Thomas Calvert Roberts 1835-1872

ROBERTS, MANSON, COOLEY, BLATCHLEY, ADAMS, WALLER, FOUKE, MULLANEY, RUPERT

Posted By: Cheryl Locher Moonen (email)
Date: 1/11/2019 at 09:30:50

The Dubuque Herald, March 31, 1872

THE HARVEST OF DEATH: THOS. CALVERT ROBERTS
Sketch of his Life & Character
Our community was startled and grieved yesterday afternoon to learn of the sudden death, after a brief illness, of T.C. Roberts, Esq., at the Waller House, where he, with his family, were boarding.

Mr. Roberts was born in Rockdale, within three miles of Dubuque, on the 29th day of October, 1835, and was in his thirty-seventh year at the time of his death. Early in life he lost both parents, was adopted by our well known citizen, Walter Manson, by whom he was brought up and educated. After receiving a common (and, no doubt, very common) school education in that early day at Rockdale, he was sent by Mr. Manson to the college at Mount Vernon, Iowa, where he remained two years, and afterward completed his college course at Mount Morris, Illinois. His schoolmates say he was a bright boy and a leading spirit, with a highly poetic temperament, even before he exhibited the talent that made him distinguished in the colleges named and in the professional field as well as in other spheres of usefulness, "I which he has been engaged in the last ten or fifteen years."

Soon after leaving college he commenced the study of law, in Dubuque, in the office of Cooley, Blatchley & Adams, and was admitted to the bar in the spring of 1861. Since that time he had been rising rapidly in the profession. For a short interval, however, after admission to the bar, he engaged temporarily in the mercantile pursuit. He early resumed, however, his profession, being one of the youngest members of the bar. Meantime he had married a daughter of the late Robert Waller. The surviving family of Mr. Roberts is the widow and a daughter nearly eight years old.

In the late rebellion Mr. Roberts was one of the "hundred days men" who served out the time, and as an officer in a part of the army that protected the rear on the Mississippi while Gen. Sherman was "marching to the sea."
He again resumed his profession and after a year or two formed a partnership with Mr. H. H. Fouke, which continued uninterrupted from October, 1866 to November, 1871. Upon the dissolution of this firm Mr. Roberts' student, John I. Mullany, being admitted to the bar, he recently formed a partnership with him under the name of Roberts & Mullany.

As a lawyer, Mr. Roberts was of quick perception, industrious, prompt and correct in the transaction of business, whether in court or out of it, and always courteous to his professional brethren as well as to his clients and to the general business public. If he ever erred in these respects it was on the side of generosity, forbearance and a disposition to favor even the questionable equities to others than to adhere to technicalities that might be to his own personal advantage. No member of the Dubuque bar of his age has been entrusted with more important business of many of our most wealthy citizens. And in all matters entrusted to his charge, whether legal or official, he has conducted his affairs without reproach.
As a citizen and a man, Mr. Roberts led a blameless life and was more and more highly respected. Few men of his age took such a deep interest in all public enterprises and though sometimes at his pecuniary loss, he yet persevered to the last month of his life in efforts to promote the welfare of the city in which he had apparently ______________ of thirty years more of active life.

Among his other enterprises he has been for years engaged in lead mining operations. He had recently prepared a lecture for delivery on the Dubuque lead mines and the importance of their further development.

The causes of his death were partly overwork, some exposure, and some imprudence. He was in the court room within a week. A chill five days ago was followed by a brain fever and though on yesterday morning he was considered nearly out of danger he died, under a sudden change, in less than ten hours afterward.

He was a large hearted, generous man; kindly in his nature, charitable to the needy and liberal to everybody, as might be expected from a man of such a consistent Christian character. He had been for many years a member of the Main street Methodist church.

The funeral services will be from the Waller Gratfort House at two o'clock on
Monday, from which the friends will proceed to Main street Methodist Episcopal church, where the services will be conducted by the pastor, Rev. Mr. Young, assisted by Rev. James Wallis, preparatory to conveying his remains to Linwood cemetery.

As a token of respect to his memory, the early settlers association, of which he
was a member, will meet in the office of the president, Benjamin Rupert at the custom house at one o'clock to attend the funeral.
The members of the bar will meet for the same purpose at the court house at ten o'clock on Monday morning.

That portion of the burial service apart from those of the church will be conducted by the officers and members of Harmony Lodge No. 2 I.O.O.F., of which he as a member.