The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1909-07-23

0 to notice the approach of the reverend
and austere President Langdon until HI
: had descended the steps, removed hi
e cooked hat and was wiping his forehead
The line was pulled up with a sudder
: jerk, in hopes that he might not see from
7 whose window it came, but, alas, swing
r ing across the doorway in its quick ascent
the hook caught the wig of the venerable
doctor and brought it up suddenly
; Royal Tyler was graduated from Harvard
in July, 1776, completing his college course
J in his 10Th year No record is known to
exist of his scholarship, bat his reputa
ton for wit, genius and standing had al.
ready extended beyond the walls of Har-
ward, and he was recognized as one of the
brilliant young men of that day; so much
so that = Yale college, as a compliment,
perhaps unprecedented, almost simultan-
eously with his alma mater, bestowed
upon him the degree of bachelor of arts.
For the three years following he stud
led law with Francis Dana of Cambridge,
and during that time he, with several
other very brilliant young men, formed a
club and discussed subjects of literature,
politics and war. Other members of that
club who afterward became famous were
Christopher Gore, Rufus King, subse-
quently delegate to the American congress,
United States senator and ambassador to
England William Eustis, governor of
Massachusetts, member of congress and
secretary of war; Aaron Dexter, profess
sor of chemistry and materia medica at
Harvard, and Thomas Dawes, justice of
the supreme court of Massachusetts,. Mr.
Tyler was admitted to the bar in l779 at
the most gloomy period Of the war for
ton had been nearly ruined by the siege.
Doubtless because of the poor outlook in
Boston, Mr.. Tyler moved to Falmouth,
now Portland. Me. In 1880, the improv-
ing prospects of peace made it expedient
! for him to return to Boston, and he
bought property in Braintree (now Quin-
| cyl evidently intending to identify him
self permanently with the interests of
that place.
An incident occurred during his prac-
tice in Cumberland which was not a lit
tie annoying to him. He began action
against an officer of a privateer anchored
in the harbor, and went aboard with the
sheriff to have the writ served. But the
privateer's son, not liking the process,
took up anchor and sailed out of the pre-
cinct, carrying the attorney and his off
Ger with him He landed them at Booth
Bay and then kept on his cruise.
In 1887, as aide-de-camp to Gen. Benia-
min Lincoln, Maj. Tyler vas called upon
in the heart of one Of the coolest of New
aid in suppressing the Shays rebellion.
The fortnight following the defeat of the
rebels was spent in vigorous pursuit of
them over the hills of Berkshire, through
two feet of snow, into New York and
.'the territory called Vermont" Maj. |
Tyler used to relate how he entrapped a
company of fugitives in meeting house
on Sunday While their leader like a
Yankee Cromwell was holding forth from
the pulpit on the oppression and tyranny |
of the government and its bloodthirsty |
resolution to hunt down and bring to the |
galows every patriot who had taken up |
arms in defense Of the peoples rights, |
Maj. Tyler had calmly surrounded the
house, seized the muskets and frightened
the orator had finished Tyler walked
calmly into the pulpit and informed them
that they were his prisoners. He then
went on with a long and earnest speech in
refutation of the misrepresentation and
calumnies against the government, by
which the rank and file had been led
astray; showed them that the evils under
inevitable results of the war; that the
legislature had done, and were ready to
do, every possible thing to alleviate the
peoples distress The result was the con-
version of the whole band into good citi
zens. BY the middle of February the re-
prominent of the rebels had fled into the
neighboring states of Vermont and New
\ DIRK. To arrest these ringleaders within
he jurisdiction of sovereign states, OBJ
5aining the consent and assistance of the
ocal authorities. was a service of peculiar
1elicacy and difficulty, especially as it was
known that the people generally sympa
,hlZed with the insurgents. By an act of
he Massachusetts legislature the governor
If Massachusetts, was requested to issue
proclamation offering reward for appre-
lending the ringleaders of the rebellion of ,
principals. The proclamation was offered
md Maj. Tyler was selected to run down
he fugitives. He had great difficulty in
utilizing his mission, though he succeeded.
After the rebellion the next matter of .
pecial interest connected with the life of
Mr.. Tyler was bringing out play written !
~ him. In England the acting of Gar
'ick and Siddons and the success of Dr. {
Goldsmith and others as writers had re-
lived the taste for drama. In the larger !
American cities the theater was well sup
ported and Boston had so far overcome (
he prejudices of puritanism as to fill the
I'D Federal-street theater with its wit and
ashton. Mr.. Tyler was intimate with the +
managers and principal actors of this es-
Adjustment and became much interested {
n dramatic art and literature, though no
american play had yet been produced on
he regular stage. Urged by these friends, 6
lie resolved to attempt comedy that
citing drama and also be strictly national
n plot and characters. The general plan
dopted was to contrast the homely, hon .
st plainness of our native character with
he polished, tinseled hypocrisy of the for
ign society His play. named the Con
rast," made a great hit and Tyler was c
easted and toasted all over the country. ;
lie later wrote a farce under the name $
May. Day in Town which was also d
rought out with great success. No rea- c
on is given for Mr. Tyler's leaving Bos- I
on for the wilds of Vermont, but the
act remains that in the year 1871 he es- n
ablished himself in the town of Gull s.
ord. Mr.. Tyler Immediately entered into B
he community life and was soon a very a
opular and useful citizen. b
In year or so he brought his young n
,ife over the hills from her home in
birmingham, Mass, driving the whole 6,
istance in his sleigh. The following story i
told of how he first saw the woman Il
e was afterward to marry When a gay +,
Dung gallant of 90 he entered the house !,
{ his friend, Mrs. Joseph Pearce Palmer i
{ Boston, and took from her arms her i
lfant child and said, This child will be- 4
ONE my wife" Time verified the proph- ~
cy. Mr.. Tyler was elected district attor- q
ey for Windham county and as such had !;
0 attend the legislature, where he en- Il
Irged his acquaintance throughout the
tate, and in October 1901 he was elect
to the supreme bench of the state. He
resided as side judge on the supreme
ench from 1901 to 1906, when he was p
hosen chief judge. Party strife and ILL A
ealth prevented him from being chosen Il
. fill that Office for longer period From a
Sl5 to 1921 he was registrar Of probate d
)r Windham county and this, It is be- X
eyed, was his last public office. In II