The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-10-30

for six years at an annual salary of
$4,000. 1t is said that he was Presi-
dent McKinley's own special choice for
the post and the endorsement of Sem
ator Perkins cinched the decision. He
was opposed for this nomination by
Judge w. E. Greene. of Alameda coun-
ty and quite a bitter fight was waged
for the appointment by the latter.
Judge Estee thus served but half
of his term. He spent exactly three
years in Honolulu before taking a va
cation on the Coast during last August.
On that occasion he was banqueted by
the Union League club in San Fran
cisco. On his return to Honolulu his
health did not seem to have improved.
Judge Estee rendered a great many
decisions here that have been of vital
interest to the Territory. He has
had to wrestle with difficult problems
in the matter of Chinese Exclusion, the
insular cases and the cases in which
the United States secured land for the
works at Pearl Farbor but it has been
universally recognized that his deci-
sions were fair and according to law.
He was a good type of that rugged
honesty that is wanted upon the Amer
lean bench. He worked very hard.
His law library numbered some four
thousand volumes and from six or
seven O'Clock In the morning until late
at might one could find him busily en-
gagged among his books looking up in
Vulnerable authorities to back up every
decision rendered.
But despite his heavy law work he
had time to make a reputation as a
speaker. His Memorial Day addresses,
speeches at Bar Association banquets,
and his Washingtons Birthday speech
es of the past two years brought out
high philosophy and patriotism. He
was an authority on what the duties
of a citizen of the Republic should be
and in the easy and unconstrained ut
terance of his speeches, piquant, hui
morous, scholarly, and forceful, he
made a reputation here as an impress
sive orator.
Judge Estee was Past Grand Mas
ter in the Masonic Order.
HIS FAMILY LIFE.
Judge Estee was married in 1863 to
Miss Frances Devine, a daughter of
Judge Devine of San Jose and his fam
lily life has always been pleasant one.
His widow Is well known in Honolulu
social circles. Besides his wife, Judge
Estee leaves one daughter, Mrs
Charles j. Deering, whose husband is
cashier of the Union Trust Company
of San Francisco. Mrs. Deering was
in Honolulu visiting her parents two
years ago. Judge and Mrs. Estee lost
their younger daughter, Mabel by
death, in March, 1900. three months be-
fore they came to Hawaii.
ONCE VERY WEALTHY.
Outside of the law and mining Judge
Estee had a great deal to do with
He was at one time
President of the California Horticul-
tural Society He had an extensive
vineyard in Napa and the hospitality
of his home was celebrated. He was
once man OF considerable wealth but
IL was almost all swept away by mis-
fortune. His extensive vineyard was
ruined by the phylloxera and to enable
him to replant 1t with resistant vines
he had to mortgage the property. Be
sides his law library, valued at from
50, 900 to 5000 and other personal
effects OF no great value. Judge Estee |
leaves life insurance of $4,000, and |
some property interests in California. |
Judge Estee has closed a distinguish |
ed career in which ne had risen from |
the boy of the farmyard to become