Dane County, Wisconsin - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 4 of those read), 1880 (part 4 of 4)

Dr. Feuling came to the United States in 1865, and, not long after, opened a French and German academy at Toledo, Ohio. Not succeeding in this undertaking, he came West, first giving instruction at Racine College in the classical languages, and then accepting a Professorship in the University of Wisconsin. Shortly after his accession to this professorship, he was invited to the chair of ancient languages in the University of Louisiana, at Baton Rouge, and visited that place on a tour of inspection. The position was held open for him one year, when he finally declined it, although his preference was for a professorship such as had there been tendered him. The position in the University of Wisconsin he continued to fill, with much credit, until stricken down by disease, which terminated his life March 10, 1878 - the second of the Professors of the university to die at the post of duty. At the time of his death. Prof. Feuling was a member of the American Philological Association and of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. To both he had contributed several papers. He published, soon after coming to Madison, an edition of the Poema Admonitorium of Phocyllides, prefacing the week text with an introduction in fluent Latin. He left several works in manuscript : " The Homeric Hymns," with notes ; " Selections from Montesquieu," with notes and a glossary, intended as a French reading book ; and "An Historical Outline of Germanic Accidence." He was a profound scholar. Teaching, with him, was not drudgery. He felt proud of his profession, and discharged his duty with a conscientious fidelity.*

_ President Boyd, of the University of Louisiana, writes : " I consider the loss of Dr. Feulm to be a national calamity. The announcement of his death brings sorrow here in the far oouth as in the Northwest. Wherever he was known (and scholars and men of intelligence all over this country knew him), there is a profound regret that the accomplished linguist and courteous gentleman is no more." Prof. Whitney, of Yale College, says of him : " I lament his eain, regarding it as a painful and serious loss to philological science in America. I held for ^|m_aiiigh respect and warm personal affection."

Dr. Feuling has lectured before various colleges and educational associations. His pamphlet on the "Etymology of the Word Church," attracted the attention of Eastern linguists. Prof. Scheie de Vere, of the University of Virginia, writes of it : "I have been reading it again with appreciation of the distinction the author had won for himself and the university of which he was so bright an ornament."

Dr. Feuling's last address, " The Rhyme in Latin and Greek," was read by him before the philological convention at the John Hopkins University, in Baltimore, 1877. He was a frequent contributor to leading periodicals of this country, and had been, for some years, associate editor of a literary journal published in his native city. From these columns is selected the following, which shows that, in his literary tastes, poetry was an essential element, and that he cultivated the field with marked success :

Fata Morgana

Dr. Feuling was a memher of the American Oriental Society, and was invited to address its members, but the invitation came too late. According to his expressed wish, he was huried in Forest Plill Cemetery, near Madison, Wis., within sight of the 6ity he loved so well, and of the University, the scene of the labors of his active life.

was born in the town of Pawlet, Vt., April 27, 1819, and was, at the time of his death, in the fifty-ninth year of his age. His ancestors, both paternal and maternal, were Scotch- Irish. When about five years of age, he, with his parents, removed to the town of Hebron, Washington Co., N. Y., and not long afterward, to the town of Granville, where he resided until he commenced his professional career. He was educated at the academy in North Granville, and in the spring of 1840, entered upon the study of law in the oiSce of James McCall, at Sandy Hill, N. Y., and afterward ^continued it in the office of Messrs. Bishop & Agan, at Granville. He was admitted to the bar at the January term of the Supreme Court, in Albany, N. Y., in 1845, and immediately after began the practice of his profession with Mr. Agan at Granville, continuing with him about two years, and then forming a law partnership with Mr. Bishop, which continued until he removed to Madison, Wis., in the spring of 1856. He was Postmaster at Granville for a period of five years, and in 1853 he was elected to the Senate of New York, from the district then composed of the counties of Saratoga and Washington ; he was an active, influential and efficient Senator, and a member of the Judiciary Committee of that body.

Upon his settlement in Madison, he became associated in practice with Harlow S. Orton, and at once entered upon a large and successful business. Soon after his arrival in Wisconsin, a code of practice, substantially like that of New York, was adopted, and he performed the prmcipal work in arranging it and adapting it to the provisions of the constitution and judicial system of the State. Politically, he was an ardent Whig, so long as that party existed, and on the fornaation of the Republican party allied himself and acted with that organization; but Qunng his residence in Wisconsin, he gave but little attention to politics, his time being entirely occupied with the duties of his profession. He manifested but little or no ambition for the doubtful honors of modern political life. W V. 7^ ^"- ^'^''®^'^'^'' lawyer, well read in his profession, and entirely devoted to its duties.

" d V W ''"^'"^^^ transactions ; and, with a judgment rarely at fault, he was a cautious, safe, an reliable counselor. He was a close student ; prepared his cases for trial or argument with gency which might, be reasonably anticipated. In the presentation of them, whether to the jun or the court, he was clear in statement, incisive, vigorous and able in argument ; and, keeping clearly in view the practical necessities of the case, he sought rather to instruct and convince than to entertain or captivate his hearers ; and whether at nisi prius or before the Appellate Court, he was a wary, vigilant and formidable opponent. Quick to detect an error or mistake he was certain to take advantage of and expose it. In his intercourse with his professional brethren, he was obliging and courteous, and, with an extensive fund of general knowledge, lie was a pleasing and instructive conversationalist. Added to these advantages, his habits of great industry and promptness in the discharge of his duties, personal as well as professional, enabled him to acquire an extensive and lucrative practice, and a prominent position in the front rank of the bar of the State.

He continued to practice his profession in Madison until, by an act of Congress of June 29, 1870, Wisconsin was divided into two judicial circuits, the Eastern and the Western, when, on the 9th of July, 1870, he was commissioned as District Judge for the newly created Wo 'cm District. He'at once entered upon the]discharge of the duties of his position, and, until \u6 l;wt illness, he devoted, with unremitting zeal and industry, all his learning, his extensive expiHence and distinguished ability to the requirements of his judicial station. A love of order and prompt and exact administration of the law, and his kindly courtesy and unwearied patience, rendered practice in the court in which he presided pleasant and attractive. Counsel never had occasion to complain that they had not been fully and fairly heard before him, or that even an implied restraint had been placed on an exhaustive discussion of all their points.

In the hearing and decision of equity causes, and in the administration of the system of bankruptcy then in force, with which he became thoroughly conversant and skilled in its prompt and efficient administration, he had few if any superiors. He delivered many valuable opinions, which stand deservedly high as authority on questions of bankruptcy law. Long familiarity with, and wide and varied experience in, business transactions, enabled him to easily master the details of a cause, and readily perceive the precise point upon which it depended. He was quick to detect any artifice, fraud, or sham, and prompt and resolute to expose and rebuke it. * * * During the seven years of his judicial life, when not engaged in his own district, his time was almost constantly occupied in holding court in other districts of the circuit, and frequently at Chicago, where he was highly esteemed as an able Judge. Wherever it was his fortune to preside, he won, as in his own district, the confidence and respect of the profession, and all interested in the orderly, intellii^ent and impartial administration of justice. He was a genial gentleman, an excellent lawyer, and an able and faithful Judge. He died in Madison, September 3, 1877.* was born August 1, 1834, at Cold Springs, Virginia. Soon after his birth, his parents moved to Maryland, settling near Hagerstown. He received his early education at the country school and was quick to learn. He afterward taught school, occupying his winter months in that vocation, and working on a farm during the summer. Meanwhile, his abilities and address attracted toward him so much attention that, in 1854, he was the recipient of an appointment from the member of Congress of his district as cadet to the military academy at West Point, entering the institution July 1, of that year, and graduating July 1, 1858, when he was promoted in the regular army to Brevet Second Lieutenant of Infantry.

He began his duties as soldier in the garrison at Newport Barracks, Kentucky, whore he remained until January 19, 1859, when he was transferred to the frontier as Second Lieutenant of the Fifth Infantry, in which capacity he conducted recruits to Utah. He then took part m the Utah expedition. Afterward and until 1861, he served in Forts Fauntleroy, Defiance and Union, in New Mexico - going upon the Navajo expedition in the year last mentioned. On tne

14th of May 1861, he was promoted to First Lieutenant of the Eleventh Infantry. On the 24th of October following, he was commissioned Captain of the Twelfth Infantry Regiment, being engaged as Acting Assistant Adjutant General of the Department of New Mexico, from that time to June, 1862. He took part in the battle of Valverde February 21, 1862, and for gallant and meritorious services in that conflict was brevetted Major. He was engaged in opening communication between Fort Craig and Fort Union, in February and March following, and was in various skirmishes. In September, he was on recruiting service at Cincinnati, during a threatened attack upon that city. On the 11th of October, he was appointed Colonel of the Fourth Regiment of Maryland Volunteers, joining this regiment in the field, but ordered afterward with his force to Baltimore to guard recruits. He resigned ttat office on the 17th of November following.

On the 20th of February, 1863, he was given Signal duty and continued in that service until August 23, 1865, having first the command of the " Signal Camp of Instruction;" then of the Signal detachment in the Department of West Virginia ; in charge also of the Signal line between Harper's Ferry and Washington ; then of the Signal detachment with the Army of the Potomac on the pursuit of the enemy through Maryland, in July, 1863, participating in several skirmishes, being commissioned Major of the Signal Corps, the 18th of September, to rank from March 3, previous. He was then put in charge of the Signal Bureau at Washington, and was in command of the Signal Corps from October 13, 1863, to December 26, 1864, being commissioned Lieutenant Colonel of the latter June 30, of the year last mentioned, to rank from March 3, 1863. He was made Inspector of the same corps March 31, 1865, serving to August 23, following, when he was mustered out and restored to his regiment - the Twelfth Infantry - to rank from .October 24, 1861. He served from September, 1865, to the year 1868, in garrisons at Fort Hamilton, New York, Richmond, Petersburg and Fredericksburg, Virginia, and at Washington, when he was detailed to give instruction in military science and tactics in the Western University at Pittsburgh, Penn. Here he remained two years. He was honorably discharged from the army on the 29th of December, 1870, under an act of Congress of that year, and was, on the 18th of January following, elected to a professorship in the University of Wisconsin.

In February, 1871, he entered upon the duties of his new position. Ambitious and energetic, he soon gave life to the department to which he had been called. He thoroughly remodeled'the course in civil engineering, and soon drew around him a number of students of that specialty, winning from them, by his thorough but kindly manliness, by his enthusiastic devotion to their wants, and by his eflForts for their subsequent welfare, a warm and lasting regard. Equal success crowned his eiforts in the department of military science, where he succeeded in making both popular and useful the drill, which before had always been extremely irksome to the students. His genial manner and varied experience made him a very pleasant companion, and he soon won the regard of his fellow- workers at the University.* As Professor of one of the technical courses, the classes instructed by Prof. Nicodemus were small, and the relationship between teacher and student correspondingly close. Though he met the regular college students but for one term in the class-room, it was not difficult for them to discern, in that short time, those genial heart-qualities, that almost womanly tenderness, which made him the warm personal friend of every worthy man who made his acquaintance. A more striking illustration of the esteem in which the students held Maj. Nicodemus could not be found than the spirit manifested toward him at all times by the University battalion. No man could have been more successful "* ®"^iting an interest in an irksome duty than was he in conducting the military exercises, f

Ihe connection of Prof. Nicodemus with the geological survey of Wisconsin began by his being employed to prepare maps for an annual report. In 1875, he was regularly commissioned opographical assistant of the survey, and personally prepared or superintended the preparation oi^the maps for the report of that year. The next year a regular plan for the maps to Survey, for the year 1878, where is to be found an excellent paper in uSdSr A'!"''^"'' ^^ P^f- *"*"' Conover, of the University of Wisconsin. T Aoaptea frem the VrmmUy Prm (Madison, Wis.,) January 17, 1879.

company the volumes of the final report was adopted, and he was intrusted with their preparation. Jn his report for 1876, the State Geologist says: "Prof. Nicodemus has been actively engaged in compiling the geographical data for the maps, and in drawing them upon a uniform and accurate scale. Each township has been carefully built up from the notes and plats of the original Government linear surveys, and the natural features have been compiled from a large collection of State, sectional, county, township, and special maps," " The work of this department [drafting]," says the chief geologist, in 1877, "which assumes increasing importance in the preparation of the final report, has continued, as heretofore, mainly in the hands of Prof. William J. L. Nicodemus and Mr. A D. Conover, of the State University. They have, during the year, completed the drawing of the maps for the atlas accompanying Volume II of the final report - and a portion of those for the remaining volumes; and several others are in various degrees of advancement." In his report of 1878, the State Geologist remarks : " Prof W. J. L. Nicodemus, topographical assistant to the survey, and Mr. A. D. Conover, of the State University, who have previously done the larger part of the drafting of the geological maps, have completed those assigned them for the atlas that is to accompany Volume III of the final report, and have made progress with other work placed in their hands."

Since his connection with the University of Wisconsin, Prof. Nicodemus has more than once been tempted to leave ; and, among other proflfers, he received one from Gen. Sherman, with whom he was personally well acquainted, asking him to accept a position as professor of mathematics at $2,600 per annum, in gold, in a college just being started by the Khedive of Egypt. Of modest, retiring disposition. Prof, Nicodemus rarely spoke of himself or of his many experiences. Possessed of a large store of nervous force, he rapidly and efficiently accomplished whatever he took in hand. Ambitious to provide for the wants of his family, should they ever be left without his care, he felt pressed to engage in business enterprises outside of the duties of his professorship. As he was never slack in his duty to the university, he must have drawn very largely on his vitality to accomplish the work he undertook. This is more especially true of the past university year, when, burdened more than usually with the needs, for instruction in his growing department, and with his work for the geological survey, he shared largely in the labor, the risks, and anxieties consequent on publishing, along with A. D. Conover, a large and very accurate map of Wisconsin. The draft on his nervous system proved great, and brought on insomnia, which finally developed alarmingly. He died in Madison, on the 6th of January, 1879, and was buried near that city, in the beautiful Catholic cemetery of Forest Hill.* The position he occupied in the university he continued to fill most acceptably until his death. He was married, in Georgetown, D. C, to Miss Fannie E. Pettit, December 27, 1864.

In 1875 was published a " Hand-Book for Charcoal Burners," a Swedish work, translated by Prof. R. B. Anderson, of the University of Wisconsin, and edited with notes by Prof. Nicodemus. The original work is by G. Svedelius, and is probably the best treatise on the manufacture of charcoal ever written. Prof. Anderson's translation is admirable. The notes of Prof. Nicodemus add to the interest and value of the book. The twenty-three wood engravings illustrating the text are well executed. Prof. Nicodemus had prepared, at the date of his death, and nearly finished what was at first intended only as a translation of Reauleaux's " Manual of Civil Engineering " (the volume containing tables); but, under his hands, it developed into a much more complete manual of tables than the original.

Prof. Nicodemus was a member of the Wisconsin Academy of sciences, arts and letters, and contributed to its " Transactions " several papers that are commendable not only for what he says, but for the way he clothes his thoughts. These contributions are (1) " On the Wisconsin River Improvement ;" (2) " Railway Gauges ;" (3) " The Ancient Civilization of America.' "The ancient works," he truly and clearly says, in the last-mentioned paper, "divide themselves into three great geographical divisions, namely : South America, on the west coast, between Chili and the second degree of north latitude ; Central America and Mexico ; and the valleys of the Mississippi and Ohio." He has given to the periodical press a number of articles,

La Fayette Kellogg, son of Eowland Kellogg and his wife Sarah Titus, was born at Blizabethtown, Essex Co., N. Y. and was educated at the same place. Came West in 1838, and spent nearly a year in the lead mines at Mineral Point, and returned to Madison in the summer of 1839, held several town and county offices until August 11, 1840, when he was appointed Clerk of the Supreme Court of the Territory, which office he held until the State Government was organized, when, from continued ill health, he was obliged to give up all kinds of business until December, 1851, when, his health having improved, he again took charge of the office as Deputy Clerk, and discharged the duties of the same until the organization of the separate Supreme Court in June, 1853, when he was again appointed Clerk, and held that office to the day of his death. He was also elected Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives at its session in 1845, and was re-elected at the session of 1846, 1847 and 1848, and was also elected Secretary of the first convention to frame a constitution for the then future State of Wisconsin, which constitution was rejected by a vote of the people on the first Tuesday of April, 1847. He died in Madison on the 4th day of June, 1878.

was born in Eaynham, Bristol Co., Mass., September 17, 1817. He received an academic education, and taught school one or two winters, commencing when he was eighteen years of age, near his native home. When he was twenty-one years of age, he went to whaJr was then the Far West, and located at Niles, in Michigan. Here he entered upon mercantile life, with fair prospects, that were blasted, after a few years, by a severe loss by fire, that deprived him of all his property. He then came across Lake Michigan, and, after spending a short time at Joliet, III, in 1842, came to Madison, where he resided until his death. For a time he served as a clerk with his cousin, Dr. Weston, who was one of the early merchants in Madison. In 1844, Mr. Dean commenced business with his brother, B. B. Dean, Jr., and for several years their store was the leading establishment in the place. They started business in the old Argua wooden building, on Main street, but soon located in what is known as the " Great Arcade Building," that stood on King street. This old Arcade building was removed several years ago, and is now known as the Pyncheon residence. In this building, N. W. and E. B. Dean were successful merchants for several years, keeping a general stock of dry goods, groceries and crockery, usually kept in small places. They were succeeded in business, in about 1849, by William N. Seymour and E. L. Varney. In a year or twq, N. W. Dean opened a store in his own name, and continued to be a leading merchant in Madison until 1857, when he retired finally from this line of business and afterward devoted his time in taking care of extensive real estate inter^ts, of which he had then become possessed, and to which he subsequently made large additions. He left a considerable estate in lands, located in various parts of Wisconsin and in other otates, extending into Kansas, where he owned a fine farm. His property and its great variety gave ample labor to Mr. Dean in its management, and to this work, he devoted a large portion 01 his time for more than twenty years. Mr. Dean was not engaged in prominent public enterprises in Madison, to any considerable extent. He was a liberal contributor to the Congregational Society, aiding in the erection of its church and in many other ways. He was a member of the Park Hotel Company and its largest stockholder. He erected, a few years ago, the brick block at the point centering on King and Pinckney streets, at the east corner of the square. As a business man, he was industrious and energetic and generally successful.

promise of his early years in Wisconsin, and possibly his life in this respect was hardly satistoiy to his own ambition. For many years, there were but few men who were more popular with the people of the Territory, or who possessed brighter prospects for political preferment than did Mr. Dean. He was a man of fine personal address, of excellent ability, and a zealous Whig, so long as that party lived. His being a Whig prevented early promotion ; as, in Territorialdays, the Democrats had their own way in Wisconsin. In 1847, Mr. Dean wtis the Whig candidate for the Constitutional Convention and made a gallant run, but, his party being largely in the minority, he was unsuccessful. For several years he was a Regent of the Wisconsin University, and was active in promoting the aifairs of this institution in its early days, when it had to struggle hard for a respectable foothold. In 1856, Mr. Dean was elected a member oi the Assembly, and served faithfully and efficiently in that body. It was during the session he was a member, that the bill providing for the erection of the new capitol was passed, and he was entitled to much credit for the success of that measure. He became a Republican upon the organization of that party, and for many years was a zealous worker in it.

Mr. Dean was a man of fine social qualities - intelligent, fluent in conversation, and attractive in manners. In society, he occupied a prominent position, and was extensively acquainted in all parts of the State, and in many other parts of the country.

In 1847, Mr. Dean was married to Miss Harriet H. Morrison, daughter of the late James Morrison, of Madison. One child, a son, was born to them in 1849, but died when he was quite young. Mr. Dean died February 28, 1880.

was born at Elbridge, Onondaga Co., N. Y., July 24, 1823. His father, Squire M. Brown, was a well-to-do farmer of that town, and occupied a position of considerable prominence. He frequently represented his town in the County Board, and his district in the Legislature. He was an excellent, practical .agriculturist. The subject of this sketch, as a lad, worked on his father's farm ; received an academic education, and, at the age of seventeen, struck out for himself From early childhood, he showed wonderful business qualifications ; was ever ready to trade, and always had something to sell. At the age of seventeen, Mr. Brown took a position in a country store at Jordan, near Syracuse, that was owned by George A. Mason, Esq., who had married his elder sister. Here our subject remained some two or three years, receiving small pay ; but when he left^ he had saved his earnings with much care - nothing had been wasted. He then received a position as book-keeper in the bank of Salina. His faithfulness to business soon earned promotion, and he became first teller and then cashier of that strong banking institution. By frugality, he accumulated some means while in this bank. In 1855, he resigned his position as cashier of the Bank of Salina, and settled in Madison.

He became cashier of the old " Dane County Bank," in which he also was a large stock- Jiolder, and remained in this position till 1864, when this bank adopted the natural banking laws and became the First National Bank, and for some years Mr. Brown acted as cashier of that bank and was a main stockholder in it. He afterward sold out a portion of his stock, resigned his position as cashier, and was, for a few years, Vice President of the institution, devoting a large portion of his time to outside investments. He retained, to the time of his death, a small amount of the stock of that bank, and continued one of its directors and a member of the executive committee. His business experience and wise counsel were of importance to the management of the institution.

In 1870, Mr. Brown became the owner of a large portion of the stock of the Madison Gas Company, from which time he took almost exclusive charge of its affairs. He made important improvements in the works. He took a deep interest in the management, became thoroughly versed in what was the best machinery, and procured it.

For about twenty years, Mr. Brown was a Director in the Madison Fire Insurance Company - a member of the Executive Committee all the time - and for many years Treasurer of it.

He was connected with many business enterprises in Madison, among which was the Madison Manufacturing Company, and in all positions was of material service in promoting their interests. Where extensive business experience, sound judgment and a clear head were required, Timothy Brown was ever found ready, efficient and valuable.

Mr. Brown was a man of retiring habits ; was wholly free from ambition for political preferment always declining to be considered a candidate for official position. His services were demanded by the almost unanimous voice of the people of the county - as County Commissioner for a term or two - and no county ever had a more competent or faithful officer than he was during the brief time he could be induced to hold the office. This was the only public office, we believe that Mr. Brown permitted himself to hold, and he held this one against his own will, but greatly to the benefit of his county.

The life of Mr. Brown was purely a business one. His integrity of character was never questioned. As a business man, he was a marked success ; capable, industrious, frugal, clearheaded and strictly honest, his business life could not fail of being attended with good results.

Socially, Mr. Brown was a pleasant man. He was not what is generally understood to be a society man, as he shrank from it ; he disliked crowds ; but he enjoyed a small circle of friends and made himself very agreeable with them. He was also a very kind man to all in distress or who needed help ; many are the cases in the city where his means have been quietly used in making happy those who were in needy circumstances. These services were always performed without show. He obeyed in his works the Scripture injunction - not letting the left hand know what the right hand did. He disliked anything like a display in doing good.

The family of Mr. Brown consisted of two brothers and one sister. The sister, the eldest of the family, was the wife of George A. Mason, and died some years ago, and the two brothers, one older and the other younger than Timothy, survive. Mr. Brown died at his residence ia Madison, November 15, 1879.

Ole Bornemann Bull was born at Bergen, Norway, February 5, 1810. His father, a druggist, who had destined him for the church, steadily repressed his passion for music. At the age of eighteen, he was placed at the University of Christiania, but, when he took the temporary charge of the orchestra at one of the theaters during the illness of the leader, his connection with the university was dissolved. In 1829, he went to Cassel to study with Spohr, but his playing bad so chilling an effect, that, in despair, he went to Gottingen and commenced the study of the law. His fondness for his art soon. interrupted this pursuit, and he went to Minden, where he gave his first concert abroad. He then went to Paris, where he was reduced to great straits. A lady, who saw in him a likeness to her deceased son, took him into her house, and he afterward married her grand-daughter. The proceeds of his first concert which was held in Paris, April 18, 1832, gave him the means for a musical tour through Italy. The next seven years were spent in professional journeys through Italy, France, Germany, England and Russia, by which he acquired a handsome fortune. Returning to his native place in 1838, with his wife, he settled upon an estate which he had purchased in the neighborhood. At the end of five years, he came to the United States, and, after a career of great success, returned to Europe in 1845. ^urmg the next seven years, he gave concerts in the chief cities of the Continent, visited Algeria, made improvements in musical instruments, built a theater in Bergen and endeavored to awaken in Norway an interest for national schools of literature and art. He introduced political sentiments into the dramas performed at his theater, and was brought into collision with the police. Lawsuits, in 1852, dissipated a large portion of his fortune, and he once more 19n nftff"""*'^^' ^°^ *® ^^^ World, and purchased a large tract of uncultivated land, comprising

"'""" *"es> in Potter County, Penn. A large number of families, to whom the lands were sola at a nominal price, gathered upon the spot, forming the germ of a colony, to which the name eana was given ; but at length the project was abandoned and the colony broken up. Ole resumed his concerts, and, in 1854, took a lease of the Academy of Music in New York, with the intention of undertaking the- management of the Italian opera; but the enterprise proved disastrous. He then returned to Europe, and, in 1869, re-visited the United States where, in 1870, he made a second marriage, this time taking for his wife Miss Sarah C. Thorp of Madison, Wis., where, until his death, he had his American residence. He died at Lyso near Bergen, Norway, August 17, 1880.

" Were it not that his hair is as white as the snow which falls from heaven, the most careful observer of Mr. Bull's face and physique would say that he is not by a decade and a half as near the ' three score and ten ' mile-post as he really is. But Ole Bull will never grow old. His towering form is as straight as an arrow ; his soft gray eyes light up with youthful fire as he engages you in earnest conversation ; the grasp of his long, strong hands is as firm and hearty as a half-century ago ; his nerves, that have undergone the exhausting tension of a wonderful inspiration during his long and triumphant reign over the musical world, are as much under his control as when his boyish hand first grasped the bow. Fifty years of conquest over millions of hearts that have almost ceased to beat as he held his magical scepter over them, have not chilled the warmth of his noble nature nor made him conscious of his imperial power. Pame rests upon him lightly. One forgets Ole Bull, the worthy wearer of Paganini's crown, when talking with Ole Bull, the man. Suggest to him some phase of European politics, some evidence of the coming disinthralldom of thought and the establishment of liberal constitutional governments all over the monarchical territory of the continent, and the musician gives place to the enlightened and progressive statesman. Let him discuss, in his animated, impetuous, yet candid and critical manner, the recent splendid triumph of republicanism in France, and you instinctively begin to speculate upon the resources of the protean intellect this man must possess."

" He is the welcome guest of every court in Europe. In every considerable town in the United States his face is familiar, and his music an historical event. He speaks fluently, besides his native tongue English, French, German and Italian, and possesses sufllcient knowledge of every European dialect to be at home in any province. He is also a classical scholar, and an enthusiastic patron of literature. He has done much to revive an interest in Norse literature and history. None of his mature life has been allowed to waste nor his splendid faculties to suffer by disuse. He is all fire and action. 01c Bull never consciously imitates; and this is the secret of his playing. For this reason, also, no artist can play his scores, neither does he himself play them twice alike. His music is materialized inspiration. His famous compositions are only written in his memory. The orchestras that have played his accompaniments have seen only their own parts ; Ole himself never saw a note of his own score written out. Hence bis compositions are personal - a part of himself. He is a great admirer of the national melodies of his own land, and has little love for anything that is void of a noble theme. His own music is the outward form of a sentiment, generally a patriotic, liberty -loving sentiment.

" Speaking of the manner of holding a violin, Mr. Bull said that in his early attempts to play he endeavored to imitate the positions of great players, but found that he could do far better in a way of his own. 'The violin,' said Mr. Bull, 'being the national instrument of Norway, and interest in its management then running very high on account of the cotemporary artists, there were plenty of critics to condemn my style, but I clung to it. My independence and my success gave me plenty of enemies. Why, when I first began to play in Germany, my staccato notes with full length of the bow were violently attacked by the critics. On account of the manner of holding the bow, none of the -artists had been able to execute successfully staccato notes with more than the lower half of it. The papers went so far as to say that my pretensions to do anything more than this were mere clap-trap, and warned the audiences to notice that when the Norwegian reached the middle of the bow the strain and execution were taken up by an accomplice behind the scenes !

"'When I first came to America in 1843,' continued Mr. Bull, ' I found plenty of critics, pitched into me right and left. James Gordon Bennett, the elder, came to me one day and said " Mr. Ball, I notice that some of the busy newspaper writers are trying to prejudice the people against your playing. I want to say to you that the columns of the Herald are open to you at any time to defend yourself." I thanked him for his courtesy, and goodnilturedly replied that the critics might write and I would play, and trust to luck as to who should come out ahead. I never replied to the critics except with my bow, and I managed to make friends of most of them.' "

The Madison writer continues : " One of his violins is a very ordinary looking affair, and to our uncritical eye appeared to be worth about 20 shillings. It is worth to Mr. Bull $25,000 - that is to say, he would not part with it for any sum which will ever be offered to him. This 13 the violin he uses in concerts. What a wonderful piece of work ! and what heavenly melodies its master can call out from it. It has held millions spell-bound, as its delicious notes have rolled out from under that inspired hand. There is no evidence of its value apparent. It is evidently old (about four hundred years), is perfectly plain in every part, the varnish is slightly effaced where it has come in contact with the chin, and that is all the writer could see about it. To be sure, there is a luster, deep and soft, about the varnish, but we should have guessed have guessed that any babinet-maker could have made the same effect had we not known different. " ' Why is it,' we asked, ' that the violin-makers of to-day cannot duplicate these instruments?' 'Because,' said Mr. Bull, 'they cannot secure the right kind of wood, and because the receipt for making the varnish used by Gaspar da Salo is a lost art. Ambitious violinmakers are doing all they can to discover how those old masters made their varnish, and have succeeded tolerably well in making a good article, but the Cremona school of makers died with *heir secret untold. There is a wealthy Parisian who owns a receipt which he will not divulge or a fortune. A Brooklyn man has made a few excellent instruments, but has not attempted ) go into the business on a large scale.'

"'Why don't you have larger keys made?' we inquired. ' Because,' said Mr. Bull, ' that would necessitate marring the beauty of the carved work about them, aijd that I could not be induced to do ; ' and the bare suggestion affected him visibly. '"Tell us its history, please,' we begged ; and Mr. Bull said :

" Gaspar da Salo, the only violin-maker who can be called the equal of Joseph Guanorius, hved and worked at the commencement of the sixteenth century. He had made a violin with so much care, and he was himself so satisfied with his work, that he desired Benvenuto Cellini to carve the neck. The head of the instrument forms a lovely cherub's face, which is supported by a smaller head and a bust of a maiden, the features being of exquisite workmanship. The rest of the neck is most beautifully cut and gilded, and the colors are clear and bright, though they are now over 300 years old, as the instrument was made in 1532. The wood from which Gaspar da Salo chose his material grew on the mountains between Brescia and Verona, where it was so finely developed by the even temperature prevailing there that the vems ot the wood are exactly an even distance apart. The mountains near Brescia are entirely denuded of trees. It is impossible to find such wood elsewhere, and the instruments of this master are unique in this respect, and cannot be imitated. Cardinal Adalbrandini bought Gaspar da balo's and Benvenuto Cellini's violin for 3,000 ducats, and presented it to the Treasury oi innspruck, from which it got its name of the ' Treasury Violin,' which it has since retained. When Innspruck was invaded by the French, in 1809, it came into possession of a soldier, who gave It over to Rhaczek for the insignificant sum of 400 guilden.

" 'In 1839, I visited Rhaczek^saw the violin, and bid all I possessed for the instrument offering as well the proceeds of the concerts I was then giving in Vienna. ' Give me the fourth of Vienna, and then we shall see,' was Rhaczek's reply. But he promised me if he ever parted with it I should have the preference. Two years later, in Leipsic, Liszt and Mendelssohn were dining with me, and while we sat at the table a servant brought in an envelope bearing a great seal, which I put one side.

" ' Open your letter,' cried Liszt ; ' it has a large seal, and may be important.' It proved to be from the son of Rhaczek, and imparted the news of his father's death, and that ' a clause in his will directed that the Treasury violin should be sent to Ole Bull.' Of course my delight knew no bounds, and I told the good news to my friends. ' What a wonderful violin it must be to cost so much money,' said Mendelssohn. ' We must play the Kreutzer Sonata together the first time you use it in public' When the instrument came it was found that there was no bar in it ; and it had, therefore, never been played upon. As soon as possible, it was put in order, and, as Mendelssohn had suggested, it was consecrated to art by the playing of Beethoven's ' Sonata.' Its tone was found to be worthy of its great beauty. I paid the 4,000 ducats (|8,000), which was my standing offer for it, most willingly.'

" Money could not buy it now, though Mr. Bull uses it before assemblages of a semi-private nature. When he is made the guest of his distinguished friends, he accedes to their request for music by playing the ' Treasury.'

" Mr. Bull composes his music as he walks and talks. His most celebrated pieces were arranged under great pressure. We can only allude to a concert in ' B minor,' one of his most brilliant productions, that he arranged in Prague, upon which he worked two days and nights without cessation. This incident he related with a charming naivete, and we only wish space would allow us to report it here. His famous ' Polacca Guerriera ' has an equally interesting history, and we reproduce it here. Said Mr. Bull : ' In 1838, I spent three months in Rome, during the carnival. I lived in the same house with the celebrated Norse landscape painter, Thomas Eearnley, and was having a gay time with the artists then in the city. A concert was to be given the following night in Oasa Lepre, upon the programme of which I was announced for a still unwritten composition, entitled 'Polacca Guerriera.' Mr. Fearnley knew that not a single note of it had been written, and was greatly distressed lest I should make a total failure of it. He communicated his fear to his friends, who also besought me to go to work and leave pleasure alone. At 10 o'clock the night before the concert, Mr. Fearnley and I retired to our room, where the artist again implored me to compos? my piece. 'Now,' said I, ' I am sleepy, and am bound to have my rest.' At that I leaped into my bed and soon snored loudly. I heard my friend sorrowfully soliloquize,^'My conscience! what a reckless man he is, anyway; just hear him snore. Bull!' he shouted, 'Mr. Bull! won't you get up and go to work ? ' But I refused to stir. Fearnley finally went to sleep, and then I cautiously stole out of the room and began the scores for the orchestra. At 6 in the morning, all the parts were written out in short-hand and sent to the copyist. Then I noiselessly returned to my room and was soon asleep. Very soon Fearnley shouted, ' Bull ! Bull ! had you not better get up and write ? ' 'No,' I replied shortly, 'I wish you would let me take my rest.' ' This is terrible,' said poor, distracted Fearnley. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, I stole away from my friends, and had a secret rehearsal with the orchestra, and the ' Polacca ' went off splendidly. Meeting Mr. Fearnley, who had sworn he would not ,go to the concert under any consideration, I said to him, 'How now, Fearnley, will you not go to the concert to-night?'

"'No, indeed, I will not,' he answered; do you suppose I want to be a witness to your disgrace? You do not know the Italians; they will tear you to pieces.'

" I told him to come, stand near the door and be ready to retreat at any moment. Albert Thorwaldsen, the famous sculptor, who had been of our party the day previous, was also m a great state of alarm about my apparent indifference, and just before the concert asked ley if I had yet done any work on the 'Polacca.' Mr. Fearnley assured "^im most dolefully that I had not written a note, and the two were utterly cast down in their sympathetic sorroV.

Fearnley was a constant chewer of tobacco,'and used an enormous quantity at a time. When he was excited, the quid was made to gyrate vigorously from one cheek to the other, while he expectorated like a steam pump. Well, to cut the story short, the concert hour came, and the vast building was crowded. I played two numbers before the main piece came on, and in looking over the audience, I saw my anxious friends just inside the door, pale and disheartened. Finally the 'Polacca Guerriera' was announced, the orchestra took its place, and I began. Every part came in with perfect success, and I began to wonder how my friends felt. I looked over by the door, and there they were, faces beaming with surprise and delight, and what struck me most forcibly, was Fearnley's tobacco quid, which, even at my distance, I could distinctly see was changing positions with lightning rapidity. The Italians who were going to tear me to pieces seemed to go crazy with delight, and I was repeatedly recalled. In the midst of the applause, my how overjoyed friends appeared upon the stage, and Thorwaldsen actually embraced me in the presence of the audience."

"Yes," said Mr. Bull, laughing, " I have. One night, when my party was quietly floating down the Ohio River, the boat blew up, and 200 people were drowned. It was the 4th of December, and the water was fearfully cold. To add to the confusion, the boat was partly loaded with kerosene, which spread out over the water in one appalling sheet of flame. I seized my violin case, sought a place where there was the least kerosene and drowning people, and sprang into the river. It was midnight. When I reached the' bank I found it steep and of slippery clay. Though nearly drowned, I managed to throw the case up safely on shore, and, after a terrible struggle, followed it. It was an uninhabited section of country, and, though nearly frozen, I wandered about until morning before I found shelter.

"Then, again, when in Iowa, one night, I was awakened by cries of fire, and found that the hotel was in flames. I was pretty well up to the top, and hence did not stop for ceremony. I caught up my violin case, groped my way down through the blinding smoke and appeared upon the street, where the thermometer was down to zero, arrayed simply in my night shirt. But I saved my violin."

" The hist sad rites are over, for the great man has now gone from us. It is impossible in the short space of a letter to give any idea of the honors which have been lavished upon him. King and peasant, all classes, have united in one universal testimony that ' Ole Bull was Norway's greatest man and most beloved son.' The first intelligence of his death was conveyed by the steamer Bjarne, which went into Bergen with its flag at half-mast. Instantly, as soon as it could be done, every flag in the harbor went down, and as the message spread, hundreds of flags all over Bergen, with the four on the common, which are never used save for royalty, were displayed at half-mast. The Common Council met at once and passed resolutions desiring that he should be interred in Bergen, and off'ering to Mrs. Bull the central place in the cemetery, a place which it had been decided should be always reserved for celebrations of the birthdays of diatinguiahed men buried there. It was desired for Christie, Norway's great statesman, whose statute is on the common, but was refused. It was given at once spontaneously, and a subscription started for a statue to Mr. Bull. The steamboats oSered their services free, and on inday after his death, 400 people came out to see his remains, leaving as many more which the boat could not carry. Yesterday, a large steamer, with 150 people who were invited, family and intimate friends, came out, and the funeral services were held in the hall where the remains lay in state. On Sunday, a steamer came to bring flowers, and his casket was loaded with exquisite floral designs, among which were a beautiful floral violin, crowns and wreaths.

'Fifteen large steamers met the one carrying his body, before reaching Bergen, and escorted it in, with signals fired, church bells ringing, and thousands upon the strand, and the streets, as far as could be seen, were one sea of heads. The quay was decorated and spread with green, as were also the streets through which the procession passed. The house where he was born was decorated, and the procession halted while words were sung composed for the occasion. The body was borne from the steamer by peasants in uniform and placed upon a catafalque drawn by four black horses. The casket was so high that it could be seen above the multitude which filled the streets. His own American flag preceded him, and many more of beautiful designs. Twelve young ladies, with crape badges, bore his trophies, and all the city authorities were in the procession. Much, much more than I can describe, was done, all that human hands and human hearts inspired by the tenderest love, could devise.

" The best of all, that which touched and thrilled every heart, was after the Bishop had ended. The grave, with the sides lined with flowers and the bottom covered, was in the most beautiful spot ever seen anywhere. Bjornson, himself a King, who came from Christiania to attend the funeral ceremonies, arose, and, looking upon the casket below, covered and surrounded with flowers, pale and full of emotion, said : ' He was beloved, Ole Bull.'

" Every heart seemed stunned, and the vast multitude, numbering not less than 25,000, were silent as the one below. Bjornson talked nearly an hour, and every word was a jewel. He thanked Mrs. Bull, for all present, that she had made his last days so happy, and said to all that Ole Bull's last request was that Norway should love and cherish his wife, who had loved him and smoothed his pathway. The half cannot be told; it should have been witnessed to be understood. The newspapers are doing what is only done for royalty, devoting one side for a week to notices, poems and sketches of his life, with mourning decorations. The King telegraphed his condolence. Bjornson and Lund returned with the family to Lyso, and, as they left, signals were fired."

William B. Slaughter published in 1878 a lengthy autobiography in a work entitled " Reminiscences of Distinguished Men," an abstract of which is here given :

" I. was born on the 19th day of April, 1797, in the County of Culpeper, in the State of Virginia ; the son of Samuel and Francis Slaughter, both of English descent ; and both well educated. My father was an excellent Greek and Latin scholar, and his taste in English literature was formed by reading such authors as Johnson, Addison, Goldsmith, Swift, Steele and Parnell. His children, of whom he had thirteen (three sons, of whom I was the eldest, and ten daughters), were educated at home in private classical schools under his own observation. I completed my education at William and Mary College ; although I was there but a short time and not a class student, I learned rapidly and rarely forgot what I learned.

" From William and Mary College I went to Halifax County, Va., to study law with my uncle, William B. Banks, a man of genius, learning and eloquence.

"During the two years I remained with my uncle I read law, history, commentaries on government, the great speeches of the great men of the world on law and civil polity ; likewise the poems of Homer, Virgil, Dante, Camoens, Shakspeare, Milton and Byron, many of the striking portions of which still remain in my memory.

" The two years' confinement in my uncle's law oflSce was too severe a tax upon my nervous system, and my health gave way. I spent one summer at the White Sulphur Springs, receiving but little benefit ; the next in Culpeper among my relatives; and in October, 1824, I joineda party of three hundred persons who chartered a boat at Alexandria, Virginia, to take us to Yorktown to welcome the Marquis De La Fayette on the plains of York, on which Lord Cornwallis surrendered his sword to the American arms on the I9th of October, 1781.

" Having recovered my health in 1825, 1 anticipated Horace Greeley's advice to young men, and went West. The most practicable mode of travel in those days was on horseback, and thus I proceeded on my journey. I reached Charlestown on the Kanawha, in October, 1825, remained there two months with my relatives, thence went to Lancaster, Ohio, where I became acquainted with Thomas Ewing, the first distinguished man I met in the West, and with whom I ibrmed a friendship that lasted during his life - a life fraught with honorable deeds, with patriotic sentiments, and with generous sympiithies.

"After remaining a week at Columbus, I proceeded on my journey to Kentucky, the then El Dorado of all Virginians, and the ' ultima thule ' of my heart's desires. On my way I spent one night at Circleville.

"I arrived at Bardstown, Ky., in February, 1826, and found as many Slaughters as I left in Virginia, uncles, aunts and cousins innumerable, one of whom, the daughter of an uncle, I married. Kentucky was settled principally by Virginians, many of whom inherited the lands

" Through an uncle residing in Kentucky, a warm personal and political friend of Gen. Jackson I received an invitation to visit him, at the Hermitage, which I accepted in 1827. My uncle had published a pamphlet entitled '^Philo Jackson,' advocating his election to the Presidency which was distributed in almost every State in the Union. It was written with much vigor and doubtless had a decided effect. The General's gratitude to ray uncle was manifested by repeated acts of kindness to me. Through his influence, direct and indirect, I was retained in public office seven years.

" I remained two years longer in Kentucky, reading and practicing law, and then proceeded to Bedford, Ind., expecting to make it my future home. The second year of my residence at Bedford I became a candidate for the Legislative Assembly and was elected ; during the session of the Legislature, Gen. Jackson's proclamation on the subject of the South Carolina Nullification was issued, which agitated the country from the center to the circumference. I was the author of the Indiana resolutions approving of that proclamation, which were passed in the Assembly with but ten dissenting voices, and by the Senate almost unanimously. The next year I was^appointed Register of the Land Office at Indianapolis, by Gen. Jackson, and the year following transferred to the land office at Green Bay, then in Michigan Territory. In December, 1835, I was elected a member of the Legislative Council of Michigan, which met at Green Bay January 1, 1836. I was, as a member of that body, the author of a memorial to Congress requesting the establishment of the Territory of Wisconsin, to embrace the Government lands west of Lake Michigan. The act of organization of the Territory went into effect on the 4th of July, 1836. In February, 1837, I was appointed by Gen. Jackson Secretary of the Territory of Wisconsin, for four years. At the close of my official term as Secretary, I retired to my farm near Madison, and was no more in public life until appointed by President Lincoln Commissary of Subsistence, in 1863, and in 1864 Quartermaster, and was stationed at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. In the fall of 1864, I resigned both of these 'offices, and since then have remained in private life. I was occupied in 1875-76 in writing biographical sketches of the eminent and self-made, men of Wisconsin for the American Biographical Publishing Company."

Mr. Slaughter resigned the office of Register of the Land Office in 1841 . In May, 1837, he came to the " City of the Four Lakes," on Section 6, in the present town of Madison, a plat of which" City " was laid out and put on record July 7, 1836, by M. L. Martin, W. B. Slaughter and J. D. Doty, Proprietors. Here he opened up a farm and made his residence until 1845, when he removed to his old home in Virginia ; but at the beginning of the late war (1861), he returned to Wisconsin, and located in the town of Middleton. He afterward moved to the city of Madison, where he resided at the time of his death, which occurred July 15, 1879.

Edwaed G. Etan. Edward G. Ryan was born at New Castle House, in the county of Meath, Ireland, Novem- T V, ir ' ^^^ ^°^ °^ Edward Ryan, of New Castle House, and Abby, his wife, daughter of John Keogh, of Mount Jerome,'near Dublin. He was reared in the full sight of wealth, but oemg the second son, inherited no share of it. He was educated at Clongone's Wood Cottage, Where he completed his course in 1827. He commenced the reading of law in his native country, out, before completing it, he came to the United States in 1830, and resumed his studies in New

York, supporting himself, meanwhile, by giving lessons in private schools. He was admitted to the bar in 1836, and located in Chicago, in the fall of the same year, where he practiced his profession till 1842. During his residence in Chicago, he was editor of a paper called the 2W'6- une, which, we believe, was the commencement of the paper of that name now in Chicago though in reaching its present growth, it has absorbed several smaller publications. In 1842 feeling that his health was failing in Chicago, he was constrained to change his location, and after his marriage with the daughter of Capt. Hugh Graham, he located at Racine, in this State where he remained till 1848, when he removed to the city of Milwaukee.

Mr. Ryan was Prosecuting Attorney in the Chicago Circuit; in 1840 and 1841 ; was a member of the Constitutional Convention in Wisconsin in 1846, representing the county of Racine. In this body he was one of the most conspicuous members, both in committee work and in the debates on the floor of the Convention. He was the Chairman of the Committee on Banks and Banking, second on the Committee on the -Judiciary, and also a member of the Committee on Education. When he took his seat in the Convention, he was a stranger to most of the able and brilliant members of that body, and when he took the floor in discussion, they were very much astonished at his power, energy and eloquence as a debater. He advocated the extreme radical features of the old Constitution. In 1848, Mr. Ryan represented his party as a delegate in the National, Convention, held at Baltimore, that nominated Lewis Cass for the Presidency. During his practice in Milwaukee, Mr. Ryan had several law partners, among whom were the late Chief Justice Stowe, Matt H. Carpenter and William H. Lord.

Mr. Ryan held the position of City Attorney in Milwaukee during the years 1870, 1871 and 1872. In June, 1874, Chief Justice Dixon having resigned his position on the bench, Mr. Ryan was appointed by Gov. Taylor as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the State, to fill the vacancy. On receiving his commission, he is reported to have remarked: " This is the summit of my ambition ; this is the place to which I have looked ; but it has been so delayed that I had ceased to expect it ! " He immediately qualified and assumed the place upon the bench to which he had been appointed. Shortly afterward, the Potter railroad law, enacted by the Legislature of 1874, came before the courts. The leading cases were appealed to the Supreme Court, and the validity of the law was affirmed, the opinion being prepared by Chief Justice Ryan. He was elected to the high position, by the people, without opposition. He was a man of vast legal learning, and a writer of masterly ability. His decisions, in point of literary style and legal research, will rank among the first in this country. He was an orator of great power, and many of his eff'orts equal those of the foremost men in the country. He was engaged in the prosecution of the impeachment trial against Levi Hubbell, before the State Senate, in in 1853, and his great argument in that case was remarkable for its power, its comprehensiveness, its lofty eloquence, and it ranks with the first efibrts of the kind on record. He was engaged as counsel in the great gubernatorial contest between Bashford and Barstow, in 1856, on the part of the relator, and, in this ease, as in all others in which he has been wigaged, he exhibited ability and legal research of the highest order ; and his arguments were able, forcible and effective. The case was one of extreme importance, as fixing a precedent, and Mr. Ryan managed it with consummate skill and energy.

In person, Mr. Ryan was five feet ten inches in height, weighed about one hundred and eighty pounds, neither of robust nor delicate frame, but muscular, sinewy and capable of much long and continued labor. His movements were quick and his step elastic. His complexion, was florid, his hair light, his eyes blue, large and expressive.

The death of Chief Justice Ryan caused deep and sincere regret among the people of the State. His vast intellect and well-cultivated miiid gave him a high place among the distmguished men of this country, as a writer, as a genial companion, as an orator and advocate, and as an eminent jurist. Few men possessed more refined and varied tastes than did Judge Ryan. His was a brilliant mind ; and the fact of his being thoroughly read on a great variety of subjects rendered his conversation extremely interesting and instructive, full of originality, and a times extremely humorous. His addresses were always models in rhetoric, and filled with eie-

Tated thought. He died iu Madison, October 19, 1880, and was buried in Milwaukee with honors becoming the position he had filled as Chief Justice of Wisconsin.

It 18 my sad duty to announce to the people of Wisconsin, that, in the mysterious Providence of God, the life on earth of the Hon. Edward G. Kyan, the distinguished Chief Justice of our Supreme Court, is ended. He departed this life this morning, at about 5 o'clock, unexpectedly by his family and friends, but evidently not by himself. His great mind remained strong and serene to the last, in full comprehension of his physical condition and in apprehension and consciousness of death, and he expressed clearly his last wishes to his family, and his abiding Christian faith and hope.

A great man, an eminent citizen, and a high officer of State, to the sore bereavement of his family and friends, and to the irreparable loss of the public service, has fallen at his post, with the spotless ermine of a great judge still upon his shoulders. Less than one week ago he presided on the bench, and the bar of the State, interested in the present call of the calendar, stood before him in the full confidence and hope that he would yet long remain to dignify his high judicial office by his transcendent abilities, learning and refined sense of justice.

But he has suddenly disappeared from amongst the living, and the high places which once knew him will know him no more forever. For about forty years he has been especially prominent in Wisconsin, and elsewhere widely known as one of the ablest and most eminent in his profession, and in many offices of trust and honor, and he has now closed his distinguished career by making especially eminent the office of Chief Justice of our Supreme Court, to which he was called by the unanimous vote of the people. To its high and responsible duties he has devoted the great learning, the clear judgment and the developed resources of one of the greatest minds of the age, as the mature fruits of his great experience and of his long and distinguished life. There remains no one who can in all respects fill the high place he ha« left vacant, and long years of time in our future history will bat illustrate, by memory and comparison, his unequaled abilities as a lawyer and a judge, and make still more conspicuous and indelible his impress upon the laws, politics and jurisprudence of the State.

As a mark of respect to his memory, the Supreme Court room will be suitably draped in mourning, the ftag opoQ the capital displayed at half-mast, and on the day of the funeral the State Departments will be closed.