The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1901-11-16

standing At ihb corner 81 We Fourth
street and st. John avenue III the East
End, perhaps the most complete and
pleasing structure of its kind at the
head of the lakes today, When the
long and hard pull came to get the
seventh Normal school in the state
located here Mr.. Catlin with his part
ner. Lyons, was instrumental in man,
ways in bringing that struggle to, fo
us, successful issue. He gave dom
tons of property, time and counsei,
to secure the flour mills built at this
end of the town. He spent midnight
oil, and long hours conjuring with
others the plan of dividing this harbor
front into districts SO as to overcome
in some way the almost unsurmount-
able obstacle of infinitely divided
ownership along our water front. AS
result of that study place was made
for the great coal and iron docks in
Allouez bay. When projects were
launched, as they often were in boom
days, that appeared to him productive
principally of public mischief and tax
alton Mar. Catlin was always ready
with his time, counsel and efforts to
help defeat them. He was man who
did his own thinking, and whenever
he was convinced that proposed
measure was wrong, or an Office seek
er menace to the public welfare,
there was no danger that Mr. Catlin
under pressure would change his
views or become neutralized by any
person or influence whatsoever. He
was tolerant to all who honestly diff
fered with him on any subject and
never imputed bad motive to any
person or action SO long as good mo-
uves could account for The same AS
a consequence of his sense of justice
and charitable outlook upon human
frailty his friends of 1885 still living
were his friends at the time of his
death.
1t needs no more to show that In the
death of Charles l.. Catlin this bar
lost worthy member and this COM
munity an honored citizen. Like all
men who are more than mere putty
beings moulded by every accidental
pressure upon them, he had his faults
and peculiarities; but his faults were
not depraved weaknesses. There was
no guile in him. His tastes were re-
fined and entertainments innocent.
The books he bought and his home
surroundings showed that he appreci
ated the worth of literature and en-
joyed the elevating power of art in
its many forms.
His father, Frank P. Catlin, lived to
be an old man and he died but short
time, year and half or Whereabouts,
before Mr.. Charles l.. Catlin. For ten
years or more the old gentleman suf
fered many Of the ills incident to ex-
treme old age, and loss of mental bal
ance. During all that time the son
bestowed upon the father all the COM
forts and attendance that money and
filial affection could provide and lis
tened to the old gentleman's ground
less complaints and imaginary wrongs
without murmer.
A few years before his death Charles
L. Catlin changed his religious views,
abandoned the path that seemed suf-
ficient for him during his youth and
middle age, and adopted new belief
Occupying the position in the COM
that he did that occasioned
talk among his friends and acquaint
ances. But the change was made
without ostentatious parade or noisy
proclamation And it was done in a
way that convinced all who knew him
that he believed he had found another
way leading to the Fou 1tain Ct all
Light. We who knew him feel well
assured that he would not have aban
donod the old view of religion for
trivial cause. And because we see
through glass darkly towards that
light it ill-becomes us to say how the
human soul shall seek the Almighty,
or to censure him for VIII 1t he did. 1t
is our consolation to believe that he
is nearer God than he was when with
US, than we are, and if he erred in
that particular that error and all his
erro rs were overlooked upon his final
appeal as being without prejudice 10
life we'll spent.
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