Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-11-12

day Of January, 1901, one Of a family
OF three sans and IKE daughters. Ills IA
Their was Of Colonial English origin, his
ancestry being among the earliest settlers
of Massachusetts, Ills mother was Colo
NAL Dutch. His father was house car.
penter,-not favored in worldly prosperity,
He and his increasing family were iamll-
lar with the unsupplled wants and destltu'
ton OF the "dBquSia domi,N lie moved
from Troy to Burlington IN this State,
when Jacob was about four years old, and
there he spent the residue Of his life. As
Jacob grew along in boyhood, his instinc-
tive impulses, encouraged by the faculty
Of the College, caused him TO aspire TO a
place in those halls OF learaing and he
set himself to the work Of preparation I'M
der the instruction Of some members OF
the faculty, at so early an age as 10 be adj
milted in 1906, at the age Of about fifteen
and half years. He was the youngest
member OF his class, save one, the late
Hon, Norman Williams, also the pride and
boast, as well as precious ornament of
my stricken town. He was about nine
mine months the younger. The class,
consisting Of seventeen, graduated IN lel0,
Hon. Timothy Folletl, and Hon. David
NJ, Camp being Of the number, On grad
uatng, he at once entered on the study OF
the law, and pursued it in ST. Adams, I'M
der Mr. Langworthy, and Hon. Ben
swift, subsequently one Of our Senators in
Congress, and was admitted to the bar in
1918. In 1912 he was drafted into the
detailed militia service, and served during
the period Of the draft as Iieu,"nan, Of
Artillery IN the frontier campaign.
Ga being admitted to the bar, he vlsi-
ted Barre in tue hope Of arranging bust
ness connection with Denslson Smith,
then already established there as a young
lawyer in successful practice. While
there, an incident occurred which he used
to relate with mirthful relish. Mr.,
Smith was to attend Justice trial in a
neighboring town, Young Collamer &C
companied him, TO avail himself Of an op,
portunity to make his first argument in
the trial Of a cause. II was in the win.
ter season. He wore long sur out, and
under il, his only suit Of clothes. In rid
ing to the Court, they got upset, and Col
lamer's pants suffered such an unseemy
rent, that he was compelled to wear his
sGr;out throughout the trial. In due
time they left, and on getting to his quar-
ters, he hetook himself TO his bed, while
his friend Smith got the unfortunate
breach repaired With such debut, he en-
tered upon the career that bore him 10 the
SUBMITS Of professional and public re-
noUn.
Not making the proposed arrangement,
he went to Randolph Centre and opened an
office, dong such professional work as he
could get To do, and helping his meagre
income hy collecting what was known as
III" United States "war tax" In 1914,
he Wa aid to General French, and went
forward with him, and the forces under his
command, to join the army at Plattsburg,
arriving however, in the evening, just
after the battle WIS over. That night he
went On shore in a skid, to communicate
with Gen. Strong, and ascertain and re
port the situation. In doing this he was
fired upon by mistake by the American
senllueis, but escaped their balls. He
found tien. strong wrapped in his militia
r! CLOAK, and lying Tor rest on the open
ground. lie informed the General of his
crraud, and received information Of, what
had taken place, and a communication Il
Gen. French, thanking him for his patri
ouc efforts and offer, but saying that the
occasion for his services had Just trans
pred by the victory Of the previous day.
Inducements presented themselye:
which led Judge Collamer TO remove tt
Royalton in 1916 aud there he remained
til April 1896, when he removed t,
Woodstock to reside during the remainder
Of his life. In the early Years ofhis profes
sjoua lifa, he held the Office of Register o
Probate On the 18th day of July 1917
he was married at st. Adams, to Mis-,
MaryStoae who still survives, the mother 0
. his seven children, all Of whom, save one
are living now. He four times represen
ted Royalton in the Legislature in tn
years 1871, 1922, 1927 and 1928. II
was States Attorney for the county Of
Windsor Tor the years lo-2, 1870 an
/ lH24 ~ the commencement annlversar
rot hi' anna 4hater IN 1915, he deiiVere
the Grafton before the PHI Sigma M So
ciety, which was printed by order OF tn
Society. He was "A member Of the Con
stltutional Convention of January, 1885
which amended the Constitution by crea
-
ting the Senate as branch OF the Legs
laturo That amendment has ever bee
largely attributed to the ability and yea
with which he urgedlt.
In 1888, withou, any prior intimatio3
Of such purpose, and without any expec
tatien on his pl't. he was elected one {
the Assistant Judges OF the Suprem
Court to supply the vacancy caused b
the election Of Judge Williams as Chic
to succeed Judge Hutchinson, who ha