Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 08.pdf/148

 The Supreme Court of Maine. large rock a few rods from the shore at the point where Mt. Kineo slopes to the water's edge on the west side. To stand upon this rock and cast out into the lake was considered the par excellence of sport. Although the rock had long since been abandoned and much better luck obtained elsewhere by other fishermen, the Judge never abandoned it, and thither he went, day after day, year in and year out, during the season, and there he could always be seen, standing sometimes knee-deep in water when the rock happened to be submerged, his tall, dark form and flowing white hair outlined against the rocks of Kinco or the blue sky beyond, quietly, patiently, persistently, and usually alone, making his " casts." No amount of coaxing and no amount of banter by his friends would induce him to seek, — except for a very brief period,— any other spot. The result, as told by a contemporary, almost invariably was, that " at the round up in the evening, Libbey usually had the largest string." For, to use his own words, "During all the hours that the other fel lows were paddling or traveling about hunt ing for better places, I had my flics in the water, and occasionally I'd get a strike."

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Judge Libbey had but little of what society calls small talk, and people were often im pressed with the prolonged silence that would come into the conversation. I used to think it was in condemnation of every-day chatter until I learned better. He loved to hear merry talk, and could join in it, too; but his words were few because they all meant so much. He was a great lover of a good story, and had great enjoyment in telling or hearing one. He liked the old authors, especially Gibbon. He played at whist with much skill, and enjoyed walking. His quiet manners were impressive, as they were part of his dignified and majestic person. His very calmness, quiet, placid self-con tainment gave his life the higher rank. He died at his home in Augusta, the fifteenth of March, 1894, after a short illness, which was the culmination of an infirmity that had been wasting his bodily vigor during the last two or three years of his life. I never attended more sincere memorial exercises upon the death of a public man than those in honor of Judge Libbey, held at the ensuing May Law Court, and which are to be found in full in the eighty-sixth vol ume of the Maine Reports.