Arizona republican., 1908-10-26
\. ). Lemon, Father of Ari-
 zOna's School System
HIS MOST NOTABLE WORK
As a Lawyer He Added Dignity to the Profession and as a Citizen He Was Progressive.

| To the Editor of The Republican, Sir: Some days since there appeared in | one of our local daily papers the fol- ! lowing: Word has been received from l San Francisco of the death in that | city. of Judge A. D. Lemon. a former | resident of this city, and during his 1 life here a man of much prominence | in the community"
 With hall a dozen lines more all written by some reporter in two or 1 three minutes, has been permitted to | pass in this city and in the territory so far as have observed the memory of a man the announcement of whose death should hang crepe upon every
 public school house door in Arizona. ] Judge A. D. Lemon was the father l of the present public school system of l Arizona.
 Having been elected a member Of | the legislature of 1883 and being a | broad minded and public spirited man l keenly alive to the cause and strug- l gling condition of what passed for public schools in those days and which by the way were receiving and had l from the beginning received stubborn | opposition from certain elements then 1 adverse to a general dedication of the ! growth of our territory. he set about | the compilation and preparation of ! such a school law as would forever 1 establish a system of public schools in 1 the territory upon a sure basis, that would at once raise them to the dig nifty of the first great public institu- | tious of Arizona and make them a source of pride to her progressive cit izenship.
 For many weeks his every available minute was occupied in inquiry and research of everything bearing on the subject Copies of the public school laws of the known progressive states in educational matters. notably. at that time Massachusetts Indiana and California, were obtained and care fully scrutinized and digested. The most desirable features of those laws were adopted and adopted while other portions of our school laws were orig inal and better calculated to meet the eXigencies of local conditions
 With immense labor a bill" was finally prepared for introduction in the legislature. that comprised the public school law of Arizona, practically as it stands today after twenty-five years Of usage and usefulness and from which has grown up a public school system second to none, made possible by its wise and liberal pro visions, it's careful preparation.
 The bill" was passed by the legis- ature practically without amendment and though it has received some ad- ditiOns since that day to meet the eX- banding conditions anticipated. there has been no change of its comprehen- sive provisions for the public. educa- tion of the youth of Arizona As a citizen of our city and county he was ever m the forefront of enterprise and did much to make our city what it is today and to make it possible for the present inhabitants of our county and territory to reap the rewards that he had earned
 As a lawyer he stood at the head of his profession, in Arizona, gave it honor, strength and dignity and was in every respect a man among men.
 Perhaps it is the destiny of pioneers to go down to the grave ''unwept. un- hOnored and unsung' and that men should come to feed and fatten upon the splendid efforts of their lives of incessant toll and daring under those most adverse conditions that have tried the metal of the men of the earlier days. But it should be the duty of some of us who remain. to see that their public spirit, their great efforts, their influence in moulding this great territory into what if has become. should not be forgotten
 If we had a Temple of Honor the name of the Honorable A. D. Lemon should be written therein as The Father of the Public School System of Arizona"
 l can think of nothing nobler that could be attributed to any man.
 \. A MORFORD.