Weekly Arizona journal-miner. [volume] (Prescott, Ariz.) 1903-1908, 1905-01-25
IN NJ EMORIAM.
JUDGE JAMES HENRY WRIGHT.

Gold in the earth the withered heart
may lie
But that which warmed it once can
never die.
Judge James Henry Wright has pass
ed to the eternal shore Death, that
withers the roses of kings, has come
with its glass and scythe and struck
down the learned judge, the distin-
guished lawyer, the patriotic citizen,
and the noble friend.
We see the sun ct the close of day
/ sink beneath the western horizon; but
( the twilight fingers long after the
great orb which gave it birth has pass
ed from our view. So it is in the case
of our deceased friend and colleague.
His day has indeed ended; his sun of
life has set beneath and beyond the
horizon of our vision; yet streaming
upward with its milder radiancy to-
wards the zenith fingers the sweet twi-
light of the memory of his good deeds,
and it will abide with US forever.
So mixed in him, that nature might
stand up
And say to all the world: this was a
man.
Judge Wright left US in the ripeness
of manhood and usefulness. His mind
bad been literally and carefully cul-
tured in literature, science and law;
scracely any field of thought remained
unexplored by his investigating mind.
He was rich in the possession Of varied
and exact knowledge. Trained in the
severest school of logic-the bar and
bench of the trial court, and lastly
the supreme court, he achieved the
mastery in statement, argument and
decision. He did much to build, ele-
vate and sustain the profession of law
on the high plane of integrity and ex-
act justice. As trial judge he could
not be moved from the path of duty.
No one dared approach him on an un-
tried case in his court He was super
ior to public opinion in the discharge
of duty The legal decisions which he
rendered while chief justice of the su
preme court of Arizona will stand in
the courts of this country as the advo-
Gates of his learning, research, Incl
sive statement, cogent reasoning and
just conclusions as long as truth and
wisdom remain the Foundation of our
jurisprudence.
OF his domestic life and virtues, it
is not my purpose to speak: these are
sacredly enshrined 10 the hearts of his
now sorrowing family circle, whose
deep distress speaks more elcquently
of his worth and their great loss than
could any words of the warmest
friend.
The fine sky, the genial climate and
the deep and abundant soil OF Ken
lucky surrounded his youth and early
manhood. He was a native of that
great state which gave to this country
warriors and statesmen, philosophers
and sages.
While young man Judge Wright ~
moved to Missouri where he practiced
the profession of law and rose to great
eminence at the bar. He occupied
many positions of trust and honor, and
was a life long personal friend of the
late Senator George Graham Vest. In
1886, President Cleveland appointed
Judge Wright chief Justice OF the su
preme court of Arizona, which exalted
position he held for four years.
As an orator and rhesorician the de-
ceased took front rank. His speeches
we're masterpieces of eloquence and
logic. He was possessed of great
personal magnetism and when inter
ested in his subject would oratorically
roam to the remotest regions of the
earth, or soar into realms where Spen-
GERS shapes of unearthly beauty flock
to meet US; where Milton 5 angels peal
in our ears the choral hymns of para
disc, Sometimes he resembled the
thunder, and sometimes the music of
the spheres. -
He studied the lucid page of Thucy-
dides and the terse Commentaries of
Caesar; the vivid narrative of Napier
and the flowing battle scenes of ALI
son. He stood upon the white marble
of the Parthenon and conversed with
Demosthenes and Cicero. He delighted
in splendid language, picturesque i'm
agery, or passionate defamation.
Judge Wright was buried with mill
tary honors. A squad of United States
soldiers from Fort Whipple marched at
the head of the funeral procession and
fred three volleys over his grave. AL
though the deceased fought under the
stars and bars of the southern confed
eracy, be was true American and
appreciated fully the heroic valor of
both the blue and the eray-wbose