The Oskaloosa herald., 1913-10-02
MAJOR JOHN r. LACEY.

l. Inc Scrlptural injunction, III the
midst of life we are in DEATH" was
truly borne out in the sudden taking
| off of Major John F. Lacey. Many
| friends,--the writer among them, -
had the pleasure of a brief interview
with him in his office Monday morn
! ing, He was in his usual good health
| and This boSfsh animation lending
Thought aud encouragement to VarE
Gus; matters presented to him. Only
La few brief minutes later, the spirit
had taken it's flight ahdi the lifeiess
body LAY at his home surrounded by
Borrowing family and friends.
Illdstrativel of THE varied matters
that claimed his attention, the writer
recalls that when he visited Major
Lacey,s Office Attorney Howard Sher~
liff was there looking up some special
reports on certain important cases.
| The Major directed him easily to the
exact location of the books he want,
ed. He then gave attention to mat:
tiers concerning st. James Episcopal
church, of which for years he has
been a regular attendant and vestry-
man. Later Postmaster George True
came in to consult the Major about
the ACCESSIBILITY of closing district
court a part of the time during the
Fall Festival next week. The Major
thought it was the thing to do and
signed his name to a petition to that
effect This undoubtedly was the
last time that he placed his sigma
ture ), to any docket. During the
same brief moments he gave atten-
ton to some G. A. r. matters,-the
welfare of comrades. always, being
close to the heart of Major, Lacey. =
These things are mentioned here
only to show the wide range of his
connections and the calibre of the
man. No one ever had to wait in
IAN ante-room or make a date to see
Major Lacey. He was always on the
JOB with his coat off, and a whole
hearted Welcome awaiting the visitor.
No man icouldi be more sdiligent than
The. yet he always found time for play
and relaxation. 7Es& ~ &.t.
| In every walk of life, in society. in
business, in politics, in church, in the
home circle i'm the halls OF congress,
lin Tue court room, on the platform,
or Wherever he might be, he was al
ways alive to the. best of the situaf
| tionia He wass observing, keen and
witty, ever the life of the group about
khim&. His .triumphs., in politics and
his victories in court, never changed
the character of the man. He was
persistent and bitter in a fight, but
he never harbored a spirit of retribu-
ton. He never hesitated to express
his opinion or wavered from his fixed
ideas of right. but he respected the
beliefs and the principles of others,
and when the fight was over acqui
esced in the will of the majority.
Oskaloosa probably never had an
other citizen who had won such great
distinction in so many fields of labor.
His war record was brilliant and
eyentfula sEnlisting as a private he
wasisbreYeted a major on the field Of
battle and retired to private life after
,fodF years of hard service. In pub
Tic lie he was honored by many Of
fees of trust He was nine times
! elected as a republican to congress
from district which has always
been very sclose or democratic. His
great race for senator showed that
he bad many warm friends all over
Iowa In business life he was rec
ognized as one OF the best lawyers in
the state, and has tried cases in
many state and supreme courts. LAS
la writer he achieved great success
and If he had turned his talents to
! literature might have won fame in
that line. AS citizen he was plain
John" TO his associates, and he
lived the life OF the true gentleman
and friend. BY every measure he
was a man, and he will be keenly
missed not alone by his sorrowing
family and close friends, but by his
home town, the state he loved so
well, and by the many admirers he
had won throughout the nation.