Page:Historical and Biographical Annals of Columbia and Montour Counties, Pennsylvania, Containing a Concise History of the Two Counties and a Genealogical and Biographical Record of Representative Families.pdf/98

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COLUMBIA AND MONTOUR COUNTIES

eminently proper to cause to be prepared this portrait” (here Prothonotary W. H . Snyder withdrew a green cloth hanging on wall behind the Judges, disclosing a lifesize bust portrait in handsome gilt fram e) “ of the Hon­ orable W illiam Elw cll, and to place it in this temple o f justice, not so much as a monument to the past as a testimonial to the future, and as an offering by which he him self may Icam the kindly fueling o f our hearts. . . . It is my privilege, and I assure you my pleasure, on b c lu lf of the commissioners of the county, to present to the court, to the bar, and to the citizens, this portrait o f H is Honor, Judge E lw cll.” Ju d ge Ikeler made the following response: • i n behalf of the bench, the M r, and the citizens of the county, we accept this portrait o f Ju d ge Elw ell, as an appropriate memento o f him and o f his honorable judicial career. It cannot fail to be a consunt reminder to us who have been intimately associated with him, to follow so fa r as possible in his footsteps. O f the present commissioners o f Columbia county, a m ajority reside at a distance from the county scat. T heir act is undoubtedly prompted and sustained by the public senti­ ment o f respect, admiration and love fo r J u ( ^ Elw ell, which permeates the county to its remotest bounds, but which, great as it is, is only an index of our appreciation o f his merits. Vc, the members of the bar, who have been closely associated with him in the administra­ tion o f justice, though ours has been the fo­ rensic strife about a question o f property, o f liberty, or of life, whflc it has been his office well fulfilled to hold the scat o f Justice with h e r sword and scales, conducting before him unawcd, unruffled and unswayed our legal struggles, we have been taught by his rulings, led by his learning, instructed as to manhood by his dignified bearing. T he perpetual pres­ ence here o f this portrait, reminding us o f him and o f his character, w ill be to us a con­ tinued incentive to diligence in our calling, and to the culiis’ation o f all manly g r a ^ . It will stimulate the young men in training fo r the b a r; they will Icam the history of the eminent ju rist whom this portrait represents, and they will be stirred with emulation o f his great at­ tainments in legal lore, and o f his surpassing virtues as judge, and they w ill be infused with new energy in working fo r the highest ideal o f achievement, and to usefulness in their day and generation. “ I f any o f us should be so fortunate as to arrive at the advanced .age that Ju d ge Elw ell has already reached, he w ill be happy i f he

is able to look back upon a life ’s w ork as well done as his—upon every duty as scrupulously and zealously performed as it w as by him whose likeness hangs upon this wall.” In this connection it should be noted that a fte r the death o f Judge Ikclcr his portrait was presented to the county. O f all the judges who have presided over the courts o f Co­ lumbia county, the likenesses of these two jurists are the only ones (hat hang upon the walls of the court room. In November, 1887, Ju d ge Elw cll con­ tracted a cold which resulted in chronic catarrh, and so affected his hearing and his general health that he tendered his resigna­ tion to the governor, to take effect on Ju ly 3 1, 1888. From that time he led a retired life until his death, which occurred on Oct. 15 , 1895, when he was aged eighty-scvcn years. A more complete story of the l i u o f this great judge a p ^ a r s among the biographies. Ju d ge F.iwell's resignation left a vacancy to be filled at the November election, %vith an ap­ pointment by the governor o f a president judge to .serve until Jan u ary, 1889. lic n r y M. Hinckley o f Danville received the appoint­ ment. JUDCK H e n k y M. H i n c k l e y was bom Ju n e 2, 1850, in Harrisburg, P a., where he received his early education, and w as graduated at IVinccton C o l l ^ in 1874. H aving pursued the study o f law during his c o l l i e course, he w as admitted to (he bar o f Montour county in 1875, and to (he Supreme court in 1878. H e has long been recognized as one of the ablest attorneys in this section of the State. H e w as nominated fo r president judge by the Repub­ lican partjr in the district to succeed him self, but the district being strongly Democratic he was not elected. During the brief period o f his incumbency he discharged all his duties with fidelity and marked ability. Since his retirement from the bench he has devoted him ­ self to his profession, and has a large prac­ tice, not only in Montour and Columbia coun­ ties, but in other counties outside of the dis­ trict. B efore his appointment to the bench he w as fo r some years associated with I. X. Grier, Esq., o f Danville, in law business. F o r the first time in the history o f this ju ­ dicial district, after Ju d ge Elw cll resigned there were opposing aspirants for the nomina­ tion fo r president judge on the Democratic ticket, E lijah R. Ikcler and Charles G. B ark­ ley, both o f Bloomsburg, being the candidates. An active and energetic canvass w as made, resulting in the nomination o f M r. Ikclcr in both counties, and he was elected in Novem -