Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-07-10
TORREY ENGlESBY WALES
he Passed Away Quietly on Saturday
Evening in His Eighty third Ycar.

day of June 1920. His father, Danforth
Wales. a native of Brimfeld, Mass, at an
early age went to Pittsford, VT. and
served an apprenticeship In the clothiers
trade. From there in 1850 he went to West
ford, where he built mp u large and sue
ccssful business as a oth-drcsser and pro-
prietor of the grist mill and saw mills on
Browns river. He held some of the most
important Offices within the gift of his
townsmen serving several terms as their
representative in the Legislature. He died
at the ase of Go years. His first wife was
LAVISH Sibley of Westford. who, a pioneer
in a new region, became the mother of the
subject of this notice
Torrcy l.. Wales received his carly ed.
ucation in the local schools Determining
to secure liberal education, he entered
the University of Vermont in 1851 His
father having suffered reverses In his bus
mess he was thrown chiefly upon his own
resources; but managed with industry and
energy to pay his own way through college
and he graduated with credit in 1871 Decid-
ing to become a lawyer, he studied law
first in the office of the late Archibald
Hyde Later he entered the law Office OF
Asabel Peck. subsequently justice of the
Supreme Court and governor of Vermont
and was admitted to the bar of Chitton-
den county at the spring term In 1A1 In
the following year he married and had de-
,ided to practice his profession in Bur-
lington, when, having inherited tendency
to pulmonary disease some alarming symp-
toms forced him to go South for his health
His wife having some family connections
in the state of Mississippi ne went thither
and taught for three years in the family
of n planter, near Holly Springs, Miss
receiving impressions Of southern plaHta-
ton life and of the institution of slavery
which never faded from his memory. Re
turning to Burlington, he opened law
office at the head of Church street and
gradually built up a successful practice.
He continued alone until about 1S5', when
he formed a partnership with Russell ).
Taft who had been a student in his Of
flee and in time became the honored chief
Justice of the Supreme Court Of Vermont.
This relation subsistod for the unusual
period of q years. being finally dissolved
in 1871. In the spring of lSH his son,
George W. Wales. Esq, became his part
ner under the firm name of Wales " Wales
Judge Wales's sterling qualities and ability
in his profession soon brought him into
prominence.
He was elected states attorney in 1888
and held the office three consecutive years.
He was a selectman of the town iE 1874 be-
fore the organization of the city. Tie was
the second mayor of the city of Burlington
and held that office two years 0S% and
1860 and again In 1870 he served as acting
mayor in the place of ID. c. linslcy, re-
signed He was an alderman in the years
1>69 1870 and 1871, resgning in the latter
part of the last mentioned year. lie was
again elected alderman of his ward in 1871
In 1883 and 1894 he was city attorney. IN
1865, 1869. 1876, and 1877 he represented the
city in the legislature. He was elected
judge of probate in 1862, and held the Office
continuously until 1888 Among the
minor offices held by him was that of
county auditor of Chittenden county and
street commissioner. He was one OF the
earliest members of the old Boxer Fire
company, and was one of the charter mem
hcrs of the Algonquin club His military
service was confined to membership of the
Howard Guard" Burlington company Of
uniform militia before the war lie was
one of the directors of the old Farmers
and Mechanics bank, until it was wound
up upon the organization of the National
Bank system. and he had been for many
years and until his death n director in the
Merchants bank. He was the treasurer
of the Mary Fletcher Hospital and invested
its funds with remarkable good judgment
and success. He became trustee of the
university in 1887, and held the office to his
death, being also for the past twelve years
a member of the executive committee of
the board Of trustees, which is charged
with the responsible care of the university
in the interim between the sessions Of the
fun board. In all the various Offices held
by him, his attention to the duties thereof,
and his sound Judgment made his service
of very high value.
When the College street church was or
ganized in 1850, Judge wales became a
member of the society connected herewith
and actively interested in it's affairs. He,
however, made no public profession of his
faith, until July 1855. In December of that
year he was elected a deacon. and in that
capacity and as a member Of the stand
ing committee of the church, he served
with characteristic modcsty, sincerity and
fidelity.
In February, 1916. he married Elizabeth
G. Mason of burlington. She died April
u. 1886, leaving one son. George w. Wales,
born July 10. 1853 In 1883 he married Mrs,
Helen (Mason) White Of Boston, a niece
of his first wife. She died In 1896 Since
the death Of his second wife and his son.
Judge Wales has resided in his home on
College street, having the devoted care OF
his daughterin-law, Mira George W.
Wales. in his declining years. After do
clining a reelection a. Judge Of probate
Judge Wales resumed tae active practice
OF law, with succeae. His strength natur-
ally failed as hS eeared fourscore. and
sDsne severe ilbaerses at times alarmed his
friends but ne continued to visit his of
fee and 70 conduct his business until about
three weeks ago, when failure of his
powers set in, compelling him to keep his
cd by fever gave a premonition of tho
end. He gradually became unconscious
and quietly passed away at nine o'clock
Saturday evening.
Judge Wales showed in his life how in
a New England community a man without
marked brilliant qualities may by the quiet
exercise of the virtues of industry, integ-
rty, bencvolence unsclfshness and fidelity
to duty, attain high usefulness, and that
most excellent kind of success which
causes a man to be honored and trusted
while he lives and mournod by all who
knew him with mingled gratitude and sor-
row, when he dies. He was a sound law
yer. Though not an orator he was a for
ciblc advocate who mastered his cases
trusting nothing to chance, or to leEa
rhetoric. As a public official. he was ali,
solutely incorruptible and no one evol
dared approach him with any untowart
| induCenont. AS the Judge of probate OF
| this county for thrty-sx years he be,
came the best known and most respected
! holder of that office in the State his in
terpretatons of the law being adopted as
! authority by his brother Judges and hi.
decisions accepted without question, ant
as n rule without reversal. In this offic,
| and in his private practice he was tn,
| friend of the widow and the orphan anC
many such will rise up and call hin
blessed" His counsel was often sought il
cases OF family trouble, and seldom ol
never sought in vain His qualities %
sound sense and shrewd Judgment of mel
caused him to be called into the direction
of various philanthropic institutions, IL
which he rendered most valuable service
| As a citizen he was public spirited, ant
| devoted to the best interests of the cit,
and the community. In politics he wal
an earnest republican from the organiza