Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-12-05

Judge would never look down on the bar. He
presided Mt nisi prius like one to the manner
born. and his charges to the jury were inter
estiug for clearness of statement and fairness
in presenting the contentious of each side.
His summing up in capital case, in trial
which lasted upwards of ten days. disclosed
an unrivaled power of memory and that did
not require reference to any minutes of the
testimony.
His opinions in the law court were gener-
ally dictated to stenographer. In point of
language their style and composition demon
strate the fact that directness, clearness,
force and ease may thus be obtained, even
if with the possible loss of the glow of COM
position that so much delights the writer.
There is, however, an advantage IN TINS
method, provided one has carefully matured
IN his mind what he intends to say. He r1ds
himself of vast amount OF mechanical
drudgery, economies his time, and in the
same time disposes of more work.
Those little lights and shades which enter
into the full picture of man do not require
much more to be said. He was agreeable ut
all times, and of companionable dlsposl-
ton. He enjoyed good story and was
good listener and great reader. In CONVEX
sation he drew information from others as
well as impaired it, and his manner was that
of quiet reconteur.
His best and highest contribution to So
ciety and government has been his allegiance
to the law. The loyalty of that allegiance
went with him upon the bench, where SUI
premacy of the law is the indispensable con-
dition Of all Justice.
Another writer said of him at the ime:
1t seems to have fallen to the lot of the new
chief to be known as "a popular man"
This is proba bly, one OF his CHARACTERISTICS.
Though his dignity of manner Is one OF
his peculiarities; though he is exceedingly
Quiet in his tastes and often rigidly re-
served; though he has never been known
to incline so much as the breadth OF
hair to the one side or the other out OF
regard for the claims of friendship; ana
though il is impossible to degree which
only those who know him can fully appre-
ciate. to imagine him as seeking popu-
larity, the fact remains for comment tnat
he is not only one of the most thoroughly
respected men in Maine, but is the best
liked among all the splendid men VINO
make up the Maine supreme court.
The dignity spoken of previously is one
of bis marked peculiarities To it he adds an
invariable courtesy and flashes OF humor that
redeem what might otherwise be the appear
ance of depth of abstraction
In speech he is moderate, but emphatic
talking with the appearance of deliberation
and careful thought, and never laying him.
self open to revision. His gestures are few
and forceful, and his voice distinctly quiet
but good carrier. In post-prandial SPEAK
ing, particularly as a master of ceremonies ne
is excelled by very few men, in spite OF the
fact that he is of the kind that naturally ao-
lures wit in speech.
To sum all up, he is type OF the New
England gentleman, with the mind OF a stu
dent and the keen wit of the financier.
Judge WiswelPs term as chief justice
expired this year, and he would undoubt-
edly have been reappointed. He was presi-
dent of the First national bank OF ELS
worth, and director in the Bar Harbor
Banking & Trust Co., of Bar Harbor, and
the Merrill Trust Co., of Bangor.
OF the six organizers of the First ma
tional bank of Ellsworth in 1887 only two
are now living Justice L. A. Emery and
e. Il. Greedy. The four directors who
have died are Lewis Friend, 8. K. Whit
Ing, George p. Dutton and Judge Wisweii.
It is due largely to the business acumen