The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1868-01-24
Obituary.

hANAA NNA " AAA'
Judge DAVIS was born at North
Kingston, in the State of Rhode ISL
and, August Sth, 1888. His father,
the late Joshua Davis, Esq, was a
farmer, and the owner of gristmill.
The son worked on the farm until he
was seventeen years of ago and then
attended the mill some three years.
In the latter occupation he found con-
siderable time for reading, and imbid-
ed taste for composing Feeling the
want of better education than the
common school could supply, he be-
came student of Washington Acade-
nv, at the village of Wexford, in De-
cember, 1908 In November, 1905, he
entered Union College, at Schenecta-
dy. To reach that place, be took pas
sage in a sloop from Wexford to Al
bany, the voyage lasting two weeks
He was a hard student, working until
after midnight and through the usual
vacations He graduated in 1903, and
in November following, commenced
teaching an Academy in Lansingburgh,
n. Y. He continued in this situation
until November, 1910, when he came
to st. Adams and commenced the
study Of law in the Office of Asahel
Langworthy, Esq In March, 1911,
he left the Office of Mr.. Langworthy
and continued the study of law with
the Hon. Asa Adds, and his partner,
Sanford Gadcomb He was admitted
to the bar in the winter of 1912, and
notlong after opened an Office at North
Hero, in the county of Grand Isle. In
the fall of 1913, he was appointed
States Attorney for the county, but
declined The appointment and removed
to Fairfield, where he became partner
with Hon Bates Turner, in the prac
tee of law. This copartnership was
broken by the removal OF Judge Turn
Ell to st. Adams, in 1915; and in 1916,
Judge Davis opened an Office in Swan
ton. In the fa'l of 1878, Judge Adds
proposed TO him copartnership,
which be accepted, and in January
1919, took up his permanent residence
in this town. He devoted himself
with great assiduity to the business
of his Office. and was regarded as a
sound and judicious lawyer. He new
er took upon himself, however, the
duties of an advocate to any extent,
bat his preparation Of causes for trial
was always very full and complete.
On the 18th of February, 1929, he was
married to Miss Esther Palmer, by
whom he had two sons, james p, now
in the customs department, and vii
bur p, editor and proprietor of the
/ VERMONT TRANscRIPT. In 1928 he was
elected delegate 10 the Constitutions
al Convention, which met in June and
in September 1929, and in 1880 a
member of the Executive Council OF
the State. In the fall of 1913 he was
elected associate Judge of Franklin
/ County, and reelected in 1874 In
1915 he was elected Judge Of Probate.
and reelected in '46, AZ, 40, SO, So
In February, 1859, whilst attending
the funeral of Mrs. Cynthia Penniman
as a pail bearer, he was severely in
jured by the overturning Of the car
riage in which he was riding, and by
fall in about a year afterward, the
neck of his left thigh bene was frac-
tured, by which accident he was main
ly confined to the house for the re
mainder of his life. He passed hi,
time in reading, writing and study.
One fruit of his writing was Rem
iniscences of St Adams, by an old in.
habitant," published in the TRANSCRIPT
in a series of numbers.
His last illness was short and pain
full. He at all times enjoyed the en-
tire confidence of the people Of St Al
bans, and has left large circle o
friends and acquaintance who vii
deplore his loss.
His contributions to the public press
were characterized by great purity anc
elegance of language, and were princi
pally anonymous essays, in the loca
newspapers. He was a man of rare
modesty and integrity. The worl(
has need of more such men as wai
our departed friend, the Hon. james
Davis
His funeral was held at lis late resi-
dence on Wednesday afternoon a
half-past one o'clock.