Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-10-08
Good Man Remembered

Memorials to the late Circuit Judge
Benjamin F. Dunwiddie of Janesyille
were presented at the court house in
GAINESVILLE Monday afternoon and were
offered by a member of the supreme
court and attorneys from every county
in the circuit at THE court house.
Burr Jones of Madison and Hon. A. J.
Schmitz of Milwaukee were unable to
be present and sent letters which
were read by william Smith, presi-
dent of the Rock County Bar Asso-
citation.
r. B. Kirkland of Jefferson, County
Judge Charles Rogers of Jefferson, A.
A. Jackson, T. S. Nolan, Charles Rec
der, and o. A Oestreich were among
the speakers and the out-of-town
guests present included J. D. Dun
widdie of Monroe, l.. IE. Gettle of
Edgerton, Robert C. Bulkley of White
tertown, and H. w. Adams, T. d.
| Woolsey, Cornelius Buckley, and John
Rood of Beloit.
| Judge Grimm, in concluding the
| exercises, declared that he believed
it was due to the memory of a good
man who had tried to do what was
| right to say that if it had not been
for al insidious disease which cast
its dark shadows further than any
one could have known at the time,
| Judge Dunwiddie would be here today
occupying with credit to himself and
| the satisfaction of all members of the
| bar the same position which the
| speaker held. For there was nothing
in the loving, upright character of
his noble predecessor which could do
otherwise than win the hearty ap-
proval of every man.
Chief Justice Winslow's tribute was
as follows:
| If the Court please
l knew Judge Dunwiddie intimately
from early manhood and my respect
for his character has impelled me to
attend these exercises in order that |
might add my imperfect but heartfelt
tribute to the generous tributes of the
bar
| met him first at the law school of
our state university, where we were
both preparing for our life's work He
was somewhat my senior and had, as
| remember, completed his course in
the college of letters and science, hav-
ing worked his way through by his
own eXertionS. He made his own way
also in the law school by teaching
several hours day in a business col
laop Tbuc ho had litt1o tiDop fOr, 70
creation, and less for mere social
pleasures. He was necessarily very
busy, too much SO probably for his
own physical welfare. Thus also he
was somewhat slow in making ac-
quaintanceS; but as the months went
on his classmates appreciated more
and more the ability and sterling vir-
tues which were possessed by the
quiet and busy student, whose time
was too fully occupied for play.
He was not brilliant, nor did he
possess what is called genius, but he
had the more solid qualities of indus
try and a great capacity for continu-
Gus and regular work, which stood
him in better stead. He made way
SIoWIy UuC vel I1S DOSSSSS-
ed also absolute integrity and hon
esty, both of mind and heart Not
mere business honesty, but a deter
mination to do the right as he saw it
at all times and under all circum-
stances, not because it was the best
policy, but because neither his tenn
permanent nor his religious convic-
!; l..
wise He carried these qualities
through his life; he became an able
lawyer, safe counsellor, trusted
adviser, and gained the implicit coz
fidence and respect of his brethern
at the bar, as we'll as of the communi-
ty at large; he filled in all ways the
ideal of the good citizen. The key
note of his character was his unqueS-
toned integrity. He was a good man.
Walter Scott, upon his deathbed, said
to his son-in-law, Lockhart: BE a
good man, John; that is all that will
give you any comfort when you come
to lie here Our departed friend had
| this comfort, and his stricken family
will always have it. In the words of
| the Hebrew prophet: HE did justly,
he loved mercy, and he walked humb-
| ly with his God" What can be said
of man better than this What is
more to be desired? When this can
| be truthfullv said of any person then
| indeed all mere infirmities of temper
may be forgiven and forgotten, and
| only the virtues be remembered, even
as though they were inscribed upon
memory's wall in letters Of living
| light.