Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-17

n expanded into q career of splendid
usefulness in this community.
I'm his professional relations, as you
who had business with him well know. he
was the soul of honor. He was honest
with the court, with his opponents and
with himself. Before this or any other tri-
bunal he would never advocate a theory
In which he himself did not implicitly be-
lieve as a fixed principle Of law.
A to his professional courtesy what
more need I say h a that these beautiful
resolutions, to the reading of which you
lave just listened, were in their Entirety,
the work of Judge Dewitt, whose fortune
1t was to oppose brother Lee in affairs of
magnitude in this very forum more fire.
quently than n of you. 1t was but yes
terday that Judge Dewitt, speaking Of
brother Lee, told me that his last words
10 MIN We're these: Il am always anxious
to do anything in my power to accommo-
date a brother lawyer" Personally he
was a gentleman in the highest and best
sense of that much abused term. l do
not recall that in all my intercourse with
him he ever made a remark that init
mated that he harbored in his heart a sin
gle unkind or harsh thought towards any
person in the world. He was generous to
a fault. To the extent of all he possessed
with brother Lee 1t was but ask, and We
shall receive
LAS was SO happily said by Colonel
Sanders in this very room a few days ago,
his face was a benediction. Every line OF
that c~ountenance. beaming with intelli-
gence, would at the approach of a friend,
soften into a curve suggestive of a laugh,
a joke or a keen, yet Withal kindly and at
fectionate shaft of wit.
But Lee did not accomplish perfec-
ton. He was human, as we all are. 1t
Is difficult for a lawyer to accomplish
perfection, for the standards of our pro-
l fpNCiOnC 0Yo ca 1nffv or nvoo<ln~ IT.
loved life; he loved those among whom
he lived, and they in turn could not help
but to like n O v him. But could we
have done so, we Would not have him
other han he was, for 1 sometimes think
that those very human frailties and inn
do but serve to emphasize, accentuate
and m their virtues which we SO
greatly admire and love.
1T is a beautiful saying, though hack
neyed by too frequent and ill-advised
employment, Whom the gods love, die
young To alter a word or two may be
to rob the saying of it's beauty, neverthe-
less it will remain true as applicable to
Brother Lee, that Whom all men love,
die young 1t does often seem as if the
cold hand of our common enemy found
Its favorite resting place Upon the fore
heads of those whose acquaintance and
friendship we do most highly prize.
lis stature was small, his heart was
large. l I'VE marveled that SO great a
heart could find Judgment in so frail a
form.
"Hic jacet (Here he lies!) Were not
those the words which in olden times
the Romans inscribed above the abodes
of their dead? But the other day, when
we stood above the cold, inanimate tene-
ment that for a few fleeing years fur
nished lodgnent to the spirit of our
brother. we could not say Lee lies here.
He has but gone away for a time, to rest.
May he rest in peace.
HE is not dead. He lives now and
will always live in the pleasant memories
of all of us who knew him.. And he does
not live in vain, for by his example we
have all been taught to strive to be more
considerate, more courteous, more cor
dial in our daily dealings n relations
with each other.
Friend n brother of the sunny smile
and kindly spirit, to thee, hail and fare
well: but thy memory, like the palm
shall with US be ever green.'