The Weekly Kansas chief., 1883-04-19

possessed one OF the grand intellects to be found
only now and then, and, properly directed, he
might have become a leading statesman Of the
nation. He seemed to have q natural gift for
the law, aud, without any preceptor, he soon
acquired sufficient knowledge to secure his ad-
mission to the bar. About that time, he mar
ried the lady whom he leaves widow, and
soon after took up his residence in Troy. In
1s6s, he received the Republican nomination for
Judge of the Judicial District, and was elected
by handsome majority, notwithst anding tre-
mendous opposition both in his own party and
that Of his opponents. This opposition was
created and melted chiefly by lawyers, who had
never known him as lawyer, and who believed
him TO he n mere country pettifoger, il, indeed,
he reached that dignity. But they soon found
out their mistake. He served as Judge for three
years, resigning the Office in the beginning of
the year ls72 His reason for resigning we be-
lieve, was that he could make more money by
his practice. His reputation a sound and
able lawyer soon spread, and his practice be-
came very large, extending to all parts Of the
State. He had it in his power but for his one
misfortune, to have acquired an independence
by his practice, and to have attained a leading
position in politics. With powerful brain and
wonderful memory, he held whatever entered
there. One remarkable characteristic of him
was, in his latter days, that, matter how
clouded, and confused, and unstrung he might
be in all other matters, his intellect was per-
fectly clear points of law. He could cite
any legal point or fact bearing on a matter, and
refer to the book or chapter where it might be
.s.
subject, he was utterly lost. His integrity was
never questioned and his courage was undoubt-
ed He would not desert friend nor shrink
from any undertaking that he had entered into
in good faith no matter how dark the prospect;
and many time he came ont victorious when
all the chances seemed against him. His loyal
ty TO friend was we'll illustrated in the men,
orable scene when York exploded the bomb that
had been concocted by the conspirators against
Pomeroy. in the Legislature of 1873 When all
were tumbling pell-mell to desert Pomeroy, fore
most among them, the ones who had shared
most of his bounty, and had been his most serv-
lie followers, Price alone stood up to defend
Pomeroy, and to attempt to stay the wild STAN
pede that threatened to destroy man npon a
false accusation.
In ls72 Judge Price was elected to the State
Senate. in which body he served for two years.
He was several times candidate for nomina-
tion for Congress, and for Attorney General OF
the State, and came near succeeding, but each
time failed only because of the one lever his op-
ponents had to work against him. For the past
five years, he had abandoned all political aspi-
rations and would not consent that his name
should he nsed in connection with Office.
Judge Price was very sensitive, notwithstand-
ing his apparently rough and outspoken manner,
and and was very scrupulous about seeming to
court a newspaper puff. Only the day before
his death, We met him in the office of the Dis
trict Clerk. He sat down and began to talk of
the time he ran for Judge, when the Chief was
the only paper in the District that asked Repub-
licans to vote for him. He said he had received
intimations from other papers that they were
willing to support him for a consideration; and
several times since, newspaper men had lnti-
mated to him that he had done splendidly in
some law case, and they were willing to give
him good send-off for fee. He said he knew
many other lawyers who had solicited, and even
paid for puffs but that no living man could say
that he had ever solicited or paid for compli-
nentary newspaper notice. ''You know" he
said, that have never solicited notices from
you. but that all you have ever said for me has
been voluntary. And if you should ever have
occasion to speak of me, after am gone. know
YOU will say that Price knew little about law,
and occasionally did something in gaining a
ease hut what little reputation he had as a
lawyer, was not purchased in the market" We
then had little idea how soon that time would
come: but since it has come, We can conscien-
tiously adopt the language that he suggested
Often Judge Price would come into our office,
| to tell some story incident that had occurred
/ to his mind, He wonld sometimes sit for an
| hour, and repeat pages Of Seott's poems, or OF
| famous speeches that he had heard or read, or
reeite poems that he had particularly taken his
/ faucy He could remember almost anything,
after reading il once OF twice. No man in the
world thought more of his family, and he often
spoke Of his wife and children in the most affec-
/ tionate terms. He would tell of some fine poem
OF beautiful prose article that his wife had dis
/ covered, and saved mp to show him when he
came home; or Of some remarkable poem that
he had come across, and given to his wife ia
| preserve-she always took care of such things,
| he woud say. Often have seen him in the
height of an idignant and excited denunciatiou
of some act of meanness or rascality, interspers-
cd with his well-known terms ofinvective, when
his little daughter would come up to summon
him home to his meals, or for some other pur-
pose: he vould instantly calm down, aud she
would lead him away as quietly as il itwert
himself leading her home.
There was one poem that Judge Price picked
! hot tn hay taken
deeper hold on him than anything else in hi'
reading. and was his favorite. Many time he
has sat and repeated it to us, and once or twice
We published il for him. We sometimes thought
that he made personal application OF il tt
himself-that he felt that We were all put her,
by the same Being, and directed in widely diff
ferent paths by His will. without comprehend
ing the purpose or design, and that He who ere
ated would take care of all the creatures in the
end. We cannot close this notice more apPro
priatcly than by copying the poem, with thu
hope that. as expressed in the last line. SO 1
may he with Judge Price, in the great unknown
to which he has gone.
CHEMISTRY OF CHARACTER.
John and Peter. and Robert and Paul.
God in His wisdom errates them all
John was a statesman and Peter slave.
Robert preacher, and Paul-was a knar-
Evil q good. the case might be,
White. or colcred, or bond or free
John and Peter, and Robert, and Paul
t:od in His wisdom created them all
out of earth's elements mingled with fame,
out Of life's compounds Of glory and shame.
Fashioned and shaped by no will of their own.
Aud hclTlessly into liies history thrown;
Born by the law that conpels man 10 be-
John and Peter, and Robert and Paul,
God in His wisdom crrated them all