Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-01-04

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four years from 1898. He was member
of the county board of education in 1889
and 1890. He had been Justice of the
peace since 1883. and many justice cases
were brought before him for hearing par
ticularly since he had acted as county
clerk in Brattleboro. His services were
also in constant demand in the settle
| ment of estates.
Through a continuous connection of 80
| years with the Vermont legislature-lack-
| ing only the sessions of 1898 and l900-Mr.
| Merriheld became the personal aCquaint-
| ance and friend of more representative
men of the state than any other citizen
! in the entire commonwealth There was
not single town in the state where he
| was not known, his friends being num-
| bered by hundreds and thousands. He
| first went to Montpelier in an official ca
pacity in 1874, when DR.. George Nichols,
! so long secretary of state, appointed him
! engrossing clerk. He filed this post
| again in 1876. In 1873 and 1850 he went
! to the legislature as the representative
! from Newfane. From 1882 to 1883 he was
! second assistant clerk of the House, first
assistant clerk in 1890. clerk in 1892 and
| 1894. senator from Windham county in
! 1896, representative from NewfanC in 1902
| and 1904, and in both of these terms was
| speaker of the House. At both sessions
| he was supported solidly by the Republi
! cans of the House Cor the spcakcrship
| and the Democrats. after casting COM
| plimentary vote for their party Candi-
| date at each session made Mr. M1rri-
| fields election unanimous. At the
| close of the session Of 1902 Mr.. Merri
! field was presented with handsome
| watch and chain by the members of the
| House. the presentation being made by
| John +. Gale, representative from Gull
| ford. The watch was inscribed: speak
\ cr John II. Merrdeld, from the House of
! 1902" Speaker Morrifcld was chosen
! 4
| by the members of the legislature of 1902.
! At the close of the session of 1904 the
! members of the House made Mr.. Mcrri-
! field a gift of 800 i'm gold, the prescnta-
! tion being by Rev Father O'Sullivan. rep
| resentivc from ST. Adams city, who had
| become warmly attached to him.
In the Senate of 1896 Mr.. Merrifeld was
! chairman of the elections committee and
| served on the finance and judiciary com
| mittces. As speaker of the House he pre-
sided with strength and dignity. proved
| his familiarity with parliamentary prac-
tice and showed a spirit Of fairness, inn
Partially and goodwill which won him
! the confidence respect and affection of
| every member of the House.
All of Mr.. Merrihed's political honors
came without seeking. lie never asked
a man to support him for Office and his
various elections and appointments were
! spontaneous rccoEuitnns Of his merit. His
name was mentioned frequently in 1904,
| both i'm conversation and in the public
| prints. as a man who would III tie Office
| of governor with distinction. but Mr..
! MCrriiiCld never encouraged such a move
mcnt. Last spring he received from pco-
| pie all over the state assurance that they
| wished to support him as the Republican
candidate for lieutenant governor. but
| Mr.. Meuifcld would not even ask his
/ intimate friends for support. When in
| terroEated he simply said that If the Re
| publican nomination came to him unso-
! icitcd he should esteem II an honor not
! TO be declined. There were two card-
dates in the field, both widely known
men. and despite the energetic work in
| their behalf Mr. Mortified had POI votes
on the first ballot in the convention. and
| 227 on the second ballot Had he made
a contest for the Office he could undoubt-
! eddy have won it, but that was not John
Merrifeld's way.
Mr. Merrifed was of deeply religious
nature from childhood At the age Of 10
he united with the Methodist church in
his native village, and he had been con-
slant in his attendance and support dur
! ing all these years. In fact, for many
! years, he had been the leading supporter
| of the church. the man on whom others
| leaned for guidance and for whose
sistance they never asked in vain. Mr.
| Merrifeld was a steward I'm the church
| many years and for a long time acted as
superintendent and teacher in the Sun
! Il
worth league.
Mr. Merrifed had been called upon for
activities in many directions. At the
| time of his death he was one of the
| county Jail commissioners; the Windham
county director of the Unen Mutual Fire
| Insurance company; chairman OF the
! county Republican committee. For a
term of years he was the local agent Of
! the Equitable Assurance society of New
York.
Mr. Mortified married Feb. "a 1886
Miss Ella r. Stratton, daughter Of Asa
and Polly NJ. CMorse) Stratton of South
Newfane. Their only child, Ernest. died
| when a few days less than a year old. The
| loss of the little boy was a lifelong grief
! and Mr.. Mortified could never speak of il
! with composure. His home and domestic
life was ideal Besides his wife he is sur
| vived by two brothers, Webster Merri-
field, formerly Of the faculty Of Yale and
| for many years president of the Univers-
| ity of North Dakota, and Arthur NJ. Mer-
! rifield manufacturer in Wiliamsville
Mr.. Merrifield had neither the time nor
| the ambition for wide attachments in
learning, but he graspcd as few men do
the principles of our government and in
| stitutions, the theory and application of
| legislation the rules AMI conduct OF bust
ness, and questions and problems of cur
| rent interest in politics and in general
| affairs. To some of our problems Of Yer
mont state policy he had given special
study-notably to our current question of
relief from double taxation, and it is very
recently that he has offered wise and
helpful suggestions about this through
the columns of this paper.
| In the use of the pen Mr. Mortified was
! the master of clean cut, forcihle Eng
fish. This has often been exempliied in
| these columns when subjects We're under
discussion which appealed to him. Dur
ing several sessions of the Legislature,
while employed at the clerks table, he
made weekly reports of the legislative
proceedings for The Phoenix. In its broad
and intelligent grasp of the whole course
of legislation, and i'm its compact but
| readable and entertaining literary style,
with sde-lights of personal allusion and
apt Characterization thrown in here and
there. this correspondence has never,
within our knowledge, been equalled in
the reportorial field in Vermont.
Personal characteristics.
In his personal character John Merri-
field was as distinctly unique as any man
of whom we read in history. Without
any of the qualities of greatne as that
term is commonly used, he was great in
the simplicity and sincerity of his own
nature. He was a man cast in a large
mould, and the mould was fashioned of
innate, everyday goodness, OF unselhsh-
ness, and a spontaneous wish to spend
and be spent in the service of others He
was not like any other man that any of
nc hoe In L. 10 Tr1,,,