The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-10-19
Prominent TOpekans Help
Celebrate 10Th Birthday.
Evening of Wit and Mirth for
the Veteran Attorney.
JUDICIAL LIGHTS WERE THERE
Listened to Tales of OId-Of
Career of Joe Waters.
Gift Presentation Speech Given
by Tom DOran.

''Well, well, we'll what's all this?
Thought something was up because
John stayed at home. Lord bless my
soul it's a party Quoth Captain j.
G. Waters, whose. friends came to cell
citrate his seventy-ffth birthday ami
versary Friday night. The captain
PLAYING bridge in his shirt sleeves, col
lar on a table beside him, shook hands
with each OF his two dozen guests at
least twice.
This is pretty fine. come in, come
IN" he repeated, wringing Dave
Ieahy's fist for the fourth time
John Lord laid 20 crimson carna-
lions in the captains arms, and some
body pushed Tom Doran forward. The
guests had chosen a handsome alliga-
tor bag for birthday gift. Said I.
F. Doran, who made the presentation:
ITO a worthy man increasing years
are added jewels in the crown of life:
every new one gives a more brilliant
Iuster to those that have gone before,
and with it's meIlowing light bright
ems the way for those that are to come
, On the way down the path of life, there
are a few who carry in their hearts
the freshness and beauty of eternal
springtime-the joy and strength or
perpetual youth We touch elbows
with them on the journey into the sun
set, and feel the thrill of the life
that is eternal-the joy of the day
that has no ending-the warmth of
a friendship that can never die.
One of the Chosen Few.
CAPTAIN Waters, you are one OF
t these chosen few. Although engaged In
a profession of continual warfare, your
sonI is in tune with the serenity of
eternal peace: you fight your battles
fn-the daytime and your enemies are
forgiven at sunset. No man dares DO |
you a wrong. lest he be reouked DS |
your forgiving generosity.
s.This is not a va1edictory, but a |
salutatory We preached your vale
dictory many years ago when you had |
reached the end of life under the al
lotted space of three score years and |
ten but instead of growing older, you
have grown younger, and now at the |
ape of seyenty-five, we salute you. |
Your eyes are as bright as they were |
when a boy in your teens, amid blare
of bugles and the roll OF fife ana
drum YOU marched away to fight |
for your country's flag. Your step |
is as steady now as it was the day !
YOU charged up Lookout mountain
through a hail of musket badsi and
those who saw you there have said |
Won bore the colors high, with all |
the strength and valor of your youth,
and with a face unblanched by fear.
And now, after all the years, you still
stand sentinel on the outposts of duty,
ready for any call
salute you as OUR CAPTAIN To me,
the messenger of your friends, has
been assigned the pleasant duty of
delivering into your hands this simple
token of our continued respect and
love. On their behalf, 1 wish to as
sure you that whatever journey you
may take, the hearts of your friends
will go with you in this handbag"
"Reminiscences of j. g. Waters.
The genial captain was too moved
to make any formal acceptance, and
reolied briefly The attorneys,
judges, and friends crowded around
him, congratulated him, and told
their wittiest tales.
Capt. Waters started a dozen remitI-
iscences by telling of the days in s..
when Abraham Lincoln and he read
law together in Illinois. He and sew
eraI other young bloods spent their
last cent to ride to Chicago and root
for the great president.
Stories flew thick and fast, hilarity
rose high. Otis Hungate, in pause, |
thoughtfully remarked, AN outspok-
en- woman is the only person that ever
got ahead of Joe Waters. When I was
studying with the captain a woman
asked to be introduced to him. 1
was astounded by what followe3. E
That a lawyer?' Missed the woman to ]
me in tones of disappointment, That? I
Why, he looks more like keg!'' Cap
tain Waters never drank liquor in his t
life.
well, the life of lawyer is a hard
one at best" was Captain Waters | a
cheerful rejoinder, Dave Overmyer
the undying gratitude of a whole fam
lily upon our heads, but not much
else. We were $500 in the hole fo~
expenses, but the people insisted they
give us all they had in the world. They
presented Dave with a mortgage or
their corn field, and me with a note
signed by grandmother, father, moth
er. sister. aunt, daughter-each men, {
49,
note in at the bank, and they told me
it wasn't worth the paper it was
scratched on-decreased in geometri-
cal proportion with each name THAI +
was on it. Never mind said Dave. 7
'I'H divvy up on the corn field We r
passed the field every day. and watch a
ed the shocks wither up in the sun: L
there was not much left, but we had
It gathered and shipped. All we got t
in the end was bill for $45 for har- q
vesting the crop. Dave paid the biz e
and adopted the following motto: b
When the tear is in the e'e, Z
Then's the time to get your feev' T
After the stories We're told. supper /
was announced. THE stories were in
tsresting," said Dave Leahy, in relat-
ing the tale, but the spread was more
so. Turkey, weinerwursts' and sand
viches. Ahar'
The prominent Topekans who dis Y
cussed legal lore, roast turkey, salads
Jokes, cider and Captain Waters were
Chief Justice W. A. Johnston. Justice
A. W. Benson, Justice R. 8 Burch. Jus
cice Clark A. Smith, Justice Henry F o
Mason. Justice Silas Porter, Justice ]. s
5. West, Judge A. W. Dana, Juslg, I
George N. Whitcomb. T. F. Doran, John q
Schenck. John F. Switzar E. s Ou:r- I
EiTnGate, Robert Tasker, E. D. Nc 81
keever, c. p. Bolmar. General Robert q
:. Bradshaw, L. S Perry. J. z. Adding p
on Captain a, NJ Fuller. John Z e.