The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-09-02
Orange County Bar Centennial.


1t is not every town in the state that can
nave two centennials within the space
OF twelve years, but this feat has been &C
complished by an Orange county town. In
1884, the good old town of Chelsea cele-
DRAFTED the one hundredth anniversary of its
settlement, and on August 26 last it COM
memorated the one hundredth year Of its
existence as the shire town of Orange
county. The first centennial was under the
exclusive auspices of the citizens OF the
town; the last one was under the manage.
ment OF the Orange county bar, aided by
tne generous cooperation of the citizens OF
Chelsea.
The exercises were held in the new and
spacious Town Hall. The auditorium was
rendered attractive by tasteful decorations
moral and otherwise, arranged by local
committee OF young ladies' John B. Peck
EFT, Esq, chairman of the committee of ar
engagements, presided and it is due to him
10 say That the dignity and grace with which
he performed the important duties of his
position contributed in material degree to
the successful rendition of the programme
Seated upon the stage, in addition to the
speakers, were Hon. John W. Rowell, Judge
OF the supreme court; General William w.
trout, member OF congress; Hon. Heman
A. White of Washington, who, admitted in
1913, Is the senior member OF the Orange
county bar; Hon. William III. Nichols, Judge
OF probate for the district OF Randolph |;
Hon. Joseph Tebbetts Of West Fairlee and
hon. Lewis Dickerman OF Tunbridge, former
assistant 1as,a Judges OF Orange county court;
Joseph ID. Denison, Esq, OF Randolph, and
George l.. Stow, Esq, Of Chelsea. At the
conclusion OF musical selection by Gilson's
orchestra OF Bethel, Rev. Frank s. Hatch
OF Monson, Mass, native of Chelsea, OF.
tered an appropriate invocation.
Chairman Pickett introduced Hon. j. X.
Darling OF Chelsea, who delivered the adj
dress OF welcome Mr.. Darling stated that
ne greeted the audience from the two-fold
STANDPOINT OF member of the Orange
county bar aud citizen OF Chelsea, and
that he desired to make the welcome as
broad and as universal as were the prin-
clples for which the members Of the legal
profession stand. He also referred to the
pride Oh slsea feels in having been the shire
town OF the county for one hundred years.
Colonel John II. Watson of Bradford re-
sponded. After referring to the sense of
security which the impartial administration
OF the law of the land gives to the people,
Colonel Watson called attention to the
learning, character and integrity OF the
Judges who have admins cred the law in
Chelsea for a full century, and to the ability
and eloquence of the eminent lawyers who
have here pleaded.
To Ex-Governor Roswell Farnham had
been assigned the task of preparing the
principal historical address Of the occasion.
Selecung as the title of his address, "The
early Courts of Orange County," he per-
formed the duty assigned him with rare
good taste and skill. After briefly recurring
to the period of centennial observances.
which, beginning with the early seventies
mas extended along down toward the close
OF the century, he took up, in order, the
eStaonshment OF Orange county frcm tho
OLD county of Gloucester, and its subse-
quent contra Htion to substantially its pres
ent limits, through the setting off of Gale
donia and Orleans counties; the determine
ton OF the shire town and the location of
the hrst building used for courts therein:
and, finally, the character and achievements
Oh the early members of the bench and bar.
Inc paper, replete with valuable historical
data, held the close attention of the audience
to the end, and was accorded hearty and
enthusiastic applause.
Inc feature of the programme that was
looked forward to with the greatest inter-
est was, perhaps, the Personal Reminis-
S %atths OF Hall Hall "a Century Age" by Hon.
was born in Chelsea in 1929 and is the
youngest son of the late Harry Hale, as
well as the only surviving member of the
family. No man has been more promi.
nentiy identified with the history of Chelsea
OF with the Orange county courts than were
Harry Hale and this son, now one of the
leading lawyers of New York. Until within
few days, Mr.. Hale fully expected
to be present, and he looked for
ward to the occasion with much interest
ana pleasure. But sudden attack OF ill
ness prevented his attendance. These rec
objections were read to the assembly by
Major Charles X. Darling of Boston.
member OF the Massachusetts bar, and son
OF Hon. j. X. Darling. They were ex-
ceedlngly interesting, and we regret that
lack OF space renders possible only the
protest notice of them. Mr.. Hale's recol-
lections were all prior to 1916, and were
Of hrrr H.
case OF which he had any recollection was
the trial OF Mrs. Rebecca Peake for the
murder of her husband, at the December
term, 1885. he described some of the Incl.
dents of the trial (Which resulted in YER
, uic. OF gmity) and the preparations that
were made for her public execution in
Cheisea, February 26, 1886, and told how
she defeated the sentence Of the law by
taxing poison the day before that upon
wnlch her execution was to take place. He
5e1erred to the trial of b. f. Kellam of
term of 1910, which he remembered verv
well. Both of these murder trials he said,
took place in the Congregational church,
'he courthouse being too small to hold the
spectators. He gave some interesting rem
M miscences OF Judge Jacob Coliamer,
Thomas Jones, Perley C. Jones. John w
Smith, Levi B. Villas, Asa M. Dickey' A. P.
dunton, William Hebard, and others from
his and other counties, who, as ATTORNEYS,
we're accustomed to attend court at Chelsea.
de described briefly the Jail and court |
house OF that period, aud closed by express.
ng the hope that the centennial "may
prove great success, and that by it the old |
own may be awakened, and that career
u prosperity may lie before it, 30 that on |
he next centennial there may be much |
more worth remembering and talking
bout"
Hon. Hiram A. Huse OF Montpelier was
Introduced as son of Orange county who |
lad distinguished himself and honored his |
birthplace by his career at the bar of Wash |
ngton county. Prefacing his remarks with |
humorous anecdote, Mr.. Huse said he did |
lot believe that distance lent any enchant. |
nent to our view of the past lawyers and |
Judges of Orange county, as had been sug-
ested by Mr.. Hale, but that they were
eally great men. He eulogized Vermont,
aging that when his father and mother
wed in the West, and his father used to
equest that he be buried in Vermont, his
lother used to say that if Vermont was
God enough to be buried in, it was good
nough to live in, and that they accordingly
loved back here. He spoke of the affec-
ION which everybody who had ever lived
2 the state had for Vermont. He smoke of
he love for education which Orange county
ad always had, saying that the proximity
Dartmouth