The Columbian. (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, October 25, 1895, Image 1

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Ten
Pages.
THIS ISSUE CON
TAINS THE PREMIUM
LIST OF THE BLOOM S
BURQ FAIR.
VOL HO
BLOOMSBURG. PA.. FlilDAY. OCTOBEil 25. 1S95.
NO 43
If
HONORS TO
THE DEAD.
TUN ER AL SERVICES OF THE HOB.
WILLIAM EL WELL.
The funeral services of the late
Hon. William Elwell, were held last
Friday morning at nine o'clock. The
members of the bar of Columbia and
Montour Counties assembled in the
Court room, and proceeded to his
late residence and escorted the remains
to SU Paul's Episcopal Church where
the services were conducted
by the Rector, Rev. D. N. Kirkby.
He paid a glowing tribute to
the memory of Mr. Elwell and urged
the audience to take his life
as an example for their's, and so
live that their last end might be as
peaceful and honored as his had been.
He said the "Town Council ex
pressed it all, when they said in their
resolution of condolence that he was
a good man, and a just judge."
All the places of business in the
town, as well as many of the factories
were closed, thus showing to some
extent the high esteem in which he
was held by the community. After
the services at the church, the remains
were taken to the D. L. & W. Rail
Road station, and the party left in a
special car for Towanda at 10.49,
where the interment was held. The
members of the bar re-conveyened in
the Court room with Hon. E. R. Ikeler
presiding. Upon motion J. G. Freeze,
J. B. Robison and W. H. Rhawn,
Esqs., were appointed a committee
on resolutions. J. G. Freeze, Esq.,
who is President of the Bar Associa
tion made the following remarks:
Mr. President : It is my sad duty
to announce to you the death of
Honorable William Elwell, for a
quarter of a century the President
Judge of this Court. He passed from
life about four o'clock on the morn
ing of October 15, 1895, so peacefully
that the exact time of his departure
was not perceived by his family who
were about his bed. He was born on
the 9th day of October, 1808.
The death of William Elwell is an
event which ought not to be passed
over in silence. For more than fifty
years he has been a conspicuous man
in the Commonwealth of Pennsyl
vania, and in the line of his profession
the peer of any one of his contempo
raries. He had been in active practice
for almost thirty years before he came
upon the Bench, during which time he
had been a member of the Legislature
of Pennsylvania, and chairman of the
Judiciary Committee.
When he came to the Bar in 1833
there had been published but 34 vol
uraes of the decisions of the Supreme
Court, and now the official reporter is
busy at work upon the 235th volume,
When he came to the Bar John Ban
nister Gibson was Chief Justice and
George Mifflin Dallas was Attorney
General. And it we remember that
Judge Gibson was appointed to the
place in 1817 and has been dead now
well on to fifty years, and I venture
to say not more than two members of
the present bar of this county ever
saw him upon the Bench, wc can
gather some appreciation of the changes
witnessed by a man of the age of
Judge Elwell.
Take another point from which to
measure the march of time. "When
Judge Elwell was born, George III.
was king of Great Brittain, and Bona
parte had fought his brilliant Italian
campaign and been crowned Emperor
of the French. At that time there
were but seventeen states in this
union James Madison was president
of the United States and Thos. Mc
Kean was Governor of the State of
Pennsylvania.
I need not in this presence speak of
his legal attainments. It will be and
remain one of the great recollections
of our lives to remember his sure
erasD and readv aDDlication of legal
principles his quick apprehension of
the point counsel were making, his
keen insight into the pinch of your
case. It in a trial Detore mm you nau
a case, vou had the benefit of all there
was in it, and if you had none it was
labor lost to endeavor to build it up
under his scrutinizing eve.
The study of his character and the
example of his life as a judge, as a
lawyer, as a citizen, as a man and as a
Christian will be and should be the
incentive to the constantly higher and
higher endeavor to reach the exalted
plane on which he stood grandly and
stea.lilir.
And though his body be entombed
in the sepulchre of mortality, his
name and fame will grow brighter as
the days decline and the years pass off
into eternity.
Judge Ikeler then addressed the
members of the Bar, and said :
- Gkntlemen ok the Bar: From
the eailiest dawn of civilization men
have been accustomed to cather to
gether and pay their respects to the
memory, talents and virtues of a de
parted friend. Even before Christiani
ty and civilization had calmed the
rude passions and restrained the
brutal instincts of mankind, the
ignorant pagan and the untaught
savage alike gathered beside the grave
of their fallen chieftain to extol his
prowess or mourn his loss.
And in paying this last tribute to
the worthy dead, we not only honor
their name, but benefit ourselves as
well. Aside from the duty we owe
the departed, it is wise for the best of
us to lay aside for the moment our
personal ambitions and selfish strug
gles ; to pause in the whirl and hurry
of our daily lives, and reflect upon the
life, character and learning of a virtu
ous man and upright Judge.
I can say little of Judge Elwell that
is not already known to the most of
the members of the bar. For 26 years
he went in and out before you as the
President of this Court. It was here,
in your presence, that his labor was
performed, that his ability was exhibit
ed, that his talents were exercised.
Po all of you, except possibly the
younger members, his appearance,
disposition and manner while upon
the bench, is familiar. The records
of the Court, the official reports of
decisions evidence his skill in the dis
position of causes far better than mere
words of comparison or praise.
Like all Judges, he made mistakes.
To say this is but to say, " he was
human." But no man was more pati
ent in listening to an exposition of his
error, or more ready to correct it when
once convinced of his mistake.
His active professional life was
spent in a foreign county, and of his
ability as a practitioner we know little
except by repute. But in the earlier
history of Bradford county his name
as a practicing attorney stands in the
foremost ranks of a Bar of more than
ordinary ability.
In 1862 he came to this county,
bearing with him the universal respect
and admiration of Ws former friends
and neighbors. To day his body is
carried back to the scenes of his youth,
followed by the regret and sorrow of
all who had learned to know him in
his adopted home.
When we reflect upon these things ;
when we think of his useful and honor
able career, his long life and peaceful
death, mingled with all our sorrow at
his taking off, may we not be permitted
to indulge a certain feeling of refined
satisfaction that an all wise Providence
has permitted so beautiful a rounding
out of his high career, and that when
the iron gates of inexorable death did
finally close behind his retreating
figure, there was neither the creaking
of a bolt nor the grating of a hinge."
Upon the conclusion of the remarks
of Judge Ikeler, William 11. Khawn,
Esq., said :
"Mr. Chairman, I desire to pay a
due tribute to the distinguished dead,
and the tribute is this : The rule of
conduct of Judge Elwell, as a minister
of justice upon the judgment seat for
more than a quarter ot a century, was
righteousness, the subject matter of
the profession of the law nay, more,
its principal lesson, and which every
member of the profession should
prize above honor, success or wealth,
as the rule to guide him in the dis
charge of his duties. It is, therefore,
eminently proper that the profession
as a body should by appropriate con
sideration and resolution perpetuate
the character of Judge Elwell as a
minister of justice ; not that it will
add to his fame, but because it will
be, so long as time shall last a teacher
to the profession of what constitutes
righteousness, and more than that, a
teacher that yonder judgment-seat
continue as Judge Elwell left it, an
emblem of that higher judgment-seat
of which perfect righteousness Is the
habitation
J. Boyd Robison, Esq., said : "I do
. . . . r . 1 1 j
not think tnat an occasion 01 mis unu
should pass without some of us who
have practiced before Judge Elwell at
least testifying to our respect for him
as a judge and as a citizen. When we
reflect that it is just a generation, in
the ordinary acceptation of the term,
since Judge Elwell came to this coun
ty, the bar here has almost entirely
grown up under him. There are few
of our present members who were
members of the bar when he began to
preside over the deliberations of the
court. Myselt, while one 01 me oiu
er members of the bar here, came
several years after and became a
member of the bar or .as admittted
to practice since Judge Elwell com
menced holding courts in Columbia
County. We have known him in ac
tive work lor more than a quarter of a
century and several years later as a
citizen in our midst, and we speak of
his high character as a judge and of
his high character as a citizen. We
also look with pleasure upon the fact
that he attended to his duties with a
heart filled with love for the profes
sion which he had chosen. I was
surprised to find that Judge Elwell,
after his retirement from the bench,
when there was no longer a field for
the exercise of his abilities in his pro
fession, when there was no longer any
work for him to do, when he was sim
ply waiting summons from a life well
spent, took pleasure in keeping alive
knowledge of the line ot current judi
cial decision the knowledge of the
law. He read law journals, he read
the reports, he studied. He was
naturally a thorough student, and he
kept up his studies to his dying day.
lie is an example to those who were
with him and to those who come after
him, to the young, of the excellency
resulting from labor. His attention
to his duties was given in industry
earnest, active, tireless, determined to
do right and to make inquiry and find
out and satisfy himself of that which
was right. Judge Elwell has left his
monument in better shape than we
can give it here. Anything that we
can say here can add nothing to that
which is recorded, as your honor has
well said, in the reports of the com
mon pleas courts and of the supreme
court ; yet, as it is fitting that we
should put upon record onr apprecia
tion of his high character, I suggest
that the papers here read and others
that I understand are in the posses
sion of the president of our associa
tion, should be spread upon the
minutes of the court of common pleas
of this county, for Judge Elwell was
particularly eminent as a judge of
common pleas."
C. G. Barkley, Esq., said : With
the exception of the president of our
association and perhaps also the
chairman of this meeting, I am the
only member of the bar present who
was engaged in practice at the time
that Judge Elwell came here to per
form the duties of president judge in
this judicial district. I do not pro
pose or expect to add anything new or
better expressed than has been made
here relative to the life of Judge
Elwell and his work. I am unable
adequately to express the respect
which I have always had for him and
which I believe has always been had
by every member of the bar here, as
well as also by the entire community
within which he has resided during
the last thirty-three years. He was
just ; he was true ; he was reliable in
all his affairs. His life was that of a
good citizen, of one who desired that
his work should prove good for human
kind. Not selfish, not disposed to
exalt himself but rather to serve his
fellow men, as his life's work shows,
the memory of him with those who
have known him, who have seen his
life, his self denial, his devotion to the
truth, in a word his uprightness in
every sphere of duty, may be, I hope,
of even more advantage to the genera
Hon present and to those who shall
follow than was in fact his life.
Hon. C. G. Murphy said : As the
last remaining member of the bench
from which Judge Elwell voluntarily
retired, it is perhaps but fitting that I
should add my tribute of respect to
his memory. During my opportunity
for observation of his judicial action
I can testify to his kindness to all
those who appeared before him. He
encouraged the timid, he admonished
the wavering ; he loved them all. His
memory will remain green in the com
munity in which he lived when per
haps most of us will have been for
gotten." A communication was presented to
the Bar meeting, from A. Logan
Grim Esquire, of the Sullivan County
Bar. It was an eloquent tribute to
the kindness, learning ability and dis
tinguishing characteristics of Judge
Elwell. Mr. Grim was acquainted with
him for many years and had practiced
at the Bar of Sullivan county while
Judge Elwell was the presiding Judge.
The communication was too long
to print, and was ordered to be filed
among the proceedings of the Bar
commemorating the occasion. We
can not however refrain from copying
a paragraph. " The sculptured mar
ble will return to its kindred dust
kingdoms will pass away as the dews
of the morning Empires will fall and
the knowledge of their existence be
buried in the tomb of oblivion but
the deeds of the good and the true
will survive the devastations of time,
and sparkle as the gems in the dia
dem of immortality."
On motion adjourned.
The funeral train reached Towanda
at 3.40 in the afternoon, and was met
at the depot by the members of the
Bar of Bradford county, headed by
Judge Peck. The remains were taken
directly to Riverside Cemetery and
buried in the family plot, the services
being conducted by Re.v. W. E. Daw,
rector of Christ Church. Towanda.
I There was a large gathering of the
citizens present at the cemetery, to
do honor to the memory of one who,
though he left them many years ago,
had not been forgotten by them. The
last prayers were said, the last words
uttered, and the mortal remains of
William Elwell were committed to
the grave, " earth to earth, dust to
dust, ashes to ashes." His life work
is done, bat the memory of his good
ness, his greatness, his simplicity, his
dignity, his perfect christian manhood,
will remain with those who knew htm.
so long as life shall last.
WOMAN DROWNED.
Last Thursday afternoon quite an
excitement was caused on the streets
by the report being circulated that a
woman had been accidently drowned
in the canal at Port Noble. Investi
gation proved that the report was cor
rect and that the unfortunate person
was Mrs. John Tames. It appears
that, owing to a scarcity of water at
her own home, she had gone to the
above named place to do her washing,
and in stooping over to get some
water from the canal, in some unac
countable manner her foot slipped,
and she was precipitated into it. She
was alone at the time and upon her
failure to return her friends became
alarmed, and in their search for her,
discovered one of the buckets which
she had taken for water on the bank,
and immediately came to the conclus
ion that she had been diowned. lhe
alarm was given, and search was made
by Curt Logan, and Harry Rux,
which resulted in finding her dead
body on the bottom of the canal. An
inquest was held by J. M. Clark
Justice of the Peace, and the jury
rendered a verdict of accidental death
by drowning. She was a daughter of
Agustus Brooks of Catawissa and was
aged twenty three years, six months
and three days, and left to survive her
a husband above named and one
small child. The death was unusual
ly sad, happening as it did only a few
days after the return of her husband
to Connecticut where he is employed.
The funeral services were held from
her late residence Sunday afternoon
and she was taken to Catawissa for
interment.
MRS. MARY ENT DEAD.
Surely during the past week, the
grim harvester death has been at work
in our midst, and has removed an un
usally large number of our citizens. On
last Thursday night Mrs. Mary Ent
who resided on Centre Street was
called tc her rest. She had been sick
only a very short time, and died at
twenty minutes before seven o'clock.
She was born March nth 1842, and
hence at the time of her death was
fifty three years, seven months and
six days old. She was the widow of
the late Oscar Ent, and resided in
Light Street, until about two years
ago, when she moved to this town.
She left to survive her a daughter,
Clara, and two sons, Edward and
Oscar. The funeral services were
held Sunday afternoon at one o'clock
in the Methodist Episcopal church at
Light Street conducted by her pastor
Rev. B. C. Conner of this place and
Rev. R. E' Wilson, pastor in charge,
The circumstances surrounding this
death were extremely sad, and the
children and relatives have the sym
pathy of the entire community in
their bereavement.
A YOUNG LADY DEAD.
On Monday afternoon, after
severe illness of typhoid fever Miss
Nettie M. daughter of George r.
Crist, residing on Leonard Street was
called from her sufferings. She was
aged seventeen years, three months
and four days. Owing to her genial
disposition of character, she was a
favorite among her companions who,
as well as all her other friends, mourn
her death. The remains were taken
to Gordner's Grove Baptist Church
Wednesday morning and the services
were conducted by Rev. Crawford of
Unityville.
Mr. Grant Richart died at his resi
dence in San Diego, California Octo
ber null. The funeral services were
held at the residence of George M.
D. Newhard at Milton Pa. last Sun
day. He was aged 30 years and 27
days, and was a nephew of Mrs,
Samuel Neyhard and W. C. Richart
of this place. His father died in
Millville about twenty-two years ago,
after which he and his mother moved
to the above named State.
William Gingles, and J. K. Bitten-
bender, who have been summoned as
traverse and grand jurors respective
ly in the United States Court at Pitts
burg left for that place last Sunday
evening on me rcnnsyivania iiai
Road.
FATHER,
MOTHER,
look carefully over every item in this adver
tisement. Its money in your purse. . Clean
sound saving on things that you must have.
Honest, reliable goods from the best manu
facturers in the land. Close profit for us
mean immense sales. Look around at others
but guard cautiously thy purse until you've
seen what we claim are best values in north
eastern Pennsylvania.
Men's good wearing suits at $5.00.
Men's thoroughly all wool suits, cheviots
and worsted $6.50.
Men's blue and black Kersy overcoats,
the $8.00 kind $6.50.
Young men's blaclc and blue cheviot
suits $5.00.
Child's age 5 to 15, double seat, double
knee, all wool, fast color $2.50
Children's detachable cape coats $1.48.
Better coats, detachable cape $1.98.
Blue and grey all wool cape coats $?.50.
1
coon
ROCHESTER
has helped to make the
D. Liowcnbcrg Clothing Store
so well known in almost every household of this
county, and it is selling this fine Rochester clothing
at such low prices that is bringing the clothing buy
ers here this fall. No wonder when you see those
Mens woolen homespun suits and
Scotch cheviots suits, double
breasted, at $5, $7.50 and $10.
Worth easily $2. to $3 more.
Long cut blue and black over
coats at $5 to $18.
A nice saving of a couple dollars on each one.
Our children's woolen suits and
overcoats at $2.50, $3 and $5
soon convince the mother how low they are in price.
Our fancy reefers and reeter suits are very pretty,
and we are showing a nice line of them.
If you wish good clothing at reaasonable
prices, be with the judicious buyers who know
they save money at
15 1 00 it a s b 11 r s BEST KNOWN C 1 o t h i c r s
-The D. Lowentag
CLOTHING
SOW,
ONEPUICE
LOME
STORE
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