The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1921-03-31

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afan q H de.eminst 70
81 - eaa - fbst term ar6 net
8 reaeeuan who's ~ tern wa
over. Is 1917 he carried BE ? po-e
nta eject Whea asked wis he f9rm-
81 tHaf conclusion Be replied that be
had given Che state u Vermont the
besf yeaH Of lis lifc and would not
give her any drees Judge Muuson
greR Is q judge from the day be first
assumed tho responsible Office until hIs
final retirement and. in his later days
especially. his opinions give evidence
II superior intellect and will endure
as a pari d the law Of our Common
wealth when his opinion in Stearns
IS the City q Barre l78rd Nermont)
vas about 70 be read, Chief Justice
Rowell. who was presiding. remarked
TO his associates that il ran counter
70 more statute Law than any opinion
read IN his recollection The opinion
stands as a precedent today
Throughout his long life Judge
Munson maintained deep interest m
the history Of Manchester and the
State Of Vermont and a great measure
II reverence for the stalwart states
men who were the founders and build I
ers Of our Commonwealth. There are
two items which bear particularly in
innate testimony along this line The
Early History Of Manchester" which I
he prepared and gave as an address
10 1876, represents an enormous
amount Of work, is fruitful Of his eff
forts in the seavh for information /
and truth, and Is a monument TO his
petienee and accuracy II VIII always
remain the basis Of any future written
history Of Manchester The other
item links his early life with his very
latest days in the sustained keen in
terest in, and reverence for the past
and its makers Judge Munson's
maiden speech in our State Legisla-
lure, during his first term as repre-
sentative, was in support Of bill to
provide a suitable memorial for the
hen unmarked grave Of Nathaniel
Chapman, a soldier, statesman and
urist Of Vermont in her struggle to
become commonwealth. A similar
lil had met Indifferent interest and
allied Of passage in an earlier session
4 the legislature. The subject was
lose to the heart Of Judge Munson as
S indicated by the keen logic and
ervor of his effort before the legis-
alive body The bill was duly passed
nd monument erected in the little
urying ground in Tinmouth. During
years so completely did
Judge, Munson devote his time to his
uties on the bench and TO his work
or local institutions that nearly 80 !
ears elapsed before he found oppor
unity to visit the Chapman burial plot ?
nd view the monument thus provided. v
IN his nth birthday, July 81, 1920, q
n family picnic excursion, he went o
D Tinmouth and visited the spot.
GLOWING the picnic dinner which was l.
njoyed near the little cemetery the I
urprise OF the party was the reading
( the copy Of the speech made in c
S72. When the reading was finished n
he Judge remarked that il was bet Z
nr speech than he had previously o
bought il was and he was glad to Z
ave seen the monument which his
lords may have helped to build. And 0
hen the automobile journey home )
nded the pleasant excursion he said, n
This has been one Of the happiest {
avs Of my life" II
Judge Munson had been urged in
&c snt years and he had hoped to pre-
are new edition of the History Of n
expanding some por- p
ons Of ii and bringing it down to G
he present date and it is greatly to y
e regretted that he could not carry a
ut his purpose. He liked to intro =
uce new friends to Thompson's stir y
ng tales Of the Green Mountain s.
oys" and the Rangers" When
GLAND Robinson's sketches Of the u
following the pioneers IL
ere published he delighted in them "
cause they so truly portrayed the II
lrly life Of Vermont communities. o.
he last book which was read aloud y
him was "Uncle Lisha's Shop" one al
Robinson's earliest books, and he
,joyed anew its humor and its de- "
riptions Of the countryside. i'
And what Of Judge Munson's work '
r and interest in our local institu- ',
ons7 His service to the State did :
Il prevent his giving freely Of his :.