The herald., 1893-11-14
TRIBUTE TO THE DEAD,
In Memory of an Honest Man
and an Honest Lawyer.
Judge Wade Honored by the Bar
Yesterday.
Judge Clark Presents tho Memorisl-A
Short Sketch of tho Life aud
Character of the Dead
Lawyer.

in the resolutions and memorial pre-
pared in memory of the late Judge W..
P. Wade.
That the high qualities OF mind and
heart of the deceased judge were fully
appreciated by his brother members OF
the bar was iully proven by the tributes
paid to them yesterday.
The assemblage was presided over by
Judge Van Dyke, and the memorial, as
follows, was read by Judge Clark:
When on the morning OF Monday, No.
vember 9th, the half .masted flag over
the court house told that in the quiet OF
the preceding Sabbath afternoon all that
was mortal OF Judge w. p. Wade had
passed away, it made known to this
community the loss of faithful and
honest servant; it informed the bar OF
the county of the death of one of its
most honored members.
William Pratt Wade was a native OF
Indiana. born in the town OF Craw fords-
vile in that state on january 81, A. d.,
1889. He was the son of Isaac Ferris
Wade and Alethea Heaton, and was the
fourth of a family of eight children. His
early boyhood presents no incidents
worthy of note. His parents were not
wealthy, and the only education they
we're able to afford him was such as
could be obtained in the public schools
of his native state. Upon completion of
his schooling young Wade wss ap.
prenticed to learn the trade OF q printer,
but although he completed his sp-
prenticship and mastered that trade,
he failed TO find in it congenial occu-
patton. He was not satisfied with it as
calling in life, and commenced the study
of the law, and was engaged and was en-
rolled as student in the Office of the
Hon. John w. Thompson, at Davenport,
Ia. While pursuing his studies in the
law the conflict between the north and
the south eliminated in the attack upon
Fort Sumter, and this was followed
shortly by the call OF President Lincoln
for volunteers. To this youpg'printer
and student, as to 80 many other young,
bright and earnest spirits, this call was
call of duty. BY the poet it is said
that:
$50 nigh is grandeur to our dust,
so near is God 10 man,
When duty whispers low, Thou must,
Tne youth replies, l can.
Duty whispered to this youth and he
promptly replied, II can." He enlisted
as private in the Second regiment of
Iowa infantry, and went to the front.
His service in the army continued for a
period of IA months and until, having
been severely wounded in the battle of
Ft. Donelson and incapacitated for fur
ther service, he was honorably dis
charged. 1t is an item of interest that
the colonel of his regiment wac N. P.
Chapman, cow q prominent lawyer in
the northern part of this state, and that
he was wounded in the came battle and
borne from the field ct the came time.
While in the army Wade had contin-
ued to devote his leisure moments to
the study OF his chosen profession, and
upon his discharge he resumed that
study and was finally called to the bar
and admitted to practice in the district
court at Davenport, Iowa, in 1858. He
practiced bis profession in that city for
one year. From 1864 to 1867 be was
engaged in the civil service o!
the federal government at Newburn, S.
c., and in the occupation OF cotton
planting in the state of Arkansas. In
1867 he resumed the practice of law and
settled at Kansas City, where he re-
manned until 1876. when he removed to
St. Louis, Mo. In 1880 he again changed
his field of labor and removed to Lead
vile. COL, and practiced his profession
there until August, 1884, when he came
to this etate. While at St. Louis ne
wrote and published his Fl rst law book
Wade on the Law of Notice, and that
work and his work on Retroactive
Laws, also written while at st. Louis,
as well ae his work on American Mining
Law, written and published while prac-
ticing at Leadville, and his work on the
Law OF Attachment, written and pub
lished while resident OF San Francisco,
has been accepted and are recognized ae
standard text books and authorities
upon their respective subjects.
In October, 1885, Judge Wade came to
Los Angeles and entered upon the prac.
tice OF the law in partnership with
Judge Silent and W. +. Fitzgerald, now
one Of the supreme judges of the state.
This partnership lasted but a short
practice his profession until, having
been elected a Judge of the superior
court of this county, he took his seat
upon the bench in January, 1889 From
that time up to the time of his death he
presided in department three of this
court.
Judge Wade was married in 1869 to
Amelia Britt, and leaves her his widow,
and large circle of devoted friende to
mourn his untimely decesse. By those
friends he will not soon be forgot.
They will mics his warm and friendly
greeting, his sincere interest in them
and their affairs. His character was
one easy OF analysis. While modest
and retiring he was yet positive man.
tie had no negatives. He never shun-
ned responsibility never turned aside
to avoid consequences. His nature
was singulerly pure, fearless, open and
sincere. He was absolutely incapable Ui
subteriuge or deceit.
These qualities of mind gave to hs
speech and manner, in dealing with the
causes before him, directness which
sometimes subjected him to the unmer-
tied criticem Of occasionally displaying
an absence OF that urbanity and coul-
tesy which should ever distinguish the
bench. But members OF tne bar and
those brought in contact with blm soon
learned that this was but the rough out
side. They soon came to know and ap-
preciate Wade and his strong and earn
eat character, and to realize that he
only eought to administer justice with
accuracy and dispatch, and then this
mistaken impression Of him passed
away. His WAS not cold, calculating,
polite disposition. He possessed not
the ats by which to '.pluck allegiance
from mems hearts," He never courted