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 The Supreme Court of Vermont. His reputation as a lawyer and a man of learning was great, and he soon numbered among his friends most of the able and dis tinguished men of his adopted State. He was State's attorney for Windham County for many years, and was elected Judge of the Supreme Court in 1801; when Chief Judge Robinson retired in 1807, he was chosen Chief Judge, and held the position until

1813. the longest term of service of any judge, under the old judicial system. He removed to Brattleboro in the spring of 1801.

Until his election as judge, Mr. Tyler had acted with the Federalists, and was one at the time of his election, but many of the considerations that were telling against that party seemed to him well founded, and al though he could not take any active part in politics while on the bench, his views grad ually changed and he became in sentiment a JAMES Republican; so that when, in 1807, the Republicans made a "clean sweep " in the State, Mr. Tyler was elected Chief Judge, with Harrington and Galusha assistants, and continued in service until 181 3, when all the judges were taken from the Federal part)-. His health, the latter part of his term of service, was poor, and this, with party strife, prevented his being chosen for a longer pe riod. He was afterward register of the pro bate court for that district. His son of the same name is now judge of the same court, a position to which he was first appointed

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in 1846, and has been clerk of the county court in Windham County more than thirtysix years. Judge Tyler is described by a late writer as " social in his disposition, a mind well stored with information derived both from books and their prototypes, men. He was the delight of all who knew him, and was the lead ing spirit on those occasions when the witty, learned and wise were assembled. To high mental ability, there was joined in his character an uncom monly benevolentand friendly disposition, which gained him the love and respect of many attached friends. As a judge, he was conscientious, clear- minded and just, both by a natural sense of right and an extensive knowledge of precedents. His humanity, though naturally unbounded, was so guided as to produce the most beneficial results. As a citizen he was public spirited and FISK. liberal; as a neigh bor, social and unobtrusive; as a husband, kind and attentive." He contributed largely to the early lit erature of this country. When in New York in 1786, conducting negotiations for the suppression of Shay's rebellion, a comedy which he had written during his military service was produced on the stage and was the first stage production in which the Yankee dialect and Yankee story-telling was employed, and was the first American play acted on a regular stage by an estab lished company of comedians. It was played