inexperienced
tand which doubtless hal much TO do in forming
those habits of patient study and investigation,
Cor which he was remarkable through hfr)
Judge lsylnnd spent several years at Forest Hill
Academy, at That time one Of the best classical
schools III the Stat, where he was the associate
and classlnate of boys who afterwards became
lca,iing anil distinguished men IN their State,
among them the breckenridge, the Harrisons,
the Todds and others. lie continued to reside
with his mother till lssn, when he came to Mis-
souri, aud settled ut Franklin, In Howard county.
1t was ut that time and place that he became ac-
quaintcd and professionally associated with that
brilliant array of men then composing the Frank
lin bar-ihcy were men of n high order Of talent
some of them young, but many of them ~livcito
I'LL with distinguished ability the highest posi-
lions ut the bar, on the bench anu in the lesisln-
tive halls of the nation. Among them were
George Tompkins, Matthias McGirk, john Brick
ley, Peyton L. Hayden. Cyrus Edwards, Dab
u S"Ai IA ~ XIV -hcAtA o'shi A"siA
ilton Il. Gamble, Cornelius Burnett, IArmstcad
Gruady aud Charles French. The FIRST court IT
franklin was held in July, 1870; Hon. David
Todd. Judge, and Hamilton Il. Gamble, circuit
attorney. In addition to the resident lawyers.
many We're present from st. Lou:s-Thos. II
Benton. Joshua and David Barton, Edward
Bates, Henry S. Gcyer, Geo. f. Strother, and
others. Among the name mentioned, many
rn,.ta yt,n ,,r.r.ai,n,t .fntp,pra. Snntp Nerp
on the Circuit Cour; bench; five of the number.
including Judge Hsland, We're on the bench of
the Supreme Court, three In ths senate of the
United States, one Governor of Missouri. one in
congress and afterwards attorney general Of the
Unitel States. OF that long list all, all have
passed away, and Judge Isyl.nd lad FOR many
years brca the solitary survivor. Within the last
few years. the writer of this humble tribute &c
companIed Judge Ryland to ST. Leafs. The
boa, lay several hours ut what was once the four
isliing town of Franklin. lie PROPOSED To take u
walk over The place where the town once stood,
and during the walk pointed out various lOcali-
ties, streets, residences, etc, and after u silence
OF many minutes, l observed that he was weep
iag. .'Sir,' - said he, '.upon this dcsolaie COM
mon, when l was II Young man, fifty years ago,
| have seen II busy, thriving town, with \ popu-
Ia.ion Of 900 pcop..; and OF all the lawyers who
were then there, buoyant with youth and hope
for the future, ! wlone am LETT"
To record the incidents Of Judge Ryland's life
would lie to write y history of the SLATE; for his
lite here commenced bifoIe Missouri hal an cN-
istence as IL state. He Witnessed her first strus-
giles for almis lion into the Union; he WAS here
before the foot OF civilized man had pressed the
soil ON whic! we stind; when st. Louis was a
French village oi 4, 90 inhabitants; and long he
fore the keel o! the first steamer hal plowcu the
dark waters of the Missouri. Some one more
comp.teatt to the tIsk must do more ample JUS
tice to his memory They will till, (and it will
i. an instructive lesson te the sssin. men WHO
are tn I'LL his place in the fistBrc history OF thr
country how, in youth, he Iravciy struggled.
against adverse fortune, AMI by his own unaidc,i
efforts, rose To professional distinction; how. as
judge Of the Circuit, then of the supreme Court
ne steInly, honestly and justly discharged hi,
high duties: how. rs n inan, by his genial kind
ness and opcn-handrd libcrality, he endetrcd to
him most of those who knew him hest; and how.
at last, Us a Christian he met death AS calmly and
peacefully Us the child falls asleep upon its
mothers breast. He has gone to his grave in the
fullness of age and OF hOnors, but his memory
will he cherished for long years to come by
those whom he has LEFT behind him; they will
remember that venerable form to whom all paid
respect and reverence, as belonging 10 IN age
that has passed away; and as furnishing I model
f,rthe present generation to initiate. They viii!
remember the kindly smile which always gave u
hospitable welcome to his home and fireside;
they will remember his instructive conversation,
flowing from u rich mine of classical learning
which he had amassci through u long life Of
study: they will remember that he was not less