Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-02-14

bene factions. His useful life was rounded
up as Kind husband and father, making
muniiicent provision for his children and
living for others more than for himself.
HIS MEMORY IN THE ooURTs-TRIBUrEs OF
BENCH AND BAR.
At the opening of the Twelfth District
Court, this morning, Mr.. Highton address
ed The Court substantially as follows:
Mr.. Highton referred feeliBgly 10 the
close relations that long existed between
him and Judge Skater and the strong ties
of gratitude and respect that must ever
bind his heart to the memory OF the de-
ceased. he then sketched the history of
his life, referred to his ancestry, his pays
ical and menta! v!gor, his studious habits,
his eminence for learning aod his high
character in the State of Vermont, and his
business success and professional and po-
litical triumphs in California. Judge Sbar-
ter, said the speaker, was employed in so
many important cases, both FOR the public
and for private individuals, that it would
be impossible to enumerate them, and,
while he sought obscurity, the luster OF his
great and he was great. both "a lawyer
and man. Whether he addressed Court
on complicated question or jury on Is
sues of fact, but especially in the former
situation, he was always sure OF an audi
ence. Here, in this Court room, can re-
call his massive head, and his grand face,
marked with the burrows of thought and
the lines of strong individuality, as with
that perfect seif-possession which rarely
forsook him, and with Shak esperian rich
ness of language and imagery, he depicted
to twelve enraptured jurors the nature and
importance OF circumstantial evidence. |
can remember with startling vividness, the
intense dramatic power, as distinguished
from The me'o-dramatc semblance of pow
er, with which he adjusted the governing
facts to the governing principles Of his case,
until the mental picture literally glowed
before his auditors. Those were the Au-
GUSTAV days of our local bar. Randolph,
Lockwood, McDougal and Williams, Bak-
er and Tracy, gave to our forensic contests
a life and earnestness which they now rare
ly possess. But in the crowd OF able men,
| some of them still connecting the old gen
Grafton and the new, who then adorned our
profession, Judge Shafter stood probably
the central figure. In closeness of logic,
| in extent of erudition, in verbal eloquence,
in wit, in humor, in satire, in any of these
varieties power, he may have been equal
led, but in all combined he was assurediy
without peer.
In short, sir, he had in him the elements
that make man and prepare an immoi tai.
He was great in mind and great in good
ness. And, somewhere among the stars IN
increased strength and beauty, his soul and
spirit live, unembarrassed by physical pain
and weakness; and while he fu6ls his
mission there, his influence shall survive,
even though his memory fail among men.
move that in respect to the memory of
the late Hon. Oscar l.. Skater, formerly
one of the Justices of the Supreme Court
Of this State, the court do now stand ad-
journed until tomorrow (Tuesday) morn
ing, at ten o'clock.
The motion to adjourn WAS seconded by
Geo. F. Sharp, who made some brief re-
marks appropriate to the sad occasion.
Judge McKinstry responded as follows:
cordially agree with the gentlemen who
have so eloquently eulogized the character
of the late o. l.. SKATER, in their estimate
OF his eminent talents as an advocate and
services as Judge. OF course have had
occasion to study the peculiarities of the
more distinguished members Of the bar,
and of Judge Shafter 1 observed tina. his
logical arrangement was always happy, the
language which clothed his argument gen.
orally, if not always, appropriate. Ordna-
rily his words were of the simplest and
purest English, but he could indulge in
quaint and sudden turns of expression,
which recalled for an instant the latent hu
NOR OF the man, and were sometimes Won
derfully efficient, presenting a moral dem
onstration in a single picturesque phrase.
He was ever prepared toillustrate histheme
by the results OF most extensive and va
ried reading. He was, in short, learned
lawyer of an Older school, whose mind had
been thoroughly trained in the principles
of the common law, and stepped in its
principles; and he resorted to codes and
statutes only to ascertain how far the COM
mon law had been departed from. Yet, in
proper way, no one was more progressive
than he, none more capable of applying
principles, in themselves interchangeable be-
cause based upon immutable justice-to
the complicated relations of our day. He
was man of independent views and heart.
His political opinions were avoxed open
ly and urged strenuously at a time when
they had been adopted By but very
small minority; his moderation and mag
nanimity in the hour of triumph might
we'll have been initiated by those who had
become convinced of the correctness of
such principles only when their triumph
was imminent. My personal intercourse
with Judge Skater was always pleasant;
recall his genial manner in private life, at
the bar his courtly bearing to bench and
counsel. He was a most successful man
in worldly sense. He was most success
;ul not only in such sense, but in that he
lad established distinguished name long
pefore he had ceased an active participation
i'll the busy scenes o! professional. life. IT
was very sad to hear that his great rep
utation-a splendid coiumn-.owered to-
ward the last amidst the majestic ruins of
the intellect which had bu.lded it but his
friends may well believe that the best OF
memorials will continue to ..stand-monu-
naentum acre perennius-while learning and
ability shall be respected in the profession
he adorned.
Court was then adjourned.
In the Fifteenth District Court, Mr.. JIM.
Seawell moved an adjournment out of re-
spect to Judge Skaters memory. He
spoke briefly in feeling manner, in sup
port of the motion, and was followed by
Lewis Shearer in similar strain. Judge
Dwinelle alluded with emotion to the loss