History of Coos County, New Hampshire, Part 29

Author: Merrill, Georgia Drew
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Syracuse [N.Y.] : W. A. Fergusson
Number of Pages: 1194

USA > New Hampshire > Coos County > History of Coos County, New Hampshire > Part 29

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amusing. Hastings would be more accommodating under similar circum- stances-about the only difference observable between two unusually satis- factory clerks.

The lawyers who always came here to attend court in our early terms, were :-

WILLIAM HEYWOOD, often affectionately called "Uncle Heywood," with a large benign face, kind, prepared, venerable, excessively fair, full of real and equity jurisprudence.

HIRAM A. FLETCHER, with small features, slight, alert black eyes, wearing a wig. and carrying a green bag full of exactly-drawn, methodi- cally-arranged papers, overflowing with cases, precedents, and preparation; technical, with a mania for old law books, muskets, antlers and curiosities. He seemed a survival of a past generation of old English common-law attorneys.

OSSIAN RAY, full of activity, argument, resources and combativeness, never unoccupied with actual litigation, thoroughly experienced in practice, and, in some way, always finding leisure to become thoroughly familiar with the cases applicable to the case at bar.

WILLIAM S. LADD, scholarly, thorough, accurate, quick with pen and books, more moderate in court. With a thorough contempt for (never re- torting to in kind, and some times disconcerted by,) rude and offensive practice; he was a business and corporation counselor rather than a ready orator.

GEORGE A. BINGHAM, tall, untiring, working all night and keeping awake all day, an " all-round " lawyer, learned, eloquent, and at his best in the preparation of cases and examination of witnesses. He was seldom surprised, and never at a loss what to do.

GEORGE W. HARTSHORN, bottled up in the little town of Canaan, short, bald, round, and talkative, was a surprisingly ready speaker; and, after a long trial, would often make an exhaustive, and, in parts, very eloquent argument. A serious and painful illness, and the medicines used. some ten years ago, destroyed his capacity at the bar.

HENRY HEYWOOD, very deliberate, with a deep, heavy, unvarying voice, reflects as he speaks, and is accurate. His forte is the accumulation and introduction of evidence where accuracy as to the law, and the proper ar- rangement and non-omission of numerous facts and details, are essential requirements.

IRVING W. DREW commenced practice about 1871. His ambition to suc- ceed as a speaker was soon gratified. He has made as many arguments to the jury as any attorney who attends our courts, with as great influence upon the verdict as any one whom this generation recollects, except William Burns, and, unlike Mr. Burns, he is active in the management of the case in other respects, and so, perhaps, succeeds as well.

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EVERETT FLETCHER is also a young man, who came to our court about the same time. He bears a marked resemblance to his father, the late Hiram A. Fletcher, in every respect, except that he is taller. He lacks somewhat of the confidence and readiness of his father, and has not taken an active part in the trials here. Industrious and witty, he is among the best read and most genial of the lawyers of his age.

CHESTER B. JORDAN was admitted later, and is engaged in all important cases of this district. He does not "figure " in the trials, but in the ont- side preparation: attentive to details. he is often felt and feared, but sel- dom seen in the case, and is quite convinced that nothing succeeds like success.

Many others have attended our courts too infrequently to need mention. The lawyers who have resided in this district since its formation, and the early resident attorneys of this part of the county, may not be accurately enumerated from lack of a prior history, and the loss of court records, which have been burned twice, once in 1886, and once about forty years earlier.

WILLIAM FARRAR was the first settled lawyer. He came here in or before 1806, boarded with "Judge " Joseph Loomis, where James L. Loomis now lives, had his office in the small house south of there (where David Heath lived) before it was occupied as a store by Elisha Bundy. He was not a robust man, well educated, of excellent habits. diffident, with a slight voice, and had a moderate practice. He moved to Lancaster in 1811, and continued in practice there until his death. In 1812 he married Margaret, daughter of Gaius Kibbee, who lived on the W. R. Silver farm, in Bloom- field, then Minehead. Vt. They were married by Judge DeForest, and shortly after were much mortified to learn that he was not, at the time, qualified to perform the ceremony. The Judge qualified, went to Lancas- ter, took them into Vermont, and re-married them. Mr. Farrar was a fine tenor singer, was accustomed to read the sermons at "deacons' meet- ings " held at various places, and led the choir, after a minister was settled here, at the school-house where F. B. Crawford's barn is now. Mr. Far- rar's wife soon died without issue, and he re-married

For many years there was no attorney here after Mr. Farrar left, and JUDGE LOOMIS, who had been appointed in January. 1505. a justice of the Court of Common Pleas for Coos county, did much of the work attor- neys usually do.

GEN. IRA YOUNG came next. He was born at Lisbon, N. H., in 1794. and was son of Colonel Samuel Young, a Revolutionary officer. He studied law with James I. Swan, of Bath, was admitted to the bar in 1817, and came to Colebrook soon after. He had his office in the Cargill store, where Mrs. Julia A. Gamsby's block stands. He was tall, large, with light auburn hair, a very fine looking man. gentlemanly, and an excellent

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speaker. He was also a fine singer, and one of the choir at the church, usually singing tenor. In 1820 Mr. Swan died, bequeathing Gen. Young his ex- tensive library, and he removed to Bath and succeeded to Mr. Swan's business. A few years later his office with the contents was burned. and he returned to Colebrook in 1824, or early in 1825, and resumed practice at the same place. (John L. Sheafe came here about the time he left, and removed to Lancaster about the time he returned. ) Gen. Young remained here until 1839, when he, too, went to Lancaster. In the winter of 1836-37 he married Mrs. Sarah D. F. Smith, widow of John A. Smith, of Cuba, and daughter of Mills DeForest, of Lemington, Vt., and lived in the house then lately vacated by Dr. White, and after Mr. Young's removal occu- pied by Dr. Augustus Harris. Mary, his eldest child, was born in Cole- brook. His other children, Harry D. F., captain of Co. F. 2d N. H. Infantry, and Richard O., corporal in the same company (killed at Fair Oaks in 1862), were born at Lancaster. He took an active part in military affairs, was appointed captain of the company of cavalry in the Twenty- fourth regiment in 1829, major of the regiment in 1832, colonel in 1833, brigadier-general of the Sixth brigade in 1836, and major-general of the Second division in 1837. Gen. Young was an old-time gentleman, of great suavity, very popular as an attorney and a citizen, and was one of the foremost lawyers of Northern New Hampshire. His health failed in 1844. He gave up practice, went to Cuba, and died there November 15, 1845. The brethren of the bar erected a tombstone in his memory, both for his courtesy " and ability as a lawyer, and his high character for honor and in- tegrity as a man.'

CHARLES J. STUART was one of the first lawyers to settle in Colebrook after Mr. Farrar left. He boarded at Edmund Chamberlain's and had his office in the Cargill store. He was married, but had no children. In less than a year he returned to Lancaster.

JOHN LANE SHEAFE, son of Jacob Sheafe, of Portsmouth, was born November 28, 1791, and admitted to the bar April 7, 1820. He came to Colebrook before Gen. Young left. He also removed to Lancaster, where he remained from about 1825 until abont 1832 (perhaps returning to Colebrook for a portion of these years). Then he removed to Portsmouth, and later to New Orleans, where he was prominent at the bar, as a Whig politician, and during the war as a Union man. He died there February 5, 1864. Mr. Sheafe was very small and effeminate in appearance when here, though stout in 1852, when last in Colebrook. He was very near-sighted, used a silver-bowed eye-glass, was quite diffident, and, at first, a butt for jokes. His education and unusually fine ability soon corrected this. When he first came here he took charge of Sabbath meetings, read the Episcopal service, and the people quite generally provided themselves with Epis- copal prayer-books, etc. His services were held in the school-house near

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Pleasant street bridge, and in the Cargill hall, in the building where he had his office. He also organized and took charge of the first Sabbath- school here .- a greater novelty in 1820 than in later years. He never married, but boarded at Edmund Chamberlain's, and was active in the Masonie lodge which then met in Chamberlain's hall.

SANDERS WELCH COOPER came to Colebrook about 1822, boarded at various places in the vicinity and attended to collections, but opened no office. He later practiced many years in Lancaster, was a man of ability, could argue a case well, and was for a time county solicitor. He was a brother of J. W. Cooper, of Colebrook, and Jesse Cooper, late of Irasburg, Vt., and was born March 4, 1791.

HIRAM ADAMS FLETCHER, son of Ebenezer and Peddy (Smith) Fletcher, was born December 14, 1806, studied law with Gen. Seth Cushman, of Guildhall, Vt .. and later in New York; was admitted in 1530, and began practice in Springfield. Vt .. and settled in Colebrook in 1833. He married Persis Hunking, of Lancaster, and lived where Walter Drew now lives, built an office which was afterwards moved and became the old Eames Stevens house. His father built the Mohawk House for a dwelling, and, at his death, it became the property and home of Hiram, who had his office in the present hotel office until his removal to Lancaster in 1549. The five oldest of his six children were born in Colebrook. Nelly (Mrs. William A. Holman), of Pittsburg, Pa., being born in Lancaster. The other surviving children, Mrs. W. S. Ladd, Richard, and Everett, are rosi- dents of Lancaster. Mr. Fletcher had a very large and profitable business while in Colebrook, and accumulated what was considered a considerable fortune.

LYMAN THOMAS FLINT was born in Williamstown. Vt., September 29, 1817, educated in the academies at Randolph and Williamstown, Vt . and graduated from Dartmouth college in 1842. He married Hannah W. Wil- lard, of Lyndon, Vt., March 3. 1844. He taught for several years, the last at Plymouth academy, where he studied law with William C. Thomp- son. He then came to Colebrook, completed his studies with Hiram A. Fletcher, and was admitted to the bar in May. 1547. He remained in Colebrook until 1854, when he removed to Concord, where he died. April 14, 1876. He had a considerable practice and reputation when he left Cole- brook, gained to a great extent by the peculiar thoroughness with which he prepared his cases and his energy in securing all attainable evidence. He was city solicitor, county solicitor, and representative during his resi- dence at Concord.

CHARLES W. BURT, oldest son of Willard and Martha (Wood) Burt, was born in Westmoreland, N. H., November 6, 1520. He attended, sup- plementary to his course at district schools, Mount Cæsar and Lebanon academies, and two years at Norwich (Vt.) university. He was a thor-

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ough student, stood high in his classes, and was a popular teacher of dis- trict schools for some years. He studied law with Hon. Levi Chamber- lain, was admitted to the bar at Keene, and practiced his profession at Colebrook from 1848 to 1854. He married, January, 1854, Julia, daugh- ter of Horace Loomis, of Colebrook, soon removed to Detroit, Mich., and engaged in practice. In 1855 he formed a partnership with A. B. Maynard, Esq., of that city, which continued until the untimely death of Mr. Burt. April 11, 1859. Mr. Maynard says of him: "During our entire partner- ship our relations were of the pleasantest character. He was a gentleman of decided ability, and no young lawyer in the city had a better reputa- tion, both for legal learning and ability and for the purity and uprightness of his character. In his habits he was simple and unassuming, and remark- able for his industry. Had his life been spared, he would, in my judgment, have stood at the very head of the bar of Michigan as a learned, able and conscientious lawyer." Mr. Burt was a large, fine looking young man, gentlemanly, well educated, an excellent and impressive speaker. Mrs. Burt died in Detroit.

DANIEL ALLEN ROGERS, son of Rev. Daniel and Phoebe (Tibbetts) Rog- ers, was born in Columbia, September 11. 1828, and educated in the local schools, taught several winters in the adjoining towns, and studied law with Lyman T. Flint. He was admitted to the bar in 1853, bought of Archelaus Cummings the house where Michael Monahan now lives and built the office south of it, which he used at first for his postoffice, then for his law office. (Mr. Ramsay and Mr. Shurtleff afterwards had it as an office, and it is now used by Mr. Barker.) He married Sarah A., daughter of Samuel B. and Amanda (Bicknel) Cooper, of Beloit, Wis .. November 22, 1855. He removed to St. Johnsbury, Vt .. in 1858, and to Wells River, in 1860, where he died, July 11, 1881. Mr. Rogers was of medium height, dark complexion, inclined to corpulency, social, and popular. He had a moderate business in Colebrook, and displayed average capacity and energy in the various branches of the profession. He gained an unquestioned reputation as a reliable business attorney, but retained his deliberate way of doing business to the last, and enjoyed a fair income which he used in the support and education of his family.

ALBERT BARKER was born at Waterford, Me., December 20, 1820. He was educated in the local schools, and at Bridgton academy, where he led his class. He fitted for college, but was unable to enter upon the course by reason of ill health and lack of funds. He taught school several win- ters, and, in 1841, entered the office of Hon. Elbridge Gerry, at Water- ford. and was admitted to the bar in October. 1844. He practiced for a time at Rumford, Me., and afterwards at Waterford, in partnership with Mr. Gerry, then in Congress. In 1852 he removed to Milan, and com- menced practice in New Hampshire. The same year he married Nancy

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A., daughter of Hon. Stephen Irish, of Stowe, Me. She died in 1862. They had four children, of whom the eldest, Lilla, lived until 1884. She was an invalid, and devoted herself to reading, writing, and considerably to editorial work upon the Sentinel, while her father owned it, and was quite his equal in natural ability and judgment. In 1854 he moved to Cole- brook, where he succeeded Mr. Flint, and has since remained. He at once attained a very considerable practice, and met with excellent success in his cases. In 1870 he married Mrs. Lucinda E., daughter of Rev. Beniah Bean, and widow of Wilbur F. Dinsmore. He purchased the Northern Sentinel, in 1872, and continued to edit and publish it until 1854. During these years, he, to a considerable extent, neglected the practice of law. In 1885 Mr. Barker re-opened the office which Mr. Shurtleff had recently va- cated, and has since been attending exclusively to the practice of his pro- fession. He became an Odd Fellow before he came to New Hampshire: has been a prominent Mason for many years, and a pronounced Democrat all his life. Mr. Barker, as a lawyer, has shown a very determined spirit; and being about equally good in the preparation, presentation, and argu- ment of cases in the lower, and discussion of the law in the higher courts, has never been known to let a case fail by his default in any of its stages, and has finally come out ahead in more than the ordinary percentage. As is his characteristic in all his enterprises, he has preferred rather to compel than entreat results.

IRA ALLEN RAMSAY, a son of Robert Ramsay, was born August 14, 1827, in Wheelock, Vt. He had only the school privileges that his neigh- borhood afforded, worked at various occupations until he was some twenty- three years of age, then commenced the study of law in the office of Jesse Cooper, at Irasburg. Vt .; was later in an office in Boston for a time: was admitted to the bar in 1853, and commenced the practice of law at Guild- hall, Vt. In 1855 he moved to Colebrook, where he continued in active business until 1867. when he moved to St. Paul, Minn., and opened an office. The next year his health failed, he gave up business, and was an invalid until his death. November 7, 1871.

Mr. Ramsay was a man of great energy and confidence, whose busi- ness was largely confined to the adjoining towns, and to matters in the County Court, before municipal officers, justice juries, and similar hear- ings in Coos and Essex counties. He impressed his views of the law and facts with force and readiness upon the tribunals, and won all the de- cisions he ought to, and some besides. The last years he collected a large number of soldiers' claims from states and the United States. He was engaged in various enterprises outside his profession, and carried away, probably, the largest fortune that an attorney has taken from Colebrook; but it was lost in the West, where he became poor, and after his death his investments were swept away by his debts.

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WILLIAM S. LADD located in Colebrook, in 1857, and commenced practice under the name of Fletcher & Ladd, opening an office over the old Cutler (Merrill) store, and boarded with Mr. Cummings, across the street, until his marriage, and then rented a house of Hezekiah Parsons, where James I. Parsons now lives, and an office over the store on the corner where Drew & Churchill are now located. He removed to Lancaster in 1867. At first he did considerable field work as a surveyor; while he sang, played the violin, and handled trout flies, of an afternoon, as " to the manner born "; but his increasing business in a few years, drove him into the jading tread- mill of the busy lawyer, and he became, as he has remained, one of the busiest of the leading attorneys at the bar.

ORMAN P. RAY, who had been for a short time a partner of his brother, Ossian Ray, at Lancaster, came to Colebrook in 1867, and remained until 1872, when he removed to Winooski, Vt. He built up a prosperous prac- tice at once, but, at the last, it was much reduced. He was a very diligent student of the books, and attentive to his business. He lived in the house E. George Rogers afterwards occupied, and had his office over the Bracket store, where the Dudley block now stands.

WILLIAM HENRY SHURTLEFF, son of Otis and Eliza Shutleff. was born at Compton, P. Q., July 11, 1840. His father being a native of Vermont, he was a foreign-born citizen of the United States, and left Canada in his early youth. He taught school in New Jersey for four years, then came to Lancaster, and, in 1862, commenced the study of law in the office of Benton & Ray. In 1864 he enlisted, and was commissioned lieutenant of Company I of the First New Hampshire Heavy Artillery. After the war closed he resumed his studies, and was admitted to the bar in November, 1866. June 1, 1867, he opened an office in Colebrook, in the store of George W. Bracket. In 1869, after his marriage, he purchased and occupied the house and office before occupied by Mr. Rogers and Mr. Ramsey. He was appointed deputy inspector of customs at Colebrook, in 1871, and held the office for several years. He was elected representative in 1878, and one of the trustees of Colebrook academy in 1880. In November, 1884. he re- moved to Orange county. Florida, where he is still located. devoting his time principally to real estate business.

Mr. Shurtleff is a large, broad, genial, hopeful man, as full of story, song, and merriment, as a Florida orange is of juice; an universal favorite with bench and bar, and all the world besides. As a lawyer, Mr. Shurtleff, in court. usually confined himself to openings and the introduction of evi- dence, for which he had a happy tact. He was diffident in argument. He was quick and correct in the ordinary routine of office business, of which he had a large amount, and was a business lawyer. His strong, prac- tical common sense and lack of excitability, made him an excellent busi-

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ness adviser in important transactions, and a large portion of his practice came from men engaged in them.

JAMES INGALLS PARSONS, " son of Hezekiah and Sarah M.(Bragg) Parsons, was born in Colebrook, N. H., February 14, 1844. He was educated at Colebrook academy and Kimball Union academy, Meriden (Plainfield N. H., and had the reputation of being a quick, bright scholar. He taught for a time in local schools in Vermont and New Hampshire, and Danville (Vt.) academy. Deciding upon the legal profession as the one most suited to his tastes, he entered the office of W. S. Ladd as a student in 1563, and was admitted to the bar at Lancaster in November, 1567. Ile at once began the practice of law in Colebrook. succeeding to the business of Mr. Ladd, who had removed to Lancaster. The young man was fortunate: an extensive and lucrative practice was immediately his; and, finding that he had more to do than he could personally attend to, he invited J. H. Dudley to come to Colebrook as his partner. and the firm of " Dudley & Parsons' was formed in December, 1867. This partnership continued until Novem- ber, 1569, when Mr. Parsons disposed of his interest to Mr. Dudley, and went to Lebanon, where he remained the following year. From there he went to Port Huron, Michigan, and formed a partnership with the Atkin- son Bros, who desired a young man to attend to the details of their ex- tensive business), under the firm name of "Atkinson & Parsons, " attorneys, sohcitors and proctors, where the work and climate seriously impaired his health and he was compelled, in the winter of 1573-74, to give up practice temporarily, and for nearly eighteen months thereafter passed his time in travelling through the New England and Southern states, including also the Pacific coast in his tour. In June, 1875, he returned to Colebrook, engaged again in his profession with Elgar Aldrich as " Aldrich & Par- sons." Since then, though he never recovered strong health, he has been in constant practice, his last partnership being " Parsons & Johnson, " from April, 1s-1. to March. 1584.

Mr. Parsons has been connected with various branches of business ont- side of his profession, the most important being his interest in a furniture store (the Stevens shop), either as owner or partner, from ists to 1556. In 1575 he took charge of his father's extensive real estate and has since conducted it. He takes an active part in the development and improve- ment of Colebrook and the Upper Connecticut country, and was one of the largest contributors to the fund for the various railroad projects and surveys for the past fifteen years, and that for securing the standard guage railroad in 1887, and furnished means for the establishment of the Odd Fellows' lodge, the Colebrook band, and several of the business enterprises in Colebrook and vicinity. Mr. Parsons has aided in starting many busi-

* Except the biographies of J. I. Parsons and J. HI. Dudley, the sketches for the Northern District were contributed by Mr. Parsons.

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ness enterprises in Northern Coos by furnishing funds, wholly or in part, and has been an important assistant to many young men in various lines of business in both counsel and financial aid. Of Democratic antecedents and training, he cast in his lot with the Republican party some fifteen years since, and now may be classed with the progressive element of the day. Mr. Parsons is a member of Port Huron Lodge, No. 58, F. and A. M., Port Huron, Mich., which he joined in 1873; Ammonoosuc Lodge I. O. O. F., No. 29, Groveton; and has been a Knight of Pythias since 1874; when he joined Charter Lodge, No. 18, Port Huron, Mich.

Mr. Parsons married, September 6, 1876, Ada A., daughter of Samuel K. and Sophia (Cushman) Remick, a native of Hardwick, Vt. She died December 28, 1881. They had one child, Cushman Hezekiah, born June 16, 1879, a lad of brilliant promise. January 6, 1883, Mr. Parsons married Addie S., eldest child of John C. Marshall, of Colebrook, who died Febru- ary 16, 1885.

Inheriting mental vigor from a long line of strong ancestors, there is in the "make up" of Mr. Parsons much of originality, ability, and force. He has a keen insight into the motives of men, and a discriminating and almost intuitive judgment, and many look to him as a valuable counselor in exigencies of life and business. He possesses qualities necessary to legal distinction. He is shrewd, adroit, technical, familiar with human nature, prepares his cases with care, presents his arguments ably and often brilliantly, is a good fighter, and slow to acknowledge defeat. He is a successful lawyer and has a busy and lucrative practice. He is intellec- tual and well read; and had he chosen the lecture-field or literature as his profession would have won success. With a manner sometimes preoccu- pied, cool, cynical, and brusque, he is, nevertheless, sensitive, refined, and sympathetic, a strong friend, a good citizen, and, when at leisure, a de- lightful companion to those who know him well.

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History of Coos County, New Hampshire, Part 29

Author: Merrill, Georgia Drew Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Syracuse [N.Y.] : W. A. Fergusson Number of Pages: 1194

Author: Merrill, Georgia Drew
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Syracuse [N.Y.] : W. A. Fergusson
Number of Pages: 1194