Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-09-24

tntiicis uhitNdutus lof We Hilu tlldt the
State Treasurer paid him, on the
Goth of April IVA, els, for his SER
vices as surgeon; on the 10th of
June l779, ESQ, allowance made by the
general assembly for COW on the 18th
Of August, 1881, Ell lis, for medicine
and doctoring the State troops, and on the
8th of July, 1882, fl22 Is, for his services
as surgeon of the State troops.
The town of Rutland assembled in the
Meeting House on the Goth day of July,
1888, voted. that Doctor Jacob Ruback
and Col. James Claghorn shall draw
a petition to the general assembly to be
presented at their next session, in order to
have land tax granted on the lands of
this town to defray the cost of building
bridges i'll the town.
On the 10th of August, 1884, Jacob
Ruback, Ezekiel Porter, and Is other
physicians and surgeons in the counties of
Bennington and Rutland, form themselves
into medical association with constitu-
ton io1 the government thereof, and pc
titioning the Legislature therefor, they are
IN October following duly incorporated
as The First Medical Society in
Vermont"
Some years after the revolutionary war,
Ruback moved into Shelburne or Char
lotte, and in 1893 to Grand Isle or South
Hero, and there enjoying the liberal pat
ronage of St. Adams, Plattsburg, and the
other neighborlng towns, he passed the re-
mainder of his day until his death at
Grand Isle in Apr. 1909. His funeral sermon
was preached by the Rev. Asa Lyon, from
the text, " Physician, heal myself" His
poetic eulogy by a brother doctor, pub
lished in the Burlington newspaper, tells
us appropriately that "Apollo mourns," but
leaves us in doubt whether that classical
and very aged old gentleman is mourning
for Ruback's death, or over the ridiculous
poetry that his death called forth.
The character of Ruback, except as al
ready specified, comes to us in quite at
tractlve colors.
Sixteen years ago | conversed with sew
eral persons who had known him well,
James Eddy of Clarendon, Elias Hall of
Castleton, Elias Post of Mount Hol-
ly, William Mcconnell, Mrs. Mercy
Smith, Mrs. Dan Giddlngs and others
of Rutland, and all agree in attributing to
him agreeable manners, conversational tai
ent, high professional skill and general
ability. ...
He is described as of medium size, san
dy complexion, blue eyes, quick of appre-
henslon and keen at repartee. One lady
said he was handsome-the completest
gentleman she ever saw, and one of the
greatest men ever about here; she had
often heard the men say that but for his
drinking habits he would have been Gov
ernor of the State when Thomas Chiffon
den was. -
1t is said he was an accomplished
swordsman, horseman and gunner-a gen
tleman, a scholar and something of po-
ct. Our State Archives afford abundant
evidence that he was an able accountant
and superb penman; his handwriting
large. round and handsome, strikingIv re-
semblng the first signature to the Declar-
alton of Independence.
Ruback seems to have been as nomadic
and migratory as gypsy. We hear OF
him as living in Wallingtord, in North
Clarendon, in the southwest part of Rut-
land, in Fort Ranger in Centre Rutland.
and in the Fort at Pittsford; but
his most permanent residence in Rutland
was about one mile and quarter outh of
the county court house, nearly opposite
the present dwelling of Mr.. Spencer
Green.
In the records of the town OF Of Rut-
land there is no deed of land 10 Rnback-
there IS one from him to Renhen Parmon,
dated the 18th Of January, 1873, ofnear-
ly hundred acres of land, for the alleged
consideration of ESQ, and it appears that
in l7S4 Samuel Reach of Whiting in the
county of Rutland decided to Ruhack 20
acres Of land in Rutland, but he inadver
teutIy lust the deed with ut having it re-
corped !; some months la'er he reIinqn1sh-
ing his claim to said premises, Beach on
the Isl of January, 1885, deeds the "a me
to Frederick B. Ruback of Rutland Who
Frederick B. Ruback was, whether a son
or other relative of the doctor, we can only
conjecture.
We DISMISS from our notice the man
who was chronologicalIy the first physician
Of Rutland, with admiration for his talents
and virtues and regret for mis- great fault;
the only consolation we can derive from
! the latter, is the consideration that, as the
| perncious consequences Of the Incorporate
| habits of the early soldiers and lawyers OF
Vermont, have indirectly produced the Ill
tt4-temperance opinions and practices OF
the soldiers and lawyers of to-day so
perhaps Ruback's evil habit and its eff
fects, have contributed to that strict tee
totalism, so rigidly acticed at the
present time by every physician in our
State.