Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-08-13

in this city has just died and | want to
speak Of him a moment through your
paper.
1t is not easy to judge impartially of
one for whom you have felt profound
friendship, the friendship that does not
talk about it, but each knows is there, the
friendship that need not be looked after
or watched or worried about, the friend
ship that comes from forces we cannot
fathom and need not try. 1t is not EASY. |
have said, to write impartially OF one
whose friendship has been valued deeply,
and it does not much matter il can not
The papers of this city have given a
brlet sketch of his life, the history of
which told there shall not enter upon, but
wish Indirectly to call to the attention
OF those living one or two general ions be-
yond his active life, some Of he character
istlcs hat have made him, especially in he
generation behind US, a man of strength
and influence in the communities in
which he lived; and what better need be
said of any man than that he was a
II
community and home? In the long run
no man can be strong whose judgment is
not level, and when that strength is given
to the clean side Of things intellectual
and moral we have Il citizen whose inhu-
enee for good cannot be half measured.
first met him in my office very soon
after came to Ellsworth to begin my
mr. faSa nj
ago. | do not know just how it came
about, but it WAS not long before we were
friends, and both knew it, he at seventy
one, at twenty-eight.
| remember some of the things that first
attracted me his strong interest in all
matters pertaining to my profession, and.
what seemed to me naturally. his excel
lent Judgment in considering the differ
enee between the large body of more or
less educated men who form our different
professions and the quacks OF all calliugs
that seem So attractive to many. His
hatred of humbug, OF pretension, WAS
only equalled by his clear insight Most
men dislike humbug, dislike pretenslon,
even when that pretension is more or less
honest; one or two or three in thousand
only can see it. In this he seemed to me
to be specially clear headed man. 1t
was not surely altogether because he be-
lleYed as dld about the men who gain
place among the people without work or
study in he profession that | follow, be-
cause this strong common SENSE insight of
which speak applied to all callings and
ali conditions of men. He dtspised sham
and saw it above most men That | know.
1t Is so easy here to be taken as | do
not mean that | want to qualify in a
word what | have said above. | have
vet to learn that men who talk most
about sham and hypocrisy are to be meas
ured by such language. To air ones
knowledge of human nature by railing
at whatever may be in question; to con-
denim uuheard whatever comes along,
whether II be man or opinion, is extreme
ly easy as well as unwise and unjust. 1t
too often passes for real coin. Nothing
could be turt her from Mr.. joys judgment
than this. | have found him extremely
generous in his opinions of men and of
measures; it could be illustrated in scores
of ways.
| also remember another thing away
back there that | admired his clear and
graceful diction. HIS wide reading of
the best newspapers, extending to many
valuable books, had something to do with
forming it no doubt, but such things are
part of a man, and are only helped from
outside sources. Once or twice | confess
to having quoted his words when | have
spoken i'll public, it was said in a so much
better way than could say it.
He came to my office for years from
once to three or four times a month. II
was busy when he came | would find
him a book or journal and without excuse
go about my work. Sometimes | would
be obliged to leave him. 1t was all UNI
derstood. No explanation was ever made
nor offence taken. All these seem like
small matters but love to think about
them, and they are not small in the sense
that they, and things like them, are the
best test of all of us. The capabilities of
strong friendship that on his part l
know existed, the absence of offence at
the lack Oh lOrtnal excuses, the Wlue ana
generous interest in all things of pro-
gress, the love of truth, the hatred OF
sham, the rare discernment that could
see the imposition before his pockets We're
rtled, the clear-cut rhetoric all uncon-
scious are some of the things which adj
mired in him
He lived a long and useful life and not
weak thing about him from his robust
reason to his rugged constitution. His
wife, who died many years ago, | never
knew, but if his frequent remarks of her
were typical of her character, she was a
noble woman indeed. He told me often
OF her faith, and that it was his own, and
for those who can accept it, what more
beautiful and inspiring thought than
much that was taught by Swedenborg!