Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 06.pdf/42

 The Supreme Court of Vermont.

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were published; his services as a clergyman commission; his degree was conferred upon were scarcely ever interrupted; for twelve him in his absence. He became in col years he preached in private dwellings. He lege complete master of Latin, Greek, was constantly in the service of the public; and Hebrew. He was with the army at was town representative, member of the Valley Forge, and at the battle of Monmouth Council and of constitutional conventions, in June, 1778; immediately after the battle and one of Vermont's first representatives he was found reading Pindar. At Camp in Congress. He served as judge until 1788, Fredericksburg, in the following October, he and was succeeded by one of Vermont's resigned his commission; his wages, being

most noted men, his only means, were not sufficient to sup Stephen Row Brad ley. When, in Jan port him in service. uary, 179 1, Noah He spent the follow ing winter in Salis Smith resigned as one bury, Conn., pursuing of the judges, Mr. his legal studies. In Niles was elected in the following March, his place, but de clined; after his dec he wrote to a friend, lination Elijah Paine "I have been dubbed was chosen. The an attorney, and pro ability of this man as pose in a few days to a judge can readily be take up my abode in seen by the fact that theStateofVermont," he was chosen to sucand adds, " One thing, however, we must ceed Noah Smith, both forget our diffi and that Stephen Row dence, it has no place Bradley and Elijah at the Bar. Ha! ha! Paine were, at differ ent times, chosen to ha! I cannot but laugh to think what succeed him, they be a flash we shall make ing three of the ablest when we come to men ever in Ver JOHN PIERPOINT be members of Con mont. gress; then again, I The first judge with a legal education was am vexed when I think how many steps Nathaniel Chipman. John Chipman the there are which we must mount to that first of the name in America, came in 1630; pinnacle of happiness. Let's see, attorney, his wife, Mary, was the daughter of John then a selectman, a huffing justice, a deputy, an assistant and member of Congress." Howland, one of the pilgrims of 1620. Na thaniel was the great grandson of John and Until the latter part of his life, five to six the son of Samuel, a blacksmith and farmer. hours' sleep was all that he required; he He remained at home until his twenty-first read all the novels that came in his way and year, when he began his college preparatory read them with uncommon rapidity, and pur studies with the minister of the parish; after sued his classical reading until his death. nine months' study, he entered Yale College Leaving Connecticut, he reached his in 1773; in the spring of 1777, he left col father's house in Tinmouth, Vt., on the 10th lege and entered the army with a lieutenant's of April and began practice. He intended

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