The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-11-05
The Late Joseph Williamson.
The Kennebec Bar Association Pays Tribute
to His Memory.
[Kennebec Journal

to His Memory.
[Kennebec Journal
The necessity of any account of the
Joseph Williamson Memorial exercises
to take the form of plain enumeration
cannot but mar the dignified and rever-
end impressiveness of that service. 1t
should be said, however, that the sole
duty with which the supreme court &C.
cupied itself Tuesday, Oct. 9th. was in
placing upon its records the tribute ten
dered by the members Of the Kernebec
Bar Association to their former brother,
the late Hon. Joseph Williamson.
At 3 O clock in the afternoon when the
exercises opened, nearly SO members
were assembled within the bar. Behind
the bench were seated Associate Justice
A, M. Spear, Associate Justice Leslie 4.
Cornish and Judge Fred Emery Beane.
Hon. L. T. Carleton of Winthrop arose
and said: MAY it please the court: the
members of the Kennebec bar are desir-
GUS of placing upon the records of this
court testimonial of their regard for
our brother, Hon. Joseph Williamson,
who died July 30, A. D. 1914" Mr..
Carlton briefly outlined the life of the
man of whom he was speaking and men
toned many of the dominant traits in
that life which had made it what it was,
and closed by saying: Resolved, there
fore, that entertaining the highest re-
spect and esteem for our brother, the
Hon. Joseph Williamson, we cannot too
highly honor one who by his efforts rose
to be leader of his profession in this
county and State. Resolved: That in
addition to the sorrow which they share
with his relatives at so great loss the
members of this bar have the pang
caused by the severance of the close per-
sonal ties that bound US to him, the ties
of strength which cannot be fully appre-
ciated without understanding completely
how his attainments and his lovaple
traits of personal character commanded
the respect and drew to him the warm
affection of those who had the privilege
of being associated with him in the prac-
tice of his profession. AS an active
practitioner of the law, as county attor-
ney and in alllthe relations of life he was
ever true, honorable, upright and rella-
BILE. That the sudden removal OF such
life from among US leaves a vacancy
that will be deeply realized by US all ard
is serious loss to the bar and the COM
munity.''
Hon. 0. B. Ciason of Gardiner arose
to second the motion for the adoption of
the resolutions presented. In his address
the speaker referred to the personal ac-
uuaintance he had had with Mr.. William
son, which had had its beginning in the
student life of Bowdoin College. Those
qualities which had typifed the student
there the speaker traced as being typi-
cal of the man throughout his life. How
great these qualities had been he lndl-
Gated in his closing remarks, that 'ap-
parently everything that ambition, pride
or desire could ask for were within his
reach, but Death has closed the door;
his work is finished; his kindly deeds,
his many friendly words and greetings,
will long be remembered.
"'And this his epitaph shall be-
Now ended are his days
None knew him but to love him,
None knew him but to praise.
G. W. Field of Fairfield next paid his
tribute, speaking of the many occasions
in which he had been privileged to come
derful personality. He spoke of him as
a LAWYER. as friend and as a man. The
speaker closed his address by saying:
at has been said it is the common lot of
man to be born to struggle through life's
Journey and be forgotten, and the places
which knew him once know him no more;
but Brother Williamson will never be
forgotten.
Judge B. F. Maher followed Mr.. Field
and dealt particularly with the memories
that all acquaintance, and more espec- |
tally all members of the bar, had of Mr..
Williamson. 1t was the fragments of
humanity that had been sown broadcast |
by the departed, it was the example of |
life and conduct, of friendship and help
fulness that was the theme of his dis
course. Mr.. Williamson was, he said,
one who assisted his neighbor, his city |
and his State. His influence was wide |
and far reaching and his sterling charac-
ter an attribute SO predominating. that
no one could avoid its influence. The
memory of these glowing virtues will |
ever cling in the minds of his former as
sociates and will always be source of
inspiration and guide to rectitude.
The last to offer tribute was Associ-
ate Justice Leslie C. Cornish, who spoke
as follows:
Brethren of the Bar:
cat the memorial exercises held in
honor Of the late Chief Justice WisWell,
a distinguished member of this bar be-
gan his eulogy with these graphic words:
Al llIUeS we are SlIlhlHSly Ielllluu-
ed that, close beside the borders Of life
set with all Its blooms, flows the river Of
death, into whose forbdding waters no
man may step and then return, and no man
who has once entered may send answer
back from the farther shore. When it
comes to one who is frail with sickness or
weary with the hardships of life the fin
gers of death are soft and even welcome,
and draw one gently to repose. But
when it overtakes, as it did here, the
strong man in harness, it must give us
pause.
"All too often during the past few
years has the Kennebec Bar been called
upon to lose and mourn comrade. Our
ranks have been more than decimated.
Within the past seven years we have
lost Lendall Titcomb, Orville D. Baker,
Simon S. Brown, Judge A. G. Andrews,
Dana P. Foster, Guy A. Hildreth, Nor
man F. Fuller, Herbert M. Heath and
A. C. Stilphen, and today we are met to
say word of fond farewell to another
brother whose loss we feel most keenly.
"Joseph Williamson, the son of Joseph
and Ada Pierce Williamson, was born in
Belfast, on February IA, 1869. He in
herited scholarly tastes and naturally in
clined toward collegiate education,
graduating from Bowdoin College, which
was also his fathers alma mater, in the