Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-02-13
MEETING OF TIE BAR.

S4&s6 4NS 01 LIZ 6Ans
On Friday evening last, the
members of the Bar, of Millers-
burg, held a meeting at which
"reminiscences of the past were
talked over. Below we give the
remarks of Hon. G.. F. Worries,
of Millersburg, and Judge Well
ker, of Wooster, who has been in
town several days:
MR.. WORRIES REMARKS.
MR. PRESIDENT AND BRETHREN OF
THE BAR:-We have assembled on
this occasion with a view to social
enjoyment, and to retrospect a few
years of the history of our profes-
sion in this county. Whether or
not the bar of our county have
claims upon the world for ordinary
or extraordinary legal ability is not
a question for this occasion. But
it is certainly the unanimous opin-
ion of our bar, that patriotism and
professional pride can hope for no
more than that the rising lawyers of
to-day may sustain and transmit to
worthy successors, the great fame
derived to their profession, from the
highest sources, and through the
purest channels, furnished by those
who with great credit, have run
their course, and covered with lau-,
rels, retired from the forum.
On the 18th day of March, 1912,
your humble speaker, for the first
time beheld the town of Millersburg,
then a small village of about eight
hundred inhabitants. At that time
the various employments and enter
prises of the community had its rep
resentative men, all inspired with
the hopes and actuated by the many
and conflicting motives which gives
life and impetus to the civilization
of the world. And / am glad to
say, Mr.. President, that at that time
our profession was well represented,
both in number and ability. Our
bar at that time enrolled, ,as its mem
bers the names of d. P. Leadbetter,
James Cain, Moses Hoagland, Will
liam S. Tanneyhill, William r. Sapp,
and Martin Welker, all gentlemen
of energy and well qualified to rem
der good service to those who need
ed legal advice and assistance. In
those days our courts were attended
by attorneys from other counties,
men of learning and great ability in
the profession, among whom we
name Avery, Cox and Dean, of
Wooster; Harris, of Canton, and
Spangler, of Coshocton. Mr.. Pres
ident, you and 1 have witnessed
these distinguished gentlemen of the
bar, and with pride do we claim that
the mastery manner Of Hoagland,
the brilliant eloquence of Tanney-
hill, and the tact and shrewdness of
a Sapp, with papers moulded by a
Welker, was adequate to the sever
est emergency, and never failed in
comparison with those whom they
had to meet at the bar, and if they
were not superior to, they were at
least the equals of men whose repu-
tation for legal lore was national
and profound. .fad...
Mr.. President, you and 1 have no
reasons to be ashamed Of the men
whom I have named as the bar of
the earlier day. In their shadow
and in silence have we sat, day af-
ter day, to witness their conflicts In
court and thereby were instructed
and strengthened for the many du-
ties since devolved upon US.
Very shortly after my first intro
duction to the town, there was a
reinforcement added to the ranks of
the bar. Amongst whom, and per-
haps the first of the number was
George W. Everett, the honorable
gentleman now presiding at this
meeting. Then came T. S. Gilbert,
A. L. Curtis, William Given, your
speaker, g. A. Gurley, John Huston,
Thomas Armor, D. NJ. Mckinley
and G. N. Elliott, largely increasing
the number. All were inspired with
an ambition usually manifest in the
profession, especially when necessi-
ty and poverty is the nearest friend
at hand.
For several years the gentlemen
above named constituted the Mil
lersburg bar. We had our courts
presided over by judges of great
legal learning and ability. The
docket containing more cases than we
have had in later years. Cases in
tricacies and subtleties deeply laid
in the law, were daily submitted to
the members of the bar, and receiv-
ing such attention as promptly
brought them, with the proper is
sues in the law, before the courts
and juries for solution and trial: |
And Mr.. President, you and l as
witnesses have no cause to be
ashamed of the able and efficient |
manner in which our elder brethren
presented and tried the questions
then arising, both before the court |
and jury. Although by reason of
our want of experience and knowl-
edge adequate to the full protection
of client in court, we were COM
PEELED to sit as silent spectators, vet
we were happy in beholding at this
bar able and efficient gentlemen
whose knowledge and eloquence,
tact and energy was ample for the
assistance of the court, and the pro-
lection of the client, in all the du-
ties, and conflicts of the forum.
Since the additions which have al
ready been mentioned, we have had
from time to time, other recruits to
our ranks, which have been depleted
by calls to other fields of labor and
to that bourn from whence no travel
Ter returns. Amongst these l may
name John R. Bancroft, Josiah Civ
en-, r. X. Enos, his honor VIM. Reed,
Lyman r. Critchfield, d. S. Uhl, j.
W. Voorhes, L. r. Hoagland, J. A.
Estill, J. L. Maxwell, NJ. A. Hoag-
land, w. Stilwell, ID. Ewing. f. J.
Duer and r. W. Tanneyhill, and
perhaps few others whose names :
do not readily occur to your speak
er. Some of these gentlemen, Mr..
President, have already made for
themselves name to be envied for I
their legal learning and brilliant elo-
quence. The judiciary, the legisla- {
tive, and the State have each been {