The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1882-05-26

a poorly furnished district school,
and the few volumes accessible in
his fathers library or the scanty
bookshelves of the neighbors. His
outward advantages were Sigh,
indeed, and afforded little encourage.
ment, but within was that spirit Of
indomitable ambition and untiring
perseverance. combined with quick
perception and accurate judgment
and a wealth of solid practical sense,
worth more than a thousand Libraries,
and years of scholastic training,
which characterized his whole life
and ensured his final and well
earned success. 1t was his peculiar
o0d-fortune to commence the study
of Law in the Office of a man pos
sessed not only of a comprehensive
legal knowledge and practiced
ability, but also of a profound and
universal intellectual culture, whose
name will go down in History as
the personal friend and highest
officer of President Lincoln, and
the foremost statesman of his time,
VIM. II. Seward.
~ At the age Of "a he was admitted
to the bar of the supreme court of
New York and continued the prac-
tice of his profession in Auburn,
until the year IS4o, when he
removed to Michigan, and in I843
commenced his residence in this
place which has continued uninter-
ruptedly until the day of his death.
His public life and services during
this period of almost 40 years have
been such as to identify him prom
inently with every enterprise for the
furtherance of the common interests
not only of this place which through
his W exertions more than of any
n person has grown from a camp
ing place of Indians to a village, and
finally to a 1ourishing and hopeful
city; out his name and influence has
been SO actively joined with larger and
wide-reaching projects for the de-
velopement of the state and the
education of its citizens, that his
removal by death, most seriously
felt by the people of Owosso, cannot
but awaken a responsive and almost
universal sympathy from the people
of Michigan. AS a lawyer he was
particularly distinguished for his
steady industry and persistent faith
fitness to his clients, and above all
for a c~learness Of conception and
forcible definiteness of statement
of the merits of his case which gave
him a wide reputation as one of the
foremost chancery lawyers in the
state. According to the expressed
opinion of one who nov occupies a
high position in the legal profession
of this state, he was one of the most
effective pleaders he had ever listened
before a jury and that not by
reason of any natural gift of elo
quence but by the simple weight of
his knowledge and his clear, incisive,
forcefut putting Of facts. His words
we're not polished and elegant, and
his sentences were not tricked off
the flashy adornments of
rhetoric to be admired in the mirror
Of his own conceit. His periods did
not marshall themselves in snowy
dress parade to the stately tread of
measured music, like newly uni
militia. They came like
soldiers from the. wars, without drum
or bugle or flying banner, homely
and well worn with marks Of frequent
conflict but tried, experienced vet.
Grams who had won victories and
could do so again. His career as
Judge and as State Senator was
characterized by a wise impartiality
and a faithful attention to the duties
of his Office and the interests of his
constituents. And at length after
many years of public services he
returned permanently to the retire.
ment of his home, where during the
past 20 years of his life he has en-
gagged in private business, with