Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1899-02-15


great part Of this strength aud thoroughness
resulted from his uniting aud persistent In
dustry. This continued with him until the
very last--beyond the allot ed three score aud
ten years. His disposition to get at the very
bottom ofthiugs MAS marked aid we'll known.
His ABSORPTION, In "a task Of this kind, was 50
complete that at times he became almost OBJ
iivious TO his surroundings. While he was
thus ''grubbing", as he ca,led IL, he seemed to
be almost hidden from sight among the facts,
the law, and the precedents-which he stirred
up aroun him. but when be had "gruboed"
and piled and burned the brush, the ground
was cleared and the roots and solid trunks of
his research were gathered together In assort-
ed heaps aud were the very best materials
within reach 10 strengthen and fOrtify his po-
sition. 1 doubt il any one ever heard Judge
Willett cite a case which only 'squinted" in
the direction Of the point hes ught TO establish
Hin reliance was not in the multiplicity VI his
authorities, but In their exact parallelism
with his side Of tn case under consideration.
No ole could calculate ON taking up a case
from which Judge lett had read, and fluid.
ing therein any support for the opposite side
of the controversy. He was not the man to
be "hoist on his own pitard."
have frequently heard him assert that If a
case were not directly in point, or ION all
TO es," as the courts sometimes put it, with
the case under consideration. he would prefer
not Ia fer to it at ALL but supp rt his position
by argument from general legal principals.
This dislike for uncertain things was charac'
terisiic of the man. The sim .,lest, The plain
-st, the most easily understood and widely
h.., rot a
his arguments aud give point to his conclu.
sons. Judge Wilett's methods AMI thorough.
ness made him particularly at home In our
court OF last resort, and his success In that TIL
DunaI was phenomenal.
Among the strongest phases of Judge Will
'ett's character was his thorough dislike OF all
sham. or artifice. Nothing aroused his ami
mostly more than to have client deceive him
into the belief that he had a better or stronger
case, under his statement, than he was able.tc
sustain by his oath on the witness stand. He
looked upon such conduct by IA client as an
abuse of his professional relationship with
such client, and resented 1t accordingly.
have thus far mentioned more particular
ly some of the professional characteristics Of
Judge Wiilett, MS they have from time TO time
impressed me- They are no more noteworthy
than were his characteristics as a citizen
| neighbor and friend.
He was never a seeker after public Office, al
though In the early sixties he was for time
called to the office of county treasurer, OF this
| county, and also for four years filled the posi-
| tion of county judge. later he was elected II
our state senate, and in all these positions ht
did his full duty and gave general satisfaction
| to his constituency.
Judge Willetts memory was remarkable
and his mind was well stored with life expert
| ences. az well a. with book knowledge. H,
delighted In anecdote and some of his detailed
reminlscences were entertaining to a degree
Ia him the younger members Of the profession
found a sympathetic friend, always ready Il
| listen to, and t. encourage, them by Wis
counsel and timely suggestions, and the use O
| his extensive library was always at their dis
posal. To find the road to Judge Willetrl
! friendshipit was only necessary to need q
| friend and be worthy of one. No man evel
cared less for the Establishments Of wealth Of
the pretensions of position than he; and thi
feeling strengthened with his years. Yet h'
was no scoffer at the rewards OF the world blu
they only counttc with him so far as ihey
were evidences of merit, and upright. homes
endeavor.
Judge Willett was essentially clean man
clean in his life, clean In his thoughts, clear
In his speech. This last was 50 notable that I
might have been governed by Wentworth
Dillon's famous couplet:
"Immodest words admit Of no defense
For want OF decency Is want OF sense"
This nestor Of the Winnesheik county bal
| was a CHI erful man; accepting with bowet
head, but ncomplainingly, the full share o
| Bitterness and sorrow that fell to his lot. and
| smiling through his grief for the memories
md the good still remaining TO him. / wa
present In this room twenty two years age
when word was brought to him that while a
| play his youngest son, a lad of about IL years
| had been accidentally shot. 1t was like thu
| FIRST announcement Of calamity that wa
| brought to Job, and though 1t brought Its aw
| full pang, II was received In like spirit.
| II turned out that the boys eyesight hat
| 'een destroyed and the work of giving him
| first class musical education was almost i'm
| mediately commenced. The rudiments wer
begun at the college for the blind at vint0n
| this state; from there he was sent to Oberin
Ohio, from there to Chicago. from thence Il
Leipsic, then TO Berlin, in Germany. In al
these places the young man had the very hes
teachers and training that they severally al
| forded. The instrument selected was thu
violin. 1t was eighteen years after the unfor
| tunate accident, and the time approached
when the young man was to have completed
his studies aud graduated as master, o.
virtuoso, upon his chosen instrument. Afte
all these weary years OF toll and preparation
| the time OF reward; reward for the young maj
away from home so long; reward for our pat
lent, hopeful, toiling brother of the bar wa
seemingly at hand. 1t was In 1885. I wa
again present In this room. Judge Willet
was engaged In the trial of cau.e when
messenger come in and handed him cable
i gram announcing the death of this talentet
son, In foreign land. He did not even ex
claim as did Job. but silently bowed his head
| walked from the room. The hopes and fond
est dreams of those many years, cherished b.
him and his were thus suddenly dissipate<
by death, but ne did not murmer. He accept
\ ed il all as Gods will, and again his famila
step, and the measured "tap, tap, tap" OF hi
stout cane, were heard upon the walk as dali,
he walked back and forth between home ant
ton aud refuge Ia the labor and duties OF hi
profession. He loved this labor, and although
for the several last years of his life he was no
strong or well In body, business hours gener
ally found him at his ONCE. His mind WA
cleara and vigorous to the last, and when %
i length he was unable longer 10 Dersue MI