Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-01-30
Hon. Ebenezcr N. Briggs.

Our telegraphic columns, yesterday
morning, contained the brief announce
ment of the death of Hon. Ebenezer
Nelson Briggs, which occurred at his
residence in Brandon, Sunday evening,
January Goth, at fifteen minutes past
seven o'clock. Mr.. Briggs has, for half
a century, occupied a leading position at
the Vermont Bar, as we'll a prominent
place in State politics, and was, at the
time of his death, with single excep-
ton, the oldest member of the Rutland
county bar, counting by years of prac-
tice, although he was exceeded in age
by three other members. He was born
in Middleboro, Massachusetts, November
10th, 1901, and came to Vermont, with
his father, Levi Briggs, in 1919, and set
tied in Salisbury. He soon after COM
menced the study of law with Gordon
Newell, of Pittsford, and was admitted
to the bar at the December term of the
Rutland County Court, in 1928, and, in
1926, commenced the practice of his
profession in Salisbury, where he re-
NAMED until 1910 or 1841, when he re-
moved to Brandon, where he continued
to reside until his death. In 1928, he
was elected a delegate to the Constitu-
tional Convention from Salisbury, and,
also, represented that town in the Legis-
lature of Vermont in 1881, '32, '33, "a
and '35. In 1881 he was, also, elected
States Attorney for the county of Adj
Olson, and continued to hold the same,
by annual reflections down to and in
Guiding the year 1889, a term of eight
years. In 1886, 81 and SO he was a
State Senator from Addison county, and
in 1912, '43 and "A he represented the
county of Rutland in that body, being a
longer term of service, we believe, than
that attained by any other individual,
since the establishment of the State Sen
ate. In 1916 and '46, he represented Bran
don in the General Assembly of Yer
mont, and was Speaker Of the House
both years, as he had, also, been in 1884
and 1885. Mr.. Briggs was a delegate at
large to the National Republican Con-
vention of 1860, at Chicago, which nom-
mated Abraham Lincoln for President
of the United States and current his
tory informs Us that the change of Yer
mont's ten votes to Mr. Lincoln, on the
second ballot, practically decided the
contest. In this convention he was a
member of the committee on resolutions,
and as such, as we'll as ly his vote, he
was enabled to all in shaping the destin-
les of the country-a position that rarely
falls to the lot of men in the ordinary
walks of life In 1862 he was one of
the lay delegates from Vermont to the
General Convention of the Protestant
Episcopal Church of the United States.
In addition to these positions, Mr.. Briggs
was a Justice of the peace for over Il
quarter of a century, a director of the
Bank of Brandon and of the Brandon
National Bank. and also held other
positions of trust in town, church and
business affairs. His life was, as may
be seen from the above hurried sketch,
busy and useful one, and his position
at the bar and in politics was high, COM
mandi.g and successful. 1t is not for
us to speak of his individual traits of
character or the marked features of his
professional career, our task, being SIM
ply to IT cord the facts of Lusy and
useful life, is done the rest we leave to
others.