The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1921-02-17
BANQUET FOR NtSTOR OF BAR


The lawyers of the county and ladies
to the number of about fifty sat down
to dinner given by the county bar at
the Elks' club Tuesday evening in
honor of Judge j. S. Anderson on the
fftieth anniversary of his entering
upon the practice of law in Manito-
woe II. l.. Markham presided with his
usual fund of appropriate drolleries.
Judge Kirwan told of how he first met
Judge Anderson in 1870 before they
were lawyers when they served togeth-
er as members of last grand jury that
ever sat in Manitowoc county. He
briefly told of Judge Anderson's legal
career with cases reported through
eighty volumes of the Wisconsin re-
ports. He spoke of his service in pub
lie office and using Jerimah Blacks
reported remark that Roscoe Conklin
would refuse a rumored offer of
place on the supreme bench rendered
by President Arthur because Conklin
did not know the language of the
courts, Judge Kirwan said that j. S..
Anderson was from the first thorough
ly familiar with that language Dwell
ing upon Judge Anderson's scholarship
and legal attainments he said that
without Hattery Judge Anderson would
have creditably acquitted himself in
any judicial position in the state in
cluding our highest court. He said:
Judge Anderson has been a student
of our law for its own sake and has
loved it, We have come together to
assure him of our affection and to eX
press to him the hope that for many
years he may pursue his own readings
in his own quiet way AID enjoy his
dignifed leisure to the end"
G. 4. Forrest gave an account of
the time he was a fellow student at
Lawrence college with Judge Ander-
son following the civil war, with some
flashes of his old wit and not devoid
of pathos
A. L. Hougen talked for a few min
utes on the inspiration of such an ex-
ample as Anderson's should be to
young members of the bar award
again bringing the profession of the
law to the place of leadership it
seemed TO be losing He said the
meeting was a spontaneous gathering
of the bar to express esteem of Judge
Anderson as a lawyer and as an up
right American citizen,
Bert L. I.arkin of Two Rivers spoke
for the younger members of the bar
briefly and appropriately.
Judge Anderson spoke at some
length, evidencing deep feeling at the
testimonial rendered him. He drew a
picture of the early bar and said he
had seen every lawyer ever at the local
bar beginning with Judge Colby, the
first one, who came in 1S45. He said
that as he was virtually retired from
practice there can be no impropriety
in his saying that although the stand
ard of the bench in this circuit was
early placed very high it has during
the present incumbency been kept
high and carried far. He said at the
end: 81 have always had a heart for
any fate and have probably sometimes
had more courage than discretion. But
| tried to play fair took what came
sent back what I could"
Judge Baensch read a fine poem
written for the occasion. He said that
any part he has ever taken in public
life was due to the inspiration of
Judge Anderson and referred to Mrs
Anderson as the mother of the city's
public library
+. l.. Kelley spoke of his childhood's
recollections of Judge Anderson as a
neighbor and read a letter from f. G.
Nash who was unavoidably out of the
city. Mr.. Nash says he met Anderson
not long after the judge closed his
four years of active service in the
civil war and that the impression of
that time always left Anderson in his
mind as a soldier, He paid a glowing
tribute to him as a lawyer and citizen.