Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-09-16
IN sIEsIoRIANI.

In oIEMORIAM.
S. FERGUSON BEACH. for forty. three years
citizen Of this town, died yesterday at Shep-
pard's hospital, in Baltimore county Nd, III
the sixty-fifth year of his age.
In the spring of 1890 Mr.. Beach had an
attack of the grip, under which he was great
" Frustrated, and never entirely rallied from
its effects but on his partial recovery in June
of that year he tried an ocean voyage by
medical advice, and returned, after two
months in England, somewhat restored in
health.
He devoted himselfat once to his profess
sional work, which, in his sickness and alb
sence, had greatly accumulated; and though
his physical condition, never very strong,
hardly justified even casual attention 10 bust
ness, lie threw himself into the arrears with
even more than his usual ardor, so that the
summer of 1891 found him neryously pros
trated, unable to coltinSe yet unwilling to
desist.
After few MONTH of unavailing effort to
rally he withdrew from practice, resigning
the residency OF the First National Bank,
with which he had long been connected. and
consented to try the rest cure at Sheppard's;
but the resolve was too late, and after two
years of peaceful ropose, his life painlessly
closed.
Mr.. Beach was born in Trumbull, Conn. He
was the second son of Rev. John Burton Beach
and Emmaline Hawley, his wife. His older
brother, Rev. John W. Beach, DID, of Middle.
town, Conn, is his only surviving collateral
relative.
He prepared for college at Wilbraham
Academy. Massachusetts, and was graduated
from Wesleyan University, Middletown,
Connecticut, in the class of 1916, the young
est in years, but the valedictorian and first IN
honors.
After graduation, he taught school in New
York for year or two, and later was pri-
vate tutor in Prince Georges county, Md.
flom which place he came TO Alexandria as
school, While thus engaged he read dill
gently for the bar, and in 1S51-'52 was IL
censed TO practice lone of his examining Judges
being the late r. c. L. Moncure, formerly
president of the Court of Appeals OF Virginia,
for whom he had a warm regard, and between
whom and Mr.. Beach there existed ever after
ward a kindly and sincere friendship.
In 1854 he married Elizabeth Morgan,
daughter of John and Eliza Morgan, members
of the Society Of Friends.
His wife, woman Of great strength and
beauty of character, to whom he was de-
o,ed y attached, died IN 1878.
Save g brief service at one time as collector
of the port, and later for two years (1S6S-
'7O) as district attorney of the United States
for the Eastern district of Virginia, Mr.
Beach never held public Office.
A firm believer in the political necessity of
the Union, and a republican when it took
courage to be republican, he was never par
tissn; his inherited and natural love for the
North never blinded him TO the good of the
r, loaa Jo-.lnnmept nd nrnurasc he
had continued interest and all abiding faith.
His law practice, after the first few years of
his noyitiate, was large and varied, and he
actively engaged before the courts, State and
federal of this circuit, the Court of Appeals
of Virginia and the Supreme Court of the
United States.
AS an adviser in matters outside Of court his
Judgment, it is not too much to say, was great
" sought after, and his opinion profoundly re-
spected.
Asa trier of cases below, and as counsel in
appellate courts his Distinguishing character
istics were fairness, clearness, directness and
breyity he not infrequently stated the other
side of the case more favorably than his adj
versary and he never sought verdict, decree
or opinion save as result or demonstration.
Before jury be did not dispise rhetoric
and the little arts that pass for oratory; he
was simply ignorant of these, and his only
eloquence was the eloquence of earnest and
logical conviction.
His style was, in the main, conversational
his manner easy yet spirited, and his sim
plicity was the perfection of art.
While his reading for the bar was after the
strictest sect of common law, he looked upon
law and justice as living things, growth and
an evolution and though deferential to au
thority, it was the authority of reason as Of
D sitive enactment and he was never heep-
er up Of cases.
His lay reading was rather deep than wide !:
he was particularly fond of moral and social
science, and the result of all his knowledge
was greater humility, stronger striving after
q standard by which he judged himself, of all
others, most severely.
The secret of his life was thorough and |
constant preparation; and being ever willing |
to carry the load Of Others, he would never
suffer any to tighten his own.
More than charitable IN his estimate of |
others, he was with himself rigidly exacting /; |
and thinking nothing if not good Of his fr'- |
low men, of his own merits he was the last o |
learn.
His profession, his books and his home wcro
The treefold devotion of his life; though t |
1umindf1l of the use of social intercourse, in |
which when opportunity offered none were |
more buoyant and brilliant than he, his stu
lent nature and the diffidence of thoughtful
habit, sometimes mistaken for austerity, rem
iered his personal life peculiarly retired.
He professed no religion; he lived one.
Perhaps his creed was that given by great
thinker whose autobiography was one of his
'avorite books:
Justice, temperance, verseity, persevei-
.nce readiness to encounter pain and espe-
Tally labor regard for the public good; esti-
nation Of persons according to their merits,
md of things according to their intrinsic USE
'uIness q life of e1ertion in contradistinction
o one of self.indulgent ease and sloth."
If there be such force as that of moral eI-
nipple, the end is not yet. d. d. Z.