Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-06-17
FRIENDS ron JUST FrFrr YEARS

worth. son. died about two years ago
FRIENDS ron JUST FIFTY YEARS
DR.. MIner weIcOped Him to Omaha
Half CentHry AGO. i
zone day, just ATTY years ago, strolled !
down to the wharf to see boat come in
AS the boat pulled up to the landing
observed a familiar figure standing upon
| the deck. 1t was a man l thought 1 had
seen before. 1 went VI to TINS man aud
| found 1 was right. II was James NJ. Wool |
worth a young lawyer from Syracuse,
N. Y, who had come to the far west 10
cast his lot with the other pioneers. That
was my first meeting with Mr. Wool
WORTH said DR.. George l.. Miller Il
knew him very well by sight and better
by reputation back in my native town Of
| Syracuse, but he didn't know me and We
/ had never met. His position was one of
prominence and mine of obscurity. Al
| ready, before he left our native town, he
| had attracted attention as a lawyer. And
, so It was just nifty years ago that l had
| the pleasure OF welcoming to the frontier
! village Of Omaha James NJ. woolwotth.
| and 1t is pleasure have never ceased TO
| feel
"oh, how 1 deplore the death Of my dear.
old friend and associate 1 have been
stricken several times OF late by similar
blows. This one is especially hard to bear,
for he and were fast, intimate friends for
fifty years.
IF there is one thing which. at this
time, affords me keen 1elight, IT IS the
thought that my action may have in
nuenced so great and good a man as thus
to cast his lot in Omaha whose growth
and development he has actively promoted
and whose every interest he has bene-
flied
Il came out here from Syracuse in 1864.
year later 1 went back on a brief visit.
Calvin s. Woolworth, brother of James M.
and clerk in a small stationery store in
| Syracuse, became interested in my reports
Of the west He was ambitious and wanted
to try his luck out there in. that wild
country So Calvin S. Woolworth picked
up a lot of stationery, came out in 1856
and set up Omahs's first stationery store
1 introduced him to the secretary of the
territory, ]. Sterling Morton, and ne got
tho contract of supplying the executive
and legislative departments with station
} cry which was big thing then.
Calvin s. Woolworth did not remain
many years, but he remained long enough
to spread the western fever to his brother
and that is how James M. Woolworth came
here. When the second Woolworth came
here he was a lawyer with no practice, for
Omaha was but frame of a village and
. there was no litigation. but he soon worked
into practice He was prominent in draft
ing the first municipal organic laws and
from the very hrst his superior talents and
accomplishments as a lawyer were recog-
nized. This recognition at his death is
paid him. not only in Omaha, not only Ne
braska, not only in the west; it is paid
, him in other cities, other states, throughout
the country. He long ago took the rank
with the foremost lawyers of the United
States. He was the intimate of the
. Choates, the Brewers and particularly of
, Mr.. Justice Miller. whom once IN my hear
! ing he called the bulldog OF the supreme
court IL g,
"IIe also was very closely associated with
a Francis Lynde Stepson. j. Pierpont Nor
/ CAMS attorney, III affairs Of law and
church.
{ ,-'Sudge wooiworth. T. think OF all the
q men know or have, known, came nearer
D. mastering the philosophy and science of
/ law. He had a wonderfully legal and judi
j cisl mind. He was scholar of the rarest
description, predigious reader, a profound
student and a writer of distinct charm and
force. His home was the center of refine
: ment, With his wonderful library he lived
! many happy, happy hours and years. His
collection OF books is a legacy of rare price
and value For years II was one OF his
. chief delights to get hold of the best works
Of literature, no matter what the cost
Z, And those books were his friends, his COM
panions. He knew them thoroughly; he
liked to introduce them to his friends who
went to visit him. He was fond of show
= ing them his favorite books.
. Judge Woolworth was a most hospitsble
: man. He loved his friends and loved to
meet them His manner was frank open
simple, transformations. It was in this way
he entertained great deal.
This man became the leading religious
. force of this community soon after his ar
: rival. He was essentially a religious man
: and a churchman. Pre-eminent in the az
fairs Of Trinity Episcopal cathedral, he wal
also eminent in the national councils of the
church For half century he maintained
!, this leadership and never lost a particle OF
= influence. but. rathei gained strength with
: his people as time, progressed. ~
" Mr.. Woolworth is called Judge. He never
! was judge. He never was In a politca
= ONCE; he eschewed politics.; he becam
:. greater in his private profession than poll
= tics could have made him; he was a demo
! crat by. conviction and sympathized will
: his party. but he did not often participate
in its public affairs.
zone of the chief sources Of my deligh
in recent years as ,look around me anc
= see so many of my old, old friends gone
. has been'the friendship Of this man. hay
= felt the bonds that united us -9ftv YEA r,