The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-10
ANsoN A. NICHOLSON.
Resolutions Of Respect to his memory and
Speeches by the members Of the Bar.

Powers announced that the court and bar
would "now listen to some resolutions and
remarks apprlate TO the death of A. A.
Nicholson" whereupon j. G. Baker in
behalf of the committee appointed Satur-
day, spoke as follows;
Under the appointment of the bar at a
meeting of its members held on Saturday,
| l arise to make the formal announcement
of the death of my late business partner,
Anson A. Nicholson, who departed this
life at his residence in this village, on
| Thursday, the 9th instant. Mr.. Nicholson
has for more than third Of century been
| an honored and influential member of this
bar, and its older members, who have been
his associates during all that time can
doubtless add much to the feeble tribute l
can pay to bis worth as a lawyer and a
man.
Mr.. Nicholson was tmphatically self
made man, having attained his exalted
position and high culture by his own de-
termined and unaided efforts. lie was
born In this county and has lived among
its people with the exception of few
years during his whole life. His parents
were in limited circumstances and were
unable to give him any of those early adj
vantages of education, that boys of the
present day who are designed for pro-
fession are accustomed to have. He spent
the first thirteen years of his life at home
with his parents, running errands, playing
with the other children of the neighbor-
hood, and attending the district schools.
At the carly age of thirteen he felt rising
in him an ambition to obtain standing in
lie, and acquire proficiency in some oc-
cupation that should give him livelihood
an and influence. He choose the life of
a journalist as that of his fu-
ture calling, and to qualify for
prentice in newspaper office in Cas-
tleton and began to learn the mechanical
part of his choeen profession. He was
natural mechanic and in his life as a print
ers apprentice, acquired the foundation
for that systematic precision and exactness
of detail that marked his future life and
made him the best Office lawyer and
draftsman in Vermont. BE served his
time as an apprentice, and his fathers
family having in the meantime removed to
Michigan, he followed them and for few
months taught school in one of the thriv-
ing young villages of what was then the
far west. He then established and became
the editor Of political and literary news
paper at Kalamazoo, which in the two
years of his management, exerted an in-
fluence upon the politics of Michigan that
10 probably still felt in that enterprising
state While publishing this paper he had
his attention turned to the law, and seeing
as he thought more congenial occupation
in that direction, he commenced to study
its principles and carefully to prepare
himself for that field of industry
that has been the great labor of
his life and his success. When nine
teen years of age MIR. Nicholson re-
turned to Vermont, completed his legal
studies and was admitted to this bar in
1843. While he was pursuing his studies
and for many years afterwards he courted
thes muses. and won from them sweet
concords Of song. The secret OF his sue
cess In life was his thorough exactness and
determined efforts to do all things well.
He was never satisfied to do his work as
we'll as other men, but always felt impelled
to do perfect work, better than others, and
whether it was scanning poetry, drawing
legal documents, trying cases IN court or
making repairs at his residence, every part
of the work must be perfect and no.
defects that would be developed by tie
closest criticism. Many of his poems have
been published and some are preserved IN
permanent form. They all show care,
culture and genius. l have selected one
from his scrap-hook, one that | read not
because II exhibits more genius as poet,
nor higher culture than others, but because
the sentiment is one that Mr. Nicholson
worked into his very being and his life was
a constant exhibition of the strength of
faith, hope and love, that guided him in
his life work, and brought his character
into harmony with bis flowing verse :
There came a voice In vesper dream,
And It fell like gentle song
Mid the mellow chimes OF mountain stream
And This was the soul reviving theme
Oh, weary heart, be strong!
B. firm where the voice OF duty cheers,
And etaid as the riftless oak,
Give thou no heed TO thy shrinking fears
But onward press through the vale OF years,
Bearing lifes heavy yoke.
Be strong In FAIrH-'tis an iron Shield
That shall guard thy spirit well
With such weapon OF strength TO WELD.
Thou, on LIES stormy battle Held
Shall be invincible.
be strong in HoPE-'t!s beacon's glare
Shall gladden. Thy weary eye,
Shall lure thee upward from despair,
Shall guide thy bark from the breakers lair,
When storms assail the sky.
Be strong in LovE-it shall cheer thee long,
And nerve thy arm with might
Be firm In the strife with hOary wrong,
BE staid in the cause or truth-be strong
In the love OF God, and right.
Mr.. Nicholson however devoted his life
to more aolid work than the muses.. He
went to Chester, in Windsor county, and
held an important position under the con-
tractor who built the lower end Of the Rut-
land and Burlington railroad, and about
1850 removed to Brandon in this county,
since which time his life is part of our
county history. In coming back to us he
sought the place of all others where the
rivalry was strongest and the work hardest.
To use his own language on an occasion
similar TO this he found there engaged in
active practice the experienced and influen-
tial Briggs,-the facile and elegant Daven-
ort,-the talented and eccentric June
the persistent and able Marsh,-t ener-
getic and fiery Hyatt,-the smooth and
polished Keith and the intellectual Parker.
Into this galaxy he shot like meteor
from another sphere, and before his re-
movsl from Brandon sixteen years later,
be became as influential as Briggs, as facile
and elegant as Davenport, as talented a,
June, and as persistent and able as Marsh,
his energy made him the pen. of Hyatt,
and his polished intellect outshone even
heltn or fRrkcr.
Ten years ago he removed to Rutland,
and here by persistent labor and continu-
ance OF that same system of doing all
things well, he has repeated the triumphs,
social and professional, that had followed
his life since his return to this county. Mr.
Baker dwelt considerably at length upon
the character of the deceased as a lawyer
aud man, paid warm tribute to his hon.
esty, culture and christian devotion, and
moved the adoption of the following reso-
lutions:
Arson A. Nicholson, of Rutland, for
more than third of a century leading
and honored member of this bar, dis
tinguished alike for his fidelity to his pro-
fession, and his elevated moral character
ond social virtue, having departed this life
ON the fifth instant hia Rurvivinp nc aociatpa