Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-08-31

At the celebration of the centennial of the
town of Parson6eld, in York county, held
Saturday, DR.. Joseph Kicker of this city
read valuable paper on the college Grad
yates of Parsonsfeld" of whom he is one.
Hon. James Ware Bradbury of this city
stands at the head of the list. Following ID
what Mr.. Kicker read concerning our yener.
able townsman -
James Ware Bradbury.
Who honors US with his presence to-day. who.
both by age and position il entitled to be re-
gard-d as the Nestor OF the occasion, stepped
forth from Bowdoin's halls upon the stage of
active life, with the warm benedictiou of the
Alma Mater upon him. For classmates he
had such men as Henry w. LongfelIow,
Nathaniel Hawthorne. Geo. B. Cheever,
Josiah Slower Little. and the like. At Com
mencement. of the three English orations as
signed, Little had one with the valedictory
addresses, and Longfellow and Bradbury the
other two After devoting one year to teach
ing, Mr. Bradbury read Law successfully with
Hon. Rufus McIntire of this town. and Hon.
Shepley, at later date a distinguished
Chief Justice of the Supreme Judicial Court
of Maine. Upon the completion of his law
studies he devoted an interval of q few
months that must elspse ere there would be
any opportunity for his admission to the bar
in Efingham, N. Fl. to what is believed to have
been the first Normal school in New
England. He would take the school
only on condition that it should be for the in
struction AMI training of teachers. The idea
was his own aud at the time entirely novel.
No such school is known to have antedated
N q nd 70 hos hla af,,t he
incident is noteworthy. In 1880 Mr.. Brad
bury opened a law office in Augusta, then re-
Gently made the capital of the State. This
step brought them into professional contact
and competition with such men as George
Evans. Peleg Sprague, Ruel Williams, Tim
othy Boutelle, and others of like eminence
To obtain foothold in a field so occupied,
called for labor that knew little pause, and
ability that could not be lightly challenged.
But the then youthful aspirsnt proved equal
to the emergency. In no long time his eli
entage grew to very large proportions.
This tide of prosperity continued without
check until 1916, when he was elected to the
United States Senate, and here again he WAS
signally fortunate in the character of his as
sociates, including as they did such men a.
Webster, Clay, Calhoun, Benton, Cas-,
| Seward and other great names not few.
MS senatorial career OF SIX years embraced
the somewhat stormy period of the Mexican
war. He enjoyed the rather rare honor of serv-
ing upon the judiciary committee through
out his entire term of office. He was also
made chairman of the committee on printing,
and member of several other committees.
Declining to be candidate for reelection
he returned to the city of his adoption and
resumed the practice of law. His service
| first as an ovefsper, since 1860 As 4 trustee
Of Bowdoin College. has been as marked for
its efficiency as for its length. In 1872 his
Alma Mater conferred on him the degree OF
Doctor of Laws, an honor we'll and worthily
bestowed. He has been an active member OF
the Maine Historical Society and since 1873,
its president
| He has. moreover, for years considered i,
both privilege and an honor to be reckoned
as worker among fellow workers in the
Christian Church. With such a life of ex.
emplary industry and conspicuous success
behind him. he is here at the summons of his
mother town to aid in the glad celebration of
| her one hundredth birthday