Litchfield enquirer., 1881-03-31
Gideon H. Hollister.

Early Thursday morning, Hon. Gideon H. Holister died at his residence in this village. He saw born at Washington, Conn.,, on the Dec. 14th, 1877, and was, therefore, in his sixty fourth year. He graduated at Yale ] College iu 1S40. He was the class poet, editor of the Yale Lit, and first president of the Linonian Society, then considered a great honor
 Studying with Judge Seymour. he was ad- mitted to the bar at the April Term of the county court, f342. He began practice in Wood bury, but soon removed to Lltchfeld; where, in 1843, he was appointed Clerk of the court. a position which he held, single year ex- cepted, till 1852. In 1856 he was elected to the State Senate, where. he was largely in- strumental Tn securing the election of Hon. James Dixon to the U. s. Senate; and, for many years, during the time that Mir. Dixon was power in Connecticut politics, MT. Hollister exercised great political influence in this part of the State Both sided with An drew Johnson in his disagreement with Con- gress, and both retired from the Republican party with him. In 1868, he was sent Min ster to Hayti and on his return, lived for several years at Stratford practicing law in Bridgeport. He returned to Litchfeld in 1876, and represented tbe town in the legis- lature in 1880.
 Mir. Hollister is best known, no doubt, as the Historian of Connecticut His history, in two volumes was published in 1855, and he had designed and, we believe, partly written q revision of this work, which was intended to include the war history of the State. and volume of historical sketches off prominent men. Besides the history of Connecticut he has written novel, Mount Hope" in 1851 {; and, in 1866, ''Thomas Beckett, Tragedy" Ca work of unmistakabie pewer), and other poems. Of the latter some are very beautiful particularly the "Phantom Ship," founded on incidents actually occurring in the early his- tory of New Haven; and the Bride Brook, also founded upon an incident of early Con- necticut History.
 At the bar Mr. Hollister was an uncommon. ly dexterous and fercible advocate, specially adroit in cross-examination of witnesses. As natural consequence he was very powerful with jury; often winning verdicts where success seemed hopeless. He was the most correct of speakers. His mere extempore speech, always clothed in pure and powerful English, was as elegant and complete in con- position as good writing. Hence he could easily accomplish the difficult feat of deliv- ing an address part written and memorized, and part extempore, yet so thoroughly fused together and SO excellent and uniform of structure that no one could separate the writ ten from the extempors, nor detect any flaw at the points of junction. No doubt his thorough acquaintance with Shakespeare, Milton, and Tennyson, with Burke and Web. ster, contributed largely to the formation of style of such unusual excellence but much was also due to powers and aptitudes such as nature has bestowed upon few.
 Mir. Hollister was most interesting man Tn conversation. His original way of treating everyday subjects, of Illuminating hard facts with irresistible flashes of wit, and again of rising without effort into the higher regions of fancy and poetry-as a hawk slants up hundred feet in the air without waving wing gave him atruly wonderful power of fascin- ation by talk Nor was he in the least overbear. ing in conversation, as is often the case with good takers, but added the force of unfailing politeness to marvellous powers of persuasion such az one must have felt to have appreciat- ed.
 In 1847, MT. Holllster ma rried Miss Mary s. Brisbate native of Charleston, s. C., who survives him, together with one of sev eral children, now member of Trinity Col lege, Hartford.