The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-01-15

was installed pastor of the first Congre-
pationa Church in this place in 1905.
BROTHER of the late Ralph c. johnson
and father of the late Col. Alfred w.
johnson. He was born in Newburyport,
Mass, Aug. Is, 1889. At the time his
father came here to reside be was stu
dent in Bowdoin College. where he grad
uated in 1903 with the highest honors OF
his class. He studied law in the office OF
Hon. William Crosby and on admission
to the Bar in 1911 opened an Office in the
counting-room of the Nesmith Store
then kept by his brother Ralph c. In
the war of 1912 he was captain Of the
artillery company in his place. his BROTH
or holding at the same time the Office of
ensign in the infantry. He represented
this town and Northport in the General
Court when Maine was a part Of Massa-
chusetts, and was member of the Con-
vention which In 1919 framed the Consti-
tuition of the new State. He was MEM
Der of it's first legislature and resigned
that position to accept the office of Judge
of Probate for the county of Hancock,
Sept. l, 1920. That Office be held until
March /, 1927, when he was appointed
to the same position in the new county
of Waldo. He continued to hold the
office until his term expired by constitu-
tional limitation in 1910, when Hon.
Jonathan Thayer of Camden was ap-
pointed his successor. He was one of
the Trustees of Bowdoin College from
1888 until his decease.
He was an able lawyer and ripe
scholar; occupying place in the front
rank of the literati of the State. He
possessed remarkable memory; it may
be truthfully said of him, if of any one,
that nothing ever escaped him. He was
eminent as a conversationalist, and his
memory was perfest treasury Of all he
had ever read or thought. No more
truthful, mental or moral portraiture of
the man can be presented than that en-
braced in the following resolutions adopt
ed at meeting of the members of the
Waldo Bar held on the day preceding his
funeral: "Resolved that we lament with
profoundest regret the demise of Hon.
Alfred johnson, who for nearly forty
wears was a member of this Bar, and
for large portion of the time filled an
important judicial Office. Although dur
ing the latter portion of his life he had
etired from active practice, the profess
sion will long remember him as sound
and correct lawyer, performing the vari-
GUS duties of his official station with sig
nal ability and to the acceptance of the
public. Resolved, that in contempla-
ton of the character of Judge johnson,
in all his various situations both public
and private, as lawyer, legislator and
Judge, as a prominent citizen, as
scholar thoroughly versed in classical and
general literature, and as man of social
qualities, of genial humor, and of re-
markable colloquial powers, we feel that
a VOlU las Uecu CiCdtCd III Jul
ity which cannot be filled"
Hon. William Crosby died on the 31st
of March in his eighty-second year. He
was born in Billerica, Mass, June 3,
ITO. graduated at Harvard in 1894, stud
led his profession in the offices of Will
liam Gordon, ESQ.,, at Amherst, N. H.,
and Hon. Samuel Dana at Groton, Mass.
was admitted to the Bar of MiddleseX
county in 1898 and after practising his
profession three years in Billerica came
here to reside in January, 1902. He
erected his office on the site on High
street now occupied by the brick store
Of Mr.. Arnold Harris, first removing the
| fallen trees to make room for it, and In
1904 became the owner, by purchase, of
the dwellinghouse on Main street now
occupied by his son. He left an interest
ing autobiography, covering seventy
/ years of his life, from which it appears
that when DE first came here in 1901,
there were on the site of the present
business portion of the city but five
framed houses, a few log houses, one
store, one meeting house, and five Indian
wigwams.
] Soon after he commenced practice
here be was appointed county attorney,
and in 1911 chief justice of the Court of
I Common Pleas for the Third EasternCir-
cuit, embracing the counties of Hancock,
I Washington and Penobscot He held
that office until the Court was abolished
/ in 1872 lie then resumed practice and
continued in il until 1881. when he car
ried into effect resolution which he had
I long before adopted, to retire from active
business at the age of sixty. He was q
member of the College of Presidential
] Electors in 1912 and of the Senate of
/ Massachusetts in 1916.
/ His remaining days after retiring from
the practice of his profession were de-
voted to his books, the study of the nat
ural sciences, the preparation of maru-
scripts on various subjects, and to agri-
cultural and horticultural pursuits. 1t
would not become the compiler of these
annals, sustaining the relation he does to
the subject of this brief biographical
81 81, =