A few years ago the community of Bayard, a village of only a few hundred population, had no resident attorney, and depended upon Bridgeport and towns to the west for legal service, except for the work of United State Commissioner Cronkleton and local justices, but with the phenomenal growth of the town came several attorneys resident at Bayard. H. M. Marquis was one. In 1917 was another, Yale H. Cavett, who was associated with Morrow & Morrow of Scottsbluff. There were also C. A. Mantz, who was associated with Wm. Ritchie, at Bridgeport, and Fred T. Nichols. In 1919 E. E. Richards and Edward F. Carter came to

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

Bayard and formed a partnership. This gave Bayard a formidable proportion of the bar of Morrill county, an aggregation of more than a dozen of as capable and affable practitioners as can be found anywhere in the state of Nebraska.

George J. Hunt

On February 19, Judge Jacob Fawcett of the supreme court paid a masterly tribute to Bridgeport's townsman, Judge G. J. Hunt, at the bar memorial services held at the court house :

If the court please, it is with mingled pain and pleasure that I respond to your honor's kind invitation to say something on this occasion in reference to the life and character of our brother, George J. Hunt, who has so recently been called from his family, the activities of life, and this bar, to stand at the bar of the final court before which we too must sooner or later appear. While the reason for this meeting causes me great pain at the loss of one whose friendship I have enjoyed for many years, it is a pleasure that I can be here today and add a word to the tribute of respect to the memory of our departed brother which is now being paid by the members of this bar.