Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1911-05-05

olution, from their earliest settlement In
Worcester county, Mass.
The Flagg lineage can be traced back
over ten centuries to Rawl Fegge,
Danish viking, who ravaged the east
coast of England, and there made set
Element in the year S6S. His first Amerl
can ancestor, Thomas Flagg, emigra ted
to America from the Hundred Of East
Flegge," Norfolk county, England, in 1857
in company with Sir Richard Carver, and
settled and became land owner in
WATERFOWL, Mass. Descendants of Thorn
as served in various Massachusetts regi-
ments through the Revolutionary war,
General F1agg, the father of John H..
was also born in Wilmington, where he
became a leading lawyer and man of
affairs, repeatedly serving In both
branches of the Legislature, constitutional
conventions, etc.
John Henry was educated in the public
schools of his native town; at the Wes-
leyan academy, Wilbraham, Mass, and
by private tutor Without availing him
self of a college course, he plunged at
once into his Blackstone and Chitty, at
the early age of IS, studying the first two
years in his fathers office. Subsequently
entering the Albany law school, from
which he graduated in 1864. Thereafter
and until his admission to the bar, he
continued his studies in the office of Flagg
| & Tyler at Wilmington, this firm then
being composed of his father and the
| Hon. James NJ Tyler who subsequently
and for upwards of 20 years up to 1909
was a judge on the bench of the Supreme
| Court of Vermont Having completed his
preparatory course of study, he was ad-
mitted to the Vermont bar, in Windham
county. at the September term, 1864, at
once beginning practice, succeeding Mr.
| Tyler in his fathers firm, but two years
| thereafter removing to the historic old
NJ Ia e.
diately became conspicuous at the bar
building up a large and lucrative practice
This came to him not only from clients
in Southern Vermont, but with those in
| the adjacent parts of New York and
| Massachusetts also, During his five
| years practice at Bennington, ii is said
| that Of the cases taken on appeal to the
| Supreme Court, he never lost one-this
| fact appearing by the dockets and report
| ed decisions of the court for that period
| 1t need hardly be remarked that single
| handed and alone, having no partner, and
| without. the aid of associate counsel, this
was an unusual achievement with a prac-
| ttioner so young as he then was, being
| as will be seen, under % years of age
| at the commencement of this period.
| But impaired in health by over work.
| and being thus early in life afflicted by
| a pronounced rheumatic tendency, his
| doctors advised radical change of eli
|
| Vermont winter At this time-the fall
| of 1S69-while contemplating winters
| sojourn in the South, he was offered,
| through the Vermont Senators, Edmunds
| and Morrill, but wholly unsolicited and
| unexpected, the position of principal leg
| islative clerk of the United States Senate
| these Senators acting in behalf of the
Republican majority of the chamber
| which prefer not without hesitation, he
| accepted, feeling that the change even to
| the milder climate of Washington might
prove beneficial to his health
| Once installed in Washington official
life, he continued In this office for four
| succeeding Congresses, discharging its
| important duties with exceptional eff
| cheney, until 1878, when he submitted his
| resigna ton and insisted upon its accept
| ance, Notwithstanding a unanimous ex-
preston OF regret of both the political
parties in the chamber and their repeat
eddy expressed hope that he might be in
duced to reconsider his action. Previous
to his acceptance of this position he had
been a close student of parliamentary
law and legislative procedure, and had
had no small experience with its practical
application. having been for five success
sive years, 1S64-1S6S, clerk of the House
Of Representatives in his native state,
being, by the way, the youngest person
who ever held such an office in the legis-
lature of any New England state, and
probably of any other.
Having in 1870 been admitted to the
bar of the Supreme Court of the United
States, he at once, on the acceptance of
his resignation, resumed his law practice,
having for a time an Office both in WASH
ington and New York. giving special at
tenton to commercial questions arising
under treaties between the United States
and various foreign powers tariff cases
and the like. He was prominent In for
mulating the earlier legislation of Con-
gress defining the relation of our govern
ment to Geneva Award Fund" (paid
by Great Britain under the treaty OF
Washington, and subsequently prose-
cuted to successful termination many
important cases arising under that treaty.
In 1880 he discontinued his Washington
office and thereafter confined his practice
to New York and not only In cases of the
above character, but from that time CIV
ing more special attention to corporation
law. having for clients various steamship
lines. railroad companies and other large
corporations. For IS years, or from 1882
up to his enforced retirement from prac-
tice in 1900 he was counsel to the
Standard Oil company and its Affiliations.
and so preoccupied with the affairs of
this one interest as to leave him little
opportunity for general practice in the
courts, where, except for that company
he was seldom seen.
In the winter of 1900 Mr. Flagg was
severely injured by an accident In the
street near his home, whore he had since
been confined. Here he had shown mar
Vicious endurance and forttude, hopeful
even when his doctors, in repeated cons