Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-03-24
RESOLUTIONS PRESENTED
Te the st. Louis Court Of Appeals in
Reference to Judge hacfarlane,
Deceased. by Hon. w. h.
Kennan, Of the
Mexico Bar.

Hon. w. n. Keunan, who was ap-
pointed by the bar of Mexico to pre-
sent resolutions before the st. Louis
Court of Appeals In reference to Judge
G. B. Macfarlane, deceased, In pre-
senting said resolutions made the fol-
lowing appropriate address:
Please the Court: / ask permission
to file and have spread upon the records
resolutions Of respect passed by the
Mexico Bar, in memory of the deeply
lamented Judge Geo. B. Macfarlane,
who had been, up to the day OF his
death, an honored member OF that
bar for thirty three years. beg the
indulgence of the Court to permit me
to supplement the resolutions, which
have just read, with some remarks
in memory of my departed friend,
brother and neighbor.
knew Geo. B. Macfarlane before he
had reached his majority, more than
forty years ago. He was as quiet and
thoughtful, reserved and modest in
his youth ss he wac In his mature
years. knew him when he was
student at the old Richland Academy
in 1858. He was considered one Of
the best students in the Academy.
II he was pre-eminent in any one of
his studies 1t was mathematics.
When the war came on our paths in
life, for q time, diverged. did not
meet him again until came to Mexico
in 1859, where I found him engaged in
the practice OF law. We renewed our
friendship, (which lasted until the.day of
his death. He told me be read law In
Illinois and began the practice there
In 1854, and that In 1855 he came to
Mexico and opened law ofice. At
this time his means, friends and
Library were very scant. Many then
eminent lawyers from the surrounding
counties did much of the best practice
at the Mexico bar. He patiently and
industriously struggled along rs best he
could. By his industry, affable man
ners and close attention to business
Oh1A aooou w AAAiy NO mouc Auohy
friends and sufficient means to add
books to his library and purchase the
actual necessaries of life. He served
as Justice of the Peace, City Recorder
and Probate Judge with credit to him
self and profit to the public. After he
had been at the bar at Mexico for
seven long years he brought his first
suits of Importance, which were eject
ment suits involving titles to some of
the best business properties in the
city. He had pitted against him in
the management and trial of these
suits w. J. Howell, OF Paris, whom
the people thought was almost invinci-
BILE "a lawyer. Howell was great
lawyer. These suits were held in
court for three years before q final
trial was reached. They were notIy
contested. Howell put into them his
best thought and greatest energy.
They were his last hard-fought legal
battles and the first of young Macfar-
lanes. Macfarlane triumphed. From
the day he won these suits up to the
time he took his seat on the Supreme
Bench he never lacked for clients.
He was after that on one side Of every
important case.
He was the most constantly laborious
lawyer I ever knew. He scarcely
ever lost q moment from his Office.
He mingled but little among the peo-
pie, SO much absorbed was he in his
profession he was 30 deeply in love
with. He had learned that the secret
of success is constsncy to purpose.
He, as now remember, never suf-
fered himself to be called to court. He
never sought to advertise In that man
ner. He relied solely on his merit. II
he had business In the court he was
found always under the eyes OF the
court. He was always ready to answer
promptly "ready" or "not ready"
when his cases were called. Henever
trlfied with the court. He had the
full respect of the court and all the
attendant officers. He was deliberate
and easy In manner, agreeable In
the trial OF his cases and very cour-
teous to opposing counsel.
He was an expert as q direct as we'll
as cross examiner. He was so gen.
tie in manner and kind in tone that he
made the witness his friend. He was
| brief in his examinations.
He knew what he wanted from the
witness. He asked the question pointed
ly and got an answer and quit. He ad-
dressed q jury az though he was talk
ing to them around the fireside. He
vas anything but graceful In position
and gesture before jury. He sought
to convince rather than please. He
relied on the facts proven and the
law declared by the court to win his
cases. He was one OF the few lawyers
who could represent corporation
and win verdicts before jury. His
great strength lay In his perfect fair
ness In the statement Of his cases and
his unfaitering integrity.
l He was especially kind 20 the young
attorneys at the bar. II associated
with them he did nothing to humiliate
them. He advised with and deferred
to them as they were bis equal as a
lawyer.
| don't remember 10 have ever met
or heard OF bis being In q justice
court rs an attorney. He was not
fitted for that kind Of "rough and
tumble" practice. He preferred not
to enter that arena where the
mere assertion "a to what the Law
was passed a. current as the real law
itself.
His elevation to the Supreme Bench
never In the least turned fiis head. II
suything, when he came 20 bis home,
which he often did, he mixed more
with the people than he ever did.
He was . member OF the Presby-
terisn church. He never paraded
his religion before the world. He
lived Il fully. He never intruded his
Il ff~- II -f<-s~ d III n. :.