River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-09-02
Editor, Journal:

Editor, Journal:
You ask me to say something a.
bout Judge Allen P. Weld in con-
nection with his resignation. This
F, is delicate. not to say unusual
proposition which he may we'll re-
gard as a private business matter.
l know, and the begrudging public
must know, that he has we'll earned
his holiday and |. for one, feel like
treating the matter as incompetent,
Irrelevant and immaterial. The
Judge is still on top of this good
green earth with all his mental spark
plugs clean and quick and nothing
the matter except little temporary
tire trouble, which is also somewhat
of a private matter as | have found.
Don't you know fellow is liable to
be a trifle sensitive when he runs S
old machine into the shop for re-
pairs? At any rate outside gossip is
gratuity not always appreciated.
However, | who have known Judge
Weld for almost half a century, am
glad to comply with your request
albiet with lively appreciation of
the handicap of his living presence.
Apotheosis, verbal TRANSPORTATION
and other forms of biographical pre-
varication, are taboo for those ION
live," as our old friend Chaucer
would say. Custom inficts the VIVID
colorings only on the helpless dead.
The Judge was born in Boston, or
New Jersey, or Main, or some other
of those out-of-the-way places, and,
like Bill Nye, when about four years
of age he argued with his father
and finally induced him to transplant
the family tree into the virgin soil
of Wisconsin. By all rights should
here say something about the
Judges father. He was connected
with one of my earliest and bitterest
recollections Of school life, and the
link was book. Be it known, and
| say this without malice, the Judge
is half brother to Yields Grammar.
The long hours | spent porting over
that standard work of his fathers
the heartbreak-the torture! But
let it pass.
In the new soil the Judge thrived,
and grew, and had stone bruises,
and finally grew beard. Then he
studied, comprehended and success
fully practiced law. To go back;
when boy he drove teams over the
rutty roads Of this county (Which
were not much better than they are
now and thus formed mortal an
tipathy for all kinds of ruts. So.
when he became a lawyer it was
easy for him to realize, that which
so many professional men do not
seem able to realize, that outside
their chosen lines are quite num-
Der of more or less important and
interesting subjects. These he
chased down, one by one. He sell
dom travelled without salt dish.
After a while he became a De
pository. Financial? Bless your
heart, NO! He became a Deposit
DRY of General Information. People
got the habit Of saying, Better go
and see the Judge" when in doubt
about abstruse things. If a house,
church, bridge, park or road had to
be built the Judge usually fished the
plans from some one of the thous-
and hooks in his brain. And thus it
was in about everything. He has
always had sort of free dispensary
of knowledge attached to his office
and it is mild statement to say
people have taken advantage of it.
| think can unblushingly say. with
him lookin' an hearin'," that he
has been mighty useful citizen.
Of course he may have blemish
or two, which, being alive. there is
no harm in mentioning. For in
stance, he has allowed it to get a.
broad without contradiction, that he
is a great checker player. 1t is very
far from my intention to urge his
accomplishment in this line. Indeed .
have a not wholly concealed notion
that I can beat him myself occasion
ally, but let it pass.
| Judge Weld has always been a