The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-05-17
JUDGE WATERMAN.
Memorial Exercises in the Supreme Court
Yesterday Forenoon

IN the supreme C0urG yesterday lore
noon exercises were held in memory of
the late Judge John A. Waterman. Hon.
Sewall G. Strout, president of the Cumber-
land Bar, introduced the proceedings
with brief announcement of the object
of the meeting, to which he added this
estimate of Judge Waterman's charac-
ter:
''His sterling integrity, his high char
acter for learning and ability, his modes
ty and urbanity, commanded that conf
dence and respect of the community,
which he had long enjoyed. AS a lawyer
he displayed a large familiarity with
legal lore, and as a judge he always
maintained calm equilibrium, suitable
and necessary in one who is to hear and
decide. Patient to listen, cautious to
prevent mistake or injustice, and firm in
his ultimate conclusions, his administra-
ton of that judicial department, over
which he presided for series of years.
was alike honorable to himself and use
full to the public"
Hon. Joseph w. Symonds followed.
He spoke of Judge Watermarl's birth,
parentage and youth, of his early school
days at Gorham academy where Chief
Justice Peters was among his school
mates; and of his life at Bowdoin. ''Mr.
Waterman he said, twas graduate of
Bowdoin college in the class of 1S46, and
it is striking illustration of the part
Bowdoin has played in the legal history
of Maine, not to speak of other fields
than the law, and of the number of her
graduates who have won distinction at
the Bar in other States than Maine, that
among his classmates were Jairus Ware
Perry, the author of the work upon
trusts, Josiah Pierce, Jr., who began
practice in Portland, but has lived abroad
acquiring an honorable fame by other
than professional paths, William Whit
ney Rice, the distinguished citizen and
public man of Worcester, Massachusetts,
Charles Augustus Spofford and Thomas
Hammond Talbot; and if we were to in
clude all who were contemporary with Mr.
Waterman during any period of his col
lege course, the list would contain the
names of Joseph Dane, Samuel Jameson
Anderson, Henry Knight Bradbury, the
three brothers Deane, David Robinson
Hastings, Charles Weston Larrabee,
George Freeman Moves, William Writ
Virgin, Alvah Black, Moses Morrill, But
Ter, Thomas Amory DeBlois Fessenden,
Tnhp Muprno Cood1uip po1rb Wa11ns
johnson, William Colburn Marshall,
Charles Benjamin Merrill, Frederick Fox,
Dexter Arnold Hawkins, Samuel Fisher
Humphrey, Albert Harris Ware and JOS
eph Williamson" In Judge Symonds's
opinion Judge Waterman would be re-
membered best as Judge of Probate.
"At the time of his appointment in 1868
there had been but three predecessors in
that office since the organization of our
State, Barrett Potter, Josiah Pierce, sem
Tor. and William G. Barrows. There
have been but two successors since the
close of Judge Waterman's term of Office
in 1876, Nathan Cleaves and the present
honored incumbent, who has come lat
est to the succession, the last and the
only living one in the distinguished line.
No predecessor now survives. In that
forum of ancient and ascertained right,
where so vast interests are involved,
where DEGREES affecting all estates are
entered in successive periods of compar-
atively brief duration, and where happi-
ly there is little tendency to litigation,
Judge Waterman distinguished himself
by his learning and judgment, as well as
by thatrare and exquisite courtesy which
comes from the heart and which is so ex-
cellent a thing in a Judge presiding there
yphnTp the S11itnrS nf thay1n houo
felt the sharpness of recent sorrow"
In conclusion Judge Symonds said:
s'Firmer friends than Judge Waterman
had, a more stainless character than his,
are not met with in this world. In the
struggle of life, only the few win
worthier or better prizes than he. He
died beloved and lamented."
Hon. Fabius NJ. Ray followed. In the
course of his remarks he spoke as fol-
lows of Judge Waterman as lawyer and
man: 'sAs a general practitioner he was
often engaged in the courts of law where
he conducted his cases with marked
ability. But always after my acquant-
ance with him, which began before my
own admission to the bar, he seemed to
me to approach the affairs of his clients
from judicial standpoint. rather than
that of the mere advocate or hired at
JOrney. lie d1d not assume tnaI sutton
was necessarily in the right because he
had placed his cause in his hands; and
haye no hesitancy in saying that he
would have scorned to resort to any of
the methods usually denominated
smart to extort verdict from passion
or prejudice on the part of a jury.
ITO strangers he may have appeared
reserved; but those who knew him best
bear unanimous testimony to the uni
form kindliness of his disposition and
constancy of his friendships. Although
guarded in his conversation he was
possessed of a keen sense of humor, and
was apt at repartee; but his wit was
never of the sort that wounds, but rather
brought healing to the wounds which
others had inflicted.
SIN the course of his life it was his lot
to suffer severe affections under which
his heart bled as loving and tender
heart must; but he always came forth
from the ordeal, erect in the strength of
a noble manhood, discharging the duties
which destiny allotted, better, if that
were possible, because his soul had been
chastened with SORROW
Judge Walker of Bridgton, in the
course of his remarks said stOthers