Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-05-09
Judge Hardness Dead
OLD AND RespecTEr cfrizEh
Passes AWAY AFTER ILL
NESS or THREE DAYs.

Judge Daniel D. Hardness died Sat
urday afternoon ct S O'Clock at his
ranch 81 xmiles south Of the city after
an illness OF only three days. Pneu-
monia was the cause. The whole city
regrets that the hale and popular old
gentleman, who gave promise OF
rounding out his four score years,
should have tripped On one Of the
pitfalls which stud the bridge over
the narrow gulf Of time.
Judge Hardness first saw the light
81 day In Hallack Hill, Clinton Co.,
New York, where he was born Oct.
LIST, 1926, Just n years, seven months
and seven days before death. He
leaves a wife, to whom he was mar,
ried In Franklin county, New York,
Nov. 2sth. 184S. and who has been
his constant companion and helpmeet
through all the yicisltudes Of his ca
reer-a career which has played a
great part in building up and improy-
ing the great west where he has been
d citizen since 1866. Besides his wife
he Ii survived by d married son, w. a.
Hardness. a respected citizen of
clondcroft, m. M, and two daughters,
Mrs. Harry j. Hammond Of Las Veg
as, wife OF c. p. Hammond, the well
- -#
known dairyman and farmer, and Mrs.
Mira M. Frost. at present living in
Albuquerque, but well known and
highly respected by many friends in
this city.
Judge Hardness was made OF heroic
stun tempered to weather the adver-
stiles whach have tried mems souls
while carving homes from the vast
forests and making the illimitable
p~rairies productive. To such men as
he, who have toiled In season and out
OF season, Is due the great strides OF
progress OF which we Of the west are
10 proud today. May coming genera.
lions follow the example set by him
and such - he.
He moved from his New York home
to Crawford county, Iowa. in 1866,
where he followed his favorite voca,
tion Of farming until coming to New
Mexico, settling In Cerrillos in 1880
He remained In Cerrillos thirteen
years ami conducted a hotel. He held
the Office Of justice OF the peace FOL
twelve years, besides being promin
ent on the school board.
In 1893, the Judge and his family
and Mr.. Hammond and family moved
to Las Vegas, where they purchased
what has since been known as thu
H dairy, and where they transformed
what was then q dry prairie waste
into what Is today inc ofethe largest
most up-to-date and finest dairy farm
In the territory. He. by his thrift, Sc
the example which has changed Til,
beautiful farms north OF the city from
q desert to a garden spot to which
every citizen points with pride. II,
set the trees for the first orchar,
under the nighttime ditch. when 1t wa
~prophesied he would never live to en-
fruit therefrom. He not only live,
20 taste these fruits, but planted a sec
ond from which the sweets OF industr.
have since been partakcn, and at TIL,
time OF death had planted a thir,
which he was ~endeayoring to nurse 4
Z maturity when the grim reaper a.
mandcd d rest.
While farming was the judges spe
cial vocation, Il being his special dc
iigh to take ~retrograde farms an,
mako them productive as well a
beautiful. he was also en~terprisin
! along all lines that seemed 70 him i
have possibilities Of developing the RI
: sources Of the country. and to him |
h due no little credit for the strides Til,
. copper mining has made toward sue
cess In this section, within the pas
three years. He kept all his facultie
= to the last. and passed away withou
; q struggle when called. The tuners
: viii take place from the Methods
. church Tuesday afternoon at 2 O'CLOCK
q ----