Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-11-19
XiscOnsln,s Dead Jnrist.


4 Tributes to the memory of Chief JUS
tice EDWARD G. RYAN were spoken in
open court at Madison, on the 9th inst.
Those delivered by James G. jenkins,
of Milwaukee, and VIM. f. Villas, Of
4 Madison, were as follows:
Mr.. Vilas:--
MAY IT PLgAsE AQUA lIosogq:-The unusual
assemblnge VI 50 many Of the bar OF the state,
the sd teHse of bereavement and sorrow which
sits upon the yisages Of those here present. the
funeral dGcoratSnp Of this court rouIn, that empty
chair, SO eloquent, all prcsagc thc melancholy an
nounccunent which am deputc'l my brethren
If the state bar, in accordance h the solemn
uragcs Of the profession, to formally make to the
court,
Chief Justice Ryan IL no more
THAT profound aud abundant wealth Of learn
ing, that eloquent tongue, that massive brain
| which. like uD eXhnustlcss mine, yielded richer
stores the deeper il Was tried while It's every pro-
duct spanked with the CLEAN Of priceless value
gone from men, lost to US and to the state for
ever!
A pioneer Vt civilization to the bar Of the west
m n,S ocate fit 10 cope with any Of historic
nown; lawyer and judge Of comprehensive
and accurate learning, penetrating acuInen aud
wise Judgment; the head vi tho bar and the chief
/
well Hit down In saekcloth and ashes, unentng
our ireparnbe loss. " lie WAS man. take him
for all in ali, We shall not look upon his like
| Ggnnw
The duty Of this solemn hour ! cannot hope to
| discharge. The day for preparation afforded me
has been half destroyed by illness. But no time
would be enough for mo to do the great theme
! Justice. lie was, in every aspect in which his
character and abilities are regarded, an extraordi
nary man. Every faculty he exerted every ne
which moved him, was great, intensely great lie
was n giant among lren, IA sou, intellect and at
| tributes.
~ would require his own power and discrmina-
ton, his own perfection Of speech, truly to repre-
sent him. In the hands Of such artist in lam
| Euggc, the portrait ~ his mind and character
! would be rs striking aud absorbing in interest as
| any ever drawn for the gaze and wonder Gf man
| kind. But who now shall paint it know none
who could hut him md, III his death, the subject
the artist aud the portrnt, arc lost together
! shall attempt but rapid statement 0f hnS
| life, and to point out few salient features Of
! his character aud powers.
On tho 18th Of November, 1910, 1T New Castle
| House III the county Of Meath, Ireland Edward
q. Ryn wns born. His parents wore posseesors
| Of fortune but u second son he took no share
save what was bestowed on his education. lie
completed, in ls2J the course Of instruction AT
| Clongoncs Wood Cottage md entered upon the
study of the law. He Ind but partly finished
| that course, WHEN, il 1890 be migrated to Now
| York There, sometimes teaching in private
| schools, ponetimes mt work III the Office, ~ gnln
support lie pursued h4 lcgnl studies until 1876.
| In thut year he was called to thu bar aud removed
| to Chicago, then but Hinge IN the remote west.
| Hero he prnctircd for rN years, mingling with
| professional duties the work OF editing news
| paper Ia iSl0 aud 1911 he was prosecuting ~.
| Iotnrv II the county. IN 1912 fu changed las
resi- re To ltnrinc; and IN 1876, represented that
| rou IN the ltYt constitutional uout cntion ot
! WISCONSIN,. IN 1888 he removed LIS residence
| 10 Milwaukee, whore liz bones nnw lrpote.
| There he pfucIiscl his profession until cnlrd in
| hh", 1874 to this bench, hohGg ~ tho moan
time, for tlhcc years, the ulirc nt rity attorney.
| From Tie tim, lr took his ,eat here lie continued
| in faithful nhor, ultcn interrupted ny failing
health, but always Professionally resumed, until the
| 18th tlny Ut October Inst when broken and ~
| hnustcd hp his putcst toll he dc-ccndeI from
III. seat ID biz last bed where On the morning II
the 18th Of October, he passed away Lnll To
| h4 final rest by his brethren ct the hnr and the
bench, hi- remains rtposc IN Forest Iomr Gene
| terry, near the city Of his unchungng love,
liruN en- give hun rest
| II l. fair question whether his wundruns
powers ~ writer, Il speaker and . lawyer, were
due IN grencr degree to the strength Ut In natural
| parts orto the PERFECTION oi his education. Per
hnps generally II would he answered to the former
| Hut tcrtAinit " no was ever moro finished nv
| education. Every spoken and every written per
Torrance II his lite bcnrS tho impress at lis
learning, shines rvspicluusly with the lu'trc II
his scholarship. Ilis trimming wus chiefly in Law
and Ia language; in both remark nhe iur accuracy
aud finish. And It is especially noteworthy, thu;
h. was IN his rmneure in both set-tmincd. lie
finished his course IN schod ut seventeen; he Wns
but tw~,Y when he quit his pupilngc IL law il
his native country for the new world. From that
time forward his instruction was administered
| HI ll14n. It.ltt a
men. Iii, history soc IL disclysrs no marked
prerVcity For siN years after his coming to thls
country he supported himself by teachng aud
clerical labor while he prosecuted his preparation
Tor the profession LID was admitted to tho lar
ut twenty hin but does not appear To have at
tiartcd especial attention to h9 superior powers
until past thirty, lcwas in his thirty sslNth ycnr
when III thu urat constitutional convention IT the
territory, h. acquired that acknowledged pre-
rWinrucc which hr ever after maintained.
" me bis natural parts appear mest splendid
Nnd \aluallr tot the manner ~ winch they III
siluintrd and prolited hy knowledge and obscNa-
tiou. hory bool, he rrnd aud every hour he
pissed Of lie nude addition t. his powers. lie
Hid not mcltly read and erc T. add 60 store u
learning; what hc gained was not much IN
crease OF possessions, increase of power, " the
mind. H. read much hut never nnetigcy. NJ
book held him in passive submission; he mastered
II ensily with nm acute and anal yticnl grasp. His
seemed to speak 40 much from remembrance
from himself This was no less true 81 his dis
course upon legal than upon literary topics His
understanding wns 50 informed by his methods of
study thnt what it gave forth was his own, i III
substance the learning Of the hooks III torm and
manner marked by his genius rs to be NJ.
parcntly his own.
Aud SO vigorous was his grasp, 80 clear hi con
ceptiun 50 finished his style, thnt i il rure a.
find instances when lie has added 10 the yigor Rnl
beauty Of his expression by my quotation tron
others, although his extensive reading supplied
| him readily,
Hut he was not only rich in the lori
| OF books he WINS mn accurate observer ot
men. IL has never been my fortune 10 meet with
| any who was his equal in ability g ma
! I've character. He read the motives u
action, the various faculties aud changing char
actcristics OF men, with intuityc easr and nlec
justice. This give peculiar torcc 70 his spe,s'h
when nYcighng against the conduct aud motives
| Of those he attacked feature of Ills powers
which made him not lcSs terrible to his enemies
! than the wonder of his hearers when the cccnsion
demanded Or allowed the exhibition.
| Ills course of sclf. education was not limited, rs
30 commonly the error is made, to mere processes
Of study. lie refined and corrected his idcas by
/ tl.,r aAs