The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-29
MEMOIR or MRS. JOHN y. DILLON.
Tribute 10 a Victim of the wreck % ' """'
Rogne Prepared by Her hnsD~""'


Former Judge John r. Dillon has prepared
ami bad printed n memorial Oh ms ""', w.
Price Dillon, who with her daughter wa lost
IN the wreck Of la Burgugne two years ago
Hcila~ entitled the volume, Anna frlce iihoh'
Memoir and Memorials. Inc memo" L'
judge hnS written as an introduction TO a series
of MIR, Dllon's letters 10 himself. to their chill
dron and to her friends. the letters covering
the period from 1872 10 the time OF her death.
The volume II Is stated, IL not published, but
Il printed for distribution among MIS- pl'oh :
family. relatives and friends. Three hundred
copies have been printed. The printing II III
large. opan tyne. on handmade Holland paper,
and the book numbers more than nVe hundred
pngcs Portraits OF Mrs. Dillon at different
age, are inserted, and there are other hlnN'ra-
tions some etching, some photographers,
Including pictures of the different MONIES IN lhe
Eat and in the West where Judge and Mrs.
Dillon dwelt. Copies of the boon nave been
placed with the various Libraries. associations
and institutions with which Mrs' Dlion "aS
connected. and others have been sent to friends
and relatives.
The spirit OF Judge Dillon's appreciation Of
his wife in the memoir maj be gathered from
a ehor, excerpt Her cheerful temperament
wa, bnthed in perpetual unlight except when
temporarily clonded by illness or ~afiction
Her ringing. musical laugh--who that ever
honrd can forget ~ She was OF a very social
nature, but II took the form. as her letters VIII
show, Of a few congenial companionships. Her
attachments were strong and her friendships
warm. She loved her friends and was blind II not
insensiblc to their defects. Like DR.. johnson,
whom in more points than one she resembled.
she va, a good hater and saw and even wanted
to see no good in her enemie. and coveted not
their regard"
Judge and Mrs. Dillon we're married In 1851,
and had looked FORWARD to celebrating their
golden wedding. II was in search Of improved
health that Mrs. Dillon sailed for Europe on
La Burgogne. Five years after their marriage
Mr.. Dillon was elected to a district judseship
IN Iowa. and eleven years later. in 1888, Presi-
dent Grant appointed him United State. Circuit
Judge for the Eighth Federal district. which
embraced Minnesota. Iowa. Missouri, Arkansas.
Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado.
Ills judicial duties took him from home much
of the time. and in 1894, when his law lectures
at Yale | diversity, which were in some sense the
fruits OF his earlier experiences en- the bench,
were published. he dedicated the volume 10
hs wife. The time required tor their prepara-
ton had been taken from her companionship
he wrote, and the only PREPARATION possible, Was
To lay these imperfect fruits upon your lap
Mrs. Dillon sometimes accompanied the Judge
upon his circuits. Later she upon one oCoa-
sion went to his Office AT night 70 blot his sig
nature upon some hundreds OF bonds which
he was compelled 10 sign. -.
Mrs. Dillon IL shown az q WOMAN OF iorceful
character. readiness and balance Judge Dillon
recltes with apparent satisfaction an instance
of her ability AT repartee turned upon himself
In 1875. he says, her husband purchased in
London a travelling rug. thinking i would be
useful in his winter circuit journeys.
When their eldest son was leaving home 10
make his future home in Kansas Mn. Dillon
told him TO take that rug with him. In tho md
die Of the winter, when the Judge was preparing
to attend court At st Paul, he looked every
who're for the rug and finally first guessed and
then learned what had become Of IT ms
wife and his son, Who was home for a Christ
mas visit, laughed Al him over the Joke they had
on him, and the Judge remarked that the incident
proved what Tame had said, that "whcna wOIn-
ans children grow NJ, she cares no Longer for
her husband
Mrs. Dillon's reply was Judge. for years and
more and more absorbed in your devotion 10
the law, 70 the exclusion Of everything else.
but | did not think'you would ever reach the
stage where you could not even scold without
citing authorizes.
I'm "A tOOtnote is given aletter written by the
Judge 10 Mrs Dillon after they had been husband
and wife for NOR" than a quarter Of A century.
! nave never seen a woman, he wrote, who,
all things considered | thought had your ability
aud Intellectual force such a wide range of
gifts. This l. my estimate after, as ! have said,
the illusions which may deceive our youth are
over and gone.