Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-08-28
A TENDER TRIBUTE
TO JUDGE GOODWIN

The following tribute TO Judge
Charles G. Goodwin was written for
the Gazette by one who knew him,
well" OF all the pioneers OF Nevada
none was more loved and admired
than Charley" Goodwin:
In his declining years Charley Good
win wrote in tender words of the Old
Guard that made the western states
part of our American civilization.
and his last sentences were:
For me that procession began
its march three-score years ago.
watched it changing from year 10
year, but today, down the long
aisles OF memory the mists are
cleared away from above the trail,
and that procession is again in
yiew-the splcndor of the begin.
ming, the flags, the tTumpets, the
joyous songs, the sprinRy step, the
march through the hot MONDAY,
the long afternoon and the bovou.
&C under the stars-nOw all the
music grown still and the night
wind sweeping up from the depths
of the desert becomes q requiem
How fittingly he typifieS this picture
OF the pioneer in his OWE person, and
how deeply he felt the part. More
than passing word is due to the
memory of Judge Goodwin from
everyone who loves Nevada, and his
memory will live in Washoe county as
long as in any other. II was in Washoe
City in 1863 that he begar his brilliant
career as journalist, and he had the
distinction of being the first judge
nI.FtnI n N'aEhnn No
vada was admitted to the union. He
held the Office for two years, 1865 and
1866.
A sketch of his life in history of
the state says: "He came to Califor-
mia in 1852 and studied law under his
brother, Jesse Goodwin in MarysYillc,
afterwards teaching in an academy. III
1861 he came 10 Nevada and put his
small fortune into building a quartz
mill near Dayton. A flood took this
out before IL opened for business and
/ Judge Goodwin built an arastra at
| Gold Hill, which took what he had left
When his mill was swept away six
men were drowned and an orphan left
| by one of them was adopted by Judge
| Goodwin and he afterwards became al
| officer in the United States army
| When the Judge failed he owed les!
than a thousand dollars but on tha
debt hC claimed that he must have
paid million dollars interest. Every
time he got his head above water one
of those compound interest note'
would crop up and clean him out"
He came to WashOC county anC
started the ranch so long owned by
a. To-,
On this he laid out town which h,
called Truckee City. but an injunction
suit shut off his water supply and tn
town turned into a wheat field wit
another owner. Then he went to wori
on a newspaper at Washoe City an
. became q judge. Later he located
: mine in Eureka and another in N.Y.
both failing to make his fortune. II
went on the Enterprise while Dagget
was cditorin-Chicf, and when he ra
; for congress Judge Goodwin becam
Cditor.in.ChiCf. remaining until 1885,
when he moved to Salt Lake City.
As u writer Judge Goodwin cXcelle
in all departments of literature. his
torical. political and literary. When
cause appealed to him he could pou
his whole soul through the point of
pen and money foes. both big and III
tie. have felt his steel in their vital'
But most of all he loved his fello,
: man and spoke well instead of i'll Q
, him when he had the opportunity. Iii
books are filled with tributes TO III
p pioneer, the miner, the friend and IN
! ncighbOr. Few received harsh word
4 after the occasion Of debate ha
r passed.
B.. His charity was always far beyon
p his means and his financial abilit
!. was limited to getting rid Of hi
= money. one who knew him well sat
"1f Charley met rich friend on th
!. street he was likely to borrow n coup
+ of hundred and II the next man Il
= met was poor and needed II he &c
5 t." a stranded opera company or
u crippled traveller was very likely
:. enlist columns Of free sympathy ar