The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1905-1910, 1910-08-16
Giants In Those Days
SOME EmlNIsceNcEs or THE
LINCOLN COUNTY GAR

wv. 2. Walton in Lexington Herald.
There were giants "A those DAYS"
II Il hoped that the writer. who lived
In Stanford some thirty years or more
will be excused Tor some personal re-
mtniscences OF the lawyers of the an
Client capital of Lincoln county
Though small In size the bar OF that
city embraced some OF the greatest
lawyers OF the state. but the relent.
less flight Of time has deprived IL OF
many who in former years gave II the
prestige OF one OF the finest bars In
Kentucky. There were others before
our day and memory. but we write on
ly OF those whom we knew until they
were gathered 10 their fathers.
There was Colonel Thomas p. Hin.
a great lawyer and an orator whose
fame was almost national. He was
the nestor OF the bar and many o
young man who afterwards became
noted In his profession, learned legal
lore az his feet. He lived to be so
years OF age, maintaining his yigor-
ous mind even II the body had grown
weak and feeble.
Then there was Colonel William
Gatewood Welch, a man OF massive
physique as well as OF robust mental
qualities. We have often thought that
the two greatest minds We have ever
come In close contact with were those
LOT Colonel w. &. Z. Breckenridge and
Colonel WEIGH. The difference was
that the former had a laudable ambi.
ton; the latter seemed 70 care moth
ing for the fayors OF the plaudits OF
inen The one added TO the talents
the Lord had given him; the other
In a measure buried his. He was as
gallant a soldier as ever drew a sword
for the Sunny Southland and as brave
a man as ever lived. but he lacked am
bltion and few knew the strength of
his mind OF his great mental attain
ments. Death claimed him also a few
years ago and he sleeps In the little
town OF Crab Orchard where he was
born and which be loved with un-
usual devotion.
Another great legal mind was that
OF him whose sudden death the Her
aid told yesterday. Judge NJ. G. Sauf-
ley was one OF the deepest thinkers
and the clearest OF reasoners. Endow-
ed with a judicial mind. he could
grasp a point OF law quicker than
N. n. Owsley OF q neighboring town.
who seemed To decide by intuition.
Neither was often reversed by the
Court OF Appeals and their decisions
were models OF Judicial reasoning
He studied law after coming out OF
the Confederate army with nothing
left but his tattered and torn suit OF
gray and an energy that was indomit-
able. Tie was great lawyer and a
Just Judge. and his place cannot be
aeceptably filled. no matter whom
Gov. Wilson may appoint.
Then there was glorious old Hon
est DICK Warren" as everybody call
ed Judge Richard G. Warren. who was
honored perhaps by more offices in
the gift OF the district and the county
than any other citizen.-a man OF the
most commanding figure. an orator
whose voice could fill the largest
building, ard a democrat who has al.
ways answered his partys call He,
too, was taken In the prime OF his
usefulness and died much earlier in
life than the others here mentioned.
Another OF this old school OF law
yers remains in the person OF Judge j
w. Alcorn. the sole survivor. we be-
Iieve, or those VINO Tor years made
the stanford bar famous. He was al
so a gallant Confederate soldier and
has written his name high for brave
~ on the battlefield and on the legal
annals of his native State. May he
long survive. as a living reminder OF
the face that there were giants In
those days"
The fact that these men were Con-
federate veterans. except Colonel Hill
who was too old for service, and
Judge Warren. perhaps too young,
and came from the war as poor as
Jobs Turkey. as the saying is. shows
the wonderful recuperation OF those
who are ambitious 10 succeed ana is
a wonderful object lesson TO the ris-
ing generation which We pray God
may never undergo the privations
and hardships OF those who suffered
for the sause they loved and which
was destined to be lost.
God bless the dear old fellows and
awe them that rest and peace that
-. aaniad than hara