El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-05-27

more than express our admiration Tor /
,he ma1, and our reverence for his |
we should do that, for l feel
that we all can :'see him as he novel,
modest, kindly all accomplished, wise,
with what sublime repression OF him
self, wearing the white flower of a !
blameless life"
MR.. L. H. DAVIS.
spoke as follows:
Mr.. Chairman:-I wish to add one
word and my sentiment and the sorrow
that [ feel as one of the younger mem
bers of the bar. Possibly L may be
pardoned for the short time L shall
occupy. 1 have known Major Davis
from the time he came to Ell Paso
The first time 1 met him was On his
return from Ysleta where he was at
tending court, and generally our fist
impressions are our best most
accurate impressions. My impression
then, formed on my first intrUducilan
and conversation with him. which has
never changed, was that he was from
the moment he arrived the leader OF
the bar of Ell Paso by common consent
saw in him a man of dignity and
power and man Of more than ordinary
ability and with more than ord nary
character. He impressed young
man at any rate, with that view. Al
ter that frequently, when | held very
humble position as magistrate, he
honOred me by appearing some in my
court. Ia those days that was frequent
ly the case. And sitting in the posi-
tion that [ did L had an opportunity to
study the workings of his mind more
than | would, as an Opponeat meeting
him in the trial of clses, ard | found
that one of his peculiar traits was that
he seemed to grasp the very bottom
principle of a case Instantly. 1t didn't
seem to be the result of an effort, but
he seemed to see the point. While
others would be probably wasting 1t
great deal of time in trivial matters
and technicalities, Major Davis seemed
to see it with an eagle eye and jump
right into the very center OF 1t. aud
generally the rest of the attorneys
engaged in the case came to the same
conclusion that he did. But above
it all, as has been so elOquently said by
the other members of the bar, we Will
miss the kindly feeling that he ex-
hibited to all the members Of the bar.
particularly to the younger ones, ard
we shalt miss him as long as we are
member of this bar. We will never
come into the court room but what we
will think of him.
In conclusion, [ know OF no more
eloquent image and idea than s"as
expressed by ChOate on the death Of
Webster, which [ venture to apply on
this Occa siOn:
The Northman's image of death is
tiuer than that o! other cimes: no
skeleton, bat gigantic figure that
envelopes men within the massive
folds of its dark garment Judge
Davis seems SO enShrOUded from our
sight. The robe draws around him,
and the era is passed.
Motion by Judge Allen B'aclzec that
the resolutions be adopted, which mo
ton was seconded by Judge Edwards
and Mr.. Stanton.
JUDGE KEMP,
put the motion and spoke as follows:
GENTLEMEN:-You have heard the
motion of Judge Biacker, that the res
olutions be adopted. Before the ques-
ton is put, gent. emen, [ simply desire
to state that it is peculiarly graf flying
to me, sustaining as | did the lntimat5
relation as friend and partner Of Msj ~
Davis: to listen to the eloquent res j
buttons, the adoption of which has beea
moved, and the glowing tributes that
nave been paid to that good ma1'5
name. 1t is gra flying to me not only
on account of the elOquence with which
they have beea cOucned, bat bee luse
be was my friend, and because from
viewing his life as [ have, [ know that
ne ocScINcS tutu Ny
with Ma or Davis, da eS back tEentt
nine years. He was the first acquaint
ance that 1 made when [ came 10 East
ern Texas. In June, 1865, | carried Il
Litter of introduction TO HIM from
Judge Willie. afterwards chief justice
Of the supreme court. From the ac-
quaintance that was made on that June
morning friendship r'peued which
afterwards developed into The assoc a
ton of partner between us in 1919. It
was not until aft erward, however, tn at
[ became intimately associated with
him. From 1915 until 1885, when be
removed to Ell Paso. L conIuctel a sep
arate office: he was lOcat ID at Bryan
and I was located at Calvert. and co l.
sequently | was not so Intimately as
sOciated with him as [ was a'terward
when | came to this place in 1850. But
from that time until the hour when it
was my melancholy privilege to stand
by his bedside and close his eyes, [
felt that l had friend whom [ could
always rely upon and trust: and nOT
that he is gone there is not only Il va
cant chain 10 his Office, but there has
been torn away an Object to which my
affections chung. AS has been 81 q by
Judge Sexton and the other gentlemen
VINO have testified as j. his character.
he was a wonderful man in many re-
spects. | hesitate to allude to his sor-
rows, but we all know them. We know
that he walked through life carrying
burden that would have crushed to
earth most CT US. 1t would have over
whelmed me, and [ doub5 whether
there is another member of this bar
who could have held up un Ter the iO1d
that he carried. Yet for the twelve
years that l stood by his side | never
heard that man murmur and never
heard him utter complaint: but h.
went on treading the tnorny path of
duty and accomplishing he disc oarged
every duty that arose. Now thai be Is
gone he has left an example worthy of
emulation and memory hat should be
cherished [ thought yesterday as ]
rode up to his last resting place and
saw the sun setting behind Mount
Franklin, giving those rocks rosy
hue as it sank TO rest. that it was en-
blem attic of the life of that good man
who was then going 10 his grave; and
that as be sank into the bosom of moth
err earth. he left behind him a glorious
etfulg ence that lighted up the thOrny
paths that he had tired. 1t is great