Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1923-01-17
Henry Colin Campbell

His place will not soon or east
ly be filed. There are few men
Of whom this can be said so truly
as Of Henry Colin Campbell. Mil
yankee and Wisconsin will miss
him sorely. This was the state
Of his birth and the city that he
loved. He was tireleSs in his eff
forts for city and state, limitless
In his faith and confidence in
their future. From the earlier
busy days when he found time
10 serve on the school board and
later on the city charter commits
sion TO the later time when so
much Of his heart and his work
and his eagerness went into talk
ing and writing and working
for restoration of WiSconsin's
forest wealth, he was always most
interested in something for the
future of Milwaukee and Wis
cousin.
Always in this work he did, a
helpful factor was Mr.. Camp
bells engaging personality. OF
very gentle, winning manners,
there was almost a caress in his
voice as he talked 10 people and
won them TO the things he be
lieved in and 10 working for the
common cause. His enthusiasm
carried him over hard places and
his unc0nquerable buoyancy sent
him out as fresh and strong as
ever after disappointment. five
had many such men working as
he worked for what they believed
IN for their city and their state,
who can say what the accom-
plishment might be?
His work on the Journal, Mr..
Campbell did well. He put his
whole soul and energy into 1t.
He had a great respect for the
public. for its intelligence and its
essential soundness. lie believed
In democracy and in the future,
in the nation and its young men.
More and more he loved 10 have
young men with him in his work
and on his visits to the northern
wilds he loved so fervently. When
the war came, there was only one
thought in his heart. That was
America, and America meant saw
ing civilization. He early under
stood what the position of Amer
lea must Be, how unlikely it was
that If war went on we could es-
care, how vital il was 10 civiliz-
alton that this country should be
srce 10 itself. No man did his
war work better, few as well as
he. And none greeted peace more
ioyously or was reader 70 begin
the great rebuilding.
As his work at the office was
made lighter, he had more and
more opportunity 10 give his
thought and effort 20 the preser-
walton of Wisconsin's native
beauty and the restoration of its
timber wealth. Nothing delight
ed him so much as the increasing
evidence that the state and the
nation were waking TO an inter
est in the forestry he had advo-
Gated for so many years. On the
wall Of his office hung Joyce Kill
mer's beautiful poem, The Tree,
and he used TO say, IF / could
feel that l had helped TO plant
trees, though / had accomplished
nothing else, my life would have
been in vain" Ii is a fair type
Of the life of a man who has
worked with the good of his fell
low men at heart. No one can
say all that is in the hearts of
those who loved Henry Campbell,
in the hearts of those who work
ed with him on The Journal or of
those who knew him as a neigh
Dor TO whom they turned in per-
plexity or distress. But when we
can say that the work of a mans
life Is like a tree, which goes on
increasing in worth and beauty
after the planter has gone, we
pay a tribute that was worth a
lifetime 10 earn. - Milwaukee
Journal.