Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-11-22
Correspondence Essex coanty Hsrad
Letter from an Old Resident.
PoRr BYRon. ID. NoY. l2. m

Vt. died at this place
Oct. 22nd, aged 50 years.
l notice in the papers that Hon.
Moody Rich, of Maidstone, aged "a
years, and Vim. Sampson Esq. Of
Lancaster, aged SO years, have re
Gently died. l notice also, that there
were Ii gentlemen, residing in the i'm
med late neighhorhood, at the funeral
Of Judge Rich, whose ages were
from IL to 81 years. While on
visit to the East last season 1 had the
pleasure of meeting Messrs. Rich and
Sampson.
Perhaps in no county could so many
men of the age above named be
found, who enjoy life and have the
energy and general health that they
have. Certainly not in this; but
whether it is owing to the climate,
their habits and manner of living, or
because the country has not been set
tied so long as yours, l am unable to
say. One fact is true, that gentle
men of the legal profession, generally
do not live to the age in the West
that they do in the East, for while
we have seen, with you in Vermont
and other Eastern States, Judges up
on the bench, Senators and Represen-
tatives in Congress, seventy or eighty
years old, in their prime as it were,
with their mental vigor unimpaired.
We seldom find them with us, occu-
plying those positions over fifty years
old. Though not a member of the
profession, my business was such in
the first years of my residence here
that became acquainted with most
Of the leading Lawyers in eight OF
ten counties in the northern part of
the State. They were generally from
twenty-five to forty years Of age,
OF those acquaintance, / can now
count twenty-five that died before
they were fifty years old. But it is
right to say here, and should be said
that travelling, as they did at that
time, large circuit with poor accom-
modations and good deal of dissi-
patton, did much towards shortening
many Of their lives. Of course your
readers know much more Of the three
deceased than I do. Yet, as | write
my boyish life and incidents that
then took place come fresh to my
mind, and are spread before me like
panorama.
The writer is now 68 years old
and left Guildhall forty five year,
since. | lived with Mr. Dodge from
the time l was eleven years old, unit
| was twenty one. Judge Rich was
more than q father to me and I al
ways have and ever shall remember
him with grateful feelings. At thC
age of twonty-one he, wisely or un
wisely (the record does not say,
caused me to be appointed Justic,
Of the Peace and Commissioner O
Jail Delivery for The County of Essex
l now, in this long lapse Of years, re
member when the Hon. JOIN S. Wells
James Steele, WEIGH Cooper, and per
haps Hon. Hiram Fletcher, reat
Blackstone to the boy Justice, ant
whether it helped their cause an,
then Or not | am unable to say but
do know that those proceedings in
stilled into my mind q substratum Q
law that has been of great use to IN
through life.
Your paper comes to this onic
and / read it with great pleasure, a
it reminds me of the old land mark
of the past. | visited the northern
part Of Vermont and New Hampshire
last season and noted the situation G
the farmers and business generally
: and | am satisfied that if the farmer
in that region do not cultivate S
much land as they do in the Wes
they are as whole, fully as we'll of
and live as comfortable as they Il
with us. So with the business mer
: if they do not put on as high steal
: as here, they perhaps enjoy life bette
. and live longer. B.