The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-05
(. W. BUCKLEY PASSES AWAY Died Last Night After
 Brief Illness. HE HELD MANY OFFICES Was Congressman, Probate Judge
 and Postmaster. He Came to Montgomery at the Fad of War to Take Charge of Freedman's
 Bureau--In Politics Ever Since.
 

years postmaster or MohISOhFAS' sometime Probate Judge of Montgom- cry: twice United States Congressman from the Montgomery District, and re- gently retired from public life. died at St. Margaret's Hospital last night at 7:2O o'clock after an illness Of only few days. The announcement Of the death of Judge Buckley will come as a shock to hundreds of people through out Montgomery County and the en- tire State of Alabama, where, by req son of long public life. he was we'll known.
 Few there were in Montgomery who knew of his illness. On Saturday or last week he was down town and was mingling with his friends during the entire day. For several weeks ne nad suffered with a trouble of the eyes, which developed on last Saturday night into facial erysipclas.
 He was removed early Sunday morn ing to St. Margaret's Hospital, where he continued to grow steadily worse until the end came last night AS ih his life. so in his death, he was sur rounded by A>few of the friends whom he had loved.
 His wife and only son, Benjamin Lord Buckley, who reside at New HorK city, were wired of his condition in the early stage of his illness, and are ex- pected to come to Montgom&y as soon as they can get here.
 Judge Buckley had most remark able career, and his life had been q most nicturesuue one all the way through. He was born at Unadilla, on the Tpper Susquehanna River in the State of New York, Feb. IS, lbS6. Ie often entertained his friends with "reminiscences of the unsurpassed beauty abounding in the region where his bovhood was spent. He often spoke of the fact that James Fenimore cooper; "The Father of American Fiction lived near the place of his birth' ana if was there that the famous Leatner Stocking Tales" were written.
 fudge Buckley was the youngest or eleven children of John Jay and Mary Musson Buckley. His father was New England stock and Puritan ancestry and his mother was of French descent On his fathers farm he spent his in- fancy and childhood. At the age or II years his parents removed to Freeport, Ill, and in the agricultural region or that great State he grew to manhood
 His early ambition was so obtain college education. He fitted himself by studying during the winter and work ing on his fathers farm during sum mer and entered Beloit College, Wls- consin, from which he graduated m 1860 with the highest honors Of the class. After teaching one year ne en- tered the Union Theological Seminary At New York, from which he gradue- ted in 1884. While yet a student he was appointed in November, 1863, Chaplain in the United States Army, which position he accepted after grad uating. He joined the Union Army at Vicksburg, Miss. After the capture of Spanish Fort and the surrender of Mo- bile. he was ordered by General Canby to proceed to Montgomery, on special duty, as Superintndent of the Bureau of Refugees and Freedmen for Ala hama. He arrived at Montgomery AnriI 27. 1885. which nIe"A he has eve" since made his home. His frst years at Montgomery were during the most try ing times the State has ever known He was elected to represent Montgom- cry county In the State Convention which assembled November 5, 1867, to frame a new Constitution for the State l of Alabama. In this convention he served as chairman of the Committee of Public Institutions and as a member on the Committee on Education. HiA efforts at that time and ever cince has been for the betterment of school con ditions of the State. He at all times | advocated general education. In Feo- ruary, 1868, he was elected to the For tieth Congress from the Montgomery District and upon the rea1mission of Alabama into the union in August 1883, l took his seat in Congress. He was re- nominated and reelected to the Forty first Congress in 1889. He was again elected and served during the Forty second Congress. His ;ast year Il Congress he devoted his time mainly to those subjects of Legislation de- manded by the new and changed af- | fairs in the South, such cs increasing the national bank circulation and urS. ing liberal appropriation for the more 1 important works of internal improve ment. He secured a renewal of a land grant for the State which had lapsed during the war for the South and North 1 Railroad, by the aid of which the inn | portant link of the Louisville and Nashville system was speedily built. l In November. 1874, he was elected Probate Judge of Montgomery County l for term of six years
 One of the last appointments made by President Garfield in 1881 was that | of Judge Buckley as postmaster oi Montgomery. This position he helj l during the administrations of Presi, dents Arthur and Harrison, and re. | signed under the administration of Pres. 1 ident Cleveland He was again ap- | pointed by President Mckinley, and assumed charge of the office in Novem- l Der, 1897. He was recommissioned bS l President Roosevelt in May, 1902 ant
 served until July, 1906. He then re l tired from active life.
 | Judge Buckley spent the summer anC | early fall of the present year in tho l Adirondacks returning to Montgomery 1 in the middle of September. Since tha
 time his attention has been directed tC | transactions of a commercial nature l including principally dealings in coa l lands.
 He was chairman of the Alabama Rcoublican delegation to the St. Loui' | Convention when William McKinle!
 was nominated for President in 1896
 He was one of the organizers of thu ] Commercial Fire Insurance Company | the Black Warrior Coal and Coke Com
 pany, and several other coal companie
 in the Black Warrior coal region. | Judge Buckley was a member of tn First Presbyterian Church of this city
 and for the past fifteen years had serv
 ed on the Board of Deacons of tha
 church. He YVES ecognize
 as an excellent officer. an
 was regarded by his colleague
 on the Board of Deacons as one of tn
 most conservative members of tha
 body, both as member of the churc
 and in his official capacity
 In April, 1869, he married Miss Geor
 giana Lord, the only daughter of Ben
 iamin Lord of New York city. by whoi
 he is survived, together with his on
 son, Benjamin Lord Buckley Of Ne'
 York His son is a graduate of Co
 lumbia University and principal Of large private school in New York Cit!
 The remains were carried from ST
 MarEaret's Hospital to the Leak under