Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-01-08
Three Well Known Men of the
State Passed Away
Monday.
EX-GOV. FARNHAM DEAD
Fought against Fatal Trouble over q
Year-Held Court upon His Death
Bed - Edward Conant, a. Prom
inent Educator, and Seymour
Lane Are Dead.

tcrnoon after an illness Of over a year
The funeral will be held at the Congrc-
Eational Church here Thursday forenoon
at Ii o'clock. The Roy. II. j. Kilbournc
pastor of the church, Will be the officiating
| clergyman.
! Ex-Governor Farnham was n type of
the best New England stock in the Con
necticut valley u lawyer, a soldier and
Il scholar, who unconsCiousy allied all
who knew him with the grand, the truo
and the beautiful. A lofty Christian char
actcr ondoarcd him to his townspeoplc.
At the time of his advent in Bradford in
1884 he and his wife Joined the Congrega
tional Church Of which they have been
for ~ years active members. in Novem-
Der of 1885 on a dark night Mr.. Farnham
slipped on the depot platform and sus-
taincd q conclusion of the brain, since
which his life has been a continual fight
with physical disability. During IA great
part of the past year with fast ebbing
strength the brave ex-governor appeared
daily at his office and even repeatedly
took the ride of 20 miles through snow
drifts to the winter term of county court
at Chelsea When during the past few
weeks he was confined to the house still
refusing to give up, he held court propped
lup in his bed. This morning, howe err,
it became evident that a summons had
come from beyond and at quarter of
three In the afternoon surrounded by his
wife. youngest son and daughter he fell
asleep Ike "A child.
Roswell Farnham of Bradford, the
37th governor of the state of Vermont
was born in Boston, Mass, July e. 1921
son of Roswell and Nancy (Bixby) Farm
| ham.
He was Of the eighth generation in di-
rect descent from Ralph Farnum who
cmigrated from England to America in
1855 and settled in Andovcr. Mass.
| Roswell Farnham prepared for college
in the academy at Bradford, under Moses
T. Case, and J. 5. d. Taylor, assisting
meantime in the cultivation of his fathers
farm. lie pursued the studies of the fresh
man and sophomore classes at the same
institution under William G. Belcher and
in September 1S1 joined the junior class
in the University OF Vermont, from which
he graduated with honor In August lS49.
receiving the degree or a. NJ. in 1852. At
ter graduating he was engaged for a time
in teaching at Durham, Canada. In 1883
he removed to Franklin, Vermont, where
he took charge Of the Franklin Acad
cmical Institution, which prospered great
~ under his efficient care. After three
successful years in that institution he
was appointed princpai of the academy
in Bradford, which, with the assistance
OF his accomplished wife he conducted
for two years with marked success, HaN-
ing selected the profession of the law,
he had been meantime devoting his spare
time to legal studies. These he conducted
further under the late Robert Nick.
lOrmsby, then the leading lawyer in
Orange county, and was admitted to the
bar at the January term Of the Orange
County Court in 1861 He commenced
practice in partnership with Mr.. Ormshy.
| In 1879 he opened an office for himself,
ana soon acquired rcmuncrative client
age, which increased until it became
easily the largest and most profitable in
| Orange county. HIS ability and high per
sonal character were recognized by the
republicans Of that county and in 1888 he
was elected States attorney, and WAS
twice reelected. He was holding this Of
fec when the War of the Rebellion broke
out. Ohcylng the patriotic impulse which
was soon to take the best young blood of
Vermont to the field. he was among the
first to enlist for the defence of the
Union. He had already foreseen the com
ing crisis, and had joined the Bradford
Guards, one Of the few compa MES Of vol
unteer nlitia then in existence in Yer
mont When President Lincoln's first call
for troops appeared in April 1851 he went
to the front as second lieutenant of Com
, pany D. of the First regiment of Vermont
volunteers. The regiment for time form
cd part of the garrison of Fortress Mon
roe and on May 81 1851 made about the
FIRST permanent occupation of the soil Of
| Virginia at NeWpOrt News Lieutenant
Farnham was appointed provost marshal
on the staff of COL J. W. Phelps COM
mandng a force of four thousand troops
nj that post and had imnortant duties
| esDeciallv relating to the care of the hun.
dreds of 'contrabands" who focied into
the federal camps When the expedition
against Big Bethel was sent out by Cen
eral Butler in June 1861, Lieutenant Farm
, ham requested permission to ioin it. He
, | selected and led the negro piides who
Inflated the attacking column and thcn
!. taking his Mace in the line with his com
many. partlcipatcd in the fruitless attack