Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1892-06-09
THE TRIBUTE OF A FRIEND.

Dr. L. Is. k~ingsbury, the cultured
and tireless editor of the Whining.
ton Messenger, fittingly lays the
tribute Of a full heart and sn affec.
tlonate remembrance upon the grave
OF his lifetime friend-a man whose
memory will indeed be ever warmly
cherished in his native North Caro-
lima, that ne loved so well, Col. VIM.
L Saunders.
DR.. Kingsbury says:
Owe have read with unrepressed
pleasure and satisfaction the elegant.
thoughtful, tasteful, beautiful ora
ton of Col. Alfred M. Waddell on
Col. William L. Saunders. 1t is an
artistic and admirable performance
throughout. The style is fine
scholarly, graceful, liquid. The
analysis of the able North CAROLYN
ian's mental and social qualities is
exact, we think, and most deftly
wrought. He has with fine iudg-
meut avoided excess, and has done
equal and ample justice to the strong
man whose character he celebrates
III such charming rhetoric. We
thank the speaker for his noble and
eloquent tribute to one Of the fore
most me we were at school with, in
some sense the best balanced man if
not the most purely intellectual Of
all, and among the abiest men of the
State since Judge Badger passed
from the scene.
TEe'e are two Or Three fine pa
thetio strokes in the grafton, and we
are not surprised to learn that tears
fell from eyes not accustomed to
weeping when the closing scene and
the farewell were given il such ten
der aud APPLY chosen words.
We were sever years the senior of
Col. Saunders and were at school with
him at Lovejoy's Military Academy
in 1886. He was as full of fun
and as playful as a kitten, and the
brightest Of all the boys of his age.
In manhood's prime, he was very
like his appearance in boyhood. s'The
boy was father of the man." The
other two %supremely intellectual
boys-older than Bill-were David
NJ. Garter and Edward Graham
Haywood, of whose class we were a
member. There was a dozen or
more other intellectual boys, some
of whom persisted in their early
prime, but these three no doubt had
the highest intellects of the school.
Some eighteen or twenty years
ago we met Saunders and Haywood
one morning in front of the Raleigh
court house. We soon drifted into
old times, when Saunders reminded
us Of an incident in III lives we had
forgotten. He said to Haywood,
"When l see him (referring to this
writer I am reminded of a funn y
experience of my boyhood. When a
little fellow ! was put on trial for
! highly unmilitary conduct Think
! of it-a little chap so high Quitting
out his hand to indicate the size)
gravely arraigned for some little fun
on SO serious a charge. Wasn't it
funny and ridiculous Well, the
trial came off and | got K. to appear
in my defense and he got me Off"
THAI was our first and only speech
in court.
What a gay, Joyous nature he had
before a terrible disease racked and
tore him with pains. But ever the
sevelest suffering could not change
the sweetness and ~cheerfulness OF
his disposition or ssfre1ze the genial
currents of the SOUL" We had two
interesting talks with him when we
called to see him during his visit te
Wilmington less than a year before
his p.ssing away. In the last visit
we were alone and had the only
confidential conversation we ever
held with him. 1t was very pleasant
to both, we have reason to know.
He had a noble, generous, brave
great heart. There was nothing
small in him. He was not perfec
or infallible, but he was true ant
honorable and "full of the milk O.
human Kindness. He has served
his State as but few men could hav'
served it. He has been true to him
self and his noble manhood in ever
relation of life. He had many vir
tues and hosts of friends. The trib
ute paid by the eloquent Waddel
was unlike so many tributes W
have read-it vas very richly mer
tied. He sets forth his services an
, high qualities in rhetoric that dc
serves to be cherished among tn
choicest productions of the Mort
, Carolina mind. A highly endowe
intellect and a noble nature will b
better known by reason of thi
charming, refined and impressiv
. Grafton. We are in old age mos