Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-07-18


graduated from the University of Vermont,
died at Janes5ille, Wisconsin, Oct. 18th,
1872, aged 90 years. The class consisted oil
Charles Adams of Burlington, Wheeler
Barnes of Rome, n. y, Jairus KEENAN, oil
Burlington, and Justus Perry Wheeler oil
GAINESVILLE. Three of them, it will be re-
membered, Messrs Adams, Barnes ana
Wheeler, were present at the semi-eenten-
NAL celebration of the University IN 1884,
and the scene. as the three white-halred
men rose and stood side by side at the
dinner, Will not soon be forgotten by any
who were present. There now remains no
survivor of the first FIVE classes of the Uni
versity. of the sixth class, that OF 1909,
Hon. John y. Pomeroy of this city and one
or two Others are still alive. Mr.. Wheeler
was native Of Charlotte, and lawyer by
profession.
NATHANIEL READ, Of the class of 1911, was
the son of Nathaniel Read. Senior, and
Anna Keycs Read, of Warren, Worcester
county. Mass, where he was born June 18th,
I7sS. The family moved from Warren
to Cambridge, in this State, in February,
1900, and in 1905, Nathaniel, Jr., then in
the 18th year of his age, commenced study
with the Rev. Elijah Wooladge, who was
the first settled minister of Cambridge. In
the spring Of 1906, he came to Burlington,
and placed himself as an Academician las
the fashion then was) under the tuition Of
DIR. Sanders, President of the University,
to prepare for entering College. The next
year. 1907, he entered the Freshman Class,
and graduated four years after in the class
Of ISL. His classmates were Luke B.
Foster. Henry Hitchcock, Levi Holbrook,
Oran ISham. Timothy Tyler, Luther Wait,
and Jared Wilson lie taught school in the
winter Of each year, while a member of
College. and the two succeeding years after
graduating at the end of which time, IN
the summer or fall of 1919, he entered the
service in the war with England, and re-
cciyed the appointments of quartermaSter
sergeant and commissary in one of our regi-
lnents. raised for the defence of the frontier,
and stationed successfully at Plattsburgh.
Cumberland Head and Champaign, but as
winter came they were discharged, and re-
turned TO their homes In September. lol4,
be volunteered in defence of Pittsburgh,
again received the appointment OF quarter
master, and was engaged with the Vermont
troops IN the action of the llth.
He read law in the Office of Isaac Warner
and Israel F. Richardson. then partners IN
Cambridge, with Judge Turner Of 81. Al
bans, and Joshua Sawyer of llydepark, and
was admitted to the bar in lsl6. lie com
menced practice at Cambridge, but ms
practice was small, and he chose 10 turn
his attention to agricultural pursuits.
This employment seemed 10 be most congen-
ial TO his taste. and became his nam employ
ment during the remainder Of his life. lie
was unambitiOus, never sought Office or
riches. vet for twenty years in succession
he was postmaster at Cambridge Centre,
where he resided, and Justice of the Peace
and Town Grand Juror large portion OF
the time-showing that he had the good
will and confidence of his neighb0rs. lie
never entered upon any schemes OF enter
prise or reputation; but sought rather to
be an honest man and faithful citizen
which honor all who knew him were free
to award him. He died at his own home
in Cambridge, on the first day Of this
present month duly 1879, having passed
the advanced age of eighty-tiye years.
SAMUEL HuxT lUrrER. of the class OflSl2.
was the first male child born in the town of
Ferri.burgh, Vt. and was born July -,
l7s6. He entered Middlebury College IN
the year lSOS. and remaining bat one year,
graduated in due course July %, 1872. He
studied law with Enoch Woodbridge and
was admitted to the bar in Nergennes, Vt,
Sept. 1, lsI6. lie married Miss Anna
". H.. AroRA Ia
%, 1910. leaving four children, three
daughters and one son. lie afterwards
married Mrs. Sarah Hall. lie was convert
ed at a camp meeting held in Ferri>burgh,
Vt, in 1927 Convictions of duty led him
to abandon the practice of law for the work
Of the Christian ministry. lie received
deacon orders in the Methodist Episcopal
Church at Albany, \. y. May 3lst, ISL,
Thomas \. Morris presiding Bishop. His
work in the ministry was mainly done in
Vermont, in the towns lying along the
shore of Lake Champaign south of Char
lotte. lie was 4 man of clear and vigorous
mind, strong faith, and eminent for his devo
ton u his chosen profession. His work as a
Christian minister was successful above the
average. .Whcn laid aside from the labors
of the ministry he still retained largely his
vigorous intellect and all of his deep in
dom. The last year of life was a year of
great suffering, bat with mistaken faith he
waited the hour Of death. He died at Char
l0tte. at the residence of his son-in-law, |
Mr.. l.. T. Eaton, April 26, 1873. in the sjth |
year of his lite on earth.
JAsEs VAN Mss, of the class of 1925. died |
at San Luis Oblspo, California, December |
Is, ls72. in the sixty-tilth year of his age. |
The deceased WAS son of the dlSting IiShed |
Cornelius p. Van Ness. and was born in |
Burlington. He was educated to the law and |
was one Of the first Nermonters to emigrate |
to California. He located in San Francis |
co in 1850 ana there practised his proles-
sion successfully for many years. As he |
was a man of fine intelligence and engaging |
manners, he WIS much called into official |
Life. For several years he was a member of |
the San Francisco Board of Aldermen. and
while holding that position he introduced
and procured the passage of the famous or
dinancc bearing his name, which secured
the possessory titles, after a certain time, to
all the lands within the charter limits of
1871. This ordinance laid the foundation
for the quoting of titles in the city. and
was in lis general effects beneficent meas
ure, which to some extent was a precedent
for the settlement at later day of private
claims to Pueblo lands lying outside of the
old charter limits, which, after years Of lit
lgation, were decided to belong to the city
by virtue of Spanish law. In 1855 and
lS56 Mr.. Van Ness served as Mayor and ex-
othcio police judge, and was the last Mayor
under the old charter, before the consolida-
ton of the city and county. Some time
subsequent to this change Mr.. Van Ness re-
moved to the southern counties of Califor-
MIA and engaged in agricultural pursuits.
Mr.. Van NeSs had high reputation a a law
Yer and great personal popularity. In pol
iiics he was Democrat, and in ISL was
elected to the State Senate from the district
of san Luis Obispo and Santa
Barbara counties. and served during the
session held during that winter lie had
been in poor health for long time. and his
death was not altogether unexpected. Al
though he had enjoyed seasons of prosper
ay. he was careless of money and died poor.
GEoRGE RUSSELL HUNTINGTON. of the class
Of 1896, died in Buffalo, " Y. March,
ls72, aged =. lie was born in iitchfeld.
conn, in the year $500, and graduated at
he age Of 26. Not long after. he was elect
I'd to the Professorship of Mathematics in 5
lis Alma Mater, which position be held
Intil 1882. when the financial condi-
ION Of the institution, required that Pro- '
ess5rship TO lie merged in Others After a
eaching in Plainiield. New jersey. and \
JOINER Academy, New York, for ten years. /;
lie took charge in 1872, of an Academy lust ;
ompleted, in Eden, in Erie County OF that p
,tate. In that village he spent about h
hrteen years more of his life, teaching the C,
reater part of the time. In the year 1855. al
e taught mathematics two terms in the Il
'entral School in Buffalo, ard resided there q
ntil his death. lie had wonderful mathe- n
iatieal powers and was probably one of the di
lost remarkable scholars of this age. His Ia
lst work, on which he mast have spent n VI
core Of years, he named - An Elementary ia
nd ITanscendontal Geometry" Itwas de- d,
gned TO be published in three large vol re
mes, and stout volumes they would be re
lie numbered every item from the beginning an
} the end, including definitions. axioms,
roblems, theorems, etc, and the whole
zach the round number Of $500. Hun M,