The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-05-12
One of Seattle's Brightest
Lawyers Passes Away.
INCIDENTS OF HIS CAREER.
A High Authority Upon the question
OF Tide Land Ownership-His
Fatal Illness.

was spent in Boston, where his father.
William y. Gale, one of the prominent
! lawyers OF that city. still lives. Young
| Gale prepared for college at the famous
| Phillips An6over academy, and afterward
entered Harvard. During his college
| course he won high honor for his attain
| ments as a scholar, and he also was one OF
| the leading athletes OF his class-an excel
| lent wrestler and runner, and being a
| member of his class crew and the football
| team. Upon his graduation in 1877.
| he went to the law school OF Michigan
university at Ann Arbor for two years.
| There he soon won distinction as a sue
cessiul athlete and successful student.
His genial manners made him favorite
with all, and he was elected president OF
his class.
Soon after leaving Michigan university,
in 1879. he was married to Miss Leslie
Whiting, a member of one of the wealth
lest families of Lowell. Mass. She shared
his liking for out of door life, and the
couple spent the fall of 1879 in a cruise
down the Atlantic coast in William
B. Gales yacht, the Pirate. Mr..
Gale was al accomplished sailor.
and he and mis- wife managed the
vessel alone. They went as far south as
Key West, and the story of the trip was
told BY Mr.. Gale in series of delightful
letters to one of the Boston papers.
Mr.. Gale began his legal career by going
into his fathers Office. The elder Mr..
Gale was associated with Benjamin F.
Butler in many of the latter's most i'm
portant cases. and young Gale rendered
material assistance by preparing a num-
Der of the briefs. In 1882 or 1888 he pre-
pared the brief for the case of
Sprague against Bigelow. In this suit
Sheriff Sprague. of Worcester county,
brought suit for libel and the defense was
conducted by Benjamin F. Butter and
William B. Gale. The trial lasted seven
teen days and was one of the celebrated
ones of New England.
When young Gale found himself fully
equipped for practice, he decided to come
West and make name for himself in a
new community He arrived at Seattle in
January, 1889, and at that time he was a
specimen of perfect physical manhood.
For short time ne was in the office of
Burke & Halter. and then he was
joined by John ?. Fay. an
old Eastern acquaintance in the firm of
Gale 4 Fay. They took the rooms which
they have since that time occupied, in the
Boston block. The young firm came at
once to the front Mr.. Gale prepared the
Valentine scrip cases. which are among
the most important ever tried in
Washington. They resulted from an
attempt to file the Valentine scrip
on tide lands. and they involved the whole
question of the rights of the general gov
4 4.
tide lands. There were al cases, for
which Mr.. Gale was retained and they
affected the ownership of the tide lands at
all of the principal places on Puget sound.
Mr.. Gale resisted the scrip filings, and
won all of his cases. He also Influenced
materially the tide land legislation passed
at Olympia; and the state laws on this
subject bear the impress of his hand in
every part. His reputation was so high
for knowledge on this subject that he was
summoned to Portland by the Union Pa
cite to give advice concerning certain of
their tide lands in Oregon.
Mr.. Gale had a wide practice in other
branches of law. for he was attorney for
the Boston National bank and some six
teen eastern corporations doing business
here. 1t is a singular fact that though in
private he was clear and forctbie taiker,
he was nevertheless extremely diffident; he
shrank from speaking on public occasions.
and even dreaded to appear in court. Con-
tention with opposing counsel was task
for which he felt himself untitled. Con-
sequently he seldom appeared at public
gatherings, and most OF the court work
was done by the junior member of the
firm. In speaking of the matter Mr. Fay
said last night: In all my life have
never met a lawyer who could take up
large and intricate case and work
ii out so clearly and perfectly
as Mr.. Gale. His mental processes were
rapid. lucid and absolutely logical. He
was an ideal counsel, and though he had
great determination and courage vet a
harsh word from an opponent in public
would make him cover like q woman. In
his work he always went back TO first
principles. His Blackstone aDd his Kent
he knew by heart, and he would almost
invariably throw aside modern reports and
decisions to apply the principles found
there"
The severe work upon the tide land
cases was probably the first cause of Mr..
Gales fatal illness. 4 year ago last No
yember he began suffering from fistuIa.
Since he had never known illness he neg
lccted to consult 8 physician for some
time. Then be went East TO submit - an
operation. Last summer he returned con.
| siderably broken in health, but he supposed
be was suffering from slight blood
poisoning. In September he again Wen;
! back 10 Boston. and with disregard OF
| consequences which amounted almost &c
to- ~ r.i -, 49, s. d.
| cruise 10 Florida. Storms had no terror
| for him. ana accompanied by his faithful
| wife and one sailor he went ont around Cape
| Cod and down the coast. When he reached
| Norfolk he was so i'll that he had 10 be
| carried ashore. He was taken by train tt
| Boston, where. N January. his physician
| told him he had consumption which woulc
| Kill hum In five days. With characteristic,
v.eor he rose from his bed. ;ossec
| the medicines out OF the win
dow. discharged his doctor ano
| the next day started with hjs-wife for 81
attic. They sailed for Panama and crosse ed
| the Isthmus. bat by The time the vesse
reached Los Angeles On the way Up III.
| coas: he was 50 low that he had 70 be car
RED ashore. Tothe end he hoped for re
| coye-y. ami persisted N believing that hi:
A-t-N9H = - SfA'a sCAti ifSN<ttA MS letters x
! his friends here and n The East were ful
| Of courage
In Seattle he had many warm friends
| who were attracted by his genial manner
and kindly heart. In his profession h,
| vas regarded IS one Of the coming men @
| the Northwest. HIS success IN bushes:
| Was striking. Tor ne has an estate Of about
| SNa.@p. most Of II accumulated during h.
! residence hers. The only social orcaniza
| icons OF which he ms a member were N.
| = ains.ar t'..-h M -,