The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-12-08

A hard, earnest, untiring worker and a
thorough student Of the law, Mr.. Bulls car.
eer rs lawyer Was marked by steady and
gradual advancement to the foremost rank
in hi, profession, rather than by any sudden
advancement or special exhibition Of bril-.
liancy that placed him in the high position
as lawyer, whore he stood at his death. No
matter what the character of the case in
hand, he studied it exhaustively, from the
legal point of view, as we'll as from the pos
iton the evidence would be likely to place
it, 80 that on the trial he was never taken by
surprise; he was always prepared on every
point And this thOroughness extended
through the entire conduct Of q case, from
the Justice TO the Supreme Court; he never
risked anything that hard work could guard
against, and never counted on chance, but
when change did give him an opportunity,
hi, previous preparation Of his case enabled
him to take full advantage Of it, generally to
| the discontinue of his adversary. And here
in is, for young man, the chief lesson Of
his fe:--the example Of an indomitable
will, ceaselss, energy ana a logged perse
versncs which overcomss oil obstaoles-the
gift. or faculty, or self-crestsd power (call it
what you will), that is by most men account
ed greater than the sacred FIRE Of geniuswhich
too often waits for an opportunity and is
frittersd away in spasmotio and fruislsss
sndeavor. His enc mistake WAS perhaps an
over concentration Of his mind on his busi-
moss, TO tho detriment Of his physical self.
| A man in his position, Of course, is always
ovsrowded with clients, whose business 10
most often Of weighty concern. The man
Who does most is always look ell to as able to
do more. 1t WAS so with Mr.. Bull, and as q
result, he overtaxed himself; and to gain
time to think and act, he neglected to take
care of himself in large degree, so that
when his illness came his BODY WAS unpre.
pared for the assault upon it,--a condition a
lesser man would never have encounte red.
As an examiner Of witnesses he had few
equals among the La Sale county bar during
the period covered by his career, and prob
ably no superior As jury lawyer, he was
wonderfully successful. He never talkel at
jury, but always TO it, and his manner and
the preparation of his matter was impressive
when he lost, it was because of the over
whelming merit of the opposition. During
his earlier career in Ottawa he became justly
celebrated as a criminal lawyer, and as such
had wide reputation as one of the most
succ, ssful practitioners in the Northwest,
and for years no great criminal case was
tried in this county in which he had not a
part on one side or the other, generally on
the side of the defense; but of late years he
mad Withdrawn more or less from that line
possibly, because few cases of Importance
have appeared in our courts,-and given his
attention more largely to purely law and
chancery cases, in which the labor was
doubtless greater though the public attention
drawn to him was less, and in most of
the really great causes he represented some
one interested
| lie formed few close friendships perhaps
most men who are as busy and earnest in
| their work as he was, or loved so much as he
the quiet peace and comfort of his home and
the companionship of his family,-dO form
MANI cioea relations outside of theft family
circle; yet he had many near and dear
friends, both here and elsewhere 20 whom he
was as faithful as the sun is stesdfast. To
all the world be was genial, cordial, obliging;
in social gatherings an entertaining CONVEX
sationalist and pleasant companion. But
most of all, when out of his office, be was
! man of the home and there he sought chiefly