Page 76 - Cornelius Hedges Story

63 The Cornelius Hedges Story

Chapter 3
The Character of the Man

Behind Cornelius Hedges’ accomplishments and contributions
to the positive development or Montana was a set or ideals which
permeated every activity and concern with which he was associated.
Because Hedges believed in and practiced the virtues or honor,
brotherly love, and charity, he accomplished uncommon things in
relatively common ways.

Cornelius Hedges’ character which can most succinctly be
described in his own words, taken from his Address as Grand Master
of Montana Masons in 1871.

“Good men and true are best seen and known in times of trial
and difficulty. While fair weather adventurers break, fall and
disappear, men of character and moral strength, the genuine
heroes of common life, loom up with grander and firmer front,
like firm set rocks in an ocean storm.”228
It would be quite misleading to represent Hedges’ character as
absolutely impeccable. However, the flaws in the character of this
man are certainly secondary to his significant contributions to the
total development of Montana. The motivating forces of his dynamic
character, which were largely based on his Masonic ideas as well as,
some of the manifestations of his moral character and ideas, and his
multifarious interests. To Hedges, honor was sacred and he enjoyed
no greater pleasure than to be trusted as a friend.
Will Hedges described the extent to which honor was important
in his father’s life when he said, “He believed a good name was
worth more than riches and thus spread good will far and wide.”229
Also to him, reliability was an important part of honor, thus it
too was exhibited in Hedges’ life. An excerpt from N. P. Langford’s
diary:
“Hedges are to be my comrade-in-arms in this service. He has
expressed to me his great satisfaction that he is to be associated with
me throughout the trip in this night guard duty, and I am especially
pleased at being assigned to duty with so reliable a coadjutor as
Hedges, a man who can be depended upon to neglect no duty.”230