Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-03-09
THE AIaER1NB CAPTIVE.


An instnlment Of $500 worth Of books
for the free library recently ordered through
Clapp & Jones, is now coming in, and the
books will be catalogued and made ready
for the public rs soon as practicable. Among
them is a copy Of an early edition Of "The
Algerine Captive" by Judge Royal Tyler,
father of Hon. Royal Tyler, our present
clerk Of courts and Judge Of probate, and
Of Rev Dr. T. +. Tyler, also Of this vii
lage The book is a little duodecimo leath-
or bound, aud the titlepage reads
THE
ALGERlNE CAPTIVE;
Or, THE
Lire AND ADVENTURES
DIR UPDIKE UNDERHILL,
Six Years a Prisoner
Among the Algcrines.
by your patience
Will round unvarnished tale deliver
or my whole course.
Two volumes in one.
HARrFoRD
Printed by Peter -. Gleason & Co.
1916
The dedication Of the book bears date
June 20, 1907, it being in the last-named
year that it was first issued from the press
Of David Carlisle at Walpole, n. II. Many
of our townsfolk will wish TO read this
merit, but because Of its local authorship
and its place among the early literature Of
our nation. To those who read il, the fol-
lowing paragraph regarding it will be Of in
terest. 1t is from "A sketch Of Judge TYLER
written 10y his SON. Rev DR.. T. F. Tyler.
and read by Judge Poland at the annual
meeting of the Vermont bar association in
October, 1879;
1T 1.-THE Algerne Captiye"l purported To In.
The Life anu Adventures of Dr. tpdike Under
MI SIX years a Prisoner among the Algrrines
deep and widespread interest had then been cx-
cited by the atrocities Of these pirates A great.
uncle Of Mr.. Tyler had been taken captive by
them, ana never recovered, although large ran
som had been offered; and many families through
out the country had suffered In like manner our
government, with most nations Of Europe. was
forced to pay tribute to the Dpy of Alyiers na th
price OF immunity The policy Of this payment
was warmly debated An this paved the way for
The success Of the work, the object Of which was
declared In the preface tu be twu-fud first TO
display portrait NJ early New England manners
hitherto uninterrupted aud, secondly TO give
some notices Of the manners Of that ferociuus
HI, HI 50 dreaded ny commercial powers and so
little known in our country
By the English reviewers, who had recently
asked cunteinptuuuslN, Who ever reads an Amer
lcah buukt The Algrrinc Captive was treated
respectfully. and attained the distinction of being
the first Ameri IAN work OF fiction rppuLlishpd In
London, an edition la two volumes in iSt1 having
been printed for g. ~ j. Robinson. paternoster
Row.
At the time this book was written as a
sort Of literary recreation, its author was
a lawyer IN active practice resident at the
middle town Of Guiford. " where he lived
from 1871 10 1901, when he removed to
BrattleborO, having bought the farm on the
hill above Centreville now known as the
'Oshea Smith farm, and occupied by S.
q. smith. 1t was in 1901 that his appoint
ment to the supreme bench of the state took
place, and he was Chief Justice of the state
from 1907 to 1872. OF his life as a Judge
the sketch already quoted from says
The same routine Of fatiguing duty was annu
ally repeated Judge rs Ter drove his own horse
Wlth sleigh or sllkN. at least twice a year up the
Connecticut valley. across the northern part ~
the state, and down the western side u the noun.
tan, thankful If hr could secure May and June
Tor vacation at home While sufficiently digni-
He'd M manner, he was aifabe and exceedingly
popular Almost every man in the state came to
kn"" MN Ia his solitary rides, often through
VIVA ana rough country, he was wont to stop and
chat with the dwell"iS In the scattered log cabins
by the way one day he pulled mp before an cs
pectally dilapidated shantv. standing in a smuIl
clearing encountered with stones and ovtrgrown
with woods and brushwouI The ragged occu
pant: leaning over the broken gate, having furn
ishrd a light Tor ms PIPE, some talk ensued about
hls rather unrronlSing domain Well, Judge,
said b., after ALL am not Su Door as Won think
avn; Tor he added, m answer 20 an incredulous
look, ! doHf "trH this idnd 81"
On retiring from the bench, Judge Tyler
returned TO Brattleboro. removed 10 the
east village, and resumed the practice Of
the law. His residence after 1916 was i'm
the well-known Tyler house ON North Main
street, now owned aud occupied hy S. W.
kimball, and it was here that he died in
August, 1926, aged 80. Judge Tyler's life
was one Of constant literary activity, among
his best known efforts being The Con
trast, which enjoys the distinction Of being
the first American play and which was
written 10y him in three weeks time. for
production ON the New York stage, in the
winter of 1889