Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-03-19
MEMORIAL
Members Of Rock Island Co univ
Bar Association Honor Their
Associate.
LONG IN THE PROFESSION
Hon. William jackson Submits Reso-
Iutions from Committee-Spread
On Records of Circuit Court.

out of respect to the memory of the
late Colonel Henry Curtis. The morn
ing was occupied by members of the
Rock Island County Bar association IN
4 memorial session. hearing the resolli
ton reported by the committee and
the tributes his associates of many
years had to offer The report of the
committee was presented by Hon. VIII
| liam Jackson, and upon motion of Wal
ter j. Entrikin was ordered spread up
on the records of the court Il is as
| follows:
Fifty Years in Profession.
AT this meeting of the Rock Island
County Bar association in memorial of
the late Colonel Henry Curtis, who
was associated with the members of
our bar for so many years in the ac-
tive practice of the law, we welcome
the opportunity and privilege of turn
ing aside for a time from the hourly
cares and demands of our profession
that We may here express and record
our appreciation of his character as a
For nearly fifty years he toiled as few
men have done in painstaking devo-
ton TO the eXacting and responsible
duties of his profession, a period in
terrupted only by the years given to
the service of his country in the fierce
struggle of the civil war He literally
wore himself out in arduous and unre-
hitting labor, devoting in full measure
a splendid equipment of mind and
body. without stint, TO his self-sacritic
ing sense of duty All the resources
of a sound constitution. Il superb physi-
que and a we'll trained mind he gave
freely to the conscientious perform
ance of his professional duties. round
ing out long life of plain living and
high thinking 'despising ingloriou5
ease. to live laborious days
1T may be we'll said of Colonel Cur
tbs that he was a fine example of the
type of lawyer The law
to him was a science, not mere bust
ness; he really practiced law in the
true sense, he did not use it as con-
venient instrument for the aCcumula-
ton of money
He employed the decision of courts |
not merely to gain the particular point |
he might desire 10 make, but with |
profound and painstaking analysis to |
discover the vital principle involved, |
the question really before the court !
and decided by it.
Productions without Fault.
Lacking the superficial and often |
gift of ready and fluent |
speech. possessing few of the arts of !
rhetoric and oratory he was never |
tempted to substitute sound and fury |
for reasoning; his contribution 10 |
whatever subject he discussed was
light, not heat His standard of excel |
lence in whatever he did as lawyer |
was so high. his dislike for slip-shod |
work so great that he was never salts
fed to let his work leave his hands |
until it had been Iaboriously and oritor-
ically corrected and revised and pol |
ished and improved with the result |
that the finished product became a |
thing of perfection in which scarcely |
fault or flaw might be discovered.
Should the younger and on-coming |
members of the bar seek for models
Of law and equity pleadings, for con
tracts, ordinances or reports let them |
search the files and records of this
for the carefully wrought pro-
lucts of the fine brain, critical stand !
ards and unwearied industry of Henry
Curtis
Model for Department.
The younger members of the bar |
md older ones no less might well take /
Mr.. Curtis as a model also for his per
sonal department in the courts, mark
for the judge on the bench
courteous bearing to brother lawyers
and considerable treatment of the |
courts officers
Essentially a modest man, Colonel |
Curtis stunned the lime-light and new
ar trumpetted his own achievements
rom the housetops As citizen he
never sought to push himself into pub
ic office nor pose as a reformer; yet
n his own quiet but effective way he |
conscientiously every civic |
1uty and contributed his full share of |
he progress and welfare of the COM
"As a neighbor he was kind and |
thoughtful and singularly punctilous
n the observance of those social amen
ties and courtesies which go SO far
o soften the stress and selfish compe
ition of life and lend it graciousness.
n his private life he was pure and
simple. devoted to his family, self-de-
1ying and almost austere in his per-
;onal habits, sbotless in his character
md reputation.
But it is his life as a laborious
aithful and upright lawyer by which
We, his associates at the bar, best re-
member and estimate him. Such a
ife is imperishable. Its influence ex-
ends after it to remotest generations.
IS monuments are more enduring than
tone or brass, having foundations
eep down in the civil moral and
commercial fabric of the community |,
is history is written in the powerful ::